"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[Demonbinder]

BEARS FIRE JERRY ANGELO!!!

I have not been feeling well all day and just saw this news. In addition, according to John "Moon" Mullin, Mike Martz quit.

What a great day for Bears fans!!!

Does that mean Polian will be hired here? Hmmmm.

Don't like this idea though of new GM not being able to pick his own coach, but that may not be the case here. We will have to see.

[H Tower]

Not being able to pick his own coach automatically means that several candidates will regard the Bears job as a lesser opportunity.

[Demonbinder]

I think the Sam Hurd fiasco was the straw that broke Angelo's back. I'm not sure if it will affect getting a GM but it is hard to tell. One suggestion I heard was Eric DeCosta from Baltimore who has a good track record in picking players.

[Al B. Sure!]

Andy Reid will remain coach of the Eagles



Yes, that's him... at 13 years old.

[-Jrabbit]

Yeah, the footage of that PP&K Reid won competition is lolarious.

Since Martz was only under contract through 2011, it was largely expected (hoped) that he would move on. It appears that this was Lovie's decision.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz, whose contract ran through the 2011 season, will not return to the Bears in 2012. Quarterbacks coach Shane Day also will not be back.

The amicable parting between Martz and the Bears was based on philosophical differences.

“After meeting with Mike this afternoon, we both felt it was best to move in different directions,” said coach Lovie Smith. “I appreciate the job he and Shane did for us over the last two years.”

While the Bears say they will be interviewing a number of candidates, I fully expect it will be Mike Tice running (and running, and running) the Chicago offense in 2012.

BTW, the Bears ran for over 2,000 yds this year. First time since 1990. I wonder if anyone has told Lovie that this is a passing league now?

[Al B. Sure!]

Another record speaking of pass-first NFL.

Never in NFL history has a TE had 1300 yards in a season. Kellen Winslow the Elder hit 1290 in 1980 (the same year Fouts was the first 4500 yard passer). This year, both Graham and Gronkowski broke that mark, with Gronk settling at 1327 and Graham at 1310.

Both TE's did get it a little cheaply though, with stat-whore coaches making sure they got the ball just to get the needed yardage.

Playoff statistics don't count for some reason but technically, Winslow had 1337 that year if we include playoff yardage.

[-Jrabbit]

Playoff statistics don't count in any sport.

Gronkowski got the record because NE played after NO was done. If NO had played last, I'm confident Graham would have the record. You're absolutely right about stat-whoring. Belichick is really trying to make a point about his (admittedly awesome) dual-TE attack.

[Al B. Sure!]

That reminds me...

September 8th, Ben decided to respond to a fantasy team of mine that had Jimmy Graham and Aaron Hernandez at TE.

TE, weak,

Oh Ben

[-Jrabbit]

I am man enough to admit that I didn't believe the Graham hype last August. I really expected Jermichael Finley to be the breakout TE this year.

My bad.

[Al B. Sure!]

I am man enough to admit that I didn't believe the Graham hype last August. I really expected Jermichael Finley to be the breakout TE this year.

My bad.

I drafted Jared Cook as my TE (I'm pretty sure he was the last first TE taken by anyone) in D/ST. I let him go after his slow start. He did alright for the year, though. 759 yards and 3 TD's. He really caught on late in the season. Possible big year next year but going to be hamstrung by Locker.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Playoff statistics don't count in any sport.

Aside from college football (and yes, bowls are technically a "playoff" - they just don't lead anywhere else ).

[rah]

We can agree to disagree. Technically a playoff is
1.
(in competitive sports) the playing of an extra game, rounds, innings, etc., in order to settle a tie.
2.
a series of games or matches, as between the leading teams of two leagues, in order to decide a championship: In America the most exciting play-off is the World Series.


Obviously not number one.
And there is currently only one bowl that decides the BCBS championship
So for me the bowls decide nothing and are therefore not a playoff.

[H Tower]

Where did you come up with World Series being the most exciting play-off?

[rah]

I didn't. That was the entry at www.dictionary.com

[Al B. Sure!]

So someone tell Sloww he doesn't need to start a poll thread about what the Colts will do because 1) this is Chicago Bears civilization site and 2) there's this thread for such discussion, not to mention an entire thread already devoted to Peyton Manning/Andrew Luck.