Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2017 14:28:18 GMT
Week 11 has ended. We'll continue this series of thread for a few more weeks - eventually once the playoffs picture gets clear, this series will lose its purpose since by definition the teams that make the playoffs are winners, and the ones that don't are losers (at least as far as one individual season is concerned). But we're still a bit far from that so we'll carry on.
If you care to consult the state of affairs as of week 9, here is a link to that thread:
IMDB2.freeforums.net/thread/68641/nfl-week-10-winners-losers?page=2&scrollTo=1071003
Feel free to agree or disagree, post your own take, etc.; your participation is appreciated. This doesn't intend to contain profound analysis, it's just a way to think about these teams, for the sake of light entertainment. Even so, as usual we'll have Granny (BritneyFox) come here to troll and LOL the thread without adding anything of substance; we know how trolls are; we'll just ignore her useless "contribution."
Byes - Colts, Panthers, Jets, Niners
------------
Week 11 winners and losers
Winners:
Steelers - 8-2, played very well on TNF (at least over the air, not so much in the running game), looking like the only one that can possibly competed with the Patriots in the AFC
Saints - 8-2, won the eight one in a row, and the spectacular comeback win is the stuff of champions. I won't be surprised if the Saints actually win it all. The one time (excluded the first two weeks) that someone looks like they'll be able to stop them, they score 15 unanswered points to tie, then win the game in OT.
Jaguars - It wasn't pretty, had trouble beating the Browns, but still, given the Titan's loss, they are now isolated as the leaders of their division.
Vikings - classy win today, remain strong and competitive.
Rams - lost to the excellent Vikings but continue to lead their division, although now, by a hair, but even if they don't win it, they'll be very competitive for the wild card. If the Seahawks don't do well without Sherman then the Rams become even more comfortable, so they remain Winners.
Patriots - Ageless Tom Brady continues to dazzle. 8-2 now.
Eagles - Oh my, Saints vs. Eagles, the most likely NFC championship game, will be epic! What a team!
Losers:
Redskins - choke of the year. They were already in trouble, behind in the NFC wild card hunt, and now after squandering (numerous times) the various opportunities they had to upset the Saints in New Orleans, they still managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. That's what losers do.
Giants - winning one to go 2-8 doesn't earn them the Winners list but at least I stopped calling them Midgets, LOL
Bears - again, sometimes they pull off a good game but still lose.
Dolphins - Not even with Moore they could do it. Loss to a rather bad team. The Dolphins are lost and doomed.
Bucs - still losers at 4-6 in a division that has three of the best teams in the league; going nowhere in spite of some improvement
Packers - after being shut out by a mediocre Ravens team, there is no doubt whatsoever that without Rodgers they are big Losers with a capital L.
Cardinals - all hopes of still competing for the playoffs are gone. They lost to Savage! Enough said.
Texans - even Savage can win a game. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The Texans won but remain losers without their quarterback lost to injury.
Browns - there are three things that are sure in life. Death, Taxes, and the Cleveland Browns belonging to a Losers list.
Bills - What a bunch of incompetents! They were still competing for the wild card, with the #6 seed, then decide to bench their QB Tyrod Taylor who had 10 TDs to 3 Interceptions in the year and a rating of above 100, in favor of the unproven rookie Peterman. The rookie then goes and stinks up the place, throwing 5 interceptions, and achieving a rating of 17.9. The idiots then bring back Taylor, too late to save the game.
Chargers - They are the best losers... push the opponents to the limit but still lose, win some... but at 4-6 they are going nowhere.
Raiders - the sad reality is that they are mediocre.
Broncos - this team fell from grace so hard!
Bengals - another middle-of-the-pack, mediocre team.
Cowboys - oh wait, according to DC-Fan they were supposed to run the table, right?
Need More Evidence:
Titans - they were in a tie with the Jaguars for the divisional lead. After they lost the TNF game they fell 1/2 game behind. In the weak AFC, their modest winning record of 6-4 should still make them competitive for the wild card therefore they had been listed as winners, but watching them (ugly victories when they do win, overall not brilliant), one just feels that the Jaguars are better so the Titans are unlikely to win the division; then the wild card berth becomes a bit of a lottery, so let's place them here on the NME list and keep monitoring what they do.
Lions - they won, but again, were unconvincing against a bad team. On the other hand, they do have an opportunity, here, to fight for the division, if they somehow get a miracle upset against the Vikings on short rest. I'm thinking they are still losers but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here, because all season long I've been hoping for a good Lions showing on Thanksgiving, so more due to wishful thinking than reality, I'm throwing them a bone and calling them Need More Evidence for now. If they don't do it on Thanksgiving, they go back to Losers, likely for good.
Chiefs - year after year they did well after the bye week... not this time; choke job against the lowly Giants. The Chiefs have been horrible in the second quarter of the season and are about to be moved to Losers if this continues. Still, in a weak conference, their record of 6-4 earns them the NME instead, but the next couple of games, if the decline continues, will be decisive to show if they can bounce back or not.
Ravens - their win in Green Bay puts them right into the mix for the wild card, but they at still a very mediocre team; I can't call them winners. But I can no longer call them losers if they keep good chances at a wild card berth.
Seahawks - their defense is banged up but they played way better than expected against Atlanta. Both teams are 6-4 and neither one is guaranteed in the playoffs, since there are 8 teams with 6-4 or better therefore more evidence is by definition needed to sort out Seattle and Atlanta.
Falcons - Almost squandered another lead so even though I root for them I'm not comfortable with keeping them in the winners list, because I just don't know if they will make the playoffs. 8 teams are vying for the 6 NFC playoff positions and two will drop off, and both Seattle and Atlanta are a bit of a rollercoaster now, with strengths and weaknesses. So this time, reluctantly I'll place my Falcons as NME.
If you care to consult the state of affairs as of week 9, here is a link to that thread:
IMDB2.freeforums.net/thread/68641/nfl-week-10-winners-losers?page=2&scrollTo=1071003
Feel free to agree or disagree, post your own take, etc.; your participation is appreciated. This doesn't intend to contain profound analysis, it's just a way to think about these teams, for the sake of light entertainment. Even so, as usual we'll have Granny (BritneyFox) come here to troll and LOL the thread without adding anything of substance; we know how trolls are; we'll just ignore her useless "contribution."
Byes - Colts, Panthers, Jets, Niners
------------
Week 11 winners and losers
Winners:
Steelers - 8-2, played very well on TNF (at least over the air, not so much in the running game), looking like the only one that can possibly competed with the Patriots in the AFC
Saints - 8-2, won the eight one in a row, and the spectacular comeback win is the stuff of champions. I won't be surprised if the Saints actually win it all. The one time (excluded the first two weeks) that someone looks like they'll be able to stop them, they score 15 unanswered points to tie, then win the game in OT.
Jaguars - It wasn't pretty, had trouble beating the Browns, but still, given the Titan's loss, they are now isolated as the leaders of their division.
Vikings - classy win today, remain strong and competitive.
Rams - lost to the excellent Vikings but continue to lead their division, although now, by a hair, but even if they don't win it, they'll be very competitive for the wild card. If the Seahawks don't do well without Sherman then the Rams become even more comfortable, so they remain Winners.
Patriots - Ageless Tom Brady continues to dazzle. 8-2 now.
Eagles - Oh my, Saints vs. Eagles, the most likely NFC championship game, will be epic! What a team!
Losers:
Redskins - choke of the year. They were already in trouble, behind in the NFC wild card hunt, and now after squandering (numerous times) the various opportunities they had to upset the Saints in New Orleans, they still managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. That's what losers do.
Giants - winning one to go 2-8 doesn't earn them the Winners list but at least I stopped calling them Midgets, LOL
Bears - again, sometimes they pull off a good game but still lose.
Dolphins - Not even with Moore they could do it. Loss to a rather bad team. The Dolphins are lost and doomed.
Bucs - still losers at 4-6 in a division that has three of the best teams in the league; going nowhere in spite of some improvement
Packers - after being shut out by a mediocre Ravens team, there is no doubt whatsoever that without Rodgers they are big Losers with a capital L.
Cardinals - all hopes of still competing for the playoffs are gone. They lost to Savage! Enough said.
Texans - even Savage can win a game. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. The Texans won but remain losers without their quarterback lost to injury.
Browns - there are three things that are sure in life. Death, Taxes, and the Cleveland Browns belonging to a Losers list.
Bills - What a bunch of incompetents! They were still competing for the wild card, with the #6 seed, then decide to bench their QB Tyrod Taylor who had 10 TDs to 3 Interceptions in the year and a rating of above 100, in favor of the unproven rookie Peterman. The rookie then goes and stinks up the place, throwing 5 interceptions, and achieving a rating of 17.9. The idiots then bring back Taylor, too late to save the game.
Chargers - They are the best losers... push the opponents to the limit but still lose, win some... but at 4-6 they are going nowhere.
Raiders - the sad reality is that they are mediocre.
Broncos - this team fell from grace so hard!
Bengals - another middle-of-the-pack, mediocre team.
Cowboys - oh wait, according to DC-Fan they were supposed to run the table, right?
Need More Evidence:
Titans - they were in a tie with the Jaguars for the divisional lead. After they lost the TNF game they fell 1/2 game behind. In the weak AFC, their modest winning record of 6-4 should still make them competitive for the wild card therefore they had been listed as winners, but watching them (ugly victories when they do win, overall not brilliant), one just feels that the Jaguars are better so the Titans are unlikely to win the division; then the wild card berth becomes a bit of a lottery, so let's place them here on the NME list and keep monitoring what they do.
Lions - they won, but again, were unconvincing against a bad team. On the other hand, they do have an opportunity, here, to fight for the division, if they somehow get a miracle upset against the Vikings on short rest. I'm thinking they are still losers but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here, because all season long I've been hoping for a good Lions showing on Thanksgiving, so more due to wishful thinking than reality, I'm throwing them a bone and calling them Need More Evidence for now. If they don't do it on Thanksgiving, they go back to Losers, likely for good.
Chiefs - year after year they did well after the bye week... not this time; choke job against the lowly Giants. The Chiefs have been horrible in the second quarter of the season and are about to be moved to Losers if this continues. Still, in a weak conference, their record of 6-4 earns them the NME instead, but the next couple of games, if the decline continues, will be decisive to show if they can bounce back or not.
Ravens - their win in Green Bay puts them right into the mix for the wild card, but they at still a very mediocre team; I can't call them winners. But I can no longer call them losers if they keep good chances at a wild card berth.
Seahawks - their defense is banged up but they played way better than expected against Atlanta. Both teams are 6-4 and neither one is guaranteed in the playoffs, since there are 8 teams with 6-4 or better therefore more evidence is by definition needed to sort out Seattle and Atlanta.
Falcons - Almost squandered another lead so even though I root for them I'm not comfortable with keeping them in the winners list, because I just don't know if they will make the playoffs. 8 teams are vying for the 6 NFC playoff positions and two will drop off, and both Seattle and Atlanta are a bit of a rollercoaster now, with strengths and weaknesses. So this time, reluctantly I'll place my Falcons as NME.