THE FAB FOUR at 1-2

[Bretsky]

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock

These teams who many felt could make a deep run in the Super Bowl have had a shit start

1-2 is workable..but the odds of making a run if any start at 1-3 is rough

GREEN BAY
INDY
NEW ORLEANS
SAN FRANCISCO

Which of the four get knocked off again today ???

My guess is none of them because they realize how critical a win is right now

[King Friday]

I agree. If any of these teams are worth a damn, they win today. If I had to bet, I would bet on all of them winning.

[Joemailman]

I'd be concerned about 49ers. They've been bad in the 2nd half of games and they play the Eagles who have been great in the 2nd half.

[King Friday]

The Niners can run the ball and wear out an Eagles defense that might be on the field all day...if they choose to. The Niners biggest issue is not running enough...Gore getting 6 carries in a game is ridiculous.

[King Friday]

Combined scores for the early games for these teams at 4pm Eastern:

Packers win 38-17
Indy up 41-17

Bet against SF and NO at your own peril.

[denverYooper]

Combined scores for the early games for these teams at 4pm Eastern:

Packers win 38-17
Indy up 41-17

Bet against SF and NO at your own peril.

Welp. 3-0 so far.

[Joemailman]

Saints down 17-0. It's against the Cowboys though.

[King Friday]

Yeah...don't chalk that one up as a loss just yet.

If any of these 4 teams are pretenders, its NO. They lost to the Browns, for crying out loud.

[wist43]

After watching SF @ the Cowboys week 1 I was convinced that the Cowboys were clearly the better team.

SF may have won that game, but the Cowboys beat the shit out of them in the trenches... and since?, the Cowboys have looked pretty good, and the Niners pretty shaky. Cowboys OL looks very good so far.

[Joemailman]

Brees doesn't have the quality of receivers he once had. Cooks might turn into a star, but right now he's not as good as Sproles was.

[pbmax]

After watching SF @ the Cowboys week 1 I was convinced that the Cowboys were clearly the better team.

SF may have won that game, but the Cowboys beat the shit out of them in the trenches... and since?, the Cowboys have looked pretty good, and the Niners pretty shaky. Cowboys OL looks very good so far.

Cowboys O line is for real. Not sure about the D. But the O line reminds me to remind everyone that while Jones shouldn't be his own GM, his draft of Frederick at Center in the first round has really worked out, as has his draft of Tyron Smith.

He was crushed by media draftniks for another reach when he took Frederick in the first, as most public boards had him a 2nd or 3rd rounder, but it has paid off in spades.

[Joemailman]

Saints are going to be 1-3. Still, nobody in their division is better than 2-2. So their not in deep trouble...yet.

[channtheman]

Yeah this is a very boring game. Crazy stat, but did anyone else see the graphic they threw up earlier? MM is second behind Sean Payton for most points per game average with at least 100 games coached. I guess we can't really talk about his play calling to much, though there sure do seem to be some head scratchers from time to time.

[denverYooper]

Yeah this is a very boring game. Crazy stat, but did anyone else see the graphic they threw up earlier? MM is second behind Sean Payton for most points per game average with at least 100 games coached. I guess we can't really talk about his play calling to much, though there sure do seem to be some head scratchers from time to time.

I saw that stat too, glad you mentioned it here.

[Patler]

Yeah this is a very boring game. Crazy stat, but did anyone else see the graphic they threw up earlier? MM is second behind Sean Payton for most points per game average with at least 100 games coached. I guess we can't really talk about his play calling to much, though there sure do seem to be some head scratchers from time to time.

The head-scratchers are head-scratchers only when they don't work. The same play when successful is a brilliant call, crossing up the defense. That's what creativity results in. But no one is successful all of the time, so there will always be head-scratchers from time to time. (Of course, it doesn't hurt having top shelf QB play each and every year! :) )

[Maxie the Taxi]

Yeah this is a very boring game. Crazy stat, but did anyone else see the graphic they threw up earlier? MM is second behind Sean Payton for most points per game average with at least 100 games coached. I guess we can't really talk about his play calling to much, though there sure do seem to be some head scratchers from time to time.

Like all statistics, you can make them mean almost whatever you want. I'd like to know how many points were scored the first 5 years vs the last 5 years for both coaches. Also, how many points vs poor teams compared to how many points for elite teams. Also, how many points in the playoffs compared to other playoff teams. I think both Payton and Stubby are living now off their past success.

[channtheman]

Like all statistics, you can make them mean almost whatever you want. I'd like to know how many points were scored the first 5 years vs the last 5 years for both coaches. Also, how many points vs poor teams compared to how many points for elite teams. Also, how many points in the playoffs compared to other playoff teams. I think both Payton and Stubby are living now off their past success.

Good point, and I agree. I'd like to see those numbers too. I wonder how much MM benefitted from the 15-1 season when Rodgers was lighting everyone up all year.

[denverYooper]

It's time you guys recognize that M3 is a master coach. This wasn't selective sampling they were doing. He was second all time in ppg with a minimum of 100 games. Compared to every other coach in the history of the game. Guess what? A lot of other dominant teams got to feast on "poor teams" as well. M3's put up 30+ on the 9ers D when it was widely considered one of the best in the league. In the superbowl year, he fashioned a running game out of 2 fullbacks and a TE for most of the season. And he coaches an outdoor, northern team, not a dome team. Yeah, he has Rodgers but he helped develop Rodgers into the player that he is. They still managed to be a top offense last year with Matt Flynn! Guess what? They found a running game when that was what they had to do, and Lacy ended up as ROY. You know what the constant was? M3. He's way better at scoring points than you, me, and everyone but Payton. He's got a ring, he loves Golden Corral, and he doesn't give a fuck what you think. He's just going to keep scoring points and wiping his ass with your cutesy arguments about why he's not an outstanding coach.

Man, you guys are a thick bunch sometimes.

[oldbutnotdeadyet]

It's time you guys recognize that M3 is a master coach. This wasn't selective sampling they were doing. He was second all time in ppg with a minimum of 100 games. Compared to every other coach in the history of the game. Guess what? A lot of other dominant teams got to feast on "poor teams" as well. M3's put up 30+ on the 9ers D when it was widely considered one of the best in the league. In the superbowl year, he fashioned a running game out of 2 fullbacks and a TE for most of the season. And he coaches an outdoor, northern team, not a dome team. Yeah, he has Rodgers but he helped develop Rodgers into the player that he is. They still managed to be a top offense last year with Matt Flynn! Guess what? They found a running game when that was what they had to do, and Lacy ended up as ROY. You know what the constant was? M3. He's way better at scoring points than you, me, and everyone but Payton. He's got a ring, he loves Golden Corral, and he doesn't give a fuck what you think. He's just going to keep scoring points and wiping his ass with your cutesy arguments about why he's not an outstanding coach.

Man, you guys are a thick bunch sometimes.


You forgot old.

MM is not a good head coach. Is he a good offensive coach? Maybe. But if he was a good head coach, slocum and capers would have been gone by now.

[Joemailman]

Good point, and I agree. I'd like to see those numbers too. I wonder how much MM benefitted from the 15-1 season when Rodgers was lighting everyone up all year.

Right. Because McCarthy had nothing to do with the fact that Rodgers was lighting everyone up all year.

[denverYooper]

You forgot old.

Nice.


MM is not a good head coach. Is he a good offensive coach? Maybe. But if he was a good head coach, slocum and capers would have been gone by now.

Look. The defense gives me the willies and I've been on board with a new DC for a couple of years. But it's awful hard to make the argument that M3's not a good head coach, either. He's 20th all time in win pct at .645 and he has a superbowl ring. Those metrics alone make him "good" as an HC vs 457 other coaches below him. He's in the 95th percentile. That's not HOF-worthy, but pretty damn good. Another ring and a couple more years of winning will make him "great".

[3irty1]

You can be as good a head coach as MM but you can't be better.

There will always be a group of fans, especially for a team like the Packers, that love the team too much to ever tolerate its association with mortals. Their favorite player is just the one they hate the least, as none of them will ever truly befit the G on their helmet. They believe there is always a clear combination of decisions that will immediately yield a superbowl and every year it doesn't happen its time for a change of leadership. They don't know who they'd rather have but in their minds this is a trivial matter. Addition by subtraction! There is always a reserve pool of unknown football geniuses out there delivering pizzas who would be an improvement.

At least I like to think of it as a blinding lust for winning. It's either that or just unfathomable hubris coupled with a messy divorce from reality. Like reality took the house and the kids and your dog.