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I'm curious to how many NFL games there have been when QB throws for over 300 yards, the team scores zero TDs, and only penetrates the red zone once.

That doesn't explain why KC is maybe the most healthy team in the NFL. On the flip side, the Raiders haven't been to the playoffs in aeons and about a third of their roster is on the injury report.
There is probably just an assumption that strength coaches, nutrition experts, preventive health specialists, data accumulated are all sort of equal across the NFL, like nobody is doing anything that different from the other guys( or gals). Have to wonder if team side by side comparisons could reveal differences, all the way down to pre game stretch and warm ups and post game stretch and cool down. I know ice baths and such are all the rage but it would be cool to see if healthier teams are doing something different no matter how subtle.
I know that some very minor changes have made substantial improvements in my bike riding
 

I'm shaking my head on this one. The Lions second leading receiver with 17 grabs & 21 yds average per catch. What's he thinking? It's bad enough with all the injuries hitting offensive players in this league, now he hurts his team with something that was completely preventable. The only constellation is it's a 2 game suspension for the use of a "stimulant", "duerituc" or "masking agent" vs a 6 game hit for the use of an anabolic agent or HGH. Btw, he was suspended 4 games last year for violating the league's gambling policy. Lol.
Some kids just can't take the pressure of the limelight. 6 games for hgh....that might explain why so many get hurt.
 
Now Mike Evans might be out for awhile and that’s a big loss for the Bucs. Baker just switched to focusing on Godwin who’s been blanketed now. Ravens are getting all kinds of penalties, with them trying and beating Bucs 2020 Bears penalty fiasco.
Shame for the Buccs to lose two receivers with Mayfield starting the season so well. With Aiyuk done for the season, the 49ers and Buccs might be fighting over the scraps for the remaining WR's available in the trade market. Mainly veterans are left over and rumors about the Rams maybe shopping Kupp but of course it will never be to the 49ers. Raiders just picked up Terrace Marshall after the 49ers cut him.
 
Hopkins hasn't been playing like he did a few years ago in Houston, but still, with Mahomes throwing him the ball, it will help both him and KC's offense, without question.
As if the Browns Watson related issues couldn't get any worse..................
I actually think the Browns will start playing better, be it Winston or DTR at QB. I think the rest of the team will be more motivated, and I don't care how bad either play, they won't be as bad as Watson was.

As I said before, I'll also be surprised now if Watson ever plays another down in the NFL. Achilles tears are hard to come back 100% from, and I question he has the work ethic to return in the 10-12 months it takes. Even if he is fully healthy next September, by then the Browns will have another QB. Their owner would have to be completely insane to insist at that point they insert Watson back into the starting job. Completely, totally, certifiably, insane. But that is Watson's only chance. No other team in the NFL will ever sign Watson, let alone play him. Ever.
 
At least they may have some re-insurance recourse for his contract if he's injured enough to not return?
That would be a prudent business move...
You would hope so, the 49ers always do, so the Aiyuk contract won't be as bad as it could have been after he just got extended for big money. Browns generally not run as well as teams like the 49ers but the Watson contract was so massive that surely they would have something in place............you would think.
 
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That's gonna leave a deeper bruise on the rest of the AFC.
Hopkins isn't the superstar from his early years any more but he doesn't have to be, on that team and Reid has a habit of getting good performances or serviceable performances out of second hand goods.

He grabbed Kareem Hunt off the street a month ago and he looks as good as he ever did or near enough. I was really surprised that other teams didn't pick him up before then. Dallas could have used him so could about half a dozen other teams.
 
Hopkins isn't the superstar from his early years any more but he doesn't have to be, on that team and Reid has a habit of getting good performances or serviceable performances out of second hand goods.

He grabbed Kareem Hunt off the street a month ago and he looks as good as he ever did or near enough. I was really surprised that other teams didn't pick him up before then. Dallas could have used him so could about half a dozen other teams.
Depth is a major blessing in the NFL. Solid receivers take the heat off of everyone (except O line guys trying to protect for the long routes) and help keep teams in contention, IMO. Even if they are not "top tier" you can't sleep on an experienced, talented player on defense.
 
You would hope so, the 49ers always do, so the Aiyuk contract won't be as bad as it could have been after he just got extended for big money. Browns generally not run as well as teams like the 49ers but the Watson contract was so massive that surely they would have something in place............you would think.
Stupid is as stooopid does. They gave him the contract in the first place.
 
At least they may have some re-insurance recourse for his contract if he's injured enough to not return?
That would be a prudent business move...
It took some digging to figure this out.

The Browns apparently have insurance for his injury. However, this only gives them cash, it does nothing regarding the cap, or dead money. Just a fresh check to the owner for some $30m.

The Browns still have to pay Watson's full contract. $46m each of the next two years (2025 and 2026). They could re-structure it again, spreading it out over 3-4 years. But that doesn't help against the cap the way you may think when it comes to dead money (basically, the amount subtracted from the salary cap they cannot spend). They would be screwing themselves worse than they did with how it's structured now.

They cannot release him now, or until June 1st, or the dead money would be $173 million in 2025. The salary cap for an entire team will be about $265m, so they'd have to field a team with just $92m. While they keep paying him, which they won't get out of, period. Hence the "fully guaranteed" part.

Releasing him after June 1st only slightly improves things. The Browns would still have a $73 million cap hit in 2025, double what the Broncos are paying Wilson. But it doesn't end there, in fact, it means the dead money in 2026 would be $99.8 million.

Put in percentages, if they cut him pre-June 1, the hit is 65% of their cap. If they cut him after June 1st, the hit will be 27% of their cap gone, and in 2026 about 38% of their cap going to him.

Worst contract in sports history. Nothing else comes close.
 
It took some digging to figure this out.

The Browns apparently have insurance for his injury. However, this only gives them cash, it does nothing regarding the cap, or dead money. Just a fresh check to the owner for some $30m.

The Browns still have to pay Watson's full contract. $46m each of the next two years (2025 and 2026). They could re-structure it again, spreading it out over 3-4 years. But that doesn't help against the cap the way you may think when it comes to dead money (basically, the amount subtracted from the salary cap they cannot spend). They would be screwing themselves worse than they did with how it's structured now.

They cannot release him now, or until June 1st, or the dead money would be $173 million in 2025. The salary cap for an entire team will be about $265m, so they'd have to field a team with just $92m. While they keep paying him, which they won't get out of, period. Hence the "fully guaranteed" part.

Releasing him after June 1st only slightly improves things. The Browns would still have a $73 million cap hit in 2025, double what the Broncos are paying Wilson. But it doesn't end there, in fact, it means the dead money in 2026 would be $99.8 million.

Put in percentages, if they cut him pre-June 1, the hit is 65% of their cap. If they cut him after June 1st, the hit will be 27% of their cap gone, and in 2026 about 38% of their cap going to him.

Worst contract in sports history. Nothing else comes close.
I don't know what is worse...a contact like that or having Rick Mirer and John Kitna following Dave Kreig's tenure. It was painful and we had season tickets...in the Dome. Only been a few (great) times since. But you're absolutely correct on the Browns whole business.
 
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Ahhh yes, the ol' Kingdome. Did the good citizens of Seattle and King County ever pay that thing off? That place was downright gloomy. Lit by old, recycled fluorescent bulbs usually reserved for morgues. And then there were the troughs. After they imploded the whole thing my cousin got me a chunk of it, concrete with a piece of rebar going through it. I used to use it as a doorstop at my house, no clue where it ended up. My ex probably tossed it while I wasn't looking.

Love that Saleh is helping the Packers, considering Rodgers (very likely) helped get him fired. I read where he was ready to take the rest of the year off until they called. He must have thought in the back of his mind, "The Packers?! Oh, this should be good! I'll take it!"

I will take the Vikings over the Rams, but I'm curious how well Darnold plays. He wasn't bad last week, at all, but he definitely took a step back to average, and didn't step up in crunch time.
 
Vikings looked surprisingly average in losing to the Rams. Their D had been a wall for several other teams, but they didn't get much pressure on Stafford, and gave up too many plays in chunks. If anyone wants to know how important an left tackle is, and how important it is to have a cohesive OL, after Viks LT Darrisaw left the game the Rams were able to pressure Darnold much more. Darnold also didn't step up when it mattered, just like last week, and like I speculated. It's one thing to play with the lead, and another to carry an offense on your back.
 
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Another blatant missed call late in the Rams game. Clearly it shouldn't have been a safety on Darnold as it was a clear face mask pull by the Rams defender. Is their any point having replays at all ?
Still waiting for Cook to be punished for starting the fight with Williams by punching him in the back of the head and the refs said it was assist reviewed by New York.