2011 NFL Thread: The Lazarus Season - Part 8

[Matt]

Y'know, with the Cardinals schedule, they could very well win out. Their only tough game is Cinci and Cinci has proven that they are at best inconsistent. Factor in that if they win out, their division record will be 4-2. If the Cowboys, Falcons, Bears and Lions all finish 9-7, it means they've lost to the Giants, Saints and Packers (both the Lions and Bears) respectively. That means all four teams will be 3-3 in their division. Cardinals win over the 49ers was HUGE because they have the weakest division game remaining of the wild card teams and winning it while the others lose gives them the tie breaker. Being at least one 9-7 team will most likely be one of the NFC wild cards, Cards could have a shot.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

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[SpideyInATree]

Y'know, with the Cardinals schedule, they could very well win out. Their only tough game is Cinci and Cinci has proven that they are at best inconsistent. Factor in that if they win out, their division record will be 4-2. If the Cowboys, Falcons, Chicago and Lions all finish 9-7, it means they've lost to the Giants, Saints and Packers (both the Lions and Bears) respectively. That means all four teams will be 3-3 in their division. Cardinals win over the 49ers was HUGE because they have the weakest division game remaining of the wild card teams and winning it while the others lose gives them the tie breaker. Being at least one 9-7 team will most likely be one of the NFC wild cards, Cards could have a shot.

Yeah I was thinking that too. They could definitely be the dark horse in the NFC to make the playoffs. That was a huge win for them and the Niners just went to show you how inconsistent they are.

 

[Poeman]

I would love to have RGIII as my QB...Just hope he doesnt end up with the Dolphins...I can see him end up with the Redskins or Vikings.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

Y'know, with the Cardinals schedule, they could very well win out. Their only tough game is Cinci and Cinci has proven that they are at best inconsistent. Factor in that if they win out, their division record will be 4-2. If the Cowboys, Falcons, Bears and Lions all finish 9-7, it means they've lost to the Giants, Saints and Packers (both the Lions and Bears) respectively. That means all four teams will be 3-3 in their division. Cardinals win over the 49ers was HUGE because they have the weakest division game remaining of the wild card teams and winning it while the others lose gives them the tie breaker. Being at least one 9-7 team will most likely be one of the NFC wild cards, Cards could have a shot.

I know stranger things have happened, but I don't see Detroit or Atlanta losing two out of three. Let alone both doing it.

 

[Matt]

I know stranger things have happened, but I don't see Detroit or Atlanta losing two out of three. Let alone both doing it.

Let's assume for a moment that Detroit loses to Green Bay (I can't see McCarthy resting his starters on the verge of history) and Atlanta loses to New Orleans.

Atlanta will probably finish 10-6 (but don't write off Tampa Bay in week 17, especially if Freeman is healthy). Meanwhile, Detroit has been killing themselves due to their lack of discipline. The best coach in the world can't change an entire team's culture and personality in one or two weeks. San Diego may have a bad record, but they can still be a dominant football team and being as they are still in the hunt, they'll probably be playing hard. Same with the Raiders. The Lions could very easily give away one if not both of those games. The Lions nearly got beaten by the Minnesota Vikings today due to their lack of discipline. Oakland and San Diego are both better than Minnesota. I could see either beating the Lions. If Chicago, Dallas, Detroit and Arizona are all 9-7 which is a very strong possibility right now, the Cards get the 6 seed.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I know stranger things have happened, but I don't see Detroit or Atlanta losing two out of three. Let alone both doing it.

I can see both doing it.

Detroit still has San Diego and Green Bay left on the schedule. The Chargers are pretty good in the month of December under Norv Turner and it seems like nothing can stop Green Bay at the moment.

Atlanta could easily slip in the final 3 games of the season. They have a Jaguars team that made a statement today as well as two divisonal oppenents.

 

[enterthemadness]

Ya know, if Denver wins the SuperBowl with Tebow at QB you all can just CRY.

And if that happens...ESPN with forever have TeBow Access. Like NFL Access, but with Tebow--and Tebow as host with Gruden as co host.

 

[Poeman]

Ya know, if Denver wins the SuperBowl with Tebow at QB you all can just CRY.

And if that happens...ESPN with forever have TeBow Access. Like NFL Access, but with Tebow--and Tebow as host with Gruden as co host.

Rest assure after the Super Bowl victory a statue with the Tebow pose overlooking all will replace the White House

 

[Hound55]

Ya know, if Denver wins the SuperBowl with Tebow at QB you all can just CRY.

Yeah, and if I s*** candy you could call me an M & M dispenser but I can't see it happening...

 

[Wheels]

ESPN would change their name to TebowTV if he won the Super Bowl.

 

[Hound55]

At this point in time I'm scared of the Packers playing the Broncos... because in the spirit of Tebow-Luck we'd undergo 32 injuries mid-week.

 

[enterthemadness]

So... if season ended today 8-5 Denver would host 10-3 Pittsburg.

Big Ben vs Tebow
Bad vs Good.
Evil vs Great.
Mr. Sexual Assault vs Mr. Church going Guy.
Mr. Toughness vs Mr. Leader

Now that's a game...yes, I'm smiling cause Ben and Tebow outside the game are totally different.

 

[steintym]

Ugh ... the free fall continues in Chicago. Just unbelievable.

Hanie still sucks ... hard. Can't wait for him to be gone in the offseason. He was still a big reason why the Bears lost yesterday. He was awful, the offense did nothing most of the day and then with 5-7 minutes left the Bears decided to sit on the lead because they have no confidence in Hanie to even hit a short pass.

They can also get rid of those two idiots from Dallas. Barber needs to stop celebrating every decent run until he learns basic football concepts ... like how to line up, how to stay in bounds when you're trying to run out the clock and how to secure the ball in OT. What a dumbass.

Ahh, I feel better, sort of ... not really.

 

[StorminNorman]

Trade Yates. Maybe Seattle could be interested. He'd be 100 times better then what they already have. Keep Schaub and Leinart. Leinart is valuable in Co-ed banging.

What would anyone give for Yates?

A backup QB you can rely on is worth more than a third round pick, which would probably be his max trade value.

 

[Poeman]

What would anyone give for Yates?

A backup QB you can rely on is worth more than a third round pick, which would probably be his max trade value.

You are valuing TJ Yates right now at this moment...By this offseason the guy could be a hot commodity. I saw his final drive and the guy was confident as hell out there...Directing and yelling at guys.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Y'know, with the Cardinals schedule, they could very well win out. Their only tough game is Cinci and Cinci has proven that they are at best inconsistent. Factor in that if they win out, their division record will be 4-2. If the Cowboys, Falcons, Bears and Lions all finish 9-7, it means they've lost to the Giants, Saints and Packers (both the Lions and Bears) respectively. That means all four teams will be 3-3 in their division. Cardinals win over the 49ers was HUGE because they have the weakest division game remaining of the wild card teams and winning it while the others lose gives them the tie breaker. Being at least one 9-7 team will most likely be one of the NFC wild cards, Cards could have a shot.

Isnt the first tiebreaker conference record?

 

[StorminNorman]

You are valuing TJ Yates right now at this moment...By this offseason the guy could be a hot commodity. I saw his final drive and the guy was confident as hell out there...Directing and yelling at guys.

If I was valuing TJ Yates right now, he wouldn't be worthy of a third round pick.

I am not dissing the man, he is clearly doing some great work in the situation he is in - but it's far too soon to have serious trade talk. Yates is more valuable as a back up QB in Houston than he would the mid-range draft pick he could possibly be traded for.

And let's not forget that Matt Schaub doesn't have a stellar injury history. If you think Yates can be something you are going to want to keep him around.

 

[Matt]

Isnt the first tiebreaker conference record?

Actually, yes, my mistake. I was reading tie breaker for same division teams. In that case it will play out like this (assuming the same scenario as my earlier post, that all times finish 9-7 and lose to Green Bay, N.O. and New York):

Lions – 6 conference losses (out)
Cowboys - 5 conference losses (out)
Bears – 4 conference losses
Cardinals – 4 conference losses
Atlanta – 4 conference losses

Now here is where it gets tricky. Let's just take Atlanta out of the mix, because they probably aren't going to be 9-7 based on their remaining schedule.

The ties are broken in this scenario by common games, but a minimum of four. Arizona and Chicago do not have four games in common this year. So then it becomes Strength of victory, strength of loss, etc and I suck at math.

Of course, these are all assumptions. Detroit or Dallas could win out (unlikely, but possible). But Detroit could go 10-6 even with losing to Green Bay (though I think that San Diego will beat them). Arizona has a tough game against Cincinnati. The Bears could very well lose out since they have no offense. Nothing is given.

None the less, Arizona's game against San Fran was huge and they have gone from a team who was out of the running, to a team in the wild card hunt with quite a few tie breakers in their favor. They trump both Dallas and Detroit at this point with tie breakers. They aren't out of it.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Still think Atlanta and the Lions finish 10-6 and make it all moot, plus knowing the Cardinals they'll flub up one of those games. Bears will be lucky to be 8-8 at this point.

I dont think 9-7 is going to cut it for a playoff spot in the NFC unless you win the NFC Least...

 

[Matt]

Still think Atlanta and the Lions finish 10-6 and make it all moot, plus knowing the Cardinals they'll flub up one of those games. Bears will be lucky to be 8-8 at this point.

I think your fan blinders are on when predicting 10-6 for Detroit. Atlanta I agree with, but Detroit played like absolute **** against Minnesota following the first quarter. The team is undisciplined, gives away yards and points and doesn't play four quarters of football. The only reason they won yesterday is because they played one of the bottom five teams in the league (and still nearly got beat). Any half-competent team would have finished them off. Oakland and San Diego are both half-competent.

I expect them to lose to Green Bay and San Diego.

As for the Cards, I dunno. The Bengals aren't as good as their record implies and when Whisenhunt and his team get momentum behind them, they are hard to stop. Week 16 will be huge.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

I think your fan blinders are on when predicting 10-6 for Detroit. Atlanta I agree with, but Detroit played like absolute **** against Minnesota following the first quarter. The team is undisciplined, gives away yards and points and doesn't play four quarters of football. The only reason they won yesterday is because they played one of the bottom five teams in the league (and still nearly got beat). Any half-competent team would have finished them off. Oakland and San Diego are both half-competent.

I expect them to lose to Green Bay and San Diego.

I could make the same argument about your 'hater blinders" for Schwartz and the Lions. It's not exactly going out on a limb to think we have a good shot of beating a 6-7 team in our building in two weeks, which is the only one of the final 3 games that we seem to disagree on.

The only reason that game was even close yesterday was because the Lions didnt adjust to Webb being put in the game, and that falls more on Gunther Cunningham than on Schwartz or your perceived lack of discipline from the team. Seriously the moral grandstanding from the talking heads about the Suh incident and the New Orleans game that's trying to paint the Lions into being the "Mean Machine" is a bit much.

As for the Cards, I dunno. The Bengals aren't as good as their record implies and when Whisenhunt and his team get momentum behind them, they are hard to stop. Week 16 will be huge.

I wouldnt be surprised if they lose this week, just that team's M.O. Speaking of coaches who should probably get canned, how long will Whisenhunt be able to ride that Super Bowl appearance for?

 

[Matt]

I could make the same argument about your 'hater blinders" for Schwartz and the Lions. It's not exactly going out on a limb to think we have a good shot of beating a 6-7 team in our building in two weeks, which is the only one of the final 3 games that we seem to disagree on.

The only reason that game was even close yesterday was because the Lions didnt adjust to Webb being put in the game, and that falls more on Gunther Cunningham than on Schwartz or your perceived lack of discipline from the team. Seriously the moral grandstanding from the talking heads about the Suh incident and the New Orleans game that's trying to paint the Lions into being the "Mean Machine" is a bit much.

Hater blinders? I like the Lions. I enjoy an underdog. I just don't see them being as good as the hype implies. Of course, fans of Tampa Bay and K.C. called me a "hater," last year. Look who was right.

P.S. 75 penalty yards implies a pretty low level of discipline. Keep in mind, there should have even been a flag on that last fumble. Lions got REALLY lucky yesterday.

I wouldnt be surprised if they lose this week, just that team's M.O. Speaking of coaches who should probably get canned, how long will Whisenhunt be able to ride that Super Bowl appearance for?

Whis? One year left probably. Unless he makes playoffs.

 

[Poeman]

TheJetsStream Manish Mehta
The morning after the Jets crush the Chiefs, 37-10, KC head coach Todd Haley is fired, according to the team website. #nyj

 

[Matt]

ESPN is confirming it.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7...efs-fire-coach-todd-haley-struggling-team-5-8

I expected Haley to have one more season.