2013 NFC North/NFL Thread

[MU82]

If you're a Packer fan, you should be outraged this game was flexed. Gigantic advantage Bears.

Ummm ... no.

[Dish]

Ummm ... no.

Huh?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Do you realize if Seattle loses to St. Louis, and Niners win out, the Seahawks would be the five seed?

I give the NFL credit, teams that have no chance still come to play.  Unlike the NBA where teams tank at the end.  The RedSKINS played very hard today, the Eagles, Jaguars, Bills, etc.

A lot of teams were out of it, but they came to play anyway.

It is crazy to think Seattle could end up the 5th seed, but the Rams are playing well so it wouldn't really shock me if that happened.

[Dish]

I give the NFL credit, teams that have no chance still come to play.  Unlike the NBA where teams tank at the end.  The RedSKINS played very hard today, the Eagles, Jaguars, Bills, etc.

A lot of teams were out of it, but they came to play anyway.

It is crazy to think Seattle could end up the 5th seed, but the Rams are playing well so it wouldn't really shock me if that happened.

It's incredible to me that it's possible at this point.

Playoffs are going to be wild.

Cardinals should move back to Chicago to claim North crown.

[brandx]

Good luck to Pack next Sunday. Both teams can thank Lions for gift wrap job of a title. No clue who wins next Sunday, both have overcome significant injuries, neither deserves to host a playoff game. Bears had/have two chances to win the division. If they can't win one of them, don't deserve it.

Sadly, don't deserve it anyway.

Hope Rodgers, Matthews, Lacy play. Better if both teams can put main guys in there.

A tie would be a fitting ending for the NFC North.

[Dish]

A tie would be a fitting ending for the NFC North.

Amen to that.

[mu03eng]

If you think the Steelers heard that on Wednesday Rodgers was taking first team snaps and just said to themselves "Don't worry about Rodgers, let's gameplan solely for Flynn" then I think you're wrong.  So to answer your question, yes.  I don't think the Packers organization is as worried about the fans being disappointed when they find out Rodgers isn't playing as they are concerned with giving their opponent something extra to think about going into the weekend.

If you think the Steelers sit around listening to press conferences like us then I think you are wrong.  Any NFL team has a lot more inside scoop on the other teams than the common man.  Besides that same evening Packer's journalists like Jason Wilde were pointing out that Rodgers didn't take any 11 on 11 snaps which would be a significant indicator of not playing.  So again, these press conferences are largely for the public and the Packers have fallen on their face.  Lastly, if the Packers announced at the beginning, this is medical decision and he will not play until medically cleared you can preserve the "surprise" for other teams but save a whole lot of angst in the fan base.  Now there is uncertainty and you've got a coach and a player saying, well I should be playing but I can't and nobody willing to now point a finger at the medical staff.

Just a much smarter way to handle this than they have.

[MU82]

Huh?

I meant none of it matters. Each team just has to do what its players and coaches are paid to do.

What was the Bears' great advantage? Knowing that a win gets them the division title? The Eagles' knowing that the game meant relatively little to them?

You just gotta play. The Packers had a zillion chances to already have the division wrapped up. It would have been lame for them to blame the flex decision.

In the end, they don't have to blame the flex decision because the Bears must have thought the game was Monday night; they certainly forgot to show up Sunday.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If the Packers had won yesterday, I think that blocked FG call would be a major talking point today. 

[GGGG]

If the Packers had won yesterday, I think that blocked FG call would be a major talking point today. 

Except that the refs missed the original fumble, which Tramon Williams would have scored a touchdown on.

[Dish]

I meant none of it matters. Each team just has to do what its players and coaches are paid to do.

What was the Bears' great advantage? Knowing that a win gets them the division title? The Eagles' knowing that the game meant relatively little to them?

You just gotta play. The Packers had a zillion chances to already have the division wrapped up. It would have been lame for them to blame the flex decision.

In the end, they don't have to blame the flex decision because the Bears must have thought the game was Monday night; they certainly forgot to show up Sunday.

This is a joke, right?

This is a serious question...are you a Bears fan? My assumption is yes. Either A) You're a Bears fan or B) You know nothing about how the NFL works.

There was a reason that story was buried by all the networks and media, the NFL knows they royally f'd up.

[GGGG]

This is a joke, right?

This is a serious question...are you a Bears fan? My assumption is yes. Either A) You're a Bears fan or B) You know nothing about how the NFL works.

There was a reason that story was buried by all the networks and media, the NFL knows they royally f'd up.

Does the NFL usually not allow such things?  I just dont remember it coming up before.

[Dish]

Does the NFL usually not allow such things?  I just dont remember it coming up before.

I'll say this, there is 100% reason why the NFL went out of it's way on Sunday Night Football last night to be as transparent as possible about the Week 17 schedule, it was not a coincidence in the least. They announced it at half time, and then went over it again postgame. Hell, they even used CBS' and Fox's music.

NFL got very lucky and avoided a near catastrophe. NFL decided prior to Lions/Ravens that the Bears/Eagles game would be flexed. Once the Lions lost, that created a worst case scenario that nearly played itself out last night.

If Bears/Eagles had stayed at noon, it would have been played in the same window as Cowboys/Skins. Both the Bears and Eagles were enabled with huge competitive advantages knowing the outcomes of the other NFC games. To ignore that is ridiculous (not directed at Sultan or a few others). If Chip Kelly had wanted to, he could have started Matt Barkley, Bryce Brown, sat everyone, and no one would have thought otherwise. Bears may still have well lost even in that scenario, but the fact that it happened in the first place was wrong.

There's a reason Browns/Steelers, Jets/Dolphins, Ravens/Bengals are all being played at the same time on Sunday. CBS/NFL were stuck with Chiefs/Chargers at 3:25 though. NFL wanted to flex all three of those games to 3:25, but it would have left CBS with only Jags/Colts and Texans/Titans in the early window. Only benefit is Chargers need help anyway and have to win to get in.

No one thinks it's a big deal now because of the outcome of last night's game. No one thinks it's a big deal because the Pack and Lions both had chances of their own. But from an integrity of the league standpoint, you better believe the Packers front office was pissed, and rightfully so. They should send Chip Kelly a Christmas present.

[NavinRJohnson]

As far as Sunday goes, I'm guessing the packers are going to be without Rodgers, Lacy, and Matthews, and the Bears will win easily. It's nice to not care though,  since both of these teams stink on ice anyway, and have as much have o going to the Super Bowl as I do.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Except that the refs missed the original fumble, which Tramon Williams would have scored a touchdown on.

Original fumble on that play or earlier in the game?  Just asking, I only watched parts of the second half of your game.

[MerrittsMustache]

As far as Sunday goes, I'm guessing the packers are going to be without Rodgers, Lacy, and Matthews, and the Bears will win easily. It's nice to not care though,  since both of these teams stink on ice anyway, and have as much have o going to the Super Bowl as I do.

As a Bears fan, I can tell you, the Bears don't do anything easily.

[hairy worthen]

Original fumble on that play or earlier in the game?  Just asking, I only watched parts of the second half of your game.

Prior to the blocked fg, Pittsburgh fumbled and the packers recovered for a touchdown. The fumbled was called down by contact and was reviewed. It was overturnrd giving GB the ball but they couldn't give them the touchdown. If the refs would have called it correctly it would have been a packer td to begin with and the blocked fieldgoal would have never happened

[ChicosBailBonds]

Prior to the blocked fg, Pittsburgh fumbled and the packers recovered for a touchdown. The fumbled was called down by contact and was reviewed. It was overturnrd giving GB the ball but they couldn't give them the touchdown. If the refs would have called it correctly it would have been a packer td to begin with and the blocked fieldgoal would have never happened

Gotcha

[nyg]

Tower,  is your coach in some sort of denial mood? 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10187382/jim-schwartz-detroit-lions-call-season-failure

[tower912]

Duh. 

[Dish]

Romo season over.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Tower,  is your coach in some sort of denial mood? 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10187382/jim-schwartz-detroit-lions-call-season-failure

Saw he cussed out some fans yesterday or something as well

[tower912]

Detroit intercepted Manning at the end of regulation.   Tie game.   Had the ball around their own 25 with 2 TO's and 23 seconds.    Decided to run a trap play.    Lion fans energetically voiced their opinion.   Schwarzie got caught on camera turning and swearing at the fans.   

[brandx]

If Bears/Eagles had stayed at noon, it would have been played in the same window as Cowboys/Skins. Both the Bears and Eagles were enabled with huge competitive advantages knowing the outcomes of the other NFC games. To ignore that is ridiculous (not directed at Sultan or a few others). If Chip Kelly had wanted to, he could have started Matt Barkley, Bryce Brown, sat everyone, and no one would have thought otherwise. Bears may still have well lost even in that scenario, but the fact that it happened in the first place was wrong.

There's a reason Browns/Steelers, Jets/Dolphins, Ravens/Bengals are all being played at the same time on Sunday. CBS/NFL were stuck with Chiefs/Chargers at 3:25 though. NFL wanted to flex all three of those games to 3:25, but it would have left CBS with only Jags/Colts and Texans/Titans in the early window. Only benefit is Chargers need help anyway and have to win to get in.

No one thinks it's a big deal now because of the outcome of last night's game. No one thinks it's a big deal because the Pack and Lions both had chances of their own. But from an integrity of the league standpoint, you better believe the Packers front office was pissed, and rightfully so. They should send Chip Kelly a Christmas present.

I still disagree with you on this. If the Bear game was left at noon, then GB could have sat many of it's starters as the game would have been meaningless. Maybe then the Pack would have Matthews and a healthy Lacy for the game on Sunday. So while you think the NFL screwed up - it turns out it was a huge advantage for the Bears.

I also think that maybe you underestimate the difference between a 3rd  and 4th seed. 3rd seed will probably play a 6th and 2nd - 4th seed probably a 5th and 1st

[MU82]

This is a joke, right?

This is a serious question...are you a Bears fan? My assumption is yes. Either A) You're a Bears fan or B) You know nothing about how the NFL works.

There was a reason that story was buried by all the networks and media, the NFL knows they royally f'd up.

I'm not a Bears fan. And that isn't a joke. Next question.

The only ones who royally f'd up were the Packers, Bears and Lions!