2011 NFL thread - a jackspain celebration

[OEP]

Top five plays of the last two years, as decided by the NFL.com commentators:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-g ... nuous=true

Huge fan of Blount and Lynch, I just love the way they play smash mouth football and look for contact. Though it's hard not to agree with the number one rated play, what a jump

[Pies4shaw]

So, the regular season is done and dusted and just 12 of the 32 teams remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.

For Roddy's benefit, I should start with the big news - the Colts did the right thing against the Jaguars and secured first pick in the next draft, although they did have 2 late-season hiccoughs (a pair of victories that even had Dave the Man concerned about the Colts dropping the prize late in the season).

Final play-off standings are as follows:

NFC
1 Green Bay 15 1 NFC North Champ
2 San Francisco 13 3 NFC West Champ
3 New Orleans 13 3 NFC South Champ
4 NY Giants 9 7 NFC East Champ
5 Atlanta 10 6
6 Detroit 10 6

AFC
1 New England 13 3 AFC East Champ
2 Baltimore 12 4 AFC North Champ
3 Houston 10 6 AFC South Champ
4 Denver 8 8 AFC West Champ
5 Pittsburgh 12 4
6 Cincinnati 9 7

The surprise was that Cincinnati made the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. In an earlier post I said they must be the unluckiest team in the NFL (stuck in the same Division as the Ravens and the Steelers) but they managed to keep out the other contenders. I think they've shown that they deserve to be there by winning 1 game more than the AFC West "Champ" (who barely fell over the line ahead of the Chargers and the Raiders). It's a bit of a shame that the Steelers are also only in a wild card spot (though the Ravens certainly deserved to win that Division) - the upside is that they will go to Denver and, assuming Big Ben can get rid of that limp, should be able to put Tebow into mothballs.

In the NFC, the only real surprise was that Green Bay dropped a game during the season. Interestingly, they rested A-Rod in the last game and started Matt Flynn at QB. The Pack was up against Matt Stafford in continuing hot form - Stafford threw for 520 yards and yet another 5 TDs. Unfortunately for him, Flynn threw for 480 yards (a franchise record) and 6 TDs (also a franchise record) - the last to clinch a great come from behind victory 45 to 41. The big result, though, was that the Giants trounced Dallas and took the 4th seed in the last televised regular season game.

So, next week it's the Wild Card play-offs, which means a rest for the Pack, the 49ers, the Patriots and the Ravens and 3rd versus 6th and 4th versus 5th match-ups in each Conference. OneHD is showing all 4 matches live - two games Sunday (Australian time) - Bengals v Texans, followed by New Orleans versus the Lions and two Monday (Australian time) - Falcons v Giants, followed by Steelers v Broncos.

I'm heading off on holidays shortly and may not be near a computer again until the Pro-Bowl, so I don't expect to be posting between now and then. So, good luck for all of your play-off teams. It should be a fantastic post-season. OEP and YFE, I hope you can manage to keep it nice in the lead up to the likely NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field.

My tip for the Super-Bowl is Green Bay v New England. If that eventuates, I will be hoping for a repeat of the last time they met in the big one in 1997. But the 49ers, New Orleans, the Ravens, the Steelers and the Giants (Eli is in splendid form for the Giants and their Defensive Line is looking sharp) would all be worthy contenders.

Have fun. And remember the NFL is - unlike supporting Collingwood - a game!

[Dave The Man]

Colts have Offically have the number 1 Pick.

Will they Pick Luck while Manning is there?

[Brenny]

Dallas let me down, again... sigh...

[Big T]

I rarely watch american football and hence don't really have a team in that or in the college system. But, I arrived back in China this morning and had some time to watch the rose bowl game between Oregon and Wisconsin, it was brilliant to watch. Loved it.

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

[blackmissionary]

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

Depends on what kind of play you're attracted to. If you love free scoring, rampant quarterback led play, at the moment you'd go for the Packers, the Saints or the Patriots. If want to follow a team on the up, maybe Detroit.

For something more defensively inclined or balanced, the Ravens and Steelers are your picks. If you want to follow a team with the most hopeless and over-hyped quarterback in living memory, the Broncos and Tim Tebow are your team.

From an Australian sports supporters standpoint, the Packers make sense because of their ownership structure. They're the last of the small town NFL teams and probably the only fan owned franchise in the major leagues of American sport.

Or you could just hold out until next season and pick the Browns, so hopeless for so long that their owner relented and let them keep their history in the event they ever made a new team when licence was taken to Baltimore.

[OEP]

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

Depends on what kind of play you're attracted to. If you love free scoring, rampant quarterback led play, at the moment you'd go for the Packers, the Saints or the Patriots. If want to follow a team on the up, maybe Detroit.

For something more defensively inclined or balanced, the Ravens and Steelers are your picks. If you want to follow a team with the most hopeless and over-hyped quarterback in living memory, the Broncos and Tim Tebow are your team.

From an Australian sports supporters standpoint, the Packers make sense because of their ownership structure. They're the last of the small town NFL teams and probably the only fan owned franchise in the major leagues of American sport.

Or you could just hold out until next season and pick the Browns, so hopeless for so long that their owner relented and let them keep their history in the event they ever made a new team when licence was taken to Baltimore.

Or you could simply follow a real team, the 49ers, and mothball the rest (as the 9ers will do to every team they play during the playoffs )

A-Rod who??? Oh yeah he'll be the bloke Aldon Smith is going to be hammering all game

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/01/415572 ... nto-a.html

[Big T]

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

Depends on what kind of play you're attracted to. If you love free scoring, rampant quarterback led play, at the moment you'd go for the Packers, the Saints or the Patriots. If want to follow a team on the up, maybe Detroit.

For something more defensively inclined or balanced, the Ravens and Steelers are your picks. If you want to follow a team with the most hopeless and over-hyped quarterback in living memory, the Broncos and Tim Tebow are your team.

From an Australian sports supporters standpoint, the Packers make sense because of their ownership structure. They're the last of the small town NFL teams and probably the only fan owned franchise in the major leagues of American sport.

Or you could just hold out until next season and pick the Browns, so hopeless for so long that their owner relented and let them keep their history in the event they ever made a new team when licence was taken to Baltimore.

Or you could simply follow a real team, the 49ers, and mothball the rest (as the 9ers will do to every team they play during the playoffs )

A-Rod who??? Oh yeah he'll be the bloke Aldon Smith is going to be hammering all game

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/01/415572 ... nto-a.html

I was leaning towards the 49ers, I remember they were dominating when I was mildly interested in the game in the 80s. I also have an old "team of the decade" T-shirt my dad got me when he was there in late 80s. The Redskins have the Sav appeal.

49ers it is.

[blackmissionary]

The Redskins have the Sav appeal.

Dangerous game to play that, seeing as punters are seemingly among the most traded players.

But if it's charming fans you want, Philadelphia is right up there.

http://www.gq.com/sports/lists/201104/w ... 4#slide=14

[OEP]

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

Depends on what kind of play you're attracted to. If you love free scoring, rampant quarterback led play, at the moment you'd go for the Packers, the Saints or the Patriots. If want to follow a team on the up, maybe Detroit.

For something more defensively inclined or balanced, the Ravens and Steelers are your picks. If you want to follow a team with the most hopeless and over-hyped quarterback in living memory, the Broncos and Tim Tebow are your team.

From an Australian sports supporters standpoint, the Packers make sense because of their ownership structure. They're the last of the small town NFL teams and probably the only fan owned franchise in the major leagues of American sport.

Or you could just hold out until next season and pick the Browns, so hopeless for so long that their owner relented and let them keep their history in the event they ever made a new team when licence was taken to Baltimore.

Or you could simply follow a real team, the 49ers, and mothball the rest (as the 9ers will do to every team they play during the playoffs )

A-Rod who??? Oh yeah he'll be the bloke Aldon Smith is going to be hammering all game

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/01/415572 ... nto-a.html

I was leaning towards the 49ers, I remember they were dominating when I was mildly interested in the game in the 80s. I also have an old "team of the decade" T-shirt my dad got me when he was there in late 80s. The Redskins have the Sav appeal.

49ers it is.

An excellent choice

[Dave The Man]

So my question, any recommendations for a team to follow in each, who would a Pies man follow?

Depends on what kind of play you're attracted to. If you love free scoring, rampant quarterback led play, at the moment you'd go for the Packers, the Saints or the Patriots. If want to follow a team on the up, maybe Detroit.

For something more defensively inclined or balanced, the Ravens and Steelers are your picks. If you want to follow a team with the most hopeless and over-hyped quarterback in living memory, the Broncos and Tim Tebow are your team.

From an Australian sports supporters standpoint, the Packers make sense because of their ownership structure. They're the last of the small town NFL teams and probably the only fan owned franchise in the major leagues of American sport.

Or you could just hold out until next season and pick the Browns, so hopeless for so long that their owner relented and let them keep their history in the event they ever made a new team when licence was taken to Baltimore.

Or you could simply follow a real team, the 49ers, and mothball the rest (as the 9ers will do to every team they play during the playoffs )

A-Rod who??? Oh yeah he'll be the bloke Aldon Smith is going to be hammering all game

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/01/415572 ... nto-a.html

I was leaning towards the 49ers, I remember they were dominating when I was mildly interested in the game in the 80s. I also have an old "team of the decade" T-shirt my dad got me when he was there in late 80s. The Redskins have the Sav appeal.

49ers it is.

When they had Bill Walsh as Coach and Joe Montana at QB.

49ers finshed 2nd in there Division and have the 1st Week Bye

[OEP]

The commentary on this one is a crack up

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09 ... le=HP11_cp

[blackmissionary]

As expected, Detroit couldn't keep up with the Saints, and bowed out of the playoffs. Those who focus on Brees though should also acknowledge the options they have in the rushing department. Likewise, the lack of a running game hurt the Bengals, as did a great pick six from the Texans just before halftime.

[Brenny]

I haven't seen too much of the Saints this season, but wow they were fantastic. I knew they were damn good but yesterday really showed me how good.

I had my money on Greenbay to win the Superbowl all year, but the Saints look the goods!!

[blackmissionary]

Giants easily over the Falcons. In the AFC, the Broncos are still going, somehow. They gave up a 20-6 lead to finish 23-23 with the Steelers in regulation. First play in overtime is an 80 yard touchdown. Was that kind of game for Tebow, who despite managing only 10 completions, somehow still racked up 300+ yards.