ILNFL sandbox thread, because you shouldn't pass up a chance to LOL @ the NY Giants

saints look highly combustible

looooool pierre thomas pulled out a gift bow and stuck it to the ball and gave it to a fan

picture me trollin

matty light lookin sharp tonight

saints r good

Aaron Rogers is like Steve Young in that his completion percentage is totally insanely high, rarely gives up an interception and then is mobile enough to really cut down on the sacks. Young when he retired was the alltime leader in the QB rating, partially as his completion percentage and percentage of interceptions were near the top.

Now the passing game has evolved quite a bit over the past decade and you look those stats up, it's pretty much a who's who of QBs over the past decade as if you are not completing 60% or more of your passes - you are below average. There has also been a big push to get the interception totals way down and there have been some seasons like Rogers, Brady and a few others have put up that are really all time lows for interceptions, especially considering how often they pass.

lol, Jimmy Graham vs. Tiny Grimes

yeah, about that

Looking it up on Football Reference Rogers is now...

#1 in career QB rating (Tony Romo is TIED #2 w/ Steve Young oddly enough).

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career.htm

#1 in career INT percentage

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_int_perc_career.htm

#4 in completion percentage

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_cmp_perc_career.htm

As stated, these stats are now WAY heavy weighted to the past decade when the passing game entered the flag/Techmo bowl period.

what were the fans chanting there?

Who Dat, and Who Dat Say De Gon Beat Dem Saints.

congrats Drew

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

saints -- packers rematch in playoffs should be epic.

i think the 49ers might have a thing or two to say about that match up as they have the best defense going into the playoffs

as a Packer fan the thought of a Saints rematch totally scares me although I guess they really aren't too great away from home

damn nfc is kinda stacked this year

We were working to arrange our New Orleans trip to avoid big crazy sporting events like the BCS game, and damn if we're not going to be in the middle of it on Jan. 14th & 15th. D'oh!

Balance has def shifted back to the NFC as of late, yes. xp

One thing that seems like it belongs in "Peter King's bizarre factoid nuggets of the moment that may interest only me, maybe" is that the NFC East and the NFC West both have the same combined record (28-32). This is significant considering that the East was projected to have three LEGIT playoff teams while before the season started most people projected that the Rams would take the division at 8-8 (they're currently 2-13). What does it mean? Nothing, perhaps. Maybe.

the Pro-Bowl roster has been announced:

Tom Brady is one of eight Patriots and Patrick Willis one of eight 49ers to make the Pro Bowl, the most on each roster.

Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay (14-1), led by starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Baltimore (11-4), led by veteran linebacker Ray Lewis, have seven apiece for the Jan. 29 game in Honolulu, the NFL announced Tuesday.

Brady is one of seven starters from New England (12-3). The others are receiver Wes Welker, tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, defensive end Andre Carter, and guards Brian Waters and Logan Mankins all are starters for the AFC from the Patriots. Special teamer Matthew Slater is the other New England representative.

Linebacker Willis, DE Justin Smith, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley will start for the NFC from the 49ers (12-3), who had only Smith and Willis make the Pro Bowl last year.

Green Bay's Rodgers is the starting NFC quarterback, backed by record-setting Drew Brees of New Orleans (12-3)...

Four of the NFL's biggest headline makers this season did not get voted in by players, coaches and fans: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh, Steelers LB James Harrison, Panthers rookie QB Cam Newton, and Denver QB Tim Tebow.

Fifteen first-time Pro Bowlers made the NFC squad, including Rogers, Staley and safety Dashon Goldson of the 49ers. Thirteen AFC players were first-time selections, including Gronkowski, Carter and Slater of New England. Carter is on injured reserve (left quadriceps) and won't play...

Fourteen teams from each conference were represented, with St. Louis (2-13) and Washington (5-10) drawing blanks in the NFC, Buffalo (6-9) and Tennessee (8-7) shut out in the AFC.

Pittsburgh (11-4), New Orleans and Chicago (7-8) each had five representatives.

Three rookies were chosen: Denver linebacker Von Miller, Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green, and Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson, selected as a kick return specialist. He has tied an NFL record with four punt runbacks for TDs this season...

All the kickers are from Bay Area teams.

NFC special teamers included two 49ers: record-setting placekicker David Akers, and punter Andy Lee; Peterson; and Corey Graham of Chicago.

For the AFC, the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski is the placekicker, Shane Lechler the punter. The kick return specialist is Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown, and the special-teams player is Slater.

NFC starters will be Rodgers, Eagles RB LeSean McCoy, Packers FB John Kuhn, Graham, Panthers C Ryan Kalil, Saints guards Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks, Eagles tackle Jason Peters and Staley, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Lions WR Calvin Johnson on offense.

On defense, it will be Vikings DE Jared Allen and Eagles DE Jason Babin, Cowboys DT Jay Ratliff and Smith, Packers OLB Clay Matthews and Cowboys OLB DeMarcus Ware, ILB Willis, Packers CB Charles Woodson and Rogers, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

AFC starters will be Brady, Ravens RB Ray Rice and FB Vonta Leach, Gronkowski, Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey, Mankins and Waters at guard, Browns tackles Joe Thomas and Dolphins tackle Jake Long, Welker and Steelers WR Mike Wallace.

On defense, it will be Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil replacing Carter, Colts DE Dwight Freeney, Wilfork and Ravens DT Haloti Ngata, Miller and Ravens OLB Terrell Suggs, Lewis, Jets CB Darrelle Revis and Broncos CB Champ Bailey, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Ravens safety Ed Reed.

Players who make the Super Bowl will be replaced on the Pro Bowl rosters.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/27/sports/s163241S00.DTL#ixzz1hnJZoriN

i think the 49ers might have a thing or two to say about that match up as they have the best defense going into the playoffs

Hahah keep dreaming, Homer McHomerlot. A halfway decent/healthy QB (e.g. Brees) will shred the secondary, you mark my words.

disagree Leee, it's supposed to be defense win championships and if you look at the statistics the 49ers have the best. they have only allowed one yes 1 rushing touchdown this year

i love offence but the playoffs are a different animal.

that being said Green Bay will probably repeat

btw, i now live in the Los Angeles area but won't let go of my love for two Bay Area teams...

following the atlanta drubbing i'm jumping on the saints bandwagon as TEAM OF DESTINY

"i love offence but the playoffs are a different animal."

Niners have been good, but if they get down two scores (and even one of those can be a field goal), I think they will be toast. They are pretty much same model that the Steelers (pre-Rofflesburger) and Ravens have been dealing for a decade.

I think defense 'used' to be the thing and if you get hot with the sacks or turnovers, sure that's big, but you got to have enough Offense to hold court.

NFC also doesn't have Favre to throw 3 dumb picks and blow a playoff game like the Eagles and others got for 1/2 a decade.

I think the Saints could get beat, as they do have a tendency to at points play down to competition. Packers are pretty damn good and Rogers doesn't throw INTs.

disagree Leee, it's supposed to be defense win championships and if you look at the statistics the 49ers have the best. they have only allowed one yes 1 rushing touchdown this year

just FYI the two WORST defenses in the league are the Patriots and the Packers and that is a very possible Super Bowl matchup

also its interesting that the Packers have actually given up more yards than they've gained on the season. more than defense winning championships I'd say getting turnovers are the key (as well as avoiding them obviously). that was a huge part of the Pack's late season run last year.

I think the Saints could get beat, as they do have a tendency to at points play down to competition.

Agree 100%. This is my biggest fear with them in the playoffs.

this appears to be a new facebook viral
http://i.qkme.me/35dbme.jpg

tbf he's said he doesn't ask God for wins, or even touchdowns. As much as I'd love for this to be funny, it's a mischaracterization of his prayers/prayer pose.

my issue with the teboning is that it's SUCH a hey look at me moment that's ostensibly NOT supposed to be about him but is instead about his faith in a higher power and how it sustains him. jack, if that's so, then why do you strike a fucking trademarked pose every time?

also the obvious "how come when you put a bow on a football and give it to a fan that's fifteen yards but this self-aggrandizing shit gets al michael's dick hard" argument

its not a "hey look at me" moment because tebow designs it as such. that's the way he is and we (the viewers and the media) make it into a big deal

^ this

yeah, not buying that

If you haven't done it already I'd definitely watch that NFL Films video where he's mic'd up during the ridiculous comeback they pulled on the Bears, it's hard to get the sense at all that he's playing up his persona or anything. The whole notion that he's praying for wins or whatever comes from people who have never heard the man talk outside of a soundbite

on a different note, <3 cam newton:

"I had people who can't throw a football telling me my mechanics were wrong," says Newton. "I had people taking shots at my character, classifying me as a thug, as a hoodlum. After Week 3 or 4, all these same people wanted an interview. I said, 'You were giving me all this crap and had so much to say about how I was gonna play, and now you wanna talk? No. Just sit back and watch the show, man.'"

He's the most earnestly religious bubble boy in all of sports (perhaps all of popular media). Despite the fact he probably has a lot of handlers at this point, he still acts like a product of home schooling (which he is) that doesn't have any social graces besides wanting to meet sick kids and talk about his savior.

sp dude's been a pseudo-pro for like six years already and he's been home schooled for greatness longer than that. i don't think it's a put-on or anything just that it's so deep in his grain that it's indistinguishable from who he is.

or, you know what you just said.

lol anyone who doesnt think tebows and attention whore

*an

http://i56.tinypic.com/6jdjzp.gif

fuck i was just assuming that GB and DET was tonight, but all the games this week are on Sunday :(

is there a game tonight?

nope

aw u got me excited

lol by posting?

Didnt even need a bottle of chardonnay and Kenny G

oo girl i'm gonna go long on third and four i'm so confident oooo

congrats to Brad Samford & Son! i thought there was another week left.

the whole reason they ain't doing games on Thursday is so someone doesn't win causing another team on Sunday afternoon to go "whelp we got nothing to play for, throw in the scrubs"