2011 NFL Season

[rams80]

I'm glad they've got this uncertainty cleared up with Peyton Manning and everyone can move on, but the words "cervical fusion" would certainly scare the piss out of me.

I wonder if Irsay and Polian are regretting that big ass $30-some million guaranteed money contract at all.

Oh I think they are very much. And Manning actually took less than what they were offering.

And you might as well put the Colts fanbase on suicide watch because that team is TERRIBLE without Manning. Like 3-4 wins max terrible.

[Still MIGHTY]

I'm glad they've got this uncertainty cleared up with Peyton Manning and everyone can move on, but the words "cervical fusion" would certainly scare the piss out of me.

I wonder if Irsay and Polian are regretting that big ass $30-some million guaranteed money contract at all.

Oh I think they are very much. And Manning actually took less than what they were offering.

And you might as well put the Colts fanbase on suicide watch because that team is TERRIBLE without Manning. Like 3-4 wins max terrible.

Please stop. It hurts too much.

Officially, my favorite football team this season is now whichever one of my fantasy teams is doing better, whoever is closest to moving to LA (Chargers or Rams), or the Cardinals (Family season tickets).

Like I'm still going to be a Colts fan, but damn, it's going to be hard. I don't think I'll be able to watch this team without Manning. It will be too painful. They never prepared a contingency plan for this. They never fathomed that Peyton could actually get hurt. After that season where he hurt his knee and then after his surgery this year, they should have tried to get a suitable back-up. Either buying one, or drafting Peyton Manning's understudy a la Rodgers-Favre (although with a better student-teacher rapport)(For the record, I wanted the Colts to draft Andy Dalton. He seemed to be the perfect guy to learn under Manning). Hell, I had more faith in Jim Sorgi than I did in Curtis Painter. And as decent of a career as Kerry Collins had, coming off the couch and learning Peyton Manning's offense is probably the most difficult task in the entire NFL.

I almost hope that the Colts suck as hard as possible. Andrew Luck would make the perfect Manning protege. Stanford smarts. Great QB Build. Awesome arm. Do it Indy. Shoot for #1 (#32)!

To borrow a page out of your book, rams:

or

[FiddySicks]

The Packers are the greatest team on earth. They're the greatest team in the history of professional sports. All other teams should be liquidated, as their importance in the grand scheme of athletic competition is microscopic in comparison to the excellence and glory that is the Green Bay Packers.

They will be undefeated for the next 30 millennia, and the games themselves need not be played as the outcome has already been determined. So it is written, so it shall be done. All hail green bay. ALL HAIL

Yeah that's kind of how I'm feeling. Sure they won the Super Bowl, but if it weren't for the chips falling their way in the last two weeks they wouldn't have even made the playoffs last season. And I'm not trying to discount their talent, they're a GREAT team. But the major media outlets are making it out to seem like their invincible at times. I'm not so sure I buy it.

[CS85]

They're all hopping on the newest version of the Patriots, and it sucks.

Thankfully as a Bears fan our roster is full of jerkoffs and grumpy people who hate the media, so if the Bears won ANYTHING, the media would dismiss it pretty quickly. Hooray.

[NEW.ERA]

I hate the media attention but no small market in all of sports gets more love then Green Bay. Media is going to thrive on it, outside of division rivals, I find it would be very hard to hate the Packers, I could be way wrong, but that is just a feeling I get.

[CS85]

When the media loves your team, it makes it much easier for outsiders to hate that team because they seem to be favored in all aspects and get more attention than any other team from any other market.

[Lights Out]

I'm glad they've got this uncertainty cleared up with Peyton Manning and everyone can move on, but the words "cervical fusion" would certainly scare the piss out of me.

I wonder if Irsay and Polian are regretting that big ass $30-some million guaranteed money contract at all.

Oh I think they are very much. And Manning actually took less than what they were offering.

And you might as well put the Colts fanbase on suicide watch because that team is TERRIBLE without Manning. Like 3-4 wins max terrible.

Please stop. It hurts too much.

Officially, my favorite football team this season is now whichever one of my fantasy teams is doing better, whoever is closest to moving to LA (Chargers or Rams), or the Cardinals (Family season tickets).

Like I'm still going to be a Colts fan, but damn, it's going to be hard. I don't think I'll be able to watch this team without Manning. It will be too painful. They never prepared a contingency plan for this. They never fathomed that Peyton could actually get hurt. After that season where he hurt his knee and then after his surgery this year, they should have tried to get a suitable back-up. Either buying one, or drafting Peyton Manning's understudy a la Rodgers-Favre (although with a better student-teacher rapport)(For the record, I wanted the Colts to draft Andy Dalton. He seemed to be the perfect guy to learn under Manning). Hell, I had more faith in Jim Sorgi than I did in Curtis Painter. And as decent of a career as Kerry Collins had, coming off the couch and learning Peyton Manning's offense is probably the most difficult task in the entire NFL.

I almost hope that the Colts suck as hard as possible. Andrew Luck would make the perfect Manning protege. Stanford smarts. Great QB Build. Awesome arm. Do it Indy. Shoot for #1 (#32)!

To borrow a page out of your book, rams:

or

Dude, if I could sit through the Ryan Leaf era, you can certainly sit through one year of the Manning-free Colts without switching teams.

[Lights Out]

They're all hopping on the newest version of the Patriots, and it sucks.

Thankfully as a Bears fan our roster is full of jerkoffs and grumpy people who hate the media, so if the Bears won ANYTHING, the media would dismiss it pretty quickly. Hooray.

So wouldn't that make the Bears the newest version of the Patriots?

[CS85]

They're all hopping on the newest version of the Patriots, and it sucks.

Thankfully as a Bears fan our roster is full of jerkoffs and grumpy people who hate the media, so if the Bears won ANYTHING, the media would dismiss it pretty quickly. Hooray.

So wouldn't that make the Bears the newest version of the Patriots?

This would only be true if the Bears were on the east coast.

[BlueSky]

What about that PI call at end? Bad call IMO.

I thought it was the right call. Hawk did come right over him and parts of him went through him. Regardless, it was a great game to begin the season. Packers look scary good on offense and I wouldn't be concerned about their D as well. That was the Saints they just played, with Drew Brees at the helm, and they are a great passing team. What baffles me the most is why line up in a goal-line formation, and attempt to run the ball when it wasn't working all game. Would have been better to go four-men wide, then either hand it off to Sproles, or do what the Saints do best: throw the football. Baffling decision there at the end.

@ninersdd, are you serious? How could there be any question about that call?

@ Rockstar Matt - yes. Several baffling decisions throughout the game. A disappointing but encouraging loss. The Saints definitely had their chances and blew them. The KO return was either an 1) incredibly smart move, banking on the kick coverage to assume a touchback and relax a little or 2) incredibly stupid move that happened to work out well. In any case, IMO the real backbreaker was coming away with nothing on the red zone 4th and 1 then allowing the Packers to drive 90+ yards for a TD.

As for decision-making, Sean Payton often outsmarts himself but I'm really starting to question Gregg Williams. Maybe the Saints need fewer "exotic" packages and more "line up and beat the guy in front of you" packages.

In any case, the Saints lost but given the early hole they were in and momentum-crushers like the KO return, the red zone failures, and the Pack's long TD drive, for them to be in it at the end like that says some good things.

Speaking of good things...Darren effin' Sproles!! Reggie who? Lights Out, you must have been grinding your teeth watching Sproles school the Packers.

BTW, WTF was up with the field? Guys were falling down all over the place. They need to grow that grass out a little or something, that was ridiculous.

End of the day, it's an L.

GO BEARS! GO LIONS! GO WHOEVER'S PLAYING CAROLINA!

[Drew22]

What about that PI call at end? Bad call IMO.

Really? Hawk pretty much mugged Sproles. That was the right call.

[RyanMcD29]

They're all hopping on the newest version of the Patriots, and it sucks.

Thankfully as a Bears fan our roster is full of jerkoffs and grumpy people who hate the media, so if the Bears won ANYTHING, the media would dismiss it pretty quickly. Hooray.

Wait, the media stopped sucking on the Patriots? Since when? It's like every ESPN expert's still picking them to win the Super Bowl when they haven't really improved that much over the offseason. I mean you can never discount them as long as they have Tom Brady, but still.

Yes I know I should be the last person to talk about that as a Jet fan, but as you all know I'm more realistic as a fan than most. We'll probably win the wild card and find an awesome way to lose in the AFC Championship after looking amazing the first two games again

Lastly LOL on calling the East Coast Bias card when the Packers are in the westernmost Great Lakes, plus all the attention Chicago teams get anyway (at least the Cubs and Bulls and to some extent the Bears)

[ninersdd]

What about that PI call at end? Bad call IMO.

Really? Hawk pretty much mugged Sproles. That was the right call.

It seemed like Sproles was already going down. Guess I should take another look at it.

[Lights Out]

Lights Out, you must have been grinding your teeth watching Sproles school the Packers.

I'm actually happy Sproles is on the Saints now.... if only because Norv is now unable to run him up the middle for a loss of two at least once every drive.

[Jigga]

I heard something on The Herd today that was quite interesting. Apparently, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, that the Colts can get out of the Peyton Manning contract after one year, *only* paying him $26 million dollars with no other obligations.

Colts Have Out In Manning's Contract

It is much too early to predict what will happen, but the Colts can get out of Peyton Manning's contract after one year and $26 million without any other money being guaranteed, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

According to the source, Manning has a $28 million club option bonus in Year 2 that is due on the fifth day prior to the end of the 2011 league year (which will occurr sometime in late February 2012). But if the Colts cut Manning before that date, they don't have to pay it and Manning would become an unrestricted free agent.

Manning will be 36 next season and if he cannot play this year because of his neck and back injuries, then the Colts could be staring at one of the most significant financial decisions they will have to make.

No small sum, of course, but at least they don't have a huge black cloud (financially speaking anyway, the player is basically irreplaceable for the near future) hanging over them for several years is Manning's career is over.

[dfwabel]

I heard something on The Herd today that was quite interesting. Apparently, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, that the Colts can get out of the Peyton Manning contract after one year, *only* paying him $26 million dollars with no other obligations.

Colts Have Out In Manning's Contract

It is much too early to predict what will happen, but the Colts can get out of Peyton Manning's contract after one year and $26 million without any other money being guaranteed, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

According to the source, Manning has a $28 million club option bonus in Year 2 that is due on the fifth day prior to the end of the 2011 league year (which will occurr sometime in late February 2012). But if the Colts cut Manning before that date, they don't have to pay it and Manning would become an unrestricted free agent.

Manning will be 36 next season and if he cannot play this year because of his neck and back injuries, then the Colts could be staring at one of the most significant financial decisions they will have to make.

No small sum, of course, but at least they don't have a huge black cloud (financially speaking anyway, the player is basically irreplaceable for the near future) hanging over them for several years is Manning's career is over.

Actually, the whole thing came from PFT's Mike Florio.

On July 31, Florio wrote this:

It also will be interesting to know, given evidence that the 35-year-old quarterback may be beginning to break down physically, just how much of the deal is guaranteed for injury and/or skill. That?s not to say Peyton will get to a point where he lacks a high degree of skill, but at some point between now and 2015 there?s a chance (not a certainty or a probability, but a chance) he no longer will possess skills that merit $18 million per year in pay. As a practical matter, the full $90 million is guaranteed, as long as Peyton can pass a physical. Based on his comments to the media on Sunday, it?s clear that he fully intends to stick around for every snap ? and thus for every dollar.[/quote]

If he did not take a physical before signing, then I can see how they have an out.

Florio wrote this last night (Sept. 8).

[BlueSky]

More joy for the Saints. Marques Colston broke his collarbone on that diving catch near the end of the game and will be out 4 weeks.

As for the Hawk PI call, sorry for the quality but see Hawk's forearm behind Sproles' head in the first shot and then how Sproles' head is sideways in the second one? That's because Hawk's forearm knocked Sproles upside the head before Hawk came over the top as shown in the 3rd pic. No question it was PI.

BTW, apparently under the rules Woodson should have been ejected for throwing a punch during that dustup they had. Wouldn't have changed the outcome, and I'd point it out too if it'd been a Saint. Just sayin'.

[ninersdd]

Eh, I guess I missed Hawk get Sproles in the first place. Still it just seemed like he was already getting lower for the ball, and Hawk had jumped over. Colston is a very good receiver, but the Saints definitely have a solid arsenal of weapons, so they should be fine.(Unless Brees gets injured)

Gotta admit, waking up on Sunday morning of Week 1 feels just like Christmas morning. Football is back, watching the Niners and other games(Don't forget tracking

your fantasy players!)

[NJTank]

It was a smart I play on Hawk's part if he did not do it it was a TD, this was the Packers had a chance to stop the Saints on one play at the goaline which they did.

[illwauk]

The Packers are the greatest team on earth. They're the greatest team in the history of professional sports. All other teams should be liquidated, as their importance in the grand scheme of athletic competition is microscopic in comparison to the excellence and glory that is the Green Bay Packers.

They will be undefeated for the next 30 millennia, and the games themselves need not be played as the outcome has already been determined. So it is written, so it shall be done. All hail green bay. ALL HAIL

Yeah that's kind of how I'm feeling. Sure they won the Super Bowl, but if it weren't for the chips falling their way in the last two weeks they wouldn't have even made the playoffs last season. And I'm not trying to discount their talent, they're a GREAT team. But the major media outlets are making it out to seem like their invincible at times. I'm not so sure I buy it.

To be fair, they won the Super Bowl missing 10 starters who are now healthy. And I would think that anyone who participates in this thread would be used to the media's routines by now. That's why I rarely watch NFL coverage these days outside of the actual games.