Running NFL Divisional Weekend thread

You mean the one against the Ravens last season? Yes, that definitely cleared up any questions about the guy. It was before the start of the 2007 season that it was hard to be sure what Harrison would do.

 

Just goes to show that when Draft Day rolls around, you'd be better off ignoring the whole thing and all the "experts" that go with it. It's nothin' but a crap shoot.

 

I wouldn't go that far, but it does show that one way to separate your team from the pack is to do a good job scouting players who were undrafted or who have been cut loose and just needed the right situation.

Good teams have always done that, whether it was the Patriots grabbing Mike Vrabel as a free agent after he had been a reserve for the Steelers or the 49ers picking up Brent Jones in the mid-80s after he was cut by Pittsburgh. Not exactly great examples for the Steelers, but you have to look for guys who might have the ability, but did not fit with their previous team. Vrabel showed flashes of ability, but was stuck behind two good outside linebackers in Pittsburgh. Jones was obviously a tremendous receiver, but he did not fit an offense that primarily used its tight end as a blocker.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09005/939724-66.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml

Roethlisberger is going to practice today and has been cleared to start Sunday. Cue Simon.

 

Is Roethlisberger's health somehow related to perceived competitive imbalance in baseball?

 

Re: TV schedule

Was the TV schedule set before or after the playoff teams were determined? If it was before the teams were set, then could Fox have been hoping for a Saturday night game featuring Dallas?

 

You mean the very real financial imbalance in baseball? No, it isn't. But Simon has been insisting for over a week now that Roethlisberger was faking the injury against the Browns despite all medical reports and the fact that he sat out practice all last week.

 

The Panthers getting Saturday night was announced early last week. My only guess as to Fox's thinking was that the Giants will get good ratings in any time slot, while Carolina needed the prime time boost, thus giving the network a higher average audience for the two games than if they put the Giants on Saturday night.
Or, they could be just stupid. We are talking television executives here.

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLnUT77FR6d_20jNt3LsVL1CqWAgD95H9QT00

Faker! Drama queen!

;D

 

Saturday night is the lowest rate night. Thus, do you put a marquee team there in a spot that likely won't draw anyway? Or do you just pretty much punt that window and save the marquee team for a window where you COULD draw a bigger audience?

 

Bigger question (not that it makes a HUGE amount of difference):

since both AFC games are mandated to be 4:30 ET starts, why the Tennessee game on Saturday? Usually, the No. 1 seed has the Sunday slot. Again, not that it really matters.

I wish they had never moved the playoff games to night slots to begin with in 2002.

 

Heading into week 17, the ONLY team Dallas could have played that week was at the Giants, as the No. 6 seed, taking the same route that Philly took.