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I've been watching the NFL for over 30 years and I've got to say that that was the WORST play call I've ever the the dis-pleasure to witness. The Seahawks had the game won for gods sake! !

moose22 wrote:I've been watching the NFL for over 30 years and I've got to say that that was the WORST play call I've ever the the dis-pleasure to witness. The Seahawks had the game won for gods sake! !

Bad play call but say they had punched it in. You've then got a hot Tom Brady, possibly the greatest of all time, especially in the clutch, with the ball, ~30 seconds on the clock and two timeouts. They definitely didn't have it won for certain.


WHAT A GAME !

Wow, what a game, had everything. Even random dancing sharks. Awesome.

All I'm thinking of is I just hope this whole Deflategate thing doesn't put an asterisk on the whole game. But the game was a classic. It had just about everything you could think of in it. Even a brawl at the end. The Pats played well tonight. I'll give them that.

Fantastic game. Nailbiter for large chunks of time.

I had £20 of bets and made £14 and some change profit off it.

Had Heads Coin
Brady MVP
New England > 2.5 TDs
Gronk to score TD
New England 7-12
New England 13-18

moose22 wrote:I've been watching the NFL for over 30 years and I've got to say that that was the WORST play call I've ever the the dis-pleasure to witness. The Seahawks had the game won for gods sake! !

Not the WORST play call. But it was very conservative given the time on the clock. Obviously they needed a TD to win. Yes, Lynch very rarely runs for negative yardage, but the Patriots did have quite a few stops on the day on him for negative yards so it wasn't a 100% guarantee. So when you only have one time out left, an overall struggling offense (they had some big blowout plays but overall NE had them halted all game), the coaches were looking to maximize the time left on the clock (just a bit over 30 seconds) and all downs to get that TD. If the pass was incomplete, the clock stops, and they still have a time out remaining after the run on 3rd down (should Lynch not make it in). They can regroup, calm down, and go in with a full plan on 4th down.

If you run Lynch on 2nd down and he doesn't get in (very possible), you either have to call the last time out and regroup, or rush to the line for 3rd down. If you don't get in again (very possible), then it's 4th down, time is down around 5 seconds left, you have no time outs (if you already called timeout) and you can't spike the ball or throw it away to kill the clock as it's 4th down. If they didn't call timeout on 3rd down, then it's possible time would have run out anyhow.

What they did (and intended to do) had perfect logic to it. They just got outplayed / outsmarted by a rookie cornerback who made the play of his and Tom Brady's life. But their play call at the goal line reminded me of this exact quote from this very thread about two weeks ago...

TheOtherGuy wrote:The problem is coaches want to not lose instead of win.

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic game that was called pretty well by the officials and stayed pretty clean until the very end when the Seahawks decided to let their anger get the best of them. Kudos to both teams. That was the classic we all hoped it to be!

Honda Quick wrote:

moose22 wrote: If you run Lynch on 2nd down and he doesn't get in (very possible), you either have to call the last time out and regroup, or rush to the line for 3rd down. If you don't get in again (very possible), then it's 4th down, time is down around 5 seconds left, you have no time outs (if you already called timeout) and you can't spike the ball or throw it away to kill the clock as it's 4th down. If they didn't call timeout on 3rd down, then it's possible time would have run out anyhow.

What they did (and intended to do) had perfect logic to it. They just got outplayed / outsmarted by a rookie cornerback who made the play of his and Tom Brady's life. But their play call at the goal line reminded me of this exact quote from this very thread about two weeks ago...

Yeah. My first reaction was similar to the general one, i.e. horrible playcall but on reflection it's not THAT bad, it's just results oriented thinking to call it worst ever. Really the bad thing was burning up a timeout shortly before when the playclock had been stopped anyway. With that TO there's no issue of not being able to get three plays off. I wonder if they had banked on Belichick calling a TO after Lynch was stopped at the 1. While throwing is probably more risky there, it's not like it's a guarenteed pick either -

I was very surprised to see Belechik not calling a time out to give the Patriots offense one last hurrah. I felt he honestly resigned to defeat then and there and went all in on his defense. Then it dawned on me that he possibly (even as hard as it is for me to wrap my head around someone being able to think of so many scenarios this quickly on the fly) forced Seattle's hand and made them think about needing a passing play. If so, that's wild. It's just so hard to grasp that he could have thought of it that quickly with so much happening around him.

I remember loving his decision to willingly let the Giants score in his last Super Bowl so that Brady could get the ball again and be the last with the ball. All through that season I had seen so many offenses overwhelm defenses that I had literally said to myself, "There's going to be a time a team, when their defense can't hold at all, is just going to have to let the other team score so they can get the ball back on their own terms to finish the game." Sure enough, Bill did it on the grand stage. It ultimately didn't work out (that's life), but the call was brilliant and exactly what he should have done.

I love Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch as players though. Such solid, dependable sportsmen. They definitely love the game and integrity of the game. They'll both play in (and likely win) another Super Bowl, no doubt.

I've only watched the NFL since the early 1990s, but Marshawn is the only player I've seen that stacks up to Jim Brown's idealogy of staying in bounds to finish plays and keep going for yards (unless the game clock needs stopped of course). A much more intelligent player than he's given kudos for. As for Wilson, I had stopped following college football regularly until he came on the scene. And despite being a Michigan fan, I watched him with awe playing for Michigan's Big 10 conference rival Wisconsin. It's always so hard to determine how someone will transfer from college to pro football (much like GP2 to F1), and we've seen so many busts in the likes of Leinhart, Sanchez, etc. but I knew then and there that someone needed to draft Wilson and put a system in place to support his talents. You could see that despite his size, the work ethic, talent, dedication, resolve, and "head on straight" nature were there - he was always going to be a winner in the NFL as long as he had some weapons.

I'm surprised no one has a meme madeup of Richard Sherman flashing "24" with his fingers to the camera - something suggesting that's all the points the Seahawks were going to score.

And Julian Edelman. What a beast. That guy's like the Terminator. How on earth do you take a hit from Kam Chancellor like that and still try to get up for more yardage?! 99% of the players his size would have been laying there ready to get helped off the field from injury.

I really enjoyed the game, but I was pretty sure the Pats would lose when Kearse caught that ball and that last play call was made.. Really happy for Pats and Butler.

Now that there is that investigation ongoing, what could the result be for Pats?

Mr-E wrote:I really enjoyed the game, but I was pretty sure the Pats would lose when Kearse caught that ball and that last play call was made.. Really happy for Pats and Butler.

Now that there is that investigation ongoing, what could the result be for Pats?

A fine would make sense, maybe a couple of draft picks at most, and the NFL changing the procedures around who handles the balls.

Of course, given that they seem to like levying disproportionate penalties against the Pats, they might just strip them of all their Super Bowl titles !

Congrats for you, Mr-E... but I can't bring myself to say it for the Pats, Bellicheat, or Brady! How can I ever forgive them for making "support" the Seahawks???


As for penalties, the NFL finds itself in a tough position. One one hand they have to take some kind of action, even if they cannot find proof that the upper level Pats actually had the balls reduced in pressure. The rule was broken, the balls were altered after the NFL inspection, and they were used in the game. The fact that one ball was left fully inflated (very convenient for the Kicker), to me anyway, rules out any chance of it being a weather-caused issue.

So, what does the NFL do? First, I would expect a ruling that does either one of two things... eliminate the Inflation rule (a rule instigated as I understand by one Tom Brady and one Peyton Manning initially)... or... from the time of the inspection all balls are under the control of a NFL official, never leaving his sight... letting the teams "watch" the balls evidently does not work. That is the NFL's share of the blame, trusting the teams to begin with!!!

I would think that, as this is not a first offense for the Pats, that they will be dealt with rather heavily... fines (larger than sypgate) for the team, Bellichek, and Brady (NO way he did not know those balls were underinflated). Before they lost some draft picks as well, and I would expect that to happen again... more pronounced as well.

I don't see them ever having to vacate the SuperBowl wins, as that would cause too much turmoil in so very many ways. However, I would not be shocked if there were suspensions for some key personnel. If they were to come across hard proof that any of the afore mentioned higher-ups were directly involved in the alterations, then I think that there should be a significant suspension for those individuals (Kraft, as the owner, taking on the chin for the Team). Given what was done with Payton at New Orleans (and his Defensive Coordinator), I don't see how the NFL could avoid giving penalties in kind.

To borrow a term from another sport... a rather "sticky wicket" the NFL and the Pats have....


Pretty much what "theOtherGuy" says... only wordier, as usual. Sorry guys, didn't see that post before I hit send!

The NFL ultimately does have to determine some punishment as, irregardless of purpose or cause, the balls were found to be out of regulation. We'll have to see how the investigation goes, but I'm thinking it'll be tough to pinpoint any major player in the New England organization as the root cause, and since the Patriots actually performed MUCH better with the properly inflated footballs in the second half despite still playing in rain (55% passes complete, 1 fumble, 1 interception in first half; 80% passes complete, 0 fumbles, 0 INTs in second half), I suspect the punishment can't be that harsh.

I don't even see draft picks being taken away as a proper punishment unless they can 100% link it to breaking competitive spirit. And honestly, Brady doesn't strike me as someone that wants to devalue the game, as much as he does love to win. Belechik definitely pushes the limits like Red Bull in F1. No doubt about that. But Brady is fairly straight edge as a competitor.

I thought Troy Aikman was high (presumably on the deflated football air) when he condemned the Patriots for deflate-gate - suggesting that their punishment should be worse than what the Saints endured for their "bounty-gate". So, assuming New England did it intentionally, you think that breaking the spirit of competition for one half of one game via air pressure is more detrimental and significant than intentially damaging a fellow human being's body (and possibly altering the rest of their life on earth for the worse)? Give me a break, Troy. I'll never take Aikman seriously again.

As for stripping Super Bowl(s) from the Patriots? It'll never happen. Not even if deflate-gate is 100% linked to them as the cause for it. The only one that could be stripped from the Patriots would be the most recent, and given that they beat the NFC's best while being watched like a hawk over football air pressure, the punishment still wouldn't fit the crime. It took a strangely inconclusive child molestation case which he wasn't even directly involved with to strip college coach Joe Paterno's wins, and even those are being restored now - which is the correct call to make as the previous punishment was a brash, ill-advised decision based on trying to find a (dead) scapegoat rather than the college take responsibility for its own issues.

Fortunately, sports punishments are some of the least of our worries given the genuine issues in this world.

That was awesome. Watching that juggled play, I was like, not again!! Tyree, Manningham, now Kearse in wild, big top Circus catches dashing our Super Bowl hopes. But finally it went the opposite way, with a timely (and yeah, pretty wild) interception by our newest hero Butler. During the regular season he was known for intercepting Brady in practice, so perhaps the team was not as surprised as the rest of us.

As for the 'gates', the entire AFC has an asterisk next to all of our Super Bowl, AFC Title and Regular Season game wins; we only play fair when we lose. I don't care anymore; we'll take the titles and Super Bowl wins complete with asterisks and and leave the rest of the AFC with their asterisk-free 2014 losing records.

OH, I wouldn't restrict it to just the AFC, Bourbon, I don't think the NFC has anymore love for Belicheck's antics than does the AFC.


Interesting though, isn't it. the Pats hadn't won the SB since their spy scandal, and then this year, the inflate scandal hits and they are champions again. funny "coincidence".

Blake wrote:OH, I wouldn't restrict it to just the AFC, Bourbon, I don't think the NFC has anymore love for Belicheck's antics than does the AFC.

Don't I know it.

Interesting though, isn't it. the Pats hadn't won the SB since their spy scandal, and then this year, the inflate scandal hits and they are champions again. funny "coincidence".

Yeah, but we managed 4 touch downs and 37 catches with no fumbles in the Super Bowl with super controlled balls at full psi, (not to mention doing even better in the second half of the AFC game against the Colts with the balls pumped up to full psi), so I don't think the footballs can be considered the source of the Pats' success this season.

So with the benefit of some time having passed and emotions having cooled off, it does seem like the choice to pass from the 1 yard line in the SB is going to go down as one of the really bad play calls of all time. PArtly because it was a bad call, but I guess mostly because of what it cost them. I'd be amazed if the Patriots could have done anything significant from that position. I haven't crunched the numbers, but Lynch must have a high % chance of making that distance if he played his average so to speak.


So Adrian Peterson might not be going back to the Vikes? I'd be surprised if he went elsewhere. He'll get more money at the Vikes than I think anywhere else can afford. I think between bits of news from the last few weeks he might want to go to Texas and play with the Cowboys. However, I really can't see them spending enough money to tempt AP. Plus, he's had a year out and AP is now, probably, on the downhill side of his career. He's still (probably) one of the best RBs going, but hey. I'd like him to stay, but if he goes I'd definitely buy a new jersey. I'll always have mad love for the guy, his 60 yard run against the Steelers at Wembley was a really nice moment for me. I know I went on about that game at the time, but it's really stuck with me. That TD was the one (I think) where I went mental screaming while surrounded by Steelers fans - including my own father.

And Texans are now on my sh*t list. Why? I've got a Madden 25 online season going with my best mate (I'm Vikes QB, he's Saints QB). 1st Season I came 3rd in NFC North with a 9-7 record. Lions and Packers also had 9-7. My mate got playoffs after divisional win. We both threw a lot of TDs but had INTs that were comically high. Like 60TD -100INT type stuff! Next season, he beats me in season but we both win divisons well and I beat him in playoffs. I then go to SB and pull off a win from 17-3 down at the half. This season, I had a 7TD game against the 49ers, then pumped the Packers then lost in OT against the Texans. And it was me being stupid. Very stupid. Should have punted on 4th and 11 at their 40 yard. I went for it and screwed it up. They drove 30 yards in 2 plays and kicked the FG. I'm surprisingly angry about it. Anyway, really digging Madden 25 online season with my buddy. Really good fun for both of us.

mac_d wrote:So with the benefit of some time having passed and emotions having cooled off, it does seem like the choice to pass from the 1 yard line in the SB is going to go down as one of the really bad play calls of all time. PArtly because it was a bad call, but I guess mostly because of what it cost them. I'd be amazed if the Patriots could have done anything significant from that position. I haven't crunched the numbers, but Lynch must have a high % chance of making that distance if he played his average so to speak.

He was 1 of 5 during the season, albeit no real sample size. Thing is as well though, that was the first INT thrown from the 1 yd line all season, I think too many people just aren't giving the DB credit for making an amazing play. I get the logic, they needed a pass play to get three shots. The bigger error was taking a TO with 1:50 left following an incompletion, with that TO they can comfortably run whatever play combos they want.

mac_d wrote: So Adrian Peterson might not be going back to the Vikes? I'd be surprised if he went elsewhere. He'll get more money at the Vikes than I think anywhere else can afford. I think between bits of news from the last few weeks he might want to go to Texas and play with the Cowboys. However, I really can't see them spending enough money to tempt AP.

I don't see it, as I think the cowboys are not in a good position salary cap wise. They had to apply the franchise tag to Dez Bryant (a 12.8m hit to their cap space) and like the Broncos, they have other key players who are free agents I believe.... DeMacro Murray is a free agent, as is Rolando McClain. So, I wouldn't worry to much about the 'boys, mac_d... or the Broncos.

At first, I was shocked by my favorite team the Eagles letting McCoy go, as I've come to adore his playmaking ability and style of play. But, given the salary cap freedom, their offense likely to stay in the Top 10 for scoring even without him, and the ability to sure up the defense with that salary cap room, I see this as a great move on Coach Kelly's part. I truly think Kelly has a brilliant football mind and really excited by what he can do in the next 2-3 years with his creativity and no nonsense approach to player discipline. He's made it clear who the boss is in Philadelphia. In one more year, the roster will be entirely his own making so no excuses at that point other than for the possible lack of a Top 15-20 QB - which is excuseable for most teams IMO.

Wow, Graham to Seahawks, wasn't expecting that. Good start for Cardinals, Iupati and two of the better Falcons defensive players assuming nothing falls through.

medgar wrote:Wow, Graham to Seahawks, wasn't expecting that. Good start for Cardinals, Iupati and two of the better Falcons defensive players assuming nothing falls through.

Graham to Seahawks strikes me as a really big move too. Given the strength of that team in the last few years, the fact they've kept a large number of their key players and added a pro-bowl TE will give rise to worry about around the NFC.

The Peterson saga, which I've been following, doesn't quite seem clear yet. The Vikes won't cut AP, which would be expected, but from what I've read it looks like there are certain members of the Vikes backroom that he feels were against him in his legal business that may be a real issue.



Don't know if anyone has seen what NFL have been doing since opening their official youtube channel, but they've got a lot of short highlight videos of games from this year (they have a 15 minute or so recap of the Packers Seahawks championship game which was fun to relive) and from the past. Good work. Can't help feel that doing a similar thing for F1 would help raise that sport's profile too. But either way, the current NFL YT channel has been uploading a lot of stuff and of good quality imo.

Aaron Hernandez got the jail then. Not surprised really given it seemed like it'd be an open and shut case from the start. I remember watching back a lot of old videos on it on youtube.


I was round at my pals last night and while he was cooking his dinner I put on the Seahawks vs Packers championship game highlights. Every time I see this game it does astound me. You'd think I'd know the result by now, but I struggle to believe it every time. Exciting game though. Actually, the post season was mostly very enjoyable this season.


And I bought a new Vikes top as my one is rather old (it's 2012 I think, so before the switch to Nike). Reebok jersey seems a better shape for wearing without pads, this one feels a little odd at the shoulders.

I'm actually pretty shocked that Hernandez was found guilty. No doubt the guy's a scumbag and I don't think he's innocent but the prosecution's case was based purely around circumstantial evidence (which was, to be fair, very strong) which is tough to prove "beyond a reasonable doubt". The fact that the defense decided to argue that he was present at the murder, was high on PCP but didn't actually do it seems bizarre.

Peterson can play some FOOTBALL! next season. I still wonder if he'll be in glorious purple next season though. I can't honestly see the Cowboys having enough money free that they want to spend on AP. I think if they did they'd have kept Murray (and I think he would have been a good deal cheaper than AP). Cardinals are being touted also. Thankfully, I think Peterson is very financially motivated this year and because the Vikes will pay him, he'll stay and we'll got 7-9 this season.

Getting NFL network this year. I have access to Sky Sports through my father already but I do find it a little annoying when they show a game I don't much care for rather than a game I'd love to see. So I guess this is the solution. I think it's still £100/year and my buddy who watches a lot of NFL with me already is talking about kicking in half the cost. £50 for that seems nice enough.

Surprisingly non-terrible draft day then, not too many shockers. A couple of slight reaches but by and large nothing too crazy. Cardinals solid and unspectacular with an OL, can't complain.

Hey guys, I started following NFL last season. Only on the pitch though watched every game shown on Sky and CH4. But being in to football and F1 you always find out what's happened away from the pitch/track to keep up to date.

Like the Dolphins got myself a top last season.

I don't really understand how it works off the field though. Say last season Odell Beckham was fantastic. He is now a rising star are teams allowed to come in and make big bids for him ala football? Or is it only player for player trades allowed?

You can trade player for player, player for draft picks or a combination of the two. Most teams don't let their best players go though unless they absolutely have to, or they judge him not worth the money they'd have to pay him.

Still getting used to it. Took part in a NFL Fantasy Football league last season knew nothing about it but my friends were doing it and couple days before hand they said they had 11 and ideally wanted 12. I said fine give it a go. Watched a few games and must say I'm a convert now. Instead of being one of the guys calling it Hand Egg I will defend it if I hear anyone having a go.

My fave three players are

Lynch
Bell
Beckham

Hopefully get involved a bit this coming season in the chat. You guys may be able to help me grasp it a bit more too...(and help me cheat in the fantasy football )

Glad to see some new fans! It's truly a great sport minus the tendency for injury. I think the NFL is 2nd to none in regards to leveling the playing field between teams year after year so that the bottom can have the opportunity to rise to the top. You combine that equalization with the physical and strategic aspects required to succeed, the fact it's a team sport but individuals can still shine through and make differences, and you have a great competition! I don't think it requires the out and out aerobic endurance necessary as, say, basketball or football (soccer), but it has so many other positives that other sports lack.

Draft was as calm and steady as I'd have imagined it would be. I kept my hopes down from the Eagles trying to go for Mariotta and was surprised to actually see reports claiming Kelly had been in touch with the first few teams choosing and throwing several draft picks and four or five key players (three on defense!) at them in the bid to move up. I felt that would have compromised the team more than helped it if that plan succeeded. But, glad to see them come away with the big wide receiver Agholar though since we allowed Maclin to sign with the Chiefs.

pubpokerplayer wrote: I don't really understand how it works off the field though. Say last season Odell Beckham was fantastic. He is now a rising star are teams allowed to come in and make big bids for him ala football? Or is it only player for player trades allowed?

Can't give you a definitive answer, but I do know a few things. NFL players sign contracts with teams for one or more years. If a player is under contract, other teams cannot make him offers. If a player has three seasons of experience at the end of his contract, he becomes a restricted free agent and any team can make him an offer (including his current team), but his current team has the right to match that offer and retain him. If they choose not to, they may receive a draft pick in compensation for letting him go, depending upon what round he was originally drafted in. If a player has four or more years of experience at the end of his contract, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and may negotiate with any team. Most NFL players are not offered guaranteed contracts, so teams can release a player (cancel his contract) at any time. He is then free to pursue other contracts. Trades between teams also occur, either player for player(s) or for future draft picks, as stated above.

There are minimum salary requirements based upon the length of time a player has played in the NFL, and there is a salary cap placed on all teams, so the rich teams cannot just spend more to get better players. The best players are offered contracts with varying guarantees and many players receive (immediate) signing bonuses. These guarantees and bonuses are accrued over different periods of time, so if a well-hyped player is a bust, he may be counted against a team's salary cap for years after he is released. The salary cap creates parity, because spending millions and millions of dollars on a marquee player leaves the team with less money to spend on the rest of the players around him. This is why even the most powerful teams eventually go downhill; if you have a bunch of good players, you will not be able to pay them what other teams offer them; or you will not be able to pay for good younger players and will have a drop-off in talent when the veterans retire.

So the Patriots people probably did tamper and Tom Brady probably did know in some fashion. Maybe F1 has warped my mind, but I'm amazed that the league doesn't seem to check these things a bit more. Check a ball or two at different games etc. Seemed rather suspect that the (brief) details I read seemed to not have a grasp of science either, but that may just prove to be my reading of a websites reporting of a report which they haven't read...

I wanted a new Vikes top as the one I owned was an old rebok one. I have fond memories wearing it but I wanted a little bit newer. So I bought a white away top (Peterson) and then saw listed on the same website for about 50% of the money, a Jared Allen top. I liked Jared Allen, and he was one of the players that got me into the Vikes, so I thought I'd go nuts. It's a nice top, but the other day I was wearing it round at my pals house and all of a sudden I realised I was wearing a top with "69" emblazoned on the front and back in large numbers. I do now wonder if people think I'm just trying to be funny or something. I didn't even consider the number when I bought it. And imo, the Nike tops are much less comfy to wear than the rebok ones. Nike ones feel like an odd shape (understandable given the pads players wear) but the Robok ones just felt like a baggy t-shirt.

4 Game ban for Brady.

$1 million fine for Patriots along with loss of their 1st and 4th round picks for next year.

I get fining the Patriots, guilty of not after they had the balls they ended up outwith the regulation temperatures. While the report said they though Brady must have known, and other QBs have said the pressure difference is pretty noticeable, it does seem harsh to ban Tom Brady for 4 games. If they had anything conclusive I'd say fine. This way, it just seems a little too much.

Though at least it's not Johnny Manziel getting a half game ban.

Seems harsh on both the Patriots and Brady with less than 100% conclusive evidence - but then again Paterno was absolutely killed and scapegoated during the whole Penn State University scandal.

I find the specific air pressure rule odd to begin with given that NFL refs have also over-inflated balls above the range DURING games. It's just so loosely monitored and unscientific on the NFL's part to even put THAT specific of a rule in the book. It's also still shocking in my mind that the NFL also didn't do anything once tipped off by the Ravens about it prior to the AFC Championship Game. There is so much strange activity on both the Patriot and NFL's part in this saga to make me wanna puke in general. Just the bitter back and forth between the NFL and the Patriots and NFLPA. Tiresome and childish.

Either enforce the rules properly, or just turn a blind eye to it and remove it from the rules. I don't want to see this "he may have generally been aware of possible deflation sometime during football activities at one point in the season" crap lead to the punishment it has. Ridiculous.

One thing is for certain though: If Brady does serve that 4 game suspension, his first return game will be the Indianapolis Colts. He might want that victory more than a 5th Superbowl... The Indy defense better start planning now...

PATs snapped from the 2 yd for a 2-pointer, but for kicks will now be snapped from the 15.

I greatly approve of this. I'd like to see more 2-pointers and less of the almost guaranteed 7 points. Over 99% of PAT kicks were made?!?! At that point, it was getting rather redundant. Hopefully this will drop that enough that teams might consider 2 pointers more often.

Fumble or Interceptions of a 2 pointer can now be returned for 2 points also, rather than being dead.


I like this rule and think it'll add a little more spice to games.

Strike rate for ~32 yards will still be very high so it may take some time before anyone adjusts to going for 2 that much more often, probably after someone misses a game-tying XP as time expires or something similar.

medgar wrote:Strike rate for ~32 yards will still be very high so it may take some time before anyone adjusts to going for 2 that much more often, probably after someone misses a game-tying XP as time expires or something similar.

PATs in 2014, the lowest % was 83.3 (based off 6 kicks with one miss), if you went for players with at least 30 PAT attempts, the lowest is 96.4%, with 53 of 55. (Numbers from http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/playe ... dGoalsMade). Looking at the 30-39 yard FG attempts, it probably is about the same, so you are probably right it won't make much difference really. I didn't really account for the fact that making something harder, doesn't mean it makes it hard. I suppose the 2-pointer now also opens up the risk of scoring back, which might actually put more people off of 2 pointers. I really would like to see the 2 pointer become more common.

NFL coaches are notorious for their play not to lose, safety first mindset. I can't really see the number of 2 point conversions spiking.

I'm really starting to feel the Seahawks as NFC champions this season. I really think Jimmy Graham is going to help them out on some big plays this season. Packers might have a chance, especially if Rodgers keeps fit and avoids any post-season injury niggles.

I'm feeling like the Colts have built up a fair bit this off season and may make a challenge for the AFC title.

Graham is a nice addition, no doubt. I am not convinced that their "D" is as strong as it has been however. Packers are still scary, Colts as well. One should never rule out the Patriots, but I can hope they have fired their last volley... cheatin' b'stards. Not exactly sure what to expect from the Broncos this year with a new coach and system. I think that their "D" will be one of, if not the, best in the league. How well Peyton plays will be the key on offense, as he too has to adapt to a new system, one in which the pass will play a bit smaller role.

It should be fun.

Got a 6 team fantasy league going with people I know. It's managed to go from total nonchalance to full on geek spread sheets and analysis in just a few days. We decided to do £5 entry with winner taking home the £25 profit. Wanted it to be cheap enough to get people to join, and I only 1 guy had done fantasy before.

Learning a lot about fantasy football. Seemingly, watch the TV show "The League" has given me a slight advantage over the complete rookies - though a minor advantage.

Any of you guys do Fantasy Football? I remember it was discussed last offseason or thereabouts.

I'm trying to decide who I might take in the first round. I know RBs are generally sought after, but looking at a few websites and comparing projections, Gronkowski is projected a mile ahead of any other TE and Seahawks are projected a mile ahead of other Ds. If I get a low draft number, and we are snaking order, I'd be tempted to grab those two. More worried about Gronk due to this tendency toward injury and lacking Brady for 4 games. But if those two met their projected scores, they seem like two really sweet picks.