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Page 666 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
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IMO, this is 50/50 the O line not being great, and Jacobs coming in not ready after his holdout. Which came first: the bad running 'potential' or the bad play calling? Is the bad play calling due to the poor run potential? Is the bad play calling from the sideline or the QB play changes at the line?
You think that Mark Davis will send Derek Carr a box of candy and I am sorry, not your fault letter!!! LAO..and what looked great on paper is a dirty litter box in Las Vegas.. you can't tell from colors or crowd noise if it's a home game or not!!!Jimmy G left his best time taking snaps in New England and San Francisco..
 
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IMO, this is 50/50 the O line not being great, and Jacobs coming in not ready after his holdout. Which came first: the bad running 'potential' or the bad play calling? Is the bad play calling due to the poor run potential? Is the bad play calling from the sideline or the QB play changes at the line?
Patriots made the conference championship and were a two point conversion or missed PAT away from the Super Bowl with no run game or oline the majority of the year with McDaniels as the OC. Some people just aren’t meant to be head coach. I’d also believe Carr was changing more plays at the line than Jimmy just off the or personalities. But it is also McDaniels job to make sure his players trust him. The good thing for him is he doesn’t sound like a big jerk like Patricia was said to be.

But him being labeled as a offensive guru has to find ways to get Adams involved more, even with the poor play on occasions. Adams has just completely given up on the team, like Moss. Now all he needs to do is go to Chiefs to make that huge Super Bowl push.
 
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I think Josh McDaniels may have been responsible for the play calling of our trick or treat Halloween fiasco!! Gave away @$216 dollars worth of candy before 8pm..after thousands of super cute kids showing up.. Went to the grocery store, (3 minutes away) bought 5 more bags of lollipops, 40 to a bag..carefully giving only one per kid..was out in 40 minutes.. Didn't realize that I need a separate savings account for Halloween candy!! Absolute blast and seeing 2 and 3 year olds dressed as vampires, Super Mario Bros, Batman and Super Man was great and the cold beer helped also!!
 
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The one trade that surprised me a little was Arizona giving up Dobbs. Their plan seems clear: Start Clayton Tune next week against the Browns, unless Murray is ready to go, and see what Tune has. He was so-so in the pre-season after a college career putting up a lot of numbers. Then, they are all-in on Murray, and expect him to start soon. , and likely play the rest of the season. I'm also surprised because this is the flip of what Minnesota could sort of do. They could start Hall this coming week with Manion on the bench. Then next week when Nick Mullens comes back, name him your starter. I'm not sure Dobbs is much better than Mullens, honestly.

Completely out of left field here. But why on earth is the team from Arizona still the Cardinals? Yes, I know they moved from STL. But that was aeons ago, and the nearest cardinal (bird) is about 1500 miles to the northeast. There are so, so, so many other things that are southwest related they could name the team after: Rattlers, Scorpions, Sidewinders, Coyotes, Tarantulas, Javelinas, Road Runners. Or something native related. Apache, Zuni, Paiute, or Gila, which would make a great mascot in the Gila Monster, which could make an awesome looking uniform.

I like the adds by SF, Seattle and Buffalo. I can see why Washington jettisoned some players, and Denver did not. I thought for sure the Raiders were shopping WR Renfro, but maybe the $ was too much. Surprised that KC and Tennessee didn't do anything.
2 Phoenix \ Glendale \ Valley of the Sun specific things.
Murray was and can't be " ready to go " if Dr. Evil needs a mini me, he gets it.
Why try and name an Arizona team after things that occur in nature? Why not the Phoenix Bulldozers.. Arizona Misters for the needed personal sprinkler system you need to eat or drink outside!! Or great team name Arizona Strip Malls..Phoenix Traffic would work perfect , is the story of the valley and the current Cards offensive line!! It's funny that Arizona has a pretty awesome football tradition.. people watching ASU games from nearby mountains.. Frank Kush!!! the good, bad and ugly. And the Valley has really supported everyone.. Suns, Diamondbacks, Coyotes to a degree.. but the fans are not responsible for anything Cardinals.. they have good ticket sales even if the team doesn't deserve it.. that said from a San Diego fan.Jefferson, Fouts, Junior Seau, Winslow, Tomlinson, Rivers..San Diego Chargers had issues.. and when Raiders played at Jack Murphy.. equal representation.. just as much silver and black as anything else!!
I really think the Arizona Desert Meth Labs could sell tickets and jerseys
 
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Not at all surprised. Over $105m on the payroll for the offense, and they made every other team look like the '85 Bears. I think what was worse though was how anemic the offense was, how flat the play calling was, even after this criticism was repeatedly leveled at the team. Granted, the Patriots had Brady, but think back on how the Pats offense would attack other teams defenses. They'd sometimes run a play, then line up and have a second play ready, catching them off guard for example. They may not have been as innovative as the best teams ever, but they were always ahead of the curve. I guess it was Brady (maybe somewhat Belicheck) and the year McDaniels (supposedly) made Mac Jones look good, or Garappolo and Brissett look decent, was a mirage.

A little surprised Ziegler was fired, as he wasn't too bad. But Mark Davis has never been a very deep thinker no matter how you slice it. A part of me still thinks Davis thought McDaniels could do what Gruden wouldn't - get Brady to come play for the Raiders and bring them a Super Bowl win in their home stadium. When that fell through...

The "worst" part is all the idiotic Raider fans thinking this will lead to the team winning. My guess is the Raiders will now likely finish 4-13 or 5-12, losing many games just like they have this year (and last). Because they simply don't have the depth on either the OL or DL. Their QB is slow and aging, etc.
I was a little surprised that he was fired this early in the season with a 3-5 record, but it's similar to his firing in Denver - 2009/10. In his first year there, he was pretty good at 8-8 but by week #9 in the following season, he was a disappointing 3-9 & Bowlen pulled the plug. I think since McDaniels went 8-8 in his coaching debut, Bowlen expected much better in the 2nd year - especially since they had Tebow.

I think more of this firing reflects last year's disappointing 6-11 season. He wasn't a rookie coach, so I'm sure Davis expected more wins than just 6. So, he needed to starting winning right out of the gate this season to keep his job. He finishes his Raiders coaching stint at 9-16 - which is pathetic considering this was his 2nd gig as a HC.

The "idiotic Raiders fans" & season ticket holders just want to see their team win - like all other fans & season ticket holders...nothing new there. Unfortunately, the HC always takes the heat for losing. They're simple judged by their win/loss record & nothing more (who would have thought. Lol). Win & go to the playoffs - everyone loves you. Lose & not make the playoffs, and the coach is a turd that the fans want flushed. Lol.

But hey...no need to feel sorry for McD - he'll have a pristine high-paying coordinator job just waiting for him next season. Lol And like Shadow said, some people just aren't meant to be head coaches.
 
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Jimmy G could be the next Wentz if he's not careful. Even Andy Dalton looks a level above Jimmy at the moment, although credit to Dalton. He looked washed a few seasons ago but has become a better than decent back up these days. And why teams keep signing Hoyer is anyone's guess. He should be QB coaching by now or doing the ESPN thing.
 
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I thought they would McDaniels after week 12 when they lose to KC (11/26), before their bye, unless they really showed improvement. But they were going the wrong direction. The last two losses were just ugly. He definitely does not need anyone to feel for him. If New England keeps Mac Jones, there's a good chance JMD returns there. If not someone else will hire him. He's basically Norv Turner II. Should never be hired as a HC again, and doesn't need to be. The only positive thing I actually heard from insiders between his time in Denver and in Vegas is that this time around he was more mellow. Aging, and having kids will do that to anyone though. He certainly wasn't any better of a coach.

New interim coach Antonio Pierce named Aiden O'Connell the starter. I'm guessing Mark Davis said, "I don't want to pay Jimmy if he gets hurt." And Pierce was smart enough to go to Davonte Adams and get at least some sort of thumbs up. The one thing I did like from Pierce was his saying it's a players game, and his job to facilitate that. Completely different personality from McDaniels. Hard to tell if that means he'll be like Dan Campbell, or Mike Singletary.

Most people are saying the Raiders will sit Garappolo, then just cut him after June 1st. That allows them to split the cap hit and dead money. Similar to what they did with Carr. But Mike Florio brought up a good point. If they cut him now it will save them some cash overall, even if it's a rough cap hit going into 2024, but that looks like a rebuild year anyway. It also means they won't even have to think of paying him once the last check has cleared. They run the risk of another team picking him up once he clears waivers, but so what? If you don't intend on ever playing him again, and if he does there's a high risk of injury, just rip the bandaid off and be done with it. The Raiders should then re-sign Chase Garbers, who was on the practice squad last season, and played okay in preseason. He won't likely ever be a starter, but he could develop into a Chad Henne type backup.
You think that Mark Davis will send Derek Carr a box of candy and I am sorry, not your fault letter!!!
Carr was a wreck. One drive smooth, the next going the wrong way down the interstate. Ulcer inducing. But Mark Davis did not do him well.

Mark really needs to just step back let someone else make all the decisions. If he's going to make interim GM Champ Kelly permanent, promise him he has 5 full years, even if the team sucks for the first four. Then step aside and let him (and President Sandra Douglas) do their job. Just watch from the skybox, please.
Why not the Phoenix Bulldozers.. Arizona Misters...
I really think the Arizona Desert Meth Labs could sell tickets and jerseys
LOL! Love it! How about the Arizona Heatstroke, Phoenix Kidney Stones. Arizona Carcinomas.
 
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What a contrast in tonight's game. Pickett looked average. Struggled at times. Often like a game manager on a team with a good D. But he made a couple key throws in 4Q that helped get them the win. Levis on the other hand looked like he had real potential. Some good decisions, and a very impressive arm! But he also folded at times, made a few throws that were lucky to not get picked, and his team lost with him unable to execute the last two drives they had chances to win. But if I were starting a team today and had to choose between Pickett and Levis, I'd take Levis.
Are the Broncos turning it around or was this just two games worth of a ‘flash in the pan?’
Is neither an answer? I looked at their schedule, which is somewhat favorable, and my guess is at best they finish 9-8, but if the team that started the season 1-4 returns they could easily finish 6-11.

The good news for them is they have the Raiders and Chargers in their division. All three teams on paper look like they could win some games. But all three have a knack of blowing games, sometimes badly.
 
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Is neither an answer? I looked at their schedule, which is somewhat favorable, and my guess is at best they finish 9-8, but if the team that started the season 1-4 returns they could easily finish 6-11.

The good news for them is they have the Raiders and Chargers in their division. All three teams on paper look like they could win some games. But all three have a knack of blowing games, sometimes badly.
Yes...definitely the schedule is in favor for them. As I mentioned to BullsFan22, I think we'll get a better idea in the Buffalo game on MNF (assuming Allen is at full strength - they play the Bengals this week while Denver is on the bye).

There's still problems with certain players. Listening to the local Denver sports talk gurus - they tried to ship Jeudy before the trade deadline asking for 3rd & 5th. No takers. Lol. Jeudy, according to an insider on the talk show, is supposedly a distraction in the locker room - wanting to start fights, bad mouthing the coaching staff and so-on. Also, Payton doesn't Wilson throwing the ball very much with his philosophy of "less Russ...more rush." Lol.

We'll have to see how these things play out. Still a lot of football left.
 
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Too funny - watch him get booed everytime he takes the field.
 
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling is making $10m a year, and he can't easily find someone who watch his dogs while he's out of town?!?

NFL in Europe is here to stay, so players better get used to it. I'm all but certain at some point there will be teams based there, and the thought of a division with 2 teams in England, 1 in Germany, and 1 in Spain (or similar) seems plausible in the next 5-10 years. I think I posed before I see the NFL expanding a full 8 teams in a decade or so. So having 4 of them in Europe is very possible.

Hunter Renfro said something revealing. He was interviewed in the Raiders locker room talking about how loose the team was. But he mentioned they were playing basketball (they have a little hoop at the end of the locker room), and how this didn't happen before. WTF? I'm not exactly a jock, but when I did sports as a kid the locker room was the players' domain, coaches didn't come in there and supervise us. Or watch from afar to make sure we were behaving. Or even come in there to coach, or lecture us. It's a damn locker room! Is that what McDaniels was doing? That's horrible.
 
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Thoughts on tomorrow's games:

MIA@KC - If Miami can put up points, I see them winning. But Mahomes is never out of any game.
SEA@BAL - Both of these teams are good, and in 1st place. Both have had games, or quarters where they certainly look like they can be beat. Which team overcomes this?
ARI@CLE - The only interesting thing here is it appears the Cardinals will start Clayton Tune...against the top defense in the NFL.
LAR@GB - Both teams have lost games they could have won. The Rams can still strike, but they have serious holes in their once great D. The Packers, especially Love, really need a good game. Even if they lose, the must show some spark and be competitive.
TB@HOU - Mayfield playing well. But I think the Texans are a better team, despite laying an egg last week against the Panthers.
WAS@NE - The Commanders got rid of two key players, moving forward to their off-season overhaul. Could this be a chance for NE to come to life? Washington should have beat Philly last week.
CHI@NO - Bagent fell back to earth last week after the Raiders gifted him a win. The Bears D is much better against the run than pass. This could help Carr, but is also the kind of game where he overthinks things.
IND@CAR - No feel good redemption for Frank Reich here. Colts are pretty decent. Carolina lucky to win last week.
NYG@LVR - Lots of eyes will be watching the Raiders. How much better are they now that the witch is dead? And can O'Connell show what he has? Giants have a good D, and Jones is back.
DAL@PHI - This could be a very good game to watch. A lot of people are still riding the Eagle bandwagon, but I'm not so sure. But Dallas is unpredictable. They can beat anyone on any given Sunday (except SF).
BUF@CIN - An emotional game, for sure. But while the Bills are still good, right now Burrow looks almost 100% and the Bengals look like the team everyone expected, and I see them winning.

LAC@NYJ - This is the kind of game the Chargers come out hot, looking great. But then manage to lose.
 
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Chargers is an ok name but if San Diego or Los Angeles Chokes is about as accurate as it comes. Sofi is sort of an attraction.. So if Raiders would have stayed in LA everything would have been ok but it looks like the city can manage the fan base for Chargers and Rams but I would worry if Los Angeles if both teams are losers.
And I never forget that San Diego just never works..



watch?v=t1EPPumVm1s
 
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Chargers is an ok name but if San Diego or Los Angeles Chokes is about as accurate as it comes.
Love your posts and sense of humor! As a Raider fan I can at least point to the many holes the team has as why they lose. The Chargers are 3-4, but have a solid team on paper with some big signings, and really should be about 5-2 and competitive. It is astounding watching them collapse in so many games.

Both funny and sad watching that Clippers video. Maybe the most losing overall franchise in sports in my life. I'm (barely) old enough to remember when Bill Walton was on the Trailblazers. My grandmother was living in a neighborhood near where he lived in Portland. There was an old funky health food place near there and fans would see him in it all the time. I sort of remember when he refused to play in 1979 for the Trailblazers because they gave him poor medical treatment (quite possibly true), and he sat out the rest of the season in protest even after he had healed. He and his supporters also said the extra time off allowed his feet/ankles to fully heal. But the following year he got to the Clippers, and was injured just a few games into the season, then broke the same foot the next year, then had another injury when rehabbing, and missed the following season, and large chunks of the next two. That I somehow remember, maybe because you had to really feel for the guy at that point. Made a great comeback as a (mostly) back-up for the Celtics. Got a ring there too. Still very warmly welcomed when he comes to Oregon, and Paul Allen (when he owned the Trailblazers) tried to make some amends for how badly the old ownership treated him before Paul.

Somewhat of an avid cyclist! Describes himself as the slowest rider in any group ride.

BN-NQ690_JasonG_P_20160420164948.jpg
 
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Dak has to play well for the Cowboys to beat the Eagles. Neither team looks great even though the records are good. Cowboys to win.

Mahomes doesn't lose twice in a row is the hype call at the moment.If they keep dropping the ball they will lose again and Mahomes was obviously ill last week. Surprised he played. Miami run game might be the key to victory, keeping the pressure off Tua. Miami for the win.

The word on the street is that the Packers don't see Love as their future QB. If Stafford and Nacua play, the Rams should win.

Ravens and Seattle could be the game of the round. Still some question marks about both teams which is why this one should be interesting. Ravens in a close one.

Bengals were impressive against the 49ers but they met them at the right time with the 49ers defense going off the boil three weeks in a row as has Purdy in 4th quarters. Bengals have now won four in a row and I think that run continues. Bills don't look as good as last season, so far.

Washington traded two of their best defenders in one week, making their fans uneasy, which probably marks the end of Rivera's days as coach. Already rumors about Harbaugh's probable return to the NFL. Interestingly he interviewed for one or two coaching jobs last year and he obviously wasn't successful................Patriots in a close one.

The Giants have looked better without Jones at QB. Will LV look better without Jimmy G. based on last week ?,Probably. Maybe the worst game Jimmy ever started. Giants in a close one if they get reasonable play from Jones.
 
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A tale of two halfs. Dolphins looked like the Chargers in that last drive.

KC is really hard for me to figure out. They are a few plays from being 9-0. But at the same time, several of these games they are eeking out. Yes, they are winning, but how much can a team sustain that in the playoffs? I guess we'll find out.
The word on the street is that the Packers don't see Love as their future QB.
They are sending mixed messages, the GM defending him, but I think you are right. I won't be surprised if they draft someone in the 2nd or 3rd round next season, and see how that plays out. They are going to need depth on the OL with Baktihari retiring, and their receivers are average though.

Already rumors about Harbaugh's probable return to the NFL. Interestingly he interviewed for one or two coaching jobs last year and he obviously wasn't successful.
I believe last year he was looking to get the Chargers HC job.

There are a lot of Raider fans that are dying to get him as the coach, but I am not 100% sold on the guy. I recall the way he left the NFL, and he's had issues in Michigan, some of which may bleed over into the NFL. I question if his heart is really in the NFL, and how truly motivated he will be to coach a struggling team. He may return just to get away from NCAA oversight, or for the money more than anything. Though his Michigan contract does go up to $7m in 2026. To me him coming to the Raiders would be like Gruden 2.0. A splashy hire, might win you another game or two than you would otherwise, but I'd personally keep my expectations in check before even considering him. That goes for any team, really.

There's an old investor quote I'm sure you all of heard. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 
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I laughed when Harbaugh was sitting out because of a suspension he let his son coach the first or second half.. but not the entire game.
Harbaugh rode the rollercoaster in San Diego.. Got arrested a couple of times for drunk driving. He coached at a Catholic school University of San Diego.. They are known for producing lawyers and business people but not much football stuff
 
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Gosh the final 4 plays for the Dolphins summed up how they played that game. The way the final drive started I thought for sure they were scoring and could have if Tua didn’t short arm the third down play to Wilson. Then to follow that up with the fourth down missnap was terrible. Pre game after Hill talked all the trash I figured Dolphins would lose due to them focusing on Hill and Waddle more, which they did. Then they just couldn’t get out of their own way to keep digging a deeper and deeper hole. Chiefs are definitely relying on their defense for a change and you’d think Mahomes and offense can figure it out but I think the games are going to continue like this. In the long run I hope Dolphins turn into 2020 Bucs when they only beat one playoff team and have a good run because this constantly falling short is getting tiresome. The plus for them is Bills are struggling too, Pats are beyond dead, and Jets shouldn’t challenge for the division title. Either way a huge loss and win forDolphins and Chiefs in regards to number 1 seed.
 
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Has the Seattle Seahawks- Baltimore Ravens second game started? Thank God it's a double header..!!! Geno Smith played like Bill Buckner!!!!
 
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