Official 2007-08 NFL thread

[GeneralHankerchief]

Well, Ice hit the nail on the head about every true red-blooded American male's Any Given Saturday being college football... now it's Sunday's turn.

We head into this season with many exciting issues that are sure to be resolved throughout the course of seventeen weeks, plus playoffs:

- We'll start with the NFC, since that's my conference of choice. Can any team break their Super Bowl drought? My money's on the Saints, as is everyone else's in the country. Their offense is just too awesome, and I'm sure we'll get a nice dose of it in tonight's game.

- Can Rex Grossman finally mature and quiet his critics, leading Da Bears back to the playoffs with hopefully a victory? Or will Favre have one more great year and lead his Packers to the Dance one last time?

- The East seems to be really weak this year, aside from of course Dallas. Can Philly challenge them for the division title? Will Romo get over that laughable blunder in last year's playoffs and put up Pro Bowl numbers? Will the Giants be able to replace Tiki Barber? Will the Redskins ever not stink?

- I think San Francisco is my sleeper team in the West. The Rams are getting older (aside from Stephen Jackson) and the Niners have improved. Of course, the Seahawks are always in the way...

Turning now to the AFC:

- Will anyone be able to stop the Patriots this year? I mean, seriously, this team is now freaky. The only thing that can probably take 'em down is if Randy Moss destroys team chemistry, and I can't see that as long as Belichek and Brady are around.

- The North, like its counterpart, is a mess, full of borderline teams. Cleveland has a few years to go, the Bengals have no defense, the Ravens are getting older, and the Steelers are trying to get it together after last year. Who will rise to take the crown?

- The Colts have ruled the South with an iron fist for years. The main question for them is whether they'll be able to beat New England in the playoffs again and repeat their Super Bowl performance of last year. But are Vince Young's Titans ready to step up and take the division away from Manning & co? Will the Jaguars regret pulling Leftwich?

- In the West, how will the Chargers, seeking vengeance after last year, do? The division is weak with the Chiefs retooling and the Broncos not quite there yet. But on the other hand, their coach is Norv Turner now. Forget about Martyball.

I'm sure we will all be watching this season with interest.

[Glaucus]

I agree with just about everything you said, especially the call on the 49ers as a sleeper pick.

I hate to say it, being a new yorker my whole life, but the patriots look ridiculous this year. They almost had it last year, and now this year the only word to describe their team is star-studded.

[Ice]

I agree with just about everything you said, especially the call on the 49ers as a sleeper pick.

I hate to say it, being a new yorker my whole life, but the patriots look ridiculous this year. They almost had it last year, and now this year the only word to describe their team is star-studded.

Steelers will win!

Probably not, but I love my team!

[Csargo]

I of course picked Dallas aside from that lose to the Texans they've looked pretty good. Oakland looks alright from what I've seen. The only reason I add them is because my uncle is a big Oakland fan.

[RoadKill]

SEAHAWKS RAAAAWWWW!!!!

The seahawks made it far even without Hasselback and Sean Alexander, and with many on our offensive and defensive line injured. Now every single player is healthy and ready, The NFC title is ours.

The patriots are totally overated,

[seireikhaan]

New England is freaky? Pardon me, but last I checked, they didn't play the games on paper. Any true football fan knows that the sport is not overly predictable. For example, nobody picked my beloved Colts to win the Super Bowl last year, yet they pulled it off. Yes, they lost a lot of guys, but nearly all of them are fairly easily replacable. Even Tarik Glenn, the left tackle, who everyone on ESPN likes to say was the crushing loss, despite the fact that they were the same people who never gave him his due as an elite LT. Howard Mudd, the offensive line coach, is an utter genius, as is Tom Moore, the offensive coordinator. If you notice, our offensive line, for the last 7 or so years, has consisted mostly of late round draft choices and undrafted free agents, with Glenn being the only exception. Those two men should never be underestimated. Defensively, we lost Jason David and Nick Harper at corner. However, we have ample depth at the position with Tim Jennings, Marlon Jackson, and Kelvin Hayden. Freddy Keaho played superb when he started against New England last year, and should be more than able to replace Cato June at weakside 'backer. The only position that worries me is D-tackle, where we're starting a undrafted rookie from Penn State at one position. And of course, the offense will be superb. So of course I will go with the boys in blue as my favorite to win it all.

[GeneralHankerchief]

For example, nobody picked my beloved Colts to win the Super Bowl last year, yet they pulled it off.

Speak for yourself. I'm riding a one-year winning streak and I intend to add to it.

[Martok]

Well I know my Vikings aren't going anywhere this year. In fact, I'm hoping against hope that we go 0-16 so that Brad Childress will finally get his dumb butt fired -- I still can't believe Wilf was retarded enough to hire him in the first place.

With that said, I'm hoping the Bears take the championship this season. I think Lovie Smith deserves a Super Bowl ring. Otherwise, wouldn't mind seeing the Colts repeat. I've always had a soft spot for Tony Dungy, going back to when he was the Vikings' defensive coordinator.

[Boyar Son]

Really, not having MIA dolphins hurt my feelings guys....

as for patriots, two superbowls that we can remember and all of you go nut for them? sheesh.................

[seireikhaan]

Well I know my Vikings aren't going anywhere this year. In fact, I'm hoping against hope that we go 0-16 so that Brad Childress will finally get his dumb butt fired -- I still can't believe Wilf was retarded enough to hire him in the first place.

What? But he's made so many great decision! Like putting Chad Greenway on the suicide squad in in the preseason last year... Yeah, Childress needs to be gone. Also, not sure how far they can get with Tarvaris Jackson at QB either.

In other news, the Colts utterly destroyed the Saints in the opening game, opening up a complete and total can off whoop-@#$! on them. I was pleasantly surprised with our D-tackle play.

[Csargo]

The Colts do look very good.

[Boyar Son]

You guys do know saints arent the best team right, wait for more match ups, the colts will have their day....

[Csargo]

You guys do know saints arent the best team right, wait for more match ups, the colts will have their day....

True, but I think the Colts may be.

[ShadesWolf]

Pats all the way

they r a different league at moment 19-0

[GeneralHankerchief]

Eagles win 10-6 over Dallas!

The season is officially not a total loss.

[woad&fangs]

Eagles win 10-6 over Dallas!

The season is officially not a total loss.

Hooray!!! Now the Pack has a shot at home field advantage in the playoffs. Plus we now know that all we have to do to beat them is to invite Jessica Simpson to the game.

Playoff berths clinched:
nfc north: Packers
nfc south: Buccaneers
nfc east: Cowboys
nfc west: Seahawks

afc east: Patriots
playoff spot: Colts

[Xehh II]

No! I refuse to accept that the Eagles could beat the Cowboys!

Can't wait for the Bears-Vikings game though.

[Beirut]

No! I refuse to accept that the Eagles could beat the Cowboys!

I guess Tony Romo didn't get a slice of Jessica pie last night.

[Motep]

One thing to day: Go Patriots!!

[Proletariat]

Will the Redskins ever not stink?

No, they won't. But at least we're not as bad as the Eagles this year.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Ah, I was waiting for somebody to bring out my start-of-year predictions. Although personally, my money was on the "Frisco as a sleeper pick" gaffe or the equally bad "The Saints look awesome" prediction.

[Ramses II CP]

Well, like I said, I want to root for the Pats to clean it up (My poor Raiders aren't in the playoffs so I've got to pick someone) and go 19-0, but... I just can't. Even if it's a tiny taint, even if it's just a little 'rules violation' to use the most innocent euphemism, it's a rules violation that no other playoff bound team has been caught at in my memory.

And to be clear I absolutely think the cheating had zero impact on any games this year. None. Didn't change a single outcome, put a single point on the board, or complete a single pass. If anything it inspired the players to put out even more clean effort.

...but...

No team had ever been as heavily fined and penalized for a single act as the Patriots this year. The League actually destroyed all the evidence of their wrongdoing rather than release it to the public. Why the cover-up? Why, if it was just the same old minor rules violation, was the penalty the harshest in history? Why didn't Belicheck himself release the tapes to clear his name?

The whole thing just smells bad. So even though I like Brady, and I love the Patriot's work ethic and football ideology, and I think Belicheck has the best coaching staff in the league, I just can't step into that stink, holding my nose shut against it, and pull for them.

I don't begrudge their fans. I mean, the Raiders paid Romanowski, who was probably the dirtiest player in the modern era, for a few seasons and I stayed a fan. Even so, I'm not a fan of the Pats, and I honestly hope they don't win it all this year.

As far as why the Pats are winning, I truly believe that one of their greatest advantages is in their halftime adjustments. Look at all the games they were down in, and the scheme adjustments you'll see on defense for the second half are remarkable. Indy and Baltimore were running all over the Pats, and their defense is old so you know they were more tired in the second halfs of those games, but the Pats made the adjustment and just when the running game was supposed to be taking over in the fourth quarter they stuffed it, shut it down, and brought home the win.

On gameday coaching is usually a pretty minor factor. Players either put out or don't, and your gameplan either works or it doesn't. A coach might shift the outcome 5% or less during the game, but when you see what the Pats have done to good teams after halftime you have to put it higher than that. I've been a fan a long time, and I've really never seen anything like it.

Anyway, good luck. I'm not hopeful, but I'll stick with my pick and push for the Chargers out of the AFC this year. NFC I'm pulling for the Bucs, or maybe the Packers.

Oh, and hey, Russel woke up and proved he can play the game. Maybe the Raiders will have a QB next year. If the Chargers keep Norv at head coach, I'd say it's even money which team will dominate the AFC West.



edit PS: Thanks for the AAR comment! It was a lot of fun to write, and I enjoyed the migration experiement quite a lot. I struggled with replays for a few weeks before giving up on them, and then found out I'd lost the momentum to write another AAR. Maybe I'll find it again sometime, because I really do want to do a general camera campaign.

[Decker]

^ TRAITOR!!! everything he just said....ignore that...like how the refs ignore blatant penalties!! Blasphemous!

One thing to note my Raiders is that Russel's first pass today was intercepted by a linesman lol. His first start in his NFL career and it's an interception. Gotta love it.

[Ramses II CP]

Traitor?!? No! I'm explaining why I can't root for the Pats, even ignoring the history.

You know what, though, Russel kept his head together despite having serious problems with his offensive line communication in the first quarter. It's not uncommon for a rookie QB's first pass to be picked, it's uncommon for them to keep their composure and go on to have a pretty good game afterward. I was pretty hard on Russel last week because I couldn't see how he could have a whole friggin' season to get ready and not do a single good thing in a game.

This week, however, he had a rough start and pulled things back together. There are plenty of veteran starters who can't manage that. Gives me more hope for next year, when the Broncos and Chiefs will still be rebuildings and the Chargers will be fighting against Norv.