NFL vol 4

[Bronn Stone]

Not all that crazy about your picks - I am especially with the oddsmakers on SF-OAK. The 49ers have played pretty well at home and Singletary is great at motivating a team with their collective backs to the wall. This one is a romp. Gore left, Gore right, Gore up the middle. 30 fantasy point day.

I will also take Jacksonville. Home underdogs in pissy cities on Monday night are one of my favorite upset special recipes. While I see your logic on the Jets pick, I am still taking them. Run games don't slump. Denver won't be able to stop LaDainian or Shonn Greene. Give me them Cowboys while you are at it. And the Pack.

[Maithanet]

Falcons at Eagles

I think the Eagles are a good Bad Team. I think they have some tools, but against legitimate good teams (Falcons) they go down hard. Falcons roll. Falcons would be my survivor pick of the week… you know if the stupid Chargers had not murdered me last week.

This is a very surprising suicide pool pick. The Falcons are good, so there's no reason to pick them unless you are confident they'll win. But they're playing on the road against a 3-2 Eagles team that has looked, at least competent. I want the Falcons to win, but the Eagles have enough weapons to make me very nervous. In addition, there are plenty of other teams playing in games that are the NFL-equivalent of a lock. Are you saving the Steelers/Giants/Bears for later in the year? Because all of them are playing at home against relatively overmatched opponents.

My good friend is a Raiders fan and he insists that the Raiders are incapable of winning two games in a row. Thinking about it, I'm not sure it has happened since Rich Gannon left.

[Rockroi]

Are you saving the Steelers/Giants/Bears for later in the year? Because all of them are playing at home against relatively overmatched opponents.

I changed my pick to the Steelers.

[Jaime L]

I actually think that a lack of leadership could be Rodger's biggest weakness. His tools are great, but can he command the locker room and the huddle the way that the great QB's do? I'm not sure yet.

Just read an SI article on Rodgers, Frisky. Even if I don't feel, I can understand the mancrush. Didn't realize he was a JuCo guy before he got to Cal. And honestly enough probably isn't made of how difficult of a situation he was put in, in Green Bay not only succeeding a legend but just the way Favre forced the whole thing to go down. Everything was stacked against him from falling 20 spots in the draft to going to a team whose new coach, Mike McCarthy thought Alex Smith was the clear choice for the 49ers when he was there. There couldn't have been more pressure and scrutiny and he just took care of business in a near impossible situation in a way we haven't seen since Steve Young. He's definitely made himself into a top 5-6 QB in this league through force of will and unwavering self-confidence.

But yeah the one thing that puts him below Manning, Brady and Brees in my mind is I still need to see that "I will not let us lose" mentality imposing its will on games. He can light up the scoreboard as good, if not better than any of those guys - but can he win consistently in those tough, touch and go games? From the playoff game last year to the Bears and Redskins games this year just feels like he had a chance to win each in the final seconds and each time came up short. Not to say I think he's unclutch, or any of the labels that dogged Manning earlier in his career, just that he needs more time and experience to nail down that final leadership/dominance piece that define the great QBs of an era. That'll be the next step in his development.

[delete this account pls]

This Tom Brady fellow is really screwing with the vaniy searches I regularly perform. :worried:

[Lord O' Bones]

Speaking of Smith though...I think that he's hanging in there pretty well. I don't really expect SF to stick with him for the next decade or anything, but I don't think he's a colossal bust given the injuries that he's had to fight off.

I am waiting with bated breath about Smith's game this week. He's saying what I want to hear, and almost performed that way last week.

Allow me to sort of repeat myself but,

Alex Smith; the worst QB in football that is not the worst QB in football. Probably.

[Bronn Stone]

Alex Smith; the worst QB in football that is not the worst QB in football. Probably.

I would say something very similar. Alex Smith is the worst QB who should be starting for an NFL team somewhere.

[Lord O' Bones]

I would say something very similar. Alex Smith is the worst QB who should be starting for an NFL team somewhere.

I reserve the right to start to change this opinion if he kicks ass against the Panthers. Or if he shits the bed against the Raiders. Which he might do, but the 49ers won't.

[awesome possum]

It really is hard to gauge exactly where Alex Smith falls. He's been part of some bad Niners teams, and he was part of the reason they were bad. Any rookie QB tossed into a bad or unfinished team would be.

In the right system he could be good, but the same thing could have been said for Joey Harrington, David Carr and a handful of other high QB picks on awful teams.

He'll never be great, I think that train has left the station, but he could still be good.

[awesome possum]

I'm also really looking forward to the Bears/Redskins next Sunday. It's still a bit early for playoff predictions but I think the team that walks away from that one the winner will have the best chance of making the playoffs in their respective divisions.

[Jaime L]

Jaime L - Could you link the article? I went to SI and didn't find anything.

Article's here

I did not know the part about McCarthy preferring Smith. That is some interesting stuff.

Yeah, sounds like McCarthy definitely had to eat crow when he arrived in Green Bay.

Speaking of which, I'm still very leery of Mike McCarthy. Looks like he's done some innovative things with that Packers offense but I'm not at all convinced he's a good coach. Still not sure why he was hired considering in 2005 with the 49ers and his "chosen" QB, Alex Smith, his offense was worst in football with the lowest yardage total in the league. What the hell did Ted Thompson see in him?

Anyway, comments like: "We were counting on the Bears to miss the field goal" don't add to my confidence. I wonder if the success he's had as an NFL coach is largely due to inheriting a very talented Packers roster and a franchise QB. I think the only reason we don't talk about him more in the pantheon of bad coaches is because others just stand out more.

I'm also really looking forward to the Bears/Redskins next Sunday. It's still a bit early for playoff predictions but I think the team that walks away from that one the winner will have the best chance of making the playoffs in their respective divisions.

Is that next week? That'll be interesting.

The Bears, to me, are the most similar team to the Redskins at the moment. Both feel like they've managed more smoke and mirror wins than anyone else; especially each team's respective wins over the Cowboys and Packers despite each team seemingly getting outplayed in each of those games. I think when they do play, both team's fanbases need to be terrified over what Peppers and Orakpo might do against those tissue paper thin O-lines to their respectively fragile big name QBs.

DeMarcus Ware, Mario Williams, Clay Matthews, Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers...young Trent Williams can't buy a freaking break. I just hope McNabb makes it through this stretch in one piece. I'm not ready for the Sex Cannon.

[Lord O' Bones]

In the right system he could be good, but the same thing could have been said for Joey Harrington, David Carr and a handful of other high QB picks on awful teams.

Good thing we've got Carr locked down. Is Harrington available?

[Bronn Stone]

Game on!

Chargers need this one.

[BLU-RAY]

Stupid Lance Moore. Unbelievable.

ETA: Stupid Robert Meachem! Unbelievable.

[The Dude]

Game on!

Chargers need this one.

This team is so frustrating to watch. They really look awful on the road. To the Rams credit, they've played very well in the first half. Which is different as the Chargers are usually just giving away touchdowns. Worst part is the offense looks off today. Normally, it's the only reliable aspect of their game.

[Bronn Stone]

This team is so frustrating to watch. They really look awful on the road. To the Rams credit, they've played very well in the first half. Which is different as the Chargers are usually just giving away touchdowns. Worst part is the offense looks off today. Normally, it's the only reliable aspect of their game.

Shows just how valuable Gates is to that team. He gets hurt and they aren't the same. Not even close. VJax can't come aboard soon enough.

[BLU-RAY]

Is Gates out for the game? Yow.

Anybody watching the stupid NO-Tampa game? Is Chris Ivory really playing both fucking ways? He just got credited for a tackle on Gamecast. That would be ridiculous (also, I'm super pissed I started Cadillac over him and Betts. And that Colston won't get in the damn end zone).

[WarGalley]

Thank God Brady just tossed a touchdown. Between this and the Falcons game, I thought I was going to fall asleep.

[The Dude]

Shows just how valuable Gates is to that team. He gets hurt and they aren't the same. Not even close. VJax can't come aboard soon enough.

Yep, he's definitely the biggest part of their passing attack. Floyd being hurt too doesn't help. Although both of them were making mistakes and drops before going out.

[awesome possum]

Well, that's it for the Bears. They may still be 4-2, and the Seahawks may have had two weeks to game plan and scheme this, giving them an advantage in that area; it also seemed like the Bears went into the game expecting it to be handed to them on a silver platter. Those excuses don't hold water. They were outplayed by a bad team at pretty much every aspect of the game.

If the offensive line allowed Cutler just one series, just one fucking offensive series to stand in the pocket and have a chance to throw without defenders rushing in untouched, then maybe things could be turned around. But it doesn't matter how good the defense is, how good the special teams unit is. The offensive line is killing this team and even if the Bears somehow fluke their way into the playoffs, it'll be an immediate, embarrassing exit.

I'd be willing to keep Lovie and Martz on another season, but Jerry Angelo has to go. Trading for a QB and signing a star DE doesn't excuse the way he's ignored the fact that an offense won't run without protection.

At least the Packers lost and the Vikings are still QB'ed by Brett Favre. That's the only consolation I have after that miserable excuse of a game.