New England Patriots: Knocking on Seven's Door (Now with Happy Endings) - Page 352 - Single-Team Season Threads -- Two Plus Two Poker Forums

After both radiogate and lineshiftghazi last night Salva must be having a really hard time getting out of bed this morning. Hopefully he can pick up the pieces and find a way to carry that cross today.

If either of those freak Salva out, it proves what I've always thought: He's a pink hat who really knows almost nothing about the NFL.

The headset stuff happens somewhere in the NFL every week, and there's a strictly designed protocol for it. The line shift stuff is like the hard count from the offense. In the latter if the ref thinks the defense did something audible to mimic a snap count, he can throw the flag on the D. In the former, did the QB move his hands or head too much, the the O gets flagged.

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09-11-2015 , 11:03 AM

#8777

Dynasty

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Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 25,943

If we use ESPN's power rankings as a guide, the Patriots won their toughest game on a soft home schedule.

Home Games
1. Pittsburgh 7th Win 28-21
3. Jacksonville 31st
7. NY Jets 26th
8. Miami 15th
9. Washington 32nd
11. Buffalo 18th
13. Philadelphia 9th
15. Tennessee 30th

Note: FiveThirtyEight's ELO ratings have Washington 30th, Jacksonville 31st, and Tennessee 32nd.

Away Games
2. Buffalo 18th
5. Dallas 6th
6. Indianapolis 4th
10. NY Giants 21st
12. Denver 5th
14. Houston 20th
16 NY Jets 26th
17. Miami 15th

Note: FiveThirtyEight's ELO ratings have Denver 4th, Dallas 5th, and Indianapolis 6th.

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09-11-2015 , 11:45 AM

#8778

LetsGambool

banned

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 26,568

Yeah the rest of the out of division home schedule puts a nice floor on the season. Road slate is pretty brutal though, not a single layup. Hard to see less than 10 or 11 wins with Gronk and Brady health.

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09-11-2015 , 08:56 PM

#8779

Jbrochu

banned

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 16,054

After every win this year I'm spending an hour enjoying the salty tears of the vanquished opponents fanbase. This forum was an absolute joy if you guys need to kill 30 minutes!

http://steelerfury.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

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09-11-2015 , 09:29 PM

#8780

happyhappy...

adept

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 906

That was fun. Sith Lord. You bet your ass.

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09-11-2015 , 09:35 PM

#8781

GuyIncognito

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 4,021

It's fun up until the point where I realize that these people vote and reproduce.

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09-12-2015 , 10:00 AM

#8782

DrawNone

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 5,023

lol I just found out lineshift-gate is a thing. coaches literally teach 10 year olds to do that on defense, and not to jump when it happens on offense.

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09-12-2015 , 10:33 AM

#8783

Kurn, son of Mogh

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It's the defensive version of the hard count, and like the hard count, if you overdo it, the ref can throw the flag on you.

FWIW, it's way more enjoyable to be a fan of a winning team that's hated thought of as "The Evil Empire" than it would be to be a fan of a winning team that's loved and thought of as "America's Team."

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09-12-2015 , 11:34 AM

#8784

DeadMoneyWalking

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurn, son of Mogh

Both > South America's Team.

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09-12-2015 , 11:53 AM

#8785

DrawNone

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 5,023

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurn, son of Mogh

thinking about it like that actually makes it more hilarious because, afaik, the line is black and white on defense and grey on offense. if a player on D isn't in the neutral zone, it's fine.

Big Rape's "unwritten rule" quote: also hilarious. try to clarify that. is it only sporting for a defender to shift at half speed? quarter speed? must he get up from his stance to be considered a gentleman? then of course it would have to be unthinkable for a QB to snap the ball before the defense is set.

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09-12-2015 , 12:38 PM

#8786

bixby snyder

A distant second

Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 6,396

AFAIK the rule is you can't shout defensive signals during the snap count which is why you don't see a lot of line shifts during the snap count. Unless you're the Patriots and you pre-plan it hoping to throw off the other team, which they do.

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09-12-2015 , 12:38 PM

#8787

Jbrochu

banned

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 16,054

Don't bark and don't go in the neutral zone and it's perfectly fine. And it has a purpose in short yardage and goal line that extends beyond getting the o-line to jump: It disguises the gaps the defense is going to defend until after the QB looks at the defense and potentially audibles.

Any other team and it's brilliant coaching -- just like the plays against the Ravens last year that got everybody butthurt.

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09-12-2015 , 12:47 PM

#8788

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurn, son of Mogh

Oh, and it was also a great start for one of my fantasy teams where I have Brady, Gronk and Antonio Brown.

Is it a 6 person league?

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09-12-2015 , 01:29 PM

#8789

GuyIncognito

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 4,021

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Is it a 6 person league?

DFS I'm guessing.

I scratched Brady and Gronk from one of my teams when Wendell was scratched, fearing a redux of September 2014. Possible FPS by me

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09-12-2015 , 04:40 PM

#8790

Kurn, son of Mogh

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Is it a 6 person league?

10 team league on NFL.com, and here's the weird part. The draft was the night I was getting home from vacation, but we took our time coming home and I missed the draft and my team was autopicked.

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09-12-2015 , 05:12 PM

#8791

lew189

old hand

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,450

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurn, son of Mogh

FWIW, it's way more enjoyable to be a fan of a winning team that's hated thought of as "The Evil Empire" than it would be to be a fan of a winning team that's loved and thought of as "America's Team."

I'm starting to embrace it.

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09-13-2015 , 08:39 AM

#8792

Salva135

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This was a nice game, but the quick strike offense will need other players against serious defenses. Pats ran mostly the offense they ran in the Super Bowl, at some point Edelmen is getting keyed in on, and Gronk will have actual defenders in his way.

Who will step up on offense?

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09-13-2015 , 11:03 AM

#8793

Kurn, son of Mogh

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Salva135

Edelmen is getting keyed in on, and Gronk will have actual defenders in his way.

Who will step up on offense?

Edelman's been this guy for more than 2 years. What do you think nobody's been watching film until now?

The Gronk/Chandler combo may actually be a bigger threat in the red zone than Gronk/AH. Chandler takes a big hit much better than Hernandez ever did.

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09-13-2015 , 11:57 AM

#8794

walkingzed

banned

Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 501

Secondary looked like Pre-Talib Pats, giving up lots of long passes.

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09-13-2015 , 03:10 PM

#8795

LetsGambool

banned

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 26,568

Lol Salva always and forever. Top five offense with Welker/Edelman and Gronk for like five years, but ZOMG SOMEONE BETTER STEP UP

what a ****ing clown

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09-13-2015 , 04:18 PM

#8796

Dynasty

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Jets crush Browns 31-10 at home.

Dolphins beat Redskins 17-10 with a 4th quarter comeback.

Bills beat Colts 27-14. Luck was 26/49, 2TD, 2 INT.

It feels like next week's game at Buffalo is already a big game.

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09-13-2015 , 05:17 PM

#8797

LetsGambool

banned

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 26,568

That's a tough spot for the Pats with their line. Not going to worry much if they lose next week

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09-13-2015 , 08:26 PM

#8798

Kurn, son of Mogh

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynasty

Jets crush Browns 31-10 at home.

Dolphins beat Redskins 17-10 with a 4th quarter comeback.

Bills beat Colts 27-14. Luck was 26/49, 2TD, 2 INT.

It feels like next week's game at Buffalo is already a big game.

Meh, a team of senior citizens can still run on the Colts.

Big Ben/Antonio/D'Angelo >> Tyrod/Shady/Percy

Not an easy game next week, but I'm not hugely worried.

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09-13-2015 , 10:24 PM

#8799

Kneel B4 Zod

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Get out the jump to conclusions mat, but things broke well for us this weekend. The Colts lose an AFC game and don't look great in the process. Peyton throws 40 passes and manages 175 yards...that offense looks pretty unlikely to bounce back to 2013 or early 2014 form. Ravens are the 2nd best team in the AFC but lost Suggs for the year (and lost an AFC game). I know it's early to be looking at stuff like this but these tiebreakers often come down to tiny differences. Broncos were the team with the highest upside (if Peyton came back to being Peyton) but short of that happening I don't think there's gonna be a great team for us to contend with in the AFC.