One from the North and one from the East seems almost a mortal lock.
Ugh, I have to root for the Bengals I guess. It’s the least disgusting option.
and
So, first you ask why anyone ever considered him a top-5 quarterback, and then you say that you remember him being a top-tier quarterback.
Which is it?
Bolding mine. I don’t think the contradiction you’re imagining exists. There’s no blood in this water.
I think there probably should have been a “considered” in Laggard’s second post, though. And it’s probably fair to assume there should have been one, considering the first post.
Quote of the night from my girlfriend: “I feel like Flacco sucks.” Right before he threw the final TD. Bad timing, sure, but when a casual observer notices…
I guess, but it seems that the first question is either disingenuous, or suggests a complete ignorance of Rivers’ playing career.
Rivers was, in fact, a top-level QB for quite a few seasons. While there’s room for disagreement over exactly where he ranked, few people would dispute that he was damn good. The fact that he’s doing poorly this year doesn’t change how well he did in previous years, and he was good for long enough that it can’t be attributed to just luck.
Basically, Rivers was considered a top-5 quarterback because that’s exactly what he was.
It’s that I’ve seen him in top-5 lists THIS year. Granted most of these lists were likely earlier in the year.
Contradicted myself maybe yes. Sorta thinking out loud maybe.
As a Ravens fan, i admit to some bias given the result, but i think it was a pretty damn good game. 
Quite a few may be stretching it; he’s had three stellar seasons in a row, from 2008-2010. The first two he played (2006 & 2007) weren’t top level, and he rode the bench for 2004 and 2005. I generally consider “a few” to mean 3, so by that definition it would be more accurate to say he was a top-level QB for a few seasons.
By contrast, Peyton Manning has been a top-level QB for quite a few seasons.
Right now, the AFC East has a three-way tie. The Bills, the Jets, and the Patriots all have a 5-3 record. To make it even more confusing, the Bills beat the Patriots, the Patriots beat the Jets, and the Jets beat the Bills. So how do they figure out who’s first, second, and third at the moment? Are the next levels of tie breaking divisional and conference records?
Fair enough.
But “three stellar seasons in a row” is certainly sufficient to justify people describing him as a top-tier QB at the start of this season.
Yes and no. More than two in the same division first goes head to head record (they’re all tied at 1-1 in games vs each other), then division records, then common games. Conference comes after common games. That’s why inter-conference play looms so large in tiebreaking, since all inter-conference games are common games for the purposes of divisional tiebreakers.
Agreed.
I’d feel the same way about the Browns if our teams positions were reversed…
That seems unfair. Two teams in a division might play a game against the same opponent but one might play them at home and the other play them on the road. Overall conference records would seem to be more neutral with home and away games balanced.
Yeah, but one team might play against New England, while the other plays against the Colts. Is that any more balanced? If i were choosing a schedule this year, i’d take an away game against Indy over a home game against the Patriots.
I’m not sure what you’re getting at here. For teams in the same division, their common opponents will always be balanced in terms of the number of home and away games, although the individual teams they’ve played at home or away will be different.
Conference records will be less neutral, since it includes the two opponents that aren’t common for teams in the same division.
In my opinion there are probably 5 teams in the NFC that are better than any team in the AFC: Packers, Lions, Eagles, Giants, Saints. Yes the Eagles, the Falcons are close, now that Jones is healthy, the Niners can compete with any team. Who in the AFC is close? The Steelers? The Ravens? The Patriots? The Texans? The Jets? On a neutral field I wouldn’t take any of those teams over the five NFC teams I mentioned.
You’re nuts.
The Packers are on a different level, but the NFC elite are every bit as schizophrenic and maddening as the AFCs. I think all those teams you mention would be Pick Ems, or close to it with the AFC teams you mention. Right now, after seeing this week’s performances I think I’d have the Texans number 2 in my power rankings.
Agreed, the Packers are the only NFC team that are clearly ahead of the top AFC teams. The Lions are good, but they’ve only beaten other NFC teams. The Eagles and Giants are no better than the Jets/Bills type teams. The Saints are probably a tier ahead, close to the Pats, Steelers, and Ravens, if a bit more up and down.
Cardinals have never been on my radar before catching the highlights on RedZone last night. Anyone else see Patrick Peterson’s game winning 99 yard punt return? Rookie moves like Hester or Sproles. It was some sweetness, for sure.
I’ve been quietly optimistic. My big excitement in the offseason/preseason was their second round Keapernick. Heck, I figured he’d be starting halfway through the season when Smith underperformed. As a Nevada alum who’s been a 49ers fan as long as I’ve watched sports, that was exciting.
After last year’s high hopes for the 49ers were crushed by mid-season, I’m finally ready to be excited about the team. They’re 7-1 through the tough part of their schedule. They still have 5 in-conference games left, and the rest of their conference is pathetic. At this point, I think the only team with a more solid lock on the playoffs is the Packers.
Last season made me want to claw my eyes out every time I watched. This year, I’ve enjoyed watching the 49ers. They have only dominated one team (Buccaneers), but they have been able to grind down the other team six times so far with solid special teams and defense that gives a solid but unexplosive offense a short field to work with. Even their loss (Cowboys) was in OT, so it’s not like the 49ers collapsed or were dominated. I don’t know how they did it, but the 49ers are playing some of the best football in the league now.
garygnu is a little more generous with the grades than I am. I’d give the special teams an A. Andy Lee is one of the best punters. Akres is perhaps on the borderline between the top tier of kickers and the second tier. The coverage is solid. The return game is good. Combine the special teams with the defense, and the 49ers will wind a battle of field position.
Defense gets an A. Every once in a while, they scare the hell out of me. Watching the Redskins march down the field in the fourth quarter to score such an easy TD scared me. As solid as the 49ers defense is, every once in a while they give up a drive like that or they give up an easy deep pass for a touchdown that seems totally out of character for what is otherwise a solid defense. I can’t give an A+ due to these lapses.
The offense is underwhelming but effective. They get a B-. I don’t know they’re good enough to keep up with some of the high octane offenses they will have to face in the playoffs, even if the defense slows them down. Gore is a beast, and the offense will continue to produce as long as he’s healthy. Smith deserves a conversation of his own. I think it’s the fact he’s signed as a free agent, not as the number one pick or a renegotiated version of that deal. The pressure to take the game over and work miracles is off Smith. Gore, and the defense take more of that pressure off. Smith is smartly throwing the ball away and isn’t trying to force the ball into tight coverage. Smith has very quietly put up solid numbers this year. He hasn’t been making game changing plays, but he has steadily put together hundreds of passing yards and ten touchdowns to only two interceptions.