SpongeWorthy

That McNabb deal is astonishing. I just read that $40 million of it is guaranteed. Who exactly were the Skins bidding against?

Jags/Texans Hail Mary Tecmo style:

He probably can't differentiate between a perfectly thrown ball and a non-perfectly thrown ball, but a professional DB is going to have a pretty good idea whether or not he has a shot at defending a pass or not. Right. So if the DB thinks he's in good position to defend anything other than a really well thrown ball he's not going to give up on the play and just interfere to reduce the risk of a big gainer. 15 yards/auto first down isn't something just to be given out like candy. It'll vary by the QB/WR combination he's facing and the circumstances of the individual game of course.

Because I do think refs blowing PI calls and giving teams unearned field position is a fixable problem and I think a 15 yard/auto first down is a good solution. I just don't see the epidemic of intentional PI happening. It works great in college and I don't think the sport is THAT different where it'll be good at one level and a terrible abomination in the NFL.

I really, really don't think a DB can tell the difference between a perfectly thrown ball and one that'll come up slightly long or short while they're running at full speed and possibly hand fighting with a WR.

Well, yeah. There's a balancing act. But if you're close enough to interfere you can still make a play on a ball that isn't well thrown. You're not going to automatically crash into a receiver if you think you're well positioned to defend anything that isn't a perfectly thrown ball. If the receiver grabs the ball just over your over stretched hands I don't think you're going to commit PI the next time that happens--a perfectly thrown ball is indefensible and it's not worth it to commit to PI on purpose to prevent them. And like I said, I don't see it as a bad thing if the DB has that as a possible tactic. The rules and their application have indisputably gone well in the offense's favor the last 30 or so years and this would walk it back in the defenses favor a little bit.

But the difference is that with a spot foul there's no realistic opportunity for the player to calculate whether it is worth the penalty. If it's 10 yards or maybe a 45 yard catch, you will see a huge increase in PI on purpose. It is a no brainer and coaches will teach it. Holding or illegal contact doesn't make any sense as a comparison and I'm not even sure why you'd try. Holding or illegal contact makes perfect sense. Guys ARE taught to use it if they're completely burned but it's hardly used at will even though it can prevent big gainers at the expense of a 5/10 yard penalty. It's a perfectly valid comparison. And yes, of course you will see PI used as a tactic more often. I never denied that. Why is that a bad thing? Intentional fouling is a tactic used in football, basketball, soccer, etc. It's not inherently bad. It's a horrible comparison because you are talking about something done before a pass is even attempted. The payoff is not nearly the same. You don't even know who he is going to throw to, if it could be tipped or picked off, or if they might get a sack. You aren't going to use that tactic under the circumstances you would see NFL defensive backs committing a PI on purpose if it was a simple yardage penalty. And it is a bad thing because the outcomes are completely different. An intentional foul still results in free throws. A 15 yard penalty does not equate closely enough in what a potential 45 yard pass or TD pass could result in. A 10 yard penalty for holding that prevents a sack? Makes perfect sense. A safety for holding in the end zone? Perfectly fair. Pass interference that turns potential game changing plays into mere 15 yard gains is dumb. You said yourself that completing a deep ball requires pinpoint accuracy. With few guys running free and clear for easy bombs, you're not going to just commit PI at will when it's difficult to complete a bomb in the first place. There's a very realistic chance the pass won't be completed and you don't give up the 15 yards/auto first down. And presumably if these guys are capable of interfering "at will" then they're also in position to make a play on the ball or even pick it off. The idea that they are going to abandon their defensive instincts just to commit a 15 yard penalty isn't reasonable. And yes, you will see some penalties committed that would prevent obvious touchdowns or huge gains. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. You see at least as many horrible PI calls that unfairly give the offense huge gains under the current system.

But the difference is that with a spot foul there's no realistic opportunity for the player to calculate whether it is worth the penalty. If it's 10 yards or maybe a 45 yard catch, you will see a huge increase in PI on purpose. It is a no brainer and coaches will teach it. Holding or illegal contact doesn't make any sense as a comparison and I'm not even sure why you'd try. Holding or illegal contact makes perfect sense. Guys ARE taught to use it if they're completely burned but it's hardly used at will even though it can prevent big gainers at the expense of a 5/10 yard penalty. It's a perfectly valid comparison. And yes, of course you will see PI used as a tactic more often. I never denied that. Why is that a bad thing? Intentional fouling is a tactic used in football, basketball, soccer, etc. It's not inherently bad.

Interfering at will? A 15 yard penalty is still a big deal. And if you're talking about the pinpoint accuracy that is required then any DB is still taking a calculated risk by interfering when there's a good chance the pass won't be completed in the first place. You don't see guys using holding or illegal contact downfield 'at will' when they're burned but the QB still has the ball in his hands and those are only 5/10 yard + auto first down penalties.

Fine, then keep it as is. You can't make intentional pass interference a smart defensive play. Say what you will about rules in favor of the offense, there is still plenty of defense being played and plenty of terrible offense out there. Why not? They do it in college and it works fine.

I think PI should be a 15 yard penalty instead of a spot foul. I don't have a problem with it being a defensive tactic, so much has been forfeited to the offense via rule changes over the years.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-injuries1115-20101114,0,4074645.story Cameron Wake and Jake Long potentially out against the Bears too. That's their best defensive player and best offensive player.

Steven Jackson and Frank Gore seriously might be the two best players in football.

Better than Baby Hands Alex Smith and Ball State legend Nate Davis.

Wow, Niners had an amazing TD wiped out by holding to make it 3rd and 32 and converted 4th and 18 then scored the go ahead TD on a great catch by Crabtree.

Niners/Rams is good.

I will lol pretty hard if the Giants come back and win this.

Thigpen is a 3rd string QB for a reason. And that's saying something when the guys ahead of you are Henne and Pennington.

The point is he's not completely useless. He's good enough to beat us if we aren't at our best. He's like Doug Flutie. Elusive white guy that can move the ball through the air and get some decent yardage on the ground if you don't watch him closely. He obviously isn't like a starter quality QB but he's probably better than half the teams backup QBs and can lead them to wins. Naw, we should smash him. Of course we COULD lose but we don't have to play as well as we did today to beat a Thigpen led Dolphins team unless Brown and Williams go ape [expletive]. He's in the Shaun Hill, Charlie Whitehurst, realm.

Looks like White isn't on the Dolphins any more. They'll probably sign at least one QB this week.

I wonder who they play if we knock Thigpen out. Is Pat White still on the Dolphins?

Tyler Thigpen blows.

What about Vick? not him either. Best QB rating in the NFL. Very mobile. No INT's so far. I'd take him. go ahead. i wouldn't. he's not capable of making the throws he needs to make in this offense and defenses can cheat up against him. he's still fast enough to elude many of them, but he can't throw it like jay can. Vick has a rocket launcher too.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/sfl-chad-pennington-hurt-1114,0,4823557.story Pennington and Henne likely out for the year and Thigpen's the guy for Thursday.

nm