New England became the first team in the 2007 season to clinch a playoff birth. They are now the 2007AFC East Champions. Green Bay and Dallas both took care of business to set up the first matchup of 10-1 teams since 1990. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh and Miami are still sliding around in the mud in utter futility. However, we were all reminded that this is just a game. In a very sad development, Sean Taylor passed away from a gunshot wound to his leg that he suffered during an alleged burglary on Monday. He was just 24 years old. If I didn't mention your favorite player or team, it isn't because I didn't watch the game or research the game. It's because it would be impossible to mention every player or game in one newsletter. Please don't get upset if I don't list something about your favorite player or team. Simply mention it in the comments section, and I will try to address it. I hereby present to you a recap of the twelfth week in the National Football League.
Standings
AFC East NFC East 1.New England (11-0)* 1.Dallas (10-1) 2.Buffalo (5-6) 2.NY Giants (7-4) 3.NY Jets (2-9) 3.Washington (5-6) 4. Miami (0-11) 4.Philadelphia (5-6)
AFC South NFC South 1.Indianapolis (9-2) 1. Tampa Bay (7-4) 2. Jacksonville (8-3) 2. New Orleans (5-6) 3. Tennessee (6-5) 3. Carolina (4-7) 4. Houston (5-6) 4. Atlanta (3-8)
AFC North NFC North 1.Pittsburgh (8-3) 1.Green Bay (10-1) 2.Cleveland (7-4) 2.Detroit (6-5) 3.Cincinnati (4-7) 3. Minnesota (5-6) 4.Baltimore (4-7) 4.Chicago (5-6)
AFC West NFC West 1. San Diego (6-5) 1. Seattle (7-4) 2. Denver (5-6) 2.Arizona (5-6) 3. Kansas City (4-7) 3. San Francisco (3-8) 4. Oakland (3-8) 4. St Louis (2-9)
*Clinched Division
MVP of the Week: In the only game other than the Week 10 bye, Tom Brady or Randy Moss are not part of the discussion. First, I would start with Devin Hester. He had a punt return and kickoff return for a touchdown. I have never seen a special teams player than can affect the outcome o####ame quite like this guy. Next, I would go with Brett Favre. He had 20 consecutive completions on his way to 381 yards and 3 touchdowns. Chad Johnson had a fantastic effort with 103 yards and 3 touchdowns. Finally, the Minnesota Defense and their 3 defensive touchdown returns on Eli Manning.
Game of the Week: There were quite a few. I would start with the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears. Despite Devon Hester returning a punt and kickoff for a touchdown, the Broncos still led the game 34-20. The Bears scored two touchdowns in the last 5:17 to take the game to OT. They won in OT on the first possession with a 39-yard field goal. Honorable mention to the 49ers and Cardinals. Their game was decided by a defensive touchdown in OT. Kurt Warner was sacked and fumbled in the endzone. Further mention to the Eagles and Patriots. You have to applaud an Eagles team that was picked to lose by 24 points and was in position to win the game on the final drive. I apologize to NBC for blasting them on the decision to show this game as part of their flex package. The game ended up being very worthy of the spot.
Loser of the Weak: Eli Manning. You can’t throw 3 touchdowns to the other team ever. Next, Kurt Warner. You can’t be sacked and fumble the ball in OT and lose the game. It is even more unacceptable when the QB is someone of Warner’s experience. The Washington Redskins who lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite the Bucs not gaining a single first down in the second half. Going –6 in the turnover margin will tend to do that. Finally, the AFC East. The AFC East went 1-3 this week. The division has been decided in Week 11. The Dolphins and Jets have combined for a 2-21 start to the season. The Bills have shown their colors once they started playing actual opponents losing 92-24 the last 2 weeks.
The Bay of Pigs: I love bad weather as much as the next person. I am a Packer fan, so I am more than used to that. The rain made the Monday Night Game entertaining for all the wrong reasons. Big Ben led all passers with 165 yards. Parker led all rusher with 81 yards. Ward led all receivers with 88 yards. The teams combined for only 22 first downs and 375 yards. The average play went for 3.5 yards. That led to a scoreless 59:43, before Reed kicked the winning field goal with 17 seconds remaining. Honorable mention to the Redskins and Bucs. They didn’t have weather as a crutch. Teams that go first down less for a half are supposed to lose unless their opponent turns the ball over 6 times to bail out a bad offensive performance. This goes to show how valuable Jeff Garcia has been this season. It is clear the Bucs have no other viable options at QB.
The Cam Cameron Award (Excellence in Coaching): Herm Edwards is the obvious winner this week. First, Herm can’t waste a timeout to think about challenging a play and then waste another one losing the challenge in the second half. Second, Herm can’t go for it on 4th and 1 with that offense in a 3-point game. Especially while the Chiefs are in field goal range and able to tie the game. Third, Herm can’t get stopped and now have one time out and only 4 minutes left to get the ball back. He did all of those things on Sunday and guaranteed a loss to the lowly Raiders as a result of it. I think Herm thought he had Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy’s offense and decided to follow in his mentor’s footsteps. The result was Oakland’s first win in the division since 2004 and a crippling loss at home. This continues to prove what I have been saying for years. Herm Edwards is a fantastic motivator and a great defensive mind. He has a horrible affect on the offense and his game strategy is often questioned. I have a hard time believing that he will last past this season in Kansas City.
Hospital Visit: Again, the most serious injury had nothing to do with football. Sean Taylor was shot early Monday at his home in an alleged burglary attempt. The result was a loss of blood that resulted in his death Tuesday morning. It is an absolute tragedy. Cedric Benson hurt his ankle and is out for the year. Some Bears fans claim that he never showed up this year. Adrian Peterson is now the starter. Speaking of Adrian Peterson, the Vikings Peterson may return to the lineup this week. Finally, Ricky Williams injured his shoulder after just 6 carries in Monday’s loss.
Overall Impressions of the Week that Was:
1) What is happening to New York Giants? – If you remember my article about the 7 myths of 2007, you will remember that #2 was that this is Eli Manning’s breakout season. I think he did more than enough to destroy that myth on Sunday with his 4 interceptions, 3 of which were returned for touchdowns. That resulted in a 41-17 home loss to the Peterson less Vikings. After starting 6-2, the Giants have dropped to 7-4. Sound familiar Giant’s fans? The Giants have to address their backup QB situation in the offseason. If that means drafting a QB, trading for one, or signing one as a free agent, they can’t go into 2008 with Eli as the only legitimate starter on their roster. They have to have a contingency plan if this happens again. Here is where Eli Ranks in the major statistical areas. He ranks 10th in the league in touchdown passes with 16. He ranks 12th with 2,376 passing yards. He is tied for the most interceptions with 15. Eli ranks 28th in the NFL completing 58.5% of his passes. His 75.0 QB rating is ranked 24th. I will state it again. If this was his first or second year starting, you can live with the inconsistency. He makes enough plays to warrant more patience. This is his 4th year in the league and his 3rd as the full time starter. He is no longer a young QB. At this point in his career he doesn’t make enough good plays to warrant tolerating the bad ones. He is not like Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, George Blanda, or the other Hall of Famers who had high turnover seasons, but always managed to make more game changing plays for their team than the other team. He is what he is. He has enough talent and enough skills to put up the numbers he did in the opener against Dallas. He also has the decision-making ability to produce a result like he did on Sunday. He is a slight upgrade of Rex Grossman who shouldn’t have a job in Chicago next season. Eli’s most damning statistic is that the Giants are 18-6 in the first half of seasons in 2005-2007 and 8-11 in the second half of the season. They are 0-2 in the playoffs. The Giants have shown nothing to suggest they won’t make that 0-3 if they make the playoffs this season. I will be the first to admit I have never been sold on Eli. I will also admit that the Giants struggles in the second half over the last 3 years do not squarely rest on his shoulders and his shoulders only. He has had a lot of help. However, he has enough shortcomings that the Giants have to look at upgrading that position next season. Eli has 5 more games that will make or break this season and probably determine his future as the long-term starter in New York. Based on what I have seen the last 3 years, the Giants are in for a bumpy ride.
2) What is happening to the Tennessee Titans? – Plain and simple, the great Titans defense is very average without team MVP Albert Haynesworth. In the first 8 games the Titans were 6-2 and had given up 124 points. Since he left the lineup, the Titans have given up 97 points in their last 3 games, all losses. Vince Young has had his 3 best passing efforts of the season this year in terms of yards. However, he has 2 touchdowns and 5 picks in those 3 games. Young is tied for 25th in the league with 5 touchdown passes. He ranks tied for 4th with 13 picks. He is 22nd in yards passing. He is 21st in completion percentage. His 65.3 QB rating is 31st in the NFL. Unlike Eli Manning, the Titans still need to give this guy a chance. This is his first full year starting and Young has no weapons. Vince Young has not hit his ceiling. He does not have one skill position player that could start for the Giants. While Manning is going through inconsistency with Pro Bowl caliber weapons, Young is as alone as any QB in the NFL. Still, many people thought Young could carry this team to the playoffs based on his 2006 season. I thought that was a myth, and I think that is playing out in this 3 game losing streak. The playoffs were in play when the defense was playing at an elite level. The Titans were winning games 13-10, 13-9, and 20-7. Now that they can’t stop anyone, they have no shot to win. The offense cannot win games. The Titans are headed in the right direction for the future. They have a great defense in place, a promising young QB, and a great coach. Now they need to bring in some weapons so that the team does not rely on the defense to win every game. Vince Young has the intangibles to be a championship QB. Now he needs to continue to develop as a passer and the Titans need to give him some weapons so he can take advantage of those intangibles. While the Titans can still recover, they look like a team that will struggle to make the playoffs this season.
3) Did the Eagles expose the Patriots? – Maybe. What this game shows is that even the best-coached teams overlook opponents. The Patriots dropped a lot of balls and just seemed to be playing a step slow. I am certain you will see a much better effort against the Ravens. However, this game will give the league a lot to look at. The Eagles played a lot of nickel against the Patriots, rushing 3 defensive linemen and a linebacker. They mixed in a variety of blitzes. That put a lot of pressure on Brady and the result was only 24 offensive points. Brady was forced to release the ball a lot quicker. It will be interesting to see how two of the more creative defensive teams in Baltimore and Pittsburgh use that blueprint in their preparation. Brady is not like a Favre or Romo in the sense that he can make a lot of throws off his back foot and on the run. While he is not a statue and can obviously make plays out of the pocket, he is definitely at his best in the pocket where he always makes the right decision between throwing long to Moss and Stallworth or short to Welker, Watson, and Faulk. The other thing the Eagles showed is that the Patriots are venerable in the middle of the field. Harrison, Bruschi, and Seau are all very intelligent players, but they are not the fastest guys. The Eagles were consistently able to gain yards in the middle of the field, particularly through the air. You saw the Colts do the same thing. The key was that the defense was able to keep them in the game to allow them to do that. It is hard to work the short middle of the field down 28-0 early in the game. The Patriots will blow through most of their schedule. The Jets and Dolphins do not possess enough offensive or defensive talent to make this scheme work. While the Ravens can create defensive pressure, they don’t have enough offensive talent to put the Patriots on their heals. However, the Giants and the Steelers in particular, should have seen enough positives in this game that they may be able to take something from it and use it to their advantage in upcoming weeks. It will also be interesting to see if this game gives the playoff teams something to build on when they face New England.
4) – The Dawg Pound is back – Cleveland finally has put together a team that can compete in the AFC North. After averaging 4.75 wins per season from 2003 to 2006, the Browns already have 7 wins. They have 2 winnable home games against the Bills and 49ers and their road schedule of Arizona, NY Jets, and Bengals are all winnable contest. The positives for this team are on the offense. They rank 3rd in points and 9th in yards. The problem is the defense. 32nd in points and 32nd in yards. They remind me a lot of the 2001 St Louis Rams or 2004 Minnesota Vikings. Teams with scary offenses that just couldn’t stop anyone. The Browns have great offensive balance. They can run with Lewis and Wright. Edwards is a legit #1 guy. Winslow is establishing himself as an elite tight end. Derek Anderson is playing at a Pro Bowl level. But they probably need to score 45 points to win against the elite teams. The good news is that the schedule sets up for them to win 10 or 11 games and earn a wildcard spot. Playoff experience will give this young team even more to build on. While that will probably result in a road game against Indy, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, or San Diego; the Browns have been a disaster the last 4 years. This will be a much-needed step for a team that finally appears to be moving forward and not backwards. The Browns will be a tough out for any team they face, because they will force the opposing offense to be more aggressive and put up points in bunches. That could cause teams to get out of character and allow the Browns to even win a playoff game. That is something that was unthinkable after their week 1 debacle.
5) The Playoff Picture – I’m basically going to devote a segment to the playoff picture every week. NFC is starting to clear up at the top and is still a little dicey at the bottom. The winner of the Packers and Cowboys will have the inside track for the number one seed. The loser is still in great shape for the number 2 seed. The Bucs look good to go at the #3 or #4 seed, provided they beat New Orleans this weekend. That would give them a 3 game lead and season sweep with 4 games to play. Seattle and Arizona is still too fuzzy to predict, although the Seahawks showed why they are favored and Arizona showed why they are still the challenger. You have to beat the 49ers at home if you want to go to the playoffs. The wildcard is a mess. The NY Giants are 7-4, but have lost 2 of their last 3. The Lions are 6-5, but have lost 3 straight. That combined with Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona all being 5-6 leaves a log jam for the wildcard. We may start to get some separation with the NY Giants traveling to Chicago, Detroit going to Minnesota, Seattle traveling to Philly, and Tampa Bay squaring off with New Orleans. We also may have a bigger mess than we already have. In the AFC, New England has clinched the AFC East and is the front-runner for the Number 1 Seed. Jacksonville at Indy this week and Pittsburgh at New England next week will answer a lot of questions about the #2, #3, and #5 seeds. San Diego and Denver will fight for the #4 seed. Neither should contend with Jacksonville or Indy for the 5th wildcard. Both lost to Jacksonville. Indy beat Denver, but lost to San Diego. AFC West should be a one-bid division. Cleveland is the front-runner for the #6 seed and could sneak up to #5 with a strong finish. Tennessee and Houston are still in the race or #6, with a slew of 4-7 teams sitting even further back. The key will be who gets the #5 vs. the #6 seed. The #5 seed will draw either San Diego or Denver. The #6 seed will be looking at Pittsburgh, Indy, or Jacksonville. That is a huge difference and could determine which wild card wins a playoff game and which one goes home early.
A Look Ahead: I went 5-0 on the picks last week. I shouldn’t take credit on the Tampa Bay pick when they don’t even register a first down in the second half. But, I guess I’ll have to take it. Here are my important games for next week, excluding Dallas and Green Bay. These are not necessarily the 5 best games, but the 5 games that I feel will be the most influential in shaping the various divisions:
1) Jacksonville (8-3) at Indianapolis (9-2) – This will basically decide the AFC South. An Indy win will give them a 2 game lead with a tiebreaker and only 4 games to play. Jacksonville becomes the lead wild card team in that scenario. A Jacksonville win ties them in the division with the possibility to earn a tiebreaker. That makes the division a toss up for the last 4 weeks of the season. While Jacksonville was blown out in the first meeting, Garrard’s early game injury really put them at a disadvantage. Jacksonville won by 3 in Indy in 2004 and lost by 7 points there in 2005 and 2006. While Indy usually gets the better of the match up in terms of wins, Jacksonville usually gives them a tough game. The key to this game is what it always has been. If Jacksonville can control the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense, it gives them the advantage in time of possession and allows them to disrupt Manning and the offense. When Indy controls the line of scrimmage, Jacksonville is forced to pass and Indy’s quickness controls the game. Indy is usually a different team at home and might be getting Harrison back this week. I look for Indy to win a close contest. Winner: Indianapolis
2) Cleveland (7-4) at Arizona (5-6) – Two teams that are in the thick of their division and wild card races. Cleveland gets another chance to prove they can win tough games on the road. While Arizona is an improved team, this is a game Cleveland has to win if they want to take the jump to the next level. Arizona needs to keep pace with a slew of 5-6 teams and 7-4 Seattle. This is another tough game to pick. Warner just threw for 484 yards against the 49ers. Cleveland is statistically as bad as the 49ers in pass defense. However, Warner also threw picks and held on to the ball too long. The bad plays ended up costing Arizona the game. Cleveland will be able to make big plays. I look for a very high scoring contest. High 30s maybe even 40s. While Cleveland has to prove they can play as well on the road as they do at home, I have a hard time picking a team that just lost to the 49ers for the second time this season. Winner: Cleveland
3) Detroit (6-5) at Minnesota (5-6) – I view this as an elimination game for both teams. If Detroit loses, that will make it four straight losses. Playoff teams go into Minnesota and find a way to come out with a win, not lose their 4th straight. Detroit has no tiebreakers with NY Giants, Philly, Washington, or Arizona. They still have Dallas, Green Bay, and San Diego. They are running out of winnable games and they have to have this one. They need to be at least 9-7 if not 10-6 to make the playoffs given their tiebreaker problem. Minnesota has a better tiebreaker situation, but has other problems. Their schedule sets up better than the Lions. They play 3 teams that are 5-6 and San Fran. However, a loss here drops them to 2 games behind Detroit with no tiebreaker. A 2-4 road record does not bode well for them winning out, which means that they would not be able to catch Detroit. The key to me is that teams beat Detroit by throwing the ball, something that Minnesota doesn’t do very well. Detroit is decent against the run. Even if Peterson does play, how much and will it be at 100%? If Kitna can avoid the turnovers that Eli Manning did, he has the weapons to move the ball against a very bad pass defense. I look for a close game, with Detroit coming out the winner. Winner: Detroit
4) Tampa Bay (7-4) at New Orleans (5-6) – This is an elimination game in the division for New Orleans. The other problem is that the NFC West looks to be a one bid division, so New Orleans doesn’t look to have good tiebreaker scenarios or chances to gain games with head to head wins in the wildcard. If New Orleans wants to make the playoffs, they really need to win the NFC South. New Orleans can’t go 3 games down in the division and not have a tiebreaker and expect to catch Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay needs to win this game to basically clinch the division and stay in contention for the #3 seed. It also puts them only 2 games back of the Dallas & Green Bay loser with an outside shot to position themselves for the #2 seed should the loser collapse. Seattle would be in better position based on the schedule and a victory over Tampa Bay in the opener. I don’t know where to go in this game. New Orleans could win this game by 40 points or lose by 40 points. Tampa could blow this team out or not have a first down in the second half. Tampa is 2-3 on the road. New Orleans is 2-3 at home. Tampa Bay won the first matchup 31-14, and the game wasn’t even that close. New Orleans is a disappointment and does not warrant being picked to do anything at this point. I’ll go with Tampa Bay, based on their dominance in the early game. Winner: Tampa Bay
5) New York Giants (7-4) at Chicago (5-6) – Two of the more, if not most inconsistent QBs in the NFL square up against one another. This is basically an elimination game for Chicago. They have no tiebreakers against Detroit. They still play Green Bay. While they still get games against Washington, New Orleans, and Minnesota, they really need this game. A win pulls them to with in a game of NY Giants and they would have tiebreakers against NY Giants and Philly with Washington still on the schedule. That is a much more workable scenario. The Giants have actually been a good road team, losing only 1 game at Dallas on the road. They have dropped 3 games at home. Here is my quarrel with Chicago. Minnesota used 3 returns to win 41-17. Chicago gets 2 returns and needs OT to win their game. If a team gets two free touchdowns, they should win in a route. Not by 3 points in OT. Other than Hester, the Bears don’t have enough playmakers to win this game. If the Giants don’t kick to Hester, that alone should give them the victory. Unless Eli wants to play catch with the Bears Defense. I look for the Giants to win a close contest. Winner: NY Giants
That’s all for this week. This week in addition to my normal newsletter, I will take a look at the Dallas and Green Bay Rivalry and pick that contest. That is why I left that game out of my 5 games of the week. I think it is big enough to warrant it’s own article. I look forward to hearing your comments.
Cleveland at Arizona. Arizona just lost to a bad SF team, but this is the spot where Arizona comes up big and wins. Arizona plays down to bad team and up to good teams. If they played with consistency they would be a contender, but they don't and are Arizona.
QCisco - Good comment. Arizona lost to San Fran at home, but beat Detroit and Pittsburgh. I like how the Browns are playing, but it is far from a stone pipe lock. Browns had better take that game seriously or risk being upset like so many others.
Hey, good post! I look forward to the Packer-Cowboy matchup. It is my "Game of the Year" until the Packers start their playoff march! I like Arizona to make the playoffs in the NFC despite the loss to SF and I like the Browns in the AFC to give their great fans a reson to cheer in January.
Cannondave - I agree with the Browns pick, based on their recent good play and easy schedule. I'm not so sure about the Cards. The could easily lose their next 3 to Cleveland, at Seattle, and at New Orleans. That would leave them at 7-9 or 8-8. I think they fall a game short of the playoffs.
D Cowboys - Check back when I have my Packer and Cowboy preview.
I think the game of the week is the jags game, i live in jacksonville, i've seen the jags dismantle the colts three times. It can be done and jacksonville is the team to do it. I will also go ahead and pick jacksonville to be in the AFC championship with New England.
Johnathan (rat) - I always love your comments, because you keep reminding me that NFL football is alive and well in Florida. It is nice to see someone from that state that watches something besides the SEC or ACC.
I haven't been on or off their bandwagon. They are the best team in a bad division. Tampa would be 3rd place at best in the NFC East or South.
They should make the playoffs and either lose in the first round or get beaten soundly by GB or Dal. What did you think of 0 first downs in the second half? That can't be good.
Johnathan - Jags and Colts clearly takes a back seat to GB & Dal. 10-1 teams haven't met since 1990. Teams play for the division lead every season.
Jags have been saying they are on par with the Pats, Colts, and Steelers the last few seasons. This is their chance to prove it. I like the Jags to make the playoffs, but I still think the Colts and Pats will meet in the title game, provided Indy can get healthy. Otherwise, I like Pitt to meet them there.
You mentioned it in the Bay of Pigs section, but the real loser of the week is the Pittsburgh Steeler's executive management. They had good intentions of replacing the Heinz Field surface after six games had been played during the week, but did anybody bother to look at a weather forecast to determine if rain was likely. C'mon, really! It was a total embarrassment to the Steeler's organization & the NFL to not realize that new sod wouldn't drain over old sod. I love the Rooney's and was very happy that they decided on a natural grass surface after tearing down Three Rivers, but it is pretty obvious that unless the Steeler's treat Heinz field like Lambeau (Pro games only), this is not working out...
The Browns are indeed on the way back. Think they will win at least 10 and probably 11 games. But still don't believe they are going to win a playoff game. Cred, just as people have said that the Steelers haven't beaten anyone yet (which I agree), the Browns also haven't beaten any credible team either. Cincy, Baltimore (twice), Miami, St. Louis and Houston are below average. Seattle was a nice comeback win, but the Seahawks clock management and play-calling at the end of each half and OT had as much to do with that as anything. Their Defense made a play on 4th and 1 in OT after a questionable Replay spot on Hasselback's 3rd down scramble. They played a good 2nd half vs. NE (after falling behing 20-0). And their 2nd loss to the Steelers is a bit of a mirage. The Browns had 1 sustained offensive drive (2 Td's by or set-up by kickoff return and 1 Td by an INT and questionable Replay overrule "catch" by Edwards). Steelers held them to 163 yards of total offense (vs 401 by Pittsburgh). They are dangerous on offense but there defense will not be able to stop a playoff offense on the road. At least not this year. But kudo's to the Browns for their great improvement. The rivalry is back.
Last edited by moseby on November 27th at 2:49 PM.
well most buc fans did not expect anything from "Madcowski." It was a pretty sad game, the only winner was our defense and special teams. Hopefully Garcia will be back and we will beat the saints. I think we could beat the pack.. i don't know about the cowboys. Cowboys Defense seems to give up a lot of points so we could upset either team, and favre throws 1-2 interceptions a game so i think we could duke it out with them.
You are certainly correct about the jags, they have a great club here. Jack Del Rio is a pretty good coach. Fred Taylor has been under rated for years.
BTW, concerning your blog last week, the discussion of flex scheduling. QCisco had mentioned the Cowboys having 7 national TV appearances and that was the maximum. I had read USA Today Pro Football Preview section that mentioned the Flex Scheduling procedure. According to this article, the limit of 6 TV appearances was limited to Prime-Time only (After 8 p.m. Eastern Time). The Lions and Cowboys Thanksgiving Day games do not count against this, but the Colts-Falcons game on NFL Network does. Those two "National TV" games as he QCisco mentioned are treated the same way as National TV games on Sundays. In theory, the Networks could have the Cowboys/Pats/Colts/Packers on 16 times as "National TV" by just moving the starting times from 1 pm. Eastern to the 4 pm. Eastern time slot. Even if the Cowboys can't be shown in Prime-Time, the NFL could move all their remaining games to 4 and there is no ceiling on the number of games.
I gotta disagree with you on one point MOSEBY, the STEELERS have played down to opponents, but it is the nfl, and most of the teams are good, there are only 4 teams that are in the elite class, so until dec. 9 it is the schedule that is at fault. Cincy, Denver, and Baltimore are supposed powerhouses, they are just down this year, like Pitt last year, but dont disrespect the teams because of tough losses. I actually blame fefereeing this year for some of the Pats WINS as well as for some of the other teams losses.
Moseby - I agree with the comentary on the stadium. Also that is good info on the flex scheduling. Agree with you on Cleveland is well. I think they could win a playoff game if they get the #5 seed and face either Denver or San Diego. From the #6 seed, they probably won't win a game.
Netsteeler - I agreed with you up to the part about the officiating. The officials aren't perfect and yes their are some games that might have been different had they been officated perfectly. Players aren't perfect and neither are the people that officiate them. It's part of the game.
I think that comment infers that the Pats are undefeated because of officials, something that I would 100% disagree with.
Surratt - Johnathan, just so you know I'm labeling you as that so that people reading the comments know who it goes to. You are posting enough now that I remember your name.
Bucs could upset either team. The Eagles almost beat the Pats on Sunday. The Jets beat the Steelers. Any team can beat any other team. I think the Pack would not put up 30-40 points against the Bucs that they have in recent weeks.
That said, I think if the Cowboys or Packers played the Bucs 10 times, the Bucs would lose 8 or 9 times. Pack and Cowboys are head and shoulders above the NFC. Packers defense would give the Bucs offense fits and the Cowboys offense would give the Bucs D fits. I would see the Cowboys winning a 34-17 type of game and the Pack winning a 24-7 type of game.
With regards to Favre, you aren't relying on stats to form that opinion. Farve does not throw 1-2 picks per game. Favre has 8 picks in 11 games. Favre has 9 touchdowns and 0 picks in his last 3 games. That spans 137 attempts in those 3 games. He is pickless in 6 of their 11 games this season. I think you would be more likely to see 3 touchdowns thrown against the Bucs than 2 picks.
Last edited by StreetCred on November 27th at 3:37 PM.
Sorry Streetcred, I was thinking about the sunday night game, there was a blatent push out of bounds that would have changed the field posistion and I think the score but since it was Mike Vrable shoving the guy, no flag was thrown. watch the nfl network game thursday and you will see it, I still cant believe there wasnt a flag thrown. AND I have seen it numerous times in pats games, officials DO NOT penalize the Pats like they do other teams! I promise if you look back you will see what I meant.
If the calls I remember went the way they should have been called the Pats would be 10-1 or 9-2
Last edited by netsteeler on November 27th at 3:32 PM.
NetSteeler - I listened to the game on the radio coming back from Thanksgiving, so I didn't get to see the call you are talking about.
I look at it this way. Losing team's fans complain about 3 things, 1) Injuries, 2) Officiating, 3) How tough their schedule or division is. If your team can't win it can't possibly because they are undertalented or underperforming. It has to be someone elses fault.
Good teams do get more good calls than bad teams. I don't dispute that. But I am certain their is a Ravens or Bengals fan that feels they are an injury, bad call, and break away from being even with the Steelers this season.
It gets too hard to be objective about those types of things, so I tend to ignore them unless it is something blatent like the 72 Olympics.
Last edited by StreetCred on November 27th at 3:42 PM.
Yes I agree with you, I might be bias because I am a steeler fan, I will find out dec. 9 how good or bad my team really is. But I am a realist, and the Steelers do not deserve to get the calls, their penalties are rediculous. And I do not dispute the calls against them. But I do remember the Super Bowl, the calls I thought were fair, and the head of officiating backed up the Refs. but the loosing team complains to this day! As for strength of schedule, Pittsburgh does have the easiest one so far, by about 20 losses!
Last edited by netsteeler on November 27th at 4:21 PM.
by the way StreetCred, I love your writing and you hardly are condescending. but what is the link you wrote about? www.fantasyfootballmaniaxs.com ? It doesnt get me anywhere. did I get the link right?
StreetCred- Well look what secondary Favre is going up against.. one of the greatest. I don't think he would throw three TD's against us, maybe two if your recievers run good routes. You really can't beat us on the ground game, the Jags were the only team to acomplish a good goud ground game and we lost to them by one point.
Bucs against the pack is a good game, really good if you ask me
The cowboys have a real chance of putting up thirty points against us, if their lucky and we have two fumbles in the redzone like we did against the lions ( god that was such a horrible game to watch, two times we fumbled in the redzone.. so close to socring too.)
But yeah I think the pack could beat us maybe 17-10.. but you wont score over 20 in a game against us. On the other hand if Garcia and Galloway connect 3-4 times we could kill you. and if we unleash grahm on yuor d-line and play actions pass to galloway we could hurt you with our runing game.
Ratt - I have looked all over the blog. I see how to change my blog name. I don't see where I can change my actual account name. You can email blogNotice@foxsports.com. That is who send me notifications when I get comments. Otherwise you may have to create a new id and put in the name you want. Sorry, I can't be of more help.
NetSteeler - Thanks for the comments. I've told a few people where to go, but as long as you bring a solid take and back it up, that is what it is about. It would be a very boring site if we all thought alike. I'm not sure why the link isn't working. The address is:
Ratt - Johnathan, good comments. Lets take a look at a couple stats.
1) The Packers have scored under 20 points on 3 occasions. 16 in the opener. 17 against the Skins in a very wet game. 19 points against Denver.
2) Since the Denver game when the Packers went to Grant full time, the Pack is averaging 33.75 points per game.
3) Tampa does have the second ranked scoring defense. However they allowed 20 points to Seattle (opener). But in week 7 they allowed 23 points to Detroit and 24 points to Jacksonville.
I love Tampa's defense. However, holding the Rams, Panthers, and Falcons to single digits and forcing 6 turnovers against Washington is a different thing than holding the Packers to 17 points.
Green Bay would find it tough to score in the 30s. I have a hard time believing they couldn't get to 24 points. Green Bay and Tampa have comprable defenses. Green Bay is light years ahead on offense and would be much better equipped to put points on the board.
Last edited by StreetCred on November 27th at 10:17 PM.
netsteeler, I am not disrespecting teams such as Baltimore, Cincy, Denver or anyone else in my prior comments. As a Steeler fan myself, I am trying to logically look at my team vs. the rest of the NFL. It is a down year for the Ravens. The Bengals? I don't know. They have beaten Pittsburgh several times in the last few years (and may very well beat the Steelers on Sunday night) and won the division in 2005. But to me they are just a middle of the pack NFL team. 8-8,8-8,11-5,8-8,4-7 under Marvin Lewis. They have a great QB, excellent receivers, very good RBs and one of the best Offensive lines in the NFL. But what else do they consistently have? They need to force 3 or more turnovers a game to beat good teams. That's a lot to ask for in the NFL. Streetcred said it - anyone can beat anyone else in the NFL at any time. That is a proven fact. Does that make a better team? No. My point is that, yes the Steelers can only play who the NFL schedules, up until this point the BEST team they have played is the Browns. If Pittsburgh can beat the Pats or Jags in December then they are a legit good playoff-ready team. If not, then I'm not sure. We have beaten Cleveland twice, and may have to beat them a third time, but recent history tell us that the Steelers have their number. So that doesn't prove anything. Right now Pittsburgh is a GOOD, but not ELITE team. The rest of my Steeler brothers/sisters need to understand that.
Last edited by moseby on November 28th at 8:32 AM.
thnx streetcred, its a cool site, do not know what happened the first time, I usually spell good (lol)
Am curious, what do you think of the Sean Taylor tragedy? not to be insensitive, but now it looks a little fishy. Like a warning was given and then backed up? at least that is what is on morning radio today.
also who you like tomorrow? I like dallas at home, as much as that pains me!
Hey moseby, I wish Pittsburgh was ELITE, but I am a realist. I would be more worried than I am now, but I think that their problem is road games and that was not a problem just a few short years ago.I guess it goes to preperation. the good news is they have not been outplayed on the road, they just make to many mistakes. that goes to the coaching staff.
Well certainly some of the blame rests on the coaching staff. But remember, how many playoff games did Cowher lose because of turnovers and specials teams. Blocked punt in KC in '93, Ints vs. SD in AFC Champ in '94, Neil O'Donnell in '95 SB. Kordell 3 INTs in '97 AFC Champ vs. Denver. Block FG for TD, Punt return TD for TD, 3 Kordell INTs in 2001 AFC Champ vs. NE. Penalties on special teams and FGs vs. Tenn in 2002 Divisional Playoff game. So yes, mistakes get you beat in big games.
WOW moseby, you got all that on the tip of your tongue? I remember most of those, including the Cowboys mvp of SB xxx, aka Kneel Odontthrowitthere! lol. let me ask you, isnt the playcalling a little suspect? specfically Parker up the middle on every run? All his breakout runs seem to be off tackle left. But you cant coach total exicution, so the line has to step up. otherwise I agree, the Steelers are middle of the pack, albeit uper middle.
Sorry for the delay netsteeler. Yeah I remember too well their failures. But 26 years was worth the wait for me in 2005. I was in high school in the 70's and I remember the wins too. Still have nightmares about the 2001 AFC Championship game. With a semi-healthy Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh had the best team in the NFL that year, but blew it vs. the Pats.
The line has been a problem since last year. This year you have a new center who is not near the player Jeff Hartings was. Willie Colon, I believe will be a VERY GOOD NFL right tackle, but still needs experience. You are right about Willie's runs, most start middle and break left to Faneca's side. Man if they don't re-sign #66, "Houston, we have a problem". I don't think the play calling is predictable, if anything, I feel they sometimes lose their identity as a power running, play-action pass team. That is what their personnel does best, regardless of the HC and OC coaching philosophy. Santonio Holmes has a chance to be every bit as good as Plaxico Burress, Hines is ALWAYS the TRUE WARRIOR (Not Kellen Winslow Jr.) and I like Wilson and Washington. Heath Miller is awesome and Matt Spaeth will be a much better receiver at TE next year. The future of the offense is great (with #66) and playing to their strengths.
Last edited by moseby on November 28th at 2:18 PM.
Hey streetcred, were you going to make a pick for tonight? I am thinking dallas, only because it would be fitting for Favre to not win in that stadium for his career, its a hunch pick, but you probably know that hunch wins can get you a win in2out of three games, along those same lines the bungles should beat the Steelers sunday night, so I gotta go with Pittsburgh and take the Cardinals on a hunch aginst the browns. We will see sunday!
Netsteeler & Moseby - Excellent discussion going back and forth between the two of you. I have been so busy responding to my Packer & Cowboy article that I haven't gotten back to this one.
First, with regards to Sean Taylor. I am going to reserve judgement until the facts come out. I agree with Netsteeler that their are some interesting inconsistencies there, but I think those exist because we are relying on the media to report those, and they don't have all the facts either. Therefore I will reserve judgement until there is more to go on.
As for my pick. I picked the Packers to win 35-28, although I wouldn't be the farm on it. Either team has a great shot to win. There wouldn't be this much anticipation if one team didn't have a shot.
Hey Street I think you picked the games having the biggest playoff implications. Philly/Seattle is another, as is Redskins/Bills. Every team in the NFC East is favored, including and emotional Redskin team at home.
I like your picks, but I'm hoping the Chicago Hesters upset the Giants.
Streetcred, It is easy to go 3 - 0 when I pick the games, hunch bet and all, so I got ya on the Dallas pick, and beat most of the "Pros" in the NFL with the Cardinals pick, regardless of the last play. Steeler pick was more gut than hunch as I had said. kinda fun picking on hunches! Maybe next time Ill take requests! (lol)
I live in Chicago, but am originally from Wisconsin. I am disgruntled Green Bay Packer fan that now loves the Jets. My favorite sports are Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Hockey and soccer are at the bottom of my list. I would rather watch the Spelling Bee than either of those sports. My favorite athletes of all time are Brett Favre and Michael Jordan. While I like debating many sports, NFL Football is by far my favorite topic to discuss.
In addition to this blog I am also a writer for the Fantasy Football Maniaxs. It is quite an honor to be writing with a group of knowledgeable football fanatics. The address is http://www.fa ntasyfootball maniaxs.com. I hope you enjoy the blog.
