NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - Regular Season

[Ben Kenobi]

It was obvious that Brady was VERY RUSTY after missing 52 weeks of football. For the first 2 and half quarters, he looked like a guy who hadn't played in a while. But when the chips were down, he started getting into the swing of things and started looking like Brady of old. I don't see the "serious problem", I see a QB who is only going to play more consistently in the future.

The serious problem with the Patriots isn't Brady. He performed better than he was expected to do, and the expectations were high.

And you can harp all you want about the fumble... and use it as "proof", but only a moron would do so. First, it was an excellent strip play by NE. The guy just didn't drop the ball, it was knocked out by a good play... something they practice all the time. But more importantly, turnovers, kick off returns, bad calls by the officials, missed calls by the officials, defensive lapses, stupid decisions, and whatever are all part of the game, and whether they happen early or late, THEY HAPPEN.

And my point, that you cannot rely on them to win you the game also applies. I know they happen, but they happen the other way too. The Pats were very fortunate not to go down 0-1 in Foxborough to a division opponent.

What is important is the score at the end of the game... period! Brady led the team to two touchdowns when the chips were down... For you to say he doesn't deserve credit because they needed a fumble to get the ball again is moronic at best.

If Brady doesn't get the ball back, would you still consider him a good performer? He got his team within 6, and kept them in the game.

While the rest of the world gives credit where credit is due to Brady... only an idiot would ignore his excellent play in the closing drives

I already gave him credit for the first one. The second one was a chip shot in from the 30.

[Ben Kenobi]

DP.

[-Jrabbit]

The QB can only control what he does when the ball is in his hands, and Brady delivered - in spades. NE as a team were very fortunate to get the opportunity, but downplaying the 2nd TD because it was a short drive is senseless. A lot of teams would fail in that situation, and Brady delivered.

[Ben Kenobi]

Well it helps having a QB not named JaMarcus.

[Lord Avalon]

So what you're saying is the Chargers didn't earn their win, JaMarcus gave it to them, right?

[Ben Kenobi]

JaMarcus was a significant factor yes. I can't understand why Al Davis cut their backup who was actually decent.

[-Jrabbit]

Garcia asked for his release.

[Zopperoni]

Some positive stuff from Vince Young:

Vince Young fills in as dad for Steve McNair's sons

As a kid, Titans quarterback Vince Young looked up to Steve McNair.

On Wednesday, McNair's two young sons looked to Young as their father figure.

As part of "Dear Dads Breakfast" at St. Paul Christian Academy, Young surprised the children when he showed up at their house early Wednesday and took them to the Pancake Pantry.

Rest of story: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...+McNair+s+sons

[Ben Kenobi]

Garcia asked for his release.

Smart man.

[SlowwHand]

That's very cool, Zop.

[Lord Avalon]

Sloww posted in the Dead Pool thread; here's the ESPN obit:

Former Detroit Lions coach Monte Clark dies at 72

Clark led Lions to 1982, '83 playoffs

DETROIT -- Monte Clark, who coached the Detroit Lions for seven years and led them to the playoffs in 1982 and 1983(1), has died. He was 72.

He died Wednesday night at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, the team said Thursday. He had a bone marrow malignancy associated with lung and liver disease.

Clark was the offensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins team that went 17-0 in 1972. He became the Lions coach in 1978.

"Monte will always be remembered as a consummate football man," Lions president Tom Lewand said. "He knew football inside and out, and had a passion for it. He played the game at a high level and had success wherever he coached."

Under Clark, the Lions went 43-63-1 and made back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since their three straight playoff runs from 1952 to 1954. The Lions lost both games.

Seven players were named to 14 Pro Bowls during Clark's stay in Detroit, including lineman Al "Bubba" Baker, running back Billy Sims and kicker Eddie Murray.

Clark was born in Kingsburg, Calif., and starred as an offensive lineman at Southern California before San Francisco drafted him in 1959. He spent three seasons with the 49ers and one with the Dallas Cowboys before playing for the Cleveland Browns from 1963 to 1969.

Clark served as an assistant in Miami from 1970 to 1975 before becoming head coach in San Francisco in 1976, leading the 49ers to an 8-6 record.

Don Shula, whose 26 years as coach in Miami included the perfect 1972 season, called Clark an "outstanding coach."

"Monte was an outstanding teacher and knew how to present information to his players in a way that made it interesting and exciting for them," he said in a statement released by the Dolphins.

Clark also was on Shula's staff when Miami again won the Super Bowl in 1973. After his coaching stints in San Francisco and Detroit, Clark returned to Miami as director of pro personnel in 1990.

Clark served as offensive line coach at Stanford in 1993-94 and was Miami's offensive line coach in 1995, Shula's final season as coach of the Dolphins. He spent the 1998 season as offensive line coach at Cal-Berkeley and joined the Lions that year for the first of 11 seasons as a consultant.

After his coaching career, Clark was a football broadcaster in Detroit and color analyst for the University of Michigan. He was a sideline reporter for the Michigan State radio network in 1992.

Survivors include Clark's wife of 52 years, Charlotte, three sons and eight grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

RIP.

(1) Ahhh, "glory days." After the 1982 strike season, with only 9 regular season games, the NFL playoffs featured 8 seeds from both conferences, and, of course, the Lions were seeded 8th (4-5).

In 1983 they won the Central (9-7) and faced the 49ers in the divisional playoffs. Eddie Murray missed a last second 43-yd FG, and the Lions lost 24-23.

They wouldn't make the playoffs again till after the 1991 season, when they had their first and only playoff win since 1957, beating the Cowboys 38-6, before losing to the Redskins, 41-10.

(Actually, the Lions made the playoffs in 3 consecutive years in the 90s - after the 93, 94 & 95 seasons. I had forgotten this - thought it was on alternating seasons. Perhaps due to playoffs after 97 and 99 seasons.)

[SlowwHand]

I remember the Billy Sims years. He had the same problems as Barry Sanders.

[Lord Avalon]

Sims also had a career-ending knee injury.

[Lord Avalon]

I wonder how things might have turned out if the Lions hadn't lost two young OL-men: in 1991 Mike Utley suffered a broken neck; in the offseason Eric Andolsek was killed by a drunk driver while mowing his front yard.

IMO more continuity in the OL would have meant some more yards for Sanders. Not necessarily a lot more wins, as there were still QB issues.

[OzzyKP]

Sims also had a career-ending knee injury.

Oh ****, I started reading the thread from the bottom up and when I saw this I thought you were talking about Ernie.