Week 16 Game Thread

RIrooter09 · Dec 17, 2014

Lowest rated Thursday night game ever tomorrow?

tims4wins · Dec 17, 2014

Last year in week 14 the 3-9 Jags hosted the 2-10 Texans. That probably will do better than tomorrow because Houston is a bigger market than Nashville but that was a similarly shitty matchup.

RIrooter09 · Dec 17, 2014

Yeah two small markets and two horrible teams. Seems like a perfect storm of suck.

snowmanny · Dec 17, 2014

The Thursday game is a matchup of two teams that will be visiting Foxboro next year.

Expected combined point spread of those two games more or less than 26 points?

Marciano490 · Dec 17, 2014

Cutler benched. Sorry no linky.

dynomite · Dec 17, 2014

Stunning.

The Bears’ collapse has reached epic proportions, as Jay Cutler has lost his job as Chicago’s starting quarterback. Cutler has been benched and Jimmy Clausen will start on Sunday against the Lions, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

For Cutler to get benched after playing just 14 games into the enormous contract he signed this offseason demonstrates just how big the mess in Chicago is. That contract may cost both Bears G.M. Phil Emery and Bears coach Marc Trestman their jobs.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/17/report-bears-bench-jay-cutler-start-jimmy-clausen/

Edit: Going into the season a lot of people thought the Bears were a Super Bowl contender. I feel like Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal spent 15-20 minutes in their preseason podcast talking about how good the Bears would be in 2014. Hard to believe it's gotten to this point.

Super Nomario · Dec 17, 2014

dynomite said:
Stunning.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/17/report-bears-bench-jay-cutler-start-jimmy-clausen/

Edit: Going into the season a lot of people thought the Bears were a Super Bowl contender. I feel like Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal spent 15-20 minutes in their preseason podcast talking about how good the Bears would be in 2014. Hard to believe it's gotten to this point.

Their defense was awful last year and it's not a big surprise that it's awful again this year, but the offensive collapse has been impressive. They were second in the league in points scored with Josh McCown prominently involved but are just 19th this year.

FWIW, Simmons has always had a blind spot when it comes to Cutler for some reason.

Royal Reader · Dec 18, 2014

Sanchize and Tebow?

bakahump · Dec 18, 2014

Thats Great for the NFC Playoff teams, as it makes the Lions that much closer to winning the North and forcing GB to be on the road for potentially the entire playoffs.

Thats Great for the Patriots.

Stitch01 · Dec 18, 2014

Unless the Packers lose to TB it doesn't mean anything for the division race.

Toe Nash · Dec 18, 2014

bakahump said:
Thats Great for the NFC Playoff teams, as it makes the Lions that much closer to winning the North and forcing GB to be on the road for potentially the entire playoffs.

Thats Great for the Patriots.

Whoever makes the Super Bowl is going to be a great team and/or playing great. Why would we be more worried about GB on a neutral field than Seattle or anyone else? I can see a slight preference away from GB but to say it's "great" that they may have a tough road is silly to me.

bakahump · Dec 18, 2014

Rodgers is the best QB in the game right now.

It would be GREAT to avoid playing them again.

Unless the Packers lose to TB it doesn't mean anything for the division race.

Not true.

Lions are leading the division. If they win out...they win the division.
That makes GB a wildcard....which means road games.

Not sure why my liking the fact that life just got easier for Detroit....and thus harder for GB...is something thats not good from a Pats perspective.

Would you rather face Detroit or GB in the SB? (and yes I realize that Seattle or Dallas or 2-3 other teams also have a shot).
Does road games make it less likely for GB to Make the SB?

Stitch01 · Dec 18, 2014

You are doubling down on being wrong, your condescending explanation about how winning the division works aside.

Detroit plays Green Bay in week 17. If Green Bay beats TB, that game is for the division regardless of what happens this week between Detroit and Chicago.

If Detroit wins and Green Bay wins, they go into week 16 tied at 11-4 and winner takes the division.

If Detroit loses and Green Bay wins, GB goes into week 17 one game ahead in the division, but Detroit already won the first matchup. So a Detroit win in week 17 gets them the division at 11-5.

The Detroit-Chicago game means zero for the division unless TB beats GB.

It means a lot for the wild card since Green Bay is very likely to win in week 17, but barring a hugely unlikely GB loss to the Bucs it is absolutely meaningless for the division and meaningless for Green Bay's homefield chances.

Green Bay's homefield chances are more effected by the Cardinals/Seahawks game, and I actually think they should be rooting for the Cardinals even though it clinches homefield for Arizona.

I think GB misses the playoff entirely if they lose to the Lions and exactly

Detroit beats Chicago
Seattle beats Arizona
Colts beat Dallas
Eagles beat Redskins
Cowboys beat Redskins
Eagles beat Giants

If those happen plus the Seahawks beat the Rams, the Packers would be the 1 seed by beating Detroit and out entirely with a loss, which would be a helluva flexed Sunday night game (otherwise 2 seed or out).

Crazy thing is that's a lot of things to happen, but Colts +2.5-3 is the biggest longshot that has to come through.

Leather · Dec 18, 2014

I dunno it just seems foolish to start assuming the patriots are going to the SB.

mauf · Dec 18, 2014

Who should I take ATS tonight? Jags are 3.5-point favorites.

Stitch01 · Dec 18, 2014

I actually love the Jags tonight

johnmd20 · Dec 18, 2014

Stitch01 said:
I actually love the Jags tonight

So that means Tennessee is the pick.

lambeau · Dec 18, 2014

Important game tonight--it's not impossible the Saints could lose to the Bucs in Tampa next week, giving tonight's loser the #1 pick!

snowmanny · Dec 18, 2014

drleather2001 said:
I dunno it just seems foolish to start assuming the patriots are going to the SB.

Who did that?
Right now I hope the Panthers make the Super Bowl just in case. If the Patriots are eliminated yeah I hope the Packers make it and win 100-0.

Morgan's Magic Snowplow · Dec 18, 2014

Stitch01 said:
I actually love the Jags tonight

Me too. Jags have played Baltimore, Houston, and the Giants pretty tough the last three weeks, their defense is non-terrible, and overall I get the sense that Bradley has them motivated to actually play hard. In contrast, Tennessee looks like a team that's just mailing it in at this point, getting blown out by 20+ three straight weeks and then losing to the Jets at home.

soxhop411 · Dec 18, 2014

Why am I watching this?

MentalDisabldLst · Dec 18, 2014

soxhop411 said:
Why am I watching this?

Your life is empty and meaningless. You have neither hobbies, nor friends, nor indeed any pets who want to spend time with you. Your TV is the only functional appliance in the house. Football is all that matters, because football. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!

DanoooME · Dec 18, 2014

soxhop411 said:
Why am I watching this?

What else are you going to watch? A Christmas movie marathon on the Hallmark Channel?

soxhop411 · Dec 18, 2014

Tony C · Dec 18, 2014

Is there any rooting interest in this game -- i.e., the winner will end up with 3 wins, does tiebreaker mean that could push the Jets to #5 in the draft if one wins but not the other? Beyond that, I have zero interest in this game. And, come to think of it, that doesn't interest me terribly, either.

DanoooME · Dec 18, 2014

You know your team is bad when...

Charlie Whitehurst looks good.

soxhop411 · Dec 18, 2014

Zzzzzzz

ypioca · Dec 18, 2014

"Because of matchups like this!" - Don "obviously didn't read this script specifically for this game" Cheadle

DanoooME · Dec 18, 2014

And there's the Charlie Whitehurst I know and loathe.

Stitch01 · Dec 18, 2014

Well that was as entertaining as expected.

dynomite · Dec 19, 2014

Wow, I didn't realize just how putrid this game was, historically. That's really... something.

The two-win teams have the lowest winning percentage of two teams meeting this late into the season since 1991 when the 2-13 Bucs defeated the 1-14 Colts.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-12-18/jaguars-titans-thursday-night-football-senderrick-marks-600000-bonus-sacks-half-sack-jags-tackle

johnmd20 · Dec 19, 2014

This game result wasn't even the headline article on CbsSportsline this morning. Which is saying something because usually the Sunday night or Monday night football games are the headline even when there has been a world series game the night before. Taking it a small step further, in the 6 fantasy games going on in the two leagues I'm in,(one championship game, one toilet bowl game, and one consolation game) there was not a single player used from either team. So you didn't even have any fantasy interest, in general.

So this was probably the worst prime time game in history.

Koufax · Dec 19, 2014

Did anyone win this game?

mascho · Dec 19, 2014

Some film stuff to get you ready for the weekend.

The Philadelphia Eagles face a must-win Saturday in Landover, Maryland to keep their NFC East hopes alive. Pay attention to what Chip Kelly’s offense tries in the red zone in this rematch of an early season Thursday night blowout. Washington’s troubles extend far beyond their issues at the quarterback position. Jim Haslett’s defense has been abused at times this season. In particular, this unit has allowed easy throws on seam routes off play-action in the red zone.

mauf · Dec 19, 2014

Do the lines usually move substantially in Week 16 based on who has something to play for and who doesn't? I thought that was exclusively a Week 17 thing.

I'm tempted to go with the teams who are being shorted for lack of motivation: 49ers (-1.5), Bears (+8.5), Browns (+3.5), and Texans (+5).

Edit: You can make a case the Jets (+10.5) belong in this category too, but I didn't want to take us off track -- the difference between those teams actually might be that large, even if you assume the Jets will play their hearts out for Rexy.

RedOctober3829 · Dec 19, 2014

Lindsay Jones ‏@bylindsayhjones 30s31 seconds ago
Peyton Manning was limited in practice today, which means he didn't take his normal amount of team reps. Final injury report comes Saturday.

Turrable · Dec 19, 2014

I had no idea where to put this but the latest from PFTCommenter is sublime http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/12/19/7420629/rg3-and-j-j-watt-save-the-shield

Phil Plantier · Dec 20, 2014

In case anyone else was interested, this is from barkinghard.com on how the Browns make the playoffs

In this completely and totally plausible scenario, the Browns can still sneak into the playoffs as the #6 seed and play at Indianapolis in the first round:

CLEVELAND: Must win over Carolina and Baltimore.

MIAMI: Must lose at least one of their last two against Minnesota and the Jets.

HOUSTON: Must beat Baltimore this week and lose to Jacksonville next week.

PITTSBURGH: Must beat Kansas City this week.

SAN FRANCISCO: Must beat San Diego this week.

BUFFALO: Must lose to both Oakland and New England.

KANSAS CITY and SAN DIEGO: Must tie in Week 17.

MentalDisabldLst · Dec 20, 2014

Did that scenario come up in at least one of the 10,000 simulations they do to estimate playoff odds?

RedOctober3829 · Dec 20, 2014

@AlbertBreer: Peyton Manning listed as questionable for Monday's Denver/Cincinnati game.

Al Zarilla · Dec 20, 2014

Two games today. On the Saturday before Christmas in 2001, the Patriots defeated the Dolphins 20 - 13, key in winning the division over Miami, and they earned a playoffs bye, after a bye week. 2001 - 2002, the year that everything went right down the end of the season.

shawnrbu · Dec 20, 2014

I remember that as the game Brady caught a pass from Kevin Faulk.

Dogman · Dec 20, 2014

Sproles is not helping

Dogman · Dec 20, 2014

Nice strip and recovery

Luis Taint · Dec 20, 2014

Sanchez

E5 Yaz · Dec 20, 2014

OT: UK vs UCLA ... WTF

Dogman · Dec 20, 2014

Luis Taint said:
Sanchez

Not his fault his RT looked like a turnstile.

shawnrbu · Dec 20, 2014

Cary Williams is such a Raven. He never should have left.

Week 16 Game Thread

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