The Puppy Bowl posted:

Didn't stop him from having a better season than any Ravens receiver ever. I saw Calvin against the Bengals last year and that might have been one of his finest performances to date. He may not have been 100 percent but 40 Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson usually plays better than he did against us, and it sure as poo poo wasn't due to our outstanding defense. (Though Jimmy Smith did play him alright)

cucka posted:

The Lions didn't find a way to lose a game before the season starts, right? They're usually good for colossal gently caress ups.

Spoeank posted:

Frank Gore is rushing for 500 yards week 1.

Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:

He'll be good. Jerry has an eye for linebacker talent. Remember this is the man who drafted Sean Lee, DeMarcus Ware, Dat Nguyen, among others. If Jerry and the coaching staff think McClain is the best option then I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

ALL-PRO SEXMAN posted:

I want you all to imagine something that I think will bring us all together in unity one last time before the season starts. Yes, even you Steelers fans.




I want you all to imagine what would've happened if Ha Ha Clinton-Dix had been up for the draft during the late '90s.

quote:

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Jim Caldwell came into Detroit in January and from the outset has tried to instill discipline and accountability in hopes of turning the LIons from one of the perennial losers in the NFL to a consistent winner.

He has been around winning franchises before, so he surmises he has seen what it takes to win. And he said Monday that he believes this Detroit team has similar characteristics to the winning squads he has coached before.

So how does he plan to do finish this rehabilitation of the Lions' image from 0-16 in 2008 to their current competitive-but-not-quite-enough state?

“It all depends on me,” Caldwell said. “I’m responsible for each and every little thing that goes on in this program. Bar none. Wins and losses. Conduct. Every single phase. Offense, defense, special teams, it all runs through me.

“So there is not anything that I don’t have responsibility for that doesn’t fall upon my shoulders.”

That includes the positive -- no players arrested this offseason -- and the negative -- same old penalty issues at times during the preseason. It includes making sure his players understand what is expected of them, what is allowed and what is prohibited.

On the field, that will rely on both a successful run game and stopping the run along with cutting down on the aforementioned penalties and on turnovers, which was a major issue for the Lions in 2013.

Off the field, it is a little bit different than when he was a college coach at Wake Forest and sold parents and guardians of prospects that he would be monitoring everything in their child's life during his time in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Now he’s dealing with NFL players, so he treats them as the men they are.

This has been mentioned multiple times by various players since Caldwell’s hire, and the players are appreciative of that.

“We still hold them to the same standards that anybody else would working for any other company. That they are still responsible for their own personal conduct, that we don’t hold their hand outside of this building,” Caldwell said. “I think it is our responsibility to make sure that we educate them and we do that on a daily basis. We talk about everything that comes up, every instance.
“Today we’ll discuss in detail the new policy the NFL just released in terms of domestic violence. We will talk about it in detail and that’s our responsibility to make certain that we do that and if we don’t do that, that’s my problem. That’s my fault.”

Caldwell has been straightforward with his players since the beginning of his tenure, and there’s little reason to think he won’t be when it comes to how he expects players to act on the field and off.

As far as the domestic violence policy instituted by the league -- where a first offense could be a six-game suspension without pay and a second offense could be anywhere from a year-long suspension to a lifetime ban -- Caldwell seems in favor of it.

“My thoughts are just like anything else with the NFL decides is best for the league,” Caldwell said. “That there are rules we should enforce and make certain we should enforce. We should support them wholeheartedly and make certain that our team understands them explicitly from top to bottom and even the spirit of the rules.

“So I’m certainly in favor of it and thus will express that to the team.”

TeeMerk posted:

NFL N/V WEEK 1: Stop Hitting Women You Jerks



Also, as a sad Cowboys fan I am betting 8-8 if Romo stays upright.

kalensc posted:

New football fan should consider rooting for the Steelers.

- Everyone else hates the Steelers so you're joining a fun 1 versus 31 rivalry.

- They were thoroughly mediocre last year so it's not bandwagoning.

- The vocal portion of the Steelers* fanbase is full of boorish dolts (* - technically true about all 32 teams). Help lead the change for good from the inside, be one of the few rational egalitarian Steelers fans.

quote:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer 3m
Breaking: Raiders players have been informed that the team is making the switch at QB and starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub

quote:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer 3m
Breaking: Raiders players have been informed that the team is making the switch at QB and starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub

quote:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer 3m
Breaking: Raiders players have been informed that the team is making the switch at QB and starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub

quote:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer 3m
Breaking: Raiders players have been informed that the team is making the switch at QB and starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub

quote:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer 3m
Breaking: Raiders players have been informed that the team is making the switch at QB and starting Derek Carr over Matt Schaub

Brannock posted:

I love that after Schwartz the Lions turned around and hired a man that makes oatmeal seem spicy:

TeeMerk posted:

NFL N/V WEEK 1: Stop Hitting Women You Jerks



Also, as a sad Cowboys fan I am betting 8-8 if Romo stays upright.

Blitz7x posted:

Blitz7x posted:

Big Ol Marsh Pussy posted:

how dare the raiders deny us another shot at a bay area crowd chanting WE WANT CARR

Blitz7x posted:

AAA DOLFAN posted:

Lol 1 vs 31? Really? You think the 49ers and SeaHawks are going to join forces to hate on the Steelers?

Big Ol Marsh Pussy posted:

how dare the raiders deny us another shot at a bay area crowd chanting WE WANT CARR

Quest For Glory II posted:

If Schaub is like Carson Palmer he'll end up on another team in a year and suddenly be able to throw 60 yard balls again

Tim Twentyman posted:

Nick Fairley is again listed as the starting defensive tackle alongside Ndamukong Suh. Fairley lost that job to C.J. Mosley following the first preseason game, but Fairley steadily improved his play as the preseason went on.

He told reporters in the locker room after practice Monday that he hired a personal chef a couple weeks ago through his agent and is back between 305 and 310 pounds.

“It opened my eyes up,” Fairley said of his demotion. “They need me to play more consistent and that’s what they want out of me.”

Volkerball posted:

Palmer threw for 4,000 yards with the Raiders. It was mostly in garbage time, but his problem was always throwing picks. He threw the most of his career last season, so I think that having a top 10 defense helped the Cardinals a lot.

Quest For Glory II posted:

He had his elbow problems with the Bengals, and his velocity dropped significantly, then he whined and fake-retired. Then the Raiders traded a 1st round pick for him.