NFL Week Nine

[Barrister]

That is about the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

Is it?

The Niners were doing a lot better until Crabtree showed up...

[katmai]

That is about the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

Is it?

The Niners were doing a lot better until Crabtree showed up...

Not really.

they were 3-1 with wins against each of the teams in their bad division.

They got blown out by Falcons
and then lost to Houston and Indy (combined 12-3) since signing Crabtree.

Oh and lost to those two by total of 7 points.

[Savonarola]

Just saw that one of the local Coney Islands (in Detroit "Coney Islands" are Greek Cafes) is offering 50% off the entire menu every Monday after a Lion's victory.  That's bound to be the cheapest promotion ever.

[Barrister]

From the most recent TMQ column:

The Crabtree Curse continues. San Francisco was 3-1, with its only defeat a fluky last-play loss; then the 49ers signed Michael Crabtree, and are 0-3 since. All that work Mike Singletary did building team spirit on the Niners went out the window when management decided a player could jerk the team around all he wanted and still get a $17 million reward. On the key down of San Francisco's loss at Indianapolis -- third-and-10 for the 49ers with six minutes remaining -- Alex Smith fell on a "coverage sack" when no one was open. Megabucks me-first diva Crabtree was nicely handled by undrafted free agent cornerback Jacob Lacey.

[Admiral Yi]

Is holding out automatically jerking the team around or did he do additional jerking?

[Neil]

Is holding out automatically jerking the team around or did he do additional jerking?

Holding out isn't particularily bad.  It's a bit jerky, but it's the way things are these days.  Bitching about it would be like bitching about free agency.

On the other hand, all his talk (or rather his manager/agent/cousin's talk) about sitting out the season and going into next year's draft was pretty bad.

[Sophie Scholl]

Not to mention his reasoning behind holding out:  That being he felt he should have been the first wide receiver taken in the draft, and even though he wasn't still wanted to be paid as such.

[CountDeMoney]

Ravens-Bengals Sunday primer

Murphy's Law was in the house in Week 5 when the Ravens were ambushed at home by the Bengals, 17-14. It was a game played almost in slow motion -- at least by the Ravens -- and a loss that shouldn't have happened.

Why? Because anything that could go wrong, did, from the 10 penalties the Ravens incurred to the Bengals' penalties that weren't called to the stellar job Cincinnati's patchwork offensive line did against the Ravens' pass rush.

That was the game that cost Ray Lewis $25,000 for the thundering hit that separated Chad Ochocinco from his helmet. It was the game where Andre Caldwell caught the game-winning touchdown after throwing nickel back Chris Carr to the ground by his facemask and getting away with it. It was where Ochocinco tackled cornerback Domonique Foxworth rather than allow him to make an interception -- and didn't get flagged, either.

Unless the Ravens are afflicted with the same lethargy, Sunday in Cincinnati figures to be different. The Ravens have figured out a few things since then, and reinforced others.

The defense finally went back to the attack mode against Denver. The Ravens played multiple fronts, used more blitzes and beat up on quarterback Kyle Orton. Carson Palmer should be forewarned. He was sacked only once in the first game. If he's sacked only once today, the Bengals could easily win this game.

The other key for the defense is getting after Cedric Benson, who snapped the Ravens' streak for not allowing a 100-yard rusher at 40 games. Benson is good, but he isn't that good. The Ravens missed too many tackles that day. Linebacker Antwan Barnes, in fact, hasn't played since missing a tackle on Benson's 28-yard touchdown run.

Having a healthy Haloti Ngata would help, but even at 70 percent, Ngata could make a difference. The linebackers need to play big this game. Lewis needs to play big; he had his share of mental and physical mistakes in that game.

The defense should respond. And the offense should give Cincinnati a big dose of Ray Rice. The Bengals couldn't handle him the first time, when he had 143 yards from scrimmage, including a 48-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. That was the Ravens' only offensive touchdown in the game. That's another example of Murphy's Law. Holding Joe Flacco's offense to one touchdown won't happen again.

I am using my psychic energies, and focusing them all on derspiess. 
Unfortunately, with that forehead of his, it'll be deflected and hit a house in Nashua, NH, igniting it and killing 3 people.

[katmai]

Let's see i'm stuck with

Early game of Fish-Cheaters
then a doubleheader of
Bolts-Gints or the amazing stinker of
Lions-Hawks

ugh.

[CountDeMoney]

Haloti Ngata is out.
Got a a cortizone shot this morning in his ankle, but can't put any weight on it.

[katmai]

Haloti Ngata is out.
Got a a cortizone shot this morning in his ankle, but can't put any weight on it.

Probably kicked something in disgust after the performance of his alma mater

[katmai]

Please find the correct thread for this CFL nonsense

[katmai]

How about dem ravens!

[CountDeMoney]

How about dem ravens!

Gotta love all those penalties.

The might as well dispense with throwing them, and go ahead and subsidize every Bengals play with an additional 5 yards.  That way, the refs don't have to injure their shoulders.

[katmai]

How about dem ravens!

Gotta love all those penalties.

The might as well dispense with throwing them, and go ahead and subsidize every Bengals play with an additional 5 yards.  That way, the refs don't have to injure their shoulders.

is that what is happening?

I'm stuck with Pats/Fish :p