Joseph asks…
Could it be that the Patriots O.L is over-rated?
THIS is for SERIOUS comments only with only intelligent comments...I want some REAL opinions by some of the guys that KNOW....I know there are some....give me some insight on this.....oh, and this is off the Patriots site...not a hater site...
They were sights Sunday night that Patriots fans haven’t seen much of this year: Tom Brady being pressured, getting hit, getting sacked even, Tom Brady throwing the ball before he was ready, Tom Brady forcing it into coverage.
In short, Gillette Stadium fans were watching No. 12 play like a regular good QB, Tom Brady circa 2001-2006 instead of the SuperBrady that had been flying high for 10 games.
So, where was the Patriots’ offensive line, the unit that ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook said would make Joey Harrington into a star? Well, they were facing a good Philadelphia front seven, something they haven’t had to do much of during their remarkable run.
New England’s line, which is excellent by any measure, and for years underrated by the media at large, had probably gotten to be a tad overrated by Sunday night’s game.
While the Patriots have played a representative NFL schedule this year – some studs, some so-sos and some bottom-feeders – they haven’t played many good defensive fronts.
In fact, they’ve played some of the worst.
Using our Defensive Hog Index rankings heading into Week 12, here’s how New England’s opponents have played up front.
Buffalo (twice): No. 32
Miami: No. 31
Cleveland: No. 29
New York Jets: No. 28
Cincinnati: No. 26 (tie)
San Diego: No. 24
Indianapolis: No. 22 (tie)
Washington: No. 19 (tie)
Dallas: No. 5.
Now, the Patriots’ output certainly helped make all of those teams look like pushovers, but there’s no getting around the fact that New England has played some terrible front sevens – only Dallas is good, while Indy and Washington would be the closest thing to respectable.
The Eagles played like a team that knew this, and their No. 10 Defensive Hogs showed no fear of the Patriots’ supposedly impenetrable offensive line.
Does any of this mean that the Patriots are vulnerable (at least a little) on the O-line? Perhaps. One thing’s for sure, future opponents Baltimore (No. 1 Defensive Hogs), Pittsburgh (No. 8 Defensive Hogs) and New York Giants (t-6th Defensive Hogs) were taking notes.
IT’S LIKE 1998 ALL OVER AGAIN
The parallels between this season and the 1998 season are striking.
Start with the fact that the main storyline for each season went something like this: good team adds Randy Moss to offense, turns into world-beater. As it was for the 15-1 Vikings.
But, like the Patriots have company in the NFL stratosphere this year, the Vikings had company in 1998. Atlanta and Denver both finished 14-2, and the Jets and Niners were both powerful 12-4 teams (both over +150 in point differential).
It was the first time there’d ever been three teams with two losses or fewer since the merger, something that could be repeated this year with some combination of Dallas, Indy, New England and Green Bay. Moss and the Vikings became the greatest non-Super Bowl team in history that year when they lost to Atlanta; he hasn’t been to the big game yet.
admin answers:
They are not overated.
I have to say that they are one of the best lines in recent years, and i can only think of 3 lines in past years that have been better than it
1. The Colts present offensive line
2. The Chiefs line from 02-05, now that was a line
3. The Packs line from 02-04, if you remeber, Green Bay had the top passing attack and 2nd or 3rd rushing attack those years. Too bad we lost Rivera and Wahle. Sigh
Anyway, that line in New England hasnt really given up much ground this year, in fact, you really cant even measure any data against the Eagles because that Jim JOhnson led defense gets sacks on everyone! Dick Lebeau is the only coordinator better than him.
Bradys sucess cant be attributed to this line, tough, it is his recievers. In the past with decent/ok recievers, his stats have been ok, but they were a run team until this year. This year, the combination of Welker, Moss, and Stallworth have lead the vicious attack, these boys, combined with Coach Belichicks insistance on destroying all competition, have lead to their offensive surge.
I will say one more thing
If you put Brett Favre or Peyton Manning behind that line with those weapons, Their numbers would dwarf those of Brady right now. THose sportscasters say "Oh yea, that was a throw that only Tom Brady could make" Well thats a bunch of bull. Brady never made those throws until this year.
FAVRE FOR MVP!!!
William asks…
As a former college football fan for Michigan and MSU I felt sorry for them each yr, more in NFL. Its long.?
When I started with college football I supported Michigan and MSU, when MSU do bad job, Michigan does very well. This yr MSU doing well and Michigan not to well. I have Wolverines hat, and keep the half pride. I like Texas teams, and I still have some love for Michigan and MSU. But u can say I'm a bandwagon fan, but its a free country in USA. However, but I like Texas and its my choice, I like Redwings from Detroit, that's the only team I support from Detroit right now, I was from Michigan for long time, and some piece of pride from city of Hamtramck, in Michigan. Hamtramck is not in Detroit.
I felt sorry for Lions fan as well, they are same as my fellow lowly, lol. Texans struggling each week trying to win a game possible, but Lions been into playoffs and won superbowl, Texans never did, blowing the leads.
Titans are 10-0 and I would love them seen go 16-0 like Patriots, many people saying they wont do like Patriots did. Who knows?
I believe Lions, or Texans might give them there 1st lose, u might say are u kidding me Texans or Lions beating them, I know, I know they are weak, but I believe so they one of them can or could beat them.
Titans have some big key games remaining, and u might say one of them might beat them but I think Texans, or Lions could beat them. I have own faith on one of them to pull way some way and some how and anyway, Titans might win, but I will see. U don't have too see it. If one of them beat Titans from Nashville ESPN will talk about them entire week, mostly Monday how they snapped the streak
Key games check it out, and
Jets, Pitts, and Indy are tough test left.
http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=TEN
http://chunky. com/ClickForCansLanding. aspx
Lot of people around USA suffering from cancer, its up to u to save them. U don't need to sign up, if ur under 18 yrs of age u can save them as well. The link in the top will help the cancer victim fight of cancer.
Voting for Pro bowl u dont need to sign up its very free voting. For all star very game u have to sign up, and its free.
08 pro bowl
http://www. nfl. com/probowl/ballot
08 all star
http://bridgestone. nhl. com/user/login
http://fr. fanballoting. nhl. com/user/register
http://www. nba. com/allstar2009/asb/eng/landing. jsp?cid=nba18
My friend said I'm not a true fan because I don't hate a team those who beat my team. I say I like the players but I hate fans, and I don't hate teams, they work hard, but who is right, me or him.
admin answers:
Me too, I felt sorry for them. I guess u do. Lol
Come to basketball section
Daniel asks…
Is Roger Goodell ruining the NFL?
Football is a manly game. Despite the equipment, it's mono e mono, men versus other men. Full contact, with one objective, stop the guy with the football. When you have a full contact sport like this, injuries are going to happen. Injuries happen in every sport, including basketball where there is only minor contact. The risk of injuries is one of the main reasons why these great athletes get paid millions of dollars.
Now the NFL wants to take out "big hits" or "dirty hits." Dirty hits I understand. There is no room for dirty players in the game anymore. This past Sunday we saw a few plays that featured "big hits" and "dirty hits." The hits by Brandon Meriweather of the New England Patriots were dirty hits, and can be seen here. Meriweather deserves to be punished and got punished. That's fine.
However, this hit by Dunta Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons, which can be seen here, was not a dirty hit. Nor was it a helmet-to-helmet it. It's just a full-speed collision that's a part of the game. Do you feel bad for a player getting hurt? Of course. However, DeSean Jackson knows the price he has to pay for going across the middle of the field, trying to catch the ball. What is the defense supposed to do? Let him catch the ball worry free?
The biggest gripe I have with all of this overreaction by the NFL is the hypocrisy of it all. The NFL says it cares about players safety, yet they want to add two more regular season games, going to an 18-game schedule. The number of injured players goes up every season, now you want to add two games. That makes no sense.
Furthermore, the hypocrisy gets even worse.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $75,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hits Sunday against the Browns. Yet, the very same NFL that fined Harrison, and is saying that they're trying to eliminate "these hits" from the game, go on and sell photos of Harrison's "dirty hits" in the same week that it happens.
The same league that had segments called "jacked up," and has sold countless videos of the biggest hits of all-time as pointed out in a very good rant by former player Mark Schlereth of ESPN. Big hits are a part of the game. The players love them, and so do the fans. Everyone that has ever decided to go on to the field and play football has known this and played the game on their own free will. The NFL is slowly getting ruined.
This is all happening on commissioner Roger Goodell's watch. I know he's not the only person, I know there's committees, but since he's been commissioner I've had gripes with him. He's been very inconsistent with his punishments, and is the main reason the league might to go to an 18-game schedule. He also wants to take "American" franchises and move them to other countries. I'm sorry but the NFL is "America's game." If you want football in Europe then give them back the Euro league.
There's also a very serious chance that there will be a strike next year.
I haven't been impressed with Goodell's rein as commissioner what so ever. Yes the league is popular, but my 13-year-old brother could be commissioner and the NFL would still have the same popularity. Goodell needs to find a way to help player's safety without ruining the actual product on field. James Harrison is now contemplating retirement, because he's not sure if he can still play effectively under these new rules.
To me, one fix should be the actual helmet. The helmet has become a weapon in itself. If they use a lighter helmet, more like the helmets used in the NHL, I think you would see almost no head-on-head hits, and therefoer even less head injuries.
Whatever happens, I really hope this beautiful game, the greatest game on the planet, doesn't get ruined by Roger Goodell, and/or the rest of the people that are ruining it as we speak.
admin answers:
2 years ago, Godell didn't even acknowledge that football was causing many former players to die earlier. Then, a former player, Dave Duerson I think, killed himself and told science to look at his brain. Football is causing players to die earlier.
Do you know what a concussion really is? It's when your brain hits part of your skull. Clearly vicious hits on players is causing injuries and severe health problems.
I love the big hits on defenseless guys in the NFL, but these men are dying early and at this point something needs to be done to prevent these guys from killing each other.
I know it's against my every instinct to oppose what Godell is doing, but he's doing this to protect his players from developing Alzheimer's and other tragic diseases.
And do you remember Kevin Everett? God knows how many lives we save from that kind of fate.
Richard asks…
do you think the steelers have an easy schedule?
i do. im saying at least 9-7
REGULAR SEASON
Sunday, Sept. 9 @ Browns 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Sept 16 vs. Bills 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Sept. 23 vs. 49ers 1 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday, Sept. 30 @ Cardinals 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 7 vs. Seahawks 1 p.m. (FOX)
Sunday, Oct. 14 Bye Week
Sunday, Oct. 21 @ Broncos 8:15 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Oct. 28 @ Bengals 1 p.m. (CBS)
Monday, Nov. 5 vs. Ravens 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Nov. 11 vs. Browns 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Nov. 18* @ Jets 1 p.m. (CBS)
Monday, Nov. 26 vs. Dolphins 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Dec. 2* vs. Bengals 8:15 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, Dec. 9* @ Patriots 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Dec. 16* vs. Jaguars 1 p.m. (CBS)
Thursday, Dec. 20 @ Rams 8:15 p.m. (KDKA/NFL Network)
Sunday, Dec. 30 @ Ravens 1 p.m. (CBS)
admin answers:
They have an above average schedule & since they play in the toughest division in the NFL, this can make things even tougher. Too bad they couldn't get the Cryboys on the slate this season, at least that would be a guarenteed win. Tony "teflon hands" Homo, the greatest player on the Seahawks team!
Seriously, they should end up 11-5 or 10-6 at the worst. The Bungals have already pretty much self-destructed (the "O" line is in tatters, no "D"). The Ravens have no offense, no QB & an aging "D" that is starting to show holes. The Brownies always play the Steelers tough, but they have some serious injuries on the "O" line.
The Pats give them fits & the Seaducks will be trying to win SBXL again, but it won't matter now either. If the Black & Gold can keep the "O" line healthy, they will be a serious contender this year.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment