I pretty much agree on both counts. The Svengalis certainly didn’t (and haven’t been) doing themselves any favors with their eleven penalties (and we’ve had nine a game in the last three before that one), and it is painfully obvious to me that the loss of Chris Henry is a gaping hole in the Bengals pass offense.
Laugh if you want to, but Henry is the only wideout we have that has 4.5 speed, is 6’5" and can go up and get the ball. He demands attention which draws defenders away from Chad and Coles (whom was conspicuously absent against the Vikes).
The Bengals are piling up injuries on defense, too. They need to rectify their issues or they will back their way into the playoffs and lose in the first game.
Wait, this isn’t the “season long AFCNorth thread”?
What?! Week 15 goes by and nobody wants to talk about the NFC north?
Could that have something to do with them going 0 for 4 this week?
Detroit put up a good effort but falls short.
Chicago gets pounded.
Division winning Vikings forget to show up to the game.
Packers looked decent on offense buy couldn’t muster enough on defense to stop a last second Pittsburgh drive and score.
If I had to send one of these teams into the playoffs right now to represent the NFC north it may have to be the Packers.
All-Day AP? Favre? Vikes O’line? Calf ropin’ Jared Allen? Hellooooooo?? McFly???
I posted my thoughts on the Packer game in another thread, but I could have here. But making fun of Cutler, Forte, and the Bears after yet another embarrassing loss seems a bit … ungentlemanly. And the Vikings loss, while very enjoyable, doesn’t mean much at this point. I did enjoy the Favre v. Childress theater, but it’s too early to predict the Vikings’ demise. And the Lions… well, they’re the Lions.
Packer game wasn’t on TV here, thanks to the snowstorm delaying the start of the Bear game. As it turns out, I’m glad it wasn’t…I went to see an early-evening showing of Avatar instead, and thus, didn’t have to live through the end of that game in real time.
I guess I’m not surprised by how it turned out, though I was surprised at just how well Pittsburgh was able to throw the ball against a supposedly-good pass defense. I suspected that the Steelers would come out mad, and want to put forth a better effort than they had in recent weeks.
Two last second passes could have changed the fate of the NFC North: Favre’s winning throw against the Niners and Big Bens last second winner against the Packers. Those two throws go the other way and the NFC North is tied (albeit with the tie-breeaker to the Vikes).
I am not as concerned about the Packers loss, as it doesn’t affect our palyoff chances much, as I am about the way the defense played. We couldn’t get one stop on the final drive? Oh well.
That Shiancoe drop was a deflating killer. Game is still in reach. No huddle offense starts a bit of a rhythm, 40 yr old QB breaks two tackles, spins out, rolls left, gets hit as he throws, puts the ball right on his number for what should have been a first down.
What’s up with that, anyway? Every single game they play outside, they slip around like it’s an ice rink. I’d think the players would check out the turf out a bit, and prepare accordingly. I didn’t see any Carolina players slipping around, but AP, Winfield, Favre, etc all looked like they were on roller skates.
Without Peterson’s run after catch of the screen play in the 4th quarter for 60+ yards, Favre’s stats were 16 for 26 for 163 yards and one stupid throw for an interception in the end zone. If that’s “fine”, I’d like to introduce you to Trent Dilfer, the “finest” quarterback ever.
He wasn’t making bad throws, though. Did you watch the game? He was getting no protection, had to throw balls away, and threw balls on the money that were dropped.
He also barely had the ball, was getting nothing from the run game, had a missed FG from Longwell after getting the Vikings well within range, had the defense fail (as is their wont) to just fall on a fumble instead of trying to pick it up and run it, and Antoine Winfield had about the worst game of his life.
Favre was not the reason the Vikings lost. He was about the only thing that didn’t suck.
Dilfer didn’t lead his team. He just didn’t screw it up. He threw for 153 yards and a score in the Super Bowl, which was pretty representative of his play during that entire season and the playoffs.
Favre, on the other hand, is going to have to win some games for the Vikings to make the Super Bowl. They had pretty Dilfer-esque quarterback play last year, with largely the same roster, and look how that turned out.
Tarvaris Jackson threw for ~1,000 yards last year, with 9 touchdowns and 2 picks. Frerotte threw for ~2,100 yards with, with 12 touchdowns and 15 picks. Put them together and you’ve got 3,100 yards with 21 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
In half a regular season as the Ravens’ starter in 2000 (plus relief appearances in three other games), Trent Dilfer threw for 1502 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 11 picks.
Your quarterback play last year couldn’t have been any more Dilferesque if Dilfer had actually been your quarterback.
I can’t really fault Favre for throwing that last interception. It wasn’t a “There goes Favre being careless” moment. It was a desperation play to try to get them back into the game in the final minutes. If it was caught for a TD then they had a chance. If it’s intercepted they lose the game. If he doesn’t throw it they lose the game.
It was on first down and 10 at the opponents’ 16, and it was a truly stupid throw to a guy who was clearly covered. I realize it wasn’t a game loser because they were already pretty far behind, but it was a very poor, very forced throw that comes from Favre when he’s feeling pressured to win on his own.
Trust me, after decades as a Packer fan, I’ve heard every way imaginable to downplay Favre’s interceptions.
