Week 13 Discussion (Other Games)

[flaccopoe]

Thanksgiving football!! There's no greater American tradition than enjoying some Lions and Cowboys football while digging into some turkey! I'll start w/ my thoughts on the annual game in Motown:

GB @ DET: it will be fascinating how Stafford, Megatron and the defense rebound after a horrible week at home against the Bucs, of all teams. Matt Flynn is showing good report on his old team and has some exciting new weapons: Boykin and Lacy. How will DET's front 7 handle the fierce RB from Alabama? Will Reggie Bush find his groove again? Both of these teams will be hungry for a division win after humiliating losses/ties last week.

CHI @ MIN: another NFC North smack-down! MIN has been showing some signs of life lately w/ Christian Ponder back. AP looks to be over his groin injury and will be looking to take advantage of CHI's bottom-5 run defense. CHI has just come back from the Gateway City with a pitiful loss to Clemmons' Rams. Emergency RBBenny Cunningham looked like Jim Brown against their front 7, running for 109 yd and 1 TD after an injured Stacy left (not before accruing 97 total yd and a TD). McCown had a great statistical performance, but also gave the ball away twice and struggled driving down the field into scoring range. He'll look to rebound this week against MIN's weak pass defense.

 

AZ @ PHI: Angry Birds!  2 hot teams helmed by hot QBs will square off.  The 2 teams are polar opposites in some ways: AZ has the #8 defense, a veteran QB prone to INTs and WR, but a horrid (#24) running-back-by-committee.  PHI has a fresh, young QB that seldom throws picks, with a young but talented receiving corps and the #1 rushing offense, but a horrid passing D (worst in the league).  Can AZ's #2 run defense bottle up Shady McCoy?  Can PHI's secondary become the 1st to pick off Palmer in 3 weeks and suppress Fitzgerald and newly hot Floyd?

 

MIA @ NYJ: neither team seems to know how to win lately.  MIA pisses away leads and NYJ rarely leads at all.  Tannehill will have an uphill battle against the Jets' #9 D.  They will blanket both his spotty WRs and his chaotic running corps.  Whoever starts at QB for NYJ will have chances against a poor secondary.  Expect to see a lot of Sturgis and Folk.  The loser will likely be eliminated from WC contention.

 

STL @ SF: Both NFC West teams are coming off surprisingly big wins.  STL is being helmed by game manager Kellen Clemmons.  He makes safe, short passes to his young receivers and lets them do the work, namely breakout Tavon Austin.  He has an enormous cushion in his rushing attack.  STL has a seemingly endless supply of RBs.  When breakout star Zac Stacy went down, UDFA Benny Cunningham filled in beautifully.  Stacy will probably be back, but Cunningham will be ready to fill in against SF's #12 rush D.  SF's offense is starting to heat up, even with Gore cooling down.  Kaepernick has shown a great rapport with Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis the past few weeks.  Mario Manningham is back in the lineup.  STL always plays tough against SF, so this game should go down to the wire in a probable shootout.

 

CIN @ SD: Rivers looks to be over his slump and will be looking to take advantage of CIN's depleted secondary.  Rivers has many options to throw to: Allen, Gates, Royal, even his dynamic RBs.  CIN will coming off a bye week looking to maintain their lead in the AFC North, with BAL and PIT creeping uncomfortably close.  Dalton will have opportunities against a defense that allowed Alex Smith to get into a shootout with their offense.  SD is know looking at possibly winning the division, with DEN and KC cannibalizing each other.

 

DEN @ KC: Talk of the Devil!  This marquee matchup (surprisingly not in prime time) will likely crown the victor of the AFC West.  Both teams are coming off of disappointing losses.  KC suffered 2 crucial injuries last week: Houston will likely be out with a subluxed elbow.  Tamba Hali has a mid-ankle sprain.  SD's O-line created a stone wall in their steed last week.  KC's offense will have to try to pick up the slack again if they are indeed out.  DEN will be extremely angry coming into Arrowhead after pissing away a 24-pt lead at halftime last week.  Knowshon Moreno is looking unstoppable, lately.  Likewise, the tank .Julius Thomas should be back for this game.  DEN's defense played with a ferocity unseen before and could give Smith serious problems if they duplicate it.

 

NO @ SEA: NFCWCG rematch!  We all remember when Lynch ran all over NO's D to pull off arguably the greatest upset in playoff history.  Lynch will be back, but so will a revamped NO rush D (314).  Rob Ryan has also completely overhauled the secondary (#2).  SEA's mediocre receivers will have their hands full.  NO will likely stack the box a lot, leaving the WRs in man coverage while preventing any big rushing opportunities for Lynch or Happy-Feet Wilson.  Working in SEA's favor is the infamous 12th man.  NO always struggles on the road, so this should be quite a test for Brees' boys against the #2 pass defense.  Expect Graham to be blanketed throughout the game.  This will put the onus on the offense to either have Graham break free constantly or throw to less reliable options, such as Kenny Stills.

[T3hRaven]

I want to pick Detroit, but Matt Flynn has beaten the Lions before.

[Inqui]

This week's instalment of Playoff Watch. I count seven games that affect the Ravens (six that we can discuss here):

 

*Miami Dolphins at New York Jets: The loser here will be bloodied but not broken imo. Eight games is the number of losses I have on my notes as enough to kill any realistic hopes of a WC berth. As I've said elsewhere, the Jets have been all about Home Jets and Away Jets. Naturally, Home Jets show up this week and basically grind the Dolphins offence to a halt by stuffing the run and putting Ryan Tannehill on his back. I don't think either side will be playing in January as the Jets are too inconsistent and the Dolphins have too many holes (and can't get off the field), but they're both still worth watching.

-Whoever wins here keeps pace with the Ravens, but I hope the Dolphins win as they have a tougher schedule ahead.

 

*Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts: Toughest call of the week imo. The Colts aren't as bad as they looked last week (I think they were in a bad spot is all), but they have some serious holes still. Meanwhile, the Titans are in a similar position to us and could well nick the division if they keep winning. It's kind of a coin flip for me, but I have Andrew Luck able to do more than Ryan Fitzpatrick.

-Obviously a Colts win helps the Ravens, but a Titans win could put the Colts on the Playoff Watch.

 

*Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers: Whoever loses here does us a favour (yay!). The Chargers are looking good right now and match up really well with Cincy's banged up defence. Meanwhile, the Bengals are still pretty rubbish on the road. I think SD wins comfortably on both sides of the ball.

-Come on you Chargers!

 

*Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys. Provided the game doesn't come down to a fourth-quarter drive, I think the Raiders are the first team bundled out of the playoff race (aside from the Jags and Texans who were never really in it). Right now they're in lose-and-be-gone territory and the Cowboys have just as much to play for with how the NFC picture's beginning to look. That, and the hosts just have too much talent on both sides of the ball. I'm calling a win by two scores.

-A Cowboys win basically knocks the Raiders out of playoff contention.

 

*Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns: NFL.com is calling the Browns dead for the year, but I think they keep their thin hopes alive for another week. Basically it comes down to them having too much to play for and being too talented to lose at home to the Jaguars. Although I felt the same about the Texans last week. Go figure.

-Same story here, but with the Jags knocking the Browns out.

 

*Atlanta Falcons at Buffalo Bills. Yeah, so those Falcons are pretty hopeless this year. And by "pretty hopeless", I mean "really hopeless". They can't do anything well this year, and they're in a really tough spot after losing at home to the Saints in what was no doubt their last hurrah. Kiko Alonso picks on Matt Ryan all day, while Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller gash one of the worst defences in the league right now. Like the Browns, the Bills keep their thin playoff hopes alive.

-I really can't see the Falcons winning, but they can help a bit by thinning the pack a bit.

 

I got 3/5 last week, so 4/6 would be an improvement.

 

As a bonus pick, I think KC's chances rest on the health of Hali and Houston. As much as I don't like to say it, I think the Broncos bounce back and move into the driver's seat for the division.

[Jokerraven]

this is my favorite thread on the forums thanks guys for your input on the weekly matchups . I'm still learnig the playoffs and about tie breakers but whomever we need to lose I hope it happens .

[flaccopoe]

this is my favorite thread on the forums thanks guys for your input on the weekly matchups . I'm still learnig the playoffs and about tie breakers but whomever we need to lose I hope it happens .

Glad we could be of help!

[redravenfan]

this is my favorite thread on the forums thanks guys for your input on the weekly matchups . I'm still learnig the playoffs and about tie breakers but whomever we need to lose I hope it happens .

My rule of thumb this year any Bengal loss helps us. even if they win this weekend knocks the chargers back off the wild card a win win. and of course we have to win

[beanfigger]

Personally, I have a feeling both wildcard teams come out of the west. That's due to the fact that I believe Cincy struggles down the stretch and also the fact that I can easily see the Chargers winning out, in spite of what their schedule looks like.

[flaccopoe]

Personally, I have a feeling both wildcard teams come out of the west. That's due to the fact that I believe Cincy struggles down the stretch and also the fact that I can easily see the Chargers winning out, in spite of what their schedule looks like.

As of now, I think that the 6th seed will go to the runner-up in the North. SD always tanks down the stretch and their schedule is tough.

[JO_75]

49ers will have a offensive boost this week as they plan to activate Michael Crabtree from the PUP and will play him on Sunday per Schefter.

[Inqui]

this is my favorite thread on the forums thanks guys for your input on the weekly matchups . I'm still learnig the playoffs and about tie breakers but whomever we need to lose I hope it happens .

If you want, I can chuck in a "who the Ravens want to lose" bit to my column. I'm just importing the stuff I posted from the blog I set up last week anyway.

[T3hRaven]

I think Titans-Colts is a very interesting match-up.  I wonder if Greg Williams disguises can trick Luck at all.  Titans defense might be good enough to keep the Colts contained and give Fitzpatrick a chance to win.

[Inqui]

Personally, I have a feeling both wildcard teams come out of the west. That's due to the fact that I believe Cincy struggles down the stretch and also the fact that I can easily see the Chargers winning out, in spite of what their schedule looks like.

I reckon the first spot goes to the Chiefs or Broncos (tough prediction to make, I know).

 

Otherwise, the Chargers host the Giants, Raiders and Chiefs, and visit the Broncos. I reckon they lose to the Broncos but they could easily win the other three, and I've pegged them as beating the Bengals to boot. They're definitely the team to watch at this stage.

 

I can't see the Browns, Bills or Raiders winning out (they're always a chance, which is why I've got them on my radar atm), and I don't rate the Jets or Dolphins either. I think the second spot goes to either the Chargers, or the winner of us and the Steelers. The loser's still in it (especially if the Bungles win this week), but they're really out of the division race and they'll pretty much need to win out and hope for some good results.

[display name]

I still have to go with Denver over Kansas City. A team with a great offense and average defense (Denver) almost always defeats a team with a good defense and average offense (Kansas City).

[Jokerraven]

If you want, I can chuck in a "who the Ravens want to lose" bit to my column. I'm just importing the stuff I posted from the blog I set up last week anyway.

that would be awesome or link me to your blog would love that as well

[Pats]

im putting some cash down on the ravens there's no way they blow a home game to the steelers while jokeying for a wild card spot.

[runamuk]

im putting some cash down on the ravens there's no way they blow a home game to the steelers while jokeying for a wild card spot.

I made a allot off the pats I knew peyton in the cold means cha-ching

[Pats]

I made a allot off the pats I knew peyton in the cold means cha-ching

me too i went to do some food shopping and get KFC and it took longer than expected and when i got back 31-31 overtime after it was 24-0 when I went out

[redravenfan]

Peyton in the cold the chiefs may get this one injured or not.

[Pats]

also seattle over saints too

[Inqui]

Peyton in the cold the chiefs may get this one injured or not.

What's it like in Kansas this time of year?

[Jokerraven]

What's it like in Kansas this time of year?

cold and snowy

[redravenfan]

What's it like in Kansas this time of year?

its going to be cold but not like it was in Foxboro with the patriots

[T3hRaven]

its going to be cold but not like it was in Foxboro with the patriots

 

It just might.  Midwestern winters, and really the weather in general, are unpleasant and unpredictable.

[Mt. Crushmore]

It just might.  Midwestern winters, and really the weather in general, are unpleasant and unpredictable.

 

Unfortunately. 

[flaccopoe]

What's it like in Kansas this time of year?

 

Kansas City isn't in Kansas, btw.  It's in Missouri. 

[JO_75]

Kansas City isn't in Kansas, btw.  It's in Missouri. 

 

According to the Weather Channel, it is supposed to be only 49 degrees and 33 degrees at night. Considering the game is at 4:25, it will probably get colder throughout the game but it isn't going to be freezing like temps that Peyton usually struggles in.

[Inqui]

Kansas City isn't in Kansas, btw.  It's in Missouri. 

Mind = blown. That makes even less sense that they're in the west then.

 

You Americans are crazy. :p

[beanfigger]

Mind = blown. That makes even less sense that they're in the west then.

You Americans are crazy. :p

I just saw a link where people from Europe tried to label all the states in the US. It was hilarious. We know we make no sense.

[T3hRaven]

Kansas City isn't in Kansas, btw.  It's in Missouri. 

 

It's actually in both.

 

I just saw a link where people from Europe tried to label all the states in the US. It was hilarious. We know we make no sense.

 

Most Americans have no idea where their countries are, so they shouldn't feel bad.

[beanfigger]

It's actually in both.


Most Americans have no idea where their countries are, so they shouldn't feel bad.

Yeah, there was a link at the bottom where (college graduate) Americans did the same thing for European countries. Equally entertaining. Several people simply wrote "Borat" over the Southeastern countries.