2017 NFL thread v. Patriots Dynasty

[King Postwhore]

Completely agree.   

[Stadler]

I don't know anyone that's a Phil Simms fan when it comes to his broadcasting.

I actually like him.  Not John Madden or Chris Collinsworth, but the worst one in the Nance/Simms team is clearly Jim Nance.  I fucking hate that guy.   When he called the UConn-Duke Championship (UConn's first) with Billy Packer, it was the worst call in the history of sports in my opinion (rather than celebrate the upstart and the upset, both guys were almost pleading with Duke to get it going.  Duke this, Duke that).    Then right after UConn beat Duke in the Final Four to get to the Championship (against Georgia Tech) my friends ran into him and he was like "You have no chance.  NO chance!" blah blah blah.  He's a tool. 

(And yes, I realize this is all subjective, homer nonsense on my part, but still.)

[jingle.boy]

Since the NFL instituted all division match ups for week 17, here’s how the Ravens have closed their regular seasons:

2010 Cincinnati @ Baltimore
2011 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2012 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2013 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2014 Cleveland @ Baltimore
2015 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2016 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2017 Cincinnati @ Baltimore

So every year that we get Cincy, Pittsburgh gets Cleveland. It's beyond ridiculous and unimaginative.

When you get Cinci, is there another team in the division that Pittsburgh could get?    But yeah, 8 years and 7 of them against Cinci is just a little skewed.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Since the NFL instituted all division match ups for week 17, here’s how the Ravens have closed their regular seasons:

2010 Cincinnati @ Baltimore
2011 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2012 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2013 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2014 Cleveland @ Baltimore
2015 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2016 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2017 Cincinnati @ Baltimore

So every year that we get Cincy, Pittsburgh gets Cleveland. It's beyond ridiculous and unimaginative.

When you get Cinci, is there another team in the division that Pittsburgh could get?    But yeah, 8 years and 7 of them against Cinci is just a little skewed.

I get that. But there should also be years where it's Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh & Cleveland vs. Cincinnati. I suppose the league puts so much value on the Baltimore/Pittsburgh match up that they're against having one of the games in Week 17.

[Dublagent66]

I don't know anyone that's a Phil Simms fan when it comes to his broadcasting.

I actually like him.  Not John Madden or Chris Collinsworth, but the worst one in the Nance/Simms team is clearly Jim Nance.  I fucking hate that guy.   When he called the UConn-Duke Championship (UConn's first) with Billy Packer, it was the worst call in the history of sports in my opinion (rather than celebrate the upstart and the upset, both guys were almost pleading with Duke to get it going.  Duke this, Duke that).    Then right after UConn beat Duke in the Final Four to get to the Championship (against Georgia Tech) my friends ran into him and he was like "You have no chance.  NO chance!" blah blah blah.  He's a tool. 

(And yes, I realize this is all subjective, homer nonsense on my part, but still.)

Funny how my original comment about Romo turned into comments about everyone else except Romo.  I really didn't mind any of those other commentators.  Just can't see Romo as an analyst/commentator.  If it's any like his press conferences, people will be bored to tears.

[cramx3]

I'm a bit amazed how someone can just step into that spot with no previous experience.  From my understanding, it was also Nance that wanted Simms out.  They talked about it quite a lot on the Boomer and Carton show (on a CBS radio station) because Boomer was not at all happy with the way Simms was treated.

[The Trooper]

Nance wanted him out.

That said, I mute most football games. Except sometimes for the Fox A team.

[DragonAttack]

I don't mute, but the volume is turned down/almost zero most of the time, because the commentators never seem to take a breath.  Collinsworth is the most knowledgeable analyst in his presentations that I have ever heard.....but I suffer from overload, and only listen to parts of the NBC broadcasts.  I don't need EVERY play analyzed to death, and appreciate some silence from time to time.

Back to the schedules for a sec...
The Ravens FINALLY get a home MNF game, but as mentioned earlier, sooooo tired of finishing against the Bengals, as well as starting with Cincy (07, 08, 12, 14, 17). Also, every year, I see so many teams with tough or unfair schedules, due to the dates and times and travel.  Here is Baltimore's schedule before the bye (why teams don't have it before TNF still makes no sense):

Week            
1   Sun, Sep 10   @Cincinnati   1:00 PM
2   Sun, Sep 17   Cleveland      1:00 PM
3   Sun, Sep 24   @Jacksonville*   9:30 AM
4   Sun, Oct 1    Pittsburgh      1:00 PM
5   Sun, Oct 8    @Oakland      4:05 PM
6   Sun, Oct 15   Chicago      1:00 PM
7   Sun, Oct 22   @Minnesota   1:00 PM
8   Thu, Oct 26   Miami      8:25 PM
9   Sun, Nov 5          @Tennessee   1:00 PM
10    BYE WEEK

And to show I am by no means a 'homer' (some of the time), here is the ridiculous Patriots' ending schedule: 
9   BYE WEEK         
10   Sun, Nov 12   @Denver      8:30 PM
11   Sun, Nov 19   @Oakland      4:25 PM
12   Sun, Nov 26   Miami      1:00 PM
13   Sun, Dec 3    @Buffalo      1:00 PM
14   Mon, Dec 11   @Miami      8:30 PM
15   Sun, Dec 17   @Pittsburgh   4:25 PM
16   Sun, Dec 24   Buffalo      1:00 PM
17   Sun, Dec 31   N.Y. Jets      1:00 PM

I think it's one of the reasons that the quality of play continues to drop, due to the players never getting a chance to get into a 'rhythm' physically.  Hopefully, other than T'giving, TNF becomes a set of long forgotten initials after this season.

[PowerSlave]

To be fair to the Baltimore folks, they did get the Steelers in a very meaningful game last year towards the end of the season. As long as the divisions are 4 teams per, as they are now, you've got to expect to see a lot of repetition in the schedule from year to year. If they ever went back to the old divisions then they'd have more teams to move the scheduling around to.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Since the NFL instituted all division match ups for week 17, here’s how the Ravens have closed their regular seasons:

2010 Cincinnati @ Baltimore
2011 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2012 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2013 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2014 Cleveland @ Baltimore
2015 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2016 Baltimore @ Cincinnati
2017 Cincinnati @ Baltimore

So every year that we get Cincy, Pittsburgh gets Cleveland. It's beyond ridiculous and unimaginative.

This is the first year since the "all division matchups in week 17" rule was instituted that the Jets and the Patriots close out their seasons against each other, so I feel your pain. The rule was supposed to make for more exciting matchups at the end of the season but it's had the opposite effect for the most part.

[King Postwhore]

I don't mind it.

[axeman90210]

I don't mind it.

That makes one of us

[KevShmev]

The Super Bowl champs get one of their road games as a neutral site game now, since the Pats at Raiders game is the one in Mexico. Don't ever tell me again that the NFL doesn't love the Patriots.

No prime time games for the Jags.  Much appreciated!!

[TAC]

They also play a neutral site game in Buffalo and New York every year!

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Both times that the Pats played in London, they were the visiting team, so nothing new there.

[King Postwhore]

Against crappy teams.  This time, they are facing a very good team.

[KevShmev]

Which makes it even dumber. The defending champs should always get as difficult a schedule as possible.  Making one of their toughest road games a neutral site game is showing major favoritism to them again.

[King Postwhore]

5 of the last 6 games are on the road this year. That's tough.

[KevShmev]

You might want to look at their schedule again.

[TAC]

Which makes it even dumber. The defending champs should always get as difficult a schedule as possible.  Making one of their toughest road games a neutral site game is showing major favoritism to them again.

Gonna try and post this and NOT sound like a homer..

Aren't the schedules predetermined based on a rotating out of conference/inter conference division matchup, plus playing the same placed team in the other divisions in your conference?

What do you think the NFL should do special for SB winners?


As far as these foreign games, I guess I'm not sure how the teams are chosen. Is it negotiated? I thought I heard the Jags make more money playing in London than one of their home gates.

[KevShmev]

You are correct, yes. All of the games are predetermined because of divisions and where you finish.

I believe it goes like this:

6 games against your division
8 games against two divisions (which are predetermined)
2 games based on where you finished last year (a 3rd place finish means you play two other 3rd place finishers)

All I am saying is, giving the champs a neutral site game for what should have been one of their toughest road games is really stupid and shows incredible favoritism.  Certain teams always seem to get those road games turned into neutral site games (NE!!) and never have to give away one of their home games.

[TAC]

But wasn't the game and its participants agreed on before the SB?

I think the Raiders were on board first as the home team long before their opponent was even determined, no? I think the Pats came far later in the process.

[King Postwhore]

Oh I get that. Don't worry Kev, we're in Denver again.  That should even us out over the last 6 years.

[TAC]

In Denver AGAIN! It seems like the Pats play there every f'n year.

[King Postwhore]

We had a 3 years run of them coming to Foxborough.

[TAC]

We had a 3 years run of them coming to Foxborough.

In the 80's?

[King Postwhore]

Do your homework son!

[KevShmev]

Oh I get that. Don't worry Kev, we're in Denver again.  That should even us out over the last 6 years.

Pfft. 

Yeah, you have to play at Denver after having a bye, and sure now the Broncos get them at home when we aren't a juggernaut anymore.  Bah.

[TAC]

I sure hope the Pats are paying rent for the space in Kevin's head.

[KevShmev]

The Broncos are 3-1 against the Patriots in the playoffs in the Brady/Belichick era, with the only loss being when we started Tebow.  I'm good. 

[TAC]

The Broncos are 3-1 against the Patriots in the playoffs in the Brady/Belichick era, with the only loss being when we started Tebow.  I'm good. 

[King Postwhore]

Oh I get that. Don't worry Kev, we're in Denver again.  That should even us out over the last 6 years.

Pfft. 

Yeah, you have to play at Denver after having a bye, and sure now the Broncos get them at home when we aren't a juggernaut anymore.  Bah.

Just a QB away from being great again.

[KevShmev]

That's a myth. Siemian was fine last year.  The run D falling apart and the O-line sucking is why the team bit the dust down the stretch.  However, I will be curious to see how Siemian does this year without Kubiak, who is one of the best QB coaches ever.

[King Postwhore]

There was a hangover from the SB.

[KevShmev]

Horse hockey.

They started the season strong, but faded as the run D became more of a liability and teams teed off on the QB because they couldn't run the ball or pass block worth a darn.