12/21/24
December 05, 2011
Green Bay Packers Climb to 12-0: The Green Bay Packers drove 68 yards in 58 seconds and Mason Crosby kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, winning 38-35 on the road over the New York Giants. The win clinches the NFC North for the 12-0 Packers, who have Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit remaining on their schedule. "I'm not going to talk about 16-0," said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was 28 of 46 passing for 369 yards and four touchdowns. In other games, Tim Tebow threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns as the Denver Broncos rallied over the Minnesota Vikings, Drew Brees became the fastest-ever quarterback to reach 4,000 passing yards in a season as the New Orleans Saints beat the fading Detroit Lions and coach Jason Garrett iced his own kicker in a Dallas Cowboys overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Yeah, well, at least it didn't end up biting him on the ass or anything. Wait...what?
posted by NoMich at 08:18 PM on December 04, 2011
Freakin' hilarious. The time-out costs them the win. Icing the kicker is so rampant these days coaches can't even keep track of who they are supposed to ice.
Played a drinking game today where me and a few friends had to take a drink every time the camera went on Rob Ryan. We went through three cases.
posted by dyams at 09:14 PM on December 04, 2011
dyams, that's a hell of a drinking game, and I would have guess at least four cases.
Yeah, Garrett's Coach of the Year chances took a definite hit today.
posted by dviking at 10:29 PM on December 04, 2011
The Packers are my team, and I'm weirdly ambivalent about the undefeated thing. I actually kind of wish they'd have lost really early in the season so there wouldn't be this extra level of worry with each game now.
posted by cobra! at 11:30 AM on December 05, 2011
I love that the Cowboys iced their own kicker. Just awesome.
Unless the Packers sit Rodgers against the Lions, they look like they'll be undefeated.
I'm pretty impressed that the Texans are continuing to win after the loss of their starting QB. The Bears have lost their starting QB and have fallen apart. They better hope Forte's injuries are minor, or they might not win another game.
posted by bperk at 11:31 AM on December 05, 2011
If the Packers don't sit Rodgers once home field is assured, they're dumb.
posted by rcade at 11:36 AM on December 05, 2011
If the Lions maturity came close to matching their talent.. then, well, they wouldn't make so many stupid decisions and I wouldn't be going bald.
posted by apoch at 12:24 PM on December 05, 2011
To echo cobra, I was actually hoping that the Pack would lose last night.
(Except that I'm tired of the Giants continuing to win just enough to save Coughlin's job).
The Packers should look closely at how the Colts handled their undefeated season and division clinching business, and learn from that. (Sit Rodgers against Suh, anyway).
Speaking of the Colts, the ultimate year-end perfect season cliffhanger may well be: Colts v. Jags.
Speaking of the Jags, there's a historic viewing opportunity tonight: Norv Turner's last appearance as a head coach on national television.
posted by beaverboard at 12:33 PM on December 05, 2011
The Packers should look closely at how the Colts handled their undefeated season and division clinching business, and learn from that. (Sit Rodgers against Suh, anyway).
The Colts met the same fate that the Patriots did in handling their undefeated season. If perfection is within your grasp, why not strive for it?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:08 PM on December 05, 2011
If the Packers don't sit Rodgers once home field is assured, they're dumb.
Totally agree, though I think Rodgers will have a hard time sitting. He seems very tuned into the numbers and I think he's focused on some records. I could be wrong.
posted by dviking at 01:59 PM on December 05, 2011
I love that the Cowboys iced their own kicker
Message to Jason Garrett: Please stop messing up the Cowboys December, those duties are already assigned to Tony Romo.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:01 PM on December 05, 2011
2007: Giants lose to NE 38-35, enter playoffs as underdogs playing beyond expectations and beat NE in Super Bowl
2011: Giants lose to GB 38-35, if they make the playoffs, would be underdogs...
posted by kokaku at 03:11 PM on December 05, 2011
I watched the end of the Denver/Minnesota game and, you know, the Broncos are actually really fun to watch right now. Of course, the Dolphins are also a lot of fun to watch right now.
The Eagles, too, in a "how are they going to manage to lose this week" sort of way.
posted by Joey Michaels at 04:05 PM on December 05, 2011
011: Giants lose to GB 38-35, if they make the playoffs, would be underdogs...
Giants and Green Bay are both in the NFC, fyi.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:49 PM on December 05, 2011
you know, the Broncos are actually really fun to watch right now
yes, I find myself watching them now too, even though I'm not a Bronco's fan. I just love to picture Merrill Hodge and Chris Carter hemorrhaging each week as Tebow wins again. The venom that Hodge has for Tebow would be funny if it wasn't sad. He said on Sunday that he didn't think Tebow was getting any better. Seriously? No better? He's gone from "he can't win" to (after he won) "he can't win consistently" to (after he's gone 6-1) "he'll never win a superbowl". Yes, his argument now is that we shouldn't be judging him by his W/L's, but whether he can win a Super Bowl. Anybody else catch that on the pregame?
posted by bdaddy at 05:10 PM on December 05, 2011
his argument now is that we shouldn't be judging him by his W/L's
I'm of two minds on the subject of "giving the W-L record to the QB."
On the one hand, we're all familiar with the idea that defensive can make or break a football team - and the QB has nearly nothing to do with defense.
On the other hand, Peyton Manning and this year's Colts.
So, the QB doesn't deserve the W-L statistic - except when he does.
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:04 PM on December 05, 2011
(I write "nearly nothing" because I'm led to believe that the mere presence of a glorious QB can inspire a defense to a better performance)
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:05 PM on December 05, 2011
Actually, a great QB has a lot of influence on the defense.
A great QB keeps his offense on the field longer, allowing his defense to rest. A great QB scores more points thus not allowing the opposing to focus on a slower running game. I could go on, but the point is, as the Colts have shown, a great QB does impact the defense.
I suppose in the Colts' case it may be that a great QB masked some of the defects in the defense.
posted by dviking at 06:48 PM on December 05, 2011
What the hell did the Lions do to themselves in that game last night? Penalty after penalty after penalty. Schwartz has some real problem children on his hands and they're self-imploding like crazy.
Also, that Packers game was a nailbiter for a die-hard fan like me. I like the streak, but the pressure is nuts. I suppose they vastly prefer this route to the Superbowl than the route they had to take last year, but I hope they're able to maintain. They're already losing some key guys like Quarless and Starks to what could be season-ending injuries (knee sprain, ankle sprain). I'm petrified to think of who could be next.
posted by evixir at 07:26 PM on December 05, 2011
A great QB keeps his offense on the field longer, allowing his defense to rest. A great QB scores more points thus not allowing the opposing to focus on a slower running game. I could go on, but the point is, as the Colts have shown, a great QB does impact the defense.
I was just using defense as an example, though your point is of course correct. A QB, of course, can't eat up time without a great offensive line and, of course, special teams is essential. I was just trying to make the "no 'I' in team" point without writing "no 'I' in team." (and getting a little jab at the "Tebow makes his team better just by being there" theory)
On the other hand, Peyton Manning.
posted by Joey Michaels at 07:39 PM on December 05, 2011
Actually, a great QB has a lot of influence on the defense.
a *decent* QB has a lot of influence on the defense. Amazing what the field position/turnover battle does for a defense. Defensively you go from some 20 pts/game (which isn't exactly shitty) under Orton to 15 pts/game (pretty amazing) under Tebow. And while you might not be ready to write off that difference to "inspired by their QB" or "hand of God", certainly not turning the ball over and playing the game of field position has some positive effect. Neil O'Donnell and Trent Dilfer can attest to that.
Before last week, Tebow's limited sample data projected to 19 TDs, 3 INTs , 2,061 yards passing, 1,112 yards rushing, 5 rushing TDs. All together that's not exactly horrid..that 19-3 will get you a nice W/L record. May not get you deep in the playoffs, but for a team not even on the map to get to the playoffs before, I can't imagine they would complain.
posted by bdaddy at 07:48 PM on December 05, 2011
How to avoid excessive celebration penalties.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:01 PM on December 05, 2011
011: Giants lose to GB 38-35, if they make the playoffs, would be underdogs...
Giants and Green Bay are both in the NFC, fyi.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:49 PM on December 05
In this case I think he is referring to the Giants being the "perfect season" spoilers. As in...Giants lose to GB 38-35, if they make the playoffs, would be underdogs...beat the 17-0 Green Bay Packers in the NFC title game and go to the Super Bowl.
posted by steelergirl at 08:48 PM on December 05, 2011
you know, the Broncos are actually really fun to watch right now
College football on Sundays? Who'd argue with you?
posted by etagloh at 08:58 PM on December 05, 2011
Speaking of the Jags, there's a historic viewing opportunity tonight: Norv Turner's last appearance as a head coach on national television.
You know Jon Gruden has completely lost his shit when he says he still thinks Philip Rivers is the best QB in the AFC. There's "positive to a fault" and then "completely insane". Obviously Gruden doesn't have Rivers on two of his fantasy team(s).
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:13 PM on December 05, 2011
The latest QB to comment on Tebow's Christianity? Aaron Rodgers. Love his take on things.
posted by boredom_08 at 09:31 PM on December 05, 2011
The latest QB to comment on Tebow's Christianity? Aaron Rodgers. Love his take on things.
Wow, what a way for the author to misconstrue what Rodgers said.
Rodgers: "I firmly believe, just personally, what works for me, and what I enjoy doing is..."
And turns it into "So put Rodgers in the camp...that says Tebow should probably tone down all the God talk"
He emphasized, basically 4 times in the same sentence, that these were HIS beliefs, but somehow the author thinks he's trying to say everyone should express their faith in the same way? And calling out Tebow as part of that? I don't know about you, but that is NOT the impression I got when I read the Rodgers quote.
posted by bdaddy at 10:04 PM on December 05, 2011
I watched the end of the Denver/Minnesota game and, you know, the Broncos are actually really fun to watch right now.
The ending of the game may have been exciting, but the first half was excruciating.
posted by drezdn at 09:55 AM on December 06, 2011
The ending of the game may have been exciting, but the first half was excruciating.
That Vikings/Broncs game was weird. I watched the first quarter and thought it was like a couple of newborns trying to have a fistfight. Went to the grocery store, turned the game back on in the 4th and somehow it'd turned into a thrilling shootout. It's like reality shifted in there somewhere.
posted by cobra! at 10:22 AM on December 06, 2011
The ending of the game may have been exciting, but the first half was excruciating.
You should have watched the Chiefs/Bears game...
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:30 AM on December 06, 2011
I knew if the Broncos beat the Vikings the headlines would say Tebow Does it Again, but really, he didn't do shit. The Vikings gave this game away with turnovers, poor kick return coverage, bad rushing defense, and nonexistent pass defense. Ponder's interceptions led to 10 points for the Broncos, including the winning field goal The Vikings allowed an average of 33 yards per kick return and started half of their possessions inside their own 20 yard line. McGahee rushed for 111 yards against the Vikings' #6 rush defense. Tebow threw for 202 yards, and at least half of those were to receivers that were uncovered because the cornerbacks passed them off to safeties that weren't there. I give credit to Tebow for scrambling to keep plays alive, but other than that, he didn't do much.
I watched the end of the Denver/Minnesota game
I didn't get to watch the end because the local San Francisco TV station switched away during a tie game with less than two minutes left to broadcast the 49ers warming up.
posted by kirkaracha at 10:48 AM on December 06, 2011
Did he win the game by himself? No. Does the media give credit for team wins to the quarterbacks? Yes, all the damn time. This is not a new development. Tebow played well enough. He didn't run well and he fumbled once but that's about it for a list of demerits for this game. He threw to open receivers? How awful.
posted by tron7 at 11:56 AM on December 06, 2011
Can't we wait to debate whether or not Tebow is any good until he plays a couple of competent teams?
posted by fabulon7 at 12:04 PM on December 06, 2011
Can't we wait to debate whether or not Tebow is any good until he plays a couple of competent teams?
Well, that would suck some of the fun out of it, but sure. In the mean time we can talk about his faith. And maybe whether a certain quarterback from Mississippi is going to make a comeback.
posted by tahoemoj at 01:09 PM on December 06, 2011
Comeback? I'm pretty sure that's what Jason Campbell has in mind.
posted by beaverboard at 04:42 PM on December 06, 2011
Did...did I just see the Cowboys "ice" their own kicker on their potential-game-winning field goal in the dying seconds of the game?
What the hell was that?