5wide

:thumb::lol:

FWIW... In verse 16, Peter says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Peter responds with what you typed. Another interpretation of that exchange is that the rock Christ will build his church upon is not Peter, but the confession he made that Jesus is the Christ.

Same here. I think UK has a shot in this game, but they'll need to capitalize on all their opportunities, which they failed to do against South Carolina and it cost them the game. The really crucial stretch comes after this game. Heading in, the first two games, plus UL Monroe, MSU, EKU and Vandy were the six games the Cats had to win. Florida and 'Bama were penned in losses, and the other four aren't impossible but they're uphill struggles. Hartline or not, none of that changes.

I just picked him up in case McGahee or Rice get injured. Otherwise, he's got no value. And, I don't see the point in carrying two kickers. Nothing to lose... There's no RB's whatsoever available that have had any kind of success on the field, so I figured I'd snatch one up and stick him on the bench. I wish I'd have dropped Kenny Britt instead of Michael Jenkins, because the Titans will most likely switch to Vince at some point and when they do, Britt will be beyond useless. But, I've got three good WR's, so barring injury, I shouldn't need a fourth.

Wrong or right, that's my conclusion.

:thumb: I agree. I think LA is more likely to win 72 games. With Artest in the lineup and if Bynum can stay healthy, this could be the best team they've had in the last three years. I also think a summer off for Kobe will help tremendously. He looked worn down in the playoffs last year. Plus, LA seems like a team built more for the regular season. They can obviously win in the playoffs (last year was proof of that), but they're not the physical, hard nosed defensive kind of team that thrives in playoff basketball...they look better during the regular season to me. All that said, I don't see them doing it either.

Definitely for me...I haven't done the homework to know for sure, but I'd say I'd be 4-2 at best without it. I traded Smith for Jennings, so we'll see how that works out. Could have been a mistake....but, I was thinking back to the draft. I basically turned Chris Henry (15th pick of the 8th round) into Greg Jennings. I also got Leon Washington for Mike Bell. Not a huge move, but it gave me some decent depth at RB. I'm feeling pretty good about my faith in Kyle Orton right now. I like Denver's offense and he seems to be getting more comfortable there. Not a stud, but I don't need him to be if the rest of my roster plays the way they should. My main mission this year was to do well enough to stay in the league. Last time around, I messed up my dice roll and it cost me LT and ultimately a spot in the league. At this point, I'm confident I'll be around next year...with some good keeper options. If Brian Westbrook gets healthy and starts producing somewhere close to what he's capable of, you've got an impressive trio of RB's for a 16 team league. Kinda like my WR's...AJ, Smith and Jennings. Hopefully those guys will all get going.

Imagine how good your team would be if you had Joseph Addai, Andre Johnson and Steve Smith. Why, you might even be 6-0 (instead of 5-1) and the highest scoring team in the league right now? :sssh:

:thumb: As this saga unfolds, it tells me more about Fidler than Newton. Here's the impression I get (and it could be totally wrong)... Brooks still doesn't feel like Newton is ready and he'd prefer not to play him and burn the redshirt. However, Fidler is just not a viable option. He doesn't feel like they have a chance to compete with Fidler under center and he's being forced to go with the freshman. Putting Newton in as the starter is the only move he can make...he has to give this team it's best chance to compete. It wouldn't be fair to players on this team to play a bad QB just to save a redshirt. And, I think if that's obvious in practice, it would affect the rest of the team's performance because it would basically be saying that they're throwing in the towel on this season. I think what he sees in Fidler is forcing his hand. What I've guessed from all this is that Will Fidler can't do the job.

I think his playmaking ability with his legs is what will give UK's offense a chance to move the ball. Considering Fidler couldn't beat Hartline out and we saw how stagnant the offense was with Hartline at times, I have to believe the result with Fidler would be the same at best and likely worse. The question is, IMO, whether Brooks things Newton gives them a better chance to move the ball and score points offensively. If the answer is yes, then in light of Hartline's injury, he probably needs to give him the reigns.

If Newton starts, I think it's because Brooks views him as the best option for the team...I think that says as much about Fidler as it does Newton. I don't think they want to burn the redshirt, but at the same time, you have to give your team it's best chance to win. They obviously felt like Hartline was better than Newton at this point, but it certainly doesn't seem like they feel the same about Fidler. JMO I've maintained two positions...one, I didn't want to see Newton's redshirt lifted and two, I trust Brooks. Hartline's injury has changed the situation and may force UK to play the freshman. If Fidler can't get it done, and Newton is the best option, then he needs to be the guy. I also think you have to factor in Newton's athleticism and ability to make plays with his feet when things break down into the equation. I think it's possibly that neither guy is ready from a pure pocket passing standpoint, and in that case, Newton's dual threat ability could be the deciding factor. I think most of us were expecting (certainly hoping) for one of the two freshmen to step up and win the job next spring. In this situation, it makes sense to go ahead and put Newton in and let him get some real game experience...especially if he's the best option.

I never thought about that. That's interesting.

:thumb: I agree. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but the fact that Brooks is giving Newton first-team reps tells me that he has some doubts about Fidler's ability to adequately lead this offense. Does anyone know if that's standard practice for UK? Did Fidler get that percentage of first-team reps prior to Hartline's injury? If Fidler plays bad and Brooks believes Newton is a significant upgrade, then I don't think there's a decision to make. I think you have to go with him. It's not fair to the team, especially the seniors. But, if he doesn't think Newton can do better, I'd hate to waste a redshirt. Bottom line, I don't mind Newton playing. I look forward to the day he plays for the Cats. I just don't want to see the redshirt burned just to make a change for the sake of change and nothing else. Question: What happens if Fidler plays the same as Hartline? Is a change necessary? The fans were calling for Newton before and Brooks and Phillips stuck with Hartline. If Fidler plays the same as Hartline, the fans will most certainly want change...will they go to Newton in that situation or stick with Fidler? Is Fidler's leash shorter than Hartline's or the same?

I'm not sure what the answer to the predestination question is. But, what I've found is that it doesn't really change anything for me personally...so, it's just one of those mysteries where the truth may never be revealed to us.

The redshirt doesn't come off until Newton plays a snap. The Cats would have to start giving him more reps in practice so he's as ready as possible should he have to play...whether that's due to poor performance from Fidler or an injury. I don't think UK has another viable option at the QB position right now, so Newton is the de facto backup. In a perfect world, Newton is prepared as the backup, but never has to play because Fidler performs well. Thus, keeping the redshirt.

That depends on how it goes with Fidler. If he fills in adequately, there's no need to burn a redshirt. Unless Fidler is just downright abysmal, I don't expect to see Newton, nor do I hope to.

:thumb: Personally, I'd prefer that Newton not play this year and stick with the redshirt. Fidler would have to be pretty bad before I'd be calling for Newton. But, if it does happen, I'm in agreement with your scenario here. To be honest, if Fidler can't cut it, I'd almost rather see Cobb return to the QB spot to finish the season. But, Rich Brooks and company have done a marvelous job to date, so they've earned my trust. I have confidence that they'll make the correct decision for our football program. Remember, Rich Brooks as the head coach, while obviously concentrating on this season, also has to keep the future of the program in view. And, some of his decisions may be made accordingly.

I think I'd do what they did against South Carolina after Hartline's injury. Start Fidler and make the Wildcat a bigger part of the game plan, meaning both Fidler and Cobb will see snaps at the QB spot. JMO

I like the avatar. I haven't been obligated to keep it since P'burgh lost. I may keep it a while.

BTW, I'm kidding Mirkers. Keep it up...we're headed for a huge divisional showdown in Week 7. :scared::thumb:

My point was that you'd think the teams that didn't make the cut wouldn't be in as good a position as they were as far as keepers go. However, since you can only keep two, I suppose it's not that surprising that pretty much every team would have two good keeper-worthy players.

I wish the Mirkers would lose a game or two. At 6-0, it's hard to complain, but what're the odds that one of the only two teams that are 5-1 would be in my division. Lose Mirkers, lose! :lol:

^What are the records for the 8 new teams? I think we all had good situations to come into. Almost all of those teams had one or two really good keepers and a decent draft spot. You'd think it would be the opposite.

They need to play Vince, so they can show everybody that they have to get a QB. To be honest, I think this Titans offense is a good QB away from being one of the best in the league. They don't have a stud WR like Andre Johnson, but they have weapons outside now with Britt and Washington to go with what was already there. Factor in a very good offensive line and a great RB combo...all you need is a QB and this team is capable of putting some points on the board, IMO. Unfortunately, they don't have that guy on the roster right now. I'm hoping they'll finish this season the way they've started it so they can be in position to address that position.

Where to start with the Titans? Losing Haynesworth hurt, but there's never been a defensive tackle in the history of football good enough to be the sole reason for a team going from one of the best in the league one year to one of the worst the next. I think the loss to the Jets sunk the season...the Titans may have been 0-3, but they didn't play bad during that stretch. They could have easily been 3-0...OT loss in Pittsburgh, blew a big lead to Houston and lost by a FG, and then a rookie kick returner fumbles a win away in New York. Confidence and momentum is such a huge thing in the NFL, and I think they lost their confidence and guys are pressing. That's just sort of a general observation. Specifically... Offense - They need to find an answer at QB. They have to get that position adequately addressed and stabilized. Collins, I think, can do a solid job when his supporting cast is doing their job and playing well. But, he doesn't like to get hit or pressured and he starts to play bad when that happens. His WR's haven't helped him any this season, IMO. I saw Nate Washington drop several good throws against the Jets that really hurt the Titans. Chris Johnson is the playmaker on offense, but he's caught a little of that Reggie Bush syndrome where you dance around and look for a homerun on every play instead of taking what is there. So, for every big play he's made this season, he's had two or three where he's turned a minimum 4-5 yard run into a no gain or loss, which puts the offense in 2nd or 3rd and long. And, the Titans aren't built to thrive in those situations. LenDale is useless because the Titans are always behind and forced to pass and play catch-up. Defense - Vanilla. The Titans are too stubborn. Apparently, they're the only people who watch football that believes their front four can adquately pressure the QB. Thus, they continue to stick with a four-man rush, while dropping seven in coverage and they can't get pressure. The back seven is talented, but it doesn't matter because they're being asked to do too much. (And now, injuries have hit them hard.) And, actually, I think the front four has some talent, but they're not a dominant unit that can pressure QB's by themselves. So, to make it simple, Tennessee has to pressure the QB and to do that they have to start blitzing. To date, they have refused to do that and the result is fantasy players salivating to get the QB going against Tennessee every week. Special Teams - Cost them a win. That's unacceptable. Listen to these numbers... Last season, through five games they allowed 56 points. This year it's 139. 33/43 (76.7%), 363 yards (8.4 ypa), TD, 2 Int 25/39 (64.1%), 357 yards (9.2 ypa), 4 TD 17/30 (56.7%), 171 yards (5.7 ypa), 2 TD, Int 27/37 (73.0%), 323 yards (8.7 ypa), 3 TD 36/44 (81.8%), 309 yards (7.0 ypa), 3 TD, Int That's what opposing QB's have done against Tennessee. Take away the third game when they faced a rookie QB on a rainy day, and an average game against them is 74.2%, 338 yards (8.3 ypa), 4 TD and an Int. Even with the Sanchez game, an average game is 71.5%, 305 yards (7.9 ypa), 3 TD and an Int. If Cecil can't figure out that blitzing isn't an option, it's a necessity, then he needs to go. I'm a little surprised because I thought he'd be a good one.