# NFL Week 7 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 23, 2011, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521 "2011-10-23T09:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [October 24, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/81 "2011-10-24T22:35:54Z")
Speaking of which, the Eagles and Carolina are both 2 win teams. I wonder, since the Eagles backups are better than Carolina, if they’d be better off starting them. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/82 "2011-10-24T23:01:43Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > They had Manning and for those 10 years they played in a decent but none to difficult division. They created a team that was so dependent on Manning which is bad management. I get that Manning is great but if you have created a team that completely collapses then it is bad management, not because you lost one player. Yes they should have gotten worse, but not this much worse. Other than the Patriots, who are magical, and teams which lucked into backups who were future Pro Bowlers, what team has ever lost a top-5 quarterback and not collapsed? The Patriots play in the AFC East, where all three opponents have been average to bad over the last ten seasons. The Chargers play in the AFC West, where all three opponents have been bad pretty much for all of the last 10 seasons. The Steelers play in the AFC North, where the Ravens were mostly average, the Bengals were mostly bad with flashes of brilliance, and the Browns were uniformly terrible. The Colts played in the AFC South, where Jacksonville have had only 2 sub-.500 seasons, the Titans have vacillated between awful and great, and the Texans have been mostly awful. The AFC North is the only division in the AFC which was arguably stronger over the past 10 years. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/83 "2011-10-25T02:12:57Z")
This is unusual. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/84 "2011-10-25T02:32:03Z")
The Ravens are averaging just over 2 inches per play tonight, which is only marginally more than Colt McCoy’s yards per attempt. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/85 "2011-10-25T02:48:54Z")
What fucking game is this officiating crew watching? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/86 "2011-10-25T02:50:38Z")
I don’t have cable anymore, but I have the box score up on Yahoo. I’m assuming that there has been softball-sized hail throughout the entire game, correct? Odd that they haven’t delayed on account of brimstone. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/87 "2011-10-25T03:02:11Z")
It’s a perfectly clear night. Kind of chilly by Florida standards, but nothing to explain this. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/88 "2011-10-25T03:05:45Z")
I can explain this. The universe wants me to beat Jules Andre in fantasy football. It’s all coming together. Is it… God? Maybe I will become a believer. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/89 "2011-10-25T03:54:39Z")
I desperately need an Ed Dickson TD to win in my money league. And, thanks to Josh Scobee, the Ravens have to try to throw one. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/90 "2011-10-25T03:57:41Z")
This may be the worst officiated game I’ve ever seen. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/91 "2011-10-25T04:00:02Z")
Rats. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/92 "2011-10-25T04:13:51Z")
Well that was a steaming pile of suck. At least the blowout last night featured my team looking strong. This thing tonight…wow. What a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/93 "2011-10-25T04:47:00Z")
I wonder how anyone thought that this one would be worthy of a Monday night. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/94 "2011-10-25T08:05:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > But it really is that simple. The Colts are giving up 31 points a game this season, including last night. They gave up 24 points a game last season. Taking out yesterday’s game, they were giving up… 24.5 points a game. > > Conversely, they _scored_ 27 points per game last season, and are scoring 16 points per game this season. > > I guess you can argue that their weaker-than-normal showing in 2010 plus this year are evidence of a decline, but bear in mind that the Colts were _decimated_ by injuries in 2010 and 2009. The entire starting secondary was on injured reserve by the end of the season: Melvin Bullitt, Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden and Jerraud Powers. Two starting linebackers combined to miss 16 games. They had to sign _two_ street free agents to play wideout. > > And yet, they still made the playoffs, because Peyton Manning. Marley23 stated > [@](#): > > Can we give Peyton Manning a couple of extra MVP trophies retroactively? implying (to me) that he believed two things: That a typical 12-4 Indianapolis team of recent years would have devolved into the caliber of this year’s team but for Peyton Manning, and that this year’s team would be 12-4 caliber if only Peyton Manning were the starting quarterback. I don’t believe either premise is remotely true. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/95 "2011-10-25T13:49:26Z")
Did the Ravens accidentally field the Rams offense last night? Whoever told Del Rio to challenge that play in the end zone should be slapped around. There was clearly a foot or more of green between Flacco’s plant foot and the back of the end zone. Waste of a challenge and a time out. > [@Enginerd](#): > > This may be the worst officiated game I’ve ever seen. Nights like this are why the NFL had to outlaw calling out the officating crews publically. It was baaaad. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/96 "2011-10-25T14:15:38Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Nights like this are why the NFL had to outlaw calling out the officating crews publically. It was baaaad. No kidding. I don’t get worked up about bad calls lie the clean hit that was called as helmet to helmet. Going full speed, it’s easy to get that wrong. It’s only obvious to us on replay that it was a bad call. However, things like not knowing how offsetting penalties work, or how personal fouls are enforced, or whatever that mess was with allowing the Jags to get 11 men on the field after the play clock expired? Inexcusable. How are you an NFL ref if you don’t know the rules? I think even the below-average fan knew that something wasn’t right during those calls. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/97 "2011-10-25T15:03:07Z")
> [@Mince](#): > > [Marley23 implied] that a typical 12-4 Indianapolis team of recent years would have devolved into the caliber of this year’s team but for Peyton Manning, and that this year’s team would be 12-4 caliber if only Peyton Manning were the starting quarterback. I don’t believe either premise is remotely true. (edited by me for clarity) If Manning would have won 9 games with this team (as opposed to 12) he’d still be worthy of another MVP, no? ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/98 "2011-10-25T15:18:07Z")
The Colts did this to themselves by never getting a competent backup QB. Yes, Manning probably would lead this team to 9+ wins. But, a capable backup probably should win 7+ with this team. They built the whole thing around Manning. The problem is that their QB options are so bad and they don’t have a true feature RB, either. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/99 "2011-10-25T15:23:25Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > No kidding. I don’t get worked up about bad calls lie the clean hit that was called as helmet to helmet. Going full speed, it’s easy to get that wrong. It’s only obvious to us on replay that it was a bad call. This is the one call I can forgive. The defenders head and shoulder did catch the bottom of the facemask, so at full speed i can understand erring on the side of caution, but some of the others… I have to give props to Mel Tucker and the Jag’s D though. They really managed to capitalize on the Ravens not being ready to bring thier game. The coverage was everything they could ask for and the front seven ran right over the Ravens O-line. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521/100 "2011-10-25T16:16:28Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > The Colts did this to themselves by never getting a competent backup QB. Yes, Manning probably would lead this team to 9+ wins. But, a capable backup probably should win 7+ with this team. They built the whole thing around Manning. The problem is that their QB options are so bad and they don’t have a true feature RB, either. No capable quarterback would sign to back up Manning except for a huge premium, knowing that he’d probably never see the field. “Capable backups” go to teams with shitty starters. Aaron Rodgers is backed up by Matt Flynn, a 7th round pick. Drew Brees is backed up by Chase Daniel, who wasn’t drafted. Remember 2009, when Tom Brady was replaced by a seventh round pick who’d never started a college game? Did anyone really think Matt Cassel was a “capable backup”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/600521.md?page=6)