NFL - Are you Ready For Some Football?! - Six Weeks Till Playoffs!

[Imran Siddiqui]

I hear Crabtree may come out!

[Supr49er]

If Millen was still there, He'd draft Crabtree for sure.

With both Williams now suspended, maybe the Lions can beat the Vikings.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Supr49er

With both Williams now suspended, maybe the Lions can beat the Vikings.

Nahhhh....

0-and-16 AND BUST!

[Jaguar]

The new GM probably doesn't suck. Trading away Roy Williams for a first and a third was smart long term. He might use both his first round picks very wisely, and fast turn around a 0-16 or 1-15 team.

[Ming]

As long as he doesn't use those picks for yet MORE can't miss wide receivers while ignoring the rest of the team's needs

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by Jaguar

The new GM maybe doesn't suck.

Fixed. Good trade, but have yet to see if he can draft well. He is still with the Lions, after all.

[Lord Avalon]

Vikings' Kevin, Pat Williams seek injunction against suspensions

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings' Kevin and Pat Williams have gone to court to block their suspensions for violating the NFL's anti-doping policy.

The star defensive tackles are seeking a temporary restraining order in Hennepin County District Court in Minneapolis.

The Williamses, who aren't related, were among six players suspended by the NFL on Tuesday. All six were punished for using a diuretic that can serve as a masking agent for steroids.

The Vikings are in first place in the NFC North at 7-5. If the suspensions aren't blocked, they face the rest of the regular season without the anchors of a defense that ranks second against the run.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3743006

[-Jrabbit]

This strikes me as both desperate and stupid. It's pretty doubtful they can overturn a solid league rule that's been enforced pretty consistently over several years, including repeated education sessions and very specific warnings. They've agreed to play by the league's rules, and I don't see their union jumping in to help.

And if they manage to delay their punishment, they get to play Detroit this week but later miss... a playoff game?

So what's the point??? I swear, their agent must be some kind of idiot.

[snoopy369]

That news article is actually woefully out of date. The injunction was granted on a temporary basis, but is likely to be overturned either by said judge after a hearing 'whenever the parties want to have it' or by a federal judge ... too busy to go find the article I read on that yesterday.

[Lord Avalon]

I quoted what ESPN had early last night. Didn't see the update at 11:41PM (which is the same link).

JR - yeah, potentially shortsighted, if it causes them to miss a playoff game. But will the s even make the playoffs without them?

[snoopy369]

The s will not make the playoffs with or without them ... look at their schedule after DET! Not a win on it, as far as I can tell ...

[-Jrabbit]

Preliminary injunction has been granted...
AP Story

The NFL will now take it to US District Court in Minneapolis to overturn.

Re playoffs: The Vikes effectively have a 2-game lead on the Bears and Packers, 4 games to play, and one of them is Detroit. They will IMHO win the NFC North, mostly because I strongly doubt either the Packers or Bears can run the table.

[snoopy369]

How do you get the vikings having a 2 game lead on the Bears?

[snoopy369]

Tie breaker in-division with 2 teams:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs). 1-1
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.3-2, 3-2
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

Common games is where the Bears could do badly, as they are tied with MIN currently in that but have 3 opps left, all of whom MIN beat. However, frankly I see the Bears possibly winning 3 of the 4 (if they can beat GB), beating HOU and one of JAC/NO, while MIN has one win (DET), and two losses (ATL and NYG) , and one maybe (ARI) which I think will be very hard for them.

But we'll see, I suppose

[Lord Avalon]

So if the s beat the Lions, lose the final 3 and finish 8-8, da Bears need to win 3, because they lose tiebreakers?