# NFL Week 16 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 26, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460 "2010-12-26T22:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/41 "2010-12-27T19:21:03Z")
I definitely think it’s time for Coughlin to go. He has a (well-deserved) reputation for coaching teams that know how to take care of the ball. Yet the Giants have gone the other way, as far as you can go. What is the point of having Coughlin coach your team if he’s given up on the disciplined approach that made him an effective coach? ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/42 "2010-12-27T19:24:33Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Thanks. I was wondering if the Bears could still get the first seed in the unlikely event Atlanta lost 2, but apparently not. It’s unlikely in the extreme, but it could happen. If the Falcons lose out and the Saints lose to the Bucs next week, and the Bears beat the Packers, the Bears could have the one seed. Of course, for this to happen, the Falcons would have to lose at home to the Panthers. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/43 "2010-12-27T22:17:45Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Packers will beat the Bears even if the Bears play their starters. If Aaron Rodgers stay healthy and they play like they did yesterday they sure will. If they can sustain that level of play it’ll be them against the Falcons or Eagles in the NFC championship game. > [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > I definitely think it’s time for Coughlin to go. He has a (well-deserved) reputation for coaching teams that know how to take care of the ball. Yet the Giants have gone the other way, as far as you can go. What is the point of having Coughlin coach your team if he’s given up on the disciplined approach that made him an effective coach? What evidence is there that he’s given up on the disciplined approach? I only ask as an interested observer. ---
**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 27, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/44 "2010-12-27T22:24:35Z")
So uh… Tebow. Does he maybe not suck? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/45 "2010-12-27T22:30:45Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > What evidence is there that he’s given up on the disciplined approach? I only ask as an interested observer. The Giants lead the league in giveaways by a wide margin. Eli Manning is one of the most fumble-prone QBs in the league even though he’s not as bad as he was last year, and Bradshaw is one of the fumblingest running backs. Manning also leads the league in interceptions, which helps explain the giveaway stats, but the team also has the most fumbles. You might remember Tiki Barber made a big leap forward when he learned to stop losing the ball all the time. If Coughlin still stresses hanging on to the ball, the message is not sinking in. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/46 "2010-12-28T00:17:37Z")
The Saints losing out is not at all a big reach. They have to win on the road against the best home team in football, and then they have to play a highly motivated and overachieving Bucs team that is playing for their playoff lives as well (though they would also need some help). ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/47 "2010-12-28T00:28:39Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So uh… Tebow. Does he maybe not suck? You know what they say about blind pigs… ---
**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:** [December 28, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/48 "2010-12-28T00:56:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The Giants lead the league in giveaways by a wide margin. Eli Manning is one of the most fumble-prone QBs in the league even though he’s not as bad as he was last year, and Bradshaw is one of the fumblingest running backs. Manning also leads the league in interceptions, which helps explain the giveaway stats, but the team also has the most fumbles. You might remember Tiki Barber made a big leap forward when he learned to stop losing the ball all the time. If Coughlin still stresses hanging on to the ball, the message is not sinking in. I didn’t know that. I knew that (according to media) Coughlin was instrumental in getting Tiki over his fumbleaya, and then shortly afterwards the Giants won a Super Bowl. I suppose a coach and his message can get stale, but preaching ball security is every coach’s mantra. Its football 101. I guess what I’m asking is if Coughlin was perceived as such a tough coach (and vilified and hated until the Super Bowl win)…what happened? Are the Giants issues beyond the coach’s demesne? They still have talented players on both sides of the ball. I’ve even heard that Coughlin is supposedly “softening up”…could that be it? In other words, why on Earth would a team that hadn’t won the Super Bowl since 1991 want to oust the coach that led them to another Super Bowl win in 2008, a mere 2 years ago? They were 12-4 the season after and made the playoffs as well. They were 8-8 the following year after starting 5-0, and this season they are on the brink of elimination. But they will have a winning season. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/49 "2010-12-28T01:32:13Z")
I am not, and never will be a Rams fan, but . . . If you’d asked any random Rams fan at the beginning of the season how many wins it would take to make them kind of, more or less, _content_ with the team’s improvement from 1-15, you’d have gotten a lot of fours, fives, and sixes. A win in Seattle gives them the division and the playoffs at 8-8. Either Spagnuolo is the real thing, or Bradford is, or both are. ---
**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 28, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/50 "2010-12-28T02:12:20Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I am not, and never will be a Rams fan, but . . . > > If you’d asked any random Rams fan at the beginning of the season how many wins it would take to make them kind of, more or less, _content_ with the team’s improvement from 1-15, you’d have gotten a lot of fours, fives, and sixes. > > A win in Seattle gives them the division and the playoffs at 8-8. > > Either Spagnuolo is the real thing, or Bradford is, or both are. I’d like to see the Rams, because I think Steven Jackson has been a warrior for a team that has been pretty bad and would like to see him in the post-season. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/51 "2010-12-28T02:16:09Z")
Offsetting pass interference? What the hell? Has anyone seen that before? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/52 "2010-12-28T02:53:44Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > In other words, why on Earth would a team that hadn’t won the Super Bowl since 1991 want to oust the coach that led them to another Super Bowl win in 2008, a mere 2 years ago? They were 12-4 the season after and made the playoffs as well. They were 8-8 the following year after starting 5-0, and this season they are on the brink of elimination. But they will have a winning season. What gives? The have enough talent that a winning season is not a significant achievement, and the NFC isn’t even very good this year. They won the Super Bowl three seasons ago. Each year, they’ve started strong and then fallen apart at the end of the season. Decembers have been particularly bad and they have not won a playoff game in that time. Hence the speculation that Coughlin is done. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/53 "2010-12-28T04:26:16Z")
I’m curious as to why Singletary was fired with just one meaningless game left. Did they just want to eliminate the drama with Singletary getting into an argument with his QB on the sideline? Play their last game with no distractions and let the players they have try to get in one final impression for job auditions for 2011? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/54 "2010-12-28T04:59:05Z")
Saints clinch a playoff spot and remain alive for home field advantage with a huge road win tonight. **Who Dat?** ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/55 "2010-12-28T05:25:45Z")
> [@Carl\_Corey](#): > > Offsetting pass interference? What the hell? > > Has anyone seen that before? I don’t think I’d ever seen that before. Very strange call. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/56 "2010-12-28T10:58:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I can’t remember, didn’t you call me out for suggesting Coughlin was on the hot seat earlier this year? Probably. If I did I was right; he **wasn’t** on the hot seat earlier this season in any way, shape or form. The collapse against the Eagles two weeks ago is what put him on the hot seat. The Packers (and possibly Redskins next week) would just be the icing on the cake. Working against Coughlin is that next year is the last year of his contract. As an organization, the Giants never let a coach go into the last season of his contract; they either extend the contract or let him go. Meaning Coughlin must be either extended or fired after this season. Tough to extend a contract after such an epic collapse. > [@Carl\_Corey](#): > > Offsetting pass interference? What the hell? > > Has anyone seen that before? I didn’t see the game, but I have seen offsetting pass interference before. A few times, actually. Plaxico Burress was a very handsy guy… ---
**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 28, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/57 "2010-12-28T17:37:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’m curious as to why Singletary was fired with just one meaningless game left. Did they just want to eliminate the drama with Singletary getting into an argument with his QB on the sideline? Play their last game with no distractions and let the players they have try to get in one final impression for job auditions for 2011? Potenetial replacements, such as John Gruden or Brian Billick, usually refuse to speak with a team as long as they have a head coach. Otherwise it gives the appearance of meddling and undermining the current coach. The 49ers now have no head coach (iterim, but the position is conisdered vacant, of course) and can feely talk with possible new coaches. The sooner the better I am sure is the thought process. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/58 "2010-12-28T18:03:41Z")
Chiming in as a Texans’ follower, I would love it if Gary Kubiak were fired immediately, for many of the reasons that **Gangster Octopus** cites. Moreover, this way, the final game of the season can be used to evaluate talent, seeing if Matt Leinart is actually an effective back-up/3rd string, whether Steve Slaton can still play RB, etc…treat it as a pre-season game. Instead, they’d rather waste the game and risk further injury to Schaub and Johnson in an attempt to save Kubiak/Richard Smith/Frank Bush’s jobs. I can’t believe that I’m actually agreeing with a personnel decision of the Yorks. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/59 "2010-12-28T18:27:46Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The [Playoff Machine](http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine) for your pleasure. This is so much fun to play with. I was surprised to find out that FOUR teams have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC - the Saints, the Falcons, the Bears and the Eagles. Though some of these scenarios are contingent on the Falcons imploding against Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460/60 "2010-12-28T18:46:16Z")
> [@SpartanDC](#): > > This is so much fun to play with. I was surprised to find out that FOUR teams have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC - the Saints, the Falcons, the Bears and the Eagles. Though some of these scenarios are contingent on the Falcons imploding against Carolina. ALL of them are. If the Falcons win they get the #1 seed. And I don’t see any way that they can lose after seeing Pittsburgh dismantle them. They have either quit or they are really that bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/565460.md?page=4)