Official 2010-11 NFL Thread

[witesoxfan]

He is amazing.

 

Speaking of them, that has to be about the hardest 2-9 of all time. Their last 4 losses have been decided by a field goal or less, and they've lost 7 games by one score (and an 8th by 10 points, a game they were leading for a while against Jacksonville).

 

On my drive back today, I caught about 3 minutes of the Vikings post game coverage, and the radio dude was talking about how the Vikings have the Bills coming up on the schedule and how the Bills are a "terrible team." Perhaps the Vikings will be playing inspired football in their first home game without Childress, but if they take the Bills lightly, they're gonna get steamrolled, because they are most certainly not a terrible team.

[The Gooch]

He is amazing.

 

Speaking of them, that has to be about the hardest 2-9 of all time. Their last 4 losses have been decided by a field goal or less, and they've lost 7 games by one score (and an 8th by 10 points, a game they were leading for a while against Jacksonville).

 

On my drive back today, I caught about 3 minutes of the Vikings post game coverage, and the radio dude was talking about how the Vikings have the Bills coming up on the schedule and how the Bills are a "terrible team." Perhaps the Vikings will be playing inspired football in their first home game without Childress, but if they take the Bills lightly, they're gonna get steamrolled, because they are most certainly not a terrible team.

 

Easily the best 2-9 team I have ever seen.

[iamshack]

He is amazing.

 

Speaking of them, that has to be about the hardest 2-9 of all time. Their last 4 losses have been decided by a field goal or less, and they've lost 7 games by one score (and an 8th by 10 points, a game they were leading for a while against Jacksonville).

 

On my drive back today, I caught about 3 minutes of the Vikings post game coverage, and the radio dude was talking about how the Vikings have the Bills coming up on the schedule and how the Bills are a "terrible team." Perhaps the Vikings will be playing inspired football in their first home game without Childress, but if they take the Bills lightly, they're gonna get steamrolled, because they are most certainly not a terrible team.

Wow...what does that make the Vikings? Just a "bad" team?

[witesoxfan]

Easily the best 2-9 team I have ever seen.

 

Can't tell if it's sarcasm or not...I'm assuming it is...I honestly don't even think they're the best 2-9 team in the league, as I think Detroit is a better team, though I also doubt they are 2-9 at this point with a healthy Stafford. But beyond that, I expected them to be a monumental disaster and to go like 1-15, and the reasons ranged from their inability to lure a big name head coach to Buffalo to once again signing virtually nobody of impact in free agency to drafting a gadget player with the #9 pick to naming Edwards the starting QB in preseason and then cutting him like 3 weeks later to shuffling the running back touches like crazy and having no offensive consistency to the defense showing virtually no signs of adequacy...they've come a long ways. I'm not going to sit here and say that they need only one or two more pieces to be competitive, but there have been signs that they might not actually be the least competent franchise in the NFL. They need to build both lines up a bit more, add more pieces to the defense, and bring in a developmental signal caller (preferably before round 7 this time), but they aren't nearly as far away as I thought they were starting the year.

 

Wow...what does that make the Vikings? Just a "bad" team?

 

A great team led by a Hall of Fame quarterback!

 

 

[iamshack]

Can't tell if it's sarcasm or not...I'm assuming it is...I honestly don't even think they're the best 2-9 team in the league, as I think Detroit is a better team, though I also doubt they are 2-9 at this point with a healthy Stafford. But beyond that, I expected them to be a monumental disaster and to go like 1-15, and the reasons ranged from their inability to lure a big name head coach to Buffalo to once again signing virtually nobody of impact in free agency to drafting a gadget player with the #9 pick to naming Edwards the starting QB in preseason and then cutting him like 3 weeks later to shuffling the running back touches like crazy and having no offensive consistency to the defense showing virtually no signs of adequacy...they've come a long ways. I'm not going to sit here and say that they need only one or two more pieces to be competitive, but there have been signs that they might not actually be the least competent franchise in the NFL. They need to build both lines up a bit more, add more pieces to the defense, and bring in a developmental signal caller (preferably before round 7 this time), but they aren't nearly as far away as I thought they were starting the year.

 

 

 

A great team led by a Hall of Fame quarterback!

The Lions are actually probably better right now with Hill playing, so their record this season is not suffering. Obviously where they are getting hurt is by either losing development time for Stafford, should he ultimately be the longterm starter, or delaying the conclusion that he is not, should that ultimately be their course of action. But would they be a 3, 4, or 5 win team right now were Stafford starting every week, most likely not.

 

As for your Bills, Fitz is a nice "right now" option, and certainly has developed a great rapport with Stevie Johnson, but as you said, they need to bring in a franchise-type qb, as well as get those lines rebuilt. But as is true in life, in the NFL, you are usually not as bad as you look when things are at their worst, and you're usually not as great as you look when things are at their best.

 

To me, find yourself a talented qb, build your lines, and the rest tends to fall into place.

[Balta1701]

Police in Chicago, Illinois, are investigating the death of a man who fell from the upper level of Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, to the ground outside the stadium, police said.

 

The incident happened around 5 p.m. Sunday while the Bears were playing the Philadelphia Eagles, said Veejay Zala of the Chicago Police Department. The 27-year-old man was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at 5:27 p.m.

 

The man's name was not immediately released.

Link

[Balta1701]

Considering how completely the NFL Covered their tracks on the original "Spygate", destroying the videos and such, it's somewhat surprising that this is coming back up, but yet, it's also totally unsurprising to hear the NFL saying "There's nothing new to investigate".

"Fox NFL Sunday" insider Jay Glazer reported McDaniels told his coaching staff in a Friday meeting that what the Broncos did in London wasn't as bad as what the Patriots did for years.

 

Glazer on McDaniels' description of what happened in New England: "That was practiced. That was coached. That was worked on."

 

The Broncos' transgression was a popular subject on Sunday's various NFL shows.

 

NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy on McDaniels reportedly making the Patriots admission: "That is really a violation of honor code of coaches. You talk to your staff, 'Here's what we do at our place. We don't talk about what anybody else does. What happened in the past.' I don’t think he should have talked about that."

 

Dungy on severity of Denver's violation compared to New England's: "If he’s referring to videotaping, that's a completely different story than stealing signals. If you're videotaping walk-throughs, opponents' practices, that is really, really a serious allegation."

[LittleHurt05]

linky

 

Stuart Haverty was a down-to-earth 23-year-old who loved watching the Bears so much that he set up ‘‘stadium seating’’ in his living room.

 

But when he got up to go to the bathroom Sunday at halftime at Soldier Field, his friends never saw him again.

 

Haverty, of far northwest suburban Woodstock, fell 35 feet to his death from a balcony on the west side of the stadium.

 

A skilled climber who enjoyed scaling up the side of buildings and trees, he may have even hopped over a railing to enjoy a cigarette behind one of Soldier Field’s famous columns before he fell, friends said.

 

Haverty fell about 4:55 p.m. from a balcony between two columns on the west side of the stadium, between gates 19 and 21, approximately level with the 50 yard line, police said.

 

The flat roof Haverty landed on is about 35 feet below the balcony.

 

He would have had to have jumped or fallen over a three-foot-high railing on the balcony, then fallen off a ledge that appeared to be at least two feet wide before plunging down.

 

Rumors quickly spread at the stadium that the man had run and jumped off the balcony, but police at the scene said they believed the death was an accident.

 

A relative said Haverty was ‘‘a happy kid’’ who would not deliberately have hurt himself.

 

The room Haverty landed on is about 15 feet high, and the fire department needed a ladder with a basket to get the man down, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Joe Roccasalva said.

 

Haverty was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

 

“Unfortunately, there was an incident here on the west side of the stadium from the colonnade level,” said Luca Serra, a spokesman for Soldier Field.

 

Haverty graduated from Woodstock High School in 2006. He was attending McHenry County College and working at a tool manufacturing business, his friend Emily Heidenreich said.

 

A big Bears fan, he was ‘‘down to earth, quiet, and fun to go out for a few drinks with,’’ Heidenreich said. ‘‘You could always go to him with a problem,’’ she added.

 

Haverty’s aunt Marianne Haverty said he was ‘‘a sweet, sweet boy,’’ and ‘‘an average 23-year-old.’’

 

‘‘I’m just in shock,’’ she added.

 

Haverty had stacked two sofas on top of each other at his home so that friends could watch games stadium-style, Heidenreich said. He was twice caught by police scaling the outside of a building in Harvard, she added.

 

On Sunday, the Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles 31-26.

 

On Nov. 21, 2-year-old Lucas Anthony Tang died after falling from a third-level skybox at the Staples Center in Los Angeles minutes after a Lakers game, according to news reports. His death was ruled an accident.

[southsider2k5]

So I guess the key for the Bears is to hear all week about how much better the other team is...

[MexSoxFan#1]

Go Bears!!

[The Gooch]

Can't tell if it's sarcasm or not...I'm assuming it is...I honestly don't even think they're the best 2-9 team in the league, as I think Detroit is a better team, though I also doubt they are 2-9 at this point with a healthy Stafford. But beyond that, I expected them to be a monumental disaster and to go like 1-15, and the reasons ranged from their inability to lure a big name head coach to Buffalo to once again signing virtually nobody of impact in free agency to drafting a gadget player with the #9 pick to naming Edwards the starting QB in preseason and then cutting him like 3 weeks later to shuffling the running back touches like crazy and having no offensive consistency to the defense showing virtually no signs of adequacy...they've come a long ways. I'm not going to sit here and say that they need only one or two more pieces to be competitive, but there have been signs that they might not actually be the least competent franchise in the NFL. They need to build both lines up a bit more, add more pieces to the defense, and bring in a developmental signal caller (preferably before round 7 this time), but they aren't nearly as far away as I thought they were starting the year.

 

I was actually being serious. They could easily be 6-5 and possibly even better. Their offense has become a force to be reckoned with now. Fred Jackson is running well, Fitzpatrick seems to put up big numbers every week (even though he has been on my fantasy bench almost all year). They just can't seem to put everything together. They have kept it close with some of the elite teams in the NFL and have been a dropped pass of a FG kick away on many occasions. The Lions are a tough 2-9 as well, but I don't think any team in contention wants to play the Bills right now.

[chw42]

Need to win at least one of these games, because fans of AFC playoff teams are some obnoxious cocksuckers.

 

The score looked close at the end, but make no mistake, this was a good old fashioned ass whipping.

 

Absolutely. It was an 18 point game for a good while. Game was never really all that close in the second half except for the last 5 minutes.

[MexSoxFan#1]

Funny how having a 8-3 team leads to no anti-Lovie posts...yes, I am a pro Lovie guy

[HuskyCaucasian]

Funny how having a 8-3 team leads to no anti-Lovie posts...yes, I am a pro Lovie guy

Post-ByeWeek Lovie is different than any Lovie i've seen. i can put my finger on it, but he's different.

[Balta1701]

So I guess the key for the Bears is to hear all week about how much better the other team is...

Which suggests trouble for the Jets, Patriots, and Packers in a couple weeks.

[The Gooch]

Funny how having a 8-3 team leads to no anti-Lovie posts...yes, I am a pro Lovie guy

 

I don't see how anyone can be anti-Lovie at this point. The Bears aren't supposed to be leading the division this late in the year. The adjustments the team has made on offense have just been phenomenal as well. We have Hester returning kickoffs again. There really isn't anything to complain about right now (crosses fingers Cutler doesn't get picked 4 times next week)

[Chisoxfn]

Which suggests trouble for the Jets, Patriots, and Packers in a couple weeks.

I won't go that far. This is a good team with holes and it is an improving team. I said all year this team would get better and better and as of now I can't be anything less than exstatic with the job the coaching staff has done and with what the players have done. However, there is still a lot of tough games on our plate and in no way am I going to act as if the Minny/Detroit games are guaranteed wins (Minny is a talented team and Detroit, despite 2 losses, has played some damn good football). Add in New England, the Jets, and Packers and you are talking about one tough finish and we need at least 2 more wins to feel good, 3 to be a lock.

 

Hopefully the Bears keep getting better and keep playing above average, winning, football!!!

[southsider2k5]

I don't see how anyone can be anti-Lovie at this point. The Bears aren't supposed to be leading the division this late in the year. The adjustments the team has made on offense have just been phenomenal as well. We have Hester returning kickoffs again. There really isn't anything to complain about right now (crosses fingers Cutler doesn't get picked 4 times next week)

 

I'm not big on Smith one way or the other, but to be in first place with what the Bears have on the offensive line is pretty damned impressive if you ask me.

[HuskyCaucasian]

@ZachZaidman - The kickoff time for the Bears vs. Patriots game on December 12 has been moved to 3:15PM CT

[iamshack]

@ZachZaidman - The kickoff time for the Bears vs. Patriots game on December 12 has been moved to 3:15PM CT

Yes indeedy! My guess is the kickoff for the Jets game will follow.

[HuskyCaucasian]

WTF? Texans' coach gives Andre Johnson a game ball

Andre Johnson(notes) did enough with the football in his hands to deserve a game ball on Sunday. It was what else he did with those hands that will make his post-game reward controversial.

 

The Houston Texans receiver was awarded a game ball from coach Gary Kubiak despite getting ejected during the game for engaging in a vicious fistfight with Tennesee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan. Kubiak insists he gave Johnson the ball because his nine catches for 56 yards and a touchdown put him over 60 catches for the eighth-straight season, but the coach also led with a joke about the fight and appeared to relish in his star receiver's scrape.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Yes indeedy! My guess is the kickoff for the Jets game will follow.

@BradBiggs - No. That game is locked at noon. RT @HuskyCaucasian @BradBiggs Do you think the #Bears #Jets game will get moved from the 12pm start

[iamshack]

@BradBiggs - No. That game is locked at noon. RT @HuskyCaucasian @BradBiggs Do you think the #Bears #Jets game will get moved from the 12pm start

Ahh, ok. Thanks!

[iamshack]

Looking at Kyle Orton's season this year...it's really ironic how his career has completely been turned on its head.

 

Orton was always referred to as a "winner" when he was in Chicago, but nothing else. A QB which could manage the game for you. He would not lose it for you, but he probably wouldn't win it for you either. He threw 30 TD's against 27 INT's in his Bears career.

 

Then he gets traded to Denver, and puts up outstanding individual numbers and flourishes in their system. He is on pace for like 27-30 TDs this year and almost 5,000 yards, against only 7-10 INT's. That is a Pro Bowl season. He's thrown 41 TD's against 18 INT's since being traded to the Broncos.

 

And yet his record as a starter in Chicago was 21-12. His record for the Broncos is 11-15.

 

Crazy. Just goes to show you how important defense and a running game are, as well as how misleading statistics can be.

[DukeNukeEm]

Post-ByeWeek Lovie is different than any Lovie i've seen. i can put my finger on it, but he's different.

Started out the season trying way too hard to save his job. Dumb 4th down calls, blown clock management, it wasn't pretty.

 

He obviously still has that sense of urgency but now hes starting calm down a little bit... wish he could've coached like this every season.