National Football League

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yes the SB is always on Monday in Australia as our Monday is your Sunday so we see the bulk of the games on Mondays.

Yes. But this will be a live game, one people will attend in person. So it makes little sense to have it played on a Monday there. Don't people on Oz work on Mondays? Or is it so laid back there you only work off and on.

That list of teams set to get hit in FA was telling. Next year could be another difficult year for the Chiefs, unless they can both nail the draft, and find gems in FA, and Mahomes has to come back at full strength.

I thought it was interesting how with the Browns they talked about "Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders" like it's this amazing achievement he had as a rookie.

Also ignored the gigantic boat anchor tied around their franchise: Deshawn Watson. Because they kept kicking his contract down the road restructuring it (while still owing him every penny of that 100% guaranteed contract), their cap hit from him alone this coming season will be nearly $81m! That's over 26% of their entire cap going to just him! Also, because of the cap hell they are in, they can't cut him as it would require them to eat something like $130m in dead money. So he's with them the entire season, until they can finally cut him after this coming year (which will still be a $26m dead money hit). For Steelers, Bengals and Ravens fans, the Browns are just the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Nomad]

Joe Flacco talks about the current state of the NFL; poor officiating, how the league coddles QBs, players complaining too much about injuries, etc.

View: https://youtu.be/gXTG4u8Rp18?si=4WWJCHg2FXDMrw4C

 

[movingtarget]

Yes. But this will be a live game, one people will attend in person. So it makes little sense to have it played on a Monday there. Don't people on Oz work on Mondays? Or is it so laid back there you only work off and on.

That list of teams set to get hit in FA was telling. Next year could be another difficult year for the Chiefs, unless they can both nail the draft, and find gems in FA, and Mahomes has to come back at full strength.

I thought it was interesting how with the Browns they talked about "Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders" like it's this amazing achievement he had as a rookie.

Also ignored the gigantic boat anchor tied around their franchise: Deshawn Watson. Because they kept kicking his contract down the road restructuring it (while still owing him every penny of that 100% guaranteed contract), their cap hit from him alone this coming season will be nearly $81m! That's over 26% of their entire cap going to just him! Also, because of the cap hell they are in, they can't cut him as it would require them to eat something like $130m in dead money. So he's with them the entire season, until they can finally cut him after this coming year (which will still be a $26m dead money hit). For Steelers, Bengals and Ravens fans, the Browns are just the gift that keeps on giving.

Yes so it would have to be Sunday or Saturday for you.

Looks like a rebuild for Kansas as they will lose a lot of free agents like the 49ers did. Cowboys the same and they will want to retain Pickens but they will have to fend off other teams to keep him and will pay big to do so. Browns are a mess, they usually are.. Schwartz did well with the defense and even that will deteriorate now. Sanders hasn't really played enough to form an opinion on yet but making the Pro Bowl was funny as the Pro Bowl is these days. Sanders gets the Pro Bowl but Bill B and Kraft don't get the Hall of Fame ! Strange Days indeed as the John Lennon song went........

 

[Nomad]

No knowledgeable fan takes the Pro Bowl seriously anymore. With the flag football format now, it's just a friendly get together with some of the league's better players. Look how many players decline invites. It's become strictly an entertainment value event (I watched it with my son who plays on a competitive flag football team).

One thing I'll say is they do look like they're having fun out there. Hurts was making some Mahomes-type fancy throws that he would never attempt to make in a game. And wasn't Ja'Marr Chase playing some defense where he a had pick 6? And "Joe Cool" was hanging out on the sidelines talking to a bunch of young female admirers (imagine that. Lol). And Sanders was probably thinking maybe I can make the Olympic flag footbal team for the 2028 games. Lol.

 

[Nomad]

Yes. But this will be a live game, one people will attend in person. So it makes little sense to have it played on a Monday there. Don't people on Oz work on Mondays? Or is it so laid back there you only work off and on.

That list of teams set to get hit in FA was telling. Next year could be another difficult year for the Chiefs, unless they can both nail the draft, and find gems in FA, and Mahomes has to come back at full strength.

I thought it was interesting how with the Browns they talked about "Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders" like it's this amazing achievement he had as a rookie.

Also ignored the gigantic boat anchor tied around their franchise: Deshawn Watson. Because they kept kicking his contract down the road restructuring it (while still owing him every penny of that 100% guaranteed contract), their cap hit from him alone this coming season will be nearly $81m! That's over 26% of their entire cap going to just him! Also, because of the cap hell they are in, they can't cut him as it would require them to eat something like $130m in dead money. So he's with them the entire season, until they can finally cut him after this coming year (which will still be a $26m dead money hit). For Steelers, Bengals and Ravens fans, the Browns are just the gift that keeps on giving.

The Chiefs pick 9th in the draft (wow...when was the last time they picked that high?). I wonder if Reid is going offense or defense? This class isn't that good for offensive players. There are a few top OL & WRs that'll get snatched up in the 1st rd, but mainly it's loaded on the defensive side particularly at edge rusher.

Here's an interesting article on Todd Monken & his approach to Watson. He feels that Watson is salvageable & he can make him into a good QB again. Monken says when he had LJ at Baltimore, he turned him into an "elite" passer. I guess we'll see in 8 months.

Browns coach Todd Monken seems intrigued by fixing Deshaun Watson after witnessing his ‘It factor’ firsthand

New Browns head coach saw Watson's potential up close when the injured quarterback went 14-for-14 in the second half against Baltimore, potentially giving the controversial signal-caller one last chance.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Nomad]

If you like technical passing stats & data with QBs, then this article is for you (it really gets into the nitty-gritty stats & trends on Sammy D & Maye):

Super Bowl 60 QB Breakdown: What Sam Darnold and Drake Maye do well, where they might struggle

A data-driven breakdown of where Sam Darnold and Drake Maye thrive — and where each quarterback could be vulnerable — as the Seahawks and Patriots clash in Super Bowl 60.

www.pff.com

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

What the heck else was Monken supposed to say? "They gave me this boat anchor, serial sexual predator who hasn't done crap as a player since he got here, and we can't get rid of him since they gave him the worst contract in NFL history, so I'll have him sit on the bench and stay out of the way, until a year from now this nightmare will be over."

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'll be the first one to make a prediction: Seahawks 33, Patriots 23.

I think what Seattle has to do is play a steady game on offense, be efficient, and Darnold doesn't need to play hero ball. I think the Rams were better than the Pats, and if Sam can play that way, he'll do fine. But they also need to let their defense do it's thing. Their D are hard to sustain drives on, and hard to keep punching the ball into the end zone. Stafford was playing as good as ever, and even throwing to Nakua and Adams they struggled at times and were stalled by the Seattle D.

I said before Maye has to win the game with his feet, as well as his arm. If he can keep Seattle from spying him and containing him, and when they do he finds a guy in single coverage (or open) he can get the ball to, they will be able to sustain drives. Their D absolutely has to not only contain JSN, they can't let the Seattle offense get into that play action rhythm of run/pass alternating with efficiency that overwhelmed other teams. You can't just stop one person on Seattle and call it good. They operate as an efficient unit. Not an easy task for the Pats, but they do have a solid D, and slowing the game down could help them in this way.

 

[movingtarget]

Seahawks 24 Patriots 10. Both run games will be important especially the Patriots. Think the Hawks defense will be the real difference. Darnold only has to repeat what he has done in his past few games and he didn't have to do much against the 49ers as Walker carved them up. But he had to do more against the Rams and played well.

Walker is a free agent and will want to be paid and is in great form. Be interesting to see what the Hawks are willing to pay him. The Eagles splashed the cash for Barkley and made him the highest paid RB in the league and he had a great season in 23/24. He wasn't as effective this season but neither was the Eagles offense in general. The change in OC should help them.

 

[movingtarget]

Derek Carr could possibly unretire for 2026 season provided right situation, coaching staff

Maxx Crosby, Raiders face uncertain future as trade buzz builds

 

[movingtarget]

Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. arrested on aggravated battery, aggravated stalking charges

Easy way to derail a career.......

 

[SHAD0W93]

Patriots 29 and Seahawks 28

 

[Nomad]

I'll take the Patriots 23-20. The oddsmakers are giving the Pats no respect with the Seahawks 4.5 pt favorites. I'm sure Vrabel will use that as part of his motivational speech to fire up the guys. Maye is better than Darnold both in passing & rushing, so I think Maye's dual-threat capability will win the day...if he can play turnover free football. But it'll be close...very close.

 

[Nomad]

What the heck else was Monken supposed to say? "They gave me this boat anchor, serial sexual predator who hasn't done crap as a player since he got here, and we can't get rid of him since they gave him the worst contract in NFL history, so I'll have him sit on the bench and stay out of the way, until a year from now this nightmare will be over."

Okay Alpe...read you loud & clear. Lol. A couple of questions for you though: When you say he "hasn't done crap" since he got here - do you mean at Cleveland or when he came into league drafted by Houston? Because at Houston, he was pretty darn good - they just weren't winning. Remember he was drafted out of Clemson as one of the best dual-threat QBs in the history of the college game. And look at his stats for the 2020 season at Houston; over 4800 yds passing (NFL leader that year), 33 TDs (7 INT) & a 112 Rtg. There's not a OC in the world that wouldn't take those kind of numbers for his starter. Sure, at Cleveland he hasn't done anything but isn't that due in large part of his major injuries? (double Achilles tear, shoulder).

I see him right now as the best QB Cleveland has. He's certainly the biggest & strongest, and by far the best arm talent they have. And if he can still run despite the Achilles injuries, he's the best runner they have (Sanders doesn't like to run - he's a scared rabbit of getting hit).

C'mon now, Sanders isn't the answer. He's no where near as talented as Watson, and worst of all he's uncoachable! (Tim Hasselbeck thinks he's not even backup material. Lol). And Gabriel is probably too short to be a starter in this league. They have good ole Bailey Zappe on the PS but he's not starting material. Face it - their QB room is a mess!

If Monken can't get Watson up to or near his ability he had at Houston, who are they going with as their long-term starter? Sign Kurt Cousins? Lol. Maybe Fields when he gets booted from the Jets? Lol. And they're not going to want to grab these dinosaurs like Flacco & Rivers as a temporary fix because that's all it would be.

So, you tell me Alpe - WTH is the answer?

 https://awfulannouncing.com/nfl/tim-hasselbeck-unsure-shedeur-sanders-second-stringer.html

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

No, Sanders isn't the answer either! LOL! Nor is Gabriel. These guys are destined to be NFL backups. Except there will always be people saying Sheduer should be a starter somewhere. Just like there are people who think Watson will be good. Or Tre Lance for that matter.

The answer for Cleveland is in the 2027 draft. Sayin, Arch, Moore, Sellers, Maiava, even Mateer or Leavitt could jump into the 1st round.

Watson was given "MVP, take us to the Super Bowl" level of money, plus they traded away their future for him, and he's been mediocre at best on the Browns, and at times awful. You can look it up . And he had plenty of apologists also who like to point at his 2020 season with Houston (which had plenty of garbage time) as being his true talent. He's 37-35 in his career, and 1-2 in the playoffs. A lot of hype out of college, and some good games in the pros don't justify his contract, the trade the Browns made, and they sure don't make me believe he's going to do squat in the future. He's barely been able to stay on the field, and not very good when he has. Nearly 31 now with a twice torn achilles, add in tearing both ACLs, plus both shoulder blade and rotator cuff tears. With the Browns defense they might finish maybe 7-10 this coming season, at best, regardless of who is QB. They equally could finish 3-14, regardless who is QB. And that would be the best for them, give them a shot at Sayin, Arch and Moore. All who look like they could be legit NFL starters.

 

[Nomad]

Sayin? Moore? Manning? Lol Those are a bunch of undersized, overrated, wimpy-type QBs. Heck, I'd take Malik Willis over any of those guys. Lol.

 

[Sciatic]

Really impressed with Pats defense thus far, although Darnold has missed two throws that would have been touchdowns, and another time he didn't see Shehee wide open down the R sideline on a scramble (though he was under pressure and completed the pass to Walker). Pats are bound to get things going in the 2nd half, so I think this will end up being a close game.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Really impressed with Pats defense thus far, although Darnold has missed two throws that would have been touchdowns, and another time he didn't see Shehee wide open down the R sideline on a scramble (though he was under pressure and completed the pass to Walker). Pats are bound to get things going in the 2nd half, so I think this will end up being a close game.

I think at least one team is about to have a big half, hopefully it’s both. Patriots have been bad offensively so far and can’t get anything when they have the chance. Maye is seeing ghosts right now.

 

[Potomac]

I was rooting for a field goal only SB at one point

 

[Sciatic]

Champions. Not the most interesting game though--Darnold made no big mistakes but easily could have had two picks and he missed throws on wide open touchdowns.

 

[Nomad]

Ugh...what a poor performance by Maye & the offense. He did not look anything like a MVP runner-up & All-Pro. Three very costly turnovers that led to points for the Seahawks, and other than two late TD pass scoring drives, he was ineffective & looked overwhelmed. Poor offensive line play as they looked intimidated by the Seattle front line & backers. Must have been frustrating for the Patriot defense as they played their guts out holding Seattle to just FGs for the first 3 Qtrs.


And congrats to the Seahawks. Darnold played like the All-Pro out there & becomes the first QB to win a SB having played on 5+ teams. And what can you say about Mike Macdonald? What a hire - wins a SB in just his 2nd year! Outstanding defensive performance taking control of the game early. This might be the start of more SBs with Darnold, Macdonald & that defense staying together.

I don't know about you guys, but this season seemed to blow by so fast. Another SB done and in the books (and this time no Chiefs. Lol). And it was a season that sure wasn't void of any surprises.

 

[movingtarget]

Had a feeling the game could go that way. Maye was overwhelmed early and never recovered. The garbage time points were too little too late. Patriots defense played well in the first half but started to get tired not surprisingly. The Hawks punter Dickson is such a weapon in those types of games. Hawks had the better defense, better run game and the most time in possession. Uphill battle for the Patriots. Maye hadn't seen a defense like that all season and couldn't do anything in the first half. The NFC was clearly the better conference this season and I think the Rams also would have been good enough to beat the Patriots. Neither QB was good, Walker was big as expected and should get a healthy pay rise and Gonzalez played well for the Patriots. Dominant win. Happy for Darnold, Kupp and Jones get another SB win.. Lawrence will be happy he moved teams. i bet Donald Trump loved the halftime show............

 

[Oldman]

Ugh...what a poor performance by Maye & the offense. He did not look anything like a MVP runner-up & All-Pro. Three very costly turnovers that led to points for the Seahawks, and other than two late TD pass scoring drives, he was ineffective & looked overwhelmed. Poor offensive line play as they looked intimidated by the Seattle front line & backers. Must have been frustrating for the Patriot defense as they played their guts out holding Seattle to just FGs for the first 3 Qtrs.


And congrats to the Seahawks. Darnold played like the All-Pro out there & becomes the first QB to win a SB having played on 5+ teams. And what can you say about Mike Macdonald? What a hire - wins a SB in just his 2nd year! Outstanding defensive performance taking control of the game early. This might be the start of more SBs with Darnold, Macdonald & that defense staying together.

I don't know about you guys, but this season seemed to blow by so fast. Another SB done and in the books (and this time no Chiefs. Lol). And it was a season that sure wasn't void of any surprises.

Maye and the Pats had a nice, but easy path to this game. He never was faced with the competition to be a runner up at 23; maybe 5 years from now.
Seattle played the scenario that took down every serious team in the last half of the season: control the opposition and don't give them anything. Many records came out of this game, too. Special teams, smart coaching had a major role.
Pats weren't ready for any of the top 3 in the NFC.

 

[Nomad]

If Nix didn't get hurt the Broncos beat NE & I think they could have given the Seahawks a better game...maybe even beaten them. After this debacle by NE, the Broncos were clearly the best team in the AFC.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Impressive, entire team win for Seattle. No question who the better team was. The Pats didn't lose, as much as they got beat . Seattle has (both teams have) a foundation there to keep winning. I don't know how many rings, but they are set up very well. John Schneider has to be one of the best GMs in the league. Also, if Jody Allen does sell the team in the off-season, what a way to go out.

At the start of the season I predicted the Packers and Ravens in the SB. Packers made the playoffs, didn't do well (granted Parsons and Tucker Kraft hurt) but the Ravens were surprisingly bad, especially on defense. Got their coach fired. Or he got himself fired, actually. I can't recall if I predicted Seattle would even win that division. I think I said the Rams, and I'm sure I said the Bills would still win the NFC East, but I think I recall saying the Patriots would improve. Boy did they ever. Maye has a lot to learn. But this game will be a huge lesson for him, playing against the league's best defense.