2009 NFL Regular Season Thread

[SteveToms]

Originally Posted by KTown

It could be worse they could have been in Oakland and threw batteries at them.

Kind of sad though that you pay all that money to see a game and then you end up leaving because security doesn't start throwing people out. Throw out a few and they might stop but I guess in philly the security might get owned with snowballs and there is nothing they can do about it.

I doubt they were kicked out, but probably moved to other seats and told to keep jackets on or something

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Okay we get it, he sh*t on your corn flakes this morning, if you were a coach in the NFL your saying that you would show 0 emotion and not try to get your team fired up for games? Fact is he took a team that was expected to be a top 10 pick and turned them into a possible playoff team, if thats not good enough for you I don't know what is.

If you think that is cool for a coach who hasnt won anything to trash talk players, then fair enough.

[burn_baby_burn]

A little good news for some of us Chiefs fans. My favorite Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride, was picked as the 2nd best NFL blog. I guess you don't have to follow a good team to follow a good blog.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2009/1...ation-dominate

The Kansas City Chiefs season is going in the tank but that doesn't mean Arrowhead Pride has to as well. Sports Media Challenge recently ranked the top NFL blogs across the blogosphere using a formula that involved three criteria:
Content - "‘Content is king’ goes without saying. All of the other metrics would not matter if a blog did not consistently provide relevant posts that its audience wanted to read."
Community - "The community measurement takes into account web traffic as well as comments, quality of comments, unique commentators, and response rates along with several other factors."
Influence - "The influence is a measure of a blog's overall impact within the sports blogosphere."
Where does AP rank using this criteria?
"There's plenty of playoff contenders here to read up on," SMC writes, "but you don't have to be a playoff contender to have a great blog. Just ask our #2 ranked blog this year."
Yep, AP comes at No. 2 for the top NFL blogs across the blogosphere.

[Pagal4321]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

If you think that is cool for a coach who hasnt won anything to trash talk players, then fair enough.

Clearly you didn't hear the full story behind the whole exchange between McDaniels and some Charger players.

But way to get your facts straight before taking a big dump on the guy.

[Pastiche]

Hey Sylvan, can we get an update on the playoff picture?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

Sometimes you just pick the wrong road game to go to...

This post brought to you by the "You Should've Known Better" department of America.

[troutman]

Are the Patriots a team that could surprise in the playoffs? They have been very inconsistent. However, if a couple of plays went the other way, they would be 11-3, or 12-2. They also gave the Colts all they could handle at home. Is Brady hurt? Does Bill have some tricks up his sleeve?

I think the defence is too inexperienced to get the job done.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by troutman

Are the Patriots a team that could surprise in the playoffs? They have been very inconsistent. However, if a couple of plays went the other way, they would be 11-3, or 12-2. They also gave the Colts all they could handle at home. Is Brady hurt? Does Bill have some tricks up his sleeve?

I think the defence is too inexperienced to get the job done.

Anything can happen in the playoffs. Usually teams with a first round bye end up winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy though.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

Hey Sylvan, can we get an update on the playoff picture?

How specific do you want it to be?

Quick version

AFC

Indy
San Diego
have won their Divisions, should be the top two seeds

New England is the likely #3 seed, one more win and they're AFC East Champs

Cinci is the likely #4 seed, a win over the hapless Chiefs this week and they win the AFC North

Wild Card

Baltimore and Denver lead right now based on record, but have tough road games this weekend, but have easier games remaining to close out the season although Baltimores is on the road against Oakland and you never know whats going to happen with the Raiders. Baltimore still has a shot at the AFC North if Cincy doesn't win another game and they win out.

Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Miami, New York Jets, Tennessee, and Houston are all still alive at 7-7.

Out of this group Jacksonville would hold the most tie breaker over everyone unless they end up in a tie with just Miami. Tennessee and Houston would pretty much need to get their based on being the best record. Houston holds no tie breakers, and Tennessee would only beat out Houston if there was a tie.

It's also possible that there could be a massive mess of 8-8 teams too. If it gets to that next week than I'll look into what could happen.

I think Baltimore, and Denver will both finish with 9-7 records and everyone else will be 8-8.

[rubecube]

Is there a Sunday night game in week 17? I always thought there wasn't, but Matt Moseley of ESPN has suggested that the Eagles/Cowboys game that day could be flexed into the evening slot. Right now there are no games listed in that slot.

[Pagal4321]

The NFC has 7 teams vying for 6 playoff spots. The Saints, Vikings and Cardinals have clinched their respective divisions and the Eagles have clinched a playoff spot.

The NFC East is still up for grabs with the Eagles (10-4), the Cowboys (9-5) and the Giants (8-6) in the hunt for tops in that division.

The teams that lose out on the NFC East will be in competition for the Wild Card spots. If the Eagles are in that losing group, they take one of the Wild Card spots out of play. Theoretically, if the Eagles win the NFC East, that will leave the Packers (9-5) to battle with the Cowboys and the Giants for the two Wild Card spots.

My guess is that even with the resurgence of the Giants, the playoff picture will remain as it is today, with GB and DAL as the Wild Cards.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by troutman

Are the Patriots a team that could surprise in the playoffs? They have been very inconsistent. However, if a couple of plays went the other way, they would be 11-3, or 12-2. They also gave the Colts all they could handle at home. Is Brady hurt? Does Bill have some tricks up his sleeve?

I think the defence is too inexperienced to get the job done.

Even their offense is inconsistent. But if Brady gets going...

[SteveToms]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is there a Sunday night game in week 17? I always thought there wasn't, but Matt Moseley of ESPN has suggested that the Eagles/Cowboys game that day could be flexed into the evening slot. Right now there are no games listed in that slot.

There isn't one. Your right.

But then, there is this

Flexible Scheduling

Allows teams to play their way onto the Sunday night schedule
Last season, the NFL implemented for the first time in its history a primetime "flexible scheduling" element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17.
Flexible scheduling ensured quality matchups on Sunday night in those weeks and gave surprise teams a chance to play their way onto primetime.
The 2007 NFL schedule will again utilize flexible scheduling in Weeks 11-17. The NBC Sunday night time slot for "flex" weeks will list the game tentatively scheduled for Sunday night.
Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game will be moved to an afternoon start time. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights.
Just as the six major college football conferences have done for many years, the NFL will have the flexibility to move the start times of games on Sundays, using a 12-day notice format.
For example, a game scheduled for a Sunday could move from a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff to an 8:15 p.m. start, but the change would be made and announced no later than the prior Tuesday, 12 days prior.
The NFL has commonly moved games between 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:15 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoons, and the NFL now employs flexible scheduling to include one of its primetime packages of games - on Sunday evenings.
Sunday afternoon games, as in the past, can still be moved between 1:00 and 4:05 or 4:15 p.m. ET.
In Week 17, in order to ensure a Sunday night game with playoff implications, the decision to move the start time may be made on six days notice.
NFL Flexible Scheduling 101

• Begins Sunday of Week 11
• In effect during Weeks 11-17
• Only Sunday afternoon games are subject to being moved into the Sunday night window.
• The game that has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday night during flex weeks will be listed at 8:15 p.m. ET.
• The majority of games on Sundays will be listed at 1:00 p.m. ET during flex weeks except for games played in Pacific or Mountain Time zones which will be listed at 4:05 or 4:15 p.m. ET.
• No impact on Thursday, Saturday or Monday night games.
• The NFL will decide (after consultation with CBS, FOX, NBC) and announce as early as possible the game being played at 8:15 p.m. ET. The announcement will come no later than 12 days prior to the game. The NFL may also announce games moving to 4:05 p.m. ET and 4:15 p.m. ET.
• Week 17 start time changes could be decided on 6 days notice to ensure a game with playoff implications.
• The NBC Sunday night time slot in "flex" weeks will list the game that has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday night.
• Fans and ticket holders must be aware that NFL games in flex weeks are subject to change 12 days in advance (6 days in Week 17) and should plan accordingly.
• NFL schedules all games.
• Teams will be informed as soon as they are no longer under consideration or eligible for a move to Sunday night.

So, they could make it happen.

[Montana Moe]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is there a Sunday night game in week 17? I always thought there wasn't, but Matt Moseley of ESPN has suggested that the Eagles/Cowboys game that day could be flexed into the evening slot. Right now there are no games listed in that slot.

Per the NBC Sports website:

Week 17, Jan. 3: TBD

The schedule does not list a "Sunday Night Football" game in Week 17, but an afternoon game with playoff implications will be moved to that time slot to conclude the season.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/302170..._snf_2009_sked

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

Per the NBC Sports website:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/302170..._snf_2009_sked

You'd have to think that would be the game they'd put in there. The only other games with huge playoff implications that weekend are Green Bay @ Arizona, New York @ Minnesota, and Pittsburgh @ Miami.

[Jesse834]

The Steelers have signed Joey Galloway.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09356/1022801-100.stm

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by rubecube

You'd have to think that would be the game they'd put in there. The only other games with huge playoff implications that weekend are Green Bay @ Arizona, New York @ Minnesota, and Pittsburgh @ Miami.

Fox might have the right to protect that game, I think they have the rights to one divisional match up and I can't remember if the Cowboys-Eagles other game was on SNF or MNF.

[Montana Moe]

I don't think FOX/CBS can protect games in week 17.

Per Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_television

Fox and CBS may each protect five games for the 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. slot. However, they may not protect more than one game per week, and can not protect any games in week 17.

This (from the same wiki article) is not correct according to the NBC statement posted earlier:

All games in the final week of the season are subject to being moved to 8:15 p.m.

So the wiki article may not be very accurate. I'll try to find a more reliable source.

I'm 95% sure the Eagles/Cowboys game will be on Sunday night.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by habernac

Even their offense is inconsistent. But if Brady gets going...

Exactly. Any team with Tom Brady has a shot.

[moon]

Originally Posted by troutman

Are the Patriots a team that could surprise in the playoffs? They have been very inconsistent. However, if a couple of plays went the other way, they would be 11-3, or 12-2. They also gave the Colts all they could handle at home. Is Brady hurt? Does Bill have some tricks up his sleeve?

I think the defence is too inexperienced to get the job done.

I think they are a bit scary in a one game scenario but they have way too many holes on both sides of the ball to be a real threat to win 4 in a row.

They were lucky to beat Buffalo and could have easily lost the Baltimore game to put them at 7-7.