NFL Pick 'em 2010: Week 9

[Dragon]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ @ DET
MIA @ BAL
NE @ CLE
SD @ HOU
CHI @ BUF
ARI @ MIN
TB @ ATL
NO @ CAR

NYG @ SEA
IND @ PHI
KC @ OAK
DAL @ GB

Monday, November 8
PIT @ CIN


Byes: Broncos, Jaguars, 49ers, Rams, Titans, Redskins


Survivor/Suicide/Sudoku Pool

Ryan Pode: HOU, DET, NYG, BAL, STL

Anne Phoenix: NYJ, <strike>NO</strike>, <strike>TB</strike>, NE, KC
Dragon: SD, ATL, <strike>CHI</strike>, BAL, KC
Jedi Master Carr: GB, <strike>NO</strike>, <strike>CHI</strike>, BAL, <strike>WAS</strike>
Lykaios: ATL, BAL, <strike>SD</strike>, KC
Yog: GB, BAL, NYG, <strike>NO</strike>, KC

I dropped people who missed a week from the list, but if you want to join back in, go ahead.

[Anne Phoenix]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ (W) @ DET
MIA @ BAL (W)
NE (W) @ CLE
SD @ HOU (W)
CHI (W) @ BUF
ARI @ MIN (W)
TB (W) @ ATL
NO (W) @ CAR

NYG (W) @ SEA
IND (W) @ PHI
KC @ OAK (W)
DAL @ GB (W) (S)

Monday, November 8
PIT (W) @ CIN


Byes: Broncos, Jaguars, 49ers, Rams, Titans, Redskins

Forgetting something, aren't we Mr Suicide keeper?
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[Dragon]

I don't know what you're talking about!

Two big acquisitions off waivers: Shawne Merriman has gone to the Bills, and Randy Moss is now a Titan. I'm wondering how often a player has started for three teams in the same season...

[Jedi Master Carr]

Sunday, November 7
W NYJ @ DET
MIA @ BAL W
W NE @ CLE
SD @ HOU W
CHI @ BUF W
ARI @ MIN W
TB @ ATL W
W NO @ CAR

W NYG @ SEA
IND @ PHI W
W KC @ OAK
DAL @ GB W

Monday, November 8
W PIT @ CIN (s)

[Dragon]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ WIN @ DET
MIA @ BAL WIN
NE WIN @ CLE
SD @ HOU WIN
CHI @ BUF WIN
ARI WIN @ MIN
TB WIN @ ATL
NO WIN @ CAR (S)

NYG WIN @ SEA
IND WIN @ PHI
KC WIN @ OAK
DAL @ GB WIN

Monday, November 8
PIT WIN @ CIN

[Xavier Synik]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ @ DET (W)
MIA @ BAL (W)
NE (W) @ CLE
SD @ HOU (W)
CHI (W) @ BUF
ARI (W) @ MIN
TB @ ATL (W)
NO (W) @ CAR

NYG (W) @ SEA
IND @ PHI (W)
KC (W) @ OAK
DAL @ GB (W)

Monday, November 8
PIT (W) @ CIN

[Rutabaga]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ WIN @ DET
MIA @ BAL WIN
NE WIN @ CLE
SD @ HOU WIN
CHI WIN @ BUF
ARI @ MIN WIN
TB @ ATL WIN
NO WIN @ CAR

NYG WIN @ SEA
IND WIN @ PHI
KC WIN @ OAK
DAL @ GB WIN

Monday, November 8
PIT WIN @ CIN

[Dalethria]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ (w)@ DET
MIA(w) @ BAL
NE (w)@ CLE
SD @ HOU (w)

CHI (w) @ BUF
ARI (w) @ MIN
TB @ ATL (w)
NO (w) @ CAR

NYG (w) @ SEA
IND (w) @ PHI
KC (w) @ OAK
DAL @ GB (w)

Monday, November 8
PIT (w) @ CIN

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I don't know what you're talking about!

Two big acquisitions off waivers: Shawne Merriman has gone to the Bills, and Randy Moss is now a Titan. I'm wondering how often a player has started for three teams in the same season...

I don't think it's ever been done.


Sunday, November 7
(W) NYJ @ DET
MIA @ BAL (W)
(W) NE @ CLE
(W) SD @ HOU
CHI @ BUF (W)
(W) ARI @ MIN
TB @ ATL (W)
(W) NO @ CAR

(W) NYG @ SEA
(W) IND @ PHI
(W) KC @ OAK
DAL @ GB (W)

Monday, November 8
(W) PIT @ CIN

[Lykaios]

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="64"><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> <tbody><tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt; width: 48pt;" height="20" width="64"> DET</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">BAL</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">NE (s)
</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">HOU</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">BUF</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">MIN</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">ATL</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">NO</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">NYG</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">IND</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">KC</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">GB</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 15pt;" height="20"> <td style="height: 15pt;" height="20">PIT</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

[Liam Jinn]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ (W) @ DET
MIA @ BAL (W)
NE (W) @ CLE
SD @ HOU (W)
CHI @ BUF (W)
ARI (W) @ MIN
TB @ ATL (W)
NO (W) @ CAR

NYG (W) @ SEA
IND (W) @ PHI
KC @ OAK (W)
DAL (W) @ GB

Monday, November 8
PIT (W) @ CIN

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ @ DET WIN
MIA @ BAL WIN
NE WIN @ CLE
SD @ HOU WIN
CHI WIN @ BUF
ARI @ MIN WIN
TB @ ATL WIN
NO WIN @ CAR

NYG WIN @ SEA
IND WIN @ PHI
KC WIN @ OAK
DAL @ GB WIN

Monday, November 8
PIT WIN @ CIN

[Yog]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ (W) @ DET
MIA @ BAL (W)
NE (W) @ CLE
SD @ HOU (W)
CHI (W) @ BUF
ARI @ MIN (W)
TB @ ATL (W)(S)
NO (W) @ CAR

NYG (W) @ SEA
IND (W) @ PHI
KC (W) @ OAK
DAL @ GB (W)

Monday, November 8
PIT (W) @ CIN

[Figrin D'an]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ (W) @ DET
MIA @ BAL (W)
NE (W) @ CLE
SD @ HOU (W)
CHI @ BUF (W)
ARI @ MIN (W)
TB @ ATL (W)
NO (W) @ CAR

NYG @ SEA (W)
IND @ PHI (W)
KC (W) @ OAK
DAL @ GB (W)

Monday, November 8
PIT (W) @ CIN

[Ryan Pode]

Sunday, November 7
NYJ Win @ DET
MIA @ BAL Win
NE Win @ CLE
SD @ HOU Win
CHI @ BUF Win
ARI @ MIN Win
TB @ ATL Win
NO Win @ CAR

NYG Win @ SEA
IND @ PHI Win
KC @ OAK Win
DAL @ GB Win

Monday, November 8
PIT Win @ CIN


And suicide: New Orleans

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Hello Browns. I'd love to see you in the playoffs, as you can only seem to beat the top teams in the league.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Awful hit on Collie in the Colts game, not sure if it deserved the penalty. It was brutal, we go to hope Collie isn't seriously hurt.

[Yog]

Hey Carr, it must be super frustrating to see Thomas Jones getting all the carries over Jamaal Charles, while Charles is outproducing him in average yards per carry every single game. It's almost as if the Chiefs coach wants to lose.

[Xavier Synik]

Awful hit on Collie in the Colts game, not sure if it deserved the penalty. It was brutal, we go to hope Collie isn't seriously hurt.

Don't want to get all preachy, but the NFL players not only defending but bitching and whining about how the NFL trying to take that kind of hit out of the game is getting old.

I'd say that it'll take someone like Peyton or another superstar getting knocked out for the year or a year plus with post concussion symptoms, but I honestly don't think that something like that would help.

It's unfortunately that the current NFL players haven't taken notice of some of the studies that have been done, or if nothing else the evidence staring them right in the face with the condition of a lot of former players to show that concussions are not something to be ignored like they've been doing.

*puts away soapbox*

[Dragon]

The problem is that the NFL is cracking down on hits that simply are not avoidable from a defender's perspective - not without taking the play off entirely. Sometimes you're lined up to hit the receiver safely in the chest/side, and the receiver slips or puts his head down unexpectedly, bringing his helmet down to your level. In this latest case, the first defender hit Collie cleanly, and the force of that blow sent him spinning into the second defender's helmet. The CBS analysts even believed the second defender was trying to avoid him, but you just can't change direction instantaneously. Yes, it was a nasty hit, and I hope Collie recovers speedily, but it was not the result of malice or negligence on the part of the defenders.

That's what these defensive players are complaining about - the NFL has made it official policy that they bear the sole responsibility for all these collisions, when many of them are mistakes by the quarterback, mistakes by the receiver, or simply the result of playing football. You cannot simply judge the hit by its results.

Those studies about long-term consequences do indeed concern me, because some number of these collisions will happen when you play football at this level, just like you'll have some number of blown knees, some number of broken ribs, and even some number of those really terrifying neck injuries like the one that paralyzed Rutgers player Eric LeGrand earlier this season (on what looked like a routine play - he was the one making the tackle). I wish we could take these injuries out of the game, but that's going to be impossible without turning it into a different sport.

That's something that every player, every coach, and every fan must come to terms with if they want to continue enjoying this sport. But every owner, every marketer, and every NFL commissioner must come to terms with it as well, as they're the ones making millions while watching others take the risk. Instead, Roger Goodell is ear-deep in denial and is dumping the whole blame on defenders who are only doing their job, and on referees whose job he makes harder every year. He is selling a fantasy that he can legislate the danger out of the game, and in the process he's issuing capricious and draconian rulings that punish defenders for playing defense.


TL;DR - You can't take the danger out of the game of football, and blaming it all on defenders is short-sighted and hypocritical. We will eventually have to come to terms with whether the game is worth the toll it takes on the people who play it.

[Xavier Synik]

yes a lot of the hits aren't necessarily the fault of one player or the other. Yes I will agree that it's partially about the way body's move when they get hit.

The Collie hit was bad today, but would it have been as bad if the first defender hadn't made his hit? Who knows.

I'm not saying that players are head hunting... because I don't think they are. My point is that the players seem to be more interested in complaining about the fact that the league is trying to do something to keep them safe both now and in the future, albeit maybe not in the best way to go about it, then they are in actually working with the league to make sure that someone doesn't get paralyzed or killed.

While it's impossible to say, it would be interesting to know whether both sides were reacting to the number of dangerous hits the way they are if they weren't in the middle of a major labour dispute.

[Dragon]

Problem is, I don't think the fines do anything to protect the players. They're a PR band-aid, nothing more, and they're insulting to the defenders who are also putting their bodies on the line for this game. Yeah, some of these hits are egregious and clearly fineable - Brandon Merriweather's hit on Todd Heap is a prime example. I'll also allow that there are going to be some marginal decisions I disagree with. But these fines are really getting out of control.

Like you, Xavier, I would love to see some kind of summit between NFL management and players on the subject, but the decisions so far have been completely unilateral - not because players don't have an opinion but because the NFL has been tripping over itself trying to rush out a judgment so it doesn't look lax. Sadly, yes, I do think the CBA disputes are going to dominate any such discussions, and I have a feeling it'll be the players' voices that get squashed.

I also think it's the height of hypocrisy for Goodell to claim his foremost concern is player safety when he's vigorously lobbying to expand the season to eighteen games. We clearly don't fully understand the consequences of playing the game as it exists now - so you want to make the players play even more? If we go to eighteen games, we will see more injuries and shorter careers. I would sooner see them back off to fourteen games again than add two more.

[Yog]

Have you guys seen this video?
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/09000d5d81b80962/Player-safety

Ray Anderson makes it sound like they are banning hits altogether. How is it even possible to enforce rules like that?

[Dragon]

Yes, I saw that a week or two ago. With a few exceptions (Brandon Merriweather's hit on Todd Heap was a douche move, and Belichick even benched him afterward), the examples of "legal" and "illegal" hits that Anderson presents are more or less meaningless - they have more to do with the angle the defender's coming from and the reaction of the offensive player than they do with anything the defender's doing differently.

Look at Ray Lewis's hit (2:46 and following), which is hailed as a strong, legal hit - if the receiver had dropped to his knees going for the ball or if he'd just slipped and fallen, Lewis would have speared him helmet-to-helmet because he was already committed to the hit. However, Anderson makes it clear that the league will hold defenders responsible for what they hit, regardless of the circumstances. That's not a solution, it's a scapegoat for a problem the NFL doesn't want to face.

[Miranda Tarkin]

for any confusion - Dalethria = Me ;)

I failed to remember my pw at Burning Nerd XD

[Dragon]

I think we all knew it wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when....

The Cowboys have just fired Wade Phillips. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81bf68e8/article/garrett-in-phillips-out-as-cowboys-make-midseason-coaching-change?module=HP_cp2) Jason Garrett has been named interim head coach.

I will admit I didn't look favorably on any predictions that put the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, but I didn't see them vying for the top draft pick, either.

[Xavier Synik]

Problem is, I don't think the fines do anything to protect the players. They're a PR band-aid, nothing more, and they're insulting to the defenders who are also putting their bodies on the line for this game. Yeah, some of these hits are egregious and clearly fineable - Brandon Merriweather's hit on Todd Heap is a prime example. I'll also allow that there are going to be some marginal decisions I disagree with. But these fines are really getting out of control.

Like you, Xavier, I would love to see some kind of summit between NFL management and players on the subject, but the decisions so far have been completely unilateral - not because players don't have an opinion but because the NFL has been tripping over itself trying to rush out a judgment so it doesn't look lax. Sadly, yes, I do think the CBA disputes are going to dominate any such discussions, and I have a feeling it'll be the players' voices that get squashed.

I also think it's the height of hypocrisy for Goodell to claim his foremost concern is player safety when he's vigorously lobbying to expand the season to eighteen games. We clearly don't fully understand the consequences of playing the game as it exists now - so you want to make the players play even more? If we go to eighteen games, we will see more injuries and shorter careers. I would sooner see them back off to fourteen games again than add two more.

No fines aren't really the right solution. Unfortunately I don't know what is.

And your point about the 18 game season is understood, however in the Canadian Football League they've played an 18 game season for years and I don't think that it's caused any more big injuries because of the extra games.

[Lykaios]

My main gripe with this rule enforcement (since according to Goodell this isn't a rule change but the enforcement of an existing rule) is that on helmet to helmet hits, none of the players is aiming for the other's head!

Unfortunately this hits happen due to the nature and speed of the game, sadly some end up in injury but I don't believe anyone is trying to actually hurt anyone and put their livelihoods on the line.

Also, he's talked about fining defensive players who put their helmets down to make the tackle because it's not the proper technique. Ok, fine, but what about offensive players (mainly RB's) who put their head down to initiate contact? Isn't this whole thing using the helmet as a weapon type deal? Well, the helmet can be misused on both sides of the ball, not just D.

[Dragon]

Holy crap, Randle El can still throw the ball! :eek

Argh, two crap calls by the refs put the Bengals on the Steelers' one-yard line. You cannot let the home crowd make the calls, officials!

[Yog]

I think we all knew it wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when....

The Cowboys have just fired Wade Phillips. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81bf68e8/article/garrett-in-phillips-out-as-cowboys-make-midseason-coaching-change?module=HP_cp2) Jason Garrett has been named interim head coach.

I will admit I didn't look favorably on any predictions that put the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, but I didn't see them vying for the top draft pick, either.
About time. The Cowboys have been so terrible it got to the point I had to stop picking them in the pickems. :\

[Figrin D'an]

I think we all knew it wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when....

The Cowboys have just fired Wade Phillips. (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81bf68e8/article/garrett-in-phillips-out-as-cowboys-make-midseason-coaching-change?module=HP_cp2) Jason Garrett has been named interim head coach.

I will admit I didn't look favorably on any predictions that put the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, but I didn't see them vying for the top draft pick, either.


If Jerry Jones is smart, he'll hire a head coach this coming off-season who challenge his decision-making and who is more a fundamentals/discipline coach.

If Jerry Jones is really smart, he'll realize that the majority of the blame for the current situation in Dallas is his own doing, and he'll hire a real GM to manage the team and make personnel decisions. However, I don't think things are bad enough for him to be that introspective and decide to check is own ego.

[Dragon]

Dai and Morgan haven't picked the last three weeks, so I'm dropping them from the roster.

Weekly Tally

Ryan Pode: 10-3
Anne Phoenix: 9-4
Jedi Master Carr: 9-4
Rutabaga: 9-4
Yog: 9-4
Figrin D'an: 8-5
Lilaena De'Ville: 8-5
Nathanial K'cansce: 8-5
Xavier Synik: 8-5
Liam Jinn: 7-6
Lykaios: 7-6
Miranda Tarkin: 7-6
Dragon: 6-7
Mu Satach: 5-8 (Did not pick)


Season Totals

1. Ryan Pode: 78-52 (68)

2. Jedi Master Carr: 77-53 (68)
3. Figrin D'an: 76-54 (68)
3. Miranda Tarkin: 76-54 (69)
5. Anne Phoenix: 75-55 (66)
5. Nathanial K'cansce: 75-55 (67)
7. Liam Jinn: 74-56 (67)
7. Rutabaga: 74-56 (65)
7. Yog: 74-56 (65)
10. Dragon: 71-59 (65)
10. Xavier Synik: 71-59 (63)
12. Lilaena De'Ville: 69-61 (61)
13. Mu Satach: 67-63 (62)
14. Lykaios: 65-65 (58)


Survivor Pool

Ryan Pode: HOU, DET, NYG, BAL, STL, NO

Anne Phoenix: NYJ, <strike>NO</strike>, <strike>TB</strike>, NE, KC, GB
Dragon: SD, ATL, <strike>CHI</strike>, BAL, KC, NO
Jedi Master Carr: GB, <strike>NO</strike>, <strike>CHI</strike>, BAL, <strike>WAS</strike>, PIT
Lykaios: ATL, BAL, <strike>SD</strike>, KC, <strike>NE</strike>
Yog: GB, BAL, NYG, <strike>NO</strike>, KC, ATL

[Rutabaga]

I just triple-checked the scores against my picks, and unless I've overlooked something, I was 10-4 for the week, not 9-5. Got CLE, SD, PHI, and OAK wrong, can't find a 5th. Unless I'm just blind. :cool

PS...Thursday games start this week. :)

[Dragon]

Actually, the mistake was that there were only thirteen games this week, and I gave several people scores adding up to fourteen. D'oh. I'll have that fixed in a jiffy.

Also, next week's picks are up!