Are you ready for some FOOTBALL - Final Regular Season Week

[snoopy369]

Old thread here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144166

Clearly the week 15 thread must start with the most important happening in football this past week.

No, I don't mean Vick's injury. I mean BOBBY WADE'S BEEN CUT

I thought he was improving ... but I nonetheless agree with the decision. You have to show there's a penalty to not meeting required goals.

[Dis]

The real interesting thing will be if the Bears lose. And if the Seahawks win they should lock up homefield all throughout the playoffs.

The question is will either the colts or seahawks play their starters the last game of the season? In fact, the Colts don't have to play their starters anymore this year.

[Frozzy]

They will though. Getting a rhythm like the Colts are in at the moment takes time, and they are already forced out of competitive football for a week, so last thing you want going into the 3 most important games of the year is to have no competitive game time in 4 weeks.

[Ming]

Bears decide to drop Wade
Team cuts returner after fumbles, muffs

By K.C. Johnson
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 13, 2005, 10:08 PM CST


Bobby Wade has fumbled or muffed his last punt for the Bears.

The team waived the former fifth-round pick and three-year veteran on Tuesday, two days after he put his eighth return on the ground and one day after Wade said he expected to return punts again this Sunday against Atlanta.

Wade, who also had two fumbles as a receiver, kept his job in other unlikely times. He mishandled two punts Sept. 25 against Cincinnati and three on Nov. 13 against San Francisco.

Coach Lovie Smith and special teams coordinator Dave Toub kept turning back to Wade, who broke a 73-yard touchdown in Week 2 against Detroit and tied for fifth league-wide with a 9.6-yard return average.

But beyond fumbles and muffs were Wade's dubious decisions to field punts inside the 10-yard line.

Rashied Davis replaced Wade on Nov. 27 at Tampa, only to lose two returns the following Sunday against Green Bay. Those miscues gave Wade another chance, which proved his final one.

Though the Bears have an open roster spot, it appears they will fill the returner job from within. Davis, Eddie Berlin, Bernard Berrian and Nathan Vasher all have experience returning punts, although the latter two could be deemed too valuable on offense and defense, respectively, to risk injury.

Craig Bragg, signed to the practice squad on Nov. 30, also has been catching punts in practice.

The open roster spot could be used to sign a safety, perhaps as early as Wednesday.

Mike Brown's calf injury could sideline him for the remainder of the regular season, and Chris Harris didn't sound confident that his knee injury would be healed in time for him to face Atlanta.

With Todd Johnson now battling a hip pointer, rookie Brandon McGowan might find himself in the starting lineup. Mike Green, who has struggled this season, and Daven Holly are the only other completely healthy options.

The Bears waived safeties Jerrell Pippens and Bobby Gray during training camp, the latter after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The coaching staff liked Pippens.

Wade ends his Bears career with 64 catches for 698 yards, 17 carries for 90 yards and a 9.3-yard average on 35 punt returns.

Wade's release might have an impact more off the field than on. He was arguably the most active Bear in the team's community outreach program, constantly visiting schools to steer kids clear of gangs.

kcjohnson@tribune.com

And all we heard on Monday was that Wade would continue to return punts

[snoopy369]

Instead he'll catch ... something? ... for the Titans ...

Let go by Bears, Wade lands in Tennessee
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


Released by the Chicago Bears earlier this week because he couldn't hold on to the football, wide receiver Bobby Wade has quickly grabbed hold of a new job.

The three-year veteran, who combined for nine fumbles or "muffs" on punt returns with the Bears, has been claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans. The Titans, thin at the wideout position after losing rookies Brandon Jones and Roydell Williams for the rest of the season to injuries, will play Wade at receiver.

Tennessee already has an established punt-return specialist in first-round draft pick Pacman Jones.

"We were kind of looking for a practice squad receiver and then [Wade] popped onto the [waiver] wire," said Titans general manager Floyd Reese. "Of course, he is going to have more experience and knowledge than a practice squad guy [from another team]."

To make room for Wade on the roster, the Titans moved Williams to the injured-reserve list. The fourth-round draft choice suffered a season-ending fractured wrist in a Dec. 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Williams is expected to be rehabilitated in plenty of time for the beginning of the offseason conditioning program.

By claiming Wade, the Titans will be able to essentially get a three-week audition from him, at a reasonable price of just $67,058, the prorated share of his $380,000 base salary for 2005. If the Titans like what they see of Wade, they can retain him for 2006, since they basically inherited the four-year, $1.53 million contract he signed as a fifth-round pick in the 2003 draft. Wade's salary for 2006 is a palatable $460,000.

The Titans have a young and potentially talented wide receiver corps but, his fumbling problems aside, Wade could fit in well if he plays up to his potential.

Wade, 24, actually started 14 of 16 games at wide receiver last season, catching 42 passes for 481 yards and no touchdowns. But the Bears switched offensive coordinators this season and Wade wasn't nearly as prominent in the plans of new boss Ron Turner.

For his career, the former University of Arizona standout has appeared in 40 games and started 15 of them. He had 64 catches for 698 yards and no touchdowns and returned 35 punts for an average of 9.3 yards, with one touchdown.

Despite ranking fifth in the league, with an average of 9.6 yards on 33 returns (and nine fair catches), Wade had become too much of a liability for the Bears, especially with the team's lead in the NFC Central now reduced to just a game over the resurgent Minnesota Vikings. Wade's 73-yard runback against Detroit on Sept. 18 is one of just six punt returns for touchdowns in the league this year, and early in the season he led the NFL in punt-return average.

But the third-year veteran fumbled five punts, "muffed" four others, and lost four of his miscues. He also had a fumble while playing as a wide receiver. He had two mishandled punts in a Sept. 25 game against Cincinnati and three against San Francisco on Nov. 13.

What's funny is we are now asking Eddie Berlin, formerly of the aforementioned Tennessee Titans, to return punts, according to several reports out there

[Sava]

YOU CAN'T CUT BOBBY WADE!! THE BEARS ARE 9-4 WITH HIM.

YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING AT THE POSITION OR THE BEARS WILL LOSE!!!

The coaching staff says Bernard Berrian is the best candidate to return punts.

[Sava]

Re: Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!!!!! ... Week 15

Originally posted by snoopy369

I thought he was improving ... but I nonetheless agree with the decision. You have to show there's a penalty to not meeting required goals.

YOU MEAN IF YOU ARE BAD, LIKE THE WORST PLAYER AT YOUR POSITION IN THE NFL, YOU WILL BE REPLACED BY A BETTER PLAYER?

[Frozzy]

Ugh... Saints players get $40,000 "hazard pay"...

Why didn't they give this money to the staff behind the scenes at the Saints who don't get paid anywhere near the 6 figure sums the players do yet put in more hours and have more at stake than the players?

[Frozzy]

Oh, and "Who Dey?"

Answer: Colts, Jags, Steelers.

What a stupid thing the Bengals did.

[joncha]

Bootsy

[Dis]

Originally posted by Kalius
Ugh... Saints players get $40,000 "hazard pay"...

Why didn't they give this money to the staff behind the scenes at the Saints who don't get paid anywhere near the 6 figure sums the players do yet put in more hours and have more at stake than the players?

or give it to people actually living in the city if New Orleans.

[Jonny]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Instead he'll catch ... something? ... for the Titans ...

Well, if he can catch anything, he'll be better off than a lot of our guys... OTOH, it seems that McNair isn't playing much better than Orton these days.

What's funny is we are now asking Eddie Berlin, formerly of the aforementioned Tennessee Titans, to return punts, according to several reports out there

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! If the Bears use him as return man, they are DOOMED to failure. The guy sucks. I recall one game vs. Indy last year (or 2 years ago?) where the man muffed three or four kicks/punts... in a row. And he's no WR either...

- Jonny (officially on the Bears bandwagon now)

[Sava]

Oh god... the Bears game is going to be on ESPN Sunday Night football.

well at least I get to play the SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DRINKING GAME!!!

I heard this on Sports Radio today

it's on some guy's blog

Here's how to play:

• Set yourself up with a minimum of six beers for the three-hour game. If the Ravens are playing (and they are just about every other week), grab eight.
• Take the assigned number of swigs — about the equivalent of one ounce, or 12 swigs per bottle/can. Do NOT drink when Paul Maguire is speaking. You might spit it up.
• If any of the "chug" criteria is met, you must finish your beer, even if you have to take a leak really badly.

DRINK WHEN MIKE PATRICK...
1 - Raves over the offensive line on a three-yard run
1 - Says a player is one of the best in the NFL when you can name 10 others at his position who are better
1 - Says the home crowd is making it too loud to hear, even though your neighbors can hear him through your TV
1 - Says "What a day in the NFL!"
1 - Says "Are you kidding me?!"
1 - Describes a play as "unbelievable," "amazing" or "incredible." Important: the play itself does not have to be remotely unbelievable, amazing or incredible
1 - Refers to a player as "one of the all-time greats"
1 - Calls a player one of the most underrated in the league
2 - Makes you lower the volume
2 - Says "Let's go down to Suzy Kolber. Suzy."
Chug - Says "Let's go down on Suzy Kolber. Suzy."
Chug - Breaks your ear drum

DRINK WHEN PAUL MAGUIRE...
1 - Prefaces any analysis with "I'm a tell ya what."
1 - Says "I'm gonna tell ya something" right before actually telling you something
1 - Says the word "watch" more than twice on any instant replay, as if you were doing anything but watching
1 - Says something you didn't already know
1 - Admits to being scared of Ray Lewis
1 - Says he talked to a player/coach earlier in the week
2 - Calls Theismann "Joseph"
Chug - Calls Theismann "an idiot"

DRINK WHEN JOE THEISMANN...
1 - Utters the phrase "like a Bill Parcells."
1 - Mentions his own playing career
1 - Points out a flaw in a quarterback's mechanics, whether or not the replay backs it up
1 - Says "What impresses me most about..."
1 - Mentions Notre Dame in any capacity
1 - Says he talked to a player/coach earlier in the week
1 - Says "If I'm the [insert team here]..."
2 - Offers a team advice "if they wanna win this game," as if they're on the fence about whether or not they want to win
2 - Refers to his punting career (one punt for one yard in 1985)
2 - Predicts a penalty that goes the other way
Chug - Refers, again, to any historical genius as "Norman Einstein."

DRINK WHEN...
1 - Ray Lewis is mic'ed up
1 - Ray Lewis is mentioned when the Ravens aren't playing
1 - A special-teams coach is said to have done "a great job"
2 - One of the three announcers accuses another of avoiding dinner checks
Chug - A drunken Hall of Fame quarterback hits on a marginally attractive sideline reporter
Chug - The Ravens are playing and anyone but Ray Lewis is mic'ed up
Chug - Any of the SFL crew mentions Ray Lewis' criminal record

I'm going to get hammered I think

[Jonny]

Remember, we've got games today, starting in less than 3 hours. Get your picks made, set your lineups, etc...

[reismark]

Well, that sucked. But I had us losing this one from the moment it was announced, so whatever. We win the last two at home and we're in, which is all that matters.