Topic: Official 2008 NFL Football Season Discussion Thread

[D_Average]

Wahooo!  Fox has the CHI v ATL game on in Denver this Sun!

I really wish the best for the Falcons this season Silks, I really do, but this Sunday my hope is at least seven sacks to welcome in the new rookie, while Turner becomes just another victim of Tillmans famous ball punch!

[NWR_Lindy]

Hahaha.  My prediction is for Chicago to win, for the simple fact that they are really good against the run.  To beat the Falcons right now, all you really have to do is shut down their running game.  Chicago should be a good test to see what they've learned from the Tampa Bay loss, since Chicago and Tampa Bay are similarly hard-nosed defensive teams.  It should be interesting.

[D_Average]

Yeah, this game is definitely contingent on Chicago stopping the run.  They did a great job last year of holding Turner and LT to just 77 yards rushing in week one, but just a few weeks later they were totally stomped by Peterson, and Taylor for a whopping 311 yards!  To say the least, they certainly lacked consistency in 2007.

That said, I can still see this going either way since the Bears haven't had three wins in a row since December of 06'.  Should be an interesting game.

[NWR_Lindy]

Oh, it was interesting, to say the least.

This game caused the following email chain to Greg:

[Chicago scores to go up 20-19 with 11 seconds left] "Worst Falcons loss ever...they totally dominated Chicago only to lose on an Elam missed field goal"
[Atlanta kicks game-winning field goal as clock expires] "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY F*****G GOD Falcons win WHAT JUST HAPPENED"

[D_Average]

Oh, it was interesting, to say the least.

This game caused the following email chain to Greg:

[Chicago scores to go up 20-19 with 11 seconds left] "Worst Falcons loss ever...they totally dominated Chicago only to lose on an Elam missed field goal"
[Atlanta kicks game-winning field goal as clock expires] "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY F*****G GOD Falcons win WHAT JUST HAPPENED"

Uggg, so many things were disgusting in this game for Chi, I knew it was all over after Tommie Harris fumbled by himself. 

Bottom line, the Bears were given a gift from Elam, and the coaching staff decided not to accept it, doing everything they could to give him another shot at the buzzer.  Truly disgusting.

Congrats on the W though, Ryan earned it, played like a star!

[NWR_Lindy]

Yeah, Ryan played really well (first 300-yard game of his career).  I couldn't believe that Harris self-induced fumble...what a joke.

That was a rage-inducing game for Bears and Falcons fans alike.  I went from cautious optimism, to rage, to despair, to stunned disbelief, to joyous celebration.

[NWR_insanolord]

The Rams victory over the Redskins has given me hope for my Browns tomorrow night. I truly believe that maybe, just maybe, the Giants won't be able to cover the spread.

[D_Average]

Yeah, Ryan played really well (first 300-yard game of his career).  I couldn't believe that Harris self-induced fumble...what a joke.

That was a rage-inducing game for Bears and Falcons fans alike.  I went from cautious optimism, to rage, to despair, to stunned disbelief, to joyous celebration.

Yeah, this loss really got to me like no other.  To see Orton win the game at the last second only to have the coaching staff figure out a way to F it up at the end is beyond forgivable.  Cover 2 when you KNOW they need to go out of bounds after a 20 yard pass?  Bob Babich is a moron and the Bears D have been absolute garbage since he took over as the coordinator last year.

[NWR_Lindy]

At the end of the game, I actually felt bad for the Bears more than I felt good for the Falcons.  It was so weird because they won the game with no drama whatsoever.  After the Bears scored it was like, "NOOOOOO!!" And by the time I had finished screaming the Falcons had already won the game.

[D_Average]

At the end of the game, I actually felt bad for the Bears more than I felt good for the Falcons.  It was so weird because they won the game with no drama whatsoever.  After the Bears scored it was like, "NOOOOOO!!" And by the time I had finished screaming the Falcons had already won the game.

Yeah, it was so hard to stomach b/c Bears fans felt so great to watch Orton and Davis come through in the clutch and celebrate with the joy of pee wee football players on sidelines afterward.  Then, of no fault of their own, their Coaches and Secondary figured out a way to give Elam just one more shot to make up for that missed FG in just 6 seconds.  In what would have been a great week to enjoy and reflect on that drive in the media for Orton, now became a forgotten memory.  One writer's description of him after the game is pretty telling:

"He’s not a star, but he’s more than just a guy who won’t screw up. He has a far better feel for the game than Rex Grossman did.

You should have seen Orton in the locker room, sitting on a folding chair outside the shower, wrapped in a towel, wearing shower shoes, holding a drink in a plastic container. He just sat there, staring at the floor. For two, three minutes straight. Just staring. Not blinking.

Orton is at his best in the no-huddle when things are moving fast and coaches can’t overthink and get in his brain."

What a waste.

[Stogi]

Purdue quaterbacks FTW!

I'm don't usually praise injuries, but because Tom Brady is out for the season, it's making Drew Brees look soooooo much better. His QB rating is ridiculous.

[NWR_Lindy]

I read that article.  It's interesting reading those columns in the Chicago media, being on the winning side.  Last year those same types of hopeless, bitter columns were being written in the Atlanta papers about the Falcons.  I know exactly how it feels.

Lovie Smith and Babich suck.  They basically have no answer for the idiotic squib kick ("I thought it was a safe play" - Smith) and horrible pass coverage ("It was a bad call" - Babich).  It burns so bad when you have zero faith in your team's coaching staff.

[D_Average]

Lovie Smith and Babich suck.  They basically have no answer for the idiotic squib kick ("I thought it was a safe play" - Smith) and horrible pass coverage ("It was a bad call" - Babich).  It burns so bad when you have zero faith in your team's coaching staff.

No kidding.  Lovie Smith is a nice guy and all, but I just don't see him as the head coach type.  I swear, every time they show him on the sideline he has a look of relaxed confusion.  Does he even talk to the other coaches with that headset or does his contract allow him to pump in Miles Davis instead?

[NWR_Lindy]

Hahaha.  It's so true though.  Every time they showed him during the Atlanta game he had this look on his face like, "Wait...what just happened there?"

[D_Average]

Hahaha.  It's so true though.  Every time they showed him during the Atlanta game he had this look on his face like, "Wait...what just happened there?"

Like, "Does it really make sense to challenge that Tommie fumbled all by himself, I mean, gosh, he was lying there all by himself.....hmmm...oh well, here goes..."

[NWR_insanolord]

Now THAT was the kind of Browns team that I was expecting this season.

[D_Average]

Now THAT was the kind of Browns team that I was expecting this season.

Oh SCHNAP!  I knew I should have picked them this week, they were due.

[NWR_insanolord]

Of course I finally benched Braylon Edwards on my fantasy team, just in time for him to put up close to 30 points.

[D_Average]

Hey Greg, long time no football chat!

Just thought you'd be pleased to hear I'm putting my faith in Trent Edwards this week on my Fantasy Team.  My current QB Romeo has a broken pinky, and I'm not so sure how well he'll do if he DOES play, and my back up, Gerrad, has the week off.  Considering he's up against the San Diego D, the pickins are definitely ripe for BIG plays and few interceptions.  I mean, we're talking about the defense that allowed Denver to win on a two point conversion when they were still ahead!

[bosshogx]

Cool, a football thread.  I'm a 49ers fan trapped on the south east coast.  Therefore, I only get to watch Falcons, Jags, and Panthers games locally.  Garbage.

I will say that I'm very interested in watching Matt Ryan's progress and hope he continues to do well.  I say this not because I'm a Falcons fan, but I was disgusted with the city of Atlanta's support of Michael Vick in those 'town hall' style discussions on ESPN last year.  Seriously people?  You actually have his back on that whole dog fighting business?  It made me embarrassed to live in the same state as those ignorant people.  Fortunately, Matt Ryan has performed well thus far and should help everyone forget the lowly and despicable Michael Vick.

Yeah, so all that being said, go Niners!  Let's beat those G-Men this week.  We can still be 12-4!  w00t!

[NWR_Lindy]

I will say that I'm very interested in watching Matt Ryan's progress and hope he continues to do well.  I say this not because I'm a Falcons fan, but I was disgusted with the city of Atlanta's support of Michael Vick in those 'town hall' style discussions on ESPN last year.  Seriously people?  You actually have his back on that whole dog fighting business?  It made me embarrassed to live in the same state as those ignorant people.  Fortunately, Matt Ryan has performed well thus far and should help everyone forget the lowly and despicable Michael Vick.

Amen.  As an Atlanta resident I found it downright embarrassing how many people rooted for Vick.  I'd go to Falcons games and people would be wearing t-shirts with a "7" on the front and "Vicktim" on the back.  It made me want to vomit.  I mean, people actually thought he got screwed over by "the man" or "the system".  It was ridiculous.

[D_Average]

One place he won't be going back to play is Seattle.  There are literally more dogs in that city than children.

It'll be interesting to see what happens down the road.

[NWR_Lindy]

Well, Arthur Blank has said that he thinks Vick should be let back into the NFL (though not with Atlanta, who will surely hold on to his rights until they can trade him away for a first or second-round pick).  Honestly, as much as I don't like the guy and think that what he did was terrible, he's "paying his debt" and should be allowed to earn a living when he comes out.

[Yoshidious]

My absence from this thread is somewhat related to the Bills performance in Arizona, which was one of the single worst defensive performances I've seen the Bills put in during 18+ seasons as a fan. It left a pretty damn sour taste in my mouth. If you hear an enormous scream coming from half a world away on Sunday, you'll know that Phillip Rivers moved the ball up and down the field agaisnt the Bills without throwing the ball more than 15 yards down the field a single time just like Warner did.

I'm hopeful that the Bills can exploit the poor SD pass defense with Lee Evans and the return of Roscoe Parrish, but we need to start running the ball better early in games to take control and avoid relying on late rallies. I'm very confident in Lynch and Jackson as ball carriers, but the offensive line hasn't come together yet thanks to Peters' pointless offseason holdout. On the defensive side, we may be missing two of our CBs so preventing the big play will be a concern. I'm not so worried about the Chargers' running game, but we'll need to be able to contain it without bringing extra guys into the box given our depleted secondary. Given that we're coming off the bye and it's being played in Orchard Park, this is the kind of game that the Bills should win if we're going to be a playoff team.

I'm looking for the Bears to win without too much difficulty against the Vikings this week. The Vikings' offense is playing horridly right now: 1.5+yards carry against the Saints D, 10 offensive points scored against the Lions in the Metrodome - urgh. So look for the Vikings to run into a brick wall for much of the game trying to get the run game going, and if they lose the turnover battle they're completely dead in the water. Also, Orton is rounding into good form and should be able to exploit the Vikings' still-shaky pass defense as long as Jared Allen doesn't terrorise John St. Clair on the outside.

[NWR_Lindy]

My absence from this thread is somewhat related to the Bills performance in Arizona, which was one of the single worst defensive performances I've seen the Bills put in during 18+ seasons as a fan. It left a pretty damn sour taste in my mouth. If you hear an enormous scream coming from half a world away on Sunday, you'll know that Phillip Rivers moved the ball up and down the field agaisnt the Bills without throwing the ball more than 15 yards down the field a single time just like Warner did.

I can verify that Greg was indeed heated after this loss.  His rage, even in email, was palpable.

I'm hopeful that the Bills can exploit the poor SD pass defense with Lee Evans and the return of Roscoe Parrish, but we need to start running the ball better early in games to take control and avoid relying on late rallies. I'm very confident in Lynch and Jackson as ball carriers, but the offensive line hasn't come together yet thanks to Peters' pointless offseason holdout. On the defensive side, we may be missing two of our CBs so preventing the big play will be a concern. I'm not so worried about the Chargers' running game, but we'll need to be able to contain it without bringing extra guys into the box given our depleted secondary. Given that we're coming off the bye and it's being played in Orchard Park, this is the kind of game that the Bills should win if we're going to be a playoff team.

Agreed.  It should be an interesting contest because both of these teams need a win, for different reasons.

I'm looking for the Bears to win without too much difficulty against the Vikings this week. The Vikings' offense is playing horridly right now: 1.5+yards carry against the Saints D, 10 offensive points scored against the Lions in the Metrodome - urgh. So look for the Vikings to run into a brick wall for much of the game trying to get the run game going, and if they lose the turnover battle they're completely dead in the water. Also, Orton is rounding into good form and should be able to exploit the Vikings' still-shaky pass defense as long as Jared Allen doesn't terrorise John St. Clair on the outside.

I think D_Average's response to this would be, "Yes, but always remember that Lovie Smith is still the Bears coach".  BTW, I will henceforth refer to Lovie Smith as "Mr. Squib-Kick".