OFFICIAL NFL Week by Week Thread:

[Ehwmatt]

SAD DAY... watching MINN GB... it was hard as a GB fan to watch Brett play well against the Packers... that said... the game was VERY EXCITING to watch.
the momentuem breaker I thought was Minnesota had 4th down 5 yards to go or whatever it was 1st quarter... Jolly does THE STUPID head butt thing, getting penalized and a first down to the Vikings...then giving the Vikings a chance to score 7... instead of the score being tied 3-3... CHANGED THE WHOLE atmosphre of the game, the crowd, everything... Brett comes in gets the score 7-3... and deflated the crowd for the first half... especially since the Vikings fumbled on the fist posostion and GB only got a Field Goal... and Rogers gettig sacked WAY TOO MANY TIMES during the first half as well...

GLAD the series of MINN and GB is over for another year.... TOO DIFFICULT to watch for me as a Packer fan....

R

That must be hell. I feel your pain. I just watched our two Indians Cy Young winners duke it out in the World Series.

It really was sad to see what Favre has done to his legacy.

It made me think of what it would be like if LeBron were to leave the Cavs this year and all the bad blood there'd be on his return... I hope that doesn't happen.

[larryfromnextdoor]

Houston at Buffalo - Houston

Cleveland at Chicago - Chicago

Seattle at Dallas - Dallas

St. Louis at Detroit - Detroit

Denver at Baltimore - Baltimore. Kyle Orton's due to make some mistakes

San Francisco at Indianapolis - Indy

Miami at NY Jets - Miami in a must-win.

NY Giants at Philadelphia - NY

Jacksonville at Tennessee - Tenn.

Oakland at San Diego - SD

Carolina at Arizona - Arizona

Minnesota at Green Bay - GB

Atlanta at New Orleans - NO

Really a pretty underwhelming set of games this week. Denver/Balt, GB/Minn, and maybe Miami/NY look to be potential classics. Giants/Eagles might be good, but I kinda doubt it.

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

[Ehwmatt]

Houston at Buffalo - Houston

Cleveland at Chicago - Chicago

Seattle at Dallas - Dallas

St. Louis at Detroit - Detroit

Denver at Baltimore - Baltimore. Kyle Orton's due to make some mistakes

San Francisco at Indianapolis - Indy

Miami at NY Jets - Miami in a must-win.

NY Giants at Philadelphia - NY

Jacksonville at Tennessee - Tenn.

Oakland at San Diego - SD

Carolina at Arizona - Arizona

Minnesota at Green Bay - GB

Atlanta at New Orleans - NO

Really a pretty underwhelming set of games this week. Denver/Balt, GB/Minn, and maybe Miami/NY look to be potential classics. Giants/Eagles might be good, but I kinda doubt it.

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

Well, it wasn't a tough week to call. At least I called two classics in GB-Minn and Miami-NY

[Saint John]

It made me think of what it would be like if LeBron were to leave the Cavs this year and all the bad blood there'd be on his return... I hope that doesn't happen.

Oh, it's gonna.

[Enigma869]

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

Not so fast giving Matt the title! I also only got three wrong and called the Dallas game right down to the points! Looks like Matt and I have the tiebreaker tonight because he's all over the Saints, and I'm in the Falcons corner tonight!

[Ehwmatt]

It made me think of what it would be like if LeBron were to leave the Cavs this year and all the bad blood there'd be on his return... I hope that doesn't happen.

Oh, it's gonna.

Not likely dipshit barring a complete meltdown this season. We can pay LBJ $25 million more than any other team. He ain't gettin any more famous elsewhere

[larryfromnextdoor]

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

Not so fast giving Matt the title! I also only got three wrong and called the Dallas game right down to the points! Looks like Matt and I have the tiebreaker tonight because he's all over the Saints, and I'm in the Falcons corner tonight!

hahhahaha.. ok .. your right .. it was travis that lost out ...

[Saint John]

Not likely dipshit barring a complete meltdown this season. We can pay LBJ $25 million more than any other team. He ain't gettin any more famous elsewhere

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

[Ehwmatt]

Not likely dipshit barring a complete meltdown this season. We can pay LBJ $25 million more than any other team. He ain't gettin any more famous elsewhere

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

Dude you're talkin out of your ass. He's not going to that godforsaken franchise. It'll be like starting all over again like in 2003. It's not out of the question for him to leave, but it sure as shit won't be to the Knicks. Hell, he's more likely to go to the Bulls to be honest.

You do realize the cap next year pretty much prevents any team from doing the fabled double signing of tandems like Wade-James James-Bosh etc., right?

[larryfromnextdoor]

[
Seattle at Dallas - Dallas is a much better team than Seattle and wins this one by three touchdowns!

unreal... it had to be brought to my attention first.. good job.... i may have to start putting my money down with this thread..

[Saint John]

Not likely dipshit barring a complete meltdown this season. We can pay LBJ $25 million more than any other team. He ain't gettin any more famous elsewhere

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

Dude you're talkin out of your ass. He's not going to that godforsaken franchise. It'll be like starting all over again like in 2003. It's not out of the question for him to leave, but it sure as shit won't be to the Knicks. Hell, he's more likely to go to the Bulls to be honest.

You do realize the cap next year pretty much prevents any team from doing the fabled double signing of tandems like Wade-James James-Bosh etc., right?

No clue how the NBA works anymore as I haven't been a fan since the late 80's. I do have 5th row seats for tomorrow night's Bulls game though (2 extra if you wanna go). As for James, he's a big overrated fuckin' dummy who will never win anything without someone with brains to lead him. He's a bundle of incredible physical talent, but he has absolute shit for brains. At any rate, this is his last year in Cleveland.

[Ehwmatt]

Not likely dipshit barring a complete meltdown this season. We can pay LBJ $25 million more than any other team. He ain't gettin any more famous elsewhere

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

Dude you're talkin out of your ass. He's not going to that godforsaken franchise. It'll be like starting all over again like in 2003. It's not out of the question for him to leave, but it sure as shit won't be to the Knicks. Hell, he's more likely to go to the Bulls to be honest.

You do realize the cap next year pretty much prevents any team from doing the fabled double signing of tandems like Wade-James James-Bosh etc., right?

No clue how the NBA works anymore as I haven't been a fan since the late 80's. I do have 5th row seats for tomorrow night's Bulls game though (2 extra if you wanna go). As for James, he's a big overrated fuckin' dummy who will never win anything without someone with brains to lead him. He's a bundle of incredible physical talent, but he has absolute shit for brains. At any rate, this is his last year in Cleveland.

I'd love to go to the Bulls game, too bad it's a weeknight

As for the rest of that stuff, LeBron does have something to prove if he truly is the best in the world like people keep telling him. He's had players around him and hasn't gotten it done... yet. I'm no LeBron fanboy, I call them as I see it. I love watching him play the game, but I don't have two seconds for him as a person.

[Ehwmatt]

Uphill battle for sure now after that New Orleans interception takeback.

You can just see New Orleans' collective chest puffing out with each snap. This team is a scary frontrunner

[Enigma869]

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

I actually agree with Dan to a point here. Matt is right saying that LeBron isn't going to become any more famous in NYC. That said, the companies he works for understand advertising and being on the big stage better than anyone. Cleveland will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be "The big stage". I also think it comes down to LeBron's perception. I'll honestly be stunned if be stays in Cleveland. This guy wants to go to the big city. Being from Akron doesn't matter one bit when it comes to LeBron selecting his next team. It would be nice if Cleveland could hold onto him but players like this NEVER stay in places like Cleveland (and Jim Brown doesn't count, because the world was a VERY different place when he played...a million years go)! LeBron is destined to win championships in his career. I just don't see it happening in Cleveland.

[Ehwmatt]

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

I actually agree with Dan to a point here. Matt is right saying that LeBron isn't going to become any more famous in NYC. That said, the companies he works for understand advertising and being on the big stage better than anyone. Cleveland will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be "The big stage". I also think it comes down to LeBron's perception. I'll honestly be stunned if be stays in Cleveland. This guy wants to go to the big city. Being from Akron doesn't matter one bit when it comes to LeBron selecting his next team. It would be nice if Cleveland could hold onto him but players like this NEVER stay in places like Cleveland (and Jim Brown doesn't count, because the world was a VERY different place when he played...a million years go)! LeBron is destined to win championships in his career. I just don't see it happening in Cleveland.

Time will tell. There's no point in really speculating any more until next summer actually comes to pass.

EDIT: If we win it this year, there is not a chance in hell he's going anywhere. Book that. If we don't, anything can happen. But he ain't goin to NYK no matter what, book that.

[Enigma869]

Time will tell. There's no point in really speculating any more until next summer actually comes to pass.

EDIT: If we win it this year, there is not a chance in hell he's going anywhere. Book that. If we don't, anything can happen. But he ain't goin to NYK no matter what, book that.

In my opinion, Cleveland winning a championship this season won't affect his decision, AT ALL. In fact, I'm willing to bet that LeBron's decision has already been made. I believe Cleveland is the second best team in the East this season, so they will certainly have their shot!

[Ehwmatt]

Time will tell. There's no point in really speculating any more until next summer actually comes to pass.

EDIT: If we win it this year, there is not a chance in hell he's going anywhere. Book that. If we don't, anything can happen. But he ain't goin to NYK no matter what, book that.

In my opinion, Cleveland winning a championship this season won't affect his decision, AT ALL. In fact, I'm willing to bet that LeBron's decision has already been made. I believe Cleveland is the second best team in the East this season, so they will certainly have their shot!

Right now we are third best. I might not even be surprised to see us end up with the 4 seed depending on how our minutes work out and how well the rest of our team gels. We should be solid in the playoffs though.

Back on topic, what a play by Ronnie White/Matt Ryan there. We got what looks to be a classic on our hands.

[YoungJRNY]

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

Not so fast giving Matt the title! I also only got three wrong and called the Dallas game right down to the points! Looks like Matt and I have the tiebreaker tonight because he's all over the Saints, and I'm in the Falcons corner tonight!

hahhahaha.. ok .. your right .. it was travis that lost out ...

This was one of my first bad weeks and it wasn't that bad considering each call were just as legit. There have been more than many times to where I picked all season to where a team would win by the exact points I'd predicted. Last season, I can't remember which week it was, I predicted 5 games in a row right on the money, including a Cinci team winning an upset by 2, which happened. We are some Matthew McConahay Two For the Money shit around here.

[Ehwmatt]

HELL of a fight by the Falcons. They came up short in the end, but what heart.

[YoungJRNY]

Power Rankings heading into Week 8

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. New England Patriots
---------------------------------
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Baltimore Ravens
8. Cincinnati Bengals
9. Denver Broncos
10. Houston Texans

On the fringe: Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins / San Diego Chargers, N.Y Jets, Chicago Bears, 49'ers

[S2M]

Week 9 predictions:

Washington at Atlanta - ATL by 17
Arizona at Chicago - AZ by 10
Baltimore at Cincinnati - Cincy by 24
Houston at Indianapolis - Indy by 6
Miami at New England - NE by 34
Green Bay at Tampa Bay - GB by 13
Kansas City at Jacksonville - Jackie by 3
Carolina at New Orleans - N'awlins by 21
Detroit at Seattle - Lions by 6
Tennessee at San Francisco - 49ers by 12
San Diego at NY Giants - UPSET of the week. SD by 10
Dallas at Philadelphia - Philly by 14


Pittsburgh at Denver - Tough one(don't want either team to win) Gun to my head - Crush by 3 in OT

[Rick]

Week 9 predictions:

Washington at Atlanta - ATL by 17
Arizona at Chicago - AZ by 10
Baltimore at Cincinnati - Cincy by 24
Houston at Indianapolis - Indy by 6
Miami at New England - NE by 34
Green Bay at Tampa Bay - GB by 13
Kansas City at Jacksonville - Jackie by 3
Carolina at New Orleans - N'awlins by 21
Detroit at Seattle - Lions by 6
Tennessee at San Francisco - 49ers by 12
San Diego at NY Giants - UPSET of the week. SD by 10
Dallas at Philadelphia - Philly by 14


Pittsburgh at Denver - Tough one(don't want either team to win) Gun to my head - Crush by 3 in OT

Washington at Atlanta - ATL by 17 -- I think Atlanta wins, but it'll be closer than 17.

Arizona at Chicago - AZ by 10 -- I don't think Arizona wins in Chicago.

Baltimore at Cincinnati - Cincy by 24 -- I don't think Cincy wins this, but they'll give Baltimore a game.

Houston at Indianapolis - Indy by 6 -- Good call. Indy seems to only play 'good enough', these days.

Miami at New England - NE by 34 -- Not sure the spread will be that big, but it sure could be.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay - GB by 13 -- Good call.

Kansas City at Jacksonville - Jackie by 3 -- Good call.

Carolina at New Orleans - N'awlins by 21 -- Good call.

Detroit at Seattle - Lions by 6 -- I like this prediction.

Tennessee at San Francisco - 49ers by 12 -- And this one.

San Diego at NY Giants - UPSET of the week. SD by 10 -- Oh man.... What's happened to the Giants? Manning is hurt, so I just don't know. Go Chargers! I think the Giants win though.

Dallas at Philadelphia - Philly by 14 -- Good call.


Pittsburgh at Denver - Tough one(don't want either team to win) Gun to my head - Crush by 3 in OT -- This is going to be a good game. It should be a Pittsburgh win though.

[larryfromnextdoor]

i think you won this week.... you only missed 3 i think.. about 75% right..

Not so fast giving Matt the title! I also only got three wrong and called the Dallas game right down to the points! Looks like Matt and I have the tiebreaker tonight because he's all over the Saints, and I'm in the Falcons corner tonight!

hahhahaha.. ok .. your right .. it was travis that lost out ...

This was one of my first bad weeks and it wasn't that bad considering each call were just as legit. There have been more than many times to where I picked all season to where a team would win by the exact points I'd predicted. Last season, I can't remember which week it was, I predicted 5 games in a row right on the money, including a Cinci team winning an upset by 2, which happened. We are some Matthew McConahay Two For the Money shit around here.

dude.. i was just crackin on you.. i couldnt pick the winner of a one horse race..

your on the money with NFL = fact...

side note.. did anyone notice not ONE World Series thread.. not one.. why is that ? why are people not going crazy..

why does a Thursday night NFL game seem more important than game 6..

[Enigma869]

Week 9 predictions:

Pittsburgh at Denver - It will be interesting to see how Denver reacts to losing their first game. I think Pittsburgh is the better team and wins this by a field goal.

Washington at Atlanta - Atlanta's offense has been playing well and still losing games. Washington is a good team to get healthy against. Atlanta by 14.

Arizona at Chicago - Chicago...Chicago...Chicago!

Baltimore at Cincinnati - On paper, should be a good matchup. I love Baltimore in this game. They win by 10.

Houston at Indianapolis - Indianapolis looked VERY average last week against San Francisco, but many teams in the NFL play down to the level of competition. I believe Houston is a good team with a very good offense. This game could turn into a track meet. Colts-38 - Texans-31

Miami at New England - Although Miami beat the Jets last week, they didn't score a single TD on offense and had a whopping 104 yards of total offense, which simply won't get the job done against a team with a good offense and New England has that. Joey Porter has already been running his mouth AGAIN, all week long, which should make his team a prime target for Brady. Patriots by three touchdowns!

Green Bay at Tampa Bay - Tampa is AWFUL. Green Bay by 24 points.

Kansas City at Jacksonville - Jacksonville gets back to .500 by beating the Chiefs by 10 points.

Carolina at New Orleans - Carolina and their fans have a false sense of security due to their big win last week. They will all be brought back down to earth this week. Saints by 20.

Detroit at Seattle - Battle of two sucky teams. I'm already beginning to cringe knowing that the nation is going to be forced to watch an AWFUL Lions team while trying to kick the shit out of our turkey on Thanksgiving. Please NFL...wake the fuck up and stop forcing Detroit and Dallas down our throats on my favorite holiday. Okay...back to the game. Seattle wins it 3-2

Tennessee at San Francisco - San Francisco wins this one by 10 points.

San Diego at NY Giants - This is the most interesting game of the week to me. The Giants defense has been sooooo exposed. That said, the Chargers are a VERY mediocre team with one of the worst coaching staffs in the NFL. I like the Giants by a touchdown.

Dallas at Philadelphia - This should be the best game of the week to watch. I'm not sure the Cowboys have anyone on their defense who can cover Desean Jackson, so I suspect that this will also be a high scoring game. Eagles-38 - Dallas-34

[squirt1]

The Bengals have beat both Pittsburgh & the Ravens. But,this should be wild as we play the Ravens this week and Pittsburgh next week. That who beat who twice will = and extra win if they all end up tied for the playoffs. Both of these games will be about that very point.

[YoungJRNY]

Week 9 predictions:

Washington at Atlanta - Atlanta is riding a 2 game losing streak, and is eager to break into the win colum. They played the Saints to the bitter end, and showed they can hang with one of the best. Washington week couldn't come better for the Falcons. Falcons by 14.

Arizona at Chicago - You have a West Coast team, getting beaten by a terrible team mind you, coming across the map, to Chicago, in November. With the Cards being far too inconsistent to be taken just a tad seriously, Chicago should take the weather to their advantage and beat up on an ailing team with questions at the moment. Bears by 11.

Baltimore at Cincinnati - Carson Palmer proves that his presence is the key to the Bungles fortunes. Still, in reality, I just don't think that Cinci is THAT great of a team and should have lost half of their games thus far. Baltimore's defense really turned it up a notch, and I expect them to do the same against Palmer. Ravens by 6.

Houston at Indianapolis - Houston ALWAYS played Indianapolis well. Divison games are def the toughest games to play, no matter who the opponent is. Houston is looking sexy at the moment and the battle between Shaub and Manning begins. Unfortunately for Shaub, Manning is the best QB in the NFL and has done this WAY more often than Shaub could ever dream of doing, but Shaub DOES have more weapons. I'm going upset in this one. UPSET: HOUSTON by 3.

Miami at New England - Another GREAT matchup ahead for both teams. New England got gashed last season against the Wild Cat, and Miami has installed the WC as apart of their offense. New England will be prepared for it, and should have a tough task ahead of them against one of the most underrated teams in the league. Miami is hot, but Brady always finds ways to win, period. Patriots by 10.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay might duplicate them losing 0 games back in the day. Green Bay by 21.

Kansas City at Jacksonville - Another "shrug the shoulders" game. This could go either way, and both teams are just a pain to watch. Jacksonville showed glimpses at times this year, while Cassel and the Chefs have not, atleast anything worth to pick them in this game. Jags by 5.

Carolina at New Orleans - Carolina is actually playing well and will give New Orleans a good fight. Too bad for them, that New Orleans is one of the most complete teams this season and they cannot match a 4 qrt chess match. Saints by 23.

Detroit at Seattle - Seattle has been a disappointment this season. Ever since the SB season they have squandered into one of the worst teams in the league the last several years, all due to injury. The Lions caught some love beating Washington earlier, but there is shakeup in the locker room about their franchise Stafford. No way they travel to Seattle and beat the Seahags. Seattle by 17.

Tennessee at San Francisco - Young gave them that spark they needed on offense, and gives a defense another dimension to think about with his legs, which should open up Johnson for the rest of the year. I like the Titans in this one, but I said I'd never take the Titans again this year, since earlier in the season I picked them 1 million straight times, all losses. 9'ers by 6.

San Diego at NY Giants - Another game where it's tough to decide, judging by the way both teams look at the moment. The Giants came out the gates hot, but lost 3 in a row, while the Chargers are on the winning end, but is still missing chemistry all around. I like the Giants to rebound in this. G-men by 8.

Dallas at Philadelphia - Dallas isn't that good, period, and Philly is becoming one of the best teams to contend with in the NFC (forget the loss to the Raida's.) Romo struggles big time and will be under a HEAVY amount of pressure, which means interceptions, and fumbles.. the way he always plays in big games. Philly by 10.

Pittsburgh at Denver - Another great matchup. This scares me a little. Denver has always had our number, esp. in Denver. Ryan Clark probably won't play since he almost died a couple years ago in mile high due to disease in his blood stream (Sickle Cell Trait), and if losing Aaron Smith wasn't bad enough at right end for the season, his veteran backup is out for this game, leaving Ziggy Hood, our #1 pick to take over. Look for the Broncs to attack the right side of the line, but fortunately for Pittsburgh, we are the best against the run. Orton will not survive throwing more than 40 passes. Denver, in an losing effort, was exposed more ways than one and it couldn't come at a worse time. That could spell doom against a team that plays a similiar style beat down brawl on defense. Look for Ben to have a big game when it comes to the no huddle. Pittsburgh by 13.

[Ehwmatt]

Endorsements in New York will dwarf that.

I actually agree with Dan to a point here. Matt is right saying that LeBron isn't going to become any more famous in NYC. That said, the companies he works for understand advertising and being on the big stage better than anyone. Cleveland will NEVER EVER EVER EVER be "The big stage". I also think it comes down to LeBron's perception. I'll honestly be stunned if be stays in Cleveland. This guy wants to go to the big city. Being from Akron doesn't matter one bit when it comes to LeBron selecting his next team. It would be nice if Cleveland could hold onto him but players like this NEVER stay in places like Cleveland (and Jim Brown doesn't count, because the world was a VERY different place when he played...a million years go)! LeBron is destined to win championships in his career. I just don't see it happening in Cleveland.

I had to come in here to rebut this from both of you a bit... from a NYT article:

“Really, I’m not sure it would impact him that much from a marketing and merchandise standpoint,” said Darin David, an account director for Millsport, a Dallas-based sports marketing and consulting firm.
David Falk, the onetime superagent who represented Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning, said, “I don’t think that where you are physically situated is nearly as important as it was 20 years ago.”

Unlike 20 years ago, writes Beck, fans have more access to their favorite athletes. The Internet gives fans a 24-hour connection to their sports heroes, no matter where they play. Games are broadcast to televisions, computers and mobile phones all over the world. Fans can also get information from their athletes on Twitter and Facebook.

Now, I'm not a naive LeBron fanboy that thinks he'll never leave because of some alleged loyalty to Cleveland. Hell, if we keep playing sluggish and lethargic like we are, he might leave, but I'm tired of hearing silly arguments about big markets and all this extra money he could supposedly make. They don't fly, not today

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/sport ... basketball

[Enigma869]

I'm tired of hearing silly arguments about big markets and all this extra money he could supposedly make. They don't fly, not today

Well, you certainly didn't hear that argument from me! I understand the NBA salary cap enough to understand that a player's current team can almost ALWAYS pay a guy more than he could get anywhere else. My premise all along has been that I don't think LeBron has any desire to be in Cleveland. He views himself as a world class athlete (In spite of some great flaws he has...It's tough for even me to argue that he isn't) and world class athletes almost ALWAYS want to be on the big stage, in a world class city. Also, in spite of the pathetic history of Cleveland sports teams, even LeBron understands that winning a championship in NY (A horrendous team) would be a FAR bigger deal than it would ever be in Cleveland. As I've said all along...I'm a HUGE proponent of athletes staying with their team. When the Red Sox brought the late Kirby Puckett in for talks years ago, I had ZERO interest in the guy, because in my opinion, he belonged with the Twins. I will personally be very surprised if LeBron stays in Cleveland and if his team wins it all this year, my opinion won't change.

[YoungJRNY]

The Bengals start off with 2 impressive TD drives to start the game. 14-0 Bengals over Ravens. Chad85 is putting on a show. 2:30 left in the 1st.

Ravens can't avoid the undisciplined bug. Same exact way they lost to Cinci last game. Taking stupid penalties on lengthy drives.

[YoungJRNY]

Bengals up 17-0. Stat of the first half so far,...Bengals have 15 first downs...the Ravens have ran only 11 offensive plays. WOW!

Absolute ass whoopin.