# NFL Week 14 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 8, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465 "2011-12-08T03:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/141 "2011-12-12T02:26:07Z")
Freakin’ A The 49ers Red Zone offense is horrendous. Truly incompetent. Awful. Useless. [assorted synonyms for “shitty”] Ted Ginn returns it to the 4 yard line? Field goal. Interception returned to the 16? Field goal. Long pass to Davis to the 13? Field Goal. It was an awful game plan to begin with, too. No slants, no counter runs, no swing passes. It was Singletary’s offense this week. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/142 "2011-12-12T04:54:58Z")
The **GIANTS** hate me. Can’t we just win a game. Must every game be a nail-biter? Wow, as I’m typing, a blocked field goal after icing the kicker. I need a defibrillator every time I watch this team. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/143 "2011-12-12T04:55:26Z")
I hate when that works. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/144 "2011-12-12T04:58:31Z")
Well, that certainly was an exciting SNF. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/145 "2011-12-12T05:05:53Z")
Fuck me, that was nitro-fueled awesome. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/146 "2011-12-12T05:08:07Z")
That was an amazing game. I’m never sure, when i watch the Giants and the Cowboys, whether i want Tom Coughlin or Dallas to lose more. It is nice to see Dallas lose on their home turf, though. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/147 "2011-12-12T05:34:30Z")
The Druidess works at a local TV station. Her rooting interest in Sunday Night Football is always for a quick game, no overtime. Normally, she can’t come home until after the news which can’t start until the game ends. She says the entire newsroom cheered the blocked kick… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/148 "2011-12-12T07:05:44Z")
For those who didn’t watch the Jets game, they screwed up their first play after the kickoff and only had ten men on the field. By the time they realized it and tried to fix it, they couldn’t get the play off in time. So they had to call a time-out six seconds into the game. The announcers speculated this was the earliest a time-out had ever been called in an NFL game. Has this been confirmed or debunked? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/149 "2011-12-12T08:12:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For those who didn’t watch the Jets game, they screwed up their first play after the kickoff and only had ten men on the field. By the time they realized it and tried to fix it, they couldn’t get the play off in time. So they had to call a time-out six seconds into the game. The announcers speculated this was the earliest a time-out had ever been called in an NFL game. Has this been confirmed or debunked? It’s not unreasonable to imagine a scenario where a team has taken a touchback on the opening kickoff and, at the line of scrimmage, calls a timeout, for whatever reason, before they snap the ball. That is 0 seconds elapsed. I’d be surprised if that’s never happened. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/150 "2011-12-12T19:04:19Z")
The Chiefs have fired head coach Todd Haley: [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/12/12/todd.haley.fired.ap/index.html?sct=hp\_t2\_a3&eref=sihp](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/12/12/todd.haley.fired.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp) They’ve looked particularly bad the past few weeks, with Palko at QB, so I guess I’m not too surprised. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/151 "2011-12-12T19:16:16Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > They’ve looked particularly bad the past few weeks, with Palko at QB, so I guess I’m not too surprised. I’m not surprised, but I’m sometimes confused by some owners. I guess fans are always calling for change after a losing season (see any Houston team of the last decade), but it really depends on why you think the season is a loser. The Chiefs had some key injuries throughout the season. But they had their moments, too. And it’s not like there’s a ton of top tier coaching talent on the market. That ignores all the competition for the few name coaches against Jacksonville, probably New York, probably St Louis, probably Indy, probably San Diego, maybe Minnesota, DC and Philly, possibly Miami and Tampa Bay, and any others I might have missed (Chicago?). ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/152 "2011-12-12T19:23:44Z")
If anyone should be fired it should be Caldwell from Indy. No team should be so bereft of talent or motivation that the loss of a starting QB should lead to the disaster that the colts are dealing with now. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/153 "2011-12-12T19:30:19Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > The Chiefs had some key injuries throughout the season. But they had their moments, too. Agreed. They were awful the first two or three weeks of the season, but then played pretty well until about the midway point of the season. I do agree that injuries were likely the big reason for the poor play (and Haley’s undoubtedly not the first coach to take the fall due to that). I also wonder if things had soured between Haley and Scott Pioli. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/154 "2011-12-12T19:34:07Z")
Man, Palko has one of the weakest arms I have ever seen on on an NFL starter. ---
**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:** [December 12, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/155 "2011-12-12T20:45:36Z")
I get the impression that Hailey is pretty good and was a key factor in the big turnaround last year. Surprised they’re willing to let him go so soon. A quick turnaround deserves trusting him through a bad season with significant adversity. They promoted Crennel to interim head coach. Good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/156 "2011-12-12T21:07:49Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > And it’s not like there’s a ton of top tier coaching talent on the market. That ignores all the competition for the few name coaches against Jacksonville, probably New York, probably St Louis, probably Indy, probably San Diego, maybe Minnesota, DC and Philly, possibly Miami and Tampa Bay, and any others I might have missed (Chicago?). By most accounts, Haley’s pretty much an asshole. He chased off Weis and has been often described as hard to work with/play for. He’s had an open rift with Pioli. If you’re a tactical genius, people will put up with that, but I don’t see any signs of Haley being especially good coach. Cassel and the passing game did not show signs of developing, and that was supposed to be Haley’s thing. They had a fluky playoff berth because Jamaal Charles ran for 6.4 yards per carry, in spite of Haley keeping him on the bench. If Pioli has lost faith in him, better to act now; if you wait, maybe he lucks into a couple wins and then it gets harder. As it is, you can let Crennell audition and you have a month to sweet-talk Bill Cowher before the competition arrives. It’s actually an appealing opening: there is some solid young talent there, and it’s a weak division. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/157 "2011-12-12T21:13:41Z")
Aaand, Sparano’s apparently gone, too: [http://tracking.si.com/2011/12/12/report-dolphins-fire-tony-sparano/?sct=hp\_t2\_a6&eref=sihp](http://tracking.si.com/2011/12/12/report-dolphins-fire-tony-sparano/?sct=hp_t2_a6&eref=sihp) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/158 "2011-12-13T01:40:38Z")
First time I’ve had a chance to watch the Rams since I left St. Louis. Gosh, this should be exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/159 "2011-12-13T03:40:32Z")
I’m sad to see that called as pass interference. It may be the right call by the rulebook (I don’t know), but it was great defense - the hand on the shoulder didn’t prevent the receiver from making the catch. I hate to see that penalized. Hope it doesn’t result in a touchdown. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465/160 "2011-12-13T04:17:05Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > I’m sad to see that called as pass interference. It may be the right call by the rulebook (I don’t know), but it was great defense - the hand on the shoulder didn’t prevent the receiver from making the catch. I hate to see that penalized. Hope it doesn’t result in a touchdown. +1. Unbelievable. I’m probably biased as a Seattle fan, but I tend to think, regardless of the game I’m watching, that the NFL could do with fewer PI penalties called. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-14/605465.md?page=9)