Week 16 Discussion Thread

[Erik]

Then the Broncos must be the pre-Pop Warner era!

The difference is that the Jets are TRYING to run a modern offense and failing miserably.

[Judge Jude]

tweet by Dallas writer Tim Cowlishaw: "The NFC East: Where a Team Swept By Eagles Meets a Team Swept By Redskins for the title."

[Erik]

tweet by Dallas writer Tim Cowlishaw: "The NFC East: Where a Team Swept By Eagles Meets a Team Swept By Redskins for the title."

That pretty much sums up the lameness of the division this year.

[chancellor]

Brees with two picks. I guess he's not a cyborg after all.

[Judge Jude]

Honest mistake there by Drew Brees, as class an act as there seems to be in the NFL.

But if you're up 22 on a division rival with 5 minutes left, you run the ball, period.
Instead, they went for garbage-time 30 yards of passing to break a 27-yr-old NFL passing yardage record set by Dan Marino.

The weirdest part? the Saints are home again next week!

Brees had a shot to be modest and hand off, then say - and mean - he respected the game too much to break the record in such a way, so he could wait a week.

Again, he's a good guy of the league, but they just didn't realize that there was a better way.

Meanwhile, I would be amused if the Falcons and Saints met again in the playoffs, and this was the bulletin-board message by Atlanta: free whacks at the garbage-time celebrator!

[Judge Jude]

updating

9 spots decided
still available:
- NFC East winner (Giants or Cowboys)
- AFC West titlist (Broncos or Raiders)
- No. 6 seed, AFC wild card (Bengals, Titans, Raiders, or Jets)

AFC
PATRIOTS 12-3, Jets 8-7 (Bills 6-9, Dolphins 5-10)
RAVENS 11-4, STEELERS 11-4, Bengals 9-6 (Browns 4-11)
TEXANS 10-5, Titans 8-7 (Jaguars 4-11, Colts 2-13)
Broncos 8-7, Raiders 8-7 (Chargers 7-8, Chiefs 6-9)

NFC
Giants 8-7, Cowboys 8-7 (Eagles 7-8, Redskins 5-10)
PACKERS 14-1, LIONS 10-5 (Bears, 7-8, Vikings 3-12)
SAINTS 12-3, FALCONS 9-6 (Panthers 6-9, Buccaneers 4-11)
49ERS 12-3 (Seahawks 7-8, Cardinals 7-8, Rams 2-13)

………………

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION, 2012 DRAFT

Colts 2-13
Rams 2-13

Vikings 3-12

Jaguars 4-11
Browns 4-11
Buccaneers 4-11

Dolphins 5-10
Redskins 5-10

Panthers 6-9
Chiefs 6-9
Panthers 6-9

....................

Week 17 highlights (all 16 games are Sun Jan 1)

RAVENS 11-4 at BENGALS 9-6
LIONS 10-5 at PACKERS 14-1
Chiefs 6-9 at BRONCOS 8-7
Chargers 7-8 at RAIDERS 8-7

SUNDAY NIGHT
COWBOYS 8-7 at GIANTS 8-7 - winner takes mediocre NFC East at 9-7

re bye issues, Patriots host Bills, Steelers visit Browns, 49ers visit Rams, Saints host Panthers

………………………….

Handing out NFL tie(breaker)s to all:

http://blogs.nfl.com/2011/12/25/nfl-...headline_stack

- Patriots have an AFC bye, and so do Ravens if they win or Steelers lose. Patriots are No. 1 seed unless they lose and Ravens win. Steelers would get No. 1 if they win and the other two lose.

- Broncos win the AFC West with a win. But Raiders still could win division with W and a Broncos L, OR get a wild card if they win, the Bengals lose, and either the Titans lose or the Jets win.

- Bengals could still get in if they lose, as long as Jets and either the Raiders or Broncos also lose.

- Titans of course need a win and a Bengals loss, but then have to have one of two other things happen: either Jets win and the Raiders OR the Broncos lose; or the Jets lose and the Raiders AND Broncos win.

- Jets need W and Bengals L and Titans L; AND either a Raiders L OR a Broncos L (but not both)

- Giants and Cowboys: winner wins NFC East, loser goes home.

- Packers clinched No. 1 seed.

- 49ers clinch a bye with a win, or the Saints not winning Sunday.

If all goes according to form (as if), Week 1 playoffs:
1 Packers
2 49ers
6 Falcons at 3 Saints
5 Lions at 4 Giants

1 Patriots
2 Ravens
6 Bengals at 3 Texans
5 Steelers at 4 Broncos

[DMT]

Honest mistake there by Drew Brees, as class an act as there seems to be in the NFL.

But if you're up 22 on a division rival with 5 minutes left, you run the ball, period.
Instead, they went for garbage-time 30 yards of passing to break a 27-yr-old NFL passing yardage record set by Dan Marino.

The weirdest part? the Saints are home again next week!

Brees had a shot to be modest and hand off, then say - and mean - he respected the game too much to break the record in such a way, so he could wait a week.

Again, he's a good guy of the league, but they just didn't realize that there was a better way.

Meanwhile, I would be amused if the Falcons and Saints met again in the playoffs, and this was the bulletin-board message by Atlanta: free whacks at the garbage-time celebrator!

I disagree but from an obviously biased stand point; break the record this week and take it off the board as a topic of discussion as they prepare for next week.

DRUUUUUUUU

[Judge Jude]

If he needs 30 yards in a likely meaningless game, how is that a topic of discussion?
Brees likely will get more questions this week about why they were throwing in garbage time against a potential first-week and potentially pissed-off playoff opponent to break an inevitable record than he would have if he just ran the ball.

A minor tactical error, and I'm not going to overplay it, assuming the Falcons don't go nuts on it in two weeks....

[Hornsby]

If he needs 30 yards in a likely meaningless game, how is that a topic of discussion?
Brees likely will get more questions this week about why they were throwing in garbage time against a potential first-week and potentially pissed-off playoff opponent to break an inevitable record than he would have if he just ran the ball.

A minor tactical error, and I'm not going to overplay it, assuming the Falcons don't go nuts on it in two weeks....

The Falcons lost by 29 points tonight, they need to worry about getting their own act together, not what the Saints might have done. If they dwell on Brees going out to get the record on them, they're likely to have the same result if they meet again.

[Judge Jude]

So the Broncos had to cut Orton because otherwise the lockerroom was too divisive and these things are more emotional than many think, even if Orton winds up knocking the Broncos out of the playoffs next week.

But it doesn't matter if the Saints pissed off the Falcons with a garbage-time record tonight, because it's all about what you get done on the field, and not emotions.

I'm not going to say you can't drive the truck thru the single lane, but at what point does it start to seem a bit .... convenient?

And if you want to lock in the "inside lockerroom matters are paramount, but it doesn't matter what the other team cares about what we do" answer, that's cool. That's a philosophy.

[Hornsby]

So the Broncos had to cut Orton because otherwise the lockerroom was too divisive and these things are more emotional than many think, even if Orton winds up knocking the Broncos out of the playoffs next week.

But it doesn't matter if the Saints pissed off the Falcons with a garbage-time record tonight, because it's all about what you get done on the field, and not emotions.

I'm not going to say you can't drive the truck thru the single lane, but at what point does it start to seem a bit .... convenient?

And if you want to lock in the "inside lockerroom matters are paramount, but it doesn't matter what the other team cares about what we do" answer, that's cool. That's a philosophy.

I don't know if you noticed, but the Falcons got their asses handed to them physically tonight, not mentally. They were outplayed in every phase of the game, and mental preparation had nothing to do with it...the Saints were the better, faster, more physical team, period.

What the Broncos accomplished after dumping Orton is entirely a different thing...they came together as a team. Focusing on their own selves, not some outside influence.

You're attempting to compare Apples and Anvils, IMO...

[DMT]

JJ, after seeing Brees get a round of applause at the post-game conference, I think you're way off on the storyline on the MNF game.

[Judge Jude]

I'm lost.

"JJ, after seeing Brees get a round of applause at the post-game conference,"

who was applauding?

"I don't know if you noticed, but the Falcons got their asses handed to them physically tonight, not mentally."

And the best way to maximize that advantage 2 weeks from now is to score a garbage-time TD?

The Giants claimed this week that Rex Ryan mouthing off all week inspired them.

I have no problem with someone saying that 'intangibles' are important, or not.
I get confused when I seem to see mixed signals.

"What the Broncos accomplished after dumping Orton is entirely a different thing...they came together as a team. Focusing on their own selves, not some outside influence."

What were the Broncos focusing on in their two brutal ass-kickings, then?
I love the Tebow storyline, as I've noted before, but why did the Lions and Bills not fall under the spell, and win by 35 and 26 pts respectively?


So if anyone has a "these off-field things are important, but these are not" field guide, I would be intrigued.

[ironfist]

JJ, after seeing Brees get a round of applause at the post-game conference, I think you're way off on the storyline on the MNF game.

Don't forget the fact that it was a Monday Night game. The Saints wanted him to get his record in front of a national audience. Next week's game will only be seen by local markets and those with the Directv NFL package. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it as well. After the game, none of the Falcons players looked pissed about the decision either and I think most of them understood why he was "running up" the score.

[Hammer]

Don't forget the fact that it was a Monday Night game. The Saints wanted him to get his record in front of a national audience. Next week's game will only be seen by local markets and those with the Directv NFL package. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it as well. After the game, none of the Falcons players looked pissed about the decision either and I think most of them understood why he was "running up" the score.

The Saints run up the score just about every chance they get so it wasnt only last night. They did it to the Giants too a few weeks back. I am not going to piss and moan about it as Atlanta shouldve gone out and done their job if they didnt like it but for whatever reason Payton/Brees dont care to slow it down and dont seem to care if it bothers anyone.