Here Today... Gone To Hell!

We're past due for a new NFL thread.

Draft tonight! looking forward to it. Love that they do the 1st round prime time thursday night.

Eagles have the 4th pick. i hope they find a way to trade down and pick up an extra pick or 2.

interesting to see where Geno Smith goes. i don't think he will be a good QB, and in most years he would be a 2nd - 4th round selection, but this is an extremely weak-looking draft class, so he could easily end up being drafted within the first 4 picks. but it could get ugly if he's not, cause he could slide way down if he doesn't go early.   

I hear ya on Smith.  4th round may be a bit severe though.  Maybe 2nd or 3rd round other years?
I'm thinking he goes early 1st round even if he slips out of the top 10...but I just think teams are SOOO desperate for quarterbacks, someone will bite.
EJ Manuel, Barkley, and Nassib will all be drafted before the end of the 2nd round. (I think?)

I just hope my Vikes don't trade up.  I'd be cool with a trade down though.  I'm so psyched.   :beer:

WOW!  How the hell did the Vikings get Sharif Floyd, an awesome DB, and Patterson?  I normally don't like unloading a lot of picks, but I think we got the better of Bill B. up in N'England!  :)

I'll be keeping a close eye on Patterson, to gauge how good/bad that trade turns out to be.  Not to mention what the Pats do with the 3 picks they acquired and all the other players that are picked before they make their first selection.  Pretty hard to say who makes out better on draft day deals.  I do like the fact that New England was able to come away with 8 picks including 2 seconds, 2 thirds, and a fourth when they started the day with only 5 overall picks.  So that's a good thing.  However, if Patterson ends up being a stud and they don't hit with some of their picks, that completely changes things.

Very aggressive moves by the Vikes though.  Have to like the prospects of coming away with 3 first rounders.  For your sake, hopefully they prove the "experts" wrong who were calling this among the weakest drafts in a long time.  If that ends up being the case, 3 first rounders may not look as attractive.

What can you guys tell me about the Jets first round picks? I see they immediately moved to replace Revis with a CB and also picked up another defensive player.

Vikings had a great 1st round. surprised Floyd dropped that far. and i like taking the best available players - their D is gonna be improved. they needed a WR really bad, but i'm not sure patterson is the answer. i didn't like that move. they gave up ALOT for someone that is a bit of a project - shocked they gave up a 2, a 3, AND a 4 (not to mention a 7). and they gave one of the best drafting teams (Billy B and the Pats) the extra picks they were dying to acquire. but if he turns out to be a legitimate starting WR, it will have been worth it.

As for Geno Smith, he'll be a 2nd round pick in a very weak draft with no great QB prospects. last year, i believe he would have been a 4th rounder - i think Cousins may have projected better than Smith and he went in the 4th. in 2011 and most years, Smith would have been a 2nd or 3rd rounder.

i like the Eagles pick alot. i'm glad the Dolphins took Jordan, which i think was a huge mistake for them. Gruden didn't like the pick so you know it has to be risky - first time ever as a commentator that Gruden didn't love something.   

Milliner was the top DB in the draft. awesome pick. i think he coud turn out to be one of the best in the draft. although he's gonna have alot of pressure on him in NY and will always be compared to Revis, as unfair as that is.

i'm not familiar with Richardson. there were other DL on the board that had slipped that they could have grabbed there. this is a risky pick.

The Millner pick sounds very interesting then. I'm hearing today the Jets are looking to move up from 39 to get a quarterback.

Ok so the Jets have taken Geno Smith with pick 39. Someone please tell me he has more potential then Sanchez or Tebow.

He was nasty at West Virginia, but who knows if that will translate to the pro game.  Tebow was pretty darn good at Florida remember and Sanchez wasn't too bad at USC either. 

A lot of people had Smith rated as the best overall player in the draft, or at least one of the top prospects.  And rookie QB's have done better in recent years, so it's entirely possible he could be a GREAT pick.  Could be the steal of the draft.  Of course, he could also turn out to be a complete bust.  You just never know.  However, the Jets were supposedly considering taking him in the 1st, so it's a great value pick in the 2nd at the very least.  Only time will tell.  The DT they took was puzzling to many.  He's a good player, but it didn't seem to be a position of need for the Jets.  They have about as many holes on offense as you could imagine.  But whatever, you can never have enough good defensive players I guess.  They need to do something on offense though. 

Haven't had time to fully digest the draft.  I'm a bit underwhelmed with the Patriots picks, but who knows.  Hopefully the WR's they picked up pan out.  They addressed their needs, which is good.  We'll see if the players they drafted effectively fit those needs.   

What about the RB they traded for? I hear he's good but injury prone. I believe they took one or two offensive line players too.

Chris Ivory, from the Saints.  He was pretty productive when he played.  Didn't really get much of a chance though.  I know he was injured a bit, but it also seemed as if the Saints didn't completely trust him for whatever reason.  Could be a case of a change of scenery bringing out the best in a player.  Or, the Saints were onto something.  They did draft 3 OL in the middle to late rounds.  Not too familiar with any of them, but I'm assuming they needed help on the line and they should provide depth at the very least.

Jets released Tebow today, in a completely unshocking move.  A worse experiment I cannot think of and it seemed that everyone knew it from the start except for the Jets.  It was clear once the Jets drafted Geno Smith, something had to be done.  Smith in an interesting prospect, but I'm not sure the Jets are the best option for him due to the lack of options on offense.  He really has nothing to work with there.  Might as well let him develop behind Sanchez until they turn things around a bit.

I saw the Tebow release coming a mile away. I think there's a good chance Sanchez could be next. The reason i think that is if they do it by June 1st the cap hit isn't as terrible as if they do it after. You're right though Smith doesn't have much to work with on offense which could hurt his development or at least make him look worse then he is until they can get some better offensive options for him.

It appears the Pats could be without Gronk for awhile. He needs another surgery on his forearm and now might need back surgery for a bulging disc.

I'm sorry but I've gotta say it...what a fucking moron.  Wasn't this the same guy who was out partying, drinking, and body-slamming friends around whilst recuperating?
So talented, yet so stupid.
Oh well.  Hopefully Aaron Hernandez takes care of himself.

While his off field antics can't necessarily be linked to either of these injuries, I can certainly see that line of thinking.  But honestly, there's no way you can say he's having back surgery or a 4th surgery due to an infection in his forearm because he playfully suplexed some guy at a party. 

Regardless, some reports are saying that the back surgery shouldn't set him back any further and he should still be ready for training camp.  However, if he has back surgery he may not be able to work out at a level that would put him in game shape to start the season.  Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing him sit the first few weeks.  Even put him on the PUP list.  The guy has had his share of injuries ON THE FIELD the last few years.  If he can only play 10 games a year, I'd rather have them be the last 10, than the first 10.

Oh, and Aaron Hernandez is banged up too, despite him "taking care of himself" better than Gronk.  He too, hasn't been able to stay on the field during his career.  And Julian Edelman is hurt as well.  So I'm sure Tom Brady is thrilled that the only 3 familiar faces in his receiving corps will all be rehabbing in some way as the season nears.

Could be a bumpy start to the season for the Pats.

The fact remains that Rob Gronkowski has dealt with injuries for years.  That's why he slipped in the draft and the Patriots were able to trade up in the 2nd round to take him.  He missed his entire junior year due to back surgery.  They say the disc in his back that's giving him problems now is unrelated to his previous back issues, but the injuries are mounting.  He's a big guy who doesn't shy away from contact on the field.  His aggressive style of play is conducive to the possibility of getting injured.  It's hard for a guy to change the way he plays in such a drastic sense.  But I think that is the reason for him missing so many games over the last 2 years.  Not his off field activities.  That's a convenient excuse, to point to, but it really doesn't hold any water.  He's a young guy, likes to have fun, loves to play football with reckless abandonment.  But as good as he and Aaron Hernandez are, they get hurt.  It happens.

The Giants and Victor Cruz still haven't reached a deal.

I hear ya.  It's just frustrating to watch guys do dumb things.  I am biased because I've never been a "club" guy. 
If I was an NFL talent I'd sure as hell be nowhere near a club.
I'd have nutritionally perfected meals.  I'd have structured workouts designed by experts to ensure I am decreasing my risk of injury (which this guy has had throughout his collegiate and NFL career).
Has he been doing everything in his power to toe the line with responsible activities?  the best nutrition??  Both are heavy influences on predisposition to injury.  Then again, he could be doing all the right things but just have a genetic predisposition to "Chris Chandler Syndrome." (a.k.a. Crystal Chandelier)  :)
I don't know the answer, but something tells me he's not living like Tony Gonzales.  Gronk will be lucky to play half the years Gonzo's played. 

Gronk certainly doesn't live a saintly life.  He loves to party and have a good time.  That's part of what makes him such a fan favorite.  It's hard for someone to change who they are at the drop of a hat.  Maybe he will tone it down later in his career.  Maybe it'll be too late by then.  Maybe he wouldn't be the same player if he didn't have that carefree attitude.  It's tough to say.  I guess if given the choice, I'd take a boring guy who just goes about his business and produces on the field.  But Gronk is SUCH a unique character, he gets a pass more than most others.

Rob Gronkowski is set to return to the operating table, but it doesn't involve his troublesome forearm.

NFL.com's Albert Breer reported Wednesday that the New England Patriots tight end will need back surgery, according to a source briefed on his status. Surgery tentatively is set for mid-June and will be performed by Dr. Robert Watkins, according to Breer.

It's expected that Gronkowski will miss at least part of Patriots training camp.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000207740/article/gronk-to-have-back-surgery-likely-to-miss-part-of-camp (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000207740/article/gronk-to-have-back-surgery-likely-to-miss-part-of-camp)

You beat me to it. I was just coming here to mention that.

The story of Rob Gronkowski is getting more and more frustrating. >:(

Not looking like the Pats can count on him for much this season.

That remains to be seen.  This surgery isn't considered major, and there's a possibility that he'll miss the beginning of camp.  Of course I tend to think there's a real possibility that he'll miss the first few weeks of the season at the very least.  But it's too early to say.  At least from the timetable I read today it sounds like he has to wait for the forearm to heal a bit to make sure there's no infection before he has the back surgery.  Then it's 12 weeks of rehab and you'd imagine it'd take him a bit to get into game shape.  So missing the first month of the season would seem to be on the optimistic side.

Good thing the Pats signed Jake Ballard away from the Giants last year and stashed him on IR.  Everyone was killing them for doing so, saying it was dirty because they had no need for more TE's.  Well, IF he is healthy enough to make the team, that could end up being a great move on their part.  So far, he looks pretty good in OTA's from what I've heard.

Good low risk move by the Pats if Gronk is unable to play for an extended period of time.

Ben Roethlisberger has undergone minor knee surgery.

Well this is an interesting development. The Pats have signed Tim Tebow.

Wow, totally unexpected, but somewhat makes sense, given that Josh McDaniels drafted him and still thinks highly of him.  Doesn't appear to be a tight-end/H-back/special teams thing either --- they just cut Mike Kafka, a QB, to make room for him on the roster.

I'm looking forward to Faldor's take on this!
Personally, I think it's a no-lose deal for the Pats:

Positives: 
strong locker room presence
sells a ton of jerseys
extra gadget player (fullback/halfback/tight end/special teams?/goal line)

Negatives:
I can't really think of any.
Mallett will be starting if Brady blows out an ACL. 

Best possible fit for Tebow in my opinion.
 :peace:

I'm very interested on his take on this. I tweeted about it to him but haven't heard back yet.

I was surprised at the timing of the move, that's about all.  I fully expected them to take a chance on Tebow sometime in the future.  I just didn't expect it to be this soon.  But I guess the timing was right in the end.  Tebow was without a team, his stock was pretty much at an all time low and he was unwanted by other teams.  They eventually will need to find a replacement for Brady, unfortunately.  Mallett has 2 years left on his contract, so they'll have to make a decision on him soon. 

Where Tebow fits into the equation is anyone's best guess.  Do they view him as a QB and a possible replacement?  If so, they could try to develop him the next 2 seasons (signed him to a 2 year deal).  If it doesn't work out by or before then, they could just cut him.  If they decide he's not a legit QB prospect along the way, they could try to implement him in other ways.  Maybe they already have a plan for him.  That all remains to be seen.  In all honesty, I'm not sure he's a guarantee to make the team.  They didn't carry a 3rd QB last season.  But his versatility would seem to play in his favor, if they feel comfortable using him in other areas.  So, I do think he will make the team when all is said and done.

So I don't have a problem with the signing.  I was actually surprised at how much some of my friends, and assorted Boston area fans and media types, HATED the deal.  While I see difficulty in how this move helps the Patriots.  I think it has far more of a chance to help than it does to hurt them.  I don't really see the negative in it.  If it doesn't work out, they just cut him loose.  Belichick already gave the media a glimpse of things to come today at his press conference.  He will have NONE of the circus that surrounds Tim Tebow.  He won't allow it to become a distraction.  And again, if it does, he'll do what's necessary.  Bottom line though, Bill is a big fan of Tebow's.  And so is Josh McDaniels.  So essentially, this is it for Tim Tebow.  If he can't succeed, or at least show signs of improvement in New England, I think it's over for his NFL career.

Ex Giant Bradshaw has signed with the Colts.

That's funny...if a real "colt" (horse) had a foot as bad as his, it would be shot.
I hope he can get healthy.  He's a solid back when healthy.

Lots of news for Patriots TE's today. Gronkowski had successful back surgery. Oh, and Aaron Hernandez is being questioned about a murder that occurred nearby his home. That's never a good thing.

Yeah i saw that. Do they think there's any possibility he was involved?

It's not known at this point but it's not looking good.  A story came out today that a guy is filing a lawsuit against Hernandez because he claims he "shot him in the face" back in February.  So all in all, a few really bad days/weeks/months for Aaron.  Maybe there's a good reason he slid so far down in the draft, other than the fact that he smoked pot.

Needless to say, I'd much rather have my All Pro TE dancing like a fool at clubs and taking pictures with porn stars than getting involved in situations like these.  Puts Gronk being Gronk into perspective.  Nothing he did was really that bad.

Yep that's not looking good.

Things seem to be going bad to worse for Hernandez. New evidence came out that he destroyed his cellphone, Destroyed video surveillance of his home and had a cleaning crew come in earlier this week. Very very suspicious imo.

Crazy scene today with the helicopters following him from his home to Gillette Stadium, than him stopping for gas and getting hounded by the media. 

I don't see how this gets any better for Aaron.  Even if he didn't do the crime, it appears he's been involved in covering it up or at the very least some suspect and shady stuff over the last year plus.

Even if he did just cover it up that's aiding and abetting and big trouble.

Now there is video of Hernandez and two other guys with the victim just hours before he was shot and killed. At this point how can you not think he's involved in some way.

Latest report is Hernandez will be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, at the very least. Goodbye Aaron! Way to put the team first after signing that mega deal.

Yep, it appears he's in big trouble and is involved in at the very least a cover up.

Hernandez arrested this morning:  http://deadspin.com/aaron-hernandez-has-been-arrested-584162765

Includes video... looks like they cuffed him before he had a chance to put his shirt on.   ???

And he has been charged with murder and ditched by the Pats. Goodbye Hernandez.

...and here I was posting away weeks ago that Gronk was the dumbest Patriot...proved me wrong!

This is terribly sad on a human level...but from a football perspective, wtf is N'England going to do?  Fuck, they go from having 2 all-pro tight ends and Welker, to who? at tight end and Amendola.  Yikes.

Perhaps some bombshell will be dropped that could change my mind, but from what I've read, fuck Hernandez.  What a dumb fuck.

Its definitely not looking good at all right now. He's clearly involved in this. There's no way they'd charge him with murder if they didn't have a good case.

Buuuut, OJ was charged with murder, and the real murderer or murderers are still free!
 ;D

All things are pointing to Hernandez being a stupid fucking moron.

True lol. The evidence looks awful damning though.

on the field, it's a little worrisome on the offensive side of the ball. I think they could still be alright with Gronk, Amendola, Edelman, a few capable TE's, and a solid stable of RB's. But Gronk's health is obviously a concern. Same could be said for Edelman (if he makes the team) and Amendola, who has great potential. Remember, Wes Welker wasn't an all Pro until he hooked up with Brady. There's nothing saying Amendola can't reach that same level, or somewhere in the vicinity.

Regardless, as I've said the last 6 years now, they'll only go as far as their defense allows them to. They need to continue to improve on that side of the ball, especially now. They've had the best offense in football over that time but their defense has been average at best and their offense has gotten shut down in the playoffs by great defenses. I've always been a proponent of them running the ball more, so hopefully they'll be more balanced this year if not out of necessity.

Off the field it seems that Hernandez had been a punk all along. He's now been tied to other crimes and even another murder. They seem to be working on proving he was the lone shooter in this case. I honestly feel dirty for cheering for such a lowlife the last 3 years. So much talent wasted. I wish nothing but the worst for him from here on out. I hate to prejudge and I know innocent until proven guilty, but all signs point to him being guilty. 2 of the guys I go to games with donned his jersey every home game. Interestingly enough, Patriots Pro Shop is offering a free exchange for all Hernandez jersey's and of course they've all been pulled from the shelves. I wonder how many people I'll see wearing his jersey at Gillette next year? Hopefully zero. He's better off forgotten.

A complete piece of garbage he appears to be. I applaud the Pats for getting rid of him as quickly as they did. I understand the innocent until proven guilty but so much points to guilt here to ignore.

Agreed 100%...but I will say it was always interesting to see Hernandez play.  He was what I like to call a "long strider."  He had a cool running style, fairly upright with long strides.  Deceptively fast for his size.
So, if gronk's not back, it's Ballard, Fells, and Hoomaniwani...perhaps they could get in touch with Algee Crumpler!  :)  He seemed to know what he was doing, just looked old and out of shape last time I saw him playing. (j/k about Algee, he's probably 300 pounds by now  :hihi:)

btw, question for the Pats' fans.  How do you replace Woodhead?  Can Vereen fill his shoes?  I don't think Tebow is an answer...and having him on the sidelines doesn't help matters one bit.  If the Pats don't convert big 3rd downs and get a few losses quickly, fans will clamor for Timmy T.  Sounds like a headache to me.

At least the Jets are still a joke...and while the Dolphins are due to improve this year, the Bills aren't ready to challenge yet.  Looks like the Pats could still make the playoffs with a 9-7 record.  It could be the weakest division in football.

I still think their TE's are good enough compared to most other teams even without Gronk and Hernandez, and I'm hoping Gronk won't miss TOO much time.  Of course their WR corps. is a bit weaker than the average team.  I don't know what the deal with Brandon Lloyd is.  I mean, he wasn't great last year but he put up more than respectable numbers and no team seems to want him.  A lot of teams have tried, so I guess he's worn his welcome in quite a few places.  But I think it says a lot that the Pats are so desperate for help at WR and they seemingly have no interest in bringing Lloyd back.

Fans will clamor for Tebow in what capacity?  To be inserted in the lineup as a gadget player perhaps, but no way any respectable Patriots fan would even think about wanting him to take reps at QB away from Brady.  The division is pretty weak.  Miami seems to be going in the right direction, but I don't know if they're ready to take the reigns away from the Pats, even in the state they're in.  But while I was expecting a 11 or 12 win season for the Pats just a few wees ago, I no think 9 or 10 is much more likely.  It's tough because they were gearing their entire offense to be centered around the 2 TE's.  Now one is hurt and may not be ready for the start of the season and the other will probably never play football again, and better yet may spend the rest of his life in jail.  At least they have a little time to adjust, but it's doubtful they'll be able to swing any kind of deals to bring in any impact players at this point.  They have to deal with what they've got. 

Unfortunately, Aaron Dobson hasn't looked all that impressive so far in practice.  They've had trouble drafting WR's in the past, and he is a prime candidate to continue that trend.  Josh Boyce has yet to practice because of injury, so he's obviously behind schedule as it is.  If they had to field a team tomorrow, Michael Jenkins would be their #2 WR.  A scary proposition.  But remember.  Tom Brady took the Pats to the AFC Championship game and a 21-6 halftime lead at Indy before they ran out of steam with a less than stellar arsenal of weapons led by Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gafney, Ben Watson, and Daniel Graham.  Not exactly murderer's row right there.  I'd say there's more talent available to him now than that team, but far less than he's had the last 6 years.  So we'll see what he can do. 

As for replacing Woodhead, the hope is that Shane Vereen can seamlessly fill in.  I think he CAN.  Woodhead became less effective each year it seemed.  I hated when they used to run the ball with him in key situations last year.  It didn't work too often.  I thought they leaned on him a little too much at times.  Not to diminish what he did for the Pats, because he was important.  But I'm not too worried about filling his shoes.  Among the group of Vereen, Leon Washington, Brandon Bolden, and Blount  :rant: (another great character guy), they should be fine at RB behind Ridley.

What a letdown Aron Hernandez is.  God given football skills, and he needs to associate himself with thugs.  His leads to a football career down the tubes and murder.  I hope he repents for what he has done. 

Well...whether it's repenting or not, he'll soon be on his kn-kn-kn-kn-knees in prison.

Santonio Holmes is unsure if he'll play this year:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000221476/article/santonio-holmes-of-ny-jets-unsure-if-hell-play-in-2013 (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000221476/article/santonio-holmes-of-ny-jets-unsure-if-hell-play-in-2013)

Poor Jets...Santonio easily could have helped them win a 6th game.  Oh well, 5-11 it is.  ;)

Well, we've already lived through the "Suck for Luck" era.
Who is going to win the "Suck for Clowney" sweepstakes?
So hard to tell right now...Jets, Cards, Bills, Raiders, Jags?  Vegas has the Jags and Raiders as least likely to win the Super Bowl, both 200 to 1 odds.
Bills and Titans are 150 to 1, but the Jets are only 100 to 1.  I don't understand that.  Can someone explain that to me? 
The Jets look completely terrible at the skill positions.  Are the Jets really better than the Titans?

The Steelers are hurtin' at WR once again now that Plaxico has torn his rotator cuff and is likely done for the year.

Hope that Tom Brady's sprained knee isn't too much of a concern for the upcoming season.

Less than 3 weeks to go, so I'd say it's predication time ;)

AFC
Patriots
Steelers
Colts
Broncos

Texans (wildcard)
Ravens (wildcard)

NFC
Giants
Packers
Falcons
49ers

Redskins (wildcard)
Saints (wildcard)

AFC Championship: Steelers def. Patriots
NFC Campionship: Giants def. Packers

Superbowl: Steelers def. Giants

AFC:
Pats
Bengals
Texans
Broncos

wildcard: 
Colts
Ravens

NFC:
Cowboys
Vikings
Falcons
49ers

wildcard:
Seahawks
Packers

AFC Champ. Game:  Texans def. Bengals
NFC Champ. Game:  Vikings def. 49ers

SB:  Vikings def. Texans

 8)  :beer:

Von Miller might be suspended 6 games now and Gronkowski grows increasingly doubtful for Week 1.

They have found a gun apparently used by Hernandez in a 2012 double homicide. What a disgrace. He's gone from rising NFL star to serial killer piece of dog shit.

NFL.com isn't even running this story. I guess they're adamant about completely severing any connection to Hernandez.

As they should. This guy is a total disgusting human being. Not to mention probably the dumbest serial killer that's ever lived. You kill two people and give it to a teenager to hide in her car?

Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez was indicted Thursday in Massachusetts on first-degree murder and weapons charges in the death of a friend whose bullet-riddled body was found in an industrial park about a mile from the ex-player's home.

The six-count grand jury indictment charges Hernandez with killing 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend.

http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/aaron-hernandez-indicted-on-1st-degree-murder-charge (http://sports.ca.msn.com/top-stories/aaron-hernandez-indicted-on-1st-degree-murder-charge)

It appears the Mark Sanchez era in New York is over and the Geno Smith era is about to begin. Realistically i know its still gonna be rough for awhile since he's a rookie but i can't picture him being any worse then Sanchez.

2-14 should land the Jets Clowney.
They'll have some competition from the woe-kland raiders though for that #1 draft pick.
I haven't looked at the Jets' assistant coaches, but it doesn't matter.  One of them will be the interim head coach at some point this season.  Who will it be?

Your guess is as good as mine lol.

I think Rex actually lasts the full season before being fired.

I'll throw in my predictions for the year. I'm pretty bad at it but wth.

Divisional Winners and Wild Card teams

AFC

Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Texans win division.

Steelers, Chiefs are wildcard teams.

NFC

Giants, Packers, Falcons, 49ers win division.

Saints and Cowboys are wildcard teams.

Wildcard week.

AFC

Patriots over Chiefs.

Steelers over Texans.

NFC

Cowboys over Giants.

49ers over Saints.

Divisional week

AFC

Broncos over steelers.

Patriots over Bengals.

NFC

Falcons over Cowboys.

Packers over 49ers.

Championship Week

Patriots beat Broncos.

Falcons beat Packers.

Superbowl

Patriots beat Falcons.


For second year in a row I pick Pats over falcons in the Superbowl. The Patriot fan inside me wants this, the nfl fan thinks it could be reaching picking either team in the superbowl but oh well.  : ok:

I'd like to see the Falcons finally prove they can win the really big games.

Football starts tonight and I am super excited.  : ok: : ok: : ok:

I'm picking the Broncos to not allow Flacco to complete 3 hail mary's tonight. Therefore, Broncos win.

Quite the wild week with Manning's 7 TD performance, a shoot-out between Brees and Ryan, the Bills nearly besting the Patriots, Geno coming through for the Jets, the Lions shutting down AP, and the Giants turning the ball over 6 times and blowing a winnable game against the Cowboys.

Plus there's still Redskins and Eagles yet to come ;)

Don't forget about the Steelers losing Pouncey for the season.

Looks like we can close the book on Sanchez at least this season. He needs season ending surgery to repair a torn labrum.

I think you misspelled "labia."
 ;)

It's only Week 4 and these picks are already hilarious.  :rofl:

 :hihi:

Broncos vs. Patriots next month should be a good one ;)

Espceically if Rob Gronkowski is back at full potential. He and Brady will be a force against Peyton's powerful arsenal. :)

Josh Freeman situation has certainly become something of a soap opera.

It's now being reported that the Bucs just cut him.

Huge game for my Steelers this weekend 8)

Didn't see this posted and thought it needed to be here.

Can the Packers make the playoffs now that Aaron Rodgers is out for awhile?


Coop

Maybe if they sign Matt Flynn or bring back The Gunslinger ;)

Roethlisberger apparently wants out of Pittsburgh.

I predicted to the Matt Flynn trade awhile ago...it just made way too much sense. I'm not sure the Pack can made the playoffs this year. I heard Rodgers was supposed to be out 4-6 weeks ad now he's saying he's shooting for Thanksgiving wtf

My Niners are looking a little rough, but we are getting back a bunch of good players at the right time of the year. Should be interesting


Coop

a quick review of the trade to this point. I think both teams did pretty well, but selfishly I'd tip the scales to NE for the time being. Patterson made some strides late though. A big play guy but he needs to develop some consistency. Patriots also drafted Aaron Dobson in the 2nd and when healthy he's been promising. Unfortunately health has been a pretty big issue.

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bostonnew-england-patriots&id=4756726&city=boston&src=desktop

Here's the tough part of analyzing any trade the Pats make.  Once a player arrives in New England, they're instantly better than players who arrive elsewhere.  That's based solely on the amazing system Bellichik has put in place.  You take Player A and put him on New England...put Player A on any other team and he's just not as good!  Nice situation to be in.  ;)
If Minnesota can land a real qb, folks best watch out.  Coradarrelle has game-breaking speed and quickness.  Unfortunately for me (a vikes fan) we're too stupid to tank games and get into the top-5.  Bridgewater and Manziel would have been available!  DAMMIT!  Such is like for a Vikes fan.   :'(

I'm thinking Broncos or Patriots vs. Seahawks for the Super Bowl.

The Broncos almost seem too primed to be picked off, so maybe they'll actually make the Super Bowl.  They sure don't seem to have what it takes though.  All offense, soft defense.  Good pass rush, but their D can't stop anyone.  Peyton's spotty play in big games and cold weather.  A San Diego team that has given him trouble in the past, with coaches that know him well.  And even if they get by San Diego they have to take on either Indy or the Pats, both of whom they've lost to this year, along with the Chargers.

I'm thinking Pats vs Broncos in the AFC title game and the Pats likely win. The NFC i don't see anyone getting past Seattle. So Seattle vs New England in the Super Bowl. I'd have to go with Seattle to win it. I just don't think anyone is that serious of a threat.

the NFC certainly is superior to the AFC. I think Seattle and San Francisco are probably the 2 best teams in the NFL and will probably meet in the NFC Championship game. But the best team doesn't always win, like last year. So while I'd give a definite edge to either of those teams, I don't think it'll necessarily be a blowout. But none of the remaining AFC teams have a defense anywhere close to Seattle, San Fran, or even Carolina.

Definitely won't be a blowout but i still think Seattle comes out of the NFC. I'm iffy on the Niners they did squeak by the Packers. Carolina could be a threat to Seattle. In the end though one of those three teams will be holding the Lombardi trophy February second. Nobody in the AFC has a chance i don't think.

many thought the same way last season, me included, and the Ravens upset the 9ers. Anything can happen in the 1 game format.

True anything can happen but realistically one of those 3 teams should be holding the trophy in February.

I'm not sold on Carolina. Not enough offense on that team. If NE's defense can play up to snuff, they could be a factor. They've been in every game this year. All their losses have come down to the wire. The one thing that would go against them is their pass defense is way better than their porous run D, and those 3 are run first teams. And if SD can knock off Denver they could be dangerous. They have the makeup of the typical team that gets hot at the right time. They've basically been in must win mode the last 6 weeks, and that's just what they've done. Of course winning in Denver won't be easy. But if they do, watch out.

They could be this year's Baltimore. I still find it difficult to bet against the Pats and Broncos but we'll see.

It's supposed to warm up this weekend but it looks like another wet one for Saturday night in Foxboro. Cold rain is the worst. It took me like 2 days to dry off after the monsoon against the Bills. Normally bad weather favors the Patriots, especially against a dome team. But when the weather is that sloppy I don't think either team has an advantage.

Guess I need to prepare to get wet for 4 straight hours again. I can always dry off once the game is over. Just hope the Pats win. A cold, wet, loser would be miserable.

Perfect set up:
Best 4 teams are left, Pats vs Broncos and Seahawks vs 49s.

I am betting on Pats and Hawks. I can't stand the 49s and their obnoxious coach. My heart is with Manning but my gut tells me the Pats will win.

It's going to be a great football Sunday!

I'd love a Patriots win on Sunday, and it's quite possible. I think the 2 teams are more evenly matched than most people might think. Obviously Manning has a lot more dynamic weapons in the passing game. 4 guys who are at or near All Pro level, along with a good running game. Brady has Edelman, Amendola, 2 rookie WR's who are banged up, no real threat at TE to speak of, Vereen as a pass catching RB, and 2 other capable backs. I think the Patriots secondary is much better than Denver's. I think Denver's run D is better than the Pats, though they're not as terrible as they were about a month ago. They have improved to somewhat respectable.

The Pats have been in every game this year. All 4 of their losses have come down to the final play. They were 4-4 on the road, where they didn't get the calls from the refs at the end of games, like they may have at home. So taking all that into consideration, I unfortunately think the Broncos win. I've doubted the Pats all season. I look at their roster and they're just not that good. I don't know how they've gotten this far, but they've obviously got something going for them. I just think the Broncos have too much on their side in this game. There's so much talk about Manning and his struggles in the playoffs and against Belichick and Brady. I think he does enough to silence the critics this week. I sincerely hope I'm wrong. And if I am, I'm sure I'll be calling Manning a choke artist and laughing about how Welker had another killer drop in a big game. I can only hope.

As for the NFC. I think San Fran is playing better at this moment. Both teams have great defenses, good running games. I think the 9ers have more weapons in the passing game and their QB is playing a bit better right now. But, Seattle is as tough a place to play as there is in the league. San Fran is used to playing there, so they know what to expect. But they haven't figured out how to win there recently, so I'll stick with that trend.

Super Bowl is Broncos and Seahawks. The SF-Seattle game was really good, so glad to Harbaugh lose. Feel great for Peyton and another chance for a SB victory, he's had a great season. I am looking forward to a really good game, I would think Denver will be favored. I hope the Broncos win, as I am an AFC fan.

Omaha! ;D

I'm actually surprised Denver is favored.  Before Sunday, the projected line was Seattle by 3.  Not sure enough happened in the 2 games to make Denver the favorite, albeit a slight one.  I will say, their defense has looked representable of late and their offensive line has played lights out.  BUT, the NFC has been far superior to the AFC all season, and I don't expect that to change in the Super Bowl.  That Seattle defense is light years better than San Diego's and New England's and I'm not sure Denver can win if they don't put up 25+.

Of course that Seattle D is filled with a bunch of guys hopped up on some questionable substances.  Good ole Pete Carroll once again running a nice clean program.  :hihi:

Axl4Prez's Stone Cold Lock for the big game!!!  is!!!!
Denver 38
Seattle 24

(and to make it a thoroughly Orange weekend, Syracuse will smack Duke by 10 in the Dome tomorrow night at 6:30 on ESPN before a record crowd of 34,000+...Vanessa Williams singing the National Anthem...should be a great game)

I agree with you on Syracuse over Duke, but I'm going with Seattle over Denver, 23-17.  I just think their defense is too good, and matches up too well with Denver's vaunted offense.  They've always taught us that a good defense beats a good offense, so I'm going with that theory.

I want to pick Denver; i really do but Peyton's record in the Super Bowl isn't great and Seattle's defense is insanely good. So i see Seattle winning but hey who knows. The game could shock us all and go the other way.

Fantasy Football has absolutely ruined any interest I have in a game where there's no fantasy implications.

The Super Bowl included.

And it makes me wait another week for the next "True Detective" on HBO damnit. >:(

Denver by 10.

Seattle 23-17.  I think defense wins out against a high powered offense, again.  Hoping for a good, competitive game though, as I really could care less who wins.  Don't care for either team in the least.  Though the Seahawks have never won, and they're Duff's team.  But they're a tough group to like.  They're not exactly model citizens.  7 PED infractions in the secondary alone, or whatever it is.  Who am I to complain about cheating though, being a Pats fan.  :P

Spying is quite a bit different then using PED's though.

That was one hell of a beat down by Seattle. Everyone who thought it would be close was wrong. Denver was just not ready to play and that has to fall on the coaches. Biggest TV audience in US history and they saw a game that was more boring than not. I changed channels after it got to 29-0, 12 seconds into the second half. So I missed all the commercials (at $4 million per 30 seconds).