04/16/24
January 14, 2012
The Hoser's NFL Playoff Picks, Week 2 2011: NFL picks that TEBOW! are starting to TEBOW! come around to TEBOW! TEBOW!
Strange unseen forces seem to be at work at the moment, and I would not be totally surprised to see the Giants and Broncos win under the circumstances.
From a weather standpoint, the league has the scheduling totally ass backward. The Saints-Niners game starts in early afternoon local time on the relatively balmy West Coast, while the Broncs and Pats play in the depth of night with frigid temps descending on the region.
Same deal on Sunday, with the warmer weather Baltimore game starting in the early pm and the colder Green Bay game getting the late start heading into darkness.
Saints are lucky to get a road game in a more moderate climate after getting creamed in Chicago and Seattle in the past. Same thing with the Texans, as Baltimore winter conditions are typically more hospitable than N.E.
posted by beaverboard at 11:20 AM on January 14, 2012
I have a panel in my "My Yahoo" panel on the side which displays NFL scores. All week it's listed the weekend games as follows: New Orleans at San Francisco; New England; Houston at Baltimore; and New York Giants at Green Bay. Doesn't say who New England is playing at all. Someone at Yahoo is in denial.
posted by NerfballPro at 01:10 PM on January 14, 2012
The later games are always considered the bigger ratings draw, which is why the scheduling has the "glamour" teams playing later. Personally, I think home advantage should count in terms of climate as well as the crowd, and the two late games are probably going to be in the kind of brass-monkeys conditions that the NFL likes for at least some of its playoffs.
posted by etagloh at 01:14 PM on January 14, 2012
They're not sleeping. They're concussed.
posted by rcade at 05:37 PM on January 14, 2012
End of 2nd quarter and SF is doing everything they can to let New Orleans back in.
posted by jeremias at 05:58 PM on January 14, 2012
What is the deal with the turnovers in this game?
posted by insomnyuk at 06:39 PM on January 14, 2012
33 pts in the 4th Q - the game O/U was 47
trading TD drives of 3:34, 1:51, 0:34 (NO scores too fast), 1:28 (SF wins the game)
posted by kokaku at 08:16 PM on January 14, 2012
Well, that was a bonkers finish. The 49ers seemed intent upon giving Brees opportunities to do what he does.
In the meantime, the Pats look like they mean business.
posted by etagloh at 08:19 PM on January 14, 2012
Patriots are dominating...
posted by insomnyuk at 09:49 PM on January 14, 2012
This seems very appropriate at the moment.
posted by jeremias at 10:22 PM on January 14, 2012
I smell another in the series of SpoFi's "rubbing it in the opposing team's noses" posts coming after that Brady punt and the handbags that followed.
posted by etagloh at 11:21 PM on January 14, 2012
I thought something fishy was going on because:
1) Brady was still on the field. There was no reason for him to be out there, as the game was out of hand and you don't want to risk an injury.
2) He was WAY too far back for a normal shotgun snap.
So by giving the ball back to Denver (instead of trying to get another first down/more points), that's "rubbing it in"?
"Rubbing it in" would be if when Brady took a knee to run out the clock, the entire team Tebow'd simultaneously.
posted by grum@work at 11:57 PM on January 14, 2012
It was clearly perceived as less than kosher by Von Miller. File it alongside Doug Flutie's drop kick, but also as a kind of fuck-you-very-much to the week's press coverage.
(Phil Simms forgot himself for about three seconds when enjoying the replays of the fight, as the Pats' O-line collectively jumped on Miller, before re-establishing the official line of disapproval.)
posted by etagloh at 12:46 AM on January 15, 2012
"Rubbing it in" would be if when Brady took a knee to run out the clock, the entire team Tebow'd simultaneously.
They're just giving praise to God- isn't that what Tebow wants us all to do?!?
posted by jmd82 at 01:05 AM on January 15, 2012
Giving the ball back with a quick kick is not rubbing it in.
posted by rcade at 09:17 AM on January 15, 2012
Bill Belichick has been reading his collection of football books too much. The quick kick on 3rd down used to be a common tactic to shift field position by getting an unreturned punt. It was common enough "back in the day" that defenses having a 3rd an long situation would drop an extra safety very deep. Since the tactic hasn't been used in the NFL for a lot of years, every coach in the league has forgotten it exists.
Belichick would have to take a quick trip to Annapolis in order to reead his books. He donated the entire collection to the Naval Academy a few years ago.
posted by Howard_T at 03:23 PM on January 15, 2012
The complaining about the quick kick seems to be at a minimum...probably because there's an easy comeback in the form of "Would you rather they had hung onto the ball and gone for another TD, as they were clearly capable of doing?"
I don't think there's anything they could have done -- continued to play, take a knee (or eleven), bring in the backups, anything -- that someone somewhere wouldn't call a dick move. That being the case, it seems like they just decided to have a little fun. From Brady's grin, it seems like it was something he's always wanted to do.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:59 PM on January 15, 2012
Agreed, I can't see how the quick kick is an attempt to show off-- it's a legitimate move when you're in third-and-long deep in your own territory. I remember Randall Cunningham setting an NFL record for longest punt with one and I remember John Elway doing it as well. Were they pricks for doing that? No one had done a drop kick in like 50 years and it was Flutie's farewell to the NFL; I don't remember anyone on the Bills (or whomever it was against) being particularly upset at the time.
posted by yerfatma at 09:46 AM on January 16, 2012
Autograph signing in the store today, so just the picks! 3-1 last week, including the Lock!
New Orleans (-3.5) at SAN FRANCISCO (47:) Not yet, 49ers, not yet. Saints 26, 49ers 16.
Denver (+13.5) at NEW ENGLAND (50.5): Tim'll be getting down on one knee again, but this week he won't be getting up. Patriots 30, Broncos 13.
Houston (+7.5) at BALTIMORE (36): Something about us still doesn't trust the Ravens to play that well in the playoffs, but home-field advantage and the first trip for the Texans allows them to sneak through. Ravens 20, Texans 19.
New York Giants (+7.5) at GREEN BAY (53): Maybe for fun the Packers will freak out the Giants and play Matt Flynn on the first series. Not that it will make any difference. Packers 30, Giants 23.
Lock of the Week: New England