2010 NFL Season Thread

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Amazing game in Baltimore, as the Steelers take control of the AFC North. The Ravens are still a better team with how banged up the Steelers are, but my money is on these two meeting in the playoffs again, with the winner going to the SB.

Officiating is again a joke. Contact to Ben's head all day long, including a broken nose, with no flags, and Heath Miller gets the ugliest shot to the head I've seen this year, and somehow no flag is thrown. Absolutely ridiculous.

I hate to sound like a Stiller conspiracy theorist, and loathe complaining about officiating, but every week it gets more and more stupid with how tilted the personal fouls are. It seems like there is one set of rules for the Steelers, a more lenient set of rules for everybody else, and no rules for opponents of the Steelers.

[hammb]

I hate to sound like a Stiller conspiracy theorist, and loathe complaining about officiating, but every week it gets more and more stupid with how tilted the personal fouls are. It seems like there is one set of rules for the Steelers, a more lenient set of rules for everybody else, and no rules for opponents of the Steelers.

This is the way it should be.

Harrison is a cheap shot artist and deserves the fines/fouls he gets.
Ben is a rapist and everything should be fair game to the douche.

It's all good man





In all seriousness, I can't believe they broke Ben's nose with no penalty, and the hit on Heath Miller was as blatant as any I've seen all year. I can't believe neither of those drew flags. Personally cannot stand either of those teams, so I didn't really care, but I was surprised. I was also surprised by how poorly the game was played overall. It wasn't the good game I was expecting, I thought both teams were kinda sloppy at times.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

That sounds about right - I'm still not positive you didn't pay the DTF girl in Georgia to dog Ben in the bathroom, then change her story and go along with her sorority sisters.

It will be interesting to see if any fines come about for Ngata or McClain.

I tell you what - if Harrison had done to Boldin what McClain did to Miller, they would have ejected him, and probably banned him from the league. That hit was nasty. I'm still astonished Miller got up and walked off - that dude is a tank. I guarantee he plays this Sunday.

Speaking of Ngata, that guy might be the best defensive player in NFL. He has my vote for defensive MVP.

[Warthog]

Speaking of Ngata, that guy might be the best defensive player in NFL. He has my vote for defensive MVP.

And they drafted him with the Browns pick.

I still remember the Browns moving back one slot and letting the Ravens pick Ngata. Then hammb and I both discussed how we thought that was a good move as the thoughts on Ngata was that he took a lot of plays off. And the highlights they showed of him in college were somewhat underwhelming.

But at least the Browns drafted Kam Wimbley with the next pick!

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Put Ngata on the current Browns D, and they might be a top 10 D. He makes such a huge impact every play. I can't think of another player in the league who is absolutely unblockable 1 on 1. Suggs was last night, but he always turns it up against Pittsburgh.

I had forgotten about that Browns maneuver. Eventually something they do in the draft will have to turn out right. Right? Guys?

Patriots-Jets tonight for battle for AFC dominance, part 2. Winner gets a first round bye and probable #1 seed, loser gets to go on the road for Wild Card Weekend. I LOVE the Jets +4. That team is custom-built to F with Brady.

How crazy is it that the Ravens and the loser of this game might have to travel to KC and Jacksonville for Wild Card games? Have we ever seen both division champs be touchdown dogs in the WC games?

[hammb]

Yeah, I was fine with the move down in the draft, but I didn't like Wimbley at all. I wanted DeAngelo Williams in that pick in a bad way. If I was going to take a pass rusher it would have been Manny Lawson (which would have been a worse bust than Wimbley).

I thought Ngata would be a block eater, but I never saw him dominating the LOS like he does now. Hell, in college he was just a block eater. He's turned into a dominant defensive player, although I think Clay Matthews III is the defensive MVP. That guy can't be blocked either.

As for the Browns doing something right in the draft it appears that they may have done so this year. It goes to show why I'm sitting here at work and not working for an NFL team. I hated this year's Browns draft as much as any I can ever remember...really didn't like any of the picks. Ward is pretty damn good, Haden looks like he could be a stud, and even McCoy looks like he can play. One of my good buddies is a Philadelphia fan, and we always watch the draft together, and every year he bitches about who they take...and they always end up turning into studs for the Eagles. Here's hoping Heckert can work the same magic in Cleveland

[TG1996]

Haden looks like he could be a stud...

I was talking about his game yesterday with a Browns fan at work and said "If only he can develop into Hanford Dixon and not into Eric Wright, he'll be fine.

[Warthog]

I wonder if it is all starting to click with Haden and that is why he is coming on strong now, or if it was just a Mangini move to keep the rookie ont he sidelines until he had to put him in. Think what the Browns record could be if Haden, instead of Wright, had been playing all year? Did Wright cost them at least 2 wins? 3? 4?

[TG1996]

After the past several weeks, I might give Mangina a break to try to make things work. But if Brian Daboll got a ride home from Buffalo, someone's not doing their job.

[hammb]

I still think Mangini is not the answer. His coaching style is the type that can easily take a s**t team to mediocre, but I don't ever see him leading a team to any real success in the playoffs. He's way too conservative, and has no clue how/when to take chances. Not on players, not on plays, not in scheme. He needs to go to a doctor and see when/if he should expect his balls to finally drop.

And one thing that most Browns fans forget about Daboll is that even Mangini didn't want him. Unfortunately, he's got such a horrid rep throughout the league that no OC worth a damn will work for him. Daboll was Mangini's 3rd or 4th choice back when he got hired, but everybody else kept turning him down.

I'm sorry, but I've seen PLENTY of Eric Mangini to know that we'll never win with him.

[Warthog]

I think Daboll's offense would look a lot better if Jake Delhomme wasn't the QB. What the hell can you do when you are scared to death to call a pass play that is more than five yards down the field? I'm hoping to read in the transactions section today that Delhomme has been waived. For God's sake, why isn't Wallace at least playing QB?

That long pass to MM should have been a TD. He was like 10 yards behind the defnese and literally had to stop and wait for the ball. Then on that last INT, it looked like Delhomme just threw the ball straight up in the air. The defender caught it like it was a punt he was waiting to come down.

I'd rather see Cribbs trying to run a regular offense then see one more snap with Delhomme at QB.

Not trying to defend Daboll here, but what can you do with Delhomme as your QB??? My one crack on Daboll yesterday was, where was the student body left play? The one where the WR out wide on the left goes in short motion and cracks the DE while the entire line pulls around to the left on a pitch to Hillis? That play destroyed the Panthers two weeks ago. Then yesterday it looked like every other play was Steinbach pulling around to the right. WHY? Why are they not running behind their stud left tackle instead of behind two weak guys on the right side?

[hammb]

I've said since day 1 that I thought Seneca Wallace, RIGHT NOW, was a better QB than Delhomme. He would have been my starter going into preseason, and even though Delhomme had a great preseason, I still would have rolled with Wallace. Throughout his time in the league Seneca has shown the ability to complete passes and protect the ball. He's not a big playmaking QB, he's not going to carry a team through the playoffs, and he's not going to make the players around him better, but he's exactly what Mangini claims to want in a QB: A guy that will protect the ball and keep drives alive. Yet for some reason, Mangini also loves himself a veteran who's been in all the games and has tons of experience...

I really think their judgement is totally offbase with Jake Delhomme. He may be a vet, but he's NOT the savvy vet that they wanted. He's a gunslinger who will try to make throws he cannot. When he was younger it worked, now it does not.

On top of that the Browns WRs cannot get separation downfield with any regularity either. Yeah MoMass broke free once, but overwhelmingly their guys cannot get open. They need playmakers BADLY.

I don't believe an Eric Mangini coached team will EVER be decent on offense. No worthwhile offensive coordinator will work for him, and I don't think he's ever going to be willing to bring on board the types of players that make an NFL offense powerful. He wants a boring ball control offense with a game managing QB, a power running game, and no diva WRs. Good luck winning in the NFL on any consistent basis with THAT philosophy. Better hope you quickly build an '85 Bears level defense.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

What do you guys think will happen with Mangini's job status for next year? Do you think he'll be coaching for his job in the finale against the Steelers? Is he already gone?

[hammb]

What do you guys think will happen with Mangini's job status for next year? Do you think he'll be coaching for his job in the finale against the Steelers? Is he already gone?

I think he's coaching for his job at this point, but I do think there is a distinct possibility he's already gone. But maybe I'm just being hopeful/wishful with my thinking.

Reading the "insider" stuff from my scout.com subscription has been pretty consistent as the year has went on. Holmgren is livid at the way this team plays offense, and doesn't agree with it at all, but has basically given them a chance to show if what they want to do can work. It really sounds like Daboll is as good as history. It seems that Mangini hasn't done enough to save his job either though...Holmgren isn't fooled by simply playing "close" to so many teams.

Personally, I think the man is smart enough to see what I've been saying. Mangini is good enough to take a bad team and make them mediocre, but his close to the vest style and stubborn-ness will never lead a team to the promised land. I would expect Mangini will be coaching to save his job these final 3 games, but I think it's quite possible that Holmgren has already had Gruden/Morninwheg/Mariucci on the phone to gauge their interest.

[Warthog]

Reading the "insider" stuff from my scout.com subscription has been pretty consistent as the year has went on. Holmgren is livid at the way this team plays offense, and doesn't agree with it at all, but has basically given them a chance to show if what they want to do can work.

I find that interesting since Holmgren is the one that overpaid Delhomme to be his QB and Delhomme is the one that is killing the offense. Hmmmm, maybe Holmgren planned all along to use Delhomme to sabotage Mangini.