NFL Week 17

I have to say, I know Atlanta was nowhere close to a good/great team this year, but I did not expect for a second that the Panthers would slaughter them like that with the division title on the line. I wouldn't have been surprised by a 3-point Panther win. I'm stunned by that result. Agreed that Smith's got to go.

On another coaching note, I thought a win would have sealed Coughlin's return in New York, based on how the team has rebounded the last few weeks. The loss to Philly makes it easier for Mara to send Coughlin into retirement, but I'm not so sure he will, and it may be Beckham that saves his job.

I don't think the Maras will can Coughlin and keep or promote McAdoo. If they fire Coughlin, they're cleaning house. But while the offense took some time to get going this season - likely because of the combination of the Manning learning the new offense, Cruz going down, and Beckham missing training camp and the first four games - it looked like it was on the right track down the stretch. I liked what I saw the last few weeks, and Beckham's ascendance, coupled with the return of Cruz next season, could make for a potent offensive attack. Add in an offseason for McAdoo to design an offense around those three and I think you've got something to work with.

The question, as always, becomes who can they hire that would be better than Coughlin (and, by extension, McAdoo). I don't think there are many, if any, candidates out there who will blow the Giants socks off enough to make them bring in a new staff (and third offensive coordinator in three years).

 

Bell is down. Someone, somewhere, just screamed.

 

Steelers' season might just have ended. Le'Veon Bell just took a full-speed shot dead on the knee.

 

That could be disaster for the Steelers. Le'Veon Bell down and reaching for his knee after a big hit. With no real backup, he might be as indispensible as Roethlisberger at this point.

 

Apparently, he got up and ran off the field, but that looked like a hyperextended knee. The look on Bell's face is not promising.

 

That hit on Bell's knee looked bad. Knee flexed the wrong way a bit. But trainers have certain tests they do right way, and the fact that they let him jog off makes me think the Steelers might have dodged a bullet. Only guy more irreplaceable in their offense is Big Ben.

 

I hope you are right, but they look concerned on the sideline and he is in the locker room. At the very least, I assume his night is done. They already missed him on that last drive. Archer missed badly on the block on the interception, creating pressure, though it was still mostly Roethlisberger's error.

 

Oh, and speaking of coaching changes - Seriously, why in the hell are the 49ers letting Harbaugh go? The guy has been ridiculously good in four years as an NFL head coach. He may be a huge ballbag, but the list of great coaches who weren't complete assholes is a pretty short one.

I think the Niners would have been better off letting Harbaugh pick a GM he could work with than letting Harbaugh go and keeping Baalke.

 

I probably sound like OOP, but that was a pretty shitty call against the Steelers with holding on the 59-yard run.

 

Talk about a devastating penalty. Holding calls back a 59-yard run by Josh Harris for the Steelers. I'm not sure I agree with you, bigpern. Foster did grab the jersey.

 

Florio saying Ray Rice makes the most sense as a replacement because there isn't anyone else. My guess would be LaRod Stephens-Howling because he knows the system.
My question - is there a site to see current NFL FAs? My google searches have come up empty.

 

And, honestly, I thought he had a chance to make a play or at least slow the guy down.