Divisional Round Playoff Discussion
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Tito
The Salty Dog
From FO...thought I'd put this in here.
WIld-Card Round Injury Aftermath
by Andrew Potter
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Saturday, 4:35 p.m. EST)
Even before Saturday's early game had finished, reports began circulating that Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin had torn the ACL in his right knee again, and would be done for the year. These reports were based on a positive Lachman Test, a common on-field knee examination that has a very high accuracy rate in diagnosing ACL tears. Fortunately, this was the exceptional occasion on which the positive test (which was actually administered twice) was false: an MRI scan revealed that Maclin suffered a high ankle sprain, but no knee injury. It is possible that Maclin's knee ligaments may have some residual looseness following the two previous repairs, leading to the false positive. Whatever the reason, the outcome is still bad news for the Chiefs, but nowhere near as bad as it might have been: Maclin's high ankle sprain gives him an outside chance of playing this weekend if the injury is very mild; returning for the conference championship round if it is less mild; or playing in the Super Bowl if it is a typical Grade II sprain with a two- to four-week recovery. The latter two, of course, are dependent on the team's ability to progress with, at best, a hobbled No. 1 receiver.
Not that their opponents this weekend don't also have troubles at the position: top Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman missed most of the second half of the regular season after fracturing his foot, and No. 2 Danny Amendola has been in and out of the lineup after spraining his PCL against Denver. Both Edelman and Amendola are expected to return this weekend, though reports that Edelman is wearing a plated boot suggest lingering concern about his fracture. It is unusual for a receiver to wear a plated boot, as it can inhibit both top-end speed and ability to cut, but this may be a precautionary measure for practice only.
Elsewhere for the Patriots, offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer is expected to play against Kansas City, while defenders Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones are expected to return after missing Week 17. Quarterback Tom Brady, who suffered a mild high ankle sprain against Miami, is the one other Patriots player who necessitates a mention, but his participation against the Chiefs and their vaunted pass rush is in no doubt whatsoever at this time.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST)
Despite having 16 players on their injury report ahead of the wild-card round, Green Bay emerged almost unscathed from its victory over Washington, with Davante Adams' knee the sole additional injury concern following that game. Adams suffered a minor knee sprain, but he believes he'll be fine even on a slightly shortened week. Less certain is the status of cornerback Sam Shields, who still has not returned from the concussion he suffered against Dallas in Week 14: Shields has reportedly been cleared for light practice, but not yet for full contact or a return to the lineup.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari is the other Packers starter whose status is uncertain, as his ankle sprain once again kept him out against Washington. The Packers have tried three different options in the three weeks since Bakhtiari's injury, and this week's opponent sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times with Don Barclay at left tackle in the first of those three games. J.C. Tretter gave up a safety on a Rodgers sack against Washington but was generally better than Barclay, albeit against a much weaker pass rush than that of Arizona's complex blitz-based defense. Whether Bakhtiari is able to return might be the most important injury question for Packers fans this weekend.
Arizona is the healthiest team left in the tournament. Starting halfback Chris Johnson is on injured reserve (designated to return) with a fractured leg, and Tyrann Mathieu is on injured reserve with a torn ACL, but nobody on the active roster is injured. The one lingering concern they had at the end of the regular season was backup halfback Andre Ellington, who returned from his metatarsophalangeal joint sprain (known as "turf toe," which sounds far more innocuous than the injury really is) to play in Week 17. Ellington will have only played one game in six weeks by the time Sunday's game kicks off, and should be comfortably back to full health.
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1:05 p.m. EST)
Marshawn Lynch was a surprise wild-card inactive even to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, as Lynch took a full load in practice all week before withdrawing at the last possible minutebefore the Seahawks travelled to Minnesota. Lynch may have slightly aggravated his abdominal injury during the last practice of the week, and his status for this weekend is unclear. Punter Jon Ryan was the only Seahawks player to injure himself during the game, but his facial injury should not prevent him from playing in Carolina.
For the Panthers, halfbacks Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker are both expected to return after missing the end of the regular season to rest their respective injuries. Also returning is receiver Ted Ginn, who could have played in Week 17 if required. CornerbacksCharles Tillman and Bene Benwikere are both on injured reserve, however, so secondary depth is once again Carolina's biggest concern -- Robert McClain is expected to start on Sunday, with Cortland Finnegan at nickel corner. Neither started a game in the regular season, and they only have eight appearances combined this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:40 p.m. EST)
The big question marks for Pittsburgh concern their leaders in passing, receiving, and rushing. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was temporarily knocked out of the wild-card win in Cincinnati with a throwing shoulder injury, believed to be an acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain suffered on a sack by Vontaze Burfict. An MRI scan will be taken today, but Roethlisberger plays through injury more often than just about any other quarterback and is not expected to miss this weekend's game. Whether he will have his favourite target is a trickier question: Antonio Brown was reportedly concussed on a devastating and illegal hit by the same Bengals linebacker, meaning the star receiver will have to complete the league concussion protocol this week to be available. It is impossible to predict concussion recovery, especially this soon after the injury, but it could turn out to be very significant (and an odd advantage to being seeded sixth instead of fifth) that Pittsburgh plays on Sunday instead of Saturday. That advantage could also have an impact on halfbackDeAngelo Williams, whose Week 17 foot injury kept him out of the wild-card game. The severity of Williams' injury is unknown, but it is telling that he is generally considered less likely than Brown to suit up.
Darian Stewart's ailing hamstring is Denver's biggest injury concern for this weekend, with coach Gary Kubiak stating that Stewart has the farthest to go to play this weekend. Linebacker Brandon Marshall suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 16, but he hopes to be available for the visit of Pittsburgh. Pass rusher DeMarcus Ware sprained his MCL in Week 17, but expects to be available and his knee could be supported with a brace if need be.
Meanwhile, according to the article cited above, Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders,Owen Daniels, Demaryius Thomas, Omar Bolden, Evan Mathis, Chris Harris, C.J. Anderson, and T.J. Ward all have had slight or serious injuries throughout the season but will be ready to go.
WIld-Card Round Injury Aftermath
by Andrew Potter
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (Saturday, 4:35 p.m. EST)
Even before Saturday's early game had finished, reports began circulating that Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin had torn the ACL in his right knee again, and would be done for the year. These reports were based on a positive Lachman Test, a common on-field knee examination that has a very high accuracy rate in diagnosing ACL tears. Fortunately, this was the exceptional occasion on which the positive test (which was actually administered twice) was false: an MRI scan revealed that Maclin suffered a high ankle sprain, but no knee injury. It is possible that Maclin's knee ligaments may have some residual looseness following the two previous repairs, leading to the false positive. Whatever the reason, the outcome is still bad news for the Chiefs, but nowhere near as bad as it might have been: Maclin's high ankle sprain gives him an outside chance of playing this weekend if the injury is very mild; returning for the conference championship round if it is less mild; or playing in the Super Bowl if it is a typical Grade II sprain with a two- to four-week recovery. The latter two, of course, are dependent on the team's ability to progress with, at best, a hobbled No. 1 receiver.
Not that their opponents this weekend don't also have troubles at the position: top Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman missed most of the second half of the regular season after fracturing his foot, and No. 2 Danny Amendola has been in and out of the lineup after spraining his PCL against Denver. Both Edelman and Amendola are expected to return this weekend, though reports that Edelman is wearing a plated boot suggest lingering concern about his fracture. It is unusual for a receiver to wear a plated boot, as it can inhibit both top-end speed and ability to cut, but this may be a precautionary measure for practice only.
Elsewhere for the Patriots, offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer is expected to play against Kansas City, while defenders Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones are expected to return after missing Week 17. Quarterback Tom Brady, who suffered a mild high ankle sprain against Miami, is the one other Patriots player who necessitates a mention, but his participation against the Chiefs and their vaunted pass rush is in no doubt whatsoever at this time.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST)
Despite having 16 players on their injury report ahead of the wild-card round, Green Bay emerged almost unscathed from its victory over Washington, with Davante Adams' knee the sole additional injury concern following that game. Adams suffered a minor knee sprain, but he believes he'll be fine even on a slightly shortened week. Less certain is the status of cornerback Sam Shields, who still has not returned from the concussion he suffered against Dallas in Week 14: Shields has reportedly been cleared for light practice, but not yet for full contact or a return to the lineup.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari is the other Packers starter whose status is uncertain, as his ankle sprain once again kept him out against Washington. The Packers have tried three different options in the three weeks since Bakhtiari's injury, and this week's opponent sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times with Don Barclay at left tackle in the first of those three games. J.C. Tretter gave up a safety on a Rodgers sack against Washington but was generally better than Barclay, albeit against a much weaker pass rush than that of Arizona's complex blitz-based defense. Whether Bakhtiari is able to return might be the most important injury question for Packers fans this weekend.
Arizona is the healthiest team left in the tournament. Starting halfback Chris Johnson is on injured reserve (designated to return) with a fractured leg, and Tyrann Mathieu is on injured reserve with a torn ACL, but nobody on the active roster is injured. The one lingering concern they had at the end of the regular season was backup halfback Andre Ellington, who returned from his metatarsophalangeal joint sprain (known as "turf toe," which sounds far more innocuous than the injury really is) to play in Week 17. Ellington will have only played one game in six weeks by the time Sunday's game kicks off, and should be comfortably back to full health.
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1:05 p.m. EST)
Marshawn Lynch was a surprise wild-card inactive even to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, as Lynch took a full load in practice all week before withdrawing at the last possible minutebefore the Seahawks travelled to Minnesota. Lynch may have slightly aggravated his abdominal injury during the last practice of the week, and his status for this weekend is unclear. Punter Jon Ryan was the only Seahawks player to injure himself during the game, but his facial injury should not prevent him from playing in Carolina.
For the Panthers, halfbacks Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker are both expected to return after missing the end of the regular season to rest their respective injuries. Also returning is receiver Ted Ginn, who could have played in Week 17 if required. CornerbacksCharles Tillman and Bene Benwikere are both on injured reserve, however, so secondary depth is once again Carolina's biggest concern -- Robert McClain is expected to start on Sunday, with Cortland Finnegan at nickel corner. Neither started a game in the regular season, and they only have eight appearances combined this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:40 p.m. EST)
The big question marks for Pittsburgh concern their leaders in passing, receiving, and rushing. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was temporarily knocked out of the wild-card win in Cincinnati with a throwing shoulder injury, believed to be an acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain suffered on a sack by Vontaze Burfict. An MRI scan will be taken today, but Roethlisberger plays through injury more often than just about any other quarterback and is not expected to miss this weekend's game. Whether he will have his favourite target is a trickier question: Antonio Brown was reportedly concussed on a devastating and illegal hit by the same Bengals linebacker, meaning the star receiver will have to complete the league concussion protocol this week to be available. It is impossible to predict concussion recovery, especially this soon after the injury, but it could turn out to be very significant (and an odd advantage to being seeded sixth instead of fifth) that Pittsburgh plays on Sunday instead of Saturday. That advantage could also have an impact on halfbackDeAngelo Williams, whose Week 17 foot injury kept him out of the wild-card game. The severity of Williams' injury is unknown, but it is telling that he is generally considered less likely than Brown to suit up.
Darian Stewart's ailing hamstring is Denver's biggest injury concern for this weekend, with coach Gary Kubiak stating that Stewart has the farthest to go to play this weekend. Linebacker Brandon Marshall suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 16, but he hopes to be available for the visit of Pittsburgh. Pass rusher DeMarcus Ware sprained his MCL in Week 17, but expects to be available and his knee could be supported with a brace if need be.
Meanwhile, according to the article cited above, Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders,Owen Daniels, Demaryius Thomas, Omar Bolden, Evan Mathis, Chris Harris, C.J. Anderson, and T.J. Ward all have had slight or serious injuries throughout the season but will be ready to go.
Zeke
Big Dick and Average Size Boat
That's funny cause as a Pat's fan I don't love our chances cause they have been playing like shit. Their o-line is still depleted, Vollmer alone won't turn that around.
I may not play it because I don't want to route against the Pats scoring but I think a tease of KC & AZ is a winner.
+1
Capaholic
Proud Member of Chiefs Nation
KC +5
Az -7 ****
Seattle +3
Denver -6.5 (waiting on this)
I'll give an incredibly detailed account of why KC can and will cover if wanted. Hoping last week's helped. I have the unique pleasure of being a KC fan in the heart of Patriots country and know these two teams very well. Still think Pats win but in a 23-20, 21-17 fashion if they do.
I agree that a KC/AZ tease is a winner
Az -7 ****
Seattle +3
Denver -6.5 (waiting on this)
I'll give an incredibly detailed account of why KC can and will cover if wanted. Hoping last week's helped. I have the unique pleasure of being a KC fan in the heart of Patriots country and know these two teams very well. Still think Pats win but in a 23-20, 21-17 fashion if they do.
I agree that a KC/AZ tease is a winner
Play2win
Mod by Monday Morning
agree on all 4, go KC :shake:
Zeke
Big Dick and Average Size Boat
Bovada not allowing teasers right now. That book sucks more than Linda Lovelace.
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
Saying that the league has an agenda on who wins and loses is pretty tired.
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
People are reporting that Chandler Jones overdosed the other night. Not sure what that's all about.
Elbutre88
Pretty much a regular
little more to it than that. media's gonna run with this.
Chandler Jones is described as a “confused party” on audio recordings purportedly from Foxboro Police and Fire dispatch from Sunday morning.
The website Heavy.com shared the audio Tuesday evening.
Jones apparently made his way to the police department on foot and initial conversation explaining his arrival stated Jones was a “confused party.”
The fire department was then summoned by the dispatcher for a medical emergency. Jones was transported to Norwood Hospital where he was treated and released.
Meanwhile, a police officer was sent to Jones’ home to secure it. That officer said to dispatch, “I got his keys off the kitchen table, I was able to lock the front door. If you want to just pass along to the fire, he was definitely involved with Class D delta before this happened, just so they know.”
Class D likely refers to the classification of Class D narcotics, which includes marijuana.
When contacted Monday by CSNNE, Foxboro Police Chief Edward O’Leary maintained that there was no interaction between Foxboro police and Jones.
O’Leary told the Boston Herald the same thing, but when dispatch records were discovered by the Herald to show there was an incident, O’Leary amended his stance and said he didn’t share information because it was a medical situation.
Jones has practiced both days this week.
While it’s unclear exactly why Jones wound up a “confused party,” if his hospital visit was tied to ingestion of narcotics, a first-time violator would be placed in the league’s substance abuse program. PED use results in an automatic suspension.
Tom E. Curran serves as Comcast SportsNet's NFL Insider. Read more from Tom here, or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
Chandler Jones is described as a “confused party” on audio recordings purportedly from Foxboro Police and Fire dispatch from Sunday morning.
The website Heavy.com shared the audio Tuesday evening.
Jones apparently made his way to the police department on foot and initial conversation explaining his arrival stated Jones was a “confused party.”
The fire department was then summoned by the dispatcher for a medical emergency. Jones was transported to Norwood Hospital where he was treated and released.
Meanwhile, a police officer was sent to Jones’ home to secure it. That officer said to dispatch, “I got his keys off the kitchen table, I was able to lock the front door. If you want to just pass along to the fire, he was definitely involved with Class D delta before this happened, just so they know.”
Class D likely refers to the classification of Class D narcotics, which includes marijuana.
When contacted Monday by CSNNE, Foxboro Police Chief Edward O’Leary maintained that there was no interaction between Foxboro police and Jones.
O’Leary told the Boston Herald the same thing, but when dispatch records were discovered by the Herald to show there was an incident, O’Leary amended his stance and said he didn’t share information because it was a medical situation.
Jones has practiced both days this week.
While it’s unclear exactly why Jones wound up a “confused party,” if his hospital visit was tied to ingestion of narcotics, a first-time violator would be placed in the league’s substance abuse program. PED use results in an automatic suspension.
Tom E. Curran serves as Comcast SportsNet's NFL Insider. Read more from Tom here, or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
It's gotta be that spice shit. People call it fake weed and it sounds insignificant but some brands of that shit can have you walking to the police station for assistance. We've all been there. Nothing to see here, move along, move along.
nbafan88
Pretty much a regular
Tito
The Salty Dog
the line has me a little confused and I usually try to not let that kind of thing alter my view of the game. But just feel that everyone saw the Hawks luck themselves into advancing in the playoffs bc of one broken play and a shanked chip shot. Now they go to the Panthers and you can conveniently get them for -2.5? Am I reading too much into it? Initially liked the Panthers, but the line has me hesitating.
Played the over at 44 already, I think both defenses can be scored on here. They did it both meetings this year, and for most of the 2h of the season both offenses have been putting up a ton of points. My favorite total.
nbafan88
Pretty much a regular
You and I are thinking alike. The line move down has me a bit spooked. I really like the over too as I have a lot of faith in both QBs. Action is split evenly so I'm waiting until kickoff though because I don't see the total going up.
Also, the Seahawks seem to have divine intervention in too many games lol
Also, the Seahawks seem to have divine intervention in too many games lol
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
No why what is it
nbafan88
Pretty much a regular
Lol nothing. Just joking
nbafan88
Pretty much a regular
gsro
Give me the NHL, or give me death
no doubt the hawks luckboxed last week, but what are the odds they play that poorly on offense 2 weeks in a row? weather was definitely a factor...i too am confused with this game and not sure where to go..to o much overthinking
Capaholic
Proud Member of Chiefs Nation
77% of the tickets on NE/KC over. 84% of the $$$ on the Under. Think that tells you a little something
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
Can't confirm, but I think it's right or close to right. It was preceded by a little stretch when the opposite held up, the home teams off the bye were covering at a good clip, couldn't set the line high enough. I always used to love the teams off the bye in this round, figured they were at least a little better all season, rested and at home, and by being out of sight and mind last weekend they picked up a little perception value. Recent results have me a little gunshy about that approach though.
Elbutre88
Pretty much a regular
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Source with knowledge of the situation confirms it was synthetic marijuana that caused Chandler Jones' bad reaction and hospitalization.</p>— Christopher Gasper (@cgasper) <a href="https://twitter.com/cgasper/status/687383807079628800">January 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
maybe capecod isn't detox, but christopher gasper instead.
Tito
The Salty Dog
I agree, and another reason I like the Over. I think the hawks will be much better on O this weekend. I think the weather was a big issue. Maybe thats the general consensus and thats the reason for the -2.5?
I just really like Cam and think this team is just tough to stop, and Seahawks D is just not what it once was. Its good, but not the same.
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
What a nerd that guy is. I remember seeing him calling the games for our local high schools with John Hoffman. I know my drugs brother. It's the only "class D" that will get you to walk to the police station for help. Not drive there, not drive to the hospital, not call 911, no no walk by your cars and walk to the police station. Gotta be spice. <iframe id="rufous-sandbox" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; display: none; width: 0px; height: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none;"></iframe>
C
CapeCodCannibal
Guest
Smoking spice is like smoking pure anxiety/fear. Like when you're young and stoned and a grown up suddenly appears. Somehow it's both awful and addicting.
RetroVK
This claim is disputed
Last time Pitt was in Denver for a playoff game, the Bronco QB threw for 316 yards with 2 TD and no Interceptions and also ran for 50 yards and a TD while leading his team to victory over the vaunted Steelers. He accomplished this as an underdog of over a TD. Denver is more like a TD favorite this week, meaning either Denver is much better now or Pittsburgh is much worse, or both. Let's see how this plays out....
emkee
The Truth Is Out There
Yep. It's real bad shit.
Tons of kids in the nut house because of it. That and synthetic 'ecstacy'.
emkee
The Truth Is Out There
Zeke
Big Dick and Average Size Boat
Was that Tebow?
Tito
The Salty Dog
I like Denver partly bc of their defense and the injuries on the other side. But I do not want to back Peyton, why after coming in against a weak Charger D is he all better and not a liability anymore at Qb?? I think Cj may do fine at Rb, even though the Steeler run D is decent, but the idea of laying 7 with this Offense is not appealing.
No offense to the Steeler fans out there, but this is the Nfl's favorite team and occasionally you can see the love through the refs actions. Sometimes. Dont like being on the other side of that and backing a weak Offense.
And even with the injuries on Pitt, Ben has an ability to brush that shit off and play fine. So I'm a little skeptical of buying in too much to the injuries. Just have to pay close attention to reports on BEn and AB....
have to look closer, but lean Under in this one...
No offense to the Steeler fans out there, but this is the Nfl's favorite team and occasionally you can see the love through the refs actions. Sometimes. Dont like being on the other side of that and backing a weak Offense.
And even with the injuries on Pitt, Ben has an ability to brush that shit off and play fine. So I'm a little skeptical of buying in too much to the injuries. Just have to pay close attention to reports on BEn and AB....
have to look closer, but lean Under in this one...
Zeke
Big Dick and Average Size Boat
That book is so sketchy. They are showing me 5 -110
austinhous
Delicately Satirical
I got 9-8 SU and 14-3 ATS against an average line of 6 (9-6 SU and 14-1 ATS when they scored > 10 points).
RetroVK
This claim is disputed
Tito
The Salty Dog
Zeke
Big Dick and Average Size Boat
-5 -105 right now for me. My buddy & I have each been on our phones logged into our respective accounts at the same time & had different lines. Looks like they have lifted the teaser/parlay ban on AZ game but that's it. I want that teaser before KC drops to +4.5. Would've loved to have grabbed the six you saw today. The teaser negates the extra juice.
BJPLAYER
Pretty much a regular
i'm a homer but think the pats handle the chiefs pretty easily....yes the pats finished the season poorly but the only game they were out played all year or at least were out of was the miami game and they obviously did not care one bit if they won that game....prior to that game they played in several games that they were very injured in and didn't look great but were still in those games till the end....prior to the injuries they were clearly the very best team in the league with only zona and caro in the same class....conversely kc is riding an 11 game win streak but really didn't play anyone during that run....kudos to kc for the run but if macklin is out how are they going to score against the pats d with everyone back....when they were healthy they were very tough to score against....total has dropped 5-6 since the open so someone thinks someone isn't going to score...edelman is full strength,amendola is tough as nails,gronk is a beast,we could give a shit about running the ball...hightower,collins,nickovich,chandler will chase smith down (he's very quick but we will have a spy on him all game) (collins or nikko)....pats should get back to scoring 30 points and kc will be held to 3 scores......31-13 type game
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