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Post by mister frau blucher on Aug 31, 2011 9:07:25 GMT -5
I know Black Nigel is a Seahawks fan, and blackjack is a high school football coach. Long time ago you were a Raiders fan, if I recall right.
I have been a long suffering Lions fan. They are now emerging from the worst decade any football team could suffer through, the Millen Regime and an 0-16 season a few years ago. We have finally gotten some talent and there is an accompanying upsurge in spirit and belief. We looked primed to have a non-losing season, which is landmark for this franchise's recent campaigns. The Lions are some prognosticator's dark horse picks for the playoffs, but I will believe it when I see it.
How do you guys feel about your teams' chances?
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Post by mister frau blucher on Sept 19, 2011 13:59:09 GMT -5
So my Lions are 2-0 after crushing the Chiefs yesterday, 48-3. That is a pretty good shellacking, and indicates you are executing well, but we'll see what happens when they meet the Packers.
This weekend is a trip to the Vikings, where they have not won since '97. The Vikes are not playing well, but this is not a gimme. If they do win in the Metrodome, it will be a good indicator of what kind of team they are shaping up to be, but hardly definitive.
Hey Black Nigel, you should suit up at QB for your Seahawks!
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Post by blacknigel on Oct 2, 2011 19:46:25 GMT -5
Congrats Bret on the improbable comeback by your Lions against the Buttsmooches. The lions just keep finding ways to win.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Oct 3, 2011 11:26:09 GMT -5
Yeah, totally incredible. Back-to-back comebacks of 20+ points. We have a lot of weaknesses - ground attack is negligable at best right now (hmmm...that is a pun) and that has to be fixed if we are going to win come playoff time, but right now there is a confidence in that building they have not had in my lifetime. Remember when we would toast them getting a first down?
Seahawks - do you like where Carroll is going? It is easy to say they shouldn't have let hasselbeck go, now they are dangling Curry as trde bait, but I know you follow them more closely.
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Post by vladtaltos on Jan 9, 2012 12:30:49 GMT -5
Glad to see a football board on the site. A lot of the players in my groups over the years have been football fans, and I have a sneaking suspicion more gamers are sports fans than what's the perception.
Now, my team...I'm in Atlanta, and the Falcons are it, but unfortunately there's not a lot of good things to say about another lackluster playoff performance. 2 points? Really? 2? Against a team that gave up over 400 points during the season?
This coaching staff has done a lot of things that no other has done before them---4 winning seasons in a row, two playoff appearances in a row. Now, it's time to take the next step. Upward, I'm hoping.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Jan 10, 2012 13:44:55 GMT -5
I feel your pain, vladtaltos, particularly after my Lions beefed against the Saints.
Under Smith, the Falcons have been dominant in the regular season, but just don't seem ready to win in the postseason. After three such losses and no wins, you have to ask whether the coaching staff has problems. That is not entirely fair, as the Giants defense really came together the last few weeks, and they can be as hot as anyone in the league.
The Falcs have been upgraded at coaching and most of their positions. What do you think their postseason problem has been? Do you think it is a confidence issue?
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Post by vladtaltos on Jan 10, 2012 21:48:41 GMT -5
It can’t be blamed on one thing. Each year it’s been different things.
I didn’t like the game plan against the Giants at all. It was too conservative. They looked afraid to make mistakes and played too close to the vest. I think going into the game, the Giants were last against the run, so the Falcons pounded it with Turner. I thought it became apparent that wouldn’t work by the second drive, but the Birds stuck with it, to their detriment. When they passed, they did what they’ve done all year, dinked and dunked. Ryan had 24 completions for only 199 yards. C’mon. I can count on one hand the number of times this year they’ve thrown the ball over 40 yards downfield and have fingers left over.
The defense played well enough--only 7 points at the half--but when the offense is punting all day the D is going to get tired and start getting burned, which happened in the 4th quarter.
Last year against the Packers they were in the game until just before the half (it kinda gets forgotten in the 48-21 score). They were driving for the go ahead score with 30 seconds left or less in the half, when Ryan threw a pick six. Now down 11-13 points at the half, they came out deflated and flat in the 3rd quarter and that was it.
And lastly, before that, they faced a hot Kurt Warner and a Cardinal team out in Arizona. It was a good game, 30-24. The Cards went on to the Super Bowl. Winning on the road in the playoffs isn’t easy, a team really has to play well.
After the Giants game, of course, the fans are calling for heads. The D coordinator has already left for Auburn, and the O coordinator is interviewing to be a head coach in Jax and some other places. Such is life in the NFL ;D
But with change, hopefully they'll get more aggressive. They need more mean guys on the team. They lost Harvey Dahl (who I think is now with the Lions) He was called the dirtiest player in the game last year. The Birds need more mean, nasty players.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Jan 12, 2012 13:37:11 GMT -5
Yeah, both coordinators gone, and GM Dimitroff promising some changes on the roster, it seems. Spagnuolo would be a coup as Def. Coordinator. As far as Off. Co. hard to say but they have to take deeper passes, as you point out. Julio Jones appears to be the real deal, but they did not seem to exploit his potential. Ryan can definitely get it to him.
As far as the roster moves, I wonder what Dimitroff has in mind, and how he is going to do it. They hamstrung themselves a bit in the draft, giving up the 1 and 4 this year to move up to get Jones last year - not necessarily a bad move, as long as they can figure out how to use him the best. Not sure about their salary cap situation, or even their free agent situation. I think Gonzo's contract is up. But I think they might need more roster shuffling on the defense, where they really fell off this year compared to last.
I guess we have a few months to watch how it settles leading up to the draft!
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Post by vladtaltos on Jan 13, 2012 11:46:29 GMT -5
A few weeks ago, Gonzalez re-signed for another year. The owner, Arthur Blank, has insisted they have room in the salary cap to go after free agents and re-sign some veterans, despite what they gave up to get Julio Jones, so I guess we'll wait and see how it all pans out.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Jan 19, 2012 13:33:51 GMT -5
I saw Mike Nolan got the DC job. Congrats! That is a good pickup. He will make that defensive unit better.
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Post by vladtaltos on Jan 20, 2012 16:26:36 GMT -5
He has a good reputation. He'll have a tougher job than the new OC. We just don't have many/any big names on defense, except maybe John Abraham, who's getting older (but aren't we all?).
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Post by mister frau blucher on Feb 3, 2012 10:46:30 GMT -5
Superbowl on Sunday - who do you have?
I think both teams can do it. Eli is a better qb than he was four years ago, the Giants receivers are a bit better also, and the Patriots' secondary is the weak link on their team. I can easily see the Pats winning, but given those factors, i am thinking Giants win 27-24.
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Post by vladtaltos on Feb 3, 2012 14:42:30 GMT -5
This is a tough one, but I'd go with the team that's on a roll and has the better defense. That would be the Giants. They steamrolled my Dirty Birds and easily dispatched the Packers leading up to this game. But Patriots' fans take heart. I'm terrible at predicting Super Bowl winners.
I see the score something similar, in that 27-31 range for the winner, and a few points less for the loser.
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Post by blacknigel on Feb 3, 2012 20:44:46 GMT -5
I'm always a bit philosophical about the Super Bowl, since it means 'There can be only one' and a lot of good teams have already been eliminated. Which usually means my team.
Plus it is one of THE 4 High Holy Days of the Football calendar. 1) Draft Day, here's where everyone gets to pick "new toys." 2) Opening Day, Today is the start of the "Next Year" everyone talks about. 3) The day your Fantasy Fotoball League holds it's Draft.
I really have no idea which team will win this year. The Giants are playing the best football as a team of any that made the playoffs. While the Patriots have way too many weapons that you can't ignore.
I just hope for an entertaining game. The playoffs this year set the bar pretty high, and the last few years' Super Bowls have been good ones too.
"Happy Super Bowl to all, and to all a good night"
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Post by mister frau blucher on Feb 6, 2012 13:16:49 GMT -5
Hell of a game. For a split second I thougt Gronk was going to grab that batted ball.
Congrats to the G-men! Great victory.
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