# NFL Week 3 Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 23, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810 "2010-09-23T20:33:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/101 "2010-09-27T15:15:01Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > > [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > > > The Rams ended a long list of bad streaks with that win. The offense looks like it may be coming together, but their D has really gelled. If they can play like this from now onn the next 5 games look less scary. > > What are they saying about Steven Jackson’s groin injury? (Yes, he is on my fantasy team…) They have not given any specifics other then it is not a tear. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/102 "2010-09-27T16:11:05Z")
Well, I’ll just put down my pitchfork, here. [Jimmy Raye fired](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5621612). That story broke minutes before I posted; I hit the button and rushed off to my car, only to hear the morning show guys announce the news as soon as I turn the key. Next up: Alex Smith. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/103 "2010-09-27T16:54:03Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Well, I’ll just put down my pitchfork, here. [Jimmy Raye fired](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5621612). That story broke minutes before I posted; I hit the button and rushed off to my car, only to hear the morning show guys announce the news as soon as I turn the key. > > Next up: Alex Smith. Watching that game was extremely frustrating, I can’t recall one time the Nineres really tried to stretch the field with a long pass. Not sure if that is on Alex Smith or Jimmy Raye or what. But I will say this, Smith looked like he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn on half his throws. Crabtree seems to run shitty routes. And for the first time ever it seemed to me like Patrick Willis didn’t give a crap. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/104 "2010-09-27T17:09:49Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Watching that game was extremely frustrating, I can’t recall one time the Nineres really tried to stretch the field with a long pass. Not sure if that is on Alex Smith or Jimmy Raye or what. But I will say this, Smith looked like he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn on half his throws. Crabtree seems to run shitty routes. Wow, replace Alex Smith with Carson Palmer and Jimmy Raye with Bob Bratkowski and you could just as easily be talking about the passing game of the 2010 Bengals. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/105 "2010-09-27T17:17:56Z")
The difference is that Palmer actually lived up to his draft position. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/106 "2010-09-27T17:21:36Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Man, the Redskins defense is porous. I have to give the Rams credit, they’ve found a strategy that works. What, playing the Redskins, who are notorious for playing down to the level of their opponent (and then some, quite often)? ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/107 "2010-09-27T17:50:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I really think this matchup is overrated, and the Bears will win going away. Wanna bet? ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/108 "2010-09-27T17:54:11Z")
By “win going away”, he means they’ll beat the Packers out of the building. He can’t possibly believe they’re going to win by a lot of points. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/109 "2010-09-27T18:14:24Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > What, playing the Redskins, who are notorious for playing down to the level of their opponent (and then some, quite often)? Too true, sadly, and the new regime was supposed to fix that, but I don’t know if you can entirely blame this loss on their playing down to the Rams. The Skins defense, long their strength, is struggling mightily to fit its 4-3 personnel into Haslett’s 3-4 and is giving up yards by the bucketful. That long run by Jackson for the touchdown in the first quarter is an example of that. They were moving the ball afterward, until Moss fumbled the ball and the Rams returned it inside the 5 yard line, and subsequently punched it in. They never seemed to recover from being down 14-0 in the first quarter (fourteen points, curiously, being the total they lost by). My point is, I guess, that going into this game there were several glaring weakness in the team that Dallas (almost) and Houston took advantage of all day, and they weren’t remedied by playing a crummy opponent… rather they were exposed yet again. I interpret that not as playing down to an opponent, but just being a bad team. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/110 "2010-09-27T18:28:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > By “win going away”, he means they’ll beat the Packers out of the building. He can’t possibly believe they’re going to win by a lot of points. Never, ever underestimate Dio’s ability to believe in what he really wants to be true. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/111 "2010-09-27T19:37:04Z")
I’m not sure who was more surprised by the Chiefs play this weekend: the 49ers or the Chiefs fans. Those of us who live in KC are afraid to get our hopes up. We’ve had our dreams broken against the cruel rocks of reality the last few years and are afraid that we are going to wake up soon and find out that the team that showed up yesterday is just a bunch of impostors. I have not been the biggest Todd Haley fan, and was not impressed with Matt Cassel. Yesterday was the first time he showed me anything that looked good. I just want it to be real and not a fluke. Having the Chiefs be 3-0 is scary. I think a lot of us are waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the team to get back to normal. However, I do have to say that it is hard to concentrate with all the noise going on here in KC. That deafening noise is the sound of a whole buncha people climbing on to the Chiefs bandwagon. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/112 "2010-09-27T20:11:33Z")
You’re in Kansas City. What else is there to do? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/113 "2010-09-27T20:53:57Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > > By “win going away”, he means they’ll beat the Packers out of the building. He can’t possibly believe they’re going to win by a lot of points. > > Never, ever underestimate Dio’s ability to believe in what he really wants to be true. Nobody is more deluded than Packer fans. My analysis on this is not biased. I’m a Vikings fan. it’s not like I have any love for either the Bears or the Packers. I only wish there was a way they both could lose. I really do think the Packers defense is porous, especially in the secondary, and we saw that against Philly. I also think their offense has been made one dimesnional by the loss of Ryan Grant, and that means the Bears can pin back their ears and blitz Rodgers on every play. We know that A-Rodge does not do well under pressure and tends to turtle a lot under a strong pass rush. The Bears are also at home, feeling their oats and showing a more dynamic offense than they have in years. I think this game is a no brainer. The Bears will win by at least ten points (and no, I don’t want to bet. Betting on sports is a fools game. You never know what fluke variables can come into play. The Bears often do seem to have a horseshoe up their ass at home, though). > [@Hamlet](#): > > If you were starting a franchise today, and had to pick between Cutler or Rodgers as your teams QB, which would you choose? That’s right, Rodgers. Sure he’s not a god, but he’s the best QB in NFC North. What’s his record against Brett Favre? ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/114 "2010-09-27T20:54:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You’re in Kansas City. What else is there to do? 😉 He could root for the Roy…nevermind… ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/115 "2010-09-27T21:48:42Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > We know that A-Rodge does not do well under pressure and tends to turtle a lot under a strong pass rush. How do we know that? He’s been sacked three times, has thrown two interceptions and has managed a 63.3% completion rate for an average per catch of 7.4 yards. Those don’t seem the statistics of someone known to panic under pressure like an Eli Manning. > [@](#): > > The Bears are also at home, feeling their oats and showing a more dynamic offense than they have in years. The Bears are riding a QB and WRs riding statistically anomalous streaks. Cutler is currently riding a 121 QB rating, while his career average is ~85. The Bears may win tonight (though I don’t see it), but Cutler will regress to the mean sooner or later (I suspect sooner rather than later). > [@](#): > > What’s his record against Brett Favre? I don’t think two games is a sufficient sample size, nor does his record against one guy matter in that hypothetical scenario. Favre was another guy riding a statistical anomalous season last year, and he had the emotion of playing against his old team for the first (and second) time, whose importance to the results can’t be overstated. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/116 "2010-09-27T21:54:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > My proposed strategy of “draft Antonio Gates and the rest will take of itself” is looking pretty good. Shame I only exercised it in one league. It only works in even numbered years. 😃 > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > You think they’re worried that the Chiefs will go 16-and-0? I’m planning on riding the KC wave this year. I already have Bowe and Jamaal Charles on my fantasy team. I probably will pick up KC defense and Tony Moeaki as well. Since they have a week 4 bye, I can just forget about them after week 4. > [@](#): > > Watching that game was extremely frustrating, I can’t recall one time the Nineres really tried to stretch the field with a long pass. Not sure if that is on Alex Smith or Jimmy Raye or what. But I will say this, Smith looked like he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn on half his throws. Crabtree seems to run shitty routes. > > And for the first time ever it seemed to me like Patrick Willis didn’t give a crap. Imho, it goes back to Singletary and this is usually what happens when you hire a defense-minded coach. The opposite happens on Schottenheimer teams. Imho, the key to defense is pressure. Pressure makes everybody better, keeps the field long, and indirectly provides the offense with more and better possessions. The 49’ers this year just have no pressure, creating incredible stress on the LB’s and secondary. On the flip side, KC defense is playing out of their minds right now mainly through the efforts of Tamba Hali. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/117 "2010-09-27T22:12:14Z")
Did you guys see how Denver contained Mathis and Freeney? It was so sexy, I got a woodie. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/118 "2010-09-27T22:54:37Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > (and no, I don’t want to bet.) It doesn’t have to be for money. How about this? If the Bears win by 8 or more, I will agree to post a 500 word essay on why the Vikings are a great franchise. If they don’t, you agree to write one on why the Packers are a great franchise. Got the courage of your convictions or are you, as usual, just bleating about which you don’t know? > [@Dio](#): > > What’s his record against Brett Favre? Using that “logic”, Chad Henne is a better quarterback than Brett, and that Matt Cassell is better than Phillip Rivers. Great theory. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/119 "2010-09-27T23:16:34Z")
Falcons really rammed the ball down the Saints throat… My only question is how in the hell could people pick the Jags over the Eagles… i had to as an easy one… My two picks of the week were jets and Eagles… SOuth Carolina only pick that cost me this weekend… ``` Any thoughts on VICK/MCNABB I this will be better than the Manning Bowl.. ``` ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810/120 "2010-09-27T23:23:52Z")
There appears to be some disagreement as to whose offensive line is worse…da Bears’ or GB. Tough call. Like the game, it’s a crap shoot. All will depend on which Bears team shows up and whether Butkus is suited up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-3-discussion/554810.md?page=7)