"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[SlowwHand]

Right, Al.

[OzzyKP]

Knowing that I'm a big pessimist (realist) by nature, how hopeful should I be about the upcoming Lions season?

They seem to be a trendy wild card pick, and I just don't get why. Yes, the defensive line should be dominant. The back seven still sucks; the receivers consist of Megatron and any given warm body yanked off the street; the offensive line is mediocre on their best days; the quarterback is as likely to tear every ligament in his body as he is to throw a TD. What am I missing?

No Superbowl or playoffs (as some are suggesting), but I think they'll definitely improve this year. And... maaaybe, possibly, hopefully, have a winning season for once. So that's my official prediction. 9-7 this year. Then we flirt with playoffs next year.

[Donegeal]

The homefield advantage Atlanta had last year is not going to happen this year, so if you want the two teams from your list of big dogs that are going to fall to earth this year is Atlanta and Chicago leaving Detroit flirting with the playoffs this season.

[OzzyKP]

Last year the Lions were 6-10 and lost 4 of those games by 3 points or less. All while having a QB rotisserie all season. I think everyone believes the team has improved this off season, so that by itself should be able to pick up a few more points/wins. Assuming our Mr. Glass at QB can stay healthy... there is plenty of reason for optimism. Picking up 3-4 additional wins this season is definitely possible.

[Al B. Sure!]

Last year the Lions were 6-10 and lost 4 of those games by 3 points or less. All while having a QB rotisserie all season. I think everyone believes the team has improved this off season, so that by itself should be able to pick up a few more points/wins. Assuming our Mr. Glass at QB can stay healthy... there is plenty of reason for optimism. Picking up 3-4 additional wins this season is definitely possible.

Shaun Hill is a better QB than Stafford. Hill averaged 259 yards per start with a 62.4% completion percentage, throwing 16 TDs to 11 INTs in 10 starts.

To put that in perspective, in his first 10 games last season, Carson Palmer averaged 262 yards with a 60.9% completion percentage and 18 TDs with 13 INTs. Yes, Palmer had a rough year but if (relatively) shaky Palmer is the nearest statistical equivalent to Shaun Hill, that does bode well for Shaun Hill being a good enough QB.

On the flip side, what is so impressive about Stafford? His 212 yard 4 TD game against the terrible Redskins secondary that, the very next game, Mike Vick would completely decimate in about a quarter?

Sure, Stafford can improve and the team has enough talent. After all, he's played only 13 games in the same amount of time Sanchez played 36 but any of you who are too sure about Stafford being successful when healthy are lying to yourself. He's shown nothing so far.

Realistically, do you expect a healthy Stafford to be much more productive than Shaun Hill? Are we setting the bar so high that you expect Stafford to throw like Brees or Rodgers? If you think Stafford will be a significant improvement over Hill, that's basically what your expectations are saying.

Just because he cashes the biggest paycheck doesn't mean he's even the best QB on his team.

[SlowwHand]

That is the kind of post that makes it so hard to take you seriously.

[Al B. Sure!]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/68...153-touchdowns

Future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss has decided to retire rather than continue playing.

[Al B. Sure!]

Saw this article at ESPN about some new passer rating formula they've come up with:
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post...t-quarterbacks

The QBR formula takes into account down, distance, field position, time remaining, rushing, passing sacks, fumbles, interceptions, how far each pass travels in the air, from where on the field the ball was thrown, yards after the catch, dropped balls, defensed balls, whether the quarterback was hit, whether he threw away the ball to avoid a sack, whether the pass was thrown accurately, etc. Each play carries "clutch weight" based on its importance to game outcome, as determined by analyzing those 60,000 plays since 2008. The stats adjust for quarterbacks facing an unusually high number of these situations.

The exact ratings weren't released but last year's QBs were ranked in tiers:

Top tier: Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick, Rodgers and Drew Brees.

Well above average: Josh Freeman, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

Above average: Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, David Garrard and Kerry Collins.

Around average: Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Jon Kitna.

Below average: Shaun Hill, Jason Campbell, Jay Cutler, Matt Hasselbeck, Chad Henne, Donovan McNabb, Sam Bradford and Alex Smith.

Poor: Derek Anderon, Brett Favre and Jimmy Clausen.

Interesting.

[duke o' york]

Gotta blame the GM, Angelo. They are way under the cap and a half-million apart on a 1-yr deal for Kreutz.
Monumentally stupid IMHO.

He hasn't signed anywhere yet, so cooler heads may still prevail. (Or maybe I'm just hoping...)

Are the Bears interested in making a signing with great prospects, because the Metrodome roof has been replaced after only one bad night following years of success! I think Soldier Field can get it back in the big time.

[-Jrabbit]

Looks like it's a done deal re Kreutz walking. He's talking possible retirement.

[Al B. Sure!]

What's with GM Jerry Angelo though?

"Come on, this isn't a wake. We're sad, but nobody died."

[-Jrabbit]

Just trying to minimize it. Frankly, the level of outrage in Chicago just isn't that high.

[Al B. Sure!]

Cris Carter breaks down Randy Moss' retirement:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6824245

Makes sense. He says Moss is a guy who jumps the gun. He sees something, makes a hasty and emotional decision, and goes with it. He says Moss is only willing to play for two teams (New England and the Jets) but wanted a long-term contract which neither team was willing to give him (NE giving Ochocinco a 3 year deal, Plaxico was willing to take a 1-year deal from the Jets). Carter notes that Moss has been training hard this offseason so it's not that Moss isn't physically prepared. He seems to think Moss' retirement won't stick.

Mark Schlereth isn't buying it either.

[MRT144]

Just trying to minimize it. Frankly, the level of outrage in Chicago just isn't that high.

Yeah, cause there were some idiots who blamed him for your issues on offense. The freaking center!

[-Jrabbit]

He's not what he once was, that's for sure. Strong locker room leader, but clearly declining player skills.
Amazingly penalty-prone for a center, especially the past couple years.

[rah]

Yes, he has gotten progressively worse the last three years

Year Team Pos G GS Pen PenYd
2010 CHI C 16 16 8 60
2009 CHI C 16 16 6 37
2008 CHI C 16 16 4 20

[demonbinder]

Vikings cut OT Bryant McKinnie and Lions concerned about their first round pick Nick Fairley who injured his foot and in a walking boot. They already have a few other injuries to deal with as well. Meanwhile, Bears re-sign TE Desmond Clark who did well in red zone situations.

[Al B. Sure!]

Vikings cut OT Bryant McKinnie and Lions concerned about their first round pick Nick Fairley who injured his foot and in a walking boot. They already have a few other injuries to deal with as well. Meanwhile, Bears re-sign TE Desmond Clark who did well in red zone situations.

They got rid of Greg Olsen to bring back Desmond Clark

Dude, the Bears off-season is a ****ing joke. Are they for real? Thank god I'm not a Bears fan.

[Al B. Sure!]

holy ****! Ronnie Brown is an Eagle, too!

Holy ****. The Eagles are turning into the Miami Heat of football.


And for you Chicagoans, do you see the vastly different approaches to free agency between the Bears, a team that went to the NFC Championship game last year, and the Eagles? It's like night and day. Only one of these two teams is making a real push for the Super Bowl here in the offseason while the other is content with what they have and just collecting up bums.


Ben, I'll take that bet now. The Eagles are making the playoffs. I don't see how it's possible at this point for them to not make the playoffs. Even if Vick dies on the field, with all this talent (Jackson, Maclin, Avant, Celek, McCoy, Brown on offense; Trent Cole/Jason Babin/Cullen Jenkins on the line, Asomugha/Rodgers-Cromartie/Samuel in the secondary), Vince Young will easily win games. The only debate at this point may be how few games the Eagles will lose. My Giants are going to get one win out of them but I'm having trouble seeing the Eagles losing more than 2 games.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Let's not get too overconfident now . Anything can happen.

[Al B. Sure!]

Pro Bowlers go to the Eagles to be backups. This is getting beyond absurd.


They come out with Vick flanked by McCoy and Ronnie Brown, Brent Celek at TE and Jackson and Maclin spread wide... how the hell do you defense against that?

This is turning into the 2007 Patriots but with two star RB's instead of bum-ass Laurence Maroney... and if Brady could run.

Dude, they could come out in a big wildcat set with Vick, Vince Young, and Ronnie Brown in the backfield and what the **** could a defense ever do?! They could just run the option all day!

[Ben Kenobi]

Holy ****. The Eagles are turning into the Miami Heat of football.

How'd that work out for them?

Ben, I'll take that bet now. The Eagles are making the playoffs. I

It's on like donkey kong.

I win if the Eagles miss and the Cards make it.

You win if the Eagles make it and the Cards miss.

Anything else is a push.

Bet will be avatars throughout the NFL playoff.

Deal?

[Al B. Sure!]

How'd that work out for them?



It's on like donkey kong.

I win if the Eagles miss and the Cards make it.

You win if the Eagles make it and the Cards miss.

Anything else is a push.

Bet will be avatars throughout the NFL playoff.

Deal?

Yes.

I'm going to hold you to this bet, Ben.

Oh I can't wait

[SlowwHand]

The Eagles are signing beat up players that weren't wanted by their previous team. Besides you, who cares? Why do you care? You've always pounded your chest and declared yourself a Giants fan, slut-boy.

[Ben Kenobi]

This is turning into the 2007 Patriots but with two star RB's instead of bum-ass Laurence Maroney... and if Brady could run.

And if Vick could throw.

[Al B. Sure!]

The Eagles are signing beat up players that weren't wanted by their previous team. Besides you, who cares? Why do you care? You've always pounded your chest and declared yourself a Giants fan, slut-boy.

I can't recall a team in recent memory that, despite being a playoff team the year before, made so many big moves as the Eagles this offseason. On paper, the Eagles are loaded. Scary loaded. You can not deny that.

[Al B. Sure!]

I'm a fan of the game, Sloww.

And sloww, just so you know, I don't hate the Eagles. I put the Eagles in the same category as any of the other 29 teams I am not a fan of but that I don't have strong negative feelings towards.

The Cowgirls are in a whole different category, however.


Here you go, Sloww:

[Imran Siddiqui]

Slow doesn't understand the joys of proving Ben wrong

And he doesn't understand being a fan of the game

[Ben Kenobi]

You'd better get ready to put your Flutie Flakes on, Albert.

[Al B. Sure!]

You'd better get ready to put your Flutie Flakes on, Albert.

We have several months

I don't have to provide the avatar until the Eagles clinch a berth and the Cardinals are eliminated, right? I know what I'm going to make you wear but I don't have the right pic yet.