"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[Demonbinder]

On PTI, Tony Kornheiser said that NE would have beat Bears '85 defense the way they played this weekend. Huh?? They were playing the Denver Broncos who went 8-8 in regular season and got lucky in a few games. No way would they have beat the '85 Bears.

Then Wilbon says that the death of the Packers OC's(?) son what a big reason the Pack lost. I think that is ridiculous. Once the game starts they shouldn't be thinking of that at all. It was more due to the basically three weeks off that they were dropping passes.

I'm not surprise Caldwell was fired by Colts, but it does seem ridiculous since he was 22-8 or so in two seasons before that? Typical of the NFL where you can have one bad season because your QB is out and then you get fired.

[Al B. Sure!]

The Giants nearly beat the Packers when the Packers were fresh. This is a healthier Giants team than the one that played them mid-season so beating them was no stretch.

The Patriots would have beat the 85 Bears only because Gronkowski and Hernandez are uncoverable. No way would Singletary and those other old school linebackers be able to play coverage. But this is hardly the best Patriots team. The 07 Pats were better.

Keep it up though. I love when the media hypes up the Patriots. Going to be a repeat of 07.

Caldwell was exposed. He's nothing without Peyton. Same deal with Bill Polian. If your QB goes down and your team plays like that, somebody's ****ing up in personnel management and coaching.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The 2007 Patriots were also the best team of that season, FWIW (and likely the best team of the 2000s).

[Imran Siddiqui]

Caldwell was exposed. He's nothing without Peyton. Same deal with Bill Polian. If your QB goes down and your team plays like that, somebody's ****ing up in personnel management and coaching.

Makes little sense if you pin it Polian. If you don't have the players, you don't have the players.

[-Jrabbit]

QB is the single key position where an injury can destroy a team, especially in today's NFL. The Colts (like the Bears) did not have a viable backup for their starter. Both teams paid dearly (though Indy will be rewarded with the #1 overall draft pick).

[Al B. Sure!]

Makes little sense if you pin it Polian. If you don't have the players, you don't have the players.

It was his responsibility to have the players! Polian was in charge of that stuff.


And actually I take back the Pats beating the 85 Bears thing. While Gronkowski and Hernandez would cause immense trouble and I don't know if the 85 Bears were built to handle those guys, the 85 Bears could rush the passer. The Giants stopped the Patriots' offense the last two times out including the Super Bowl almost entirely because of pressure. If you can get to the QB by rushing only four guys, you can beat the Patriots offense. I can imagine Richard Dent and Otis Wilson and all those guys knocking Brady around, regardless if Gronkowksi is running free.

[-Jrabbit]

I'm pretty sure the outcome of that hypothetical matchup would be determined by which era's rules were in effect. The NE (or GB or NO) passing game is designed to beat the current rules, and would likely struggle vs. what was legal in '85. And yeah, the Bears' pass rush was pretty good. The whole defense was built around pressuring the QB.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It was his responsibility to have the players! Polian was in charge of that stuff.

Um, that was about the decision to fire Caldwell. You are right, it was Polian's job, so why blame Caldwell for having crappy players?

[Al B. Sure!]

Um, that was about the decision to fire Caldwell. You are right, it was Polian's job, so why blame Caldwell for having crappy players?

Because as the coach, Caldwell had say in personnel management but he also is supposed to bring out the best in his players through schemes and motivation and he clearly failed on those accounts. What does he do? Every time they pan the camera to him, he has this emotionless look on his face and isn't talking to players or anything. Caldwell made questionable decisions regardless before this year. The timeout at the end of the playoff game against the Jets was ill-advised.

[Imran Siddiqui]

So... he's supposed to bring out the best in what you've said were crappy players?

[Al B. Sure!]

So... he's supposed to bring out the best in what you've said were crappy players?

He's supposed to do something! Regardless, Spagnuolo and Raheem Morris got fired for nothing less. Todd Haley lost his best back early and his QB later and still got axed. Caldwell deserved a termination no less than those guys did.

[SlowwHand]

Let's get real. A team with Peyton Manning isn't going to groom a QB too early. Especially when there are greater needs. See Defense.

[Imran Siddiqui]

He's supposed to do something! Regardless, Spagnuolo and Raheem Morris got fired for nothing less. Todd Haley lost his best back early and his QB later and still got axed. Caldwell deserved a termination no less than those guys did.

What makes you think that I believe those firings were justified? Teams are too quick to pull the trigger these days.

[rah]

And some teams refuse to pull the trigger on certain coaches.

[Al B. Sure!]

Tebow played against the Patriots injured:

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow played through considerable pain in Saturday night's AFC divisional playoff game against New England.

At the start of the third quarter, Tebow tore cartilage on his first rib where it attaches to his sternum, bruised his lung and had fluid buildup in his pleural cavity, according to an NFL source.