NFL '13 SEASON THREAD

[Still MIGHTY]

Sigh...

- Defense sucks. I've said it before, but the point remains, one of the WORST group of tacklers I've ever seen assembled. Just awful.

- Running game. Donald Brown is fine, but not a feature back. Trent Richardson does not get to carry the football ever again.

- Andrew Luck is a very good quarterback. Of all the young QBs, I'd still pick him as the guy to build around. HOWEVER, he really does tend to force it at times. Part of that is the fact that he doesn't have a lot of help (aforementioned running game, outside of T.Y., not a whole lot in the receiving corps), part of it is being in comeback mode all the time, but there are times where I wonder about him. I have no idea what he was doing on that first INT, no clue. He's very good, but still a lot to learn.

- Can't figure out how to start games. Whether it's Luck starting out with the INT or the defense not even putting on their pads, this team just doesn't know how to get ahead and put on the gas. Again, a lot to learn, but that needs to change immediately.

- Offensive play calling. 1st down - deep bomb that doesn't connect. 2nd down - subpar running back runs into pile of linemen. 3rd down - all receivers covered, pass INC/INT/Sacked. I think it's cute that Luck has his college offensive coordinator at the NFL level now, however, it's a problem. The NFL isn't the college game, the Colts aren't Stanford, and the Patriots certainly aren't Cal. You can't call plays the same way, especially if you don't have the talent difference to eventually overcome it. Pep Hamilton hasn't done a terrible job, but he could certainly be doing something better or at the very least more creative. Line everybody up and beat everyone one on one doesn't work when you aren't better man-for-man than the other team.

- And look, I'm normally not someone to complain about this, but the referees... I know statistically the penalties are even, but situationally, they're not. Of course I'm biased and what I'm seeing might be different than what a Pats fan sees and what the referees see, but I still didn't like what I saw.

Hey, at the end of it all, the better team won the game. The Pats ran the ball down the Colts throat, and the Colts did not take care of the football or capitalize on some of the chances they were given. 69 yards rushing vs 234 yards rushing. 4 turnovers vs 0 turnovers. 6-15 on 3rd down vs 11-18 on 3rd down. 0-2 in the red zone vs 5-6 in the red zone. The Patriots played better and the Colts deservedly lost.

Very good season, division title, comeback for the ages against KC, but still a lot of growth to be done by this team.

---

Go Peyton

[DS729]

I think we could see the AFC title game going through New England for the third straight year. The Broncos have worse luck as the no. 1 seed.

Don't count on it.

Your faith in your team blows my mind. I would NEVER have such faith in the Redskins, or really anybody I support for that matter.

[ADW77]

I think we could see the AFC title game going through New England for the third straight year. The Broncos have worse luck as the no. 1 seed.

Don't count on it.

Your faith in your team blows my mind. I would NEVER have such faith in the Redskins, or really anybody I support for that matter.

In all the years I've watched the Broncos and been old enough to really appreciate it (around 1992 or 1993), there are only two seasons in which I went into the season not believing they could win the Super Bowl, 2010 & 2011. However, 2007 & 2008 were iffy, and at the end of 2008 I really had more of a feeling of "Cutler and that porous defense are gonna blow it" than anything, but I still went INTO the season believing they could win it all.

In 2005 I was certain Denver was going to win the Super Bowl after the Steelers beat the Colts. I was even more confident then than I am now, regardless of it being justified or not.

This is the first season since Melo's 2nd season I've gone into a season not believing the Nuggets could win it all. Before that, it was a long time of not believing and just hoping they'd be alright at best.

As for the Avalanche, with them I've always gone into a season believing they could win it all.

I'm not going to mention my baseball teams. Let's just say I'm a fan of two teams (The Rockies aren't my favorite team) who are very good at disappointing.

[quietdealings]

I'm terrified for tomorrow.

[BlueSky]

Could that possibly have been called in the huddle? Not the obviously forward pass, but like "they're going to think you're going to step out of bounds, so lateral it to someone"? On the surface it looks like a completely bonehead play. I find it unfathomable that a pro player could possibly have so little awareness of the situation to do something like that. Especially a guy who's been around.

First, congrats to Seadragon76. As for Colston, I really don't get it and haven't read all the coverage yet so I haven't heard anyone address it. If he just steps out, they're at the 37 with a chance to throw a jump ball to the end zone. Colston is 6'4" and Graham is 6'7" or whatever so you've got a better than average chance even if your miracle tip has been used earlier on the catch by Meachem.

Colston isn't the goat, he just made the last of a long line of errors and stupid penalties. In the end, this game was a microcosm of their season: a D much better than anyone could have hoped for given last season and losing 6+ starters to injury and an offense that can't get out of its own way outside the Superdome. Yesterday's game was over after the tipped ball to Meachem. First & 10 at the 25 and they p***ed it away. Oh, and note to Sean Payton: if the screen doesn't work the first 428 times you try it against Seattle, it's probably just not going to work at all!

It's disappointing, but their Super Bowl title makes it a lot easier to take. After all, 31 of 32 teams and their fans end up disappointed every year. When I consider that I became a fan in 1969 and from then to 1987 they never won more than 8 games, I'm grateful for what is a real golden era for the Saints. It's even more special to me because in true "story of my life" fashion, I moved away from New Orleans in 1986. Without the web and other access options available today, I basically missed the Mora era and the outstanding "Dome Patrol" teams of the late '80s and early '90s.

If Carolina wins it will be tough for me to decide who to root for. If SF wins, let's go Seahawks! For whatever reason I don't care much about the AFC though it would be cool to see a Peyton-Brady rematch in the title game and I wouldn't be sad to see Peyton get another ring.

[Sport]

Teams I want to win today: Broncos and Panthers

So congratulations Chargers and 49ers fans, you're going to your conference championship games.

[fouhy12]

Nobody is giving the Panthers any respect. 4 out of the 5 guys on NFL Network picked the 49ers.

[ADW77]

Nobody is giving the Panthers any respect. 4 out of the 5 guys on NFL Network picked the 49ers.

Same with the Broncos. I mean, in a way I'm glad everyone is saying the Chargers are going to win, the Broncos are going to choke, etc. I like it much better when Denver isn't expected by everyone to win.

I really think it's going to be Denver & Carolina today.

[fouhy12]

Nobody is giving the Panthers any respect. 4 out of the 5 guys on NFL Network picked the 49ers.

Same with the Broncos. I mean, in a way I'm glad everyone is saying the Chargers are going to win, the Broncos are going to choke, etc. I like it much better when Denver isn't expected by everyone to win.

I really think it's going to be Denver & Carolina today.

Out of the 10 guys on Fox and NFL Network, only 2 took the Chargers.

I'm taking Carolina 17-13 and San Diego 31-30.

[ADW77]

Nobody is giving the Panthers any respect. 4 out of the 5 guys on NFL Network picked the 49ers.

Same with the Broncos. I mean, in a way I'm glad everyone is saying the Chargers are going to win, the Broncos are going to choke, etc. I like it much better when Denver isn't expected by everyone to win.

I really think it's going to be Denver & Carolina today.

Out of the 10 guys on Fox and NFL Network, only 2 took the Chargers.

I'm taking Carolina 17-13 and San Diego 31-30.

That's why I said 'saying they're going to win' instead of picking them.

I find it interesting how so many of them are saying how San Diego is going to win, how they did it already, how Manning is a playoff choker, and everything in between. However, when it comes down to making picks, they're picking the Broncos.

Even Strahan said he only picked the Chargers to try and catch up, and that the Broncos will win with Manning throwing four TD's.

[Kramerica Industries]

That's because narratives are an easy thing to fall back on. Peyton struggled to beat the Chargers in 2007 and 2008. Remind me again how many Chargers players are still on this team in 2013. Also, the Chargers won AT Denver, only one of three teams to do it since Peyton signed with the Broncos, so of course it seems plausible for San Diego to win there again, nevermind that these rematches still favor the home team by a wide margin.

I'm picking Denver, because Denver is a much better football team playing at home. Seems reasonable to me.

[DS729]

I think we could see the AFC title game going through New England for the third straight year. The Broncos have worse luck as the no. 1 seed.

Don't count on it.

Your faith in your team blows my mind. I would NEVER have such faith in the Redskins, or really anybody I support for that matter.

In all the years I've watched the Broncos and been old enough to really appreciate it (around 1992 or 1993), there are only two seasons in which I went into the season not believing they could win the Super Bowl, 2010 & 2011. However, 2007 & 2008 were iffy, and at the end of 2008 I really had more of a feeling of "Cutler and that porous defense are gonna blow it" than anything, but I still went INTO the season believing they could win it all.

In 2005 I was certain Denver was going to win the Super Bowl after the Steelers beat the Colts. I was even more confident then than I am now, regardless of it being justified or not.

This is the first season since Melo's 2nd season I've gone into a season not believing the Nuggets could win it all. Before that, it was a long time of not believing and just hoping they'd be alright at best.

As for the Avalanche, with them I've always gone into a season believing they could win it all.

I'm not going to mention my baseball teams. Let's just say I'm a fan of two teams (The Rockies aren't my favorite team) who are very good at disappointing.

I've never had much faith in the Redskins, except I had pretty high hopes for this year, I thought the could make it to the Super Bowl, although I thought they really were a year away, and we're in a bad spot due to their cap penalty, but my dreams have gotten crushed, I truly now believe that the Redskins cannot be a consistent contender with Dan Snyder at owner.

Meh, the Wizards have been bad/mediocre since I've been following them, I thought the could have a shot to make the playoffs this year, and with the East blowing up, they're currently in the 5th seed, so I'm really hoping they can hang on to that. Although there's no way at all we'd get past Indiana or Miami for that matter. I really think they're still a year or 2 away, but with young studs like Wall and Beal, I'm pretty confident in a solid future for them.

As for baseball, the Nats & Orioles I thought could both be playoff teams last year, as they were both coming off them. But those 2 are very good at dream-crushing.

Although I don't really watch hockey, and can't seem to get everyone on this board's obsession with it (although it's probably due to the high canadian population). I've seen the Caps do their yearly-routine-choke job thing.

[Lee Noire]

Panthers are looking really sloppy right now. They are playing like they have been disrespected but not in a good way. Instead of playing for that respect they are doing a lot of barking and shoving as if they are trying to prove they are tough. Only it makes them look undisciplined and unfocused.

Their uniforms are beautiful though. They do monochrome right.

[teddthebucfan]

Go for it, you goof.

[ninersdd]

Goalline stand!

Still we need more points.

[Lee Noire]

What a throw!!! TD Panthers!

[ninersdd]

Smith is kicking butt, especially for someone who looked iffy to play throughout the week.

[Rockstar Matt]

Damn, Cam can make some ridiculous throws.

[The_Admiral]

Oh hey so sorry to interrupt Keep Pounding Liveblog, but I just saw that the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be doing halftime with Bruno Mars. Nuts and gum: together at last!

[FiddySicks]

Dat Niners front four.