NFL 2013-2014 Season!

[Anacybele]

So I just discovered that the Chiefs can sit their starters next game because they've clinched a play-off spot. Well, so much for the Chargers facing a tough team. -_-

The Dolphins are probably going to get the sixth seed at this point. The Jets suck right now and they're the Dolphins' next opponents, the Ravens are too battered to take on the Bengals in Cincy of all things, and the Steelers probably won't get the Chargers loss they also need because if the Chiefs are wise, they'll sit their starters. But who knows, you gotta expect the unexpected.

[Mr. Haar]

I think Bell ought to get Offensive Rookie of the Year,

Sorry, but the winner of that prize is Eddie Lacy. Bell may have had a statistically better game this time since the Bowling Ball went out with a bad ankle, but Lacy has been killing it all season. Already broke Packers rookie rushing and TD record.

But I must admit, the Steelers played really hard, and I can't believe the Pack still are in control of their playoff destiny due to the Bears and Lions sucking to the max. I don't think they deserve it.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Mr. Haar

[Anacybele]

Sorry, but the winner of that prize is Eddie Lacy. Bell may have had a statistically better game this time since the Bowling Ball went out with a bad ankle, but Lacy has been killing it all season. Already broke Packers rookie rushing and TD record.

Sorry, but when did they announce the winner of that award? I don't think they did. Bell also broke a Steeler record, being the first RB to get at least 100 rushing yards in...some number of games, I don't remember how many. He's also one of only THREE Steeler rookie RBs to do something else that I can't remember (how am I forgetting this stuff? >.>), one of the other two being Franco Harris of all people. And that guy is a hall of famer. If you're equalling a hall of famer as a rookie, that's saying something. And Bell has also been killing it all season save for the couple games he couldn't play in.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Anacybele

[Randa]

It should probably go to lacy. Sorry Anna but Lacey has kinda been the reason why the packers didnt completely flop after losing Rodgers. He deserves it for putting up those numbers and keeping a team in the running for the playoffs.

[Lord Raven]

I think it's going to go to Glennon... But that's just me

Bell is on a functional team, as is Lacy. To play as well as Glennon in a situation as fucked up as Tampa all year is awesome.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Lord Raven

[Jedi]

I wish my Cardinals could go to the playoffs but alas. Possible 11-5 Isnt good enough.

[Anacybele]

It should probably go to lacy. Sorry Anna but Lacey has kinda been the reason why the packers didnt completely flop after losing Rodgers. He deserves it for putting up those numbers and keeping a team in the running for the playoffs.

And Bell did similarly by injecting life into a Steeler offense that couldn't do shit at the start of the season. He mostly saved us too.

But whatevs, I'm sure whoever gets it earned it. Won't change that Bell is freaking awesome though.

[Lord Raven]

I wish my Cardinals could go to the playoffs but alas. Possible 11-5 Isnt good enough.

If Tampa wins and Arizona wins next week Arizona's in

And Bell did similarly by injecting life into a Steeler offense that couldn't do shit at the start of the season. He mostly saved us too.

Different to what Lacy's done. Bell hasn't done everything nearly as well as Lacy during the season, and not only that but the Steelers have a threat through the air. Matt Flynn isn't anywhere near a good replacement for Aaron Rodgers, leading to more stacked boxes for Lacy to break through. What Lacy's doing is not so different to what Peterson did last year; what Bell is doing is closer to what Reggie Bush is doing for the Lions, which is opening up their playbook but not carrying the team. There's a key difference there. Plus GB has a much better shot at he playoffs than Pittsburgh.

imo OROY is between

- Eddie Lacy, for reasons already mentioned

- Mike Glennon, for reasons I already mentioned

- Tavon Austin, because him and Zac Stacy are the only good things about that Rams offense ever since Bradford went down

- Keenan Allen, because Rivers has no one to throw to at all. Rookie WRs are known to have very mediocre rookie seasons, and there are few exceptions; Randy Moss immediately comes to mind. Keenan Allen is about to hit 1000 receiving yards and 8 TD catches.

- Giovani Bernard, because he's simply more electric than Bell

In terms of pure stats, Bell has less than 1100 yards from scrimmage, Lacy has around 1400 yards from scrimmage and Bernard has around 1150. Difference between all three of them is that Bell doesn't have to split carries which puts him at a significant disadvantage to both. Lacy splits carries occasionally with Starks but his much higher rushing total makes sense as a result (still carries the team on his back). Bernard has to split with BJGE quite a bit, but he's a much better receiving threat with the same rushing threat. Bell... competes with who for carries? Felix Jones? Jonathan Dwyer? And he still has less yards from scrimmage than Eddie Lacy and Giovani Bernard. Bell is a solid third priority just at his position, and it doesn't count the fact that Glennon/Allen/Austin are still better candidates.

Anyways, let's look at a few others

DROY - Either Tyrann Mathieu, Star Lotulelei, or Kiko Alonso

DPOY - Earl Thomas, and I wouldn't mind a co-DPOY type thing where both Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman get it, and then there's Luke Kuechly

OROY - this discussion is still going on but I think it goes to Lacy, hoping it goes to Glennon

OPOY - Peyton Manning or Jamaal Charles

League MVP - Peyton Manning

CPOY - This one's way up in the air, but I really want to say Daryl Smith or Carson Palmer

COTY - Bruce Arians, given that Bruce plays in a tougher division and has had a tougher schedule than Andy Reid, beat the Seahawks in Seattle after Palmer threw 4 picks, kept up last year's stifling defense and improving vastly upon its anemic-at-best dead-at-worst (i think mathematically it was calculated that punting was a better option than fielding a QB once Kevin Kolb went down) offense and bringing them from 5-11 to potentially 11-5 (and missing the playoffs). All with a gunslinger QB who loves to throw picks.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Lord Raven

[Anacybele]

Um, what do playoff chances have to do with anything?

And have you watched any of the Steeler games aside from the ones they played against the Ravens? Bell has been carrying this team a lot. Him, Ben, and Antonio Brown, primarily. The instant we got Bell back, this offense started producing. The o-line was still terrible, but Bell was still able to get stuff done. And Bell doesn't split carries often because Dwyer is getting old and Jones can't hold onto the damn ball. Bell alone has carried the running game, which has been amazing. He's done this all by himself and as a rookie.

I'm not saying the people you mentioned aren't contenders, but I don't think you're giving Bell enough credit.

[Lord Raven]

I don't think you read much of my post. Bell isn't producing as much as Lacy despite both being feature backs and isn't producing as much as Bernard despite Bernard splitting with BJGE the Law Firm.

As for your offense, I see it more balanced through the run and the pass and it can easily come back from behind due to the passing game. When Green Bay falls behind and has to pass it can't do a single thing because then they cant make lacy run. Green Bay also doesn't have the defense that Pittsburgh has.

Bell is much more both a product and helping his team. Once again, like Reggie Bush this year, who is great AND he helps the team a lot simply by being a threat. That is an amazing thing to have (ask any Lions fan how much better their team is with Reggie Bush than without), but this is not the same thing as carrying your team. Carrying your team puts you as generally the only bright spot of an offense, and the Steelers have way more than just Bell. The Packers due to the Rodgers injury only have Lacy. This is why Lacy is more deserving than Bell of OROY. Bernard is simply producing as much with less snaps and without being the feature back, so that's why he'd get in over Bell who IS the feature back.

I hope you see the difference between "opening up a team" and "carrying the team." The steelers offense got better because Bell opened up the playbook, the Green Bay team cannot function in any reasonable way without Lacy, whereas the Steelers have a chance due to that defense, their quarterback, and their receiver corps.

I don't think you realize how much of a beast Keenan Allen is either. Rivers may make him look better but he's generally the only consistently healthy option on the chargers and he's head and shoulders above other rookie receivers in terms of production. And he's better than most of the receivers on his team right now too.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Lord Raven

[Anacybele]

Wow, whatever happened to "The Steelers' defense is too old and slow"? I'm pretty sure you used to say that. But I think I understand now, thanks for explaining further. Still, Bell is an amazing rookie. I'm sure that if the Steelers were in the Packers' situation, he'd be carrying that team.

[Lord Raven]

They are old and slow but they're still better than whatever the fuck Pittsburgh fielded towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year. They've also participated in a ton of shootouts but the defense is still able to pull through.

The Green Bay defense wishes it were old and slow. It is of the "brittle and malnourished" type. They're only ever good against dysfunctional offenses like the Ravens (can't run) and Cowboys (forgot they can run when they have a lead).

I also don't think Bell could do as much in GB because Lacy is massive, fast, and powerful. Bell is the latter two (and not as much as Lacy). And however bad Pitts oline is, the GB line is... not too different. A mess to begin with, injury ridden, and just bad. Bell has the threat of a pass helping him out too, Lacy has far more stacked boxes... The math adds up to make Lacy look impressive.

But fuck them all, Glennon has played very well in that dumpster fire of a Tampa Bay team. His receivers are around average and Bobby Rainey didn't break out until well after Glennon came to the scene.

[Anacybele]

The Steelers' o-line has actually improved quite a bit, surprisingly. Remember that play I mentioned where Ben got a TD all by himself? He ran 13 YARDS for that shit and it was thanks to the o-line. They broke up the Packers' defense like they were eggs and gave Ben a giant hole to run straight through, even for his kinda-slow legs. They were never able to do anything like this before, even against bad teams.

Also, Ben's sack count has been reduced drastically. I've barely seen him get touched at all.

And yes, but I'm not talking about Bell playing for the Packers. I'm talking about Bell playing for a Steeler team that would be in a similar situation.

Edited December 27, 2013 by Anacybele

[Lord Raven]

Steelers team is in a much better situation for Bell to be more productive, which is my point; Lacy gets better yards off a worse oline.

[Anacybele]

Right, I get that now. I'm saying that I don't doubt that Bell would still get good yardage even with a bad o-line. Maybe not as good as Lacy, but who knows.

[Randa]

Anna I think you're missing the point he's trying to make. He's saying that Lacey is better behind a worse o-line. He has produced better numbers than bell behind a worse o-line. Not equal not, almost as good numbers, but better numbers. Your arguing that putting bell with that o-line, he would put up the same numbers that he is now. Which still doesn't make him as good as Lacey.

[Lord Raven]

At this point she's saying "Bell would be good too" (not implying he'd put up the same numbers, or at least not outright saying it) which is not really what the argument is about anymore, so I ignored it.

[Anacybele]

What Raven said. But I'm aware that that wasn't the argument, I simply thought I'd express an opinion. That's all.

[Second Pronoun]

I wouldn't ever compare a RB's output to what Adrian did last year, that was something special, plus he hasn't been playing with a terrible QB the entire year. What AD did last year is special, he consistently went against 8 and 9 man fronts that knew what the play was, he came back from an injury that many said he would never fully recover from. I somewhat understand the comparison but I don't think it really works.

[Lord Raven]

I'm not saying it's anywhere close to the same magnitude. I'm using it to convey what is meant by carrying the team. AD single handedly carried that Vikings team (as did the defense) to a playoff berth. Lacy is on the verge of doing almost the same thing after Rodgers' injury, adding to the games he's helped ice for Rodgers whenever Rodgers has struggled in his games.

Anyway, sadness time. This is going to be Brandon Stokley's last season in the NFL. After being drafted by the Ravens in 1999, being one of their most productive receivers (alongside Shannon Sharpe and Qadry Ismail) in 2000 and catching this pass...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOEmo3hb3BU

... in the thrashing that was Super Bowl 35, that magical season. Going to Indianapolis, catching Manning's record breaking 49th TD pass in 2004, and going all around the league as a reliable slot receiver whose injuries got the better of him. Winning a Super Bowl in 2006 with the Colts as well but blaming himself for not being able to do too much. Playing for the Seahawks in that ridiculous 2010 playoff game against the Saints. Then his time in Denver, first playing for them, then going to the Giants for half a season, and then having a resurgence with Manning and becoming incredibly reliable in the slot. Coming full circle to play out 2013 and retire a Raven, the first team that drafted him.

He's the only player currently in the league from that 2000 Ravens team.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Lord Raven

[Anacybele]

It's always sad to see a great player retire, Raven. It was hard for the Steeler Nation to say goodbye to Hines Ward, even though he still does commentary and such once in awhile, and Jerome Bettis. It was cool to see Bettis go out with a bang though (Super Bowl 40. :D)!

Also, Antonio Brown and Troy Polamalu are HEADED TO THE PROBOWL! WOOHOO! My two favorite Steelers! YES YES YES!

[Anacybele]

Okay, so far so good! The Steelers put the Browns away, the Dolphins got stomped, and the Ravens are about to fly home (pun intended, heh heh). All we need is the Chargers to lose. Not likely, but you never know what can happen.

We can still get our Steel City miracle!

Also, I have the whole rest of the AFC North to thank for making this possible. How cool is that? lol ^^

Edited December 29, 2013 by Anacybele

[Lord Raven]

Good job Succop...

[Randa]

How far out was he?

[Lord Raven]

Wide right (left from the back of the upright), he hit it from the right (left) hash mark too.