7 Myths of the 2007 NFL Season

observer · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 196

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November 14, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2yf7jd
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Excerpts:

7) Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the NFL
- Adrian Peterson is having the best season by a run-
ning back in the NFL. Adrian Peterson is the NFL
Rookie of the Year. He is not the best running back
in the NFL.

....

6) The Denver Broncos have the best pair of corners
in the NFL - This isn't true either. I won't go as far
as to say Champ Bailey isn't the best corner in the
league. One year playing with a bad run defense will
not change that. However, the best pair of cornerbacks
in the NFL resides in Green Bay, WI.

....

5) Vince Young is a winning QB - False. Vince Young
plays with a winning defense. Vince Young has passed
for 4 touchdowns and 10 picks this season. He has a
QB rating of 62.2.

....

4) Tom Brady is the MVP of the NFL - Don't get me
wrong, I understand why people think Brady is the MVP.
MVP means different things to different people. In my
opinion Tom Brady is the Offensive Player of the Year.
I am aware of all the numbers. 2686 yards. 33 touch-
downs. 4 interceptions. I also understand that if Brady
goes down that Matt Cassel has no chance of leading
this team anywhere in the playoffs.

....

Randy Moss is the player that stretches out the defense
and opens up everything underneath. You could proba-
bly go down to Jay Cutler, Jeff Garcia, or Phillip Rivers
and still have a reasonable chance of scoring points and
winning games with the current Patriots roster. Not 33
touchdowns and 4 interceptions good. But good enough
to be a playoff contender with an offense that can put up
points.

If you take Randy Moss off this team the only receiver
you could replace him with and get similar results is TO.
If he goes down, this offense suddenly lacks the explo-
siveness it has generated in the first 9 games.

....

3) The AFC is the Powerhouse Conference and the NFC
is the Ugly Stepchild - This is getting old too. This was
the case the last 2-3 years ago. Two 8-8 wildcards in
2004 were the beginning of this trend. Another 8-8 wild-
card last season that ended the season 2-6 also contri-
buted to this reality.

The NFC was a mediocre conference in 2004-2006.

....

The fact is that the NFC has closed the gap overall. The
New England Patriots are head and shoulders above the
NFC. They are also head and shoulders above the AFC.

Dallas and Green Bay are very talented and could pro-
bably give New England a run for their money. At least
as good of a run as Pittsburgh. Indy is confusing because
they have so many players going down.

....

The NFC and AFC are 20-20 against one another this
season. Part of that is because the NFC North and NFC
East are playing the AFC East and AFC West. Still Ari-
zona beat Pittsburgh. New Orleans destroyed Jackson-
ville. The 6 teams that would represent the AFC in the
playoffs this season if the playoffs began next week have
gone 13-5 against the NFC. The six NFC teams have
gone 11-5 against the AFC.

While New England will be favored against any NFC
team they face, they will against any AFC team as well.

The fact is that the NFC as a whole has made a lot of
strides this season to make this a two-conference league
again. A lot of these claims of AFC supremacy are
founded in stereotypes created by New England and
Indy's dominant starts and the last few seasons of inter
conference competition. It is not founded in what has
been going on in inter conference play in 2007.

2) Eli Manning is having a breakout season - Who has
more passing yards, Joey Harrington or Eli Manning?
Who has a higher completion percentage? More com-
pletions? Higher QB rating? Yards per attempt? If
you answered yes to Joey Harrington on each statistic
you are correct.

....

While the Giants will probably win 10 games and make
the playoffs, this team doesn't have a shot of beating
either Dallas or Green Bay unless those teams beat
themselves. They might not even win their first round
game. They don't have a chance of going anywhere in
the near future with Eli Manning playing the way he has
this season. With him now in his 4th year of playing, it
is doubtful if he will ever play better.

But the Winner is: 1) Brett Favre is playing his best
football in a decade:

Year W-L Com Att Pct Yds YPA Td Int Rate

2001 12-4 314 510 61.6 3,921 7.7 32 15 94.1
2002 12-4 341 551 61.9 3,658 6.6 27 16 85.6
2003 10-6 308 471 65.4 3,361 7.1 32 21 90.4
2004 10-6 346 540 64.1 4,088 7.6 30 17 92.4
2007 8-1 238 354 67.2 2,757 7.8 16 8 96.2

Unless I'm missing something, 3 years is not a decade. His
rating this season is comparable to 2001-2004.

....

This is the myth that has been created by the poor 2005-2006
seasons.

....

--- end excerpts ---

Archived from group: alt>sports>football>pro>dallas-cowboys

Dave St.Onge · Joined: 28 Sep 2007 Posts: 8

> But the Winner is: 1) Brett Favre is playing his best
> football in a decade:
>
> Year W-L Com Att Pct Yds YPA Td Int Rate
>
> 2001 12-4 314 510 61.6 3,921 7.7 32 15 94.1
> 2002 12-4 341 551 61.9 3,658 6.6 27 16 85.6
> 2003 10-6 308 471 65.4 3,361 7.1 32 21 90.4
> 2004 10-6 346 540 64.1 4,088 7.6 30 17 92.4
> 2007 8-1 238 354 67.2 2,757 7.8 16 8 96.2
>
> Unless I'm missing something, 3 years is not a decade. His
> rating this season is comparable to 2001-2004.

Hmm...on pace for possibly better record, more completions, better
completion percentage, significantly more yards, higher yards per attempt, 3
less TDs, tied for lowest number of INTs on the list, and higher rating.
Yup, it's the best year in the past three, but not better than those listed
. Only thing on pace for lower numbers are the TDs....

Dave

Del Stanley · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

"observer" wrote in message $0$22428$a82e2bb9@reader.athenanews.com...
>
> ---
> November 14, 2007
> http://tinyurl.com/2yf7jd
> ---
>
> Excerpts:
>
> 7) Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the NFL

> - Adrian Peterson is having the best season by a run-
> ning back in the NFL. Adrian Peterson is the NFL
> Rookie of the Year. He is not the best running back
> in the NFL.

What? I'm not sure what they are saying here. A case
is made pro, then its conclusion goes against the case
just made! People can have varied opinions, but that
doesn't necessarily mean a different one is a myth.
If someone said Emmitt Smith is a better back than
say Barry Sanders, it doesn't mean someone's choice
of Sanders is a myth.

> 6) The Denver Broncos have the best pair of corners
> in the NFL - This isn't true either. I won't go as far
> as to say Champ Bailey isn't the best corner in the
> league. One year playing with a bad run defense will
> not change that. However, the best pair of cornerbacks
> in the NFL resides in Green Bay, WI.

I haven't seen them play this year. Perhaps the rep was
based on last year's team, and hasn't been updated.
Didn't one of their star corners get murdered last year?
>
> 5) Vince Young is a winning QB - False. Vince Young
> plays with a winning defense. Vince Young has passed
> for 4 touchdowns and 10 picks this season. He has a
> QB rating of 62.2.

Too early to tell isn't it? The jury is still out. He is certainly
not going to fatten someone's fantasy football bank as far
as stats are concerned, but I still think he is a winner.
Brett Favre's defense has come to his rescue occasionally
over the years. Vince doesn't have time on his side in the
NFL to say his record is a myth one way, or the other. I've
seen him win games for the Titans too. If the argument
was that Vince was a great passer, then yes THAT
would be a myth.
>
>
> 4) Tom Brady is the MVP of the NFL - Don't get me
> wrong, I understand why people think Brady is the MVP.
> MVP means different things to different people. In my
> opinion Tom Brady is the Offensive Player of the Year.
> I am aware of all the numbers. 2686 yards. 33 touch-
> downs. 4 interceptions. I also understand that if Brady
> goes down that Matt Cassel has no chance of leading
> this team anywhere in the playoffs.

Doesn't that define what an MVP is? If there was ever
a case to be made for an MVP, it is this year with Brady!
I think he is the quintessential MVP.

It would seem that in your view there can never be an MVP
unless he played both offense and defense. If you eliminate
Brady because he is the Offensive Player Of The Year, then
logic would suggest the same for a defensive player also. The
MVP must come from somewhere. Brady's offense generates
its own value. He IS the most valuable, also. The argument last
year was that L. Tomlinson was Offensive, but D. Brees was
the most valuable had some merit I guess, but not this year. I
think that's where you're trying to go. Won't work.

> Randy Moss is the player that stretches out the defense
> and opens up everything underneath. You could proba-
> bly go down to Jay Cutler, Jeff Garcia, or Phillip Rivers
> and still have a reasonable chance of scoring points and
> winning games with the current Patriots roster. Not 33
> touchdowns and 4 interceptions good. But good enough
> to be a playoff contender with an offense that can put up
> points.
>
> If you take Randy Moss off this team the only receiver
> you could replace him with and get similar results is TO.
> If he goes down, this offense suddenly lacks the explo-
> siveness it has generated in the first 9 games.

The Pats and Brady last year failed just short of going back
to the Superbowl. The Colts had to come back from a 2 TD
deficit. Brady had NO RECEIVERS, and almost made it
back! Brady, better than any QB today always seem
to make the right decision (unlike Favre). The years
that they won their 3 Bowls they didn't have a very
outstanding receiving corp. D Branch was good, but he
certainly was no superstar.

Brady FORCES you to give him his due, that's how good
he is. I'm a Cowboy fan, and will admit it.

>> 2) Eli Manning is having a breakout season -

I never heard this one. I think they said that last year.

> But the Winner is: 1) Brett Favre is playing his best
> football in a decade:

For all the reasons you dismissed for Brady, why would they
work for Favre? If you can attribute Vince Young's records
to his defense, you can also do the same for Favre. The
Packer's record THIS year vs. last year is due mainly to
their defense. For sure, Favre is having an outstanding
year, but in many ways it is typical. I find it
incomprehensible that you think Favre is the more
valuable player this year than Brady. Brady IS the
engine that makes NE run.