OFFICIAL 2012-2013 NFL Thread

[Yoda]

I really wish the NFL Network could somehow get John Madden and Pat Summerall to do Thursday Night games.

Pat Summerall? Did you even listen to that dude his last few years? He didn't even know what planet he was on! Hell, he sounded like he went back to hitting the bottle!

I think part of that is his age and I think he had some health issues.

[YoungJRNY]

Steelers rule out Harrison, Polamalu vs. Raiders

I expect Troy, Harrison & Mendenhall to be in the lineup after next weeks BYE WEEK and against Philly at home after. This game in Oakland won't be a cakewalk by ANY means. Oakland is a tough place to travel to. When the schedule was announced, I immediately looked at this game and didn't like it.

Also, loved seeing Eli in that glorified practice last night against the Panthers. He barely broke a sweat.

[RPM]

Panthers looked pathetic, cam newton looked lost. they have a new O.C. and they look confused.

[mikemarrs]

Steelers rule out Harrison, Polamalu vs. Raiders

I expect Troy, Harrison & Mendenhall to be in the lineup after next weeks BYE WEEK and against Philly at home after. This game in Oakland won't be a cakewalk by ANY means. Oakland is a tough place to travel to. When the schedule was announced, I immediately looked at this game and didn't like it.

Also, loved seeing Eli in that glorified practice last night against the Panthers. He barely broke a sweat.

This one and the Steelers vs. Cowboys are the two that have a lot of tradition and storylines behind it.I went and read the story about your dad and uncles being at the '72 Raiders/Steelers game and it was pretty cool to read.

[YoungJRNY]

Thanks for reading, Mike! I agree with the storylines of Dallas/Pittsburgh coming up in December (I'll be there!) Two teams representing two cities that are literally opposite sides of the spectrum from each other. Glamor and glory of the high market Dallas, Texas VS the blue collar gritty city of Pittsburgh.

I've been wanting to get this book for quite some time but never got around to it quite yet. Great storytelling that depicts the Pittsburgh/Dallas rivalry back in the 70's, respectively (Liam would like this.)

[YoungJRNY]

I'm declaring this week 3 a "don't be a pussy!" week! I'm picking atleast one upset. My upsets in bold:

Bears over Rams by 10
Bills over Browns by 14
Cowboys over Bucs by 7
Lions over Titans by 17
Colts over Jags by 8
*Dolphins over Jets by 6
49'ers over Vikings by 13
Saints over Chiefs by 14
Redskins over Bengals by 3
*Cardinals over Eagles by 10
Falcons over Chargers by 7
Texans over Broncos by 10
Steelers over Raiders by 13
Ravens over Patriots by 7 (God, this was hard to pick. Fuck me I hope to GAWD I'm wrong!)

Monday

*Seahawks over Packers by 5

[Enigma869]

After 2 weeks, we still know absolutely nothing about this NFL season. Based on what I've seen, San Francisco is the best team in the NFL (We'll see if I feel that way a month from now), and there are a whole lot of mediocre teams (I believe 20 teams are 1-1). I made my picks on the ESPN site (see below).

Bears versus Rams - The Rams are eventually going to be a respectable team with Jeff Fisher at the helm. Bears by a TD.

Bills versus Browns - The Girls Scouts can't lose every game, can they? The Bills should win this game going away. I'm not buying it. Girl Scouts by a FG.

Cowboys versus Bucs - Cowgirls by 10

Lions versus Titans - The growing pains for Locker continue and Chris Johnson continues to be a complete fraud. Lions by 14.

Colts versus Jaguars - I think Andrew Luck is going to be a very good NFL QB. The Jaguars may be the worst team in the NFL. Colts by 13.

Dolphins versus Jets - I've never bought into anything the Jets are selling. They look like champs one week and chumps the next week. Being inconsistent in the NFL means you're a bad team! Reggie Bush runs wild. Dolphins by a TD.

49'ers versus Vikings - I've watched most of the 49'ers first two games, and this team is the real deal. They have the best defense in the NFL and their offense is MUCH improved. Niners by 17.

Saints versus Chiefs - Two teams who have combined for an impressive 0-4 record. The Saints Suckfest simply can't continue. The Chiefs are a much worse team than they should be, given there is some talent on that team. Saints by 10.

Redskins versus Bengals - Two evenly matched and inconsistent teams. Redskins by a FG.

Cardinals versus Eagles - Neither of these teams is as good as their 2-0 records, and both of them will come thundering back to Earth. The Cardinals defense isn't a fluke. They are very good. Eagles by 7.

Falcons versus Chargers - Tough game for me. Two teams who are always "The team" coming into the season, and yet they both always find a way to suck. The Chargers have been doing it for a decade. Falcons by a TD.

Texans versus Broncos - The Texans are "the team", right? Schaub, Foster, and Johnson are healthy for another week, and Peyton Manning looked like dogshit last week. Should be the Texans in a runaway. Broncos by 10.


Steelers versus Raiders - No team in the NFL has made more of a commitment to sucking than the Raiders. They've turned losing games into an art form. Say what you want about the Raiders, but they are VERY consistent when it comes to losing. Steelers by 14.

Ravens versus Patriots - Toughest game of the week for me to pick. I thought coming into this season that this would be the first game the Patriots would lose this season. The Ravens will be VERY fired up for this game, as regular season games mean a whole lot more to them than the Patriots. I suspect this will be a VERY low scoring game. I thought the Ravens were an easy pick to win this game, until I find out that EVERYONE is picking the Ravens (including most of the Boston media). I think Baltimore's defense is finally starting to show it's age (currently 25th ranked defense in the NFL). This Patriots defense is SIGNIFICANTLY improved (currently the 2nd ranked defense in the NFL...yes 2nd)! I think the Ravens are getting the Patriots at the right time, because the Patriots' offense isn't close to being in sync yet. At the very least, it should be a very entertaining game. When I made my picks before the Thursday night game (yes, I picked the Giants), I picked Baltimore to win this game. Part of me really wants to change my mind, but I just can't do it. This game means FAR more to the Ravens and their fans than it does to the Patriots and their fans Ravens by 3.

Seahawks versus Packers - That dreaded west coast flight always seems to trip teams up. The Packers are the far superior team on paper, but the Monday night element and Seattle's home field evens things out...slightly. That said, not enough in my opinion. Packers by a TD.

[Jonny B]

I'm declaring this week 3 a "don't be a pussy!" week! I'm picking atleast one upset. My upsets in bold:

Bears over Rams by 10
Bills over Browns by 14
Cowboys over Bucs by 7
Lions over Titans by 17
Colts over Jags by 8
*Dolphins over Jets by 6
49'ers over Vikings by 13
Saints over Chiefs by 14
Redskins over Bengals by 3
*Cardinals over Eagles by 10
Falcons over Chargers by 7
Texans over Broncos by 10
Steelers over Raiders by 13
Ravens over Patriots by 7 (God, this was hard to pick. Fuck me I hope to GAWD I'm wrong!)

Monday

*Seahawks over Packers by 5

I've got a couple upset picks of my own. I agree with the Cardinals. Eagles can't win again turning the ball over so much. Kevin (corn on the) Kolb will have plenty of opportunities to prove he can be the starter. If he loses (and badly,) the Cards will end up working with a Skelton crew for the rest of the year.....My other upset pick: The RAMS over the Bears! Matt Forte is out of the lineup, and if Michael Bush doesn't get going, Jay Cutler will have to throw a lot. He can't afford to throw picks like he did against the Packers. Brandon Marshall can't afford to drop the ball. The offensive line looks leaky. If If the Rams get pressure on Cutler and force him to make bad throws, Rams will steal one...I'm just hoping Steven Jackson will be able to play, as he was still a game time decision when I posted my pick.

[RPM]

Steven Jackson is out. Rams lose this one, bush is a pretty good back!

[RPM]

I was wrong, he's playing.should be a good game.

[Liam]

Well suck me sideways, that was a sloppy game by us.

[Ehwmatt]

Wow.. Arizona is for real. No other conclusion to draw at this point.

[Enigma869]

What a nutty week for games. My picks fucking BLOW this week. This is one of the more bizarre weeks I've ever seen in the NFL. The Saints are 0-3, The unstoppable Niners lose to the Vikings, and the Steelers are about to puke on their cleats against the Raiders. Fucking nuts.

[YoungJRNY]

There's the yearly GAG by Pittsburgh. Oakland 13 unanswered points in the 4th. Steelers playing very undisciplined, penalties galore and got away with another 10 that wasn't called. Ben shreds that defense for 400 yards and 4 TD's, scores 31 points and it's still not enough to win. Brown's fumble was the momentum swing.

Back to the drawing board. Hopefully we can get Harrison and Troy back after the BYE.

[Ehwmatt]

There's the yearly GAG by Pittsburgh. Oakland 13 unanswered points in the 4th. Steelers playing very undisciplined, penalties galore and got away with another 10 that wasn't called. Ben shreds that defense for 400 yards and 4 TD's, scores 31 points and it's still not enough to win. Brown's fumble was the momentum swing.

Back to the drawing board. Hopefully we can get Harrison and Troy back after the BYE.

I think it's more than that. Didn't you guys not beat a single team with a winning record last year to go 12-4? I remember some stat like that. I'm thinking you guys really need to reload on personnel. Harrison and especially Polamalu are in the twilight of their careers.

[YoungJRNY]

Harrison and Polamalu are certainly in the twilight of their careers, no doubt about that but they are still game-changers at their positions and make plays. Harrison missed some time last season as well and still had 9 sacks on the season. Their presence are accounted for but not getting off the field on 3rd down and lack of defensive-line pressure hurts the all around defense regardless.

McFadden ran for over 100 yards today and Oakland had short fields from bad special teams play and turnovers so not having Troy up there in the box is crucial. McFadden gashed us a good deal. You may be right. The personal on defense at the moment isn't getting it done. Other than Clark and Woodey, they lack playmakers. Thank you BYE WEEK.

[AR]

Harrison and Polamalu are certainly in the twilight of their careers, no doubt about that but they are still game-changers at their positions and make plays. Harrison missed some time last season as well and still had 9 sacks on the season. Their presence are accounted for but not getting off the field on 3rd down and lack of defensive-line pressure hurts the all around defense regardless.

McFadden ran for over 100 yards today and Oakland had short fields from bad special teams play and turnovers so not having Troy up there in the box is crucial. McFadden gashed us a good deal. You may be right. The personal on defense at the moment isn't getting it done. Other than Clark and Woodey, they lack playmakers. Thank you BYE WEEK.

Don't feel to bad bro. I see the Ravens losing tonight.

[YoungJRNY]

Harrison and Polamalu are certainly in the twilight of their careers, no doubt about that but they are still game-changers at their positions and make plays. Harrison missed some time last season as well and still had 9 sacks on the season. Their presence are accounted for but not getting off the field on 3rd down and lack of defensive-line pressure hurts the all around defense regardless.

McFadden ran for over 100 yards today and Oakland had short fields from bad special teams play and turnovers so not having Troy up there in the box is crucial. McFadden gashed us a good deal. You may be right. The personal on defense at the moment isn't getting it done. Other than Clark and Woodey, they lack playmakers. Thank you BYE WEEK.

Don't feel to bad bro. I see the Ravens losing tonight.

AFC NORTH matchups are going to be humungous this year than ever before. If Baltimore lose's tonight then today's loss to Oakland will be a wash knowing the division is still yet to be played for any Steelers matchup. The loss to AFC opponents on the road will hurt so the Steelers need to win their division games first and foremost to give themselves a chance.

Huge showdowns whenever the North matchup's up this season. I still think it's a two team race. Cincy doesn't scare me longterm.

[Seven Wishes2]

UNBELIEVABLE. A complete bullshit defensive holding call that would have brought up 3rd-and-16, NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER, but the refs GIVE Baltimore a BS first down. THEN, Baltimore's LT CLOTHESLINES Chung...NO CALL...then the Pats get a HUGE sack, and it gets called back on the worst blown call yet - a complete no-contact defensive hold against the Pats with NO CONTACT WHATSOEVER. FREE TOUCHDOWN, Baltimore. This game should be OVER.

The thing is, there is NO debating they made the right call on the defensive holding - although it was CLEALRY pass interference. Just because they got the semantics messed up does NOT mean the call was wrong.

Well, we lose by one, due ENTIRELY to the refs. Sorry. The Pats would be up by 10-13 if the refs hadn't intervened. Worst called game this year, a complete con and a farce.

[Seven Wishes2]

...BULLSHIT, bullshit, bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BULLSHIT pass interference call, and that field goal was

NO GOOD...CLEARLY MISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

[YoungJRNY]

Balty pulls it out. That ball was inches from being no-good. Get use to this officiating. It's the way it'll be from here on out.

[AR]

...BULLSHIT, bullshit, bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BULLSHIT pass interference call, and that field goal was

NO GOOD...CLEARLY MISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Field goal was good. Close though, no doubt. The announcers agreed.

[AR]

Balty pulls it out. That ball was inches from being no-good. Get use to this officiating. It's the way it'll be from here on out.

The officiating needs to be fixed, but the kick was good.

[AR]

Very happy for Torrey Smith. He is a really nice kid who is super available to meet for any fan here.

[Seven Wishes2]

Someone needs to come up with a sideline shot, stop-motion, and then swing it around and show where the ball was with respect to the goal posts.

WORST CALLED GAME IN HISTORY. The Pats won this game. Fuck Goodell and the NFL.

[YoungJRNY]

Just like the past few seasons, Balty has to lead the league in down the field penalty yards. Almost 100% of the time, Flacco just chucks it up and hopes for a flag. The non-defensive holding call did the Patriots in early in the 4th but bad calls on both sides. Ray Lewis completely jumped up and hugged Gronk on that last drive with no call. These refs will let that shit go. No need to bitch about it any longer. It's now the direction of the league until Goodell swallows his fuckin ballsack and pays up.

[AR]

Someone needs to come up with a sideline shot, stop-motion, and then swing it around and show where the ball was with respect to the goal posts.

WORST CALLED GAME IN HISTORY. The Pats won this game. Fuck Goodell and the NFL.

Then you didn't see the Ravens get raped against the Eagles.

[AR]

The officiating is a problem. Too many fights and the games are out of control. No question.

[Seven Wishes2]

Someone needs to come up with a sideline shot, stop-motion, and then swing it around and show where the ball was with respect to the goal posts.

WORST CALLED GAME IN HISTORY. The Pats won this game. Fuck Goodell and the NFL.

Then you didn't see the Ravens get raped against the Eagles.

I did. That was complete horseshit. Probably the same refs - decided they have to make it up tonight or Ray Lewis is gonna shoot 'em.

Now the scrubs owe the Pats a win.

[YoungJRNY]

Dude, the Patriots aren't the only team dealing with bad calls after bad call against them. You know that, right? It's in every game of every Sunday and Monday thus far against every single 32 NFL franchise. Pats got the "L" and it will remain an "L" because this whole league is in the same traffic jam that just took place tonight. I just think it's hilarious that Goofdell can sit there and watch this without lifting a pinky with these refs. Fucking embarrassing.