NFL 2007

Saints vs. Colts-Tonight will be INSANE!!!


Let's all root for Mista Mista Dreeeew Breeeees..!!!!

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Call Me The Breeze
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLJcB-gpOek

I'm looking forward to this game and the start of the NFL season in general.

The Dolphins will be below mediocre this year. If they win more than six games, I'll be shocked.

PREDICTION:

COLTS 42, SAINTS 0

You weren't that far off. Good guess. It was exciting to see the start of the season, but I was hoping for a better game. Drew Brees looked lost.

Longneck-

I thought the player from your avatar was done for the year on the first play. I went to bed at halftime and was surprised that NO could not put up any offensive touchdowns.

I must be getting old, but does anyone else hate the pre-game hype bullshit of seeing singers and all this other worthless stuff? I mean, why do we need Faith Hill singing about the start of a season? I understand the NFL wants to promote the opening weekend, but come on.

I agree with the singing. What does Faith Hill have to do with football. She probably doesn't even know what a sack is. The only person I want anywhere near a mircrophone singing before a game is HWJ singing, "Are you ready for some football".

What a lopsided game last night's turned out to be. I turned it off when NO had a 10-7 lead. I woke up this morning wondering how the floor fell out when I saw the final score.

I can't stand all that pre-game bullshit entertainment. This if friggin football for God's sake! Not the f**king music awards!

Show the fans a pee wee football game live at the stadium before the game. To hell with this bullshit entertainment, singers, etc.

The same for halftime during the Super Bowl.

Let some pee wee kids have a game for entertainment. I don't need to see Janet Jackson, her nipple, Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake or any of those people. If I want to see nipples, I'll go to a titty bar. If I want a concert than I'll but tickets to a CONCERT!

THIS IS FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

So what you're saying is... *chant* "WE WANT PEE WEE'S! NOT SINGER'S TITTY'S!"

YEAH! Leave the tittys for the after game celebration!

Or the Victoria's Secret halftime show on the other network.

Near the end of the game when NO was at 4th and 1 why did they punt the ball and not try to get the 1st down?

I wondered that myself...why give it to the Colts offense that easily?

Randy Moss for a 4th round pick looks stupid after the 1st game of the season. Imagine how it'll look later.

Except for a few great tricks to prevent getting sacked Brett Favre has definitely lost a step or two. I've of the mind that maybe he should have done The Packers a favor and retire.

Why on 3rd and 1 would he attempt to go long? He could have done a quarterback sneak and kept the play alive.

Brett Favre is my least favorite NFL player.

Ever.

Just wait until Moss decides he's not happy. He'll quit trying and start dropping everything like he did with the Raiders. I can't stand that guy.

Brady and Moss are scary as hell.

No offense Blibble, but I'd say it's pretty easy to become unhappy with the Raiders.

I'm trying so hard to argue your point DA.... I'll come up with a good argument when they finally score a touchdown a few years from now.

The Browns SUCK.

This Bears/Chargers game is a real dud.

Finally, a TD, after only 3 quarters.

I can't wait for the Giants game tonight.

Don't worry dude, misery loves company. My Dolphins are aspiring to suck at new levels. Can't wait till we meet up for the absolute dog of the week.

They are like watching a bad high school football team. How does a punter drop a snap right to him? Charlie Frye took 4 sacks in the 1.5 quarters he played.

Braylon Edwards, the worthless mouth from Michigan, dropped more passes.

I'm glad Quinn did not go in because the o-line was atrocious. We'll be looking for yet another coach by heading into the bye week this season, mark my words.

The only thing I liked about the game was when one of the Browns ( I forgot who it was)started a fight with one of the Steelers.

Edit: I'm going to watch the Giants/Dallas game now.

Why did they go for it instead of kicking the FG?

Does anyone else think Eli Manning always looks a little lost and confused? It's probably not fair to compare him to Peyton, but Peyton always looks like he's in charge and thinking about the game. Eli always has that mouth hanging open and he looks around in the stands with a blank stare. It's kind of weird.

I wonder if Peyton wasn't Eli's brother where he would have been drafted.

I am not sure whether it's Eli or the people around him. I know Peyton has a great O-Line, Receivers, and RB.

Shockey can be good at times, and Plax...but I would take Marcus Pollard (with the Colts) or Dallas Clark any day as well as Marvin Harrison

Jeez, Giants RBs are fumbling the ball worse than Tiki!

Romo's 1st TD.

As much as I want the Giant's to win I was thinking the same thing.

Maybe he can't believe the plays being called in from the sideline. I know I can't.

I'm not sure why we're ripping on Eli. He had 4 TD and over 300 yds passing.

BTW-The Pats are going 19-0 this yr.

If I were a Giants fan, I would have ripped Eli going into last night's game for his erratic play. But he looked very good last night. It will be interesting to see if he can be their focal point on offense with Tiki gone.

The Pats looked insane yesterday. I knew Belichick would not commit solely to Maroney in the running game. Brady looked like Peyton Manning yesterday. They shredded a Jets team that was supposed to be NE's main divisional competition. Looks like it could be a weak AFC East this year.

The Giants can really open it up and score 30 on you.

Easy.

While giving you 50

When did Monday Night Football go to ESPN Network?

That Ravens loss was one of the ugliest I've ever seen. I could vent about that bogus penalty call on Heap, but the fact that they started the game with 3 fumbles shows how little they deserved a win. Steve McNair is too much of a veteran to be looking like a deer in the headlights.

I won't even get started on Kyle Boller. I don't think there's enough blood pressure medicine in the world to calm me down. He needs to be benched, or Billick needs to be shot in the head. Why get Troy Smith to have him sit around twiddling his thumbs?

I don't feel too bad though since no team I rooted for this weekend won.

Sorry Beth. No team I rooted for won either.

That makes three of us.

Being a Cleveland fan, I quite obviously hate the Ravens. But you're right Beth E, that call on Heap was atrocious. It was a TD.

Troy Smith is not ready to play in the NFL. Boller did nothing to hurt his team yesterday. Teams do not win when they turn the ball over 6 times in one game.

A year or 2 ago

Like goombah, I'm not exactly a Raven fan, but that was a bad call on Heap. I think the defensive holding on the next play was a make up call. What surprised me is that they then didn't pound it into the end zone. The Bengals D Line can be pushed around a little.

The last interception came, I think, because Heap was expecting the change up, but got the fastball.

The Raiders finally signed Jamarcus Russell! It's about time! With as bad as the Raiders have been I hope they get him in there fairly soon. I'm anxious to see what he can do. I'm sure Al Davis will continue to screw things up somehow though...

I respectfully disagree that Russell should be in there soon. I know McCown hurt his finger, but I would ride out the entire season b/w McCown and Culpepper, moreso Daunte. Russell missed so much and their defense is improved - I think putting him in there this season sends the wrong message to the team b/c the guy missed the entire training camp and preseason.

You have a good point there Goombah, and with any other respectable team I would agree with you 100 percent. But we're talking about the Raiders here. I'm not saying he should be in there this week. That would be ridiculous, but I do feel like he should be the starting quarterback by the end of the year because he is the definite face of the franchise for years to come.

The fact is the Raiders are so bad that they need some new hope, and while you're right saying Culpepper and McCown should be the starters this year because they are more experienced in the league, Russell is the future. I think it would be better for him to take a beating behind a bad team now while the team builds around him and gets better.

A little bit of how I feel is based on my jealousy of our cross-bay rivals, the 49ers who seem to be doing everything right to get the team back on track. So please Goombah, don't fault me, a near-hopeless Raiders fan, for hoping our future quarterback gets some playing time this year!

I don't fault you at all, Blibble. The teams we root for have been almost indentically as abysmal since 2003! At least your team went to the Super Bowl in 2002 and had chances to get there in '00 and '01. I agree they have been a total disaster since then, however. Was Chuckie Gruden's departure the beginning of the end?

I just think Russell will be brought along slowly since he was the longest hold since Bo Jackson in 1987! The Raiders are headed in the right direction, I think. Although the fact that they cut their 3rd round pick from the '07 draft is not a good sign.

Don't get me started about the Niners because they have the coach I wanted the Browns to hire in '05. The 49ers got Nolan and we got the Nutty Professor, Romeo Crennel. He's won 10 games out of 33 and won only one time against his division rivals.

Here's a quick snapshot of the Browns since 1999: 1) their top picks in the 1999-2002 drafts are all out of the NFL: Tim Couch, Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren, and William Green; 2) in '99, Brian Billick was on his way to being hired, but told the organization he merely wanted the interview experience in Baltimore. Carmen Policy told Billick he would no longer be considered for the job in Cleveland and we hire yet another coach with no previous NFL head coaching experience; 3) The deal that the Redskins rec'd for Ricky Williams was turned down former Browns GM Dwight Clark because he felt it would be "too many draft picks" for the Browns to deal with; 4) The only player to make the Pro Bowl since the Browns return, Jamir Miller, had a career ending injury the year following the Pro Bowl; 5) I'm too depressed to list more!

Here's hoping the Browns and Raiders meet in the AFC Championship within the next 3-4 years!

As much as I hate Bill Cowher maybe he will turn the Browns around next year.

There is no way Cowher is coming to Cleveland. Unless Lerner backs up the Brinks truck, Cowher will stay out of football two years and then have his pick of jobs. Even if Cowher is made an unbelievable financial offer, I do not seeing him coming to an ex-division rival.

What would he care? He might like the shot at Roethlisberger 2 times a year.

He might return to the NFL in 2008, but I will be shocked if it is to Cleveland. They are an organization in complete disarray. I could not see him co-existing with the current GM, Phil Savage. Pittsburgh has been a solid, stable organization for decades and I think the chaos in Cleveland would not be a situation Cowher would enjoy walking into. The Browns are this decade's version of the 1990s Cincinnati Bengals.

yes, let's hope!

Nah, if the Raiders or Browns ever make it to the playoffs again I'm sure the Colts will quickly bounce them out.

Hey, quit being realistic, we're trying to dream here.

Cowher will return to the NFL, and as much as I'd hate to see him in Cleveland, I have thought that that is where he might end up. You're right it's going to cost money, and Cowher would likely demand full control of the organization. He's a Hall of Famer, and there aren't many coaches with that pedigree who are only 50 years old.

Klydon:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Cowher have somebody else picking the talent for the majority of his stay in Pitt?

I know there were power struggles with Cowher over the years, but in this day and age, the GM/Coach is not that successful. If, and that is a huge "if" in my mind, Cowher comes here, I do not want him being the GM and coach. He can more powerful than other head coaches, but the dual role has proven to be too much for guys like Holmgren and Parcells.

So the Browns got rid of Frye. Is the other quarterbacks any good? Tomorrow's game against the Bengal's I hope it will be on tv here. Battle of Ohio!!

No Mig, nobody else is really any good. We're hoping Quinn will be good and the future QB, but he's not starting. Derek Anderson will and he's on the same level as Frye. It could be very ugly tomorrow for the Browns.

Goombah, Do you go to any home games?

No, not really. I went to one game since they have been back. I love the sport, but I truly enjoy it much more on tv than in-person. Maybe I would not feel this way if they were a competitive team, but they have been so bad for so long.

When my kids get older, I would like to take them to a game. But there are so many drunk, obnoxious idiots that I will be hesitant.

Browns aren't doing too bad today...

My cat (Tiger)'s favorite team is the Bengals.

I am shocked that the Browns aren't doing that shabby. Especially with all those penalties on them. Derek Anderson is doing good as well.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Why in hell did they(Browns)not play this good last week?

51 points!

51 x

I'll take it! It delays the rushing of Brady Quinn by another week. An exciting game, but the Browns defense was atrocious. My favorite part of the game was when Chad Johnson leapt into the Dawg Pound and one fan threw a beer at him and another one gave Johnson the finger.

Great, and your Browns are coming to Oakland next week... Looks like we're well on our way to another number one draft pick next year.

Maybe they should draft Bo Jackson again.

Lions win.

I wouldn't worry too much Blibble. The Browns could easily put 3 points on the board next week. Why did Oakland start a QB with a broken finger when Culpepper is a capable replacement?

Your guys got hosed, albeit within the rules of the game, by that last second timeout before Janikowski attempted to win the game. Then I thought Jordan had broken it loose for a TD in OT. The Raiders look much better defensively and are headed in the right direction, despite not having a win to show for it yet.

Tell me about it, I started Culpepper in FF.

I've heard McCown has a good connection with the players, possibly because he has been with the team much longer than Culpepper. But aside from that I don't now why Culpepper didn't start, since he is more talented and had a better pre-season. The Raiders don't always make sense, in fact they rarely do.

I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with Kicker Janikowski!? He was such a good kicker for a few years there, and then last year and so far this year he stinks.

It's nice to see some teams like the Browns and Lions winning! Even the Titans almost beat the Colts today, that would have been shocking!

McCown started because he didn't want to give Culpepper a chance, thats my opinion. Culpepper used to be one of the premier QB's in the league, McCown never was nor will he ever be. If he gives Culpepper a chance he could lose his starting job, which will be a reserve job in a few weeks and ultimately be out of a job. It was the smart move, McCown was always smarter..

In either case, though, whether it is McNown or Culpepper, they are merely keeping the seat warm for Russell. I don't see how a QB with a broken finger, who goes on to toss 3 interceptions, gives a team its best chance to win.

The Titans have played the Colts tough over the past few years. It's nice to see some different teams starting off well: Detroit, San Franciso, and Green Bay come to mind. I prefer this than the same teams year after year.

Just as surprising is to see the Saints and Rams both winless.

Especially the Saints, weren't they the highest scoring team last year? Or close to it?

If they were not, they had to be close (prob to the Colts). I remember picking up Drew Bress off the waiver wire in Week 9. In his 2nd game starting for me, he threw for over 500 yards. This year, McAllister and Bush have not gotten on track and their defense has been dreadful.

Colts were 2nd in yards behind Saints last year I believe

This week I heard rumors that McNabb might not make it past the bye week before losing his job. After today I think those rumors are dead! 4 td's and 387 passing yards!

Congrats Blibble on the Raiders first win in 11 months. I knew it was over when the Raiders converted on 3rd and 23. Both teams were pathetic, the Browns moreso today.

My fantasy guys absolutely sucked today.

The only brightspot in sports for my entire day was the Indians being the first MLB team to clinch its division!!!

So...the Dolphins and Raiders next week. Absolute poop fest guaranteed I guess.

Thanks Goombah. Honestly I always feel bad when my crappy team beats another crappy team of someone I know. So I won't be rubbing it in Goombah. Really neither team deserved the win.

Same goes for next week Don Andrew.

Wouldn't it make life so much easier if we were capable of being bandwagon fans?

The Lions defense is absolutely atrocious.

NEWSFLASH: The Colts continue to rock

Goombah,

What happened to the Browns today? I was visiting with my in-laws and we went to the Wooly Bear festival in Vermilion today and I missed the game?

Well the good news is My Cowboys are now 3-0

It'll most likely be Cowboys-Pats in the Superbowl. Gonna be pretty SWEET,

Are you a Browns fan as well Mig?

Congratulations Iceman! I'm glad somebody around here is happy about their team! They looked good against a strong Bears Defense! They couldn't stop Owens. I'm surprised Romo has turned out to be as good as he is. I thought last year was a bit of a fluke but it looks like I was wrong!

Anybody notice that Rex Grossman is the worst quarterback in the history of football?

Be glad you did not have to subject yourself to it. Derek Anderson stopped his Peyton Manning impersonation and came back down to earth. The Raiders could not pass to save their lives, but they ran the ball really well against the worst defense in the league. Browns offense was inconsistent at best and got a shot in the arm after Cribbs ran a kickoff for a TD.

Our next legit shot to win doesn't come for another 3 weeks when we play Miami.




Blibble

You hardly seem to be the type to rub it in. I agree with you 100% - neither teamed played well enough to gloat.

I still am amazed the Browns were able to get the ball into position to win the game and why Oakland couldn't cover our receivers/TE at the end of the game.

Culpepper looked pretty rusty and clearly is not the mobile QB he once was. But I think he's a good stop-gap until Russell takes over.

Yep. But I also like to watch the Giants.

Do we need better coaches Goombah?

I like Culpepper, I hope he can come back and look like he did when he threw for 40 TDs a few seasons ago.

Looks like Lane Kiffin learned something from last week...


Patriots vs Cowboys?

Cowboys maybe, but the Colts are gonna be there too. Randy Moss will cause us some problems until Jackson, Sanders, and Bethea smack him and he stops trying as hard.

Yes, considering Crennel was brought in here because of his defensive "expertise." But we simply don't have the players on defense right now. Ted Washington is 400 lbs and cannot stop anybody. Teams are running it right down the Browns throat. A coaching change will not rectify that problem.

The cornerbacks have gotten burned in all 3 games. If nobody can stop the run or the pass, then the defense is in shambles as evidenced by giving up 34, 51, and 26 points.

I actually couldn't watch the Raiders/Browns games because it was blacked out locally. Can you believe that? The freakin' Raiders black out almost all of the home games because they want more tickets to be sold.

Does that happen with any other teams? How does taking the game off of T.V. make us want to buy tickets to see the game? We're either going or we're not.

I don't get it.

I read something about blackouts yesterday in the local fishwrap. There were only 9 blackouts all of last year for the NFL. Think about how bad the Raiders, Browns, Cardinals, and Lions have been for the last 4 years - I would think the blackouts would be much higher. Even the freaking Browns have not been blacked out once since their return in '99 because of the games not selling out. I would think that will not last much longer if they fail to right the ship.

In the old Browns days, Modell would usually end up buying 5,000+ tickets to lift a blackout.

Just watched some games from last night which i had to tape and watch this afternoon!
Cowboys are looking rather good!

Me either, the Indy 500 was always blacked out where I lived even though they had NO problems with tickets being sold.

What ticks me off is that I'm in Indiana and they don't always show the Colts game. I had to go to a wing place with NFL Sunday ticket and watch it yesterday before work.

here is a cool site that has what games are being televised in the US. For all of our GBB peeps in Alaska I know this will come in handy.

http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/

Well at least it wasn't a total wasted day, the Tribe did clinch American League Central Division

At least 5 of those were local raider games. It's weird because it's televised around the rest of northern California, but here in the Bay Area we can't watch it.

It's so frustrating... I live ten minutes from the Oakland Coliseum, I can't afford tickets, and Al Davis is picking on me for it. oh well. If they were a contender I'd really be pissed, but this year I guess it's better if I don't see the game!

I really didn't know this was still such an issue. I knew when the team was in L.A. with the Coliseum that they would never sell out. But I had no idea Oakland didn't sell out consistently.

Saints however are not looking so hot this year..

You're right about that Yogi. Every week my friend and I always pick the games, he picked Tennessee & I picked the Saints, but just before the game I changed my pick boy am I glad about that. Now if I would've just changed my pick in the 2 fantasy leagues I'm in I would've been happy.

We're all poor here in Oakland. Anyone who can afford tickets are either 49ers fans, or some sort of drug dealers/crime king. Or so it seems...

I think the lack of fan interest in the California area is a major reason why an NFL team has been out of LA for all of these years. The Raiders not selling out in the LA Coliseum was not the fault of the fans - that stadium was too big. Wasn't it 80,000 capacity?

I think the pricing for NFL games in general is outrageous. With the exception of baseball, the NFL & NBA are primarily catering to the corporate interests with their expectation of ticket sales.

What a great day for the city of Cleveland. Both the Tribe and the Dawgs won WOOHOO!!!!!!

Goombah,

What did you think of Jamal Lewis's TD right before halftime? How he jumped over the pile and got it. I didn't think he made it in. And did you see how pissed the Raven's coach was when he didn't throw the challenge flag in time?

The Dolphins are THE absolute worst team in the NFL. There is no room for debate at all. They are horrific. I honestly can't see them winning a game this year, and that isn't an overreaction.

Even though we've sucked for ages, the Lions allways sell out. Ford Field has never had a blackout and I honestly dont remember the last time a Lions game was blacked out.

And another win for the Lions.

Colts defense didn't look very good in the first half...still won by double digits though

What's going on here... another win for the Browns, Raiders and Lions???

The world must be coming to an end! REPENT!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lions scored 34 points in one quarter on the Bears??!!! Wow! Philly goes berserk for 56 one week and 3 the next. Arizona beats the Steelers with Kurt Warner at the helm. The Raiders won two in a row, the Browns won two division games in the same season, and the 3 of the 4 teams from the conference championships are a combined 2-9.

I agree with Blibble - it's the end of the world as we know it!

It was not a TD, in my opinion. But I am glad to see a call go for the Browns instead of against us. The Browns won that game by halftime and thoroughly outplayed Baltimore except in trying to stop the Ravens running game.

The Browns have NE next week followed by Miami. They have a real good shot of being .500 at the bye, which is great. Their schedule gets incredibly easier after next week, save for a stretch in November with Seattle, Baltimore & Pittspuke. Suddenly the Browns have a legit shot at being 7-9 or 8-8 with momentum for next year.



They are bad, I agree. But of all the professional leagues, it is nearly impossible for an NFL team to not win a game. Too many variables, too much parity, a blown call, or some obscure player having a career day. They'll win one or two for sure. Look at how pathetic everyone not named the Patriots are in the AFC East. No team has gone winless in a 16 game NFL season. The last team to not win a game was Tampa in the 70s on a 14 game schedule.

I am sure Miami will manage to squeak a win over somebody....somehow....sometime

Pittspuke
I just hope I get to see the rest of the games on tv here. I'm sure the Pitts. game will be.

The Patriots may be the most well rounded team I've seen. They're dominating both sides of the ball. I don't see them losing more than 1 game, if even that.

The Pats are good, Just Lou. And they're playing well without Seymour and Rodney Harrison. But for the same reasons I cited with Don Andrew about the odds of Miami winning at least one, the Pats (or Dallas, Colts, etc.) will lose at least one game this season. It's too difficult to survive 16 regular season games and not lose. The Pats have Indy, Dallas, and the Steelers all on the road this year.

I see the Pats losing in the RCA Dome one last time.

They'll probably lose a game, but right now nobody can even compete with them. Their average margin of victory is 25 points.

Their margin of victory is unbelievable! They're coming off a Monday night game and are a 14 point favorite against Cleveland. I don't think the Browns can even compete with NE at this point, but I would hesitate at placing a wager on such a huge point spread.

I think NE is out to prove a point and have a chip on their shoulder regarding the spying incident. I think they will go into Indy and beat the Colts to avenge the meltdown in the AFC Championship game. I'm looking forward to the showdown.

That'll be quite a game if both are undefeated at that point. Colts win by 7 because of pumped in crowd noise at the RCA dome.

Is it my imagination or is the NFL showing WAY to many commercials?

I don't know if it's any more than usual, but yeah there's a lot.

Thing is, the NFL network has NFL replay, the games have fewer commercials and the game is sped up a lot by getting rid of unnecessary times waiting for the next play.

I can't stand it.

Colts 5-0 *yawn* again

Do rules ever get changed mid-season? Or is that something that is done at the end of the season? They need to do something about a coach calling a timeout at the last second to try and screw up a game winning field goal. Now that Shanahan has done it, everyone is going to start doing it. It is very irritating.

Blibble, they can't be changed until the off season, but I agree, it should and will be changed. Its one rule that I really hate.

It has even made its way into the college game. It happened in the Florida game two weeks ago.

What irritates me is that the coach gets to stand next to the ref and call timeout at the last possible second. To be more fair, they should at least make it so a player on the field has to call the timeout so that the opponents have the possibility of knowing it was called. I think this would, at the very least, prevent the kicker from going through with the kick unnecessarily.

I think it has something to do with the referees too Goombah. In the Dallas game..the refs by the goal post didn't even know the timeout was called..NO ONE except for the coach and the referre on the sideline knew it was called. I agree, a player should have to call time out in that case, let everyone know the timeout is called and the kicker doesn't kick. Its not "gamesmanship" its petty and irritating.

Alternatively, the NFL could make it a rule that the opponent cannot call a timeout when there are less than :05 on the playclock. Something has to be done in the offseason because while it is legal, I agree that it is irritating and I think it cheapens the game.

It'll be great when this happens and the kicker misses the first kick but makes the second. I would love to see the coaches face then.

It's always happened, why is it a big deal this year?

The rule that the coach could call the timeout has not been in place for a very long time. Maybe several years. But Longneck is right - did coaches just discover this loophole in the rule this year? And if so, what took them so long?

They've done it awhile, but this year people are complaining. I always expect a timeout before a FG kick.

My guess is that the strategy had long been to ice the kicker with a timeout just as they were setting up. Maybe the coach didn't wait so long years ago because he was afraid the referee wouldn't grant the timeout.

I never thought that icing the kicker was all that effective. Negating a field goal by a last instant timeout is more effective, I believe, because there is a natural emotional release by the kicker, particularly in a game deciding situation, after he boots the ball. The kicker may find the second kick more difficult as he has to refocus. It may be a negligible difference, but I always saw the role of the kicker as that of a closer in baseball. The role is much more mental than physical.

Maybe if a team calls a sideline timeout in the final two minutes of either half when the offense is already in full position for the snap on a field goal, the timeout is awarded...as is a five yard penalty. That would likely stop the practice as the defensive coach would rather one kick from 45 yards than a second shot from 40.

There could be legitimate reasons for a defense calling a timeout just before the kick, such as not having enough men on the field, or an unexpected offensive formation. I am therefore hesitant about the penalty idea.

It's funny there aren't complaints about the customary "icing the kicker" timeout when it is done well before the snap. But there is something unsporting about making the kicker, not knowing a last instant timeout was called, needlessly go through with the field goal.

I agree "icing" the kicker is an age-old tactic. Its effectiveness is debatable. I remember the 2002 Nat'l Championship game b/w Ohio State & Miami. Jim Tressel called three timeouts in a row in an attempt to ice Miami's kicker at the end of the game. Didn't work and the game went to overtime as Miami tied it.

I think there was an NFL rule change within the past 5-10 years that coaches were given permission to call timeout. I think it was only the players previously. This is where the problem lies, in my opinion.

I like the idea for a 5 yard penalty, Klydon.

The Browns are at .500 after week 6?

Boring week for me with no Colts...

The Browns offense is much improved. I had no idea the extent of which Charlie Frye's weak arm was killing the offense last year. Anderson can stretch the field with his deep throws and keep Brady Quinn on the sideline learning. I was hoping Quinn would play yesterday, but the Browns defense let Miami back into the game during the 3rd quarter.

Adrian Peterson was un-freaking-believable for Minnesota yesterday.

Are the Bengals this bad or are they just drastically underachieving?

Can't the NFL declare New England the division winner now, after Week 6?

Probably should with that Division.

The Colts play in a real divison, nice MNF matchup against Jacksonville next week. I get married on Sunday so this works out well...

My cat, Tiger, is very upset with the Bengals performance so far.

With the Steelers off this week, I watched a good amount of the Bengal/Chief game, and I think the Bengals are one of the most undisciplined teams I've ever seen. Chad Johnson drops passes, doesn't run full routes, but yells at his QB if a pass isn't on the money.

There was a fourth and inches play where the Bengals failed to pick up the first down, as the play was a handoff to Kenny Watson about six or seven yards deep in the backfield. It had no chance of success.

They looked to be in disarray and frustrated. They were able to put a couple scores on the board late, but they never seemed in the game.

As for the Patriots, wow, are they impressive. Tom Brady has got to be the leading MVP candidate.

The Bengals need a hard nosed coach for next year

As a Cincinnatian and Bengals diehard I must say the Bengals are a mess. As much credit as Marvin desrves for changing the atmosphere around the club from a cloud of failure to a respectable NFL franchise, I believe it is time for him to go. I have to give much of the credit to finally having an actual NFL QB. Marvin has brought in some talented players however some high draft choices have had a very hard time seeing the playing field between being suspended and injuries. I do feel that if Chris Perry, David Pollack, and Kenny Irons were active the team would be a little better. Along with the fact that the last 2 games only one starter at linebacker was on the team prior to game one of the season. Lastly Chad JOhnson is a talented WR however he is not good for this team. Besides the touchdowns and celebrations he contributes many negative things.

I think Chad Johnson is fine, but there's a lot of people in the locker room that aren't and they need to be weeded out. I think it's time for Lewis to go, he did well with the franchise but it's time for both sides to move on.

I thought Lewis would have had more of an impact on the defensive side of the ball. Then again, I thought the same thing about Crennel in Cleveland...

Lewis does deserve credit for changing the mindset of losing that prevailed in Cincy for more than a decade. However, they have only finished with a winning record once in his four seasons and were a one-and-done in their lone playoff appearance under Lewis. Granted, their best player was lost early in that game.

They have too much talent to be as bad as they have been for the past two seasons. Who would replace Lewis?

Schottenheimer?

Is the RB corps good enough for Martyball?

OK, now they truly have no weapons and they could very well go 0-16. In the NFL, that's very tough, but now it is much more likely.

Ronnie Brown out for the year

Green - Out, Probably Forced into Retirement
Brown - Out for the Year
Chambers - Traded

These are the only three Dolphins on offense I can name. Needless to say, they're in trouble.

Just seen the TD's from the Patriots thrashing of the Dolphins from Sunday gone...
All great plays but the one common factor i noticed?
Every Patriot TD had the same hapless Dolpin player lying on the ground next to the ball recipient!
Step forward #44 for Miami (his name escapes me just now) but the poor chap had a nightmare on Sunday. I'm sure he will be just super this Sunday at Wembley though

You're right, Yogi. He didn't cover Moss well at all. I can't think of his name, but I'd like to see him play well.

#44 is Cameron Worrell. (Who you ask).

I guess NE figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If he couldn't cover Moss once, go for the jugular.

Cameron Worrell out of Fresno State Klyd!
I checked up on the Dolphins site!

I hear those Indy Colts are pretty darn good

Not bad....

Watched the Packers last night!
Damn if that Mr. Favre does'nt still have a good arm...

Several years ago I thought Favre had been a very good QB, but overrated. I now see him as an all-time great with guys like Unitas, Marino and Montana. He's a fierce competitor, and still is winning. Of his records I'm most impressed with his consecutive games. the way he fires the ball, it's amazing that he still has an arm.

I enjoyed last nights game!
Packers are starting to shape up nicely now as well!

They are playing well, and are probably right there with Dallas as the best team in the NFC. The defense is better than what I had thought.

Green Bay's defense is playing really well right now. The thing I find amazing about the Packers and Patriots is that the opposition knows that all they do is pass. GB & NE do not have a runner like Addai to balance the attack out. Yet both Favre and Brady are putting up amazing numbers, and more importantly, wins.

I hate Favre and Green Bay. Both are improved this year but it'd be hard not to improve over what they had.

I watched the last few minutes of the Steeler/Raven game tonight. What's up with those UGLY yellow Steeler helmets?

I was thinking... now that the Patriots have defeated the Colts, there is a pretty good chance they will go undefeated the rest of the season. It's possible that someone will beat them the last couple of weeks because the starters are being rested, but with Belichick pissed about getting caught cheating, he may just play his starters anyway and continue running up the scores.

The last (and only right...?) time a team went undefeated was the Miami Dolphins in 1972. Wouldn't it be ironic that the first time a team goes undefeated since then is the Patriots, and in the same year Miami doesn't win a single game? It's possible!

Can I say this loud and strong......

THE RAVENS SUCK!!!!!!!!!

Can Baltimore not have at least ONE sports team that's halfway decent. I think it's a rule they can only hire pitchers and quarterbacks who are old and at the end of their careers, and who couldn't throw a ball if their arm was on fire.

Beth E

Are any Baltimore fans clamoring for Troy Smith to start at QB? I followed his college career and I'm just curious. Smith can't be much worse than what the team is trotting out there now, can he?

I think I'm the only one in Baltimore clamoring for Troy Smith. He's not even on the radar screen. He gets no mention whatsoever. Kyle Boller is the only name ever mentioned.

You know what will happen. They'll wait 2 years for Troy to be NFL ready, than he'll want more money and The Ravens will trade him.

That will shut up once and for all those '72 Dolphins that come out every year when the last undefeated team finally loses a game.

However, I'd love to see the Steelers knock off the Patriots in Foxboro. They may be the toughest obstacle left for NEI remember when it was presumed that the 1984 49ers with Montana were going to go undefeated, the Steelers beat them in Candlestick Park, 20-17, for their only loss of the season.

I do hope, however, that the Dolphins and Rams win a game or two. They're both still left on the Steeler schedule. Wouldn't it be odd if the Steelers knock off the Patriots from the undefeated ranks, and then lose to the winless Dolphins and Rams?

I was in your shoes last year, Beth, when the Ravens beat the Steelers badly twice.

just remember: You're never as bad as you appear to be when you lose 38-7, and you're never as good as you appear to be when you win 38-7 (unless you're the Patriots).

It has been an odd season in the AFC North. I thought the Steelers would be nose to nose with the ravens with the Bengals a step behind. The Ravens look like they're struggling and the Bengals are done while the Brownies are just a game out of first place.

It's bad when Roethlisberger has more TD throws in a game than Peyton Manning.

It is said that Tom Brady's O-line gives him so much time in the pocket he can sit back and do his taxes. Maybe McNair should just do his taxes back there, since he's clearly not playing football.

That would be quite an upset IMO. I know the Steelers are good, but the Patriots and Colts are in a higher strata than any other AFC team, including Pittsburgh. They will certainly win the AFC North, but I will surprised if the Steelers get past the divisional round of the playoffs since the best they are realistically looking at is the #3 seed.

To their credit, Pittsburgh traditionally plays very well on the road.

The only thing uglier than the Steelers helmets from last night's game is Ann Coulter.

What's even funnier is that Roethlisberger had more TD passes (5) in the first half of the game than Brady and Manning had, combined, in their entire game (4).

Some good matchups for the weekend. I'll be watching the Giants-'Boys. Who is for real? The Giants have beaten one team with a winning record and the 'Boys have a similar record. Is Romo really that good. He sucked against Buffalo. One thing I would like to see is T.O. do minimal damage; fall down; give up a interception for a score.

That will be a good and important game. I think that Dallas will win, 27-20. The Giants have recently been bad in the second halves of seasons, but I'd like to see them win this one. My wife is a Giants' fan.

One game that may be interesting is the Jacksonville/Tennessee game. These are hard hitting division rivals, who are both legitimate playoff teams. The Titans are only a game behind the Colts.

I'll be watching the Steelers and Browns. Dog neutering at Heinz Field Sunday at 1 PM.

I don't disagree that the Steelers are a better team. I do expect the Browns to display a much better effort than the opener. I think Willie Parker will slice through the pourous Browns defense all afternoon long. It would be nice to see this game played in a big rainstorm on a muddy field.

The end of civilization must be near if the Browns & Lions are a combined 11-5 at this point of season.

I'm also looking forward to the Minn-GB game, along with Indy vs. San Diego. That should be one of the better SNF matchups of the season.

The Browns are a much different team than the one the Steelers faced week 1. I think they are the most pleasant surprise of the season. Romeo went from a guy that I thought may not last the season to a potential Coach of the Year. It should be a good game, and I'm not as entirely confident as my earlier post would suggest.

The Browns have a very good passing game from what I've seen.

It's all due to signing Steinbach & drafting Joe Thomas. Derek Anderson is blossoming into a good QB. Plus he is 6'6", which lets him see his big target receivers - Edwards, K2, and Jurevicous. But there have been at least 5 games in which DA has been sacked 1 time or not at all. That is the huge difference in the Browns offense this year.

We get some idiots calling the local sports talk stations complaining we should have drafted Adrian Peterson. He would not have had the same impact in Cleveland without Joe Thomas. Left tackle is not a glamour position, but it's the most important behind the QB on the offense.

I'm surprised the Steelers have done as well with a first year coach. I'll never like them, but I respect their abilities.

I agree with you that the Browns made the right choice on Joe Thomas. While left tackles don't always get the praise of other offensive players, they are the cornerstone of pass protection. Peterson is very good, but Thomas is a better fit for the Browns.
I didn't realize that Cleveland was getting such good protection.

I'm happy with Tomlin. The Steelers have had only 2 coaches from 1969-2006, and Tomlin seems to be cut from the same cloth as his predecessors. Noll was a defensive coordinator in his 30s, who worked under Shula; Cowher was a defensive coordinator in his 30s, who worked under Shottenheimer; and Tomlin was a 34 year old defensive coordinator, who worked under Dungy.

I hope he does well because the Steelers don't fire coaches.

The Steelers have been extremely fortunate to have selected coaches that have last as long as Cowher & Noll. To have these guys last 14+ years is very rare in today's sports world.

Yes, the Browns o-line has been problematic since 1999 until this year. As luck would have it, Steinbach hurt his back in practice this week and is questionable. But he & Thomas have solidified Anderson's blindside. They were shaky against the Steelers in Week 1, but in their defense, Steinbach had been out most of training camp with an injury and it was Thomas' first NFL game.

Also helping the line is Anderson's ability to get rid of the ball. Frye too often would make one read and then scramble. Or he would hold onto the ball far too long. In the Week 1, Frye was sacked 4 times in 1 1/2 quarters. Plus his lack of arm strength really let opponents tee off and blitz the hell out him. Now, opponents have to respect Anderson's ability to throw the long ball and hit one of his 3 primary weapons.

It's also interesting how the Brady Quinn talk has died down. The team invested a ton of money in Quinn, but they can't possibly sit Anderson at this point. Unless there is an injury, I don't see Quinn getting on the field much this year. I have no objection to that but the team will have two potentially good QBs on their roster and will have to make the right decision as to who is their future.

It's a good problem to have. I don't know how old Anderson is, but I don't know if you can sit him as long as he's moving the team. I thought by this time Quinn would be the starting QB, taking his lumps.

It's kind of like the Chargers with Drew Brees emerging suddenly after they drafted Rivers

Exactly the analogy I was thinking of. Anderson is only 24 or 25 - he faced Quinn in a bowl game during college. Plus Anderson was drafted in Baltimore by Phil Savage, now the Browns GM.

I agree with you - it's a good problem to have and always better to have too many good players rather than not enough. The days of Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Spergon Wynn (whom the Browns drafted in 2000 in the 6th round AHEAD of Tom Brady!), Trent Dilfer, and Jeff Garcia, are gone for the immediate future.

I forgot Spergon Wynn, and Kelly Holcomb was hot for a while. I think the best Brown QB that I can remember was Brian Sipe. I'd take him over Kosar, and then Testeverde.

What are the chances that Anderson stays as starter for the long term and Quinn gets traded eventually?

Brian Sipe had grit. He had the one monster year in 1980 in which he was the NFL MVP and the team was known as the Kardiac Kids. That team was a lot of fun to watch.

I really do not know the answer to the Anderson-Quinn question at this time. Anderson still has a lot of upside and Quinn showed tremendous poise in the preseason. I think Quinn has the sentimental edge since he grew up a Browns fan and has the desired QB pedigree. Anderson could, in the end, be excellent trade bait. If healthy, Anderson will probably be the starter next year - the final year of his contract. I think the fact that Quinn has sat has done nothing except help his long-term success.

These decisions are where the GM's earn their money.

Goombah, Whatever happened to Brian Sipe?

Last I heard, he was coaching high school football somewhere.

I think Sipe is also a successful business man (real estate perhaps) in California. I had my picture taken with Sipe at an autograph signing when I was a kid.

The poor Dolphins. They hold Buffalo to only 13 points and still can't win.

And The Packers shut out Minnesota 34-0? Now The Ravens loss last week doesn't feel quite as bad.

How about them Dallas Cowboys.

Basically opening a 3 game lead over the Giants in the NFC east.

Tony Romo looks like he's got the making of being a good quarterback. If it wasn't for T.O. I would get 100% behind them. I was a cowboy fan in the days of Aikman, but I can't cheer on T.O. Just like I like Peyton Manning, but can't root him on as long as he's with The Colts.

Well, The Ravens proved again they have nothing on offense. I had a conversation with someone last week who hope that the year Bill Cower has off will make him ready to come back as coach next season...maybe with The Ravens? One can only hope.

On paper the Ravens should be great. Their problem is at quarterback, because they have Clayton and Mason who are 2 quality receivers, Heap is one of the premier tight ends in the league and McGahee has shown he can be a great running back. There really is no excuse for how bad their offense is.

But then again I have McGahee on my main fantasy team and I also have Shane Graham (the kicker on the Bengals) so I can't complain about today lol

The Browns can never beat the Steelers. To bad almost doesn't count.

All is right with the world.

Is Romeo Crennel catching a lot of criticism over his decision to call a time out before deciding to challenge the Steeler TD late in the game. It didn't make sense to waste a timeout to buy time to see whether a challenge would be a waste of a timeout. If he had just thrown the resd flag in the first place, the most he could have lost was one timeout. (I don't know if the announcers commented on this as I was at my son's basketball tournament and watched some of the game on a small hand held tv and couldn't hear the sound because of the noise in the gym).

Of course, had he not taken the timeout and lost another timeout from the unsuccessful challenge, the game would have likely played out differently, but they lost a lot of time that they needed to try to tie the game up.

After this past weekend with Ohio State losing and the Browns giving the game away to a very overrated Steelers team, I am done rooting passionately for Cleveland sports. If there is a bigger hack in sports than Roethlisberger, I don't know who it is. How the Browns let him run up and down the field, especially on 3rd and long, was ridiculous. It's one thing to lose outright and it's quite quite another to lose by playing not to win.

The fumble ruled on Jamal Lewis was a horrible officiating call. Lewis' momentum was clearly stopped and lesser plays have been ruled down by that point. It was a bullshit homer call. The only call yesterday worse was the nonsensical "the whistle was blown" in the Indy-SD game.

Ohio State choked in January against Florida and then again on Saturday. The Indians blew the ALCS when they had every opportunity to win it and the Cavs looked like a CBA team in the NBA Finals. I'm done rooting for Cleveland and Ohio sports like I have previously. I'll watch with minimual interest. Call me if there is a celebration parade, which is highly unlikely in my lifetime since this city and region are full of teams with a bunch of losers. I'm sick and tired of always coming up short - screw this city and their teams and screw Ohio State as well.

I feel your pain Goombah. Here's a hug

The Browns didn't give the game away. The Steelers took it from them. Actually, while the Browns are getting better, they were lucky to be in the game. They had one scoring drive that was good, and got some breaks on kickoff returns. The Steelers pushed them around in the second half, and the Browns offense didn't come close to scoring.

Roethlisberger outrushed the Browns team, and more than doubled the passing yards of Anderson. He's having a phenomenal year, and shrugs off blitzers better than anyone in the game. He is among the best QBs in the game today.

With Ohio State, I don't think you can say they "choked" against Florida. There was nothing they can do to stop them or move the ball. They were blown out in the first half, so they never even had an opportunity to choke, but, hey, you guys seem almost always to beat Michigan.

I guess it was a tough week for Ohio sports, but hang in there. The Browns will win again...it just won't be against the Steelers.

I can't remember the last time the Colts lost 2 in a row...

I guess I can take comfort in the fact that Manning had 6 INT's, Addai was a non-factor, we had 3 wide receivers active for the game... only 1 higher than 4th on the depth chart. Vinetieri misses 2 kicks. And we lost by 2 points.

Not to mention Dallas Clark being out and all the defensive and offensive line injuries.

Last December they lost to Tennessee and Jacksonville in consecutive weeks. They started out 9-0, but then lost 4 of the next 7.

That was a weird game last night, Longneck.

Perhaps "choke" was not the best description for OSU, Klydon - you're right. But they were the #1 team from preseason and they failed to show up.

We'll agree to disagree about the game yesterday. The Browns offense moved the ball just fine in the first half and tried to run out the clock in the 2nd half. Pittsburgh's defense wasn't pressuring Anderson too badly. I lost count of how many times the Browns did a 1 yard screen pass on 1st down. The Browns defense was on the field far too long and could not make stops when it needed to.

As far as Roethlisberger being on the best QBs, I also disagree. I can think of plenty that I would take ahead of him: Brady, Peyton, Eli, Favre, Romo, McNabb, Bulger, Palmer, Brees, Hasselback, and Rivers.

Roethlisberger came to a 2004 Steeler team that had a great line and two RBs in place. He was not asked to win games, only manage them. When he has been asked to throw 30-40 times, he has not come through for the majority of his career. The Steelers also did not win the Super Bowl in large part because of Ben. They got hot at exactly the right time at the end of the season & in the playoffs and rode the legs of Bettis, Parker, and a good defense. He had the lowest rating of any winning Super Bowl QB. I put him in the same class as Trent Dilfer & Brad Johnson as QBs who also were on the winning side of a Super Bowl. Serviceable, but nothing special. To his credit, Roethlisberger is playing better this year after a dismal 2006 season. But he has a long way to go to ever be mentioned in same sentence as a Brady, Manning, Palmer, Brees, or McNabb.

Dwight Freeney is out for 4 games or so...ouch.

We signed Simeon Rice.

I hope we get a new special teams coach soon

Yeesh, End of the Colts game then they take us to JAX-SD, then OAK-MIN, Then BAL-CLE. Lot of close games this afternoon!

What a FG by the Browns!

That was one of the weirdest endings to a football game I have ever seen. I'll take the win, but we let a bad football team back in the game with stupid penalties, poor clock management, and not being able to make stops on defense when it mattered most.

What happened at the end of the game, ESPN gamecast said they missed the fieldgoal.

It hit the left cross bar, bounced down and hit the back of the goal post at the bottom, just making it through the threshold. It then bounced back, much like a missed shot off the iron in basketball. After the officials reviewed, it was ruled good because it did actually make it through before bouncing back.

Talk about the rich getting richer. This caught my attention in Peter King's Monday Morning QB today from Sports Illustrated's site.


"g. With the way the 49ers are playing, and because it looks like St. Louis and the Jets will both finish with better records than the Niners, I could see New England holding the second pick in the April draft, courtesy of the trade last draft day that sent the 49ers' first-round choice in 2008 to New England."

Fuck the Patriots!

Classless bastards ran it up again last night. Forget about going after Brady, I'd like to see a lineman go after Belichick.

I guess what I would like to know is how exactly are the Pats being "punished" by the NFL when they owned more than one first rounder next year? The Pats get their own pick taken, but that was a late first rounder guaranteed (and possibly 32nd). If the NFL was serious about punishing the organization, it would strip both first rounders and perhaps a 2nd round as well.

NE can't play this well in the postseason, can they?

It was a big slap on the wrist, not big enough at all.

God damn. They are really taking no prisoners. How the hell can a team be beating the piss out of other professional teams in this fashion?

You're right Don Andrew - NE is winning games with scores we are used to seeing at the collegiate level.

Anybody else see the line on the NE-Philly game? NE is giving twenty-two points!!! Now, I'm no Sam Rothstein, but how can NE be favored by that much over Philly but only by 16-18 over Miami (can't remember the exact number)?

My only guess is that a ton of bets are coming in on the Patriots after seeing how they don't call off the dogs, and the oddsmakers are looking to even out the action?

Priest Holmes is gonna retire.

I'm not a Chiefs fan, but this guy was fun to watch.

Priest was fun to watch in his heyday of 2001-2003. He probably is not HOF worthy, but he had a positive impact on the game. Holmes and Faulk were the two running backs of this decade who were the complete package: great runners and great catching balls out of the backfield.

No real surprises in the results of the Thanksgiving games!
Well the Jets were worse than i thought they would be, but thats about it!

I expected the Lions to be more up for the game. They are much improved this year, but they did not seem too focused. Even when the Lions have been a doormat team in the NFL (most of the past 20 yrs), they usually played well on Thanksgiving at least. Favre was amazing again, but I was surprised that GB was able to get such a big lead.

One sidenote: the Browns and Cowboys traded on draft day in the move that landed Cleveland Brady Quinn in exchange for the Browns #1 pick in 2008. I'm sure Jerry Jones figured it would be a top five pick. I can't say whether the Browns GM worried the same thing, but he rolled the dice and now that pick is looking to be in the late teens or early 20s. Whether it was luck or whether Cleveland felt that they would be vastly improved, the draft day move is looking to be quite good in Cleveland's favor. Dallas still having 2 picks in round one is huge, don't get me wrong. But I think Jones was figuring he would luck into getting the #1 overall and then win the Super Bowl and get #32. I think Jones made the deal with the intention of landing Darren McFadden and it's not going to work unless he packages both of his #1s to move up.

Goombah,

Do you think the Dawgs will go to the playoffs? I know they won yesterday I didn't watch it, was it a good game?

Sorry Miggie - just saw your post on Wed morning.

The Browns certainly have a good shot, but I'm hesitant to make a prediction now. The way they have been playing, yes I do think they will probably go. But their history in December since 1999 is abysmal. The schedule is favorable: Buffalo, Arizona, SF, Cincy, and the Jets. NONE of those teams have a winning record, but three of the games are on the road. The Browns players just need to focus on the next game and not get caught up in the playoff race. Guys like Jurevicus, McGinnest, and Jamal Lewis will help keep the rest of the guys' heads from getting too big.

The Houston game was one of the more complete games the Browns have played this season. They got pushed around in the 1st quarter, but Anderson was good, Winslow was great, and the defense actually played well the entire game.

Thanks Goombah

Don't forget NFL fans, there is more Thur night action tonight: Green Bay at Dallas. Should be a good one, although not too many people have NFL Network on their cable system. I have it through DirecTV. Trust me, the announcers make the game nearly unwatchable. Bryant Gumble is one of the biggest putzes I have ever heard do play-by-play. Cris Collinsworth adds nothing as the color commentator either.

I used to get the NFL Network through my Comcast package, but it was eliminated about a year ago without explanation. I also lost ESPN Classic then and probably a couple other networks I didn't watch.

Dish TV, NFL Network.

I'll watch it in the background, I hate Brett Favre, so go Cowboys!

Wow, Aaron Rodgers is in the game!

My wife actually ordered the NFL Network for the boys and me as they were running a special for only $1.99/month for a few months and $5 thereafter.

Without knowing the ins and outs of US TV that still sounds like a good deal Klyd

It is. But in the long run, the cable companies over here rake you.

Yeah? Over here they do something that rhymes with that.

Goombah, I brought this over from the Fantasy thread just because it seemed more appropriate here. It sounds like Culpepper will be too hurt to play this week, so McCown will get the start once again. Why? I have no idea. However there is a lot of talk about Russell getting some playing time during this game!

I will definitely record it since I will be busy. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do, and I'm glad the Raiders don't seem to want to rush him because with quarterbacks like Carr and Alex Smith recently (probably others) it looks like putting them in there too soon can have a really strong negative effect on their overall career. Of course there are others that do well but why take the chance.

As Turi says it is the same here Klyd.
These TV people must make an absolute fortune...

It's the smart move to get Russell some PT this year. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain to see where Russell is in terms of next year. Gosh, if they could land McFadden in the draft, the Raiders would have a potent, potent offense.

If someone would have told me that Brady Quinn would not have take a snap through the 12th week, I would not have believed it. The Browns have a nice article about their surprising season in this week's Sports Illustrated.

Yeah, what are the browns going to do? Trade Quinn?

Brady Quinn eh?
Remember him?

I highly doubt that Quinn will be traded. Cleve will sign Anderson to at least a 1 yr tender in the offseason, meaning that if another team wanted him bad enough, then we would get a 1st & 3rd rounder. This is the first time since the Browns came back in '99 that they have QB depth. With the nature of the position and the frequency of injuries, they will keep both guys through next year barring a trade that knocks the teams socks off. Quinn has been saying all the right things publicly and been a good team player. This is only going to benefit him in the long run by watching much of his rookie season.

It's a good problem to have IMO.

I thought the Redskins lining up with only 10 on offense was great. No matter what anyone thought of Taylor that was a nice way to honor him.

That was a nice touch. It would have been even nicer to get the win for him. I have to believe Gibbs made a mental error in not realizing he couldn't call 2 time outs in a row to stop the kicker. Not saying The Bills wouldn't have gotten the field goal without the 15 yard penalty. But I'm sure Coach Gibbs is beating himself up over it just the same.

It would have been nicer if they stopped the play.

Beth E:

I am really wanting your take from the Baltimore game last night. Your team really had some calls go against them and still almost won.

I might actually have to go against every fiber of my being next week to root for the Steelers to beat the Pats. Maybe, maybe not.

Last night was a roller coaster. Of course, we didn't win, but to be honest no one here in Baltimore expected us to win. The fact we had the lead up until almost the very end is something we can take as a hollow victory. But it is a 60 minute game. Oh, if we would have won, we'd be the cinderella story. I think they did just about everything they could. Seeing Brady get sacked was nice.

With McNair out for the season, and the performance Boller put on last night some here feel maybe Kyle is starting to get a feel for the team.

Don't even get me started on the calls. The after game interviews had the players all riled up. They thought some of the calls were personal, and felt that The Patriots were getting a lot of calls that usually go to the home team.

I'm resigned to the fact that this isn't The Ravens year. We'll just sit back and be spoilers the rest of the year. But I have to tip my hat to the guys last night. They didn't get creamed like everyone expected.

Can't wait for December 16 when we play Miami. I see a possible win there, but can't bet on it.

Beth

Do you think it's time for the Ravens to tear it down and start rebuilding? They seem to be old in key positions (McNair, Mason, R. Lewis, Ogden, etc.). Would Billick's ego be able to handle that, especially considering that he just rec'd an extension last year?

As a Ravens fan, are you content with Boller or would you trade up to land a highly touted QB in the draft? I think you have seen what you will get from Boller - inconsistency. I would turn the reigns over to Troy Smith to see what he brings to the offense in the last several games.

Personally, I think they should tear down and start rebuilding. As an organization I don't think that's what they have planned. How much bargaining leverage do we have to trade up? There are no quality quarterbacks that will be available. We drafted Troy Smith and have virtually benched him. I've always said maybe it's time to give him the ball. Even if only for a couple snaps. Boller definitely is not the way to go. McNair has one more year, but if he shows he can't bounce back from the surgery he's having then we can opt out of him. Billick has 4 more years, but we all know how great contracts are worth. I'd love to see Billick leave.

The D isn't what it used to be. Practically all the greats of the 2000 team are gone.

I think Ogden should go. He may be a sentimental favorite, but the guy is just a big moose out there. They need to stop making stupid penalties. They kill us.

I think with Mason, Clayton, Heap, and McGahee the offense could improve with the right QB. And also getting an offensive coordinator and stop having Billick make the calls.

I agree that Boller isn't an every-week starting QB. He had some success last night, but when the game was on the line he couldn't make plays. That's not new for him. McNair wasn't effective this year, and I don't think he'll be any better next year. I haven't heard much about Troy Smith since he made the team, but I don't think he's looked at as a starting QB.

The Ravens look to me this year as a team torn by dissension. Ray Lewis and others on the defense have been harshly critical of the coaching and offense in public. That's never good.

They played a very good game last night, but showed a lack of discipline with the consecutive unsportsmanlike behavior penalties, which hurt their chances to get a game tying field goal, but I'm sure they didn't have confidence that Boller would get them in range.

I agree that Boller would not be my long-term answer if I were the GM. I think Ray Lewis is well past his prime and gets by on his past accomplishments. That defense is not nearly as feared as it was even several years ago, let alone their title season. The only building blocks they have on defense are Suggs, McAlister & Reed. Everyone else is expendable, including Billick. Billick played a huge role in the loss to Cleveland a few weeks ago by continuing to kick to Josh Cribbs.

I agree w/Klydon - Troy Smith is not the answer at QB, but also that McNair is done. They were lucky to get the year out McNair that they did in 2006. He's always injured and this team needs to get young, not stay with a QB that is at the twilight of his career.

As far as the officiating, the Ravens game was bad, but so was the Browns-Cardinals. The Browns got the benefit of two very questionable calls, in particular the call that ruled Edwards scored on a TD when he was down IMO. So the call at the end where the defender either a) clearly pushed Winslow out of bounds and/or b) interfered with Winslow, was a complete make-up call. The Browns got hosed on that one, but lucked out on the others. But Cleveland did plenty of stupid things throughout the game that did not warrant their winning. It should have never even come to the final call. Like Hyman Roth said, "I didn't get angry...I just let it go."

They've announced Tom Petty will be the half time show at the Superbowl. They've requested that he not sing anything with lyrics that pertain to drugs. For some reason I find that hilarious.

I guess that rules out a musical tribute to Ricky Williams. Ricky Don't Lose that Dime Bag.

Or he can't do a re-make of the Mike N Mike tribute to Ricky.

"I was so high I did not realize the shrinkage of my wallet size. I think I'd like some apple pie".

The Dolphins just won a football game. In real life!

What a sports day for me. The Browns win their 9th game in a season where, after opening day, it looked like they might win two or three all season. And it was played in a complete blizzard, just the way football was meant to be played in the northeast in December. Jamal Lewis was an absolute beast with 163 yards on 33 carries - vintage Lewis. The game's best moment was when Browns kicker hit a 48 yard knuckler that got about 10 feet off the ground (or at least looked that way) in swirling 30 mph wind and made it just over the cross bar.

Then the Steelers lose at home to a solid Jacksonville team. The icing on the cake was the win by one of the worst teams in NFL history, the Dolphins, beating the team that stole my team away in 1995. How does that taste Brian Billick?

BTW, Billick is such a terrible coach. I mean, awful awful.

The Ravens should be embarrassed that they lost to this Dolphins team. It must be sweet as hell Goombah.

Congratulations to Dolphin fans! I think this win was more important than most other wins around the league just so they don't have to be the first team to go 0-16.

They had a chance to go for the win in the 4th quarter at the end of regulation on 4th down. Why he was playing for OT on the road against a winless team is beyond me. I can't believe they gave this idiot a 5 year extension.

There is one thing that i don't understand in the NFL?
And if i was a coach it would drive me bat shit...

When one of the Defense puts in a big hit on a reciever,knocks them over....and then stands over them and taunts them??
Thus incurring the obvious penalty flag....
Why do these players keep on doing this?
If was their coach i would be livid

It's a combination of selfishness and immaturity that drives this behavior. They don't care tat the team is penalized, as long as they get an extra, arrogant second in the spotlight.

There are good examples in the league, though. When Brian Westbrook had an easy TD, he dropped at the 1 yard line, so they could run the clock out. Nobody could have faulted him for scoring, but he placed the team's interest in front of his own.

I saw the Westbrook play on our highlights show Kly,
Outstanding thing to do!

I don't know KLYD, I bet a lot of fantasy team owners faulted him for not scoring lol I'd be pissed if that cost me a game lol

I commend Westbrook for doing this and for being aware of the scenario (under 2 minutes and Dallas had no timeouts). However, I would not have faulted him for scoring either. But what if Philly had fumbled the snap on the kneel downs? Not likely, but still possible.

I would have taken my chances by scoring a TD making it 17-6. Sure, Dallas could have scored two TDs in under two minutes, but it was not likely. I have never been a proponent of taking points off the board. With an 11 point lead, that's a 2 possession game and the odds of recovering the onside kick are around 20%

I thought the same thing, and there was a lively discussion among some guys in my house about whether it was better to take a two score lead, and give the ball back to the Cowboys, or maintain the 4 point lead and take a knee.

There are merits to both sides, but I agreed with the course taken by the Eagles and John Runyan, who advised Westbrook to fall short of the goal line.

Dallas has already won a game this year where they had to score quickly, recover an on-sides kick, and score again. And that was against a pretty good defensive team (Buffalo). Also, the chance of a fumbled snap is extremely low. In a situation where the QB is only taking a knee and has nothing else to think about, the chances are virtually non-existant. Also, when you have two backs positioned behind the QB and their only job is to pounce on a loose ball, the odds are even better.

Also, if you scored to make it 17-6, and Dallas scores quickly, and you're lucky enough to recover the kick, you'll have to take a knee anyway. I liked the idea of keeping Romo, TO, Crayton, etc., all big-play guys, off the field.

I don't ever recall seeing a fumbled snap when the team was running out the clock. The Miracle in the Meadowlands was the closest thing when the Giants only had to take a knee to win, but Pisarcik tried to hand off to Larry Czonka, causing a fumble that was scooped up by Herman Edwards for a most unlikely game winning TD.

You're right Klydon - both arguments are valid. The odds of fumbling on a kneel down are slim. Like you said, I have never seen it happen.

Putting the pressure on the opponent to score twice is very significant. Once is difficult enough, mentally and physically. Then there is the luck involved of recovering the onside kick. Should that happen, Dallas would still have to travel 30 yards (with no timeouts) to get into FG range.

If I was forced to make the call as a coach, I would have personally taken my chances with an 11 point lead and taken the TD.

I have to admit that falling at the one never crossed my mind at the time it happened. Either way it's a nice problem to have.

I agree Klydon - in the heat of battle, the adrenaline is rushing and to have the presence of mind to do something like Westbrook did is impressive. I always laugh when fans say a player should have done this or that, but it's very difficult to think because most of the time, the athletes are busy reacting.

A perfect example is that SD - NE playoff game last year. SD intercepted and then fumbled it right back to NE on the same play, giving the Pats new life. Critics said that the SD player should have just fallen down. Easier said than done. What if he would have scored a TD? What if a million other scenarios occurred? That's the beauty of why they play the game and why, we as fans, are always playing armchair QB/coach.

Is Derek Anderson's girlfriend in the stands?

That is funny Beth E!

Count me as one of the fans who had seen enough Anderson after his 3rd pick, let alone #4 that came later. I wanted Brady Quinn in there to see if he could lead a comeback. The hole dug by the Browns was entirely DA's fault. With 3:00 until halftime, it was 6-0 Cincy. By halftime it was 19-0 thanks to Anderson's atrocious throws.

Anderson has had a good year, but he has only 1 win on the road. He's 6-0 as a starter at home (he didn't start opening day vs. Pittspuke). That's not going to cut it for me. The more he plays, the more it become evident as to why Anderson was a 6th rounder and the lower his trade value becomes.