NFL Week 16

[Guest]

Why does the NFL no longer have Saturday games?

On a recent Simmons podcast, his guest (Cousin Sal Iacono) said the NFL had phased them out, but I have no idea why. It flies in the face of the NFL's mission to run every single day of the sports year.

 

I've read that the Saturday games were not good for ratings so they got phased out. I would guess that NFL games got ratings no matter when they are played, especially when there are 9-11 games being played at noon on Sunday.

 

But they have playoff games in the first 2 rounds on Saturdays.

 

I think the difference is that Saturdays in January are dead zone, while Saturdays in December are littered with shopping trips and holiday parties. I think that a league so determined to sell the lousy Thursday night games could find a way to make more Saturdays work, but the other thing to consider is the whole storyline of making sure all the games matter at the moment they are played. If you had a couple games this Saturday you might make a couple Sunday games irrelevant.

 

And if you put nothing but garbage time games on Saturday, it wouldn't really change the Sunday problem of too many important games all happening at the same time. It's only two weeks. I can deal with it.

[Mark Priors Calves]

This week, Rich Eisen alluded to the return of Saturday football happening soon.

[Soul]

Rodgers ruled out for Sunday:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10171386/aaron-rodgers-green-bay-packers-again

[Cubswin11]

There's also supposed to be between 5-8 inches of snow falling in GB/Eastern Wisconsin on Sunday during the game, idk who that favors (if anyone) in the game. But the conditions likely won't be ideal.

[Soul]

There's also supposed to be between 5-8 inches of snow falling in GB/Eastern Wisconsin on Sunday during the game, idk who that favors (if anyone) in the game. But the conditions likely won't be ideal.

 

Lacy > Bell

 

In the snow @ Lambeau, I'd have to think that gives GB an advantage. Hopefully it's not the deciding factor. But PIT's running game has been anemic and GB's has been pretty good. So if teams struggle to throw, the Packers are the team that will likely still be able to move the ball consistently.

[Andy]

Holy [expletive] Luke Kuechly. Holier [expletive] Cam Newton. A win over crappy Atlanta from the #2 seed. I'm stunned.

[OleMissCub]

Holy [expletive] Luke Kuechly. Holier [expletive] Cam Newton. A win over crappy Atlanta from the #2 seed. I'm stunned.

 

Luke is a boss. Newton is still and always will be a [expletive].

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/443886152.gif?1320803767

 

3rd game this year the Saints have lost with less than a minute left. Brutal.

[Formerly Snayke]

Seattle loses its first game at home with Russell Wilson. Bruce Arians should be Coach of the Year.

[Andy]

Seattle loses its first game at home with Russell Wilson. Bruce Arians should be Coach of the Year.

I didn't think too much of that hire but he did a great job this year even with Carson Palmer trying like hell to screw it up.

[Derwood]

So an 11-5 team could miss the playoffs in the NFC while an 8-8 team could win the NFC North? Solid

[bukie]

So an 11-5 team could miss the playoffs in the NFC while an 8-8 team could win the NFC North? Solid

No, an 8-8 team can not win the NFC North.

[Formerly Snayke]

Seattle loses its first game at home with Russell Wilson. Bruce Arians should be Coach of the Year.

I didn't think too much of that hire but he did a great job this year even with Carson Palmer trying like hell to screw it up.

 

And the confusing Mendenhall-Ellington backfield.

 

How can Detroit possibly lose so many close games?

[Sammy Sofa]

The Detroit Lions just might be the most hilariously disastrous team in NFL history.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Seattle loses its first game at home with Russell Wilson. Bruce Arians should be Coach of the Year.

 

Carroll will get them good and doped up for the playoffs so this doesn't happen again.

[Derwood]

So an 11-5 team could miss the playoffs in the NFC while an 8-8 team could win the NFC North? Solid

No, an 8-8 team can not win the NFC North.

 

Right, because of GB/Chicago next week. Can 8-8 win the East?

[Derwood]

Suck it, Packers!

[bukie]

So an 11-5 team could miss the playoffs in the NFC while an 8-8 team could win the NFC North? Solid

No, an 8-8 team can not win the NFC North.

 

Right, because of GB/Chicago next week. Can 8-8 win the East?

No, because of Dallas/Philly next week.

[Formerly Snayke]

Does Flynn's success make Rodgers expendable? Discuss.

[Guest]

Does Flynn's success make Rodgers expendable? Discuss.

 

Awesome.

[Guest]

I was watching the Packers game without sound. Does anyone have an explanation for why the Packers field goal got blocked, and the Packers somehow ended up with a first and goal out of the deal when they basically never touched the ball after it got blocked?

[jersey cubs fan]

I was watching the Packers game without sound. Does anyone have an explanation for why the Packers field goal got blocked, and the Packers somehow ended up with a first and goal out of the deal when they basically never touched the ball after it got blocked?

 

I was standing in the Linc's parking lot at the time but vaguely remember somebody saying something about an "illegal swatting" penalty, which I have no idea what that means.

[Banedon]

It was "Illegal batting". One of the Steelers batted the ball forward in his attempt to bat it out of bounds. That penalty gave GB a first down (which is ridiculous, but the rule).

 

The problem with it is moments before the illegal bat, the Steelers picked up the ball and lateraled it, which should have established possession and made the bat legal. But the refs claimed the Steelers never established possession. Since that's not reviewable, the play stood.

 

However there's an argument that Tomlin could have challenged that the guy that tried to lateral was down before the lateral, and that if he'd challenged that aspect, they could have kept the ball. But Tomlin didn't do that.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Illegal batting was called on Pittsburgh because one of their guys swatted the ball forward after the block. The refs decided that it was GB's ball because there was no change of possession. Never mind the fact that a dude from Pittsburgh picked it up and tried to lateral to somebody which is how the ball ended up on the ground for the other dude to swat.

[Cubswin11]

It is illegal though to bat the ball forward out of bounds to improve field position though, regardless if possession is established or not, right?

[rawaction]

It is illegal though to bat the ball forward out of bounds to improve field position though, regardless if possession is established or not, right?

 

Yes, so it should have been Pittsburgh ball, with a penalty taking them back 15 yards from the spot it was batted.