National Football League

[Alpe d'Huez]

That's pretty bad news about Chad Kelly, strange behavior not. I wouldn't compare that to Ryan Leaf though, more like Barrett Robbins maybe. He's the ex-Raiders all pro center who suffered from severe bipolar disorder, and before the Superbowl against the Buccaneers went off his meds, and on a binge in Tiajuana, certainly helping contribute to their loss. I'd say Todd Marinovich, but Todd had insane talent that was all but completely wasted, partly because of his upbringing.

This section troubled me about Kelly:

Kelly had been at a team Halloween party hosted by linebacker Von Miller. Several players contacted in the past two days told ESPN and NFL Network that they were angry that Kelly was "acting up'' at that party and at one point was asked to leave the gathering just before he was arrested.

By acting up I presume he was drunk, or on something, which affected his behavior. This has to be quite upsetting to the team, as they had to know this guy had a checkered past, and even though Miller seems like a stand-up guy, like no one had Kelly's back. Of course, Kelly has to be responsible for his own actions.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

True not a good exact comparison btw Leaf and Kelly. I made the comparison in a general sense, that both had or are having struggles, criminally. Kelly can look at where Leaf is now and think he can get through this. Because part of Leaf's problem was not just a drug addiction that led to burglary (he broke in to steal meds) to fuel his addiction, but Leaf tried to take his own life while depressed going through that mess. While not dismissing Kelly's behavior, don't want that for Kelly.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well, Leaf eventually came around about as 180 degrees as you can possibly get and seems like a very upstanding, honest person today. Hopefully in some peculiar way Kelly can find some sort of inspiration in someone like that. Another person who really came around and now just helps people is Maurice Clarett.

Some picks. Went with some upsets, and more road teams than I have in a while.

PHI@JAX - In England. Bortles can't beat any defense, and a sketchy running game makes it even harder.
DEN@KC - Chiefs roll on.
CLE@PIT - Browns never beat the Steelers, but they will fight hard. Pivotal game for both maybe.
WAS@NYG - Both teams have issues, Giants can't seal anything, couldn't score on banged up Falcons, against a better D here.
SEA@DET - Coming off a bye, Seahawks inspired by Paul Allen's spirit.
TB@CIN - Losers of 2 in a row after playing well, a home game against a poor D is medicine.
NYJ@CHI - Both teams playing okay, but Bears better, if a bit banged up. Jets whipped by Vikings last week showed flaws.
BAL@CAR - This could be one of those 13-9 games.
IND@OAK - I feel like the dust is settling in Oakland, but not in Indy just yet. Carr listed as questionable though.
SF@ARI - Both teams need so much work, hard to pick a winner.
GB@LAR - My upset of the week. Packers are very well rested. Rams big favorites may hurt them here. They don't have to win, and Packers almost do.
NO@MIN - The Saints are just playing a little more consistent. Now, they may have a letdown after that amazing road win over the Ravens, but the Vikings may be overconfident just blowing out the Jets on the road.

NE@BUF - Lock of the week.

This is maybe a transitional week, with what I said were pivotal games. If the season ended today, here's what the playoffs would look like.

AFC
KC & NE would get byes
PIT would host the Chargers and Houston would host Cincy.
All seems fairly believable, right, though this leaves the Ravens out, along with the Titans and Jags (playoffs last year).

NFC
The Rams & Saints would get byes
Washington would host the Panthers, and the Vikings would host the Packers.
The Eagles, Falcons, Bears would all be out.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Well, Leaf eventually came around about as 180 degrees as you can possibly get and seems like a very upstanding, honest person today. Hopefully in some peculiar way Kelly can find some sort of inspiration in someone like that. Another person who really came around and now just helps people is Maurice Clarett.

Some picks. Went with some upsets, and more road teams than I have in a while.

PHI@JAX - In England. Bortles can't beat any defense, and a sketchy running game makes it even harder.
DEN@KC - Chiefs roll on.
CLE@PIT - Browns never beat the Steelers, but they will fight hard. Pivotal game for both maybe.
WAS@NYG - Both teams have issues, Giants can't seal anything, couldn't score on banged up Falcons, against a better D here.
SEA@DET - Coming off a bye, Seahawks inspired by Paul Allen's spirit.
TB@CIN - Losers of 2 in a row after playing well, a home game against a poor D is medicine.
NYJ@CHI - Both teams playing okay, but Bears better, if a bit banged up. Jets whipped by Vikings last week showed flaws.
BAL@CAR - This could be one of those 13-9 games.
IND@OAK - I feel like the dust is settling in Oakland, but not in Indy just yet. Carr listed as questionable though.
SF@ARI - Both teams need so much work, hard to pick a winner.
GB@LAR - My upset of the week. Packers are very well rested. Rams big favorites may hurt them here. They don't have to win, and Packers almost do.
NO@MIN - The Saints are just playing a little more consistent. Now, they may have a letdown after that amazing road win over the Ravens, but the Vikings may be overconfident just blowing out the Jets on the road.

NE@BUF - Lock of the week.

This is maybe a transitional week, with what I said were pivotal games. If the season ended today, here's what the playoffs would look like.

AFC
KC & NE would get byes
PIT would host the Chargers and Houston would host Cincy.
All seems fairly believable, right, though this leaves the Ravens out, along with the Titans and Jags (playoffs last year).

NFC
The Rams & Saints would get byes
Washington would host the Panthers, and the Vikings would host the Packers.
The Eagles, Falcons, Bears would all be out.

I don't see the Packers beating the Rams. The Carolina game could be a decent one.

 

[jmdirt]

My recap:

SEA with a win and things seem to be coming together.
AP ALL DAY!
LA Rams...8-0!
NOLA is a solid team (especially if they get 14 gimme points).
I think that CAR is dangerous.
KC still looks good...even when they don't.

 

[Nomad]

Yeap...another day at the office for KC? I actually thought the Broncos might have a shot at winning this one coming off the drubbing of AZ, 10 days to prepare and playing KC close to the wire in the first one. Not to be - and now we'll see how long Joseph stays on as HC (at 3-5 things aren't looking very good losing both games to KC and have yet to play the Chargers).

And what can you say about Mahomes:

24 -34, 303 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT (Season: 2526 YDS, 65.6%, 26 TD, 6 INT)

Exceeding expectations by leaps & bounds! A high-octane offense that's fun to watch...7-1 at the half way point! A 2nd year QB who's essentially a rookie playing better than a lot of 5+ year veterans. Hats off to Reid for bringing him along and constructing that offense to his strengths. They got the LAR in a few weeks - should be a barn burner!

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25082322

 

[Pricey_sky]

I was at Wembley yesterday for the Eagles-Jags. Decent game overall and Wentz made the big plays when it mattered. Bortles may get a lot of stick, but certainly on the evidence of what I saw yesterday, he gets next to no help from his OL. A lot of loud Philly fans in attendance, which made for a great atmosphere.

Managed to watch the Panthers win on the way home, thanks to a very solid performance from all departments, so all in all a very good day.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Re: Re:

I don't see the Packers beating the Rams. The Carolina game could be a decent one.

They really should have. Ty takes the knee like he was told to do.
Rodgers and co need 40~50 yards in 2:05 to set up a dialed in Crosby.

With the 2 min warning after the first play and a timeout.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Unbelievable! No wait, it is believable! Brown's fire head coach Hue Jackson after going 2-5-1 against a pretty hard schedule and against some pretty darn good quarterbacks with a starting rookie quarterback, and were only a field goal or two away from winning a couple of those losses. STUPIDITY continues to prevail in Cleveland. They should have given Hue time.

 

[movingtarget]

Unbelievable! No wait, it is believable! Brown's fire head coach Hue Jackson after going 2-5-1 against a pretty hard schedule and against some pretty darn good quarterbacks with a starting rookie quarterback, and were only a field goal or two away from winning a couple of those losses. STUPIDITY continues to prevail in Cleveland. They should have given Hue time.

Wow that's crazy. Maybe Kyle Shanahan blinked when he read that ..........although I think he and Lynch will be back next season, not that Chip Kelly was around for long.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I don't see the Packers beating the Rams. The Carolina game could be a decent one.

They really should have. Ty takes the knee like he was told to do.
Rodgers and co need 40~50 yards in 2:05 to set up a dialed in Crosby.

With the 2 min warning after the first play and a timeout.

I didn't see the game but I was hearing updates while watching another game. Usually they are the games that Rodgers closes out.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well, I was close on Green Bay beating the Rams, they really should have.

I was right on the Saints though, even from early in the pre-season. They are for real.

At first I thought that the issue in Cleveland was that Hue and Todd Haley did not get along, did not communicate. But from what I've been reading, the consensus among a lot of people was that neither was in the business of developing the team, especially Mayfield, who is reportedly okay that Hue is gone, and Hue simply wasn't very organized or well prepared. Haley too much of a loose cannon. So sure, their OL needs real work, they had a tough schedule, but reading between the lines, watching every snap, plus practice, insiders say it's no shock they cut bait now.

 

[red_flanders]

Watching Hard Knocks, Hue just fell entirely flat as a leader IMO. He's a heck of a play-caller, but I wouldn't follow him anywhere. Too much BS and equivocation.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Yes Packers coulda shoulda won.

Well, now Browns have fired offensive coordinator Todd Haley, leaving Baker Mayfield without an offensive mind. And no plan for who will replace Hue Jackson and Todd Haley. I guess the GM/owner cut major bait.

 

[BullsFan22]

I like the direction this Seahawks team is heading. They have to keep playing like this. Run it a fair among, giving Wilson time, mix it up with the receivers (three different receivers scored TD's). The OL is playing as well as it's ever been during Carroll's tenure and the defense is playing solid. They took their foot of the gas pedal in the second half just enough to make it somewhat interesting. It could have easily been 35-7. Maybe even more lopsided. This was good Lions team too.

Their schedule only gets tougher though. The good thing, apart from getting good rest form the BYE week (getting people back from injury is nice as well), is that the team is improving nicely and 6 of the last 9 are at home. That'll obviously be a nice boost. They have the Chargers at home (should be a really good game and a playoff atmosphere!), then the Rams on the road (revenge time?), then the Packers at home (Packers playing ok, but not that great), and then travel to Carolina (you never know with Carolina, but they are gaining momentum as well right now). Other tough match ups are the Vikes and Chiefs, but both of those will be in Seattle. Should be an entertaining second half of the season. I like Seattle's chances to make the playoffs. If they stay healthy and continue playing like this, they could get to 10 or even 11 wins, looking at the schedule.

 

[movingtarget]

Yes Packers coulda shoulda won.

Well, now Browns have fired offensive coordinator Todd Haley, leaving Baker Mayfield without an offensive mind. And no plan for who will replace Hue Jackson and Todd Haley. I guess the GM/owner cut major bait.

The Browns have had a tough schedule so far so it makes little sense. Obviously the GM wanted to see quicker improvement which was probably unrealistic. Mediocre kicking cost them a few games. Can understand the Cavs canning Lue but not the Browns cutting Hue............

 

[movingtarget]

I like the direction this Seahawks team is heading. They have to keep playing like this. Run it a fair among, giving Wilson time, mix it up with the receivers (three different receivers scored TD's). The OL is playing as well as it's ever been during Carroll's tenure and the defense is playing solid. They took their foot of the gas pedal in the second half just enough to make it somewhat interesting. It could have easily been 35-7. Maybe even more lopsided. This was good Lions team too.

Their schedule only gets tougher though. The good thing, apart from getting good rest form the BYE week (getting people back from injury is nice as well), is that the team is improving nicely and 6 of the last 9 are at home. That'll obviously be a nice boost. They have the Chargers at home (should be a really good game and a playoff atmosphere!), then the Rams on the road (revenge time?), then the Packers at home (Packers playing ok, but not that great), and then travel to Carolina (you never know with Carolina, but they are gaining momentum as well right now). Other tough match ups are the Vikes and Chiefs, but both of those will be in Seattle. Should be an entertaining second half of the season. I like Seattle's chances to make the playoffs. If they stay healthy and continue playing like this, they could get to 10 or even 11 wins, looking at the schedule.

Had to laugh at the Aussie punter. Pete almost had a heart attack when he ran the ball out but it ended well ! Seattle has nothing to fear from the Cardinals and 49ers......

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Tough, gritty win for the Patriots. The Bills took away their running game and made them earn every yard. In a couple years, if they can get an OL, and Allen can develop and stay healthy, they may actually be decent.

Some good articles on why Jackson and Haley were fired, and the internal reasoning behind it.

First an article from USA Today that goes into details about the internal strife, and John Dorsey's decisions and plan.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/mike-jones/2018/10/29/hue-jackson-firing-cleveland-browns-john-dorsey/1812512002/

A harsh article from Cleveland that takes a look back at what was expected, and why Jackson didn't deliver on that, at all.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/10/hue_jackson_fired_by_the_brown.html

Finally, I find it interesting that Gregg Williams is the interim HC. Made infamous for Bountygate, he did confess and cooperated, and after being suspended has since stuck to business and done well in the NFL, and somehow rose above the mess of Jackson and Haley to keep his job. The defense has also played fairly well with a lot of young players.

This leaves the question who the Browns hire as a HC in the off-season? My guess is that they'll look for someone fairly young and bright, with an offensive mind. Then carefully see if that person and Williams can work together, while the new HC hires a full staff of offensive coaches around him. If not, they'll cut bait with Williams too.

 

[jmdirt]

Re:

Tough, gritty win for the Patriots. The Bills took away their running game and made them earn every yard. In a couple years, if they can get an OL, and Allen can develop and stay healthy, they may actually be decent.

Some good articles on why Jackson and Haley were fired, and the internal reasoning behind it.

First an article from USA Today that goes into details about the internal strife, and John Dorsey's decisions and plan.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/mike-jones/2018/10/29/hue-jackson-firing-cleveland-browns-john-dorsey/1812512002/

A harsh article from Cleveland that takes a look back at what was expected, and why Jackson didn't deliver on that, at all.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2018/10/hue_jackson_fired_by_the_brown.html

Finally, I find it interesting that Gregg Williams is the interim HC. Made infamous for Bountygate, he did confess and cooperated, and after being suspended has since stuck to business and done well in the NFL, and somehow rose above the mess of Jackson and Haley to keep his job. The defense has also played fairly well with a lot of young players.

This leaves the question who the Browns hire as a HC in the off-season? My guess is that they'll look for someone fairly young and bright, with an offensive mind. Then carefully see if that person and Williams can work together, while the new HC hires a full staff of offensive coaches around him. If not, they'll cut bait with Williams too.

No accurate way to guess but I wonder if they will go with an NCAA coach or either an NFL assistant or head coach? Let me toss out one name: Chuck Pagano. He is working for the NFL this season, but was here in town (has family and maybe a cabin here), and made it clear that he wants to be back on the sideline again.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

For our friends Down Under, punter Michael Dickson is the NFC’s special-teams player of the week. How he did it? Returning a planned safety out of the end zone for a first down to secure the win. Ballsy and maybe crazy dude actually has some speed:
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...is-the-nfcs-special-teams-player-of-the-week/

 

[leftover pie]

For our friends Down Under, punter Michael Dickson is the NFC’s special-teams player of the week. How he did it? Returning a planned safety out of the end zone for a first down to secure the win. Ballsy and maybe crazy dude actually has some speed:
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...is-the-nfcs-special-teams-player-of-the-week/

I saw the highlight, it says he went rogue but I can't see him just deciding on the fly to give it a go unless it was a decision he was empowered to make.

Edit:

so i've read a few articles and listened to the press conference, sounds like he showed some gumption and got it done. well done to him, so glad it worked and he didn't end up costing the team

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Here's the play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUM_FUPcf70

And here he is interviewed. "Big Balls Dickson".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUM_FUPcf70

Dude was the Ray Guy award winner, MVP of the Texas Bowl, and he beat out John Ryan for the job. What's interesting is that like Ray Guy he gets huge hang time, but his style is the opposite of Guy's "perfect" form. Dickson has a very compact style, with little follow through. He just sets, and bangs it.

OAK@SF - Teams competing for the top pick in the draft maybe.

 

[jmdirt]

Thursday night football has the potential to live down to the TNF billing. I'd like to hold out some hope that it could be a good game but...

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Thursday night football has the potential to live down to the TNF billing. I'd like to hold out some hope that it could be a good game but...

Well it sounds like Beathard will probably be out as he hurt his wrist which means with Mullens, SF is now down to the third string QB. Beathard was horrible last week. It will be the last time Oakland play SF so there will be some bragging rights but a high quality game.......probably not. I will settle for a good contest.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

First, 'big balls' Dickson Lions post-game interview: https://www.seahawks.com/audio/2018-week-8-michael-dickson-postgame-interview-at-lions
Fixed it for ya.