NFL '13 SEASON THREAD

[ninersdd]

Chiefs are in uncharted territory, down by 10 now.

[See Red]

Blatant pushoff by Bowe 4 feet from the official. How does he miss that?!

[hbgoo1975]

My thoughts on today's games, I can't believe the Steelers would be stupid enough to steal the game from Detroit! They woulda looked better in their black jerseys and yellow pants. The Falcons and Texans have collapsed before our eyes. We could see either Smith or Kubes both being fired at the end of the season. The Bengals played like they were going to run away with the division! The Chargers lose to a dysfunctional Miami team, The 49ers cost themselves the game at New Orleans, and Minnesota paid dearly for trading away Harvin, but Seattle had plenty of playmakers to embarrass them. Now it was expected that the Packers would get beat without A-Rod today since I was the inly guy who picked them over the Giants. Boy was I wrong, still not picking the G-Men though! The Bears and Ravens made an ugly game look good despite the weather.

[Cujo]

The Eagles have first place to themselves again

Not sure if it was mentioned yet but Arizona/Philly is getting flexed to SNF in two weeks

They decide these things two weeks in advance? That's news to me.

[Still MIGHTY]

And, speaking of Arizona, that's the best afternoon game that won't get the attention it demands next week; 7-3 Indy at 6-4 Arizona. Second time in three weeks an excellent matchup in a Western market gets buried in the dungeon of "regional coverage" week for the network it will air on.

Won't be buried by me. I'll be there.

And I'm mixed about that game. Obviously I'm a Colts fan and it's the one in-person game I'll get to see of them this year so I'd prefer they win as to not make my trip a bust. (Along with the Ducks at Coyotes the night before.) But the tickets are my family's Cardinals season tickets, and I've been to more than a few games there including two playoff games. Plus, with the current situation I'd love the neat/hilarious scenario of the Carson Palmer Cardinals making the playoffs. I'm also afraid that this is very much a game this Colts team can lose. Traveling west, another late comeback against a subpar team. I'm uneasy about it. That Cards defense is a good unit. I hope the three extra days help out.

---

NINJA EDIT: I had just about finished a post describing how the Chiefs couldn't score and they threw that TD. I'll hold off.

But it is still a struggle for the Chiefs to move the ball, I'll say that.

[See Red]

The NFL's rules on taunting completely defy logic. So you can dance, show up your opponent, and act a fool after a big play and it's no big deal... but walk next to him and talk crap and it's a penalty? In what world does that make sense?

I'll add that I'm against any penalties for taunting as these are grown men, but if you're going to call it one way, it doesn't make sense not to call it the other.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The NFL's rules on taunting completely defy logic. So you can dance, show up your opponent, and act a fool after a big play and it's no big deal... but walk next to him and talk crap and it's a penalty? In what world does that make sense?

I'll add that I'm against any penalties for taunting as these are grown men, but if you're going to call it one way, it doesn't make sense not to call it the other.

I won't say that penalties are destroying the game, but they are making it more difficult to watch. You almost have to hold your breath after any big hit or scoring play, because it feels like they'll all be reviewed or overturned.

[Kramerica Industries]

And, speaking of Arizona, that's the best afternoon game that won't get the attention it demands next week; 7-3 Indy at 6-4 Arizona. Second time in three weeks an excellent matchup in a Western market gets buried in the dungeon of "regional coverage" week for the network it will air on.

Won't be buried by me. I'll be there.

And I'm mixed about that game. Obviously I'm a Colts fan and it's the one in-person game I'll get to see of them this year so I'd prefer they win as to not make my trip a bust. (Along with the Ducks at Coyotes the night before.) But the tickets are my family's Cardinals season tickets, and I've been to more than a few games there including two playoff games. Plus, with the current situation I'd love the neat/hilarious scenario of the Carson Palmer Cardinals making the playoffs. I'm also afraid that this is very much a game this Colts team can lose. Traveling west, another late comeback against a subpar team. I'm uneasy about it. That Cards defense is a good unit. I hope the three extra days help out.

---

NINJA EDIT: I had just about finished a post describing how the Chiefs couldn't score and they threw that TD. I'll hold off.

But it is still a struggle for the Chiefs to move the ball, I'll say that.

Arizona can flat out play defense, and they finally have a QB who can actually, well, get the ball to the receivers. Their situation with Skelton and Lindley was nearing Greek tragedy levels last year. I love the look of that team, although they aren't on a level where they can beat the Niners or Seahawks in the West quite yet. But they're right in this playoff race right now, which is certainly something any Cardinals fan would have taken at the beginning of the season.

I think, win or lose next week, Indy will ultimately grab that #3 seed in the AFC, because, frankly, the Bengals wouldn't be the Bengals without their dick-tripping tendencies. And that's a huge difference, #3 and #4, because the #3 hosts whichever schmuck gets the #6 seed, which literally has eight teams sitting on 5-5 or 4-6 fighting for it, while the #4 hosts the Chiefs or Broncos.

But, hey, enjoy that. Colts would be well advised not to have another 1st half slumber if they want to win that game.

---

...so...many...defensive penalties in this game.

Jeez.

[BigEd76]

Not sure if it was mentioned yet but Arizona/Philly is getting flexed to SNF in two weeks

They decide these things two weeks in advance? That's news to me.

Yup it's always two weeks ahead except for week 17 (where nothing is set). The SNF crew is in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night, so instead of going to DC, they'll head up 95 a little bit to Philly. This likely means Panthers/Saints will be flexed into SNF in three weeks (to replace ATL/GB) since they won't go back-to-back in the same city and pick Lions/Eagles

[Cujo]

The NFL's rules on taunting completely defy logic. So you can dance, show up your opponent, and act a fool after a big play and it's no big deal... but walk next to him and talk crap and it's a penalty? In what world does that make sense?

That's right. You can't run smack after a play. However, you ARE allowed to run into the stands and celebrate a touchdown, throw a temper tantrum to draw a PI flag after every pass play, and spin around like a ballerina and flop if your punter is so much as sneezed on. To me, all that crap needs to get 15 yards if you're going to enforce ticky-tack smack talk penalties.

[Sport]

Joe Haden intercepted back to back Andy Dalton passes in the first quarter taking the second one for a TD. The Bengals scored 31 points in the second quarter.

That's all you need to know about the Bengals-Browns game today.

[BigEd76]

Draft top 10 as of now:

1 - Jacksonville

2 - Minnesota

3 - Houston

4 - Atlanta

5 - Tampa Bay

6 - St. Louis (from WSH)

7 - Buffalo

8 - Pittsburgh

9 - Cleveland

10 - Baltimore

Tennessee barely misses out by percentage points, sitting at #11

[Kramerica Industries]

Not sure if it was mentioned yet but Arizona/Philly is getting flexed to SNF in two weeks

They decide these things two weeks in advance? That's news to me.

Yup it's always two weeks ahead except for week 17 (where nothing is set). The SNF crew is in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night, so instead of going to DC, they'll head up 95 a little bit to Philly. This likely means Panthers/Saints will be flexed into SNF in three weeks (to replace ATL/GB) since they won't go back-to-back in the same city and pick Lions/Eagles

I've been wondering about that one as well. Atlanta/Green Bay obviously won't hold that SNF slot even if Rodgers is back and the Packers are in the race again, because Atlanta is completely out of it.

One rule of thumb that I only figured out recently (should've noticed it a lot sooner, in hindsight) is that the conference network that only has the single-header rights in a given week is the conference likely to be involved in a SNF flex game, presuming, of course, we're dealing with intra-conference games. CBS only has single-header rights this week and next, and the two games are AFC games as such. Since CBS has double-header rights for Week 13, this is one of a few reasons why the next Broncos/Chiefs game isn't a SNF candidate; CBS is putting that game in their late slot instead.

I would think that divisional matchups can only have one of their two games shown on a non-CBS or FOX network, but this will mark three straight years (as currently stands) that this thought process would be broken. 2011 had two Giants/Cowboys games on NBC, 2012 had a Seahawks/49ers game on NFLN and NBC, and 2013 has Bengals/Steelers on ESPN and NBC. I'm guessing, at this point, that Week 16 Bengals/Steelers game is a flex candidate, but if Pittsburgh stays in the playoff mix through to at least Week 14, then it might just hold.

[See Red]

Can't help but think the Broncos should be up by more than 7 after that first half.

[BigEd76]

FOX and CBS are each allowed to protect 5 games in a 6-week span. Neither one protected any games next week because there was zero chance Manning vs Brady was getting flexed out. CBS originally protected this KC/Denver matchup, but they were probably given something substantial to allow the move. (FOX protected Niners/Saints FWIW)

Week 13 = The Broncos/Chiefs rematch* and Bears/Vikings were protected

Week 14 = Colts/Bengals and Seahawks/Niners* were protected

Week 15 = Patriots/Dolphins and Packers/Cowboys* were protected

Week 16 = Cowboys/Redskins and Broncos/Texans were protected

* = primary late game on the doubleheader network

[See Red]

FOX and CBS are each allowed to protect 5 games in a 6-week span. Neither one protected any games next week because there was zero chance Manning vs Brady was getting flexed out. CBS originally protected this KC/Denver matchup, but they were probably given something substantial to allow the move. (FOX protected Niners/Saints FWIW)

Week 13 = The Broncos/Chiefs rematch* and Bears/Vikings were protected

Week 14 = Colts/Bengals and Seahawks/Niners* were protected

Week 15 = Patriots/Dolphins and Packers/Cowboys* were protected

Week 16 = Cowboys/Redskins and Broncos/Texans* were protected

* = primary late game on the doubleheader network

When do they make this decision? Because they're probably regretting that last one right about now.

[BigEd76]

The second week of October....back when Houston was only 2-4

[ninersdd]

I think pretty early, like early October or so.

[Kramerica Industries]

This is excellent stuff, BigEd. I'm guessing this is 506sports stuff, as you have linked before? Thanks in advance.

Some of those are curious, only because I'd wager some of those late game listings are going to get switched. Patriots/Texans in Week 13, for instance, was demoted for some obvious reasons. That Week 16 game will surely get demoted (looking at ESPN, it already has), and it looks like that week's Indy/KC game is probably the best game to promote to the late slot (PIT/GB may well get demoted as well, at this rate).

Week 15, by that same token, will also strike my query going forward. Green Bay/Dallas remains in that late slot for now, but, again, who knows how that will look in a couple weeks? There's a potentially VERY appealing Seattle/NY Giants game that week as well in the early afternoon. Selfishly, I prefer it remain at 1:00, but it wouldn't shock me at all if there was a promotion in order.

EDIT: grr, reading comprehension fail again. Didn't notice the lack of asterisk on that Week 16 Texans game there.

[Harmening]

Joe Haden intercepted back to back Andy Dalton passes in the first quarter taking the second one for a TD. The Bengals scored 31 points in the second quarter.

That's all you need to know about the Bengals-Browns game today.

Cincy needs to get their offense figured out. I believe the one stat that I saw towards the end of the game said that we were 1/14 on 3rd down conversions.