NFL - Discussion Thread

Dennis: Not worried in the slightest. Actually, I welcome competition. lol

Dennis, you led early in this competition. You probably know more than Matt that you have to make strategic moves when leading. Did I think Dallas had a shot of winning? You bet I did (ask my father). But like I told Matt earlier in the week, I didn't have the nerve to pick that kind of upset. Much like how I kept my Packers pick last week in order not to lose a game to my uncle in our family picks, I wasn't going to risk losing a game when my gut was saying Dallas had a shot. Sure, I ended up losing a game to Matt, but the smart pick, in my position, was New Orleans all the way. Matt, and yourself, have nothing to lose at this point, so why not go all out in hopes of catching up? It might be safe for me to go with most of the favorites each week, but don't we all pick the favorites like 90% of the time? lol

Matt: I knew if Dallas won, it was going to be close. However, I knew if New Orleans won, based on the points they've been racking up this year, it would be a blowout. That's why I went with a 13 point margin, just in case it was another fifty point blowout, since I knew Dennis wouldn't go much more than a touchdown margin. Just trying to think ahead based on who I did pick. lol

I'm pretty sure we've selected all of the same games for the remainder of the week, Matt, outside of my surprise upset. If so, you're either gonna be within six games of me, or you'll be remaining eight games back like the start of the week. However, I wouldn't put it past you to have a few more upsets, but ones that aren't truly considered as such since the two teams are similar. (Sort of like your 49ers pick last week on the road against the Bucs.) Should be interesting. Like I said, I want this competition to narrow. Makes it all the more fun. ;)

(Still love the Dallas Pick. ;) If I wasn't leading, I might've made it. Also doesn't help that I'm in two different tipping pools and have to focus on sixteen different competitors. XD)

« Last edited by Warrior13 on Nov 30th 2018 »

To be honest, I'm not going to tip heaps of upsets. That will only result in carnage and me falling even further behind, and finishing last. If I feel an upset is there, I will not hesitate though (the moment I caught a sniff with Dallas, I went for it).

Your strategy though, is perfect. When you have a big lead, don't go for too many upsets. Logic says you will win the competition by anywhere between 4 and 9 games.

I'm not even worried. Experience in tipping in AFL tells me that things can change VERY quickly in tipping. In 2016 I was leading by 7 at midseason and ended up being tied by the last week. In 2017 I was trailing by 7 and ended up leading by 1 before finals ( eventually lost :( ) If you choke, it shall happen. If not, then it is what it is. I'm just going to do all I can do, and hope that you stumble.

It may sound silly, and probably is, but if things went slightly differently, any of us could be leading right now. Me & Dennis will certainly learn from our mistakes this season. I certainly should've done more research and thought more about how teams would go. I did that with Seattle, and ended up being on the money. I mean, picking teams like Arizona over Washington, NY Giants over Dallas, Cincy over Pittsburgh, Oakland over Seattle, NY Giants over Washington, & Washington over Atlanta etc. Blech.

And thank you for the complement ;)

« Last edited by Matt77 on Nov 30th 2018 »

Kareem Hunt has been released from Kansas City, effective immediately. He cannot play, practice, attend games, and several other things, until the NFL finish their investigation (basically Rubean Foster 2.0). Footage emerged of him hitting and kicking a young woman in February, but when the club did their own investigation, Hunt lied about details. This is a huge blow for Kansas City, and for the NFL. He was a superstar of the league, and now he's ruined his career potentially.

What I find interesting is how recent Foster's incident and Hunt's were revealed, and how similar they are. Could Washington take a punt on Hunt as well and hope that the club can turn both players around? Washington have been known for signing controversial players over the past few years, so they should be well equipped to try rehabilitate these guys. There's no debate that Hunt is a premier RB and any team would be lucky to have him, if he can fix his mistakes.

Not to play devil's advocate here, but Hunt's violence is far less worse than what both Ray Rice or Joe Mixon did. That being said, even if both parties were drunk AND the girl was retaliating/instigating the situation, that is no excuse for Hunt's actions.

If I'm correct, I believe the current CBA states that an act like this warrants a six game suspension. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) If that's what the NFL hands down upon him - of course they will be doing so after the year, meaning he won't play the rest of this season anyway - I'm sure there will be a few teams that will be willing to give him a second chance...

The first that popped into my mind were the Jets, but only if they can't obtain Bell in free agency or a RB in the draft.

The second were the Raiders. They could use the Chiefs' star against them twice a year, plus they will be needing a RB after Lynch finally hangs it up.

The third were the Packers. Could you imagine Aaron Rodgers with Hunt? That could be just the Packers need to get back into Elite status.

Pittsburgh and New England also make sense, but I don't know if they would roll the dice on his recent character issues. Hunt/Conner would be an incredible one-two punch for the Steelers, as well as Hunt/Michel for the Pats since they are two completely different athletes.

Definitely. I think it's all been blown up because it was domestic violence, and it's been a hot topic recently. And it's not like it happened yesterday. The teams you mention should give it a go recruiting him to see if he can behave himself.

However, the NFL should be investigating themselves for theft. They recently fined Zeke Elliot $13,369 (unsportsmanlike conduct) for making a donation to the Salvation Army... I mean, f***.

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 2nd 2018 »

The NFL welcomes touchdown celebrations... as long as the players do not use props...

Apparently, $21 is considered a prop... XD

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I sincerely apologise for all those question marks, and it's not directed to you. I'm just amazed at how stupid the NFL can be. I mean, Tyreek Hill jumped up and used one of the big cameras as a TD celebration, but was fined $0. And Cordarrelle Patterson grabbed a guy's 'area' and was fined the same as Elliot. Lol.

$21 = prop. Camera = no prop. ?

Side Note: I find it oddly amusing and horrible at the same time that Elliot donated $21, and his fine ended in 69...

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 2nd 2018 »

Doesn't he wear #21? lol

Mitch Trubisky is out. Does Chase Daniel have another win in him?

Joe Flacco is out as well. Will Lamar Jackson make it three in a row?

I don?t think Washington will touch Hunt after the flak they got from signing Foster although a Hunt/Guice backfield would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

All three scenarios Warrior13 has put forward are possibities, it?s a case whether the team or n question wants the negative publicity that will go with it.

Looks like we?ve all gon for the same teams in the early games apart from Matt who has taken the Giants over Chicago. If he is correct he pulls two games in front of me but if he is wrong we?re level again. The only late game I think we may have a difference of opinion is if someone is brave enough to take the Patriots over Minnesota.

Oh dear... I?ve just realised Trubishky isn?t playing for the Bears.


« Last edited by Sanzano on Dec 2nd 2018 »

I will take your Cowboys Upset, Matt, and I will raise you a Giants Upset!!!

I picked the Giants, Dennis, not Matt. :p

Good call Warrior13 taking the Giants, I wish I had of done my homework and found out the status of Trubishky. Matt is only one in front of me with two games left which we?ve probably gone for the same team.

I might as well have an early night, all three of us have gone for the same late games.

Well done picking NY Giants Warrior!

Atlanta have given up. They just can't lose, at home, to a rookie QB who struggles to pass. Lamar Jackson isn't the typical passing QB, but he's completely changed this Baltimore offense. His career will solely depend on whether he can stay healthy.

Denver did enough to move into the wildcard race, and their next few games are a cakewalk.

LA Rams clinched the NFC West fairly comfortably.

Green Bay finally got a win, in a game they were never going to lose. Well, that was unexpected. Green Bay, at home, lose to Arizona of all teams, with a QB who posted disgusting numbers!!! HAHAHA, Green Bay are eliminated from playoff contention, and Mike McCarthy has been fired! Joe Philbin is their interim head coach...............

Houston escaped their danger game very easily, and brought Baker Mayfield back down to earth. Who knows, they could potentially earn a 1st week bye.

Jacksonville scored 6 points... AND WON?! They shutout Indy 6-0! Indy's playoff hopes have taken a huge hit now... Clearly if this Jacksonville team doesn't turn over the ball, the defense benefits. Cody Kessler ultimately did his job with 0INTs, despite mediocre stats.

Miami got a win they desperately needed, and at 6-6 they're somehow in the playoff race. Tannehill played well enough, and Xavier Howard has emerged as one of the best CBs in the league. That's 2INTs in 2 consecutive games now, bringing him to 7INTs for the season.

NY Giants have shown that next season they can contend in the NFC East. That's such a great win for them. As for Chicago, they still haven't reached 9 wins...

Tampa Bay got the win I thought they may potentially get, but I wasn't brave enough. That's 1-5 away from home for Carolina, and a career revived for Jamieis Winston. Carolina at 6-6, are so screwed (2 games against New Orleans await).

Kansas City survived a huge scare from Oakland to win 40-33. They need to be careful that they don't have a usual form slump.

Tennessee saved their season from 13-22 down, to win 26-22. With Indy losing too, it's a huge bonus.

New England did the usual.

Seattle absolutely murdered San Francisco 43-16...but Mullens passed for 414 yards, 2TDs & 1INT... Surely that stat was inflated by garbage time, right?

Whoa. Pittsburgh are playing at home, and lead 23-7 against LA Chargers. Then LAC scored two 2-point converted TDs, plus a standard TD, and now have a 30-23 lead! If they keep up this momentum, they should be able to hang on.
The Dogs managed to tie it thanks to a 4th and 1 escape earlier, but LA Chargers were clutch and lead the game-winning FG drive. They will feature in the playoffs, and Pittsburgh's 1st week bye chances have taken a big hit.
James Connor also suffered a leg injury it seems. No timeframe was given for his return.

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 3rd 2018 »

Not a good week by the three of us, we barely managed to get half the games right. Mind you there was some unlikely results. Green Bay losing at home to the Cardinals being the pick of the bunch, didn't see that one coming. Not sure what's happened to Matt Ryan, he put his worst numbers on Sunday for a long time and it wasn't even up against one of the NFL's best teams.

I'm surprised Pittsburgh lost at home, they normally find a way to win there and Kansas City's defense looks a bit shakey if they conceded 33 points to the Raiders. The Deadskins tonight, should be interesting seeing what Colt McCoy can do against the Super Bowl Champions. I'm not expecting a lot to be honest, he's got nobody blocking for him and without time he's got no chance with his below average recievers. Adrian Peterson is injured so no running back to keep the defenders honest either and on top of all that they are playing in Philadelphia. The Redskins defense may be able to keep the game close but I'm expecting a low scoring affair with the Eagles coming up on top 17-13.

Dennis, don't quit on Washington yet. With Minnesota & Carolina's failings recently, a wildcard spot is not out of the question. And remember, Washington have the tiebreaker over Carolina if it comes to that. Philly are playing just as badly, and have just as many injuries. Also there's a chance Chris Thompson will be back, so he'll be running the ball if Peterson doesn't play. There's no question tomorrow is Washington's season, but if they win they improve to 7-5 and the #6 seed.

The Atlanta o-line is horrendous at the moment. No-one's blocking for him, just like at Washington. When you're under pressure in 0.5 seconds, you're going to struggle to pass the ball. Injuries haven't helped though. If healthy, Atlanta would've beaten Cleveland, Dallas, and today Baltimore, and would've been 7-5. Baltimore are an average team yes, but when you dig deeper you'll see that they have a dreadful offense and pretty good defense. Earlier in the season Baltimore shutout the 6-6 Titans.

I was so surprised with Pittsburgh too. Usually they're the ones making comebacks and last-second FGs, but that was a god awful choke. 23-7 up at HT. Then:
Punt
Concedes 8-ptTD
Punt (concedes 8-ptTD on punt return)
Punt
Concedes 7-ptTD
Scores touchdown
Concedes field goal on 3rd attempt
LA Chargers were having a 39-yard FG attempt, but Pittsburgh were offside. Then for the 34-yard attempt, they were offside again! Then the LAC kicker made the easier 29-yard FG. All of a sudden, my 10-5-1 prediction for Pittsburgh becomes 9-6-1.

Kareem Hunt also did an interview today apologising for the things he did. I could be being naive, but it sounded to me like he was genuinely sorry for his actions. A team has to take a chance on him.


« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 3rd 2018 »

I think we are all doing pretty good this week. As Dennis said, there has been far too many upsets this week to predict.

Who would've thought the Falcons would just collapse against the Ravens? I get the Ravens Defense is pretty god this year - like always - but there is no reason they should've lost at home by sixteen.

And what about the Packers? They were favored by like fourteen points! And they lost to the worst team in Arizona! And at home! McCarty deserves to be fired.

And let's not forget the Panthers... Losing four in a row... They were 6-2... And now they are no better than the up-and-down Dolphins...

And what about Indianapolis? One of the hottest teams as of late, and they can't put up ANY points against a Jaguars team that has been losing to everyone lately, the same Jaguars team now led by Cody Kessler and didn't have Fornette for that game? What is going on?

And then the biggest meltdown of all: the Steelers. I went to bed when the Steelers were up sixteen, thinking all three of us just got an easy win. I get up to get a glass a water a couple hours later, and I see the Chargers get three attempts at a winning field goal?! Now the Steelers are fourth in the AFC Playoffs Race, being only half a game ahead of the Ravens - who looked all but done three weeks ago - in the AFC North. Plus, Steelers have to play the Patriots and Saints in back-to-back weeks coming up. Oh my gawd.

Nice analysis. However, I notice it is oddly similar to mine... Are you copying me Lonely Master? Jk

I felt the same with Pittsburgh. I was following it and saw 16-7 and thought 'gee LA are in trouble' and then it was 23-7 so I gave up and did other stuff. When I checked the scores later I was prepared for a 38-10 scoreline, but it was 23-23!

I think we can all agree that was a horrific week to do tipping in.

I watched the highlights of Buffalo @ Miami, and god Miami's D is awful. If we didn't have Xavien Howard, we would have lost by 20. No joke. Miami were outgained 415-175 yards... That Buffalo WR should've caught that ball, even if it was slightly underthrown. You can't blame Allen there; he had to spin out of trouble about 3 times. I thought Allen was going to be a certain bust, but his rushing game is arguably better than Lamar Jackson, and his 'cannon arm' was put to good use. He played well, even on this awful Bills team.

New England @ Miami next week... Anyone have the guts to go for the upset?

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 3rd 2018 »

Miami usually takes the Patriots in December, but I do not think that will happen. If the Pats lose and Texans win, the Patriots will lose the first round bye week in the playoffs by dropping to the #3 Seed.

Houston have to lose eventually. When I did my big predictions, I had NE losing to Miami, but still finishing with the #2 seed.

Yes, I'm going to do it. I'm going to be very, very stupid, and tip Miami over New England... Miami are 5-1 at home, and NE are 3-3 on the road.

That might be a good pick. If the Pats had an extra game on Texans, I might do that tip as well. The Pats have to win, the Texans just have such an easy remaining schedule.

In the 2015/16 season New England held the #1 seed leading into week 17. They traveled to face the 5-10 Dolphins, and needed a win otherwise Denver would probably overtake them. And the result? A 10-20 loss, which ultimately meant in the AFC Championship game they had to travel to Denver, where they lost 18-20.

With Xavien Howard in such good form (4INTs in last 2 games) I can see him picking off Brady. Last season when they met @ Miami, he picked off Brady twice. Brady's still playing at a high enough level, but there's no doubt he has regressed slightly.