NFL Week 7 Thread

Wow. In the predictions thread on this very board I picked Minnesota to win the North and Green Bay to get a Wild Card. Could not have whiffed worse on that one. I really thought Minnesota had the pieces in place to turn the corner and build off of last year. I thought Ponder showed some ability at the end of the season. Looks like they are right back to square one.

Green Bay is going to win the North running away. Looking at their schedule, there really isn't a game on it that they should lose. I'm sure they will, but 12/13 wins looks likely.

 

I liked the Bears early. With Cutler gone for at least a month, not so much now. They've got to play .500 ball while he's out and then hope to make a push in December.

Minnesota definitely should have tried to establish the running game more in most every game this season. Yes, teams will stack the box against Peterson. But running attacks are normally not one-hit wonders. You have to stay with them. Those plays that are going for 1 and 2-yard gains in the first half often turn into 8 and 10-yard gains, and more, in the second half as defenders get tired. Don't give up on the run just because you're down a field goal in the second quarter.

That said, the Vikings have a LOT of things to fix. If Frazier is going to hitch his wagon to Josh Freeman --- something Greg Schiano didn't want to do in Tampa --- he damn well better make some serious progress rapidly.

 

Now there is a team in extreme fucking freefall.

 

And a victim of inflated expectations. Could easily be 0-7 (last-second rally from 21 down to win the opener, OT win in week 2). Or they could be 4-3 (OT loss at home after blowing 17-point lead, one-point loss at Kansas City). Lot of close games every week in the NFL.

 

Move over.
I took Atlanta and Houston to meet in the Super Bowl.

 

Except the thing is, with any semblance of a defense, the Bears could very well be undefeated. They're giving up almost 30 points a game. I think people are stuck on their historical image, but their defense through the first half has been putrid.

It was the same story without Cutler. McCown had no trouble scoring points.