Quote: (12-30-2012 10:35 PM)kosko Wrote:  

The Falcons are a joke and will be one and done, the 49'ners if Seattle marches in they will roast them again.

Quote: (01-03-2013 11:35 AM)RougeNoir Wrote:  

My Prediction:

Super Bowl XLVII
February 3, 2013
New Orleans, Louisiana

NFC Champ: Seattle Seahawks 20
AFC Champ: New England Patriots 34

Quote: (01-06-2013 07:34 PM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

Sad to see RG3 go out like that, but as a Wilson fan I'll be happy to pull for the Hawks the rest of the way. They're legit super bowl contenders right now.

Quote: (01-06-2013 07:46 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Seattle has hit this. Atlanta is a joke. Most overrated team in the playoffs by far!

Quote: (01-07-2013 12:41 AM)wi30 Wrote:  

Quote: (01-07-2013 12:29 AM)IQVX Wrote:  

Perfect so far.



Picks for Divisional round:

Denver, New England, Green Bay, Seattle

Would set up Manning vs. Brady, and then a rematch of the controversial TD game.

Same picks again (seriously not copying you though haha)

I was rooting for Seattle today just so the Packers could have a rematch in the NFC championship game if they both win this week. The AFC games are both going to be blowouts.

Quote: (01-10-2013 02:20 AM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

Quote: (01-12-2013 03:40 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  

GB>SF
SEA>Atl
DEN>Bal
NE>Hou


Go Pack Go

Quote: (01-13-2013 04:22 PM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  

Fuck Atlanta, go 9ers.

This New England-Houston game was the most lopsided of the 4 this weekend, Houston was never going to go into Foxboro in January and not get kicked

My picks this round were brutal. Going to be 1-for-3 assuming the Pats win this one.

As for the earlier game today, I still think the Seahawks are a better team than the Falcons. Perhaps the best team in the entire league if we're going by talent. Some bad clock management and coaching decisions cost them, but the fact they were down 20-0 at half and fought back to take the lead is just scary. Sorry, Falcons fans, still not putting any stock in your team. You're lucky to have barely won your first playoff game and you'll need to be better to beat the 49ers, who run a similar offense to Seattle, and on defense are more experienced.

Quote: (01-13-2013 04:32 PM)Enigma Wrote:  

This weekend is a good example of why I don't bet on games.

I hope the Falcons win next week. Tony Gonzalez deserves to go out as a champ.

As I said earlier, I fully expect the Patriots to beat the Niners in the Superbowl, cementing Brady's status as the best qb ever.

Baltimore, like Houston, imo has no chance to go into Foxboro and not getting their asses kicked. The NFC championship however will be a barn burner. I think the Niners are the better team, but it will be in Atlanta against a good Falcons team

Heartbroken Seahawks fan checking in.....

Hell of a run this year and almost one hell of a comeback today

Looks like russel wilson might be the future of the franchise it just sucks that we are paying a guy way more than him to just sit on the bench.

Too bad the Packers couldn't have the rematch. Everyone is Wisconsin is going though some form of depression. Liquor sales are through the roof.

Quote: (01-13-2013 10:32 PM)murrb Wrote:  

Heartbroken Seahawks fan checking in.....

Hell of a run this year and almost one hell of a comeback today

Looks like russel wilson might be the future of the franchise it just sucks that we are paying a guy way more than him to just sit on the bench.

Matt Flynn is the man. With Wilson coming out of UW and Flynn from GB I love both QBs. But Flynn deserves a starting spot in the league. I'm assuming someone like Jacksonville, Cleveland, or Arizona will be smart enough to take him.

Quote: (01-13-2013 11:11 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

Too bad the Packers couldn't have the rematch. Everyone is Wisconsin is going though some form of depression. Liquor sales are through the roof.

Quote: (01-13-2013 10:32 PM)murrb Wrote:  

Heartbroken Seahawks fan checking in.....

Hell of a run this year and almost one hell of a comeback today

Looks like russel wilson might be the future of the franchise it just sucks that we are paying a guy way more than him to just sit on the bench.

Matt Flynn is the man. With Wilson coming out of UW and Flynn from GB I love both QBs. But Flynn deserves a starting spot in the league. I'm assuming someone like Jacksonville, Cleveland, or Arizona will be smart enough to take him.

and here's hoping they give up a good draft pick to get him

Quote: (01-13-2013 11:11 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

Too bad the Packers couldn't have the rematch. Everyone is Wisconsin is going though some form of depression. Liquor sales are through the roof.

Quote: (01-13-2013 10:32 PM)murrb Wrote:  

Heartbroken Seahawks fan checking in.....

Hell of a run this year and almost one hell of a comeback today

Looks like russel wilson might be the future of the franchise it just sucks that we are paying a guy way more than him to just sit on the bench.

Matt Flynn is the man. With Wilson coming out of UW and Flynn from GB I love both QBs. But Flynn deserves a starting spot in the league. I'm assuming someone like Jacksonville, Cleveland, or Arizona will be smart enough to take him.

Off what, one game? There is a reason Flynn got whipped around in Training Camp by Wilson. Cousins in Washington at least won a game and came back in another for a win. Flynn had one amazing performance in a game that did not matter vs Detroit which by next season will be almost 2 years ago.

The best team doesn't always win. I think the Seahawks are the best team in the league.

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:30 AM)IQVX Wrote:  

The best team doesn't always win. I think the Seahawks are the best team in the league.

Agreed. GO HAWKS

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:15 PM)46. Wrote:  

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

It's a good trend and I hope these young guys steer the league away from old school logic of what wins you games - Making plays wins games. Strait up. I hate stiff old school QBs and I hate athletic prototypes like Mike Vick. RGIII, Luck, Wilson, Kaperneck all got solid arms and legit pocket presence but they are all strait up athletes as well which mirrors what's going with other positions in the league. Unless you got arm assassins like Rogers or Brees I don't care much for the old school types.

Quote: (01-13-2013 11:52 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Off what, one game? There is a reason Flynn got whipped around in Training Camp by Wilson. Cousins in Washington at least won a game and came back in another for a win. Flynn had one amazing performance in a game that did not matter vs Detroit which by next season will be almost 2 years ago.

Wilson would have beat out a majority of quarterbacks around the league. He is the type of QB that you can build a franchise around. But Flynn is completely capable of being a starter. You're right that he hasn't had the chance to prove himself but Seattle gave him a huge contract because of that Detroit game. There are teams that would benefit by putting him in the starting role.

Quote: (01-13-2013 08:42 PM)LoveBug Wrote:  

As I said earlier, I fully expect the Patriots to beat the Niners in the Superbowl, cementing Brady's status as the best qb ever.

Baltimore, like Houston, imo has no chance to go into Foxboro and not getting their asses kicked. The NFC championship however will be a barn burner. I think the Niners are the better team, but it will be in Atlanta against a good Falcons team

A Superbowl win doesn't cement him as the best ever. He'll need one more win in addition to do that. If he wins this year it puts him shoulder to shoulder with Montana and Bradshaw, though Bradshaw's name is never included in the "best ever" discussion because he played in an era before the explosion of passing offense. However, 4 Superbowl wins is 4 Superbowl wins. One thing Brady can do next week is get the most overall playoff wins by a QB - no small feat.

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:21 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:15 PM)46. Wrote:  

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

It's a good trend and I hope these young guys steer the league away from old school logic of what wins you games - Making plays wins games. Strait up. I hate stiff old school QBs and I hate athletic prototypes like Mike Vick. RGIII, Luck, Wilson, Kaperneck all got solid arms and legit pocket presence but they are all strait up athletes as well which mirrors what's going with other positions in the league. Unless you got arm assassins like Rogers or Brees I don't care much for the old school types.

Also what's interesting are these coaches- especially Harbaugh and Carroll, have designed offenses tailor-made for these guys. Some bespoke s---. That's a huge shift. Could you imagine a young Mike Vick in one of these offenses? A guy like Vick still had to play old school QB position first, then run. These new guys get systems they can immediately thrive in. The only issue is that the new guys still have to play against 11 bad MFs on defense....can these QBs stay healthy???

Quote: (01-14-2013 01:05 PM)wi30 Wrote:  

Quote: (01-13-2013 11:52 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Off what, one game? There is a reason Flynn got whipped around in Training Camp by Wilson. Cousins in Washington at least won a game and came back in another for a win. Flynn had one amazing performance in a game that did not matter vs Detroit which by next season will be almost 2 years ago.

Wilson would have beat out a majority of quarterbacks around the league. He is the type of QB that you can build a franchise around. But Flynn is completely capable of being a starter. You're right that he hasn't had the chance to prove himself but Seattle gave him a huge contract because of that Detroit game. There are teams that would benefit by putting him in the starting role.

I'm not sure that the thinking has completely changed just yet. Teams are still afraid of smaller athletes at the position. It all depends on who the coaches and coordinators are. Pete Carroll isn't afraid of going against the grain, and was willing to tailor his offense to the particular skills of his QB. It was unprecedented for him to choose Wilson over Flynn because they had just signed Flynn to a huge free agent contract, and Flynn had more experience, even if he'd only had a couple of starts. He'd been in the league a little while, went through practices, etc. etc. which is also valuable. Most coaches would have still gone with the veteran they had made the financial investment in, even though the rook had better preseason numbers. It may have made the leash a little shorter for the veteran starter, but the vet would have gotten the benefit of the doubt.

The rookie year successes of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco opened eyes, in that it wasn't impossible to have success with a rookie starter IF you have a solid veteran roster and a good running game. Mark Sanchez came a year later, and his team got to two straight conference championship games. Now, other organizations aren't as uncomfortable making that move if they don't have a better veteran option. Teams that have the opportunity to pick QBs high in the first round are bad teams, so you don't lose a lot by letting him take his lumps early. Also, more QBs are running pro-style offenses in college, and even high school. They're more prepared to step in and run these offenses because they've seen and run similar. It's just a matter of terminology now. Guys like Newton, RGIII, and Kaepernick are introducing a new model for the position, in that they have strong, accurate arms, AND they are not just mobile, but taking off on designed running plays (you still don't want to get your QB hit this much though). I don't see Russell Wilson as a runner - he's a mobile, scrambling QB that can extend plays and find open receivers, but can tuck it and gain yardage if necessary. They don't really design runs for Wilson.

What Jim Harbaugh did was truly unprecedented. He replaced a successful veteran starter (he'd taken them to the NFC title game the year before, and was statistically at the top of the league among QBs this season) who was out injured with a young QB that hadn't started a game. That is against the unwritten code, but he was a player that could do everything the other QB could do, AND had the added dimension of being a runner with a stronger arm. Tom Brady showed many that you can find a successful QB outside of the first round (Brady was a 6th rounder, Wilson was a 3rd rounder), and Kaepernick (2nd rounder) shows that your QB doesn't have to come from one of the top football factories. It's about the skills and smarts of the particular player, and not necessarily where he played or who he played against on the college level. If the kid is a great athlete, he'll create problems for defenses. For the most part, GMs and coaches will still lean towards the 6'3" pocket passer with the strong arm, because that's still what most are comfortable with. Every now and then a large, mobile athlete comes along and it's a no-brainer. Still, for anyone that doesn't fit that mold, there's still lots of hand-wringing among personnel people in the NFL.

Wilson got where he is because he is the smartest guy on the field and is a natural born leader with excellent physical abilities.

The only reason he wasn't a first rounder is because of his height.

A lot of GM's are kicking themselves for taking a pass on him.

IIRC Flynn was a 7th rounder. He learned and improved a lot at GB, but I wouldn't have given him the contract Seattle did.

Quote: (01-14-2013 01:43 PM)46. Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:21 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:15 PM)46. Wrote:  

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

It's a good trend and I hope these young guys steer the league away from old school logic of what wins you games - Making plays wins games. Strait up. I hate stiff old school QBs and I hate athletic prototypes like Mike Vick. RGIII, Luck, Wilson, Kaperneck all got solid arms and legit pocket presence but they are all strait up athletes as well which mirrors what's going with other positions in the league. Unless you got arm assassins like Rogers or Brees I don't care much for the old school types.

Also what's interesting are these coaches- especially Harbaugh and Carroll, have designed offenses tailor-made for these guys. Some bespoke s---. That's a huge shift. Could you imagine a young Mike Vick in one of these offenses? A guy like Vick still had to play old school QB position first, then run. These new guys get systems they can immediately thrive in. The only issue is that the new guys still have to play against 11 bad MFs on defense....can these QBs stay healthy???

That's the greater question - can you have your QB running around like that and keep them healthy? No. Not for all 16 regular season games. You can't keep exposing your triggerman to hits like that. For all the great plays that Michael Vick has made in his career, I believe he's only played the full 16 games once. He's a tiny guy by NFL standards. You want a mobile guy, like Rodgers, who can dance around and avoid the worst hits, maybe run for a first down or two here and there and slide or get out of bounds, and has a cannon arm to deliver darts on the run. I think you want your QB to be content with getting what he can get, and avoiding hits as best he can.

Quote: (01-14-2013 02:06 PM)Timoteo Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 01:43 PM)46. Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:21 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:15 PM)46. Wrote:  

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

It's a good trend and I hope these young guys steer the league away from old school logic of what wins you games - Making plays wins games. Strait up. I hate stiff old school QBs and I hate athletic prototypes like Mike Vick. RGIII, Luck, Wilson, Kaperneck all got solid arms and legit pocket presence but they are all strait up athletes as well which mirrors what's going with other positions in the league. Unless you got arm assassins like Rogers or Brees I don't care much for the old school types.

Also what's interesting are these coaches- especially Harbaugh and Carroll, have designed offenses tailor-made for these guys. Some bespoke s---. That's a huge shift. Could you imagine a young Mike Vick in one of these offenses? A guy like Vick still had to play old school QB position first, then run. These new guys get systems they can immediately thrive in. The only issue is that the new guys still have to play against 11 bad MFs on defense....can these QBs stay healthy???

That's the greater question - can you have your QB running around like that and keep them healthy? No. Not for all 16 regular season games. You can't keep exposing your triggerman to hits like that. For all the great plays that Michael Vick has made in his career, I believe he's only played the full 16 games once. He's a tiny guy by NFL standards. You want a mobile guy, like Rodgers, who can dance around and avoid the worst hits, maybe run for a first down or two here and there and slide or get out of bounds, and has a cannon arm to deliver darts on the run. I think you want your QB to be content with getting what he can get, and avoiding hits as best he can.

Bingo.

Look at RGIII this season. He will be out of football in 5 years or less if Shanahan continues using him as a human pinball.

Quote: (01-14-2013 02:22 PM)Hotwheels Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 02:06 PM)Timoteo Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 01:43 PM)46. Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:21 PM)kosko Wrote:  

Quote: (01-14-2013 12:15 PM)46. Wrote:  

Well the great thing about all the young QBs in the playoffs- RG III, Luck, and especially Colin and Russ- is that coaches seem be becoming less risk averse, taking chances with the best fit instead of the usual. I love these bold moves.

It's a good trend and I hope these young guys steer the league away from old school logic of what wins you games - Making plays wins games. Strait up. I hate stiff old school QBs and I hate athletic prototypes like Mike Vick. RGIII, Luck, Wilson, Kaperneck all got solid arms and legit pocket presence but they are all strait up athletes as well which mirrors what's going with other positions in the league. Unless you got arm assassins like Rogers or Brees I don't care much for the old school types.

Also what's interesting are these coaches- especially Harbaugh and Carroll, have designed offenses tailor-made for these guys. Some bespoke s---. That's a huge shift. Could you imagine a young Mike Vick in one of these offenses? A guy like Vick still had to play old school QB position first, then run. These new guys get systems they can immediately thrive in. The only issue is that the new guys still have to play against 11 bad MFs on defense....can these QBs stay healthy???

That's the greater question - can you have your QB running around like that and keep them healthy? No. Not for all 16 regular season games. You can't keep exposing your triggerman to hits like that. For all the great plays that Michael Vick has made in his career, I believe he's only played the full 16 games once. He's a tiny guy by NFL standards. You want a mobile guy, like Rodgers, who can dance around and avoid the worst hits, maybe run for a first down or two here and there and slide or get out of bounds, and has a cannon arm to deliver darts on the run. I think you want your QB to be content with getting what he can get, and avoiding hits as best he can.

Bingo.

Look at RGIII this season. He will be out of football in 5 years or less if Shanahan continues using him as a human pinball.

Absolutely. The thing is, RGIII already had a repaired ACL that he tore in college. He got off kind of lucky on the Ngata hit, in that his knee hyperextended and it looked a lot uglier than it turned out. That knee was severely weakened though, and on the injury against the Seahawks, he twisted it the wrong way and it just gave out. He's a unique athlete at the position, and I understand the temptation to fully utilize him. However, they'll end up risking his long-term effectiveness if they don't find some balance. He also needs to dial himself back and not try to make the big play all the time. The rules have moved so far towards protecting offensive players in general, and QBs specifically, that when they get a good shot at you, they take full advantage. He has to limit the opportunities for clean shots.

Eric Dickerson, one of the great running backs in league history, spoke unashamedly about his desire to avoid hits. That's right - a running back that didn't want to take unnecessary shots. Dickerson was tall and angular, with an upright running style which made him a pretty big target. He survived by using his speed, making guys miss, and when he got all that he could get, he got to the ground or out of bounds. Some thought he was a pussy for doing that, but if you look at him today, he looks like he could still play. He isn't in pain and shuffling around. He hasn't had the myriad of health problems and/or join replacements that his contemporaries have suffered through. Dickerson said that at the beginning of the year, he went to the equipment manager and asked for two of every pad or piece of protective equipment that he had. Dickerson wore goggles, one of those collars, elbow pads, the largest shoulder pads, thigh and knee pads (which players have disgarded to gain speed and feel lighter), hip pads, and probably wore a flack jacket too. He did EVERYTHING he could to protect himself.