Hits ,misses and a bye your leave
By Tophatal
Week fifteen is in the books , as far as the NFL goes , and with two penultimate weeks are left , before we hit the postseason . The once glamorous “best division” in football has become the moniker for ineptitude and mediocrity . There’s now a three-way tie atop of the NFC East , guys , so take your pick from really bad bunch of teams .
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Slideshow.
It would be fair to say , that should the Dallas Cowboys (8-6) make the postseason , then team owner, Jerry Jones , will be bellowing it from the rafters , that “ America’s Team is back “ . In an ungodly mess of a game , the Cowboys somehow managed to overcome a Pittsburgh Steelers’(7-7) team that was as equally mediocre in terms of their play. Big Ben may well be , Big Ben , but I can’t help but wonder what the hell Ben Roethlisberger thought he was doing , when he made an errant and mistimed pass late in the fourth quarter, that was ultimately the deciding factor in this game , that went into overtime and a three-point 27-24 victory for the Cowboys , in front of a near sellout crowd at Cowboys Stadium , in Arlington , Texas.
While the Dallas Cowboys were defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers , their bitter divisional rivals , the New York Giants (8-6) were somehow finding ways to embarrass themselves further ,by giving their worst display of the season , in a lopsided 34-0 shutout loss to the Atlanta Falcons (12-2) , led by their MVP contender, Matt Ryan . As to Ryan’s NFC counterpart , well let’s just say this might have one of those days at the office , that Eli Manning would rather forget , as his own display , was equally as puerile as the team’s real lack of effort on the day. As to what this says about the mental and physical toughness of the Giants , I’ll leave it for you to be the judge of that ! Suffice to say , should the team miss the postseason , then they can point to this defeat as one of the many reasons why their season was such a failure .
Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin cannot be pleased with this effort, t put forth by his players, and it doesn’t augur well for the team , as they face Baltimore Ravens’ , in week sixteen, in a game that will be of significant meaning for both teams. A further loss by either team may well put to rest and extinguish their postseason hopes altogether.
In the aftermath of the Roger Goodell , debacle and the overturning of the suspensions of the four players that were said to be at the center of the Saints’ bounty scandal. What better way than for the New Orleans Saints “ to the thumb their noses” up at the league hierarchy and send an emphatic message to the rest of the NFL , that this team is , or was by no means “ dead in the water” . Drew Brees and his teammates feasted on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , like a lion devouring its prey . I’m sorry there may well be teams in the NFL , with a far worst record than the Buccaneers , but I doubt if those teams in question simply lack the heart and are as ill-disciplined , as this team has shown itself to be. All the rhetoric in the world and post-game idiocy, exhibited by Greg Schiano , cannot hide the fact that this a badly coached and poorly executing team , in just about every facet of the game . Josh Freeman , lacks poise , and his in-game decision-making is now coming into question more and more . And if you are looking for an indication as how Freeman’s performance was in this game , then his 37.5% quarterback rating , to add with his game stats of 26/47, for 279 yards and 4 interceptions , should be enough to tell you , how poor a game Freeman had , this past Sunday. The win for the Saints (6-8) moves them into a two-way tie for second place within the NFC South , and it now leaves Joe Vitt’s players , with an ever so slim chance of garnering a postseason berth. In order for that to be facilitated for the New Orleans Saints , they would have to “ win out “ , while others immediately ahead of them in the NFC standings , would simply have to falter over the remainder of their respective schedules .
Of the scheduled games on Sunday , perhaps AFC West match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders might well have been one of the worst games , that the NFL fans have been asked to witness and endure in the last five years. For two teams so bereft of talent on both sides of the ball , the fact that this game was decided by five field goals , speaks volumes as how goddamn awful both of these ball-clubs actually were . Sebastian Janikowski may well have earned his money on the day , but what does that suggest to you , concerning the lack of talent , as it concerns both the Chiefs and Raiders ?
This was not a game that the paying or viewing public should have been subjected to , under any circumstance ! Five fucking field goals , for a 15-0 Raiders’ victory , was the only way to decide this game ? Are you kidding me ? If this was the best that the Chiefs and Raiders had to offer , much less the NFL , then I would have preferred to have watch three hours of gratuitous porn ! No plot-line you might say , well it would have been a whole lot more enjoyable and preferable than continuing to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders’ play in this comedic farce ! Hell , two elephants going through their “ ritual mating rights” would have been far more entertaining than the bullshit served up by these two AFC teams ! But that is to be expected , if you simply look at the history of the match-ups between these two teams over the past decade . In terms of relevance their games , have never really been a worthwhile spectacle !
With the Denver Broncos having won the AFC West with relative ease , distancing themselves from their closest divisional rivals with so much distance that even the Hubble Telescope might not have been a useful aid in guessing the distance . Suffice to say , once Peyton Manning graced the Broncos with his presence and the AFC West as a matter of fact , you simply knew that the division would be a one-horse race . And at a time , when it looks as if Romeo Crennel and Dennis Allen might well be relieved of their duties , the San Diego Chargers have made it known that Norv Turner will be asked to return for 2013. And one wonders why that particular franchise is in such a goddamn mess ? The Spanos’ family , as owners the Chargers, do not have a propensity for showing common sense , and the apathetic fans of the team , will gladly continue to accept themediocrity being passed off as football by the San Diego Chargers.
Dean Spanos continues to be a bombastic ass , who has done more harm to the franchise , his family owns, by retaining the services of general manager, AJ Smith and Norv Turner , than the damage that could have been wreaked by an earthquake hitting Qualcomm Stadium , in San Diego , California , home venue of the Chargers. And Norv Turner’s team did their utmost on Sunday , in their 31-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers to reiterate why, they have been such a monstrosity this season.
The Broncos for their part have been the “hottest team” in the NFL , having won nine of their last ten games , while Manning has simply been electrifying , not merely over that stretch , but over the entire season , in leading the franchise to the third best record (11-3) in the entire NFL , and second best mark in the AFC . Coming off the Broncos’ emphatic win over the Baltimore Ravens (9-5) in something of a 34-17 rout of the AFC North franchise, Manning and his teammates have a realistic shot at ending up with the second seed within the conference , and earning a first-round bye in the playoffs..
The Chicago Bears (8-6) may well be the most deceptive of the teams in with an 8-6 record the NFC , in the midst of the midst of the playoff mix . This is a team which has been lauded over but in truth , they are not that good , in spite of the statistics that would suggest that they have one of the “better defensive units” within the NFL.
Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith , in witnessing the team’s latest defeat (21-13) , in a game played at Soldier Field , in Chicago, Illinois , against the Green Bay Packers , has to be asking himself what else does he have to do to get this team playing with passion much less pride . Instead, this lineup merely goes through the motions , and the lauded duo of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall , who were meant to be this “dynamic duo” that would add potency to the offense , have been about as effective as a Rabbi seated in a mosque reading from the Torah , to a group of radical Muslims . No good can come of it , and that has definitely been the case in terms of the effectiveness of the pairing . Not only that , but this Bears’ rushing attack can’t can’t run on anyone and they are one of the poorer offensive units within the NFL , in that specific category. . And should the Bears make the playoffs, then a great deal more has to be expected out of the defense and the team’s rushing attack led by Matt Forte , but most of all Jay Cutler has to show that he is a leader , rather than going through the motions and continuing to disappoint each season .
Don’t look now , but it would appear that the Seattle Seahawks have found themselves a quarterback , who has the poise and promise, that could quite possibly lead to a title , at some point in their future . Russell Wilson, to my mind , beyond the heralded exploits of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, has been by far the best quarterback to have exploded onto the scene this season , not named Griffin or Luck . Many , had the likes of Brandon Weeden and Ryan Tannehill , and deemed that duo , as B1 or perhaps B2 of the players taken at the position in the 2012 NFL Draft . Tannehill and Weeden are playing on teams that have struggled throughout the season , and it should also be noted that neither has shown the poise or leadership qualities now being exhibited by the Seahawks’ rookie quarterback. Stats asides , the intangibles are what should be looked at, rather than simply making comparisons a in player’s statistics , those intangibles and leadership qualities have to count for something . Yet all I’ve read, is this idiocy of making comparisons by way of statistics as the sole reason to judge a player’s abilities !
Wilson has led the Seattle Seahawks to an admirable 9-5 record within the NFC West and good enough for the fifth seed and quite possibly a playoff berth within the NFC. Winning out in their final two games , would be “icing on the cake” for a team that many may well have felt would not be not in the running for a postseason seeding as an NFC representative . Those final pair of games for the Seahawks will be a home game at Q West Field , in Seattle , Washington in week sixteen against Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers . Week seventeen and once again another home game that pits the Seahawks pitted against divisional rivals the St Louis Rams . Cautiously optimistic , I believe that Pete Carroll would gladly like to take this team back to the playoffs , as he had done in 2010 , when they surprised the then, reigning Superbowl champions , the New Orleans Saints 41-36 in the wildcard round of the 2010 postseason . The Seahawks’ foray was short-lived as they suffered a 35-24 loss in the divisional round to the Chicago Bears. All eyes on the Seahawks as a worthy “dark horse” in the NFC ? Your thoughts ?
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Picture gallery.
In truth a great deal of the NFL season has proved to be exciting but in a number of ways it has also proven to a tremendous disappointment because of the off the field issues and the very fact that Roger Goodell as the NFL commissioner , has done his utmost to render more harm to the NFL brand than anyone could ever have imagined .
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Picture and slideshow details below.
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(1) Dallas Cowboys corner-back Brandon Carr (39) celebrates after the Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012 in Arlington, Texas. Carr intercepted the ball in overtime to set up the winning field goal. AP Photo/LM Otero …
(2) Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears (96) sacks Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012 in Arlington, Texas. AP Photo/LM Otero …
(3) Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) walks off the field after the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. The Falcons won 34-0 . AP Photo/John Amis …
(4)Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) makes a touchdown catch as New York Giants corner-back Jayron Hosley (28) defends during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. AP Photo/John Amis …
(5) New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. The Falcons would go on to defeat the Giants 34-0 . AP Photo/John Amis …
(6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) sits on the bench in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The Saints won 41-0 . Freeman had another atrocious game which saw him end up with a 37.5 QB rating in an error strewn unproductive game by the quarterback . AP Photo/Bill Feig …
(7) Oakland Raiders place kicker Sebastian Janikowski (11) kicks a 57-yard field goal from the hold of punter Shane Lechler (9) during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The Raiders won 15-0 . This was just one of five field goals kicked by Janikowski in the Raiders’ victory over their AFC West rivals in an offensively and rather mediocre display from both teams . AP Photo/Ben Margot ….
(8) San Diego Chargers’ Quentin Jammer and Eric Weddle watch as Carolina Panthers’ DeAngelo Williams(34) and Cam Newton(1) celebrate their 45 yard touchdown pass during the first half of a NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in San Diego. AP Photo/Gregory Bull ….
(9) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks at quarterback Joe Flacco as he walks off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Baltimore, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The Ravens would end up being on the wrong sided of a lopsided 34-17 loss to the Broncos who won their ninth straight game in the NFL on Sunday . AP Photo/Patrick Semansky …
(10) Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews (52) celebrates after sacking Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) in the second half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The Packers won 21-13 to clinch the NFC North title. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh …
(11) Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) walks off the field after the Bears’ 21-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The win clinched the NFC North division title for the Packers. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh ….
(12) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first the half of an NFL football game in Toronto, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. The Seahawks demolished the Bills in a 50-17 rout , with Wilson capping the day with three rushing touchdowns of his own in a scintillating performance by the Seahawks’ rookie quarterback . AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette ……
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Tophatal's Blog 
Just when you thought that things were about to turn the corner for the Jets , these assholes put up another stinker of a performance ! , And that moronic head coach of theirs Rex Ryan has the temerity to suggest that his players work hard , and that they’re a team ? Rex , just because your players can scratch and ,lick their balls in unison it doesn’t make them a team . My dog licks his balls for comfort , and relaxation. But in reality your players do behave in such a way, that each of game of theirs , it is , as if they’ve found a fire hydrant to pis$ on , while also pi#sing away their season ! ‘nough said ! .
Anyone who believes that Jay Cutler is amongst the better quarterbacks in the NFL much less a top 10 quarterback as Ron Jaworski would suggest , needs their fu$king head examined !
Jaworski drinks from the porcelain that Cutler defecates and pis#es in, as that can be the only reason for his avowed love of the Bears’ quarterback . Ron Jaworski may well watch game tape to study tendencies but it’s obvious that his dumb ass doesn’t take into account intangibles such as leadership ability which Cutler has absolutely none whatsoever !
“If Jay Cutler were a woman , I’d definitely have sex with her , but he’s a man and a quarterback , who plays in the NFL . but I’d still have sex with him , because he has two orifices that I can stick my $$ck in ” ESPN’s Ron Jaworski
Jay , any truth to the rumor that it’s your fiancee` Kristin Cavallari who straps on a d-ldo during sex to give your a$s a pounding because it seems when you’re on a football field you do spend a great deal of your time on your back , though not necessarily in the “missionary position “?
Tophatal ………………….
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Sanchez throws 4 INT’s in the Jet’s 14-10 loss to the Titans. Scratch that bull#hit , about the ” wildcat offense” and the use of Tebow . This team can’t do shit on offense much less defense . And Antonio Cromartie is not that great a corner-back . On his best day he couldn’t cover a snail much less one of the better running backs or wide receivers in the NFL . The Jets have now become everybody’s bitch and that is a fact !
The Jets overpaid for Sanchez’s services and other what he showed by way of his productivity in the postseason , the former USC Trojan has simply been a mediocre quarterback in the NFL. He cannot handle the glare and the limelight of playing for the Jets’ much less being in New Jersey , of all places . In reality few players that have come out of USC have done a goddamn thing in the NFL over the last eight years with the exception of Clay Matthews .
AFC corner-backs
Tophatal ……………
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Belichick’s late game decisions in the Patriots’ loss speaks volumes as to why he sometimes isn’t prepared to do right things at the right time and , instead he make foolish mistakes, that in essence cost the Patriots the game against the Niners on Sunday .
Kaepernick is all the things , Tebow could only wish to he , had he shown that he has the intelligence to be a quarterback in the NFL , instead of being , just an affable guy .
Ali Larter
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Rashida Jones , actress, and daughter of music icon Quincy Jones , and sixties’ model Peggy Lipton .
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Adult entertainer , Tera Patrick . Anyone who’s seen her at work , will know what she’s capable of doing , and that she does it well !
Tophatal
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I’m still in shock about Freeman’s apparent regression as a quarterback. We all know about the Bucs defensive problems, but the offense was working well up until the last few weeks. I find myself once again hoping for a turn around next season. Plugging the gaping holes in their secondary and with Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks back in the lineup the Bucs can right the ship which is now listing very badly. Thanks for providing an outlet for me to get that off my chest. I feel better now.
Cheers!
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aero
Nothing about Freeman’s game this season has surprised me ! He’s become shell-shocked and gun-shy , and the only thing he’s got going for him is that his backups on the roster are not that much better . Josh’s performances are almost inept as Sanchez’s have been this season . Injuries asides , the Bucs have drafted poorly this and last season , and it has shown in the team’s on-field performances in 2011 and 2012 .
Did you miss her ? Ewa Sonnet . And Ms Sonnet would gladly let you rest your anatomy on her chest .
Tophatal ………….
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aero
So Pena has left the Rays, and signed a one year deal with the Astros to become the team’s DH , as they will now move from the NL Central to the AL West in 2013, to face the likes of the Angels , Mariners , Rangers and A’s this Z upcoming season , as the newest member of the AL .
A fledgling member of the Rays’ supporters fan club . With more fans like her the goddamn Trop would be filled to capacity rather than 1/3 or 40% (don’t believe the bs in terms of the league’s or Rays’ figures) full, as it sometimes just happens to be .
Tophatal ……………………
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All anyone needs to know concerning Bucs’ anemic performance against the Saints , it is that Freeman’s performance wasn’t that much better than Sanchez’s on Monday night against the Titans . Only in the Bucs’ case they got hammered 41-0 by the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome , in New Orleans , Louisiana ,.
Buccaneers and Jets, two goddamn awful teams that have been a complete waste of space time and effort in the NFL this season ! Piss poor coaching from both coaching staffs and not a damn piece of intelligence to be found in terms of any real leadership from within any of the organizations in question . Schiano and Ryan will now try to blow smoke up everyone’s ass with their rhetoric as to the woes of their respective teams .
“Son , don’t let me bitch slap you, back up inside your mama’s womb ” !
As for the Bucs’ Adam Heyward . he should be thankful that Bryan Cox wasn’t ten years younger and 40lbs lighter , as Cox would’ve whupped his ass and then sodomized him afterwards , simply because wanted to and that he could .
Tophatal ……………..
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hanspostcard
Thanks for chiming in with a vote !
Tophatal …….
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Great year for the NFC East. Love that it’s coming down to the wire.
The Giants had that thing wrapped up yet couldn’t close.
Can you imagine if the Redskins end up taking that thing?
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If that were to happen within the NFC East with the Redskins taking the division , it would be great for the NFL . To my mind , the Cowboys are not a team in the true sense of the word . The Giants have become way too complacent , and the Eagles . Well, that was a disaster that you could’ve seen coming , if Stevie Wonder were narrating without an assist from a sighted person .
Tophatal ….
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It has been a lousy season hasn’t it? Top notch teams now seem to be bottom feeders, while bottom feeders of the past are really on the upswing….but did they play any teams of note? That would be my question.
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al clements
For me, the season has more to do with injuries , the inconsistency of the teams on offense and defense , as well as some really bad coaching !
With so many of the playoff berths still up for grabs , there’s still a lot riding on the final two games of the season .
Now you know why the women are so devoted to Roethlisberger ,as they’re prepared to ” give up their goodies ” for the quarterback
Tophatal ……
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FOF
Thanks for chiming in with a vote .
Tophatal ..
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