2014 NFL Regular Season, Week 9

[SirFozzie]

16 points, 2 and 2. It can happen.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by jeff061

There's the Welker I know and love.

I love Pats fans talking about Welker. In six seasons with the team he catches 672 passes for 7,459 yards and 37 TD. He misses 3 regular season games and plays in over 90 regular season games and had 42 dropped passes.


For the record, I'm still happy he plays for Denver and not NE and I'm pretty sure a whole lot of other teams would love the bum.

[jeff061]

Easily, games far from over. And like troy said, despite the score Denver hasn't played horribly.

[stevew]

There's way too many penalties in every game.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I love Pats fans talking about Welker. In six seasons with the team he catches 672 passes for 7,459 yards and 37 TD. He misses 3 regular season games and plays in over 90 regular season games and had 42 dropped passes.


For the record, I'm still happy he plays for Denver and not NE and I'm pretty sure a whole lot of other teams would love the bum.

One more thing. . . I understand completely. The guys you watch every week are the guys you learn their faults. They become infuriating to you. I get it.

[jeff061]

Originally Posted by TroyF

I love Pats fans talking about Welker. In six seasons with the team he catches 672 passes for 7,459 yards and 37 TD. He misses 3 regular season games and plays in over 90 regular season games and had 42 dropped passes.


For the record, I'm still happy he plays for Denver and not NE and I'm pretty sure a whole lot of other teams would love the bum.

He was awesome for the majority of his stay here, would never say otherwise. Then starting in the super bowl he started making horrible plays in key situations. That continued last year against us and again in this game. Glad we had him in his prime, wasn't sad to see him go.

[SirFozzie]

This drive is like the earlier brady days. Throw it to a guy in space and let the blocking open up lanes.

[stevew]

If they're going to call it tight like this, then make sure when Patrick Petersen is all over Dez all day, call that too.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

16 points, 2 and 2. It can happen.

Easily. I just hate when coaches delay going for 2 so they're "still within 2 scores". If you're going to have to go for 2 eventually, why not do it earlier (obviously this is more acute when a team down 15 scores a late TD, but I think it still applies here.)

[SirFozzie]

Wow.

WOW.

[jeff061]

Holy crap, looked like a magic trick.

[SirFozzie]

Even a Pats homer like me can look at that catch and go: "That's not even fair."

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

This drive is like the earlier brady days. Throw it to a guy in space and let the blocking open up lanes.

And the early down Brady sneak too!

I honestly think Gronkowski is more important to this offense than Brady. What a beast.

[stevew]

Holy shit!

[stevew]

Kaepernick with an unbelievable boner

[SirFozzie]

if you're going one on one with Gronk in goal to go out wide.. you might as well put the PAT team in..

Wait.. going for two?

[kingfc22]

Fitting end to the Niners game.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

if you're going one on one with Gronk in goal to go out wide.. you might as well put the PAT team in..

Wait.. going for two?

Unconventional for sure, but I guess if the offense is going that well, why not?

That's multiple fades to the 5th/6th option by Manning... Idk exactly how well we're playing against the Thomas's, but this is reminiscent of the Seattle game where they weren't even looking at their #1 option.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

And the early down Brady sneak too!

I honestly think Gronkowski is more important to this offense than Brady. What a beast.

Ummmm. . . . DUH?

Given the choice of facing the Patriots without Brady but a 100% healthy Gronk or the Patriots without Gronk and a 100% healthy Brady, I'll take the team without Gronk 100 times out of 100.

This game is just freakish. Time after time after time the Pats have made a small mistake and Denver hasn't capitalized on it. Time after time after time Denver has made a mistake and the Pats have just pounced.

Last year the worst loss Denver had prior to the Super Bowl was the Patriots game. A bunch of flukish crap happened in that game and I was hoping for the rematch all year. This feels so similar despite the scoreline. I'm hoping for a rematch not because I think Denver will win it. I'm looking for a rematch so I can see the game I expected to see today.

[stevew]

There's the Manning face

[SirFozzie]

Yup, said the same thing on Facebook, we have Manning Face, finally.

[cuervo72]

[nationwide]You can't beat the Patriots.[/nw]

[SirFozzie]

Can the Pats postpone the bye week, the way they're playing...

[Buccaneer]

This is one of the reasons why I optimistically had the Pats winning the AFC - having the tie-breaker over the Broncos. Woohoo!

[Buccaneer]

I know I'm biased but I had been getting tired of Manning-this Manning-that and ignoring Brady. While I put both of them in the top 3 all-time, there's no way I'll ever put Manning above Brady except if he wins two more rings.

[SirFozzie]

Now, let's be honest, looking at the upcoming schedule

11/16 @ Indianapolis (Sunday Night)
11/23 Detroit
11/30 @ Green Bay
12/7 @ San Diego

(then finishing up with AFC East, Miami, Jets, Buffalo)..

That's not an easy schedule: 11-5 or 10-6 is not out of the question.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Now, let's be honest, looking at the upcoming schedule

11/16 @ Indianapolis (Sunday Night)
11/23 Detroit
11/30 @ Green Bay
12/7 @ San Diego

(then finishing up with AFC East, Miami, Jets, Buffalo)..

That's not an easy schedule: 11-5 or 10-6 is not out of the question.

No but my prediction was made pre-season, predicated upon Pats beating the Broncos at home. Don't know now how it will end up.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I know I'm biased but I had been getting tired of Manning-this Manning-that and ignoring Brady. While I put both of them in the top 3 all-time, there's no way I'll ever put Manning above Brady except if he wins two more rings.

Ignoring Brady? Nantz and Simms have more or less been the Pats' team booth for years.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Ignoring Brady? Nantz and Simms have more or less been the Pats' team booth for years.

Manning still seems to get the nod as of late in being the best ever.

[stevew]

I think the Ravens are going to roll the steelers here.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the 7-1 Arizona Cardinals-best record in the NFC!

(I am totally shocked)

CORRECTION: Not the NFC, but the whole NFL now (Thanks New England)

What a crazy ending to that Rams/SF game. Rams practically gift the game to SF with two penalties that brought the ball to the goal line. Then SF gifts it right back by not running the ball (was Gore hurt?) until the QB sneak that may or may not have been a TD because the replay can't show inside the mob on top of the ball. Thanks Rams kinda. They are not going to be intimidated by the crowd in Arizona next week I don't think.

[cuervo72]

I wouldn't have guessed that the Ravens have the best point diff in the NFL (ok, wasn't true before the DEN/NE game, but for the moment, it is).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Manning still seems to get the nod as of late in being the best ever.

Tends to happen when you start knocking down all time records in passing yardage and TDs.

And yes, FTR, I'll take Manning over Brady.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

And yes, FTR, I'll take Manning over Brady.

I simply don't know who I would take? Both are great players.

[ISiddiqui]

I think the discussion was settled (at least to me) when the Colts went 2-14 the year Manning got injured.

Belicheck had the Pats in the thick of things even during seasons where Brady missed substantial playing time.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I think the discussion was settled (at least to me) when the Colts went 2-14 the year Manning got injured.

Belicheck had the Pats in the thick of things even during seasons where Brady missed substantial playing time.

I'm not sure how that is a detractor for a player who has led his team to five Super Bowls over his career? I don't think you lose having either player lead your team.

[cuervo72]

Ok, 68 was funny on that [first] sack - was hugging the Raven from behind, hanging from him with his feet not even on the ground (his knees were dragging, basically). If THAT's not holding...

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

I'm not sure how that is a detractor for a player who has led his team to five Super Bowls over his career? I don't think you lose having either player lead your team.

Not that I'm comparing Brady to him (I think Brady is far better), but does this calculus come into play when comparing Terry Bradshaw to other all time QBs? He did lead his team to four Super Bowls over his career.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Ummmm. . . . DUH?

Given the choice of facing the Patriots without Brady but a 100% healthy Gronk or the Patriots without Gronk and a 100% healthy Brady, I'll take the team without Gronk 100 times out of 100.

This game is just freakish. Time after time after time the Pats have made a small mistake and Denver hasn't capitalized on it. Time after time after time Denver has made a mistake and the Pats have just pounced.

Last year the worst loss Denver had prior to the Super Bowl was the Patriots game. A bunch of flukish crap happened in that game and I was hoping for the rematch all year. This feels so similar despite the scoreline. I'm hoping for a rematch not because I think Denver will win it. I'm looking for a rematch so I can see the game I expected to see today.

It's not freakish/flukish.

It's execution.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I think the discussion was settled (at least to me) when the Colts went 2-14 the year Manning got injured.

Belicheck had the Pats in the thick of things even during seasons where Brady missed substantial playing time.

Brady's missed games in one season, and while "11-5 with Matt Cassel at QB" sounds impressive, we had the greatest (regular season) team in NFL history returning almost entirely intact. There was a huge dropoff there, but that team was just so dominant it didn't show as much in record alone. Patriots went from 589 points to 410, and Indy dropped from 435 to 243, just about an equal 185 point drop in each case... But the Pats were coming off a season where they'd been +315 in point differential while Indy had only been +47 with Peyton in 2010.

(Plus I'm pretty certain everyone knew Curtis Painter wasn't one of the top 64 QB's in the world, but the Colts jutat crossed their fingers that Peyton would stay healthy while the Pats have at least attempted to find/develop a competent backup QB.)

[stevew]

Ravens pull off a rare triple foul

[BishopMVP]

If Peyton had missed this whole year, the Broncos would clearly do better than 2-14... If Brady went down in an alternate universe and Brock Osweiler (or Ryan Mallett, or Curtis Painter) had to start, I'm not sure the Patriots top 6-7 wins.

[EagleFan]

What kind of throw was that by Flacco? That wasn't even close to a Raven.

[stevew]

It's a good thing we didn't use Martavis Bryant the first 6 weeks of the season. He obviously isn't ready to contribute.

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

If Peyton had missed this whole year, the Broncos would clearly do better than 2-14... If Brady went down in an alternate universe and Brock Osweiler (or Ryan Mallett, or Curtis Painter) had to start, I'm not sure the Patriots top 6-7 wins.

Not to mention that the Colts bounced right back to 11-5 with the same basic roster after firing Jim Caldwell and drafting Andrew Luck. I think that 2-14 says more about how the Colts treated the QB position while Manning was there and how ineffectual the head coach and GM were in coming up with a suitable backup.

[stevew]

James Harrison had to have done a cycle of something, he looks like he's 6 years younger.

[miami_fan]

What was the difference between the hit Harrison just laid on Flacco and the one that was called for roughing the passer? They both looked the same to me.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

It's not freakish/flukish.

It's execution.

It's both. Is Welker dropping that ball a failure in execution? Definitely. Is that ball popping right up into our DB's arms lucky? Of course. Pats outplayed and out coached the Broncos today even if we didnt get any breaks, and I would love our chances in a rematch against them next Sunday, but I doubt we'd be up 20 and receiving the 2nd-half kickoff...

[stevew]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

What was the difference between the hit Harrison just laid on Flacco and the one that was called for roughing the passer? They both looked the same to me.

There's no rhyme or reason. Every contested defensive play you have to hold your breath for pass interference. I'm not even sure the players know what they can get away with anymore.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by BillJasper

Not to mention that the Colts bounced right back to 11-5 with the same basic roster after firing Jim Caldwell and drafting Andrew Luck. I think that 2-14 says more about how the Colts treated the QB position while Manning was there and how ineffectual the head coach and GM were in coming up with a suitable backup.

I would add that between 2011 and the last offseason the Colts had the biggest roster upheaval in the NFL. So I dunno if the "same basic roster" comment sticks.

Which teams have had the most NFL roster turnover? - NFL.com