2017-18 NFL Thread (1 Viewer)

[Winston T. Boogie]

Wacky ending to the Detroit - Atlanta game. The Lions score an apparent game-winning TD with 8 seconds left. Replay review determines that Golden Tate was down on the 1/2 yard line. Detroit has no timeouts, so the remaining time is run off the clock by NFL rule. Honestly, though, the game should not have even been that close. The Falcons did their best to blow a game that was under their control -- when did we last see that happen?

The Steelers Jekyll and Hyde act on the road versus home continues, as they lose in Chicago to the lowly Bears.

I thought Detroit deserved to win that game I like how they have no quit in them. That was a crazy close call on the TD that was called back at the end. In real time I certainly thought he scored.

I think the Steelers felt so bad for their pals the Ravens for that embarrassment in London that they threw the game to the Bears so they would not feel so bad...like giving them a mulligan.

Also miracle of miracles...the Jets won! That was not supposed to happen. Now the Giants are the only 0-3 New York team. They might fire Bowles for that little stunt.

"What don't you understand about lose, Todd? L-O-S-E that's what you are supposed to be doing this season! Now, get out there and bench anybody that played well in that game!"

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I thought Detroit deserved to win that game I like how they have no quit in them. That was a crazy close call on the TD that was called back at the end. In real time I certainly thought he scored.

I saw the Detroit - Atlanta game a little differently. The Falcons moved the ball up and down the field, and had several opportunities to build a 3 score lead. Those three interceptions -- only one of which was Matt Ryan's fault -- killed them, along with some struggles in the red zone. Meanwhile, the Lions offense sputtered a lot of the game. Stafford played well, but the team lacks a running game, their receiving group is not what it used to be, and the offensive line struggles. They are getting a lot of very long field goals from Prater, which is helping. He's been deadly from anywhere inside 60 yards.

I originally thought Tate scored on that final play, too. It took several camera angles before replay finally showed one where he was definitely down before crossing the goal line,

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

DEFENSE

As in not having one...

The Steelers appear not to have a run defense. Forget Steel Curtain...we seem to have the sheet of aluminum foil with giant holes in it.

The Patriots just could not stop anything yesterday, making Watson look like an All Pro. But last years wonderful Texans defense also got eaten alive by Brady...25 of 35 for 378 yards and 5 TDs. JJ who?

 

[Malcolm R]

The Pats defense has been mostly awful for years, always giving up big plays and can't tackle worth anything. I've always wondered where Belichick earned the reputation as a "defensive guru" since it doesn't seem to show up on the field. I would have fired Matt Patricia several years ago. They couldn't stop anything yesterday. I think nearly every 3rd down was converted by Houston.

The only thing that keeps them competitive is the offense. And when the offense has a bad day, it's usually a train wreck loss.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Steelers defense is missing a couple of key players for run stopping -- DE Stephon Tuitt and rookie linebacker J.T. Watt (J.J.'s little brother). Hopefully when they get healthy things will get better. For the past few years, it's been Pittsburgh's pass defense that has been the problem. The secondary has been shored up, but now the run defense is leaking.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The Pats defense has been mostly awful for years, always giving up big plays and can't tackle worth anything. I've always wondered where Belichick earned the reputation as a "defensive guru" since it doesn't seem to show up on the field. I would have fired Matt Patricia several years ago. They couldn't stop anything yesterday. I think nearly every 3rd down was converted by Houston.

The only thing that keeps them competitive is the offense. And when the offense has a bad day, it's usually a train wreck loss.

While I certainly think the offense is a rather huge part of their success I believe their defensive rankings do not actually agree with what you are saying.

At this point this season...yes, the Patriots are dead last in defensive rankings in terms of Points Allowed and Yards Allowed. The next closest team to them right now I believe is the Colts...not good.

Last year though the Patriots were ranked number 1 in the NFL for points allowed and number 8 in yards allowed. Pretty damn good.

In fact from 2006 to 2016 their defense ranked in the Top 10 in points allowed all but one year...2011 when they ranked 15th in points allowed and a dismal 31 in yards allowed...but they went to the Super Bowl that year. From 2003 to 2016 the Patriots under Belichick have been in the top 10 of the Points Allowed ranking for Defense 12 times...that's 12 of the 14 years. They only missed in 2005 and the 2011 season when they went to, but lost, the Super Bowl.

Now in Yards Allowed they ranked in the top 10 in that period 7 times. They did have a really bad streak for yards allowed from 2010 through 2013 when during these four seasons they ranked 25th or worse in defensive yards allowed.

Now in that bad stretch of defensive yards allowed did the offense bail them out? You bet as in that same run 2010-2013 offense was ranked Number 1 in points scored in 2010 and 2012 and Number 3 in 2011 and 2013. So, yes, the offense did it's job while the defense played a "bend but don't break" style where opponents did move the ball but were often prevented from scoring.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The Steelers defense is missing a couple of key players for run stopping -- DE Stephon Tuitt and rookie linebacker J.T. Watt (J.J.'s little brother). Hopefully when they get healthy things will get better. For the past few years, it's been Pittsburgh's pass defense that has been the problem. The secondary has been shored up, but now the run defense is leaking.

Well, I have to say I thought that Steelers at Ravens would be the game of the week this week with two division rivals and 3-0 teams that truly dislike each other going at it...but...the Ravens totally collapsed against the Jags and the Steelers literally dropped (some interceptions they should have had) a game to the lowly Bears who showed everyone they should run the ball against that defense.

I have to pick the Steelers in this match-up if only because what happened in London was one of the ugliest losses I have ever seen. The Jags dominated that game like they were playing a Pop Warner pee wee squad.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Well, I have to say I thought that Steelers at Ravens would be the game of the week this week with two division rivals and 3-0 teams that truly dislike each other going at it...but...the Ravens totally collapsed against the Jags and the Steelers literally dropped (some interceptions they should have had) a game to the lowly Bears who showed everyone they should run the ball against that defense.

I have to pick the Steelers in this match-up if only because what happened in London was one of the ugliest losses I have ever seen. The Jags dominated that game to like they were playing a Pop Warner pee wee squad.

Tuitt and Watt are both fully participating in practice for the Steelers, so hopefully their run defense will be better against a Ravens team with a very unimpressive set of running backs. The game is in Baltimore, though, and the offense tends to struggle on the road. Look for a low scoring game.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Teams that have serious concerns coming into week 4...

OK, so Week 4 is typically the end of the preseason. It should be the point where we really start to get an idea of who is good and who is not so good. So, who should be worried?

1. The Patriots are dead last in defense...dead last allowing more points and more yards than any other team. The Colts have a better defense than the Patriots right now and they stink. They have been totally smoked by the Chiefs and Texans. They made guys like Alex Smith (who following the Patriots game returned to being Alex Smith) and Texan's rookie QB Watson look like pro bowlers. Something is very, very wrong with the Patriots defense right now and they have what should be an excellent secondary. So, why are they struggling? Well, pass rush seems non-existent and they are making mistakes in the secondary. Does not help that the defense is giving opposing QB's enough time to eat a sandwich and read the paper before making a throw but there have been some blown coverages as well. There are many rumors that the Patriots are willing to trade starting corner Malcolm Butler to bring in some pass rush help. The Pats play the Panthers this Sunday and Cam Newton is coming off a terrible game against the Saints...I mean he really stunk it up...but will likely look like superman against this Patriots defense. In what should be a blow-out for the Patriots the game will likely come down to the wire and require more Brady heroics for the Patriots to pull off a victory.

2. The Seahawks got some offense finally against the Titans (it should be noted anything any team does against an AFC South team needs to be taken with a Mount Everest size grain of salt) with Wilson throwing 4 TD passes. OK, honestly, the Seahawks should be a lot better than the Titans but while the offense kicked in the Seahawks vaunted defense fell apart. So, while Wilson mustered some offense for the Hawks the thing about their offense is...they have no running game so far. They can't run the ball and they seemed to be setting up to be a running team. Cookie Belly Lacy has been a non-factor so far and only played in their opener against the Pack. He has been a healthy scratch in their other two games as he is on the bottom of their RB depth chart. Their leading rusher is rookie Chris Carson and at present it looks like he has the job. The Seahawks get the awful Colts at home in a horrible Sunday Night game. If the Hawks don't look awesome in this game I'm not sure when they will. The Colts have the second worst defense in the NFL right now behind the Patriots.

3. The Raiders look to be having serious offensive line problems based on how they got pushed around against the Redskins. This is not good as they get to go to Denver this week and the Broncos defense made Zeke Elliott suck his thumb and lay in the fetal position on the sideline. Combine this with their head coach Del Rio who seems to think making an "adjustment" is smacking a guy on the ass and telling him to "Go get 'em!" and we could see some issues start to arise for this Raiders team. This Sunday's game in Denver is going to be a big test for the Raiders who are playing in what looks to be the toughest division in football right now. The Chiefs are cruising along and these three teams will be slugging it out all season...the division winner will need to win these division games. Cooper can't get shut down in this one because it is probably going to take a big game from Carr for the Raiders to pull this one off. Raiders at Broncos even with both teams coming off a loss looks like the game of the week. Or there is always the battle of Ohio Bengals at the Browns...somebody's 0 has got to go in that one.

4. The Packers nearly lost at home to the Bengals...a team that is coming apart at the seams and was about to hang their own head coach. Their offensive line is a mess and their defense seems pretty inconsistent. I think they will get better and tonight we can see how they handle a Bears team that just knocked off the Steelers.

5. Um...the Giants. I picked them to win their division. I don't think that's happening. They stink...bad...hot garbage bad. Eli has begun the season with his head up his bum. The team seems to be hanging all their hopes on Beckham showing up and saving them...Beckham is a nut and not the kind of guy you want to hang rescuing the team on. He's more likely to create more issues than he is to pull this team out of a slump. Coughlin is in Jacksonville and so I don't believe you are going to see the coaching staff pull these guys together the way they did in the past. In fact this looks like it could spiral out of control. The Giants go to Tampa this Sunday...they could really get smacked around in this game.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

OK Patriots haters...time to get excited.

We are now 4 weeks into the season and the verdict is...the Patriots defense stinks. Worst in the NFL. That's the truth and it is costing them games. Brady is still Brady and Bill is still Bill but the defense is the worst ever under Belichick and on pace to be one of the worst in NFL history...you read that right.

I watched Sunday's game against the Panthers and for the record...Cam Newton looks like he is devolving as a QB. Yes, he is getting worse. In fact I think it would not be a surprise if he was no longer a starter after this season. Were I the Panthers I would trade him as soon as I could while some people still think he has value. Against the Patriots defense it did not matter though. Cam had his best game of the season and let me tell you at the end of the season this will still be his best game of the year.

Here is the thing though...what I saw the Patriots defense doing on Sunday, particularly the secondary, was truly horrific. At one point I literally thought I was hallucinating as CB Gilmore and Safety McCourty at the same time vacated an entire side of the field following the motion man...leaving a Panther WR standing there all alone. Seriously...all by himself no defender within 20 yards of him...so, Newton of course just lobbed him the ball after taking the snap. Anybody, your grandmother, could have made most of the throws Newton had to make. There was blown coverage after blown coverage. Wide open receivers all over the place. Eric Rowe looks like he has no idea what is going on or where he is supposed to be. Gilmore, the big free agent CB they signed is a train wreck.

If you want my opinion I think CB Butler (the once Super Bowl hero) is disgruntled and it is showing up in his play and this is in part why the Patriots want to trade him. I also think that the Patriots signing Gilmore to big money basically upset the apple cart on the Patriots defense. The other players are not happy because the Patriots trade or release guys who played well for them so they don't have to pay them...then they played crazy games with Butler (their number one CB) by refusing to pay him, trying to trade him, then signing Gilmore without even giving him an interview and a workout to huge money...that the guys on the team felt should have gone to Butler.

So, I think the issue with the Patriots defense is you have a whole bunch of disgruntled players that are not playing together as a unit and not only do they not communicate on the field they don't communicate off of it either.

This is a giant mess and 4 weeks in...it just keeps getting worse. Sunday's game against the Panthers was the worst I have ever seen a Belichick defense play. That secondary is an utter disaster and if I were Bill Belichick...right now I would want to trade Gilmore away as quick as I could because he looks totally lost and like he has given up.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I wouldn't write off Cam Newton just yet. He is still not 100% recovered from a shoulder injury. He is still working off the rust.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I am sort of writing him off. I think he has more issues than just the physical ones. I think he also looks like he has lost confidence and he breaks down on plays in some horrible ways. I don't think he sees the field well or reads defenses like a starting NFL QB. He tries to get by on his physical tools alone...which will get him injured again. They want to change his game a bit but he is resistant to the change. I don't think he will help Carolina and I think Carolina could do without him.

I have to say as well that the Giants look like they are heading into a rebuilding phase and if I were them I would try to trade Eli Manning while there are still people that might have an interest in him. He's a bit of a mess right now but I think they could get something good for him in a league desperate for QBs.

 

[Malcolm R]

I wouldn't write off Cam Newton just yet. He is still not 100% recovered from a shoulder injury. He is still working off the rust.

He also just made a major sexist gaffe in public, and pissed off a lot of people.

Intrigued about Giants-Chargers. One of these teams will get a win whether they like it or not. I'd love to see both lose, but that's not the way the game is played (unless we can get to a zero-zero tie).

 

[Scott Merryfield]

He also just made a major sexist gaffe in public, and pissed off a lot of people.

I didn't see that, but I have been tuning out the sports gossip talk for a while now.

 

[Malcolm R]

I didn't see that, but I have been tuning out the sports gossip talk for a while now.

You'll probably see it eventually, as it was picked up by many mainstream news outlets.

It was at his regular press conference at the Panthers facility. He was asked a question by a female journalist and he responded by smirking while she was talking, then commenting how "funny" it was to hear a female talking about football.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Just a dumb comment! Now, it's going to cost him some endorsement opportunities in the future. I can see some old fart like myself expressing such an archaic attitude, but a millennial is just plain stupid. He should be more aware of his marketing brand to make such a public mistake. The lack of self-awareness and behavioral discipline in public interactions/social media is staggering among too many celebrities. I guess it shows you that these athletes, though, physically gifted, aren't necessarily the sharpest knife in the drawer.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20924019/cam-newton-loses-sponsor-comment-female-reporter

 

[Scott Merryfield]

So, is Nick Folk unemployed yet?

 

[Johnny Angell]

He also just made a major sexist gaffe in public, and pissed off a lot of people.

Intrigued about Giants-Chargers. One of these teams will get a win whether they like it or not. I'd love to see both lose, but that's not the way the game is played (unless we can get to a zero-zero tie).

It's in New York and team Voldemort doesn't travel that well. NY gets it's first win. BTW, that second team in LA in my household is now "the team who must not be named" or Voldemort, for short.

My team, the Pats, are now 2-2. Not an auspicious start. Go Pats.

 

[Malcolm R]

My team, the Pats, are now 2-2. Not an auspicious start. Go Pats.

Ahem ... Pats are 3-2. They played last night and managed to just outlast the Bucs with a defense that was a bit better but now the offense is sputtering. Oh, and thanks to a Bucs kicker that can't.

 

[ponset]

Saints trade Peterson to the Cardinals.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/new...u-jesus-nfl-fantasy/6vyufy39nmbb1jk67pm794br2