2011-2012 NFL Season Thread

[Ehwmatt]

Even the last two games, the Patriots were down 17-0 and 21-0, hardly a consistent way of playing good football when you put look at the good and bad side by side.

You do know that they won both of those games, right? I assume that you also know that after going down 21 to 0, they then scored 49 unanswered points? Consistency isn't about one game. It's about the rythym of the season and not getting blown out by teams. The Patriots lost three games, and by a total of 15 points. It's not like they got run off the field by any team they played. Hell, the worse game they played the entire season was against Pittsburgh. They should have lost that game by 7 TD's, and yet, they were in the game until the end. Last I checked, an NFL game is 4 quarters, which is why you never see me on this board predicting the demise of a team before a game is actually over...sort of like you did last week, talking about how pathetic the Patriots were before they scored 49 points!

I'm with John here. The Pats' giving up points to bad teams is no less "consistent" than the Steelers barely putting ANY points up against bad teams. It's just two sides of the same coin: two pretty good teams whose glaring flaws can lead to surprisingly tight games with lesser opponents.

[Enigma869]

I'm with John here. The Pats' giving up points to bad teams is no less "consistent" than the Steelers barely putting ANY points up against bad teams. It's just two sides of the same coin: two pretty good teams whose glaring flaws can lead to surprisingly tight games with lesser opponents.

Just so I'm clear...I am not suggesting that this is a great Patriots team. It clearly isn't. That said, every media member and message board goes on and on about how awful their defense is (and it is definitely awful) and yet nobody says a word about Green Bay's defense. Most are predicting that the Packers will win The Super Bowl (Vegas has the Packers as the favorite to win it as well). Green Bay is the only team in the entire league who gives up more yards per game and more points per game than the Patriots do. I won't be remotely shocked if Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New England goes to The Super Bowl.

[S2M]

NE needs to play hurry up right from jump street. Get defenses on their heels and gasping for air, while confusing the subsitute packages. NE's struggles in the last 2 games during the 1st Q are due to horrendous play calling(O'brien needs to get Sanduskied), and no hurry up offense.

[Ehwmatt]

I'm with John here. The Pats' giving up points to bad teams is no less "consistent" than the Steelers barely putting ANY points up against bad teams. It's just two sides of the same coin: two pretty good teams whose glaring flaws can lead to surprisingly tight games with lesser opponents.

Just so I'm clear...I am not suggesting that this is a great Patriots team. It clearly isn't. That said, every media member and message board goes on and on about how awful their defense is (and it is definitely awful) and yet nobody says a word about Green Bay's defense. Most are predicting that the Packers will win The Super Bowl (Vegas has the Packers as the favorite to win it as well). Green Bay is the only team in the entire league who gives up more yards per game and more points per game than the Patriots do. I won't be remotely shocked if Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New England goes to The Super Bowl.

Oh I know you're not. I just read Travis as saying giving up huge bunches of points or trailing deep is somehow a greater indictment on a team's "consistency" than merely having an impotent offense that sometimes has to squeak by shitty teams at the last minute or by a mere few points. Like I said, its two sides of the same coin: the teams are flawed, even though they "consistently" won games this year. It doesn't matter the manner they won the games, they are still flawed.

As for Super Bowl predictions, last I saw, the Giants were at 20:1. That might be worth throwing $50-$100 down for They could get hot at the right time, and just like before with the undefeated Pats, they have already proven they can hang with the odds-on favorite in GB.

[S2M]

I'm with John here. The Pats' giving up points to bad teams is no less "consistent" than the Steelers barely putting ANY points up against bad teams. It's just two sides of the same coin: two pretty good teams whose glaring flaws can lead to surprisingly tight games with lesser opponents.

Just so I'm clear...I am not suggesting that this is a great Patriots team. It clearly isn't. That said, every media member and message board goes on and on about how awful their defense is (and it is definitely awful) and yet nobody says a word about Green Bay's defense. Most are predicting that the Packers will win The Super Bowl (Vegas has the Packers as the favorite to win it as well). Green Bay is the only team in the entire league who gives up more yards per game and more points per game than the Patriots do. I won't be remotely shocked if Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or New England goes to The Super Bowl.

Oh I know you're not. I just read Travis as saying giving up huge bunches of points or trailing deep is somehow a greater indictment on a team's "consistency" than merely having an impotent offense that sometimes has to squeak by shitty teams at the last minute or by a mere few points. Like I said, its two sides of the same coin: the teams are flawed, even though they "consistently" won games this year. It doesn't matter the manner they won the games, they are still flawed.

As for Super Bowl predictions, last I saw, the Giants were at 20:1. That might be worth throwing $50-$100 down for They could get hot at the right time, and just like before with the undefeated Pats, they have already proven they can hang with the odds-on favorite in GB.

Honestly, although Vegas had them as favorites, NE wasn't the favorite in SB42....NY was. NE barely escaped NY in the last game of the regular season.

[YoungJRNY]

Even the last two games, the Patriots were down 17-0 and 21-0, hardly a consistent way of playing good football when you put look at the good and bad side by side.

You do know that they won both of those games, right? I assume that you also know that after going down 21 to 0, they then scored 49 unanswered points? Consistency isn't about one game. It's about the rythym of the season and not getting blown out by teams. The Patriots lost three games, and by a total of 15 points. It's not like they got run off the field by any team they played. Hell, the worse game they played the entire season was against Pittsburgh. They should have lost that game by 7 TD's, and yet, they were in the game until the end. Last I checked, an NFL game is 4 quarters, which is why you never see me on this board predicting the demise of a team before a game is actually over...sort of like you did last week, talking about how pathetic the Patriots were before they scored 49 points!

I don't think anyone's really hearing me on how I'm describing the consistency thing. I'm talking about just that, the rhythm of the season, which I said above. I'm not talking about win's and loss's, or New England scoring 49 unanswered points and saying being inconsistent is being a BAD team (I still think New England's performances over the past couple weeks were pathetic, clearly if they play good teams their shot out of their high-hoarse) that's what I'm saying, that's inconsistent football being played week to week. I understand New England is 13-3, played their worst game against Pittsburgh but only lost by 8, they still showed their inconsistency in what they put on the field. San Francisco and Baltimore (even flawed) were consistent in every one of their wins and played the same brand of football. Even though teams like Pittsburgh, New England, Atlanta and Detroit qualified for the post-season, they don't play consistent ball on the field week to week. Nobody mentioning Green Bay's horrible defense like you said, is my point.

Your point was, that Atlanta isn't as good as I think they are (that's true since they are my upset team) and that they play way too inconsistent for you to believe in them. I say that every team this season has played inconsistent football in how they look on the football field regardless of wins and losses BUT San Francisco and Baltimore, flawed teams, who beat you consistently week to week with a solid running game and a stout defense while everyone else's flaws lead to inconsistent play in the 4QRTS of their football games.

[squirt1]

Dalton back at practice after a day in the hospital. Bengals have a chance against Houston. Houston favored by 3.

[YoungJRNY]

Dalton back at practice after a day in the hospital. Bengals have a chance against Houston. Houston favored by 3.

I have the Bengals in this one. I think Cincinnati will go to New England and Pittsburgh goes to Baltimore in the Divisional Round.

[S2M]

Dalton back at practice after a day in the hospital. Bengals have a chance against Houston. Houston favored by 3.

I have the Bengals in this one. I think Cincinnati will go to New England and Pittsburgh goes to Baltimore in the Divisional Round.

I don't know why, but I have The Apostles over The Plastic Shower Curtain by 9.

[YoungJRNY]

Dalton back at practice after a day in the hospital. Bengals have a chance against Houston. Houston favored by 3.

I have the Bengals in this one. I think Cincinnati will go to New England and Pittsburgh goes to Baltimore in the Divisional Round.

I don't know why, but I have The Apostles over The Plastic Shower Curtain by 9.

NE over the BYE WEEK by 17!

[AlteredDNA]

Saints by 13

[YoungJRNY]

Roethlisberger practices, Pouncey may be out Sunday.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12005/1201572-100.stm

Holy FUCK. This is ridiculous. Now Pouncey's (our best lineman) ankle took a turn for the worst and may not be out there Sunday. Doug Legursky (who just came back from a shoulder injury and isn't 100%) will more than likely take Pouncey's place. Getting worse for Pittsburgh by the DAY. On how bad it really is, our 3rd down back Mewelde Moore is out with an MCL sprain and Mendenhall's IR forced us to sign a RB off the practice squad player named Chad Spann to the 53 man roster. Who? Exactly.

[S2M]

This just in:

Sean Hannity > Tim Tebow

[Enigma869]

So long Billy O'Brien. Another Patriots coordinator who is about to crash and burn. Apparently, he didn't learn from Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels. I'm not sure why anyone would go near that Penn State job.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/sto ... ources-say

[RedWingFan]

Raiders set to name former linebacker and current Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie as new GM. Very, very, very happy about this.
http://blog.sfgate.com/raiders/2012/01/ ... zie-as-gm/

[Ehwmatt]

Damn... things are getting worse for the Steelers. Awful story:

The Steelers have a playoff game in Denver Sunday, but the team’s thoughts may be elsewhere in the coming days.

Running backs coach Kirby Wilson, 50, was “badly burned” in a house fire early Friday morning according to Channel 11 in Pittsburgh. The cause of the fire is unknown.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Kirby and his entire family,” Steelers President Art Rooney said in a statement. “We are saddened to hear about this unfortunate situation but we know that he has the best medical care in the country treating him. The entire organization is praying for Kirby to have a full recovery and we will be by his side through this difficult time.”

We wish Wilson and his family all the best during this time and hope for a speedy recovery. Wilson is in his fifth year as Steelers running backs coach.

[DavidWT]

If the Giants don't make the Superbowl this year, then I'd like to see a Bengals Vs. Lions Superbowl. At least it would be something different. I mainly just don't want to see the Patriots in the Superbowl because they're there every year (except last year, when, thankfully, the Jets knocked them out in the playoffs.) I don't know why, but I always hate it when one team dominates a sport. Nothing in particular against New England-- hell, I'm from New York, and I'm sick of the Yankees, and was glad when the Red Sox won the series (...prepares to get shot.)

[YoungJRNY]

Damn... things are getting worse for the Steelers. Awful story:

The Steelers have a playoff game in Denver Sunday, but the team’s thoughts may be elsewhere in the coming days.

Running backs coach Kirby Wilson, 50, was “badly burned” in a house fire early Friday morning according to Channel 11 in Pittsburgh. The cause of the fire is unknown.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Kirby and his entire family,” Steelers President Art Rooney said in a statement. “We are saddened to hear about this unfortunate situation but we know that he has the best medical care in the country treating him. The entire organization is praying for Kirby to have a full recovery and we will be by his side through this difficult time.”

We wish Wilson and his family all the best during this time and hope for a speedy recovery. Wilson is in his fifth year as Steelers running backs coach.

Just saw this on KDKA, local Pittsburgh news. Horrible. Terrible. This man has wife and kids. Reminds us all that football is just grown men playing a game & this stuff hits home. Thoughts go out to the Kirby family.

[Ehwmatt]

If the Giants don't make the Superbowl this year, then I'd like to see a Bengals Vs. Lions Superbowl. At least it would be something different. I mainly just don't want to see the Patriots in the Superbowl because they're there every year (except last year, when, thankfully, the Jets knocked them out in the playoffs.) I don't know why, but I always hate it when one team dominates a sport. Nothing in particular against New England-- hell, I'm from New York, and I'm sick of the Yankees, and was glad when the Red Sox won the series (...prepares to get shot.)

I hate Boston and New York sports as much as the next non-East Coaster, but you do realize New England hasn't won a single playoff game since 2008, right?

As for the Bengals getting to the Super Bowl-- not gonna happen! They haven't beaten a single good team this year. They are a rising team, but they are not ready this year and are really one year away from being a playoff team. They got lucky to slip in there this year.

[Ehwmatt]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

[YoungJRNY]

Steelers starting Center Maurkice Pouncey ruled OUT Sunday at Denver.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12006/1201744-100.stm

[YoungJRNY]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to unveil a new logo, just in time for the 2011 playoffs in their matchup against the Denver Broncos.

[AlteredDNA]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

Ok, I can't confirm that rookie award, but I swear that's what WLW just reported. Google shows a Dalton as finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, so maybe I heard wrong. Either way, he and AJ should get strong consideration.

ROY Finalists:
- Andy Dalton
- Von Miller
- Cam Newton
- Patrick Peterson
- Aldon Smith

[YoungJRNY]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

Ok, I can't confirm that rookie award, but I swear that's what WLW just reported. Google shows a Dalton as finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, so maybe I heard wrong. Either way, he and AJ should get strong consideration.

ROY Finalists:
- Andy Dalton
- Von Miller
- Cam Newton
- Patrick Peterson
- Aldon Smith

Cam Newton in a LANDSLIDE.

[conversationpc]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

Ok, I can't confirm that rookie award, but I swear that's what WLW just reported. Google shows a Dalton as finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, so maybe I heard wrong. Either way, he and AJ should get strong consideration.

ROY Finalists:
- Andy Dalton
- Von Miller
- Cam Newton
- Patrick Peterson
- Aldon Smith

Cam Newton in a LANDSLIDE.

I think I would've voted for Von Miller.

[Ehwmatt]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

Ok, I can't confirm that rookie award, but I swear that's what WLW just reported. Google shows a Dalton as finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, so maybe I heard wrong. Either way, he and AJ should get strong consideration.

ROY Finalists:
- Andy Dalton
- Von Miller
- Cam Newton
- Patrick Peterson
- Aldon Smith

Cam Newton in a LANDSLIDE.

I actually find this to be a very tough choice. Certainly not a landslide.

[YoungJRNY]

Terrible story for Coach Wilson, reminds me of when Bengals D.Coach Zimmer lost his wife unexpectedly a couple of days before a game. Life sure can suck sometimes.


On a good note, Andy Dalton has been named AFC Rookie of the Year. He deserves it I think.

Damn, he should split that trophy down the middle with AJ.

Ok, I can't confirm that rookie award, but I swear that's what WLW just reported. Google shows a Dalton as finalist for the Pepsi ROY award, so maybe I heard wrong. Either way, he and AJ should get strong consideration.

ROY Finalists:
- Andy Dalton
- Von Miller
- Cam Newton
- Patrick Peterson
- Aldon Smith

Cam Newton in a LANDSLIDE.

I actually find this to be a very tough choice. Certainly not a landslide.

Not taking anything away from the others, but Newton took over a rebuilding team, with a first year head coach and SMASHED every rookie passing record out there, including rushing touchdowns. Every week we heard a new record being set by this guy when doubt was still even in the air. I think it's a no-brainer.

[Enigma869]

I'd like to see a Bengals Vs. Lions Superbowl.

You have a better shot of seeing the NFL going out of business than that happening!

[Enigma869]

21 years ago today the Bengals won their last Playoff game against......The Houston Oilers...the Bengals went on to the 2nd round of the Playoffs against the Raiders in Los Angeles Colliseum...that game resulted in the end of one Bo Jacksons career, as he injured his hip on a run as he was tackled from behind,.... and that was that for Bo. The Bengals lost that game which started the 21 year wait...until tomorrow.

Bo was an absolute BEAST of a football player. Would have easily become one of the greatest running backs, ever, had he been able to have a career.

[Enigma869]

As for the Rookie of the Year...I won't get into "landslide" versus a close vote. That said, I think Cam Newton absolutely wins this award and deserves to win the award. He broke Peyton Manning's rookie passing record and broke Steve Grogan's long-standing rushing TD record. Not to mention, he passed for over 4000 yards as a rookie (many Hall of Fame NFL QB's have never once passed for that many yards in a season), and finished in the top 10 in the league for passing yards. For me, it would be very tough to argue (at least, intelligently) against Newton getting the award.