Yes to MC, also to Barnwell but, its been noted how fucking simplified the offense has been for Alex Smith. Not to mention the first time this guy has had a good stable coach. This is the year we'll get to know who Alex Smith is for 100% sure. He has receivers, he has a TE, he has Runningbacks (as fragile as they might be) he has them. He has a line and he has a defense in a conference with 4 free wins, maybe 5 if the Seahawks can't play on the road (not beating them at home). I love Manning Face.
I have the San Francisco 49ers beating San Diego by at least two touchdowns. Sorry Ballsack. SF does not lose Superbowls. It could be the Rams losing to Oakland if Hell decides to freeze over.
No one picks the Pats anymore, huh? 2 Super Bowl losses and everyone hops off the dick... Nah, but really, the defense is going to be improved this year. The three SBs we won were with defense leading the way; when we turned into a blow-em-out offense and stopped caring about D, we started choking. Our DBs fucking suck as always, but Dont'a Hightower is gonna be a good fucking player at OLB, and hopefully the other rookies can step up too. And as for offense, everyone knows about Gronk now, but I think Aaron Hernandez is underrated as the other TE: a little smaller, but quicker and a little more receiver-like. We've pretty much got a playoff spot locked up with our cupcake schedule, but I'm hoping for the whole shebang this year. Drinking myself into a stupor by halftime is not an experience I want to repeat.
Are you kidding me? My other forum has it's sports section named after a line of mine, "Don't call it a dynasty." Pride cometh before the (yet another) fall...
So you don't think the Patriots will make the playoffs, huh? Can I quote you on that? This is the schedule, by the way.
I have GB over NE. I think SF is the strongest team on the average day, but as currently constructed, is going to lose more often than not to the elite-qb group of NO, NE, and GB. Especially NE and GB. SF's greatest strengths are the ability to shut down the run, get three and outs, and force offensive mistakes. Their weaknesses are bad QB decisions, a lack of offensive explosiveness, and weakness against short passing routes. The group of NO, NE, and GB don't need to run, can explode for a ton of points, excel in the short pass, and (for GB and NE) produce a disproportionate number of interceptions. Given that SF will likely need to beat two of these three teams, I'm a lot more pessimistic about their Super Bowl chances than I am about their overall quality. Teams I have in serious contention: SF, NE, GB. Teams that wouldn't surprise me: BAL, NO, NYG. BAL is great but I hate Flacco. NO's defense is a mess. NYG are all of the place in terms of quality on a given day. Somewhere in between those two groups: HOU. Houston is good-to-great in almost every area, I just don't buy it quite yet until I see more games.
That right there is some good football talk. But I still think we haven't seen the real Alex Smith. He is going to be in an idea situation, with above average WRs, a TE and RBs. We'll see exactly who he is this year. Still on the dick, never left that dick. The Patriots have Josh McDaniel's back. Please you silly peasants, do not forget who the fuck Josh McDaniel's actually is as OC. They lit up the goddamn league for 18 wins embarassing folks. Then the season abruptly ended and the Patriots never got a chance to win their championship. But forreal doe, Patriots got the easiest schedule. Bill Belichick doesn't let them play to the level of their competition. The defense is going to be toughened and wiser by the time playoffs roll around and their really going to be pushing the running game with these two new backs and Danny Woodhead running around back there. Then you toss in the , Gronk, Nandez, Lloyd, Welker and don't forget the wiley veteran Deion Branch is still there...wooo, I just came on myself. I need a moment.
They'll choke in a couple games, make the playoffs as a wild card, and lose in the conference championship. Mark it.
Nope. #1 seed in the AFC at 14-2. I like Houston as a secondary contender in the AFC, as long as they can stay healthy. They seem to have all the pieces to the puzzle and a cupcake division that I think they've already clinched. NFC North is going to be a slugfest this year. I hated leaving Detroit out of the wildcard spot, but I have faith in Chicago this year. My predictions: AFC 1) New England 2) Houston 3) Baltimore 4) Denver 5) Pittsburgh 6) Kansas City NFC 1) San Francisco 2) Green Bay 3) Atlanta 4) Philadelphia 5) New Orleans 6) Chicago
<a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/conversations/_/id/8349080/sources-suspensions-jonathan-vilma-smith-scott-fujita-anthony-hargrove-overturned-arbitration-panel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/nfl/conversations/_/ ... tion-panel</a> Didn't see that coming
<a class="postlink" href="http://deadspin.com/5941348/they-wont-magically-turn-you-into-a-lustful-cockmonster-chris-kluwe-explains-gay-marriage-to-the-politician-who-is-offended-by-an-nfl-player-supporting-it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://deadspin.com/5941348/they-wont-m ... porting-it</a> Hilarious letter by a kicker to a politician about gay marriage. Sorry if it violates, the no politics rule, but "They won't magically turn you into a lustful cockmonster. " was worth the read.
Chris Kluwe is one of my favorite people in the NFL. The Star Tribune regularly goes to him for unvarnished truth nuggets.
Predictions: AFC: East: Patriots North: Pittsburgh South: Houston West: Denver Wild Card: Baltimore Wild Card: Oakland NFC: East: Philadelphia North: Green Bay South: Carolina West: San Francisco Wild Card: Chicago Wild Card: Seattle Honestly, I struggled to pick two AFC teams for wild cards, because besides division winners I chose, I just don't think anyone else is that good in the AFC. I had the opposite problem in the NFC. Besides Chicago and Seattle, I could easily see Atlanta, New Orleans, Detroit, or the Giants in the wild card. For the first time I can remember in a long time, the NFC just seems to be a much better, more competitive conference. AFC Playoffs: WC: Pittsburgh over Oakland WC: Baltimore over Denver Div: New England over Baltimore Div: Houston over Denver Champ: Houston over New England NFC Playoffs: WC: Chicago over San Francisco WC: Philadelphia over Seattle Div: Green Bay over Seattle Div: Philadelphia over Chicago Champ: Green Bay over Philadelphia Superbowl: Green Bay over Houston I have absolutely zero belief in these picks, but this is just what my gut is telling me tonight. A few other predictions: --One team will be the token "surprise" team this year. I think it will be Oakland. McFadden stays healthy, Palmer gets his shit together, and they make a run. --One supposedly good team will shit the bed. This will be New Orleans. Even with Brees and all their guys back from suspension, they don't have the leadership of Sean Peyton, and they play in a tough division against two great, potential playoff teams and one up-and-coming team. I think they miss out on a playoff spot. --Cam Newton will not repeat the season he had last year, in that he will improve as a passer, but regress as a runner. He won't get all the goal line carries; those will go to the king of all TD vultures, Mike Tolbert. --The Colts will go 8-8. Their fans will continue to not care as long as Peyton isn't under Center. --Tebow will be starting for the Jets by week 5. The minute Sanchez has a bad outing, his entire city will be calling for his ousting. The Jets have done everything possible to completely and totally fuck him over, and it will come to fruition. --Related to last prediction: Tebow will continue to be spectacularly awful as a passer, decent as a runner, but he won't have the luck he had last year, and the Jets will finish their season under .500. --The Redskins will not field one single useful fantasy RB. --This year's number 1 fantasy player will not be Aaron Rodgers; it will be Calvin Johnson. --Andrew Luck will outperform RGIII.
It sure is nice that Chicago finally made an effort to improve their offensive line. Oh wait, it turns out they did basically nothing. Blow-by sack, false start, and then finish off a third and out by skipping the snap along the ground.
Chicago's passing game has been complete and utter shit. In other "news that isn't very surprising," Dwight Freeney is injured already.
I didn't think it was possible for the Vikings to be more worthless than they were last year, but it looks like they're trying to prove me wrong.
Oh shit, Nate Washington just got cold clocked on the field. How bad is this for the Titans if he misses time?
Apparently the Minnesota and Jacksonville coaches are both liar-liar-pants-on-fires, since AP and MJD are both getting the majority of their teams' carries.
The ability of the Vikings to kick me in the balls is quickly approaching surreal levels. Edit: And so it begins... 2nd Edit: Enjoyed the comedy of the scab ref stumbling through his explanation of the OT rules.
So with the way the Saints are shitting the bed offensively, are we ready to declare that a lot of their offensive skill was because of Sean Peyton's play calling? Brees hasn't been playing well today.