Bill Bergey's Battle of the Network stars look ahead to Week 9 of the NFL

The Colts will get the top pick and draft Matt Barkley.

 

The tougher your schedule, the worse your pick. That's why the Bengals picked fourth last year while the Broncos picked second despite their 4-12 records. This strategy was meant to say that a team that goes 4-12 against a tough schedule is better than a team that goes 4-12 against an easy one. I hate it. Just do the coin flip.

 

Ngata missing the game would be huge. The guy just eats the Steelers up every time.

I'd much rather have Woodley than Harrison, but getting even one of them back is a big break. Worilds could help, too. He has shown some ability to rush the passer in limited playing time.

The other downside from the story you linked is Emmanuel Sanders missing the game, but they have plenty of depth at wide receiver Ward coming back and Cotchery there as a solid No. 4.

Harrison seems to always find a reason to be pissed off, but the Ravens were not responsible for his injury. He was hurt in the game against the Texans.

 

Sorry to break the news to Steeler fanbois but Ngata is going to play.

But on the bright side so is Joe Flacco which is often a plus for the Steelers especially at Heinz.

 

Indianapolis has three "good" teams -- NE, BAL and HOU. The rest beatable to crap. If the Colts gave a shit.

The Dolphins have the tougher road on balance, and they're the ones (sadly) who are trying.

Remove Bill Polian as chair of the competition committee. He has already made the league less interesting to watch with self-serving rule changes.

And fuck the Colts, too.

 

You can't believe for one second that the PLAYERS aren't trying. The organization might be a different story but those players are playing for jobs. None of them will be around when they get good again anyway.

 

I don't think a "class" organization is taking things seriously when it starts Curtis Painter more than two games in a row, while the guy they had for years carrying a clipboard, sitting in on meetings, who knows their offense and even played a bit (Jim Sorgi) is out of a job. And I don't think players are trying when they allow the most points in a regular season game in a quarter century.

 

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that if that other team is the Dolphins, they'll have played the Pats, Bills and Jets twice each. I could see that helping out their strength of schedule in a way they don't want it to.

 

So what do the players get out of this?

 

Schedule would seem to favor the Dolphins.

Indy has 2 games with Jacksonville and a home date with Carolina. Could be 2 wins in there.

If Miami doesn't screw it up the next 2 weeks against the Chiefs and the Redskins, their schedule down the stretch includes Buffalo twice, New England, the Jets, Eagles, Dallas and Oakland.

 

Yea, I'd rather have Woodley too, but this will keep Keisel from playing outside linebacker and move him back to his tradional spot. That scared me a bit. He's a beast, but I just don't see him with the quickness for outside linebacker. And if Woirlds is finally healthy, at the very least we have enough bodies to spell Harrison from time to time. The defense will need to generate a pass rush, something they didn't do week 1, if they want a shot at this one.

 

Paid very handsomely.

Drug-addled Irsay already said he's not inclined to blow up the roster, or coaching staff, or front office. That gives them even less incentive to win.