The 700 Level - Home of the Ginger Jesus.

[Valheru]

Yeah I would have to sit him. The rushing record is ultimately meaningless, he has had an all time year with or without the record.

Looking to the playoffs now and with WAS winning and GB losing, GB are actually our matchup as it stands right now. WAS own the tie breaker due to conference record which can't change next week so the only way the match up changes is if GB win vs CHI and WAS lose @ DAL. I actually think that's a reasonable chance of happening but we will see. It will be interesting what both squads do since they are locked in to the 6/7 seed and would only be playing to avoid us in favour of going to LAR which doesn't seem like a whole heap to play for TBH.

From our perspective, GB seems a legitimate danger match up. They have only lost to us, DET and MIN all season. WAS has had a good season but a far easier schedule and would get beaten handsomely by GB IMO.

 

[Valheru]

Wider NFL discussion... But can any of you lads yell me WTF the giants were thinking yesterday? I get you can't tell the players to lose but surely you can scheme a loss. Daboll looks likely to return too so not as if he is giving them the middle finger on his way out.

 

[Valheru]

So I was ruminating over the prospect of GB week 1 and how tough they would be as a 7th seed. It is definitely the harder week 1 match up BUT it gives us the best shot of hosting the conference championship IMO...

If it was GB 6 and DET/MIN 5 then there is every chance both win in week 1 meaning we welcome the 5 seed in week 2.

With GB at 7, assuming we do get by them it almost guarantees LAR in week 2 IMO (can't see WAS beating them) meaning a rematch from this Sunday night between MIN/DET in divisional round. I give the road team a great shot there and if they win and we win... The oath to the SB goes through Philly.

 

[nick87]

Look, it's the play offs, we're going to have to play 3 NFC teams before a potential SB
if we want to get where we want to go, we have to beat good teams
GB is a good team, they could absolutely beat us. I feel less confident about that than WAS but if we cant beat GB at home, then so be it

I dont mind the GB match up, we beat them earlier in the year, i think we're a much better team now than in week 1.
Id still love WAS but it looks unlikley now.

It sounds funny because they're a 14 win team and might be the #1 seed but i really dont fear the vikings that much. Could they beat us? Of course. But i think both teams playing their best, i think we win.
Lions and GB are the concern for me. Bucs with history are also a little scary but i think we'd be OK now.

Rams are food imo. As as WAS. So yeah a path to get the rams in round 2 isnt bad

 

[nick87]

Wider NFL discussion... But can any of you lads yell me WTF the giants were thinking yesterday? I get you can't tell the players to lose but surely you can scheme a loss. Daboll looks likely to return too so not as if he is giving them the middle finger on his way out.

Id be sooo pissed if was a giants fan
insane shit. Like a few years ago when we threw a game and lost... i know some people were upset about it but it was the right move, and it got us Smitty
You have to do what is best for your organisation and in that instance it was losing, for the Giants, it was losing. Glad they won, hope they take Shadeur Sanders and bring that shit show into NY. Long may they stink

 

[Valheru]

That was the perfect week 18 TBH and in stark contrast to last season.

Nice to get awin to keep the mood rolling but the best part was the guys that did play got through the game injury free. There was a lot of talk about Saquon but IMO the right decision was made. You just need to look at Zay Flowers yesterday who picked up an injury, they can happen at any time. I'm not suggesting he shouldn't have played, it's just an example.

Compare that with GB who are confirmed as our opponents where they lost to CHI with both their QB and WR1 leaving the game before the half. GB are a ridiculously dangerous 7 seed when fit but it appears they won't be. Even if fully fit, if we are serious which I believe we are then we get the job done.

As mentioned last week I think this actually gives us the most realistic path to hosting the NFCCC. I don't see any way the rams lose to Washington so they should be our week 2 opponent if we get the job done next week. That means the 1 seed plays the 4v5 winner which based on what TB did today would be the 5 seed meaning a rematch of tonight's match which the 5 seed would be more than capable of winning.

EDIT

I should note that the rams do have to actually win their ongoing game otherwise they are 4 seed and TB are 3.

 

[Valheru]

We should also take a breath to recognize and congratulate the organisation on the 2nd 14-3 season in two years. It's pretty wild it ain't good enough for the 1 seed but that's the way it goes. We were two dropped passes away from being 16-1 with the TB game the only one we got beaten well in. Having said that we got away with poor performances against JAX, CLE and CAR so I think our record is a fair reflection.

 

[nick87]

Tanner McKee can sling the football
Lets get this QB1 (for someone else, if they give us like a 2nd round pick) agenda going!

But yeah, good professional finish with the back ups. Agree about Barkley too, i really wanted them to go for the record but its the right move to sit them. Last year we lost both AJ and Syd Brown and Blankenship playing in a week 18 that didnt matter beyond trying to fix vibes.
Getting the record would have been good but to do so, they'd have had to play the entire first string OL, and probably at least one of the WRs.
Unfortunately its just not worth the risk... and annoyingly for the Barkley, if he catches that pass against the Falcons, we'd have been 14-2 and had every reason to play starters to make sure we retained a shot at the #1 seed today.
Perhaps it was all indeed "gods plan"

Good to see Dallas Goedert make a good comeback too, he should be primed and ready to go next week.
Eager to actually watch this game closer later on, Trot Jr with 11 tackles. I've liked what ive seen in him for limited snaps so interested to get a look at him

GB coming to town next week and that'll be a dog fight. I think we win but also we could lose. That sort of game.
Expecting it to be the MNF game too.

 

[nick87]

We should also take a breath to recognize and congratulate the organisation on the 2nd 14-3 season in two years. It's pretty wild it ain't good enough for the 1 seed but that's the way it goes. We were two dropped passes away from being 16-1 with the TB game the only one we got beaten well in. Having said that we got away with poor performances against JAX, CLE and CAR so I think our record is a fair reflection.

Agreed. Winning 14 games in a season isnt easy, to do it twice in 3 seasons is worth recognising.

 

[Valheru]

Expecting it to be the MNF game too.

I'm expecting SNF for two reasons

1. This is probably the marquee match up of the wild card round
2. In the three seasons they have had the 14 team format, the MNF game has been a 4v5 game and I expect the same this season. They do this to not punish the 2 (and I guess the 3) seed with a potential 6 day week going in to the divisional round.

 

[Valheru]

Rams lose...

It is strange to me they would sit starters. Instead of facing the commanders they now have to face a 14 win team.

That means one of WAS and TB will be in the divisional round. The dream scenario is definitely us v TB and DET/MIN playing each other.

 

[nick87]

Rams lose...

It is strange to me they would sit starters. Instead of facing the commanders they now have to face a 14 win team.

That means one of WAS and TB will be in the divisional round. The dream scenario is definitely us v TB and DET/MIN playing each other.

Dunno if id call it the dream scenario, the Bucs have given us some play off scars lately. I'd be pretty apprehensive going into that game.

Best scenario for me is
Eagles, Rams and Commies

Would set up Eagles vs Rams and #1 vs Commies
Would probably eliminate our chances at a home NFCCG, but id really like our chances against the Rams.

assuming we win, i think the Bucs and #5 seed will win and mostly likely scenario is what you laid out.
Bucs @ Eagles
#5 @ #1

 

[Valheru]

Dunno if id call it the dream scenario, the Bucs have given us some play off scars lately. I'd be pretty apprehensive going into that game.

Best scenario for me is
Eagles, Rams and Commies

Would set up Eagles vs Rams and #1 vs Commies
Would probably eliminate our chances at a home NFCCG, but id really like our chances against the Rams.

assuming we win, i think the Bucs and #5 seed will win and mostly likely scenario is what you laid out.
Bucs @ Eagles
#5 @ #1

Yeah fair shout.

Your scenario is definitely our best path to the NFCCC and mine the best path to hosting it IMO.

Based on what I've seen from the Vikings today, rams could easily win too because they will put up some points.

 

[Valheru]

How we feeling about the hurts situation?

The American media cycle is making a big deal of it but my feeling is he isn't out of protocol yet because he hasn't practiced which is required to exit him from protocol. He hasn't practiced because there wasn't a need to last week but we will see tomorrow...

They did waive that QB they signed so that tells me he is right to go with McKee back up