NFL updates/news

[draynay]

I'd actually have Manning ahead of Roethlisberger, I know you don't get to choose your SB opponent, but beating the Patriots twice has to count for more than beating the NFC West twice

[conscript]

I'd actually have Manning ahead of Roethlisberger, I know you don't get to choose your SB opponent, but beating the Patriots twice has to count for more than beating the NFC West twice

Ya my thing wasn't in order, but definitely agree there.

[loganroth51]

Am I the only one that is hoping Peyton somehow crushes everyone while with the Broncos? I think it would be sweet revenge and a big fuck you to the Colts for trading him lol

[TheFNK]

Am I the only one that is hoping Peyton somehow crushes everyone while with the Broncos? I think it would be sweet revenge and a big fuck you to the Colts for trading him lol

I was under the impression that the Colts did not trade him. They released him rather than pay a 20 something million dollar roster bonus before they had accurate reports back from doctors about his health, rehabilitation, and long-term prognosis. The Broncos then signed him as you would any free agent.

Am I wrong on this?

[buck008]

I hope Peyton is still good because I love football, and I enjoyed watching him play. Football these days is just a better game when you have more talented QB's out there slinging the ball around. It was a tough situation, but I don't think the Colts owed him anything. They paid him a metric fuck ton of money to play there. Irsay could have handled the public part of it better, but he's an idiot. The Colts needed to clean house and rebuild for the future, and you can't do that with a 36 year old guy coming off multiple neck surgeries. I do wish the Broncos played the Colts this year though. Would have been fun.

@FNK- You are correct. He was released.

[TheFNK]

Tier 712: Joe Flacco, destroyer of Ravens' Super Bowls

Don't tell this to Flacco though

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...005500221.html

[loganroth51]

I was under the impression that the Colts did not trade him. They released him rather than pay a 20 something million dollar roster bonus before they had accurate reports back from doctors about his health, rehabilitation, and long-term prognosis. The Broncos then signed him as you would any free agent.

Am I wrong on this?

No no your right, I worded it wrong. Still hope he somehow comes back strong with the Broncos.

[draynay]

I still think letting Manning go was the right step for the organization even if he does play well, the only thing that could come back to bite them is if RG3 turns out amazing and Luck is just mediocre

[conscript]

I still think letting Manning go was the right step for the organization even if he does play well, the only thing that could come back to bite them is if RG3 turns out amazing and Luck is just mediocre

Ya taking Luck is the right choice. Well, taking a franchise QB is the right choice. When would be the next time they would be in that position again, five-six years from now, presumably after the season after Manning retires or doesn't play? Personal feeling is Luck is a more sure thing now, but Griffin has a higher ceiling, but it is going to completely depend on development within the franchise. The only thing the Colts really bungled is the handling of Manning. Irsay lied for months to the fans that Manning coming back was a real possibility when he knew it wasn't. There was no one on Earth he was going to make that baloon payment to Manning. He should have just outright released him rather than pretending he was torn on the decision of paying $28 million and keeping a potentially injured QB or taking a true QB of the future. There is no choice there.

[loganroth51]

I still think letting Manning go was the right step for the organization even if he does play well, the only thing that could come back to bite them is if RG3 turns out amazing and Luck is just mediocre

Ya it def was the right move, but the good guy in me wishes Peyton could have finished out his career on the same team. In my opinion Luck should be better then RG3, but we will have to see, RG3 could end up blowing all our minds. Luck could end up being another Jamarcus Russell fail lol, I doubt it but it may happen.

[Pendulous]

We can make excuses for Romo all we like. He's been the starter for several years, and the Cowboys have nothing to show for it. They've been picked to win the division damn near every year. Let's not pretend they have no talent, there was something there that made every football analyst pick them to win the toughest division in football. He doesn't bring his A game when it matters. I don't see how you can watch the games and not see that.

One person does not a team make unless your name is Peyton Manning.

[buck008]

One person does not a team make unless your name is Peyton Manning.

Granted. Was there a must win game for the Cowboys when he showed up and played well, but no one else did? One person can make a huge difference, especially at the quarterback position in today's NFL.
I took the time to dig up the numbers at football reference, so here's Romo in December:
10-15, 5103 yards (around average for him), 29 TD (worst), 20 INT (most), 62.4% (worst, but still pretty good). I don't put much stock in QB rating, but that is much lower in December. His yards per attempt and yards per game are down. That's the final month of the season when teams are making a playoff push or trying to improve their seeding, and he is statistically at his worst.
Here's Romo in the playoffs:
1-3, 832 yards (so about 200 a game), 4 TD, 2 INT, 59.3% passing.
One guy doesn't make a team, but Romo does nothing to make his team better when it counts. I'm a Giants fan. I did a little happy dance when Philly gave Vick all that money because they'll never win with him. I do the same dance every time I see Jerry Jones commit to Tony Romo for another year. RG3 might be the second best QB in the division in 2 or 3 years if he develops well.

[Pendulous]

Ben Roethlisberger in his first Super Bowl (win)

9 of 21, 123 yds, 2 INTs, 22.6 rating

John Elway in Super Bowl (win)

14 of 38, 257 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 36.8

Would it help if he came through in the clutch? Sure. But it doesn't make a bad quarterback. And it doesn't make a loser either.

[buck008]

Ben Roethlisberger in his first Super Bowl (win)

9 of 21, 123 yds, 2 INTs, 22.6 rating

John Elway in Super Bowl (win)

14 of 38, 257 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 36.8

Would it help if he came through in the clutch? Sure. But it doesn't make a bad quarterback. And it doesn't make a loser either.

That's one game each for those guys. I was talking career numbers. Elway also went to, what, five Super Bowls? Arguably one of the most clutch players in the history of the game. I could pick out a bad game here and there from even the best guys in league history. I don't think Romo is bad, I just think if the Cowboys are ever going to win they need to plan around him. Realize that in big games you can't lean on him. He'll pad the stat sheets in November so his seasons always look good. If that's the guy you are for your entire career, then that's just who you are. What Romo is, is a pretty good quarterback who, for whatever reason, goes into the tank when the games start to mean more. So unless they build the running game and defense and only ask Romo to make a few plays here and there in the playoffs, they aren't going anywhere. Like Tebow last year, or Big Ben in his first SB.

I'm saying that I can hand the ball to Eli down by 5 with 90 seconds left, and I'm pretty confident he can get me a win. I don't want to be in that spot with Romo. Could be do it? Sure, he's an NFL quarterback for a reason. He's just never marched his team down the field on the last Sunday of the season to seal a spot in the playoffs before. He's never stolen a win on the road in the playoffs. If he hasn't done it yet, why should I think he will? That's why, as a fan of a rival team, I enjoy seeing him in a Cowboy uniform.

[TheFNK]

Today's example of average-poor QB's getting too big for their britches comes from Alex Smith. This one is almost Flacco-esque.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/ey...or-not-winning

"I could absolutely care less on yards per game," Smith said, per our 49ers Rapid Reporter Kyle Bonagura. "I think that is a totally overblown stat because if you're losing games in the second half, guess what, you're like the Carolina Panthers and you're going no-huddle the entire second half. Yeah, Cam Newton threw for a lot of 300-yard games.

"That's great. You're not winning, though."

Nothing like being in the worst division in football for your entire career, playing like hot garbage for most of it despite being shored up by a relatively good/great defense, and having one decent season to give you an ego boost.

I think KSK summed it up best.

Alex Smith says stats like passing yards don’t matter, ’cause he’s a winner and Cam Newton isn’t. Meanwhile, Alex Smith leads the league in winnerology 101, which the 49ers surely noticed while not trying all that hard to re-sign him this off-season.

[Rivenda]

Am I the only one that is hoping Peyton somehow crushes everyone while with the Broncos? I think it would be sweet revenge and a big fuck you to the Colts for trading him lol

I hope Bears will beat the shit out of everyone and showing Denver why did shoudn't have let go on Cutty and Marshall.

[draynay]

I just don't get it when teams hire coaches that don't fit their core personnel, as if the coach is more important than your starting QB and WR. Of course every misstep the Broncos took was a delight for me

they did end up getting a couple of firsts out of the trade that they did some wheeling and dealing with including picking up a guy they just shipped off for a 4th and a 6th which sounds like absorbing more losses

I think the Bears used the pick they got in the trade to get Johnny Knox so I guess they are the clear winners

[Badpaladin]

I just don't get it when teams hire coaches that don't fit their core personnel

we like to pretend it never happened

As far a Smith's statements, it's still true, even if he's not the most illustrious quarterback in the world. I'm not sure it fits for Newton as much - The Panthers are in a massive rebuilding phase, and I doubt they would have pulled off 4 more wins than what they had the year before if it weren't for him.

[draynay]

the comparison could begin and end by looking at the 49ers defense and then looking at the Panthers defense, one is top 5 the other is bottom 5

but that is basically what Smith is saying, he was in a position where he didn't have to put up big yardage numbers, of course earlier in his career he had to put more points on the board than now, how did that go for him?

in case people don't know the answer, we could look at 2006 his first full year as a starter: he was 22, the same age as rookie Newton, the 49ers were 32nd in scoring defense and he threw for 180 yards/game and had zero 300yard games

I am wondering what the Harbaughs say to their QBs that makes them so full of shit

[Pendulous]

Steven A. Smith should stick to talking about basketball.

He makes one good point at least, that Sanchez's agent shouldn't talk him up. But Smith should just lay off both of them, because instead of giving any relevant information, he just bashes the piss out of them.