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2014 NFL Thread...


paul carruthers

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Next week, it's for all the marbles. Dallas at Philly--I would hope for Walter's sake & for the sake of a couple of my Uncles who root for the Boys that Dallas could pull what I think would be an upset at Philly. The playoff picture will be looking mighty bleak for whoever loses that one....

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Next week, it's for all the marbles. Dallas at Philly--I would hope for Walter's sake & for the sake of a couple of my Uncles who root for the Boys that Dallas could pull what I think would be an upset at Philly. The playoff picture will be looking mighty bleak for whoever loses that one....

Even for a wild card? I like Dallas to come in fired up to avenge that embarrassing loss on Turkey day. I just do not see that happening again. I think Dallas will be more disciplined and Mark Sanchez is going to be Mark Sanchez. Cowboys win

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Heh, I think I told you Rick with my luck, Phillip would probably throw the first TD and what happened? :P Talk about a turn around--I was expecting New England to wax the Chargers, but this is a pleasant surprise....

I have Chargers +3 1/2 and cannot bear to watch any more. I am about to put a movie on. I need the Sharks in hockey to cash a nice one. Wow. They stopped Brady again. This SD defense is saving my bacon. I worry about this prop. I have a W4 Streak and I am now wondering if there will be more passing TDs or running? I took passing with the flock of sheep. If its a tie I lose. Fucking Rivers. Great catch. He caught that ball. He has that fucking ball. Go Chargers.

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http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/12/08/nfl-says-refs-fist-bump-ok-after-broncos-td/

Just look at this shit!!!!! Refs bumping fists over a call that fucks the Bills!!!!!! This game was fucking rigged.

Oh god, give it a rest. Take your loss like a man and save the conspiracy theories for the tin-foil hat crowd. At least this Buffalo Bills fan has some perspective..and yes, Rick, I am still laughing about Orton:

Bills Beat Blog

Observations: Broncos 24 - Bills 17 by Joe Buscaglia , posted Dec 8 2014 12:40AM

As Dennis Green once yelled to a room of onlooking reporters:

“They are who we thought they were!”

With the type of performance that the Buffalo Bills put forth in a pivotal game to their playoff chances, they merely reinforced the prevailing thoughts about their identity. The Bills hung in with a bonafide Super Bowl contender but couldn’t come away with a victory, losing to the Denver Broncos 24-17.

Some thoughts from the Bills loss, which left them in quite the playoff predicament:

A defense worthy of the playoffs

- On Sunday, the Bills did something that 51 teams before them could not: they held surefire Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning without a touchdown pass in the game. Manning threw for only 173 yards and turned the ball over twice, and perhaps most impressive, had his offense held to only 24 points at home. The Bills, from their defensive line, to their linebackers and then into the secondary, put together an effort worthy of a team that was destined for the playoffs. The Bills gave up three big plays on defense, a 38-yard reception to Wes Welker, a 37-yard catch to Emmanuel Sanders and a 47-yard run to Juwan Thompson. Other than those three, the Bills defense was stout throughout the game. Demaryius Thomas, who has been on fire all season long, managed only 11 yards on two receptions. Tight end Julius Thomas was held without a catch, nor a target. The Broncos were even held to converting on just 4-of-10 third down attempts. All of the great play on that side of the ball was underscored by them being held without a sack, which almost makes it more impressive. The way the defense played against this caliber of an offense, they deserved a much better fate than what was given.

Orton’s welcome is being worn out

- Don’t be fooled by the statistics from garbage time, prevent defense. For the fourth time in five weeks, Kyle Orton hindered the offense and prevented the Bills from taking what could have been theirs. They defeated the Cleveland Browns last week despite a poor performance from Orton, but an even worse day from Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer was the difference in the day. However, against Kansas City, Miami and now Denver, the defense played well enough for the team to claim a victory, and all the offense did was hold them back. Through the first three quarters — when the game was still attainable — Orton had yards per attempt splits of 4.0 through the first quarter, 4.4 through the first half and 5.7 after three quarters. Even though the yards per attempt went up in the third quarter, it was paired with two interceptions, with one coming in the Denver red zone. Orton has gone from suitable replacement, to average player, to an outright liability on an almost weekly basis. Teams have figured out the Buffalo offense with Orton at the helm and he hasn’t been nearly accurate enough to overcome it. The problem is this: there is no easy solution. EJ Manuel showed in his four starts at the beginning of the season that he still has a ways to go, but the team may have no other option than to go back to their former first-round pick. Either way, the quarterback play will be the biggest reason an overwhelmingly talented roster will likely miss out on the postseason.

Give it a rest with the refs

- With respect to many that are reading and that this doesn’t apply to, it is utterly insane that some are claiming conspiracy because of a simple fist bump between officials on a Denver scoring play. The reason for the “celebration” between the two officials, that anyone that was down on the field would tell you, was simply a matter of one official having a better view and helping out his colleague to make the correct call. The fist bump was nothing more than a ‘thank you’ from one official to the other for the assist on the call. Even if there was an outright conspiracy — which there isn’t — do you think the officials on the field would be dumb enough to have an outward showing of it with cameras all over the field? Common sense needs to win out on this one. As for the rest of the penalties, many were calling foul on some of the calls — including some of the players. So, in an effort to be complete, let’s take a look at all 12 flags that were thrown that indicted the Bills:

  1. First quarter, false start on MarQueis Gray
    • Pretty self-explanatory, and the right call.
  2. First quarter, illegal contact on Nickell Robey
    • If the officials were actually calling it on Robey, this is a bad call. The more likely reason for the flag is a case of misidentification. Aaron Williams did enough past five yards to Demaryius Thomas to warrant a call, and Robey was still in the vicinity with his assignment which could have led to the confusion.
  3. Second quarter, holding on Kyle Williams
    • A good call coming on the interception. It cost the team 40 yards of field position.
  4. Second quarter, neutral zone infraction on Mario Williams
    • Also self-explanatory, and the right call.
  5. Second quarter, defensive pass interference on Stephon Gilmore
    • One of two questionable calls in the game. Gilmore should have gone for the ball and the interception, but made contact with the receiver as the ball got there. It’s a play that is a coin-flip as to whether or not it gets called with the speed of the game. You can make an argument both ways.
  6. Second quarter, unsportsmanlike conduct on Jerry Hughes
    • Regardless of how they felt about the penalty call on Gilmore, Hughes cannot put himself in a position to take this kind of penalty in that area of the field.
  7. Third quarter, holding on Kraig Urbik
    • Negated a 23-yard run and the Bills turned the ball over on the next play.
  8. Third quarter, unnecessary roughness on Corey Graham
    • No replays were shown on the penalty, but after talking with those on the field, it was a retaliatory penalty taken by Graham. On Gilmore’s interception, a Denver player went to cut at Graham’s lower half and the defender apparently took exception to it and retaliated. Even if the play from the Denver player was dirty, the worst thing to do is retaliate and put the team in that kind of position. It cost 36 yards of field position on the return. Players are taught to let cool heads prevail, even if an injustice has happened to them.
  9. Fourth quarter, false start on Cordy Glenn
  10. Fourth quarter, holding on Erik Pears
  11. Fourth quarter, false start on Cordy Glenn
  12. Fourth quarter, unnecessary roughness on Erik Pears
    • All four penalties in the fourth quarter were an open and shut case.

Here is the thing with penalties, and the outrage that comes along with them from individual fan bases: all teams will get a fair share of questionable calls against them. Referees do not decide the outcome of the game. Referees do not cause Kyle Orton to struggle with accuracy, touch and to throw two interceptions. Referees do not limit the offensive line from holding their blocks and allowing run plays to get blown up. The Bills lost this game, the referees did not lose it for them. Is there an emphasis by the NFL to over-officiate games? You bet there is. However, it’s like that all over the league in 16 cities a week. Like it or not, that is the officiating culture in today’s NFL. The bottom line is this: the Bills had their fair share of opportunities on the offensive side of the ball and squandered them, regardless of how the game was called by the men wearing black and white.

Hughes’ Benching

- Speaking of questionable calls, head coach Doug Marrone’s decision to keep Jerry Hughes on the sidelines for much of the second half could register on that scale. Hughes is an emotional player and has taken quite a few personal foul penalties in the 2014 season. Despite those concerns, and even with him taking another one of those penalties Sunday, the decision to bench him with the game still hanging in the balance was a foolhardy attempt at fulfilling an idealistic approach. It’s not as though the Bills didn’t pay for it either. On Juwan Thompson’s 47-yard run, the poor edge contain attempt of Manny Lawson — who was in for the then-benched Hughes — was the biggest factor in getting the runner into the open field. Yes, Hughes was a repeat offender and likely deserved some talking to either after the game or in the coming week, but the game was too important to willfully remove one of the best players on the defensive side of the ball from the game.

4th downs: one step forward, one step back

- The decision-making on fourth downs have become a major talking point around Buffalo, even to the point that Marrone is likely tired of fielding questions about how he approaches each individual decision. No situation is the same, and recognizing that, one must give credit where it’s due to Marrone for giving his offense an extended chance in a plus-area of the field in the first quarter. The Bills went for a 4th-and-6 at the Denver 39 and failed, but showed they weren’t afraid of giving up the field position if they felt there was a legitimate chance for points on the horizon. It was a call that the Bills never used to make. Then, the fourth quarter came around and Marrone once again relied on old principles. Down 14 points with only six minutes to go in the game, the Bills faced a 4th-and-2 at their own 16-yard line. Is it the most ideal of situations to go for it on fourth down usually? No, not usually. However, down two touchdowns with a waning clock and only two yards to pick up against a defense playing preventatively, the decision should have been to go for it. The Bills decided to punt and then had to face a 4th-and-16 from their own 14-yard line with only 3:33 left in the game, which carries a much lower conversion percentage. With the way the offense had been playing for the majority of the day, it likely would not have made a difference in the final outcome. However, the punt call with six minutes to go and with them down two touchdowns was the football equivalent of waving the white flag.

Bills’ MVPs: Stephon Gilmore and Corey Graham

- The defense was simply superb, and it was keyed by the effort of the two starting cornerbacks. Not many secondaries can boast that they kept Peyton Manning from throwing a touchdown in a game. Both players were on top of their game Sunday.

Bills’ LVP: Kyle Orton

- For the fourth time in five games, Kyle Orton was one of the weakest starters on the field for the Bills. Of those four games, it has cost them wins on three separate occasions. It may be time for EJ Manuel to start warming up again.

Up Next: Sunday, December 14 vs. Green Bay

Final Thoughts:

- The offense prevented the Bills from actually competing with the Denver Broncos in this game, but make no mistake: this defense is one of the best in the NFL. If the Bills even had consistently average to slightly above average play from the quarterback position, this is likely a 10 to 11 win and playoff team. That’s how small the margin of error has been with the level that defense has played at. However, the charm of Kyle Orton has worn off and the Bills now face a major decision with three games to go. Now sitting in 11th in the AFC playoff race and likely needing to sweep their final three games to sneak into the postseason, do the Bills go back to the man that started the season at quarterback for them? It may not necessarily be a catalyst to three straight victories, but the evidence is there and damn near incontrovertible: Kyle Orton has been found and figured out by the Bills’ opponents. And, to be perfectly honest. it’s a complete shame that it’s coming at the expense of one of the top defenses that has been seen in many years in Buffalo.

Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia

**Photo courtesy of The Associated Press

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I don't like Atlanta and especially Julio Jones!

Yeah, I hate everything about the Falcons and take great delight in watching them get pounded.

That was a horrible Star Spangled Banner tonight...that girl sucked. It figures she is from one of those ridiculous so-called talent shows...The Voice or something like that.

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The Niners stink. They should go back to Candlestick.

Yeah, I don't understand how the bottom fell out of the Niners so quickly. In a weird way, it is almost like a mirror of the first few years of the Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez era of the NY Jets...two good playoff runs followed by a precipitous decline and the disintegration of a quarterback.

Another embarrassing situation is the mess that the New Orleans Saints have become. There is no excuse for losing 41-10 in their home dome to the lowly Carolina Panthers. In fact, like the 49ers, the Saints cannot seem to win at home. Have the Saints just quit on Sean Payton? Maybe Payton will be on his way out in the Big Easy as Harbough is in the City by the Bay? pottedplant would have been miserable having to suffer through what the Saints have been like this season.

As much as I am happy the Raiders came thru on my hunch and beat the 49ers, now they really are in danger of blowing the #1 draft slot to Jacksonville or the Jets.

Did you see what St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher did to the Taters? Haha, he sent out the players they received in the RGIII trade as captains for the coin toss at the beginning of their game against Washington. The mind game must have helped, as the Rams mashed the Taters 24-0.

As I said last week, the Thanksgiving Day game between Philadelphia and Dallas was a mirage and not to read too much into the Eagles victory. Give teams time to prepare against Philadelphia and they can slow down the Eagles' attack. Seattle had 9 days and stopped them cold. Now Dallas will have had 9 days to prepare for the Eagles and I fully expect them to win the same way that Seattle did...with defense pressuring Sanchez and a time-consuming ball-control offense.

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Yeah, I don't understand how the bottom fell out of the Niners so quickly. In a weird way, it is almost like a mirror of the first few years of the Rex Ryan-Mark Sanchez era of the NY Jets...two good playoff runs followed by a precipitous decline and the disintegration of a quarterback.

Another embarrassing situation is the mess that the New Orleans Saints have become. There is no excuse for losing 41-10 in their home dome to the lowly Carolina Panthers. In fact, like the 49ers, the Saints cannot seem to win at home. Have the Saints just quit on Sean Payton? Maybe Payton will be on his way out in the Big Easy as Harbough is in the City by the Bay? pottedplant would have been miserable having to suffer through what the Saints have been like this season.

As much as I am happy the Raiders came thru on my hunch and beat the 49ers, now they really are in danger of blowing the #1 draft slot to Jacksonville or the Jets.

Did you see what St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher did to the Taters? Haha, he sent out the players they received in the RGIII trade as captains for the coin toss at the beginning of their game against Washington. The mind game must have helped, as the Rams mashed the Taters 24-0.

As I said last week, the Thanksgiving Day game between Philadelphia and Dallas was a mirage and not to read too much into the Eagles victory. Give teams time to prepare against Philadelphia and they can slow down the Eagles' attack. Seattle had 9 days and stopped them cold. Now Dallas will have had 9 days to prepare for the Eagles and I fully expect them to win the same way that Seattle did...with defense pressuring Sanchez and a time-consuming ball-control offense.

Dallas will show up. I have always felt road games bring teams together more

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Green Bay was up 31-7 at the half, so obviously their defense took a nap in the 2nd half. Still, if the road to the Super Bowl has to go through Lambeau Field, it's hard for me to imagine anyone going in there and beating them--and that includes the Seahawks....

Not me, the Seahawks are built for that type of football. They just need a couple of receivers and they'd be untouchable. I know how much trust you put into those Packers.

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If the weather remains civil like last nite, I think my Lions have a real good shot at Green Bay.

I'll be going to this week's Lions vs. Vikings match-up. The NFL changed the start time to 4:30pm. My buddy only takes me to the good games. :bubble:

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Not me, the Seahawks are built for that type of football. They just need a couple of receivers and they'd be untouchable. I know how much trust you put into those Packers.

I only trust them if they have home field--although last night tells me that defense may still be a little suspect. Of course, if Arizona ends up clinching the #1 seed, I may have to rethink my position--even with Drew Stanton as the QB...

If the weather remains civil like last nite, I think my Lions have a real good shot at Green Bay.

I'll be going to this week's Lions vs. Vikings match-up. The NFL changed the start time to 4:30pm. My buddy only takes me to the good games. :bubble:

I guess we'll have the answer come Week 17 when the Lions go to Green Bay. The Division may be on the line when that game rolls around. And have fun at Ford Field this Sunday...

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