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I thought you might agree with me with all the coaches you've talked about firing? Wasn't saying they should can the guy, just that he was completely out coached and should walk away with his head in shame. Sure, they lost to Mahomes, but they also had a terrible game plan and execution. But judging by their mistakes, they would have lost anyway. They were too hot headed coming into the game, and the days of someone like Tom Landry keeping everyone disciplined are a quaint notion!
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you & Harbaugh surely shutters most of the blame. But he's not going to step down nor would ownership want to see him leave. This is a very successful franchise under Harbaugh & they have an elite QB with plenty of years ahead of him (barring catastrophic injuries). I would think ownership would conclude the 2023 version of the Ravens was a success though they stumbled in the championship game & missed their target of the SB.

I also think the benchmark has been change where  most owners are satisfied & content in just getting to the championship game. Sure, they would all like to win the SB, but it takes exceptional talent, especially at the QB spot, and a lot of luck to win a SB these days.

And like I mentioned, the parity is unbelievable in this league. 19 teams this year finished with winning records - that's almost 60%! All four teams in the AFC North had winning records this year! There's only 14 playoff spots to be had - so it's becoming a huge challenge just to make the playoffs these days let alone go deep in postseason

Interesting tidbit on the impact Mahomes has had: His 14 postseason wins in 6 seasons now ties Elway (14-7) in 16 seasons played & surpasses Big Ben (13-10) in 12 seasons played.
 
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Aug 13, 2011
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Yeah if Mahomes and the Chiefs/whatever team he’s on keeps up this pace he has a great chance to catch Brady’s 35 and has a big help at the 2nd seed not having a bye leading to one more potential win. They play great at home and away, and even this years Super Bowl can technically be a home game as there is a lot of Chiefs fans when they play there in the regular season. Plus that construction worker burying the Chiefs flag somewhere on the grounds.
 
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Only way I think Niners stay in it is if they keep committed to the run which is the Chiefs weakness on defense while hoping Chiefs offense doesn’t run them down.
Exactly. I think they also need to find a way to get pressure on Mahomes rushing no more than 5 men. Tampa did this in the Super Bowl game where they beat KC, for example. I don't remember the year but a few seasons ago the Titans were able to get pressure on him early, stifled him, and won easily over KC. But I think the SF pass rush is overrated, to be honest. Most teams fail to do it, Baltimore for example, and if you blow the blitz, Mahomes will burn you.
The one question we can have answered is what will Toney be ruled out with for the Super Bowl.
LOL! True! "Hip injury".
And like I mentioned, the parity is unbelievable in this league...
Agree with all you wrote.

The only thing you didn't mention is maybe obvious: Attrition from injuries. How good, say, would Cincinnati have been had Joe Burrow not missed much of the season or being hurt in most of the games he did play? He was healthy in what, 5 games? Maybe? I recall when they beat SF or Buffalo and Peter King saying he looked like Joe Montana out there throwing pinpoint darts all over the field that were unreal. Two weeks later he was gone for the season.

Then there was Cleveland losing Nick Chubb, Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones, Dawson Deaton and (good or not) Deshaun Watson. All starters.

A sport of "what if...?"
They play great at home and away, and even this years Super Bowl can technically be a home game as there is a lot of Chiefs fans when they play there in the regular season. Plus that construction worker burying the Chiefs flag somewhere on the grounds.
First, when the Raiders sucked (at least first half of the season) EVERY opposing team's fans showed up in droves. Also, many Super Bowl tickets are sold in advance, so it's hard to tell what the fan ratio will be here.

Some people are saying it was dug up. Who knows? Love lore like this. LOL! Chiefs are 4-0 there because they have been really good, and the Raiders have flatly sucked for some time. Oddly, the Raiders beat the Chiefs this season, in Kansas City.
 
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Some people are saying it was dug up. Who knows? Love lore like this. LOL! Chiefs are 4-0 there because they have been really good, and the Raiders have flatly sucked for some time. Oddly, the Raiders beat the Chiefs this season, in Kansas City.
That’s honestly not the oddest thing, Chiefs only lost at home against AFCW opponents until this year at Mile High.
 
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Agree with all you wrote.

The only thing you didn't mention is maybe obvious: Attrition from injuries. How good, say, would Cincinnati have been had Joe Burrow not missed much of the season or being hurt in most of the games he did play? He was healthy in what, 5 games? Maybe? I recall when they beat SF or Buffalo and Peter King saying he looked like Joe Montana out there throwing pinpoint darts all over the field that were unreal. Two weeks later he was gone for the season.
Not only Cincy, but the Jets as well. How good would the Jets have been if Rodgers hadn't got hurt missing the entire season? They could have won 14 or 15 & run away with the East division. Who knows...we might have had Cincy & the Jets in the championship game.
 
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And as Nomad and others have said, holding could feasibly be called in just about every play.
Because the offense lineman have to hold on just about every pass play or their QB would be sacked or pressured. What's happened here is the evolution of the DE/edge rusher that's completely changed the game. The average weight of an offensive lineman is a record 314 lbs. That's primarily because they need the bulk to match up with - and be able to effectively run block - these mammoth defense tackles where some weigh upwards toward 350 lbs (the big belly guys. Lol). But these lineman aren't as quick & agile for pass blocking with that kind of size as they use to be at a lighter weight.

Now comes the new-age DE/edge rusher with size, speed, quickness & athleticism never seen in the history of the game. Guys like Myles Garrett, the Bosa brothers, Parsons, Hutchinson, etc. For example, Garrett is an absolutely freak - 6'4" 272, 4.6 40, 41 inch vertical (that's NBA caliber!) & 33 reps on the BP!

These DEs are averaging less than 3 seconds for time to pressure & they're getting off the ball as low as .6 seconds! (Garrett's average TP is about 2.6 seconds!) This means an offensive lineman has less than 3 seconds to hold a block before his QB gets clobbered. Factor in these "spin moves" these edge rushers utilize & no way can an OL even begin to try & stop him without some level of holding.
 
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Good post. Add Maxx Crosby to that list. I think the other option (not an option) would be to run a slew of double TE sets, or bring back the fullback. But that won't happen in today's high passing game. Lawerence Taylor changed the position, changed NFL defenses. He was considered a linebacker, but he rushed the QB on so many plays, and had over 130 sacks in his career. If you go back before LT, or even during his time, DEs like Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Kevin Greene, etc. they came from the end with more power than anything, and were drafted expecting to stop runs more. Many teams now have what they consider two edge rushers. Many teams also run with two linebackers only, and a specific slot CB. Constant nickel coverage, no longer expecting one of the linebackers to do well in coverage beyond a TE or RB on short throws. It's a different game for sure than it was 30 years ago.

Considering the Jets were 7-10 with a carousel of QBs, most of them downright bad, and their entire seasonal plan went out the window on week 1, IF Rodgers played as well as he could, it's quite plausible they would have won 12 or more games. 15-2 I don't see though.

Ben Johnson staying in Detroit. Gave Lion fans something to feel good about two days after a crushing loss.

Steelers hiring Arthur Smith as OC. A bit surprising, but I think it could work. Smith is somewhat old-school, battle in the trenches guy. Though a few Steeler fans are saying old school is old. 3 yards a pile of dust won't work in today's league. But who are they going to have at QB to throw the ball 35 times a game if they don't play a power game?

Senior Bowl this Saturday. Last year QB Jake Haener had the best showing. Tyson Bagent and Clayton Tune played okay. RB Evan Hall looked good. He was drafted by the Colts and played some special teams before getting hurt. Haener looked okay in the pre-season for the Saints, got suspended 6 games, then didn't take a single snap all season even as fans in NO wanted to see what he could do instead of Winston. Here's the QBs playing in this game. Jayden Daniels is skipping the game, as he will already go in the top 5 in the draft. I still think the draft will go Williams, Maye, and Daniels, 1, 2, 3. A lot of talent, but even more hype in this year's QB class. I'm honestly not sure these guys will be able to handle being thrown to the wolves like they will be.

Sunday is the Pro Bowl. To be honest last year's flag football was surprisingly exciting.
 
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Jayden Daniels is skipping the game, as he will already go in the top 5 in the draft. I still think the draft will go Williams, Maye, and Daniels, 1, 2, 3. A lot of talent, but even more hype in this year's QB class. I'm honestly not sure these guys will be able to handle being thrown to the wolves like they will be.
Barring a disasterous preseason, those 3 guys are more than likely day one starters much like Young, Stroud & Richardson were last year. And if they go 1, 2, 3 - that's just like the 2021 draft of Lawrence, Wilson & Lance. And what a disaster that has been - the combine record of those guys over three seasons is 34-53 & 1-1 in 2 postseason games. And Lawrence is the only one of that group showing any real potential though this year he took a major setback because of injuries. I still shake my head at the fact that Lance, #3 OA, is the 3rd string QB at Dallas running the scout team . What a crazy league this has become with high-drafted QBs. Lol

And definitely a lot of hype with this year's class especially with Caleb Williams (imagine that. Lol). The infallible "experts" are saying that he's the next Mahomes & best QB prospect in 5 yrs:


And Daniels is the next Lamar Jackson:


So, we've got the next Mahomes & Jackson coming up to go along with the next Peyton Manning & Brett Favre over there at Jacksonville & Tennessee. Lol.
 
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I agree Pacheco is going to surprise people in the SB.

Odds now dropping to almost even from all the people with my idea of putting everything on KC when you could get 3 1/2 points.
And definitely a lot of hype with this year's class especially with Caleb Williams (imagine that. Lol). The infallible "experts" are saying that he's the next Mahomes & best QB prospect in 5 yrs:
Probably the same people last year who said Bryce Young was the next Patrick Mahomes.

People like pointing to the 2020 draft and expect QBs to do that well. Burrow taken #1. Tua taken at #5 and Herbert taken #6. Jordan Love taken at #26 and Jalen Hurts taken early in the 2nd round. They seem to think every year should be like this. But even if one analyzes those players, some have done better than others, and a few have had very good players around them. Compare this to Bryce Young. I'm not saying Bryce is going to be better than any of these guys, I'm suspecting his career may never rise above mediocrity and he won't get a 2nd contract with Carolina. But I think you get my point. A rookie QB isn't going to rescue the poor team you have.
 
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The most underrated back, IMO

They’re going to run Pacheco until he can’t run no more. Only question is if Niners are going to abandon the run game or not like the Bills or not even get it started like the Dolphins or Ravens. Niners offense can hurt them passing but that’s the Chiefs defense strong suit. I think both quarterbacks are going to pick up some big run plays.
 
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People like pointing to the 2020 draft and expect QBs to do that well. Burrow taken #1. Tua taken at #5 and Herbert taken #6. Jordan Love taken at #26 and Jalen Hurts taken early in the 2nd round. They seem to think every year should be like this. But even if one analyzes those players, some have done better than others, and a few have had very good players around them. Compare this to Bryce Young. I'm not saying Bryce is going to be better than any of these guys, I'm suspecting his career may never rise above mediocrity and he won't get a 2nd contract with Carolina. But I think you get my point. A rookie QB isn't going to rescue the poor team you have.
C'mon man...there's nothing special about that group except maybe Hurts, Burrow & maybe to a certain degree Love. Herbert is a complete bust & you know it! (Don't be a football zombie & believe there's any upside to this guy. Lol). But ownership blames Staley & hires Harbaugh to save the day. Lol (I'm hearing some scuttlebutt that Harbough may draft J.J. McCarthy to be his QB - wouldn't that be something).

Tua choked in the playoffs losing in the WC round & is 0-1 in postseason. Sad - a 5th OA & 4 yr starter - man that's really getting your money's worth. Lol. Love has some upside improving dramatically the 2nd half of the season...and actually winning a playoff game! (wow...imagine that...a 1st rd drafted QB winning a playoff game in his 4th yr in the league...backflips & cartwheels. Lol). Burrow did get the team to the SB in the 2021 season - and that's expected by a #1 OA - but he's had a big setback with the major Achilles injury. Will he pick up left where he left off in 2021 or become an injury bust?

I give Hurts the thumbs up out of that bunch. Only a 2nd rounder, he takes Philly to the SB in just his 3rd season & is 2-3 in postseason. But because of his style of play, injuries could become a problem moving forward.
 
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They’re going to run Pacheco until he can’t run no more. Only question is if Niners are going to abandon the run game or not like the Bills or not even get it started like the Dolphins or Ravens. Niners offense can hurt them passing but that’s the Chiefs defense strong suit. I think both quarterbacks are going to pick up some big run plays.
San Fran ground game got held up effectively the last time Seattle played them until they started short passes and their QB pulled out some creative runs. That was enough to push the second level of Seattle's defense a pace away from scrimmage and Mr. McCaffery started working. They know how it works both ways but it remains if they can completely stop an angry Pacheco. He turns a 2 yd defensive stop to 6 yds reliably. It'll be a controlled game, IMO until Mahomes starts hitting downfield passes that don't get dropped.
I don't think SF could keep up with that kind scoring game, especially late.
 
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They’re going to run Pacheco until he can’t run no more. Only question is if Niners are going to abandon the run game or not like the Bills or not even get it started like the Dolphins or Ravens. Niners offense can hurt them passing but that’s the Chiefs defense strong suit. I think both quarterbacks are going to pick up some big run plays.
Agree 100%, everything you wrote. KC's defense covers middle and deep very well. That's where SF has burned many teams. So they are going to have to run a lot successfully to set up play action to get any options deep at all. Will they? We'll see.

KC does a great job of mixing run and pass. This isn't the same Mahomes team from a few years ago with Tyreek Hill who would burn teams for huge yards, while a young(er) Kelce always found ways to get open over the middle. Mahomes takes what defenses give him. SF absolutely must find a way to disrupt Mahomes. A few teams have done that in the past, I posted about it before. Even both Denver and Las Vegas were able to, though mostly from tight coverage. Can SF? I'm not so sure.
C'mon man...there's nothing special about the group except maybe Hurts, Burrow & maybe to a certain degree Love. Herbert is a complete bust & you know it! (Don't be a football zombie & believe there's any upside to this guy. Lol).
I said before. Herbert has potential. And...he may always have potential! LOL!
But ownership blames Staley & hires Harbaugh to save the day. Lol (I'm hearing some scuttlebutt that Harbough may draft J.J. McCarthy to be his QB - wouldn't that be something).
I actually think it's possible! Look at it from this point of view. Herbert is not Harbaugh's guy. He could draft JJ, who isn't expected to be a week 1 starter, maybe not even a season 1 starter. He goes with Herbert, expected to "fix" him, get only good plays from him, not the hot/cold QB we've seen. After a year he can't do it, and finds a way to trade or even cut Herbert (Russell Wilson style) to get out of that absurd contract, and JJ is ready to go, having learned for a year in the NFL as a backup, making $5m a year, not $50m, and be a team they can build upon for the next few years, before Harbaugh moves on to his next gig. Is this likely? I have no idea. But yes, I can definitely see it as a possibility.

Staley was not a good HC, but he was also scapegoated. Several players came to his defense before, and after he was canned. Interviewed both at GB and LA Rams this week (where he came from). He'll get work somewhere as a DC or LB coach. If not in the NFL next year, it won't take long.

Bo Nix not doing so well in Senior Bowl week drills. Concerns about accuracy (not a shock as Pac-12 defenses tended to be soft. Penix had the same problem as soon as he faced a stiff D that can cover in Michigan, where he looked lost). Bo needs to have a big game on Sunday or may drop out of the first round. These guys can gain traction in the Combine and Pro Day though. Recall this was a criticism of CJ Stroud - threw to great receivers who were often open. But CJ graded an A+ at both the Combine and Pro Day.
Tua choked in the playoffs losing in the WC round & is 0-1 in postseason.
Their entire team choked. From the very first series they played like they couldn't wait to get that game over with and head back to sunny Florida. Plus they were banged up, and hardly ran the ball at all. But zero excuses for Tua. He was as bad as the rest of the team. It was like a long dentist appointment to the Dolphins! Chiefs get credit for punching them in the mouth and knocking a few teeth loose though! :grin:

Tua has been as streaky as Herbert, I'll be honest there. But I'm not calling either of them a bust.

Joe Burrow however has looked like a true all pro QB, when he's healthy. And that's now become a real concern. This season first it was his calf, which he re-injured. What did him in as the season went on was the wrist injury, which later needed surgery. Look at the guy's injury background in this link. Alarming, disappointing. He just turned 27 and is on his way to being the next Jimmy Garappolo or Chad Pennington (granted, better than both those guys, but...)

This is Love's first real year playing. He's had I believe 1 start in the last three years. He was doing little more than riding the pine. The biggest mistake Green Bay probably made was not getting rid of Rodgers a year earlier than they did.
 
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Dec 6, 2013
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I agree Pacheco is going to surprise people in the SB.

Odds now dropping to almost even from all the people with my idea of putting everything on KC when you could get 3 1/2 points.

Probably the same people last year who said Bryce Young was the next Patrick Mahomes.

People like pointing to the 2020 draft and expect QBs to do that well. Burrow taken #1. Tua taken at #5 and Herbert taken #6. Jordan Love taken at #26 and Jalen Hurts taken early in the 2nd round. They seem to think every year should be like this. But even if one analyzes those players, some have done better than others, and a few have had very good players around them. Compare this to Bryce Young. I'm not saying Bryce is going to be better than any of these guys, I'm suspecting his career may never rise above mediocrity and he won't get a 2nd contract with Carolina. But I think you get my point. A rookie QB isn't going to rescue the poor team you have.
Caution broken record from me: too many people think that a good QB can make a bad team good. If anything, a bad team can make a good QB bad.