THE 2004-05 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE THREAD

[ChrisPitch]

Since we\'re on a roll...My preseason pick was Broncos over Vikings. It looked good until last week.

[davepeck]

ha! i was just about to start this thread. here\'s what i wrote:

so yeah, are there any football fans here besides me and pitch? i was just thinking today that aside from a small amount of chargers and patriots talk a while back, there\'s never been any real NFL discussion here...

so.. to kick it off, following a terribly predictable pun, the giants have already given me more than i bargained for this year. 5-2 heading into a game with the bears (who they should destroy) at home this sunday.. they should have never lost to the lions 2 weeks ago, but that\'s another story.. barber is one of the best, if not the best back in the league right now.. looks like coughlin has finally seen the light with dayne. please let me never see him on the field again.. warner scares me, but if tiki continues to dominate, i can deal with it. after week 1 against the eagles, i thought i was in for a looooong season, but like the title of the classic bryan adams greatest hits album - so far, so good.

[helluvahat]

Go Falcons!!!  If Mike Vick ever gets comfortable in the offense and they avoid any more 56-10 blowouts, I think they are a contender for the super bowl.  Eagles are going to be tough though!!!  

Can\'t wait for Falcons-Giants in a couple weeks Dave!!!!  Should be a good one!!!!

[ChrisPitch]

I remember last year\'s classic contest between the Giants and Falcons. That was when the legendary Kurt Kittner led the Falcons to a 27-7 victory (and Tiki fumbled twice inside Atlanta\'s 20).

[Marcial]

My team is Miami.... obviously, I have not gotten into this season too much... thanks to Ricky Williams... damn potheads!!!!!!!!!

[Stephengencs]

Hail the colors Blue and Silver let them wave.
Sing their song and cheer the Gridiron Heroes brave,
Fighting for fame, winning the game,
Dashing to victory as they go.

Forward down the field,
A charging team that will not yield.
And when the Blue and Silver wave,
Stand and cheer the brave.
Rah, Rah, Rah.
Go hard, win the game.
With honor you will keep your fame.
Down the field and gain,
A Lion victory!

GO LIONS!

dating back to the 1930\'s this fight song is still sung at Lions home games after a touchdown is scored....

it happens!

go lions!!!

[leith]

So much for the "experts" AGAIN! The Chargers got themselves a nice mess w/ 2 quarterbacks thanx to Drew Brees finally showing the form he had @ Purdue. He has led this team to 1st place even w/ LT not @ his best. LT\'s back-up Jesse Chatman is doing just fine and w/ a reciever core boosted, this team is showing the nation what we here in S.D. have known for a few months and that is the Chargers are no walkover this year. The current trend in the NFL of bad teams turning it around in 1 year and making the playoffs bodes well for the Chargers. The trade that gave Vick to the Falcons is looking better and better each year. His inconsistency is refreshing for Charger fans. The close loss to the Falcons this year was unfortunate but the feeling here is that Vick may become a great quarterback in the future but we are just fine w/ a phenomenal running back now.

[helluvahat]

I was sad to see Tim Dwight to go to SD in that trade.  Decent wide receiver, but its fun to watch that little bastard run!!!!!!

[ChrisPitch]

Who needs Dwight when you\'ve got Brian Finneran?

[helluvahat]

Very true.  I\'m sure they both have that "I hope I don\'t die this time" look in their eyes when they have the football....

[leith]

Yeah Dwight is fun to watch scrambling for his life returning kicks.

[davepeck]

Originally posted by davepeck
warner scares me...

:sigh:

the BEARS??? ugh.

disgusting game.

[ChrisPitch]

The Browns took back the opening kickoff then took the rest of the game off.

The Giants: the most inconsistent team in a league full of them.

[davepeck]

Bonehead moves are aplenty

It\'s the most blunder-filled time/

Of the year/

With playoff teams choking/

And Ricky still smoking/

Hey, don\'t throw that beer/

It\'s the most blunder-filled time

Of the year

Clearly some folks got into that spiked eggnog way too early. What were they thinking? Oh, the inanity.

Blame the Minnesota Vikings\' descent into momentary madness for this meditation on dopey decisions. A week ago, Mike Tice -- with his team once again teetering at fragility\'s edge -- spoke of a desire for the then-vacant coaching job at the University of Washington. He should have applied at Skidmore, because that\'s what his team does.

The Vikings blew a 10-0 lead to the Seattle Seahawks, the acknowledged masters of that sullen art, in a 27-23 loss. They began a comeback that should have succeeded simply because everyone else\'s does, but they short-circuited it with the decision to have Randy Moss throw an option pass from the Seattle 20.

Emphasize \'\'option\'\' here. Moss could have run out of bounds or thrown the ball away. Instead he fired into double coverage and the ensuing interception pretty much sealed Minnesota\'s fifth loss in seven games.

As a tactical move, this wins the Oscar for its starring role in It\'s a Blunderful Life. But the Vikings won\'t be alone waiting for a statue in the shape of a bonehead.

There\'s Joe Gibbs. He traded for the remains of Mark Brunell and forked over an $8.6 million signing bonus for the new leader of a Redskins renaissance. Then he stuck with him well past the point of failure, to Patrick Ramsey\'s detriment. Washington (4-9) ranks ninth or worse in the NFC in 14 of 17 offensive categories.

There\'s Dennis Green, who conducted his own Saturday night massacre by benching Josh McCown. Granted, McCown hadn\'t sparkled but the Arizona Cardinals owned a 4-5 record and, in the abysmal NFC West, remained in contention. Green went with Shaun King, then rookie John Navarre, and then rediscovered McCown. The Cardinals (4-9) may not win again.

There\'s Tom Coughlin. Borrowing from Green\'s playbook, the New York Giants coach benched Kurt Warner for Eli Manning with the team 5-4 and chasing a playoff berth. The saucer-eyed Manning (one touchdown pass, six interceptions, 0-4 in starts) got hooked in a beating by the Baltimore Ravens but Coughlin indicated he would stay with him. For Manning, Coughlin said, this is \'\'is priceless experience and it doesn\'t come without pain.\'\' Six consecutive losses? Ow.

What is the path to a more sensible vision? Perhaps these coaches need a visit from three spirits. Or maybe they should stay completely away from the spirits.

Berry Christmas: Maybe the holiday will come early for Arizona Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry. NFL players and coaches vote next week for the Pro Bowl, and Berry, a seven-year veteran, will be selected for the first time if there\'s any justice.

Berry had 11 sacks for the Denver Broncos last year in his breakout season and did not get the votes. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent and leads the NFC with 12 sacks. Not bad for a guy who was out of football in 2000.

\'\'It\'s kind of an unwritten rule you don\'t go your first big year. This is my second and I\'ve exceeded what I did last year. So I feel I deserve to go,\'\' Berry says.

Berry has meant more than sacks to the Cardinals. Their ability to sign him and his belief that the club will turn around under Green augur well for a team that is 4-9 but could have been much better.

\'\'We lost four games that could have gone either way, and with those four as wins we\'d be leading the division,\'\' Berry says. \'\'You have to make the plays down the stretch. We\'re not that far off from making some noise down here.\'\'

Quotable: \'\'Any offensive lineman will tell you they would trade 10 pancake blocks for one touchdown catch.\'\' -- Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler, on the difference between blocking and receiving.

Extra points: Eric Johnson\'s 69 receptions are an ongoing club record for tight ends for San Francisco. He could be the first tight end to lead the club in receptions since Ted Kwalick did it in 1973 with 47. Pro Bowl? . . . Tampa Bay has 19 players with at least one reception, including quarterback Brian Griese.

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[leith]

AFC WEST CHAMPIONS SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
OHHH It\'s been waaaaaay too long.