NFL V - Turkey Day Edition.

[the silent speaker]

You can't get the next Ryan Leaf. The next Ryan Leaf was JaMarcus Russell, and the Raiders already have him.

[Sirius]

You can't get the next Ryan Leaf. The next Ryan Leaf was JaMarcus Russell, and the Raiders already have him.

I've got a better plan, Jay Cutler. Always liked the guy and he could do well slinging to Harvin, Rice and company behind our big O-line.

[Tsavong Lah]

I've got a better plan, Jay Cutler. Always liked the guy and he could do well slinging to Harvin, Rice and company behind our big O-line.

I'm kind of surprised the Vikings never made a play for him or even Vick. I think that they had an agreement with Favre though, and they knew he'd be coming after training camp was done long before it was made official.

But Cutler could be a good QB if he was given tools to work with. I don't get why Bears fans expected miracles from him when he has so little talent around him to work with. But with how much they sold out their near-term future for him, I can't see them giving up on him that quickly. Look how many chances they gave Rex Grossman.

[Sirius]

I'm kind of surprised the Vikings never made a play for him or even Vick. I think that they had an agreement with Favre though, and they knew he'd be coming after training camp was done long before it was made official.

But Cutler could be a good QB if he was given tools to work with. I don't get why Bears fans expected miracles from him when he has so little talent around him to work with. But with how much they sold out their near-term future for him, I can't see them giving up on him that quickly. Look how many chances they gave Rex Grossman.

True, and it's a shame 'cause if you ask me, the Vikes have a talented receiving core he could develop with for years to come, and the running game to balance it out. One can always dream I suppose :)

Fact remains though that if the Vikes by some luck win the Superbowl, guaranteed he'll retire. And if not he's always going to be a question mark.

[Kalbear]

The vikes did go for Cutler; they couldn't trade a 'good' QB in return, which was why the Bears got to do it.

[Trebla]

I'm still utterly angry about the Cowboys loss in New York. Almost unreasonably so. I felt as mad as I did when they lost to the Giants in the playoffs in 07 and the huge beatdown in Philly last year that knocked them out of the playoffs hunt.

Reason being is that this year...I really thought they wouldn't be the same old sorry ass Cowboys that fall apart in December. But they couldn't run the ball nor could they tackle ANYONE. When Big Mouth Brandon Jacobs takes a short pass 78 yards, you are doomed.

And now, they have games vs San Diego, at New orleans, at Washington, and close at home against Philly. Ouch. Kill me now.

The only bright spot was Tony Romo played very well, set a Cowboys record for most completions and didn't turn the ball over. Yet...zomg yet...the word is that they want him to start holding on field goals again due to the other holder botching 2 against New York. Are you fricking kidding me????

I've just about given up.

[Mya Stone]

Mya, Maithenet, Jaime....

I am a huge Redskins fan. My brother is a die hard Raiders fan. We live together. We've had the 13th circled since the schedule was announced back in the spring. Obviously both of our teams...... are not the elite of the NFL. However as Jaime points out we are the elite of the horribly run/coached, yet strangely still putting up a fight against everyone. We are calling it the Somewhat-Decent-in-a-Strange-Pathetic-Way Bowl and basically it is the biggest game of the year.

To Dub,

Your team is going down harder than Slider on Iceman and that's a fact.

Slurk, I will lovingly pass this message along, since Dub is on a hiatus from the board.

I will not, however, be passing along any of the trash-talking in favor of the Raiders. It goes against every fiber of my being to even think anything close to remotely okay about the silver and black brigade.

With that being said, Go Redskins! :P

[awesome possum]

I don't get why Bears fans expected miracles from him when he has so little talent around him to work with.

It's not that we expected miracles from him. It's that we expected our coaching staff and management team to put together and train a roster that would compliment the franchise QB they just traded the near-future away for. At least a little bit. Obviously, they failed.

[Swordfish]

I am unaccustomed to being a fan of the worst team in the NFL.

i do not enjoy it one bit.

[Mexal]

I am unaccustomed to being a fan of the worst team in the NFL.

i do not enjoy it one bit.

Definitely not a fun feeling. At least you beat the Vikings and Chargers, two teams that people consider very good :)

[Swordfish]

Definitely not a fun feeling. At least you beat the Vikings and Chargers, two teams that people consider very good :)

True, but at this point I have to consider those games flukes.....

:cool4:

[G'Kar]

I am unaccustomed to being a fan of the worst team in the NFL.

i do not enjoy it one bit.

December 16, 2007. Ravens give the Dolphins the only win of their entire season, screwing up what could have been perfect symmetry in the AFC East with the Patriots being the first 16-0 team ever, and the Dolphins being the first 0-16 team ever. I understand what you are feeling. And though I must admit I am a little gleeful at the fall of our greatest rival, I also recognize that what happened on Thursday could easily happen to the Ravens on Sunday when our secondary gets ripped apart by the mighty Detroit Lions, and we lose to the second worst team in the NFL.

Stay strong. Our defenses will come back next year tenfold and crush the Pretender King of the North, the Cincinnati Bengals.

[Mexal]

Stay strong. Our defenses will come back next year tenfold and crush the Pretender King of the North, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Highly doubt it. Our team can only get better next year. You know how many rookies we're starting on defense this year? You know that our starting safety and starting DE who had 8 sacks in 3 games is on the IR, not to mention our top 2 TEs? You know that we probably have the best tandem of CBs in the NFL right? You know our first round pick just started playing 2 games ago and that he will be here next year?

Sorry, it won't be easy against us next year, not even a little bit.

[Sirius]

Don't worry, Mr. Must-love-Bengals will be significantly less confident after this Sunday :)

[Kalbear]

Wait - isn't it time for the annual Bengals late-season collapse? I mean, they've got 9 wins already; they now need to lose 4 straight.

[Mexal]

Don't worry, Mr. Must-love-Bengals will be significantly less confident after this Sunday :)

We'll see. Everyone is picking against the Bengals. That has happened with the majority of their games. They've won most of them.

Wait - isn't it time for the annual Bengals late-season collapse? I mean, they've got 9 wins already; they now need to lose 4 straight.

Yea, it's about time for that. I'm hoping this year is different.

[Sirius]

We'll see. Everyone is picking against the Bengals. That has happened with the majority of their games. They've won most of them.

True, I basically see this as the big test for Favre's newfound accuracy, and for AP to really step up and make this a two-dimensional offense once again. Not to mention a MLB-less defense try to stop Benson.

[Mexal]

True, I basically see this as the big test for Favre's newfound accuracy, and for AP to really step up and make this a two-dimensional offense once again. Not to mention a MLB-less defense try to stop Benson.

I think this will be a fantastic game. I do see the loss of EJ as a big loss given how well he was playing. And I do think your secondary is suspect. However, even with that, I don't necessarily think we're a good enough passing team at this time to actually exploit it. And that's mostly due to our average pass blocking skills and unexplosive WRs.

That being said, the game will be incredibly physical and I'd be surprised if the score was more than something like 20-17. I'm pumped for some elite competition.

[G'Kar]

Highly doubt it. Our team can only get better next year. You know how many rookies we're starting on defense this year? You know that our starting safety and starting DE who had 8 sacks in 3 games is on the IR, not to mention our top 2 TEs? You know that we probably have the best tandem of CBs in the NFL right? You know our first round pick just started playing 2 games ago and that he will be here next year?

I love the confidence. Its actually more arrogance than confidence, which I find surprising coming from a Bengals fan. You have had your second winning season in like 20 years and suddenly you are world beaters. There is no denying your team is good, but you have yet to be really tested. You swept the division, but both the Ravens and Steelers are struggling this season, and you had to beat the Browns in OT. You lost to the Raiders, and haven't really beaten any quality teams yet (I don't think).

Sorry, it won't be easy against us next year, not even a little bit.

I'm sure the Steelers thought the same thing after winning the superbowl, and look at them now. I still remember 2006 when the Ravens went 13-3, and then went 5-11 in 2007. It can happen to any team, so don't start counting your division crowns just yet.

[Mexal]

I love the confidence. Its actually more arrogance than confidence, which I find surprising coming from a Bengals fan. You have had your second winning season in like 20 years and suddenly you are world beaters. There is no denying your team is good, but you have yet to be really tested. You swept the division, but both the Ravens and Steelers are struggling this season, and you had to beat the Browns in OT. You lost to the Raiders, and haven't really beaten any quality teams yet (I don't think).

I haven't heard this before. Why is it that every time a fan from another team (like maybe the Steelers or Ravens) talks shit, it's always about history? I understand it. I've lived through it. I don't need a reminder. If you want to discuss my team as it stands today, fine. If you want to discuss our weaknesses (ie: our lack of pass protection, our lack of explosive receivers, our lack of a vertical passing game, lack of success in the red zone), fine, go ahead. It's not like there is any shortage of things to question. But I'm really sick and tired of the past being brought up like it's the point that ends all discussion. We won't have a future for another 10 years. Does that mean I have to stop caring about my team? I have to stop discussing them? I have to stop being proud of what they're accomplishing NOW? This team isn't the 2003 team. It's not the 1998 team. It's not even the 2008 team. Deal with it. You want to make a point, stick with the 2009 team.

Yes, we lost to the Raiders. So what? We beat ourselves. It's not like the Raiders dominated us. We held the ball for 38 minutes compared to 21 minutes. We lost the game because we fumbled the ball in the red zone, missed easy field goals and fumbled ball inside our own 20. We made mistakes. It happens. Did the Saints almost lose to the Redskins? Rams? Yes. They got lucky in those games. Did the Colts not almost lose to 6 teams this year? Teams get breaks and teams don't. Sometimes you're a lot luckier than you're good. Against the Raiders, we weren't.

Did the Browns in week 4 take us to overtime? Sure they did. But we had just lost to the Broncos on a fluke play, beat GB in GB, and beat the Steelers. As a team, we still hadn't found ourselves yet and that was only the 4th game that Carson Palmer had played since week 3 of the 2008 season. Since our week 5 loss to the Texans, our defense has gone from 18th overall to 4th. They have gone from the 28th pass ranked defense to 13th. Their scoring defense is ranked 1st. Their run defense is ranked 1st. Their third down defense is ranked 1st. Their cornerbacks are 2nd and 3rd in the league in pass defenses. This team has grown since then. But that's ok, keep using that against us as a sign of a terrible team. Ignore the fact that in week 12, when we played the Browns again, they had 169 total yards, gave up 200 yards rushing and lost the time of possession 38 - 21 minutes. Did we score 40 pts? No, but that's by design and until people understand that our game is entirely predicated on being physical, running the ball and stopping the run, we'll constantly be underestimated. And you know what, that's completely fine by me. They feed off of it. It's not like the Steelers haven't had any success in the past following that formula :rolleyes:

I find it absolutely enlightening that a few weeks ago, it was a big deal that we beat the Ravens and Steelers. This was a time when they were playoff contenders. Now, when they stumble AFTER losing to the Bengals twice, it completely diminishes what the Bengals have accomplished. Fair enough I guess.

I'm sure the Steelers thought the same thing after winning the superbowl, and look at them now. I still remember 2006 when the Ravens went 13-3, and then went 5-11 in 2007. It can happen to any team, so don't start counting your division crowns just yet.

I'm not. But I'm also not counting my team out based on history. I'm not going to sit here and say, well the Bengals have been shit for 20 years therefore this is a fluke and they will be shit next year. I'm going to believe in my team. I am going to believe that the players on this team will grow and get better, not regress. I'm going to believe that the coaching staff will draft young talent and develop them to fit the weaknesses of the current team. And I'm sure as fuck going to believe that they will be a force next year as they are this year.