Thursday:
NYJ @ DEN
Sunday early:
CIN @ BAL
JAC @ CLE
CAR @ DET
TB @ GB
BUF @ MIA
OAK @ MIN
DAL @ WAS
Sunday late:
ARI @ SF
SEA @ STL
TEN @ ATL
SD @ CHI
SNF/MNF
PHI @ NYG
KC @ NE
So… Tebow. Discuss.
Better late than never, right? Thanks for starting this.
Last night was something else. How Tebow manages to get it done in the end is beyond me, but he does. Yes, I know, team game, but the team didn’t chuck off tackle after tackle in those last few minutes on those runs. The team didn’t run over Revis. The team didn’t get around the end for the touchdown. The kid is fun to watch, even if it is just a fluke. Or is it? We’ll see.
The game I want to see is the Ravens-Bengals game. I am in the weird position of actually favoring a team. Under most circumstances I would just hope that they kill each other and not caring who wins, but if the Bengals win the Steelers reassume first place, something that just two weeks ago seemed so implausible that it would have been silly to even mention.
The Bengals lost Leon Hall for the year and A.J. Green may or may not play, but they also have a big advantage. Two, in fact. First, they’re playing the offensive juggernaut led by Joe Flacco. If the secondary has their wits about them they ought to go to town on that guy, he’s a turnover machine this year. I know, Week 1, blah blah blah. That was then, this is now, a week after they lost to the indomitable Seahawks. Second, Ray Lewis is out with a toe injury. The Ravens’ heart and soul is on the bench, it’s time for the Bengals to go for the kill like Ray-Ray would. Also, the Bengals own the Ravens in odd years. Go figure.
Then again, the Bengals can’t beat the weak teams but they play well against the strong teams. The one indicator of how well the Ravens play is how many times Ray Rice touches the ball. Less than 20 touches usually means doom for Baltimore. The Bengals need to get out to an early 2-score lead, because Cam Cameron invariably abandons the run and puts the game in Flacco’s hands. If that happens the Bengals win the game with no problems.
Cincinnati by a touchdown, 24-17. I hope.
There, fixed that for me. I’m flustered by actually caring about the outcome of this game.
I’ve never seen Tebow play before last night. All I’ve heard is what the commentators have been saying and a few clips on ESPN. I also did not watch the entire game - I ran out of gas about half way through the 4th. So, these are my thoughts on the first 3.5 quarters:
[ul]
[li]Tebow really sucks throwing the ball. His motion really is awkward, slow and quite noticeable. [/li][li]His accuracy also sucks. He missed several “easy” throws, a couple that should have been for first downs.[/li][li]He runs the option well, but didn’t look amazing on his runs. Decent, but not great.[/li][li]I agree with everyone saying he has no business starting for any NFL team.[/li][/ul]
So imagine my surprise waking up this morning to discover that he led a 95 yard game-winning drive. WTF? Where was that Tebow the rest of the game? I seriously don’t see how the QB I watched could have pulled that off. But he did. Amazing.
And as a Patriots fan, I could not be more delighted. Eat it, Jets - you can’t even beat Tebow! 
Man, how many years in a row will Ryan mouth off about the Jets being Super Bowl champions? I never tire of seeing him proven wrong. Before him I didn’t even hate the Jets and kind of remember fondly the years of Namath.
I like Ryan. It’s nice to have a boisterous personality coaching with charisma and fearlessness. Still, predicting Super Bowl so often is silly.
He’s a breath of fresh air among coaches in the NFL. He willingly puts a huge target on himself and his team, and makes it easy to root against him. Which I do.
He’s lost credibility. It’s gotten to the point where he’s more hot air than actual performance.
I’m with you…I think Rex, his brother and his Dad are all giant (natch) douchebags.
ETA: Airman, why are you rooting for either team in the Bengals v Ravens game?
I saw really poor tackling.
I could only see one set of footprints …
I will go out on a limb and make a wild guess that my beloved Panthers will…lose again. Man, it’s getting tough to hold out hope.
I really don’t think Tebow is a great player, and I don’t know how he manages to win games, but the numbers in the W column can’t be denied. I’m kinda over the deification/demonization of him, though.
Both the Bengals and the Steelers stand to gain from the Bengals winning. Wouldn’t you like to see the hated Ratbirds in 3rd place needing help to make the playoffs, simultaneously putting the Bengals in the catbird seat for the Wild Card? I would. Especially since I know the Steelers can beat the Bengals.
It was just reported that Rex Ryan will be fined in excess of 50K for swearing at a fan last week.
I am not a Rex fan, and I’m not saying he should be swearing at the fans but - I keep thinking the NFL is going way overboard with all their fines and this is another. 50K for saying Fuck? (And thank og no one is fining *me *everytime I drop an f-bomb!)
I heard up to 75K. Which would be more than all the fines combined for the Bears/Lions game. Way to set your priorities there, NFL.
Yeah, the fines are bizarre. Helmet to helmet brain-crushing hits get 15k fines sometimes, but saying fuck gets 50k? The NFL should at least attempt to look less ridiculous while being ridiculous.
No Saints game this weekend, so I’ll watch whatever we get here–haven’t even checked.
Rex Grossman. Yes he is not very good but he’d be a lot better if he had 1 or 2 reliable receivers that can actually catch the ball and hold onto it when he places it directly in their hands. Fred Davis fucking sucks.
If you haven’t seen it yet, the 506 has color-coded maps for what games are being broadcast everywhere.
Looks like super-soggy conditions for the Cardinals 49ers game. I think that would favor the 49ers power run game.
Um…I don’t want to jinx it, but my beloved Panthers seem to be holding their own in Detroit. And Cam Newton just broke the rookie rushing TD record, according to Redzone.
Well, Cleveland fans lose the right to complain about the refs for a while.