Official 2009-10 NFL thread

[Csargo]

Happy

[seireikhaan]

Well, here's hoping the next couple games are more enjoyable. Go Pats and Cards!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Uncapped year next year with the possibility of a work stoppage in 2011. Eagles' ownership needs to go all-in for what could be McNabb's final go-round with the team. I'm talking about a full-fledged Yankees-style spending spree. We have the money to do it, and the team owes us after what's happened the past two weeks.

DO IT LIVE!

[Crazed Rabbit]

Oh, **** me, I can't believe this. I'm not even going to keep watching.

CR

[Askthepizzaguy]

I am glad I accidentally slept through that Pats game.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I am glad I accidentally slept through that Pats game.

Unfortunately so did the Pats. I don't know who was out there in Brady's uniform, but it couldn't have been Brady. The Ravens played some inspired Defense today, got almost all the breaks & calls too.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I hate everything.

CR

[Askthepizzaguy]

I like this game at least. Finally some excitement.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I hate everything.

CR

I was hoping you quit earlier. Extra extra heartbreak.


They should remove field goals and extra points from the game. It was a great game though, I hope the cards can keep it up.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Here's hoping the Packers defense is kept on bread and water until they play a game where they stop a 3-point conversion in every quarter.

/going to go cut myself now
//there's always next year

[Gregoshi]

Well, both my teams got eliminated. Fortunately I missed almost all the Eagles game, so the anguish was softened. At least the Packers put up a fight and were in the game right to the last second despite practically handing the Cardinals the game early on. Werner is pretty amazing to watch, but I'd much rather see it when I'm rooting for him.

Now that the Pats were eliminated, I can have a safe Super Bowl as soon as the Cowboys get sent home. After that, I don't really have a super vested interests in who wins, but at least I won't have to worry about a team winning it that I can't stand.

[drone]

Missed both Sunday games, looks like the Packers-Cards was entertaining to say the least. Watched the whole Cowboys game though...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Bleh, only one of the teams I was rooting for has won so far. Although that win was pretty good.

Viking and Colts are the only teams left to root for, really. Although the saints aren't too bad I guess.

[Askthepizzaguy]

I love some of the advice commentators give the NFL teams. Only slightly exaggerating:

* Try to avoid turning over the ball to the other team
(really?)

* Use your rushing offense instead of passing all the time, to keep the defense on it's toes
(What a novel idea!)

* When you have the ball, you have to score
(I thought you took a knee. Good tip.)

* Come out fast and strong and play smart
(As opposed to playing dumb?)

* Try not to commit too many penalties
(But penalties are the same as points, I thought?)

* If the opposing quarterback is really skilled, you can't give him time to throw the ball.
(Too complex for me to understand...)

* Score more points than your opponent.
(So, it ISN'T like golf. THANKS!)

[Martok]

Well no surprises so far this weekend, despite half-expecting the Ravens to pull out an upset.

As for tomorrow....GO VIKES!!



@ATPG:

I know. It's like they all attended John Madden's School of Football Commentating....

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Harsh game for raven's fans. Interception return fumbled, interception called back, flacco throws two interceptions, fumble by rice....

[Crazed Rabbit]

Some boring games today, for sure. And Vikings are playing Cowboys tomorrow, right? Why can't they both lose?

Ah well, I just hope we get some good games.

CR

[The Wizard]

Can't say I agree with you, go Vikings!

[Vuk]

Hey, don't really watch football, so could any of you football fans tell me how the Packers and Vikings are doing this season?

[The Wizard]

Packers got beat in OT by the Cardinals last week, and today it's Vikes against Cowboys in the playoffs. As for the season as a whole, IIRC the Cheeseheads have been doing pretty well, while the Vikings kinda slipped up at the end of the season. But my memory's hazy

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

The Packers had a bit of a rough start but ended playing very well, while the Vikings were the opposite (but had a better season end than the Packers had a start).

Jets game looks interesting. Funny interception swap there.

[KukriKhan]

Tough loss for San Diego. "Punkt in dey own crib" as one wag put it.

Better, more spectacular games next week.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I'll say it again, they should remove field goals from the game. The jets didn't lose that game, the chargers didn't lose it. Nate kaeding lost it. It's supposed to be a team sport

[KukriKhan]

I'll say it again, they should remove field goals from the game. The jets didn't lose that game, the chargers didn't lose it. Nate kaeding lost it. It's supposed to be a team sport

Stepping back from the everyday turmoil of american football...

I agree. Let's either go totally football, and outlaw the forward pass, or fully embrace it (the fwd p) and go for the spectacular display of nobody-gets-killed 1800's war simulation that we have now.

Anyone think the reffing sucked?

I do. They (the ref crew) called every teeny-tiny infraction possible. One-second long incidental facemasks. Pass interferance for what looked to be touch-and-go's. Bah.

I wanted to see football, not Court TV.

Nevertheless: the upstart Jets overcoming the statistically favored Chargers (who got no respect or mention all season). Good on 'em. I hope they go to the big game. They and their (sorta) rookie quarterback and rookie coach prove the old axiom "on any given Sunday"...

Go Jets!!

[Askthepizzaguy]

I do not believe that attempting to play the game and score is necessarily unsportsmanlike under any circumstances, regardless of the score. However, some disagree and I'd like to hear why.

To get the ball rolling, it might help if I explain why I think it's perfectly all right.

1. The fans paid good money to watch a game being played. Action, regardless of score, is more interesting than taking a knee or running the ball into a tightly packed formation on purpose. So, just for the pure entertainment value, I'd rather see every play be an attempt to win yardage or score.

2. This is the NFL, not high school football. Those players certainly won't boo-hoo if they lost by 30 points instead of 10, for example. Or they shouldn't; they are professionals, I'd assume.

3. Not playing your best game is insulting to your opponent, IMO, especially if it isn't practice play. No need to treat the other team like infants.

4. It isn't the offense's responsibility to avoid scoring. It is the defense's responsibility to attempt a stop. If they can't, that's too bad... it's part of the game.

5. Some individual players might want to score a touchdown or add yards to their record. It is professional football; you only get so many years, games, and chances to score or do well. What if you wanted to beat the record for the most touchdown receptions? Even if you didn't have that goal in mind, why should you ever consciously attempt to avoid such a thing?

6. Even when it is too late to save a game, shouldn't there be some attempt by the non-winning team to figure out how to stop an aggressive and dominant offense? Consider it practice (the hardest kind) for next year. Make them reveal their tricks, try to counter them. Fight the good fight until it is over... try to improve.

7. Your star players feeling down because the game is over, they've lost? Allow your second or third-stringers to have a shot at making a play against a better team. Maybe you'll discover talent you never knew you really had...


So, what's the big faux pas with "running up the score"? Unless the other team is injured to the point there's only 10 men on the field, the game should continue, or they should forfeit somehow. Just my preference, but that's me. What do you think?

[Crazed Rabbit]

I think part of why Farve threw that last touchdown pass may have been his record against the Cowboys in the playoffs before this game; 0-3 IIRC. I think there are times where running up the score can e bad sportsmanship, but this (vikings cowboys) game didn't get there.

And like one of the announcers said; If you don't like it, stop it.

Watching Troy Aikman was priceless as well.

CR

[Hosakawa Tito]

Stepping back from the everyday turmoil of american football...

I agree. Let's either go totally football, and outlaw the forward pass, or fully embrace it (the fwd p) and go for the spectacular display of nobody-gets-killed 1800's war simulation that we have now.

Anyone think the reffing sucked?

I do. They (the ref crew) called every teeny-tiny infraction possible. One-second long incidental facemasks. Pass interferance for what looked to be touch-and-go's. Bah.

I wanted to see football, not Court TV.

Nevertheless: the upstart Jets overcoming the statistically favored Chargers (who got no respect or mention all season). Good on 'em. I hope they go to the big game. They and their (sorta) rookie quarterback and rookie coach prove the old axiom "on any given Sunday"...

Go Jets!!

Someone has to tell that officiating crew to allow the players to play. Interupting the flow of the game for such minor & lame infractions ruins the enjoyment for most fans.

Field goals and special teams are a big part of the game, and though they look routine, obviously they aren't. Here's an interesting blurb:

• Nate Kaeding missed three FGA for the Chargers and was the first kicker to go 0-3 in an NFL playoff game since 1995. He only missed three in the regular season and is 3-9 at home in the postseason in his career.

Kaeding is jinxed *or throwing the game for you conspiracy theorists*, time for San Diego to find a new kicker.

Except for this game the playoffs have been a snore. Blowouts aren't fun to watch unless your favorite team is administering the spanking.

Here's hoping next week's conference finals are more exciting. Too bad the Super Bowl can't be Saints vs Vikings, but I do hope the Jets get by the Colts and get a shot to repeat the Joe Willy miracle.

[Gregoshi]

Except for this game the playoffs have been a snore...

What about the Packer/Cardinals game? Highest scoring game in playoff history going into overtime wouldn't fall into the snore category. But I do agree with your comment. Fortunately, I've missed most of these snore-fests. I also missed the Chargers/Jets game and tuned into the NFL Network to find out the result. As I watched the highlights, which was all Chargers through the first three quarter, I kept thinking "And the Chargers lost?" However, the result is to be expected when you blow all those scoring attempts.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

"I thought it was classless," Brooking said. "I thought it was B.S. Granted, we get paid to stop them, but we had zero timeouts left. I didn't think there was any call for that."

Shiancoe laughed after hearing Brooking's comments. "OK, we apologize. I'm sorry. Better?"

"We don't care what Keith Brooking says," Williams said. "He was about to get his ass whupped on our sideline over there. It don't matter. Nobody said anything when they blew out the Eagles [the past two weeks].

"It's the playoffs. It ain't no regular-season game. If you lose, you go home. We take no pity on them. Do they expect us to? I don't care about no Brooking. He can say whatever he wants to say."

[GeneralHankerchief]

Somewhere, Marty Schottenheimer is laughing.