Are you ready for some FOOTBALL - Playoff Edition

[Frozzy]

If Steve Young doesn't throw for 6 TDs... if Tampa Bay didn't have such a great defense in SB37... if the Patriots didn't draft Tom Brady 200th overall...

See how ifs and buts work The Bears got outdone.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Kalius
I can see where the refs were coming from with the Polamalu INT too. He didn't complete a football move (i.e. getting up), because his right knee was down as he fumbled. No possession, no INT, no fumble.

You must not have watched the replay closely. His knee was down, but that occurred after he made a football move. His entire body rotated... you can clearly see his knee pads, along with space between the underside of his leg and the turf. That was a terrible call, one that some jaded NFL fans would see as part of an attempted fix. Troy should have just went down after catching that vall.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Sava


I've already PWNED you MOBIUS

if you want to continue to live in denial, that's fine... I'm not going to waste any more time arguing with you though. The Bears were the best defense in the NFL this year. Anyone who doesn't think so is a complete moron.

Which is obviously why Chicago just got blown out for 400+ yds by the NFL's 22nd best rated offense...

[-Jrabbit]

29 points, nuff said. Pwned.

Carolina outschemed the Bears and outplayed the Bears.
Hats off to John Fox, Jake Delhomme, and the Panther O-line.

[Sava]

Originally posted by MOBIUS


Which is obviously why Chicago just got blown out for 400+ yds by the NFL's 22nd best rated offense...

more than half of which by Steve Smith... the NFL's best receiver... who led or tied every receiving category this year...

and QB Jake Delhomme, who before this game had a QB rating of over 100 in the playoffs

but keep posting... it just goes more to your lack of football knowledge

and also... before the Nov 20 Bear/Panther game this year, Carolina was averaging 27.4 points per game...

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Sava
more than half of which by Steve Smith... the NFL's best receiver... who led or tied every receiving category this year...

and QB Jake Delhomme, who before this game had a QB rating of over 100 in the playoffs

So what?

ASSRAPED BY THE 22nd BEST OFFENSE

[MOBIUS]

Here is a graphical illustration even the impressively deluded Sava must be able to comprehend, of why the Bears defence is OVERRATED

Teams that the Bears played with top 16 (top 50%) rated offenses:

Cincinnati 6th LOST
Washington 11th LOST
Atlanta 12th won
Pittsburgh 16th LOST

Teams that the Bears played with next 25% rated offenses:

Green Bay 18th won
Green Bay 18th won
New Orleans 20th won
Carolina 22nd won
Tampa Bay 23rd won
Baltimore 24th won

Teams with the BOTTOM 25% rated offenses:

Minnesota 25th
Minnesota 25th LOST
Cleveland 26th
Detroit 27th
Detroit 27th
San Francisco 32nd

*Cough*OVERRATED*Cough*

Sava Pwned by a Welsh Sheepshagger on the subject of American Football - oh the shame...

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Sava
The Bears were the best defense in the NFL this year. Anyone who doesn't think so is a complete moron.

Oh and the final irony: Even after playing such appalling opponents all year, according to the NFL (PS Sava thinks you're complete morons BTW) Chicago didn't even finish as the best defense in the NFL this year...

Actually the top 3 defenses in the NFL this year were Tampa, Chicago and Carolina - any coincidence that their schedules were quite similar? Apart from the fact that the Tampa and Carolina D's were up against stronger opposition that is...

Should I stop humiliating you among your peers yet Sava?

[Sava]

sigh

Tampa finished the top defense in YARDAGE

that's only because Chicago had a meaningless game against Minnesota in week 17 and played their 3rd stringers... but you totally ignore that...

Chicago's defense also had a chance to set a team record for points allowed had they given up less than 18 points in that Minnesota game... BTW, they would have had a better points allowed record than the 1985 Bears defense.

The Bears red zone defence, before Week 17, was under 20%... nobody else in the NFL was under 40%

The Bears defense sent 5 players to the Pro Bowl and 2 more are alternates...

Also... the Washington game, they lost 9-7 and would have won if they had anything resembling an offense.

Besides that, you can only play the teams on your schedule.

Anyways MOBIUS, if the Bears aren't the best defense in the NFL, who is?

anyways, I'm done arguing with you...

there's an old quote that I am reminded of... something to the effect of, "don't argue with an idiot... you will never get him to admit you won the argument, and nobody watching the argument can tell the difference between the two of you..."

The numbers speak for themselves. The Bears were the best defense in the NFL this season. They lost their playoff game because they played bad on defense and because they got beat by the best receiver in the NFL and a QB who has been great in the playoffs. No shame in that. Especially considering the Bears came into this season not expecting to even make the playoffs. It was an exciting season. And they are in a good position to make the playoffs again next year.

Anyways, I'm not terribly interested in the rest of the teams left in the playoffs. I doubt I'll watch the games next week... I might watch a little bit.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, what was with Lovie Smith not putting Vasher on Steve Smith? What was he thinking?! I realize that Chicago hasn't flipped CBs all year, but I think after the first half, you have to forget about that.

Though I do have to say, the Bears defensive guys who were jawing before the game (like Sava's Urlacher quote)... what freaking morons!! The Carolina players said how pissed they were. NEVER talk **** before the game! NEVER!

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Yeah, what was with Lovie Smith not putting Vasher on Steve Smith? What was he thinking?! I realize that Chicago hasn't flipped CBs all year, but I think after the first half, you have to forget about that.

uhmmm, Chicago routinely has rotated it's corners on coverage...

and Vasher is the weaker corner, despite his getting nominated to the Pro Bowl... he's not very fast or physical...

Tillman is more of a solid cover corner than Vasher...

Though I do have to say, the Bears defensive guys who were jawing before the game (like Sava's Urlacher quote)... what freaking morons!! The Carolina players said how pissed they were. NEVER talk **** before the game! NEVER!

Yes, that must be the reason they lost the game.

If the game goes the other way... if Tillman doesn't fall down on that second play from scrimmage and Smith doesn't catch that TD pass... and then if Thompson doesn't fall down on that other TD play... or if whatever events that needed transpire for Chicago to win that game, then all that trash talking before the game doesn't mean a thing.

Professional athletes don't care about the trash talking factor. You think that any of those players were going to play any less harder if Urlacher or Ogunleye didn't say what they said in the paper? Do you think Steve Smith was going to not catch any of those passes if Urlacher didn't say what he said?

There were Carolina players doing just as much trash talking in the media as the Bears players...

Please Imran... don't make me add this to your list of "nuggets of football wisdom"

[Imran Siddiqui]

Tillman is more of a solid cover corner than Vasher...

Well you had to try something! Tillman wasn't getting it done. He was getting burned!

Yes, that must be the reason they lost the game.

You don't give the other team anything to get more psyched up for the game. Most coaches keep a tight lid on what their players say (Hello Mr. Belicheck) so as to not give the other team any bulletin board material.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Well you had to try something! Tillman wasn't getting it done. He was getting burned!

Maybe... but Vasher is still the weaker guy. Remember, Vasher got burned by Chad Johnson in the Bengals game.

You don't give the other team anything to get more psyched up for the game. Most coaches keep a tight lid on what their players say (Hello Mr. Belicheck) so as to not give the other team any bulletin board material.

That is garbage. These are professional athletes. If you can't get yourself mentally prepared for a game, you have no business playing at this level. And trust me, the whole "bulletin board material" thing is overrated. It's mostly just crap the media goes on about. Unless it's something really personal that is said, players don't really pay too much attention about it. There is way too much trash talking that goes on on the field for anything in the media to make a difference.

Most of the players don't even read newspapers or listen to talk radio, so they won't even hear those comments.

I seriously doubt that in the middle of the game, in the middle of a key play, that Jake Delhomme or Steve Smith is thinking "ZOMFG BRIAN URLACHER SAID THIS SO I WILL TRY REAL HARD TO CATCH THIS BALL!!!!"

It just doesn't work that way.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, I'm talking about the difference in wanting to win a game and in wanting to literally KILL the other guy. Belicheck tends to believe that motivation makes somewhat of a difference. His tact is to make his team believe they are being disrespected by everyone else, though. I mean, no doubt that players will play as hard as they can, but coaches like Belicheck and Parcells know that you can perhaps motivate them a little farther.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well, I'm talking about the difference in wanting to win a game and in wanting to literally KILL the other guy. Belicheck tends to believe that motivation makes somewhat of a difference. His tact is to make his team believe they are being disrespected by everyone else, though. I mean, no doubt that players will play as hard as they can, but coaches like Belicheck and Parcells know that you can perhaps motivate them a little farther.

And what does that have to do with what we are talking about?

i.e. the fact that what players say in the media really gets ignored and does nothing in terms of motivation...

What you are saying is a completely different point altogether.

The whole thing about "bulletin board material" was talked about this past week on Chicago sports radio a lot. Even Barry Minter, of the Carolina Panthers, was interviewed on Chicago Sports radio and admitted that what the Bears players said really wasn't going to affect the Panthers players and how they got prepared for the game.

The general consensus was, from the players on both the Bears and Panthers that were interviewed, and the former players and coaches that I've heard, is that this "bulletin board material" stuff is really just something that the media plays up. Players do much worse trash talking on the field.