NFL Thread

[Fukui San]

Kaep isn't going to get hired as even a third backup QB even if he cures cancer, solves world hunger, and brings about world peace. He doesn't have a football career to lose at this point, so why not sue the league? Al Davis made a career out of suing the league.

[ganesh]

Kap had be protesting for weeks before anyone even noticed what's going on. Given the abhorrent QB play in the league, it's laughable that no one gave him a try out even as a backup. Plus, if he doesn't do anything then it emboldens the league to continue to treat players like garbage. Someone has to push back, and he's really got nothing to lose. 

[Irlandesa]

I think Kap won't be able to prove collusion because I'm not sure there was ever a formal agreement not to hire him.  I think all the owners were making a choice of not wanting that kind of controversy in their laps (other controversies?  Old hat by now.)  

The irony is they all ended up having to deal with it anyway when a certain political figure got into the mix.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Does Kaep think that saying "If you don't hire me, I'm going to sue you" is going to endear him to teams????!!  That's like saying "if you don't love me, I'll kill you."  

Proving that he is not in it to play football, but to get publicity and money for nothing.

Nothing?

[xaxat]

2 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Kaep isn't going to get hired as even a third backup QB even if he cures cancer, solves world hunger, and brings about world peace.

I think whatever minuscule chance he may have had to return went out the window when the President said he would fire the "son of a bitch". No owner was going to touch him after that. Although I'm sure those teams in desperate need of a QB will all hide behind "football reasons".

That's why I hope we find out about the questions asked during discovery. I can't wait to read about a Titans' coach or owner saying that they brought in that sorry group for tryouts because "they gave us a better chance to win games". 

[ganesh]

Given the overwhelming response after the president said that by the owners, I don't his opinion of them matters much. Plus, they still hate him from the USFL. 

9 minutes ago, xaxat said:

That's why I hope we find out about the questions asked during discovery. I can't wait to read about a Titans' coach or owner saying that they signed brought in that sorry group for tryouts because "they gave us a better chance to win games". 

I can't wait for the ridiculously lame excuses and the logical leaps that the coaches will have to make. Of course, there will be the "distraction in the locker room" thrown in there. Because obstructing a murder investigation isn't distracting at all. Even if they can't legally prove collusion, I really hope they're all dragged through the dirt and exposed for being frauds. 

[merylinkid]

Okay say Kaepernick proves the teams colluded ( I think they did but providing it  is another matter).   He gets the CBA thrown out.   Then what?   A new one is negotiated and he still doesn't have a job.    Getting the CBA thrown out accomplishes nothing other than everyone knowing the owners colluded.   Which we already know when Brandon Weedon got a tryout and the Packers are going with some guy from a Division III school as a back up.  

[ganesh]

There's legal implications if it's proven, and the league won't be able to do that to other players for arbitrary reasons. The whole negotiations over a new CBA could prove to be volatile. There's a larger context than just one guy not getting a tryout. It baseball, collusion in the 80s essentially led to the canceling of the 1994 season and is indirectly responsible for the Expos folding. 

[xaxat]

52 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

Then what?   A new one is negotiated and he still doesn't have a job. 

At this point, I don't think it's about getting a job. It's about displaying power inequality in the system. It's the next step in his protest. 

One of themes the talking heads continually mention that really annoys me is the idea that players should get in line because "It's costing you/the league money!" I'm sure that plays a role in the decision making process for a large number of players, but some of them truly believe that the message they are trying to send is more important than any sanction they may receive from the league or admonitions they may get from the President. 

After a question from the press, today the President doubled down.

[stealinghome]

4 hours ago, xaxat said:

I think whatever minuscule chance he may have had to return went out the window when the President said he would fire the "son of a bitch". No owner was going to touch him after that. Although I'm sure those teams in desperate need of a QB will all hide behind "football reasons".

Exactly. Let's be real here: his NFL career is over. No team will ever touch him with a 20-foot pole ever again. He knows that. So suing the league is his last protest. And I'm fairly sure that he knows he's not going to win the suit, either. As xaxat said, it's not about winning or trying to get his job back. It's about displaying the structures of power for everyone to see, and calling those structures of power out.

[Jx223]

I think that Jacoby Brissett could end up being (at least) a solid QB in this league. I like what I have seen from him so far in his starts for Indy. I thought he was poised and played well in the first half of the game tonight. The Colts defense played well in the first half, but things came undone for the offense in the second half. The Colts offense dropped too many critical passes, (especially Jack Doyle) and that swung the momentum of this game in the Titans favor. I thought that Jacoby made some decent throws but his receivers kept dropping the ball. He was also getting pressured a lot more in the second half. I do think that the Colts had a chance of winning this game, but their receivers let them down in the second half. 

Also, I thought that Marcus Mariota did a nice job tonight for the Titans. He wasn't able to really run tonight but he did a nice job of standing in the pocket and making throws. 

[merylinkid]

7 hours ago, Jx223 said:

Also, I thought that Marcus Mariota did a nice job tonight for the Titans. He wasn't able to really run tonight but he did a nice job of standing in the pocket and making throws. 

You could tell in the first quarter that he was very uncomfortable standing in the pocket.   A lot of his throws sailed right over the receiver's heads.   His mechanics are "run" or "thrown on the run" so his body is not used to adjusting for standing still.

[DrSpaceman73]

Its the same story with the Colts. 

Played good for a half or 3 quarters and then implode. 

That is the 3rd game in 5 weeks they have blown a double digit 2nd half lead.  One they managed to win in OT.

The two other games in that span  : they eeked out a win vs the Browns by 3 after having a huge lead and blew a smaller lead to the Seahawks and lost in a blow out. 

There is no reason Pagano should still be coaching the Colts.  If he is still the coach next season, I may have to stop watching.  Its awful.  And its not just because Luck is hurt and out.  This team even without Luck should be 4-2 right now if they had a competent coaching staff

And Gruden last night was saying everything COlts fans have been complaining about for 2-3 years.  Lack of discipline, penalties, dropped balls, blown coverage......week after week, costs them games. 

 

The team has weaknesses, mainly at the LB position, but all teams have weaknesses in this league.  Outside of KC its a whole bunch of good to mediocre teams in the AFC.  There is no reason for the D to be this bad.  The DL is much better this year.  The secondary has talent that seemingly is being wasted.  Most of this is coaching. 

[AimingforYoko]

Ezekiel Elliott will play Sunday.

[xaxat]

I swear that's not me!

[roamyn]

As a Browns fan, I would welcome Colin with open arms*.  Then again, we might ruin him, too.

 

*Or raised fist.

Edited October 18, 2017 by roamyn

[shoregirl]

Chris Long of the Eagles is donating his salary this season to various charities.  He donated his first 6 game checks to create scholarships in Chatlottesville ,where he grew up, after the protests there this summer. He is now donating the last 10 game checks to various charities in Philly, Boston and St. Louis promoting education equality. 

 

 

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21061905/philadelphia-eagles-defensive-end-chris-long-now-donating-entire-season-salary

[mojoween]

Oakland should absolutely be wearing all black Color Rush and the fact that they are not is criminal.  I don’t care how hot it is in California.

[galaxygirl76]

On 10/17/2017 at 8:48 PM, AimingforYoko said:

Ezekiel Elliott will play Sunday.

At this rate he's going to sit out his suspension when it really matters.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

Oakland should absolutely be wearing all black Color Rush and the fact that they are not is criminal.  I don’t care how hot it is in California.

It was 65 degrees in Oakland today.  :)

[xaxat]

If at first. . . 

[MarkHB]

The first time I found out that "the game cannot end on a defensive penalty" was even a rule, was when I was a kid and we thought the Pats had beaten the Stabler/Madden-era Raiders.  And then they hadn't.

[Jx223]

That was a good win for the Raiders against the Chiefs. The Raiders definitely needed that win. They really couldn't afford to go down 2-5. Derek did a nice job of leading them down the field in that last drive and Michael Crabtree came up clutch with that TD grab. Maybe this win will be the start of them starting to bounce back a bit after dealing with Derek being injured. 

Edited October 20, 2017 by Jx223

[FuriousStyles]

Kudos to Chris Long for what he's doing.  I've always heard good things about him.

I'm late to this party but....Tony Romo is REALLY good at game commentary.  He obviously knows his stuff (which I never doubted)  but his excitement for the game is evident and its kind of infectious.  

[Fukui San]

Quite a game, but I got refereeing questions of course.

Should there have been a 10 second runoff to end the game when the Raiders committed OPI?

Shouldn't the Chiefs touchdown they reviewed have been reversed since it's the same "doesn't survive the ground" call that people hated for the Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson reversals?

I'll hang up and listen.

EDIT: Found the runoff rule. The time is run off only when the play would have had the clock running if not for the penalty, I think. Not every offensive penalty.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Fukui San

[merylinkid]

7 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Shouldn't the Chiefs touchdown they reviewed have been reversed since it's the same "doesn't survive the ground" call that people hated for the Dez Bryant and Calvin Johnson reversals?

Pretty much everyone said this.   Basically a catch is what the refs feel like it is that game.   You would think it would be easy to define a catch.   But they add in all that extra verbiage that makes it so much harder to decide.   

BTW, if you want to know the Rules and are on twitter, I highly recommend following FootballZebras.   Great group of folks, responsive to questions, easy to understand explanations  (except the catch rule because no one understands that one).

[Ohwell]

I kept yelling at Tony Romo "shut up, shut up, shut up!!" because I think he gets too excited and talks too damn much.

[merylinkid]

3 hours ago, Ohwell said:

I kept yelling at Tony Romo "shut up, shut up, shut up!!" because I think he gets too excited and talks too damn much.

That will level out with time.   I am just relieved to not hear Phil Simms nattering on that I enjoy the game much more.

[mojoween]

I miss Phil Simms.

[Crs97]

I caught the last two minutes of an exciting game with Tony Romo.  He was excited, but knowledgeable and his tone matched the game.  The following week I was watching the second quarter of a game and didn't realize it was Tony until I begged husband to mute because the annoying announcer would not stop talking.  I have gotten to the point that most of them annoy me.

[Ohwell]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I miss Phil Simms.

I do, too.

[stealinghome]

I swear, this really is Bizarro Season in the NFL.

[AimingforYoko]

The LA Rams are good? What is this, 1984? (Listens to all the noises my body makes) Nope.

[mojoween]

I see the Seahawks have gone back to the dirty dishwater away uniforms.

[mojoween]

I know this is not news, but pass interference penalties are ridiculous and stupid.

DPI could legitimately be anywhere from 1 to 99 yards.  OPI is 10 yards every time.  They need to fix that.

[Jx223]

Even though they lost against the Dolphins today I am impressed with how the Jets have been playing. They have been playing solid, competitive football. I am interested in seeing how many wins they end up getting this season. They could end up having a respectable season. 

Also, I thought that Chicago's defense did a really good job today against the Panthers. I had wanted the Panthers to win, but the Bears defense brought the pressure to Cam and scored on multiple turnovers. John Fox is taking it light with Mitchell Trubisky, but eventually I would like to see him throw more. I was also glad to see the Cowboys get the win against the 49ers. They could not afford to lose this game. They played well on both sides of the ball. I hope that Dan Bailey injury heals up quickly. I was glad to see Jeff Heath make a couple of PATs but I wouldn't want the team to have to heavily depend on him for field goals. 

Today was another day for some big injuries as well. Carson Palmer fractured his arm and its being reported that he will miss at least 8 weeks. There are reports that Jay Cutler also cracked some of his ribs today. I wish both guys a healthy recovery. 

Edited October 22, 2017 by Jx223

[Dejana]

The rumors are official...I figured it would take at least 20 years before the NFL invited him back for another halftime show.

Edited October 23, 2017 by Dejana

[Kip Hackman]

Panthers defense just set a team record for fewest 1st downs by an opponent - five.  And lost by two touchdowns (to a team that completed 4 passes).

Pathetic. 

[stealinghome]

Man, the refs obviously came to play tonight. We're only on the first drive and I'm already sick of all the flags. This game might not end till 2AM at this rate.

[mojoween]

Personally, I am beyond OVER Super Bowl talk.  Yes I know what happened.  It’s not any less nauseating now than it was in February.  Let’s live in the now, shall we?

[topanga]

In case anyone has forgotten, if you breathe too hard on Tom Brady, you will get called for roughing the passer.

[Calvada]

20 minutes ago, topanga said:

In case anyone has forgotten, if you breathe too hard on Tom Brady, you will get called for roughing the passer.

Too, too true.  Does Al Michaels have money down on the Patriots?  He seems super excited whenever they have a big play.

So many injuries again - Carson Palmer out, perhaps for the year, Dallas lost their kicker, Cutler with reported broken ribs, Mike Wallace went out on a really hard & illegal hit, and LT Joe Thomas ends his iron man streak and went out with a triceps injury.  And the Brett Hundley experiment started with a thud in Green Bay.  He wasn't quite in the depths with TJ Rubley or Seneca Wallace, but he just couldn't get it done.  He can hand off, completed a few passes, but he spent half the game rolling out and then failing to complete passes.  Green Bay has some good WRs - Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams just to name 3, and Hundley only found a WR 6 times.   However, he wasn't playing defense, especially in the 2nd half, when it seemed the Saints were gaining 5, 6, 7 or more yards on every play.    If it weren't for 2 really ugly INTs by Drew Brees in the first half, the Saints would have won by a lot more.  

[Silver Raven]

I knew the 49ers were going to suck with no quarterback, so why am I upset that they suck?

[Fukui San]

2 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

I knew the 49ers were going to suck with no quarterback, so why am I upset that they suck?

Sam Darnold hasn't looked as good as people hoped?

[stealinghome]

Whoever stole the Pats' defense from the first few weeks, please don't give them back. We'll pay you to keep them. That looked like a whole different team out there! If the D can do that every week with the people they currently have, banish Gilmore and Rowe forever, I say. Hopefully they can build on this and be consistent.

That fog was intense. I thought the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane were going to ride out of it by the end.

[merylinkid]

In case anyone missed it, in the year of sexual harassment and the NFL trying to show it cares, Justin Timberlake is the halftime show.   He says he won't rip anyone's clothes off this time.    It's about time we blamed him -- at least -- as much as Janet Jackson for that.   After all, he was the one actually removing her top.

 

As for injuries, Dan Bailey hurt himself warming up to kick.   Damn.   That sucks.   

 

I'd given Hundley at least one more game.   He only had one week to practice with the first string.   I am sure Aaron Rodgers doesn't give up many reps in practice.   But at some point, the teams are going to to have to at least bring in Kaepernick for a workout.   You can't keep putting these guys out there who stink up the joint, then claim it's because Kaepernick needs time to learn the offense or he is not that good.    How could he be worse than what is being put on the field each week?  It would also destroy his collusion claim.

[xaxat]

I don't think anyone will even look at Kaep because they know the President will start up his vendetta against the league again and the owners don't want to deal with it.

ETA. I guess his vendetta never ended. Another tweet today.

[DrSpaceman73]

The Colts lost 27-0 to the Jaguars yesterday

And the game was not as close as the score actually indicated, which is hard to believe. 

And it wasn't due to any one thing they did wrong, but multiple problems that mostly come down to coaching and player management decisions.  Not all of them.  Brissette played poorly and could not fight the Jags pass rush.  But there were stupid penalties, break downs in coverage, missed tackles, poor play calling......just on and on. 

I don't know what more Irsay needs to see to fire Pagano.  He is awful. 

[Silver Raven]

17 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Sam Darnold hasn't looked as good as people hoped?

Is he the Next Great Hope?

[Fukui San]

39 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Is he the Next Great Hope?

Yes, it was supposed to be "Suck for Sam" for the possible tanking teams. But he's already thrown as many INT's than he did all of last year. This year's crop of QBs was supposed to be a lot better than last year, but I haven't kept tabs on how all of them are doing except for knowing that Darnold has struggled a bit.