Game 16 (Where's Darko?) THE EFFING TOILET BOWL!

[Bulltalk]

I'm so conflicted about this possible win here. What if we get massacred by the Saints at home next week, just shredded by Brees? It's going to be hard not to live in retrospect come draft time. They are REALLY going to have to do well with their picks next April to justify this rather hideous 7-9 trip to the playoffs.

[TTown]

16-6 Hawks, 1:37 left. Good thing Mare showed up!

[Sweezo]

Bradford just has no targets. His receivers are as bad as our cornerbacks.

That, and Bradford just not being very good just yet, won the game for us. Yippee.

[TTown]

Playoffs!

[Bulltalk]

I have to admit it, I'm kind of "meh" about the playoffs. We can't play with anyone in these playoffs. Who are we kidding? At very best, we can pull off one monumental upset at home. But that's it. Then we're back to our sh*tty rebuilding selves, and A LOT of rebuilding to do, and our rebuilding effort has been compromised.

[TTown]

It's impossible to argue any of that, and I'm certain the Saints will pimp slap us next Saturday, but it's still kind of cool the team is as messed up as it is but still in the playoffs, especially after the last two seasons. We did ourselves no favors as far as the draft goes, for sure, but I don't think we truly did that much harm, either. We're in rebuilding mode this year, we'll be in rebuilding mode next year, might as well host a playoff game in the process.

[Bulltalk]

It's impossible to argue any of that, and I'm certain the Saints will pimp slap us next Saturday, but it's still kind of cool the team is as messed up as it is but still in the playoffs, especially after the last two seasons. We did ourselves no favors as far as the draft goes, for sure, but I don't think we truly did that much harm, either. We're in rebuilding mode this year, we'll be in rebuilding mode next year, might as well host a playoff game in the process.

Maybe I'm older and have been around a lot longer. This is just a very strange circumstance. If we were 9-7, or perhaps even 8-8, and hadn't lost 7 out of last 9 games, and many of them horribly, I probably wouldn't be feeling this way. I'm pretty certain that we're going down this Saturday to the Saints, and going down hard. We can't stop Brees and their offense. Period. The Saints are a very good football team. We suck. We have no business being in these playoffs. It's just a fluke, the first losing team to get in such a way, at least since the reconfiguration of the 32 team league.

This win essentially bought us 6 more days of a season before we go down, and cost us 13-14 slots in the draft, a potential all-pro DLman, potential franchise QB, etc... This is not for sure, but you simply have MUCH better odds on getting such a player at the 7th-8th pick than the 21st pick. And we're in need of such players. Dire need.

It's just bizarre. I've wanted teams to lose a little more to obtain a potentially better player in a draft (remember the Mariners a few years ago?). Here I am wanting a team to lose not so they can get a slightly better draft pick, but because they can make the playoffs if they do win and they will get a significantly worse pick. 13-14 draft slots hanging on one game without a draft lottery? You have to look pretty hard to find such a thing happening. I'm stumped at the moment.

I don't know. All I can say is that our first two picks BETTER BE VERY GOOD PICKS! They better both be be somewhat considered *steals*. If not, and we go down hard five days from now, then it wasn't worth it, IMO. Shyt, we don't even have a 3rd round pick this year, and holes to fill galore. It's like we gave up 13-14 spots in the draft, our 3rd round pick, a good chunk of our future, all for the chance to compete this year in the playoffs as a 7-9 roadkill team.

[Danny Darko]

Awe thanks guys, and sorry for the absence. I had massive web failure. I blame myself for our win... I think.

Yeah, really strange situation. Lost tons of draft position, gained tons of confidence, learned a little about CBJ, but now Matt wants in (please god no, at least as a starter). Losing record, but will get a late pick... hmmm.

I do see a couple of benefits, though-

1-a later pick might result in Oline or CB both are great needs, though we have tons of guard/center/right tackle area picks between Denver's pick and ours, and possible Baltimore's.

2-players won't hang their heads and winning culture is pretty important, otherwise perennial losers would do more with their endless early picks, and yet teams like Cleveland do very little with their 1st round "studs".

Also if you fell in love with a QB other than Luck, trades are still very available.

I tried to root against the Hawks, but that first drive made me a fan again. oh well.

Game thread for the taints for sure now that I'm online again.

[Bulltalk]

Again, it was just a real, REAL strange occurrence. Something I've never quite encountered as a fan before. Playoffs and probable playoff bust, or great 1st round pick to get a player we might really need for the future? Will we lose out on our franchise QB for the next 10-12 years because of it? Quite possible. The 7th pick could be the 2nd best QB in the draft, or the 3rd best that our management really preferred, or a trade down scenario to get more picks and fill more holes.

Yikes!

Well you gotta be hog-wild for Hawks this Saturday NOW!

Go Hawks!

[Sweezo]

Well you gotta be hog-wild for Hawks this Saturday NOW!

Go Hawks!

Absolutely. I just bought a couple tickets for the game...not often you get a chance to go to a playoff game!