2015 NFL Season-Now with Playoff Talk

[dfwabel]

I loved Chip. He single handedly destroyed that team and I commend him for it.

Well, "Jerry the GM" did a bang up job this year in Valley Ranch, but cannot be fired.

Except the Cowboys would have made the playoffs this year had Romo never gotten hurt. Even the biggest Cowboy's hater would have to concede that.

Teams with just 11 takeaways don't make the playoffs.

They never had the secondary this season to compete after Scandrick tore his ACL.

[Mac the Knife]

Philadelphia Eagles fans aren't happy unless the vultures are out, circling over the team's front office/management hires. Been like that as long as I've followed the NFL. When you kick an Andy Reid to the curb because you're unsatisfied with his performance? You've set the bar higher than most.

That said, this time it was well deserved, as this guy wore out his welcome in near-record time there. The Eagles (as well as the Browns, the Titans or the 49ers) are now full-blown reclamation projects, needing a GM mastermind coupled with a head coach who can work with them well and cause no friction - and an owner who knows enough to hire such people, then leave them the :censored: alone.

[Kramerica Industries]

Nick Foles would not be the answer, no, and I'll certainly be the first to say that.

I do think Chip is an innovate person, but someone with enough hubris to make characters from Greek mythology jealous. He's going to run the Eagles his way, which is why the roster overhaul this off-season was what it was. Don't think he's missing Foles at all, and I don't think he's missing McCoy at all, either. People who are criticizing Murray are completely missing the point - look at how awful their OL play has been, especially the replacement guards for Herremans and Mathis, and try and envision how Murray is supposed to be successful on the inside zone run plays that Dallas and their elite OL ran so effectively a year ago. I was actually surprised that there wasn't more Ryan Mathews as the game went along, or Darren Sproles, in an effort just to try and get the outside run game going because nothing inside was working. I'm getting off the subject though - Chip also let Maclin walk in the off-season, and that's where his decision making becomes more potentially problematic as far as 2015 goes, because Jordan Matthews and Riley Cooper (who I may or may not have called Bradley Cooper at one point today...) became the #1 and #2 receivers and that's not a recipe for success. Matthews is best in the slot and has had the dropsies this season and Cooper...well, I'm not just gonna give him plaudits because he's a Gator. He's a #3 or #4 but against starting DB's, he'll be exposed. And that's what the Eagles are running with right now - a QB in a new system with injury history, an extremely ineffective OL, and iffy WR talent. Their defense is outstanding (though Kiko is once again gone for the season - awful news there), and it's being wasted right now.

This isn't to say that they can't figure this out, but they look disjointed and awful and if this season goes sideways, Chip is probably out.

good call, stranger.

[vicfurth]

I loved Chip. He single handedly destroyed that team and I commend him for it.

Well, "Jerry the GM" did a bang up job this year in Valley Ranch, but cannot be fired.

Except the Cowboys would have made the playoffs this year had Romo never gotten hurt. Even the biggest Cowboy's hater would have to concede that.

Teams with just 11 takeaways don't make the playoffs.

They never had the secondary this season to compete after Scandrick tore his ACL.

Garrett/Jones and company got fat on their own perceived greatness and didn't make any improvements at all. Rb committees rarely work. The QB is old and more shallow than a Justin Beiber song. The only redeeming quality about this team is the offensive line and they got the team Mvp destroyed.

Would they have made the playoffs? Eh...Maybe. Losing your top two playmakers on offense isn't easy to come back from, but this team got exposed. I could make a case for changes to be made at every skill position on this team besides kicker.

To paraphrase Dennis green, "we are who THEY thought we were, and didn't get left off the hook".

[Rockstar Matt]

I loved Chip. He single handedly destroyed that team and I commend him for it.

Well, "Jerry the GM" did a bang up job this year in Valley Ranch, but cannot be fired.

Except the Cowboys would have made the playoffs this year had Romo never gotten hurt. Even the biggest Cowboy's hater would have to concede that.

Teams with just 11 takeaways don't make the playoffs.

They never had the secondary this season to compete after Scandrick tore his ACL.

Despite that, this Cowboys defense has been in or near the top 10 in defense, while occasionally flirting with the top 5. However, I do agree the lack of turnovers has hurt this team. We could have won more games this season had our defense gotten some crucial turnovers.

We also have the 5th best passing defense in the NFL. So while not having Scandy has clearly hurt, it doesn't mean we didn't have the secondary to compete.

Our defense, even though they've been really good this year, still isn't where we need them to be to win football games on their own. They're good enough to keep us in games, which if we had a healthy offense, would have been enough to win a lot of games this season. Couple that with the terrible division, the Cowboys would have made the playoffs with a semi-competent offense instead the 3 and out mess we've seen this year.

[dfwabel]

I loved Chip. He single handedly destroyed that team and I commend him for it.

Well, "Jerry the GM" did a bang up job this year in Valley Ranch, but cannot be fired.

Except the Cowboys would have made the playoffs this year had Romo never gotten hurt. Even the biggest Cowboy's hater would have to concede that.

Teams with just 11 takeaways don't make the playoffs.

They never had the secondary this season to compete after Scandrick tore his ACL.

Despite that, this Cowboys defense has been in or near the top 10 in defense, while occasionally flirting with the top 5. However, I do agree the lack of turnovers has hurt this team. We could have won more games this season had our defense gotten some crucial turnovers.

We also have the 5th best passing defense in the NFL. So while not having Scandy has clearly hurt, it doesn't mean we didn't have the secondary to compete.

Our defense, even though they've been really good this year, still isn't where we need them to be to win football games on their own. They're good enough to keep us in games, which if we had a healthy offense, would have been enough to win a lot of games this season. Couple that with the terrible division, the Cowboys would have made the playoffs with a semi-competent offense instead the 3 and out mess we've seen this year.

They are 27th in the league when it comes to 4th Quarter points allowed. Given the games that were lost in the 4th Quarter this year, that and about to equal the 2013 Texans in fewest takeaways in a season seem like the most relevant numbers to me.

[JayMac]

Even if the Cowboys were at full strength this year, they are no better than an average team IMO. I know that could mean an NFC East title this year but I just think that they are missing something. A certain something that prevents them from being a great team. Mental toughness? Clutch playmaking? I can't put my finger on it.

[vicfurth]

Even if the Cowboys were at full strength this year, they are no better than an average team IMO. I know that could mean an NFC East title this year but I just think that they are missing something. A certain something that prevents them from being a great team. Mental toughness? Clutch playmaking? I can't put my finger on it.

It's not a popular opinion but they need more mentality like Greg Hardy. Not the wife/girlfriend beating part, but the part that says to go get the QB or make a play at any cost. He has a tenacity that the rest of the team doesn't share.

These Cowboys need to start busting teams in the mouth and asserting themselves. That's what made last year's team work so much better.

[Rockstar Matt]

I loved Chip. He single handedly destroyed that team and I commend him for it.

Well, "Jerry the GM" did a bang up job this year in Valley Ranch, but cannot be fired.

Except the Cowboys would have made the playoffs this year had Romo never gotten hurt. Even the biggest Cowboy's hater would have to concede that.

Teams with just 11 takeaways don't make the playoffs.

They never had the secondary this season to compete after Scandrick tore his ACL.

Despite that, this Cowboys defense has been in or near the top 10 in defense, while occasionally flirting with the top 5. However, I do agree the lack of turnovers has hurt this team. We could have won more games this season had our defense gotten some crucial turnovers.

We also have the 5th best passing defense in the NFL. So while not having Scandy has clearly hurt, it doesn't mean we didn't have the secondary to compete.

Our defense, even though they've been really good this year, still isn't where we need them to be to win football games on their own. They're good enough to keep us in games, which if we had a healthy offense, would have been enough to win a lot of games this season. Couple that with the terrible division, the Cowboys would have made the playoffs with a semi-competent offense instead the 3 and out mess we've seen this year.

They are 27th in the league when it comes to 4th Quarter points allowed. Given the games that were lost in the 4th Quarter this year, that and about to equal the 2013 Texans in fewest takeaways in a season seem like the most relevant numbers to me.

Agreed. This defense, while good, isn't to the point where the team can rely on its defense to win games. I heard someone say since the defense can't finish games, they're 75% of the way to becoming a great defense.

They still would have struggled to finish off teams even with a healthy Romo.

[Rockstar Matt]

Garrett/Jones and company got fat on their own perceived greatness and didn't make any improvements at all. Rb committees rarely work. The QB is old and more shallow than a Justin Beiber song. The only redeeming quality about this team is the offensive line and they got the team Mvp destroyed.

Would they have made the playoffs? Eh...Maybe. Losing your top two playmakers on offense isn't easy to come back from, but this team got exposed. I could make a case for changes to be made at every skill position on this team besides kicker.

To paraphrase Dennis green, "we are who THEY thought we were, and didn't get left off the hook".

Let's stop you right here. We lost our three best offensive players at the skill positions from last year. Romo, who led the league in QB rating, Murray, who led the NFL in rushing, and Dez who led the NFL in receiving TD's and all three missed significant time with Murray playing for a comepletely different team.

Of course that offense isn't going to be good, not after losing that. There is no team in the NFL, whose offense could survive that. I fail to see how we were exposed there.

However, if what you meant by being exposed was that this defense cannot hold up in the 4th, then yes, that fatal flaw was exposed. I imagine that flaw would have been exposed in the postseason even with a healthy offense. That happened in last year's playoff game against the Packers where we couldn't force Aaron Rodgers off the field on that final drive.

[Alex Houston]

One thing I dislike about this Peyton situation, and I suppose this is with society in general, is the usage of the word controversy. Typically, the word is used when things get public between two or more parties and it gets bitter. Prime example of this being anything religious or political in nature. But to call whether or not he used HGH as a 'controversy' just screams clickbait and sensationalism. It's a "headline", sure. An "issue" would even work just as well. But using that word almost equates it to something like abortion or the death penalty and that's just asinine.

[vicfurth]

Garrett/Jones and company got fat on their own perceived greatness and didn't make any improvements at all. Rb committees rarely work. The QB is old and more shallow than a Justin Beiber song. The only redeeming quality about this team is the offensive line and they got the team Mvp destroyed.

Would they have made the playoffs? Eh...Maybe. Losing your top two playmakers on offense isn't easy to come back from, but this team got exposed. I could make a case for changes to be made at every skill position on this team besides kicker.

To paraphrase Dennis green, "we are who THEY thought we were, and didn't get left off the hook".

Let's stop you right here. We lost our three best offensive players at the skill positions from last year. Romo, who led the league in QB rating, Murray, who led the NFL in rushing, and Dez who led the NFL in receiving TD's and all three missed significant time with Murray playing for a comepletely different team.

Of course that offense isn't going to be good, not after losing that. There is no team in the NFL, whose offense could survive that. I fail to see how we were exposed there.

However, if what you meant by being exposed was that this defense cannot hold up in the 4th, then yes, that fatal flaw was exposed. I imagine that flaw would have been exposed in the postseason even with a healthy offense. That happened in last year's playoff game against the Packers where we couldn't force Aaron Rodgers off the field on that final drive.

Let's stop drinking kool-aid and look at Dallas factually.

Murray isn't in the occasion, which I addressed with the talking about committee rbs. Other teams dealt with worse than Dallas and still are either in the playoffs or in the hunt. Observe:

-Pittsburgh played significant time without Roethlisberger and LaVeon Bell. Playing for playoffs

-Houston lost 3 quarterbacks and their RB for significant time. In playoffs

-Seattle lost multiple rbs. In playoffs

-New England lost multiple wr and rb. Winning division

My point is that football is rough. Teams get hurt. Dallas' lack of depth (and I'll go as far as to say poor coaching) exposed them. Yes, exposed. Again, I said any team would have a difficult time and I didn't deny Dallas had injuries. But every team did, and Dallas and friends didn't adjust. And moped. And pinned all their hopes on one guy. That doesn't work.

[The_Admiral]

I had always been a pro-analytics guy, and I wouldn't yet call myself an anti-analytics guy, but I've really come to enjoy when sports can just be sports again: e.g., this year's Royals playing station-to-station and doing all sorts of stuff the great baseball minds would spit on. The Warriors kind of represent the best of both worlds: sure, there's a lot of egghead stuff with "exploiting market inefficiencies" and weighing the costs and benefits of three-point shots, but all the spreadsheets aren't worth a hill of beans if you don't have the best shooter of a generation. It's the same deal with the original Moneyball A's, where the real key to Billy Beane's success, such as it was, was just "have three aces in your starting rotation." We should all be so lucky!

[dfwabel]

Even if the Cowboys were at full strength this year, they are no better than an average team IMO. I know that could mean an NFC East title this year but I just think that they are missing something. A certain something that prevents them from being a great team. Mental toughness? Clutch playmaking? I can't put my finger on it.

It's not a popular opinion but they need more mentality like Greg Hardy. Not the wife/girlfriend beating part, but the part that says to go get the QB or make a play at any cost. He has a tenacity that the rest of the team doesn't share.

These Cowboys need to start busting teams in the mouth and asserting themselves. That's what made last year's team work so much better.

While Hardy is second on the team in "splash plays", he got 25% of them against New England and they are 2-9 with him on the field.

Graphic Credit: Dallasnews.com

He will play hard on Sunday since if he gets two more sacks, he gets a $500K bonus.

[2001mark]

Buffalo Bills 30 for 30

Four Falls of Buffalo.

Before it goes away possibly.

[dfwabel]

Buffalo Bills 30 for 30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2183wpOTMS4&sns=tw

Four Falls of Buffalo.

Before it goes away possibly.

Why violate copyright laws for this by posting when folks can use their DVR then it re-airs or have Netflix as it is there starting January 2?

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2015/12/18/10587024/four-falls-of-buffalo-netflix-date-january-2-dvd-release

[2001mark]

When Bill Polian says he named his adopted son after Scott Norwood. #heavy

Having grown up with Buffalo as Toronto's US network tv outlet, I remember that whole Bills' run live on their local media.

It also keeps my Patriots fandom real & in check for perspective because I've seen up close the flip side.

[NJTank]

Johnny Football just does not give a :censored:

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl-news/4689913-johnny-manziel-las-vegas-casino-browns-mike-pettine?eadid=SOC%2FFB%2FSNMain

Report: Johnny Manziel seen at Las Vegas casino on eve of season finaleJanuary 3, 2016 1:40am EST January 3, 2016 1:22am EST If Manziel was actually at a Las Vegas casino, it could be devastating for his future with the Browns.

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Johnny Manziel (Getty Images)

Johnny Manziel just won't learn his lesson ... maybe.

USA TODAY reported Saturday that Manziel was seen at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood casino on the eve of his team's season finale against the Steelers at home Sunday.

MORE: The many antics of Johnny Manziel's troubled career | Jim Brown supports Johnny Manziel: What player doesn't like to party?

Tina Samira, a waitress at the Heart Bar at Planet Hollywood, told USA TODAY she served Manziel and his guests, while another patron, 43-year-old John Hornacek, allegedly overhead a casino employee say, "We've got Johnny Manziel with us tonight" after Manziel sat down at a nearby blackjack table.

[1insaneguy]

Johnny Manziel needs to get his together. (I guess that's pretty obvious.)

Here's a nice video for today's game:

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Has Johnny Manziel ever announced that he's an alcoholic?

If he's not playing tomorrow, I'm not sure what the problem is.