unclevlad Posted November 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2023 Snide comments from The Athletic's NFL power rankings... Mac Jones, the Patriots’ first-round quarterback from 2021, is not good and for some reason threw the ball 44 times Sunday. He is ninth in the NFL in attempts this season (304) and 29th in yards per attempt (6.1). Why? On the Cards: Report card: A Right now, the Cardinals are set to have picks No. 1, 16, 33, 65, 72 and 80 in the upcoming draft. They have executed their rebuilding plan exactly how they planned. They had to trade away Josh Dobbs and start Clayton Tune (who had 58 yards and a 20.8 passer rating Sunday) to keep the tanking train on track, but so be it. On the Giants: Report card: F It’s gotten so bad that the Giants aren’t even fun to pick on anymore. Story also brings up an interesting point. Giants are likely stuck with Jones for another year, but after that, the cap hit's not that bad...$22.2M. Ugly note: Bryce Young had his lowest QB rating game of the season...which is saying something. Against Indy, with the 26th ranked pass defense (yards per game). You're supposed to feast on defenses like that. In what has become a weekly occurrence, Carolina coaches and teammates rallied behind Young after the game, but somebody is going to take the fall for this soon it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2023 Giants are down to their 3rd QB, Tommy DeVito. Feel free to stare blankly at the name. Tidbits dropped in the Athletic's newsletter this AM: --it's another rookie...the 10th this season. Record. --even at the start of the season, aka with Rodgers, average QB age was the lowest since 1957. --He'll be the 47th different QB to start a game. It might be interesting to count the games started by someone other than the team's QB 1...and it's just midseason now. Literally. 16 teams have had their bye....so 16 have played 8, and 16 have played 9. QB age isn't that surprising. Simply put: the NFL's salary structure for rookie contracts is rigid. Everyone gets 4 years, and with the 5th year option. Each slot grants a certain signing bonus, salary's fixed. It's NOT by position, either. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-draft-first-round-contract-tracker-seahawks-devon-witherspoon-last-round-1-pick-to-sign-rookie-deal/ So what this does...once the young player's rookie contract expires, his position matters. And boy, we *know* what QB salaries are like. Combine that with the near-universally accepted maxim that "you MUST have a good QB to win"...and the window's obvious. We see it, too...QBs drafted in the top 10 or so, are immediately their team's QB 1 now. And there's usually at least 3 such, each year. And tonight we have a major battle for #1. The draft pick, that is. As a matter of public service, for those of you with sensitive football tastes, I point out that ESPN has Virginia at Louisville...but with the caveat that the line is -20.5 for Louisville. Alas, no college basketball on readily-watched networks tonight. Translation: not a good night for our usual diversions...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted November 9, 2023 Report Share Posted November 9, 2023 This week marks five consecutive Sundays without a loss for the Broncos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2023 Bronco fans do have to celebrate those small triumphs, given that substantial ones are not forthcoming........... Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted November 9, 2023 Report Share Posted November 9, 2023 33 minutes ago, Pariah said: This week marks five consecutive Sundays without a loss for the Broncos! Well played, sir. Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted November 9, 2023 Report Share Posted November 9, 2023 Matt Ulrich, Super Bowl Winner With Colts, Dead At Age 41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 Song of the evening. I'd apologize to Johnny Rivers, but...it's not in my blood to do so......... There's a man who leads a life of danger To everyone he meets he stays a stranger With every move he makes Another chance he takes [Bridge] Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow [Chorus] Secret Bagent man, secret Bagent man They've given you a number And taken away your name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 10, 2023 Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 Is the number a QBR in the low teens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted November 10, 2023 Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 From what I've seen of Bagent, he's an okay QB. Decent pocket awareness and decision making. He just doesn't have a rocket arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 All we need to know is... Amazon scheduled Travis Kelce for an extended time in the booth with Al and Kirk. As in...I think...about 12 minutes of *game time*. They needed to do it...to fill the dead time. Both offenses...shall we say...lack dynamism...... Oh, and through 4 games? Bagent's QBR is actually 52. Under the circumstances, acceptable. Especially since his counterpart's QBR is under 30.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted November 10, 2023 Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 I decided to take a break from watching football on this particular Thursday. I salute you and your intestinal fortitude, subjecting yourself to this particular game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted November 10, 2023 Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 It wasn't as bad as the Denver-Indy TNF last season. (Damnation by faint praise, to be sure.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 I hardly paid attention. Slap up a browser window, stream it...didn't stop me from doing other stuff, including getting dinner set up. Heh...SI has an article that Travis Kelce helped rescue Al and Kirk from another miserable game. And lordy, was it. I also saw a point of interest...this was set up in advance...which makes sense, but that also suggests Amazon's producers *also* expected it to be a totally miserable game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slikmar Posted November 10, 2023 Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 13 hours ago, unclevlad said: I hardly paid attention. Slap up a browser window, stream it...didn't stop me from doing other stuff, including getting dinner set up. Heh...SI has an article that Travis Kelce helped rescue Al and Kirk from another miserable game. And lordy, was it. I also saw a point of interest...this was set up in advance...which makes sense, but that also suggests Amazon's producers *also* expected it to be a totally miserable game. Or were hoping he would bring Taylor with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2023 I hope that whole circus pulled up its tents and left town....but unfortunately, probably not.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 In another...pretty miserable...game...Indy leads NE 10-6, inside 2 minutes left. The point to note... Mac Jones throws another pick...#10 on the season, which is the most in the league right now. In the red zone. Right after the drive before stalled at the 5. Indy flips some field position, burns clock and timeouts, and punts the ball back to the Pats, coming out of the 2 minute warning. Bailey Zappe comes out as the Pats' QB...down only 4. And gets picked trying to do a fake spike that fools no one. Bill just holds his hands to his head. But that's basically it for Mac Jones as a Pat, you have to believe. Short of an outright benching, that's about as much of a vote of no confidence as you can have. Pats have a bye next week. Steve Mariucci on the postgame pointed out...is that gonna be the time to install Zappe as the starter? Interestingly, Michael Irvin is ripping Belichick, and OC Bill O'Brien to a lesser degree...and he flat out said that if this is Jones' last year in NE (it's year 4, so Pats have the rookie contract option), then it might be the best thing for him. The Pats are completely flailing now. EDIT: from Dianna Russini in The Athletic...this from before the game today... Quote Speculation continues to grow about the end of the partnership between the Patriots and Belichick. In talking to those who have spent time around the Patriots organization and understand the dynamics between team owner Robert Kraft and Belichick, I don’t expect anything to be determined with so much season remaining. But if people I talk to had to bet, their money is on a mutual parting of the ways at the end of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 Ooooo, if New England fires Belichick, will he retire (he's 71), or will Las Vegas snap him up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 On 11/9/2023 at 7:02 PM, unclevlad said: Bronco fans do have to celebrate those small triumphs, given that substantial ones are not forthcoming........... I thought I had '|Favoured Enemy status' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 2 hours ago, Cancer said: Ooooo, if New England fires Belichick, will he retire (he's 71), or will Las Vegas snap him up? Oh god. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 Wow, in the Never Saw This Coming... Bengals tie up Texans with a minute and a half left. CJ Stroud moves them 55 yards, kicker nails the 38 yarder. TEXANS!!!! are 5-4...which puts them *tied with the Bengals and Bills* at this moment. EDIT....but they don't get into a tie for the last playoff berth...as the Browns come back late to steal one from the Ravens. I still don't trust Lamar Jackson in crunch time, as the Ravens blow a 2 TD lead in the 4th. KC 7-2, Ravens 7-3, Jags, Dolphins, Steelers, and Browns 6-3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 Still a game behind the Jags, though, which are actually in the division. Stroud is turning in a helluva rookie season though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 Stroud has to be a lock for offensive RoY now, you'd think. He actually *passed* Tua for most passing yards through 9 games...to be #1 in the league. Yeah, total passing yards, he won't stay there...but the QBs with more, will all have 10 games played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted November 12, 2023 Report Share Posted November 12, 2023 We interrupt this programme to bring you this late breaking news: The Vikings Won ! We now return you to your scheduled viewing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2023 Late breaking? That game ended almost 3 hours ago.... I suspect many people are gonna get switched to the Seahawks-Commanders...not gonna happen here, I'm definitely in the Cowboys' home region. I suppose we couldn't really expect anything else, tho...but this may well be a bigger beat-down than the first game was. At this point, right at the start of the 4th...the Giants had a sizable "lead" in terms of worst point differential, but this is sending it to a whole nuther level. Differentials: Carolina, Arizona: -89 through 9 games. Arizona is losing right now...by 1...with the clock running out. They have it down to the Atlanta 5 with a kick to win...40 seconds left. And they make it...Cards win #2, giving the Bears the strong inside track to the #1 pick. New England: -97, 10 games. Giants: -151 -148, through 9 games + 3 quarters Most of it is because they've got no offense at all. 9 minutes left...oh boy, minor miracle, they just kicked a FG. So 10 points this week...giving them 111. Pats are next worst with 10 games played...at 141. It's really hard for me to gauge the mushy middle this year...in part because so much is schedule-dependent. How many of the Truly Atrocious teams have they played? Cuz there are a LOT of those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclevlad Posted November 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2023 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... If you wonder what goes into making up all the little details of the NFL schedule? Well...tonight is basically the 55th anniversary of the Heidi game.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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