The NFL Think-Tank

[gargoyleofdusk]

Bucs

Hey gg25.

What kills me is why Indianpolis is considered 'south' and Miami stays 'east' - with Bledsoe and the Bills. It's good to see my Bucs playing in the south - where they fight it out with the Saints. If you want wildcard, look south.

Oh yeah, up here in CFL land - I hope the host team (Edmonton Eskimos) do not go to the moshpit, but rather cry in the old locker rooms.

 

[ForgottenTcklr]

It's a battle going on tommorrow!!!

The Raiders will have a shot to take the glory back from the Pats that they lost last year after losing due to that B.S. tuck rule!!!

I would LOVE to see another win like last Monday night!!!

Either way... It'll be a great game!

 

[Dave2112]

Well, so much for the Eagles. With McNabb out now, it looks bad. If there is one team in the NFL where one player can make or break thm, it's Philly. So, I guess here's the chance for the Giants to limp into the playoffs, take a valuable spot from a much better wild-card team, and get assassinated in the first round.

Which makes me once again reiterate my desire to see two more wild-card spots added. With the current system, you're trading games between the true good teams of the league for continuity. Like I said, if Philly falls and the Giants take the East...there's a playoff spot that has to go to them, even at the 9-7 they'll probably wind up at. Now, over in the South, we could wind up with something like the Saints at 13-3, the Bucs at 12-4 and the Falcons at 11-5. (This could actually happen with these three playing as well as they have been and considering the general lack of competition in the NFC.)
So, the Giants host a playoff game at 9-7, while the 12-4 Bucs play three road games as the fifth seed, and the 11-5 Falcons miss the playoffs altogether...when in reality they're in the upper echelon of teams this year.

Isn't the playoff season supposed to be about the best teams playing against each other? It's not that 9-7 teams haven't won divisions before, but there have always been great wild-card teams to knock them out if they really didn't deserve to be there. Under this system, the best teams may sit home and watch as the Niners waste a perfectly good afternoon dismantling the Ginats 52-9.

Just my thought.😎

 

[ForgottenTcklr]

I agree Dave,

Things have definately gone awry this year! Playoffs seem far off and yet close by to many of these teams, many deserving... others not!
But I guess we have to quote the best coach in the world... Jim Mora!!!

"Playoffs, I don't wanna talk about playoffs. We can't even win a game!!!"

BTW- Raiders took the Patriots... I feel at least partially avenged!!!

 

[Dave2112]

Well, this week's big one looks like Green Bay/Tampa Bay. Any thoughts? I think I have to go with Tampa simply out of the desperation factor. With both teams 8-2, home-field could be on the line here. Given Tampa's dismal record in low-temp games (0-21 in games below 40 degrees) I don't think the Bucs want to go to Lambeau in January. They'll be fighting hard. Plus, if there are two places where Favre has struggled, it's in the Metrodome and in Tampa.

On the other hand, Tampa's playing without Ronde Barber and possibly Warren Sapp...

Any thoughts on who this years' "Cinderella" team? There's always one that starts out slow, then makes a run and gets deep into the playoffs. I'm thinking Jets. From 1-4 to 5-5 and no signs of slowing down. The defense is great, the offense is much improved with Pennington and Miami and Buffalo are slipping a little. It's anyone's division now.