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Costumed Vigilante wrote:I think what Manning has done this year is, by far, his most impressive start to any season of his illustrious career. He has been so clutch and every one of his yards have been important. He is carrying this team right now.
Having said that, I'm not sure this team is as good as last years. I don't think it is. Defenses like that eventually haunt a team and I don't think they are good enough to overcome it. Everybody's insta-analysis has the AV kick as a harbinger of things to come and a sign that have fixed what is wrong with last year's team. I disagree. They signed him, but let alot of very good defensive players walk. They are still a flawed team with flawed fans.
Watching Pittsburgh is like repeated viewings of 'Silkwoood'. Last year may be the football equivelant to the 04 Red Sox. Lightning in a bottle.
With Denver losing, NE can secure #2 seed (at this point of course) with a win in Minnesota. Then they play Indy for the #1 seed through 9 weeks next Sunday night. The Vikings really scare me, but I am very excited to watch a good Monday nighter.
I am sick of shitty QB's.
You have the Sunday ticket?
The Steelers are dominating teams and giving games away...repeatedly. Their QB almost died and has since had an appendectomy and a concussion and they have a lame duck coach who is too lazy to address their issues. He appears that he's just going through the motions. Not sure I get the 04 Sox comparison. Pretty much every team that wins the SB does so because they get hot at the right time.
"I don't know whether I should kill myself or go bowling."
tennbengal wrote:---I have yet to figure out a scenario whereby the Bears lose in Chicago in January. Lose in Miami? Could definitely see that, I think we will get to find out.
The Giants match up very well against the Bears. And when the Giants beat the Bears in week 10, the Bears (then 8-1) will only have a one game advantage on the Giants (then 7-2) at that point, with little room for error the rest of the way.
tennbengal wrote:---I have yet to figure out a scenario whereby the Bears lose in Chicago in January. Lose in Miami? Could definitely see that, I think we will get to find out.
The Giants match up very well against the Bears. And when the Giants beat the Bears in week 10, the Bears (then 8-1) will only have a one game advantage on the Giants (then 7-2) at that point, with little room for error the rest of the way.
Just sayin'.
True enough. But I am thinking that New York's finishing kick against just its division (and the death rivaries therein) is a LOT harder than the Bears at home against Minnesota and Green Bay and at Detroit. Seems likely to me that Chicago is, worst case scenario 13-3, and I have a tough time getting the Giants to 13 wins with their schedule...
The Steelers are the most dominating 2-5 team in NFL history.
They rode a perfect storm of emotion and low expectations to the title last year which is exactly what a Cowher team needs. Every other year they disappointed as home favorites when they were close. Didn't hurt that they didn't have to play the Pats last year either.
Costumed Vigilante wrote:The Steelers are the most dominating 2-5 team in NFL history.
They rode a perfect storm of emotion and low expectations to the title last year which is exactly what a Cowher team needs. Every other year they disappointed as home favorites when they were close. Didn't hurt that they didn't have to play the Pats last year either.
I actually kind of wish they would have played the Pats last year. I obviously believe, as with most Steeler fans, that Pittsburgh would have beaten NE handily last year...but, you know, of course we are going to think that. They would have been a better chance than two years ago (the Steelers were certainly not 15-1 good in '04) and I hate how NE fans say they were lucky they avoided the Patriots, especially when Simmons said it. The worst part is how I can't really make a convincing argument since NE has come in an taken it to Pitt on the road twice in the last 5 years...I can say that Indianapolis was probably a much bigger challenge last year than NE, and that the Steelers handled Denver pretty easily after they pulled away from NE, but it means nothing when you look at what actually did happen in '02 and '05. God I hate New England and I would like to see them meet again in a conference championship game so the Steelers can get that monkey off of their backs...or conversely have it grow into epic proportions.
That game two years ago was an Aaron Smith holding call away from possibly turning into one of the biggest playoff meltdowns of my football watching life...I just wanted to see it happen so I could read Simmons bitch about it the next day.
Jerloma wrote:...and they have a lame duck coach who is too lazy to address their issues. He appears that he's just going through the motions...
Are you saying you're going back to the Wal-Mart Bill avatar?
Sportsguy says you have to give him a five-year pass, you know...
I know. It's terrible. Seeing him laughing on the sidelines with Mike Vick during OT last week put me over the edge. Not giving up on them though. Gotta get back to .500 and then see what happens. Thankfully, they play the Broncos this week.
CV, maybe you should ask Belichick why they didn't play the Pats last year. Can't play a team that ducks you.
"I don't know whether I should kill myself or go bowling."
I agree there, that columnist is out of his mind. Do they love Brady too much in the media? Hell yes. Is he overrated? Of course not. Bill Belichick, he is probably overrated. But Brady? Hell no. And I hate Brady. It would be nice to have some kind of way to find out what would happen if Brady and Manning were switched, or if Marino and Montana were swapped...but I guess if we could do that there wouldn't be anything to argue about.
And the commenters who say Roethlisberger is overrated are out of their minds, they are reading too much from columnists like these and not watching the games. While I believe that the Steelers would have won at least one more Super Bowl in the past couple years with someone as good as Brady at QB, that certainly does not make Roethlisberger overrated.
Also, I think that the Brady defenders that argue that he 'gets it done' are Roethlisberger-izing (at least the common Roeth sentiment) his contributions. Jake Delhomme 'gets it done'. Steve McNair 'gets it done'. Brady is a superstar QB who makes it happen. There is a difference.
Here's what irritates me. Billick is somehow getting credit for fixing the Raisins offense. Did anybody see this game? The defense scored twice and pretty much put the clamps on the Saints until garbage time. When the Ravens win a shootout thanks to the "guru" I'll reconsider.
I hate the referee judgement call that decides if a player would've been landed in bounds without the contact. Hopefully the Jets getting screwed will gain some attention with the competition committee. In a perfect world they'd simply shitcan the rule. It's stupid anyway. Besides, why shouldn't the defender be able to shove the receiver to keep him from getting his feet down? How is that at all contrary to the rules of the game? The refs get this rule wrong all the time, except it's usually the other way around. If a player is even remotely close to the sideline the refs give him the catch.
Is there a more Jekyll/Hyde team than Jacksonville? They've seemingly perfected the "dominate the opponent without actually scoring" strategy. Philly was never in that game but needed only a score to force OT. I guess Carolina deserves some consideration for any inconsistency award.
I'm going to break a Swamp rule here and play the respect card. The Giants are getting none of it. Two weeks ago they went on the road and dominated the Falcons on both sides of the ball. The same Falcons who after back to back wins are suddenly the toast of the NFC media. The next week the Giants went on the road and beat up the Cowboys. Listening to a Dallas fan you'd have think they were 0-10 after the game. The sky was falling in Dallas. However because it's the Cowboys the aftermath of the game doesn't allow any attention or respect to be paid the opponent. Nope, we get forcefed TO's thought of the week, "is Parcells losing it?", and what are the chances Dallas can go .500 with Tony Romo? So the Giants go home and neuter the visiting Bucs. Nothing ... not a peep. I've heard all about how great Dallas and Atlanta are this week. I'm told the Bears remained undefeated, beating the Girl Scouts this week. However nobody's noticed the Giants are 3-0 in the division, with 2 of those wins on the road. The defense learned how to play the game during the bye week, and have an aggressive pass rush to go with the stout run D they've had all season. THe offense can beat you on the ground or the air. I can't wait until they knock Chicago from the ranks of the unbeatens in a couple of weeks.
Maybe I shouldn't complain, historically speaking the Giants have always fared better when nobody's talking about them.
I hate the referee judgement call that decides if a player would've been landed in bounds without the contact. Hopefully the Jets getting screwed will gain some attention with the competition committee. In a perfect world they'd simply shitcan the rule. It's stupid anyway. Besides, why shouldn't the defender be able to shove the receiver to keep him from getting his feet down? How is that at all contrary to the rules of the game? The refs get this rule wrong all the time, except it's usually the other way around. If a player is even remotely close to the sideline the refs give him the catch.
You just described the college rule. I'm afraid if they did that in the NFL, it would kill 80% of pretty sideline catches because the cornerbacks would consider it open season. The reason they can do this in college is that the talent level at cornerback is lower and there are fewer plays like you described.
I'm going to break a Swamp rule here and play the respect card. The Giants are getting none of it. Two weeks ago they went on the road and dominated the Falcons on both sides of the ball. The same Falcons who after back to back wins are suddenly the toast of the NFC media. The next week the Giants went on the road and beat up the Cowboys. Listening to a Dallas fan you'd have think they were 0-10 after the game. The sky was falling in Dallas. However because it's the Cowboys the aftermath of the game doesn't allow any attention or respect to be paid the opponent. Nope, we get forcefed TO's thought of the week, "is Parcells losing it?", and what are the chances Dallas can go .500 with Tony Romo? So the Giants go home and neuter the visiting Bucs. Nothing ... not a peep. I've heard all about how great Dallas and Atlanta are this week. I'm told the Bears remained undefeated, beating the Girl Scouts this week. However nobody's noticed the Giants are 3-0 in the division, with 2 of those wins on the road. The defense learned how to play the game during the bye week, and have an aggressive pass rush to go with the stout run D they've had all season. THe offense can beat you on the ground or the air. I can't wait until they knock Chicago from the ranks of the unbeatens in a couple of weeks.
Testify! Although I'll gladly take no respect in exchange for four straight double-digit wins. Better make that six, after the Giants survive an ugly looking ahead win against the Texans then show Chicago what a real title contender looks like. The Giants and Jets are the only New York teams that the media doesn't blow out of proportion when they are actually good. I never understood why.
I wouldn't say that the Falcons are the darlings of the NFC media, I would say that Michael Vick (of the Atlanta Vicks) is the darling of the NFC media.
tennbengal wrote:---I have yet to figure out a scenario whereby the Bears lose in Chicago in January. Lose in Miami? Could definitely see that, I think we will get to find out.
The Giants match up very well against the Bears. And when the Giants beat the Bears in week 10, the Bears (then 8-1) will only have a one game advantage on the Giants (then 7-2) at that point, with little room for error the rest of the way.
