NFL: The Aftermath.

[Kalbear]

Ex packer qb who was a backup? He's definitely more like matt hasslebeck.

[Sivin]

Hmm so I am not the only one who thinks Peyton could be going to Houston.

Eh, be wary of unnamed sources who are "close to the subject". I think it's just a bunch of bullshit someone stirred up for a little news.

That said, I'd be ok with Peyton going to Houston. My Colts aren't a championship team for a while now, and if Peyton was in Houston then he's got a bonafide chance to win, and I'm guaranteed to see him every week.

Ex packer qb who was a backup? He's definitely more like matt hasslebeck.

That's not a bad thing. Matt Hasslebeck might not be god's gift to quarterbacks, but you could do a hell of a lot worse.

[Jaime L]

I think more of Matt Schaub myself.

Ex packer qb who was a backup? He's definitely more like matt hasslebeck.

Is there some rule that QBs named Matt can only be compared against other QBs named Matt?

That's racist.

[Fez]

Is there some rule that QBs named Matt can only be compared against other QBs named Matt?

That's racist.

But there's just so many of them. Ryan, Stafford, Flynn, Moore, Hasselbeck, Cassell, Leinart, and Schuab.

[Jaime L]

But there's just so many of them. Ryan, Stafford, Flynn, Moore, Hasselbeck, Cassell, Leinart, and Schuab.

What do you mean by "you people"?

[Fez]

What do you mean by "you people"?

"What do YOU mean, 'you people?'"

[Jaime L]

"What do YOU mean, 'you people?'"

I think we both know I have no idea.

That said, I'd be ok with Peyton going to Houston. My Colts aren't a championship team for a while now, and if Peyton was in Houston then he's got a bonafide chance to win, and I'm guaranteed to see him every week.

Is the AFC South a real division? Or is it like some kind of swinger party where teams happily share hall of famers and fans are just cool with it. This mindset couldn't be more alien to me.

Regardless looks to be a moot point. The Texans beat guy is on record saying there's zero chance this happens from the Texans end.

[Sivin]

I think we both know I have no idea.

Is the AFC South a real division? Or is it like some kind of swinger party where teams happily share hall of famers and fans are just cool with it. This mindset couldn't be more alien to me.

Regardless looks to be a moot point. The Texans beat guy is on record saying there's zero chance this happens from the Texans end.

No, the AFC South isn't a real division. There's never been an actual rivalry, the Colts have owned the division since it was founded. The only time I've ever actually hated an AFC South team was in 2008. But that was more a result of Tennessee just doing a little bit better than my Colts. I hate the Patriots, Steelers, Packers, and Saints a helluva lot more than I do any of the AFC South teams.

Edit:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d826f050e/article/prospective-pitches-for-teams-in-the-manning-derby?module=HP11_content_stream

Great article, absolutely loved it.

[Commodore]

The Texans beat guy is on record saying there's zero chance this happens from the Texans end.

the Texans beat guy is an idiot, fans in Houston make fun of him

[trickster]

Brilliant strategy from Isray.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7575906/jim-irsay-says-peyton-manning-meeting-next-week-return-qb

[Sivin]

Base as it may be, this is to clever a ploy for ole' Jimmy to have made himself... Who's whispering into his ear, I wonder?

[Mack Kilimaro]

Is the AFC South a real division? Or is it like some kind of swinger party where teams happily share hall of famers and fans are just cool with it. This mindset couldn't be more alien to me.

Fandom to Sivin is a swinger party, so it's hard to say whether the rest of the division is like that or if that's just him. :P

Just kidding, Sivin. I kid because I love!

[Fez]

In the least surprising news of the offseason, Tampa Bay has cut Haynesworth. More interestingly though,

With leftover money carrying over from 2011, the Bucs now have approximately $67 million in cap space.

Peyton, Moss, the best available free agent O-Linemen, and whatever other offensive weapons Peyton wants? That's a lot of money to throw around.

ETA: Update, apparently Peyton actually had 4 neck surgeries in 18 months, not 3.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had a previously unreported fourth medical procedure on his neck last year, SI.com reported Wednesday, citing NFL sources.

Manning missed the entire 2011 season after having what was thought to be his third neck surgery in less than two years. There have been conflicting reports about how much progress he has made in his attempt to return for the 2012 season.

However, according to SI.com's report, Manning had a fourth procedure after his May 23 surgery to fix a bulging disk and before his neck fusion surgery Sept. 9. According to the website, the same surgeon who handled the bulging disk procedure also handled this previously unreported follow-up procedure.

And he still wants to play? Seriously? Okay then...

[Sivin]

Fandom to Sivin is a swinger party, so it's hard to say whether the rest of the division is like that or if that's just him. :P

Just kidding, Sivin. I kid because I love!

It's all good, because I've found this:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82703e6d/article/flaccos-agent-says-ravens-qb-is-top-5-based-on-record?module=HP11_headline_stack

Wow... Joe Flacco is a top-five quarterback in the NFL! That's so odd, because I wouldn't have said that he was better than the top five College QB's this year.

You know what's most disturbing! The Ravens are making Joe Flacco their long-term solution. It truly is disheartening for someone like me who wants a strong Ravens' team to fight the Steelers. Oh, well...

[Atreides]

Sivin, Joe Flacco is a top-five quarterback...against the Steelers. I remember him surprising a bunch of people with his performance against them this past season. Against other teams he's merely average.

[Sivin]

Sivin, Joe Flacco is a top-five quarterback...against the Steelers. I remember him surprising a bunch of people with his performance against them this past season. Against other teams he's merely average.

Oh, you mean that one game-saving drive against a Steelers defense that was ranked #1 but nobody on earth thought was actually a top-5 defense?

Calieb Hanie has led a last-minute drive, so it's truly prestigious company to have a decent drive at the end of the game! And you think he's average? Need I pull out his performances against Seattle, Tennessee, New York, or (god help us all) Jacksonville?

Have you seen any of his other games against Pittsburgh throughout his career? Fucking dreadful.

[Mexal]

Joe Flacco is an average QB but the Ravens can win with him. Besides, he can still improve; Eli did.

[Mack Kilimaro]

Joe Flacco is an average QB but the Ravens can win with him. Besides, he can still improve; Eli did.

This is pretty much what it comes down to. He's also never had a wide variety of receiving options like some of the top-tier quarterbacks have.

Personally, I think Joe Flacco is a very good kind of player for the Baltimore fanbase. Unheralded, cast off from one D-I program (Tyler Palko started over him at Pittsburgh), made a name for himself in obscurity, and he gets the job done without a lot of flash. Sure, he's infuriating at times, and I think there are other times where he ends up in infuriating situations that aren't really his fault.

Plus the name Joe Flacco when spoken in a Baltimorean accent is awesome. Truly it was meant to be.

[Sivin]

Joe Flacco is an average QB but the Ravens can win with him. Besides, he can still improve; Eli did.

Eli Manning won a championship in his 3rd year in the league on a Giants' team that was talented, but couldn't hold a candle to what the Ravens put on the field every year. This was Flacco's 4th year and I've yet to see anything more than mediocre. And before you go pulling out that last drive against NE in the AFC Championship, remember what the first half looked like, and the defense they were playing. It's not all Joe Flacco's fault, Cam Cameron deserves his share of the blame for being a moron, but Flacco is not a top-5 quarterback in any capacity, and he is the reason the Ravens haven't been able to win a Superbowl.

[Mexal]

Eli Manning won a championship in his 3rd year in the league on a Giants' team that was talented, but couldn't hold a candle to what the Ravens put on the field every year. This was Flacco's 4th year and I've yet to see anything more than mediocre. And before you go pulling out that last drive against NE in the AFC Championship, remember what the first half looked like, and the defense they were playing. It's not all Joe Flacco's fault, Cam Cameron deserves his share of the blame for being a moron, but Flacco is not a top-5 quarterback in any capacity, and he is the reason the Ravens haven't been able to win a Superbowl.

It doesn't matter what the first half looked like. All that mattered was the finish, how the game ended. And that wasn't Flacco's fault. Do you think anyone remembers how Eli played in the first half of the 2007 Super Bowl? Or how about how Eli played in the middle of the 2012 Super Bowl? No. All that mattered was the game winning drives that Eli put together. Same with Tom Brady when he won his first few Super Bowls. Stats don't matter, success does and you cannot deny that Flacco has been successful. How many other QBs do you know that has gone to the playoffs four times in his first four years, two in the AFC Championship? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Maybe you can help.

Flacco is not a top 5 QB. He might not even be a top 10 QB. But he's good enough for a very strong Baltimore team to win. Cam Cameron does not help at all. Players have repeatedly said that Baltimore is easy to game plan against because of the predictability of the play calling. That's not Flacco's fault. Sure he makes mistakes, but so does every QB. He also does some things very well and he has pulled off that magical drive at the end of the game more than once. Will he ever be a Tom Brady? No. Can the Ravens win a Super Bowl with him? Absolutely. I can't imagine the Ravens trying to take a QB in the late 1st and start over. It just won't happen. They're stuck with him, for good or ill.