Four Downs

[SabresRule]

With the NFL season drawing closer, I have decided to do something unique and innovative to get the thought of our NFL fans on here.

It's called Four Downs- I ask fans of teams four questions about their team going forward this year, followed by asking how you see their season playing out.

For instance, I ask salsa 4 questions about the Raiders, HDMM 4 questions about the Browns, Cybok 4 questions about the Steelers, etc.

(Anybody is welcome to ask me the 4 questions about my Bills).

The reason I'm putting it in its own thread- I don't want it to get cluttered up with the NFL thread, since there'll be plenty of posts on there about news and other stuff going forward to/until the preseason.

 

[Rey]

so ask someone 4 questions

 

[salsadancer7]

I am ready....fire away!

 

[yaz96]

Unfortunately HDMM is gone.....

 

[Rey]

Unfortunately HDMM is gone.....

comes and goes. was here a couple of weeks ago
View Profile: HD MM - SatelliteGuys - America's Satellite & Home Theater Technology Information Source!

 

[yaz96]

comes and goes. was here a couple of weeks ago
View Profile: HD MM - SatelliteGuys - America's Satellite & Home Theater Technology Information Source!

He was here one time, for one post on 07/12. His first time even logging in since March. Trust me, I know.

 

[Rey]

He was here one time, for one post on 07/12. His first time even logging in since March. Trust me, I know.

so do I. he's had two posts between those dates. but this thread isn't about matt

 

[yaz96]

so do I. he's had two posts between those dates. but this thread isn't about matt

You are right, I was just trying to let Sabres know, HDMM might not answer. Or maybe he will.......

 

[Ramy]

We are waiting.....

 

[SabresRule]

First up: Rey and the Dolphins.

1. With all the QB talk about Ryan Tannehill (and his wife), plus Matt Moore's flashes of brilliance last year, why the hell did they basically give up Brandon Marshall for a box of cookies? Could have been a nice safety valve for the rookie, plus he had some nice connections with Moore.

2. Does Miami have enough defensively? Now that Jason Taylor's gone, do they have enough besides Karlos Dansby?

3. Reggie Bush looked pretty good at times last year; how should he be used?

4. Miami is the only team since 2003 not named New England to win the AFC East; can Miami be a surprise team and shake things up in the division?

Finally, what are your expectations for the Dolphins this season?

 

[salsadancer7]

First up: Rey and the Dolphins.

1. With all the QB talk about Ryan Tannehill (and his wife), plus Matt Moore's flashes of brilliance last year, why the hell did they basically give up Brandon Marshall for a box of cookies? Could have been a nice safety valve for the rookie, plus he had some nice connections with Moore.

2. Does Miami have enough defensively? Now that Jason Taylor's gone, do they have enough besides Karlos Dansby?

3. Reggie Bush looked pretty good at times last year; how should he be used?

4. Miami is the only team since 2003 not named New England to win the AFC East; can Miami be a surprise team and shake things up in the division?

Finally, what are your expectations for the Dolphins this season?

I can answer some of those. Eventhough the Dolphins are not my team, I hear enough about them to know like a Dolphin fan.

1) The Dolphins, were tired of his crap. TOO many off-field issues and when it comes to Sundays, too many drops.
2) Miami's defense was middle of the road, but I expect them to be better. Their corners will be more experienced so it should improve in it's 25th ranking. Their running defense was 3 overall. The defense IS their strongest asset.
3) They will use him the same way he was used last year, as a feature RB. They have former U RB standout Lamar Miller as a fall back.
4) Nope. They have too many questions on offense and not enough play makers on that side of the ball as well. They have little to no speed at the WR position.
5) I am thinking 5-11 or 7-9 AT BEST.

But then again, that is my point of view and I could be wrong.

Your turn Rey, go get 'em!

 

[SabresRule]

Raider time: 4 Downs with Salsa

1. Would the Raiders have been better off last year if Jason Campbell didn't hurt his collarbone, thus not making the Palmer trade a necessary? I ask this considering Palmer's inconsistency and the cost they gave up for him.

2. Early on last year, McFadden looked frighteningly good. Then he got hurt. Now they don't have Michael Bush, so they don't have a Plan B. If he doesn't produce this year, might he be traded? Feels like make-or-break.

3. Oakland is percieved as being penalty-prone and undisciplined. Is it really as simple as players bring a little too aggressive or flinching at the line of scrimmage?

4. Your defensive coordinator- no longer a tub of goo, but is he any good? Same for the new coach- Hue Jackson was a few bad breaks from hosting the Steelers in a playoff game, so why change everything? They no longer have losing records!

Finally, what are your expectations for the Silver and Black?

 

[Rey]

First up: Rey and the Dolphins.

1. With all the QB talk about Ryan Tannehill (and his wife), plus Matt Moore's flashes of brilliance last year, why the hell did they basically give up Brandon Marshall for a box of cookies? Could have been a nice safety valve for the rookie, plus he had some nice connections with Moore.

2. Does Miami have enough defensively? Now that Jason Taylor's gone, do they have enough besides Karlos Dansby?

3. Reggie Bush looked pretty good at times last year; how should he be used?

4. Miami is the only team since 2003 not named New England to win the AFC East; can Miami be a surprise team and shake things up in the division?

Finally, what are your expectations for the Dolphins this season?

1- actually his relationship with moore was terrible. he publicly criticized the qb more than once when in reality he should've looked at himself in the mirror with all of his dropped catches and many for touchdowns. he has a bad habit of putting the blame on everyone else. according to marshall his issues at denver and miami are due to poor wr's coaches and so on

2- yes this is still miami's strong side of the ball. there are some new faces this year and am still not familiar with some of these names. we need some of these rookies to step it up BIG TIME!

3- i'd say pretty much the same as last season. maybe a little less running and be more involved in the passing game. he exceeded my expectations in 2011.

4- NO! pats are still one of the top teams in the NFL and miami lacks too much depth to come even close. at this point the 2nd spot is up for grabs as everyone else in the division stinks.

5- my expectations? :haha how about none. no chance for disappointment what i hope for? well i hope miami goes 9-7. i would be happy with that! by mid season Ryan needs to be behind center. we desperately need other rookies like at right tackle to really come through for us. for the first time since ireland came to miami i feel good about the draft we had. hopefully i'm right for his sake. another bust will finally mean the end of him here in miami. biggest disappointment in this off-season so far was not addressing the WR position enough.

 

[BillD1984]

4- NO! pats are still one of the top teams in the NFL and miami lacks too much depth to come even close. at this point the 2nd spot is up for grabs as everyone else in the division stinks.

At the risk of sounding like a homer Rey, I think you're right. The Patriots loaded up in the offseason, and are now deep on BOTH sides of the ball. IMO, this is the best Pats team since the 2007 undefeated regular season. I'd be shocked if the Pats didn't run the table in the division (of course, this is as long as #12 stays upright).

 

[SabresRule]

4 downs for Bill and his Patriotic football players:

1. New England has made a nice metamorphosis from 'Brady throws to stud WR's' to 'Brady throws to stud TE's.' Especially Gronk, who has become a New England TE offensive terror ala the days of Ben Coates. You said Hernandez was the more athletic guy, but how has Gronk become so superb?

2. What is it about Brady and Belichick that makes them tick and mesh? These two guys have been football freaks of nature (in a good way) for the decade. It's like milk and cookies! They are good by themselves, but together- wow!

3. New England's defense is interesting to say the least. They have some young studs (Mayo, Carter, McCourty), but do have some lapses here and there. Is this a situation which a guy like Richard Seymour could have put them over the top the last two years?

4. The division features hot-and-cold Buffalo (literally), schizophrenic Miami, and a Jekkyl-and-Hyde Jets team with, media-wise, the most discussed pair of QB's on a team media-wise since Montana and Young were in the Bay Area. Division-wise, is there anything that makes you say 'We GOT to be careful facing them?'

Finally, your expectations for this year?

 

[salsadancer7]

Raider time: 4 Downs with Salsa

1. Would the Raiders have been better off last year if Jason Campbell didn't hurt his collarbone, thus not making the Palmer trade a necessary? I ask this considering Palmer's inconsistency and the cost they gave up for him.

Well...1st off, IF Campbell does not get hurt... would McFadden have gotten hurt and the WR miss more than half the season? The Raiders season was COMPLETELY setup by all of the injuries. Look, do I WISH the Raiders have not traded their 1st and the their 2nd round picks? No. Is Palmer a BETTER QB than Campbell....YES. Alot of Palmers' inconsistency was due to a lot of things: Injuries, no OTAs, no preseason...and coming off the couch to play within 10 days? I don't care WHO you are..from Aaron Rogers to Drew Brees to Eli Manning...you were NOT gonna get off right missing all that AND on a new team.

2. Early on last year, McFadden looked frighteningly good. Then he got hurt. Now they don't have Michael Bush, so they don't have a Plan B. If he doesn't produce this year, might he be traded? Feels like make-or-break.

It IS a make or break year for him. There two sides to McFadden. WHEN he is healthy, he is AS GOOD as ANY RB in the NFL...period. But, the magic word is healthy. It has been either one or the other. The Raiders WILL sign Benson. WHAT they are waiting is desperation on Benson side. IS it a douchey move by the Raiders? You could say that...BUT all the good GMs do it and they call that move "shrewd". The Raiders have an EXTREMELY talented Taiwan Jones will be BETTER than Michael Bush....mark my words.

3. Oakland is percieved as being penalty-prone and undisciplined. Is it really as simple as players bring a little too aggressive or flinching at the line of scrimmage?

This issue has been in the DNA of the Oakland Raiders since BEFORE I can speak English AND Spanish! LOL! If they can just cut 1/3 of the penalties, they would probably be in the top 5 teams in penalties...but might have a few more stops and a few more TDs.

4. Your defensive coordinator- no longer a tub of goo, but is he any good? Same for the new coach- Hue Jackson was a few bad breaks from hosting the Steelers in a playoff game, so why change everything? They no longer have losing records!

For the last few years, the Raiders have had offensive minded head coaches. The offense is fine but as talented as the Raiders front line and some of the LBs were...they were not producing. I am glad they went the route they did. And for as much as some have suddenly forgotten what Dennis Allen did for Denver's defense...he will do the same with the Raiders.

Finally, what are your expectations for the Silver and Black?

My expectations for my Raiders? Hmmm... IF..and that has always been the case with the Raiders, IF they can stay RELATIVELY healthy...they go 9-7 at worse and 10-6 and win the division. Regardless of Manning. IF they get the same thing of last year, lose McFadden, lose half the WR corp to injuries...it will get ugly because they have little depth due to cap restraints.

The ENTIRE season will depend on whether the Raiders can stay healthy.

 

[Rey]

4 downs for Bill and his Patriotic football players:

1. New England has made a nice metamorphosis from 'Brady throws to stud WR's' to 'Brady throws to stud TE's.' Especially Gronk, who has become a New England TE offensive terror ala the days of Ben Coates. You said Hernandez was the more athletic guy, but how has Gronk become so superb?

2. What is it about Brady and Belichick that makes them tick and mesh? These two guys have been football freaks of nature (in a good way) for the decade. It's like milk and cookies! They are good by themselves, but together- wow!

3. New England's defense is interesting to say the least. They have some young studs (Mayo, Carter, McCourty), but do have some lapses here and there. Is this a situation which a guy like Richard Seymour could have put them over the top the last two years?

4. The division features hot-and-cold Buffalo (literally), schizophrenic Miami, and a Jekkyl-and-Hyde Jets team with, media-wise, the most discussed pair of QB's on a team media-wise since Montana and Young were in the Bay Area. Division-wise, is there anything that makes you say 'We GOT to be careful facing them?'

Finally, your expectations for this year?

that guy in your avatar brings back a lot of memories for me. it was always fun watching him go after danny which he barely every sacked. too quick of a release. smith and white will always be my favs. bruce smith would battle it out with our #78 on the offensive line, richmond webb

 

[Hart5150]

4 downs for Bill and his Patriotic football players:

1. New England has made a nice metamorphosis from 'Brady throws to stud WR's' to 'Brady throws to stud TE's.' Especially Gronk, who has become a New England TE offensive terror ala the days of Ben Coates. You said Hernandez was the more athletic guy, but how has Gronk become so superb?

Gronk is as big or bigger than most defensive ends with good speed, it is very difficult for a LB or safety to cover him. Hernandez is more dangerous in the open field, does have a tenancy to drop a pass or 2.

2. What is it about Brady and Belichick that makes them tick and mesh? These two guys have been football freaks of nature (in a good way) for the decade. It's like milk and cookies! They are good by themselves, but together- wow!

I think that they absolutely trust each other and that stems from the 2001 season when Bill decided that the Pats were Brady's team.

3. New England's defense is interesting to say the least. They have some young studs (Mayo, Carter, McCourty), but do have some lapses here and there. Is this a situation which a guy like Richard Seymour could have put them over the top the last two years?

No. Everyone points to the defense, but the defense played well enough to beat the Giants both times. The Oline crapped the bed in both games. John Hannah would of helped more than Seymour.

4. The division features hot-and-cold Buffalo (literally), schizophrenic Miami, and a Jekkyl-and-Hyde Jets team with, media-wise, the most discussed pair of QB's on a team media-wise since Montana and Young were in the Bay Area. Division-wise, is there anything that makes you say 'We GOT to be careful facing them?'

I think the Bills could win 9-10 games, and that's good enough to get them 2nd place in the division. I just think the other QB's in the division are garbage. Jets win 8 and I'll give the Dolphins 3. So maybe the Bills in Buffalo have a chance to be that "careful" game.


Finally, your expectations for this year?

Realistically, anything short of a Lombardi will be disappointing.

 

[BillD1984]

4 downs for Bill and his Patriotic football players:

1. New England has made a nice metamorphosis from 'Brady throws to stud WR's' to 'Brady throws to stud TE's.' Especially Gronk, who has become a New England TE offensive terror ala the days of Ben Coates. You said Hernandez was the more athletic guy, but how has Gronk become so superb?

2. What is it about Brady and Belichick that makes them tick and mesh? These two guys have been football freaks of nature (in a good way) for the decade. It's like milk and cookies! They are good by themselves, but together- wow!

3. New England's defense is interesting to say the least. They have some young studs (Mayo, Carter, McCourty), but do have some lapses here and there. Is this a situation which a guy like Richard Seymour could have put them over the top the last two years?

4. The division features hot-and-cold Buffalo (literally), schizophrenic Miami, and a Jekkyl-and-Hyde Jets team with, media-wise, the most discussed pair of QB's on a team media-wise since Montana and Young were in the Bay Area. Division-wise, is there anything that makes you say 'We GOT to be careful facing them?'

Finally, your expectations for this year?

I think Hart covered just about everything that you need to know. I just want to add one thing: watch the defense!! IMO, this is a VERY underrated unit going into 2012. With the additions of Jones, Hightower, Wilson, Bequette, Fanene, Scott, Allen and Dowling (who missed most of his rookie season to injury) via the draft and free agency, the Pats got much more talented and athletic on D.

 

[Rey]

Maybe now someone can come up with 4 good questions for sabres? I don't have 4 good questions. Still need one more