I actually do try to be accurate, accurate within the context of logical gambling outcomes anyways, and I figured the most likely scores for the Browns are 0, 3 or 6. 0 is a bolder and more interesting choice and it’s just as likely as any other single digit score. I certainly think they could be shut out, I’m not sure it’s the most likely outcome but it serves to emphasize my point.
Hey, 9 is a single digit score, too, you know! 
Huge game for the Packers. After giving away the game to the Bucs, this is almost a “must win” if they want to make the playoffs. The players had one of those come to Jesus meetings where they aired out a lot of the problems they’ve been having. Hopefully that meeting and the veterans on the team, can get this team to play their best for all 4 quarters. If that happens, the Packers win.
But alot of it comes down to playcalling. McCarthy’s response to the O Line woes has not been to change the gameplan, but rather to just keep an extra guy into block. I didn’t work so far, so hopefully he’ll wake up and call more quick throws, more screens, and for heavens sake, don’t give up on the run so easily.
On defense, the Packers are without Kampman, who has been huge in stopping the run. In his place, they have a smallish rookie LB who is 30 pounds lighter, worse against the run, and has a couple fewer Pro Bowls than Kampman. With a bruiser like Barber, that’s going to be a problem. Still the Pack are top 10 against the run.
I really hope the Packers pull it together this week. Although Kampman’s injury, the reshuffling/injuries to the O Line, and two rookie starters all point to a Packers loss, I’m hoping they play inspired football and get the win.
Bit early to bring up Tim Tebow, really.
Boy, I like watching Stephen Jackson. I really wish he had a better team around him.
Maurice Jones-Drew did something very smart today. With the Jags down by one vs. the Jets with about a minute left, he was charging towards the end zone when he suddenly stopped and dropped to one knee. At first I was like “WTF”?, but then I saw the method to his madness. He realized that it would be better to not score the TD, instead run the clock down to near zero to allow their FG kicker to win the game, and thus not give the Jets a chance to come back. Now, if the kicker had screwed up he would have looked like an idiot, but in percentage terms it was smart-maybe the kicker misses what was essentially an extra point 1% of the time, but if he had scored the TD the other team might have had say a 25% chance of scoring themselves (the Jets had no timeouts IIRC).
The real rub is that the Jags were favored by 6.5 or 7 points, depending on what book you’re talking about. If Jones-Drew had scored they almost certainly would have gone for two, thus giving themselves a 7 point cushion. Football bettors all across the country who had money on the Jags undoubtedly all had massive heart attacks when he stopped short of the goal line.
The Jets were the favorites.
The Buccaneers were absolutely robbed by a ridiculous interception ruling that was upheld on replay by Tony Corrente.
There was much confusion over whether it was an incomplete pass or a completed catch by the Bucs’ wideout. There was absolutely no way any person with eyes could conclude that he was not subsequently down by contact.
And the Bengals would have to utterly tank the rest of the year to not win the AFC North now.
How long has it been since a team swept their entire division? Even the Pats manage to lose a game to the Jets or Miami every year. All the Bengals have to do is beat Cleveland at home and they have a divisional sweep.
My husband (a long-suffering Bengals fan) has informed me that the Bengals’ next three games are against Oakland, Detroit, and Cleveland.
If they win all three of those, as they should, they’ll be 10-2, and could lose their remaining 4 games and probably still win the division.
About 11 months. The Steelers swept the AFC North last year, and then went on to beat the Ravens again in the AFC Championship for good measure. It’s impressive, but it’s not that rare.
And it should go without saying that the Pats swept the division in 2007 when they went 16-0.
The Colts would have swept the AFC South in 2007 but they had already locked up the #2 seed (and obviously weren’t going to catch the Pats) so they sent out scrubs to play the Titans in Week 17.
Including the time they lost to the Giants in the Superb Owl?
If anyone was watching the Packer game, can you help me convince myself I am not insane and instead I caught a bit of guerrilla marketing. Early in the game, they had a crowd shot at the game that included a couple of guys dressed like Tom Landry/Blues Brothers, but with grey skin and vacant looks (I thought they were Cowboy fans dressed as Landry, but they were in the Packer season tickets part of Lambeau). Then, just now in the third quarter, I caught a commercial for the new episode of Fringe, where the bad guys are. … dressed like Tom Landry/Blues Brothers, but with grey skin and vacant looks.
Anyone catch this? Is this a planned marketing thing? Am I insane?
Between the coaches and the refs in this Dallas-Green Bay game the stupidity is just oozing. How can so many people be so bad at their jobs?
Um, why didn’t Phillips challenge that pick? Looked like he bobbled it and he definitely has a challenge left. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
McCarthy certainly gets the stupid tag for using more challenges than he had, but I didn’t see the refs as stupid. Quick with their hankies, sure. Sloppy game by both O Lines, by God yes. But stupid? Didn’t see it.
Looks like the Packers got a much needed win, mostly on the back of their much improved defense. After stinking up the place against the Bucs, it was nice to see them suck it up and dominate. Sure the Cowboys helped them out a ton (thank you Roy Williams [although you just caught a touchdown pass]), but they played a good game, and Dom Capers called a good game, bringing blitzes into the 4th quarter and not letting up at all.
Still, a very sloppy game, where the Packers were less sloppy than the opposition. Way too many penalties, way too poor O Line play, but there is a glimmer of hope.
Go Pack.
Is it not an unsportsmanlike to challenge when you’re out?
The refs didn’t seem to have their heads in the games. The poor call on the F. Jones recovery, then attempting to review only not to review, taking forever to realize that GB was out of challenges AND missing FIVE holds on James Harrison. 
But it was certainly the Cowboys that lost that game for them, not the officiating. They couldn’t adapt to the Packers D, had too many penalties and got away from the run too early (as usual). I have no idea if they’ll have a O-Line or secondary ready for next week. Blah. At least the Dallas D played decently.
Marion Barber had 5 carries in a mostly close game. Don’t think that could have anything to do with the 'Pokes losing, do you?
Nah.