NFL Week 14 Picks.

[Tyche]

They had a press conference when Petrino hired in talking about how if Vick didn't adjust his playstyle to pass first, run second...it may be his last chance in atlanta. I didn't really buy into that, but that's what was said. Blank said he hired him to help vicks passing game, which was Petrino's strength. He produced some prolific passers at UofL. He was never a revolutionary playcaller.

[Deejay]

Uh, he was actually pretty known for his play-calling. "Tom Coughlin, then head coach of the Jaguars, called Petrino “the best play-caller I've ever been around.”

[Tyche]

Petrino worked directly under coughlin when he coached the jags, and they had an abysmal offense at best. I'm sure most head coaches in the NFL say that their offensive coordinators are great play callers. Most coordinators are appointed by head coaches. If he was so great, I'm sure they'd of found a way to keep him, but instead of having a fairly prestigous NFL coordinator job, he left for a college assistant job. I spent almost his entire tenure at UofL when he came in, and while he did turn the program completely around, it was primarily on QB play, which was what petrino's specialty was, which is why arthur blank said he brought him in, to improve the passing game.

[Mizango]

go Kyle Orton starting for the Bears next Monday!

It's sad that Bears fans are excited for a 3rd string starter. Rex wasn't all that bad since he came back though.

No, I think the benching relived him of some pressure and he is finally playing like he should have the entire time; care free. I have always liked Kyle Orton (I am a huge Purdue fan obviously) I and am excited to see him play since his Rookie season, in which he played not too bad considering he was a rookie at the time.

[Millael]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/f ... index.html

Oh... man. Is it bad that I'm cracking up right now? Because I am.

[archibaldcrane]

Looks pretty meaningless to me honestly. Are you laughing because of the false idea that "The Jets do the same thing!" or because the Patriots seemingly stopped them for no reason?

[Millael]

It's not that "the Jets do the exact same thing!" It's that Mangini, who of all coaches was the one who turned Belichick in (and it should have been turned in, along with the several other unknown teams who more than likely do it as well), was taping not even a year earlier, and just kinda hoped he could turn Belichick in without having to deal with any consequences himself. Seems a bit sleazy and lame to me.

[Demosthenes11]

It's not that "the Jets do the exact same thing!" It's that Mangini, who of all coaches was the one who turned Belichick in (and it should have been turned in, along with the several other unknown teams who more than likely do it as well), was taping not even a year earlier, and just kinda hoped he could turn Belichick in without having to deal with any consequences himself. Seems a bit sleazy and lame to me.

Mangini didn't tape something against the rules. People like you are why people think spygate is such a big deal; they have no fucking clue what the infraction was

[Deejay]

It's probably safe to assume that Mangini and Belicheck were taping teams together in NE. It's not that surprising to see Mangini is/was still doing it as a head coach.

[Millael]

... oh, wait. I'm absolutely retarded. That'll teach me to just barely skim an article before posting it. I'll go off to the corner of shame now.

[archibaldcrane]

See, I thought the same thing (that only certain types of taping aren't allowed) and even made a (quickly-deleted) post to that affect here, but then I read:

Here are some of the league's rules regarding videotaping procedures:

# In the NFL's operations manual, it states that "no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game." Furthermore, all video shooting locations for coaching purposes "must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

# In a memo to NFL head coaches and general managers on Sept. 6, 2006, NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson wrote: "Videotaping of any type, including but not limited to taping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals, is prohibited on the sidelines, in the coaches' booth, in the locker room, or at any other locations accessible to club staff members during the game."

# In the league's Constitution & Bylaws, it reads: "Any use by any club at any time, from the start to the finish of any game in which such club is a participant, of any communications or information-gathering equipment, other than Polaroid-type cameras or field telephones, shall be prohibited, including without limitation videotape machines, telephone tapping, or bugging devices, or any other form of electronic devices that might aid a team during the playing of a game."

So now I'm confuzzled.

[Mizango]

go Kyle Orton starting for the Bears next Monday!

Wow are you serious!? I've been waiting for this all season, well since Rex has been struggling.

Go Purdue!

Does he still have that Jeremiah Johnson/Grizzly Adams beard? I cant wait for Monday night now lol. I hope he plays well, he managed them well as a Rookie.

Yup, he still has the awesome neck-beard.

I think he played alright for a rookie, guess we'll get to see if he has matured as a QB. I imagine he'll be starting the last three games of the season, so we'll have to see how he plays overall. I'm not going to judge him based on the Minnesota game, seeing that he hasn't thrown a regular season pass for 2 years and gets absolutely no snaps in practice.

Lovie Smith says that they aren't putting him so they can start preparing for next season, but everyone knows that the Bears aren't going to make it to the playoffs, so imagine they are starting to prepare for next season.

It's going to be interesting though, because I'm pretty sure they planned on having Grossman start for the remainder of the season to see whether or not we should keep him since his contract is expiring, but now that we won't get to see him perform I wonder what they'll end up doing with him.

That is a good question, that knee injury really puts them in a bind. For one, he has indeed been playing well since being reinserted into the starting lineup until the injury, which at least makes him usable next year even if for a short time. Orton will be back with the team more than likely, unless he is traded to a team looking for a young QB that grasps enough of the NFL game but not a rookie that will get that clueless, deer in the headlights look when he is in the game. Their options are limited at best though.

But you are right about putting merit into Orton's first start in 2 years against the Vikings defense. He does manage a game well, he never was/is a huge risk taker, so maybe that is what they need in lieu of past QB play. The part that worries me more than the offense is the Bears Defense against the Vikes rush and the threat of the Playaction.