NFL/Fantasy Football 2016/17

[Gethin]

29 minutes ago, Gerry said:

Happens a fair bit though. What incentive do the players really have to tank for the 1st pick? Draft a better player so they lose their job? Sure, there may be some players that are coasting to the end of the season and thinking about not getting injured (especially if they're eyeing free agency), but most of the players are fighting for their jobs.

Oh I get that, but this wasn't just trying - this was playing like there was a wild card berth on the line. I guess not finishing last again is progress for the Texans and they'll still get a good draft pick out of it.

At least Chicago have won something this season

 

[drdooom]

That win didn't help the Texans head coach though. Fired after one year.

[Gethin]

2 hours ago, drdooom said:

That win didn't help the Texans head coach though. Fired after one year.

Probably explains the performance - wanting to go out with a bang

[D.Boon]

3 hours ago, Gerry said:

Happens a fair bit though. What incentive do the players really have to tank for the 1st pick? Draft a better player so they lose their job? Sure, there may be some players that are coasting to the end of the season and thinking about not getting injured (especially if they're eyeing free agency), but most of the players are fighting for their jobs.

It is daft, but in the end didn't matter.

I can't say I'm looking forward to a rematch against the 49ers though. 

I don't think American Football is the kind of game you can consciously take it easy even if you wanted to.

Would rather have faced the Giants than the Seahawks. Lot of painful memories. Good that it's on the Saturday night slot though.

Can't beat the NFL playoffs.

[Zoob]

6 hours ago, Gerry said:

 

It is daft, but in the end didn't matter.

I can't say I'm looking forward to a rematch against the 49ers though. 

Thank goodness for universal hatred of the packers! Respect to the Lions winning that game. Really didn't expect that (and they've lost 27 out of last 30 at Lambeau)

49ers won both their games super easily against us.... Not expecting much, but you never know.

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Zoob

[Boca]

Black Monday news - Kingsbury fired by Arizona 

[Gethin]

4 hours ago, D.Boon said:

Can't beat the NFL playoffs.

Wish they'd sort the seeding out. By all means give division winners a play off berth but then seed the 7 teams by record. No way either Bucs or Jaguars should have #4 seeds based on their records

[Jay M]

Did the Texans really try to win the game?
 

and…

 

[Gethin]

To quote @Cobs - two appalling teams

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Can anyone tell me how the next round is settled - the "Wildcard" round.

There are 12 teams across 6 fixtures, however, it appears that 8 teams will qualify for the Divisional Round which looks like a Quarter Final (8 teams across 4 fixtures), and from there, the winners move to the Semi-Final and Final.

But I dont understand the criteria for the Wildcard round.

Can 

[Gethin]

24 minutes ago, Rory Fitzgerald said:

Can anyone tell me how the next round is settled - the "Wildcard" round.

7 teams qualify from each conference. Philadelphia from the NFC and Kansas City from the AFC as #1 seeds in their conference get a bye week and don't play in the wildcard round. 

Wildcard round has three matches per conference which produce 3 winners that get added to the #1 seed for the conference semi finals. 

 

The #1 seed plays the lowest remaining seed that gets out of the wildcard weekend at home, the other two teams play in the other semi, with the highest seed getting home advantage. Winners of that play in the conference final, two conference final winners play in the SuperbOwl

[Gethin]

Using NFC as an example, wild card weekend is

#1 Philadelphia - Bye

#7 Seattle Seahawks @  #2 San Francisco 49ers

#6 New York Giants @ #3 Minnesota Vikings

#5 Dallas Cowboys @ #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let's say 49ers, Giants and Cowboys win their games, conference semis would be 

#6 New York Giants @ #1 Philadelphia

#5 Dallas Cowboys @  #2 San Francisco 49ers

Then the winners play in the conference final with the highest remaining seed at home.

There's a bit of a complication around which teams get home field advantage in the AFC this year, which is as a result of the Buffalo v Cincinnati game in week 17 not being completed due to the Bills player collapsing on the field, but the principal is the same

Edit: What's possibly also confusing you from the graphic you posted is that it doesn't make clear that the only time a team from the AFC will play one from the NFC in the play offs is in the SuperbOwl. It kind of doesn't need to be said if you follow the sport but if you just watch the odd game that might not be obvious. 

Edited January 9, 2023 by Gethin

[Rory Fitzgerald]

9 hours ago, Gethin said:

Using NFC as an example, wild card weekend is

#1 Philadelphia - Bye

#7 Seattle Seahawks @  #2 San Francisco 49ers

#6 New York Giants @ #3 Minnesota Vikings

#5 Dallas Cowboys @ #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let's say 49ers, Giants and Cowboys win their games, conference semis would be 

#6 New York Giants @ #1 Philadelphia

#5 Dallas Cowboys @  #2 San Francisco 49ers

Then the winners play in the conference final with the highest remaining seed at home.

There's a bit of a complication around which teams get home field advantage in the AFC this year, which is as a result of the Buffalo v Cincinnati game in week 17 not being completed due to the Bills player collapsing on the field, but the principal is the same

Edit: What's possibly also confusing you from the graphic you posted is that it doesn't make clear that the only time a team from the AFC will play one from the NFC in the play offs is in the SuperbOwl. It kind of doesn't need to be said if you follow the sport but if you just watch the odd game that might not be obvious. 

That's much easier to understand than the websites I was looking at last night - cheers

[D.Boon]

Who do we fancy from here then? Feels like a really competitive playoffs this year where one of 5 teams has a legitimate shot at winning it all with a couple of teams who could also cause some damage. 

Kind of feels like the "always a story" line leans towards the Bills season having a happy ending but the Purdy story is unheard of. 

Heart says Niners obviously but still fearing a Purdy meltdown at some stage.

[Gethin]

Think the Wild Card games will be reasonably predictable but there'll be surprises in the conference semis.

AFC

I have a hunch that Bengals are going to go on a run. Bills have too much emotion around them at the moment and Bengals harnessing their perceived injustice over the way the postponement was handled. Be a surprised if Chiefs didn't progress to the conference final but they've got history of blowing it against both Bills and Bengals

Jaguars @ Chiefs  / Bengals @ Bills

Bengals @ Chiefs

 

NFC

I'd like the Eagles to go all the way but I think Hurts injury has derailed them and it's whether the bye week gets him fully fit. Don't see them beating 49ers on current form, may even lose against Cowboys if they play as badly as they did vs Giants second string on Sunday

Cowboys @ Eagles / Vikings @ 49ers

49ers @ Eagles

 

Superbowl

49ers v Bengals

[Rory Fitzgerald]

@Gethin - given that you are on a run, I have seen a different chart showing that the NFC winner meets the AFC winner - can you tell me the difference between the 2 and why the separation ?

[Gethin]

1 minute ago, Rory Fitzgerald said:

@Gethin - given that you are on a run, I have seen a different chart showing that the NFC winner meets the AFC winner - can you tell me the difference between the 2 and why the separation ?

Well the AFC Conference Final winner plays the NFC Conference Final winner - that's what the Superbowl is:)

The NFL is the merger of two separate leagues - the National Football League and the American Football League back in the 50s or 60s I think. The NFL teams formed the basis of what's now the NFC, the AFL teams went into the AFC

[Rory Fitzgerald]

1 minute ago, Gethin said:

Well the AFC Conference Final winner plays the NFC Conference Final winner - that's what the Superbowl is:)

The NFL is the merger of two separate leagues - the National Football League and the American Football League back in the 50s or 60s I think. The NFL teams formed the basis of what's now the NFC, the AFL teams went into the AFC

I do understand now that the Super Bowl game is the winner of the 2 conferences - but why are there 2 conferences ? Is there anything functionally different or are they 2 equally strong leagues - or is the NFC or AFC seen as a stronger/better/richer conference with the other seen as its poorer cousin ???

[Cam]

9 minutes ago, Gethin said:

the AFC Conference Final winner plays the NFC Conference Final winner

The Superbowl is basically a fancy Charity Shield. 

[Gethin]

37 minutes ago, Rory Fitzgerald said:

but why are there 2 conferences

Like I said, it's just a function of the merger of the two leagues. There's not really any strength difference between them these days, although when I started watching in the 80s, NFC teams had a long (10+ year) run of consecutive Superbowl wins. It's evened itself out over the years.

Most North American sports work that way - whether for merger reasons or not. MLB also has an American/National split, NHL & NBA have East and West conferences

[Gethin]

Wild Card Weekend will be a nice distraction from other sport.

[D.Boon]

2 hours ago, Gethin said:

Wild Card Weekend will be a nice distraction from other sport.

Yeah. Need the Niners to not give me the sporting doldrums tonight 

[D.Boon]

Great start by the Niners. Purdy settling down after a nervous start

[Gethin]

Interesting first half, Seahawks defence doing really well after conceding the initial touchdown, Purdy showing rookie tendencies. Really thick SF penalty at the end of there to set up the FG

[D.Boon]

Hmmmm. Purdy struggling a bit. Seahawks staying in this.

Just now, Gethin said:

Interesting first half, Seahawks defence doing really well after conceding the initial touchdown, Purdy showing rookie tendencies. Really thick SF penalty at the end of there to set up the FG

Feels like one of those games where Shanahan decides to not run the ball. Usually ends badly.