NFL 2017

tetelestai

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Being a Cowboys fan for the last couple of decades might disqualify you from the attempt in any event. :eek:

LOL.....ask Jerry if I have mentioned that the Cowboys have only won TWO post-season games the last 20 years?

BTW, my Steelers really squeaked out a win today in Indy.

What's up with your Colts? Will Andrew Luck ever be back? Is this Pagano's last year?
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Speaking of games, this week is starting off well enough, though I barely got my picks in under the wire and almost forgot the Thursday night game.

So far...

1. Sea (6.5) @ Arz: a 6.5 Seahawks line on the road was too rich for me and away we went. 1-0

2. NO (2.5) @ Buf: the Bills play tough at home, but the Saints are a SB darkhorse at this point and I had the likely outcome in the 31-24 range. 47 - 10 was a pleasant surprise. 2-0 :D

3. GB @ Chi (4.5): hard one to call given the circumstances. I'd have taken (and lost with) the Bears in a fg contest, but I couldn't go more and thankfully so. 3-0 :D

4. Cin @ Ten (5.5): another fg toss-up that Vegas tried to stretch. 4-0 :D

5. Cle @ Det (11.5): I won't say the line didn't make me nervous. I hate large lines. But Cleveland? I was thinking 17 - 34, the final of 13 - 32 was about right. 5-0 :D

6. Pit (9.5) @ Ind: I had it 23 - 14 and really had to think about the .5, but that was just a bridge too far. 6-0 :D

7. Min @ Was: I didn't understand the 1.5 line for Min. I'd have taken 4. 7-0 :D

8. Jets (2.5) @ TB: TB was due and at home. The Jets as a favorite there? My score? 20-24. The score? 10-15 8-0 :D

9. SD @ Jac (4.5): Man, I really hate the Jags. This was a worrisome match up, as SD can play tight with most teams and Jacksonville has a way of losing games you think they shouldn't. So of course I went with Jac anyway.

My score? 18-23. The score: 17-20. :mmph: 8-1 ​And there went my perfect week.

10. Hou @ Ram (11.5): taking a flyer of a risk on the headless Texans being largely unable to score, but that's a big line. Rams. Thanks Rams. 9-1 :D

11. Dal @ Atl (2.5): I had it dead even, so I took the Cowboys. :idunno: And there goes the team without balance. 9-2 :mmph: Not nearly so even without their star rb.

12. Gia (.5) @ SF: ...ohboy. Giants, 23 - 20. Man. I wasn't confident, but that was ugly. 9-3 :mmph:

Looks like I need Den. to get me to 10 wins this week...or Miami.

13. NE (7.5) @ Den: a lot of points at altitude...I like it just a smidge closer and refuse to move on the half point. My score? 23 - 16.

14. Mia @ Car (9.5): another big line. I have them covering, but I'm going to say Miami keeps it closer on a hunch.
 
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Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
LOL.....ask Jerry if I have mentioned that the Cowboys have only won TWO post-season games the last 20 years?
I was actually thinking of that when I made the joke.

BTW, my Steelers really squeaked out a win today in Indy.
I thought the 9.5 was too rich, but I was surprised by how much of a game Indy gave them.

What's up with your Colts? Will Andrew Luck ever be back? Is this Pagano's last year?
He's been dealing with it since 2015. Tried rehab. That didn't work, ultimately, so off season surgery was the latest effort. Luck had a setback and the team wasn't going anywhere. I think they decided to appear competitive and pick up some help. Some rumors that the injury might be career threatening, but no confirmation. It's just slow going. We'll know what the Colts are thinking soon enough in the off season.

Hard to judge Pagano with what he's had to deal with and the team loves him. So he'll probably get another year absent someone with real appeal coming available. Now if Luck doesn't get better I could see ownership looking hard to move someone with a reputation, like a certain ESPN darling, to whip up a better feeling around the fanbase.
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Speaking of my concerns for a Cowboys team without Zeke, Dak tried too hard and came up way short, with a not awful, but not particularly good performance, throwing for a modest 176 with 0 tds against 0 ints. He ran for one, but coughed up the ball twice. Overall, his rating was 82. That feels generous given his production.

On the other side of the field, a still desperate Falcons had a better time of it. Ryan threw 2 tds against 1 pick and a 104 rating, though his yards were limited by a real balance from Atlanta, with Ryan putting up 215. A relatively quiet offensive production.

Defensively Dallas out tackled Atlanta, 70 to 59, but Atlanta ran 12 more plays, so there's the difference. In terms of effective defensive plays, the Falcons had 8 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Dallas generated 1 sack and 7 tackles for loss. So Atlanta was much more effective at getting into the backfield and both fumbles resulted in turnovers.

Dallas may be in trouble if they can't get more help from Dez or find a way to take some pressure off their qb.
 

tetelestai

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Who can take you seriously since you admit that you did not even see the game!

If your Boys loose next week to the Eagles, your season is over.

A loss would put your Boys at 5-5

5 losses before December would not be good considering how the Boys play in December


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
Who can take you seriously since you admit that you did not even see the game!
Anyone who understands sports and doesn't need an excuse to avoid analysis that doesn't play to their bias? :plain: Just a guess, mind you.

You think most college and pro analysts watch most of the games or hold off on speaking to the ones they saw in highlight and by the numbers?

Again, on the part you omitted, if I didn't understand things pretty well I wouldn't have much of a chance in calling games.

Current ESPN Pigskin Pick'em data, spread:
PCT 96
RANK 7222
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
Speaking of my concerns for a Cowboys team without Zeke, Dak tried too hard and came up way short, with a not awful, but not particularly good performance, throwing for a modest 176 with 0 tds against 0 ints. He ran for one, but coughed up the ball twice. Overall, his rating was 82. That feels generous given his production.

You failed to mention that Dak was sacked six times in the game. Did you just miss that stat?
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member

tetelestai

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
I watched the game and I now see that Dak was sacked eight times, just like you said.

But how does anyone pass judgment on Dak's play in that game and fail to mention all of those sacks?

Your Boys are doomed without Ezekiel Elliot.

The bottom line is this:.....if your Boys somehow can make the playoffs, and get Elliot back, they can beat anyone in the NFC. It will be harder playing all 3 playoff games on the road, but possible.

However, I don't see your Boys making the playoffs. They would have to win at least 4 of the next 5 without Elliot, then beat either Seattle or Philly when Elliot comes back.

That would put them at 10-6, and 10-6 might not be good enough.

I just don't see them winning 4 of 5 without Elliot.
 

Town Heretic

Out of Order
Hall of Fame
You failed to mention that Dak was sacked six times in the game. Did you just miss that stat?
I literally put the sack totals, tackle totals, etc. for both teams in my post on the game. Man, your emotions even get in the way of your reading.

Coach Belichick won't comment on games he hasn't watched, FWIW.
Bill barely comments on the games he coaches. So... :plain:

Yes, because unlike others on this thread, Bill knows that the outcome of games is not determined by the final stats of a game.
No one has ever said they are. But stats reflect the play, the quality of it and, with rare exception, the outcome.


Earlier I said that the Boys dominated the Chiefs and you can see that headline at many places on the internet:
You can. You can also see videos about aliens and cats that play piano. Those are a little funnier.

What I didn't see was a national commentator among them. I did see it from "thelandryhat", surely one of the more unbiased voices out there. Way out there. A couple of guys with Youtube accounts. Tony, from KC.

Of course the reason you have to go really, really small to use the word is that the only argument you really had for it was a narrow focus on pts right before the half.

Despite the fact that you did not even see the game you dispute what I said and what many sportswriters wrote about the game.
To be fair, I didn't say that I didn't see the game. I said I didn't see it wearing a Cowboys' jersey. In other words, I didn't watch it like a homer. But you were so quick to jump up and down on the point I had to have a little fun with the absurdity of it. And I don't watch any game cradle to grave unless it's a matchup I think is going to determine something and the teams are making it worth losing insight on other games...or unless my son is determined on the point. Jack has decided that he's a Chiefs fan. Like some in Dallas I have no idea why.

Time for a breakdown.

I thought Williams was terrific for you on a few big plays. He had...what, nearly 150 to lead receivers? He got 55 on one play (the sideline catch with a great burst to take it to the Cowboys' 10). Dez had an over the middle catch for 15 or better on a third down from inside their own 20 that I thought was pretty darn good. And suddenly it was 14 to 3 and looking grim. The difference wasn't dominance in the half, it was (as is often the case in the NFL) a couple of big plays made by the Boys and a couple of missed opportunities by the Chiefs. It took a great play at the end of the half to put KC back in the game. That's how it was. A couple of big plays and Dallas is pulling away. One big play on the other side and the Chiefs are within 4.

That's where I suspect a handful of people, largely Cowboys fans, decided the game was one sided. It wasn't, but if my team was up 14 to 3 and I'd seen three or four explosive plays largely met with more methodical and smaller efforts, and if I'd contained one of the best backs in the league (line woes or no) I'd feel pretty darn good about myself right up to the point where that back and team hit me in the mouth at the half and made it a 4 pt game, which is what happened.

Then KC, in non spectacular fashion, took the lead on a td pass solidly into the third. No one is thinking dominance at that point, are they? Certainly not the crowd watching KC stage a potato sack race in the end zone, which was funny. Your guys answered with a long drive and short yardage td and we're at 21-17 and still anyone's ballgame going into the 4th.

In the 4th your guys put together a great clock eating drive to score that left around nine minutes on the plate, but more importantly upped the differential ante and forced the Chiefs to take chances. Kansas City made it into Dallas territory before a nice pick that Alex shouldn't have thrown stopped the drive. It was a good game. And Dallas out played the Chiefs. No question about it. But a game decided in the fourth where the ball movement and offensive/defensive stat line tells you it's up for grabs isn't a dominant performance. It was, instead, what classy Cowboy fans should note it as, a great win against a tough opponent.

Or you could keep doing the Trump bit and see how that works out for you by the end of the season.

As to yahoos who talk about dominance on the internet and Youtube, well, knock me over with a feather. :chuckle:
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
Your Boys are doomed without Ezekiel Elliot.

Did you notice that the Boys did not have their first team All Pro left tackle in the game due to injuries?

Did you notice that their first team All Pro linebacker left the game due to injuries?

It is hard to win a game when your three best players are not in a game against last year's NFC champion in their stadium.
 

Jerry Shugart

Well-known member
The Boys got royally screwed by Roger Goodell. Even though the investigator he hired said that nothing Zeke's accuser said could be believed Zeke was docked six games!

Zeke and his legal team was never given the opportunity to confront the porn star!

Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USSR!--the Beatles​
 
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