2009 NFL Season Thread

[Cujo]

Is it me or do the Cowboys never win a close game.

Romo is anything BUT a clutch quarterback. I'm not sure what it is, but he's even worse now without Terrell Owens.

[infrared41]

Something TOLD me to pick the Donks to win over the 'Boys this week, simply because the Cowboys just can't seem to finish games. Something told me...but the Donks ain't played nobody all year up until today. Congrats, Donks. (And PLEASE make the orange tops the primaries next season...PLEASE!)

The other thing...I promise I ain't lying, but do y'all know just how close I came to sticking with my prediction of a tie between the Browns and Bengals?? Of course, at the last second, before I hit "Add Reply", I chose the Bengals. They won in OT today. Just saying.

My gut told me the same thing and I actually went with it.

Also, I think The Browns have a legitimate shot at going 0-16. The funny thing is they aren't the only team that could do it. I haven't looked at a schedule to see if any of the 0-4 teams play each other (I'm sure a couple of them do at some point) but we may be looking at the very real possibility of more than one team going winless for an entire season. Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

[tBBP]

Something TOLD me to pick the Donks to win over the 'Boys this week, simply because the Cowboys just can't seem to finish games. Something told me...but the Donks ain't played nobody all year up until today. Congrats, Donks. (And PLEASE make the orange tops the primaries next season...PLEASE!)

The other thing...I promise I ain't lying, but do y'all know just how close I came to sticking with my prediction of a tie between the Browns and Bengals?? Of course, at the last second, before I hit "Add Reply", I chose the Bengals. They won in OT today. Just saying.

My gut told me the same thing and I actually went with it.

Also, I think The Browns have a legitimate shot at going 0-16. The funny thing is they aren't the only team that could do it. I haven't looked at a schedule to see if any of the 0-4 teams play each other (I'm sure a couple of them do at some point) but we may be looking at the very real possibility of more than one team going winless for an entire season. Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Lambs, Bucs, Browns...yeah, it's looking like a long year for all three of these squads.

Well, the Browns ALMOST stole one today, but, as we all know, almost doesn't count. (OBTW, Bengals nation, y'all might wanna see about getting Ochocinco to pull his "Esteban" act again if Shayne Graham keeps muffing kicks like that. Cuz, you know, he's an NFL kicker..he's gotta make those kicks. No excuses--gotta make those kicks.) The Lambs...they got the Vikes, the Jags (who pulled some kind of number on the Titans today--good gosh!), Colts, and rising Lions up before their bye. The Browns gotta go to Buffalo, then to Pittsburgh, and then they play the Pack before going to Chicago. The Bucs are heading up I-95 to Philly next week, then they get the Panthers at home, and then a "home" date against the Patriots--over across the big blue ocean in London.

OBTW, 'Red, I looked, and none of these three teams play each other this year, so um...yeah, it's possible that this year, the NFL might have not one, not two, but THREE 0-16 teams. Oy vey.

[rams80]

Something TOLD me to pick the Donks to win over the 'Boys this week, simply because the Cowboys just can't seem to finish games. Something told me...but the Donks ain't played nobody all year up until today. Congrats, Donks. (And PLEASE make the orange tops the primaries next season...PLEASE!)

The other thing...I promise I ain't lying, but do y'all know just how close I came to sticking with my prediction of a tie between the Browns and Bengals?? Of course, at the last second, before I hit "Add Reply", I chose the Bengals. They won in OT today. Just saying.

My gut told me the same thing and I actually went with it.

Also, I think The Browns have a legitimate shot at going 0-16. The funny thing is they aren't the only team that could do it. I haven't looked at a schedule to see if any of the 0-4 teams play each other (I'm sure a couple of them do at some point) but we may be looking at the very real possibility of more than one team going winless for an entire season. Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Lambs, Bucs, Browns...yeah, it's looking like a long year for all three of these squads.

Well, the Browns ALMOST stole one today, but, as we all know, almost doesn't count. (OBTW, Bengals nation, y'all might wanna see about getting Ochocinco to pull his "Esteban" act again if Shayne Graham keeps muffing kicks like that. Cuz, you know, he's an NFL kicker..he's gotta make those kicks. No excuses--gotta make those kicks.) The Lambs...they got the Vikes, the Jags (who pulled some kind of number on the Titans today--good gosh!), Colts, and rising Lions up before their bye. The Browns gotta go to Buffalo, then to Pittsburgh, and then they play the Pack before going to Chicago. The Bucs are heading up I-95 to Philly next week, then they get the Panthers at home, and then a "home" date against the Patriots--over across the big blue ocean in London.

OBTW, 'Red, I looked, and none of these three teams play each other this year, so um...yeah, it's possible that this year, the NFL might have not one, not two, but THREE 0-16 teams. Oy vey.

The Triumph of Death it is this year.

I really hope the Rams get one win somewhere. I don't want to go into next season with it being absolutely imperative that the Rams win the season opener, because otherwise they will break the Bucs' record for longest losing streak.

[TFoA]

I just think it's hilarious that McDaniels has his team 4-0, after everybody was calling for his head in preseason. I'm tellin y'all, Lil' Bellichick knows what he's doing up there. They may not make it to the playoffs, but they won't be garbage, that's for sure.

That said...the Cowboys would be one of the best teams in the NFL if they had any sort of clutchness. Then the Saints. Oh my God, the Saints. They have clearly been the best team in the NFL so far, and his is honestly the first time that I've EVER been scared of the Saints. Normally if the Saints have a good year, I just go, "Well, hell, they're the Saints, they're gonna find a way to it up for themselves.", but I don't see that. Their defense is good (the way that they played/exposed Mark Sanchez by figuring out his keys and exploiting them reminded me of how the Cardinals basically played Matt Ryan like a fiddle last year), their offense is good...they are a really good team right now. Not '07 Patriots scary, but still good.

[jkrdevil]

Nice of the Chargers to show up for tonight's nationally televised game

[The_Admiral]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

[HedleyLamarr]

After McNabb's gaffe last year, I think EVERYONE knows an NFL game can end in a tie.

Rich Gannon could use a refresher course on how OT games work in the NFL.

For those too lazy to check out the link, Gannon thought that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called timeout too early (with 7 seconds left), because he felt it'd leave enough time for a kickoff return by Joshua Cribbs, should the kick be good.

[zmspartans]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

this really worries me because of the 'highly likely' uncapped year next year. an uncapped year means the big market teams will grab all the talent and the small market teams will suffer, thus ending the parity the nfl prides itself on.

[Cujo]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

this really worries me because of the 'highly likely' uncapped year next year. an uncapped year means the big market teams will grab all the talent and the small market teams will suffer, thus ending the parity the nfl prides itself on.

Bracing for the 2010 season, which teams should we expect to become the 'Yanks and Sawks' of the NFL, and which franchises will be the 'Pittsburgh Pirates' of the league?

[The_Admiral]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

this really worries me because of the 'highly likely' uncapped year next year. an uncapped year means the big market teams will grab all the talent and the small market teams will suffer, thus ending the parity the nfl prides itself on.

Um, there hasn't really been "parity" for a while now, seeing as players and teams figured out how to beat the system. There are pretty clear haves and have-nots, and if you think there aren't, you're deluding yourself.

[jkrdevil]

Nice of the Chargers to show up for tonight's nationally televised game

Well the Chargers showed up fashionably late while the Steelers defense looks like it decided to beat the traffic home.

[infrared41]

I just think it's hilarious that McDaniels has his team 4-0, after everybody was calling for his head in preseason. I'm tellin y'all, Lil' Bellichick knows what he's doing up there. They may not make it to the playoffs, but they won't be garbage, that's for sure.

Yeah it gets really hilarious when I think about how The Browns chose Ass-Clown Mangini over him.

[rams80]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

this really worries me because of the 'highly likely' uncapped year next year. an uncapped year means the big market teams will grab all the talent and the small market teams will suffer, thus ending the parity the nfl prides itself on.

Bracing for the 2010 season, which teams should we expect to become the 'Yanks and Sawks' of the NFL, and which franchises will be the 'Pittsburgh Pirates' of the league?

*waves*

*psychotic laughter/crying*

[jkrdevil]

I just think it's hilarious that McDaniels has his team 4-0, after everybody was calling for his head in preseason. I'm tellin y'all, Lil' Bellichick knows what he's doing up there. They may not make it to the playoffs, but they won't be garbage, that's for sure.

Yeah it gets really hilarious when I think about how The Browns chose Ass-Clown Mangini over him.

I don't understand that hire at all by the Browns. You just fired someone who previously was a defensive assistant of Bellichick. Why then turn around and hire another who was an defensive assistant of Bellichick? They have the same overall philosophy. When you change coaches one tends to in the opposite direction of the previous coach, not the same thing different packaging. That's going back to the same failure well as before (twice before if you count Bellichick's stint with the original Browns himself).

[Sport]

The Pittsburgh Steelers can't close games this year. I love it. They'll win this game, but it'll hurt them down the road. Too bad they get both Detroit and Cleveland the next two games.

[Jigga]

Has the NFL ever had this many truly lousy teams?

Not in this decade, no. This is a new low. Something is wrong. Did we run out of football talent?

this really worries me because of the 'highly likely' uncapped year next year. an uncapped year means the big market teams will grab all the talent and the small market teams will suffer, thus ending the parity the nfl prides itself on.

Bracing for the 2010 season, which teams should we expect to become the 'Yanks and Sawks' of the NFL, and which franchises will be the 'Pittsburgh Pirates' of the league?

Well, the Cowboys and Redskins immediately come to mind...

HOW-EV-ER...

There were some poision pills put into the deal to keep the NFL from becoming MLB. The final 8 playoff teams would only be allowed to sign free agents as they lose them, players would need six NFL seasons to be eligible for free agency (they currently need only 4), each team would be allowed two "franchise" or "transition" tags (they get one now). Plus, if there is no salary ceiling, there is no salary floor either. So it's more likely we see Bills, Jaga, or Raiders become the Pirates, Marlins, and Nationals...for one year at least.

There was a threat of an uncapped year the last time they were negotiating the CBA.

[infrared41]

I just think it's hilarious that McDaniels has his team 4-0, after everybody was calling for his head in preseason. I'm tellin y'all, Lil' Bellichick knows what he's doing up there. They may not make it to the playoffs, but they won't be garbage, that's for sure.

Yeah it gets really hilarious when I think about how The Browns chose Ass-Clown Mangini over him.

I don't understand that hire at all by the Browns. You just fired someone who previously was a defensive assistant of Bellichick. Why then turn around and hire another who was an defensive assistant of Bellichick? They have the same overall philosophy. When you change coaches one tends to in the opposite direction of the previous coach, not the same thing different packaging. That's going back to the same failure well as before (twice before if you count Bellichick's stint with the original Browns himself).

In fairness to Bellichick, in 1994 he took a team that had no business being in the playoffs to an 11-5 record and a win over (ironically enough) The Patriots in the first round. His stint here wasn't the disaster it's portrayed to be. Truth be told, the media and the fans ran him out of town because he wouldn't kiss their asses and because he cut Bernie Kosar. The reality was that Kosar probably deserved to be cut. He wouldn't listen to his coaches and his skills had eroded quite a bit by 1994. If the media and fans had been a little more patient The Browns may have been the team that won all those Super Bowls for Bellichick.

Instead, the city of Cleveland went on quite a roll. They tried to run a hall of fame coach out of town, built a new stadium for the Indians who were drawing 6,000 a game, planted a useless Rock and Roll HOF and a science center right next door to the rotting carcass that was the home of The Browns, and built a new arena for the Cavs. All the while Art Modell and his guaranteed 80,000 fans a game wondered why the most beloved team in Cleveland was being ignored. Then all of Northeast Ohio had the gall to lose their -ing minds when Art Modell decided that maybe he'd be better off elsewhere.

I may be the only Cleveland Browns fan in captivity who believes that a.) Bill Bellichick did a good job while he was here and b.) doesn't place 100% of the blame on Art Modell for The Browns becoming the Ravens.

But I digress...

Why The Browns thought Manigini was a good idea is anyone's guess. He was hated by fans and players alike in New York. In fact, his relationship with New York looked an awful lot like Bellichick's relationship with Cleveland.

[Saintsfan]

I think Bellichick put down a lot of the foundations of the success that the Ravens have had, whilst he was in Cleveland. I think he had a pretty decent record in Cleveland, and built a team capable of progressing, as they did under Billick.

The problem with hiring Belichick assistants, especially defensive assistants, is that you don't get Bellichick as part of the deal. But the Mangini hiring was particular odd bearing in mind he hadn't done spectacularly in New York. If a young coach has had a chance and done ok at best, then you need to give him a year or two back as an assistant, at least, a la Bellichick and Shanahan.

But, as I have said many times before, a lot of the flak thrown at McDaniels was questionable at best. Sure he didn't handle the Cutler situation well but consider how that finished. The Broncos ended up with a not huge downgrade under center and draft picks. Thats a decent way to get rid of a guy who didn't have an awesome reputation as a team guy. Also consider that the Patriots system over the last few years hasn't relied on a strong arm as QB. There are stronger passers than Brady, but what Brady does as well as anyone is run a game on the field. So I think you could make a case for saying that Orton is a better fit for the Broncos.

Personally I think the Broncos are a decent bet for the playoffs with the Chargers not setting the world alight yet. Even with a tough schedule coming up, the Broncos could get to 9-7 or 10-6. To get to 10-6 the Chargers would need to go on a 8-4 run, not impossible and its true that the Chargers have a far easier run in from here. Could be a close division.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Is it me or do the Cowboys never win a close game.

Romo is anything BUT a clutch quarterback. I'm not sure what it is, but he's even worse now without Terrell Owens.

as a cowboys fan i have the right to say, he is :censored:ing overrated. why he is considered an all world qb is beyond me. the guy is only slightly better than quincy carter. his success is about that of Jon Kitna. Both are one in the same in my opinion.