2022-23 NFL Thread

[unclevlad]

If Wilson starts the last 2 games, I suspect they'll break the team record.  If not, I think they'll score enough not to.

 

17 minutes ago, BNakagawa said:

DOINK!

 

I resembled that remark this morning...

 

And it certainly fits this game.  Anything good is happening more or less by accident.

[Pariah]

I read today that "Tua Tagovailoa" is Hawaiian for "Tim Tebow". 

[unclevlad]

Ugh.

Double Ugh.

Triple Ugh.

 

I wouldn't say the Cards blew it because it's not like they had more than a couple positive plays anyway.

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

I read today that "Tua Tagovailoa" is Hawaiian for "Tim Tebow". 

 

Samoan.  (There is no 'T' sound in Hawaiian.)

[Pariah]

1 hour ago, Old Man said:

Samoan.  (There is no 'T' sound in Hawaiian.)

 

[Pariah]

At this point, I'm ready to concede, records notwithstanding, that the Broncos are the worst team in the NFL. They may be the worst team in North American professional football. 

 

I can see no reason for Nathaniel Hackett to keep his job beyond the start of business on Tuesday. He's clearly lost what little control he may ever have had over this team. Let him go now; it's best for everyone. It lets the team and the fans know that enough is enough, and it gives Hackett a chance to maybe land a gig with a DII program for next year. 

 

In any case the end of this season can't come soon enough.

[death tribble]

I am a little ambivalent about playing professional sports on Christmas Day.

 

The tradition over here is for football to play games on Boxing Day which is a holiday over here

[Michael Hopcroft]

Even though Americans do not typically celebrate Boxing Day, it's a great concept. My famile opbserves it in a fashion by having our family Christmas gathering on that day. Food, limitedesents, and Bugs Bunny. Good times.

 

Day of the Dead, which is big among Mescans and Mexican-Americans, is another holiday that Americans should become more knowledgeable of in my opinion. 

[unclevlad]

4 hours ago, death tribble said:

I am a little ambivalent about playing professional sports on Christmas Day.

 

The tradition over here is for football to play games on Boxing Day which is a holiday over here

 

The NFL is different.  They've played on Sunday regularly.  And note that they moved most games to Christmas Eve.

 

With the NBA, it's a pure, unadulterated cash grab in association with ESPN/ABC.  They saw, in most years, a giant void, and they wanted to make it the equivalent of the New Year's Day bowls, and the NFL's Thanksgiving games.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Baker Mayfield broke Kurt Warner's record for accuracy in a single game. (For the Rams.)

 

Akers and Higbee were great. 

 

This was kind of a comeback night for the Rams. Far too little too late, but it was impressive. 

 

 

 

Sorry, Pariah. 

[unclevlad]

There's a story from the Denver Post this morning.  One feature is a poll...grade the game.  94% gave an F, not surprisingly.  Almost 3% gave an A, which I suspect was sarcasm.

 

And there's this quote:

 

Quote

If a 23-10 loss at Carolina three days after Thanksgiving represented rock bottom, then this was the volcanic eruption that reshapes the seabed.

 

And there's this story.  

https://www.si.com/nfl/broncos/news/russell-wilson-broncos-take-action-change

 

It calls out Wilson for intense criticism, but there's also this:

 

Quote

Coach Hackett has shown incremental improvement over the last few games. But the hard truth is that when exposed to the live-bullet litmus test of competing against coaches like McVay or Kansas City's Andy Reid, it's clear that Hackett is light years behind them.

 

They called for a press conference announcing a coaching search as well.  And yeah, I have to agree.  You know how often broadcasters (particularly) and sometimes talking heads dismiss player tiffs and bad reactions...altho, IIRC, they weren't doing that yesterday...but as much as has happened this year?  Hackett and Wilson have lost this team.  The only one you can ditch is Hackett.  He MUST go, and he must go NOW.  Not doing so at this point is a massive failure of leadership.

 

Logan:  Mayfield played fine, he took what was given...but that was the sun, the moon, and the stars.  The Broncos shattered just like this:

 

[unclevlad]

Just had a thought.

 

A potential reason why Hackett doesn't get fired until after the season is, they still have 2 significant games left.  Not significant to *them* but overall.  Chiefs are battling for the #1 seed...a big deal.  Chargers are battling for a playoff berth...a VERY big deal.  OK, so...if the owners think they need to completely clean house...Paton, Hackett, and at least both coordinators, and sit Wilson...the Broncos are fielding a shell for those games, and will appear to be completely non-competitive.  It isn't necessarily a good look at this point.  It's a move that could've been made weeks ago, but now it offers the appearance of throwing games to aid other teams in your division.

 

DraftKings line on Dec 20th was Chiefs -10;  it's now -11.5.  It's in Arrowhead.  Can't say it'll be any worse than yesterday as that's a really high bar, but it's likely similar.

[Old Man]

Hackett's gone now.  No word on who will be interim yet.

[Pariah]

And the news Broncos fans have been waiting for:

 

Broncos fire Nathaniel Hackett: First-year coach dismissed after ugly Christmas Day defeat

 

The interim coach will probably be DC Ejiro Evero, since his unit is the only one on this team that's done anything worth a damn, but Dom Capers is on the staff, too. He at least has HC experience. For these last two games, at the Chiefs and home to the Chargers, it almost won't matter who's in charge. If this team can't stop Mayfield, what are they going to do against Mahomes and Herbert?

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Wow. Merry Xmas indeed. They couldn't have waited two games? It's not like they're going to win either way. 

[Old Man]

It’d be awkward to start interviewing head coaches if the existing head coach was still present. 

[Pariah]

My Monday morning quarterback thoughts on the Broncos' upcoming coaching search:

 

1) Get a real head coach with NFL coaching experience. No more promising coordinators looking for their big break. Get a guy who has demonstrated that he can run a football team — or at least a time clock — at an NFL level.

 

1a) Sean Payton isn't coming to save the Broncos. He's apparently already assembling his Dream Team, and it reportedly includes Vic Fangio as DC. That staff ain't coming to Denver.

 

2) The team needs a solid strength and conditioning coach. The Broncos have led the league this year in players on IR. I understand that injuries happen, but the number and nature of injuries this team has suffered is way too big a burden to place at the feet of poor coincidence.

 

3) A good offensive line coach is absolutely indispensable. When coached effectively, Garrett Bolles became an All-Pro left tackle. The offensive line this year has been a sieve.

 

4) In general, the Broncos need a coaching staff that is flexible enough to adapt their scheme to the personnel they actually have. The current regime, and most egregiously coach Hackett, steadfastly demonstrated their unwillingness and/or inability to do this.

 

5) It also wouldn't break my heart to see the general manager replaced. George Paton created a lot of problems with his personnel moves this year, most notably Hackett and Wilson, but even down to the situation with our punter. An NFL team runs on talent, but also on value. I don't get the sense that the current GM understands either of those very well.

 

And no, I don't have anyone specific in mind for any of these positions. But something has to change. A whole lot of somethings have to change. But today is a good start.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

I suppose so. Still, it's the day after Xmas. As if the holiday wasn't bad enough for him. 

 

That was response to Old Man.

 

[Pariah]

But it gives Hackett time to find a job for next year, too.

 

I wonder if Ed Lamb is still looking for an offensive coordinator at Northern Colorado?

[Pariah]

Funny Facebook Comment Of The Day:

 

If not for Urban Meyer trying the NFL thing out….this would hands down be not only the poorest, but most embarrassing coaching stint in NFL history.

[unclevlad]

57 minutes ago, Logan D. Hurricanes said:

Wow. Merry Xmas indeed. They couldn't have waited two games? It's not like they're going to win either way. 

 

No.  Absolutely not after that complete, utter debacle and the entire, awful season.  Waiting sends terrible messages to the team and fans when the team's shown it's that badly dysfunctional.

 

And don't feel bad for Hackett.  Assuming a prorated salary?  He only made about $3.5 million or so.  He's not hurting.

[unclevlad]

So report is Jerry Rosburg, the advisor brought in to deal with game management since, well, Natty Hack (y'all like that one?) couldn't...is interim HC.  That's probably minimal disruption, leave the coordinators to do what they do, and Rosburg  arguably had half the head coaching duties during the game anyway.

[Pariah]

Story here:

 

Broncos senior assistant Jerry Rosburg to serve as interim head coach following Nathaniel Hackett firing

 

GM George Paton also said that the team offered DC Ejiro Evero the position, but he declined. Evero said he wanted to focus on the defense for the remaining two weeks.

 

(He's probably focused on a HC job next year as well.)

[unclevlad]

IMO Evero would probably be a mistake;  his record suggests it'd be premature.  Sure, good job this year, but it's his first year at coordinator level.  Defensive passing game and secondary coach for the Rams last year...which is a huge factor, the glitter of that Super Bowl ring...but just position coach before that, or less.  He does have a pretty long history in coaching at the pro level, I'll grant, but the titles/responsibilities look to be pretty narrow until last season.

 

https://pro-football-history.com/coach/1320/ejiro-evero-bio

 

Mind, that SB ring tends to cover up a whole lot of potential warts, so yeah, he'll probably be courted for HC by multiple teams.

[unclevlad]

Oh dear.

 

Tua declared OUT for Sunday.  Self-reported concussion symptoms.  

 

On the MNF lead-in, Booger asserted "sit Tua for the rest of the season."  And I have to agree.  They're showing a hit from the 2nd quarter.  He stayed in the rest of the game.  No one spotted it...but today he's self-reporting?  There WILL be an investigation.

 

This is VERY concerning.  Potentially 3 concussions over a span of, what, 4 months, is scary as HECK for long-term problems.

 

BEST of luck to him.  

 

EDIT:  Schefter on Hackett.  "There has never been a head coach who lost the fans faster."  The week 1 disaster...and then, never giving the fans a reason to hope.