NOW HIRING: Football coach, some experience necessary, but will train. (Oakland, CA) - NFL Week 5

Minnesota at Green Bay
Chicago at Carolina
Cleveland at Tennessee
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Atlanta at NY Giants
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
Houston at Dallas
Buffalo at Detroit
Baltimore at Indianapolis
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville
Arizona at Denver
Kansas City at San Francisco
NY Jets at San Diego
Cincinnati at New England
Seattle at Washington

NOW HIRING: Football coach, $14/hr, some overtime

Arizona at Denver is intriguing.

these are some good matchups. the only team i'd be shocked to see lose would be seattle, though there are clear favorites in a couple other games too.

best thing about this game was nantz and simms looking at a graphic of vikes 5 drives and 5 punts and praising ponder for not turning the ball over and then the next 2 possessions end with awful interceptions

peppers td also a highlight

so amazing how good the 2011 draft was but three teams had to pick terrible QBs in the top 12. I guess there's still some hope for Locker.

that peppers td WAS fun, good blocking

time for Ponder to move on to selling life insurance

Is there any reason why the NFL hasn't staggered Thursday night games so teams only get them after a bye? Seems like such an obvious idea to me, the Thursday night game is hardly ever any good, and this year it seems like one team is always completely dead, be it the Bucs 2 weeks ago, Washington last week, or the Vikes yesterday

well, no byes the first 3 weeks (and they stop after week 12) so if that was implemented it would have only kicked in now. then youd have to make sure both teams to play had the same bye week probably, and i just assume that is logistically impossible

oh yea also factor in the stupid London games, im sure the league feels theres more of a need to give teams byes around those -- ie mia/oak off this week

open the season on a thursday sure and thanksgiving is always going to be a thing, but really just knock the rest of it off

Yeah it would be weird those first and last weeks (though Week 1 wouldn't matter) but I thought the Thursday game wasn't every week until recently. I don't see why the logistics of having both teams have the same bye week would be impossible. Just make your schedule first and hand out the byes next. I mean even if they can't get it 100% I would think rejiggering a rather arbitrary system of handing out random bye weeks to prevent as many of these potentially dangerous and unentertaining games on 3 days rest as possible is probably a smart more

I mean I'd love to get rid of all the non-Week 1 non-Thanksgiving Thursday games too but that's not gonna happen

not with that attitude

having a commissioner mack hard for an 18-game schedule the same year a bunch of ex-players with bruised brains started blowing their heads off says a lot about where the NFL's priorities are at

more than ever we need a commissioner named Mack Hard i agree w/ that

lol

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/sports/football/sniffing-for-dollars-at-home-of-the-vikings.html

@passantino:
Titans kicker Rob Bironas, killed in crash, had a staggering .218 blood alcohol level https://t.co/XqDSUmHBGC

didnt the initial reports say he was sober?? wow

wow god

I like having thursday night games even if they're bizarre blowouts. Maybe scale it back to the last 8 weeks of the season or something.

I guess my Chris Berman like 5-8 performance last week probably depressed me enough that I didn't really give a crap about that Thursday game. Anyway I am now a Mike Ditka like 32-29 mediocre on the season.

Minnesota at Green Bay- I would have taken Green Bay.
Chicago at Carolina- Both these clubs have kinda sucked of late. I'm going to stay a homer with the Bears.
Cleveland at Tennessee - It feels weird to do so, but I am going to take the Browns even as a road dog. While Locker's inability to keep healthy is a big story line, the Titan's defense is getting pushed around pretty bad.
St. Louis at Philadelphia - Eagles should win, but their defense is pretty leaky so I could see the Rams hanging around.
Atlanta at NY Giants - ATL has gone pretty flat and the Giants are playing pretty good of late. I'm going G-men at home.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans - Tampa got beat in many numbers but won the game last week. Glennon has a bit of touch. Even with their struggles, I still got to go with the Saints at home.
Houston at Dallas - I'm going Dallas but I kind of hope Houston smokes them to snuff out this "Cowboys looking great" meme before it really kicks in.
Buffalo at Detroit - Bills have gone flat and while the Lions are kind of out of sync a bit on offense, their defense is playing pretty tough. I'm going Detroit at home.
Baltimore at Indianapolis - Both these teams have played pretty well the past couple weeks and it is always a bit of a rival game between these two clubs. I'm going Indy, but I think this will be fairly close.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville - Steelers grasped defeat out of the jaws of victory last week with some stupid play. Good news is they are probably playing the least talented team in the NFL. I'm going Steelers, but if they blow this one I got to think the Terrible Towl crowd is going to start getting rowdy (they were some big audible booing last week in Pitts).
Arizona at Denver- Interesting matchup and I like what AZ has been doing. That said, I just can't pick the Cards with a backup QB against the Peyton Manning show. Broncs.
Kansas City at San Francisco- SF and KC both have played improved football the past couple weeks. I have to think the Niners are ultimately a more talented club even with the other issues. This might be a good slug it out game to watch.
NY Jets at San Diego- Conventional logic is to take SD in a walk, but I have seen the Chargers play down to their opponents quite a bit in the past few years. The Jets have a kind of defense that exploits dumb play, so I got a feeling this could be a tight ugly game. I'm going big and Jets in upset.
Cincinnati at New England - Bengals look on paper one of the best teams in football, but I will believe a road victory in NE when it happens (last happened in 86). Pats.
Seattle at Washington - Seattle lays a BIG egg if they lose to the Hatcats.

having a commissioner mack hard for an 18-game schedule the same year a bunch of ex-players with bruised brains started blowing their heads off says a lot about where the NFL's priorities are at

― Maggie killed Quagmire (collest baby ever) (frogbs), Friday, October 3, 2014 12:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You know what they need to do is just have the regular season start two weeks earlier and give teams two bye weeks 4-6 weeks apart but still only play a 16 game slate. There would be less games a week, but they would have two more weeks of a pretty full slate and TV revenues. That way there is a bit more recovery time to keep stars playing, they could use that second bye to give the Thursday night teams a break but they would gain more TV shows to sell ads, which is the biggest business.

Of course that idea makes perfect sense and I didn't even get 40 Million dollars a year to come up with that genius.

I've wondered about that too. it's not like having a few games in August would be a bad thing. And 2 bye weeks would = less starters sitting out due to injury which you'd think would be good. But so long as the NFL is raking in this kind of cash I can't see them making any change for the players' sake.

I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake. I can't see them making any change for the players' sake.

Go ahead and hate, haters.

Celebrate the downfall of Coach Condescending and Tom Terrific. Please convince yourselves it's finally safe to write off Bill Belichick and Tom Brady just four games into a season.

Let me hear you, Doubting Toms: Brady finally got old! He lost his zip, aim and nerve! Belichick hastened his demise by providing a sorry offensive line and sorrier receivers! Die, dynasty, die!

Now hear me: The New England Patriots will rise like the phoenix from the ashes of Monday night's 41-14 loss in Kansas City and land at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, playing in Super Bowl XLIX. This will begin Sunday night in Foxborough, Massachusetts, when New England defeats unbeaten Cincinnati 24-21.

Go ahead, laugh.

While you can.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11629301/skip-bayless-patriots-start

Brady has been shockingly bad. In pretty much every facet.

If he just shook it off and somehow figured things out it wouldn't shock me.

on to cincinnati

Patriots have shoddy personell. Especially on offense. They are toast.

If Cincy wins, it might be bit of a changing of the guard moment in AFC football, but the Bengals got to win the post season until anyone will really believe. Chuck Noll hung on for years after the Steeler's four super bowls with sometimes marginal results, most likely hamstrung by mediocre to poor QB play. Pats bonus is that the rest of the AFC East cannot get their clubs together (Buffalo, Miami & NY Jets), so they could still might waltz into the playoffs this year even if 8-8 or 9-7.

don't think i could bet on marv lewis and andy dalton to go into foxborough and win, but that'd be cool.

omg philly special teams

first drive of the game - 3+out, blocked punt, returned for TD

mike glennon doesn't lose games in the superdome

exciting finishes everywhere

rams made it fun at least, that would've been amazing

loving fisher's pink sunglasses

lol browns win

rams maybe have a QB?

not happy about being talked out of playing Kelce this week

http://profootballzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/wattnomatch4romo.0.gif

Bills in good shape to snag a wild card out of the NFC North

I think the bills only shot is winning the afc east division. Their are too many good teams (record wise) for them get in via wildcard.

jets have 65 total yds

^^^so awesome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whNOfvyPpaM

You guys should watch the 2nd half of that Browns game if you get an opportunity, I've never seen a such a thing. The stars that had to align to give Cleveland the victory.

biggest road comeback ever

xpost um I am just saying that the bills are doing well in the AFC North

9-7 or 8-8 definitely looks like it could be the playoff line in the AFC East. That's why I think the Pats are not out of the playoff hunt, they really only need to play .500 ball to be in contention.

Thursday is actually a pretty decently big game. I think the winner between the Texans and Colts kind of sets up the catbird seat in the AFC South.

I think that Bear loss could come back to haunt as I could see that being a tie-breaker going for Carolina for a Wild Card spot. Bears in tough shape at 2-3, I'd say their season is going to be tied into the next month as they got ATL, Miami, NE & GB. They got to go at least 3-1 in that stretch at least to have a playoff shot. Even after there they got the Lions twice, Dallas, Saints in the rest of the schedule. Probably not the hardest schedule run, but tough enough at 2-3 and little margin of error.

I think Bears are already a big long shot for the playoffs. I see maybe low end 6-10 and at most top out at 9-7.

Sanu is so good

big ups to Hue Jackson for going absolutely nuts on this opening drive

one terrible pass from brady but every other pass pretty much perfect

officials are having a bang up primetime game

yeah this shit is unwatchable

come on HUE

UNWATCHABLE

Falcons are done. Too soft

And holy shit are the Jets bad. That was some historically bad offense.

i picked a good year to be too distracted to watch the nfl too much: y or n

"distracted and morally outraged" i suppose

Jets really have nothing on the offensive side of the ball, do they? They don't have to worry about the defensive line for a decade though.

It's a fucking great front seven just absolutely going to waste. Rivers never wants to see Sheldon Richardson again

The Chris Johnson signing is reaching Cherone-like sadness.

lol

idk who would've looked at the jets at the beginning of the year and said they had anything on offense.

They signed Vick, Johnson and decker. And subtracted Sanchez. There was optimism.

johnson was obv washed up and decker was a product of playing with manning. neither of those guys is actually good.

and vick, who is also washed up, was signed to be a backup.

They signed an old guy, a guy who takes plays (or whole games) off and the product of a system.

Fixed.

Don't get me wrong. I thought it would be a shitshow. Didn't realize it would be this bad though. Curious if Rex lasts the season.

If mike smith survives and Rex gets canned (which is inevitable) smitty should fire Nolan and hire his buddy Rex as DC.

I imagine Rex will be in the mix for the Raiders job

thread title aspriations here https://vine.co/v/OK5TtYVmZ7b

i didn't get to post in this thread while the games were going, but man did the Lions find a hilarious way to lose that one

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/1005/nfl_i_jagsmasceb_600x600.jpg

The whole city of Jacksonville is nothing if not tasteful.

is that real?

yes

wow

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BzPkvUQIEAAPEyA.jpg

I bet chad penningtons shoulder is starting to feel better again

http://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/lloydcatch.gif?w=694

that catch was crazy, when kap threw it i thought for sure he was gonna get picked.

I had bits of that game on Redzone, but I must've been out of the room when that happened.

Amazing jump. Brian Dawkins would be proud.

Sean Smith swats at the ball, elbows the ball, and then smacks it with his off hand all before Lloyd hits the ground on his downward trajectory.

it almost looks like he didn't time the jump very well but then i realize he is at the peak of his jump for like 2 seconds.

that is a monster leap with some ridic hangtime, yes

That is a pretty crazy GIF. These guys are just amazing athletes.

I think it is pretty easy to say Geno Smith's career is toast. He probably will get another tryout after the Jets finally cut bait on him in a year or year and half or so. You skip a business meeting to go see a movie then go out and play like crap when your job is on the line is not a good way to keep any job. Save that money bro, you are exiting your NFL window.

That catch was insane, and yeah - seemed like Kap had thrown another pick.

Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano had players bury a football at practice

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BzTFH31IgAAgSD2.jpg

shoulda done it in the pine barrens

I'm not sure that kind of stuff works in the pros. Barely works in college.

You hafta bury it deeper than that or it will escape and become a zombie football.

the mass football graves of oakland are evidence of successive waves of raider atrocities.