NFL Wildcard Playoffs, Day 2 Open Thread

by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 12:23 PM EST Comment 40 comments

Ravens and Dolphins at 1:00PM EST and Eagles and Vikings at 4:30 EST.

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Ravens come out swinging, their run game is strong

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 1:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Oops, Porter recovers a fumble

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 1:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That pick was just simply bad by Penington

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 2:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Mason's been hot this half

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 2:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Challenged, but the ruling on the field will stand

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 2:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Mason playing with that shoulder injury is quite unbelievable

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 2:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Squish the fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by cia on Jan 4, 2009 2:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Looks to be happening

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 2:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Another pick by Penington

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 2:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This game seems to be over

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 2:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I don't see the Fins recovering from this one. Baltimore is too dominant

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

You can read it on the Miami players too. The ball carrier on their last fumble didn’t even seem to care and try and get back for the recovery.

by jctsai12 on Jan 4, 2009 3:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The discussions will center around whether or not they're a one trick "crazy kitty"

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wow, Pennington with 4 picks. He's making some bad decisions. Ravens D is strong

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Finally a good drive, but then...

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 3:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Heck of a run, lots of great cuts

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nice catch for the TD

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ouch, missed extra point

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Anybody still live here? Not much happening over at Stampede Blue

Everybody’s still depressed after yesterday. But I am looking to enjoy some good football!

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 3:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ya got a few of us.

I gotta step out for a bit, so may miss the first quarter of Eagles vs. Vikes, but will be back.

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This early game was not a particularly good one

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 3:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yup, a little too lopsided.

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 3:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think the Eagles-Vikes will be a good one to watch.

My bet is the Eagles will grind out a win. It wouldn’t suck to see McNabb get somewhere this postseason.

My husband, for example, is hoping McNabb gets picked up by the Bears, but I pointed out that the bears have an longstanding aversion to acquiring good quarterbacks (except by accident), so the Bears will be more likely to acquire McNabb if he blows it than if he impresses.

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 3:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Is it true that Cassel got the franchise tag, or still just rumor?

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 4:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

looks solid

Sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the Patriots will use a franchise tag on Cassel that will give the team two options: Trade him if all goes well with Tom Brady’s rehabilitation from a knee injury or keep him because all is not well with Brady.

The Patriots’ intention to franchise Cassel was first reported by the National Football Post.

That would mean the Patriots would have about $29 million in salary cap space tied up in two quarterbacks, with Brady earning almost $15 million and Cassel guaranteed over $14 million.

However, the cap jumps to $123 million per team, which gives the Patriots $94 million to manage the rest of their roster.

AFC East blog

ESPN.com’s Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation

“That’s a smart move. You don’t want to go into a season with uncertainty at that position,” Patriots safety Rodney Harrison told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “We figure Brady is going to be all right, but it always helps to have two great QBs.”

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Jan 4, 2009 4:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's a possibility, but they haven't put the tag on him to my knowledge

A bit more info with dates and such.

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by MaPatsFan on Jan 4, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the scoop, guys.

Of course the “sources” are sometimes wrong, but it seems completely reasonable that the Pats would want to hang on to the obviously talented Cassel until they know what is up with Brady.

Besides, Brady’s sudden severe injury should have served as a big wake-up call as to the importance of having a reliable fall-back plan in case of season-ending injury anytime. (Hear that, Indy?? Jim “Clipboard” Sorgi is not a fall-back plan!!)

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 4:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

well

from what I hear Mortensen has very accurate sources

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Jan 4, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Either way,

The Patriots MUST take care of Vince Wilfork. Guys like him are too valuable to fool around with – they should offer him a solid contract up front. Seymour needs to be dealt with too this year, I believe. Wilfork first though.

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Jan 4, 2009 4:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have this to say about the Dolphins...

They are who we thought they were

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Jan 4, 2009 4:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunately, the jets let them of the hook

by bartHML on Jan 4, 2009 4:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

bwahahahaha!

May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.

by juperee on Jan 4, 2009 4:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You keep saying this, but..

… why couldn’t the Patriots win the division if Miami was so bad? It boils down to that the Dolphins beat the Chargers and the Patriots didn’t, hence the 4th tie-breaker. I’ll agree that Miami is lacking in the talent department (this is only the first year of a major rebuilding process after all), but I’m not going to fault them for playing the schedule that the NFL arranged for them in 2008.

Bottom line: If the Patriots or Jets deserved to win the East over Miami this season, why didn’t they step up and take it?

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

by Daniel52 on Jan 4, 2009 5:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

When I look at the games they played

They struggle to beat horrible teams in the end stretch, and won early games through the trick wildcat plays. The last team to beat them in the reg. season was the Pats and it was a blowout.

I would say the reason we didn’t win the division was because we lost to the Jets in overtime, because our defense was erratic. However, if the Dolphins had also had to play the Steeler and Colts, then they would have been 9-7.

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Jan 4, 2009 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But that's how the NFL scheduling works.

If you go 16-0 in 2007, then you get to play two first place teams. It’s not as if the Dolphins were an college program going out and scheduling cupcake teams in the off season in order boost their record. Because the NFL is often cyclical, Miami now gets those first place teams.

by Daniel52 on Jan 4, 2009 11:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Miami's division crown is legit

For me, the bottom line is that every team (even Buffalo for the first 6 weeks) in the AFC East had a shot at the crown. Miami is the one that ultimately won the dogfight. As such, they’re the division champs and they earned it.

You’re right — they don’t control their scheduling, they just get their slate of games and they took care of business. Doesn’t matter if we perceive the teams to be “strong” or “weak,” since by whatever standards, 10+ win seasons are impressive. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into winning twice as many games as you lose, no matter who your opponents are.

by jctsai12 on Jan 5, 2009 1:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not saying the crown isn't legit

It’s just the Patriots are the better team and are playing better football.
Baltimore-NE would have been a great game to watch.
Baltimore-Miami was… predictable

by CelticPride on Jan 5, 2009 8:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs