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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 13, 2010 11:05:42 GMT -5
I had a reply all pounded out before work started, but our LAN is baselined and it was as slow as molasis. Here's some mussings from some of the games I caught. Just off the top of my head:
Packers/Eagles
The Packers started out well enough, but when the tide gradually changed as Michael Vick found his stride. Philadelphia did well enough taking the outside run away from Green Bay, but the Packers did a pretty good job adjusting as they went up the middle after that. I think that's when Ryan Grant started hitting his stride and he was actually injured on a good run up the middle. Liked what I saw from Jermichael Finley (TE), John Kuhn (FB), Clay Matthews (LB) and Jordy Nelson (WR), who had two excellent kickoff returns.
Cowboys/Redskins
I don't know what Romo was thinking at the end of the first half, but you've got to take a knee, ground the ball or even a "hail Mary" would have been acceptable. Instead, he went for something I'm still having problems figuring out. It ended in a fumble that resulted in a DeAngelo Hall TD. Didn't see the end of the game, though. If the final TD was called back because of a holding infraction, then I don't have a problem with it. Any time Dallas loses is a good time. Sorry to any and all Cowboy fans, but Pat Sommeral (sp?) turned me off that team back in the 70's.
Still, the biggest change I've seen so far from the Redskins is in their defence. They looked tough and properly prepared to take on the Cowboys.
Patriots/Bengals
I didn't think Welker was in. I didn't think the ball broke the plain of the goal line. But, that's coming from a fan's perspective I guess.
Bears/Lions
IMHO, the Lions were robbed of a victory. I'm still kind of confused about the call that was made that determined the game. To me, I thought the receiver had control of the ball all the way. Heck he even landed in the end zone on two feet and a knee? But I also thought the ground could not be the cause of a fumble. Not that it was a fumble, but that's when the receiver lost control of it; as soon as the ball hit the ground.
That's about all I saw yesterday. I would have liked to see Arian Foster's 231-yard game, though. He'll have to thank his offensive line too me thinks. You can't have a game like that without the blocking.
Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 14, 2010 8:45:51 GMT -5
Man, the Jets' offence looked horrible last night.
Cheers.
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Post by CrocRob on Sept 14, 2010 10:21:45 GMT -5
The Redskins' defense was actually quite stout last season too, but it was overshadowed by the miserable offense and having to play on a short field all the time.
The Lions were robbed of victory several times over, as if Stafford weren't hurt they most definitely would have won. Now they have Shaun Hill for 4-8 weeks and go from a 6-7 win team to a 2-3 win team in my estimation. Jahvid Best won't win many games for the Lions on his own.
I think the Pack were fortunate for all the injuries. They looked pretty miserable in the second half against the Eagles and had Philly had Weaver, Peters and Bradley still in the game, it might have been another story. Then again, if Kolb had been in there it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. The overstated ability of Ryan Grant was even more apparent when Brandon Jackson looked at least as good in his stead.
Pittsburgh won by virtue of defense. They did next to nothing offensively until overtime when Mendenhall ripped through a big hole. Atlanta had all game to make something happen, but it always seems like those two teams go to overtime. I'm a bit bullish on Atlanta after that showing against a very good defense, but they need to get Turner in a position to make some plays.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 14, 2010 14:03:04 GMT -5
The Redskins have been going through a lot of coaches in recent years. I'm wondering if Coach Shanahan will make a difference.
You're right about the defence, though, Red. I just thought they looked a lot more ready than last year. Could be opening night stuff too I guess.
A buddy of mine also commented on Clinton Portis' game as well. Portis provided some excellent blocks for McNabb in addition to contributing where he could.
Cheers.
Edit: Speaking of opening night stuff, I wonder if the Redskins will regret bringing McNabb in.
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Post by CrocRob on Sept 14, 2010 15:03:23 GMT -5
I dunno how they could regret that, to be honest. As much as he struggled last night the whole offense was more organized and had some pace to it. Not to mention the other options available aren't great.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 15, 2010 13:20:21 GMT -5
Well, Ryan Grant is gone for the season. He'll require surgery to repair his ankle injury. The Packers have Brandon Jackson (RB) and John Kuhn (FB), but they also signed Dimitri Nance (RB) as insurance. I'm really hoping Jackson can rise to the occasion. He had some good runs last game but I found he didn't hit the line as fast as Grant did. Kuhn is a tough FB and I have no idea about Nance.
Was also talking to another NFL fan/buddy of mine last night. He's a high school football coach and he mentioned just how much the Eagles are probably missing McNabb right now. It was only one game, granted, but he thinks Philadelphia might regret moving him. The only thing I offered him was that it could have been opening night jitters on McNabb's part. You know, new club, new teammates, et al.
Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 17, 2010 9:54:24 GMT -5
Two thumbs up to Kingston's Cory Greenwood, LB, for making the Kansas City Chiefs. His story is here: NFL dream realized
Reed Hoffmann For The Whig-Stand
More Photos The sound of silence was music to the ears of Cory Greenwood. "You just don't want to get a phone call," said Greenwood, the Kingston high school football product who Saturday was down to the wire in his bid to win a spot with the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. "Once I realized that phone call was not coming, I was pretty happy ... It's really an incredible feeling." Greenwood spent Saturday afternoon at the Chiefs' practice facility, lifting weights and sitting in the hot tub to kill time prior to the 5 p.m. cut deadline. Defying long odds as an undrafted player from Canada, Greenwood made Kingston sporting history when he became the first man from the city ever to be placed on a 53-man roster. The Regiopolis-Notre Dame grad joins an exclusive club, becoming one of only nine Canadians who survived weekend cuts to stick on an active NFL roster. A special-teams standout throughout the pre-season, Greenwood was the only one of six Canadian university players signed this offseason to avoid the axe. "I just thought of myself as an underdog," Greenwood said after practice Monday. "I knew the cards were stacked against me as an undrafted player. I just figured I had nothing to lose." The Chiefs contacted Greenwood and his agent, Johnathon Hardaway the week after the NFL draft in April, but he wasn't signed until almost a month later -- an eternity for rookie free agents. In between the initial contact and the signing, the Toronto Argonauts selected Greenwood third overall in the Canadian Football League draft. On that day, Greenwood posed in an Argos hat for a newspaper photograph and expressed genuine excitement about joining the pro team closest to home. The Chiefs, however, kick the tires on Greenwood. Finally, in May, they got him a flight out of Syracuse so he could test with the team. www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2745048 (link) Cheers. Edit: Here are the remaining Canadians who made the cut this year according to TSN: O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis Rams Free Safety, Windsor, ON Nate Burleson, Detroit Lions Wide Receiver, Calgary, AB Cory Greenwood, Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker, Kingston, ON Israel Idonije, Chicago Bears Defensive Lineman, Brandon, MB Nick Kaczur, New England Patriots Offensive Lineman, Brantford, ON L.P. Ladouceur, Dallas Cowboys Long Snapper, Pointe Claire, QC Vaughn Martin, San Diego Chargers Defensive End, Windsor, ON Jon Ryan, Seattle Seahawks Punter, Regina SK Jamaal Westerman, New York Jets Linebacker, Brampton, ON |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 20, 2010 8:10:24 GMT -5
I've got a light schedule this morning and a few extra minutes before my work actually starts. I didn't see every game for sure, but here's a few opinions from the games I did see.
Bills 7 Packers 34
Enjoyed seeing the Packers do well despite not having Ryan Grant in the lineup. They had a total of 91 yards rushing, but you can see the clearly do miss Grant. Clay Matthews with another 3-sack game giving him six on the year. This time it was in front of his dad, Clay Matthews Jr, who played LB with the Browns and Falcons. I also felt that the Packers did a good job of adjusting to that great second quarter the Bills had, by putting a lot of pressure on Bills' QB, Trent Edwards. Jermichael Finlay had another great game yesterday as well; four catches for 103 years. And Jordy Nelson seems to have the right stuff on kickoff returns. He's very good at finding the seems.
Dolphins 14 Vikings 10
Well, I only saw the highlights, but I really wanted to comment on this game. This is the reason I don't bet on Pro Line too much (this and the Chicago/Dallas game I might add). Usually, when you get a RB (Adrian Peterson) who rushes for 148 yards, it usually means a good thing. However, it was the Dolphins who came up big in the end picking off three Farve passes.
Patriots 14 Jets 28
Really liked seeing the Jets rebound from that stinker in week-1. Ledainian Tomlinson had an outstanding game rushing for just ever-so-slightly under 7 yards a carry (11/76). The NYJ defence shut down the NE offence in the second half. Full marks for the win.
Texans 30 Redskins 27
I only saw some of this game while surfing here and there, but I thought the Redskins' defence had seen better days. The gave up 497 yards passing to Huston QB, Matt Shaub. And like Peterson rushing for 148 yards, Donovan McNabb had a great game himself throwing for 428 yards in a losing cause.
Giants 14 Colts 38
Man! I didn't think Eli Manning had a chance from the beginning. As an outsider looking in, it looked like one team definitely prepared more to win this game. The Colts had a well-balanced offensive attack, but their D got it done in convincing fashion I thought. Ahmad Bradshaw had a pretty good game on the ground for the Giants but it looked like that Colts' D kept swarming Eli all game. Was hoping for a better game and even a different result, but it wasn't to be.
Jump any time you NFL fans.
Cheers.
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Post by CentreHice on Sept 20, 2010 9:08:17 GMT -5
Don't have a favourite team...and don't even follow the NFL that closely. But I do enjoy good football. Flipping around last night and caught the pre-game show. A little over-the-top with the "Manning Bowl" hype, I thought. It got to the point where I said, "Do the Colts and Giants have any other players who might make a difference in this game?" Turned out the Colts' defense had a few. I know, quarterback brothers...their dad played as well. But NBC's fawning made Pierre McGuire's Crosby-fest look like a smear campaign.  Since I didn't have any stake in the game, I enjoyed listening to Michaels, Collinsworth, et al find ways to keep the hype going, find excuses, etc. during the course of the blowout. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 20, 2010 10:58:21 GMT -5
Don't have a favourite team...and don't even follow the NFL that closely. But I do enjoy good football. Flipping around last night and caught the pre-game show. A little over-the-top with the "Manning Bowl" hype, I thought. It got to the point where I said, "Do the Colts and Giants have any other players who might make a difference in this game?" Turned out the Colts' defense had a few. I know, quarterback brothers...their dad played as well. But NBC's fawning made Pierre McGuire's Crosby-fest look like a smear campaign. Since I didn't have any stake in the game, I enjoyed listening to Michaels, Collinsworth, et al find ways to keep the hype going, find excuses, etc. during the course of the blowout. I used to like John Madden as well, CH. I used to associate his voice with Monday Night Football. And I enjoy listening to Al Michaels as well. It's hard to figure out the NFL right now. Maybe it's just too early in the season, though. The Cowboys are 0-2. It's hard to say, but I think they shouldn't have lost to Washington last week and ended up beating themselves. Then they lose yesterday to Chicago despite Romo throwing for 374 yards! That Giants/Colts game was alright if you're a Colts fan. I've always like the Giants (nowhere near the level I like the Packers though). Got a bit of a chuckle when a fan refused to give back Brandon Jacobs' helmet. I guess Jacobs was miffed coming off the field and missed where he wanted to throw his helmet. It ended up in the stands and members of the Giants' staff had to "negotiate" to get the helmet back. Also noticed that Michael Vick had a good game yesterday as well. 284 yards passing (a lot of yardage going to Deshawn Jackson), 37 yards rushing and 35 points. Not too bad at all. Cheers. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 28, 2010 7:24:04 GMT -5
That was probably the most undisciplined game I've ever seen from a Packer team. They could have won that game but they handed it over to the Bears on a silver platter. Penalties killed the Packers big time:
* Cutler threw 4 INTs but 3 of them were called back on penalties,
* It's one thing to make mistakes because you have rookies in the lineup, but you can only point the finger at them so often. The Bears were handed 30 free yards on two personal fouls on the final drive of the game that ended with the game-winning field goal. Before that I'm not sure how many other personal fouls there were on the Packers but there were more.
* 18 penalties in all for 152 yards,
Take nothing away from the Bear defence. They're gamers and tough to play against.
But, I can't believe I stayed up to watch that. I'm hoping Coach McCarthy can sort that out. Talk about imploding.
Hats off to the Bears though. They hung in there and took advantage of every break they got.
Cheers.
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Post by CrocRob on Sept 28, 2010 10:32:43 GMT -5
McCarthy should have let the Bears score. There was no reason to be defending with 1 minute left inside the 10 yard line.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 28, 2010 11:20:51 GMT -5
I heard this on ESPN radio this morning, Red. Apparently some teams have used this strategy. I think McCarthy's answer was, "there was a chance he could have missed the FG."
Oh well. I think he might want to get a grip on this team, though. Penalties killed the Packers. It seemed there was always a flag on the ground nullifying anything the Pack did right.
Cheers.
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Post by jkr on Sept 28, 2010 11:28:40 GMT -5
I heard this on ESPN radio this morning, Red. Apparently some teams have used this strategy. I think McCarthy's answer was, "there was a chance he could have missed the FG." Oh well. I think he might want to get a grip on this team, though. Penalties killed the Packers. It seemed there was always a flag on the ground nullifying anything the Pack did right. Cheers. Garrett Huntley of the Saints missed a 29 yarder on Sunday night. MAybe he was thinking of that. |
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 30, 2010 11:09:47 GMT -5
GO RAMS!!!
(well, nobody else was going to say it)
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Post by franko on Sept 30, 2010 12:24:58 GMT -5
aren't they planning to go, and aren't the people of St. Lo saying "stay"?
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 4, 2010 9:28:06 GMT -5
Caught two games yesterday: Pittsburgh/Baltimore and Washington/Philadelphia.
Ravens 17 Steelers 14
Man, that Steeler defence is the real deal. They gave their offense a great chance at winning that game; however, the Ravens' D came up huge as well. The Steelers were ever so gradually changing momentum and I thought they were actually going to win it at one point. I thought it was a very tough, entertaining football game.
Redskins 17 Eagles 12
Loved it! The Eagles did a great job shutting down Washington in second-half. I'm very happy for McNabb and his successful return to his old club. Have to wonder what the game might looked like had Michael Vick not been injured. However, Kolb was 22-35. Not too shabby.
I'm looking at some of the stats right now too. The Eagles managed 353 total yards of offense; Washington had 293 yards of offense, but 169 yards in rushing alone. Another tough football game.
Packers 28 Lions 26
Didn't see the game but from the updates we got it's like the Packers were holding on. Give the Lions some credit here. They seem to have a new attitude in camp this year and it's showing. They were robbed in week-1 when their game-winning TD against da Bears was called back. And they came close to taking one in Lambeau.
Also saw that da Bears lost last night as well. The Giants D must have done a number on da Bear offense. Would liked to have seen that actually.
Cheers.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Oct 4, 2010 15:01:27 GMT -5
Saturday;
Hab's win - Leafs lose
UCLA wins - USC loses
It doesn't get any better!!!!!
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 24, 2010 23:18:18 GMT -5
This Brett Favre nonsense is getting tedious. It's bad enough his retirement/comeback X2 has made him the main story every time he's stepped on the field the past two seasons....but now this Jenn Sterger stuff.
Hold the investigation and get it over with ASAP.
Being a married man, if the allegations are true, he'll have put quite the asterisk beside his football legacy.
He's already admitted to leaving voicemails for her. Where's there's smoke?
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 31, 2010 18:53:50 GMT -5
Didn't want to start a thread for the CFL....so I'll put it here.
Sask/BC....under 2:00 left in the 4th. Ball is touched at the sideline by a Roughrider (down 6 points). Ruled a BC ball on the field. Challenged by Sask.
Review says the ruling on the field stands. BC ball.
The problem: Not one camera directly on the sideline. Everything at an angle.
In a game where "in bounds/out of bounds" is crucial....that is absolute incompetence.
=======================================================
Back to the NFL.
Buffalo can't buy a win.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 31, 2010 19:08:40 GMT -5
This Brett Favre nonsense is getting tedious. It's bad enough his retirement/comeback X2 has made him the main story every time he's stepped on the field the past two seasons....but now this Jenn Sterger stuff. Hold the investigation and get it over with ASAP. Being a married man, if the allegations are true, he'll have put quite the asterisk beside his football legacy. He's already admitted to leaving voicemails for her. Where's there's smoke? I think the whole 'Farve' hype is the problem here, CH. I could be very wrong here, but I think this year is more about Farve and his records than it is about helping the Vikings win a Superbowl. The Packers broke two bones in his foot last weekend and give credit where credit is due, Farve started today. He was doing well until the fourth quarter when he took a helmet to the chin (according to the announcers it wasn't helmet on helmet, which would have been a personal foul). He was helped off the field by two Minnesota trainers, but he left the game in the back of one of those small vehicles, prone, with a trainer holding his chin. I appreciate what he's done for Green Bay and for the game in general, but now it's all about Farve. As for this perdicament you're talking about, well, good luck to him. I don't know if what's being reported is factual, but like you said, where there's smoke ... there's usually another media circus around Farve. Can't wait to see if he starts crying in front of a national audience at the end of the season  Sorry to be so negative, CH. But, that's the way I see it. Cheers. |
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Post by CentreHice on Oct 31, 2010 19:33:13 GMT -5
I don't think you're being negative at all, Dis.
I saw that hit. It appeared as if the force caused a cut from his chin strap. Taken off on a cart, eyes closed, chin in trainer's hand aside, Favre still took questions post-game. Couldn't have been hurt that badly. Unless he just can't stay out of the spotlight.
Kudos to playing on the broken bone in heel and ankle, though.
The wounded warrior. I think he loves it. Image.....and he's in damage control mode right now, considering the Sterger thing.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Oct 31, 2010 21:59:15 GMT -5
Well, as far as football goes, I saw the Packers/Jets game and even though it was 9-0 GB, I actually enjoyed it. Very tough football that was dominated by the defences. I liked what one of the announcers said near the beginning of the game, though. Pass percentage doesn't really matter; just don't throw an interception. Having said that, I think Rogers really misses some of this receivers right now. If I had to think of a negative it might been the amount of dropped passes. Still, I had a good time watching it.
The Vikings and Patriots game wasn't too bad. New England ran the ball well. When I saw Farve go down, I was saying to myself, "... just stay down ..." He'll be ready for the next game. Not unless he's got a bad concussion, but even then I think he'll be starting. There's a still photo of the hit on TSN.
Watching the Saints/Steelers right now. I liked the Steelers in the 70's, more so when they beat up on Dallas. However, I'd like to see the Saints pull this one off. The score is close, 13-10 right now, but I think New Orleans has been the better team.
Cheers.
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Post by jkr on Nov 1, 2010 17:07:00 GMT -5
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Post by jkr on Nov 1, 2010 17:09:06 GMT -5
This Brett Favre nonsense is getting tedious. It's bad enough his retirement/comeback X2 has made him the main story every time he's stepped on the field the past two seasons....but now this Jenn Sterger stuff. Hold the investigation and get it over with ASAP. Being a married man, if the allegations are true, he'll have put quite the asterisk beside his football legacy. He's already admitted to leaving voicemails for her. Where's there's smoke? I think the whole 'Farve' hype is the problem here, CH. I could be very wrong here, but I think this year is more about Farve and his records than it is about helping the Vikings win a Superbowl. The Packers broke two bones in his foot last weekend and give credit where credit is due, Farve started today. He was doing well until the fourth quarter when he took a helmet to the chin (according to the announcers it wasn't helmet on helmet, which would have been a personal foul). He was helped off the field by two Minnesota trainers, but he left the game in the back of one of those small vehicles, prone, with a trainer holding his chin. I appreciate what he's done for Green Bay and for the game in general, but now it's all about Farve. As for this perdicament you're talking about, well, good luck to him. I don't know if what's being reported is factual, but like you said, where there's smoke ... there's usually another media circus around Farve. Can't wait to see if he starts crying in front of a national audience at the end of the season Sorry to be so negative, CH. But, that's the way I see it. Cheers. agree totally re: Favre. I am just tired of the whole thing. It seems his streak & his image are more important to him now. ANd it seems as if Favre is calling the shots, not Childress. The vikings are a train wreck. |
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Post by franko on Nov 1, 2010 17:37:42 GMT -5
well, he won't need to worry about answering post-game questions any more. what a twit. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Nov 1, 2010 18:01:55 GMT -5
He was doing well in New England. I mean, there were enough leaders in the locker room that if Moss got out of line, he'd be put right back in his seat. Any idea why the Pats let him walk? Cheers. |
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 1, 2010 18:03:27 GMT -5
agree totally re: Favre. I am just tired of the whole thing. It seems his streak & his image are more important to him now. ANd it seems as if Favre is calling the shots, not Childress. The vikings are a train wreck. Not 24 hours after he was carried off the field on a cart.....(and took post-game questions)....TSN reports that "Favre expected to play against the Cardinals on Sunday". A great QB...but he's been "bigger than the game/team" for two years now. Gretzky did it right. Leave before you start to diminish your accomplishments and/or become a parody of yourself. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Nov 1, 2010 18:18:56 GMT -5
I'm listening to Monday Night Football Countdown and I guess Moss was never on waivers (though just about every single news service seemed to be reporting it). However, he has miffed coach Childress somehow and the coach has told the team that Moss is no longer a Viking. I just heard him speak at his PC and I'm really having a hard time understanding how quickly he's fallen. He was that close to being a Superbowl champion. Now he's back to where he was on square-one. Sigh! We've seen the act before I guess. Cheers. |
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 7, 2010 21:46:09 GMT -5
Dallas being embarrassed tonight.
To rub salt in the wound, down 21-0 with just over 2:00 left in the first half, a Cowboy is down before the ball comes loose.....a Packer runs it into the end zone. 28-0.
A. The Cowboys can't challenge, because they've already burned all their timeouts.
B. The touchdown occured at 2:04. Had it been on the other side of the 2:00 warning, the booth could've called the review.
Bad to worse for Dallas this year.
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