Sports: NFL

[Dignan]

Originally Posted by Rÿchean

IMO, it was a poorly played game by both teams but since there was a flurry of scoring at the end and there was overtime, it is now a great game.

And where does Buck get off saying that is the first punter to throw a touchdown pass in the post season? Danny White threw many postseason TDs and he was a punter in addition to be a starting QB.

Yeah, I agree, it was not a great game. It was mostly terrible. It was entertaining at the end, but not great. I can't believe that the Packers completely folded that game. I felt like I was watching the end of a Cowboy's game.

[Dad_Scaper]

Totally agreed. Green Bay had a pair of gift-wrapped opportunities to salt the game away - the blundered onside kick, Dix misplaying the two point conversion - and gave it away. It will go into Seahawks lore, but a "great game"? I didn't think so.

[Dad_Scaper]

Ravens hire Marc Trestman to fill Kubiak's shoes at OC. I was not expecting that. The Bears did have at least one good year offensively under him, right? Fingers crossed.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Dad_Scaper

Ravens hire Marc Trestman to fill Kubiak's shoes at OC. I was not expecting that. The Bears did have at least one good year offensively under him, right? Fingers crossed.

Yeah, he was awesome. You guys got a great deal

[Dad_Scaper]

To be fair, he was suffering with the Curse of Cutler. Your response is pretty much what I was expecting, but so far the Ravens have done a pretty good job getting OC's who are - at least for a time - productive.

I'm disappointed we lost Kubiak, but I believe the Denver HC gig was the only one that would have tempted him to leave the Ravens, and it happened to open up. I thought we were going to get *their* former OC, Gase, and was surprised by the Trestman hire.

[Hahma]

Sure there's the Cutler thing. But Trestman showed zero leadership skills as a head coach and had zero balls. Maybe he'd be different as an OC on a veteran team, and under a great coach.

Taking Cutler out of the equation. There was a total lack of creativity in the offense. It would be either Jeffery or Marshal running up the sideline and turn around quickly to catch the ball, a slant to either of them, a WR screen attempt, a pass to Bennett (TE) running up the middle, a screen to Forte or a checkdown to Forte. Basic vanilla stuff.

Never had much going on with a slot receiver.

Liked to throw more than run, by a lot.

Stupid situational play calling.

Terrible time management at the end of just about every first half.

Out of his control was the terrible job the GM Phil Emery did in getting talent. Had horrible defense and horrible special teams (other than the place kicker Robbie Gould).

Defensive coordinator was horrible. Julius Peppers was terrible with the Bears for his last 2 years there and then goes to Green Bay and is awesome this year. Jared Allen replaced Peppers and sucked just like Peppers did with the Bears in his last couple years. Sadly the Bears are still on the hook for $15 million to Allen for next year guaranteed. As well as being on the hook for at least that for Cutler because Phil Emery was a dumbass and gave him a huge extension instead of franchising him.

Maybe Trestman will work out better where all he has to do is be an OC and has a great head coach and veteran leadership on the team already, because his little meek self can't be relied on to be a leader.

[IAmBatman]

ANY game the Packers lose is a great game.

[Hahma]

Normally yes, but I just dislike the Seahawks more.

[Dad_Scaper]

Originally Posted by spidysox

Spoiler Alert!

Leaving Spygate out of the discussion (that horse has been beat to death over and over again) what loopholes in rules have the Pats abused in the past?

Originally Posted by Dad_Scaper

It may have been beaten to death but that doesn't mean you can discard it as an example of Pats rule-pushing. Otherwise I cite to the ESPN source which you quoted, when you quoted my post. Here's another thing they do. And another. And let's not forget the running gag that is Brady's appearance on the injury report.

Spoiler Alert!

Root for your team, spidy. Go for it. I don't dislike the Patriots *nearly* as much as most people outside NE do. But don't pretend that they don't push boundaries.

@XDVincent : Normally, aside from the QB, you have 5 offensive linemen and 5 position players. "Tackle eligible" means a 6th offensive linemen, who becomes "eligible" because he is the sixth. He is identified in advance for the defense to adjust accordingly. In the personnel grouping *we're* discussing, though, you have on the field only *4* offensive linemen, and *6* position players. A defense is denied the opportunity to identify who is legally permitted to catch a pass (or receive a handoff), until moments before the snap.

You routinely see "tackle eligible" formations, particularly on the goal line, where a 6th OL, normally a reserve tackle, joins the offense to help pave the way for a running back to get that last yard to paydirt. What I have never, ever seen - and as above, I challenge anyone else to say they have seen it - is an NFL offensive personnel set with 6 skill position players and 4 offensive linemen, in which the the offense at the last moment before the snap reveals which of its 6 weapons it will not be using. Not cheating, but deceptive, and don't expect it to be legal much longer.

edit 2: Russ Dlin, a CBS sports statistician, just posted this, which doesn't surprise me at all.

. . . and now . . .

11 out of the 12 balls were underinflated by *2 pounds*.

LINK

I'm not complaining. I'm really not; I'll probably be rooting for them in the Super Bowl. It's just funny, and entertaining.

[XDVincent]

[dok]

Hope you like losing draft picks...

[Dad_Scaper]

Originally Posted by dok

Hope you like losing draft picks...

That's what I've been saying, down to the plural "pickS." I think the hammer's gonna fall. As weak as Goodell has been on disciplinary matters, I think he'll make a statement with this one.