NFL 2009 Regular Season Discussion Thread - Page 4

When is he scheduled to return?

I believe it was a 6 week injury, so depending on Polamalu's constitution (and the Steeler's desperation) week 6 or 7.  He's trying that platelet rich therapy that's gaining ground in the NFL, where they draw blood, concentrate the platelets and then spot inject the platelet rich blood in the injured area.  Supposedly, the platelets are high in healing factors, so platelet concentrated blood in theory will speed up healing.  Sounds about as sound as magnet therapy to me.

From where I sit, I see a team that can destroy you through the air and then, if you try to shut down the passing game, can hit homeruns on the ground.  And when Bell heals up, they'll have two homerun hitting RB's like Carolina, only they have better receivers and a much, much better QB.  McNabb or not, that Eagles offense with DeSean Jackson is pretty deadly, and the Saints blew them away.

Remember last year when DeSean Jackson in the Cowboys game dropped the ball on the 2 yard line, before actually entering the end zone, because he wanted to go ahead and start his end zone celebration to let us all know how good he is.  He had rocks for brains at Cal, and it seems he will never learn.

Hanson,

I have been scratching my head over that game (Eagles - Saints) in Week 2 for several days.  I think it was the arguably the most surprising result of that week.  I realize McNabb is a very good quarterback, but still, I was very surprised by that score (48-22).  It wasn't unlike the Patriots - Cowboys game of 2007, except that I believe there was more of a running game.  The Eagles don't often play that badly -- or was that really the reason?  Another explanation could be that the Saints are that good.*  I think I will have to see how New Orleans handles the Jets in Week 4, and then the Giants in Week 6.  If they win those two games relatively handily (i.e., no Denver - Cincinnati endings, in other words), then I will gladly hop on this bandwagon.

Concerning tonight's game, I can't see any way that the Panthers come away with a victory.  No way.  But that doesn't mean I would mind being wrong.

Does anyone have the early spread on next week's Ravens - Patriots game?  I would not be surprised if the Patriots were home underdogs -- how often has that happened in the past three or four years, excluding when The Franchise (= 'The Legend' in our home) took over for Tom Brady last year?  I am thinking that the Ravens would be at least two point favorites at this point, and maybe 2 1/2, since a push guarantees very few winners. ;)

*This is somewhat difficult for me to accept.  I still have memories of Tom Dempsey, Steve Ramsey, and (later) Archie Manning etched in my Saints consciousness.  (That shining moment, 19-17 over the Lions, did not wipe away their horrendous record for that year.)  This means that I can't really believe that the Saints could ever be that good.  That being said, seeing the Saints battle in the post-season would be a treat for me.  I do hope they are that good.  And I hope they defeat both the Jets and the Giants.

Have a peek at the Lions record that year -- not too shabby.

http://football.about.com/library/weekly/bl_nflstandings1970.htm


Edited by Ockeghem - 9/28/09 at 1:29pm

The scenario for Panthers victory (all doable):

1) Run the ball!
2) Protect Delhomme and allow him to get the ball to Steve Smith (who will be open ALL DAY)
3) Don't let Felix Jones run for a 76 yd TD
4) Contain Romo in the pocket

I think the absence of Barber will affect that ground game, since he's the rare workhorse back who can get loose for big gains.  Jones is fragile and they must limit his touches and Choice is just an average RB and won't reel off 20 yard scampers like the other two.  So they will pass more than they did in the Giants game, and if they can keep Romo from getting out of the pocket or stepping up in the pocket, he won't be any more effective than he was last week.

I think whomever gets up by two scores first will win, but I can definitely see Carolina winning this game.

I'd love for the Panthers to win this game. The ESPN line is currently 6 points -- and I think Dallas will cover that.  I don't know if the Gold Sheet has it any differently.  We'll see. In all of my years (around forty) picking the card, I've only won it a handful of times.

Edited by Ockeghem - 9/28/09 at 5:35pm

Why didn't the Panthers run the ball last night?  Even the announcers were emphasizing this point in the third and fourth quarters.  It seemed as though Carolina was in desperation mode from the start of the second half.

Ah, hell -- 4 minutes to go, trailing by 6, and the Panthers couldn't mount a go ahead drive.  Thanks for breaking the wrong way out of your route, Steve Smith -- way to leave your QB out to dry.

BTW, should we be calling the New York Giants Steve Smith the "other Steve Smith" anymore?

2009
Steve Smith, CAR
Rec   Yd    TD
15    190    0

Steve Smith, NYG
Rec   Yd    TD
23    277    2

vs Dallas
Steve Smith, CAR
Rec   Yd    TD
4      38      0

Steve Smith, NYG
Rec   Yd    TD
10    134    1

Well, I got one thing right in my prediction -- Felix Jones is fragile.  New is that he can't "loosen his knee", another way to say it's locked up.  That's a symptom of a meniscus tear.  That could be a season-ender.


A toast to Felix Jones' durability!

Oh BTW, the Redskins are releasing a new helmet logo.  The design was leaked online after the loss to the Lions:

Ouch!  To both

In San Diego, this would be known as "SD Sports Fan Syndrome."  Of course this year, we have a real reason for it.

Ahh, yes.  The dreaded SDSFS.  I know it well.  But here, we use to call it TBPSFS and TBRSSFS.  (The Boston Patriots Sports Fan Syndrome and The Boston Red Sox Sports Fan Syndrome. ;))

You know, it dawned on me that the Crying Indian on the helmet has a double purpose:

1) He's crying because the Redskin lost to the Lions

2) He's crying at the sight of all the garbage on the field!

Foxy was not in a really secure position to begin with.  He's one of those coaches who has a winning season followed by a losing season, then rinse and repeat.  Every other year they're on the verge of firing him when he gets to the playoffs and then they give him another year.  I think this cat has run out of loves.  It's not a good sign that Julius Pepper was reportedly benched near the end of the game for playing badly.  Some people are saying he's mailing it in this season.

Surely between the recent success of the Patriots, the Celtics, and the Red Sox, this syndrome has been cured.  At least for a few years.

Johnny,

Yes, that's what we use to call it, but thankfully no more!

BTW, before last week's Chargers - Dolphins contest, I gave my son some required reading.  I pulled up a couple of articles on "The Epic in Miami."  Then I got to thinking how nice it would be to pick that game up on DVD, if it is for sale in its entirety.  It would be worth it just to see Kellen Winslow's performance again. :)

Yeah, I'd buy that too, one of the great playoff games.  I remembered that I died several times during that game.  "Well, it's over now...They've lost for sure this time."

Johnny,

I know you won't agree with me here (and that's perfectly understandable given your loyalities), but one writer said it was a game no team should have lost.  It truly was a momentous event, and one with such great memories and plays.

With the passage of time I can agree that both teams gave it their all and and Miami got more than their share of bad breaks.  The Chargers got a score when they kicked off and the ball bounced backwards and the was recovered by the Chargers.  Considering we won on a field goal in overtime, take away that freak bounch and we lose.

I'm glad we won.  It earned us the privilege of being screwed in the freezer bowl the next week.  That game should have been rescheduled.

Johnny,

Have you ever tried to find out if the game is for sale somewhere?  I haven't researched it yet.

No I haven't.  I don't recall ever seeing any charger games being for sale.

Well, if you can't be good, get a bad call from the refs.  Pats beat the Ravens because they have a 6 point lead.  They have a six point lead because the Pats faked a field goal, passed, the replays showed it was short of the 1st down.  The refs call a penalty on the Pats for illegal formation or something like that.  The Ravens call for a revue and the refs still say it was a 1st down so the Ravens have to take the penalty.

The only way I can think they were right is if it was the kind of penalty that can't be declined.  If so, why would the ref bother to say they got the first down?  Why even revue the play, just invalidate the play and redo.  The Ravens eventually get the ball down to about the 10 or so, but have to go for it on 4th down because they're behind by 6 and the receiver drops the ball.

Even if the refs got it right, the Pats didn't get a first down and the penalty saved their tail...or the blind refs did.  Someone explain this one to me.

I think the Titans will hand the Colts their first loss of the season.

How about that Jets-Saints game?  I must say, the Jets do have a better defense than I thought.  I was very happy that the Jets lost, obviously.  And the second time the Jets and Pats play will be quite telling.

I think the Ravens and Patriots each played against the best defense either of them have seen this year.  I was pleased with the result, but the Patriots still have a lot of work to do.  I do wish they could improve their secondary.

I was impressed with the Lions' ability to move the ball (okay, in the first half only).  Any more on Stafford?  The reports I heard on the radio this morning said the injury wasn't serious.

Scott,

In western Michigan at least, I am hearing that Culpepper will start (even though Stafford is day-to-day).  BTW, I too believe in the Saints at this point.  I would love to see New Orleans continue their winning ways.

There are two 4-0 teams that I don't really think are as good as their record (Denver and Minnesota).  I do believe the Colts, Giants, and Saints are formidable enough to continue their streak for three or four more weeks.  Four of these teams play next week (New Orleans has a bye).  I think two of them will fall from the ranks of the undefeated.  I'm hoping those two teams are the Broncos and the Colts (although a Bronco victory over New England would not surprise me the way the Patriots have been playing lately).  Either way, the Broncos will not get past both the Chargers and (after a bye) the Ravens.  The Giants pretty much have a bye as well next week (they are at home against Oakland); however, I'm not ready to concede that the Vikings have a bye, although it is close as they are playing the Rams (on the road).  Any chance St. Louis can give the Minnesota Favres a game?

I was reading the NHL section of EPSN, and came across this:

"Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday he is teaming up with St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts in a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4535583