2014 NFL Playoffs Thread

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Not for 2 years...as thats when the window open for re-negotiation.

They might lose a guy or 2 off of defense, but that core group will be together for a while yet.

Actually 1 year. 3 seasons played opens the window so that would be the end of the next season. They have one more year with him at this price, but they also have Earl Thomas and Sherman to sign this year. Both will command $8-12 million. Michael Bennett will get around the same. Luckily they can cut Sidney Rice to take care of some of that. I think they will have another shot next year but then shrewd drafting will determine their future. They definitely have it in them to stay competitive, but I think Russell Wilson is closer to Flacco than Brady. Tough to commit $100 mil to him.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by getbak

This is MetLife Stadium this morning...



So, I guess we know that someone has finally invented a weather-control machine and sold it to the NFL.

We prefer the terrm weather dominator you fool

[CaptainCrunch]

You have to give the Seattle coaching staff a lot of credit especially on the defensive side of the ball.

They knew that with Mannings ability to read defenses and make quick decisions under pressure that maybe you go to a more vanilla defense hope that your front four can generate pressure on its own which they did, and drop your linebackers and defensive backs into coverage, and limit the damage that Manning can do. As soon as the Hawks got the lead they were content with sitting back and even if Manning completeded a short pass the receiver was swarmed for limited gains.

To confuse things they switched things up quite a bit from press man coverage to some really nice zone work to hybrid.

The other big huge factor is that Seattle just owned the clock in the first half I think it was 11 minutes to 3. Manning wasn't a threat from the sideline and the really physical running game of Seattle wore down the Denver defense.

Overall for football purists it was a great game to watch Seattle execute, from a football fan perspective where you sit down and hope to see an exciting game, well I hope your chilli and nachos were good.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

but I think Russell Wilson is closer to Flacco than Brady. Tough to commit $100 mil to him.

Wilson is very good playing within the system and he's the benefactor of the system and the Seattle epic D. Cam Newton can probably lead this Seattle team to SB as well. It's good to see the game is going back to being more of a team game now.

If you can draft your QB in round 3, then the draft position means nothing to you, huge kudos to the SEA management and scouts.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

Well it depends. 49ers and Seahawks have had the benefit of having non-1st round QBs on their 1st contract. Wilson will ask for ~15 mil a year now. And I think the Seahawks will give it to him. That will cost them on defense. They met their required window to win a Super Bowl and that was while Wilson was on the first contract. Now they will have to start making tough decisions.

true, but they have also shown they can draft well............ and their biggest rival is the 49ers, who also have to step up and pay their QB a lot. Future looks bright.

[GirlySports]

Seahawks and 49ers will be wars for the next few years (like 49ers and Cowboys in the 90s). AFC is now irrelevant.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

Actually 1 year. 3 seasons played opens the window so that would be the end of the next season. They have one more year with him at this price, but they also have Earl Thomas and Sherman to sign this year. Both will command $8-12 million. Michael Bennett will get around the same. Luckily they can cut Sidney Rice to take care of some of that. I think they will have another shot next year but then shrewd drafting will determine their future. They definitely have it in them to stay competitive, but I think Russell Wilson is closer to Flacco than Brady. Tough to commit $100 mil to him.

Kaepernick is entering into the final year of the entry level contract. Once the League year ends the 49ers can begin to discuss an extension.

Wilson has 2 more years so he can't even begin to discuss an extension for another year.

So the Seahawks should have another couple years to keep who they have relatively intact. The 49ers are going to have a much tougher time - the window on the current roster is closing so they need some of the many draft picks they have to pay off.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

AFC is now irrelevant.

NFC might be better at the top end, but AFC is deeper.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Seahawks and 49ers will be wars for the next few years (like 49ers and Cowboys in the 90s). AFC is now irrelevant.

While the competition between them (and the other 2 are only getting much, much better) will make them all better, they are also going to beat the living tar out of each other.

If the 49ers had beaten the Seahawks to get to the superbowl, they would have been missing 2 pro-bowlers who got seriously injured in the NFC championship. That is going to be the big x factor - staying healthy in a brutal division where they play each other so often there will be casualties.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by troutman

NFC might be better at the top end, but AFC is deeper.

The best part about parity in the NFL is a lot of teams are really just a player away. For instance take the Texans, the worst team last year, if they draft a QB and he is above average they could make some serious noise next year. I don't think you can count anyone out.

[Regular_John]

I was cooking dinner during the 1st half of the game and only caught bits & pieces of it, but the 3rd TD of the game felt like the back breaker from what I could tell. Just such a dominant performance across the board.

I don't follow football at all so I don't have a team, but I was pulling for the Seahawks based purely on the fact that I've been to Seattle and seen where they play. So it was an enjoyable game all around for me.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Lol at the AFC having more depth than the NFC. The AFC is sorely lacking in defense, because the top 4 all reside in the NFC (Seattle, St. Francisco, Carolina, Arizona). The AFC also has easily the 3 worst teams in the NFL (Jacksonville, Oakland, Cleveland). The Rams are the 4th best team in the NFC West yet they'd probably be the 3rd or 4th best team in the entire AFC.
The NFC-AFC gap is starting to approach late 80's/early 90's levels. Once Peyton and Brady retire the gap is going to grow even more. But all the best defenses and outside Andrew Luck all the best young QBs are in the NFC. AFC has a lot of catching up to do.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Azure

He is a great QB that is past his prime.

When did he pass it? Wednesday?

In case you didn't notice...he had the best season ever for a QB.

Yeah, he's getting old, but age or 'post-apexness' had ZERO to do with what transpired yesterday.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

Actually 1 year. 3 seasons played opens the window so that would be the end of the next season. They have one more year with him at this price, but they also have Earl Thomas and Sherman to sign this year. Both will command $8-12 million. Michael Bennett will get around the same. Luckily they can cut Sidney Rice to take care of some of that. I think they will have another shot next year but then shrewd drafting will determine their future. They definitely have it in them to stay competitive, but I think Russell Wilson is closer to Flacco than Brady. Tough to commit $100 mil to him.

I don't think they re-sign bennett. Bennett was a huge acquisition for them in the offseason and completely undervalued. He had a massive year but with money tied up in other spots, I think he's the odd man out. He'll get a big payday from someone else.

That's the advantage of having Wilson, Sherman, Thomas and even Chancellor on the (relatively) cheap. You can overpay bennett and avril and give it a go.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by troutman

NFC might be better at the top end, but AFC is deeper.

Dude....this is just plain incorrect.

There is no quantifiable way to determine this of course...but when things like this come up, the one place to look for the closest answer is Las vegas.

Of the top 10 teams odd wise to win it next year...7 of from the NFC...just 3 from the AFC.

More telling than that however, is that of the longest odds on the board...6 of 7 are AFC members.


http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/odds/futures/

[troutman]

I trust the coaching and management of a lot more AFC teams. They will be fine. Some consistent franchises there that have been doing things right for a long time.

Las Vegas lines are based on popularity as well as quality. The "quantifiable" way to examine this is head-to-head records.

IIRC, the AFC started off owning the NFC this year, but the NFC came out ahead by the end of the season.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/t...vision/group/2

http://www.fieldgulls.com/2013/12/27...of-afc-but-are

The overall record of 34-30 against the AFC is still pretty close, and it's not as cut-and-dry as saying, "The NFC is just clearly better." I believe that the NFC is stronger at the top, not quite as weak at the bottom, but probably also has a couple "posers" that are about to win their divisions as a result of squeaking by bad teams. (Chicago is probably terrible.)

The NFC West absolutely dominated the AFC South [other than that the AFC was even or better]

[Spuds_Buckley]

I thought I saw a graphic during the game yesterday that the Seahawks tied for the youngest team to ever win a Super Bowl? That is a scary thought. You keep the core guys around and this team could win a lot more rings.

[trackercowe]

It's going to be interesting to see some columnists backing off their "Best QB Ever" comments in regards to Manning after losing last night. The good news for him is that really the Patriots remain their only true competition. Maybe the Colts as well, if they can make a few solid moves in the off-season (getting a real run game going would help). How good will the Chiefs be next year? Will they find ways to improve, or was this year more of a fluke occurrence? The Broncos would have all sorts of trouble in a wild card spot.

[lanny9]

Seahawks will cut Rice and Miller, saving them what, close to $18m next year? enough to get the couple free agents under contract. Willson is looking like he is ready to step in as starter at TE.

I don't think Wilson will be asking for $20m per either, he is a different breed when it comes to professional sports, he is more worried about the team than himself and as long as his agent doesn't screw things up he should come in with a long term contract allowing the Hawks to compete for years to come. This guy is going to be one of, if not the most marketable players in the league for the next 10 years imo because he is so different that any other player in the league professionally and personally.

Management will also be approached in the offseason by player agents with free agents looking to sign in Seattle, to be a part of the winning culture that coach Carroll has instilled in this team. The coming years could see some guys move on but could also bring in vets on cheaper 1-2 year contracts wanting to play for Pete. Coach is who everyone wants to play for, he is that respected by the players.

[Sylvanfan]

It's funny how the NFC West went from laughing stock of the league 3 years ago to an absolute menace today. St.Louis is set up with a lot of picks in this coming draft, and the two best teams in the Conference were the Seahawks and 49'ers....in the meantime Arizona still won 10 games. It's a nasty Division.