The NFL 2011 Thread

Zuwadza · 2012-01-14T19:29:01.000Z

Sarkus:

We’ll see. Even though they lost, the Saints offense still put up a lot of points on that defense. And I doubt their next opponent will spot the 49ers 17 points off of early turnovers either.

The surprise of the game was the 49ers scoring that much late. Which points to the defensive playcalling of Saints DC Gregg Williams. For the second straight year after a playoff loss. If I’m a Saints fan I’m not crying about the Peter King story earlier that Williams may very well head to St. Louis to be the Rams DC.

I wouldn’t be sad to see Gregg Williams leave, but who’s going to replace him? Was the problem the playcalling or just crappy play from the secondary?

Woolen_Horde · 2012-01-14T19:30:12.000Z

Zuwadza:

I wouldn’t be sad to see Gregg Williams leave, but who’s going to replace him? Was the problem the playcalling or just crappy play from the secondary?

Both of the defenses disappeared in the last few minutes.

robsam · 2012-01-14T19:40:53.000Z

Mark_Asher · 2012-01-14T19:41:43.000Z

Hammet:

You ARE joking, right? Or you either didn’t watch the game or haven’t seen the Saints in recent weeks. This was hands down the best defensive play I’ve seen in a very long time.

The Saints actually outscored their average on grass. What San Fran did well was get turnovers.

I guess if you thought the Saints were going to score 45 than the Niners defense rose to the occasion.

jeffd · 2012-01-14T19:53:33.000Z

I want them to go for it here.

jeffd · 2012-01-14T19:59:31.000Z

So how the hell are the Pats getting such penetration on the line? It’s absolutely insane.

Jakub · 2012-01-14T20:14:10.000Z

jeffd:

So how the hell are the Pats getting such penetration on the line? It’s absolutely insane.

God is on their side.

This is not the Patriots defence. Angels from heaven have been summoned in their place, taking corporeal form resembling the Patriots but in fact delivering divine retribution.

Lorini · 2012-01-14T20:30:12.000Z

Jakub:

God is on their side.

This is not the Patriots defence. Angels from heaven have been summoned in their place, taking corporeal form resembling the Patriots but in fact delivering divine retribution.

I will give you an Amen.

divorced · 2012-01-14T20:42:47.000Z

Well, football season is over now. I love my Saints dearly, but you simply can’t give the ball away 5 times and expect to win, at least not in the NFL. The play that knocked Pierre Thomas should have been a personal foul with a helmet to helmet contact. But no sour grapes here, it is what it is.

Congrats S.F.! Go all the way!

Mark_Asher · 2012-01-14T21:29:07.000Z

divorced:

Well, football season is over now. I love my Saints dearly, but you simply can’t give the ball away 5 times and expect to win, at least not in the NFL. The play that knocked Pierre Thomas should have been a personal foul with a helmet to helmet contact. But no sour grapes here, it is what it is.

Congrats S.F.! Go all the way!

I think helmet-to-helmet is allowed with a runner. It’s when it’s a QB or defenseless receiver that it becomes a penalty.

You really can’t call it with running backs because RBs lower their head.

But otherwise, yeah, you can’t turn it over like that and expect to win. That really was the difference in the game.

Thongsy · 2012-01-14T21:40:13.000Z

Yea, helmet to helmet is legal on a runner. So after a WR has caught the ball, he’s legal. Or if a QB tucks and runs with it he’s legal.

bakka_bakka_bakka · 2012-01-14T22:29:06.000Z

The hit on Pierre Thomas set the tone for the entire game. Physically the Saints were outmatched. Men in red and children in white.

Woolen_Horde · 2012-01-14T23:34:31.000Z

That’s two years in a row that the Saints have fallen to NFC West opponents in the playoffs. Both times the Saints were the road team. But I better not hear any dissing of the NFC West next year from New Orleans fans.

jeffd · 2012-01-14T23:55:44.000Z

Yeah, the NFC West is definitely no longer the worst division in the NFL. SF is a legitimately good team, and Seattle is not that shabby at all. Contrast with the AFC West, where all the teams are, IMO, pretty bad. Or the AFC South, where only Houston can claim to be decent.

Thongsy · 2012-01-15T01:02:37.000Z

What a difference a year makes. Last year the NFC West had the distinction of having a losing team as their divisional winner and sending them to the playoffs. Though Seattle did win their playoff game. To this year where they could have the NFC champ and a team in the Super Bowl.

Sarkus · 2012-01-15T01:25:21.000Z

Well, if the 49ers do make the Superbowl this year it would mean every NFC West team has been in it once in the last 11 seasons. I don’t think any other division can say that.

Hammet · 2012-01-15T05:15:23.000Z

Mark Asher:

The Saints actually outscored their average on grass. What San Fran did well was get turnovers.

I guess if you thought the Saints were going to score 45 than the Niners defense rose to the occasion.

OK. So sacking Brees three times, making him throw “under duress” an additional 17 times, completely shutting down a really good running game (mainly by knocking out Pierre Thomas in the first quarter, which forced a fumble on the Niner 5 yard line), forcing FOUR turnovers (none of which came from a direct Saint mistake) and for all intents and purposes winning the game for their team against the best offense in the NFL isn’t playing great defense. Gotcha.

Lorini · 2012-01-15T07:48:24.000Z

So these will be my last words on Tebow, that’s a promise, but since I don’t have a blog, there will be a lot of them :)

I look back on Tebow’s season and I don’t see a very good quarterback. He played 11 games, only two against teams that made it to the playoffs and he lost badly to both of those teams. If Phillip Rivers can take a fucking snap, he’s not in the playoffs. If Marion Barber can stay inbounds, he’s not in the playoffs. Not to mention the Raider miscues and stupid plays.

His whole schtick is this evangelical bullshit that the media has decided to milk in order to get more evangelical Christians to watch and read about football. That’s it. I don’t believe that people who really follow football and know the game have much respect for him as a quarterback. Yes, he won games against bad teams. So fucking what. When he can consistently take a team down the field with a completion percentage over 60%, produce on third down in numbers anywhere close to Rodgers, and can throw for TD’s like even Carson Palmer, wake me up. He beat the Steelers on big plays, but trying to rely solely on big plays when you can’t throw worth shit without them will get you crushed.

So I’m glad he was shown up so badly in the Pats playoff game, a real game where real men play. Tebow looked like he needed his mommy and some hot chocolate milk by the end of the game. We will continue to hear about him of course because as long as the media thinks they can get evangelical Christians to watch ESPN, they’ll keep the motor running.

Like I said, he played two playoff teams and lost badly to both of them. He beat a Steelers team in the playoffs who for some reason decided to play a defense never seen from them before and hopefully never to be seen from them again. Next year the Broncos play seven playoff teams. Let’s see how he does then.

bakka_bakka_bakka · 2012-01-15T09:18:56.000Z

The thing about defending against that Broncos offense is that you just have to do what you do against every other team. The Bears proved that when they switched from cover 2 to prevent and Tebow carved them up. Steelers’ hubris made them play a wacky defense and got carved up.

He made no improvement in 11 games and I really don’t see him getting much better in an offseason. I hope Denver is ready for a rough year. Especially with their defense being exposed in the last few weeks of the season.

gameoverman · 2012-01-15T09:42:56.000Z

That 49’er game was one for the ages. I’m amazed that Smith went from a guy who looked like he was going to get run out of town to the guy who outguns Drew Brees on a day Bees has 4tds and over 400 yards passing. In the end, despite the turnovers, the Saints offense scored enough to take the lead. Only a clutch player steps up in that almost hopeless situation and leads his team to not a mere field goal, but a win.

People can say what they will about Tebow but they can’t take his achievements away. The Broncos were 1-4 when he took over right? So he had a winning year 7-4. The Broncos were division winners with him as QB. They won a playoff game, a memorable victory in front of their home crowd. How many kids who were there are going to be football fans for life now? Plus, his story in general just made the season a lot more entertaining, watching and listening to all the anti-Tebows gnash their teeth at his success was choice!