# NFL Week 1 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 3, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352 "2014-09-03T12:25:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/61 "2014-09-07T23:02:43Z")
The Niners are so hard to watch. The Cowboys all but hand them the game, and Harbaugh is still a huge fucking whiner to the refs. I really hope his incessant bitching at the refs backfires on his ass. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/62 "2014-09-07T23:03:44Z")
I didn’t expect the Dolphins to look that great. Especially not against the Pats. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/63 "2014-09-07T23:27:32Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I just heard a bud light radio ad that aid something about some super fan who spent the 97 Browns season calculating some blah blah stat things. I’m sure those are generic and each team just gets the name changed but _facepalm nfl_ Yeah, the “97 Texans” had me scratching my head for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/64 "2014-09-07T23:39:05Z")
Clowney out with a knee injury. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/65 "2014-09-08T01:02:03Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > The Panthers’ front 7 is downright nasty. But it also goes to show that one good year doesn’t erase an entire career of mediocrity for Mr. McCown. I didn’t like the signing when it was made and I like it less now. Looked like Manziel had stolen his uniform. > [@adaher](#): > > I didn’t expect the Dolphins to look that great. Especially not against the Pats. The phins always play the Pats well at home. Wouldn’t surprise me if they had the best record against Belichick of any team. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/66 "2014-09-08T01:36:25Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Sure glad to see that there are going to be a lot more penalties this year. The game was getting awfully boring, without many penalties to keep me on the edge of my seat. As I look at this week’s stats so far, the teams with more penalty yards (assessed against them) are 9-4. Which I think says something about playing-it-safe vs. taking risks. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/67 "2014-09-08T02:04:01Z")
Media tends to give people what they want, what sells. Which makes me wonder who in the fuck are these people who’d rather hear former players blather on cliches about the games of the day rather than ACTUALLY WATCHING THOSE GAMES? On MNF, they show literally 8 seconds from most of the games now. The whole highlights of the day section lasts about 2 minutes, so they can spend 15 minutes on the blather. Inside the NFL is even worse, the whole purpose of that show is their fantastic NFL films highlights, but they cut out even covering all the games so they could add bullshit commentary and heartwarming stories about some retarded puppy that plays football. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/68 "2014-09-08T02:37:42Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Excuse me? I wouldn’t call a team that’s been to the playoffs 4 out of the last 5 seasons and three in a row “shitty”. Or call them “shitty” when they beat a very tough Ravens opponent on the road. Or call them “shitty” when they, you know, actually have a competent offensive line (0 sacks), unlike, oh I don’t know, Green Bay’s (didn’t they lose?). > > 🙂 How many playoff games did they win in the last five years? Outside of Ohio, getting to the playoffs just sets the stage for an accomplishment - it’s not that big a deal in and of itself. So the Bengals are gonna be called shitty until they win another playoff game. The last time that happened, I was in high school. I’m a few months shy of 40. Oh yeah, I’m a Ravens fan. If I’d called the team “shitty,” it would have been the kindest thing I said during the first half. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/69 "2014-09-08T03:02:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh yeah, I’m a Ravens fan. If I’d called the team “shitty,” it would have been the kindest thing I said during the first half. Best to go to a Dunkin Donuts and self-medicate with a couple of those purple-frosted jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/70 "2014-09-08T03:22:08Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Media tends to give people what they want, what sells. Which makes me wonder who in the fuck are these people who’d rather hear former players blather on cliches about the games of the day rather than ACTUALLY WATCHING THOSE GAMES? > > On MNF, they show literally 8 seconds from most of the games now. The whole highlights of the day section lasts about 2 minutes, so they can spend 15 minutes on the blather. Inside the NFL is even worse, the whole purpose of that show is their fantastic NFL films highlights, but they cut out even covering all the games so they could add bullshit commentary and heartwarming stories about some retarded puppy that plays football. You gotta give the people what they want, but also what they didn’t already get from somewhere else. I remember the days when halftime of _Monday Night Football_ was full of highlights of the weekend games, narrated by Howard Cosell; and if you liked someone other than the hometown team, that was your only chance to see them. These days, _SportsCenter_ has the highlights before the final gun has stopped echoing in the stadium. By halftime of the Monday night game, you’ve had a dozen chances to see what happened over the weekend. Might as well have someone blather cliches as show something everyone’s already seen. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/71 "2014-09-08T03:50:21Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > How many playoff games did they win in the last five years? Outside of Ohio, getting to the playoffs just sets the stage for an accomplishment - it’s not that big a deal in and of itself. So the Bengals are gonna be called shitty until they win another playoff game. The last time that happened, I was in high school. > > I’m a few months shy of 40. > > Oh yeah, I’m a Ravens fan. If I’d called the team “shitty,” it would have been the kindest thing I said during the first half. You mean that first half where your offense couldn’t do shit and your defense allowed a 15-0 deficit? Perhaps you meant the Ravens in the first half. There’s been this thing going on in Cincinnati for over five years rolling now, it’s called a top 5-10 defense, perhaps you’ve heard of it? I agree that the deficit of playoff wins is an issue for BOTH Ohio teams, but let’s not act like the Ravens aren’t the former Browns stolen in the middle of the night, first of all, and secondly, Flacco had ONE good run in the playoffs and that was two years ago when they won it all. Other than that, the Ratbirds had been all defense, all the time. Now we’re in an era where that’s just not going to work anymore (And Stabbing Ray has retired anyway). Anyway, congrats. Finally the Bengals defeat the Ravens under Dalton, and the Ravens lose their first home opener since like 2006. Sweet! And if just getting to the playoffs isn’t a big deal, why didn’t the Ravens do it last season? They won the Superbowl the year before…surely it’s no big deal to get back there then…right? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/72 "2014-09-08T04:05:22Z")
Wow, how many big leads blown or almost blown this week? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/73 "2014-09-08T05:02:06Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > You mean that first half where your offense couldn’t do shit and your defense allowed a 15-0 deficit? Perhaps you meant the Ravens in the first half. There’s been this thing going on in Cincinnati for over five years rolling now, it’s called a top 5-10 defense, perhaps you’ve heard of it? Well yeah, of course I meant the Ravens. “Shitty” would have been far and away the nicest thing I had to say _about the Ravens_ while I was watching that game. The kindest thing I had to say about anything, if I’m being completely honest about it. 🙂 Anyway, congrats on the win. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/74 "2014-09-08T16:50:58Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Media tends to give people what they want, what sells. Which makes me wonder who in the fuck are these people who’d rather hear former players blather on cliches about the games of the day rather than ACTUALLY WATCHING THOSE GAMES? > > On MNF, they show literally 8 seconds from most of the games now. The whole highlights of the day section lasts about 2 minutes, so they can spend 15 minutes on the blather. Inside the NFL is even worse, the whole purpose of that show is their fantastic NFL films highlights, but they cut out even covering all the games so they could add bullshit commentary and heartwarming stories about some retarded puppy that plays football. Oy, don’t get me started. NBC’s awful _Football Night in America_ is the most offensive to me. Every game package is like, “Chargers at the Ravens, here’s Ray Lewis getting his team pumped before the kickoff. Later in the first, here’s Philip Rivers throwing an interception. Then, in the 3rd, Ray Rice runs it in from the 1-yard line … and the Ravens cruise to a 24-7 win.” Then they spend 90 seconds having 8 people talk about how Ray Lewis gives the Ravens an element of toughness. And that shit would all be fine, except they had to kill [NFL Primetime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8rXYY6Ol58) on ESPN in order to make their shitty highlight show happen. I mean, click on that link: \*that’s \*a highlight show. 2:00-2:30 minutes of actual highlights per game, than about 10-30 seconds of commentary, then _on to the next game_. Yes, please. Back in the day I used to try and avoid scores from around the league during the day because the highlights on \*Primetime \*were so fun to watch. Are Berman and Jackson again doing their “The Blitz” packages on SportsCenter this year? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/75 "2014-09-08T17:34:40Z")
Bold prediction: Cincy meets Denver in the AFC championship game. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/76 "2014-09-08T17:56:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Bold prediction: Cincy meets Denver in the AFC championship game. That would require Andy Dalton and his career playoff QB ranking 56.2 get injured sometime during the season. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/77 "2014-09-08T18:10:56Z")
I guess the troubling thing is these primadonna sports analysts think we need to look at their faces while they blather on. If they spend two or three minutes talking, that would be enough time to also show most of the interesting plays in the game while they talk. After all, a football game only has about 12 minutes of actual action. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/78 "2014-09-08T18:16:32Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Perhaps you meant the Ravens in the first half. Perhaps you’re the only person who couldn’t figure that out? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/79 "2014-09-08T18:25:26Z")
Chris Mortensen says Ray Rice was just released by the Ravens. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352/80 "2014-09-08T18:27:04Z")
It’s not just Mort. [NBC News - Breaking News & Top Stories - Latest World, US & Local News | NBC News](http://www.breakingnews.com/item/2014/09/08/rt-scottisaacs-the-baltimore-ravens-have-cut-ray/) > [@Hamlet](#): > > That would require Andy Dalton and his career playoff QB ranking 56.2 get injured sometime during the season. Peyton Manning had a shitty QB rating in the playoffs over his first 5-8 appearances, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/697352.md?page=5)