Week 16 Discussion Thread

[Hornsby]

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.

As Pete said, the Saints simply don't care...they do what they want because they CAN do what they want. They simply challenge you to beat them, and if you do, good for you. The problem is that, at home, they're too good for the Falcons 9 time out of 10. Faster, stronger, and better managed. The Falcons would have to play a perfect game in NO in order to beat them, or NO would have to self destruct, which is possible. But 30 yards and a TD in garbage time isn't going to make the difference when they meet again.

The Giants can say what they want, but they beat the Jets because Rex Ryan is a lousy coach who doesn't play to his teams strengths. They have a lousy QB who's regressed each year he's been in the league, and they don't play smart. I doubt that once someone got smacked in the mouth, the fist thing he thought of was smack talk. But hey, maybe they did and that's why the Jets lost, instead of simply being the inferior TEAM that day...and that brings us to Denver.

While there is no rhyme or reason for it, it is a fact in team sports that sometimes, a single event or person triggers a coalescing effect. And that's what happened in Denver...the fact that remains is that they still have too many holes to be a championship team, and Tebow still has work to do to become a competent passer. But under his leadership, they have become a team...something they weren't under Orton, and WITH Orton on the roster, IMO.


And, BTW, if you can manage to figure out the trigger for this kind of event, you'll be a very rich man someday.

[Mithrandir]

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.

AMEN!! That's the way it should be...you can't stop me too bad for you!!

[Judge Jude]

The Giants also infuriated the Redskins 2 weeks ago, with Rolle claiming how much better the Giants were in spite of them getting smacked by that team in Week 1. Coincidence or not, the second time was an even bigger smackdown.

sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie....

[Hammer]

The Giants also infuriated the Redskins 2 weeks ago, with Rolle claiming how much better the Giants were in spite of them getting smacked by that team in Week 1. Coincidence or not, the second time was an even bigger smackdown.

sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lie....

Rolle needs to shut up. He talks way too much for a guy who is on a defense that has pretty much sucked all year. He also comes across as a guy who refuses to stand there with his team and take the blame. I heard him saying on WFAN when questioned about how a team (cant remember which as there were so many) ripped them apart the previous Sunday and his response was, "I had my guy covered.".

[revo]

Rolle needs to shut up. He talks way too much for a guy who is on a defense that has pretty much sucked all year. He also comes across as a guy who refuses to stand there with his team and take the blame. I heard him saying on WFAN when questioned about how a team (cant remember which as there were so many) ripped them apart the previous Sunday and his response was, "I had my guy covered, at the end of the day".

Fixed.

Yeah, he basically threw Corey Webster under the bus in that interview.

[Erik]

I might win my one title game (non-money league, alas) despite a 0 from Romo. All five of my RB/WR scored at least 14 points (non-PPR), and three of them scored 24 or 25.

Yep, held on to win, 120-104.

[Hornsby]

Yep, held on to win, 120-104.

Congrats...it's always good to be the King.

I've got to suffer through the stupid week 17 championship game...I hate that. Trying to figure out who might play, who might sit, who may play only a quarter or half...

[Judge Jude]

well lookee here....

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/16612455/brees-recordbreaking-night-tainted-by-decision-to-go-for-it-late

"The players I talked to all thought it was classless.

"No need for that," one player said. "It came on our watch, but it didn't have to come that way. We won't forget it."

The Saints called five pass plays on the six plays in that drive. You could see the Falcons coaches on the other sideline looking angrily across the field during the drive, as if to say, "Really?"

This comes a year after the Saints danced on the Falcons logo at the Georgia Dome after beating Atlanta last year with one player from that team that night saying, "I pissed on the Falcons logo."

"That's just who they are," the Falcons player said. "We'll see them down the road. We won't forget any of it."

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

Stay classy, New Orleans Saints!

[Hammer]

"That's just who they are," the Falcons player said. "We'll see them down the road. We won't forget any of it."

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

Stay classy, New Orleans Saints!

They wont see the Saints down the road much longer if they keep stinking it up like that.

[revo]

Skins release Ryan Torian & the Niners cut Braylon Edwards

[Judge Jude]

If form holds, the Falcons will see the Saints again in two weeks.

Gun to my head, of course I'd take the Saints again. But if one of those pissed-off Falcons is a defensive lineman who has a clear shot at Brees' head, I'm not sure the 15-yard penalty will be a very good tradeoff for the Saints....

[onejayhawk]

I notice the Colts are in real danger of blowing the #1 pick. It will likely not matter, since I doubt the Rams will be tempted to take Luck, and would not be heartbroken if they did. Still the speculation of what the #1 pick would command is interesting. Cleveland, currently #5 and Washington, currently #7 may make an offer if they are not sold on RG III or the other candidates.

J

[Hornsby]

well lookee here....

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/16612455/brees-recordbreaking-night-tainted-by-decision-to-go-for-it-late

"The players I talked to all thought it was classless.

"No need for that," one player said. "It came on our watch, but it didn't have to come that way. We won't forget it."

The Saints called five pass plays on the six plays in that drive. You could see the Falcons coaches on the other sideline looking angrily across the field during the drive, as if to say, "Really?"

This comes a year after the Saints danced on the Falcons logo at the Georgia Dome after beating Atlanta last year with one player from that team that night saying, "I pissed on the Falcons logo."

"That's just who they are," the Falcons player said. "We'll see them down the road. We won't forget any of it."

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

Stay classy, New Orleans Saints!

LMAO....looks like having long memories of the Saints behavior a year ago really paid off for Atlanta.

The bottom like is that any team can win in the NFL...the "Any Given Sunday" cliche'...but if the Saints lose to the Falcons, it's because they (The Saints) screwed the pooch, because the Saints are a much better football team.

[chancellor]

If form holds, the Falcons will see the Saints again in two weeks.....

And once again, they'll get beaten like a drum. The Falcons are a good team, but nowhere near the level of the Saints.

As one of the more honest Falcons players noted, which I'll paraphrase - they're pros now, and if you can't stop them, you deserve to get rubbed in it. All the emotional upset might be worth another three points to the Falcons.

As for a D-Lineman taking a head shot at Brees - no way, no how. There's no one willing to risk 1/8th (or more) of their paycheck nowadays to do something stupid like that.

[Judge Jude]

I would say the merely modest possibility of a cheap shot by the Falcons against Brees in the playoffs, that wouldn't have happened if not for a garbage-time passing frenzy in Week 16, is not a great risk/reward analysis by the Saints.

Especially not when you have another home game on Sunday to break the record then, anyway.

The Saints beat them 26-23 the first time in Atlanta, and I saw parts of the game last night. The Falcons moved the ball just fine last night as well. They just didn't make the big plays that the Saints did.

The Saints are great at home, but they hardly are a lock in today's NFL - and providing some extra motivation doesn't likely help. Does it hurt? That's a harder question to answer.