Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:32 am**

Was watching the game when it happened. Carr immediately started waiving for the trainers and you could see him saying "It's broken, it's broken" over and over again. He finally just rolled over and burst into tears when the trainers ran up.

What a shitty way to end a remarkable season.

Posted: **Sun Dec 25, 2016 12:55 am**

damn niners can't lose when you want them to.

Sucks about Carr, he's probably the only Raiders I like

Posted: **Sun Dec 25, 2016 7:46 am**

stessier wrote:The Jets/Pats is being shown on local tv on this weekend - whoooo-hooo! I was going to have to miss the game to go to my kids' Christmas concert, but now I can just tape it and watch it after everyone goes to bed that night. BEST CHRISTMAS EVE EVER!!! (assuming they win).

It was, indeed, a great Christmas Eve - more so because no one got hurt. Given the carnage that happened elsewhere, that's pretty impressive. Tyler Lockett broke his leg too. What a day.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:01 pm**

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:06 pm**

Not surprisingly, Rex Ryan has been fired. Although I guess maybe it's slightly surprising that the Bills didn't wait one more week to do it.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:22 pm**

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:26 pm**

Right...because firing the coaching staff every two years has worked wonders so far.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:34 pm**

RunningMn9 wrote:Right...because firing the coaching staff every two years has worked wonders so far.

Pegula took over the team on October 10, 2014. Doug Marrone opted out of his contract at the end of that year.

So by "every two years," you mean "once"?

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 1:54 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote:
RunningMn9 wrote:Right...because firing the coaching staff every two years has worked wonders so far.
Pegula took over the team on October 10, 2014. Doug Marrone opted out of his contract at the end of that year.

So by "every two years," you mean "once"?

They went through 9 head coaches in the 18 years after Marv Levy fled. One or two interim, but still, damn near once every 2 years.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:07 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote:So by "every two years," you mean "once"?

I understand that the Pegulas just bought the team, but they are continuing down the same path that Ralph Wilson was on. Wade Phillips (fired after 3 years), Gregg Williams (fired after 3 years), Mike Mularkey (quit after 2 years), Dick Jauron (fired after 3.5 years), Gailey (fired after 3 years), Marrone (quit after two years), and now Ryan (fired after just shy of 2 years).

7 coaches since Marv Levy, with an average tenure of 2.64 seasons. Each time, changing offensive and defensive schemes, which creates constant churn in the types of players that you need.

And yet, somehow Doug Whaley and Russ Brandon keep their jobs.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:08 pm**

Is there another NFL franchise that's had two NFL head coaches simply quit like that?

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:09 pm**

I can see facts and rationality aren't wanted here.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:13 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote:I can see facts and rationality aren't wanted here.

Is that a joke? I provided more facts than you did.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:24 pm**

To support your argument that somehow the spirit of football past has settled into Pegula's brain to continue the handicapping of the Buffalo Bills. Either that, or the Cigarette Smoking Man is still up to his old tricks.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:59 pm**

He didn't limit his argument to the period that Pegula owned the Bills.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 3:09 pm**

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:23 pm**

I don't think Rex was the problem. It'll be weird not having him in the division anymore. I'm surprised Whaley still has his job.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 4:34 pm**

At least the Lions-Packers game will be win or go home (for the Lions at least). I would love to see the Bucs get in, as the odds against them are akin to winning the lottery.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:31 pm**

If the Bucs and Washington lose, will Detroit not make the playoffs even if they lose?

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 5:37 pm**

ESPN

6. Detroit Lions (9-6). This is the most fragile seeding in the whole picture. Having lost Monday night in Dallas, Detroit still has a chance to finish as NFC North champ and will do so if it beats Green Bay on Sunday night. If Detroit loses Sunday, the Lions would need a Washington loss to get them in as a wild card.

Slipping: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't eliminated, but a ton has to happen for them to get in. They need to win. They need Washington to tie. They need Green Bay to lose. And they need all four of the following teams to win their Week 17 games: San Francisco, Tennessee, Indianapolis and Dallas. Sounds like next year for Tampa.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 8:51 pm**

Please explain why the Buc's chances rely on AFC games.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:07 pm**

ESPN

First, the easy part: Tampa Bay needs three results next week in order to tie for the final spot: a win against the Panthers, a Packers loss to the Lions and a Redskins tie against the Giants.

Such a scenario would result in a tie between the Packers and Buccaneers -- one that would need to be broken by strength of victory. The Redskins would be eliminated on the conference record tiebreaker.

The Buccaneers trail in that metric right now, but they would make up most of the deficit by beating Carolina next weekend.

Still, there’s only one narrow path where they’d be able to pass the Packers.

The Bucs would need two teams that they previously beat to win –- the Chiefs (against the Broncos on Sunday) and the 49ers (against the Seahawks in Week 17).

And they’d need four teams that the Packers beat to lose – the Lions (against the Cowboys on Monday), plus the Jaguars (against the Colts), Eagles (against the Cowboys) and Texans (against the Titans) in Week 17.

If only five of those six games go the Buccaneers' way, they’d tie the Packers on strength of record but then lose the second wild-card spot on strength of schedule.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:34 pm**

Isgrimnur wrote:To support your argument that somehow the spirit of football past has settled into Pegula's brain to continue the handicapping of the Buffalo Bills. Either that, or the Cigarette Smoking Man is still up to his old tricks.

Or, organizations that continue to blow everything up every 2.6 years are doomed to continue to fail. The Pegulas started out sensibly enough - seeking and valuing stability.

They signed an established coach to a five year deal. And then they betrayed that patience. Why? Because they were eliminated from the playoffs the same week that the defending champions were?

Did the defense suck this year? Sure. Go check the games where Aaron Williams started against the ones he didn't. Whose fault is it that the team didn't prepare for the possibility of losing him given his very real health concerns? The Bills head into the offseason with the 8th worst salary cap situation - with only 36 players under contract for next year. Whose fault is that?

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:18 pm**

For Rex, it comes down to quarterbacks regressing under his watch.

Posted: **Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:51 pm**

Tyrod didn't regress. The entire year has been spent with walk ons at WR. They finally got heathy a few weeks ago, and the offense and Tyrod have been fine. The defense regressed under his watch, although they had their own issues with injuries.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:05 am**

Not playing him so that his contract won't be guaranteed doesn't tell me they have much faith in him.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:22 am**

There sure is a lot of chatter that the Bill's defense was too complicated. That would seem to be a lot on the players.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:35 am**

Pyperkub wrote:Not playing him so that his contract won't be guaranteed doesn't tell me they have much faith in him.

It's the same reason why the Cowboys won't let Romo on the field. An injury takes away the ability to make a decision.

And few things irritate me more than the players on defense bitching about the defense being complicate. The Ravens ran it. The Jets ran it.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:36 am**

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:If the Bucs and Washington lose, will Detroit not make the playoffs even if they lose?

Only need the Giants to win (WAS to lose) for DET to be in. I've been playing with the permutations for the past few weeks here.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:42 am**

Giants are locked in to their position though. Might not have a lot of motivation.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:15 am**

stessier wrote:There sure is a lot of chatter that the Bill's defense was too complicated. That would seem to be a lot on the players.

I'm sure it's nothing a well-educated college alum couldn't follow.

Oh, right.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:22 am**

Jaymann wrote:At least the Lions-Packers game will be win or go home (for the Lions at least). I would love to see the Bucs get in, as the odds against them are akin to winning the lottery.

If Washington wins Sunday, it's win or go home for Green Bay, too.

A tie would get both Detroit and Green Bay in should Washington win, but a tie is highly unlikely.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:35 am**

Aaron Rodgers is my fantasy QB in our league's final. I want him desperately needing to win.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 2:06 pm**

Steve Smith Sr. will retire after Sunday's game.

One of my favorite players.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 2:48 pm**

Skinypupy wrote:Steve Smith Sr. will retire after Sunday's game.

One of my favorite players.

Damn. I guess I won't be keeping him for next year....

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 2:52 pm**

Damn, I guess I won't be saying "he's still playing?" during the draft next year.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:33 pm**

Jeff V wrote:Aaron Rodgers is my fantasy QB in our league's final. I want him desperately needing to win.

If youre counting on Rodgers, us Lions fans say Thanks, Jeff! You just improved our chances of winning by 200%.

ps: Yeah, its probably still not enough.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:45 pm**

Rodgers had 50 points for me last week and has been the top fantasy QB of the season. If Green Bay backs into the division championship and he's not needed to play, however, that changes things - he might get rested instead. This is exactly what happened the last time I made the finals, and had zero points at the QB position.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:07 pm**

That is why in every league I've played in, the championship is in week 16...

But no matter what happens prior to the game, GB will want to win. At the very least it will be for playoff position and a home playoff game.

Posted: **Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:22 pm**

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:That is why in every league I've played in, the championship is in week 16...

Obviously, your leagues have been run by reasonable people. Mine has not. Our commissioner forbids trading and forbids all waiver transactions the last week of the season and beyond. He very reluctantly conceded to running a smaller league -- for the first half of its existence, the league was 16 teams. Lose a starter? Too bad, replace him on your roster with a player lucky to leave the bench.

Octopus Overlords

Super Bowl LI

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