# NFL Week 11

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [November 18, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423 "2012-11-18T17:23:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/41 "2012-11-19T01:23:47Z")

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Well the Texans game was way more exciting than I expected. What I like is how Houston finds a way to win: if they can’t run it they’ll have a record day in passing yards. Or if defense fails they’ll keep putting points on the board, vice versa on both accounts.

What I don’t like is a jags team tearing apart the secondary. Aaron Rogers is one thing, but Henne? The Texans have a weakness in giving up the big pass. If the Jagoffs figured it out the so can a better team. Wade Philips needs to fix it. It almost seems that the worse off an opposing team’s run game is the better they do against the Texan’s D.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/42 "2012-11-19T01:30:55Z")

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My Steelers face a tough night. The Ravens are good this year and it would have been tough enough without the injuries.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/43 "2012-11-19T02:19:46Z")

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Ooof! It started well enough… But not looking too good right now.

Unfortunately I had a late night last night and have an early morning tomorrow and I can barely keep my eyes open. So they’ll have to play without the benefit of my coaching.

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/44 "2012-11-19T02:42:59Z")

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Nice win for the Saints today. Defense turned in a decent performance, but I guess that doesn’t mean a lot against the Raiders. Still, the team is at .500, and at least in the hunt for a wildcard spot. For now. Tough slate of games coming up, though.

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**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/45 "2012-11-19T02:52:32Z")

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> [@Khadaji](#):
>
> My Steelers face a tough night. The Ravens are good this year and it would have been tough enough without the injuries.

Finally some acknowledgement (even if it’s from a _Squeeler_, of all things :rolleyes: ) that we’re actually good this year. Bayless and the talking heads won’t shut up about how our offense sucks the big one on the road, and how our D is ranked 26th against both pass and run.

… but then of course they conveniently overlook that we’re (as we have been for 12 years running) ranked 1st in Red Zone D and 13th in points allowed, and that our offense leads the league in scoring at home.

Regarding tonight’s game: Keenan Lewis looks overmatched against Boldin, and Kruger is just absolutely beating up on your right tackle, which exacerbates Leftwich’s already considerable release issues. If you guys don’t find a way to fix that and break open the run game, the series is ours. No way you beat us at the M&T without Big Ben.

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**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/46 "2012-11-19T03:06:18Z")

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> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> Crosby needs to get it together before too long. It was not your typical Packer game. They had more rushes than pass attempts and the defense made the difference.
> 
> Getting a win in Detroit while missing their best defensive players, their best OT, and their best WR is huge. Great win, but way to hard on my rapidly aging heart.

Crosby should be gone.

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/47 "2012-11-19T03:16:01Z")

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Is anyone else completely unimpressed by this Ravens/Steelers game. Both teams look … not good.

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/48 "2012-11-19T03:16:09Z")

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Bengals baby! WOOT!

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**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/49 "2012-11-19T03:30:47Z")

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> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> Is anyone else completely unimpressed by this Ravens/Steelers game. Both teams look … not good.

You want “looks good”? Go watch a Patriots game, or something. We don’t roll with that pretty-princess bullshit in the AFC North. Run the rock, hit your man, all day, every day, that’s how you win in the NFL. We have two teams in the playoffs every year for a reason.

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/50 "2012-11-19T03:37:16Z")

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> [@Sampsiceramos](#):
>
> You want “looks good”? Go watch a Patriots game, or something. We don’t roll with that pretty-princess bullshit in the AFC North. Run the rock, hit your man, all day, every day, that’s how you win in the NFL. We have two teams in the playoffs every year for a reason.

I think you misunderstand. My point wasn’t about the type of football (“pretty princess” v. “AFC North”), but about the level of football (bad v. good). These tea.s are not playing “good” football, they’re playing bad football.

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/51 "2012-11-19T03:39:17Z")

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So I turn on NBC, and it looks like the Ravens are playing the…Bumblebees? Yuck. Steelers are wearing the fugliest uniforms I’ve seen in a long time. I vote we put an end to this throwback crap, and ditch the whole “everybody wears something pink in October” thing while we’re at it. Let the guys wear their regular uniforms every week, and spare us this nonsense.

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**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/52 "2012-11-19T03:50:40Z")

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> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> I think you misunderstand. My point wasn’t about the type of football (“pretty princess” v. “AFC North”), but about the level of football (bad v. good). These tea.s are not playing “good” football, they’re playing bad football.

Eh, I’d say both teams are playing some decent D, and the special teams play has been pretty spectacular for the Ravens.

The big knock on the game so far is just that single flukey TD in open play. Ike T is winning his matchup with Torrey, and both run games have had some good plays, but look anaemic overall. Flacco throwing TD’s lives and dies with the play-action passing game, and there’s just no way, no how that’s going to work today - **especially** when John and Cam won’t put Bernard Pierce out there and let him try to run some guys over now that Rice is getting stuffed on just about every carry.

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/53 "2012-11-19T05:13:13Z")

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Why the hell would they wear those uniforms twice?

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/54 "2012-11-19T05:31:15Z")

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> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> Is anyone else completely unimpressed by this Ravens/Steelers game. Both teams look … not good.

Well, it was boring as fuck. I turned it off at halftime and went to play Madden instead even though I had Mendenhall playing in a bunch of fantasy games.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/55 "2012-11-19T06:32:10Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Why the hell would they wear those uniforms twice?

My wife, who hates football, saw the uniforms on TV while we were eating dinner out. She wondered why a football team was wearing rugby uniforms.

In other news, 49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco reminded me that Chilo Rachal is a starter for the Bears, and will have to contend with Justin and Aldon Smith. LOL

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/56 "2012-11-19T10:57:09Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> Well, it was boring as fuck. I turned it off at halftime and went to play Madden instead even though I had Mendenhall playing in a bunch of fantasy games.

And not “wow, look at that impressive defenses” boring, it was “why can’t they tackle the all but immobile Byron Leftwhich”, “wow, he threw it right to the opposing player”, and “too bad Mike Wallace didn’t sell out for that TD grab” boring.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/57 "2012-11-19T13:04:26Z")

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Well, it wasn’t as bad as I expected, but a loss is still a loss. ☹

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**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:** [November 19, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/58 "2012-11-19T14:29:17Z")

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> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> And not “wow, look at that impressive defenses” boring, it was “why can’t they tackle the all but immobile Byron Leftwhich”, “wow, he threw it right to the opposing player”, and “too bad Mike Wallace didn’t sell out for that TD grab” boring.

Yeah, that sounds right. I knew it was going to be a bad night when Chris Collinsworth started telling viewers that Jon Harbaugh told him Byron Leftwich “moved better than people think”, or something like that.

I saw at least a dozen of Leftwich’s games at Marshall and probably 40 of his starts for Jacksonville, and never saw him outrun the guys carrying the down-and-distance markers. I think the important thing to remember is that [he broke his leg in a game for Marshall](http://archives.huntingtonnews.net/marshall/05062-mu-countdown-6.html) and was able to remain on the field to direct a game-winning drive because it didn’t affect his mobility. The only reason anyone noticed is that his linemen had to carry him down the field for the next snap.

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/59 "2012-11-19T15:21:45Z")

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Chris Mortensen is reporting that Alex Smith was unable to get a neurologist to clear him for tonight.

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**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-11/641423/60 "2012-11-19T16:26:09Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Haha. “The previous play was confirmed… haha, except, I didn’t review it, cause it wasn’t a reviewable play” - Ed Hocculi.
> 
> Oh what a clusterfuck this whole thing is becoming.

I listened to that game on the radio. Jim Donovan (Browns play by play guy, best in the biz) was pretty exasperated with Hocculi and the crew. That call in particular sparked some good ridicule. For whatever it’s worth, the Browns radio guys thought it should have been a fumble and that the Browns would have taken it to the house.

And how 'bout that Cowboys winning drive. Illegal hit, PI, Timeout, Delay of Game, Spike the ball, kick the FG. I don’t think their offense did anything right other than rely on Cleveland’s horrible luck.

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