2014-15 NFC North/NFL Thread

[wadesworld]

McCarthy musta gotten coachin' advise from his good buddy, Crean, hey?

Hey.

Maybe this season we'll see Crean give his 7 foot defensive specialist (Peppers) the ball at the top of the key down by 3 with time running out while having the best 3 point shooter in the country (Nelson) and a couple other 3 point shooters (Cobb and Adams) out there on the other side of the court. Then we'll know they've been talking.

[MUfan12]

Say what you will about Mac, but his QB was not pleased with him in the third quarter.

Right after the 4th and 1 give to Lacy, they showed him on the sidelines talking with Flynn. He shook his head and said, "That's what he f*cking calls on fourth and one."

[wadesworld]

Say what you will about Mac, but his QB was not pleased with him in the third quarter.

Right after the 4th and 1 give to Lacy, they showed him on the sidelines talking with Flynn. He shook his head and said, "That's what he f*cking calls on fourth and one."

Much like the surprise onside kick I also hate that call regardless of who is doing it. 3rd and 1 it makes sense. 4th and 1 completely stacking the line and running it up the middle gets stuffed so often. I would love to see statistics on how successful that call is.

[wadesworld]

Well, the defense took a giant leap backwards this week. Shields and Burnett will help but not against the run. Glad the Saints have dug themselves in an early season hole, can't see them getting home field in the Playoffs but if they did they'd be scary.

[MUeng]

Well, the defense took a giant leap backwards this week. Shields and Burnett will help but not against the run. Glad the Saints have dug themselves in an early season hole, can't see them getting home field in the Playoffs but if they did they'd be scary.

while we may look like a playoff team, we're a 1 and done playoff team with this current defense.

[wadesworld]

while we may look like a playoff team, we're a 1 and done playoff team with this current defense.

Ehh. I don't know about that. Depends who we match up with. Offers didn't play great today but it'll be fine. Defense was very porous but the Saints have the ability to do that.

[MUfan12]

while we may look like a playoff team, we're a 1 and done playoff team with this current defense.

Can't disagree with you. They seem to get completely annihilated by good offenses. It's alarming.

[GGGG]

They have been annihilated by two good teams on the road.  (Seattle and NO)  They are hardly a stellar defense, but let's not overplay it.

The good news is the schedule is very favorable.  They have 5 of the last 8 at home, granted two of those games are against Philly and New England, and all 3 road games are winnable.  Go 6-2 and they are likely in the playoffs.  Go 7-1 and they likely win the division.  I think both are possible.

[MUfan12]

They have been annihilated by two good teams on the road.  (Seattle and NO)  They are hardly a stellar defense, but let's not overplay it.

If you look at it over the last few seasons, I don't think it's "overplaying" it.

[GGGG]

If you look at it over the last few seasons, I don't think it's "overplaying" it.

Obviously the last couple years sucked.  But I think they have patched up some of the problems.  Julius Peppers has been very good.  Clinton-Dix is better than anything at safety since Collins.  There is quality depth at cornerback, but hopefully Shields can get back.

They are a little too weak up the middle.  Hawk and Lattimore need upgrades. 

This is the best defense they have had since the Super Bowl year.  And even then it was more of a "create turnovers" type of defense versus a "stop" defense.

[hairy worthen]

They have been annihilated by two good teams on the road.  (Seattle and NO)  They are hardly a stellar defense, but let's not overplay it.

The good news is the schedule is very favorable.  They have 5 of the last 8 at home, granted two of those games are against Philly and New England, and all 3 road games are winnable.  Go 6-2 and they are likely in the playoffs.  Go 7-1 and they likely win the division.  I think both are possible.

NFL fans are the most fickle of any fan. Win a couple in a row and their team is going to the super bowl. Lose a game and the sky is falling and the coach should be fired.

You are correct the Packers got their ass handed to them twice against really good teams and in really tough spots.  Very unlikely that any team was going to win at Seattle on opening night of the season after their super bowl win. Last night was equally as tough. Playing at night against a very desperate and good team at a place where they seldom lose.  At the beginning of the season, most people would pencil in losses for those two games. It’s tough to win on the road and as one of the best coaches in the league says, “it’s not who you play, it’s when you play them.”

11-5 is likely and 12-4 is possible. That should get the Packers at least a 3 or 4 seed for the playoffs.  The defense is a concern, but the nfc field is not as daunting this year, at least so far. The packers are a legitimate super bowl contender, but there is a lot of football to be played. They will need to stay healthy and get on a roll late in the season.

[wadesworld]

Agree with Sultan and Hairy here.  Was the game last night concerning?  Sure.  But this year more than any other that I can remember is tough to take too much away from one week.  Everybody other than really the Broncos and the bottom few teams in the league have looked both great and awful at points this season.  One week a team can look like they are taking off and the next they get blown out.  It's a weird season.

In my opinion, I don't see more than 1 team with 13+ wins in the NFC this season.  Dallas/Philli play each other twice, Arizona has to play the Seahawks and 9ers twice this season, and the Lions will lose at least 3 more games this season.  If the Packers win 12 wins they will probably end up being the 2 seed (means they probably beat Philli and Detroit at home).  If the Pack stays healthy I like them as much as any other team in the NFC.

[MU82]

This, to me, was the first game where the Bears played awful where there was nothing glaringly bad about Cutler.  Mike Periera tweeted that the fumble should have been called dead before it came loose and his interception was a throwaway play at the end of the game. 

Of course, two of his TDs and a huge chunk of his yards came after the Bears were down 45-7, so the INT helps balance the stat-padding.

[MU B2002]

That Houston sack dance/injury pretty much sums up the Bears defense today.

I thought it was the perfect end to the week in which it came out that Houston was one of the guys "piling on in the locker room."  Love to hear criticism of the offense and losing games from a guy that has done nothing this year, except sack the Pats backup QB 1 time.

[MerrittsMustache]

Of course, two of his TDs and a huge chunk of his yards came after the Bears were down 45-7, so the INT helps balance the stat-padding.

The Bears' problems are more on Trestman than on Cutler. The offense is incredibly predictable. DBs from both the Packers and Dolphins stated after the game that they knew what play was coming based on the Bears' formation. I'm not saying that Cutler deserves no blame. He definitely forces throws that aren't there and needs to protect the ball better in the pocket, but it's tough to play QB on any level when the D knows what's coming and DBs are consistently jumping routes and beating your receivers to a spot. 

[MerrittsMustache]

The combination of injuries all over the defense and Mel Tucker's inability to adjust is abysmal to watch.

Tucker has been underwhelming with the Bears but the D's issues go beyond him. He adjusted and adjusted and adjusted in an effort to stop Gronkowski. The D showed different coverages and put different defenders on him but there's no one on the roster who could even slow him down. Mundy, Conte, McClellin, Sharpton - none of those guys would have much luck covering an average TE, much less Gronk. The D was completely helpless. There's only so much a coach can do when the team lacks talent.

[muarmy81]

The Bears' problems are more on Trestman than on Cutler. The offense is incredibly predictable. DBs from both the Packers and Dolphins stated after the game that they knew what play was coming based on the Bears' formation. I'm not saying that Cutler deserves no blame. He definitely forces throws that aren't there and needs to protect the ball better in the pocket, but it's tough to play QB on any level when the D knows what's coming and DBs are consistently jumping routes and beating your receivers to a spot. 

Trestman gets one more year to prove something but I agree.  Beyond the X's and O's it's evident he doesn't have control of that locker room. 

I was glad to move on from Lovie Smith but at least he had the respect of the guys in the locker room.

[muarmy81]

I thought it was the perfect end to the week in which it came out that Houston was one of the guys "piling on in the locker room."  Love to hear criticism of the offense and losing games from a guy that has done nothing this year, except sack the Pats backup QB 1 time.

And lamar's injury = torn ACL, out for the year.  Yippie.

Slauson, torn pectoral..out for the year.

Sharpton, hamstring will miss at least GB game.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Trestman gets one more year to prove something but I agree.  Beyond the X's and O's it's evident he doesn't have control of that locker room. 

I was glad to move on from Lovie Smith but at least he had the respect of the guys in the locker room.

Trestman is quirky.

He's the type of coach where if he wins, he's brilliant (maybe like Joe Maddon), but if he loses, everybody is going to want a more "traditional" coach (controls the locker room, rants at press conferences, gets in players faces, etc.)

 

[tower912]

I don't know if Detroit is for real or just lucky.   On the one hand, they have won the last two weeks getting nothing from Megatron, Bush, or their 3 top tight ends, losing Fairley for 3/4 of the Atlanta game.   On the other hand, they have been recipients of two gifts that they took advantage of.    Rogers hamstring limited his mobility and hampered GB's passing game.   I hope he recovers quickly.   

[MU B2002]

And lamar's injury = torn ACL, out for the year.  Yippie.

Slauson, torn pectoral..out for the year.

Sharpton, hamstring will miss at least GB game.

Maybe get to know this guy

Or maybe a top OL prospect.
http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/leonard_williams_808356.html

[4everwarriors]

Someone oughta advise him not to stick his finger in the wall socket, hey?

[wadesworld]

The Lions are good, but not great.  They're a Playoff team that can win a game or 2 in the Playoffs, but in my opinion aren't a Super Bowl contender.  Not having Bush is addition by subtraction.  Bell is a much, much better back, and the less touches Bush takes away from him the better off the Lions are.  Johnson being out for so long may be a huge blessing in disguise in the long run for the Lions, as Tate has been forced to assert himself and Stafford now (you would at least think) will have more confidence in other options beyond just Johnson, which will then in turn also make Johnson better/make coverages gameplan for more than just Calvin.

Trestamen and his demeaner reminds me of Ronald Roenicke.

[MerrittsMustache]

The Lions are good, but not great.  They're a Playoff team that can win a game or 2 in the Playoffs, but in my opinion aren't a Super Bowl contender.  Not having Bush is addition by subtraction.  Bell is a much, much better back, and the less touches Bush takes away from him the better off the Lions are.  Johnson being out for so long may be a huge blessing in disguise in the long run for the Lions, as Tate has been forced to assert himself and Stafford now (you would at least think) will have more confidence in other options beyond just Johnson, which will then in turn also make Johnson better/make coverages gameplan for more than just Calvin.

Trestamen and his demeaner reminds me of Ronald Roenicke.

They could win 2 playoff games (i.e. lose in NFC Champ Game) but you don't consider them a SB contender? That's a very specific ceiling you have for the Lions  

[DegenerateDish]

I don't have confidence that Trestman can lead this team out of the downward spiral. I don't believe the locker room respects him as an authority figure. On offense, Cutler is their leader (however you want to view that) and on defense, their leader Tillman is done, and Briggs is mentally checked out. It's a bad mix of some strong personalities who do not get along with one another, and a lack of faith in coaching to lead them out of this. I don't know where this team mentally goes from here, but I don't think it's going to be pretty.

As for the Lions, the couple of things they have going for them are their conference record (5-1) and a game in hand with the Pack. Lions actually have the most conference wins of any NFC team currently. Interesting 3 game stretch coming up for them, followed by 4 very winnable games, and then the Pack in the finale.