National Football League

[Nomad]

The issue with Herbert is that he's still riding on potential. Four years in the league now. Is that really worth $262m ($52m per year)? Compared to the likes of Russell Wlson, Deshaun Watson and now Dak Prescott, it maybe is. Compared to someone like Baker Mayfield playing slightly better, but taking his team to the playoffs for $4m? The same for Minshew at $3.5m? Or Tyrod Taylor playing about as well as Herbert statistically, for $11m? Again, so far, it's all mostly based on the potential Herbert has, but has only shown flashes of...for $262,000,000.00.

But how long do the Chargers ride on that "potential" before cutting ties & realizing he's a bust? Remember he's a  #6 OA pick - and I don't think he was drafted that high to go 30-32 & only one playoff appearance! Lol He's had four (4) full seasons in the league starting his rookie year day one. He's had a few nicks here & there that's kept him out of a few games, but for the most part he's been able to play most of seasons.

Where's the improvement? Where's the success? Where's the wins? Two winning season & one playoff appearance in 4 yrs of being the starting QB? Are you kidding me? And he's the 2nd highest paid QB in the league! This is a colossal joke! And the Herbert faithful can try to defend him & live in a world of rainbows & marshmallows where "their guy" given the right HC, or certain players, or whatever will eventually lead them to the promised land. Lol.

Very high drafted QBs are simply judged by their wins & losses, and their ability to lead their team to the playoffs, and eventually contend for a SB. That's what they're paid the big bucks for. Really nothing new there - we've seen this metric happen over & over again with the bust/success cycle of a NFL franchise QB.

 

[Oldermanish]

Some hilarious posts! It is alarming how bad McCarthy has become in the playoffs after 10 playoff game wins in GB, just 1-3 in Dallas. But I agree there was more to it than his bad coaching. Yes, he failed to change, or light a fire under them, but Dak played bad, again, now 2-5 in the playoffs. He frequently had this puzzled look on his face, "what should I do?" between a bad throw, an interception, or just not executing. Keep in mind, this Packers defense gave up 34 points to Tampa and Baker Mayfield, and 24 in a loss to the Giants and Tommy DeVito in December.

Doc Rivers is a decent comparison to MM, George Karl had a similar bad run in NBA playoffs. If you look at bad NFL playoff coaches, both Marvin Lewis and Jim Mora come to mind. But both of those guys took over teams with no-name players they managed to eek into the playoffs, where they lost (Mora took over in New Orleans the year after the 'Aints, and in 2 years took them to the playoffs, but Mora also drafted Peyton Manning and lost two close playoff games with him), so these guys were in a different situation than the stacked team McCarthy has, though all have been poor in the playoffs. Andy Reid I think was 1-4 in NFC Championships with the Eagles, and I think four of those games were at home. Though he was 10-9 there overall.

I don't see Vrabel as the Cowboys coach. I do think Belicheck could put up with Jones though, and all joking aside, I can see him taking over the team, as Jerry likes established coaches, or people he personally knows.

I agree that if Jim Harbaugh doesn't stay in Michigan the Chargers seem like the most likely landing spot. Though it looks like the Raiders want to interview him as well. If he goes to Vegas he will rebuild the team and start from scratch. Some Raider fans want this, even though it really looked like Antonio Pierce is turning the team around. Pierce has interviewed with Atlanta, and Tennessee for their HC openings.

My issue with Harbaugh is he always seems to have his eye on the next place, the next opportunity, a sense of wanderlust. It wouldn't surprise me if after next season where he takes the Chargers to an 10-7 record and makes Herbert look good, there are rumors about him wanting to return to college. Or if he stays in Michigan, there is talk after next season, or the one after, of him then coming to the NFL. As a GM or owner of a team, I don't care how great of a coach a guy is, I couldn't deal with this.

I think Michigan and the entire NCAA need to deal with what Harbaugh did to get where he is. It's no surprise that he wants to get out from under expectations from this CFP championship....most players are already out of there and now you have some former Pac12 programs with resources and lust for the same results. Whether he can tolerate the Meddlesome Octogenarian or not he'd have to clear a path through some inflated player expectations to get to a successful team. This is not the first game Dak has a puzzled expression and the coaching staff always voiced public support.
As for Belichek I can envision it now: "Bill.....BILL! Can you go into the locker room and give DP some words of encouragement?"

Does anyone see that happening?

 

[movingtarget]

Cowboys fans..........."okay here we go"..................."again".............

 

[movingtarget]

Steelers got some offense going in the third quarter..........6 minute drive for a TD but Buffalo look well in control with a two score lead again

 

[Nomad]

U of Michigan took the college title so if Detroit wins the SB....

It's too late for me to think, but has the college football champ and the superbowl champ been from the same state in the same year?

Maybe Pitt and Pittsburgh in the 70s

Doesn't look like it. Close guess on Pitt & the Steelers - they missed it by one year.

The Pitt Panthers won the 1976 national championship & the Steelers won the SB a year earlier in the 1975 season.

Another close one was 1970 where Texas won the national championship & Dallas lost in the SB that same season.

So it's all on the Lion's shoulders to be the first.

 

[movingtarget]

Not sure what to think of Herbert's situation. Good team on paper but always injured with dodgy coaching and ownership. Unless there are drastic changes Herbert could be just another good QB with a monster salary but with limited success at the important end of the season. He might have to do a Stafford down the track and jump ship to a contending team to get some post season success unless the Chargers can turn it around instead of continuing to look like a firmly mid level team that could make the playoffs.

 

[Potomac]

Doesn't look like it. Close guess on Pitt & the Steelers - they missed it by one year.

The Pitt Panthers won the 1976 national championship & the Steelers won the SB a year earlier in the 1975 season.

Another close one was 1970 where Texas won the national championship & Dallas lost in the SB that same season.

So it's all on the Lion's shoulders to be the first.

Good work!

Last night I was laying in bed wondering about the years before the Superbowl.

Pairings that might pay out...
Browns and Ohio State
Lions and Michigan or Michigan state
Rams and USC

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

NFC East the fraud playoff division so it seems.. Sirianni’s seat should surely be hot right? Appointing Matt Patricia as your DC to fix your defense is not something that’s gonna end well for you, and the collapse was all too predictable. With the amount of good coaches available, Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Luhrie have some decisions to make in the next couple of days.

 

[Unchained]

Not sure what to think of Herbert's situation. Good team on paper but always injured with dodgy coaching and ownership. Unless there are drastic changes Herbert could be just another good QB with a monster salary but with limited success at the important end of the season. He might have to do a Stafford down the track and jump ship to a contending team to get some post season success unless the Chargers can turn it around instead of continuing to look like a firmly mid level team that could make the playoffs.

Exactly what to think. Great players, great teams sub par results. Tonight's games were great and what was predicted didn't happen.
Herbert is the same because you are handsome, 7ft tall and can toss it from end zone to end zone doesn't equal much
Eagles didn't fly

 

[movingtarget]

Bills could not have had a better start. Allen was good and the Steelers couldn't stop his runs. Steelers were basically outgunned. Comfortable win.

Buccs defense showed up. Eagles defense as expected. Mayfield played well and played with rib and ankle injuries while taking some big hits. Eagles look like a team going through the motions and also maybe a team where the coach lost the locker room a while back. Expect to see Baker get a healthy pay rise next season. Eagles tackling and positional play was woeful and the offense looked mostly stagnant. They look like a shell of a team at the moment and need some sort of rescue package in the off season while it sounds like Kelce might be retiring as well. A good draft will help but it seems that the coaching is the main issue.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I honestly don't know that Siriani is the problem. Keep in mind they lost both coordinators in the off-season. They also shuffled their DC duties midway through the season. I also think even though they didn't win the SB, they were the NFC champion and teams were taking pot shots at them all year, and it took it's toll. Still, they are likely to see some turnover in personnel next year, and it will be interesting to see how well they can re-tool.

Bills and Steelers both played well, and the cold didn't seem to affect either team at all. Pittsburgh just got in too deep of a hole before they started to get moving. But I think they closed out the season into the playoffs much better than anyone expected after those two ugly losses to the Cardinals then Patriots last month. Curious what their QB solution is next year. Russell Wilson?

Next week is historically the best week of the playoffs. Almost every year 3 out of the 4 games are very good in the divisional round. Best game to watch I think will be KC at Buffalo. Both teams are experienced, both teams played well this week, but both teams have shown weaknesses to go with their strengths. Should be very intense. Flip a coin.

The other games have more obvious favorites, but everyone has to be curious what Green Bay can bring to SF, what Houston can bring to Baltimore, and what Tampa can bring to Detroit.

 

[jmdirt]

Allen! Shakir! Another strange game...what is up anyway. Mostly entertaining though. Allen with some HUGE runs, and Shakir a few HUGE catches.

Baker! TB looks pretty good! Baker is the bargain QB1 of the year. A lot is being made of PHI's missed tackles, but BM was getting the balls in there for big gains and then the receivers were making great moves...and some less than great tacking too.

Next weekend should be good!

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Allen! Shakir! Another strange game...what is up anyway. Mostly entertaining though. Allen with some HUGE runs, and Shakir a few HUGE catches.

Baker! TB looks pretty good! Baker is the bargain QB1 of the year. A lot is being made of PHI's missed tackles, but BM was getting the balls in there for big gains and then the receivers were making great moves...and some less than great tacking too.

Next weekend should be good!

Mayfield was excellent. Playing hurt and took some further big hits / sacks but threw the ball very well and had 5-6 easy balls dropped. The way he's played this season is going to earn him some big money in the offseason

 

[BullsFan22]

Hope the Lions can give the home crowd another w and them whatever happens, happens.

Hard to see past the Ravens and 49ers right now, but that’s why they play the games. I don’t think the Texans or Packers will be pushovers. Could be good games.

 

[SHAD0W93]

4/6 with Saturday not being a good day for me team wise and some of the predictions were off.

I think Niners are going to beat Packers but it’ll be an ugly game while they recover from their rust. Same with Ravens over Texans though that game can easily go to the Texans if Ravens fall on their face.

Bucs vs Lions should be like Rams vs Lions with the Bucs taking advantage of the Lions poor secondary while the Lions out scheme Bucs to move the ball downfield. I saw some odds that had Lions +9 and I think that’s reaching, should be a one score game. Either can get frisky with the Niners and would like either winning but want Lions just a little more.

Chiefs vs Bills and it’s finally in Buffalo (though chiefs won last time it was in Buffalo). Could this finally be when Allen and the Bills (Manning and Colts) overcome Mahomes and the Chiefs (Brady and Patriots) in the playoffs. Both teams will be firing and it most likely will come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes. I can see the only issue Bills fans have is Chiefs having the extra 2 days of rest but at least they’re staying at home. Game will be cold but electric and the offenses should be firing on all cylinders. Chiefs looked a lot better against the Dolphins and they’d like to show it’s not just because the Dolphins were depleted. The game will either end in heartbreak due to an Allen turnover or Chiefs miscue.

 

[Nomad]

Oops...wrong question to be asking Tomlin. Lol

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/AU4dn0H26lA?si=kOFoVOSRzlYEfjOM

 

[jmdirt]

What about Mahomes helmet?

How often do the helmets get 'inspected'?
Was this the same helmet that he slammed into the bench a few weeks ago (maybe compromising it)?
Cold shouldn't affect modern plastics, but was that part of it?
Is that how they are designed to absorb/dissipate/deflect impact?

Why wasn't his backup helmet exactly the same as his main helmet?

I honestly haven't kept up with helmet tech so I'm not very familiar with any of the new helmets really, but his appears to be a hard plastic outer, with a slightly softer middle, and a soft/adjustable inner layer (maybe an air bladder/pods with foam type).


EDIT: Here is his helmet (at least I'm pretty sure):

ZERO2 QB ELITE HELMET

The VICIS ZERO2 QB is the first-ever helmet engineered to provide position-specific protection for quarterbacks. Meticulously tested and optimized to provide unparalleled performance for the most common impacts quarterbacks experience. Equipped with an Oakley EDGE Visor, a titanium facemask, and...

vicis.com

Company: Mahomes' broken helmet 'did its job'

VICIS, which makes the ZERO2 helmet that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes wears, said its product "did its job" despite a piece breaking off in the freezing cold of Saturday's playoff game.

www.espn.com

 

[movingtarget]

Slow starts won't help the Ravens or 49ers against the two young QBs but both teams are much better defensively than the Cowboys while the Browns had an off day not helped by some poor choices by Flacco. I give the Buccs a shot against Detroit and they stop the run better than most teams but they also have to hold their catches.

The Buffalo game will probably be won late as it often is in their match ups with the Chiefs. Allen has to keep the turnovers down while the Chiefs can't afford to drop passes that land in their hands although the weather conditions obviously played a role last week. Give the edge to Kansas on the defensive side but expect to see ad lib QB play from both QBs and one crazy play could be enough for the win. While the Bills have Cook playing well, the Kansas run game also has more options but expect to see Allen do a healthy amount of running when he can.

 

[Nomad]

Maybe Allen's running ability will be the difference in the game? Against the Steeler's D he had 74 yds on 8 carries including that nice 54 yarder where he juked the DB for a score. Impressive for a 6'5" 237 lb QB. I've probably underestimated his running threat just realizing he's rushed for over 3600 yds in 6 seasons. Defenses have to respect his running threat.

 

[movingtarget]

• TE Tyler Higbee suffered a torn ACL during the second half of Sunday's wild-card loss to the Lions, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

The injury did look bad at the time.

Harbaugh completed an interview with the Falcons.

 

[movingtarget]

John Schneider is in charge of coaching staff, personnel for first time as Seahawks GM

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider confirmed during a Tuesday news conference that for the first time in his career he will have authority over both the team's coaching staff and all football personnel matters.

www.nfl.com

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good for Schneider. Let's see what he can do.

Love that clip of Tomlin. LOL!

I saw some odds that had Lions +9

I'll take Tampa +9 points too.

The biggest thing I've seen about Mayfield is he's cut down on high risk, forced passes. He made a couple questionable ones this week, but even the worst - into a tight window with 3 defenders, the pass was almost on the money. Compare this to his time in Cleveland where it seemed like every drive there were highly questionable throws, and maybe one per game that cost the team. He's not playing MVP level, but on a balanced team he's a solid game manager who can string together completions and drive his team downfield with some consistency. Red zone remains a bit of an issue, and could hurt them against Detroit. Even though the Lions give up their share of big pass plays. Win or lose, I fully expect Tampa to sign him to some sort of Geno Smith like contract before next season.

Speaking of red zones, I think this may be a key in the Buffalo-KC game. Buffalo has been impressive in the red zone, especially late in the season. KC, only so-so all year. But KC's defense is solid there. There are a lot more intangibles that can affect the outcome of this game. The Bills offense is fairly healthy (I think Gabe Davis the only starter out last week, but expected to play against KC). But they are banged up Defense. How much will injuries hurt Buffalo's defense? Richard Sherman is picking KC somewhat for this reason. Media scuttlebutt about this being Mahomes first away playoff game. I say 'so what?' to that. They make it sound like he's never won on the road. Stats like that are pointless. The Cowboys had won 16 straight home games before Green Bay blew them out for example. Some hype on the Bills takeaways, but they also gave up the ball too much. KC didn't give or take very often. So this is sort of a wash, but a key miscue late could be costly for sure. I don't think weather will matter. It will probably be cold, but slightly better than this Monday, and both teams play fine in the cold.

 

[Potomac]

Here's a snippet from a Wall Street Journal piece lambasting having a game exclusively on Peacock:

Here was a marquee Wild-Card weekend playoff contest, walled off from the nonpaying public, all because the NFL sold the game to a mega media conglomerate, NBCUniversal, which wanted to use it to attract new subscribers for Peacock, its paid streaming service featuring French bike racing and 19 zillion reruns of “Law & Order.”

Well if "bike racing" isn't a put down, nothing. is.

 

[jmdirt]

Here's a snippet from a Wall Street Journal piece lambasting having a game exclusively on Peacock:



Well if "bike racing" isn't a put down, nothing. is.

French bike racing none the less.

Peacock also has a lot of other sports and some other OK programming. I know that several of us on the forum got the Peacock black Friday deal $20 for a year which is the best bang for the buck of any streaming IMO.

If journalists and talking heads are going to slam NBC/Peacock, they also have to slam ESPN and Amazon Prime which require people to subscribe/pay to watch games.

 

[Potomac]

French bike racing none the less.

Peacock also has a lot of other sports and some other OK programming. I know that several of us on the forum got the Peacock black Friday deal $20 for a year which is the best bang for the buck of any streaming IMO.

If journalists and talking heads are going to slam NBC/Peacock, they also have to slam ESPN and Amazon Prime which require people to subscribe/pay to watch games.

The article was a bit tongue in cheek, so Amazon wasn't a sin because we are paying Amazon Prime anyway.