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You are here: Home / Open Threads / NFL Open Thread

NFL Open Thread

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Can any NFL game being played today or tomorrow equal the excitement of the Thursday night Packers-Lions contest, with that astonishing Hail Mary as time ran out? Almost certainly not. Nonetheless, here are my picks:

nfl dec 6

I’ll probably regret sticking with the Bills and Dolphins again. I hope I’m wrong about the Falcons, Raiders, Patriots and Racist Epithets of DC.

What say you?

Reader Interactions

132Comments

  1. 1.

    MattF

    I’d stopped following the follies of the Mediocre Racist Epithets several years ago, so I was taken aback by WaPo headlines saying they were in first place. Then I looked at the standings– ha ha.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    I haven’t paid much attention to the NFL this year because the Saints are no good, so I just realized how bad the NFC East is. Wow.

  3. 3.

    Punchy

    Raydurz over Chefs? Thats just ijitocracy. Carr gunna get run over. Houston, they’ll have a problem. Shark West gunna take a bite outta that Raiders D-line.

  4. 4.

    Amir Khalid

    I haz a big sad. My team Liverpool just lost 2-0 at Newcastle, a match they should have won against a team in the English Premier League’s relegation zone. Liverpool had an equalising goal disallowed today, no thanks to a wrong offside call.

  7. 7.

    West of the Cascades

    Only “football” worth watching in the USA today is Portland-Columbus in the MLS Cup final!

    Go Timbers!!!

    (also go Bills)

  10. 10.

    Germy

    crooksandliars headline:

    Ben Carson: None Of The Candidates Have Real Foreign Police Experience ‘Except For Hillary Clinton’
    Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson suggested on Sunday that Americans should vote for Hillary Clinton if they wanted to elect the person with the most foreign policy experience.

  11. 11.

    raven

    ATHENS – The deal is done.

    Kirby Smart is Georgia’s head coach. The University held a telephonic meeting with the executive committee of the UGA Athletic Association board of directors at 12:30 p.m. for the purpose of “discussion and deliberation of the hiring and compensation of a public employee.”

  13. 13.

    RobertDSC (Quad Intel Mac)

    I’m hoping the Patriots get back on track with a win today at home against Philly. I just hate day/afternoon games, though.

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    @Germy:
    Dr Ben is suggesting that, despite her experience, Hillary isn’t any wiser about foreign policy. He, on the other hand, offers a foreign policy that is not connected to actual experience but is nonetheless “logical”.

  18. 18.

    Amir Khalid

    @Davebo:
    No, what the referee does is keep track of interruptions during regulation time, and then add on time to compensate. It’s really very simple.

  19. 19.

    ? Martin

    @Davebo: As opposed to the last two minutes of the game taking 30 minutes? There’s something commendable knowing that you can block out 2 hours for a match and know, by god, that the match will be finished within that 2 hours.

  28. 28.

    SFAW

    @redshirt:

    Why is this extra amount of time kept secret?

    Because the refs follow the ancient and honorable tradition of – and forgive me if I use a futbol-specific technical term here – “making shit up.”

    @MattF:

    So… it should be called ballfoot?

    No, that would add logic to the hitherto-logic-free sport.

    @Amir Khalid:

    I am particularly proud of the maturity I display by sticking out my tongue at people who can’t see it.

    Oh, we can see it, smart guy. Your webcam is, shall we say, not secure.

  29. 29.

    ? Martin

    @redshirt: Presumably because the amount of time is still accumulating. Usually in the last few minutes there are subs, an ‘injury’ to draw out the clock, etc. The idea is that clock management isn’t a desirable thing so a bit of uncertainty helps.

  31. 31.

    SFAW

    @Amir Khalid:

    Funny, no one’s said anything about my naked commenting.

    Two reasons:
    1) It’s not an everyday thing with you
    2) They’re too polite
    2) Simple minds, simple pleasures
    2) They’re glad you don’t look like Erick Ericksbastard

  35. 35.

    ? Martin

    So Tom Brady is going to be passing to a bunch of guys nobody has ever heard of. This should be entertaining.

  37. 37.

    JPL

    @? Martin: That’s about right but the team is becoming made up of a bunch of guys who no one has heard of. If they win and secure a playoff spot, I think they should pull Brady until playoffs start. He doesn’t have any protection.

    The Falcons are playing like the Falcons. ugh

  39. 39.

    Corner Stone

    @SFAW:

    Allen Iverson will be playing WR for the Eagles.

    He’s long since lost that quick first step explosion but I bet he’s still got mad hops.

  40. 40.

    scav

    @Felanius Kootea: Well, watching annimated bolsters running about with an obsessive devotion to stopwatches is the local quintessence of logic and sine qua non of atheticism. There’s no arguing with all the possible reasons to eat snacks and yell at the TV over.

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    @JPL:

    The Falcons are playing like the Falcons. ugh

    I’ve long since given up what the hell kind of team the Falcons are this year. Did someone put a horse’s head in Matty’s bed?

  45. 45.

    Davebo

    I’ve got Texans Bills and Seahawks Vikings as choices and somehow they’ve managed to synchronize their commercial breaks.

    How is that possible?

  47. 47.

    Corner Stone

    Man Fire Food just did a thing on a fish boil over in Wiscy. Doesn’t look really appetizing, actually.

    ETA, host describing it as “honest, simple” = bland.

  48. 48.

    max

    I wrote my picks out around 12:30 intending to post them here, but then I had to go do stuff. Haven’t seen any football.

    7-4 and then 8-5 last week.
    Texans over Bills. Dolphins over Ravens. Bengals over Browns. Bears over 49er’s. Jaguars over Titans. Vikings over Seahawks. Jets over Giants. Cardinals over Rams. Bucs over Falcons. Broncos over Chargers. Chiefs over Raiders. Panthers over Saints. Eagles over Pats. Colts over Steelers. Washington over Dallas.

    Betty: I’ll probably regret sticking with the Bills and Dolphins again. I hope I’m wrong about the Falcons, Raiders, Patriots and Racist Epithets of DC.

    We’re on the same wavelength, more or less (I think), but I went with Eagles over the Pats, even though that’s obviously insane, and Jets over Giants (because that’s a coin flip there), and KC over the Raiders because…. nah.

    max
    [‘OK, maybe not on the same wavelength.’]

  52. 52.

    Corner Stone

    @Iowa Old Lady: Surely you’re referring to the “everyone” portion of the comment? Because AK is a universally beloved commenter and refined gentleman of letters. And I am damn handsome.
    So it must be the other jackals in mind.

  55. 55.

    trollhattan

    @Davebo:
    Possible. Haven’t managed to watch any Minn games this season but do know Peterson was tearing it up. He’s managed to rack up a whopping 16 so far. Their untimely penalties are really killing them.

  57. 57.

    NeutronFlux

    Thank you so much for picking the Raiders. I remain convinced that this is the reason for the 5 game win streak, and it has nothing to do with talent.

  58. 58.

    Bill Murray

    @? Martin: also, they do tell you the approximate amount of time, just not the exact amount because as you say it is still accumulating

  59. 59.

    trollhattan

    ZOMG Michael Bennett gets a TD catch. Wonder how long they’ve been sitting on that play?
    ETA, it was Jackson. Trying to “watch” using the NFL online thing, which IDd Bennett. Nevermind.

  65. 65.

    GoBlue72

    @trollhattan: Seattle RB Thomas Rawls has been making the most of his opportunity with Lynch out for the season. Seachickens started to turn things around when they finally shelved Lynch.

  66. 66.

    trollhattan

    @GoBlue72:
    He’s “pretty good” for an undrafted back. Lockett proving to be a brilliant pick, considering the yawns on draft day.

  67. 67.

    trollhattan

    Huh, two touchdowns in a row. How do they score that in the stat books?
    ETA make that three. Next, the onside kick.

  70. 70.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Suzanne: I beg your pardon. I’m in full jammies, with slippers also, too, I’ll have you know.

  75. 75.

    Corner Stone

    Fuck you, Yahoo! News headline writers:
    GOP leaders get back to business of governing
    “After months where tea party lawmakers provoked crisis and unrest in Congress, even driving out a speaker, GOP leaders have turned to the business of governing, pushing forward a series of bills destined to get the president’s signature.”

  77. 77.

    Betty Cracker

    @trollhattan: I’d be happy to be wrong about that game, too. I like Wilson, Sherman and the Seachickens. Not a fan of that child-abusing prick Peterson.

  80. 80.

    GoBlue72

    @trollhattan: Lockett. He’s the undrafted WR who got intercepted by Malcolm Butler in the SB. He’s also currently on IR from a neck ligament injury.

  81. 81.

    trollhattan

    @Betty Cracker:
    Have encountered teevee talking heads who admire him (Peterson) SO much for his great year, rising above that pesky year out of football, bla-bla-bla that it has become utterly sickening. That he ends the day with 18 yards is probably more harmful to his reputation than his beating that boy.

  82. 82.

    trollhattan

    @GoBlue72:
    That’s Ricardo Lockette, different guy (confusion is understandable). Guest star in Beastquake II for several downfield blocks. New guy is Tyler Lockett sans the “e.”

  91. 91.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    I managed to get hold of my sister, she still has an old rotary phone in her family room so she can still make calls. Everyone is still without power and it looks like it might be Tuesday before they get it back. One of her daughters has hot water (gas boiler) and another has cooking facilities (gas stove) so she went to one house for a shower and another one for dinner :) Both of them have been over to her house to use the phone. Neither of us has been able to get a hold of Mum so we are still a bit concerned about that. Her husband is stuck at work and unable to get home due to all the roads being closed. No idea how long he will have to stay there.

  98. 98.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    @MomSense:

    See if you can find any information about Arnold’s wife Peggy and how she faked out Hamilton and Washington with her histrionics, giving Arnold enough time to escape. She confessed it had all been an act to — wait for it — Theodosia Prevost, who later became Mrs. Aaron Burr.

    @Germy:

    They say that they’re hoping to, but there are a whole lot of contracts that would need to be negotiated. They did a “Great Performances” documentary about his previous Tony-winning musical, “In the Heights,” so I’m sure that’s already in the works for after the 2016 Tonys are awarded. (They just missed eligibility for this year’s Tonys, for which the other new musicals of 2014-2015 are probably grateful.)

  102. 102.

    Corner Stone

    @Davebo: Cam throwing the bill to the inside of his WR is a typical mistake he hasn’t been made to pay for too much this year. Perfect example was NO missing the FG off that specific INT.

  103. 103.

    ? Martin

    @JPL: LaFell is in. Amendola is dressed but I’m not sure if he’s played yet. I’ve had the sound turned down.

  104. 104.

    Heliopause

    @trollhattan:

    Seattle played its most complete game in a while, dominating in every phase, and I think Minnesota was a tad overrated going in. Russell Wilson has been out of his mind three weeks running. Passer rating of 143.4.

  105. 105.

    ? Martin

    Ok, there’s Amendola. They’re pulling this together – Eagles are helping with as many penalty yards as NE offense.

  109. 109.

    Heliopause

    I’m on the left coast and getting Panthers-Saints and Broncos-Chargers. Is anybody outside of Boston even watching the Patriots scrimmage against a high school team?

  110. 110.

    JPL

    Someone put grease on the ball in New Orleans… Carolina fumbled and New Orleans recovered and then on the next play New Orleans fumbled but I guess recovered. The ball is changing hands so frequently you can’t look down.

  119. 119.

    SFAW

    Someone upthread was prescient when he/she said the Eagles should score 100. Well, they COULD if the game were longer, I guess.

  121. 121.

    Davebo

    That Pats loss is a stunner. As much as I love NO I’m hoping Carolina can pull off the win just to make Don Shula cry.

    He makes a mediocre at best steak.

  122. 122.

    Betty Cracker

    In the OP I said, “I hope I’m wrong about the Falcons, Raiders, Patriots and Racist Epithets of DC,” all of whom I’d picked to win. So far, so wrong, so good!

  123. 123.

    Betty Cracker

    @Davebo: Don Shula’s son is the OC at Carolina. Shula Sr. has said he would be proud if his son was the one to break the ‘Phins’ hold on that record.

  124. 124.

    different-church-lady

    You see, Betty, you’ve got to stop trying to influence games and just let things (*coughTRAPGAMEcough*) happen.

  125. 125.

    different-church-lady

    @Davebo: I was at one of his places in Detroit a few years back. The specialty is a 42 ounce steak. There’s a plaque by the door and you get your name on it if you finish the thing at the table. We were joking that an asterisk means you also survived the crash cart incident after.

    Later on I was meeting some different folks from the same company in the dining room after their meal. The five of them were all eating from one creme burlee the size of a dinner plate. I said to the waitress, “That’s a single serving, isn’t it?” and she affirmed this suspicion with a nod.

  126. 126.

    max

    @max: 7-4 and then 8-5 last week.
    Texans over Bills. Dolphins over Ravens. Bengals over Browns. Bears over 49er’s. Jaguars over Titans. Vikings over Seahawks. Jets over Giants. Cardinals over Rams. Bucs over Falcons. Broncos over Chargers. Chiefs over Raiders. Panthers over Saints. Eagles over Pats. Colts over Steelers. Washington over Dallas.

    9-4 so far! OK. Better than last week. What was that bullshit with the Bears?

    max
    [‘Gotta get that touch back.’]

  128. 128.

    different-church-lady

    @Davebo: Oddly I have no memory of the meal itself — only of the audacity of the portions. Not the kind of place I would patronize without being in the employ of someone controlling a corporate expense account. Which, I imagine, is about 90% of their clientele.

  131. 131.

    Bitter Scribe

    Robbie Gould, normally one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL, blew a chip-shot field goal and the Bears went on to lose in OT. To the Forty goddamn Niners. Who hadn’t won on the road all season. Aargh.

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