Monday, October 5, 2009

RE-CAP: Dolphins vs. Bills - October 4th, 2009


OK, as a fan, I'm not as likely to downplay the win as much as the mainstream media, but it needs to be said that we are still not as good as the final score of 38 - 10 indicates.  We were able to move the ball easily against a Buffalo defense missing four starters.  The Bills were trying to adjust their running game back to Marshawn Lynch, which prevented Fred Jackson from getting into a rhythm.  And the Bills were down to a backup LT who was third string before they traded Jason Peters.  Again, I'm not trying to take away from the win, but if we HADN'T won this game, then we would have been relegated back to the NCAA.

Now on to the positives.  The Dolphins OWNED time of possession, rushing yardage, first downs, and a brand new stat I've created called the 'rookie effect'.  The Bills rookie o-linemen gave up sacks, the rookie safety was unimpressive in his first start, and the rookie 1st rounder, Aaron Maybin got manhandled and had just one tackle despite playing most of the second half.  Meanwhile, the Dolphins got 3 sacks from virtual rookie Cam Wake, a pick 6 from Vontae Davis who also contributed 2 tackles a pass deflection, and a special teams tackle, 2 pass deflections from Sean Smith who combined with Davis and Will Allen to virtually shut down the Bills receivers (and most importantly, not give up any big plays) and finally Brian Hartline playing mistake free football and being the recipient of an absolutely gorgeous touchdown pass from Chad Henne, who is a virtual rookie as well.  Another virtual rookie, Donald Thomas might as well replace Vernon Carey as only one of them continues to look like an offensive lineman in the NFL.

Now, stripping away all the stats and the big plays and turnover differential that finally went OUR way, the more important aspect of this game is that we won.  I know that sounds obvious and over-simplified, but it really isn't.  Had we not won this game, even I would have written this team off completely, and I might have joined the mass-media darkside.  But the fact that we won provides a safety net to the fear of a 2007 repeat (I know technically we could still go 1-15, but in 2007 we were in fear of going 0-16.  At the very least, we're better off than Detroit in 2008), provides a much needed confidence boost than can stop any infectious depression in the locker room, and perhaps most importantly, puts us immediately back into the division race.  At 1-3 and with a divisional win, we are currently in third place, and only a win over the Jets and the Patriots away from the top of the division again.  After watching the Jets and the Patriots yesterday, I don't think it's inconceivable.  Hard work, yes, but inconceivable, no!

But for now, let's not worry about that.  For now let's take a moment to breathe again.  I don't know about the rest of you, but the second we ran out the clock last night, I exhaled as if I had been holding it in for weeks.  

So don't forget that despite the win coming versus a badly bruised Bills team, it IS a win, and it's an important win in so many ways.  Starting tomorrow we'll look forward to the Jets in what no doubt could be our toughest remaining opponent on our 'brutal' schedule.  I haven't run the numbers, but with 2008 powerhouses, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Carolina not looking too hot, and the Colts and Falcons behind us, I don't think we have the toughest schedule in the NFL anymore.  Especially if we continue to stick to our current game plan, and winning those key stat-lines - Time of Possession, turnover ratio, rushing yards, first downs, etc.


  

132 comments:

  1. tin, i agree with you about not over playing the win, but we did win agaist a depleted bills team in a manner which we should of won.  it wasnt like we won a 14-13 sqeaker.  i think we pretty much did as we should have.

    on

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  2. tin, you hear anything about merling and how bad he is hurt

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  3. Sparano said it's an ankle and he doesn't know the severity of it yet.

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  4. BTW, the Bulls are #23 in the country!!

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  5. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 9:27 AM

    Tin, I agree with your take. It was a much needed win and we fans got to have an enjoyable day and relax a little bit.  8-)

    This is a game of momentum and we built some confidence yesterday. Henne got that first start out of the way. He shouldn't have butterflies this week. We need to keep improving in all areas and the youth movement on this team looks promising.

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  6. "We need to keep improving in all areas and the youth movement on this team
    looks promising."
    Sparano said Ginn didn't play much because they were in 'big' mode. That,
    with the overall receivers slump begs the question why Patrick Turner
    couldn't be used. Obviously we didn't need him to win the game, but his
    size coming at a 5'10" 190lb cornerback on a running play has got to be an
    interesting prospect versus Davone Bess, for example. Or is this one of
    those way too obvious things that football coaches rarely seem to see?
    We still need help in the red zone, the Hartline touchdown was a play
    'touched' by the football gods. We can't expect that to happen all the
    time. Fasano isn't cutting it as a pass target so we need some big bodied
    receiver to present a big target. If only we had one of those on the
    roster....

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  7. thats good, big test coming up next thur.  we will see how good our front 7 are then

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  8. Yeah, it's fun to be a Bull because every other week is the 'biggest game in
    school history' LOL

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  9. Seen turner gets his big body, elbows out right infront of opponents for the block
    Turner in your path as a much bigger physical WR is an excellent point

    Remember when Wilford scored his preseason TD
    Turner impeded Wilfords defender which sprung Ernest to be wide open

    Tin
    Please dont threaten me with a good time !  lol

    Why not be content with the twerps that are currently blocking WRs  lol


    Patience
    Might be a few more games
    Who knows

    Only know is I must of got in Omars head as he posted yesterday that Patrick Turner will never be activated
    Thought that statement was ridiculous
    Omar knows no more than the rest of us  to the  mindset of Henning and the Trifecta(but he is getting better on the radio, and does admit when he is wrong)


    Dolphins Win MNF

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  10. Also I bet on the Dolphins winning
    Omar bet on Buffalo

    Now I own his wife and kids

    Think he did it to me on purpose  lol

    Have a Great day Tin!

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  11. What did Omar say about Turner??

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  12. Per David Neal, Miami Herald:
    "Merling wearing a protective boot on his left foot, but says all is well
    and he'll be practicing this week. Donald Thomas said the same thing last
    year wearing a similar boot on the Monday before he was declared out for the
    season."

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  13. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 10:23 AM

    A protective boot doesn't mean serious injury. They all wear them now because it takes pressure off the injury. Ahmad Bradshaw was wearing a protective boot all week until he practiced Friday and he played Sunday and rushed 12-64.

    Be positive!  ;)

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  14. I did not say anything about the injury, I quoted a journalist! I'm always
    positive! (grumble grumble...)

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  15. <div id="comment-6a00d8341c2c7653ef0120a612b0db970c" class="comment comment-odd">
    <div id="comment-6a00d8341c2c7653ef0120a612b0db970c-content" class="comment-content"><span>

    Patrick Turner will never be active. He's struggling seriously.
    </span></div>
    <p>Posted by: omar | October 04, 2009 at 02:53 PM
    </div>

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  16. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 10:44 AM

    I love this kind of stuff from reporters.

    "The Miami offensive line is interesting this week in that it must contend with Rex Ryan's defensive lab experiments. But it is also interesting in that Nate Garner seems to be making inroads at the guard spot.

    Garner took some snaps at right guard Sunday in place of Donald Thomas. Sparano explained that Thomas has taken a lot of snaps at the position in trying to get caught up from the injuries he's had and Garner has earned some snaps.

    "I thought Garner did a good job," Sparano said.

    Notice that Garner has apparently passed Shawn Murphy, who was starting at right guard to start preseason. Murphy was inactive Sunday."

    Now maybe this is the case but probably not. Garner who is playing some guard is a tackle who provides depth at that position. Murphy would most likely be the first guy to replace Smiley or Thomas should they miss a game with Berger and Garner remaining as the game day backups.

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  17. Typical media, they never watch the game and they surely don't know the
    game. Garner comes in on goal-line situations as an extra tackle/tight
    end. He did last week as well (if you recall, he was the pass target on 3rd
    and goal from the 2yard line when Pennington waited way too long and then
    threw the ball out of the end zone). He obviously has practiced well enough
    to earn playing time, but a lot of it has to do with the actual roster
    breakdown.
    The O-line consists of 5 starters who are concreted into their positions:
    LT - Long, LG - Smiley, C - Grove, RG - Thomas, RT - Carey. it's easy math
    to suppose that the team would take 7 total o-linemen to the games, so one
    would have to be a tackle who can play some guard, and the other would have
    to be a center, who could play some guard. Well we know Berger is going to
    be the center, there's no alternative there. The Dolphins took Murphy to
    the first two games because Thomas was still healing and was under-worked,
    meaning he couldn't handle a full 4 quarters yet. So they eased him into it
    and now he's at full strength, so Murphy, who can play a little tackle in a
    pinch, drops back down to inactive status, and a true tackle replaces him.
    Well, Andrew Gardner was god-awful in the pre-season so he's a project that
    likely won't play this year. In comes GarNER. As the reserve o-lineman,
    Garner would likely play in ANY game where the score was so lopsided, just
    as Patrick Cobbs would start running the ball, Pat White would get some
    snaps, haynos would get some pass targets, etc.
    The media just loves to gossip and imply that there's controversy where
    there isn't. Donald Thomas is the starting RG and will likely play EVERY
    snap at that position vs the Jets.

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  18. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 11:35 AM

    I'm amazed at how clueless some of the media is. Today Brian Biggane wrote Ronnie Brown is on pace for his first 1,000 yard season.  >:o

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  19. Who's Brian Biggane?

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  20. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 12:06 PM

    PBP guy along with Edgar Thompson.

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  21. Tins,

    "Breaking news...USF campus on lockdown as police search for armed man."  Oh what a world.....

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  22. "Authorities say an off-campus call was transferred to USF police from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. USF police say they are investigating a report of a suspect armed with a bomb and a gun in the library area.
    The agency says they have received further information of a subject on a bus in the area of the Parking and Transportation Services. USF police are on scene and attempting to locate and secure the area.
    The campus transit system has been shut down until further notice."

    Jesus Christ.......Another fucking nut!!!

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  23. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 12:18 PM

    If he doesn't have any hostages, once he's isolated and they know where he is they should just shoot him with a rocket launcher.

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  24. Maybe we should declare war on our own "terrorists" right here in the U.S.???

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  25. That guy should be ashamed of himself for not getting his facts right.

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  26. <h2>Subject in custody after USF reports gunman threat</h2>
    <!--endtext-->


    <script></script>
    <script type="text/javascript"></script>

    <!--begintext-->

    <span>TAMPA, Fla. —</span> University of South Florida police say one person is in custody, shortly after receiving a report of a possible gunman on campus.
    The agency has requested the Tampa police's bomb team to respond regarding the individual's belongings. This comes about 90 minutes after authorities say they received an off-campus call regarding a gunman near the library.
    <!--endtext--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude-->


    <script src="http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/palmbeachpost/js/daytonbreadcrumbtable.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

    <!--endclickprintexclude--><!--endclickprintexclude--><!--begintext-->

    Whether the suspect is linked to the earlier report was not immediately clear.
    An alert posted on USF's Web site Monday afternoon said people on campus should stay inside and lock doors while officers search the area. USF police said they were investigating a report of a suspect armed with a bomb and a gun in the library area.
    The agency said they received further information of a subject on a bus in the area of the Parking and Transportation Services. USF police were attempting to locate and secure the area.

    ___

    <script></script>

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  27. They locked down the campus when I was a student there too....apparently USF
    was part of the whole terrorism story long before 9/11 ever happened.

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  28. This is shocking news....they have a campus transit system? I had to walk
    my ass to class!!

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  29. Per CNN:
    :"Text messages were sent out to 13,000 employees and 45,000 students to
    warn them"
    How times have changed, when the lockdown happened in the late 90s, I walked
    with a friend across a ghost town campus wondering where everyone was, got
    to the library where we were headed, and looked 100 yards to the right and
    saw a bunch of armored vehicles including a tank parked on the main
    driveway. There were no cops or flashing lights, just SWAT and military.
    Of course, had we received a text message which weren't invented yet, we
    probably still would have ventured out to see the hubbub (young and stupid)

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  30. Tin, I think there was a collective exhalation about that same time accross the US by us Phins fans.  I for one was pacing in my living room into the 3rd quarter.  My wife kept sticking her head in the room asking "are they doing ok, why are you so nervous they have a big lead." I can't remember how many games we have lost where we were in the same position in the third.  As for the up-coming games no worries.  Remeber Lil' Mark Giglio says the next 6 are ours! He's right so far. 

    I think I'll buy him a new bike if we do prove his prediction!!

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  31. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 12:45 PM

    We have. Remember Waco and Ruby Ridge?

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  32. That would be the next 5 now.  should bring us right through the Bucks game.  (heck the two games after that stretch shouldn't be that tough either.  Panthers then Bills again.)

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  33. Hey!! why am I "Guest"  >:o

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  34. OH, now I'm Rockphin again!! WTF? :-D

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  35. Okay. So that's that. 

    Not too pleased with the news about Merling but I'm keeping my fingers crossed it's nothing too serious. 

    I'm definitely relieved that we won the game yesterday & I'm a very critical fan BUT I don't care if we just beat the worst team in the NFL (which I don't believe the Bill are) I really liked the way we played & it's the first game we were finally able to get pressure on the QB. 

    Through 4 games there are two MAJOR things that we have been able to show;
    1) We can run the ball.
    2) We can stop the run.  

    Unfortunately this was not enough to beat the Colts who have Peyton Manning but the Jets have Mark Sanchez.   We stop the run again this week & with the way R&R has looked, I like our chances.   With that said we have to be able to mount some type of pass rush.  We gave Ryan, Manning, & Rivers way too much time.  Also I don't think we can play Wilson any longer.  I don't care how much money we paid him, we struck out big time (as bad as the Wilford signing) with this jackass.  Culver has improved in every game since he's become a Dolphin so fuck Wilson already.  At least Culver can tackle!

    BTW--For the record I've changed my mind.  Even with Ronnie Brown about to turn 28 in December, with the way he is running the football I don't know if we can afford to let him hit FA.   This season he has looked every bit the part of one of the best RB's in football.  I'd by lying if I said the age doesn't concern me but look at Ricky???  He looks great as well & he's 40!!!  LOL!  In addition if we continue to keep the Wildcat as part of the offense, I can't imagine a player being able to run it better.  When Vick was younger maybe but today???  No one.  Our RB's are studs!!!

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  36. UNDOUBTABLY the FINS QB for the next decade, HENNE= (P O I S E / LAZER ARM / W's)!!
    (He threw some veteran type touch/lazer/over-the-top passes)in his 1st official start!!
    I especially appreciated the long EZ incompletion to Fasano,as much as the flat fade TD w'touch to BH,
    (ABSOLUTELY PERFECT PLACEMENT)on both among others!!

    NOT on HENNE's wagon cuz of Sun game!!
    HAVE been pushing his wagon since 08 predraft prediction of his 2b selection,
    and pushed even harder after witnessing his POISE in 1st 08 PS game!!


    NONE of the QBs on the roster,or available to us in the draft's(since DANNY)
    could ALMOST complete that pass(inc Fasano) w'regularity,WELL RYAN could,but NOT w'out a LT!!



    DAMMIT,we coulda had BQuinn,and Sidney Rice 07,or BQuinn 07 and WR Dexter Jackson 08,LOL!!!

    I'm HAPPY w'the combination of Ginn(though I wish we had traded down to the late teens for him),
    JAKE,and CHENNE(who will raise TGs game to another level IMHO),
    over any-other potential scenario that I see which might have taken place,(involving those positions)!!!!!

    OK,we coulda had RYAN,and DeSean Jackson,minus an eventual career-LONG ALL-PRO LT...
    In MIAMI,RYAN wouldn't have been the QB he was for Atl in 08,we wouldn't have JLong,
    and we wouldn't be division defending champs!!! 
    THANX CP,for holding down the fort,and teaching CHenne HOW TO BE A PRO QB!!
    NEVER wanted BQuinn,would have liked Ryan had we not gone 10 yrs w'out a LT/OLINE!!

    POISE / LAZER / clock control O vs INDY,BUFF  / POSITIVITY WILL BE IN HIGH DEMAND next Mon!!

    I see it as a rematch x two vs (08 Balt minus a powerful run game)
    where only multiple TURN-OVERS(like in Atl 09) eliminated us from a possible following work week
    looking like this,  :-P :-D   :-D :-D :-D :-D :-P  for 7 days!!! 


    GOTTA PRESSURE THE QB,guarantee they'll be pressuring""OURS"",(stay away from Revis)!!
    GO QUICK to RB's in the flat, DBESS/TEs @LOS,crosses,and outs,occasionaly deep away from Revis!!
    RRyan had the answer's to LAST YRS WildFIN,this yrs WF is farrr advanced,this game will tell us HOW FARR!!
    TOOOO BADDD PW's no where near ready,but w'out him we'll truely have a better guage of"OUR"improvements!!

    GO     M    I    A    M    I          D    O    L    P    H    I    N    S     !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  37. <span> "are they doing ok, why are you so nervous they have a big lead."</span>

    Yeah, just like the big lead the Steelers had last night.  I was sort of hoping the Chargers would pull that one off.

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  38. Consider yourself fortunate.  Never had anything like this when I went to U of Maryland in the early 90's.  That shit at Virginia Tech was horrifying.

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  39. Easy....Just slow down.  One game at a time.  Let's kick some Gang Green asses first before we get ahead of ourselves.

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  40. I'll get into this more later in the week, but the Jets game is a whole
    other bag of potatoes (is that even a saying?)
    For one, their O-line is a million times better than Buffalo's. They have
    the best running back duo we'll face this year. They have the best, no,
    'hottest' defense right now. The Jets were looking pretty good until New
    Orleans bitch-slapped their running game. There-in lies the absolute truth
    about football. Stop the run. what's the stat - 75% of the time the best
    running team wins? The team that can run the ball AND stop the run wins
    almost 90% of the time. Of course, we've been in the 10 percent the prior
    two weeks, so odds aren't everything.

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  41. 13k, you're really not on speed??? 

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  42. They've obviously arrested some dufus idiot who was joking on the bus. He's
    not even wearing shoes for crying out loud. Crazed gunmen wear boots, not
    sandals and a bright green stripey USF shirt. And they're not usually
    320lbs! They arrested this guy and in typical cop fashion, immediately
    called off search for the real guy....then later they received another call
    with description: guy in a black tanktop wearing a cowboy hat, holding a
    puppy and a bowie knife....hmm...sounds like a crazed nutcase to me! How
    can you not see someone like that on the campus CCTV?

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  43. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:13 PM

    Tin, you making that stuff up or is that what you really heard? LOL

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  44. Why does no ever believe me? I posted links to the story for crying out
    loud, or do you think I hacked into abc and cnn in order to tell tall tales?
    LOL

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  45. Herd,

    It sounds like Pennington got some good news that he might be able to play next year. 

    Don't get me wrong he did a great job for us last year but if we have any chance to become an elite team going forward he wasn't the guy.  I'm not saying Henne is going to be that guy since he's only started one game but he does offer a potential upside & at 0-3 it was the perfect time to see what we have.   Like I said, he's only started one game but if he works his ass off (he's supposed to be a hard worker) & stays healthy we can be looking at a very good young QB.   The entire Dolphins' organization can say & do whatever they want but IMO what this franchise needs more than anything to FINALLY really turn the corner is for Henne to be the man.  And we're about to find out if he is.

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  46. Merling not seriously injured
    http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/2009/10/05/dolphins-de-merlings-ankle-not-seriously-injured/

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  47. 13kvFins,  Most likely PW will be our 3rd string qb for the forseeable future.  HOWEVER, Thigpen has almost the same skill set as PW and is bigger with more experience.  I wouldn't be surprised if we see some W/C with Thigpen passing the ball against the Jets (game 2) or the Pats.  Imagine, the ball is snapped to Ronnie who hands it to Ricky as if he is running the "Jet", who tosses it back to Thigpen who hits ronnie or Cobs 40yds down feild!! And a whole bunch of combinations off that scenario!

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  48. It's not me WHP, it's my freinds 6 year old who made the prediction! I'm happy to roll with it!

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  49. Rockphin, how is that scenario any different than what we did with
    Pennington in there? Henne could do the same thing. And Thigpen won't be
    coming in for setplays because he is inactive.

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  50. ...hes on something, that's for sure :-D

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  51. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:31 PM

    Tin, the Lynch/Jackson duo is a pretty good one. We also have to face the Patriots 44 RB combination. The best duo we'll face will be the Panthers Williams/Stewart if Stewart is 100% followed by the Titans Johnson/White combo. Jones is a decent back and Johnson is very dangerous so it won't be easy but I don't think they're the best combo. Maybe I'm just nitpicking.  :-P

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  52. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:32 PM

    You didn't post links in the paragraph I'm referring to.

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  53. The Jets O-line is definitely better than the Bills but is it better than Atlanta's???  Or the Colts???  I don't think so.  We shut down Turner & IMO he's one of the best in football. 

    The Sainst have the 8th best run defense so far & I think ours is better.

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  54. I think PW will be the one inactive in the coming weeks. The difference is Thigpen can run also or he could actually go out for the pass and catch it! Like he did last year in KC. I'll bet you my sippy cup (now modified to hold more and drink faster) that PW is inactive by the Nov 1 Yets game.

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  55. A puppy & a bowie knife????  What's wrong with this picture???

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  56. Who the hell is Johnson?
    Thomas Jones and Leon Washington behind the Jets O-line still rank as number
    1 to me.
    Jones/Washington = 410 yards
    Williams/Stewart = 279 yards
    Johnson/White = 516 yards but Lendale only has 82 yards on the season.
    Johnson IS tennessee's entire offense.
    Oh, for the record, Ronnie/Ricky = 617 yards.

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  57. I think once Thigpen gets up to spead with the offence (which is very similar to KC) he will surplant PW as our #2 qb.

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  58. Atlanta's o-line is not better than the Jets, not even close. The Colts
    don't have a good o-line, that's why they throw the ball on one-step drops
    and haven't been able to run the ball for 3 years.
    just my opinion, of course.

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  59. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:43 PM

    That's what made me think he was joking.

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  60. Why can't Pat White run out to catch the ball? Everyone said he should
    enter the NFL as a WR...the only argument for Thigpen over White is
    experience, and accuracy. Not athleticism. Also, Henne can go out for the
    pass as well, he did while at Michigan. I don't see any reason to force any
    of the backups into the game. It doesn't fool anyone.

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  61. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:45 PM

    I meant Washington.

    I think White has been banged up but by the time we play them he could be 100%.

    Good thing we don't have to play ourselves. LOL

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  62. That's very, very good news.  Although Merling might not have had the stats to back it up on Sunday, he's a force out there.  I don't think it's too long before he supplants Starks as the starter week in & week out.

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  63. Tins, I think he means if we have Thigpen as the No. 2 QB.

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  64. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 1:51 PM

    That's possible. Being a rookie they may want to continue developing Pat White. But they did put him in some games for a few snaps so I'm not sure what the plan is for him.

    One thing about Thigpen though, he's not the gifted runner White is. White runs like a RB/WR where Thigpen is a QB who runs well.

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  65. Rock, Let's all hope so.  Although the early returns of our last two drafts seem to be outstanding, the pick of Pat White with our first 2nd is a headscratcher..........Why not a LB or a TE???  You know, a player that we actually needed!!!

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  66. It goes back to my opinion that PW will be our 3rd QB.  You don't send Henne out on a pass because he's our #1.  Thigpen is bigger, stronger, can take a hit better and has a stronger / more accurate arm than PW.

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  67. Exactly! Now, I do not follow college ball until just before the draft so I am not a good person to comment on our selections, but I think the team is stretching the truth on the weight / height they list PW at. He looks like a midget compared to everyone else. Hell Tedd Ginn looks bigger then him on the sidelines! 6'0" 190lbs my shiny white a$$! My arms are bigger than his! (I'm 5'11 175 and haven't lifted a weight since highschool. LOL

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  68. I wonder what the best offer available would be for Ginn, White, or Wilson....I'd say the Raiders would be potential suitors for Ginn &/or White but OMG, even they cut bait with Wilson!!! 

    I still wonder why we signed Carey to that contract.  Maybe we should just stick to draft picks since we're better at it than going after FA's & outside of Long they're cheaper.

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  69. Rockphin, these guys are measured and weighed time and again before the
    draft. White alone had the Senior Bowl, the Combine, Pro-Day and Team
    Visits. He is 6'0", 190lbs.

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  70. Rock, they both look too small to play in the NFL.  I'm just hoping that White makes up for it in toughness & heart which Ginn doesn't have or will ever have for that matter. 

    DeSean Jackson or Darren Sproles are not exactly giants but they're still f#cking good players.  If there was a team stupid enough to trade a 3rd or even a high 4th for Ginn, I'd do the deal.  I want to see Turner anyway.

    It's kind of funny but true--the best move Cameron made as Coach was to trade Chambers for 2nd round pick.  I'm sure the Chargers would not make that deal again!!!

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  71. He looks small & soft.  Just like Ginn.

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  72. OK, he is what they list him at. He LOOKS a lot smaller.  Thigpen is 34lbs heavier and an inch taller and will not be hitting any golf carts in practice. LOL

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  73. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 2:09 PM

    White was listed at 195 at the combine.

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  74. Obviously we should have forgotten about Gibril Wilson and gone after Tony
    Gonzalez instead...
    I think Ginn at the moment could fetch a 3rd, or a 4th and change.
    White won't fetch more than a 7th at this point. He has had nothing
    positive to show since day one other than the dents in Parcells' golf cart.
    Wilson could probably still get a 4th.

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  75. I'll ask Lil' Mark Giglio what his prediction for Thingpen is next time I see him. LOL

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  76. No takers on my Sippy Cup?  OK! LOL

    Gotta go.  Read you guys later.  (might even type something again.)

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  77. White looks tiny because the average o-linesman is 6 inches taller than him.
    Plus White has a giant bobble-head, so his body is actually small compared
    to his height.

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  78. He is listed at 190lbs on the official roster

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  79. White & Ginn were both "LUXURY" picks that we couldn't afford.  Ginn was too much of a risk for a team that needed more meat & potatoes than just dessert.   He was too raw.  Great speed but not polished.  Just like the kid Heyward-Bey out of Maryland.  And if we didn't run the Wildcat was there any reason to take White with a 2nd round pick???  You can't take an option QB that early???  Who does that???

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  80. You promise???  LOL!!!

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  81. I wish we'd stop talking draft, I'm starting to get cold sweats....

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  82. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 2:23 PM

    I know, but at the combine he was listed as 6-0 197 and then he was listed at 190 once we drafted him. WTF?

    http://www.nfl.com/combine/players

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  83. The two of you should just get your avatars a room....and a video camera

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  84. Tins,

    With Scott Pioli being Parcells' son-in-law, I've got to believe that we could've gotten Gonzalez.  A 2nd round pick was probably a little too steep in BP's mind.  It was still good to trade away Alleman & Ndukwe for something & then double-back & get Thigpen.  

    I guess we're stuck with White since he has no trade value but I would shop Ginn & Wilson around.  I just don't see the upside by having players that are underachieving.  Regardless of making a bad choice with White, the more picks we have the better.

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  85. seven pounds, eh? maybe he left his heart in West Virginia?

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  86. I agree Tin, we're not as good as 38-10 and we're not as bad as 0-3 going in. Numbers are used to "measure" everything and are even allocated to unmeasureables to try to quantify them.
    You also made a very incisive observation on the chatroll .... that was the closest thing we have put together to date that resembled an "all-round" complete game, with no glaring weaknesses. Every other game this season, we've come close, but each week, different weaknesses were our undoing. It was nice to see our strengths way outweigh our weaknesses and our weaknesses be insufficent to result in a loss.
    As Knight mentioned and Omar also pointed out when interviewing Will Allen, the confidence and momentum this will give the team is the best boost we could get before the Jets game. It's just nice to get a win. Let's hope we can build on that and get another come Monday.
    We have 4 AFC East games in the next 5, so I'm pretty sure our season will be decided in that stretch. More importantly, we will get a good idea about the future of the franchise during that period too - a lot of our younger players ahve "flashed" and it will be interesting to see what we have here and what potential is realisable. In all honesty, this is what I am looking forward to most.
    Chad junior had a good start and if we can keep that running game going, we just might turn him into a franchise QB yet. He held that ball tight to his chest like he was holding on to the keys to the cheerleaders changing room and more importantly didn't turn it over - if we stick to that recipe, he will be a good replacement for Chad Sr and the upside is he has more quick-strike potential if we do fall behind.
    I slept better last night than I have since the season started!

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  87. Tins, I only wish I had either female avatar willing & ready on video......And not in a creepy "I'm filming Erin Andrews brushing her hair through a f#cking peephole!!!"  Not so cool....LOL!!!

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  88. WHP:
    Good grief, I wish everyone would stop directing these types of comments at me.  You aren't going to change my opinion of CP, I watched him play his entire career, I have a different perspective and a different opinion than you.  Let it go. 

    I don't think I have ever said anything negative about Henne though.  I I hope he does well and the Dolphins keep winning.  I have money on this season!  Who are you trying to convince anyway?  lol ;)

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  89. Okay, don't like to share this info about myself but I actually have the measurements of every player who participated in an all-star game this year and Pat White was measured back in Senior Bowl Week as 6000, 190lbs.  That means he is as 6 ft tall as one can be, not a sliver over or under.

    Our only other draft Senior Bowler, Patrick Turner, was measured at 6051, 221lbs.

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  90. It's that helmet White wears.  I guess he still is, I remember last year he started wearing some kind of 'special' helmet after he had the concussion. 

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  91. There's a key to the cheerleaders locker room?
    btw, why do the Red Devs have a two week gap between games? WTF! just as I
    was getting into it! My college team has a bye this week as well, and Miami
    doesn't play till Monday, then has a bye. gonna be a rough week for the
    Tin-man!

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  92. WHoa....White had a concussion? red flag! red flag!!

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  93. UK,

    First off great f#cking avatar!!!  Looking at the schedule before the season started I thought we'd be 3-2 by the bye-week.  I know that history is against any team starting the season 0-3 but if we were to beat the Jets & go 2-3 (2-0 in the division) I'd say all is not lost.  Living in NY I've seen the Jets play more than I'd like honestly considering they looked pretty impressive before the Saints game.  And while their defense & O-line has looked impressive, I believe that we can effectively run the ball on any team in the NFL.  I also believe that there running game has not looked that great & that we could shut it down.  Assuming we don't turn the ball over the big question that will determine whether we beat them or not is whether can we get a pass-rush on Sanchez.  This is a simple game.  Run the ball, stop the run, don't turn the ball over, & pressure the rookie.  Sounds simple to me at least.

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  94. LOL@Tins!!!!

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  95. There's a key to everything if you know where to look!
    England have a WC qualifier this w/end, so no PL footy. It's hilarious - Setanta were due to show it, they went tits up, ESPN didn't want it so they are showing it at cinemas (not pubs ..... wtf?) and on-line only. £4.95 or $8 to get access on your laptop. I hope no one watches it and they lose a ton of cash on the deal. It's limited to 1m subscribers so the site doesn't crash. It would be even funnier if it crashed anyway!

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  96. Btw, if you want to use my new avatar for your Jets preview, I'll insert it below

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  97. Setanta went tits up? Seriously?

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  98. No thanks, not all Americans think Calvin pissing on stuff is hilarious.....

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  99. WHP - I found the avatar before pre-season, but wanted to save it until we faced the scum. Voila.

    I never make predictions on records, because games often don't go according to plan and teams can score quickly (look at what the Colts did to us and Chargers nearly did to the Steelers), but I never in my wildest dreams thought we'd be 0-3.
    TS isn't daft and I'm sure he is thinking that winning the division is his number one aim and that started with the Bills and now it's the Jets. It's not over til the fat lady sings, but her husband is coaching our opponents this weekend. I've never liked the Ryan walrus family, but you have to respect their defensive coaching strengths. Don't forget it was Ryan who caoched the Ravens D in that there play-off game last year and he knows what the run blitz can do. I'm not saying he can stop us, but I don't expect a rushing performace starting with a 2 on Monday and if it gets over the hundred mark, I think we will have done well and the closer it get's to 150, the better chance we will have. Over 150 and things are looking good.
    You say "This is a simple game.  Run the ball, stop the run, don't turn the ball over, & pressure the rookie". I can't believe fatboy isn't sayinmg the same thing to his team too (technically, Henne isn't a rookie, but he has started less NFL games)? What it will almost certainly come down to is execution and our D not giving up big passing plays/our O not turning it over. If we can manage that, I think we have a great chance. Those 4:30am (for me) finishes suck though!

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  100. Yes, they ran out of cash. Paid up for lots of PL games and Scottish/Irish footy/sports and all their subscribers bailed when the credit crunch hit. ESPN took the PL package.

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  101. I don't even know who Calvin is, but I reserve the right to find it hilarious (at least til after Monday's game).

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  102. hmm, but I just watched Setanta a week ago...and I hate ESPN...

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  103. uk, Calvin is the little boy character from the comic strip 'Calvin and
    Hobbes'. it was one of the best comic strips of all time and the creator
    was one of these mad geniuses who was also a recluse. He published it for
    ten years then suddenly stopped. He was famously against merchandising the
    brand, yet the character of calvin has been stolen and used on automotive
    decals for rednecks to display which brand of truck they drive (even though
    the brand is ON the truck), or which team they root against (though
    technically rooting for one team usually indicates that you root against any
    team playing against your team).
    Anyway, these decals, t-shirts and coffee mugs are totally f**ked out over
    here. I literally see two or three a day just driving too a from work.
    Multiply it by however many days I've been on the road. And the poor old
    guy living in Cleveland who created the character to be something sweet and
    imaginative doesn't get a dime from it, and much worse, no one remembers
    what Calvin was about other than some mean-looking kid who pees on
    everything.
    To me, it's no different than someone taking Kermit the frog, sticking a
    strap-on on him, making him anally rape whomever you don't like, then
    mass-producing it and making every kid, parent, and fan of the Muppets see
    it in passing every day.
    So yeah.....that's my opinion on that.

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  104. "<span>It's not over til the fat lady sings, but her husband is coaching our opponents this weekend."</span>

    Ironically, Rex Ryan's wife is tiny, probably about 90 lbs.

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  105. Maybe not the whole shooting match then - maybe just in England, or the UK, or ESPN is still using the Setanta brand in the US? Anyway, Setanta is ESPN in England now - the sky channel (extra subscription) is deffo branded ESPN.

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  106. She must hate it when he gets frisky and climbs on top?!? :-)

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  107. How long ago did they switch?

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  108. I thought maybe the South Florida heat during OTAs, mini-camps and training camp burned some weight off of him.

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  109. Wow. I opened up Pandoras box there then? Sounds like the creator got a raw deal. I promise to drop it after we beat the Jets, but if you find it REALLY offensive, I'll go back to the Union Jack and the dolphin?
    Speaking of trucks (have we had this conversation before?) American truck ads do my head in and they all seem to be screened during football games. I end up mildly hysterical by the 4th quarter when I'm watching a game on tv in the US.

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  110. Start of this season

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  111. = August.
    Vultures were circling all summer

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  112. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 4:33 PM

    Ethan from the SS graded the Dolphins on the Bills game and gave them an A- for the running game. What does it take to get an A or A+, a 300 yard game? We ran the ball as good as any team would have wanted to.

    45-250 5.6 3 TDs and 17 1st downs. What more do you want? LOL

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  113. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    I thought maybe the South Florida heat burned some weight off of him during OTAs, mini-camps and training camp.

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  114. They have rednecks in California?  I thought we only had them here.  Certainly more than our fair share to be sure!

     I remember Calvin and Hobbes having some underlying politcal theme or other, but then again, what doesn't?

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  115. On RockPhins Thigpen being the #2,I Agree!!

    I think when CP was the QB we could sacrifice multiple play's from him to develope PW during games..
    Even w'the experience of CP,it seemed to knock him out of rhythm,CAN'T have that w'semi-rookie Henne!!

    NOW,I believe HENNE's growth CAN NOT BE DELAYED WHAT-SO-EVER,
    by sacraficing his playing time/rhythm in favor of PW's growth!!
    @least not near to the extent that CP's play count was being limited,IF @ ALL!!!

    I think PW MIGHT get a play here and there,but that overall the WhiteFIN is in a holding pattern until after/IF we're eliminated from the playoff hunt,and that Thigpen is CURRENTLY the only worthy #2 on the roster..

    I like PW and hope he works-out in some capacity,but RIGHT-NOW the #1 needs EVERY PLAY possible,IMHO!!!
    I agree w'ROCK that TThigpen is the only QB CURRENTLY ready to run the team after HENNE,
    and b/4 the 4th QTR,should the occasion arise ...

    I think the original plan for HENNE THIS YEAR,NOW falls to PW,
    (Learn and Wait your turn)get ready for late season,and o10!!!

    GO CH,TT,PW,ALL 53,GO FINS!!!

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  116. I didn't read all the posts so I don't know if anyone mentioned this.  The Coaching staff seemed to get their act together this week also.  That play where Hartline caught the TD. was a great call.  It exposed to Henne everything he needed to know for that throw.  They also seem to be getting a feel for what and who they want on the field for each situation.  They didn't wait to make adjustments at half time, they made them when they were needed.  The groupings they had on the defensive side of the ball all seemed to be spot on all afternoon.

    This coaching staff found the teams idenity, and the players can now build on that.  We are a smash mouth take no prisoners team, that can beat any team on the schedule if we keep the mistakes down on our part.

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  117. I was oblivious to the "Calvin taking a piss" rebellion. 

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  118. And here I thought for sure we were going to draft Clay Matthews Jr. with our first pick???  Great strip by the rookie but I can't complain after the pick 6 from Vontae.

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  119. I'm not offended by it, just not amused by it. There's far worse out there
    to get offended with

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  120. I've seen a game since then on Setanta....

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  121. Calvin and hobbes wasn't political...maybe you're thinking of Outland?

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  122. The Knight who says Ni!October 5, 2009 at 8:06 PM

    Clay Matthews is a bit raw and needs some time to develop. He made a great play tonight but Vontae was a very solid pick. Davis and Smith will be our starting corners for years to come. I'll take it!

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  123. Maybe, I think I'm senile.  Hey check out the ghost video on my facebook profile, my favorite thing today!!! 

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  124. And maybe political wasn't the right word, maybe moral or ethical?  How could I have confused either of those with anything to do with politics?

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  125. YEA MANNNNNNNN , every-week I melt some passion in a spoon,syringe and inject directly into my eyeballs...
    WOWWWWWWW WHAT A RUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!

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  126. The Knight who says Ni!October 6, 2009 at 6:33 AM

    WHP, I understand what you're saying about Ginn but don't you think we're past that point now? LOL

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  127. It was about a kid and his imagination, etc, probably the author trying to
    recapture his lost youth?

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  128. SERIOUSLY %*#^ SS is reporting that the Jets just got Braylon Edwards?????? WHY THE HELL DID THE FINS NOT GO FOR HIM???? WE TOTALLY NEED SOMEONE. Dammit....I know it will probably not effect us this week, but dammit we DID NOT NEED him going to the Jets. UGH

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  129. I know he is a whiner, and can have the drops, but he also is way more of a threat than our receivers and would if nothing else draw coverage so we could utitlize our other guys better......okay the people that I totally look up to, am I over-reacting? Is this not as bad as it seems?

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  130. Braylon Edwards is lazy and drops the ball a LOT.

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