NFL Football - 2012 Season Thread

[SlowwHand]

While I can't argue that, I also can't blame them for going with the QB that got them into the Conference Championship...we willl never know if Alex Smith would have done the same...but I think we can safely say that Alex Smith wouldn't have had the game that Kaepernick had tonight.

We can't safely say anything. Rogers had a higher QB rating than Kaepernick. Interesting that Tebow and Kaepernick are being discussed, since Kaepernick's running was more impressive than his passing, after the smoke clears. Thank goodness for Crabtree.

[Ben Kenobi]

Rushing yards from a QB count now in Ben's world? They didn't count before

Has Vick ever rushed for 181? No? Then it counts. Whenever you do *anything* better than Vick, that's when the stat has meaning. It's like the Mendoza line in baseball.

****, Kaepernick is to Vick as Babe Ruth is to Sam Crawford. He crushed that 'record' by 40 percent. 444 yards combined is also 6.5 percent more than Vick's career best.

[snoopy369]

While I can't argue that, I also can't blame them for going with the QB that got them into the Conference Championship...we willl never know if Alex Smith would have done the same...but I think we can safely say that Alex Smith wouldn't have had the game that Kaepernick had tonight.

Errrr, I think we can say that Alex Smith has some ability to get them to conference championships... He didn't muff any punts, after all...

That said, I'm ready to annoint Kaepernick the second coming of Steve Young. Alex Smith is probably a decent QB, and has a shot at starting somewhere next year - there are 10-12 teams with worse QBs right now starting. Jacksonville, Miami, Tennessee, Arizona, Buffalo, Minnesota, Jets... that's just after 5 seconds of thought. He'll go somewhere and be successful. Just not SF.

And... he's not a rookie. Development, even without throwing a pass, is very much relevant. The biggest obstacle to a rookie QB is learning the playbook, which a 2nd year QB who didn't play much/at all had a ton of time to do.

[Ben Kenobi]

And... he's not a rookie. Development, even without throwing a pass, is very much relevant. The biggest obstacle to a rookie QB is learning the playbook, which a 2nd year QB who didn't play much/at all had a ton of time to do

I'm not sure I agree with that. I believe the greatest obstacle is game speed - getting acclimatized to the speed and pace of the NFL. You can memorize the playbook, but it doesn't matter if you can't execute.

[Al B. Sure!]

Denver would have probably been 4-12 with Tebow this year. Tebow was a total part-seaon fluke. Now that teams have had a look, he's defensible.

Oh really? Funny how the same zone read option is working so well for Kaepernick, Wilson, and Griffin then.

[Al B. Sure!]

Fact is, all you heard last year was the defense and Matt Prater carried Tebow. Somehow even though he was winning games and had a 300 yard passing day in a playoff victory, it wasn't him; it was the defense and Matt Prater.

Meanwhile Peyton Manning has an improved WR (Decker and Thomas were among the worst WR's in dropping balls last year since they were so raw) and TE corps, an even better defense, and in the playoff game, gets TWO special teams scores, and still can't get it done; no, in fact, he loses because he does precisely what Tebow doesn't do: throw interceptions.

I love how Tebow haters say a Tebow-led team can't put up points like they didn't drop 38 on Oakland, 35 on Minnesota, and 29 on Pittsburgh. Only one of those touchdowns was from defense/special teams. The rest was all offense.


Tebow haters don't have a leg to stand on. He's started 16 games and gone 9-7. He's racked up over 3600 yards in those games and between his starts and spot duty, has scored 32 touchdowns with only 7 picks. (26 touchdowns in his 16 starts).

A QB passes for 3600 yards and 26 passing touchdowns with 7 interceptions and we say he had a very good year.

But oh because it comes from running the ball somehow it doesn't count. Yards and touchdowns don't count when a QB ran them. They're immaterial to the outcome of the game

[-Jrabbit]

If Tebow lovers weren't so obnoxious, there wouldn't be so many Tebow haters.

Frankly, I don't much care either way. He's irrelevant in my world. But I do know for a fact that the win over the Bears should never have happened. In which case, I believe they would have missed the playoffs. So if you're going to go there, you should own the whole package, dude.

[Al B. Sure!]

Oh but his completion percentage stinks!

Well let's think outside of the box. Why does completion % matter? Because it means you're getting net positive plays with every completed pass. What about a run for a gain? Is a 7 yard run different from a 7 yard completion to the outcome of a game? No. Not at all.

What if we treated every Tebow run as a completion? Before you scoff, again, what is the difference between a 7 yard run and a 7 yard completed pass to the outcome of a game?

Marking every run as a completion, Tebow is 342/555 in his only 16 starts, a 61.6% rate.


A QB doesn't HAVE to be a primary passer. His job is to call the signals and direct the offense! That's it. There was a time when every NFL QB was barely distinguishable from a HB or FB. QB's were just as much 'backs.

Get out of the post-Walsh, post-Coryell mindset. It is possible to be a run-first QB. Every rushing yard counts the same as every passing yard.

[-Jrabbit]

Alby, who the hell are you arguing with?

[Ben Kenobi]

Himself?

[MRT144]

If Tebow lovers weren't so obnoxious, there wouldn't be so many Tebow haters.

Frankly, I don't much care either way. He's irrelevant in my world. But I do know for a fact that the win over the Bears should never have happened. In which case, I believe they would have missed the playoffs. So if you're going to go there, you should own the whole package, dude.

exactly

[Ben Kenobi]

And the greatest kicker ever seals the deal.

Down goes seattle. Now I just need a win for Houston and I will be thrilled!

[-Jrabbit]

Nice job frittering away a seemingly insurmountable lead, Atlanta.

Seattle timeout eliminates the missed FG by Bryant.
Bryant then bails out the Falcons on his second attempt from 49.

But.... Atlanta doesn't kick it deep, giving Seattle the ball at midfield??????????


WTF!!!

[Imran Siddiqui]

FINALLY (for Smith & Ryan)!!! But way to give me a heart attack, Falcons!

[Sparrowhawk]

What a bizarre finish! Fun game to watch though.