Jon-At 8-2 are the Vikings a contender or a pretender? We play at Chic Sun and the Bears have been denutted while losing 5 straight.Lots of good teams have lost to bad teams on the road. No one has thought this Steelers team was elite, was one of the better Steeler teams over the past 50 years. But they are still 8-3, and lead the AFC-Central. Will they hold on to that lead? Who knows, maybe, maybe not. But the Steelers are still better than the Browns or Bengals!
I didn't watch the game, couldn't. But I did see the gamecast at the end of the game. Here is what I found interesting. It's pretty common in the NFL that teams almost always have trouble stopping their opponent from marching down the field "at will" in the final 2-3 minutes of a game. Once the Browns got a first down at the 14 with 1:55 to go, and down just 1 point. I do not understand why on the next play the Steelers didn't let the Browns score a touchdown. I think the Steelers had only 1 timeout left (maybe 2). If they stopped them the next 3 plays, it would be a short 31 yard FG which is probably made 95% of the time. So best case, the Steelers would get the ball back with maybe a minute to go and no timeouts, down 2 points. But if the Browns could get a 1st down before scoring, they could run the clock out.
If the Steelers let the Browns score, they would have gotten the ball back with about 1:45 and 1-2 timeouts, opening up plays in the middle of the field too, which is plenty of time for a veteran QB to get 70 yards down the field.
I would hope that NFL players would be smart enough to stop short of the goal line (for a first down) in your scenario and allow an attempt of a field goal for the win and thus run time out.Lots of good teams have lost to bad teams on the road. No one has thought this Steelers team was elite, was one of the better Steeler teams over the past 50 years. But they are still 8-3, and lead the AFC-Central. Will they hold on to that lead? Who knows, maybe, maybe not. But the Steelers are still better than the Browns or Bengals!
I didn't watch the game, couldn't. But I did see the gamecast at the end of the game. Here is what I found interesting. It's pretty common in the NFL that teams almost always have trouble stopping their opponent from marching down the field "at will" in the final 2-3 minutes of a game. Once the Browns got a first down at the 14 with 1:55 to go, and down just 1 point. I do not understand why on the next play the Steelers didn't let the Browns score a touchdown. I think the Steelers had only 1 timeout left (maybe 2). If they stopped them the next 3 plays, it would be a short 31 yard FG which is probably made 95% of the time. So best case, the Steelers would get the ball back with maybe a minute to go and no timeouts, down 2 points. But if the Browns could get a 1st down before scoring, they could run the clock out.
If the Steelers let the Browns score, they would have gotten the ball back with about 1:45 and 1-2 timeouts, opening up plays in the middle of the field too, which is plenty of time for a veteran QB to get 70 yards down the field.
Probably not, the Browns did score a TD about 3 plays later.I would hope that NFL players would be smart enough to stop short of the goal line (for a first down) in your scenario and allow an attempt of a field goal for the win and thus run time out.
Not in a blizzard.I would hope that NFL players would be smart enough to stop short of the goal line (for a first down) in your scenario and allow an attempt of a field goal for the win and thus run time out.
Yes. I see 3 more losses, and you have Sam Darnold so anything can happen. They do not strike me as real contenders, they will make the playoffs, but not a serious threat to advance very far.Vikings “could” win out;
At Chicago
V Atlanta
V Arizona
V Chicago
At Seattle
V GB
At Detroit
And the Lions are an absolute Mash unit on D.
That last game of the season will be flexed and will be for the #1 seed in the NFC.
Any doubters?