Well, all niners have to do is win at Seattle to even all that luck out
True! Well, do that and they are in great shape going into the playoffs anyway. But teams rarely back into the playoffs and do well. Having said that, all of their losses this year have been close, and at times they have looked superb on both sides of the ball. They were also banged up at times this year (including yesterday). If they heal up enough, this team is stacked and prime to make a deep playoff run.
I think that you are talking about the talking heads, but I have been saying it for a few years, and this year he is really showing it. Even in DC he was solid, but a QB can't win by himself.
Kirk Cousins by any stat is a very good QB, or no stat at all. He has an excellent arm. he's currently 3rd in the league in passer rating at 111.1. Some pundits don't like that stat, so looking at ESPN's QBR he's 8th (7th if you remove Stafford). Ironically, QBR is supposed to diminish the importance of perceived "padded" numbers, but Dak Prescott is 3rd, and his games seem like many were padded. So Cousins isn't too bad for an overpaid guy who can't win games for you (according to some talking heads).
Who suggested that he be converted to a running back?
These were all before the draft, or very early in his NFL career. Bill Pollian was one, saying he'd make a better receiver (he quickly admitted he was completely wrong once Lamar started to play). There were others:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles...kson-will-not-be-able-to-play-qb-at-pro-level
The other three hotshots drafted way ahead of LJ aren't looking real good, IMO.
First, I don't believe much of what Colin Cowherd says. While I find him entertaining at times, and he does his research and love sports, his opinions are so often spectacularly wrong, but asserted as if he had insight that was factual or highly likely, thus focusing anything he says on him, inflating his own ego. He is right though about Baker needing to keep his mouth shut a little more.
Baker Mayfield is a coaching issue as much as anything in my opinion. Freddie Kitches is not head coach material, and promoting him to that to that level was a big mistake by the Browns. His team is undisciplined, lacks focus and consistency, and Mayfield's play is often a result of that. This is not to imply that had the Browns kept Gregg Williams (bigger on discipline), or managed to lure Lincoln Riley, the team would be headed to a 13-3 season with Mayfield looking like the next Peyton Manning. Mayfield needs work, but he needs a better HC, the whole team does. I expect the Browns to fire Kitchens and make a pedal-to-the-metal push to get Riley to be their head coach next season. That is, if Riley says he's interested.
Josh Allen has actually improved steadily in his career so far. He has the strongest arm in the league, and makes some throws few others can make, plus he's athletic and moves well runs well without being a running QB. He made way too many mistakes last year, and at the start of this year, but he's playing better and looks like he still has a bright future.
Sam Darnold has at times looked like a future starting QB who could take a team to the playoffs, to a struggling player who can't handle the speed or athleticism of the NFL. One game/drive/play he plays like Andrew Luck, the next he plays like Paxton Lynch. How will he fare, and how the Jets fair in 2020 I think will determine his future more than this season.
I'm not sure what to make of Josh Rosen just yet. He barely played last year on a horrible Arizona team, and was then traded to a nearly as bad Miami team. Both season's he barely played at all. When he did, he was certainly sub par. What I have seen from him he seems to have an issue pulling the trigger, seeing the first few options, taking and making the best throw. Curious where he ends up next year, if the Fins take a QB in the draft. They are going to end up with the 4th or 5th pick, and Justin Herbert has the makings of a starting NFL QB. Would Miami take him then, and jettison Rosen? I could see that.
Having just typed all, that, there is no question Lamar Jackson was the best QB taken in that draft, maybe the best player (pancake monster Quenton Nelson probably takes that spot) . He's an amazing athlete, great with his arm in addition to his legs, and on his way to the MVP in my opinion. Russell Wilson closing out the season with big wins with his arm could sway judges his way though, especially if Jackson doesn't play a lot or doesn't push things the rest of the way and the Ravens sit him in week 17.