NFL (Gridiron) Thread

[Falkman]

No Jets though KD

23-0 down atm

[Hyypia Legend]

Well we gave it all we had but that first half was just too much to come back from.

It's always the bridesmaid being a Jets fan but this is the closest we've been to the alter for a long time and I gotta say it hurts. I take solace in two facts, one we played a great second half and two we scored more points in a second half down by more points than Indy against the Pats when they came back in the AFC Championship game. I believe 19 points is infact a record total from a team that were so comprehensively battered in the first half.

We'll be back with a few new faces and all the better for the experience and who knows maybe one day we will make it to the promised land.

Goodluck to the Pack who are my "second team" anyway but I will be supporting even more vociferously after the shameful classless airplane celebrations by the Steelers players, once again proving the idea that their organisation is classy as a myth. Rodgers > Rapistberger.

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS

[lfc.07.au]

Ahh the Steeler defense, they'll rub your nose in it. If the Jets had won it would have been flapping time in any case

[kopdude]

Steelers will be tough as they have the experience of winning the SB.  But, if we play our game and most importantly concentrate, we will prevail.

[nobody]

Steelers D is vulnerable against the pass. It all comes down to Aaron Rodgers.

[kopdude]

Yes, to an extent it does come down to Rodgers.  But, the receivers have to catch whats thrown their way as well.  And I have seen quite a lot of catches dropped which were basically handed on a platter to our receivers.  The only one who I would trust implicitly in even double or triple coverage to catch the ball (even though he does not score as many TD's these days) is Driver.   Finley is also excellent, but he is injured.  Jennings is great, but he is prone to lapses in concentration at times.

[nobody]

Its more his scrambling ability and quick throw whilst on the run. You just know the Steelers are out to knock him out of the game. If they get to him, they win. Otherwise I think AR is way too talented not to win the game. He'll get it done. I also expect the GB defense to step up, particularly Clay Matthews.

Ben Roethlisberger is a classless act. Arrogant, womanising, prick of a man that he is. Please dont tell me that since he's finally been caught he's suddenly found God and is reformed. By all reports he was always treating everyone, especially women, like shit. It would be a travesty for someone like him to have 3 rings and AR none.

You will of course, have to battle the umpires (who traditionally seem to favour  Pittsburgh) as well KD. Expect a critical dodgy call to go against you at some stage. Fortunately GB is a bit more of a league powerhouse so it might not be as pronounced as it was against Seattle and Arizona.

[Hyypia Legend]

Nice to see the most talented young QB in the league getting the stage to shine on. Pity the second most talented isn't there.

Sanchez might be the most gifted but he reminds me of Rothelisberger, you know minus being a rapist.

[nobody]

You really do have rose coloured glasses on when it comes to Sanchez. He is very inconsistent and suffers badly from confidence issues, which makes him an average QB. The only two people who pump up his tyres is yourself and Rex Ryan, and even Rex was on the verge of dropping him 3 weeks before the playoffs. His QB rating average in his two seasons sits at a paltry 63% and 75%. The good QBs sit at around 90% (eg Roethliesberger).....an exceptional season is anything over 100%.

Furthermore Sanchez has NO excuses. He sits behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, and his entire receiving core is made up of first round draft picks (Edwards, Holmes, Keller...and even Tomlinson, who is the greatest receiving RB of all time). He's consistently molly coddled and done favours with the play calling with simple little dump off passes....and he STILL cant get a high QB rating. There's a good reason why the Press keep calling him the weakness in the offense. He seems to consistently need half time wake up calls to start playing decently. Whats going to happen when his receivers get injured and his offensive line deteriorates and he has to win games off of his own back? The greats can do it and make the receivers look better then they really are. With Sanchez its the other way round. Practically no leadership quality whatsoever. He'd want to step up and show something next year, or it will be his last at the Jets.

There are 5 elite QBs in the league (and have been for 3 seasons now). 2 play for unfashionable teams so never get the recognition they deserve (one did last year because he won a SB...but statistically he'd been elite for the last 6 seasons. The commentators just didnt suck up to him like they do with Brady and Manning all the time)

The elite QB's...who consistently outperform all else are...

Manning, of course (3 seasons with a QB rating >100% in 13 seasons)
Brady (2 in 12 seasons)
Brees (2 in 8 seasons)
Rodgers (3 in 6 seasons)
and Rivers (4 in 7 seasons, including the last 3 in a row)

Funny how Rivers is never mentioned in the same category as the rest...up until last season neither was Brees (despite out throwing Manning for the two years prior), and up until this season neither was Rodgers.

These 5 are clearly above everyone else...with Roethlisberger and Vick just behind and Matty Ryan, Matt Schaub probably the next in line with the potential to step up.

[kopdude]

Actually Rodgers has only played for a total of 3 seasons so far.  He started right after Favre left to go to the Jets.  Regarding Rivers, I must admit I was never one of his biggest fans and saw him early on in his career as an overrated QB.  But, the past 3 seasons I have gained a lot more respect for him, especially this season in how he carried on with the job excellently despite having a depleted receiving corp.  If the Chargers can just get their on-field issues sorted out (special teams for example), get the right personnell in who want to play for the team, and not get themselves into a hole everytime the season starts, they could go all the way.

[nobody]

Rodgers has been there for 6. He spent the first three years waiting for Favre to go (played 7 games in his first 3 years. Obviously only part games as back up). Hence thats why Favre was eventually pushed out of GB. Quite simply - Rodgers is better.

Similarly Rivers had to wait for 2 years for Brees to get pushed out of SD. Rivers has always been a gun because he walked in to the League with one characteristic ALL the top QBs have - leadership ability. He reminds me a lot of Dan Fouts in the way he leads from the front, is tough, wont back down, and just gets the job done.

SD's biggest problem, and always has been...is the front office, especially AJ Smith. He continuously ruffles feathers with players and coaches alike. Thats why Marty got fired after a 14-2 season. Because he disagreed with AJS. Its also the reason why Norv was hired - because he's a "yes man" puppet to AJ.

When I say always has been, I refer all the way back to the 80's when SD had the best team in the League, but there was always contract disputes. Back then it was with Jefferson and Fred Dean -  2 pro bowl players. They were forced to leave and SD missed their window of opportunity as the team was slowly dismantled. Fred Dean went to the 49ers and was integral in helping them win their first two Superbowls.

[kopdude]

Yeah, I know Rodgers has been there for 6; I was speaking more as a full-time QB for the Pack, he has only played 3 seasons so far.   I remember when he was drafted, everyone was surprised we managed to get him so low because he was supposed to go as a top 10 pick.  Favre was mainly pushed out not only because the club trusted in AR, but because they were tired (and rightly so) of playing the same old fucking games every post-season with Favre.  Good riddance as I believe AR will (if he stays healthy) break all of Favre's records.

[nobody]

AR is clearly the better QB IMO. Favre only holds records because he played for so long.

[kopdude]

Definitely a smarter QB for sure.  Thed "old gunslinger" routine was getting old.

[Hyypia Legend]

Throw all the stats round you want. Second year QB one game from the Superbowl and played through injury in a magnificent second half.

The kid has that intangible that no amount of stats will replace. You simply don't achieve what he has already at that age if you're as bad as some people make him out to be. When he has to step up, he does.