The NFL 2011/2012 season thread

[Sgt. Dick]

failclowns gunna do it today?

Both Atlanta and NY are SO unpredictable, I have no clue who will win this game.
It could be a blowout for either team or maybe a good close game.
I give the edge to NY, just because they are playing good lately.

[|iR|Focalor]

Falcons? Win a playoff game? There's a better chance of seeing me going to church AND teaching the toddler sunday school class than seeing the Falcons win 1 playoff game.

They did not DESERVE to be in the playoffs if you ask me. But I guess that's what wildcard weekend is for, to weed out the shitty ones. Depressing as fuck to see them do so well last year and only have 2 measly fucking points to show for 60 goddamn minutes of playing football. I wish they wouldn't have made it to the playoffs at all. I would feel embarrassed, but I'm a Falcons fan, is there any OTHER way to feel at all?

[travolta]

Falcons? Win a playoff game? There's a better chance of seeing me going to church AND teaching the toddler sunday school class than seeing the Falcons win 1 playoff game.

They did not DESERVE to be in the playoffs if you ask me. But I guess that's what wildcard weekend is for, to weed out the shitty ones. Depressing as fuck to see them do so well last year and only have 2 measly fucking points to show for 60 goddamn minutes of playing football. I wish they wouldn't have made it to the playoffs at all. I would feel embarrassed, but I'm a Falcons fan, is there any OTHER way to feel at all?

It could be worse. You could be a Seahawks fan.

[|iR|Focalor]

Yeah, I can be proud of the fact that the Falcons DO actually at least make it into the post-season play (20 other teams in the league DO NOT), but it's so aggravating to watch the boneheads running the front office get so close to putting together an effective team and then screw it up by castrating the roster with poor decisions on who to draft, cut, and keep.

[Sgt. Dick]

It could be worse, they could be the Tampa Bay Yucks.

It was a ugly showing for the Falcons today, they were never in this game. 

[Sgt. Dick]

Ala/LSU

WOW, not even close - this was very surprising to me.

I thought Ala might win, but not like that.

There are other 1 loss teams that will say they deserve a share of the championship.  After the domination of this game, no one else has a legitimate claim IMO.

[|iR|Focalor]

I'm not so sure about that. The past 2 games I saw LSU play, they didn't do too hot. The SEC Championship game against Georgia, they got their asses chewed up by the Dawgs in the first half. But what you gotta know about UGA is that all year they've really only been about a 2 or 3 quarter team. Usually after the 2nd or 3rd quarter, they would get tired and let up. Usually, they were so far ahead of most of their opponents at that point that they still ended up beating them. But LSU saw the opening and took advantage of it. Unlike UGA, Bama is a strong 4 quarter defense team. They hammered them and KEPT hammering them all game, always playing man coverage well, keeping the run lanes blocked up. So after seeing how a non-top5 team like UGA was able kick LSU's asses for a half, I kinda had an idea that LSU wasn't as tough as their undefeated record made them sound. With that said, I'm not so sure that it wouldn't have been a similar game against any of the other top 8 teams, even Boise State. I don't think any of the other teams would've been able to completely shut out LSU though, so yeah, I still think Alabama deserved the shot more than the rest of them. Honestly, Alabama really hasn't had one of those exciting big play high-scoring offenses this year like they had 2 years back. They've got a few playmakers peppered in the lineup and they've been successful, but I think it's been largely attributed to the defense keeping their opponent from being able to match the score. "Defense wins fucking championships." And there was the fucking proof.

[Krlll Mule]

I had no emotional stake in this game, but I dislike Alabama more than LSU, so I was hoping LSU would win in a GOOD game.  Les Miles is the scarecrow of the NCAA.....if he only had a brain! Jefferson was missing receivers by 10-15 yards the whole first half and the option went for negative yards almost every time they tried it.  Credit Alabama's excellent defense.  But why, O why do you not change quarterbacks just to see if they could open up the field and maybe THEN mix in some runs?  This game came down to coaching.....LSU looked like they just woke up from a nap and Alabama came out with fire and purpose.  That's coaching.  LSU had a simple plan that failed from the beginning and never adjusted.  That's coaching....or better a lack of it.

[|iR|Focalor]

I had no emotional stake in this game, but I dislike Alabama more than LSU, so I was hoping LSU would win in a GOOD game.  Les Miles is the scarecrow of the NCAA.....if he only had a brain! Jefferson was missing receivers by 10-15 yards the whole first half and the option went for negative yards almost every time they tried it.  Credit Alabama's excellent defense.  But why, O why do you not change quarterbacks just to see if they could open up the field and maybe THEN mix in some runs?  This game came down to coaching.....LSU looked like they just woke up from a nap and Alabama came out with fire and purpose.  That's coaching.  LSU had a simple plan that failed from the beginning and never adjusted.  That's coaching....or better a lack of it.

Well the commentators covered why Les Miles refused to swap QB's. Last time the other QB faced Alabama, he threw 1 touchdown and 7 interceptions. Not very good odds there. Coach Miles ain't an idiot, he's not gonna stick a backup QB with a poor history against a teams defense , one that showed up with a hankering to lay down a serious asswhooping. If you ask me, keeping Jefferson in there probably helped keep the score down. He might not have been connecting with receivers, but at least he wasn't panicking and throwing picks, especially when they couldn't even manage to get a drive out of their own end of the field.

[Sgt. Dick]

GA TE Charles says he is going to the NFL

Foc, your the GA man, good move ?  How bad will it hurt GA ?   Do they have a another quality TE to step up ?

FLA hires the offesive coordinator from Boise State.  I think it is a good choice, he runs a good offensive scheme (Pro Style) and now he can do it with SEC quality players.

[|iR|Focalor]

I dunno, probably. I don't even know who backs up Orson Charles, so with that said, if he has ever gone into a game I've watched, he hasn't done anything of note... so yeah, probably will hurt. Charles is only one of the ones that's not gonna be around for 2012. Drakari Rambo and Brandon Boykin both are probably leaving for the NFL. Boykin... I think I'm 99% sure I heard them say he was already planning on leaving. Rambo was still deciding, but I think it's safe to assume he'll opt to hit the draft and start making an NFL paycheck rather hanging around in Athens in a normal place to live like the rest of us poor fucking slobs. He's probably already picking out gold plated rims for the ugly fucking Bentley he plans on buying with whatever signing bonus they throw at him. Buncha fucking annoying ghetto homeboys play for UGA. Not anyone that I'd necessarily buy a few rounds for if I saw them in a bar downtown.

[|iR|Focalor]

Looks like Denver's going home and Tebow Time is officially OVER. As of right now when I'm writing this, the game isn't over yet... but yeah, it's over, lets call it.

I can't see why Denver would let Tebow be their starting QB. I can't see why he isn't getting intercepted every 3 passes either. The biggest complaint his critics had about him going into the NFL was his easily readable throwing motion. And supposedly he "worked" on that , but I don't see any evidence of that. The only reason I can think he isn't getting picked off every pass is because he's too afraid to make throws to anyone who isn't completely open. I gotta give him credit on one thing, at least he's smart enough to know his weakness and not gamble on throwing to receivers who are covered pretty close. Then again, he's gotta be able to have the balls to try that a lot of times, because most of the time you aren't going to get a nice big clear area to deliver the ball into. I'm serious, watch how he loads up to throw, it's a HUGE wind up like a baseball pitcher throwing a 4-seam heater with everything he's got. Maybe he's not sidearming it the way he was at Florida, but it's still the same huge wind up like he's rearing back to throw a haymaker punch. Any defender eyeballing him has PLENTY of time to see it fixing to leave his hand and make a move to swat it or pick it. I just don't know that he'll ever be able to overcome that and be the man to lead Denver into a strong finish or Superbowl appearance year after year. He does seem to be losing some of his rookie jitters now. He's not looking so much like a lost little kid out there anymore.

Anyway, yeah, I still say Denver made a wrong move grabbing him. Sure, they got to the playoffs this year and even won a wildcard game (which is more than I can say for MY hometown boys), but unless he really works on getting that throwing motion shortened up and starts taking a few chances, he probably won't repeat that success again.

[Sgt. Dick]

I did not show yesterday, but defense is what got Denver to the playoffs.  I am a Tebow fan and I want to see him do well, but he does have a long way to go.
I know a lot of people were getting tired of constantly hearing Tebow this, Tebow that.  The Media created the majority of the hoopla not Tebow.
I know Tebow will work as hard if not harder than any player this offseason to improve.  Will he be able to make big improvements, who knows.

Brady and the PATS looked very good yesterday.  I'm sure they were motivated by all of the press Tebow was getting.  The game turned out about how I thought it would.
Whoever NE plays next will be a better game, but I think the PATS will still win and go to the SB.

[Sgt. Dick]

NO/SF was a very good game, only because NO turned it over 5 times.  I have to give SF some credit, they stepped up in the second half.  Each time NO scored they came back.
I did not think SF offense could keep up with NO and they surprised me and did that when it counted.  Its a terrible way to end the season for NO, without the turnovers they are still in it.
I really wanted to see a GB/NO shootout. 

Someone needs to check on Adren - its been a bad week for him.

[Krlll Mule]

NO/SF was a very good game, only because NO turned it over 5 times.  I have to give SF some credit, they stepped up in the second half.  Each time NO scored they came back.
I did not think SF offense could keep up with NO and they surprised me and did that when it counted.  Its a terrible way to end the season for NO, without the turnovers they are still in it.
I really wanted to see a GB/NO shootout. 

Someone needs to check on Adren - its been a bad week for him.

Yea, you commit 5 turnovers and you usually don't win.  The heart breaker for me was when Jimmy Graham scored...I just KNEW the Saint's had pulled it off.  1:31 was apparently too much time for the Saint defense to make a stop.   

I give S.F. all the credit.  They have an excellent defense - at all positions...and they will flat out hit you.  They tackle extremely well, something that seems to be a lost art in the NFL.  Alex Smith was not just a "game manager" as all the experts call him, but a play maker with his arm and feet.  I think the 49ers will go to the Super Bowl if they host the NFC Conference game.  Heck, they could even beat G.B. at their place.