Week 8 Discussion Thread

[Judge Jude]

with 1 game to go this week:

- Bills lead AFC East (have win over Pats)
- AFC North has 3 playoff teams as of now, including Bengals
- Texans halfway to their first AFC South title
- Chiefs, left for dead at 0-3, can create 3-way AFC West lead on Monday night

- Giants have been at least 5-2 all 7 years under Coughlin - and every time got worse in the 2nd half
- Lions in strong wild-card spot at 6-2
- Saints let the Falcons and Bucs back in today
- 49ers have clinched NFC West. just kidding. #notreally

AFC
Bills 5-2, Patriots 5-2, Jets 4-3, Dolphins 0-7
Steelers 6-2, Ravens 5-2, Bengals 5-2, Browns 3-4
Texans 5-3, Titans 4-3, Jaguars 2-6, Colts 0-8
Chargers 4-2*, Raiders 4-3, Chiefs 3-3*, Broncos 2-5

NFC
Giants 5-2, Eagles 3-4, Cowboys 3-4, Redskins 3-4
Packers 7-0, Lions 6-2, Bears 4-3, Vikings 2-6
Saints 5-3, Falcons 4-3, Buccaneers 4-3, Panthers 2-6
49ers 6-1, Seahawks 2-5, Cardinals 1-6, Rams 1-6

SUCK FOR LUCK
Colts 0-8
Dolphins 0-7
Rams 1-6
Cardinals 1-6
Jaguars 2-6
Vikings 2-6
Panthers 2-6
Seahawks 2-5
Broncos 2-5

BIG GAMES IN WEEK 9, division game in CAPS

BUCCANEERS 4-3 at SAINTS 5-3
JETS 4-3 at BILLS 5-2
Bengals 5-2 at Titans 4-3
Giants 5-2 at Patriots 5-2
Packers 7-0 at Chargers 4-2*
RAVENS 5-2 at STEELERS 6-2 (Sunday night)

[JudeBaldo]

- 49ers have clinched NFC West. just kidding. #notreally

Pretty much.

[onejayhawk]

This is what the 9ers were supposed to do last year.

J

[Trautdiggity]

Lions having fun with him.

He's f'n terrible

I loved it when I saw the first one on the sack. There was so much hype for "Tebowing" this week it was f-ing absurd. Every Denver writer and Mark Schlereth wouldn't shut the hell up about it. This reaction by the Lions was a sure to happen, and given just how bad Tebow was, it makes it seem all the more ridiculous that he's been immortalized so far.

[senorsheep]

So Tim Tebow has now completed just 40% of his passes this season, this after completing just 50% last season. In a league where Aaron Rodgers is completing passes at a 70% clip, and guys like Eli Manning are checking in at 65%, how on earth do the Broncos think they can win with a QB averaging a 45% rate over his career? If his name wasn't Tim Tebow, he would've been tossed to the curb already.

As I said earlier this season, the Broncos may be better off turning Tebow into a fullback/tight end hybrid and use his athleticism that way. I can't imagine the Broncos, with HOF quarterback John Elway running the team, will be able to stand a QB with such a horrendous completion % and YPA.

Tebowmania has been a pretty fascinating phenomenon to observe locally. Colorado's hardcore Christian community has been clamoring for this guy to play since last year, and Dan Caplis, the conservative co-host of a popular politics & current events talk radio program, has been whipping them into a heightening frenzy with every Kyle Orton-led Denver loss in 2011. It has been funny to listen to Caplis and his callers sing Tebow's praises - they can never seem to come right out and say "We want him to play so he can win glory for Jesus," so they've created various other flanking arguments for why Tebow should be the man, some marginally sensible, some utterly ridiculous. They had a plausible argument while Orton and The Broncos were stinking up the joint - if you're paying Tebow $7 million per year, you have no contractual commitment to Orton beyond this season, and the team is going nowhere anyway, why not play Tebow and see if he can do it?

The local hysteria has exploded since Tebow was named starter and has come out and laid two eggs. The Christian Football Mafia is beside itself - "The organization traded Brandon Lloyd because they want to undermine Tebow's success and prove themselves right for going with Orton." "John Fox resents Tebow and wants him to fail and refuses to design plays that are suited for him." And on and on. There are anti-Tebow conspiracies around every corner! LOL. And, of course, now there's building blowback from fans who are tired of The Christian Football Mafia's crusade, and pile on Tebow on every down just to spite them.

Two things are certain:

1) Tebow's merchandise sales will buy him many more chances than he'll ever deserve.
2) As bad as the team is, the fan base is paying attention to The Broncos again.

Quite a circus...

[Hammer]

So Tim Tebow has now completed just 40% of his passes this season, this after completing just 50% last season. In a league where Aaron Rodgers is completing passes at a 70% clip, and guys like Eli Manning are checking in at 65%, how on earth do the Broncos think they can win with a QB averaging a 45% rate over his career? If his name wasn't Tim Tebow, he would've been tossed to the curb already.

As I said earlier this season, the Broncos may be better off turning Tebow into a fullback/tight end hybrid and use his athleticism that way. I can't imagine the Broncos, with HOF quarterback John Elway running the team, will be able to stand a QB with such a horrendous completion % and YPA.

Let me start off by saying other than the first drive, Tebow was awful yesterday.

Now, theres no way you can tell me the coaches are setting him up to succeed. Ran on first down ad nauseum. No screens, no slants, nothing easy for him to get in a rythym. The play-calling was as horrific as the play.

As for the 40% number. If the Broncos truly want to see if Tebow is the answer, he needs some more time.
Elways first 10 games 47.5 completion %
Fouts first 6 games 44.6 completion %
Eli's first 7 games 47.1 completion %

[revo]

As for the 40% number. If the Broncos truly want to see if Tebow is the answer, he needs some more time.
Elways first 10 games 47.5 completion %
Fouts first 6 games 44.6 completion %
Eli's first 7 games 47.1 completion %

Two of the guys you mention were the first pick in the draft. Tebow was as stunning a 1st round reach as there's been in recent memory. There's not really a comparison here. Those three were born "franchise quarterbacks." Tebow is a great athlete, but trying to turn him into a "franchise QB" in the NFL has been very, very trying.

Now, theres no way you can tell me the coaches are setting him up to succeed. Ran on first down ad nauseum. No screens, no slants, nothing easy for him to get in a rythym. The play-calling was as horrific as the play.

Yet the playbook was completely redesigned be more Tebow-friendly. The Denver Post reports that they were in the shotgun for 48 plays (63% of their total offensive plays), and ran a bunch with no RBs -- 3 WRs and 2 TEs.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19232843?_requestid=9211059

Now I didn't watch the game, but reading the aftermath is pure ugliness.

Anyway, they better come up with something quick, because the Lions exploited the biggest hole in Tebow's game -- his accuracy and reading defenses. "Making Tebow be a QB" will potentially be the gameplan many teams use to end this saga.

[Hammer]

They allowed 7 sacks. Now some of that was on Tebow because he needs to get rid of it quicker but Orlando franklin had a rough day on Tebows blindside. The pick was all on Tebow. The fumble, he couldnt do anything about that.

We'll see this week. Oakland will put a ton of pressure on him . I realize they cant lose like this each week but the alternatives of Orton and Quinn (both FAs after this year) are pointless so the coaches need to coach and Tebow needs to work really hard on his footwork which is his biggest problem. The elongated throw is so overrated its silly. The footwork is a real problem.

[Moonlight J]

Two of the guys you mention were the first pick in the draft. Tebow was as stunning a 1st round reach as there's been in recent memory. There's not really a comparison here. Those three were born "franchise quarterbacks." Tebow is a great athlete, but trying to turn him into a "franchise QB" in the NFL has been very, very trying.





Yet the playbook was completely redesigned be more Tebow-friendly. The Denver Post reports that they were in the shotgun for 48 plays (63% of their total offensive plays), and ran a bunch with no RBs -- 3 WRs and 2 TEs.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19232843?_requestid=9211059

Now I didn't watch the game, but reading the aftermath is pure ugliness.

Anyway, they better come up with something quick, because the Lions exploited the biggest hole in Tebow's game -- his accuracy and reading defenses. "Making Tebow be a QB" will potentially be the gameplan many teams use to end this saga.

I don't recall watching Eli & Elway play QB in their first year, but the lack of accuracy I saw from Tebow yesterday was alarmingly awful.

[revo]

that may have been the worst fumble since Joe Pisarcik.

[DMT]

that may have been the worst fumble since Joe Pisarcik.

That was unbelievable.

[Judge Jude]

funny that the announcers wondered if that was Norv Turner's worst loss.

It's not even in his top 10. he is the all-time champ in his team doing dumb things to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

- Bills lead AFC East (have win over Pats)
- AFC North has 3 playoff teams as of now, including Bengals
- Texans halfway to their first AFC South title
- Chiefs, left for dead at 0-3, have created a 3-way tie for 1st at 4-3

- Giants have been at least 5-2 all 7 years under Coughlin - and every time got worse in the 2nd half
- Lions in strong wild-card spot at 6-2
- Saints let the Falcons and Bucs back in today
- 49ers have clinched NFC West. just kidding. #notreally

AFC
Bills 5-2, Patriots 5-2, Jets 4-3, Dolphins 0-7
Steelers 6-2, Ravens 5-2, Bengals 5-2, Browns 3-4
Texans 5-3, Titans 4-3, Jaguars 2-6, Colts 0-8
Chargers 4-3, Raiders 4-3, Chiefs 4-3, Broncos 2-5

NFC
Giants 5-2, Eagles 3-4, Cowboys 3-4, Redskins 3-4
Packers 7-0, Lions 6-2, Bears 4-3, Vikings 2-6
Saints 5-3, Falcons 4-3, Buccaneers 4-3, Panthers 2-6
49ers 6-1, Seahawks 2-5, Cardinals 1-6, Rams 1-6

SUCK FOR LUCK
Colts 0-8
Dolphins 0-7
Rams 1-6
Cardinals 1-6
Jaguars 2-6
Vikings 2-6
Panthers 2-6
Seahawks 2-5
Broncos 2-5

BIG GAMES IN WEEK 9, division game in CAPS

BUCCANEERS 4-3 at SAINTS 5-3
JETS 4-3 at BILLS 5-2
Bengals 5-2 at Titans 4-3
Giants 5-2 at Patriots 5-2
Packers 7-0 at Chargers 4-3
RAVENS 5-2 at STEELERS 6-2 (Sunday night)

[onejayhawk]

For those of us that have to be up at 0Dark00, how did the second half and OT look last night? I went to bed at halftime crossing my fingers.

J

[revo]

For those of us that have to be up at 0Dark00, how did the second half and OT look last night? I went to bed at halftime crossing my fingers.

J

I went to bed when it went to overtime, but your Chiefs got an early Xmas gift. The Bolts had a 1st down on the Chiefs 15 yd line with under a minute to go and the score tied 20-20, but they got incredibly cocky and decided to snap the ball to move it an inch or two so Novak could have a straight shot (as if a 32-yd FG isn't easy enough for a pro kicker). But Rivers fumbled the snap and the Chiefs recovered! BWahahahahahahahaha!!! Then they lost, deservingly so, in OT.

If I were a Charger fan, I'd be fuming today. Man, GITH won't be too happy with this!

I thought Battle looked good -- he's a pretty big dude! He fell just short of a 35-yd TD scamper. I'm still very unimpressed with Cassel.

[Judge Jude]

The Chiefs ran 3 or 4 plays after having gotten inside a 40-yd FG try, that was a little weird especially off what they had just seen happen with the Chargers. But no harm done, obviously.