SB Nation User Blog: HEpennypacker

Expanded Regular Season...18 Games?

HEpennypacker — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:13:08 -0000

Has anyone else heard this talk of expanding the regular season to 17 or possibly 18 games?

I just read it in an article at USAtoday.com:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2009-03-26-schedule-possibilities_N.htm

Let me be the first to say I would love an 18 game schedule. More football = Happy Pennypacker! The preseason is bitter-sweet to me. Yeah, we can evaluate a few younger guys, but it's not really that fun to watch, plus you have to hear the (insert local team here if you don't live in Dallas) fans talk about how they went 4 - 0 in the preseason this year so they can't wait for the real season to start so they can kick some butt.

Anyway, who's in favor?

(In case you didn't actually read the article, 17 games would mean 3 preseason games, 18 obviously means 2 preseason games.)

Poll

How should the NFL Season look?

Don't Change a Thing!

19 votes

17 regular season games, 3 preseason games

15 votes

18 regular season games, 2 preseason games

39 votes

More regular season with the same number of preseason...make the whole thing longer baby!

6 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed

The Banner is still hanging....

HEpennypacker — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:18:23 -0000

Ok, so first I must say, I'm not making any of this up. It may sound that way, but I swear it's true. I haven't touched the thing.

So I work in computers. There is also a large poster printer there. Last year someone made superbowl banners, but they made them early, and made a Cowboys one. It hurt when they didn't need it, but it was great, because I got a high-quality decoration for my office. It hangs on a white board that has a strip of cork at the top. There are (were) tacks in the top two corners, and tape on the bottom two. It stayed this way all thorugh the offseason, I haven't touched it since I hung it.

The day after the Arizona game when Romo got hurt, I was sitting at my desk, and one piece of tape came undone, leaving the corner flapping.

The next week, after losing to the Rams, the same thing happened on the other corner.

I figured, ah well, the tacks will hold it, and they have, for a few good weeks. This morning, about ten minutes ago, one of the tacks fell out. The banner now hangs cockeyed and disheveled. I will not touch it. But it looks like one more misstep means the season is over for our beloved Boys. That is, if the banner is any indicator.

I'm trying to decide if I will adjust it back to it's correct position when the playoffs start, if we make the playoffs. What do you think about this?

Poll

If we make the playoffs, should I rehang the banner, or leave it hanging all crooked?

Rehang it - the playoffs are a new season!

6 votes

Let it hang - we have to remember our mistakes

11 votes

Rehang that crap now, maybe it'll save us!

6 votes

23 votes | Poll has closed

Good win...

HEpennypacker — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:46:55 -0000

First of all, let me say that I was quite impressed overall with the team tonight. It was great to see. Imagine, if not for a couple errant throws deep in skin's territory, this could have easily been a blow out.

That said, here's what I think our biggest problems are, and I think these were going on early in the season too:

Offense - Penalties (all together, and at the wrong time):

Our stat sheet says 5 penalties for 40 yards I believe. But one ten yard penalty (Koseir holding) also wiped out a 21 yard play. The illegal formation call was only a 5 yard penalty, but negated a 16 yard play. So really, we had 5 penalties for 77 yards, and they always seem to come when we convert for a first down. That will take the wind out of an offense's sail pretty quickly if first downs keep getting called back.

Defense - Long third downs:

On the Redskin's first drive, we had them backed up for 3rd & 5 and then 3rd & 14. We let them convert. In the second quarter we couldn't stop them on 3rd & 8. Then, on a drive in the 3rd quarter, they converted on 3rd & 7 and 3rd & 11 on the same drive. In my mind, if you get a team to 3rd & 4 or 3rd & 5, you need to make that stop the great majority of the time. It's not realistic to think you'll do it every time, but I think you should be shooting for 75 - 80 %. Out of 11 times that we had them 3 & 5 or worse, they made it 5 times and missed it 6. 55% stop rate in those situations is not going to work in the playoffs.

Anyway, again, good game. I like how they use Roy Wi11iams to move the chains, and I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love Martellus Bennet. Please Jerry, don't let this kid get away!

The State of the Season

HEpennypacker — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:45:31 -0000

Guys, we're still in this thing. We certainly have a tough schedule ahead, but this is doable.

Giants - Probably not great odds this time around, but hey, you never know. (5-4)

Bye- Could not come at a better time, getting guys healthy will be key (5-4)

@Skins- Skins have calmed as of late. We can take these guys (6-4)

49ers - No excuse for a loss here (7-4)

Seattle- (See 49ers above) (8-4)

Steelers- Definitely beatable if we are healthy, based on yesterday (9-4)

Giants- I'll give this one to us, because the games is a toss up, so we'll split (10-4)

Ravens- I was originally going to give this one to Baltimore, just because. But, they have Pitt and the Skins right before us, and may be reeling by then. (11-4)

Eagles - Hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling about this one (11-5)

I say we finish 2nd in the division behind the G-men and beat them in the playoffs.

All this is best case scenario, obviously, and is in direct relation to a freeze on getting injured from here on out.

I guess i'm pointing out what everyone else already has. This was a big win, and the difference between 5-3 and 4-4 (especially in the nfc east) is absolutely HUGE.

Thanks Bills

HEpennypacker — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:56:02 -0000

Hello guys,

I"m a Cowboys fan from over at BTB. As you know, the Boys had an embarresing performance again ths week. The crap has hit the proverbial fan in Big D.

I'm writing here because I live in Western New York. I was raised up north in a family of giants fans, who were anti-bills. Since I've been out here (college, and now work) I have become sort of a quazi-bills fan, picking them as "the other team I root for."

So, I just wanted to thank the Bills and their fans in this time of Texas sized struggle, for giving me something I can actually enjoy on Sunday.

I believe the Boys can still turn things around, but unitl then I'll keep watching the Bills games every weekend too.

HEpennypacker (wealthy american industrialist, philanthropist, and...uh...bicyclist)

RW2 vs the NFC East

HEpennypacker — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:39:12 -0000

I'm not sure why I care, but this kinda got to me. Looking around at the SBnation blogs of our NFC East brethren, nobody mentioned our new acquisition. Now, I don't want to sound like a stereotypical cowboys fan who wants attention for our team. The part that really got me is that, at least on the giants blog, there was news about Pacman and his new stupid antics.

Do they not post because they are worried, or are they just the type that only revel in bad news for the Cowboys?

Either way, this makes me hope that TO and RW2 torch the secondaries for two scores apiece, one for each that is a 50+ yard bomb.

beast of the East

HEpennypacker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:17:49 -0000

Hey Guys. I'm a Cowboys fan from over at BTB, but thought this post I just made would be interesting to you all as well.

Ok, this has already been discussed a bit, but with the resurgent 'Skins looking like a force, it is time to ask whether or not the NFC East of '08 is the best division in the history of football. I'm going to make the case FOR. I don't have time to look through all the years to see if I'm wrong, plus, I'm young and can't remember a lot.

At this point in the season the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, and Redskins, in my opinion, look like they could beat anybody, including each other. I think on any Sunday a matchup between any of these teams is a coin flip, and also that against any other team...and I mean ANY other team, the NFC east team is going to be favored to win.

A quick look at the stats shows that when ranking NFL teams by game stats, the Philidelphia Eagles are # 9, with all other NFC east teams being above them. One division, four teams, all in the top 9 in overall stats? That's incredible.

In scoring, we have three teams in the top 7, with the Redkins back a bit in #17. but Still, three of the best seven teams are in the NFC east in scoring.

Ditto in passing. Cowboys, Eagles, Giants are 4,5,6,, with the skins back toward the middle of the pack. But the Skins are just now coming into their own.

Again with Rushing, three teams in the top 9, with the Eagles way toward the back of the class in this one.

Total Yards on Defense shows the Giants and Eagles at 3 and 6, with our Boys and the Skins in the middle of the pack. Pretty respectable.

Eagles, Giants, Cowboys are in the top six for Sacks.

All four teams are in the top ten in defending the run.

And finally, look at our records.

DAL: 4-1 - Loss to the Skins

WAS: 4-1 - Loss to the Giants

PHI: 2-3 - Losses to Cowboys, Skins, and a tough Bears team

NYG: 5-0

So, outside of the NFC East, these teams are 10-1

Who knows how they will finish out, but the way they are playing right now I would put them as the best division ever. I mean...damn.

Beast of the East

HEpennypacker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:15:35 -0000

Hey Guys. I'm a Cowboys fan from over at BTB, but thought this post I just made would be interesting to you all as well.

In scoring, we have three teams in the top 7, with the Redkins back a bit in #17. but Still, three of the best seven teams are in the NFC east in scoring.

Ditto in passing. Cowboys, Eagles, Giants are 4,5,6,, with the skins back toward the middle of the pack. But the Skins are just now coming into their own.

Again with Rushing, three teams in the top 9, with the Eagles way toward the back of the class in this one.

Total Yards on Defense shows the Giants and Eagles at 3 and 6, with our Boys and the Skins in the middle of the pack. Pretty respectable.

Eagles, Giants, Cowboys are in the top six for Sacks.

All four teams are in the top ten in defending the run.

And finally, look at our records.

DAL: 4-1 - Loss to the Skins

WAS: 4-1 - Loss to the Giants

PHI: 2-3 - Losses to Cowboys, Skins, and a tough Bears team

NYG: 5-0

So, outside of the NFC East, these teams are 10-1

Who knows how they will finish out, but the way they are playing right now I would put them as the best division ever. I mean...damn.

Beasts in the East

HEpennypacker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:14:24 -0000

Hey Guys. I'm a Cowboys fan from over at BTB, but thought this post I just made would be interesting to you all as well.

OK, this has already been discussed a bit, but with the resurgent 'Skins looking like a force, it is time to ask whether or not the NFC East of '08 is the best division in the history of football. I'm going to make the case FOR. I don't have time to look through all the years to see if I'm wrong, plus, I'm young and can't remember a lot.

In scoring, we have three teams in the top 7, with the Redkins back a bit in #17. but Still, three of the best seven teams are in the NFC east in scoring.

Ditto in passing. Cowboys, Eagles, Giants are 4,5,6,, with the skins back toward the middle of the pack. But the Skins are just now coming into their own.

Again with Rushing, three teams in the top 9, with the Eagles way toward the back of the class in this one.

Total Yards on Defense shows the Giants and Eagles at 3 and 6, with our Boys and the Skins in the middle of the pack. Pretty respectable.

Eagles, Giants, Cowboys are in the top six for Sacks.

All four teams are in the top ten in defending the run.

And finally, look at our records.

DAL: 4-1 - Loss to the Skins

WAS: 4-1 - Loss to the Giants

PHI: 2-3 - Losses to Cowboys, Skins, and a tough Bears team

NYG: 4-0*

So, outside of the NFC East, these teams are 9-1

Who knows how they will finish out, but the way they are playing right now I would put them as the best division ever. I mean...damn.

*Thanks Woogie

Beast of the East

HEpennypacker — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:43:58 -0000

In scoring, we have three teams in the top 7, with the Redkins back a bit in #17. but Still, three of the best seven teams are in the NFC east in scoring.

Ditto in passing. Cowboys, Eagles, Giants are 4,5,6,, with the skins back toward the middle of the pack. But the Skins are just now coming into their own.

Again with Rushing, three teams in the top 9, with the Eagles way toward the back of the class in this one.

Total Yards on Defense shows the Giants and Eagles at 3 and 6, with our Boys and the Skins in the middle of the pack. Pretty respectable.

Eagles, Giants, Cowboys are in the top six for Sacks.

All four teams are in the top ten in defending the run.

And finally, look at our records.

DAL: 4-1 - Loss to the Skins

WAS: 4-1 - Loss to the Giants

PHI: 2-3 - Losses to Cowboys, Skins, and a tough Bears team

NYG: 5-0

So, outside of the NFC East, these teams are 10-1

Who knows how they will finish out, but the way they are playing right now I would put them as the best division ever. I mean...damn.