American Football

[kieran_vale]

Not scoring a single point in the second half and not being able stop the run all game. In the end can only say we deserved to lose that.

 

[Stagat]

What's your takes on that touchdown/touchback after the Bills/Texans second half kickoff? In a game where some questionable calls went against us, that was the worst.

TBF from reading the armchair refs on Reddit it should have been a safety rather than a TD but still. This common sense prevails and some presumptuous nonsense about what America wants to see the commentators were spouting is bollocks.

You don't ref a game on that. You ref it on the rule book. Seems like the nearest ref knew the rules coz he moved out the way of the ball and waved it live. The Bills guys knew the rules coz they went for it. Not our fault the Texan who caught it and did an illegal forward pass didn't know them.

edit: been thinking about how I'd feel if a Bill did the same and it went against us and I'm pretty sure I'd be pissed of with his carelessness rather than the officials' applying the letter of the law.

 

[kieran_vale]

Dalvin Cook must have had his heart in his mouth on that fumble return there but knee clearly down. Fantastic game again this weekend.

Very impressed with this Vikings defense. Only really some highlight reel plays from Taysom Hill keeping the Saints still in this.

 

[kieran_vale]

Well done Vikings. That is a brilliant win for them. Excellent throw from Cousins to Thielen to set up the TD.

 

[pride_of_notts]

Had some really great WC games Vikings was really impressive hopefully Eagles can win so we can get 21st spot in the draft now.

 

[kieran_vale]

Josh McCown into the game. I thought he’d retired.

At some point questions need to be asked of Wentz with his durability though granted I suspect Clowney is getting fined for that hit.

 

[Aberstone]

What's your takes on that touchdown/touchback after the Bills/Texans second half kickoff? In a game where some questionable calls went against us, that was the worst.

TBF from reading the armchair refs on Reddit it should have been a safety rather than a TD but still. This common sense prevails and some presumptuous nonsense about what America wants to see the commentators were spouting is bollocks.

You don't ref a game on that. You ref it on the rule book. Seems like the nearest ref knew the rules coz he moved out the way of the ball and waved it live. The Bills guys knew the rules coz they went for it. Not our fault the Texan who caught it and did an illegal forward pass didn't know them.

edit: been thinking about how I'd feel if a Bill did the same and it went against us and I'm pretty sure I'd be pissed of with his carelessness rather than the officials' applying the letter of the law.

I'm with you on that, I know he's for all intents and purposes given himself up but if you're going to do that, don't take any chances and just take the knee.

That early game just now was incredible to watch as a (near enough) neutral. Kirk Cousins has slayed a lot of critics after those two big time throws in overtime. That said, their offensive line is pretty terrible and they've got to go up against that 49ers defensive front next Saturday... Kirk's going to get eaten alive.

 

[Aberstone]

Josh McCown into the game. I thought he’d retired.

At some point questions need to be asked of Wentz with his durability though granted I suspect Clowney is getting fined for that hit.

Someone for the Patriots to consider in the offseason? They need to get younger at QB.

 

[pride_of_notts]

Someone for the Patriots to consider in the offseason? They need to get younger at QB.

Or the Pats could really go down the youth path and gets a QB born in the 80's and get Rivers.

 

[kieran_vale]

Or the Pats could really go down the youth path and gets a QB born in the 80's and get Rivers.

That is actually what I think will happen if/when Brady moves on. That said the way BB was looking at Roger Staubach on the NFL Networks 100 Greatest players who knows maybe he’ll try and tempt him out of retirement.

God help anyone working with this offense though, will need a serious retooling job starting with getting a proper TE.

 

[kieran_vale]

Wentz going out of this game has pretty much killed this as a contest even if it’s nominally still a one score game.

DK Metcalf has had himself some night. I wanted us to nab him in the draft but certainly lived up to his billing in Seattle.

 

[Stagat]

Playoff Predictos Update #1 - aka thanks to all who entered

Well after that round it would be easy to say the Vikings fucked all of us but really they only fucked Tom and Abers. Everyone else fucked themselves. Especially Lightweight Andy. Here's our leaderboard, which tbh is 75% loserboard.

1. Tom 3pts
1. Abers 3pts
3. Creg 1pt
3. Kieran 1pt
3. Pride o' Notts 1pt
3. MBExFM 1pt
3. #stagat 1pt
8. Lightweight Andy 0pts

Seconds out, round divisional

Okay so I think this is going to get complicated for me behind the scenes but am going to make it as easy as I can for you guys and spell out what you all need to do, which is basically as follows:

1. re-predict any games you didn't have in your original path to the SB
2. give an over/under of 35 for each of the 4 divisional round games

FWIW the average points in all NFL games is 43. Make of that what you will. And here's what you specifically need to do:

Craig pride_of_notts kieran_vale @lightweightandy @MBExFM @me - please re-predict from the whole next round, up to and including the SB AND do the over/under 35 for this round's games.

Tom_CUFC Aberstone - please re-predict the NFC side of the draw up to and including the SB AND do the over/under 35 for this round's games.

I'll do mine here:

49ers Vikings OVER 35
Ravens Titans OVER 35
Chiefs Texans OVER 35
Packers Seahawks UNDER 35

49ers Packers
Ravens Chiefs

49ers Ravens

Game notes

No bonus points for any of this week's games that might end with exactly 35 total points.

One thing I need to clarify that I didn't think about before, basically coz this is an untested idea I had after a couple of ales. Nobody can score 4 points for the SB anymore. Like, even if you already have the correct two teams in the SB, you needed the correct path from the first round for the bonus points. Common sense prevails.

If it's all too complicated and you can't be arsed, no worries if you drop out. That said, I look forward to your predictos-ing

 

[Tom_CUFC]

For once I'm delighted the Vikings have let me down!

Vikings - 49ers (Over 35)
Titans - Ravens (Over 35)
Texans - Chiefs (Under 35)
Seahawks - Packers (Under 35)

Seahawks - 49ers
Chiefs - Ravens

49ers - Ravens

Unbelievable performance yesterday, I feared the game was going the same way as the game against Green Bay a couple of weeks ago where the defense was playing lights out but we weren't putting touchdowns on the board and it would come back to haunt us, but we capitalized on the turnover at the end of the first half which was critical with the Saints getting the ball to start the second half. Again looked like we were going to blow it in the 4th quarter but defense came up with the turnover when they needed too. Heart in mouth with the Cook fumble, and thought we'd blown it on 2nd down in OT, but a heck of a throw under pressure from Cousins to win it, magical!

Now my expectations are up I suspect we'll get annihilated next week, but the Saints were the team I feared most on the NFC side, no fear now!

 

[Aberstone]

Vikings - 49ers (Over 35)
Titans - Ravens (Over 35)
Texans - Chiefs (Over 35)
Seahawks - Packers (Over 35)

Packers - 49ers
Chiefs - Ravens

49ers - Ravens

 

[kieran_vale]

Vikings - 49ers (Over 35)
Titans - Ravens (Under 35)
Texans - Chiefs (Over 35)
Seahawks - Packers (Under 35)

Packers - 49ers
Chiefs - Ravens

Packers - Ravens

 

[pride_of_notts]

Vikings - 49ers (Over 35)
Titans - Ravens ( Under 35)


Texans - Chiefs (Over 35)
Seahawks - Packers (Under 35)

Seahawks - 49ers
Chiefs - Ravens

Chiefs - 49ers

 

[Camborne Gills]

Love the fact that Belichick got a taste of his own medicine re the delay of game/false start scenario in the 4th Qtr.

What goes around comes around

 

[kieran_vale]

When appointing a Head Coach I’m not sure the guy who has been coaching the sorry mess that has been the Pats WR unit is where I’d look but that is what the Giants have gone and done. The decline of that franchise in the last five years has been a sad sight to see and I can’t see it ending any time soon.

 

[JJ1532]

I've seen some in the American media praising the hire for his work with your special teams over the last 4 years. Is that not fair?

I do agree though, very odd and it has the potential to go badly wrong.

Can we finally admit Jerry Jones has officially lost the plot? Is McCarthy really the guy to not only get them back in the post season but also win the whole thing? After how underwhelming he was in Green Bay? Maybe a fresh start will see him reinvigorated, but I just don't see why Jones was so certain about hiring someone who had to have head coaching experience. Very odd.

Good hires by the Panthers in Matt Rhule and Redskins in Ron Rivera.

 

[kieran_vale]

I've seen some in the American media praising the hire for his work with your special teams over the last 4 years. Is that not fair?

I do agree though, very odd and it has the potential to go badly wrong.

Can we finally admit Jerry Jones has officially lost the plot? Is McCarthy really the guy to not only get them back in the post season but also win the whole thing? After how underwhelming he was in Green Bay? Maybe a fresh start will see him reinvigorated, but I just don't see why Jones was so certain about hiring someone who had to have head coaching experience. Very odd.

Good hires by the Panthers in Matt Rhule and Redskins in Ron Rivera.

Aye he was Special Teams Co-Ordinator though how much input he had on it I'm not sure as that part of the game is BB's baby. That franchise has made a series of bad hires and questionable priorities in the draft since Coughlin left, good luck to him but suspect he will go the same way as Shurmur and McAdoo.

I think Jerry Jones biggest priority on any hire is would it allow him to still remain front and centre and McCarthy probably ticked that box. He's basically a better Jason Garrett. Apart from one season riding the coattails of Aaron Rodgers to the Super Bowl 10 years ago he has been somewhat mediocre. I'm not sure why they hired an offensive guy in all honesty as that side of the ball has been fine, it's defensively they've been hopeless.

Think that just leaves the Browns and their latest attempt to pick up the pieces not least the serious regression of Baker Mayfield. My guess is it will be McDaniels they go for which will be interesting as they also fired the GM at the end of the season so may give him a say in personnel decisions if he went there.

 

[Craig]

Vikings - 49ers (Over 35)
Titans - Ravens ( Over 35)


Texans - Chiefs (Over 35)
Seahawks - Packers (Under 35)

Seahawks - 49ers
Chiefs - Ravens

Chiefs - 49ers

 

[Stagat]

Lightweight Andy's picks:

Packers Seahawks - Under 35
49ers Vikings - Over 35
Ravens Titans - Over 35
Chiefs Texans - Under 35

Packers 49ers
Ravens Chiefs

Ravens Packers

MBExFM's picks:

Ravens Titans - Over 35
Chiefs Texans - Over 35
49ers Vikings - Over 35
Green Bay Seattle - Over 35

Ravens Chiefs
49ers Packers

Ravens 49ers

 

[kieran_vale]

The speed of this Niners defensive front is frightening. Just completely shut down the Vikings running game.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Said before last week I just didn't want to lose in heartbreaking fashion, the win last week was a massive bonus and we were just comprehensively beaten by a better team, and certainly a much better coached team.

Window closing for the Vikings, over the cap for next year, still need O-Line help, need secondary help and need someone to replace Cousins in 2021, lot to ask for from a draft where we have no excess picks. Rhodes will go, and Rudolph too probably, but will be up against it next year I expect then will take at least a couple more years before we can contend again. Just fear we will be too reactive and can see us picking top 5 in 2022.

Hoping for a Chiefs 9ers Superbowl now, have friends in KC and definitely don't want the Pack or the Hawks to make it! This Titans/Ravens gene is shaping up nicely already!

 

[kieran_vale]

I still expect the Ravens to win this game but this Titans team are really good. Their win at Foxborough last week was certainly no fluke and are showing it tonight. Tannehill has really come into his own since moving there from Miami, stunning throw on that TD.

 

[Aberstone]

You love to see it!

 

[kieran_vale]

Got nothing but admiration for the Titans performance in the playoffs. After what they did to the Ravens I’m putting our loss to them in a different light as at least ours was close.

Fully expect KC to deal with the Texans quite easily later. If that does happen though the Titans match up quite nicely with KC I feel. Get through that then this could be one of the all time great wildcard runs.

 

[pride_of_notts]

Can't say I am suprised Ravens are a very good Plan A team when they can run all over a team the Titans and stuffed the Run game and largely shut down the plays from there tight ends which is where the Ravens get most of there production from the passing game which forced Lamar into being more of a conventional QB which he tends to struggle at.

On the 49ers massively it's really hard to see how they are not Superbowl bound the defence especially is nasty with there Front 7 n

 

[Craig]

I’m not nervous, you are.

 

[kieran_vale]

Bit of a breakdown in the secondary from KC there. More like what saw from them early in the season. Can see this being a game where both march down the field on each other on every drive.