Let's watch some pro football (2013-14)

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #80 on:** 19 Oct 2013, 09:36 pm »

Quote from: newzooreview on 19 Oct 2013, 04:48 pm

True. But they have a bye this weekend; we'll have to wait another week.

That said, I thought the four and out before the Saints handed it back to the Patriots was a shame. And the three-man line "prevent" defense they played on the Patriots last possession had the typical result: allowed the opposing team to drive quickly down to within scoring distance. If the Saints had played the football in their last two possessions that got them in the lead in the second half they would have kept the lead despite the horrific officiating. With that said, it's always disgusting to see the refs palling it up with a coach like they were doing with Belichick. You would think the NFL would at least discipline the refs to hide their biases more effectively.

Well, at least one of us is paying attention to the number thingies on the calender...

The BS that _really_ stirred me up was in the first quarter: The pass interference stuff going on was absurd. The one in particular called against the Saints (looked like helmet to helmet), they showed the reverse angle, and it became clear that the guy from the Pats ran into the guy from Saints. Call should have gone the other way. Even one of the guys in the booth basically said "What the hell?". That was then followed by two minutes of Aikman trying to then explain it all away.

By my card, The Pats wound up with 7 points they should not have, while the Saints should have had 7 more than they did.

I don't know what the Saints thought they were doing at the end. But then, they were getting pasted on the short/option stuff all day. In that regard, the Pats should have put more up on the board than they did.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #81 on:** 19 Oct 2013, 09:43 pm »

Quote from: JerryM on 19 Oct 2013, 06:14 pm

I also remember the great rivalry between Houston and Dallas.

Man, that pre-season game was always something. Those are the only preseason games I've ever seen where both teams were actually playing at speed. The Oilers could have a bad season, but they sure as hell better not have lost to the North Dallas Bulls.

cab · « **Reply #82 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 12:42 pm »

And just like that, Green Bay is in first place......

roscoeiii · « **Reply #83 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 01:09 pm »

Quote from: cab on 21 Oct 2013, 12:42 pm

And just like that, Green Bay is in first place......

And the weekend couldn't have gone worse for the Bears

rodge827 · « **Reply #84 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 01:17 pm »

Quote from: roscoeiii on 21 Oct 2013, 01:09 pm

And the weekend couldn't have gone worse for the Bears

Iggles too!

macrojack · « **Reply #85 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 01:43 pm »

Went pretty badly for the Pats too. Usually the refs are much more subtle about redirecting the outcome.

jackman · « **Reply #86 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 03:14 pm »

Macro, you might want to put those Super Bowl plans on hold. The Colts looked pretty good against your Broncos. If Luck had guys who could catch the ball, it would have been a blowout.

The Bears have so many gaps on defense, I think it's going to be a rough road for them the rest of the way. Interestingly, the offense looked much better after Cutler went down! They looked better than they did all season. 41 points usually wins the game for them. If the defense doesn't improve they are going to be toast. That jump ball RG3 threw for a td should have been an easy pick. Tillman has no drive left in his legs. Getting old sucks!

Cheers.

Jack

S Clark · « **Reply #87 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 03:34 pm »

Quote from: rodge827 on 21 Oct 2013, 01:17 pm

Iggles too!

I'm stunned that Dallas won with one DT and three scrubs picked up from waivers on the D line. McCoy should have dominated instead of 55 yards- but he ran into Lee (over and over) who is as good a linebacker as Shifty is a runner. The Beagles really need Vick to be behind center to avoid being the one dimensional team that got trounced yesterday.

macrojack · « **Reply #88 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 03:36 pm »

Jackman - I have been tiptoeing around the Super Bowl topic all season. Manning can be rattled, Fox is too conservative and you never know which way the injuries or the refs will steer you. And then there is always the freak play possibility --- like Baltimore's close your eyes, Hail Mary at the end of regulation in last year's playoff. Remember David Tyree? Eli is credited with that bit of heroics to this day.

Why I follow the NFL is a question that haunts me. The whole thing comes off like a soap opera with enormous live audiences and inexplicable contrivance. I should know better. Does this make me an addict? Should I seek counseling? How do you cope?

jackman · « **Reply #89 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 04:10 pm »

The unpredictability is what makes it fun! I'm surprised the Skins were allowed so many head shots without being penalized and that call on the onside kick was total BS. They never call offsides on that play. In the end, Washington was the better team. I'm also sorry to see Cutler injured but was surprised at how well the team played without him. They have not looked that good on offense all season. The backup, McCown, gets no time with the first string and he appeared to be in sync with the offense very quickly. I hope Jay gets a few months off because I'm hoping it's enough to convince the Bears to NOT give him the long term $20mil/year contract many people would like to give him.

Also, I don't think the refs were to blame for the Broncos' loss yesterday. The officials allowed a lot of clutching and grabbing on both sides of the ball but Rodgers-Cromartie is allowed to use his hands more than any other DB in the league. I was surprised he didn't get called on some blatant pass interference plays. If they called it, he would be guilty on every play.

Lastly, it looks like the Colt gameplan to put pressure on Manning and to hit receivers within the allowable 5 yards is something we can expect to see in the future. The Bronco offense looked off balanced until they turned things around in the fourth quarter. Manning looked rattled after that safety. I can't recall seeing that powerful offense go three and out so many times in a row.

Bronco Fans still have a lot to be positive about . They will probably have home field through the playoffs and they are tough to beat at home. I look forward to seeing how Manning's passing attack holds up when it's cold and snowing in Denver. He's still the best I have ever seen and I would never count him out...unless he gets injured.

Cheers,

Jack

macrojack · « **Reply #90 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 04:52 pm »

Jackman - I wasn't referring to the Bronco game last night when I commented about the refs. I could see where that was going so I went to bed immediately after the safety. I was riled up about the travesty in the Pats-Jets game. The Jets missed a long field goal in overtime that would have won the game. Just as Brady was headed back onto the field, the refs announce the first time ever enforcement of an obscure rule that was enacted just last year. The replay was shown repeatedly while the announcers tried to figure out what happened to cause the call. Finally, using the number called, they were able to trace it to a lineman who was behind another lineman. And he may have been pushing him but it was hard to tell. In any case, it had no influence at all on the outcome of the play but it put the Jets 15 yards closer and gave them a first down. Naturally, they made the much closer attempt to give themselves the sudden death win.

That's the second time this year the Jets have been moved into field goal range by an arguable call at the end of a game. They should have lost both games.

jackman · « **Reply #91 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 05:12 pm »

Quote from: macrojack on 21 Oct 2013, 04:52 pm

Jackman - I wasn't referring to the Bronco game last night when I commented about the refs. I could see where that was going so I went to bed immediately after the safety. I was riled up about the travesty in the Pats-Jets game. The Jets missed a long field goal in overtime that would have won the game. Just as Brady was headed back onto the field, the refs announce the first time ever enforcement of an obscure rule that was enacted just last year. The replay was shown repeatedly while the announcers tried to figure out what happened to cause the call. Finally, using the number called, they were able to trace it to a lineman who was behind another lineman. And he may have been pushing him but it was hard to tell. In any case, it had no influence at all on the outcome of the play but it put the Jets 15 yards closer and gave them a first down. Naturally, they made the much closer attempt to give themselves the sudden death win.

That's the second time this year the Jets have been moved into field goal range by an arguable call at the end of a game. They should have lost both games.

Yep, similar to the offsides call on the Bears' onside kick. You never see that call on an actual kickoff and I don't remember seeing it called on a play that was so close in an onside kick. It's similar to a lane violation in basketball. Rarely called, but something that could probably be called on more than 50% of all free-throws. The Jets/Pats call was very strange. They said it was a rule that was instituted this year but I've never seen it called in an actual game. I was happy to see the Pats lose the game but agree the call was VERY questionable. I did not see the game live, but watched several replays. Captain Hoodie was fuming and I can't say I did not enjoy seeing his arrogant face when they lost the game.

The previous call you referred to that gave the Jets a victory was less controvirtial, IMO. It was against the Bucks and was a late hit on the QB on a fourth down play. The guy was clearly hit out of bounds and, even though I hate the Jets, it was the correct call. The guy did hit the Jets' QB out of bounds, late. They are calling that a lot more these days because of the sensitivity issues surrounding head injuries and QB injuries.

There are a lot of questionable calls in pro football but they have a long way to go to come close to the most corrupt sport on the planet, boxing. Did anyone see the last Chavez Jr. fight? He took a beating and clearly lost, only to be given the decision. It made me wonder why I continue to watch boxing.

Cheers,
Jack

soundbitten1 · « **Reply #92 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 05:40 pm »

About the Pats penalty. Chris Jones who got flagged even admitted "It was something that we talked about probably in camp and stuff, and it just skipped out of my mind," Jones said. "It was my mistake and nobody else's. I've just got to man up to it and fix it next time."

Also, it's not as if the Patriots have never benefited from a relatively new (at the time) controversial rule.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuck_Rule_Game

macrojack · « **Reply #93 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 06:57 pm »

I can't argue about the Tuck Rule or any number of other stupid, indefensible gaffes by NFL officials. None of them justify any of the others. I used the example from yesterday's Pats - Jets skirmish because it was fresh and seemed like opportunistic enforcement by one of the worst officials, Jerome Boger. Not calling that penalty would not necessarily have resulted in a win for the Pats, and calling it all but guaranteed a win for the Jets. Meanwhile, please note that the "infraction" did not influence the outcome either way. Only mattered because it was called.

Professional sports seem to come up with new rules sometimes just to afford refs more new ways to alter the direction and/or influence the outcome of games. I abandoned the NBA long ago because of Napoleon Stern and I think I've about had it with the Ginger Dictator as well.

Maybe I'm just a tired old man whose had about enough of exploitation, manipulation and bullying.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #94 on:** 21 Oct 2013, 11:41 pm »

And in better news, Bud Adams, at 90 years old, has finally shuffled off This Mortal Coil. If folks are smart, they will bury him upside down, and sow the ground with salt.

And no, his passing _just after_ Bum Phillips is not a coincidence. A classic Bud move, all the way.

Quote from: Mike Nomad on 19 Oct 2013, 06:06 am

(just found out)

Bum Phillips died yesterday. He was 90 years old.

Houston hasn't had a football team since the Oilers left, and the Oilers weren't the same after Bum got fired.

And he got the Saints winning.

RIP, Bum. God knows you earned it.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #95 on:** 22 Oct 2013, 06:42 am »

Even after all the suspensions and drama the Saints are still the dirtiest team I can ever recall seeing in thirty-odd years of watching football. A real disgrace IMO.

And wow! It's a race to the bottom for the Vikings!

Maybe it's Tebow Time in MN?

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #96 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 04:36 am »

The Saints the dirtiest? Not even close. You didn't see the Raiders play in the 70s.

If by suspensions and drama you are referring to what was done to the Saints last year, that was not about something expressed or implied in the rulebook being violated. It was about making sure there would not be a team in the Super Bowl that had home field advantage. As crass as it may be to say in a public forum, there simply was too much money at stake.

Quote from: Rob Babcock on 22 Oct 2013, 06:42 am

Even after all the suspensions and drama the Saints are still the dirtiest team I can ever recall seeing in thirty-odd years of watching football. A real disgrace IMO.

And wow! It's a race to the bottom for the Vikings! Maybe it's Tebow Time in MN?

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #97 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 05:52 am »

I well remember Da Raidez, they were also pretty "physical" to put it nicely.

They were nearly as disgraceful as the current Saints team. But I think the Saints have elevated the art of the late hit and the cheap shot to new heights...or lows, depending on how you want to say it. I honestly don't think the NFL can endure that kind of play for much longer, and I think we're going to see some major changes before long. JMOHO.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #98 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 07:28 pm »

macrojack · « **Reply #99 on:** 23 Oct 2013, 07:43 pm »

Quote from: Mike Nomad on 23 Oct 2013, 07:28 pm

I see late hits and cheap shots in almost any NFL game I watch. What I see far less frequently are refs calling them.

The "Gooning" of the NFL will not be its downfall, just as the Flyers didn't take down the NHL.

The NFL's failed attempt to suppress a couple of decades of research findings on concussions sustained by their players is another matter. This will most likely be the last season I watch the NFL, and it is not because the physicality/behavior of the players. It is because of the corporate/fascist behavior of the owners and the NFL commissioner.

I agree with Mike. Greed has pushed the NFL into a trashy, sensationalistic, showbiz melodrama. Same kind of thing has happened to music, movies, and literature. Corporate manipulation and strangulation has compromised the spirit of it all.
Who the hell needs the broad on the sidelines telling us all about some players grandmother's last words to him before she died on her way to church with a basket of homemade muffins for the Orphans and Flag Weavers Society annual fundraiser? And why do we have to listen to Al Michaels plugging upcoming comedies on the same network? And lights out during the Super Bowl so they can air more commercials? Please!!! Times up for this crap.

I can tell others feel this too. Participation in the one and only pro football thread on AC has been pretty light this season.