The NFL 2011 Thread

Charlatan · 2011-09-11T05:32:26.000Z

I’m all on pins and noodles anticipating the start of the reign of Rex Grossman.

Mr_PeaCH · 2011-09-11T05:36:48.000Z

Charlatan:

I’m all on pins and noodles anticipating the start of the reign of Rex Grossman.

Everybody wants to believe. /FSM

JonRowe · 2011-09-11T08:11:08.000Z

In the Ingram household, little known older brother James Ingram felt a buzzing right behind his ears for a moment. It quickly silenced, and he returned to living in his brother’s shadow.

Bill_Dungsroman · 2011-09-11T08:54:02.000Z

Jon Rowe:

In the Ingram household, little known older brother James Ingram felt a buzzing right behind his ears for a moment. It quickly silenced, and he returned to living in his brother’s shadow.

Yes nobody’s heard of James Ingram.

sluggo · 2011-09-11T08:57:49.000Z

I kept waiting for someone to mention the singer. Just once!

Matt_Bowyer · 2011-09-11T10:10:26.000Z

In the first two plays of Kansas City’s season, we fumbled the opening kickoff, gave up a first down on the ground to give Buffalo first and goal, and Pro Bowl S Eric Berry is down on the field with an injury.

First set of boos in KC: 6 minutes and 29 seconds.

Matt_Bowyer · 2011-09-11T10:48:15.000Z

CBS is showing stats from a GB/NO game that didn’t happen. Chase Daniel?

Alan_Dunkin · 2011-09-11T11:03:37.000Z

Brandon Clements:

Two points on this:

-Defenses can be pretty damn complex these days. Zone blitzing, drop-off coverage, etc. Look for teams that have new coordnators and/or multiple changes (LOOK AT DALLAS) to have growing pains on defense as everyone learns the playbook. The playbook they didn’t even have until something like 6 weeks ago.

-Offenses can practice without having the defense there; most of the good (leadership wise, and yes, I’m including Romo in here) teams did practice the playbook as of last season. Defenses need to be in pads and against someone to get everyone on the same page. In-season pad time has been reduced this year (from something like 17 practices to 14 IIRC).

Yeah I think you’re fairly accurate; defenses are easier to do in a very general, simplistic sense, but real defensive scheming takes time, and Ryan is setting up somewhat complex stuff. He’s not a simple guy. That will take time to gel. Defensive players may work in tandem on occasion, and the secondary works on schemes–not necessarily teamwork in a larger sense–for coverage. Individual play can mean all the difference.

For the offense it will take longer, because the o-line has to gel has a unit (which we’ll see how well this went for Dallas since the line is extremely new, so far Baltimore seems to be adjusting well to theirs as a comparative example) and that’s the power that drives the offense.

And of course complex offenses will take a very long time for people to learn. Defenses I think 4 weeks of full play. Kerry Collins went into Indianapolis and thought it was the most complex mind-jarring offense he had ever seen, much less heard of. Simplistic to start can be good… the Florida Gators supposedly ran just six offensive plays last week.

— Alan

Matt_Bowyer · 2011-09-11T11:16:57.000Z

Jamaal Charles fumbles inside his own 20, thus endeth the first game of the season for KC, down 17-0 to Buffalo and with them inside the red zone already. Can I change my prediction to 4-12?

sluggo · 2011-09-11T11:25:05.000Z

Texans 34, Colts 0. Wave the white flag already!

I’ll say it: down 20-0, KC is not out of this game yet.

Mark_Asher · 2011-09-11T11:26:48.000Z

sluggo:

Texans 34, Colts 0. Wave the white flag already!

They need the 10 run rule like they have in softball.

Matt_Bowyer · 2011-09-11T11:28:03.000Z

sluggo:

Texans 34, Colts 0. Wave the white flag already!

I’ll say it: down 20-0, KC is not out of this game yet.

They’re not completely out, but they have not fielded a competent team in any way today. Horrible defense, absolutely horrible.

Matt_Bowyer · 2011-09-11T11:36:36.000Z

Now that I am no longer watching, a touchdown! I’ll keep this up!

Mark_Asher · 2011-09-11T11:37:46.000Z

Rams - Eagles is a good game. 17 - 10 Eagles at half, the difference being a Bradford fumble after he was tripped by his lineman that was returned for the defense for a long TD.

Vick has looked good with some nifty scrambles and some nice passes. Both teams have been hurt by drops. The Rams Kendricks has dropped two, one a likely TD and Desean Jackson dropped a beautiful long pass that was probably a TD.

Back and forth game, really. The only injury so far is to the Beast. Stephen Jackson galloped 47 yards for a TD on the Rams first offensive play of the season, but strained his quadriceps and has had only one other run since. They are going to evaluate him at the half.

Go Rams in the second half!

Lorini · 2011-09-11T11:45:46.000Z

Methinks the Eagles kick returner will be looking for work tomorrow. How many times will he get to start Vick behind the 20?

seventimessix · 2011-09-11T11:53:43.000Z

So the Ravens are winning 29-7 and the go for it on 4th and 1 in the red zone and got stuffed. I understand wanting to put a team away, especially a bitter division rival, but why not just go up by 25 instead of giving one of the best defenses in the league a huge boost?

Woolen_Horde · 2011-09-11T11:54:29.000Z

seventimessix:

So the Ravens are winning 29-7 and the go for it on 4th and 1 in the red zone and got stuffed. I understand wanting to put a team away, especially a bitter division rival, but why not just go up by 25 instead of giving one of the best defenses in the league a huge boost?

'Cause you’ve got a Harbaugh at the helm.

Charlatan · 2011-09-11T11:57:05.000Z

Mark, what concerns me about the Eagles (since I picked them in the suicide league!) is that they seem to have very little run defense. If Jackson hadn’t been hurt I think the Rams would have 300 rushing yards by halftime!

Sarkus · 2011-09-11T12:09:10.000Z

seventimessix:

So the Ravens are winning 29-7 and the go for it on 4th and 1 in the red zone and got stuffed. I understand wanting to put a team away, especially a bitter division rival, but why not just go up by 25 instead of giving one of the best defenses in the league a huge boost?

There is a difference between 22 and 25, but its not huge. And the Ravens offensive line has been largely dominating all day, so going for it on short yardage was hardly a huge risk, even if it didn’t result in success.

Doesn’t seem to have mattered anyway, as they just got it back and the Ravens are up by 25 late in the 3rd quarter. The odds of the Steelers coming back continue to drop.

Woolen_Horde · 2011-09-11T12:09:38.000Z

Holy God, Tennessee finally got off the scneid thanks to a crazy play.