2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[MD-Blu]

The writing is on the wall with the Jim Caldwell decision, it's just a matter of when not if he's fired.

Honest question, who do yoyu all think will be the next HC for the Colts? I know that I named 2, but I know the reality those 2 are just hopes.

[SleeperAgent]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Outside of the magic 4 game Giants stretch in 2007, the Giants with Eli haven't won any other playoff games.

Is this Giants team the 2007 one?

It's not the same but now they have Jason Pierre-Paul on the D-line, and he's a beast. Along with Victor Cruz catching everything, they will beat ATL at home.

Wild Card Round predictions:
Houston over Cincinatti
Pittsburgh over Denver
New York over Atlanta
New Orleans over Detroit

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by SleeperAgent

It's not the same but now they have Jason Pierre-Paul on the D-line, and he's a beast. Along with Victor Cruz catching everything, they will beat ATL at home.

Wild Card Round predictions:
Houston over Cincinatti
Pittsburgh over Denver
New York over Atlanta
New Orleans over Detroit

Cinci
Denver
ATL
DET

Those are your winners
(*I am quite aware I could go 0fer)

[wilky61]

I said this a page back or so, but as a Falcons fan I expect the G-Men to win because of two matchups:

Giants receivers vs. Falcons defense
Giants pass rush vs. Falcons o-line

The Falcons are only able to generate a pass rush through John Abraham, so Eli is going to pick apart the ATL secondary. The Falcons' pass rush often over-pursues and loses sacks they're in position to make (e.g., against the nimble Drew Brees). In the Falcons' losses this year, the defense was just unable to stop the Bears (pre-Cutler injury), the Saints twice, the Packers, and even the Bucaneers once.

[steve1971]

Ok so I am over it now watching my Cowboys once again get eliminated from playoff contention so here are some thoughts about it. I am sick and tired of hear people blame Romo for the Cowboys problems. The guy had one of the best seasons of his career so far and did all he could do to get the Boys in the playoffs. Its not Romos fault the Defense stinks or the offensive line let the Giants push them all over the place. Damn Romo was scrambling for his life Sunday night! All I ever hear is Romos gotta go and that hes not a Troy Aikman, Staubach ect. Thats B.S. You give Romo a good running game and a solid O line and the guy will get the Boys over the hump. The Boys problems this year was the Defense bottom line. Win or lose I will always be a Cowboys fan.


Can anyone say Packers vs Patriots in the Superbowl? Or Pats vs Saints?

[StereoMike]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Cinci
Denver
ATL
DET

Those are your winners
(*I am quite aware I could go 0fer)

You don't believe in home-field advantage, do you?

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Cinci
Denver
ATL
DET

Those are your winners
(*I am quite aware I could go 0fer)

Denver? You're crazy. It probably won't be a blowout given Roethlisberger is hobbling around and Mendenhall is out but despite the Denver defense, the Steelers should easily win. They're going to get good field position harassing Tebow all game.

The Winners are:

Steelers
Giants (Matt Ryan, 0-2 and not so great on the road)
Saints (too many weapons)
Texans (anything but a lock, but they will squeak out a win)

[fatediesel]

Peter King said yesterday that Colts owner Jim Irsay views the Peyton Manning situation as a family decision and not a football decision, and that Irsay will pay Manning the $28 million bonus unless Manning cannot physically play or asks to leave. I'll be curious how this plays out with Andrew Luck. Archie Manning previously talked about how Peyton and Luck probably couldn't coexist, and it's believed that he had talked with Andrew Luck's dad Oliver before making these comments, so if the Colts decide to keep Peyton it's possible Andrew Luck could say he won't play for the Colts or that Peyton could say that if the team keeps him he wants them to trade the pick and try to improve the team with the additional picks and players they could receive.

I've also read that it's nowhere near a sure thing that Caldwell will be fired because if the Colts stick with Manning they won't want to bring in a new system so they may hire a GM who agrees to stick with Caldwell as his coach and Manning as his QB. The Colts likely aren't going to make a decision on Caldwell until they hire a new GM, which should take a couple weeks.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ball-decision/

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Stafford will make the Pro Bowl. Once players start passing on that game he'll get named to the team. Either Brees or more likely Rodgers will be playing in the Super Bowl anyway and will miss that game.

Would Stafford still be considered a "Pro Bowler" if that happened?

I sort of feel bad for the guy -- one of 4 guys to ever pass for 5,000 yards (the youngest maybe? Not sure how old Marino was) and he's 6th in his league in Pro Bowl voting. Goes to show you that fans either don't know or don't care about him and the Lions.

He certainly deserved it over Eli, and deserved the replacement status ahead of Romo. I can't fault fans for putting Cam Newton ahead of Stafford though despite Stafford's superior numbers -- Newton has been exciting to watch this year.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Would Stafford still be considered a "Pro Bowler" if that happened?

I sort of feel bad for the guy -- one of 4 guys to ever pass for 5,000 yards (the youngest maybe? Not sure how old Marino was) and he's 6th in his league in Pro Bowl voting. Goes to show you that fans either don't know or don't care about him and the Lions.

He certainly deserved it over Eli, and deserved the replacement status ahead of Romo. I can't fault fans for putting Cam Newton ahead of Stafford though despite Stafford's superior numbers -- Newton has been exciting to watch this year.

Yes. How do you think McNabb got most of his Pro Bowl selections? Not by being named one of the three most of the time.

Marino was 23 as well. Marino is still the youngest to do it since his birthday is in September while Stafford's is in February (meaning he's almost 24).

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Would Stafford still be considered a "Pro Bowler" if that happened?

If you are voted into the Pro Bowl but do not play or play in the game as a replacement you are considered a Pro Bowler. For example in 2010 6 AFC quarterbacks were Pro Bowlers. Peyton Manning was voted the starter but didn't play because the Colts made the Super Bowl. Backups Phillip Rivers and Tom Brady were voted in but didn't play because they said they were injured. Still, those 3 are considered Pro Bowlers. The 3 quarterbacks that did play were Matt Schaub, Vince Young, and David Garrard, so those 3 are also consider Pro Bowlers. However, if you are an alternate but choose not to play you are not considered a Pro Bowler. In the prior 2010 example Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger were the first alternates but declined to play, so they are not considered Pro Bowl players for that year.

[StereoMike]

Originally Posted by Adam Shefter

Jeff Fisher interviewing with the Dolphins today. Arrived in a helicopter with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

http://twitter.com/#!/AdamSchefter/s...19205691052034

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

If you are voted into the Pro Bowl but do not play or play in the game as a replacement you are considered a Pro Bowler. For example in 2010 6 AFC quarterbacks were Pro Bowlers. Peyton Manning was voted the starter but didn't play because the Colts made the Super Bowl. Backups Phillip Rivers and Tom Brady were voted in but didn't play because they said they were injured. Still, those 3 are considered Pro Bowlers. The 3 quarterbacks that did play were Matt Schaub, Vince Young, and David Garrard, so those 3 are also consider Pro Bowlers. However, if you are an alternate but choose not to play you are not considered a Pro Bowler. In the prior 2010 example Carson Palmer and Ben Roethlisberger were the first alternates but declined to play, so they are not considered Pro Bowl players for that year.

Right now he's an alternate, so he's not a Pro Bowler unless and until he plays, right?

Otherwise, all the articles I read about him being a Pro Bowl snub are incorrect.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Right now he's an alternate, so he's not a Pro Bowler unless and until he plays, right?

Otherwise, all the articles I read about him being a Pro Bowl snub are incorrect.

Correct, he currently is not a Pro Bowler, and he's actually the second alternate behind Cam Newton so there's a real possibility he doesn't make the game. It's almost certain that Eli Manning will play in the game, so both Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees would have to skip the game. There's a great chance one of them will be ineligible because their team is in the Super Bowl and the other could decide not to play in the game, especially if they lose in the NFC title game.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Correct, he currently is not a Pro Bowler, and he's actually the second alternate behind Cam Newton so there's a real possibility he doesn't make the game. It's almost certain that Eli Manning will play in the game, so both Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees would have to skip the game. There's a great chance one of them will be ineligible because their team is in the Super Bowl and the other could decide not to play in the game, especially if they lose in the NFC title game.

You voted Cam Newton and Matt Stafford as alternates over Tony Romo? Meh just proves the Pro Bowl is meaningless.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

You voted Cam Newton and Matt Stafford as alternates over Tony Romo? Meh just proves the Pro Bowl is meaningless.

I thought Romo was first alternate, then Newton, then Stafford.

Are you saying Romo is more deserving than Stafford?

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Chordata

I thought Romo was first alternate, then Newton, then Stafford.

Are you saying Romo is more deserving than Stafford?

I'd say it's arguable, sure Stafford threw more touchdowns but he also threw more INTs than Romo and that stat isn't even close.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

I'd say it's arguable, sure Stafford threw more touchdowns but he also threw more INTs than Romo and that stat isn't even close.

I'd say it's fairly close. Stafford had 16, Romo had 10. Stafford had 41 TDs, Romo had 31. Stafford threw for 5,038, Romo threw for 4,184. Same number of sacks. Romo fumbled 6 times and lost 3; Stafford fumbled 5 times and lost 1. Stafford's team 10-6, Romo's 8-8. Romo had a superior rating and less pass attempts. He also had a good running game and had a great passing season in spite of that.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Chordata

I thought Romo was first alternate, then Newton, then Stafford.

Are you saying Romo is more deserving than Stafford?

Newton is definitely the first alternate in the NFC because the NFL announces only who the first alternate is (Andy Dalton is the first alternate in the AFC and will definitely play because Tom Brady always says he's too injured to play in the Pro Bowl). I've read conflicting reports about whether Stafford or Romo is the second alternate, but it will only be officially announced if 2 QBs withdraw from the game.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

I'd say it's arguable, sure Stafford threw more touchdowns but he also threw more INTs than Romo and that stat isn't even close.

I Still think Stafford is a better QB, maybe not athlete but QB. He was sacked more and as bad as the Cowboys line is I'd wager the Lions is as bad or worse.

*wrong about sacks I was looking at touchdowns