Hello, Guest!

 

- NFL Mailbag: Fans Weigh in on Super Bowl and Favre

Chris Pokorny February 4, 2007
Chris Pokorny
PFC Owner & Writer

Tell Chris your opinion.

-
After the NFL made an announcement of a game over in London, as well as the Super Bowl being played today, it's time for another PFC Mailbag session. Let's hear what you, the fans, had to say about the latest issues in the NFL:

Super Bowl Comments

Just a note to viewers, please check out PFCritics official Super Bowl Prediction for our thoughts on today's game.

Dara: "I bet the colts will win and if Peyton Manning would retire today, he would still go to the Hall of Fame"

Ridiculous Nicholas: "28-24 Colts winning is my pick. Contrary to what most believe, Adam Vinatieri will not make the big impact that most expect.

Peyton Manning: 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions.
Joseph Addai: 15 carries, 79 yards, 1 touchdown.
The Colts will also force a TD on defense against Rex Grossman
----
Rex Grossman: 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 1 fumble.
TJ & Benson (Combined): 35-40 carries, 150 yards.
They'll also get a TD on defense, and with Devin Hester on a return.

And I think one of those Grossman turnovers will come on a possible Bears game winning drive."

Legend: "Colts win 27-24 with Adam kicking another Super Bowl winning field goal. The colts are the team I have been going for since I watched the NFL, so go colts!"

RKO: "37-19 Bears. I can't see Manning breaking his curse and winning the big one."

Frisco: "I'm going to go with the Bears. My feeling is they edge the Colts at defense and...IMO...coaching. Of course Manning is clearly the better QB, but if the Bears are successful at running the ball - and I think they will be - the Colts will be in big trouble. In the game against New England in the first half, the Colts were getting killed. They eventually recognized the Patriots Achilles tendon - injuries to Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau - and started passing to their tight ends with tremendous success. The middle part of the field - the area exploited so well by the Colts tight end Dallas Clark - would normally be much tougher if Harrison was roaming there. I also feel with Junior Seau in at middle linebacker a lot of those passes would have been contested more...but that wasn't the case and the Colts managed to get an impressive victory.

However against the Bears - who have a tremendous linebacking group - I don't see Manning being able to find the same success. It should be an interesting game, but if the Bears are running the ball well and keeping the pressure of Grossman than I think Chicago might surprise a few people."

Quinnhudd: "After much deliberation I have decided to go with 27-24 Bears. It should hopefully be a great game though. The way I see it, Peyton has to play awesome for the Colts to win, while Rex just has to play mediocre for the bears to win. Let's see what goes down tomorrow night!"

Chris Pokorny: To see all of our staff previews and predictions for the game, scroll up to the top of our site where you will see all four of our exclusive previews for the biggest game of the year!

Brett Favre Returning for Another Season:

Teri: "This is the greatest news ever."

Gwen "I became a serious football fan because of Brett. I was watching that game in 1992 when he took over for Magic. I've been hooked ever since. It's too hard for me to imagine watching the Packers without Brett. I remember the 80s. I'm elated that I'll have one more year of being excited about Packer games. The announcement was a wonderful Groundhog Day present!"

Doug: "I am sorry, but an 8-8 year is not encouraging."

Mel and Regina "We are so excited about Brett Favre's decision to come back and play for another season. We have been fans of his since he came onto NFL scene. Way to go!! Couldn't be happier and the news certainly couldn't have come at a better time what with the Bears playing in the Super Bowl. Bears - watch out next season. Enjoy your glory now - it will be short lived."

Chris Pokorny: I think the majority of Packers fans are thrilled with this move. Favre has a lot left in him still, and the Packers are starting to build strong on both sides of the ball.

Bill Parcells Calling it Quits

Mike: He ran out of gas one year early, with a little tweaking this team is a Super Bowl contender for 2008. No matter what coach comes here, if he dosen't win at least 10 regular season games next year, he isn't much in my book."

Chris Pokorny: It was an awkward season of emotions for the Cowboys and Parcells, from getting Terrell Owens, to starting Tony Romo, to having a heartbreaking postseason loss. Parcells did a better than average job with the Cowboys, but they were too inconsistent for a Parcells team. With the success that new head coaches have had with good players already, it'll be interesting to see how Dallas does in a tough division next year.

Jim Mora's Firing and the State of the Falcons:

Bill: "They relieved the wrong one. M. Vick should have been the one leaving. At best he is a fair wide-out that thinks he is a QB. A one-man showboater. Atlanta will die with Vick still running the show no matter who coaches."

John: "Jim Mora hasn't said anything that many lifetime Falcon fans already knew. Mike Vick has reached his peak, he will never be any better than what he already exemplifies; a versatile running back with a strong, but inaccurate throwing arm and the inability to learn how to read/comprehend defensive schemes! If Arthur Blank was smart, he would acknowledge his mistake (Outrageous $130 million gift) and give his blessing for a trade. This way, the Falcons can acquire badly needed offense linemen / defensive backs. He already has two decent backup quarterbacks on hand. But it's all about money and they will not sell even close to the number of seats/merchandise as #7. Does Mr. Blank really want a winning PRO FOOTBALL team in Atlanta???"

Michael: "Man, Vick doesn't have anything to do with Mora getting fire. In fact, if I was the owner of the Falcons, I would've fired him last year! Vick does his job and I respect that, but on the other hand Jim Mora's time as a Falcon was just up and any decision made was to make the team better."

Chaz: "I think the Falcons should appoint Morten Anderson as a player/head coach. I mean there can't be many more popular players than the Dane."

Chris Pokorny: The trade rumors regarding Michael Vick will be running rampant, but the Falcons would take a huge salary cap hit if they were to do so. If Atlanta is able to work something out though, would it really be beneficial to have Matt Schaub at quarterback next season? He'd have to get his feet wet with the league still, having mediocre receivers in the process. At least with Vick, the extra dimension of running, along with a proper system being set up under a new head coach, the Falcons can contend for the playoffs next season.

Troubled NFL Players

Freddy: "These spoiled jocks and their elitist psyche's are totally asinine, tragically more and are going end up like Darrent Williams of the Broncos. I don't know how you curve the God-complexes of a twenty-something pro athlete with millions of dollars? I suggest we equip all the law abiding citizens of the world each with tasers and brass knuckles, that would be a good start!"

Chris Pokorny: It's so frustrating to see these type of things happen with NFL players. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done to find a solution for this problem these days.

The Resignation of Bill Cowher

Mike: "I have been a Steelers fan my whole life, and I have spent every year of my intense football watching under his reign. He felt like my coach, and his emotional personality can draw you in so much that you feel like you've been there with him. It won't be the same without him...while I would never fault him for coming back, it will be hard to watch him in another uniform. Thanks for every moment Mr. Cowher, I hope you know that while we might complain about your calls, we stood by you for every heartbreaking loss, for they are our losses, too.

Speaking of, I honestly hope that some of your more questionable calls this year had nothing to do with you thinking bout NC too much. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but the whole playing Big Ben over Batch ordeal was a little scary for the franchise...maybe you can contemplate that when you come back with some more fire.

Finally, while Grimm might be the mirror image of our hard-faced leader, Knoll was also much different from our favorite shouter. He would be a great replacement, but I hope Whisenhut gets the job...he really knows his stuff on offense, and I think he will have the same character as Cowher, but with a strategic perspective that would be more damaging to lose than Grimm.

However all of this shakes out, they were the best bunch of assembled coaches seen in the NFL, aside from the Dungy-ites and Billi-chits, in quite a long time, I wish them all the best!"

Kevin: "He will be back in 2008 but not with the Steelers. It is about the money!"

Antonio: "He has a long highly acclimated tenure here in Pittsburgh, and we hate to see him go but maybe it is really time for some new ideas and thoughts. Hiring within only means you will leave another hole in your coaching staff."

Trevor: "If Bill Cowher returns in 2008 and signs with a team will the Steelers get any compensation and if so what do they get?"

Chris Pokorny: As it turned out, Mike Tomlin was named the Steelers new head coach, as the franchise continued their history of hiring with youth in mind. I agree with the fact that Cowher will be back in 2008 with some team in the league besides the Steelers, because he publicly gave the impression that he has not retired. Plus, there will be teams that are desperate for a new head coach next year and would give Cowher a major payoff if he were to coach their team. Cowher can turn a franchise around instantly, not only because of his experience, but his "pull" to lure players to a certain team. And, by the way, the Steelers would not get any compensation for Cowher next season if he signs with another team.

Larry Coyer Being Fired by Broncos

Don: "Gee, when's the head coach going to be responsible? I thought the buck stopped there."

Ian: "What are your thoughts on these firings? Were the two men at fault for the teams defensive struggles later in the season or were the on-field personnel simply "found out" to be well-organized decent players (rather than top-level players playing well) and teams started exploiting them more?"

Chris Pokorny: It is very difficult for a defense to play at a high level for an entire season. The Broncos defense kept opposing offenses off the board in the first half of the season, but the offense would never do enough to ever take any pressure off of them. The Broncos defensive line has been a little overrated, but in the end, I think Mike Shanahan should have been responsible for the Broncos missing the postseason. His decision to go with Jay Cutler more than half way through the season, while Jake Plummer was capable of turning things around still, was a decision that I was never in favor of.

FOX Airing Profanity in NFC Playoff Game

JB: "Is this comparable to Janet Jackson? No fuss. Morals are not the standard, but rather everyone has a right to do what they feel."

Bud: "What's the big deal? I only have partial hearing in one ear, but what I do hear on TV, I don't think this picture will make a big difference. She can probably make lots of money on some talk show. Lady, whoever you are get a good agent, next year you can sit in high dollar seats."

Ross: "This show the class of the Saints fans."

Karl: "Chris that's nothing compared to the audio, I have heard far worse over the audio channels from the players themselves including the notorious word for having relationships with one's Mom. In fact, I would rather hear the players and the calls than those boring tuna can announcers. Guys like Bryant Gumbel and Joe Buck can send me straight to snoozeville. I guess we'll have some high definition audio in the future, huh?"

Chris Pokorny: I had no problem whatsoever with the incident, but it is a fact that the FCC will scrutinize any little thing that is broadcaster over public airwaves. That's why the Super Bowl halftime show raises Janet Jackson jokes every year, and that networks are taking precaution.

The Giants Keeping Tom Coughlin

Jennifer: "Why is it that Coughlin is not held responsible for the Giants' losses? Stupid penalties and a lack of discipline are a coach's responsibility. If he instills good habits in his players and has the respect of his players, you would see less variables game to game. I am not a big fan of Eli Manning, but it is unfair to put all blame on a young quarterback's shoulders. The playcalling has to be simplified for a young quarterback in order for them to gain confidence. And again, that goes back to Coughlin's questionable play calling. Also, if he is Mr. Discipline as the media has made him out to be, with his 15 minutes prior to practice rule, then why are all his players so undisciplined on the field? There is no question that the Giants have talent on the team, but they need a leader that they respect and have faith in. It's difficult to see the reasoning behind the Giants supporting Coughlin for another year."

Chris Pokorny: I didn't agree with the decision to keep Coughlin. The Giants second half of the season featured some of the most embarrassing and heartbreaking plays I had ever seen. And, with Tiki Barber retiring, the Giants will have to find a way to get their offense on the right track next season. Can Coughlin really control his team enough to do that? Perhaps the Giants will let Coughlin go after the season and make a run at Bill Cowher.

Giants and Dolphins Playing in London

Cort: "The way the Giants finished this season, I do not think they need any diversions for next season. Also, this is one more reason for the New York press to have another field day with the team."

Scott: "You have to love this idea. I'm a huge Miami Dolphins fan from north of the border in Toronto, Ontario Canada. This news is great I have been to many Dolphins game in Miami in other cities (Pittsburgh, Detroit, etc). I'm truly ecstatic about this game, I will be going since my family is from England this will be a great opportunity to see my favorite team and visit family. I can't wait for the announcement to take place. I have already been looking at lights, etc and will have my cousin all over the tickets when they go on sale. So a team misses a home game, who cares? I have the NFL package and from what I have seen, the Dolphins' stadium was half-empty all the time. Play this game over in England and have a great time; people will go and get pickled to boot. This is the greatest news I have heard in 2007. Just hoping that the game will take place at the new re-vamped Wembley Stadium. Great move by the NFL. Go Phins!"

Chris Pokorny: I am a Cleveland Browns fan, and I wouldn't be too happy if one home game was taken away from us just so the NFL can market the league overseas. And, why did the NFL choose to showcase two teams that had a lot of issues last season? Perhaps it was so the home fans didn't have to suffer through any meltdowns live. However, there is something inside of me that is willing to let the NFL try this experiment out and see how it works.

Thanks to everyone who sent something in. If you'd like to be featured in our next mailbag session, leave a question in the form below.


Do you have an opinion on this article? Do you want direct fantasy football advice from one of our writers? You can e-mail us at pokorny@pfcritics.com. Be sure to label your subject line appropriately so we don't think it is spam. Please include your name (can be a screename), city and state. We guarantee a response to any questions or comments you have, and will publish them in our next mailbag session if appropriate.
Sponsors
NFL tickets and Super Bowl tickets

Meet Doc's Advisory Board for:


PFC Pick'em
- The 2008 PFCritics Pick'em Challenge is now open for registration. Join Now and win big! Sponsored by sportsbettingstats.com
Add to My Yahoo!
Topsites
PFCritics.com

© 2004-2024 PFCritics.com. All Rights Reserved.