The NFL Thread

That was the first Superbowl I’ve watched in its entirety. I’m a Seahawks fan by proximity (it’s our home team, after all), but I don’t usually care much for football. My Twitter feed was more interesting than the game, but MAN. That was painful. It was like the Broncos were trying to lose.

I started watching the game about half-way through and was hoping the Broncos would be able to bring the score a bit closer. Die-hard fans on both sides might be disappointed that they didn’t, but there will probably be a lot more that are happy that a first-time Superbowl winner got pretty much a blowout.

I just hope that we’re now done with the fireworks. I really don’t want to be woke up at midnight tonight, folks.

I have a co-worker who thinks that the Broncos center (Ramirez) was paid off to botch that first snap. She said he got to the sideline, took off his helmet, and “winked at the camera.”

I predicted the safety as the first play. Since in the Super Bowl squares I had 0-0 and 7-0 as my numbers. That damn snap cost me $125.

The thing that kept standing out to me is teh number of Broncos who were getting run down from behind, or wasted time looking for 5 more yards instead of taking the 3 that were right there and then losing yardage instead. They weren’t playing the same game as the Seahawks.

I still stand by Peyton being the GOAT, and I still sigh when people say he can’t win the big game. His numbers were not all that bad on the night when he’s playing the #1 defense and the rest of the team is still asleep. He seemed off, but every time you can limit his time on the field and rattle his cage some he always gets a bit off. Find me a QB that doesn’t have a weakness.

Ramirez getting paid for the safety would be something else. The amount of money he’d have to collect to make that worthwhile would be so outrageous I’m not sure how you could get away with it… Though I could see it being a personal grudge. Don’t know enough about him to even take a WAG at it.

They should have kept Tebow though, because only God was going to help them when that game.

Agreed on all accounts. We’ve seen that Peyton can win a game even with only 15 minutes of possession (actually, 14:53), but he just couldn’t get the ball moving, and the defense wasn’t there.

I just can’t figure out WTF happened on that first snap. I mean, Ramirez started every game at Center this season, so he knows how Peyton operates at the line - the shouting, the movement, etc. And he’s not a rookie. Nerves?

Peyton & his offense looked very much like Eli & the Giants all season - right down to the “well, if it weren’t for the INTs and lack of scoring, his stats were pretty impressive.”

Something about the Broncos was off last night. I know Seattle’s defense is good, but the Broncos couldn’t get anything going and when they did, they generally decided to give the Seahawks the ball back. You can’t win that way.

The Seahawks came to play and the Broncos mailed it in for whatever reason. I haven’t seen a Super Bowl ass-whooping that epic in a long time. The Broncos now own three of the five worst Super Bowl defeats (XXII to the Redskins and XXIV to the 49ers being the others). Even my Chargers, who were completely outclassed in Super Bowl XXIX, did not lose that badly.

Yeah, it went downhill from the coin toss. Bad ju-ju or whatever, the first snap was all too telling of how the rest of the game would go. I just didn’t realize that it was going to go that badly. Probably the worst Super Bowl I’ve watched thus far.

There was a twinkle of hope in the 2nd half when it looked like Peyton’s offensive line woke up. That is, until the interception. Yeah…it was over after the 1st quarter.

What I don’t understand is, when you’re down that much, why aren’t you trying for the 4th down conversion? I mean 4th down and 1 and you still punt it?

The Broncos all were acting like they had a low level flu. And Seattle was acting like they were all on speed.

Almost like on every play the prey runs faster than the hunter saying was being played out on the football field.

God, what would happen if one of them failed his piss test because he had a depressant in his system? Could you imagine someone sneaking in and doping the Gatorade? This almost looked like that.

Statistically speaking, NFL coaches are a bunch of sissies on 4th down (links below).

The problem is, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on any play, and no coach wants to be known as the guy who made the wrong call on 4th & gave up the ball with good field position for the opposing team. People were raking Bill Belichick over the coals for a few days when he went for it on 4th & 2, and he’s widely regarded as one of if not the best football mind on the sidelines today. If people get upset about him doing the right thing (statistically), what chance (in the media) does a “lesser” coach have?

OTOH, as you point out, when you’re down by as much as the Broncos were, you just need to get something going any way you can. Giving up more points is a risk on every play (as we saw last night, with Seattle scoring almost every way possible).

It was not unlike XXIX, where the wheels just fell off for the Broncos after the first quarter & my Giants ran roughshod over them.

Except this year, the Broncos didn’t even get those 15 minutes of good football.

The Seahawks went in with a huge chip on their shoulder. They had something to prove and they played like it.

Has there ever been a Super Bowl where the same team scored on the first play (or kick) of both halves? I mean, Seattle didn’t have to do anything to score that safety, but it was points in their favor.

So, any doubt the Browns just drafted, or are going to create, another useless QB?

I assume you mean Johnny Football? I don’t follow college ball, so the only press about him that I hear is not related to football itself - which is not a good sign.

If you’re referring to his off-the-field antics, it’s quite possible you’re right. And given Cleveland’s track record, you should make that a “probably.”

Otherwise…I think it’s too early to tell. They’ve already told him in no uncertain terms that he’s the backup and he needs to act like it. Then again, it is Cleveland, so his “backup” status will likely change to “starter” before week 6 due to the #1 & #2 QBs getting hurt…

And then he’ll be the starter with no “QB controversy” until they pull him right before a big game for Vinnie Testaverde. And then trade him to the Bills for a third round draft pick where his career will really take off before ending his career in Miami running the wildcat.

I swear all three of those teams are the kiss of death to a quarterback’s career.

Is the Wildcat even a thing anymore? And is Tannehill really doomed? I thought he was doing decently.

Jim Kelly would like to have a word with you.

OK, in all seriousness re: the Bills. New ownership is coming, and soon (before camp starts in July). That new ownership could completely turn the team around. From his family’s reaction after Ralph Wilson passed away (wanting to sell ASAP), it looked to me that they were content with leaving the team on “autopilot” the past few years and were only involved because he still owned the club. I don’t know much about the current coaching staff & front office, but if the right ownership comes in who really wants the team to stay in Buffalo (cough Golisano cough), a major change could be made & we might see a resurgence.

Ok, the last 20 years, unless Jim and Dan are exceptions that prove the rule.

With all the solid quarterbacks out there, it just amazes me that teams like the Redskins, Bills, Raiders, Browns, and Dolphins just can’t even get a mediocre one for a whole season. Now, this is from an outside perspective, but an awful lot of teams seem to cycle through high draft picks trying to find the “it” quarterback when they just need “a” quarterback.

And I guess with Oakland, Buffalo, and DC, you can point to ownership. I assume Cleveland and Miami too. the problems seem too similar to not be related.

So Ray Rice beats up his girlfriend and gets suspended two games. Josh Gordon smokes weed and gets suspended for the entire season. WTF is that all about?

The NFL has a substance abuse policy (BTW, did you see what Blackmon got nicked for today?). It doesn’t have a spousal abuse policy.

[quote=“dakboy, post:39, topic:451, full:true”]
The NFL has a substance abuse policy. It doesn’t have a spousal abuse policy.
[/quote]Since when do you need a policy that says you shouldn’t knock your partner unconscious and then drag them around?
The saddest part of that is his girlfriend blaming herself.

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The government put more pressure on them to hammer drug use. Most unions have strict drug programs because of the NLRB.

The feds don’t really give a crap about abuse. Now, why hasn’t he been charged with anything? OTOH, no one charged what’s his name’s girlfriend for beating him in the elevator either.