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National Football League

Page 422 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
You can't always choose your battles but it would be funny. Crazy he is close to Brees when Brees has 166 more pass attempts.
I would ask if that's largely due to better defenses putting him in position more often whereas Brees has generally had more of a -offense has to do it all teams.

This season at least it seems like all pats TDs have been off turnovers and special teams
 
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I would ask if that's largely due to better defenses putting him in position more often whereas Brees has generally had more of a -offense has to do it all teams.

This season at least it seems like all pats TDs have been off turnovers and special teams

I would think from being in a more passing offense compared to New England's constantly changing one. Brady doesn't seem to be as focused on career records besides wins and Superbowls. Take this year he's leading the league in pass attempts. You have to also factor in minimum 9 dome games and 2 in warm areas.
 
More NFL screw jobs. The refs somehow called a play where Derrek Carr slid way in bounds, as out of bounds. This saved the jags a timeout-40 seconds.

Raiders also got -5 yards for trying to challenge this absolutely batshit crazy decision- not reviewable lol.

They then have to throw instead of just run out the clock, miss the Fg and jags score a TD with under 40 secs left. 40 secs they should never have had

Edit and it was the last game in Oakland
 
Flat performance by the Niners. Julio Jones was the difference. They will have to do much better than that in the playoffs to be competitive but hats off to the Falcons. They hung in there and capitalized on the Niners mistakes. Niners offense had a bad case of the dropsies again. Without Kittle the Falcons would have won comfortably. Rams helped the Niners by losing. Cowboys finally put it together. Eagles and Seahawks won, none too convincingly. No chance of a bye for the Niners now it seems unless the Saints and Hawks mess up and the Niners win their last two. All three losses for the 49ers have been on the final play of the game. After a four win season last year I'm still happy for the season they have had so far.
 
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It looked like the Niners weren't that focussed today and the Falcons took advantage. Now back to 5th Seed, bc the Seahawks somehow got away with a win in another game they could have lost. It's crazy. Seattle is 5 plays away from being 6-8, while 3 plays are missing for the Niners to go 14-0. Not saying this should actually be their record, obviously not, but the differences in luck between some teams are staggering.
Today it came down to 2-3 inches between TD and being short.
 
There's a lot of talk about SF being the best team in the league, but without being able to close, they aren't. Like F_C said above, SEA knows how to close SF not so much. SF could have closed it with a TD on their last drive, but slipped into a field goal. But then they just let ATL dance down the field to score the winning TD.
 
Hard to pick a SB winner at the moment. I get the feeling that many teams have the potential to win it. Ravens have the momentum. Rams have paid for their inconsistency this season. SB hangover again it seems. Not many upsets this week but a few games closer than expected. Eagles and Cowboys battle will go down to the last game it seems.
 
Buff really tried hard to lose at the end, but Duck helped them out. How is it that otherwise solid football minds become dump as H in critical situations?! 'We can't run out the clock, but let's just not try anyway'. Who is send in those crap ars plays? Who doesn't know how to do math?
 
Buff really tried hard to lose at the end, but Duck helped them out. How is it that otherwise solid football minds become dump as H in critical situations?! 'We can't run out the clock, but let's just not try anyway'. Who is send in those crap ars plays? Who doesn't know how to do math?
That's shows you how pathetic the QB situation is at Pittsburgh. Lol. Duck gets two attempts to at least tie the game and throws consecutive picks in the endzone! (Big Ben should have told him after the first pick to throw the ball to the guys in the dark Jerseys).

What a mess over there: Big Ben tears an elbow tendon just throwing a routine pass early in the year, Rudolph, Big Ben's eventually replacement supposedly after retirement, gets thrown in the fire earlier than expected and can't get job done. And in comes Duck, who showed some early signs of success winning a few games. But when the chips were down in a critical game at home with a playoff spot on the line, he completely blows it (I guess he never went to Brady's school of comebacks).

No wonder the Bill's the secondary was laughing after those picks...Duck made it look too easy. Lol.
 
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The Bills played a very solid game, especially on D, but you are right, Duck made them look superb.

As shocked as I am about Atlanta beating SF, I'm not. This has to be one of the most painful seasons for the Falcons ever. They came into the season with a lot of people saying they would push NO and content into the playoffs. Rex Ryan picked them to go to the SB. They will finish this season with astounding wins over the Saints and 49ers...and finish with a losing record.

Amazing how dead the Rams looked, but Dallas offense finally looked like the stat machine it has piled up.

Seattle is better than they are not. They have the ability to play big, most of the time, when it matters. They have had some really flat games, bad drives, bad quarters. But more often than not they play solid, able to run very well, defend well, and have an MVP caliber QB - one of the best coach/QB combinations in the league. Teams with this duo tend to go far in the playoffs and win Super Bowls (I'll let you make a list).

When are people going to say Kirk Cousins is an elite QB? Is he? He's putting together a superb season, not one with big numbers in garbage time like critics have said.

Only saw the Raiders-Jags highlights, but wow, that hurts.

I noted earlier I see the Chiefs surging, and I do now and into the playoffs.
 
Flat performance by the Niners. Julio Jones was the difference. They will have to do much better than that in the playoffs to be competitive but hats off to the Falcons. They hung in there and capitalized on the Niners mistakes. Niners offense had a bad case of the dropsies again. Without Kittle the Falcons would have won comfortably. Rams helped the Niners by losing. Cowboys finally put it together. Eagles and Seahawks won, none too convincingly. No chance of a bye for the Niners now it seems unless the Saints and Hawks mess up and the Niners win their last two. All three losses for the 49ers have been on the final play of the game. After a four win season last year I'm still happy for the season they have had so far.
Niners still just likely have to beat Seattle for the bye. I mean if they lose to rams and beat Seattle they could be the 3 seed if GB and no win out, or the two if either stumble. 2 wins guarantees them the 1
 
There's a lot of talk about SF being the best team in the league, but without being able to close, they aren't. Like F_C said above, SEA knows how to close SF not so much. SF could have closed it with a TD on their last drive, but slipped into a field goal. But then they just let ATL dance down the field to score the winning TD.
Well, all niners have to do is win at Seattle to even all that luck out
 
The Bills played a very solid game, especially on D, but you are right, Duck made them look superb.

As shocked as I am about Atlanta beating SF, I'm not. This has to be one of the most painful seasons for the Falcons ever. They came into the season with a lot of people saying they would push NO and content into the playoffs. Rex Ryan picked them to go to the SB. They will finish this season with astounding wins over the Saints and 49ers...and finish with a losing record.

Amazing how dead the Rams looked, but Dallas offense finally looked like the stat machine it has piled up.

Seattle is better than they are not. They have the ability to play big, most of the time, when it matters. They have had some really flat games, bad drives, bad quarters. But more often than not they play solid, able to run very well, defend well, and have an MVP caliber QB - one of the best coach/QB combinations in the league. Teams with this duo tend to go far in the playoffs and win Super Bowls (I'll let you make a list).

When are people going to say Kirk Cousins is an elite QB? Is he? He's putting together a superb season, not one with big numbers in garbage time like critics have said.

Only saw the Raiders-Jags highlights, but wow, that hurts.

I noted earlier I see the Chiefs surging, and I do now and into the playoffs.
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.
 
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Every game that I've watched LJ play, I can't help but laugh and wonder what all of those GMs, coaches, and talking heads who discounted him or suggested that he become a RB think now (especially the ones' who teams aren't too great). Granted, some of the credit goes to the entire organization for building around him instead of just trying to plug him in, but even just plugging him in would be better than what some teams have (or drafted ahead/instead of him).

I'm not discounting all of the other great players and coaches that BAL has assembled, but LJ is a pretty huge piece of their success. I also don't know that 'having more film on him' makes much difference when he's flying past or juking them out of their shoes.
Who suggested that he be converted to a running back? You're not going to take a QB in the 1st or high 2nd round if you're not a) QB material & b) the franchise QB expected to start in 1-2 years. The minute Baltimore drafted him with pick #32 you new Flacco's days were number. If they wanted him to be long-term backup up or play other positions like Taysom Hill at NO (BYU QB - undrafted), they wouldn't waste a 1st RD pick on him. Those pure running QBs of the past (Pyror, Robinson, B. Smith, Crouch, etc.) were never drafted in the high rounds and weren't taking serious as an NFL QB prospect. And LJ can throw the ball - he threw for 9,043 yds in 3 seasons at Louisville. Comparing him to some other dual-threat college QBs (matching 3 seasons with LJ's 3) who are starting in the league, he threw about 1000 yds less than Watson (Clemson), about the same as Prescott (Miss St) and quite a bit more than Brissett (NC St). He's certainly a shinning star, along with Allen, in that year's draft (10 wins for the Bills - 1st 10 win season since 1999!).

The other three hotshots drafted way ahead of LJ aren't looking real good, IMO. And those GMs are going to have some explaining to do to ownership. Rosen (10th) is a colossal bust. Arizona traded up to get him and he couldn't even last one season before he and 1st year coach Steve Wilks were ran out of town. And Rosen couldn't even beat out the old stiff Fitzpatrick at Miami for the starting job. And when he got a shot to start three games, he goes 0-3 and is back on the bench! Lol. Darnold (3rd) is almost as bad - the Jets are a dismal 5-9 so far only one game better than last years pathetic 4-12 season (he did miss 3 games to illness this year, though I dont think it would have made much of a difference.) When is Darnold going to stop seeing ghosts? Lol. I say next year is make or break for him in terms of showing significan improvement and a winning season (Gase better get with it and teach this guy how to play QB).

And the makings of another colossal failure is Mayfield. Thee #1 OA pick and playing for a team loaded with offensive talent and they're sitting at 6-8 with a near zero chance of making the playoffs. They may end up worst than last year's 7-8-1. They can't even beat a rookie QB & coach in that comical lost to Arizona yesterday. #1 OA pick QBs are expected to get the team to the playoffs or at least have a winning record by their 2nd full season of starting. The Mannings, Luck, Goff, Winston all did it by their second seasons. Peyton Manning went from 3-13 his rookie season to 13-3 the next season.

Mayfield got a ridiculous 32 mil/4-yr rookie contract with a 21 mil signing bonus and he has done nothing but go backwards from last year's performance. The Browns are really the laughing stock of this league. Lol.

 
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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.
 
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Who suggested that he be converted to a running back? You're not going to take a QB in the 1st or high 2nd round if you're not a) QB material & b) the franchise QB expected to start in 1-2 years. The minute Baltimore drafted him with pick #32 you new Flacco's days were number. If they wanted him to be long-term backup up or play other positions like Taysom Hill at NO (BYU QB - undrafted), they wouldn't waste a 1st RD pick on him. Those pure running QBs of the past (Pyror, Robinson, B. Smith, Crouch, etc.) were never drafted in the high rounds and weren't taking serious as an NFL QB prospect. And LJ can throw the ball - he threw for 9,043 yds in 3 seasons at Louisville. Comparing him to some other dual-threat college QBs (matching 3 seasons with LJ's 3) who are starting in the league, he threw about 1000 yds less than Watson (Clemson), about the same as Prescott (Miss St) and quite a bit more than Brissett (NC St). He's certainly a shinning star, along with Allen, in that year's draft (10 wins for the Bills - 1st 10 win season since 1999!).

The other three hotshots drafted way ahead of LJ aren't looking real good, IMO. And those GMs are going to have some explaining to do to ownership. Rosen (10th) is a colossal bust. Arizona traded up to get him and he couldn't even last one season before he and 1st year coach Steve Wilks were ran out of town. And Rosen couldn't even beat out the old stiff Fitzpatrick at Miami for the starting job. And when he got a shot to start three games, he goes 0-3 and is back on the bench! Lol. Darnold (3rd) is almost as bad - the Jets are a dismal 5-9 so far only one game better than last years pathetic 4-12 season (he did miss 3 games to illness this year, though I dont think it would have made much of a difference.) When is Darnold going to stop seeing ghosts? Lol. I say next year is make or break for him in terms of showing significan improvement and a winning season (Gase better get with it and teach this guy how to play QB).

And the makings of another colossal failure is Mayfield. Thee #1 OA pick and playing for a team loaded with offensive talent and they're sitting at 6-8 with a near zero chance of making the playoffs. They may end up worst than last year's 7-8-1. They can't even beat a rookie QB & coach in that comical lost to Arizona yesterday. #1 OA pick QBs are expected to get the team to the playoffs or at least have a winning record by their 2nd full season of starting. The Mannings, Luck, Goff, Winston all did it by their second seasons. Peyton Manning went from 3-13 his rookie season to 13-3 the next season.

Mayfield got a ridiculous 32 mil/4-yr rookie contract with a 21 mil signing bonus and he has done nothing but go backwards from last year's performance. The Browns are really the laughing stock of this league. Lol.

While I can agree with some of the general conclusions -manning good, darnold bad etc, you are using team records to assess quarterbacks.

There's one little flaw in that though. The other 50 players, 20 coaches, luck of the schedule, division, injuries and refs etc.
 
Rodgers sounds a little miffed that the sports media generally don't see GB as possible SB winners with their record. That said, a lot of the NFC playoffs will probably be played like SB games as the teams are pretty close talent and record wise. I still think the Ravens will win the AFC but I think the gap has narrowed from a few weeks ago. The Chiefs are looking better, the Bills are solid and as usual the real query is how the Patriots will go in three weeks time. their offense doesn't seem to be improving much and with the recent opposition it's hard to tell. The Texans game set the alarm bells ringing but they have the ability to do that on the day and then fall in a hole the next week which they did. Same with the Cowboys form. A few teams have crushed the Rams this season including the Buccs who put 55 on them, but then they beat the Hawks. I put the Rams ahead of the Browns but they are similar teams with talent on the squad but incredibly inconsistent. How the Browns thrashed the Ravens is a mystery. Rodgers is right about not many people picking Green Bay. All the talk seems to be about the Saints, Hawks and 49ers in the NFC. The two beat downs by the Chargers and 49ers made GB look pretty brittle to me and Rodgers was awful in both games. The Vikings are also not being talked about much but I don't see either team making it to the SB.
 

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