04/27/24
December 15, 2014
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
So the Jacksonville Jaguars are favoured for an actual NFL football game.
It only took a matchup at home against the Titans' third string QB, playing behind two third stringers and a street free agent on the Offensive Line.
Considering how sloppy the short week fixtures can be, this is going to be the best Thursday Night game ever.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:14 PM on December 15, 2014
A school holiday event is the only thing keeping me from that epic tilt at EverBank.
I hated how the Stabler Rule impacted the Green Bay/Buffalo ending. Aaron Rodgers was stripped of the ball and it fell backwards into his own end zone. Eddie Lacy picked it up and had a decent chance to run it out and thus avoid a safety, but the play was whistled dead the second he touched it. No one would have intentionally fumbled in Rodgers' situation or place on the field.
posted by rcade at 01:30 PM on December 15, 2014
A school holiday event is the only thing keeping me from that epic tilt at EverBank.
That's a shame. If you went in a white jersey you'd probably get to play.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:56 PM on December 15, 2014
If the Texans had Aaron Rodgers they would on their way to a division title.
That is crazy talk. The point differential on his own scores, scores called back due to people holding him(another last night against Indy) and the amount of energy teams spend on offence just trying to deal with him is the reason they are winning games at all.
Rodgers has more talent and health on both sides of the field in GB than he would have in Texas without Watt.
posted by dfleming at 03:09 PM on December 15, 2014
A leaky zamboni sent 81 players and fans who were at a Wisconsin hockey game to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning.
posted by rcade at 03:22 PM on December 15, 2014
Rodgers has more talent and health on both sides of the field in GB than he would have in Texas without Watt.
I'd question that. Green Bay has a below average defense that is workable because Rodgers presence forces teams to play differently to keep pace. Houston has a really good defense because of Watt but they also have an offense that rates above average. Coaching is certainly on the Packers side.
The current MVP odds according to those invest in their beliefs.
posted by cixelsyd at 03:28 PM on December 15, 2014
Rodgers has more talent and health on both sides of the field in GB than he would have in Texas without Watt.
DeAndre Hopkins is quickly becoming one of the best receivers in the league. Arian Foster is a top tier running back. I have a feeling Andre Johnson still has more in the tank than his quarterbacks were getting out of him.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:04 PM on December 15, 2014
The current MVP odds according to those invest in their beliefs.
Sure, but the last defensive player being named MVP was in 1986 and 6 of the last 7 were quarterbacks. It's the money decision to bet on the best QB available based on who typically gets voted. There are a lot of people who question whether or not a defensive player can even get fair consideration from many voters.
Arian Foster is a top tier running back. I have a feeling Andre Johnson still has more in the tank than his quarterbacks were getting out of him.
Arian's missed 11 of the team's last 30 games - which is to say he's an elite RB 2/3 of the time. Eddie Lacy is a 24-year-old tier 2 back with 1,300 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs, which puts him near the top of the second tier, if not in the top tier.
At this point in their careers, would you take Hopkins/Johnson over Nelson/Cobb? Even with Johnson having more in the tank than he's showing, I just don't see the gap between the two pairings being that great. They're both elite pairings in the NFL.
posted by dfleming at 07:06 AM on December 16, 2014
Foster's only missed three games this season. It seems like most running backs in the league miss that many every year. I'd put him among the elite.
posted by rcade at 10:21 AM on December 16, 2014
All the talk about JJ Watt for MVP is crazy to me. If the Texans had Aaron Rodgers they would on their way to a division title.