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In 2008, Dunn made $13 million. Kosuke made $13 mil last year. Dunn also made $12 mil last year. If I was looking for an outfielder, I'd strongly consider Kosuke over Dunn because of defense. If I had an opening at first, where I could minimize Dunn's horrid defense, I'd take Dunn in a heartbeat.

And my first stickied thread unstickies . . . Oh well, thanks O_O!

What's the likelihood on Clark being out for the year?

How about in the NL. I find it kind of useless to compare across NL and AL. 10th in both FIP and xFIP in the NL. So slightly below average among NL teams. Interestingly enough, our wOBA was 10th in the NL as well. So we're about in the same place offensively as our starting pitching is. I'd still prefer a bat, but wouldn't oppose going after an ace-type pitcher.

I was curious since I didn't watch much after Lou left and the offensive numbers were worse after Quade took over. The stuff sounds good that Levine talked about, I'm not sure how much it had to do with us improving, though.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think Quade did to garner us that record that Lou did not?

If you are below average you are bad and part of the problem. You win games by scoring runs and limiting the number of runs you give up. If you can't score more runs then prevent more from your opponent. As a team, our starters finished with a 4.04 FIP and 4.28 xFIP. That's 14th and 16th respectively in the majors. Basically average. I wouldn't be opposed to adding an ace quality starting pitcher, but if I'm overpaying for an older player, I'm overpaying for offense – particularly Dunn.

There's nothing sabermetric to the idea that football is an extreme team game where each player is reliant upon another to move the football or stop the opponents. One player can have a huge impact on a game, but even the greats like Peyton, Favre, Montana, Elway, etc. had to have guys block for them, catch the passes and play defense for the team to win games. That's the same reason why a primarily statistical approach doesn't work in football – a player's stats are too heavily dependent on other people doing their job. I don't completely discount the "clutch" idea in football. Some players probably do focus a little better late in games (though they should carry that focus over into the rest of the game as well) and some players don't handle the pressure of a late game well. However, the QBs job is to put his team in position to win the game and, in 9 of those 11 games, Rodgers did that. There are too many other factors (drops, great defense, missed blocks, fumbles, etc) to criticize him for getting his team into field goal position. Now, if he got the team into field goal position and then missed three wide open receivers when he had plenty of time in the pocket and that forced the FG over a TD, then I'll agree that Rodgers didn't do enough. But to criticize him for the defense allowing the game-winning drive or for breakdowns on other parts of the team is unfair to him and inaccurate analysis.

Is it just me or has New England gotten to 4-1 quietly? For all the talk surrounding them, you'd think they were fighting to stay over .500. Instead, they're hanging out with the best teams in the league. I really thought they were 2-2 entering this week.

3-3 for me. Got a couple of big wins to climb out of my early hole. Thank you Marc Mariani!

This will be a tough game. Kolb has started throwing the ball much better the past couple of weeks and fast, deep threats like Maclin give us all kinds of issues. I'll never root for a player to get hurt, but it does help us that it appears Desean Jackson won't play Sunday. The best shot we have of winning this game is to pressure Kolb heavily and force him into mistakes. The front four has got to get pressure consistently on Kolb so that he can't just sit back in the pocket and find Maclin deep. With their offensive line, I like our chances a lot better. A 5-2 record entering the bye week is pretty close to the best case scenario I could have hoped for. 4-3 really isn't bad either, considering the youth at key positions.

Millions screamed in agony as CJ danced into the end zone. I'm very glad during weeks I don't face a team with CJ on it. I hate not fully enjoying those types of runs.

This was a really encouraging win. After what was a really tough loss to an inferior team at home against Denver, we've come back with wins over Dallas and, convincingly, over Jacksonville - both on the road. Neither of those two teams are in the upper echelon of the league this year (so far for Dallas, at least), but it's still two tough teams that I expected us to struggle with. 4-2 is really nice considering both the Colts and Texans won this weekend. We keep pace with them and knock one division road game off the schedule. Also, this is the type of game I'm glad we have Kerry Collins around for. I don't feel comfortable with him getting extended playing time, but coming in for a series, game or couple of games is perfectly fine and he's one of the better players for this offense in those situations.

I agree - but not for the reason you have. This is the ideal time to preserve CJ and give Ringer carries. :banghead: It was garbage time, but it was beautiful. :D

Both.

I agree - but not for the reason you have. This is the ideal time to preserve CJ and give Ringer carries.

Senseless. It makes perfect sense, my point being that Rodgers needs to take it to the next level. While he is not doing anything to lose those games, he's not really doing anything to win them either. The elite QBs find a way to go above and beyond. And yes, while I don't necessarily agree that wins/super bowls should determine the legacy of a QB, the fact remains that they do. Here's the problem with this logic: in 9 of those 11 losses, Rodgers did everything he should have needed to do. In nine games, the Packers lost because of either a missed field goal or the defense allowing a touchdown drive to end the game. You could argue that Rodgers should have driven them for a touchdown on the drives that Crosby missed a field goal to lose it, but how did Vinatieri gain the reputation of being a clutch kicker? By Brady, whose level you said Rodgers isn't at, setting him up for a field goal and not scoring a touchdown. You can't put a loss on one player in a team game, just like you can't give any single player all or most of the credit for his team winning games.

The report I heard after halftime was that it was a sprained knee and that he could return if necessary, but since Kerry was playing well they'd hold him out and not risk injury. Doesn't sound too bad.

I don't understand this. Are you saying Rodgers should be (not a resigned will be, but you actively think he should be) considered below those three because of factors outside of his immediate control? I agree people will dismiss him until his teams start winning playoff games/Super Bowls, but I don't think that should be the case.

It's not a perfect comparison by any means, but this is interesting: Brett Favre 2010 58.7% comp 6.5 ypa 6:7 TD:INT Tarvaris Jackson 2008 59.1% comp 7.1 ypa 9:2 TD:INT Career 58.7% comp 6.7 ypa 21:18 TD:INT Very, very similar numbers. The reason I picked 2008 for Jackson is that this year Favre has thrown 150 passes, Jackson threw 149 in 08. Seemed like the closest comparison. I threw the career in there to take in his weaker years as well.

That's pretty funny.

You might have been able to make that argument a couple of weeks ago, but not since they traded for Moss. He's one of the best in the league and Harvin is decent.

I thought UCLA had been better than that recently – same with Illinois. Illinois has been to 2 bowls this decade, it's rather sad I thought they had been a little better early in the Zook years and still decent before that. Guess not.

I thought UCLA had been better than that recently – same with Illinois.

as many others have pointed out, only Florida and maybe PSU can really claim to "not usually lose 3 or more games in a season" recently. 3 losses has been the norm or a really good season for most of those teams recently. That's true. It just seems like a pretty prestigious list of 3 loss teams in mid-October.