American Sports Thread

[thewobbler]

The replays do Marcus Williams absolutely no favours. Unbelievably shit attempted tackle.

I think he must have guessed he had launched in too early and was going to be called a penalty if he connected.

[gallsman]

I think that's exactly what he was trying to do, but why?! Just tackle him inbounds and the game was over!

[Gold]

The missed tackle was so bizarre it looked like match fixing

What a game and sport though

[Capt Pat]

What a finish. I thought all was lost. Following the game on yahoo sports box score on my i phone. I couldn't beleive it when they put up the score.

[lurganblue]

WTF was that attempt at a tackle!!

[oakleaflad]

The 4 remaining QB's - Blake Bortles, Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Tom Brady

In recent seasons it seems the teams with the top defenses are winning over the top offences despite it becoming a 'passing league'.

[AZOffaly]

I couldn't stay up for it, but I was listening on the radio. It was mental. The Westwood one commentators were incredulous. I'll watch back on gamepass today at some stage.

So now we've seen everyone, what's the take for next week.

In the AFC, I still don't trust the Jaguars, but I do like their aggressive defense. The way to beat the Pats is to get Brady off his spot I think, and the Jags are set up to do that. However I don't think you'll find Brady doing too many 5 and 7 step drops. White and Lewis out of the backfield, and Gronk, will be heavily used I think for quick 3 step releases.  Fair play to Bortles, he was above average at the weekend, and Fournette was excellent. The Patriots defense has stiffened though. I think nobody has conceded less over the last 7 weeks of the season or something, after a fairly ropey defensive start, I'm not sure the Jags have enough offense to beat them. One thing to watch though, the Patriots got 8 sacks on Saturday, but that was with a big injury on the Titans O-Line, and to Marriotta himself.  They've had no pass rush all year really, so that was an unexpected bonus. If they don't get pressure on Bortles, and he has a good day, and Fournette can rush for 100 yards, the Jags have a chance.

I think the jaguars format for victory is O Line and D Line Domination. Allowing for time for Bortles and lanes for Fournette on Offense. D line disrupting the PAtriots passing game, and their aggressive D getting a few turnovers.

Patriots format will be to protect Brady, get the ball out quick and relatively short to open the Jags up. That might slow them down a bit and then you can go looking for Hogan and Cooks. On D they need to make Bortles beat them, not Fournette.

The Jags match up well up front, I think this might be close, but I can't see a team led by Bortles beating Brady and the Hoodie. Pats by 10 for me.

The NFC is intriguing as well. Case Keenum is the ultimate journeyman but what a journey this season. And then an undrafted lad from a few miles down the road becomes their big time receiver (Thielen). Diggs as well, and a serviceable running game and a great O Line, plus Kyle Rudolph, added to a normally very good defense, means I think the Vikings may be the most balanced team left. The Eagles had excellent O Line play as well versus the Falcons, but I just don't know if they will hold up against the Vikings, and unless Foles can pull a Keenum, I can't see them getting enough out of Blount and Ajayi to beat this team. If the Vikings play their game, solid, dirty stuff up front, stuffing the run I can't see the Eagles winning it. The Eagles have a great run defense themselves, in fact in the regular season the Eagles had the best Run Defense, and the Vikings were #2, but a lot of that can be attributed to the form of Carson Wentz's Eagles because teams don't tend to run when they are 21 points down! Still they are solid against the run, and on average attempt they are 7th in the league at 3.8 yards per rush, while the Vikings are 5th with 3.7 yards. To me, that seems to suggest that this game will come down to who can win with the ball in the air. The Vikings are giving up 192 yards per game (2nd in the NFL), and 6 yards per passing attempt (joint best in the league). The Eagles are giving up 6.5 yards per attempt (4th in the league) and are 127th best in total yards at 227 ypg. Again that is skewed by the fact teams had to throw against them.

This week, the Best pass defence in the league will be going up against Nick Foles, and assuming the run defense holds up, that's not a good matchup for the Eagles. the leveller may be the conditions in Philly. The crowd is fanatical, and if the weather is rough, then it becomes a lot harder for a Dome team. But if the weather is relatively benign, I think the Vikings set up the first ever (I think) home advantage superbowl. 28-21.

[AZOffaly]

The 4 remaining QB's - Blake Bortles, Nick Foles, Case Keenum and Tom Brady

In recent seasons it seems the teams with the top defenses are winning over the top offences despite it becoming a 'passing league'.

I think it's always been that way. If you have a defense that can hang, and a brilliant offense, that's a potent mix. If you have an average offense, and a brilliant defense, you'll always have a chance. If you have a brilliant offense and a shite defense, you'll struggle normally (there's the odd exception) because the better defenses in the playoffs will slow you down, and if your defense is cat, even an average team will put up numbers.

[stew]

I couldn't stay up for it, but I was listening on the radio. It was mental. The Westwood one commentators were incredulous. I'll watch back on gamepass today at some stage.

So now we've seen everyone, what's the take for next week.

In the AFC, I still don't trust the Jaguars, but I do like their aggressive defense. The way to beat the Pats is to get Brady off his spot I think, and the Jags are set up to do that. However I don't think you'll find Brady doing too many 5 and 7 step drops. White and Lewis out of the backfield, and Gronk, will be heavily used I think for quick 3 step releases.  Fair play to Bortles, he was above average at the weekend, and Fournette was excellent. The Patriots defense has stiffened though. I think nobody has conceded less over the last 7 weeks of the season or something, after a fairly ropey defensive start, I'm not sure the Jags have enough offense to beat them. One thing to watch though, the Patriots got 8 sacks on Saturday, but that was with a big injury on the Titans O-Line, and to Marriotta himself.  They've had no pass rush all year really, so that was an unexpected bonus. If they don't get pressure on Bortles, and he has a good day, and Fournette can rush for 100 yards, the Jags have a chance.

I think the jaguars format for victory is O Line and D Line Domination. Allowing for time for Bortles and lanes for Fournette on Offense. D line disrupting the PAtriots passing game, and their aggressive D getting a few turnovers.

Patriots format will be to protect Brady, get the ball out quick and relatively short to open the Jags up. That might slow them down a bit and then you can go looking for Hogan and Cooks. On D they need to make Bortles beat them, not Fournette.

The Jags match up well up front, I think this might be close, but I can't see a team led by Bortles beating Brady and the Hoodie. Pats by 10 for me.

The NFC is intriguing as well. Case Keenum is the ultimate journeyman but what a journey this season. And then an undrafted lad from a few miles down the road becomes their big time receiver (Thielen). Diggs as well, and a serviceable running game and a great O Line, plus Kyle Rudolph, added to a normally very good defense, means I think the Vikings may be the most balanced team left. The Eagles had excellent O Line play as well versus the Falcons, but I just don't know if they will hold up against the Vikings, and unless Foles can pull a Keenum, I can't see them getting enough out of Blount and Ajayi to beat this team. If the Vikings play their game, solid, dirty stuff up front, stuffing the run I can't see the Eagles winning it. The Eagles have a great run defense themselves, in fact in the regular season the Eagles had the best Run Defense, and the Vikings were #2, but a lot of that can be attributed to the form of Carson Wentz's Eagles because teams don't tend to run when they are 21 points down! Still they are solid against the run, and on average attempt they are 7th in the league at 3.8 yards per rush, while the Vikings are 5th with 3.7 yards. To me, that seems to suggest that this game will come down to who can win with the ball in the air. The Vikings are giving up 192 yards per game (2nd in the NFL), and 6 yards per passing attempt (joint best in the league). The Eagles are giving up 6.5 yards per attempt (4th in the league) and are 127th best in total yards at 227 ypg. Again that is skewed by the fact teams had to throw against them.

This week, the Best pass defence in the league will be going up against Nick Foles, and assuming the run defense holds up, that's not a good matchup for the Eagles. the leveller may be the conditions in Philly. The crowd is fanatical, and if the weather is rough, then it becomes a lot harder for a Dome team. But if the weather is relatively benign, I think the Vikings set up the first ever (I think) home advantage superbowl. 28-21.

The Pats got their dream opponent in the Jags, they have the best QB of all time at the peak of his powers and they have Gronk, another all time great as well as a D line that as usual is overperforming, I expect the Pats to throw everything at the Jags, they will move the chains with screen passes and slant passes and then they will go for the jugular here and there just to keep them honest, I cannot see the Jags being within two scores of the Pats! 

The other game is fascinating, that said I fully expect the vikings to implode somehow, its what they do, they even did it yesterday only to be bailed out by a glory hunting knucklehead who incredibly went for the sportscentre highlight reel play instead of wrapping his man up and downing him inbounds.

Pats Eagles for me with the usual suspects coming out on top, anybody but the Vikings will do me, they ahve always been classless and useless and I fully expect this to continue.

[Minder]

Jesus not only did Williams make a balls of the tackle he also took out his own player, who may have had a chance at catching Diggs

[AZOffaly]

Jesus not only did Williams make a balls of the tackle he also took out his own player, who may have had a chance at catching Diggs

One of my pet peeves in the NFL is the coaching of the tackle. He took a bad line there, which was his first problem. That was compounded by his need to transform into a human torpedo, and wanting to lay the big hit, instead of tackling. Even with the bad line, if his arms were out to make a wrap up tackle, he'd have probably ended up bringing him down. Instead he wanted the big hit, to dislodge the ball. Crazy ill-disciplined stuff.

[magpie seanie]

I still think the Patriots defence is poor. The Jags must stick to the run game and short passes. That's the error everyone makes against the Pats and mostly it's to do with gameflow. I'm hoping the Jags defence can stop the Patriots from building a big lead. Gronk is the one major problem for everyone the Patriots face. It's impossible to contain him I think. They'll have to get to Brady early and often and it's possible they might.

[AZOffaly]

I still think the Patriots defence is poor. The Jags must stick to the run game and short passes. That's the error everyone makes against the Pats and mostly it's to do with gameflow. I'm hoping the Jags defence can stop the Patriots from building a big lead. Gronk is the one major problem for everyone the Patriots face. It's impossible to contain him I think. They'll have to get to Brady early and often and it's possible they might.

I think that's the key.

Just on the Patriots' D, I just think people are coloured by their early season issues. In the last several weeks, they've been a lot better, while the offense has been sluggish.

Overall, they're conceding 18.5 points per game, which is 5th best in the league, but their first 8 weeks they conceded 22.5 per game, and the last 8 it was 14.625. I think they're getting better.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

The Patriots going up against a Tom Coughlin team in the playoffs? We've seen this story before 

[Minder]

The Patriots going up against a Tom Coughlin team in the playoffs? We've seen this story before 

Hopefully the same result