American Sports Thread

ONeill · January 16, 2017, 01:05:38 AM

Wow. What a catch on the edge.

AZOffaly · January 16, 2017, 01:06:50 AM

Some finish. What a throw by Rogers running to his left, and what a catch.

screenexile · January 16, 2017, 01:10:54 AM

Enjoyed that!

Pity I won't see the next game but that's probably enough excitement to do me for a Sunday night!!

omochain · January 16, 2017, 02:43:26 AM

The worst mistake California ever made. Letting Rodgers go to the Tundra. Thank you York family. Nice to see Dallas suffer and great that Stew has at least one successful team to root for. I would be worried though about that Green Bay secondary. Hope they get healthy for the Championship game.

Syferus · January 16, 2017, 04:21:49 AM

Sickening line-up for the semis - Packers, Steelers, Patriots. Only the Falcons bring a bit of mystery and intrigue with them.

Owenmoresider · January 16, 2017, 08:52:25 AM

Quote from: Syferus on January 16, 2017, 04:21:49 AM
Sickening line-up for the semis - Packers, Steelers, Patriots. Only the Falcons bring a bit of mystery and intrigue with them.

It does have that Corofin/Castlebar/Brigid's feel to it alright.

The finish to that game was worth staying up for alright, hopefullly the Packers can keep it going.

AZOffaly · January 16, 2017, 09:13:59 AM

Quote from: Syferus on January 16, 2017, 04:21:49 AM
Sickening line-up for the semis - Packers, Steelers, Patriots. Only the Falcons bring a bit of mystery and intrigue with them.

I disagree. I think it's good to see the established, well run organisations, at the top. The Falcons bring a bit of that newness as well. I prefer the Packers and Steelers to the Panthers anyway!! The Patriots you just have to admire. How can you be anti the Patriots, and yet admire Alabama? They're nearly the same thing at College level.

magpie seanie · January 16, 2017, 09:35:14 AM

Brilliant game last night. And I just can't wait for Packers @ Falcons.....should be brilliant. Steelers could trouble New England too. Would love to see the Falcons do it. I just get the feeling though that it could be the Packers. Rodgers is simply playing lights out. Their defence is iffy but they always seem to make a play out of nothing to stop a drive....they have a few playmakers who can deliver a big play here and there....might just do enough.

gallsman · January 16, 2017, 09:52:12 AM

Steelers have the weapons to win in Foxborough but they won't do it kicking FGs. Packers-Falcons should be outstanding. Dunno how you stop the myriad of weapons that Atlanta have and similarly don't know how anyone stops Rodgers at the minute with the way his line is holding up

AZOffaly · January 16, 2017, 10:25:42 AM

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 16, 2017, 09:35:14 AM
Brilliant game last night. And I just can't wait for Packers @ Falcons.....should be brilliant. Steelers could trouble New England too. Would love to see the Falcons do it. I just get the feeling though that it could be the Packers. Rodgers is simply playing lights out. Their defence is iffy but they always seem to make a play out of nothing to stop a drive....they have a few playmakers who can deliver a big play here and there....might just do enough.

Rogers was very good, but I thought the Cowboys D played into his hands last night. I love line play, very geeky I know, but it was very noticeable yesterday that when Dallas rushed 4, and the Defensive End positions went down and in, they left the edges open for Rogers to scramble and do what he does very well. If I'm playing Rogers I want to pressure him in such a way that the pocket is preserved, and make him step up in the pocket, where you want maybe a linebacker or safety coming in to pressure him. He's very good against the blitz because he gets the ball out very quickly, but if you can get pressure with 4 or 5, and play man on the receivers, then he does get rattled and doesn't like it as much. Every time Dallas did this

Rodgers just scrambled left or right, and found a receiver. The Green Bay receivers are so used to that they just keep trying to get open no matter what, and he normally finds them.

But when Dallas did this..

It forced Rogers to either get rid of it quickly (and that's where you need the man to man coverage to stand up) or else they forced an incompletion.

They blitzed a bit more too, with safeties and linebackers, but the key is pressure up the middle, while containing the edges. They didn't contain the edges enough.

Minder · January 16, 2017, 04:18:40 PM

That catch by Cook was something else, to catch the ball, get the feet down and not let his knees hit the ground before he dragged his toes. You won't see too many with that difficulty level. I thought at the start of the year he could be a huge asset as they haven't had an athletic TE that can create mismatches since Jermichael Finley. Injuries slowed him earlier in the year but he is really starting to produce.

AZOffaly · January 16, 2017, 04:21:01 PM

Yes. Fantastic catch. Jordy Nelson may be back as well next week.

cadhlancian · January 17, 2017, 03:32:00 AM

Good work Antonio Brown... Mike Tomlin I'm sure had a little chat today 😬...
Brady is 6-1 against Big Ben . I'd imagine Le' veon Bell will get his yards, I can't imagine Belichick letting Brown beat him, it will have to be somewhere else. I think , they'll give up the run, try and keep them to FGs. The Steelers D doesn't match up well with the Pats. Hogan has been a massive plus , he's definitely not Randy Moss, but he does give Brady a legitimate deep threat.
It will take probably close to 40 to win the other game, both QBs are playing at the peak of their powers, you would have to say though that , the Falcons backfield is WAY stronger than the packs, scored twice last night, Montgomery isn't a RB...
I just can't see how the Packers can stop that offense...

AZOffaly · January 17, 2017, 09:04:29 AM

Quote from: cadhlancian on January 17, 2017, 03:32:00 AM
Good work Antonio Brown... Mike Tomlin I'm sure had a little chat today 😬...
Brady is 6-1 against Big Ben . I'd imagine Le' veon Bell will get his yards, I can't imagine Belichick letting Brown beat him, it will have to be somewhere else. I think , they'll give up the run, try and keep them to FGs. The Steelers D doesn't match up well with the Pats. Hogan has been a massive plus , he's definitely not Randy Moss, but he does give Brady a legitimate deep threat.
It will take probably close to 40 to win the other game, both QBs are playing at the peak of their powers, you would have to say though that , the Falcons backfield is WAY stronger than the packs, scored twice last night, Montgomery isn't a RB...
I just can't see how the Packers can stop that offense...

I'd a agree with most of that. I also would think that Belichick will be fairly adamant that Bell will have to be contained. He can't go off, because if he does the Steelers will control the clock, and because the Pats are not really a downfield team (perhaps Hogan excluded) they need to have possession for decent periods too.

I don't trust the Falcons, but on paper they have the offense to beat anyone. Freeman and Coleman are a genuinely good backfield, and as you say the Packers don't have one. If the Falcons can figure out how to pressure Rogers while keeping him in the pocket, they'll win.

AZOffaly · January 17, 2017, 09:05:48 AM

As for Brown, I kind of feel sorry for him. As I understand it he was live casting the celebrations from the dressing room when Tomlin came in and made his speech. We've all seen those locker room victory speeches, so I'm sure Brown thought it was just another one of those. He deleted it very shortly afterwards I think?