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FMQB: Hill has the runs and it TyREEKs!

Posted by fmquarterback on November 9, 2018
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FMQB: Hill has the runs and it TyREEKs!

I’ll get to the title later, but poop jokes have infiltrated the NFL! We are halfway through the season! Teams are pulling away, teams are falling apart, and there are plenty of questions and playoff races abound.

 

Week 9 Highlights:

  • For those who stuck with the game, Rams at Saints lived up to the hype. I am convinced this will be the NFC Championship this year. I went from being depressed down 21, to saying “holy crap I can’t believe they came back to tie it!”
  • The only TD scored in Jets at Dolphins was a pick 6
  • Vikings set a franchise record of 10 sacks on Matthew Stafford.
  • The Falcons look like they may make a playoff run even at 4-4
  • Demarious Thomas had the unique distinction of being traded on Tuesday, and then playing IN DENVER on Sunday again, but wearing a different jersey. Texans stole a win from the Broncos to extend their win streak to 6.
  • The Seahawks having multiple chances to tie the game on the last play was exciting
  • Have to admit, despite being completely outplayed, the Packers hung in with the Patriots for much longer than I expected.

 

2003 Celebrations:

Let’s take you back 15 years, where there are no rules, and people are standing on the Cowboys star at midfield, and pulling out cell phones for the Saints. Wait, what? It’s 2018! I know a lot of people don’t like it, but it was really cool to see the throwbacks. The Titans celebration was a tad ridiculous, they were still losing at that point, but at least it was nostalgic (how has nobody done that in 15 years?). Even as a Rams fan, and with the play being a dagger to the game, I laughed when I saw Michael Thomas grab the cell phone from the endzone. He even legitimately got a flip phone like Joe Horn had years ago!

 

Quick Hits:

  • Not trying to go undefeated is a blessing in disguise. The Rams end the season with San Fran and Arizona. If they lock up a first round bye, one could argue you have nearly 4 weeks between meaningful games. The Rams also have the Chiefs which will be a bruiser, and the Bears, but otherwise 5 of the last 7 games are against teams with losing records.
  • The Saints needed that win. Not only could you tell that home field advantage was key to them, but they finish the season with Atlanta, at Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Carolina.
  • The last 6 Browns coaches to be fired were all fired within 24 hours of losing to the Steelers.
  • Dude, everybody and their Mom knew that Brees was going to Michael Thomas, someone stop him! He had a league-wide season-high 211 yards

 

Stat of the Week:

The Steelers and Panthers scored 3 TD’s in a 23 second span, setting an NFL record for the fastest 21 points scored in history.

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Sam Bradford has played 83 games and thrown 103 TD’s. His career record is 34-48-1, but has earned $130M.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Nathan Peterman threw 3 INT’s Sunday (big surprise there). He has played in 8 games, in which he has 3 TD’s, 12 INT’s, and a 32.5 quarterback rating. To put this into perspective, the punter who goes 0-1 with 0 yards and 0 INT’s will have a passer rating of 39.6.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

We bid adieu to Adam Theilen’s 100 yard streak, ending at an NFL record 8 games to start a season. He did not look right out there Sunday, and not having Diggs to take away some of the doubles also hurt.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

On a happier note, we also bid adieu to Julio Jones’ 343 day TD-less streak! Despite putting up massive yards, it took him until Week 9 to make it into the endzone.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

The Bills faced the toughest NFL schedule through the first 8 games, and have the easiest schedule remaining for the last 8. I still blame Nathan Peterman…

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Todd Gurley has scored more points than the entire Bills team. Keep in mind, 2 team FG’s equals one of Gurley’s TD’s.

 

 

Story of the Week:

Apparently when Jamarcus Russell was in the league and bombing, coaches weren’t convinced he was watching film and preparing for games. It came out this week that they used to send him home with blank tapes. The next day they’d ask how the film was, and he would say “yeah, great to see those blitz packages and how I should avoid them.” Wow!

 

For the Record:

  • Doesn’t it seem like the amount of trick plays are fairly staggering? The Panthers seem to run something every week, but nearly every game I see a flea flicker or some other crazy end around where the WR throws it. Not complaining one iota, just making the observation.
  • Steelers Panthers was the Thursday night game I was most excited to watch this year, and I suppose if you like offense we got it. Holy cow, it was 52-14 by the end of the 3rd! Even so, Christian McCaffery looks like the real deal.
  • Bills fans have started a Go-Fund me page so Nathan Peterman can retire from the NFL. It has a goal of $1M, but is only hat $157.
  • Dez Bryant’s waiting game couldn’t have gone more perfectly. And now somehow the Saints look even more scary on offense!
  • So apparently on Sunday, a Bills fan found human poop in the stands. POOP! In section 122! The best part is that it looked “old” and they think it was leftover from the Monday night game against the Patriots.

 

Tiny Rant:

I am sick of Giants and Cowboys and other crap teams being in primetime. I don’t care if they’re America’s team, nobody wants to watch a 3-5 team that can’t convert 3rd downs every other week. If you want to know an actual problem with NFL ratings, it’s the fact that these mediocre teams in major markets keep getting primetime games. The Giants have 4 games this year, Cowboys 5, Raiders 4. The Chargers have 1, but it’s the Thursday game everyone gets, so none by choice.

 

2nd Half Predictions:

Midway point is always sad and exciting. Here’s a few predictions as well as playoff predictions.

  • NFL MVP goes to Mahomes or Brees. Brees has never won it believe it or not!
  • Raiders get the #1 overall pick
  • Packers miss the playoffs despite Rodgers playing all 16 games
  • Nick Mullens ends up starting most of the games, and for a different team next year

 

AFC: (I’m being lame, saying that all teams remain the same, just some shuffling)

  1. Patriots
  2. Chiefs
  3. Steelers
  4. Texans
  5. Chargers
  6. Bengals

 

NFC:

  1. Saints
  2. Rams
  3. Vikings
  4. Eagles
  5. Panthers
  6. Bears

 

I am super tempted to throw the Falcons in, I just couldn’t pull the trigger.

 

Quote of the Year!

“Tyreek Hill is the fastest player I’ve ever seen. The only thing faster than him is the jambalya that ran through me last night” Rex Ryan

Here’s proof: https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/watch-rex-ryan-makes-poop-joke-on-sunday-nfl-countdown-rattles-sam-ponder-to-her-core/

That’s poop joke #2, for the record.

 

Quote of the Week #2:

“I fully intend to be around for the 2022 rematch” Tom Brady, regarding the next time him and Rodgers would meet

 

Quote of the Week #3:

“We need volunteers, not hostages” Mike Tomlin, referring to LeVeon Bell

 

Meme’s of the Week:

 

 

 

And for everyone who voted…

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Posted by fmquarterback on September 28, 2018
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FMQB:

Week 3 was the weekend of surprises. I’m not sure if it was a bigger surprise that the Bills won, or that the Vikings lost. The Patriots laid an egg against the 0-2 Lions, and now they’re 1-2. The Jaguars, who had just slain the mighty beast the week before only put up 2 FG’s. Drew Brees, at 39 years old, also had 2 rushing TD’s including a 7 yard run where he juked 2 defenders!

 

 

Quick Hits:

  • Is Marcus Mariota not the starter anymore? I missed something, and he came in after Gabbert got injured
  • Carson Wentz to Dallas Goedert for the TD, means it was North Dakota to South Dakota. Cool!
  • I went from skeptic to genuinely excited for the Monday night game just to see Patrick Mahomes play
  • Adrian Peterson looked like the 2012 version of himself on Sunday
  • Jimmy Garropolo going out for the 49ers is heartbreaking, even from a fan who sees the 49ers as the biggest threat in the division
  • Week of the rookie QB’s! Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen shined, while Darnold and Rosen did not
  • I’m shocked Matt Patricia got the best of his old boss

 

Bar Observations:

I went to a bar in the #BoldNorth to watch the Vikings vs. Rams game. While living in Minneapolis helps me hear about the Vikings more than any other team, I had a few interesting observations:

  • Vikings fans were cheering just as loud for the successful extra point as they were TD’s
  • Kirk Cousins is apparently the greatest thing that’s happened in this town since Kevin Garnett
  • Minnesota Nice Quote of the night “HOLDING, HOW IS THAT HOLDING???” <tv shows replay> “Eh, that was actually a pretty good call.” Vikings fan

 

Stolen Stat

The Raiders have not trailed in any part of the first 3 quarters of any game, but are 0-3.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #2:

In 2016 only 1 QB threw for 5 TD passes, in 2017 2 QB’s did it. So far through 3.0625 weeks, 3 QB’s have done it in 2018.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Jared Goff is the 3rd QB in NFL history to have a perfect passer rating while throwing for over 30 attempts

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Proof the game is changing: Goff and Cousins both had at least 400 yds, 3 TD’s, and 0 INTs. Prior to 2018 this had only happened once in the same game, but this is the 2nd time this has happened this season.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #5:

Ryan Tannehill is 9-1 in his last 10 starts

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Patrick Mahomes 13 TD passes through 3 games is an NFL record. Keep in mind he has 4 career starts in the NFL too

 

For the Record:

  • The Vikings didn’t miss a FG on Sunday
  • The Bills upsetting the Vikings was the biggest upset since 1995
  • Stiff arm in the Steelers Bucs game was just brutal, in a good way
  • Fitz-magic turned into Fitz-tragic in the 2nd quarter. 3 picks, ouch!
  • Pulling Sam Bradford from the game with 4 minutes left was a bit of a head scratcher to me. I realize he fumbled but that’s not the time to make the switch.

 

Mo Money Mo Problems:

Pricetag of Thursday night’s Vikings vs. Rams roster? $448,269,294 in guaranteed money (over several years). To put this into perspective, the Golden State Warriors alone have $313M in guaranteed money.

 

Coulda Woulda Shoulda:

Adrian Peterson will go down as one of the best RB’s in history, despite being 5843 yards shy of Emmit Smith’s rushing record. This is one of those records we’ll never see beat, and he very well could have surpassed that mark. In 2014 he had the child abuse suspension, 2016 he was on injured reserve early in the season, and 2017 was a bit of a joke with him bouncing around between teams. His last full season he ran for 1485 at age 30 mind you. I realize that’s a killer season, but if you figure he can pull that off in his 3 off-years, that puts him at 16,428 coming into this year! Or only 1927 shy of Smith’s record. At his current pace, you’d think he could have knocked that out in two seasons.

 

Rant of the Year: Penalty on the NFL for Roughing the Fans:

Ok, here is my one rant for the year…I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never been more upset with a rule than what the new roughing the passer has become (and it hasn’t even affected my team yet). After what happened last week, the refs were at it again. Before people debate me, I realize this is how the rule is written, so my problem is more with the rule and the league rather than the refs. I also realize that this was my argument supporting the catch rule for the 7ish years that was in place. SO in reality, my argument is that the rule needs to change, and not that these were bad calls. But here’s my problem:

 

  1. Clay Matthews is 100% right, the game has become WAY too soft.
  2. There’s zero consistency in the calls. In the Redskins game, one play had Aaron Rodgers get completely swung around and body slammed WWE style. There was intent there, but no flag. Next series Clay Matthews does what’s considered a form tackle, with Smith holding the ball still, and he gets a flag
  3. This problem is 100% self inflicted, just like the catch rule was and just like the Anthem controversy is (I did it, I said the “A” word). Just makes you more and more wary of how the NFL as an organization as a whole is run.
  4. Big Ben also realized a nuance to the rule; you can now flop and get a flag. That’s all we need in football now!
  5. Dolphins William Hayes tore his ACL trying to avoid putting his body weight on the Derek Carr. Carr even later came out and said “I wish he would have just landed on me.”

 

I also can’t stand how the NFL keeps supporting this. The NBA will flat out admit when they have mistakes and blown calls. And for some reason, the psychology behind it is to say “ah, oh well that happens to the best of us. We’re all human” rather than to continue blaming the refs. There was even a slim chance for hope when they announced Wednesday that they were going to review the rule and that they were “concerned with the amount of flags thrown,” but then they came out AGAIN and said this is the rule and this is the “point of emphasis.”

 

If they continue to call this a foul, you’re completely limiting the point of even pressuring the QB. If going for a clean sack has the inherent risk of a 15 yard penalty, why not put 11 cornerbacks out there and go for an INT everytime?

 

I can see the side of protecting the QB however. You don’t want star players getting hurt like Brady in 2008, or Wentz last year or Jimmy Garrapolo. It basically ruins that team’s season, so I understand that. But still, 34 Flags through the first 3 weeks, vs 16 flags at this same point last year shows this is an issue.

 

Quote of the Week:

Two or three years ago, it probably doesn’t get flagged” Terry McAulay, who has refed 6 Championship games and 3 Super Bowls

 

Throwback Quote of the Week#2:

After the Bears had a 4th quarter comeback against the Cardinals, you couldn’t help but replay “The Bears are who we thought they were, and we let ‘em off the hook!” in your mind.

 

My Meme of the Week:

Just look at the beak on Josh Rosen! Almost as big as the Cardinal on his helmet.

 

Meme of the Week #2:

 

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Scavenger Hunt:

Alright play with me guys. I’m going to end the week by sending you on a little scavenger hunt that should get you laughing. This will probably work better on a computer than a phone, but here’s how it’ll go: I want you to click on the first link. Get the video playing with the volume up, and then as that’s playing, open the 2nd link in a new tab and focus on that picture as you’re listening to the video. You’ll never look at this guy the same again! and you’re welcome!

 

https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/videos/patrick-mahomes-postgame-press-conference/1666170423506449/

 

http://www.stickpng.com/es/img/al-cine/los-muppets/rana-gustavo-rene-timido

FMQB: Ramblin Along

Posted by fmquarterback on December 22, 2017
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FMQB: Ramblin Along

 

I’m not going to make any more player predictions the rest of this year. In back to back weeks, I’ve made bold predictions about Adrian Peterson (who was put on IR the next week) and Antonio Brown (who will miss the next 2 games).

 

There are obviously two games to talk about as the back to back endings were two of the best this year. Both included rules that fans absolutely hate and the NFL should look at this offseason. Both included teams that went for it all when they were guaranteed a FG to take it into overtime.

The Race for 1st:

The Steelers were up and not dominating but steadily beating the Patriots in every aspect of the game. The Patriots score to seemingly tie it at 17, but the extra point is no good! Pittsburgh scores to go up 8, and it stays 24-16 deep into the 4th. The Patriots are forced to kick a FG with 3:56 left in the game to bring it to within 5. Steelers go 3 and out, and then New England marches 77 yards in 1:10 in an amazing drive which basically only featured Gronkowski. They make a 2pt conversion to go up 3. Taking a step back, I along with Steeler nation was utterly surprised that all of a sudden the Patriots were ahead. Watching the 2nd half, it truly felt like Pittsburgh was in control and going to win until the final 4 minutes, so we were all pretty much shocked. They scored 11 points in exactly 3 minutes. Continue Reading

FMQB: Psych!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 29, 2017
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FMQB: Psych!

 

This week’s article will be focusing 100% on football, and not politics. Because that’s why I and millions of other Americans watch this game; for entertainment purposes. Everybody has and is entitled to their opinions. Nobody is right, nobody is wrong, it’s an opinion about what you think is right. And that folks, is the most I’ll say about this subject the entirety of the season. Now on to Football!

 

Crazy week of upsets:

Apparently the Thursday night game was a precursor to the surprises we’d see on Sunday! Jags blowing out the Ravens, Bills over Broncos, Bears over Steelers, Vikings with a backup QB dominating the Bucs, Jets over Dolphins, Saints blowing out undefeated Panthers, and Redskins over the Raiders. We also came dang close to the Bengals knocking off the Packers, and the Texans taking out the Patriots.

 

Surprise records:

It’s Week 3, I get it, it’s early. But still!

  • Bills are 2-1 and technically in 1st place in their division
  • Jaguars are 2-1, tied for first
  • Giants are 0-3, team many had making a deep playoff run
  • Vikings are 2-1 with their QB only playing in 1 game
  • Rams are 2-1, alone in 1st place in their division
  • Seahawks are 1-2

Continue Reading

FMQB: Elite 8, Week of Rematches

Posted by fmquarterback on January 13, 2017
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GREEN BAY, WI - JANUARY 08: Randall Cobb #18 of the Green Bay Packers catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter during the NFC Wild Card game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field on January 8, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

FMQB: Elite 8, Week of Rematches

 

Well we got rid of all the riff-raff (well mostly, sorry Texans). Sort of a rough week of games, really none were super competitive minus the 1st half of the Giants and Packers game. All 4 home teams won, and yours truly went 3-1 in picks, with the only miss-step on thinking the Lions would actually put up a fight. The weekend can be summed up in one run-on sentence. Bill O’Brien has been to the playoffs with 3 different QB’s has still won 2 playoff games, the Lions can’t win a playoff game on the road, Matt Moore got smoked worse than the Dolphins did, and Aaron Rodgers is the deadliest weapon in the game. We should have a better slate this week at least! Every game is a rematch from earlier in the year.

 

Seattle at Atlanta– Rematch of earlier this season, when Seattle won 26-24 on a questionable pass interference call. This could be an interesting game, you could really see it as a Seattle rout, an Atlanta rout, or a very close game. Reminds you of the 2012 game where Russell Wilson came onto the scene, and nearly had a huge comeback win in Atlanta. Once again, depends on which Seattle team shows up. I see the score flipping, and Falcons win 26-24 (on a missed Steven Haushka game winning kick).

  Continue Reading

FMQB: Playoff Time!

Posted by fmquarterback on January 6, 2017
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week-17

 

FMQB Playoff Time

Wild Card Weekend tends to be the best of the playoffs. Unfortunately this year there are enough teams with QB uncertainty that it’s taking a bit of the wind out of my sails. You still have to watch, but I think you could skip both AFC matchups and not miss anything.

 

 

Stat of the Week:

Tom Brady was tied for the 7th most TD passes, despite missing a quarter of the season

 

Stat of the Week:

Matt Ryan had the 5th highest passer rating in a season, ever

 

Stat of the Week:

Sam Bradford had the highest completion percentage in a season, ever

 

Stat of the Week:

TY Hilton led the league in receiving yards, and LaGarrett Blount led with 18 rushing TD’s.

 

Stat of the Week:

There were 12 1000 yard rushers this year, vs. only 7 last year

 

Stat of the Week:

There have been 9 seasons where a QB has thrown for 5000+ yards, and Drew Brees has 5 of them

 

Stat of the Week:

Brady with 28 TD’s and 2 INT’s

 

 

For the Record:

  • There is legitimately no clear cut MVP this year. You can pick Brady, Ryan, Rodgers, Elliot, Carr or Brees and be ok but also have a lot of upset fans
  • The Browns very nearly ended the season with a 2 game winning streak
  • The Titans and Buccaneers, with 2 young QB’s, will be teams to watch next year
  • Both Super Bowl teams did indeed miss the playoffs
  • I don’t think Chip Kelly got a fair shake in SF. He inherited a terrible team, and they cut him after a year
  • Still think the Vikings made a mistake in trying to save their season. A 1st and a 4th is too high a price for an 8-8 season and a QB controversy next year
  • Au Revior Steve Smith, Robert Mathis, and Chris Berman. Football won’t be the same on Sunday’s

 

 

Wild Card Preview:

 

Raiders at Texans:

Brock Osweiler vs. Connor Cook, no thanks! Technically it’s backup QB vs 3rd string QB, yuck. I braved the worst game of the season, watching the Bengals and Texans duke it out. For the first time in a long time, I have zero desire to watch a playoff game. Now watch, since I said that it’s going to be an awesome back and forth contest with a Hail Mary to win it. Either way, I might stick to the highlights on this one. Raiders 10, Texans 12.

 

Dolphins at Steelers:

Was a good matchup earlier in the season. The Dolphins’ 6 game win streak started with their win over the Steelers, a game where Ajayi ran 204 yards. I could be overlooking Matt Moore, who’s led the team to a 2-1 record since Tannehill went down. But I think this could be a tough game to watch too, with no way the Dolphins run game keeps up with the Steelers offense. Steelers 38, Dolphins 10

 

Lions at Seahawks:

People are overlooking this game, but I think it could be the best one of the weekend. It really depends on which Seattle team shows up. Is it the one that lost to the Rams/Cardinals, or the one who beat the Patriots? The other thing we learned is that the Lions are NEVER out of a game. This is my upset pick of the weekend, with the Lions winning (with a missed Haushka field goal) 24-21.

 

Giants at Packers:

Both Giants Super Bowl wins involved wins at Lambeau Field, but the Packers may be hot enough to melt the frozen tundra. Despite not being as cold as the infamous NFC Championship game, this will still be a Football lovers football game. The Giants are another team that is very hit and miss. They took down the infallible Cowboys twice, but that Eagles loss was killer and they barely beat the Rams, Bengals, and Bears. I think Green Bay stays hot and win it 35-17.

 

Playoff Fact:

The Patriots are essentially guaranteed to make the AFC Championship this year. They can only play the Dolphins, Texans, or Raiders (none with their starting QB) in the Divisional Round.

 

Playoff Fact #2:

The Steelers and Packers are entering the playoffs with 6 and 7 game win streaks respectively. This is the first time in NFL history that 2 teams with that long of a winning streak have entered the tournament.

 

Defense Wins Championships:

The top 2 defenses in regards to points allowed are….Giants and Patriots

 

photo credit nfl.com

 

FMQB: Poopfest

Posted by fmquarterback on December 16, 2016
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week-14

FMQB: Poopfest

 

 

Eerily Similar:

Both of the Giants’ recent Super Bowl runs have been with the same formula. Good defense, Eli Manning, and not winning their division but sneaking into the playoffs as the hot WildCard team. Things seem to be adding up again for this team, so you’ll hear it here first: Giants in the Super Bowl! They just took down Dallas, AGAIN. They are 2-0 against the Cowboys, and the rest of the league is 0-11. Granted they’re in the same division so they have some inside knowledge, but nevertheless I think that proves they can hang with the big guys. Giants over Patriots again???

 

For Whom the Bell Tolls:

Wow, what a day for LeVeon Bell in snowy Buffalo! He carried the ball a whopping 42 times, but had 236 yds rushing and 298 total yards. It looked like the other 21 players on the field were afraid to make cuts or slipping, while Bell was playing normal football. The patience he showed on his runs was incredible, half the time it looked like everybody else was moving while he was just sitting there waiting for his hole to open up. You’d have to think of what could have been if he hadn’t been suspended the first 3 games. Even with a 3 game deficit, he’s 4th in rushing, 8th in carries, and 2nd in yards per game.

 

He Gone!

Coming from a Rams fan’s perspective, I think the Jeff Fisher firing was past-due. I wasn’t surprised nor disappointed to hear the news. I would say I was pretty pumped 5 years ago with that hire, but he never had a winning season and had a plethora of 1st round draft picks that he couldn’t form a mediocre team around. The only weird part was the timing, just a week after it was leaked that he had been signed to a 2 year extension. I saw a rumor before the firing, which I’m starting to semi-believe. I’m not sure how charitable the NFL actually is, but the rumor was that they signed Fisher to an extension so they’d have to buy out his contract WHEN he got fired. Essentially creating a bonus for him doing the huge job of moving the entire franchise. Fisher is the only coach who had zero offseason, he’s essentially been working for 18 straight months. Feasible? I think so.

 

Quick Hits:

  • What a monsoon for the Dolphins game! I’d rather play in cold
  • Lions had another 4th qtr comeback win, their 9th of the season
  • 5 INT’s by Russell Wilson, rough day
  • Both the Lions and Buccaneers have the longest winning streaks in the league, with 5 in a row

 

Stat of the Week:

The Falcons scored more TD’s in LA (6) than the Rams have all season (5)

 

Stat of the Week:

The Seattle Punter’s longest run of the season is 10 yards more than Todd Gurley’s longest

 

Stat of the Week:

Carson Wentz’ sophomore slump came early. After starting 4-2, he has gone 1-6 and thrown 10 INT’s in that span

 

Stat of the Week:

The Buccaneers are 8-5, but have given up more points than they have scored. The Chargers, Eagles and Saints are all 5-8 but have scored more than they have allowed.

 

Stat of the Week:

Before Sunday, Russell Wilson had never lost a game by more than 10 points. I was absolutely blown away by this stat!

 

Stolen Stat of the Week:

Cam Newton, last year’s MVP, is in dead last for completion percentage this year

 

Playoff update:

Oakland, Baltimore and Denver had key losses which changed playoff seeding, while Pittsburgh, Detroit and Tampa Bay all had key wins. Meanwhile Washington, Minnesota and Green Bay kept their hopes alive with big wins to stay in the hunt. With 3 weeks left, all eyes are on the AFC West, AFC South, NFC North, and NFC South.

 

Playoff Craziness!

There’s actually a scenario in play for the Chiefs, where entering Week 17 they would have to win the game and get a 1st round bye, or lose and be completely out of the playoffs. Yes, that’s a 1 game difference between the #2 seed or the #7 seed.

 

For the Record:

  • The Lions are lucky to be 2 games up in the division, because their final slate (@Giants, @ Cowboys, vs. Packers) is brutal
  • Why is there a Saturday game this week?
  • The Titans taking down the Broncos, Packers and Lions this year. Maybe proving they can hang in the playoffs
  • Wow, Cowboys fans calling for Tony Romo after 1 bad game. League is brutal!
  • Does anybody else have a little bit of an issue with the jersey swaps at the end of the game? It’s a bit hard for me to see Elliot and Beckham Jr, 2 fierce division rivals, swapping jerseys at the end of the game and posing for a picture. I guess a part of me feels the players should show the same disdain to division foes as the fans do. Have sportsmanship, but don’t be best buds.

 

Quote of the Week:

“Thursday Night Football is a Poopfest” Richard Sherman, proving that Stanford education expands your vocabulary….Yes, yes it was a poopfest

 

Quote of the Week #2:

“15 yard penalty for twerking” Al Michaels

 

Games of the Week:

Lions at Giants

Patriots at Broncos

Buccaneers at Cowboys

 

 

The Browns are 0-11 since Terrell Pryor said the team could win out. That’s garbage

 

Photo credit: NFL.com

FMQB: ARRRRR You Ready for some Football!

Posted by fmquarterback on December 9, 2016
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week13

FMQB: ARRRRR You Ready for some Football!

 

Avast ye! Mike Zimmer, that seadog, returns from a brush with Davy Jones’ Locker to coach the Vikings again. He’s not one to walk the plank and scuttle the season, so his team said Ay Ay captain and will give it the ol’ Heave Ho to take down those landlubber Jaguars and plunder a win in order to continue their quest for playoff booty….Sorry I couldn’t help myself, but why couldn’t they have been playing the Buccaneers or Raiders this week. WHY?!?!

zimmer

We’re down to the final 4 weeks of the season with everybody on the same slate having played 12 games. The teams that make it to the playoffs always seem to be on a 5-1 or 4-0 streak, so keep an eye out for the streaking teams. As always, my favorite internet tool is back with the playoff machine! http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

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FMQB: I Miss our Conversations like Blair Walsh misses a kick

Posted by fmquarterback on November 24, 2016
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week-11

Happy Turkey Day!

 

FMQB is a day early for your brief reading enjoyment while trying to avoid family members. I will throw a few facts out about each 3 games for you to impress your friends, even for the most casual of football watchers!

 

Game 1:

Vikings vs. Lions: The two teams are tied in the division, with Detroit currently holding the tiebreaker. Minnesota has lost 4 of it’s last 5 while Detroit has won 5 of it’s last 6. The Bears are the only team who have beaten both the Vikes and Lions. If the Lions win, they will be in sole possession of 1st place; a full game up on the Vikings and holding the tiebreaker with only 5 games left.

 

Game 2:

Redskins vs. Cowboys: The Cowboys are on a 9 game winning streak, and the Redskins are 6-1-1 in their last 8 games. Their only losses have come from all Thanksgiving teams; Cowboys, Lions and Steelers. Kirk Cousins is 3rd in the league in passing yards, while Dak Prescott is 3rd in the league in passer rating.

 

Game 3:

Steelers vs. Colts: After starting strong, the Steelers have lost 4 of 5 and their win was against the Browns. The Colts have had a couple impressive wins against the surging Titans and at Green Bay, but Andrew Luck’s status is in question which would severely hamper the game. If Andrew Luck is out, people in tryptophan comas may not be missing much…

 

Quick Hits: Teams we Don’t usually talk about:

  • The Chiefs suffered only their 3rd loss in their last 20 regular season games
  • The Dolphins and Giants have both won 5 in a row.
  • The Buccaneers are also only a game out of 1st place, and have road wins at Atlanta and at Kansas City

 

Stat of the Week:

The 6 highest scoring teams this year are the Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys, Saints, Titans, and Raiders. None of which made the playoffs last year

 

Coworker Stat of the Week #2:

Kickers are 87% on XPs this year, while 2pt conversions are 36/67, 53%. Tell me again why teams don’t go for 2pts every time? Except the Titans, who are 0/4 on 2pt conversions, while 29/31 (94%) on XPs…Thanks Mickey! With that logic, currently 635 points were scored after TD’s this year. But if every team went for 2 pts, that number would climb to a whopping 756 points!

 

Quote of the Week:

“And Kaepernick has some speed! Not weighted down by that “I Voted” sticker- CBS Announcer

 

For the Record:

  • Aaron Rodgers has 25 TD’s vs 7 INT’s, yet the Packers are 4-6. Perhaps that’s proof that it’s not his fault. However the season is likely over with 2 teams with a 2 game lead over the Packers.
  • You can go to a Browns game for only $6, but you’ll have to pay between $25-50 for parking. It’s literally more expensive for your car to go to a Browns game than for you!!!
  • The NFC East and AFC West are hands down the 2 most competitive divisions out there.
  • Jared Goff didn’t lose the game for the Rams. He didn’t win it though either.
  • The handoff, then throw from the WR to the QB never works. But it did Sunday

 

The Extra Point Rule Change is Awesome!

Kickers missed 12 extra points on Sunday. Blasting by the old record of 8 in one day. Keep in mind that in 2014, the league missed 8 all year! Only 3 of these were actually blocked, the other 9 were flat out missed. I have heard people saying that this is an embarrassment to both kickers and the league, but this play has become “useful” again. Hands down the best rule change the NFL has made in the last decade.

 

Instant Replay on the Otherhand…

Something has to be done about the officiating, or instant replay. I hate being that guy who complains about the refs, but we’ve seen blatant calls or things that could have been reviewed closer that is costing teams wins. Houston had 2 blown calls, 1 on replay which was obviously a 1st down. Either one changes the game in their favor. You had the Saints miss out on a very likely out of bounds step

 

If the Playoffs Started Today:

  • Oakland and Dallas would have home field advantage, despite combining to go 11-21 last year.
  • Osweiler would have a home re-match against his hated Broncos
  • There would be 3 AFC West and 3 NFC East teams in the playoffs
  • The Lions and Texans would host a playoff game

 

 

The Browns are now 0-8 since Terrell Pryor suggested the team could win out

 

Making Sure Quotas are Met:

Turducken, there I said it

Carson Wentz and Cam Newton, haven’t forgotten about ya

 

FMQB: The Bumbling Browns

Posted by fmquarterback on November 11, 2016
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week-9

FMQB: The Bumbling Browns

Week 9 indicates the halfway point in the NFL, with most teams playing 8 games (minus the small handful who haven’t had their Bye’s yet). There is still plenty of season left, but some teams have pulled away from the pack while others are already faltering. Either way, a picture has begun to be painted. It’s very refreshing to see a bit of parody in the NFL, with a few teams we haven’t seen in the playoffs in awhile/constistently (Cowboys, Raiders, Falcons, Giants, Vikings, etc.). Before we get too excited though, my halfway Super Bowl prediction is Patriots Seahawks.

 

Oakland is Legit:

I think the reason I keep saying this is because I’m just so shocked to say it. They’ve had 15 years of terrible football, so it’s fun to see them back. Either way, they just dismantled the supposedly staunch Denver D. They rushed for 218 yds, with 3 rushing TD’s. This team has good QB play, a strong run attack, and good defense. That’s the recipe for playoff success, and it could be interesting to see what they’re like in January.

 

Richard Sherman rant:

Richard Sherman is probably the most polarizing figure in the NFL. This typically means that a person either loves him or hate him, but somehow he has become a person that you can flip flop your own emotions on him several times. Watching him speak, press conferences, or even reading his blog; he’s one of the most well spoken and intelligent people out there. You have to respect him for that, he’s a very intelligent guy and a true spokesperson for the NFL. But then somehow he gets onto the field, and turns into a dirty cocky player that everybody can hate. He completely crushed the Bills kicker at the end of the 1st half, zero chance he was going for the ball.

 

Seahawks Skirting the Rules:

While we’re on the subject, doesn’t it seem like there have been a lot of very goofy endings of games mainly resulting in referee judgement calls? Every single one of them goes in favor of the Seahawks. You had the Fail Mary, granted that was a few years back now. Then you had the Monday night game where the ball was batted out of the back of the endzone for a safety. Then the Pass Interference call against the Falcons, and there were several in the Jets game too. Now you had this game with the refs literally blowing 4 calls in a short sequence. How does this keep happening to this one team?!?! The thing that makes it worse is that Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson, and Richard Sherman have a nonchalant attitude about each one…. “I didn’t see a flag there” or “oops, I guess I was offsides.”

 

The fact that these refs aren’t being disciplined, or that somebody in New York didn’t stop it is beyond me (they had 1 game to watch). The refs blew the roughing the kicker call, then said that Carpenter had to leave for a play since the trainers came out (way to punish a team for player safety concerns), then they screwed up whether the kicking ball should be in or not, and finally they hovered over the ball with the playclock running only to leave with 2 second left on the playclock. Of course there’s a delay of game at that juncture, it should have been called on the refs!

 

Stolen Stat of the Week:

In each of Detroit’s 5 wins, they have trailed in the final 90 seconds of regulation

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Dallas and Oakland are a combined 9-0 on the road, neither team made the playoffs last year

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #3:

Eli Manning is quietly sneaking up into the conversation of All-Timers. His 2nd Super Bowl essentially made him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but his other numbers are removing any question mark about it. Manning has had 202 straight starts (that’s 3rd most all time). He’s 9th on the list for most passing yards, and 7th for most TD’s!

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Proof the game is changing? 7 of the top 16 QB’s in regards to most passing TD’s in NFL history, are still actively playing the game. Jay Cutler of all people has more TD passes than 14 Hall of Fame QB’s!!!

 

Stat of the Week #5:

At 6-3, the Broncos are in 3rd place in their division, there’s only 2 other divisions in football where they wouldn’t be in 1st place.

 

Stat of the Week #6:

The Saints started 0-3, and are suddenly in 2nd place in their division after winning 4 of 5.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Blair Walsh, leads the league with 3 missed extra points, and is 75% for field goals (26th in the league)

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The Cowboys 7 game winning streak is the longest in team history since 2007

 

Stat of the Week #9:

The 49ers are the 1st team in NFL history to allow 7 straight 100 yard rushers. I find this unbelievable, especially since the age of running backs is over. But surprised the old record was 6, when literally some crappy defense legitimately had a chance to see Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, and Emmitt Smith within a timeframe like that. The other thing I find unbelievable is that it wasn’t 4 years ago when the 49ers nearly went an entire season without giving up a rushing TD! Very quick fall for that team.

 

Poor Timeout Management:

The Bumbling Browns started the game with 12 players on the field, and had to use a timeout the first play of scrimmage (first team in 5 years to do so). Stupid mistakes are a reason teams like this go winless.

 

The 2nd mistake also cost the Vikings a win. Down 4, they led an impressive TD drive in the waning seconds of the game. But they egregiously called a timeout WAY too early in the final drive. Getting to the 1 yard line on 3rd down, you literally only have 2 plays left in the game. For arguments sake, let’s say you’re mindful of a 10 second runoff, or a defensive penalty that runs time off the clock. But with 2 plays that’s rare, and either way let it tick down to 15 or 16 seconds. Instead they called one at 27 seconds left, literally ensuring that the Lions would get the ball for a couple plays. Sure enough, the Vikings scored the next play, and gave Detroit 23 seconds. Sure, it’s improbable to get into Field Goal range and spike the ball. But it’s also plenty of time to do it, why not make it impossible for them to win? That one’s on the coaches.

 

Quick Hits:

  • I don’t see a Win in the Browns future…anywhere
  • I can’t believe Roethlisberger played this week, 3 weeks after a torn meniscus (same injury that cost Adrian Peterson the season)
  • The Cowboys are 7-1, and only play 1 team above .500 down the stretch. That team is the quickly deflating Vikings
  • The Dolphins have quietly won 3 in a row, the Steelers and Vikings have both lost 3 in a row
  • Carson Wentz has turned into an INT machine since his nearly record breaking start. Well not really, but he’s had an INT in 3 straight games; and both of his 2 INT games came on back to back drives.
  • Dang, Jimmy Graham finally showed up in Seattle! Of course I played against him in Fantasy, being up 20 felt pretty good until halftime

 

Halfway- Teams to Watch:

  • Don’t be surprised if the Giants start making a run, similar to their Wild Card Super Bowl runs
  • Same with the Chiefs, they’re the quietist 6-2 team in history it seems
  • I see the Lions winning the NFC North, and the Saints sneaking into the mix as well

 

Quote of the Week:

“If I didn’t want to get hit, I’d be playing Tennis” Russell Wilson, reacting to Cam Newton’s remarks about not feeling safe. Bravo!

 

Quote of the Week #2:

“Isn’t this the endzone where Blair Walsh missed a 27 yard field goal?” UND fan giving Gopher fans crap while walking past TCF Bank Stadium

 

Non Football Stat of the Week:

The Cubs victory parade was the 7th largest gathering in human history! 5 million people showed up. Other events in the top 10 include pilgrimages, high end funerals, and a Rod Stewart concert. What?!?!

 

Game of the Week:

Sunday Night Football hit another jackpot with Seattle at New England. Should be an awesome rematch of the Super Bowl 2 years ago.

 

 

The Browns are 0-6 since Pryor suggested they could win out.