Wild Card Weekend Game Thread

( . ) ( . ) and (_!_) · Jan 6, 2016

Deangelo Williams is still in a walking boot after this ankle injury. At this point he pretty clearly will not be 100% for this weekend, if he plays at all. The Steelers next two running backs are basically non-entities

On the season they both had zero catches and barely touched the ball"
Fitzgerald Toussaint had 18 carries for 42 yards
Jordan Todman had four carries for 22 yards

I know half of this board is terrified of the Steelers because of their fancy passing game, but the Cincy defense is one of the better squads in the league and the Steelers may be a very one-dimensional team this weekend. I don't believe that Pitt can walk into Cincy and just pass their way to a playoff win with no threat of a ground game, no matter who is playing QB for the Bengals.

Kevin Youkulele · Jan 6, 2016

Bengals are "preparing for AJ McCarron to be the starting quarterback" although Dalton is now out of his cast.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/14507370/cincinnati-bengals-quarterback-andy-dalton-cast-removed

Toe Nash · Jan 6, 2016

( . ) ( . ) and (_!_) said:
I don't believe that Pitt can walk into Cincy and just pass their way to a playoff win with no threat of a ground game, no matter who is playing QB for the Bengals.

I don't believe running or balance matters too much when you have a great passing offense. If they can consistently beat coverage they can score even if one-dimensional -- we've seen the Pats do this as recently as last playoffs vs the Ravens. The better question is what the CIN offense will do against Pitt's questionable D.

mostman · Jan 6, 2016

Sorry if this is covered in another thread, but I found it interesting. I just looked and every single road team is favored this weekend. Someone who pays more attention to the lines will have to say if this is really that unusual.

Brand Name · Jan 6, 2016

mostman said:
Sorry if this is covered in another thread, but I found it interesting. I just looked and every single road team is favored this weekend. Someone who pays more attention to the lines will have to say if this is really that unusual.

Did some research on this last night for a podcast, apparently it last happened in the 2008 Wild Card round, according to an AP article I found linked on a Chargers board, though unfortunately the article is no longer existent. Home teams were 2-2, with the Chargers defeating the Colts (Dungy's finale), and the Cardinals defeating the Falcons. The two road victors, as Vegas predicted, were the Ravens over the Dolphins, and the Eagles oer the Vikings.

CantKeepmedown · Jan 7, 2016

Dopes, if this is the wrong place, feel free to move it.

Any quick thoughts on survivor pools for this weekend? Mine carried over from the season (don't be too impressed, we reset after week 8 and there are 4 of us left). Teams are all reset and we have to pick a game a day.

My first impression was to go with KC and Seattle. I think I'll stick with KC, but I guess I could be swayed on the Redskins. I know trying to save teams could get you in trouble, and Seattle is a team that would be nice to hold on to (even though, if they win, they go to Carolina). Thoughts?

mostman · Jan 7, 2016

Delonte James Jr. said:
Did some research on this last night for a podcast, apparently it last happened in the 2008 Wild Card round, according to an AP article I found linked on a Chargers board, though unfortunately the article is no longer existent. Home teams were 2-2, with the Chargers defeating the Colts (Dungy's finale), and the Cardinals defeating the Falcons. The two road victors, as Vegas predicted, were the Ravens over the Dolphins, and the Eagles oer the Vikings.

Interesting. Thank you for relaying those details. The poor Dolphins.

crystalline · Jan 7, 2016

Not as unexpected as it would be if four road teams were favored in the regular season. Obviously the WC creates selection for road teams to be better-- often the 2nd best team across all divisions will be better than the 3rd and fourth best division winner.

Not that it's a huge effect but it changes the normal home-road calculations a bit.

Soxy · Jan 7, 2016

Not sure if I missed some announcement along the way, but what prompted the change to have both conference's games on the same day? I can't remember it ever being like that. It's always been one AFC game and one NFC game on each day. Now it's both AFC games on Saturday and both NFC games on Sunday. I'm going through PFR now and I don't see any season where they've done that before. Also, they're only doing it for this weekend. The Divisional games go back to one AFC game and one NFC game on each day.

Is it as simple as the NFL trying to maximize TV ratings and ad money, and this simply how it played out? Or was this planned from the get go? Maybe my google skills are failing me but I can't find anything that explains the rationale behind making the switch.

dcmissle · Jan 7, 2016

Not your daddy's Vikings fans, and certainly not Bud Grant's: tix prices for WC game in Minny supposedly falling off a cliff.

johnmd20 · Jan 7, 2016

dcmissle said:
Not your daddy's Vikings fans, and certainly not Bud Grant's: tix prices for WC game in Minny supposedly falling off a cliff.

Wind chill -15 will do that to prices.

Pandemonium67 · Jan 7, 2016

The 38-7 beatdown 5 weeks ago doesn't help either.

Scoops Bolling · Jan 7, 2016

johnmd20 said:
Wind chill -15 will do that to prices.

Projected game day high temperature of 1 degree Fahrenheit. It's going to be brutal. Have to think it really plays into the Vikings' hands too, because it could make the passing game a lot less effective and force both teams to rely more on the run.

staz · Jan 7, 2016

Soxy Brown said:
Not sure if I missed some announcement along the way, but what prompted the change to have both conference's games on the same day? I can't remember it ever being like that. It's always been one AFC game and one NFC game on each day. Now it's both AFC games on Saturday and both NFC games on Sunday. I'm going through PFR now and I don't see any season where they've done that before. Also, they're only doing it for this weekend. The Divisional games go back to one AFC game and one NFC game on each day.

Is it as simple as the NFL trying to maximize TV ratings and ad money, and this simply how it played out? Or was this planned from the get go? Maybe my google skills are failing me but I can't find anything that explains the rationale behind making the switch.

Can't remember this happening before either, but if it gives BB an extra day to prepare, I'm all for it.

staz · Jan 7, 2016

And I want live telemetery of SEA's and MIN's game ball pressures from the moment they are inflated until the end of the game, when they have become the temperature and texture of my scrotum.

The league and every media outlet (especially the WWL) should be inundated with this demand.

axx · Jan 7, 2016

Sorta strange, the Chiefs-Texans game is bring broadcast on ESPN AND ABC to the entire country. Not really sure why. I thought it was only going to be broadcast on ABC on the local markets.

Kevin Youkulele · Jan 7, 2016

staz said:
And I want live telemetery of SEA's and MIN's game ball pressures from the moment they are inflated until the end of the game, when they have become the temperature and texture of my scrotum.

The league and every media outlet (especially the WWL) should be inundated with this demand.

The NFL should stop play, add more air, and suspend whoever was handling the ball whenever the pressure drops below 12.5 PSI.

Leather · Jan 7, 2016

dcmissle said:
Not your daddy's Vikings fans, and certainly not Bud Grant's: tix prices for WC game in Minny supposedly falling off a cliff.

Bud Grant ended his playing career, and spent the entirety of his coaching career, in a dome.

The Patriots have never played a game in weather as cold as it will be on Saturday.

EddieYost · Jan 7, 2016

drleather2001 said:
Bud Grant ended his playing career, and spent the entirety of his coaching career, in a dome.

The Patriots have never played a game in weather as cold as it will be on Saturday.

Bud Grant started coaching the Vikings long before there was a dome in Minnesota.

loshjott · Jan 7, 2016

Supposedly he didn't allow any portable heaters at the bench in old Metropolitan Stadium.

Leather · Jan 7, 2016

EddieYost said:
Bud Grant started coaching the Vikings long before there was a dome in Minnesota.

Duh. Read his first stint as a player.

I dunno. I don't know many Vikes fans that are optimistic about this team. Part of it is that AP is kind of persona non grata at this point and let of it is that nobody thinks they are that good. If they win, great, if not, next year has promise.

axx · Jan 7, 2016

drleather2001 said:
Bud Grant ended his playing career, and spent the entirety of his coaching career, in a dome.

The Patriots have never played a game in weather as cold as it will be on Saturday.

The Baltimore playoff game a couple years ago was pretty cold, you know the one that was over in like 5 minutes. I remember this because there was single seat tickets available at face a day or two before the game and had considered going.

snowmanny · Jan 7, 2016

The Titans playoff game in January 2004 was 4 degrees with a windchill of -10 per Football Reference; I remembered it as colder.

Edit:Ravens game listed as 20 with windchill of 8 and suck factor of a billion.

staz · Jan 7, 2016

Wunderground has the Minnesota/Seattle kickoff temp at 0 degrees with a 10 mph wind out of the west, making the wind chill -16.

Conversely, the extended forecast for Foxboro on the 16th is partly sunny, 39 balmy degrees with a 9 mph breeze out of the WSW.

j-man · Jan 7, 2016

Soxy Brown said:
Not sure if I missed some announcement along the way, but what prompted the change to have both conference's games on the same day? I can't remember it ever being like that. It's always been one AFC game and one NFC game on each day. Now it's both AFC games on Saturday and both NFC games on Sunday. I'm going through PFR now and I don't see any season where they've done that before. Also, they're only doing it for this weekend. The Divisional games go back to one AFC game and one NFC game on each day.

Is it as simple as the NFL trying to maximize TV ratings and ad money, and this simply how it played out? Or was this planned from the get go? Maybe my google skills are failing me but I can't find anything that explains the rationale behind making the switch.

my guess CBS did not want NBC haveing any AFC games and since CBS has SB 50 the right thing to do wouild been Kc Hou First then Sea/minn the night game then GB/Wash then pitt/ciny

Oil Can Dan · Jan 7, 2016

snowmanny said:
The Titans playoff game in January 2004 was 4 degrees with a windchill of -10 per Football Reference; I remembered it as colder.

Edit:Ravens game listed as 20 with windchill of 8 and suck factor of a billion.

2007 NFC championship between the Giants and Packers at Lambeau was -1 F and -23 with wind chill. I believe that was the 3rd coldest game on record.

McBride11 · Jan 7, 2016

Freezer bowl. Cinci - SD 1981 AFCCG. Wind chill -38F. Couldnt pay me to sit there for 3 hours.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freezer_Bowl

ThePrideofShiner · Jan 8, 2016

The stupid 10 a.m. kickoff time is really screwing me on Sunday. I have to drive to Eastern Washington on Sunday, so I'm leaving at 7 a.m. hope to arrive at my destination - assuming no weather issues in the pass - by 11 a.m. and only miss an hour of the game.

Why in the world did they have the one West coast team play when the game starts at 10 a.m. for fans?

As far as the game is concerned, really curious if Lynch is actually healthy or if he is just going to be a decoy. Thankfully the Seahawks didn't have to do any roster shenanigans, because Lynch has been on the roster since he got hurt. I expect them to have a stable of running backs ready for Sunday.

DanoooME · Jan 8, 2016

I went to this game. It was fucking brutal and we were only there until the end of the 3rd quarter and arrived late. And we even spent most of haltime in the heated bathrooms at Three Rivers.

Dehere · Jan 8, 2016

Took SEA in the predictions thread but with each day I'm coming around to Minnie. Their defensive speed impressed me in beating GB and more and more I'm thinking: in brutally cold weather take the best RB and the home crowd.

Leather · Jan 8, 2016

Oil Can Dan said:
2007 NFC championship between the Giants and Packers at Lambeau was -1 F and -23 with wind chill. I believe that was the 3rd coldest game on record.

Bear in mind, too, that the Vikings are playing in the U Minn. stadium, so it's not equipped with a large, heated, atrium that a place like Lambeau has, much less restaurants or other places that people can go for a respite. It's a really nice college stadium, but it's not a pro facility that is designed to be used in the coldest part of the year.

Oil Can Dan · Jan 8, 2016

drleather2001 said:
Bear in mind, too, that the Vikings are playing in the U Minn. stadium, so it's not equipped with a large, heated, atrium that a place like Lambeau has, much less restaurants or other places that people can go for a respite. It's a really nice college stadium, but it's not a pro facility that is designed to be used in the coldest part of the year.

Great point. I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent a large part of the 2nd and 3rd quarters in Curleys bar at that '07 game.

Im warming up to Minn too. The Pack were 7 1/2 pt favorites in that game and lost. Maybe ridiculously cold conditions is the great equalizer?

Leather · Jan 8, 2016

I would feel better about it if the Vikings themselves had played, or had practiced, in cold weather this year, but it's been pretty mild. It will get cold Saturday, but by then the 'Hawks will be there, too.

I still think Seattle wins by 7 because they have a better overall rushing D, and they will force Bridgewater to throw, which will get ugly. That being said, whoever can get an early lead could wrap the game up in a war of attrition.

Vandalman · Jan 8, 2016

Stay classy, Cincy:

From TMZ:

Ben Roethlisberger is getting roasted for his history of sexual assault allegations -- a Cincinnati radio station has issued a citywide Big Ben rape warning ahead of his playoff game against the Bengals.

700 WLW actually aired this spoof alert: "The Steelers quarterback has been spotted in the downtown Cincinnati area. All females ages 18-40 are to use extreme caution, especially if heavily consuming alcohol. Males should also be on the lookout just in case."

It goes on ... "If you see Big Ben and he flashes little Ben you are asked to report it to authorities immediately." There are more warnings, especially for chicks with boob jobs.

You gotta hear the whole thing. Bengals fans might find it hysterical. Steelers faithful and Ben himself ... probably not so much. WLW tells us they plan to keep running it, at least through the weekend.

DannyDarwinism · Jan 8, 2016

FWIW, the Vikings are ranked first in kick return DVOA and Seattle is first in punt return DVOA, but Tyler Lockette didn't practice on Wednesday due to a hip injury. If he's good to go, the weather may give him and Patterson a few more chances on kick-offs.

RedOctober3829 · Jan 8, 2016

Their statuses bear watching throughout the next week or so. Harris' shoulder was really hurting on Sunday.

DanoooME · Jan 8, 2016

All Seahawks except Luke Willson (concussion protocol) practiced fully yesterday.

Adrian Peterson is on the injury report as not practicing yesterday with a lower back issue.

soxhop411 · Jan 8, 2016

Around The NFL ‏@AroundTheNFL 1m1 minute ago
DeAngelo Williams ruled out for Steelers vs. Bengals, Mike Tomlin says http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000619357/article/deangelo-williams-foot-considered-out-vs-bengals?campaign=Twitter_atn…

snowmanny · Jan 8, 2016

E5 Yaz · Jan 8, 2016

ProFootballTalk ‏@ProFootballTalk 4h4 hours ago
NFL won't say whether PSI will be tested in Minnesota on Sunday

Dehere · Jan 8, 2016

tims4wins said:
Just read an interesting tidbit: the Vikings sideline will be roughly 20 degrees warmer than the Seahawks due to being on the south side of the field. Maybe even more.

Do you have a link for that? Not disputing it. Just find that very interesting and would like to pass on a link if possible.

Dehere · Jan 8, 2016

Vandalman said:
700 WLW actually aired this spoof alert: "The Steelers quarterback has been spotted in the downtown Cincinnati area. All females ages 18-40 are to use extreme caution, especially if heavily consuming alcohol. Males should also be on the lookout just in case."

Yikes, that's the flagship station for Bengals radio. Expect they'll hear something from the team quickly.

It's one thing for a sports talk station that doesn't carry games to air something like that. Doesn't go over as well when you're actually the rightsholder and you're using team marks, etc.

PayrodsFirstClutchHit · Jan 8, 2016

Dehere said:
Yikes, that's the flagship station for Bengals radio. Expect they'll hear something from the team quickly.

It's one thing for a sports talk station that doesn't carry games to air something like that. Doesn't go over as well when you're actually the rightsholder and you're using team marks, etc.

Are you worried that Ben and his fellow rapists will be offended? I think it's fine given the Steeler fans have not exactly been world class citizens this week (and most weeks for that matter) with their attacks on Cincy.

Screw 'em if they can't take a joke.

dbn · Jan 8, 2016

Yeah, because rape is so funny.

dcmissle · Jan 8, 2016

Dehere said:
Yikes, that's the flagship station for Bengals radio. Expect they'll hear something from the team quickly.

It's one thing for a sports talk station that doesn't carry games to air something like that. Doesn't go over as well when you're actually the rightsholder and you're using team marks, etc.

And

[QUOTE]“If you see Big Ben and he flashes Little Ben, you are asked to report it to authorities immediately … Again, he poses the greatest threat to 18-to-40-year-olds, especially those with boob jobs.”[/QUOTE]

I love Ben as a player, I do. But I'm sorry, this is funny. It just is. And nobody can reasonably complain about it.

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