The 2014 NFL thread

[Pies4shaw]

So, anyway, here are my predictions for final win/loss tallies for all 32 teams, based on my completely out-of-touch and quite incorrect form assessment and the respective teams' remaining schedules:

Arizona 10 wins/6 losses
Atlanta 4/12
Baltimore 12/4
Buffalo 8/8
Carolina 9/6 (and 1 tie)
Chicago 6/10
Cincinnati 11/4 (and 1 tie)
Cleveland 8/8
Dallas 13/3
Denver 14/2
Detroit 10/6
Green Bay 13/3
Houston 7/9
Indianapolis 11/5
Jacksonville 1/15
Kansas City 9/7
Miami 6/10
Minnesota 5/11
New England 13/3
New Orleans 7/9
Giants 7/9
Jets 2/14
Oakland 0/16
Philly 11/5
Pittsburgh 12/4
San Diego 8/8
San Francisco 12/4
Seattle 9/7
St Louis 3/13
Tampa Bay 1/15
Tennessee 4/12
Washington 5/11

That would see the playoffs looking like this:

NFC divisional winners - Dallas (wildcard Philly), Green Bay, Carolina and San Francisco, with the remaining wildcard out of Arizona and Detroit. For comparison, the present "official" provisional standings are Arizona, Detroit, Dallas and New Orleans, with Philly and Green Bay in the wildcard positions. So, in essence, I have Carolina and the 49ers as big movers, with New Orleans, Arizona and Detroit falling away.

AFC - New England, Baltimore or Pittsburgh (with the runner-up as a wildcard) Indianapolis and Denver, with the remaining wildcard to Cincinnati (3rd place in the AFC North, but 6th overall in the AFC). For comparison, the present "official" provisional standings are Denver, New England, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, with San Diego and Buffalo in the wildcard positions. So, I have Denver, New England and Indianapolis holding their leads in their respective divisions but a three-way fight in the AFC North between Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. I only have a half a game between them (Bengals already have that tie), so this will be a very strong division to watch, I think. I expect the two present "official" wildcards (San Diego and Buffalo) to fall away in the second half of the season.

I'll redo these in a few weeks when the playoff machine is available and a few more quarterbacks have improved (or been broken - I am already on Romo/Rodgers watch, given their injury troubles last week).

[Pies4shaw]

Week 9 is almost done (only Indy at Giants to go) and the results so far are:

From last Friday: Saints 28: Panthers 10

Yesterday:

Tom 43: Peyton 21. As expected, I think.

Browns 22: Bucs 17

Cardinals 28: Cowboys 17. Dallas looked woeful without Romo (they scored only 1 TD and that was the defence at work) and lost a game I expected them to win.

Eagles 31: Texans 21. Sanchez did a decent-enough job standing in for Foles, who hurt his collarbone.

Jets 10: Chiefs 24.

Bengals 33: Jags 23.

Chargers 0: Dolphins 37. Yes, Rivers has come back to the field with 3 Ls in a row. The stats say at all - only 178 yards of offense, to 441.

Washington 26: Vikes 29. Bridgewater did a good enough job the Vikings to hand on against the (better0looking) Washington led by RGIII.

In a big upset, Rams13: 49ers 10. How did this happen? I know that, in one sense, it happened because of a late fumble at the goal line as CK was trying to get the two yards needed to secure San Francisco the win but, really, how did it come to this? I had San Francisco winning 8 of their final 9 games but they've lost the first and, on paper at least, easiest of them.

Raiders 24: Seahawks 30. Carr is growing into his role and the Raiders were much more competitive this week than I expected.

And, with Big Ben hitting peak form (6 TDs again, to make it 12 in two matches - the first time anyone has ever done that), the Steelers pumped the Ravens 43:23. That, despite the Ravens' D being completely on top early in the game. At one stage, Ben was sacked on three consecutive plays and his offensive line looked like it was made of straw but, all credit to him, he took the shoulder thumped into his chin, shook it off and led his team to victory.

For those of you who are interested in the history, the Steelers/Ravens coverage is worth getting a hold of. The Steelers held a half-time ceremony to retire "Mean Joe" Greene's number 75. The footage just before half-time with John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris and others arm in arm, watching the game in their number 75 shirts was moving stuff. I cried - and I'm a Packers' fan. One of the greats (perhaps the greatest Steeler of all) and - unlike many sportsmen, a good man off the field, too. It was good that it happened during the Sunday night game with Cris Collinsworth (who played as a receiver for the Bengals in the 80s and grew up watching the great Steelers teams of the 70s) doing the special comments - he is a delight to listen to and just so charitable about the game's greats.

[Pies4shaw]

.. and the Colts beat the Giants 40:24. The Giants were trailing 40:10 early in the last, so they were never really in the hunt.

[Pies4shaw]

This coming Monday morning's free to air games are:

5am (AEST) San Francisco at New Orleans - a big game that could well determine these two teams' fates for the season

8.25am - Giants at Seattle

12.30pm - Chicago come to Lambeau Field for their ritual thrashing by the Packers (how's that for tempting fate?).

[OEP]

Right I feel I've calmed down enough to make a sensible post about the 49ers loss to the Rams.

Greg Roman has to go, it's as simple as that we are a run first team, our OL is built around that and it's a large reason (not the only reason) it's performing so poorly. Someone, namely Jim Harbough, needs to loudly get in his ear and tell him to put this pass first nonsense to bed and get back to our strengths.

To make my point the Rams have the 2nd worst (from memory) run defence in the league and one of the best pass rush defenses so Roman game strategy is to run the ball 16 times, I'll write that again, 16 times and pass the ball every other down including from the Rams 3 yard $£$%^%%$ line. That IS bad planning and play calling.

His play calling last season left a lot to be desired and this season it's taken another downturn and I can't see him at the 49ers next year. In fact if he has another play calling performance like that this week I don't see him being at the 49ers next week.

[Pies4shaw]

^^^That seems a fair enough assessment, OEP. That really was a game the 49ers should have won.

Meanwhile, today in Cincinatti, the Bengals have just been pumped at home by the Browns 24:3. Andy Dalton had "one of those days". He completed only 10 of 33 passing attempts for a total of 86 yards, was sacked twice and threw 3 interceptions for a passer rating of 2.0. Even the field goal came off the back of a fumbled punt return recovered by the Bengals' special teams defence at the Cleveland 32 - and the Bengals still couldn't get more than 7 yards off their seven play "drive".

Congratulations to the Browns on their best start (6-3) since 1994. I didn't see that result coming.

[OEP]

THAT'S 9er football.

BOOM BABY

[Pies4shaw]

Great effort, OEP. That right there is the difference between your team and mine - yours can stop a good quarterback when he appears to be on a roll.

For those who weren't glued to their TV (like OEP and me), the 49ers beat New Orleans 27:24 in O/T, kicking a field goal after a forced fumble by Brees. The most exciting moment, though, was probably just at the end of regulation time as Brees threw deep into the end zone for what would have been a match-winning touchdown, except for the offensive pass interference by Jimmy Graham.

In other results so far, the Chiefs just got over the Bills 17:13, Detroit won in the final moments with a great drive by Stafford, 20:16 over the Dolphins, Dallas (with Romo back under centre) did the job 31:17 against the Jags at Wembley, Baltimore beat the Titans 21:7, Atlanta beat Tampa Bay 27:17 and in a big upset the Steelers couldn't secure the ball, losing 13:20 to, of all teams, the Jets.

In the games currently underway, Denver leads Oakland 27:10 early in the second half, the Rams 14 lead Arizona 10 and the Giants lead the Seahawks 17:14. So, there's a reasonable possibility of some further good news for 49ers fans amongst the other potential results.

[Pies4shaw]

... and just as looked like Arizona and the Seahawks were each going to take the lead in their games, Palmer was intercepted by the Rams after a play from the Rams' 15 (and the interception was returned 44 yards, so the Rams had a short-field - but then they contrived to "drive" for -2 yards) and Wilson was stopped after a 2nd and 10 at the 49ers' 1 yard line and the Seahawks had to settle for a field goal, to level the game at 17:17.

[Pies4shaw]

... but now Eli has returned the favour, intercepted on a deep throw to the end zone and the Seahawks have it on their own 42.

[Pies4shaw]

And, leading 41:10, the Denvers have put Peyton (5 td passes, 2 interceptions) in mothballs for the last quarter against the Raiders. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have the go-ahead TD against the Giants but the Cards have missed a 53-yard field goal, so the Rams will have it on their own 43.

[OEP]

The NY Giants inability to protect their edge has been laughable, Wilson has continuously gashed them for big yards on the edge and all their Offensive Coordinator has done ( as far as I can see ) is laugh about it....crazy.

[Pies4shaw]

Yes - the Seahawks have killed the game off in the last half hour, now leading 38:17. Meanwhile, a defensive turnover seems to have put paid to the Rams' chances (trailing the Cards 24:14, with a little over 4 minutes to go) although Palmer is hurt and out of the game.

Denver won 41:17.

[Pies4shaw]

... And another turnover by the Rams gifts the Cardinals a 31:14 lead. The Rams' last 3 drives have ended with "interception", "interception" and "fumble".

[Pies4shaw]

And although the Cardinals ran away from the Rams at the end, you'd have to think that Carson Palmer's suspected ACL injury is likely to cast a whole new light on the NFC West, dramatically improving the 49ers' and Seahawks' chances.