The US sports thread

[theadore]

No idea what it is but sure

[mrblackbat]

Group set up: Roverstalk
Password: weshallbevictorious

http://m.playoffchallenge.fantasy.nfl.com/group/338853

[mrblackbat]

So the Cheifs amazing ability to not win at home in the playoffs continues, despite having looked to have everything wrapped up at half time.

Which leaves open the chance that they'll trade Alex Smith, despite him being in the form of his career and having put up better numbers than the likes of Brady. And the Cleveland Browns, my new hopeless favourites are rumoured to be interested....

[Jim]

I’m sorry but I’m calling bullshit on Alex Smith having a better season statistically than Brady. There’s a reason one of the two is in the MVP discussion and the other is on his way home for the offseason.

According to the NFLs own passing statistics, there’s 7 QB’s ahead of Smith and Brady being #1 overall.

This should take you to the NFL passing stats page for the Regular Season

Smith is the last year of a big contract now so a trade makes sense. The Cardinals are apparently interested after Palmer announced his retirement but that’s going to be a team in rebuild mode under a new head coach. I can’t see him playing for the Browns, purely because who actually ever wants to play for the mistake by the lake? Plus the Browns have the 1st overall pick and will use it on a QB I’m certain.

If they out and out release him to free agency, doubtful, I can see him ending up at somewhere like the Jags, who are primed for a SB run but just lack that reliability at QB. Bortles has done OK this season for the most part but you wouldn’t bet on him in the playoffs when the difficulty level cranks up several notches.

Wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the Chiefs lost. Andy Reid is a top 5 regular season coach but he just doesn’t have the minerals for the playoffs. His clock management is woeful, and has been for some time, and his decision making questionable at best. Makes me wonder if they’ll move on from him like the Eagles did.

[mrblackbat]

I’m sorry but I’m calling bullshit on Alex Smith having a better season statistically than Brady. There’s a reason one of the two is in the MVP discussion and the other is on his way home for the offseason.

According to the NFLs own passing statistics, there’s 7 QB’s ahead of Smith and Brady being #1 overall.

This should take you to the NFL passing stats page for the Regular Season

Smith is the last year of a big contract now so a trade makes sense. The Cardinals are apparently interested after Palmer announced his retirement but that’s going to be a team in rebuild mode under a new head coach. I can’t see him playing for the Browns, purely because who actually ever wants to play for the mistake by the lake? Plus the Browns have the 1st overall pick and will use it on a QB I’m certain.

If they out and out release him to free agency, doubtful, I can see him ending up at somewhere like the Jags, who are primed for a SB run but just lack that reliability at QB. Bortles has done OK this season for the most part but you wouldn’t bet on him in the playoffs when the difficulty level cranks up several notches.

Wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the Chiefs lost. Andy Reid is a top 5 regular season coach but he just doesn’t have the minerals for the playoffs. His clock management is woeful, and has been for some time, and his decision making questionable at best. Makes me wonder if they’ll move on from him like the Eagles did.

Yes but those stats you're looking at are 16 games for the seven above Smith and 15 games for him..... So stuff like total yards, number of attempts etc are naturally going to be higher...

As for the Browns using yet another pick on an unproven quarterback, well you clearly haven't done your research. The current GM for the Browns is Dorsey, a big admirer of Smith who took him to KC. It would be an excellent trade from the Browns perspective; I'm still very surprised the Cheifs want to trade him on.

And as for the Chiefs losing, even with their woeful second half, and bizarre decision to stop running the number 1 running back of the season, the Titans were immensely lucky. Mariota's pass (from over the line of scrimmage...) to himself was utter fluke, Butker's kick swirling into the post and bouncing out, Tyreek Hill dropping two catches he'd normally take and losing Travis Kelce all went the Titans way, without which they'd wouldn't have come close to winning.

[theadore]

Next to nothing between them - Smith has it on completion pct and passer rating, brady on %1st downs. Odd then that Brady is in the MVP hunt and Smith not.

Will be a shame if Brady is the MVP - not taking anything away from another season as a top QB, but I think Gurley has been the standout player of the year. Shame too that other contenders like Wentz and Watson didn't make the full season.

[mrblackbat]

Aaron Donald hands down the MVP.

[Thorisgodpoo]

Browns are trading their 1st overall pick, for future picks. It's just a fact of life.

[Jim]

So guys, predictions for this weekends games?

I can only see the Patriots and Steelers winning this weekend and playing in the championship game, though the Jags could cause an upset. Their defense matches up well with Steelers. Supposed it depends on how Brown is after his injury.

Mark my words I don’t think the Titans will be a pushover though. Mariota is still improving all the time and their defense is nasty. Still Belichick has always had Dick LeBeau’s defense in his pocket, so I can see the Pats winning by at least a score.

As for the NFC, the Eagles are going to have a damn tough game against he Falcons, who have looked like the team that got to the Super Bowl last year, rather than the one that lost it so dramatically (giving Jim a heart attack in the process). I don’t fancy the Eagles to win sadly though they will look to next year and a healthy Wentz with renewed optimism. Falcons win a tight one.

The big one is going to be the Saints @ Vikings. This is the marquee game this weekend and I can’t wait to watch it. Overpowering defense vs explosive offense. Both teams have no glaring weaknesses and it could literally go either way. I do fancy the Vikes to shut down the Saints however. I just can’t be sure they’ll generate enough offense to win it easily. Could see this one going to overtime. Fancy the Vikes vs Falcons in the championship game though!

Any thoughts?

[mrblackbat]

Just want New England to lose. At any point in the playoffs.

[theadore]

Ditto...

I'm going

Titans
Steelers

Falcons
Vikings

Then Vikings over the Steelers.

[Jim]

I really don’t get the hate for the Patriots. They don’t spend more than other teams, they aren’t loud and rowdy and don’t make outrageous claims. They are quite simply run well, play hard and do what other teams don’t, that is stay consistent.

The scandal of deflate gate is an absolute pile of bullshit that fans will forever use as some validation of wrongdoing. Fact is no team in history has been consistently good for a long as the Patriots have.

They should be celebrated not hated.

[mrblackbat]

Man United of the NFL mate. Manure fans don't get why everyone hates them, either.

The fact you think it might be related to deflategate demonstrates it.

[Ethiaa]

deflategate

Pyramid scheme

[Jim]

Man United of the NFL mate. Manure fans don't get why everyone hates them, either.

The fact you think it might be related to deflategate demonstrates it.

No I’m quite aware that fans hated on the Pats before deflate gate. There are parallels between the Pats success under Belichick and Manure’s success under Ferguson (two very similar coaches in my opinion for various reasons. Belichick is hard to like but he’s damn good and break the stony exterior and he’s a really interesting guy).

I think success and coaches is where it ends though, Man Utd make a lot of their spending power and commercial side. The Pats are very much a family run business, they do things right and do things quietly. They try not to create a fuss, the exact opposite of the way Manure do things.

People forget that unlike Man Utd the Patriots did nothing for 40 years from their formation, got to one Super Bowl and lost massively, then a second and lost less spectacularly to a young Brett Favre and the Packers. It’s only since the Belichick/Brady days that they found success and every Pats fan knows that the good times will end sooner rather than later. Most us thought it already had until the win against the Seahawks and Brady playing better at 40 than at 25.