2009 NFL Season Thread

[Jigga]

Brady was confused most of the day, and we were fortunate to force 2 first 1/2 field goals that easily could've been TD's to make it 17-3 at the half instead of 9-3. The D was awesome, the offense got it going somewhat in the second half after a DREADFUL first half, and the Jets beat NE at home for the first time since 2000.

I know it's only two games into the regular season, but this has got to be the best Jets defense I have ever seen. The Jets D held the Texans (who lit up the Titans for 34 points today) to zero offensive points last week, then helf Tom Terrific and the mighty Patriots touchdownless, limiting them to three field goals.

I honestly was not onboard with Rex Ryan when he was hired over the likes of Shanahan and Cowher. But so far, I'm a believer in his methods. The fans were AWESOME. Bring on Tennessee!

Ditto. I'm not old enough to remember the days of the Sack Exchange or anything like that. The earliest players I can remember on defense are the likes of Dennis Bryd, Marvin Washington, James Hasty, Kyle Clifton, et al...so this isn't really saying THAT much .

That being said I can't help but start to get a little bit excited. And Darelle Revis is a complete STUD to boot. I'd be a lot giddier if we had another receiver and a veteran QB though, so let's not start printing playoff tickets just yet...

Oh no, I'm not counting out the Patriots by any means, nor Miami or Buffalo for that matter. But for a what some would call a "rebuilding year" in New York, what a start! Coach Ryan has brought a whole new attitude to Gang Green, one I have yet to see in this lifetime. I mean really, one month ago, would you have ever thought that rookie head coach Rex Ryan, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, and this re-tooled New York Jets team would shut down the Patriots offense, let alone beat them outright?? I'm about as loyal as they come, and sure as hell didn't!

I've always been a fan of Rex Ryan. I originally wanted him to replace Billick here in Baltimore (but I'm happy now how everything has worked out). I think he learned a lot last year from John Harbaugh how a rookie head coach should handle his team and how to handle a rookie QB. I hope he finds success in New York.

Great game by the Ravens yesterday. Ray Lewis had one of the best plays of his career. Here's a link in case anyone missed it, I don't know how any team can let Lewis go unblocked:

They didn't "let" him go unblocked. Ray Ray made a read and went for it like a bat out of hell. What an amazing play. Not the big hit, but the recognition of the play design, and putting himself in the perfect position to preserve a win for his team. We may not see a better football play all season.

[njmeadowlanders]

They didn't "let" him go unblocked. Ray Ray made a read and went for it like a bat out of hell. What an amazing play. Not the big hit, but the recognition of the play design, and putting himself in the perfect position to preserve a win for his team. We may not see a better football play all season.

Yes, they didn't literally "let" him go unblocked but it's just an expression basically meaning that they should have (and obviously weren't) cognizant of the situation, the defense they were facing, and who that defense is made up of.

They should have known better in other words.

It's like saying "I can't believe the Trojans let themselves lose to Washington this weekend". They didn't "let" Washington win, it had to be earned by them.

[Cujo]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

[FiddySicks]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

[infrared41]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

[Sport]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

First, If I were the 49ers I would just offer less to Crabtree every day because every day he's not there he's of less use to me. Second, If were Crabtree I would take whatever the 49ers gave to my unproven ass because there isn't a chance in hell that I get drafted higher next year than I did this year. Third, Crabtree needs to understand that no matter what he gets, even league minimum, is a lot of money to a lot of people who work a hell of a lot harder than he does.

[BaltimoreFan]

They didn't "let" him go unblocked. Ray Ray made a read and went for it like a bat out of hell. What an amazing play. Not the big hit, but the recognition of the play design, and putting himself in the perfect position to preserve a win for his team. We may not see a better football play all season.

Yes, they didn't literally "let" him go unblocked but it's just an expression basically meaning that they should have (and obviously weren't) cognizant of the situation, the defense they were facing, and who that defense is made up of.

They should have known better in other words.

It's like saying "I can't believe the Trojans let themselves lose to Washington this weekend". They didn't "let" Washington win, it had to be earned by them.

Yea thats kinda what I'm saying. When I watched the replay I noticed San Diego sent two lead blockers for Sproles. I'm just kinda shocked the one didn't notice Lewis was unblocked and adjusted. Of course thats pretty easy to say looking at the replay. I have no idea if the guy ever saw Lewis to begin with. It's just kinda weird to see an offensive line split for Lewis, like San Deigo's did on Sunday.

[BBTV]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

First, If I were the 49ers I would just offer less to Crabtree every day because every day he's not there he's of less use to me. Second, If were Crabtree I would take whatever the 49ers gave to my unproven ass because there isn't a chance in hell that I get drafted higher next year than I did this year. Third, Crabtree needs to understand that no matter what he gets, even league minimum, is a lot of money to a lot of people who work a hell of a lot harder than he does.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but that's an absolutely stupid point of view.

I make a lot more than a landscaper. I guarantee a landscaper works harder than me (at least physically). I recently found out that one of my coworkers who is at the same job grade, makes more than 20% more than me. You don't think I'm not going to fight tooth and nail to close that gap and get more? Should I not worry about it, because I make more than a landscaper?

Should Crabtree just take the minimum because the average Joe only makes 50k a year? Even though his peers all make millions (and presumably, his "market value" is at least equal to theirs?)

Sports is not like regular life. It's just not. It's foolish to ever compare sports salaries to regular life situations, and it's even more foolish to posture as if you would ever take any less than you feel your worth if you were in a position (with the leverage) like a pro athlete is.

I find it hard to fault anyone for doing what they have to do to get paid - even though sometimes it comes at our expense as fans.

[Sport]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

First, If I were the 49ers I would just offer less to Crabtree every day because every day he's not there he's of less use to me. Second, If were Crabtree I would take whatever the 49ers gave to my unproven ass because there isn't a chance in hell that I get drafted higher next year than I did this year. Third, Crabtree needs to understand that no matter what he gets, even league minimum, is a lot of money to a lot of people who work a hell of a lot harder than he does.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but that's an absolutely stupid point of view.

I make a lot more than a landscaper. I guarantee a landscaper works harder than me (at least physically). I recently found out that one of my coworkers who is at the same job grade, makes more than 20% more than me. You don't think I'm not going to fight tooth and nail to close that gap and get more? Should I not worry about it, because I make more than a landscaper?

Should Crabtree just take the minimum because the average Joe only makes 50k a year? Even though his peers all make millions (and presumably, his "market value" is at least equal to theirs?)

Sports is not like regular life. It's just not. It's foolish to ever compare sports salaries to regular life situations, and it's even more foolish to posture as if you would ever take any less than you feel your worth if you were in a position (with the leverage) like a pro athlete is.

I find it hard to fault anyone for doing what they have to do to get paid - even though sometimes it comes at our expense as fans.

You're right that sports isn't like real life. In real life they don't hold a draft for your standard corporate office position right out of college. Crabtree may feel cheated, but he has to think about this strategically. This is the best NFL deal he will ever get. Crabtree has no leverage, he's an unproven rookie who now has an attitude problem. Strategically for Crabtree, unless he is drafted higher next year and the odds are against him then he stands to lose a lot more than he did by being drafted one slot lower this season. In this way, sports aren't like real life because you weren't drafted by your company nor do you have the opportunity to reenter the draft in a year after showing off at some office combine.

For my third point perhaps I didn't exactly word this the way I wanted to come across and I'm not going Willmorris here and suggesting that every pro athlete take the league minimum. What I meant to say and probably just should've said was that he should feel blessed to be offered what the 49ers gave him. Very few people get handed that kind of deal. Can you honestly say you wouldn't take it if you were Micheal Crabtree?

[dfwabel]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

First, If I were the 49ers I would just offer less to Crabtree every day because every day he's not there he's of less use to me. Second, If were Crabtree I would take whatever the 49ers gave to my unproven ass because there isn't a chance in hell that I get drafted higher next year than I did this year. Third, Crabtree needs to understand that no matter what he gets, even league minimum, is a lot of money to a lot of people who work a hell of a lot harder than he does.

That is one of the numerous things which the team is considering, but NFL players are paid per game. He has already missed 1 game check because players are paid every other week and only during the regular season, there are only nine paydays per season. On eight of those, players get paid for two weeks. On one, they are paid for one week. In essence, if he had a annual salary of $170, he has already lost $20 and unless there is specific language in his contract, he will not get "backpay".

[njmeadowlanders]

I find it hard to fault anyone for doing what they have to do to get paid - even though sometimes it comes at our expense as fans.

Yes.

It's not his fault the system in place allows for it.

And you know what? If money wasn't pouring into these stadiums and TV rights and all other avenues hand over fist, then they wouldn't be getting what they do. More power to them.

That being said, he will hurt himself in the long run when all is said and done, but that's the great thing about this country...you make your own decisions. That'll be his problem. As someone who was laid off in April and is living at home with no income and only 8 months of work experience out of college, I have other things to worry about than what a pro athlete chooses what contract not to accept and you know what, he's not worrying about me either.

[BBTV]

The Jets seem desperate to add a high-profile wide out. First it was the Broncos' Brandon Marshall, and now....

49ers file tampering charges against the Jets regarding top pick Crabtree

So, if Crabtree doesn't sign with San Fran (Very likely) and enters next years draft after taking an entire year off, does he really expect to get drafted and paid any higher than he already was? He's basically gonna whine his way down to the third round and end up with about a quarter the dough he would've gotten as a Niner. What an idiot. I hope he accidentally gets hit by a car... Driven by Mike Singletary. Watching him flip burgers for the rest of his life seems fitting with the way he's acting.

You know you're going to feel just awful when that actually happens.

On topic, if I were the 49ers I wouldn't even bother at this point. There is no way Crabtree is good enough to make him worth the hassle. Other than the part about wishing him physical harm (I'm ok with the flipping burgers part) I agree with you 100%.

First, If I were the 49ers I would just offer less to Crabtree every day because every day he's not there he's of less use to me. Second, If were Crabtree I would take whatever the 49ers gave to my unproven ass because there isn't a chance in hell that I get drafted higher next year than I did this year. Third, Crabtree needs to understand that no matter what he gets, even league minimum, is a lot of money to a lot of people who work a hell of a lot harder than he does.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but that's an absolutely stupid point of view.

I make a lot more than a landscaper. I guarantee a landscaper works harder than me (at least physically). I recently found out that one of my coworkers who is at the same job grade, makes more than 20% more than me. You don't think I'm not going to fight tooth and nail to close that gap and get more? Should I not worry about it, because I make more than a landscaper?

Should Crabtree just take the minimum because the average Joe only makes 50k a year? Even though his peers all make millions (and presumably, his "market value" is at least equal to theirs?)

Sports is not like regular life. It's just not. It's foolish to ever compare sports salaries to regular life situations, and it's even more foolish to posture as if you would ever take any less than you feel your worth if you were in a position (with the leverage) like a pro athlete is.

I find it hard to fault anyone for doing what they have to do to get paid - even though sometimes it comes at our expense as fans.

You're right that sports isn't like real life. In real life they don't hold a draft for your standard corporate office position right out of college. Crabtree may feel cheated, but he has to think about this strategically. This is the best NFL deal he will ever get. Crabtree has no leverage, because he's an unproven rookie who now has an attitude problem. Strategically for Crabtree, unless he is drafted higher next year and the odds are against him then he stands to lose a lot more than he did by being drafted one slot lower this season. In this way, sports aren't like real life because you weren't drafted by your company nor do you have the opportunity to reenter the draft in a year after showing off at some office combine.

For my third point perhaps I didn't exactly word this the way I wanted to come across and I'm not going Willmorris here and suggesting that every pro athlete take the league minimum. What I meant to say and probably just should've said was that he should feel blessed to be offered what the 49ers gave him. Very few people get handed that kind of deal. Can you honestly say you wouldn't take it if you were Micheal Crabtree?

Oh, but he does have leverage. Top draft picks are big marketing chips, especially with crappy teams. Some sell tickets, most sell merch., some even become the "face" of the franchise. At the least, he fits in to the first two of those categories. I don't know what he's asking for, or what the other players got, so I don't know if he's being unreasonable, but he (with the help of his agent... who he may be taking too much advice from, but ultimately it's still his decision) has calculated his value, and just doesn't want to take less. I'll agree that from the outside, it looks rather silly, because he's going to sacrafice a year's salary just on principle, but he's obviously banking on either a trade, or to be a top pick again. Time will tell if the gamble pays off.

I ain't sayin' the dude's plan is going to work out for him, just that it's wrong to hate a guy for trying to get what he feels he's worth.

As for the draft thing, players have every right in the world to be upset with how that works. It isn't right that worse players will be drafted by teams with deep pockets or a philosopy of paying players, while other players are drafted by cheap ass teams. Ideally, it'd be centralized - you'd be signed by the league, and then "assigned" to teams based on what we now see as the draft. Then it'd be no different than your company simply transferring you to their New York office... or to the Chicago office... or to the Jacksonville office (that one would suck.)

[Sport]

The problem is "slotting" where players get paid based on where they were taken in the draft. This is silly because teams draft based on need not who is the best available player, but the pay system is structured to define your draft position as your overall football value and that simply isn't how it works. I like your idea and I'd also like to see a rookie salary cap implemented so these holdouts end and teams actually want that first pick. This may incentivize "tanking", but who cares?

[Cujo]

Time of posession:

Miami 45:32

Indianapolis 14:28

Final score:

Indianapolis 27

Miami 23

WOW.

[BBTV]

The problem is "slotting" where players get paid based on where they were taken in the draft. This is silly because teams draft based on need not who is the best available player, but the pay system is structured to define your draft position as your overall football value and that simply isn't how it works. I like your idea and I'd also like to see a rookie salary cap implemented so these holdouts end and teams actually want that first pick. This may incentivize "tanking", but who cares?

Agreed that slotting is stupid. What should happen is that a portion of "shared" league revenues goes into a pool controlled by the league. The league then negotiates with and signs the top x number of college players. The teams then "draft" (more like submit their resource requisition request) at which point the player (who is technically signed by the league) is allocated to the team. The team doesn't have to worry about the money for the first contract, and it doesn't count against any type of cap. Teams can now focus more on talent evaluation than cap manipulation and negotiations. Slotting is eliminated because players are signed before the "draft".

[rams80]

Time of posession:

Miami 45:32

Indianapolis 14:28

Final score:

Indianapolis 27

Miami 23

WOW.

I guess the Wildkitten does have its limits. Or Miami's defense.

[DEAD!]

Time of posession:

Miami 45:32

Indianapolis 14:28

Final score:

Indianapolis 27

Miami 23

WOW.

Well, Indy didn't waste much time with their scoring drives:

TD 0:12

FG 4:07

FG 0:43

TD 3:17

TD 0:32

[Cujo]

Time of posession:

Miami 45:32

Indianapolis 14:28

Final score:

Indianapolis 27

Miami 23

WOW.

I guess the Wildkitten does have its limits. Or Miami's defense.

The Colts D looked pretty trashy last night, but Peyton's brilliance made up for it.

This game also says a lot about the Wildcat offense. It makes for a nice trick play if you have the right personnel, and may throw off some defenses from time to time. However, it's not going to win you any big games in the NFL, no matter how one-sided the contest is.

[Epiphanic]

I think it says more on how inept Miami's defense was. When it takes only a minute for the Colts to score, that's a problem. I view Miami being on offense for three quarters as a success for the Wildcat and the offense in general. I'm a big fan of ball control. The other team can't score if they don't have the ball.

That final drive by Miami was pretty crappy though. They need to work on quick strikes for those situations.

[Cujo]

That final drive by Miami was pretty crappy though. They need to work on quick strikes for those situations.

The final drive proved once again that Chad Pennington, although he may be one hell of a passer and get you a win every other game, he will never be the big-game quarterback some might make him out to be. Pennington has all the tools to be one of the top QBs in the league, but when it comes to being a team leader in last-minute situations, he's just never been able to cut the mustard.

I hate to say it, but thank goodness for Brett Favre, or else the Jets would still be treading water with this guy!