National Football League

[Alpe d'Huez]

Frank Reich fired in Carolina. No shock, though the problem wasn't him. Its owner David Tepper, your typical American CEO mentality. Make bad decisions (insist on drafting Young over Stroud, etc.), but blame your staff. Pressure everyone to perform immediately, threaten them with their job with negative reenforcement, or just fire them, over and over. Fired Rivera, fired Rhule, fired Reich. Six total coaches if you count interims. If I read correctly, he's spending more money on staff (current and fired) than any other owner in the NFL. I feel bad for anyone in this organization who has to deal with this idiot tyrant who thinks he can run a team like he could a hedge fund.

 

[movingtarget]

One more win & they will have already equaled last year's win total (9-8). Assuming they get 11 or 12 wins & win the division, don't you think they're expected to go deep in the playoffs?

Last year under Lawrence's 2nd full year of starting, they beat LAC in the wildcard round & then lost to KC in a close one in the divisional round. Now in the Lawrence's 3rd year, and the team playing well, I think the progression would be to at least get to the championship game with the SB being the ultimate target. I don't think "the next Payton Manning" was taken #1 OA to just make & win a playoff game now & then?

Not saying it can't happen and yes they did well last year. They had an ugly loss to the 49ers but won't meet them in the playoffs unless it's the SB so on their day they might push the Chiefs. They are still better than the high win Vikings team from last year who most people picked to go out early in the playoffs. The odd thing is that for the past few seasons most of the quality teams have been in the AFC while this year it has kinda flipped. The Eagles and 49ers look better than the majority of the AFC . The Cowboys have racked up wins but most people still doubt them going far in the playoffs except for Skip Bayliss and some of their super fans. The Chiefs have looked more human but at the moment the Eagles look like clear favourites . The game on Sunday with the 49ers will tell more as they seem to be back on track but now have to play Eagles, Hawks then Ravens which will decide their playoff seeding you would think then they have Washington, Rams and Cards. Seattle on the same side of the draw also have a tough run in as they also have to play the Cowboys.

The QB injuries to the AFC QB's have meant that the Bengals and Browns are out of the picture you would think and that has helped teams like the Steelers and Denver who are on the upward trajectory anyway like the Texans. Will be some fascinating match ups in the first week of the playoffs in the AFC while the NFC is looking more and more like two teams and the rest but playoff football of course always has some surprises and most of the games from the past two post seasons have been close.

 

[movingtarget]

Frank Reich fired in Carolina. No shock, though the problem wasn't him. Its owner David Tepper, your typical American CEO mentality. Make bad decisions (insist on drafting Young over Stroud, etc.), but blame your staff. Pressure everyone to perform immediately, threaten them with their job with negative reenforcement, or just fire them, over and over. Fired Rivera, fired Rhule, fired Reich. Six total coaches if you count interims. If I read correctly, he's spending more money on staff (current and fired) than any other owner in the NFL. I feel bad for anyone in this organization who has to deal with this idiot tyrant who thinks he can run a team like he could a hedge fund.

Yes looks like a mess over there. They might have done better with Wilkes. Anyway the 49ers thank them greatly for CMC !

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

The Cowboys have racked up wins but most people still doubt them going far in the playoffs except for Skip Bayliss and some of their super fans.

Keep in mind, the Cowboys have not beaten a team with a winning record. Their best wins were probably over the Rams, or Chargers. Five of their remaining 6 games are against good teams. Seattle, Philly, Buffalo, Miami, Detroit, Washington.

Curious which Joshua Dobbs shows up tonight. The guy who was money against the Saints, or the guy who botched their loss to Denver? Bears defense is good against the run, and not the pass, so this game could be interesting.

 

[jmdirt]

Just not good pro football...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yep

 

[movingtarget]

Anyone would have thought that the Bears and Vikings were playing on a muddy field in a gale force wind and it just started snowing. Nope..........like the commentator said it just needed some Benny Hill music to get the full immersive experience...........sigh.......

 

[movingtarget]

Some Bills stats :

All 6 losses this season have been by 6 points or less.
Josh Allen has thrown at least one intercept in his past 8 games, a franchise record since Jim Kelly in 1995.
Allen has played in 6 overtime games and never won one.

 

[jmdirt]

One the first CHI drive last night I was really impressed with Fields....and then the game went on. His numbers weren't horrible, with the exception of two lost fumbles, and he looks good when scrambling, but maybe this is the processing thing that I was referring to upthread. He just doesn't 'look' like an NFL QB1. Take a QB in the draft.

MIN has a colander O line, and while Dobbs is a great story, he isn't an NFL QB1 either. Four interceptions is silly, but two of those weren't really on Dobbs. Getting Jefferson back will help, but so what?? What are they going to do? They could win two of their remaining games or just as easily lose all of them. Who can they beat in the playoffs? Do they try to keep Cousins or draft a QB?

 

[Unchained]

C'mon...man, it's an important metric, along with other physical skills, in evaluating the college talent. Why do you think these college kids are being drafted #1, #2, #3 OA, etc? Their physical skills - specifically their arm strength - is what's getting ownership salivating & opening their checkbooks.

Wilson got an effin $22.9 million signing bonus for basically that golden arm. He gets the last laugh as he could just give the finger to the NFL walking away with all the free money thrown at him.

What you should be doing is criticizing these fat cats in the luxury box for throwing big bucks at these college kids for their genetics - and not waiting to see what their actual performance is on the field.

Funny watching Justin Fields simply throw the ball way way too F- ing hard and almost costing the game because his version of touch is trying to break the hands off his own receivers.. Lesson learned? Probably not.
As for Zach Wilson.. not a fan of anything he has said and done on or off the field. That said Geno Smith ( and previous 3+ quarterbacks) on the Jets were absolute turds. Smith went to Seattle and was reborn. Maybe Zach Wilson will be great in Canadian or Arena football..And as far as upwardly trending teams and quarterbacks Russell Wilson getting it done for the Denver Ponies..
Wonder what Brady, Staubach, Tarkenton, Greise, Stabler, Dan Marino rate on arm speed? Terry Bradshaw?

 

[Nomad]

Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips out for season after tearing achilles

The Miami Dolphins defensive end was carted off the field in Friday’s 24-13 win over the New York Jets.

www.google.com

 

[movingtarget]

One the first CHI drive last night I was really impressed with Fields....and then the game went on. His numbers weren't horrible, with the exception of two lost fumbles, and he looks good when scrambling, but maybe this is the processing thing that I was referring to upthread. He just doesn't 'look' like an NFL QB1. Take a QB in the draft.

MIN has a colander O line, and while Dobbs is a great story, he isn't an NFL QB1 either. Four interceptions is silly, but two of those weren't really on Dobbs. Getting Jefferson back will help, but so what?? What are they going to do? They could win two of their remaining games or just as easily lose all of them. Who can they beat in the playoffs? Do they try to keep Cousins or draft a QB?

Do they want to pay that much for a 37 year old QB as Cousins always gets his money. Jimmy G is getting 25 mill to back up a rookie,Jones is getting 40 mill for God knows what, Hawks kept Geno's salary down compared to others but they could still find a better QB probably or maybe not in the short term. Dobbs reminds me of McCoy. Could he win games ? Yes but see enough of him and you realize he's a decent to good back up not a regular starter. If the Vikings decide not to extend Cousins it will be interesting to see how much teams are prepared to pay him on what will probably be his final contract. Some of the lower teams would probably gladly pay but that may not be the only thing attracting Cousins at this stage of his career.
It looks like it won't be the 49ers paying him with the way Purdy has improved and it's still hard to believe that he is costing the 49ers less than 1 mill per season at the moment which means with the more senior talents like Trent Williams getting closer to retirement and with many of their best players approaching 30 or already older, just from a QB salary point of view and team roster, now is the time to get the SB win. But if Purdy hadn't done what he has done or not showed as much promise, they could still possibly have Jimmy and certainly be interested in Cousins while still looking for a younger talent in the draft. Whatever they hoped for in Lance wasn't showing much progress and as bad as Jimmy has looked lately, I doubt that Lance would have been the one to keep him out at least in the short term or they still may have let Jimmy go and opted for Darnold and so far that is an unknown as he's hardly seen the field but not many could envisage the 49ers making a SB run with Darnold.

Fields shows glimpses then does something mind boggling bad. No doubt his strength is his mobility. Bears would have to be crazy not to look at options in the draft with the draft position they look like getting. The Texans found their franchise QB quickly after the debacle with their previous QB. Both the Jets and Bears coaches are probably looking in the direction of Texas and shaking their heads ! While the Giants coach is just waiting for the season to end.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

That's the "problem". There simply aren't enough good (not great, just good) QBs to go around, considering every team would ideally have a great QB, and a good QB to back him up, considering the triage rate in the NFL. This is how teams end up with guys like Tommy DeVito, Tim Boyle, and Baily Zappe starting for you. It's also why someone like Jimmy Garappolo is making $25m to be average (now sitting), and why the Saints are paying Derek Carr $37m to be average, and Jamis Winston $10m to back him up and be average. It's also why GMs are so often looking to the draft, hoping they can find a guy in early rounds that can if not start, at least be a "good" QB for 5 years while they are on their rookie contract.

Someone will pay Cousins if he wants to play. Will he get paid $35m at the age of 37? I doubt it. But he easily could end up on a team following exactly the same path Garappolo followed this last off-season. Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, they will find jobs too. The same way Mitch Trubisky did.

Last night's game made me realize Dobbs is a forever backup. Smart guy. Made some clutch plays in every game he's played. But he's just not consistent. You can't build a team around him, at all. But he'll find work as a back-up, maybe in that "good" category.

Fields I think is done in Chicago. He's gotten to a point to where I think what happened with Kaepernick in SF (before he was blacklisted). The guy can run like a gazelle, make some impressive throws. But when someone plays like he does - where most plays you just don't know what's going to happen - it's basically impossible to draw up a playbook, impossible to scheme, impossible to plan around, to coach. I'll be really surprised if Chicago trades away the #1 pick again. They will take Maye, or Williams, and Fields will move on. Some other team will see his raw talent and give the Bears something for him in return.

Maybe Zach Wilson will be great in Canadian or Arena football...

Some team in the NFL will take him, as a backup, as I said. He's the next Mitch Trubisky. If he fails in that situation, then he's the next Carson Wentz and possibly out of the league.

With the USFL and XFL merging (still can't find much info on this), there is a much greater possibility of this new UFL (UXFL?) being a feeder or even developmental league, if not literally tied to NFL money, but be perceived that way, unless the UFL screws it up, which is always possible. My point is this: If he sat all 2024, and no one showed any interest him, if the UFL is stable, this could entice someone like Zach to play there if he wants to play and show he can play at a high level. AJ McCarron did this, now back in Cincy, but also Ben DeNucci, and Alex McGough are on NFL teams. PJ Walker played in the XFL too. McGough I honestly think could play just as well as many of these sub average QBs we are seeing, if given the chance.

And as far as upwardly trending teams and quarterbacks Russell Wilson getting it done for the Denver Ponies..
Wonder what Brady, Staubach, Tarkenton, Greise, Stabler, Dan Marino rate on arm speed? Terry Bradshaw?

Marino had one of the strongest arms in history. And a hyper quick release. He could effortlessly toss the ball 40+ yards downfield on a rope. Bradshaw seemed to have a good arm too, but not to Marino's level. I think both Staubach and Stabler are more like my example before. They may not have had the strongest arm, but they were accurate when throwing deep, which matters more. Lots of highlight reels of both guys tossing 50 yard throws right on the money. Though no one ever once thought of either guy as having a cannon.

The Cowboy QB from years gone by that had one of the biggest arms in history was Don Meredith, believe it or not.

 

[Nomad]

Smith went to Seattle and was reborn.

Really? Lol. So, after 9 seasons as a bust he has that statistically great season last year, but the club goes only 9-8 and one & done in playoffs. Lol. I think Petey expects more than a barely over .500 record & a quick exit out of the playoffs. This is a SB winning franchise with a lot of pride that certainly has set the bar higher than just one & done WC playoff appearances.

Furthermore, what will happen this year with the "reborn" Geno? They're sitting 6-5 & in WC contention but they're not going to be challenging SF for the division title anytime soon. And with Geno over-the-hill, is Petey going to try to get a few more miles out of him or is he looking to the draft for a franchise QB? (I don't think Bronco reject Drew Lock is the future. Lol).

 

[Nomad]

Marino had one of the strongest arms in history. And a hyper quick release. He could effortlessly toss the ball 40+ yards downfield on a rope. Bradshaw seemed to have a good arm too, but not to Marino's level. I think both Staubach and Stabler are more like my example before. They may not have had the strongest arm, but they were accurate when throwing deep, which matters more. Lots of highlight reels of both guys tossing 50 yard throws right on the money. Though no one ever once thought of either guy as having a cannon.

Marino was an absolute stud. And like you alluded to, his release was crazy. Elway also had a canon & could throw javelin like bombs as well as medium-range rockets.

Back in the 1980's, I use to go watch the Broncos' preseason camp when they practiced at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley (about 60 miles north of Denver). This is back in the days when you could actually be on the practice field pretty close to the players & coaches (very little security back in those days). Back then the HC would be perched on a multi-story field tower with bullhorn in hand yelling at the players - it was absolute chaos. Lol

One time after a practice, Elway was messing around throwing bombs all over the field, and throwing bullets to some of his receivers seeing if could hurt their hands. Lol. Former Bronco Ring of Fame Rod Smith said they use to set the Jugs machines at 70 mph for the receivers to simulate Elway's throws.

 

[jmdirt]

If MIN doesn't sign Cousins, maybe CLE will!

 

[movingtarget]

Could see Fields bouncing around the league as a future back up re Mariota but he hasn't even reached that level yet,when I think of Mariota's best performances especially when younger. And even though players like Wentz are back in the league they still won't see much playing time unless the starter has gone for the season and even then as already seen this season, veterans performing badly still get benched for rookies if they are playing badly enough. A player like Wentz could be out of the league again just as quickly. Stafford has decided to play through whatever problems he is having with his arm for the moment but I wonder how much longer Stafford will play. He has to be closing in on retirement like Donald. Cousins retiring wouldn't be a complete surprise either even though he has had a much better run with injuries than Stafford. if the Vikings offered Cousins a two year contract while looking for his successor he would probably play on with the right contract and he wouldn't have to get used to a new coach and playbook.

Sounds like Bill B doesn't want to retire anytime soon. Seems like he and Pete Carroll are having too much fun !

 

[jmdirt]

I read an opinion on Fields and CHI:
Summary: CHI knows what they have with Fields, they don't know what they will have with _______________(fill in the blank with draft pick).

Ture, but they know that Fields is 7-26 as a starter with the disclaimer that he isn't the only factor in that poor record. They also know that he probably isn't going to make any huge improvements moving forward, but he has made improvements each year so far. Can (ie: Bo Nix) be a significant improvement? They are going to start having to pay Fields big money pretty soon too. They need to draft wisely at several positions.

 

[Unchained]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mBAVqhaCwd8&pp=ygUYMTk3MiByYWlkZXJzIHZzIHN0ZWVsZXJz

 

[Unchained]

Really? Lol. So, after 9 seasons as a bust he has that statistically great season last year, but the club goes only 9-8 and one & done in playoffs. Lol. I think Petey expects more than a barely over .500 record & a quick exit out of the playoffs. This is a SB winning franchise with a lot of pride that certainly has set the bar higher than just one & done WC playoff appearances.

Furthermore, what will happen this year with the "reborn" Geno? They're sitting 6-5 & in WC contention but they're not going to be challenging SF for the division title anytime soon. And with Geno over-the-hill, is Petey going to try to get a few more miles out of him or is he looking to the draft for a franchise QB? (I don't think Bronco reject Drew Lock is the future. Lol).

I see your points, all valid. My point I find has validity, to have a great season in the NFL you have to be great, no matter how temporary. Geno Smith, Mark Sanchez, Brett Farve, Zach Wilson couldn't see out of the cat litter covering them as New York Jets. So I stand by anything complimentary I said about Geno for getting it sometime, somehow, and in my opinion against all odds. And in the same light, see Russell Wilson as successful if he can get Broncos to post season. The story that the NFL really wanted to sell was Dobbs who looks like a firecracker, momentary explosion and now nothing much.
And Bears and Fields issues.. QB designed runs will end his career, ala RG3 and his mobility because of lack of pass protection looks to be an option on more than 20-30% of the plays I have seen w Chicago, were they set up and attempt a pass but things collapse before they form and Fields is scrambling around trying to save his own life.
Chargers are silly to wait.. BB unlikely to come on.. And anything is better than existing clown coach.

 

[Nomad]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mBAVqhaCwd8&pp=ygUYMTk3MiByYWlkZXJzIHZzIHN0ZWVsZXJz

What a find! I think I vaguely remember that game. I would have been in elementary school playing at the Pee Wee football level (MNF football was a big deal growing up as my dad, my brother & I all huddled around the old Magnavox tube TV. Lol).

What memories of the original MNF cast - Dandy Don Meredith, Howard Cosell & Frank Gifford (sad that all three have passed). Funny how small & flimsy Broadway Joe looks in comparison with today's Herculean QBs. At 6'0" & a buck 90, he wouldn't have survived very long in today's game. And get a load of that crazy facemask he's wearing. Lol.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I don't see Nix being drafted over Maye or Williams. He has more starts, more throws, but he's not quite as nimble, and doesn't quite have the arm those guys do. He's not a noodle arm, and does get rid of it quick, but not at their level. Well know more in April when everyone is analyzed to death.

And with Geno over-the-hill, is Petey going to try to get a few more miles out of him or is he looking to the draft for a franchise QB? (I don't think Bronco reject Drew Lock is the future. Lol).

Over the hill at 33? What does that make Rodgers? Stafford? Dalton? Cousins? Flacco?

IAnd in the same light, see Russell Wilson as successful if he can get Broncos to post season.

Sean Payton deserves huge credit here. Russ some too. If you watch closely he's not as fleet of foot as he was in Seattle. And some throws are still errant. He also isn't throwing deep with the same accuracy as a few years ago. But they have drawn up enough plays and called the right plays, to where he's moving enough and finding 2nd and 3rd guys open. If last year, and at the start of this season, people (including me) were thinking Russ had fallen off a cliff, losing 50% of his ability, now it looks like he's only lost maybe 10%, and Payton and the Broncos have found a way to mitigate that very well. Also, don't forget, the Patriots are FLUSH with cash to spend on FA next year, and beyond.

And Bears and Fields issues.. QB designed runs will end his career, ala RG3 and his mobility because of lack of pass protection looks to be an option on more than 20-30% of the plays I have seen w Chicago, were they set up and attempt a pass but things collapse before they form and Fields is scrambling around trying to save his own life.

Bears GM Ryan Poles spoke briefly about him and his future. He said nice things about Fields, but what he didn't say was almost as telling, but you could sense he was ready to move on, knowing this style of play and offense was not sustainable to winning.

Chargers are silly to wait.. BB unlikely to come on.. And anything is better than existing clown coach.

Did you hear the interview with BB about this when asked this question? (In his typical low volume, gurgle) "...that's ridiculous."

Chargers have more problems than Staley. They are almost the identical underperforming team they were under Lynn, only he had a more congenial personality. Staley was supposed to be the wunderkind that turned them around, with Moore the OC that turned Herbert into an MVP candidate. I sometimes wonder if Belicheck would even want this job, and to work for Spanos? Who knows.

I still think it's 50/50 he returns to NE, he and Kraft agree to hire a real GM everyone likes, and they take Williams, Maye, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthey, Bo Nix in the draft. Then re-hire both Josh McDaniels as OC and Matt Patricia as DC. Granted, this team had huge success with Tom Brady at QB. But they also seemed to function very well together.

What a find! I think I vaguely remember that game. I would have been in elementary school playing at the Pee Wee football level (MNF football was a big deal growing up as my dad, my brother & I all huddled around the old Magnavox tube TV. Lol).

What memories of the original MNF cast - Dandy Don Meredith, Howard Cosell & Frank Gifford (sad that all three have passed).

Similar memories. I remember watching a lot of MNF with my dad. Like you, we didn't have a Curtis Mathis TV (LOL!). I don't remember this game at all though. I do remember the Raiders with Stabler, but not Lamonica. My dad liked watching them play, perhaps more than being a true Raider "fan". I think he liked Madden a lot too. I grew to the Raiders when they had Plunkett. Loved his story. Great guy, smart guy. Clutch player. That Super Bowl when they beat the Eagles did it for me, as everyone kept writing the Raiders off. But most loved watching them smash the heavily favored Redskins a few years later. I remember all the experts saying Theisman was a better QB than Plunkett. Riggins was a better RB than Allen, the *** OL was better, their defense was better, and Gibbs was definitely a better coach than Flores. ALL of that proved to be wrong. Seeing the Raiders flatten them cemented it for me. Best game ever. LOL!

The one MNF game I definitely remember was the one with Howard Cosell reporting John Lennon's murder. That I'll never forget. 43 years ago almost. Seems like maybe ten.

 

[Nomad]

Big blow to the Texans - arguably their best O-Lineman (23rd OA selection in the 2019 draft). Ruptured patellar tendon - one of the worst type of knee injuries an athlete can sustain.

Weiterleitungshinweis

 

[Nomad]

Over the hill at 33? What does that make Rodgers? Stafford? Dalton? Cousins? Flacco?

It makes them ancient. Lol. With the exception of Dalton, those guys have sustained major injuries in their careers with some barely holding on. Stafford has a plethora of injuries including chronic back problems - he's a career-ending injury waiting to happen, IMO.

Same with Rodgers. I have no idea why he wants to continue to play at his age with his injury history & now the ruptured Achilles. What is he trying to prove? He a SB winning QB, a future HOF, and arguably GB's best QB ever. Is his ego that huge that he feels he can endure the stress of a 17 game schedule & the monstrous hits these bad ass DL, LBs & safeties dish out? (you saw the way Browing blew up Thompson-Robinson knocking him out of the game).

Flacco was only 30 when he tore up his ACL/MCL - he first major injury in his career. Then in 2019, he had that cervical spinal injury that hampered his performance at Denver & eventually led to his release. Plus he's also got a bad hip that affects his mobility. And yet he's back in the league with the possibility of starting this week if Thompson-Robinson isn't cleared - absolutely insane!

https://www.si.com/nfl/ravens/news/ex-baltimore-ravens-qb-joe-flacco-could-start-for-cleveland-browns-against-los-angeles-rams-nfl-tracker

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yeah, but Geno's body hasn't been trashed like those guys, really.

Though I do get the point of your total post here. Very, very few older athletes hang around and go out on top. Elway. Manning was lucky, really. Ray Lewis. But even those guys I'm not certain how in tact their bodies are. Even fewer players in any sport go out when still good, and healthy. Outside of Barry Sanders how many NFL players can you name? Calvin Johnson...kinda? Even when you look at younger players retiring, everyone from Andrew Luck to Luke Kechley, Tiki Barber, Gale Sayers even. Their bodies were starting to get trashed in their 20s! Heck, I might be assuming Barry Sanders retained his health, I have no idea. He looked okay in that doc, a little heavy like most middle aged Americans (ahem), but who knows?

So yes, Rodgers, Flacco, etc. still playing borders on psychological madness. There must be some need for standing in the spotlight, hearing the crowd roar, and being part of it, being looked at, talked about a lot.

I mentioned this about Stafford last season, how he had zero reason to keep playing at 35, none. He won a SB ring, massive paycheck last year, beautiful wife, young kids (twins!), and his body is already bordering ruin, very likely to be in Montana/Plunkett/Pennington type of physical therapy the rest of his life. No one in their right mind expected the Rams to win the Super Bowl this year, or next, or the year after, even he had to know that. Why on earth keep playing? It makes no sense.