NFC North/NFL Thread 2016-17

[tower912]

It comes down to Detroit, not Chicago.  If this really is a new day in Detroit, the Lions should win by 10.  If it is the SOL, it can go either way.   The fact that I am starting to feel optimism scares me.

[MerrittsMustache]

I'd be very surprised if the Bears won this weekend. There should be enough game tape on Barkley by now, especially having played two of the worst pass defenses. I'd imagine 8 in the box regularly to stop Howard.

You're putting too much thought into it 

The Bears would benefit from losing so naturally they'd win. The Lions would (obviously) benefit from winning so naturally they'd lose.

[MU82]

You're putting too much thought into it 

The Bears would benefit from losing so naturally they'd win. The Lions would (obviously) benefit from winning so naturally they'd lose.

In 1997, the Bears tried their damnedest to lose to the equally awful Rams in the next-to-last game. Seriously. Wannstedt was quoted after the season as saying the Bears wanted to draft either Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't even get THAT right. They won 13-10 in a game that set football back about 40 years and, because of tiebreakers, they ended up with the No. 5 choice.

Now, they obviously dodged a bullet in Leaf. But they ended up taking Curtis P. Enis, who besides sucking also made an anti-Semitic remark to me during 1999 training camp. True story.

After he had addressed about a dozen reporters, another Jewish reporter and I looked at each other. She said, "Did he say what I think he said?" We listened to the tape and, sure enough, he did say: "Well, I have no problem being Jewish. I like to get money and make things happen." Yowsa!

Anyway, in addition to Manning and Leaf, Charles Woodson went the pick before the Bears took Enis. The next back drafted after Enis was Fred Taylor, who went on to rush for nearly 12,000 yards in a very productive career. A receiver by the name of Randy Moss also was drafted later, though he was toxic to most everybody. Others: Kyle Turley, Keith Brooking, Takeo Spikes, Vonnie Holliday, Alan Faneca, etc.

Unless a team is guaranteed a stud in the draft, trying to lose is rarely a good thing.

The Bears already are very good at losing. They don't need to try.

[tower912]

New contender for worst call of the season against the Lions.  Glasgow called for getting his face in the way of the linemans hands.

[MerrittsMustache]

New contender for worst call of the season against the Lions.  Glasgow called for getting his face in the way of the linemans hands.

That was brutal...but then they got the make-up call on the 48-yard pass when they claimed a flag was for D holding but it was thrown toward the LOS as a hold was taking place and no DBs near by. Not to mention Boldin never actually caught that ball on the TD. It all evens out.

[Blackhat]

Sutton playing lights out for Bears.  Aaron Rodgers Packers leading rusher on the year.  Time to put TT out to pasture.

[tower912]

I turned to my wife after Detroit want up 13-3 and said that it was time to give up 14 quick points , setting up another fourth quarter comeback.

[GGGG]

Sutton playing lights out for Bears.  Aaron Rodgers Packers leading rusher on the year.  Time to put TT out to pasture.

Is Sitton really playing that well?  I don't think the Packers have missed him all that much.  Taylor seems to be playing well.

[Blackhat]

He is playing very well.  Bears # 8 in NFL rushing ypc at 4.4.

[GGGG]

Yeah but using team rushing stats as the only indicator of how one player is playing doesn't necessarily provide the answer.  Lang and Tretter have both been hurt.

[tower912]

And there is the second score.  I wonder what bone Stafford broke in his hand?

[wadesworld]

Sutton playing lights out for Bears.  Aaron Rodgers Packers leading rusher on the year.  Time to put TT out to pasture.

How many games has Sitton played in this year?

[MerrittsMustache]

And there is the second score.  I wonder what bone Stafford broke in his hand?

Is it too early to put money on whatever team plays the Lions in their first playoff game? This is a BAD 10-win team.

[tower912]

Agreed.

[GGGG]

The NFC Wild Card teams aren't a dangerous bunch though.  Giants?  Tampa?  Redskins?

Seahawks and Cowboys are far and away the best teams in the conference.

[jesmu84]

Someone in Bears management/ownership needs to get down to the sideline and tell Barkley to turn it over. Right now

[MerrittsMustache]

Someone in Bears management/ownership needs to get down to the sideline and tell Barkley to turn it over. Right now

Apparently only the o linemen got the memo.


By the way, the NFL needs to totally revamp PI. No one - players, coaches, officials - seems to know what they should be looking for. I understand that it's often an incredibly tough call to make but there's got to be some level of consistency.

[tower912]

Yawn.   

[MerrittsMustache]

Yawn.   

Fun game...and everybody won 

[chren21]

is there a good streaming site like justin.tv or something that works for multiple sports?  Justin.tv is gone.

[jesmu84]

is there a good streaming site like justin.tv or something that works for multiple sports?  Justin.tv is gone.

batmanstream.com

other option is to go to reddit and search for "sport" stream. almost always gets positive results

[Dish]

How many games has Sitton played in this year?

Not that it really matters, but PFF has Sitton graded as a top three LG this year.

[tower912]

Is it too early to put money on whatever team plays the Lions in their first playoff game? This is a BAD 10-win team.

Rethinking this over shoveling.    I think Detroit wins the home game against the Wild Card.    There is no way they beat Dallas or Seattle on the road.   

[4everwarriors]

#12's still got it, ai na?

[forgetful]

And there is the second score.  I wonder what bone Stafford broke in his hand?

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18257782/detroit-lions-qb-matthew-stafford-pip-dislocation-torn-ligaments-middle-finger

Hope this doesn't affect him too much.  Although I'm a Packer fan, Detroit has looked good this year, and they've had enough disappointments over the last 20 years that they deserve a year to celebrate.