NFL Thread

[Lamb18]

Go Chicago!

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

Are we sure that’s the same Bengals team that went to the Super Bowl last year?

Are we sure that Bengals team that went to the Super Bowl wasn't the same old Bengals team that just got lucky?

[mojoween]

Mike Tirico says “Marcedes Lewis is 38 years old” in the same tone of voice someone would say “and she lived to be 127.”

[Carey]

To be fair, the Bengals played who they played & beat who they beat.  Also to be fair, other teams did the same thing in seasons past.  Take New England for example.  In the postseason, they would rout at least one team (usually the AFC South winner) and then at worst, get lucky but not before playing 60 minutes of okay football.  They had a bad division; however, there were teams that were capable of and did beat them during their 2 decade run (Ravens, Broncos, Giants).

It's still Week 2, but it's fair enough to wonder if it's all a fluke.  For one, they have yet to beat the Browns at all; they're winless since the start of the decade.  The year(s) before they were just atrocious.  Still, they won enough to get into the postseason, but each of their games went down to the wire.  They didn't put anyone away.  In addition, the Ravens were decimated.  The Steelers are average & mediocre but it was enough for them to pound them.  The Kansas City thing is mind-blowing.  Could be a glorified case (more than Pittsburgh) where they lose to teams that you'd think they'd crush (Dallas today, the Jets last year).  Finally, it could be the fact that teams have started to respect them and treat them like winners

[Xeliou66]

The Packers looked much better tonight, I don’t think the Bears are very good but the Packers looked a lot better, they had a nice, balanced offensive attack and their defense was dominant for much of the game. The Packers should get back on track now, they are still figuring things out at receiver and it will take much more of a team effort at receiver without Adams, but I think they will get better and gel more as the season goes on. The Bears just don’t have a good offense and Fields still hasn’t impressed me. 

[twoods]

I thought that Fields broke the plane and it should have been a QB- moot point because they would have still lost, but what do I know. I always like seeing Packers fans go home upset so maybe it was my bias. 

[Carey]

38 minutes ago, twoods said:

I thought that Fields broke the plane and it should have been a QB- moot point because they would have still lost, but what do I know. I always like seeing Packers fans go home upset so maybe it was my bias. 

You might not see many Packers fans going home saddened next week.  However you can picture them headed home unhappy following their game next week, and you'd be right!

[Moose135]

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

Watching the ubiquitous ads for the season premiere of 9-1-1 during the Giants game (2-0! Woot!) made me realize I haven’t seen a blimp in a real long while.  Were they a COVID casualty?

There was a Goodyear blimp at the Jets/Browns game in Cleveland today...

https://www.goodyearblimp.com/news-and-events/schedule.html

[Danielg342]

5 hours ago, Carey said:

To be fair, the Bengals played who they played & beat who they beat.  Also to be fair, other teams did the same thing in seasons past.  Take New England for example.  In the postseason, they would rout at least one team (usually the AFC South winner) and then at worst, get lucky but not before playing 60 minutes of okay football.  They had a bad division; however, there were teams that were capable of and did beat them during their 2 decade run (Ravens, Broncos, Giants).

I think there's a few things at play here.

One, the NFL's playoff format involves quite a bit of luck. Get good matchups and you can go deep. Get a bad matchup and you could get sent home before you think. The Packers, for instance, might have made something of the past few years if they didn't keep running into that San Francisco wall.

Secondly, I think we often forget just how good even the worst NFL players actually are. Just like the other North American major league sports, not much really separates the bad from the good. You will get "flukes", players and teams that perform well above or well below expectations, simply due to the nature of this beast. We like to mock "any given Sunday" but it's really not hyperbole. Every game- pretty much- is close, and what separates those that win from those that don't are really those who find that moment of magic or that so-called "extra gear" that allows them to overcome the challenge that's before them. There really is no margin of error.

The NFL might also be unique in terms of generating "fluky" teams simply on the basis of how it creates its schedule. Unlike the other major leagues where, roughly, every team plays every other team, NFL teams are only guaranteed, each year, to play the teams in their division. A good NBA team in a bad division can't expect to pad their record simply on that fact, because they'll eventually have to play the other divisions where the opponents might be tougher. In the NFL, a good team in a bad division could easily "punch above its weight" because, by the luck of the NFL schedule, they won't play as many other good teams as teams in other divisions might have to.

Which is probably why the NFL can appear to have so many teams that come out of nowhere for a season or two (like the Bengals or the Texans) or bounce around between greatness and mediocrity (like the Cowboys or the Broncos). They're the ones that simply benefit from the opportunistic nature of the NFL schedule and they seize their opportunities, making their fans believe they're actually well-run organizations when the truth is, the NFL rewards luck more than in other sports. It's here where you really see who the best and the worst managed franchises really are, because the best franchises are the ones who can be successful over several years and don't just rely on luck.

[mojoween]

I will not link the picture, but I’m sure if you search something like “Cleveland tailgate” you’ll find it, but what the fuck, Cleveland fans?  I know, I know, “not all fans” blah blah blah but no.  In the picture I saw, no one was trying to take the display off the table (there’s money IN THE TIP JAR) and PEOPLE HAD FLAGS MADE.

This guy hasn’t even played a regular season down.  It’s gross.

[JTMacc99]

I have to assume that those people do not represent the vast majority of Browns fans. 
 

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

I have to assume that those people do not represent the vast majority of Browns fans. 
 

Doesn't matter.  The Browns aren't doing anything to stop it like banning people.

[bluegirl147]

27 minutes ago, merylinkid said:

Doesn't matter.  The Browns aren't doing anything to stop it like banning people.

I don't expect the ownership or front office to care since they are the ones that thought signing Watson was a good idea.  They probably think this is just fans supporting their team.  If I saw someone I knew anywhere close to that disgusting display they would no longer be someone I know.  

I'm curious how long it will take for these same fans to turn on Watson if he doesn't play well and loses games.

Edited September 19, 2022 by bluegirl147

[Fukui San]

As a certified Jets hater, I’d be so annoyed at that comeback win if it happened against literally any other team than the Browns. 

[roamyn]

6 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I have to assume that those people do not represent the vast majority of Browns fans. 
 

Wow....just...I have no words.

Please note that these a-holes do not represent Cleveland, fans, or humans.  PERIOD

And if the Browns don’t do something abt it, they’re just as complicit.  This is worse than signing DeShaun IMO.  It’s vile on every level.  Even animals don’t behave like that in the wild.

[Carey]

At least with Watson, he has talents.  There's no forgetting what he's done, and it's messed up.  However, proper character repair (and winning) will help ease things down the road.  Those people that some are calling Browns fans?  They're just forgettable.  It doesn't represent the Cleveland community, so that does suck for those fans that aren't anything like that.  Brings them down to a lower level

There's no comparison between those people and DeShaun.  Cleveland has made some questionable decisions.  At least there's reason for Watson in terms of success at the most important position.  The Browns have also made some bad decisions from midfield emphasis to losing the ability to add decent players for DeShaun.  It's crap but it's business.  No where as bad as that tailgate

[Danielg342]

1 hour ago, roamyn said:

If the Browns don’t do something abt it, they’re just as complicit.

DeShaun Watson would go a long way in redeeming himself if he was the first one to tell those clowns to stop with their displays. Maybe he'll never get to 100% redeemed but if he doesn't at least publicly show how much he realizes how bad he was and the impact of what he's done, he can't ever hope to get started on redemption.

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, Danielg342 said:

DeShaun Watson would go a long way in redeeming himself if he was the first one to tell those clowns to stop with their displays. Maybe he'll never get to 100% redeemed but if he doesn't at least publicly show how much he realizes how bad he was and the impact of what he's done, he can't ever hope to get started on redemption.

Watson denouncing these so called fans is the very least he can do.

[Carey]

Completely agree.  Even if he never completely comes around saying he was wrong, this would help.  It may be enough for some people.

I don't think there's a scenario where I'm going to "like" DeShaun Watson or rather root for the guy.  What's done is done.  However, the opportunity to trend toward regaining his image is there for the taking.

Feels like the league is sticking it to the Browns and to Watson, but part of me thinks that the NFL sorta wants him to be better.  Maybe for himself, but so that the NFL doesn't look too bad.  So DeShaun can stand his ground, but those last 6 games are not automatic toward his return.

Therefore, I guess I could root for him to do the right things, and be better.  If that happens, great.  It'll be like Mike Vick where you forgive, never forget, and be okay if others will die never forgiving him.  I don't know.  It's rather too soon, but while I'll dislike the guy, I can say, "Well, he's accepted the fact that he was wrong & is behaving himself while coming off as normal."  Until that happens, he's the villain

[mojoween]

The neck injury to the Buffalo defender [Dane Jackson, Laura Rutledge tells me] was awful and having an ambulance have to drive on to the field?  Terrifying.

This game has actually stopped quite a bit for injuries.

[Bastet]

9 minutes ago, mojoween said:

The neck injury to the Buffalo defender [Dane Jackson, Laura Rutledge tells me] was awful and having an ambulance have to drive on to the field?  Terrifying.

I felt ill watching that!

Apparently, the Bills sideline reporter said he saw Jackson's legs moving.

I also read the teammate who was by his side as they loaded him onto the board was not only also his college teammate, but a childhood friend. 

I can't imagine being him, or the player who hit him, trying to re-focus on football.  I'm glad for them it was soon halftime.

Most of all, of course, I hope Jackson fully recovers from whatever injury/injuries he winds up sustaining.  That looked chillingly awful.

Edited September 20, 2022 by Bastet

[Carey]

I didn't see the injury, nor do I want to.  When an ambulance had to go onto the field, that was enough for me.  I'm not even there or playing and it's still tough.  All the best to Dane Jackson.

[Bastet]

Jackson has full movement in his extremities, so at least those fears are alleviated.

[twoods]

The Bills look REALLY good this year. I’m not going to get excited since used to disappointment as a Bills fan, but their offense and defense are in sync. Josh Allen gets rid of the ball so fast, something he was awful with the first few years (or those infamous running backwards plays).

[Carey]

Yeah, feels like it's their year.  I still think it's important that they finish ahead of the Chiefs.  If Kansas City beats them a 3rd consecutive time AND in Buffalo, then it's just not meant to be.

However, I think if all goes well, they'll come out of the AFC, at which point as long as they don't run into Tampa, they'll finally get that first title.

Even though I picked Los Angeles, it's looking like the Chiefs are running things for another year or two.  However, the Bolts should still get to the postseason.  I don't think they'd win at Highmark.  I talked about rooting for people in the league; I'd love to see Allen and Buffalo win it all.  Something different, which is nice.  Though I'll be okay if it gets to the point where people are sick of seeing them hoist the Lombardi

[Danielg342]

16 minutes ago, Carey said:

Though I'll be okay if it gets to the point where people are sick of seeing them hoist the Lombardi

Pretty sure that even if they go on to win the next ten Lombardis, @twoods and I will still not be sick of them lifting the trophy. :P

So, is Kansas City vs. Buffalo the 2020s version of Indy vs. New England?

[Danielg342]

Bench Cousins? I think it might be time now, at least for the rest of this game.

[Xeliou66]

Bills absolutely clobber the Titans 41-7, Allen played fantastic once again and the Bills moved the ball well, while they shut down Henry and the Titans rushing attack, and when that happens the Titans struggle as they are pretty one dimensional, Tannehill sucks. The Bills look great while the Titans are off to an awful start.

Vikings struggling against the Eagles and Cousins is showing why I do not trust him at all. 

[Carey]

Magog was right.  Vikings falling back down to Earth.  24 hours after Green Bay turned back to Green Bay.  Tradition is the National Football League!

[Xeliou66]

The Eagles are off to a great start and may be the NFC’s best team so far, Jalen Hurts has completely exceeded my expectations as an NFL QB and they have a lot of talent. The Vikings showed why I don’t trust them, they frequently fall short in big games and I have zero confidence in Kirk Cousins not to shit the bed when it matters most.

[Danielg342]

13 minutes ago, Xeliou66 said:

I have zero confidence in Kirk Cousins not to shit the bed when it matters most.

How many times did Troy Aikman tonight point out of Cousins, "that's one of those throws where you really have to get it right in order to complete it". Kirk, love the bravado, but maybe you'd do a bit better if you didn't force the ball so much. I feel like the Vikings are living too much off the Minneapolis Miracle.

By the way, while we're talking about the broadcasters, I need to give Joe Buck a quick geography lesson. Minnesota is not north of Buffalo. It's simply to the west and slightly more north. Of course, not even the Bills seem to know where Minnesota is, so maybe I can cut him some slack.

[xaxat]

12 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Watson denouncing these so called fans is the very least he can do.

That would require a sense of remorse. By all accounts, he has none. 

He probably agrees with them. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, used a similar line in a press conference.

[Lamb18]

Well Magog was right--for this game. I think Philadelphia was way better than anyone was expecting. I'm probably not the only one still in the mindset that the NFC East is easy to beat.

[merylinkid]

Kirk Cousins will always be Kirk Cousins.   Why the League and NFL reporters keeps pushing him as some amazing QB who will get a team to the promised land I have NO IDEA.  There's plenty of tape on this guy under various coaches.   He is what he has shown himself to be.  He isn't going to magically transform.

The NFL's worst nightmare was the overlapping games be blowouts.   They were hoping they would be close games so everyone would watch Bills-Titans, then switch over to the end of the Vikings-Eagles.   What happened was a lot of folks probably did what I did, switch off the tv after the end of the Bills-Titans.

[Carey]

Every-so-often, I obtain a big grin on my face when something special the league tries to do blows up in the face.  Which is okay, I think.  I still enjoy the NFL, who'll move on as if its no big deal

[bluegirl147]

12 minutes ago, Carey said:

Every-so-often, I obtain a big grin on my face when something special the league tries to do blows up in the face.  Which is okay, I think.  I still enjoy the NFL, who'll move on as if its no big deal

At the end of the day it's always about money. They are still playing games in London. It used to be one game but last year and this year it's two.  Is anyone on either side of the pond really clamoring for more London games? I have a coworker who is a diehard Steeler fan.  He is outraged because he can't watch this Thursday night's game live because he doesn't have Prime.  

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

That would require a sense of remorse. By all accounts, he has none. 

He probably agrees with them. His attorney, Rusty Hardin, used a similar line in a press conference.

Oh I know.  And it's because of that these disgusting fans will continue to do this kind of stuff.  I wonder if any Browns fans pull this shit at an opponent's stadium.

[merylinkid]

GOOD NEWS:    Dane Jackson WALKED out of the hospital today.   No word other than he will "continue his recovery at home."   But since he walked out less than 12 hours after that injury sounds like it looked bad but that's all it was.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/20/dane-jackson-has-been-released-from-the-hospital/

[mojoween]

I turned off the game after Bills/Titans, because I woke up and realized it was time to go to bed.

I don’t know why there was a doubleheader on MNF, but I enjoyed the Steve Levy broadcast more than the Joe Buck one.  I’ve never had a problem with Joe Buck, but for some reason I prefer Steve and Louis and Dan.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I don’t know why there was a doubleheader on MNF

I don't know why they were scheduled with an overlap like that. I assume both games were on somewhere from start to finish - I was watching the Mets and switched to MNF in time to see the first game had just ended and they were getting ready to switch to the late game.

[meowmommy]

7 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

I don't know why they were scheduled with an overlap like that.

I don't, either.  I had set the DVR to record both games, with the idea of watching one and then the other, but of course they had to run updates and spoilers on each network as soon as the second game started.  But as someone had said upthread, why Disney would choose to compete with itself is a head-scratcher.

[Magog]

2 hours ago, merylinkid said:

GOOD NEWS:    Dane Jackson WALKED out of the hospital today.   No word other than he will "continue his recovery at home."   But since he walked out less than 12 hours after that injury sounds like it looked bad but that's all it was.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/20/dane-jackson-has-been-released-from-the-hospital/

That is definitely good news. Hopefully, he will keep getting better. 

As for Kirk Cousins, I knew that he really sucks & last night proved it once again. His crappy QB play (especially with his 3 INT's) basically sunk the Vikings. Maybe, we'll get lucky & the Lions will bring him more shame & humiliation. 

The Bills are very good right now. But, it still early. If they're playing like they were last night around Week 16-17, then they have a good chance of getting to & possibly winning the Super Bowl. Last night Titans - Bills game was an absolute blowout. Frankly, I wish that we could of watched Bills Mafia in action for 3 hours. They really bring in the fun all the time & they're very classy. Plus, Bills Mafia are very easy to like & you really want to join in the fun with them. They're the complete opposite of most Cowboys fans.

[mojoween]

Kirk Cousins once had a really good drive (or game, I can’t remember) with the Washington Former Team Name when RGIII was hurt, and that apparently meant he was a franchise quarterback.

[Xeliou66]

Here are some of my thoughts after Week 2 

The Bills and the Chiefs look like the 2 best teams in the NFL so far - the Bills have been absolutely dominant in their first 2 games, while the Chiefs have 2 nice wins as well. Both of those teams are extremely talented.

I’m really looking forward to the Bills/Dolphins Week 3 showdown in Miami, the Fins have been impressive as well and I think Tua has improved a lot, that should be a fun game.

I think the Packers are still the favorites to win the NFC North, their defense is very good and they should improve and play better on both sides of the ball as the season goes on, I don’t trust the Vikings and especially Kirk Cousins. I think the Lions are much improved and will pull off a few upsets but they are still a year or two away from playoff contention.

The Bengals are clearly suffering from Super Bowl loss hangover, and despite reshuffling their O-Line it’s still performing poorly and Burrow is taking a pounding every game. They are really going to have to improve if they are going to be a strong team, I think the Bengals still have a good chance at getting to the playoffs but they need to wake up and play better.

The Eagles are looking like a really good team with 2 nice wins to start the season, it’s time to start thinking of them as strong contenders in the NFC.

The AFC South is a dumpster fire, all 4 teams look weak and the only team with a win is the Jags. The Matt Ryan era in Indy is off to an awful start, and I have no idea who will win that division. 

[meowmommy]

15 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Kirk Cousins once had a really good drive (or game, I can’t remember) with the Washington Former Team Name when RGIII was hurt, and that apparently meant he was a franchise quarterback.

Everybody hopes the second-string QB promoted to starter is going to be the next Tom Brady, and almost always they're the next Matt Flynn.

I always go back to the last game of the 2011 season, when the Packers were the dominant team going into the playoffs.  They sat Aaron Rodgers for the final game and put in Matt Flynn, who somehow played lights out.  The guy got undeserved attention and millions based on one throwaway game, and never did anything ever again for any team.  (Meanwhile, of course, between the sit-down and the bye, AR was so rusty that my Giants annihilated him on their way to a SB win.)

That, to me, is Kirk Cousins.

[xaxat]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I don’t know why there was a doubleheader on MN

From The Athletic (sub req)

Quote

Why are there two ‘Monday Night Football’ games on Sept. 19?

In March 2021, the NFL finalized an 11-year media rights agreement with its previously existing broadcast partners, plus Amazon Prime Video, that granted more content to Disney by increasing the number of games on ESPN and ABC from 17 to 23. Beginning next year, there will be three multi-game “Monday Night Football” weeks each season, though the times for those games have not been set. The structuring of the 2022 schedule to air two overlapping Monday night games in Week 2 could be Disney’s way of testing the waters to decide how to approach the three multi-game “MNF” weeks in 2023.

[meowmommy]

1 minute ago, xaxat said:

Beginning next year, there will be three multi-game “Monday Night Football” weeks each season, though the times for those games have not been set.

They've done multi-game MNFs before, but it was always ESPN and the Deuce, and they staggered the scheduling so one was East Coast and one was West Coast, minimizing the overlap.  That's what they should have done here.

Weird that we're going into Week 3 and the Bills haven't played on Sunday yet.

[merylinkid]

Why did they overlap?   Two reasons:

1.  Nobody on the East Coast stayed up to watch the West Coast game and nobody on the West Coast watched the start of the East Coast game because of it was still the work day when they were a doubleheader.  By overlapping, you didn't have to start so early with the first game and the second game only ran to the usual time.   

2.   With a doubleheader and the late run time, you were pretty much limited to West Coast teams playing the late game.   By overlapping, the second game could have teams from anywhere since it was the same start and end time as a regular MNF.

The IDEA was that people would start watching the early game, then flip between the two during the overlap, then finish out the with the late game.   Thus ensuring decent -- if not great -- ratings throughout both games.   But both games last night were blow outs so there was no switching back and forth and no one cared enough to finish out the late game.

[JTMacc99]

At the end of week two, there are six undefeated 2-0 teams. Three in each conference. In the AFC it is the Bills, Dolphins, and Chiefs.

In the NFC it is Tampa, Philadelphia, and... the Giants! 

Heh. I'm going to hold off on my request for playoff tickets at the moment.

5 hours ago, merylinkid said:

Kirk Cousins will always be Kirk Cousins. 

Two things that everybody should remember when betting or picking games in their work pool:

1. Indianapolis hasn't beaten Jacksonville in Jacksonville in what is now 9 years in a row. 
2. Kirk Cousins is now an all time worst 2-10 in Monday night football games. 

I do not believe that either of these things is just a coincidence.  

[meowmommy]

1 hour ago, merylinkid said:

Thus ensuring decent -- if not great -- ratings throughout both games. 

I understand your argument, and yet, it only begs the question of why have two MNF games in the first place?  All Disney did was chew off its arm to save its leg.  Pick one good matchup and stick to it.  They probably can't ask for flexing like SNF has, because of the logistics involved, but for what they pay for the contract, they could push the league to give them better games than they usually get stuck with.

I recall the early days of MNF...keep in mind that night pro football was a complete novelty then.  Recording and streaming were not even on anyone's dream list.  There was a lot of complaining about how an early start meant the West Coast audience would miss the beginning of the game, but a late start meant the East Coast audience would miss the end of the game. 

They used to start at 9pm ET, and after many years slid it back to 8:30.  There was always going to be a tradeoff.  If you must have two games, make the East Coast happy with one and the West Coast happy with the other, and in today's world of DVRs, you might even make everyone happy.

[Carey]

17 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

Indianapolis hasn't beaten Jacksonville in Jacksonville in what is now 9 years in a row. 

That's exactly why I was confident in picking the Jaguars for the win on Sunday.  Forgot to mention that even though it was a meh early game (good thing I guess since the streak could've been over).

That's amazing FWIW.  What's crazy is that off the top of my head, Indianapolis swept their division in back-to-back seasons with Luck, who was part of that streak even during his final, rather decent season with an okay ending.

Looks like in order to guarantee 19-0 vs 19-0, Tampa, who I think actually could reach that, would have to face Miami. That would be spectacular!  Kansas City winning (out) would be necessary if we were to get undefeated Kansas City vs undefeated Miami.

FWIW, it could've been nine teams.  Cleveland should've won on Sunday.  Pittsburgh?  Meh; they never led but had their chances.  Then there's Denver