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

[SlowwHand]

Vick is no longer a spring chicken. Even if he had time not being driven into the turf, he's still not so young. My question was more about why he might want to risk what by now is a starting position, which he doesn't appear to want to do, and why would the Eagles not use the Franchise Tag on a younger player. They would have Vick and the second player sewn up. Seems like a bad business decision to me.

[Al B. Sure!]

No. Exactly Vick is a risk because of his age and injury history. Hell, he got injured twice and missed games this year. The Eagles are doing the wise thing by not giving him a long-term deal but just keeping him for one more year. Remember, they have Kolb also on a 1-year contract next year. This way the Eagles are tied to neither QB long-term and can postpone what they ultimately decide for the future of the franchise til after next year.

The uncertainty of the labor situation makes the Eagles position even more attractive. Makes perfect business sense for the Eagles. This is also not surprising. You can find articles from earlier in the season when Vick first emerged in which people analyzed what the Eagles would likely do in the off-season, giving the QB controversy. Tagging Vick was what everybody said would be done.

[SlowwHand]

Who are you arguing with? It can't be me, because all you said in the first paragraph reinforces my questioning their plan to use the tag on him. The second was other people's opinion from 6 months ago.
I've about decided you just like to argue with me.

[Al B. Sure!]

Huh? I'm just saying I don't see what's 'bad business' about tagging Vick. It makes sense. Do you think Vick wouldn't attract top-5 QB money on the market? And even if he didn't, the Eagles would gladly pay a premium on him for a year to postpone the inevitable decision between Kolb vs. Vick. It's not like the Eagles are sold on Vick as their starting QB for the next 5 years or anything. This tagging gives the Eagles a lot more options and time to see if Vick can continue to have success.

And even if the Eagles are certain they wouldn't keep Vick beyond the 2011 season, judging from this past season, Vick gives the Eagles the best chance for a Super Bowl, so of course they would ride him for one more year, even if they ultimately plan on turning to Kolb.

[Al B. Sure!]

Oh I get it. You're saying, why use the franchise tag on a guy who wants to stay anyway?

There are salary cap benefits associated with tagging someone. I don't know the full accounting implications of it, but I am sure the Eagles front office have done the math and know tagging him would be more beneficial than let's say, giving him a 1-year deal.

[SlowwHand]

Right. I'm saying that it appears to me that they have Vick. He's grateful and wants to stay. Why not use the tag where it's more needed? They don't even HAVE to use it.

[Al B. Sure!]

Polamalu won defensive player of the year, narrowly edging out Clay Matthews.

Guess Clay is going to have some extra motivation on Sunday, then.

[Donegeal]

While I can agree with Polamalu, Mathews being up there is crazy. He is a pass rush specialist, and has very little impact on nearly half the defensive plays (running plays). Polamalu is great in pass rush, decent in coverage, great at reading plays and comes up to support the run defense as good or better than anyone from the Safety position.

[SlowwHand]

I would have voted Matthews.

[Al B. Sure!]

The funny thing about Matthews is he seems so dominant but his stats were surpassed by a few others.

Matthews: 60 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FF
Ware: 66 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 2 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD
Tamba Hali: 52 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 4 FF, 2 FR
Cameron Wake: 57 tackles, 14 sacks, 3 FF
James Harrison: 100 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 6 FF, 1 FR

As you can see, there have been a number of guys in the same ball park as Matthews statistically and Ware was actually better. It actually looks like James Harrison could have been the Steeler with the award rather than Polamalu.

Of course, statistics aren't everything and maybe it's about the effect the player has on the game. That's harder to judge but Polamalu is definitely a game-changer.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, I have no probs with Polamalu winning it. The Steelers are a very different defense with him.

[SlowwHand]

I didn't say that I had a problem with it. I said who I would have voted for. That's all it took to send Al rushing off to prove that I was wrong. Not that I'm really wrong.
Did Polamalu win unanimously? Even if he had, it wouldn't make me wrong. It would mean that I have a different opinion.

[-Jrabbit]

I've seen Matthews all year. He's potentially dominant, but kind of a one-trick pony the way he's deployed in that defense. Great physical talent, can be neutralized. This vote officially makes him overrated.

It was interesting to see how different the Steelers defense was in the couple games Polamalu was unavailable this year. Night and day. Despite the weak statistics (low tackle total in particular), a compelling argument.

That said, I fully support Sloww's right to have his own opinion.

[Al B. Sure!]

Last year when Polamalu missed time, the Steelers D wasn't the same either. That's two years now in which the Steelers D has fallen off a bit without Polamalu.

[Al B. Sure!]

Madden 11 predicts the Steelers will win the Super Bowl

http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/355-steelers-will-win-super-bowl-xlv-predicts-madden-11/

Forget Punxsutawney Phil -- Madden 11, EA's pigskin prognosticator, has emerged from its burrow just in time to make its annual wintery pick.
And it's going with Pittsburgh.
According to the simulation, the Steelers storm back from an early fourth quarter deficit to narrowly beat the Green Bay Packers, 24-20, nabbing their record seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy. With five catches for 111 yards -- including the game-winning TD -- Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace wins the MVP.
EA Sports has been using Madden to predict the Super Bowl winner for years now, and the famed football franchise is proving eerily good at it. Not only has Madden correctly picked six of the last seven winners, it's actually been quite close on the final scores in a few of them.
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Madden: Patriots 23, Panthers 20
Actual Score: Patriots 32, Panthers 29

Super Bowl XXXIX
Madden: Patriots 47, Eagles 31
Actual score: Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Super Bowl XL
Madden: Steelers 24, Seahawks 19
Actual score: Steelers 21, Seahawks 10
Super Bowl XLI
Madden: Colts 38, Bears 27
Actual score: Colts 29, Bears 17
Super Bowl XLII -- WHOOPS
Madden: Patriots 38, Giants 30
Actual score: Giants 17, Patriots 14
Super Bowl XLIII
Madden: Steelers 28, Cardinals 24
Actual score: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23

Super Bowl XLIV
Madden: Saints 35, Colts 31
Actual score: Saints 31, Colts 17

Madden (the game, not the coach) has been right for every SB the past 7 years but the magnificent Giants upset of the Patriots. 6 for 7 is very impressive.