NFL 2012 Week 17 Thread

Dirk Koetter staying in Atlanta.

A year ago, I said the Jaguars were making a mistake in firing him. A year later, he's being thrown head coaching offers.

garion333 wrote:
Kush15 wrote:

Looks like Arizona is going to hire Andy Reid. Not sure what week it will be, but Arizona will travel to Philadelphia next season.

He's interviewing with the Chiefs today. We'll see how many other offers he gets. I imagine he'll get his choice of just about any team.

I'd take him for the Chiefs in a heartbeat. In some ways, it feels like he kind of ran into the same thing Schottenheimer did when after so long, it's just best to move on.

I'm really confused with how Clark Hunt is handling this, though. I appreciate that he has taken the job of hiring the new coach, but not committing one way or the other in regards to Pioli seems to create an unstable situation for a coach to come into. I'm afraid that is stil going to limit who might be interested in taking the job.

I have to believe that Pioli is just gone, but there are some technicalities to work out. But this flux really complicates the process, I believe. If they pull off hiring Reid, though, then it's all good. He's exactly the kind of coach I would be afraid that would avoid the kind of front office instability that plagues the Chiefs right now. Maybe he gets to pick the new GM?

I thought the Rams did it right by firing Devaney, and then hiring Fisher, who had plenty of say in the hiring of Snead.

garion333 wrote:
Kush15 wrote:

Looks like Arizona is going to hire Andy Reid. Not sure what week it will be, but Arizona will travel to Philadelphia next season.

He's interviewing with the Chiefs today. We'll see how many other offers he gets. I imagine he'll get his choice of just about any team.

And would you look at that, Philadelphia hosts the Chiefs in 2013 as well. They also host Chicago and San Diego, though the Chargers appear not to be interested in Reid. Good chance you see Andy Reid's return to Philadelphia next season.

Ray Lewis has announced his retirement.

Whelp, Ray Lewis is retiring after this season. Been a long time coming, but mostly I'm bummed I won't get to see the game this weekend thanks to work.

One of the biggest disappointments in this postseason will be the fact that it is impossible for both Seattle and Washington to advance and challenge the conference's more established powers.

fangblackbone wrote:

Well, I have to admit that Seattle is definitely the team I was dreading playing the most in the playoffs. I think they are the most dangerous NFC team. The other teams are definitely tough but I feel you know what to expect with them. Seattle definitely has that explosive unknown factor.

I don't get it. Saw that on ESPN this morning, apparently Seattle is 6-1 to win (or make it to?) the Super Bowl while Atlanta, the #1 seed is 7-1.

I mean yeah they scored 50+ two weeks in a row. Against Arizona, and Buffalo, both the worst teams in their respective division, teams who don't even have a coach anymore they were so bad.

And still, 3-5 on the road. And the only way they're getting a home playoff game is if Minnesota makes the NFC Championship against them. 3 road wins the whole year and they're going to get 3 this month? Yeah right. :p

Anyway, when do we start next week's or playoffs in general thread so we can make some predictions? Games on Sat this week.

You know I don't want to jinx my team with self righteous enthusiasm but... I seem to recall in one of the earlier threads, that I can't find now (figures), I looked at the Redskins schedule and thought that they could have a 10-6 record. Of course I need to eat crow as I got who they'd lose to and win wrong. But still, that was a bold prediction and while I had assumed that would be enough to get them to the playoffs, I never thought they'd win the division.

Well, I have to admit that Seattle is definitely the team I was dreading playing the most in the playoffs. I think they are the most dangerous NFC team. The other teams are definitely tough but I feel you know what to expect with them. Seattle definitely has that explosive unknown factor.

If they get past the Skins, I don't think they will make it to the super bowl but they will beat great team(s) on the way.

I would also like to add that Morris is amazing. You might stop him for -1 to 1 yard. You might hold him to 3-4 yards the play after that. But I will be damned if the next run he doesn't break for 7+ yards. (and a more than decent chance of scoring a touchdown to boot)

Stele wrote:

Anyway, when do we start next week's or playoffs in general thread so we can make some predictions? Games on Sat this week.

NFL Playoff Bonanza Challenge to hold you over until then?

One of the biggest disappointments in this postseason will be the fact that it is impossible for both Seattle and Washington to advance and challenge the conference's more established powers.

That would have been amazing! Perhaps we will see similar challenges from Minnesota and Seattle or Washington.

Paleocon wrote:

Ray Lewis has announced his retirement.

I always expected him to start coaching right away. I hope he sticks around the NFL in some fashion.

Kush15 wrote:
Stele wrote:

Anyway, when do we start next week's or playoffs in general thread so we can make some predictions? Games on Sat this week.

NFL Playoff Bonanza Challenge to hold you over until then? 8-)

Better than nothing. I'm not fond of picking the whole bracket when the bracket changes between week 1 and week 2. Matchups are more important than who's the best team. But it'll have to do for now.

Is anyone doing the playoff challenge on NFL.com? Do we have a GWJ group set up there?

Stele wrote:

And still, 3-5 on the road. And the only way they're getting a home playoff game is if Minnesota makes the NFC Championship against them. 3 road wins the whole year and they're going to get 3 this month? Yeah right. :p

That's an excellent point. I DID have to go all the way back to 2010 to find a Super Bowl winner who also went 3-5 on the road and then won 3 straight road playoff games.

Bears GM Phil Emery talks about the team's offensive line decisions

A surprisingly candid piece - hence the Sun Times simply quoting the press conference chunk verbatim rather than writing it up.

Also, the first time I've seen a GM name drop ProFootballFocus.

Emery TL;DR: offensive tackles don't grow on trees, and good ones don't reach free agency very often.

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

billt721 wrote:
Stele wrote:

And still, 3-5 on the road. And the only way they're getting a home playoff game is if Minnesota makes the NFC Championship against them. 3 road wins the whole year and they're going to get 3 this month? Yeah right. :p

That's an excellent point. I DID have to go all the way back to 2010 to find a Super Bowl winner who also went 3-5 on the road and then won 3 straight road playoff games.

Are you saying Russell Wilson = Aaron Rodgers?

garion333 wrote:

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

Hell I may have to change my location to match his.

garion333 wrote:

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

Keep in mind, that this is coming from a man who once wore a Jamarcus Russell jersey.

garion333 wrote:

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

Better?

S0LIDARITY wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

Keep in mind, that this is coming from a man who once wore a Jamarcus Russell jersey.

Not by choice!

OK, by choice, but to avoid a much worse fate.

*Legion* wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Legion, your avatar is freaking me out.

Better?

Much.

Edit: Love your location change. lol Props.

Question:

What is GWJ consensus on Tebow having success (winning record, or putting up big yardage or points or a playoff birth) in a Redskins style or other tweaked pistol offense? Rex Ryan is a bright guy. If he figures it out, would he implement it with Tebow at the helm?

Obviously things are easier with an AP or a Morris in the backfield. I just wish the guy (Tebow) success in spite of his fans.

I think I can see it working. I don't think the Skin's success is isolated and it may not work as well for the Skins next year but I think we will see an influx next year. And I think if it mellows out for the Skins, it will work somewhere else if not many other places.

I know I am hyping it up but I am just completely floored by it when watching it. Week after week seeing probowl DE's neutralized without being blocked causes a lot of disbelief and head shaking.

RGIII can pass.

*edit* Beaten to the punch by Legion.

I don't see how Tebow could be worse than Sanchez was this year.

fangblackbone wrote:

What is GWJ consensus on Tebow having success (winning record, or putting up big yardage or points or a playoff birth) in a Redskins style or other tweaked pistol offense?

I won't speak for the site consensus, but my own answer is: None.

If RG3 or Kaepernick couldn't throw the ball, they would be just as worthless.

If you can't succeed as a passer first, the whole thing Just. Doesn't. Work.

Being a runner in addition to a passer opens things up, but no matter how good of a runner you are, it can't make up for an inability to pass.

EDIT: And when I say "None", I don't mean he could never come into a game and move the chains. I mean that he would at no point be a better option than developing any of a number of rookie or free agent pocket passers instead.

EDIT 2: And I'll qualify that by saying "None, without developing substantially as a passer. " We haven't really seen him play ball in a year. And given the Jets passing him by at every opportunity, I'm guessing he hasn't really lit the practice field on fire. But I won't say never. Just wouldn't bet on it.

Stele wrote:

I don't see how Tebow could be worse than Sanchez was this year. :?

Which makes the team's resolute unwillingness to put Tebow on the field really all the more damning.

How bad must a player be on the practice field for Mark Sanchez to remain the team's best option?

How deafening was the silence of any locker-room QB controversy throughout the season? As badly as Sanchez played, absolutely no one on the team was banging the drum for them to play Tebow. Instead, all they said was, "He's terrible".

Stele wrote:
billt721 wrote:
Stele wrote:

And still, 3-5 on the road. And the only way they're getting a home playoff game is if Minnesota makes the NFC Championship against them. 3 road wins the whole year and they're going to get 3 this month? Yeah right. :p

That's an excellent point. I DID have to go all the way back to 2010 to find a Super Bowl winner who also went 3-5 on the road and then won 3 straight road playoff games.

Are you saying Russell Wilson = Aaron Rodgers? :?

Of course not, though 2010 Rogers and 2012 Wilson were surprisingly similar. I just don't find

3 road wins the whole year and they're going to get 3 this month?

to be that persuasive of an argument. I mean, they won 2 (of 2) road games in December. I suppose going into that month you'd have said they couldn't make the playoffs since they were just 1-5 on the road and obviously weren't going to win 2 road games in one month.

fangblackbone wrote:

Rex Ryan is a bright guy. If he figures it out, would he implement it with Tebow at the helm?

Obviously things are easier with an AP or a Morris in the backfield. I just wish the guy (Tebow) success in spite of his fans.

Rex is a bright guy defensively. To me, it looks like his offenses have gotten worse year after year. It seems pretty obvious that Rex and the Jets management did not want Tebow with the ball on his hands in the midst of the Sanchez meltdown spectacular. I think the Jets are guying to dump Tebow off ASAP and not give the NY fanbase/media any more of an opportunity to get attached on Tebow.

Maybe Tebow could work with MJD in Jacksonville. I expect that would be a waste of the newly emerged Shorts and Blackmon though.

Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois' QB) set an NCAA record this year for rushing yards in a year with over 1700 yards, and, when facing superior college competition, was utterly pathetic last night. He's a small-school version of Tebow. There has been absolutely nothing to show that Tebow is capable of playing QB at the NFL level, and all the work he did changing his throwing mechanics evaporated the moment he had to start playing at game speed and acting instinctively.

So, nooooooooooooooooooooooooo.