The NFL 2011 Thread

Omniscia · 2011-09-11T16:44:48.000Z

Matt Bowyer:

Rob Gronkowski!

I don’t have a Gronk jersey. I only have the Woodhead one because it was on sale and the only one available in their alternate colors that I actually wanted.

Omniscia · 2011-09-11T16:48:23.000Z

Charlatan:

As a treat, viewers of the Redskins-Giants game are being now being shuffled to the 49ers-Seahawks game.

We got to watch the whole game here! This is Giants Country, when it isn’t Patriots Country. And sometimes Jets Country.

Eli sucked, but the constant pressure and the multiple sacks certainly didn’t help him much. His accuracy was atrocious at best, and then you add to that the flukey, highlight-reel batted ball by Kerrigan (that he spiked into the air like a volleyball, then looked up, wheeled around, caught and ran back for a TD)… And then Orakpo gets a hand on the field goal.

The Giants offense just wasn’t good at all. I’m okay with that, though.

Sarkus · 2011-09-11T16:50:43.000Z

Thongsy:

I’m happy with the win, but this game tells me nothing about the 49ers. Are the 49ers actually this good, or is Seattle really just this bad? The offense was pretty bland most of the game choosing to run the ball most of the time. Alex Smith looked like Alex Smith, nothing amazing but not horrible either. The Niners could make the playoffs this year, but that is due to being in the NFC West, which looks weaker than it did last year.

I thought both teams looked like they had solid defenses (though the 49ers do a better job of forcing turnovers) but that Seattle’s offense was able to find something as the game went on while it appeared that the 49ers don’t really trust Alex Smith to throw it deep very much. Special teams played a huge role in the outcome of the game, obviously, since it was 19-17 relatively late.

That said, Seattle will get crushed next week by some angry Steelers while the 49ers have a likely easier opponent at home with the Cowboys (pending the game later tonight.)

robsam · 2011-09-11T17:10:50.000Z

Eightball:

Well, add in:

R. Grossman: 305 yards passing

Rex is not going along with the program.

Shadarr · 2011-09-11T17:12:51.000Z

Sarkus:

I thought both teams looked like they had solid defenses (though the 49ers do a better job of forcing turnovers) but that Seattle’s offense was able to find something as the game went on while it appeared that the 49ers don’t really trust Alex Smith to throw it deep very much.

I don’t think it’s a matter of trust, a lot of those passes for 1 yard or less were check downs. Alex Smith is the one who doesn’t trust Alex Smith. The bigger concern is how bad the OL looked. No push in the running game, there was only one run up the middle that went for anything at all, and it was Frank Gore basically burrowing through the middle of the pile (and then Morgan erased it with an idiotic block in the back after Gore was already down). Granted, if Alex could threaten the field more there wouldn’t be as many defenders there, but they are not going to pick up any 3rd and 1s this year playing like that.

However, Jim Harbough said that to win the game, you need to win two out of three phases. It’s pretty obvious which two they can win.

jeffd · 2011-09-11T17:17:41.000Z

Aaaaaaaand it’s time for National Jump to Conclusions Week to begin!

Sarkus · 2011-09-11T17:17:46.000Z

Shadarr:

I don’t think it’s a matter of trust, a lot of those passes for 1 yard or less were check downs. Alex Smith is the one who doesn’t trust Alex Smith. The bigger concern is how bad the OL looked. No push in the running game, there was only one run up the middle that went for anything at all, and it was Frank Gore basically burrowing through the middle of the pile (and then Morgan erased it with an idiotic block in the back after Gore was already down). Granted, if Alex could threaten the field more there wouldn’t be as many defenders there, but they are not going to pick up any 3rd and 1s this year playing like that.

However, Jim Harbough said that to win the game, you need to win two out of three phases. It’s pretty obvious which two they can win.

They may not have run blocked very well, but they did limit the pressure on Smith as he wasn’t sacked and wasn’t pressured that much. While we’ll have to see how good Seattle’s pass rush turns out to be, at least based on last years team, they are decent in that regard. So that’s a good sign for the 49ers.

Orangist · 2011-09-11T17:18:35.000Z

Mark Asher:

Half the fans are happy and thinking playoffs, and the other half are wondering if their team can win 4 games this season. The NFL season has begun!

I’m happy and wondering if my team can win 4 games this season, because of this:

sluggo:

Stat of the day:

C. Newton: 422 yards passing

Apparently Cam Newton is for real (?!?!?!?!).

sluggo · 2011-09-11T17:27:31.000Z

I don’t know if he’s for real, and of course he won’t do that every week, but it’s an unmatched rookie debut. It was fun to watch. :)

triggercut · 2011-09-11T17:49:15.000Z

Need help from a Cowboy fan: have the Cowboys always worn these light blue/gunmetal colored pants with the white jerseys? Didn’t they used to wear gray pants with these tops?

For some reason I just noticed this, and so now I’m curious.

Tin_Wisdom · 2011-09-11T17:52:35.000Z

CheesyPoof:

Assuming this holds (a safe assumption), I will chalk it up to 1) all of the defensive injuries for the Giants and 2) the Redskins were due.

(1) explains why the Skins’ offense looked better than they should (if they had Hightower run to the outside for a gain of 0.023 of a yard one more goddamn time…), but the defense still looked great. Poor Eli was completely out of it by the 4th quarter; he looked (and threw) like a zombie.

Nawid_A · 2011-09-11T17:54:33.000Z

jeffd:

Aaaaaaaand it’s time for National Jump to Conclusions Week to begin!

Cam Newton will be the greatest QB of all time.
Eli Manning will be benched.
Sexy Rexy
Indianapolis will follow up the current best QB of all time with future best QB of all time.

I believe in the last one.

robsam · 2011-09-11T17:57:34.000Z

triggercut:

Need help from a Cowboy fan: have the Cowboys always worn these light blue/gunmetal colored pants with the white jerseys? Didn’t they used to wear gray pants with these tops?

For some reason I just noticed this, and so now I’m curious.

Gunmetal since the seventies.

triggercut · 2011-09-11T18:08:42.000Z

robsam:

Gunmetal since the seventies.

You’re right. Huh. Wonder why I always thought they were gray/silver…

…but GIS evidence shows Staubach, Morton, Lilly, et al. absolutely wearing blu-ish tinted pants with the white tops.

triggercut · 2011-09-11T18:09:42.000Z

BTW, apropos of nothing else, but I cannot be the only human on the planet who is endlessly amused by the “Hit it, Mr. Butters” Geico commercial, right?

Sarkus · 2011-09-11T18:17:34.000Z

triggercut:

You’re right. Huh. Wonder why I always thought they were gray/silver…

…but GIS evidence shows Staubach, Morton, Lilly, et al. absolutely wearing blu-ish tinted pants with the white tops.

According to this article, the tinted pants they use with their white jerseys (note they wear grey pants with their dark jerseys) were actually designed to look silver gray on older TV technology. HDTVs bring out the blue/green tint in a way older TV tech did not.

robsam · 2011-09-11T18:19:19.000Z

Yep, I was going to say they looked silver when I was a kid watching on tv, but magazine pics looked gunmetal bluish.

triggercut · 2011-09-11T18:23:04.000Z

Sarkus:

According to this article, the tinted pants they use with their white jerseys (note they wear grey pants with their dark jerseys) were actually designed to look silver gray on older TV technology. HDTVs bring out the blue/green tint in a way older TV tech did not.

Nice find, thanks.

jeffd · 2011-09-11T18:26:52.000Z

Man, the Jets offense is going nowhere fast in this game!

robsam · 2011-09-11T18:27:48.000Z

This game, while enjoyable to me as a Dallas fan, lacks a certain something that Green Bay-New Orleans offered.