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Stop the "real refs" nonsense. You ran a pick play on Sunday that was 100000% a penalty that the real refs didn't call.
Nonsense? Those games with replacement refs were an atrocity, and it's not even all about blown calls, it's about the flow of the game.
The only argument with any real substance that you've managed to offer is that nate solder struggles with speed rushers.
You'd have a point if the Pats had a different set of refs than their opponents those first 3 weeks. But they didn't. Every team dealt with that same ineptitude.
What you're doing is making an excuse for losing two games rather than saying "the Cards beat us physically" (which happened) and "Flacco outplayed Brady, and that was the difference" (which it was).
And because you deem a sound argument (that the Pats are not better than two teams picked to be elite during preseason that have lost a game between the two of them) wrong, it's wrong? Sure, whatever you need to say in order to feel better about only being 1 game up on the poops Jets/Billdos duel threat.
You'd have a point if the Pats had a different set of refs than their opponents those first 3 weeks. But they didn't. Every team dealt with that same ineptitude.
What you're doing is making an excuse for losing two games rather than saying "the Cards beat us physically" (which happened) and "Flacco outplayed Brady, and that was the difference" (which it was).
I'm not making excuses, I'm pointing out how maybe wins and losses aren't the conclusive way to rank a team you think they are. And saying flacco outplayed brady is a joke. Put flacco against the ravens D and brady against the pats D and see who outplays who.
And because you deem a sound argument (that the Pats are not better than two teams picked to be elite during preseason that have lost a game between the two of them) wrong, it's wrong?
You deem it sound so it's sound? I'm the only one looking beyond wins and losses at what actually happened.
Sure, whatever you need to say in order to feel better about only being 1 game up on the poops Jets/Billdos duel threat.
All this talk about who is best in the AFC is foolish, because the AFC is a joke and will get stomped the f*ck out by the NFC all year long.
Also, the NFC West is the best division in football.
Finally, the Patriots are going to lose to the Seahawks this week. People are somehow ignoring the fact that the Pats are crumbling against elite defenses, or at least the only good defense they've seen (the Cards). Note I said "elite" - the Ravens are not an elite defense, nor have they been for several years. They live off reputation.
Tom Brady will be throwing off the back of his ass after Irvin and Clemons get after him, and at least two of those throws will find their way into the hands of either Sherman, Browner, Thomas or Chancellor.
I am not joking. It won't be pretty, but I think you're looking at something like a 20-17 Seattle win.
Also, the Ravens and Pats defenses are on par with one another (the Pats actually give up 5 more points per contest, but I see the units themselves as pretty even). Pats improved from last year, Ravens regressed, but since that gap was huge last year it's just brought them to about the same spot. Your point about Flacco/Brady isn't true, Flacco outplayed him and won. Kevin Kolb outplayed Brady and won, too (not a troll attempt).
I can't begin to understand why you even care about my personal rankings of AFC teams, but since you do know that it's not entirely record-driven, but when a team is 5-0 and the least amount of points they scored was 23, they're the best team in the conference.
I understand that you want to be optimistic. That's terrific. And the Patriots may win, sure. But at least be somewhat realistic here - they aren't scoring 28 points on Seattle, at home. 28 points is 4 touchdowns. For reference, Seattle has allowed 4 offensive touchdowns ALL YEAR.
Sorry, but officiating is a part of the game. As far as I'm concerned, all games played with replacement refs can be thrown out the window for all they can tell you about the quality of teams.
I can't begin to understand why you even care about my personal rankings of AFC teams, but since you do know that it's not entirely record-driven, but when a team is 5-0 and the least amount of points they scored was 23, they're the best team in the conference.
Ah, yes, the "Why do you care so much???" method of winning an argument.
Texans have had a soft-ass schedule, except maybe denver and peyton manning's ghost. If anything, yesterday's game says more about the texans than it does about the jets.
No, they've faced Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton and Tony Romo and Sam Bradford. All good quarterbacks, some moreso than others (Romo is kind of the derpiest guy in the NFL next to my man Doopy Pantz).
Oh, and you can't really run against them either.
Yeah, wow, the packers and panthers look great this year. Good wins.
Even I'm not that confident in the Pats against Seattle. I'd like to think they can win, decent odds at it, but it'll be much tougher of a game like Baltimore than one like against Buffalo.
I also will say that the Pats are upper level of the AFC, but would face a good challenge in Balt again or Houston. Pats could win, Texans/Ravens could win - I'd think it'd be close either way.
^^^. This. The Seattle defense will give the Pats fits. I think Juggs is right. Plus it's tough to run the no-huddle in Seattle and the Pats are not the same offensively without it.
Post by RadioSpirit on Oct 9, 2012 15:14:03 GMT -5
Seattle has the best secondary in the NFL. It'd be quite a feat for Brady to put up 28 points on them at home, at one of the hardest stadiums to play at in the league.
For what it's worth: 1. Houston Texans 2. Atlanta Falcons 3. San Francisco 49er's 4. Baltimore Ravens 5. New England Patriots
I had a discussion with a friend earlier, and that's what I came up with, but looking at it now, that might even be too generous to New England. The Giants deserve mention too.
And Juggs is right. NFC is better than the AFC and the NFC West is the best division in football. At least defensively. 4 great defenses and 4 offenses that try to stay out of the way.
I'm going to start using emoney tactics when I discuss the Saints from now on. We may be 1-4, but we should've beaten KC and Green Bay. And we would've beaten Washington and Carolina if we had Coach Payton. Based on what we have the potential to do, excluding all final scores, including all excuses, I think the Saints are the best team in the NFC.
Post by Delicious Meatball Sub on Oct 12, 2012 16:44:32 GMT -5
Alright Kimosabes, this seemed like as good a thread as any to pose this question:
Nachos or Chicken Wings?
I feel like this is the ultimate reliability vs. potential question. Great nachos are great, but they can be super shitty if you're just getting stale chips and "cheese." Wings on the other hand are consistently solid, but the best wings don't touch the best nachos.
I don't like picking at my dinner. Boneless it is.
Wimp. Do you use a fork a knife too? You know where else they eat boneless wings because they don't like to get icky sauce on their wittle fingers? Field level of Yankee Stadium. So bourgeois.
I don't like picking at my dinner. Boneless it is.
Wimp. Do you use a fork a knife too? You know where else they eat boneless wings because they don't like to get icky sauce on their wittle fingers? Field level of Yankee Stadium. So bourgeois.
Fork? Knife? I like me some chicken, don't need any of that bullshit.
When it comes to the Seattle Seahawks offense, what you see is what you get. There are few surprises with it, as they stick to their plan week in and week out. It consists of the power running game and play action with West Coast Offense principles in the passing game.
They are led by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who is still learning how to play in the NFL. He has a strong arm that enables him to make throws into tight windows as well as down the field to stretch defenses. He also possesses foot speed to move the pocket and avoid the pass rush. He's an accurate and smart quarterback that perhaps has too much confidence in his arm at times, which can result in questionable throws that give the defense opportunities to force turnovers.
Moreover, the passing game is simply designed for Wilson, allowing him to make quick, short reads that stretch the field horizontally in most cases. The concepts used include Snag, All-Curls, Hitch-Dig as well as screen passes; all of which are designed to get the ball quickly out of Wilson's hands and allow the pass catchers to pick up yards after the catch. They are typically ran from 11 (1 back, 1 tight end) and 12 (1 back, 2 tight ends) personnel.
When Wilson is not slinging the ball, he is handing it off to Marshawn Lynch. Lynch and the Seahawks running game is power based, featuring the base NFL run concepts: Power, Toss, Counter and Lead (weak and strong).
The run concepts are ran from several personnel groupings, including 11 (1 back, 1 tight end), 12 (1 back, 2 tight ends), 21 (2 backs, 1 tight end) and 22 (2 backs, 2 tight ends; usually used in short yardage). The running game is a vital aspect of the Seahawks' offense because it sets up their play action passing game that attacks the field vertically with concepts such as 4-verticals.
INSIDE THE SEAHAWKS' DEFENSE
Defensively, the Seahawks are not anything out of the ordinary; they show you what they're going to do and they simply do it.
They base out of the 4-3 Under scheme, which means the strong-side guard is uncovered and the strong-side linebacker is scrimmage across the tight end (on or off the line of scrimmage). As it is with every other team that bases out of the 4-3, they use the Over front to complement the Under.
The defense has a very dynamic front four that allows them to put pressure on quarterbacks without sending additional rushers and is also stout against the run. Two big reasons for their strong run defense are Brandon Mebane and Red Bryant.
Mebane is an interior defensive lineman that has a history of playing the 1 and 3 techniques but is currently at the position that suits him best: nose tackle.
At strong-side defensive end is Red Bryant, a burly defensive lineman that is naturally a defensive tackle but has shifted over to the closed end spot in Seattle's front and done a remarkable job. He doesn't offer much as a pass rusher but is a strong run defender and is spelled in passing situations by rookie rusher Bruce Irvin, who possesses rare speed off the edge and is primarily used on stunts from the 5-technique when the Seahawks go to their nickel packages (3-3-5, 4-2-5 and 2-man fronts) on long down and distance situations.
Furthermore, the linebackers and defensive backs are very long and can run. They pose problems for all pass catchers because of their size, length and physicality. The linebackers can play the run and run with pass catchers and the same can be said for the defensive backs. The cornerbacks play a lot of press-man alignment, which explains why the Seahawks spend so much time playing Cover 1 (Man-Free).
Along with Cover 1, the Seahawks will use the Cover 1-Robber, (soft) Cover 2 and Cover 3 coverage concepts. These concepts are found in every team's playbook and the Seahawks are no exception.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Patriots disciplined rush lanes - New England has to be disciplined in their pass rush lanes against quarterback Russell Wilson, otherwise he will make plays on them with his feet and arm. Wilson is a shorter quarterback and thrives outside of the pocket, which is why New England must play disciplined. Force him to stay in the pocket and throw over the long, out-stretched arms of the defensive linemen.
Stopping Seattle's run - Defensive coaches always talk about making an offense one dimensional by taking away their strength. For Seattle, their strength is the power running game, which sets up the passing game. The Patriots must stop Seattle's running game if they plan on having success defensively. By stopping them, they force Russell Wilson to put the offense on his shoulders, which is likely to result in forced throws and turnovers. New England has the defensive backs to man up on the outsides against Seattle‘s pass catchers, so I expect a lot of 1-deep safety shells.
No-Huddle - Much has been written about the Patriots no-huddle offense this season and for good reason: it's impressive. They are the league's best at it and have to use it in this game for two reasons: get defensive end Red Bryant off the field and defensive end Bruce Irvin on it. The Patriots will likely look to wear out the Seahawks' front four with the no-huddle, which should result in run stuffing defensive end Red Bryant to come off of the field. When Bryant does, the Patriots need to target rookie Bruce Irvin with the running game. Irvin is a one dimensional player at the moment and does not play the run. He is a C-gap, speed rusher in the truest sense and New England needs to take advantage of this.
Seattle's OL vs. New England's DL - Seattle's offensive line is an interesting group as it hasn't been awful nor quite good. It also doesn't have players that play with great strength, so it will be interesting to see how they play against the Patriots long and heavy defensive line. The offensive tackles, Russell Okung (LT) and Breno Giacomini (RT), have some talent but tend to have inconsistent technique, which leads to them having issues with pass rushers. Omiyale also doesn't have great quickness, so speed can give him some problems. On the interior, center Max Unger is a solid blocker but is not the type that can handle one-on-one matchups with nose tackles, which makes for an interesting matchup with Vince Wilfork.
Horizontal routes vs. Seattle's man coverage - As noted earlier, the Seahawks play a lot of man coverage because of their long athletes. But a significant weakness of man coverage, if not adjusted for, is inside-breaking, horizontal routes. Shallow crosses and square-in's force defensive backs in a trail position, meaning they have to run across the field in coverage and are a step behind. I expect New England to use quite a bit of this.