2021-2022 NFL Pick Em/Discussion Megathread

[JGibson]

The NFL has awarded 18 teams International Home Marketing Areas across 8 different nations, such as Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

NewsNation Now:

(NewsNation Now) — The NFL announced Wednesday that 18 teams have been awarded marketing rights across eight different countries, including China, in an effort to draw NFL fans worldwide.

But the move is raising questions from some amid strained U.S.-China relations.

The initiative, known as the International Home Marketing Areas program, grants clubs access to international territories for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization, according to a news release from the NFL.

The goal is to build the league’s global identity and inspire NFL fandom the world over.

Nations:
Australia: Los Angeles Rams
Brazil: Miami Dolphins
Canada: Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks
China: Los Angeles Rams
Germany: Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mexico: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
Spain: Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins
United Kingdom: Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers

[JGibson]

How about them Steelers?! We're still in the playoff hunt.

[JGibson]

With the Steelers and Bengals winning and Ravens losing, the AFC North is wide-open. Browns have yet to play.

[JGibson]

The AFC North is so tight that it's still anyone's division to take.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1473097781401243655

[JGibson]

WEEK 16 SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

Thursday, Dec. 23

San Francisco 49ers @ Tennessee Titans  8:20 PM  NFL

Saturday, Dec. 25

Cleveland Browns @ Green Bay Packers  4:30 PM  Fox/NFL
Indianapolis Colts @ Arizona Cardinals  8:15 PM  NFL

Sunday, Dec. 26

Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons  1:00 PM  Fox
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals  1:00 PM  CBS
Los Angeles Rams @ Minnesota Vikings  1:00 PM  Fox
Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots  1:00 PM  CBS
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets  1:00 PM  CBS
New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles  1:00 PM  Fox
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers  1:00 PM  Fox
Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans  1:00 PM  CBS
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks  4:05 PM  Fox
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs  4:25 PM  CBS [decent chance this game gets moved]
Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders  4:25 PM  CBS
Washington Football Team @ Dallas Cowboys  8:20 PM  NBC

Monday, Dec. 27

Miami Dolphins @ New Orleans Saints  8:15 PM  ESPN

[JGibson]

WEEK 17 SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

Sunday, Jan. 2

Atlanta Falcons @ Buffalo Bills  1:00 PM  Fox
New York Giants @ Chicago Bears  1:00 PM  CBS
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals  1:00 PM  CBS
Miami Dolphins @ Tennessee Titans  1:00 PM  CBS
Las Vegas Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts  1:00 PM  Fox
Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots  1:00 PM  CBS
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints  1:00 PM  Fox
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New York Jets  1:00 PM  Fox
Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Football Team  1:00 PM  Fox
Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers  4:05 PM  CBS
Houston Texans @ San Francisco 49ers  4:05 PM  CBS
Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys  4:25 PM  Fox
Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks  4:25 PM  Fox
Los Angeles Rams @ Baltimore Ravens  4:25 PM  Fox
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers  8:20 PM  NBC

Monday, Jan. 3
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers  8:15 PM  ESPN [may very well be Big Ben's last home game ever]

[JGibson]

John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach for the Raiders and an NFL broadcast legend, died at the age of 85. Madden became the namesake for the successful EA Sports video game franchise Madden NFL.

ESPN:

Hall of Fame coach and broadcasting icon John Madden died unexpectedly Tuesday morning, the NFL announced. He was 85

[...]
Madden was only 32 when then-Raiders owner Al Davis hired him to coach Oakland in 1969. Before leaving the sideline for the announcing booth in 1978, Madden led Oakland to a 103-32-7 regular-season record and a victory in the 1977 Super Bowl.

Oakland never had a losing record under Madden, winning seven division titles and making the playoffs eight times.

[...]

But he had gained even more fame as an analyst on NFL telecasts and for the football video game that bears his name -- EA Sports' "Madden NFL." Some players who have graced the Madden cover have struggled the following season, spurring the fan myth of the "Madden curse."

[JGibson]

Antonio Brown may have played his last game in the NFL, as he walked off the field during the 3rd quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. New York Jets game in a jersey-stripping tantrum. At the time of Brown's tantrum, his Bucs were trailing. They later came back to win 28-24.


The Bucs cut him after the game. This continues the steep fall from grace for Brown, who seemed destined for Canton a few years ago.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1477734065570820098

[JGibson]

"Sweet anticipation
It's giving me the butterflies
And my heartbeat's racing."


Go Steelers tonight!

[JGibson]

Steelers have some hope for a playoff spot, as they beat Cleveland in Big Ben's likely final home start.

Scenarios need for Steelers to get in the Playoffs:
PIT wins over BAL
IND loses to JAX
LAC and LV cannot tie.

[JGibson]

WEEK 18 SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

Saturday, Jan. 8

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos  4:30 PM  ESPN
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles  8:15 PM  ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 9
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions  1:00 PM  Fox
Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns 1:00 PM   Fox
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens  1:00 PM  CBS
Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars  1:00 PM  CBS
Washington Football Team @ New York Giants  1:00 PM  Fox
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans  1:00 PM  CBS
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings  1:00 PM  Fox
New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons 4:25 PM   Fox
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills  4:25 PM   CBS   
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins  4:25 PM   CBS
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers   4:25 PM   CBS   
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams  4:25 PM Fox
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals  4:25 PM Fox
Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders  8:20 PM  NBC

[JGibson]

So happy the Steelers won in OT over the Ratbirds to all but likely clinch a playoff spot (hope and pray the Chargers-Raiders game doesn't end in a tie). Big Ben's likely retirement tour will last at least one more game.

[JGibson]

The 2021 NFL Playoff Field is set.


AFC:
#1 Titans [have bye]
#2 Chiefs
#3 Bills
#4 Bengals
#5 Raiders
#6 Patriots
#7 Steelers


Matchups:
#7 Steelers v. #2 Chiefs
#6 Patriots v. #3 Bills
#5 Raiders v. #4 Bengals

 


NFC:
#1 Packers [have bye]
#2 Buccaneers
#3 Cowboys
#4 Rams
#5 Cardinals
#6 49ers
#7 Eagles


Matchups:
#7 Eagles v. #2 Buccaneers
#6 49ers v. #3 Cowboys
#5 Cardinals v. #4 Rams

[JGibson]

WILD CARD SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

Saturday, Jan. 15

Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals  4:30 PM  NBC
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills  8:15 PM  CBS

Sunday, Jan. 16

Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers  1:00 PM  Fox
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys  4:30 PM  CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs  8:15 PM  NBC

Monday, Jan. 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams  8:15 PM  ESPN / ABC


I hope the Steelers win it all.
Teams I DON'T want to see win it all: Bengals (Steelers' co-biggest rival), Patriots ('nuff said there), Packers (Rodgers lying about his vaccine status), Rams (ex-fan while the team was in STL; Kroenke)
Teams I would love to see win it all (besides the Steelers): Titans, Cardinals, Chiefs, Raiders, 49ers

[JGibson]

Our good friend JGibson is the most loyal Steelers fan I've known. 

True, although before 2016, I was a Rams fan when they were in STL.

[JGibson]

Steelers had the 7-0 lead, and it ended up awakening the Chiefs, as they scored TDs on their next three drives to go up 21-7 at the half.

[JGibson]

The Steelers, despite getting on the board first via a TJ Watt fumble recovery TD, got blown out by the Chiefs 42-21 in what is likely to be Ben Roethlisberger's last game in the NFL.

[JGibson]

DIVISIONAL ROUND SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

Saturday, Jan. 22

Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans  4:30 PM  CBS
San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers  8:15 PM  Fox

Sunday, Jan. 23

Los Angeles Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers  3:00 PM  NBC
Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs  6:30 PM  CBS

[JGibson]

All four Divisional Round games were decided in the last second of regulation or in OT (3 by last-second game-winning field goals in regulation and 1 OT game-winning TD).

[JGibson]

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Sunday, Jan. 30

AFC: Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs, 3:00 PM EST, CBS

NFC: San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams, 6:30 PM EST, Fox

[JGibson]

After 18 years with the Steelers, QB Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1486718779874689037

[JGibson]

The two teams who are in the Super Bowl are the two I don't want in: Bengals and Rams. Not rooting for either one.

[JGibson]

The two teams who are in the Super Bowl are the two I don't want in: Bengals and Rams. Not rooting for either one.

I know you're a Steelers fan, but the Bengals have been hapless for so many years it's hard to feel passionate about rooting against them in the playoffs. It's better than seeing Brady or Mahomes or Rodgers in again. I suspect that will change in the next few years as Burrow becomes a major thorn in the side of the Steelers and the whole division, though.

I am a Steelers fan who rightly loathes the Bengals, and I also HATE Stan Kroenke with a flying passion for what he did to the city of St. Louis, stabbing the loyal St. Louis Rams fans and the city in the back by promising the team will stay then renege on that promise to go back to LA. The two teams in it put this STL-area Steelers (ex-Rams) fan in a quagmire that I didn't want.

[JGibson]

It is officially official: Tom Brady retires. 


https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1488522193042563075

[JGibson]

Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores, who was recently fired from the team, files a lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams (Broncos, Giants, and Dolphins) over racist hiring practices. This is not a good look for the NFL, coming off the heels of its owners blackballing Colin Kaepernick out of the league.


NFL.com:

Former Miami head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL and three of its teams -- the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants -- alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination during the interview process with Denver and New York, as well as during his tenure with Miami.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court sought class-action status and unspecified damages from the league, the three teams and unidentified individuals.

Flores, who is Black, was fired last month by Miami after leading the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three years. They went 9-8 in their second straight winning season, but failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.