2016 NFL Playoffs

[HedleyLamarr]

3 hours ago, 2001mark said:

I wonder what the Patriots could get in trade for Jacoby Brissett if they seem to want to hold on to Jimmy G.  4th rounder?  3rd?  Word is that Belichick seems to think Jimmy is the type of guy he'd trust in the playoffs, yet they can't possibly opt for 3 active QBs again yes?  That's not their style, at all.

Not a damn thing.  There's hardly many backups that are worth trading for, much less someone's limited 3rd-stringer.  And, you don't trade for a QB if he's not going to be starting.

[2001mark]

 

[BlueSky]

On 2/6/2017 at 4:00 PM, B-Rich said:

 

Yeah, you've lived too long in Atlanta.

 

I posted a laugh, and a meme about the Falcons team, but left it at that.  I put that in the same category as good-spirited razzing.  I'm glad the FRANCHISE lost.  Never said anything negative about their fans-- and while I can undertstand their situation and empathize to some degree (more so because of LSU-Bama than the Saints), I certainly don't have any sympathy for them.  No way.  I'll save my sympathy for widows, orphans and lost dogs.  I will always remember 62-7 in '73, "Big Ben" and the 53 second drive in 1978, Glanville sending a guy to take out Morten Andersen on a kick-off in the late 1980s, the 1991 playoff loss and Atlanta airport workers (fans) egging the Saints buses in 2012.

 

 

I respect your opinion, but the people I feel for are ones I know personally and they weren't egging buses. As for the other things you cited, the players had control of that, not the fans.

 

What's crazy in retrospect is how different all the conversation would be if Alford had caught the interception Brady threw on that game-tying drive. Because that's exactly what it should have been. Alford was in perfect position and the ball hit him in both hands. NE deserves a lot of credit, but what an enormous pair of ifs came into play in their win over the Seahawks and this one. Both could have - and arguably should have - been losses. But as the saying goes, if your aunt had balls, she'd be your uncle.  ;-)   Just interesting how things work sometimes. 

 

Got a kick out of this screenshot of Matt Ryan watching the OT coin flip in the NFL Network's excellent Sound FX edition covering the game. His McKayla Maroney expression looks like that of a man who knows exactly what's going to happen and that nothing's going to stop it.  

 

 

And finally, surprised no one has posted this yet. If my team had gagged like the Falcons did, this is the way I'd want them to handle it, with no excuses or sugarcoating. I think the odds are against Atlanta given the staggering enormity of the loss, both the OC and DC leaving, the inevitable roster turnover, etc., but this is at least a start. Hey @HedleyLamarr, are you the fan they show? I'm sure not, you weren't that upset since it was "only entertainment." Uh huh.  ;-)

 

 

 

[2001mark]

Watching some new updated NFL Network Top 10's, surely produced last off season.

SB LI already moots some of the lists which'll be on rotation for the next few months...

- 10 best receptions - Edelman & Jones both.

- 10 best comebacks

- 10 most devastating losses

& probably also greatest dynasties if you count this as 1 for New England.  If it isn't, then if they were to win next year would they have 2 different Patriots' dynasties?  I'm pretty sure not.  It's 1.

Fun as a Patriots fan, they've got the Tyree catch as #1 all time right now, & yet the next episode was greatest interceptions capped by Butler's XLIX.  If that isn't some karmic redemption play, I'm not sure what is.

[HedleyLamarr]

11 hours ago, BlueSky said:

And finally, surprised no one has posted this yet. If my team had gagged like the Falcons did, this is the way I'd want them to handle it, with no excuses or sugarcoating. I think the odds are against Atlanta given the staggering enormity of the loss, both the OC and DC leaving, the inevitable roster turnover, etc., but this is at least a start. Hey @HedleyLamarr, are you the fan they show? I'm sure not, you weren't that upset since it was "only entertainment." Uh huh.  ;-)

Probably because everyone's accepted the result, figured out where things went awry, and have moved on to the offseason.  We are two weeks removed from the game now.

 

It sucked for about two hours or so after the game.....but we had a nice dinner after the game, hung out with our friends for a bit, then slept in the next morning and had a leisurely drive home.  Aside from the tickets, we got to attend a lot of the team functions the day before and day of the game on their dime, and we got an experience that we may never get to do again.  We had a great trip.

 

Perspective, man.

[BlueSky]

11 hours ago, HedleyLamarr said:

Probably because everyone's accepted the result, figured out where things went awry, and have moved on to the offseason.  We are two weeks removed from the game now.

 

It sucked for about two hours or so after the game.....but we had a nice dinner after the game, hung out with our friends for a bit, then slept in the next morning and had a leisurely drive home.  Aside from the tickets, we got to attend a lot of the team functions the day before and day of the game on their dime, and we got an experience that we may never get to do again.  We had a great trip.

 

Perspective, man.

 

Fair enough. Glad you have it (perspective); many don't. 

 

So what's your take on where they're going, what with all the changes? Another run, a Carolina nosedive, maybe somewhere in between? 

[HedleyLamarr]

6 hours ago, BlueSky said:

 

Fair enough. Glad you have it (perspective); many don't. 

 

So what's your take on where they're going, what with all the changes? Another run, a Carolina nosedive, maybe somewhere in between? 

On offense: It's basically Quinn and Ryan saying, "Here's what works for us, here's our philosophies, don't tinker too much" to Mr. Boogers.  On defense, from what I've heard, it was Quinn basically handling the defense after the bye, with the guy that's now DC being more in-sync with Quinn than the coaches that were let go.  Always a little concern when there's a lot of coaching turnover, but Quinn and the front office have earned that leeway.  Offense likely takes a small step back (which should be expected when they just had the 7th-best scoring season in league history), but the defense should continue to get better.  Offense stays well within the top 10, defense should get into the top half or top third in the league.

 

As far as "keeping their own", when the biggest name is the fullback, it's a pretty good position to be in.  So many guys are on their rookie deals or are already locked up, and more key guys on the verge of being locked up long-term (Freeman and Trufant, mainly), and with so much cap space available....the Falcons are in a really good position.  About the only way they nosedive is if there's a huge injury or two.  Carolina was old in a few positions and, as good as Cam Newton was in 2015, their offense was always bipolar.  (Plus Cam was just beat up this season...his aim was awful.)

 

The schedule should be pretty favorable (Green Bay, Dallas, Minnesota at home....Patriots and Seattle on the road).  Should be able to get 10 wins.  Could be a better team but not get the same results.