NFL - Are you Ready For Some Football?! - Wild Card Round!

[SlowwHand]

Browns fire Crennel, can't lure Cowher (AP) - 1 hour ago
Lions fire Marinelli after going 0-16 (AP) - 1 hour ago

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by SlowwHand

How about this for a change of old attitude?

"They just handed us an old-fashioned butt whipping," Owens said. "I don't have all the answers, but I'd love to be part of the solution."

Until the next time he complains about not getting the ball. He's part of the problem. But please do keep him.

[SlowwHand]

No more than most of the others.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Until last year, most said Eli Manning sucked. Last year and this year happens and it all goes away.

It only goes away if he consistently plays well. This was Eli's best season as a pro (still not great, mind... barely in the top 3rd of QBs). Romo has had great regular seasons. He's not show an ability to step it up in important games though. There is some sort of mental stumbling block. He really did not play well in Sunday's game.

As for Peyton Manning, it was usually his defense that would let him down.

[Lord Avalon]

If Romo, attempting to keep Owens placated, throws the ball to him more, even at the expense of ignoring open receivers, then TO is more of a problem.

But Romo would have some of that blame, too.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Browns fire Crennel, can't lure Cowher (AP) - 1 hour ago
Lions fire Marinelli after going 0-16 (AP) - 1 hour ago

I posted both stories 10:30 this morning.................

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Lord Avalon
If Romo, attempting to keep Owens placated, throws the ball to him more, even at the expense of ignoring open receivers, then TO is more of a problem.

But Romo would have some of that blame, too.

Very true, but it's not a factual hypothesis; which deems it irrelevant.

[Lord Avalon]

Originally posted by SlowwHand

Very true, but it's not a factual hypothesis; which deems it irrelevant.

Going by the WR chart at Football Outsiders, TO is ranked 41st by DYAR. He had 140 balls thrown his way with a 49% catch rate.

Crayton is ranked 46th. He only had 69 balls thrown to him and caught 57% of them.

Whitten was 3rd among TEs with 120 passes and a 68% catch rate.

Now, TO drops balls he shouldn't, but that's not the whole story. The low catch rate must have something to do with Romo throwing the ball his way when he shouldn't, IMO.

[-Jrabbit]

Romo has all the physical tools, has great talent around him, and seems to have the right attitude. But come December, he seems to find ways to lose. Still, Dallas is committed both to him and Wade. That bed has been made and they will lie in it in 2009.

Now that he's got his new stadium, maybe Jerry will finally realize that what he really needs is a legitimate backup QB. Or two.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think one of Romo's problems is that he tries to be a friend to everyone instead of a leader. When T.O. whines, Romo tends to be more accommodating and throws him the ball more, whether he should or shouldn't. It's just my opinion, though.

[SlowwHand]

Phillips is a very good person. A real nice guy. He hasn't the tools to control a team so in the spotlight.

[snoopy369]

How well (if at all) does DYAR adjust for who's covering him?? I didn't see any evidence that it does (it adjusts for total defense, not specific CB, as far as I know). Owens nearly always will draw the #1 CB, and quite often 2 defenders, I'd imagine; particularly when playing alongside a bunch of mediocre WRs, as he has all season. I imagine that means that either a) Romo throws him the ball when he shouldn't, or b) Romo throws him identical balls, but the quality of defender means slightly more of TO's balls are tipped/defensed than Crayton's, and way more than Witten's (who is being covered by a LB most of the time). You also would want to adjust for the fact that TO will be the primary target on more plays than anyone else, and plenty of teams (the Boys included) will run plays where the QB is throwing the ball to the primary receiver without paying attention to the defense, because it is too quick of a throw to be able to think about the defense; while Witten is more often than not the checkdown receiver, so he will often get easy passes.

Add in the fact that Owens also gets the occasional deep bomb that by definition has a lower chance to catch, and I'm not terribly surprised by his lower catch rate. Now, his *****ing clearly has some effect, if only to hurt his team chemistry; and it may well have some impact on Romo's throws as well. I'm just not sure the facts as you state them clearly paint the picture you suggest.

(Also, I think a 'good WR' can overcome defense and such to have a higher catch rate, or at least a higher yardage total - see Andre Johnson, who plays on a relatively weak team with no other star WR [Walter had a good year, but he's no star, and he still had 1/2 the yardage of AJ] - thus I fault Owens largely for his lack of success. This has no bearing on your discussion with Sloww, however.)

[snoopy369]

Also, anybody see the news that the Pro Bowl may be played next year the week before the Super Bowl (and at the same stadium)?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3798734&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

I dislike the idea, myself, as it's going to mean a huge incentive for players on superbowl teams to decline the invitation (extra rest + less injury risk; injury risk may be low, it's not zero, and how ****ty would it be for the star player of a superbowl team to be injured right before the game?) Stick with the 'reward' of it being in Hawai'i, and don't mess with the meaningful games. Yes, you can't have a midseason pro bowl like other leagues due to the shortness of the season, but that's no reason to put it during the playoffs...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I thought it was assumed that the players picked who were on Super Bowl teams wouldn't be playing in the Pro-Bowl. It'd be a reward for the rest.

[Guynemer]

Who gives a **** about the Pro Bowl anyway?