Official NFL Thread: 2013-2014 Season

[notahomer]

Other key comment, I FORGOT.....

Bills game in Toronto seemed to be a bust. Rob Ford finally hit the media again. I'm glad actually, it seems he's listened and chosen to lay low for a bit. He made it to the Bills game and I think he was wearing a Bills jersey! There did seem to be a lot of empty seats. Do NOT think this Toronto experiment is going well. Then again, I'm not sure I'd be happy renting a NFL team either if I was a Toronto fan.

[South Pender]

RG3 did look better at points tonight in their loss to the Giants. Looking throughout reads etc... I don't know what it will take to get this team to be more in with the playoff calibre teams but then again, is any NFC East team really holding up the prior levels...?

Nota, did you notice how Washington was running the zone-read? Cris Collinsworth mentioned it several times. They have the usual option component between RGIII and the tailback, but then they bring another component into the option, a trailing wide receiver. So, if the QB keeps on the zone-read, but encounters tacklers, he can pitch back to the receiver who has come in (sort of like in a bubble screen). It didn't work all that fabulously for them tonight, but seemed like a nice wrinkle to the read-option concept. I was hoping that someone on the Lions staff was watching that. For us, it would probably work best if the trailing guy was a slot receiver, rather than a wide-out. Shawn Gore comes to mind as a guy who might be a natural for this role.

[notahomer]

........ I was hoping that someone on the Lions staff was watching that. For us, it would probably work best if the trailing guy was a slot receiver, rather than a wide-out. Shawn Gore comes to mind as a guy who might be a natural for this role.

I know (he's admitted so in prior interviews) Wally IS A HUGE NFL follower, so I'm sure he saw tonights game or PVR'd it. I wonder though what a guy like him and/or a Lions coach does? Do you just focus in on the plays or does some of that playbyplay/colour guy banter help you enjoy the game. A lot of times it works for me particularly with this crew (Michaels/Collingsworth).

I'd love to see new wrinkles that we can use to hurt other teams D's but I hope Durant/Burris don't make use of it.

Hope you don't miss too much of the SaintlySeattleSlugfest......

[sj-roc]

Bills game in Toronto seemed to be a bust.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=331201002

The announced paid attendance was 38,969, well short of the stadium's NFL capacity of 46,470, not including suites.

FAIL

[TheLionKing]

I hope Rogers is taking notice of the attendance.

[South Pender]

Nota, sj-roc, TheLionKing, to what do you guys attribute this poor showing? Is it (a) that the Bills are a lousy team (and have been for some time), and that, had the Seahawks been the "home" team instead, things would have been different? Or just any two really good NFL teams? (b) that the NFL is not popular in Toronto (maybe most of Canada)?, (c) that football in general is not big in Toronto? or (d) that fans won't come out for a "home" team that isn't their own? Or something else? I wonder if the same thing would happen in Vancouver if the Seahawks played one game a year here.

[South Pender]

Hope you don't miss too much of the SaintlySeattleSlugfest......

Won't miss any. Came back last night. I'm feeling nervous...have a bad feeling...sense disaster....

[vanhalendlrband]

I think it would completely fail even worse in Vancouver. There's no reason to think that with their 25-38,000 paid attendance in Toronto that we'd do any better here in Vancouver.

I think you would see people stick up for the Lions and not want them to be snuffed out by the Seahawks and the myth that the NFL is a better league than the CFL as Anthony Calvillo was just quoted in the Wall Street Journal that many USA players couldn't cut in the CFL, finally getting the word to the un-knowledgeable about how different the games (Canadian and American) are and that being payed more doesn't guarantee a single competitor to win an event over another at the olympics although it can give a country more athletes to compete in an olympics.

Almost every year around Grey Cup year there's always some story spun by Rogers to American Media its hilarious like the Bon Jovi statement which was quickly denied by his publicist.

The NFL in Toronto would be no different with any other team. It would fail just as much, i simply don't see that as an excuse. Look at the Vancouver Grizzlies attendance its first few seasons despite being the worst team in NBA history. Still better than Memphis, and what would Toronto's excuse be for not filling up for a crappy NFL team like Vancouver did for a crappy NBA team?

[South Pender]

Recaps from the Sunday games (except for those given several posts back--Bears-Vikings, Patriots-Texans, Broncos-Chiefs):

1. Titans (14) at Colts (22): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

2. Jaguars (32 ) at Browns (28): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

3. Bucs (6) at Panthers (27): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

The Panthers are strong and getting stronger. They appear to be Tony Dungy's highlight team and one he feels will go deep into the playoffs. The two games coming up against the Saints (the 1st next Sunday in NO) will be huge. Regardless of what happens with the Saints tonight, the Panthers could win the NFC-South.

4. Cardinals (21) at Eagles (24): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

5. Dolphins (23) at Jets (3): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

6. Falcons (34) at Bills (31): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

7. Rams (13) at 49ers (23): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312010 ... &tab=recap

8. Bengals (17) at Chargers (10): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312011 ... &tab=recap

9. Giants (24) at Washington (17): http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312011 ... &tab=recap

[sj-roc]

Nota, sj-roc, TheLionKing, to what do you guys attribute this poor showing? Is it (a) that the Bills are a lousy team (and have been for some time), and that, had the Seahawks been the "home" team instead, things would have been different? Or just any two really good NFL teams? (b) that the NFL is not popular in Toronto (maybe most of Canada)?, (c) that football in general is not big in Toronto? or (d) that fans won't come out for a "home" team that isn't their own? Or something else? I wonder if the same thing would happen in Vancouver if the Seahawks played one game a year here.

I've never lived in Tor, only pick up stuff in the media so my guess would be no better than yours. I'd say Bills and Falcons both being weak were a factor, and prob Bills not really being Tor's team. I think you'd see good fan support (better than yesterday) for a bona fide Tor-based NFL team at least in the short term, and good corporate sponsor support from the 416-based head offices (which would pose a competitive threat to the CFL), but not sure about the long haul. But there'd have to be a new 60k+ seat stadium to get it off the ground in the first place.

We had a 49ers/Seahawks American Bowl game in Aug 1998 that drew ~45k IIRC at a time when the Lions were drawing barely a third, let alone half of this (1998 in fact had the worst avg attendance in not just the BCP era but the entire franchise history: 16,217). The Seahawks also hadn't had a winning campaign in their previous 7 seasons at this point and would go on to record an 8th. I'm not sure whether Braley has ever attempted to land another one since this and it's hard to say whether it would be worth it.

The greater appetite for the Lions (and perhaps football in general) coupled with the Seahawks' greater competitiveness these days might translate into a bigger crowd if they played another game here. Though I doubt if it would be a reg season, at least for the foreseeable future as they're in much better shape financially than the Bills and wouldn't need as badly the money that may not even be there to arrange it anyway; would have to be a preseason game for now.

On the other hand one wonders if the precedent of reg season games in Tor would create increased fan expectations here relative to what they were in 1998. A preseason NFL game in Vancouver may no longer be the attraction that it was 15 years ago.

[notahomer]

Nota, sj-roc, TheLionKing, to what do you guys attribute this poor showing? Is it (a) that the Bills are a lousy team (and have been for some time), and that, had the Seahawks been the "home" team instead, things would have been different? Or just any two really good NFL teams? (b) that the NFL is not popular in Toronto (maybe most of Canada)?, (c) that football in general is not big in Toronto? or (d) that fans won't come out for a "home" team that isn't their own? Or something else? I wonder if the same thing would happen in Vancouver if the Seahawks played one game a year here.

Like sj-roc, I have never lived in Toronto, so my guesses are based on ignorance of reality. I would love to see an NFL game at BC Place but just as a one-off kinda thing. Seattle Seahawks don't need any help attracting fans, even those from BC. Last time I was at a Seahawks game I had a friendly chat with a guy who I thought was a local Seattle guy and it turned out he's a Seahawks season ticket holder from Delta! IOW, we have our committed crew of Lower Mainlanders who prefer NFL ball and are already trekking there.

I still think the big thing is HOCKEY is it in Canada.

I would go to a pre-season NFL game even if it was two doormats because EVERY team has some players I would like to see in action (and they do move around later in their careers too). I would not suddenly become a fan of a team just because they started holding an annual game in the stadium of my favourite CFL team. Seattle is the closest team to me. I also love the rebel attitude of the Raiders. To see a Raiders/Giants preseason game or Seahawks/Patriots, I'd enjoy. Falcons/49ers/Cowboys are involved, I wouldn't be as interested simply because I have lots of friends who are fans of those teams and they openly mock the CFL and its game. They are the NFL wannabees that get chatted about from time to time but thats coming from a CFL wannabee

I really DO NOT want to lose Toronto as a CFL franchise. They are such a big part of the history of this league. I'm not so sure they can support two football teams. Perhaps they could. I hope LA gets a franchise long before Toronto enters any serious discussion.

[South Pender]

OK, I'm feeling better now. Big, big game for the 'Hawks, 34-7. Total yards: 'Hawks: 429; Saints: 188. Russell Wilson throws for 310 on 22/30 (73%) and 3 TDs, where Drew Brees passes for only 147 on 23/38. (61%). The biggest surprise to me was how well the backup corner (the guy backing up Brandon Browner and then Walter Thurmond), Byron Maxwell, played. He did a nice job of shutting down Jimmy Graham. And nickelback backup Jeremy Lane (backing up Walter Thurmond) played pretty well when he was in. It had been thought that losing Browner and Thurmond would badly impact the Legion of Boom, but Maxwell was very good tonight. The other question was whether they would need Percy Harvin against a good defense like the Saints'. Harvin has had a bit of a setback with his hip-surgery recovery--two weeks after actually playing against the Vikings--and couldn't play tonight. Anyway, Jermaine Kearse filled in well, and even backup-backup Ricardo Lockette made a contribution. I thought Doug Baldwin was particularly dangerous tonight. This puts the 'Hawks in pretty good shape to take the #1 seed in the playoffs, although they do have four games to go (one in six days against the 49ers) and can't let up now. Here's the recap:

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201312020 ... ab=analyze

[notahomer]

WOW, what a Monday Nighter!!!

Certainly not too exciting on terms of edge of your seat drama. Certainly not a back/forth CFL style barnburner. Certainly not a defensive battle.

So what was it? Hyped for weeks and looking like the Seahawks maybe in trouble due to loss of injured/suspended players, it was just total domination by the Seahawks. Early Drew Brees fumble, doesn't even hit the ground, returned for a Seattle defensive TD. That put them up by 10 and that would turn out to be enough to get the win. The Saints had one good drive that ended in a slam dunk over the crossbar by TE Graham but that was it for the Saints. Wonder if he'll be happy showboating considering they were the only points his team scored? Wilson just looked awesome. Read option TD, using his legs to avoid pressure, read all out blitz to burn for a big pass play, doing a CFL style short yard looking play that sprung their TE for a 60 yard pass play. WOW! And it wasn't all Wilson. The defence was nasty and dominant. Its almost like they want to take some personal fouls just to let you know, we are the BULLIES here, go home!

Richard Sherman. Nasty guy and really effective. Just hammered a Saint out of the back of the endzone for no real reason, IMO, other than to send a message. Sherman seems to hate EVERY SINGLE NFL TEAM, including the Seahawks. He just hates the Seahawks a teeny bit less because they, unlike the other 31 teams, did end up drafting him. I can't recall where he was drafted but it was late, either 5 or 6 round.

WIlson is another guy with hindsight obviously should have been drafted higher. His back across the field of play toss to Baldwin just before the half was just a killer. Great throw and ended any chance of the Saints doing much as the Seahawks got the ball to start the second half.

The Seahawks obviously still have some big problems here. Yes, they are two games clear of the Saints, plus they hold a tiebreaker, so I guess its more than a two game lead. Still you want to keep that gas pedal going. Don't start resting players and easing up. Its a balance of keeping your starters sharp but not losing a key cog due to an injury. This team will be fun to watch the rest of the way and into the playoffs.

I did pick the Seahawks to win tonight but a lot of the preview panel did not. Vetran QB leading a strong team into an important game versus a team with some off field stuff. Okay, could see why it would seem like the Saints had a chance but it was a beat down. And the Seahawks crowd set a new Guiness record for decibel level to top it all off!!!

[TheLionKing]

Didn't live up to the hype. Hawks just took it to the Aints.

[South Pender]

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings from several sources. A lot of differences among the rankings, particularly in the middle portion:

1. Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1871 ... team-stand

2. CBS Sports: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pat ... th-big-win

3. Fox Sports (Brian Billick): http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/powerRankings

4. SB Nation: http://www.milehighreport.com/2013/12/3 ... ers-saints

5. New York Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/footb ... -1.1535885

6. CBS Sports (Another Writer): http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings

7. ESPN: http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings

That's probably enough. Seahawks are No. 1 in all of them after last night's beat-down of the Saints. The ups and downs in the AFC are more interesting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFL Week 14 odds (from FootballLocks.com):

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_odds.shtml

Interestingly, the 49ers are favored by 3 over the Seahawks (in SF). About the points you'd give for home-field advantage, I guess. I think the Hawks could lose in SF on Sunday, with a slightly shorter-than-usual week of prep and the high of knocking off the Saints. Should be a great game.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Expert Picks for Week 14:

1. CBS Sports with multiple pickers: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/features/w ... pert/picks

2. Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1872 ... every-game

3. ESPN: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

4. Pro Football Talk: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... 4-picks-4/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a nice piece on the Seahawks from the Bleacher Report power rankings. It focuses a lot on Russell Wilson. It points out that, although Wilson has been compared to Fran Tarkenton, he's really more like Steve Young in having a stronger and more accurate arm than Tarkenton had.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1873 ... ing-saints

And following up on the Russell Wilson info in that piece, here are the 2013 NFL Passer Ratings after 12 games:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/playe ... backRating

Wilson has moved up to a passer rating of 108.5, third now, behind only Peyton Manning and Nick Foles (Nick Foles?), and ahead of Aaron Rogers and Drew Brees.

Incidentally, Josh McCown, playing in Jay Cutler's place in Chicago, has a stellar 103.6 passer rating, considerably above Cutler's 88.4 (where it stood when he went down). I wonder whether this will present a dilemma for Marc Trestman when Cutler is healed and ready to return.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------