NFL: Season 2005/05

Archren said:
Do the Pats have a lot of players out on injury? That might explain the rather horrible showing against the Panthers.

I'm just glad that the Broncos were able to squeeze out a 17-14 win yesterday. Ouch.
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Funny you should mention that. The answer is no, they stunk all on their own, but they do have injuries after the game. :eek:

Last year they had a real shortage of Corner Backs, and they pressed Troy Brown a receiver into service as a CB. At the game in Carolina, one of the CBs was injured and didn't make the trip, then the guy playing was injured and left on a cart, and we were all wondering if Troy Brown would end up doing it again. Things might have gone better if he had. :rolleyes:

There is a wonderful Dunkin Donuts ad where Troy says 'coach wants him to try a few new things' He ends up teaching the mascot to dance, answering the phone for the Pats, cooking in their cafeteria, and making another superbowl ring for the one Putin stole from Kraft in Russia. :D

Seriously they may have a real problem on offense. Charlie Wiess their co-ordinator is now head coach for Notre Dame. They supposedly have a committee calling the plays, Tom Brady the QB, Josh McDaniels the QB coach (who is about a month older or younger than Tom) and Bellichick. The terrible O-line penalties to me are a symptom of plays coming in and being deployed out of the normal sync. Too slow and they move and get false start penalties. It may also be why the running game has died. They are not able to block well and open holes for Cory to run through, because they are holding back to avoid the penalties. Tom also may have too much on his plate - they say he is making 50% of the calls at the line, to concentrate on his throwing.

I hope they get their act together fast, because if not the Steelers will kills us on Sunday. ;)
 
The Bengals crushed the Vikes. I would have felt more confident that this might mean a turning point in the Endless Decade of Woe (now going on 15 years), but the Vikes just are not that good right now. But, hey, good teams should crush the bad ones right?
Can't believe Dallas lost last night. Tuna must be mightily PO'd. BTW is it me or is Charlie Weiss built exactly like Tuna?
 
They're Baaack !! :D

I feel like a limp dishrag, what a game. It started out ok, looked like it would be a good hard fought game between almost equal teams. Then the Steelers poured it on and we started to go into the same funk as in Carolina: penalties, missed oportunities, drops, balls being batted down, turnovers in the red zone, runs that went no-where. :mad:

Perhaps the worst was when 2 defenders went out: one of the shrinking pool of corner backs, and then possibly a game-ender: Rodney Harrison. He has taken over from Tedy Bruschi as the heart of the defense. He also is the glue that holds the secondary together because so many are 2nd and 3rd string - to replace those injured. I really thought we should just get on the plane there and then.

They had managed to keep the score close, and miracle of miracles the Superbowl Champions finally showed up. They have been struggling and mis-firing so far this season, they have lacked intensity and cohesion. Well suddenly the defense stepped up and shut Ben down and kept them from running. Then we lost a vet O-line guy on the left side. They had a couple of series where they couldn't protect Tom because of 2 rookies on the left side, but then somehow they became impenetrable. In the 4th quarter Tom was perfect: 12 for 12, he had all the time in the world to throw, and his receivers caught and ran. He picked them apart.

At one point even Adam Vinatieri caught the malaise - he missed one. But the recovery was complete because Tom marched them down the field with 1:20 left and it was Adam and Leave. :D

They played poorly for a lot of the game, but they seem to finally get their act together. I feel that there is hope for the rest of the season now. Even with the injuries they plugged new people in and kept going, and they fought to the last minute - which is Patriots football.

The Steelers played well too, but it wasn't enough. And I have to say that there were at least 4 imaginary penalties called against the Pats.

I see the Bengals won again, congrats Radone. I wish the Browns had won, but they are still doing better than last year. Glad the Jets lost and the Bills. Not happy to see Miami win. Oh well you can't have everything.

But Charlie and ND also won.
 
Well, it was a pretty good week for me. Go Patriots! I had a great time watching Denver absolutely CRUSH Kansas City at Mile High. Woohoo!

However, can it really be true that the Cincinnatti Bengals are one of the only remaining undefeated teams? That is amazing. It may also be a sign of impending apocalypse, so I'll be watching the skies. ;)
 
I'll say this for the few games we've seen so far - it's been amazingly exciting. Man are the Pats beat up - no Bruschi and now no Harrison, Harrison was one of if not the key defensive player for the champs. With a pair of rookies to guard Brady it could be an interesting few weeks for the MVP :) But how about those Jets - two QB's in one game, it's like Any Given Sunday material, I don't even know who their third choice QB is :D

Worse though Miami are the least affected by injuries and Ricky Williams is coming back in a few weeks, surely they can't win the AFC East :eek: Green Bay 0 - 3 - has Favre's magic runout or is that team just stale, looks like they won't be hurting many teams this year. By the same token - Buccs 3 - 0? Looks like that D-line is back where it was a few years ago and I don't know a whole lot about Carnell Williams but that guy is putting up 2000+ numbers at the moment. I got to watch the Chargers smash the Giants and Tomlinson was unbelievable - he even threw for a touchdown after getting three for himself. Thought he was going to bust 200 as well. Bledsoe looked decent for Dallas although I think its a year or two early for both the stars and 49ers.
 
Im so happy Miama won :D I hope this year they make the playoffs though.
 
Archren said:
Well, it was a pretty good week for me. Go Patriots! I had a great time watching Denver absolutely CRUSH Kansas City at Mile High. Woohoo!
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It was nice to see the Broncos actually play a game this year. Though I really hope the Cheifs were just having a bad day, it's hard to even call it a game.

B5
 
We should see this week if the Pats have finally got their act together, and if they are going to be able to deal with the injuries. They have in the past, and since they did in the game last week, I am not giving up on them yet. They seem to actually need adversity to get them going. :rolleyes:

Tedy said he is coming back next year, works out at the facility, has been reported as going to meetings and is seen on the side-line at home games. He was also leading a team cheer in the locker room after one of their wins (saw it on NFL network or ESPN), it might have been in Pit so he may have been there too. In any event, though his body isn't on the field, his skill knowledge and his heart are still helping the team.

I think that Harrison can do the same at some point too. He is supposed to have surgery in 6 weeks they said. And lots of people are talking about his career being over because of his age and the fact that he ripped 3 of 4 ligaments in his knee. That may be true, but having seen Rodney over the past couple of years, I doubt he will just give up. I think even off the field his determination will motivate the team.

So provided BB & Scott Pioli can find people who are at least better than last year's Earthwind Morleand - they should be ok.

Some of the commentators last year talked wonderingly about why the opposig teams didn't try to exploit our weak secondary, and I suspect it is because BB throws more than they can handle at them in other areas, and they are too busy just trying to survive to be able to pick on our weaknesses. I have faith BB wil continue to do that, and I hope the players he ends up with, will be able to execute it.

The fish could be a problem, they often are for us in Sept.-Oct , even when they aren't doing well. They usually fade in Dec-Jan, especially when they have to come north in the cold. Don't know if Ricky and Saban will change that. They have a bye week this week, so if we win we will be in first place alone. :D

The Jets are in trouble. But even before Penny went down he was doing poorly (they call him noodle arm on the Patsfan board). So it may be six of one or a half-dozen of the other.
 
Looks like the Pats may struggle, it was close at half but Tomlinson really busted out, that guy is killing teams in the last quarter - why didn't NE rush the ball more? Dillon looked in decent touch.
Bengals, Buccs and Colts are 4-0, I would only have picked one of them to have that record at this stage, the other two I would have had tipped to be the reverse :D Rams aren't looking such dark horses, their rushing game was neglected in a throw-off and their defense can't guard Fort Knox. The Ravens welcomed Bollinger to the NFL - with five sacks :D Sat what you want about Terrell Owens but that guy can put up superstar numbers when he wants to, that Eagles game was really exciting.
 
The Pats got absolutely smashed-and by a Schottenheimer coached team no less! I'm not sure who's the worse big game coach, him or Bill Cowher.
Tampa Bay got stone cold lucky when the ref over-turned a late Detroit touchdown. I didn't think it was a touchdown either, but the instant replay states that the evidence must be indiputable visual evidence . It is even italicized in the rule books. The evidence was not indisputable and the touchdown should have stood.
My Bengals won an ugly game. They would have lost a game like this in the Lost Decade of Woe, but they pulled this one out. Of course, they've played 4 teams with an aggregate 3-10 record, so I'm not ready to proclaim they playoff bound just yet. Their next few games, touch Jacksonville and Pittsburgh should air out how good they really are.
Are Mexicans really that into football? Who knew?
 
Oh Woe is me. I am wearing sack-cloth and ashes. ;)

The Pats are unable to take a win and make it a second one. It goes back to preseason, before the injuries: WLWLWLWL. We may end up 8 and 8 at this point.

The Pats lost Andruzzi one of the O-Line, who besides keeping people off Tom, also opened holes for Dillon. The current O-Line, even when they do keep Tom covered, can't make holes for Dillon. So Dillon's runs have been averaging 2.9 per. Then we end up with 2nd and long, which forces a throw, and if it doesn't work - because they know its coming, then means 3rd and long and then because that will be an expected throw - it is out. That is probably why Dillon wasn't used too much. They tried too much in Carolina and it killed us.

Also some of the time Cory is actually blocking for Tom. There was a guy (Steeler I think) who went flying upside down through the air, and it was because Cory hit him to keep him off Tom. I was kind of hoping they would send Cory in on D, just to get them hitting again. :D The D was bad, and it wasn't just the injuries, they clocked the Steelers with the injuries. Many of the D weren't tackling well, and we HAD NO TAKE-AWAYS. In the past we have, and it has gotten the D out of some of the jams they get into, in terms of being overwhelmed, tired, and making penalties. I want Ty Law back - though the '05 version might not be capable anymore.

The Chargers didn't smash the Pats, until the second half. It was tough in the first but still pretty equal. They just wilted in the 2nd half and the Chargers didn't. They played really, really well.

It was very warm here on Sunday. I had a friend at the game, and she and her husband left the game before the half, becasue of the heat she thought she was going to pass out. It was very sunny, and it was warm. It was also warm in Carolina. The Pats don't like the heat, which is also one of the reasons why the Dolphins are always tough for us in Miami, in Sept. & Oct. We do well in the cold and the snow ( and we have a lot of southern guys on the team too, go figure). Still should have won, but I have come to dred really warm days.

Well if we run true to form we will beat the crap out of Vick and Falcons. Or we could just fold up completely and really, really suck this season. :confused:
 
Yeah, the Pats really lacked intensity during that game, especially the defense.

I can't believe what an incredibly tough schedule the NFL gave the Pats this season. I know that if you win the Superbowl you get a tough sched, but I don't remember the Pats having it this bad after their previous championship seasons. They don't even play a divison game until Oct 30th!! They still have to play Atlanta and Denver before that, and both are away games. At least the games could have been mixed up a little more so they could have played division games in between the non-divisional ones. Everybody is talking about how Inday is possibly the best team in the NFL.
 
I think they are at the moment and obviously that could change over the next ten or so games but realistically its only the Pats, who won it all, that have stopped them in the Post-season for the last two years. With all the Pats problems, this could be the Colts year - unless Ray Lewis kills Manning and or James :D
 
Well in terms of the NFL, I think they are odious.

Last year the hats for the winner of the superbowl (approved by the NFL) were tan and Brown. That color scheme does not work for Red/White (silver)/Blue - it does however go with green, which is the main color for the Eagles. They expected and wanted the Eagles to win, and couldn't even be bothered to spend the time or the minimum bucks to come up with something as a contingency in case the Pats won.

Same with the T-shirt. It looked like it was designed for someone who couldn't read. It was all logos. No location, no date, not even the name of the team. They slapped it together in 5 minutes. I know they print them after the game, but the design should have been thought out and ready to go in case they won.

Picture

In terms of the play-offs (looks over shoulder to see if Bill Bilicheck has launched a bolt of lightening) to get in, we only have to win our division. So far this year it sucks. Miami may be the only danger.

If we get into the play-offs then all bets are off. Of the few losing games they have in the last 4 years, only about 3 are after November 1st. They play better the longer they go in the season and the colder and worse the weather gets. In terms of the Colts, if they come to Foxboro -- it will snow (its a guarantee :D - the Colts have done something to really, really piss off the football gods). If we end up at the Colts dome, we have still won there. So even if we aren't doing all that well, and aren't as good now, as we should be, I think we still have a chance later on. Or not. :eek:
 
Oh, Ficus. Honestly!
Having to put up with ugly hats and T-shirts announcing your favorite team's Super Bowl triumph surely must be a terrible setback that separates the true fan from the fair-weather variety. ;)
Ficus, where do the Celtics rate in fan-love up there? If they were any good, would they still rate behind the Sox and Patriots?
 
It has nothing to do with being a fan, or the level of committment of the fan.

It is a snub of the Pats - by the NFL establishment. Hats and T-Shirts are fine, but the year before they looked like someone had spent a few moments and actually designed something that worked for their colors and wasn't cobbled together in a revolving door. Last year's were a joke. They had obviously already decided that the Eagles would win, and had set the stuff up for the Eagles. When they didn't win they slapped together the 'Pats version' and it looked like it.

And its not just the poor quality of the 'art' which I object to, but it is also a slap in the face to the Pats.

I hate baseball and the Red Sox, and Basketball is next in line. No skill involved at all, they're all 20 feet tall, and it is a big deal when they don't score.

Red Sox are number one, and then probably the Pats. The Celtics and the Bruins are pretty mediocre so I am not really sure which one is next. When the Celtics were in their heyday they were number 2, and if they were better now they would probably be number 3. The Revolution (soccer) are the last regardless of how bad the rest of them are.
 
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Anybody watch today's games?

I watched the Seattle vs St.Louis game. It was quite exciting. Seattle is one of my favourite teams and after the first play when the rams received a kick off and ran 90-plus yards my hopes were down. Shaun Alexander played amazing and Matt Hassleback was pretty good too. SEA 37-31
Also caught part of the Buffalo-Miama game. Really dissapointed with the outcome of that game. Randy McMichael played allright I guess. BUF 20-14
 
Yes I watched the Pats squeak by the Falcons (without Vick). We may be doomed, we have no defense, none what-so-ever.

Richard Seymour was injured from the last game, and didn't play, and Corey Dillon got injured at the end of the game, after he had his first 100+ yeard game this year.

We are on a roller-coaster and the pattern is for the next game to be a loss. And we are going into Denver which is always a tough location for the Pats. I have no idea when we might be getting some of the injured back, but if we don't soon we may have to put some waterboys in.

I am glad Miami lost, though I wish that both the Bills and Miami could have lost. We are now in first place. The Jets won, which is not good. Testaverde may be able to ressurect them.

I switched over to see Dallas and Philly later in the day. Watched it for a while and then fell asleep. Glad that Philly lost. Watched part of the late game the Bengals and the Jags, though didn't pay much attention. I think the Bengals just lost.

No ND this weekend, and I think Cleveland won, so that is good.

But the best news is the Red Sox were eliminated. Yiiiiiiiippppppeeee. Now if only we can not hear about them for a couple of months.
 
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