unclevlad

Ouch...reading NFL.com's latest rankings. Opening line for the Panthers at #32: The Panthers look very much like a team ready for the end of the season.

The Bronco put himself into that position in the first place. When you get a chance, review it. The blocker ran all the way to the returner, which also may have messed him up, so he muffed it. The fault was the blocker, IMO, and no penalty should've been called. Broncos had 10 flags for 151. 4-14 on 3rd down. Wilson started 10-10, then reverted...5-18 the rest of the way. In the 2nd half, the Bronco FG was set up by the INT...they netted 0 yards even there. Otherwise, 6 punts. Quickly totalling...7 possessions in the 2nd half and OT. 72 yards total. And Troy went through the entire litany. No run game. Receivers not getting separation. Not a great O-line. It's no wonder they actually increased their PPG with 16. Game balls to the kicker for doing his job despite leg issues...and the punter for filling in quite decenly on the kickoffs. Props to Herbert for that bailout on 3rd down right before the final kick. 45 yards would've been a decsion; 39 was manageable. EDIT: another point being made during the postgame/SVP SportCenter. The Broncos had a mini-bye, their prior game was a TNF. And they STILL lay another egg. THAT speaks to bad coaching too. EDIT 2: just checking a few things, this caught my eye. How bad is the Lions defense? They've given up 7 more points than the Seahawks and Browns, who are tied for next-worst. Well, that wouldn't be so bad...but they've played 6 games. Lions...5. 170 points in 5 games. They've scored 140, so in PPG scored, they're 3rd. But that DPPG is a full touchdown worse than anyone else. Or, if you prefer...the Bills and Niners have given up the fewest. In 6 games each, they've allowed 170. BTW: one thing to give Denver. The defense is probably the best in the league...because the offense is so incredibly horrible, they're not giving the defense ANY support. So the numbers should be even better than they are, assuming a simply poor offense.

I'd buy that for the first half, but the second half and OT are a total DISASTER. Speaking of disasters, the Broncos muffed the punt and just HANDED the Chargers a shot to win the game. The only problem is, there's still issues with the Chargers' kicker, and they can't move the ball either. Mr. P, don't worry. The aberration was the first half, so...no, there's still no hope. And yet, they may still pull this out.

Rain in NY. Held out it'd end, but called at 9:40 Eastern. Better choice, IMO, at this point. First pitch is 4 Eastern Tuesday, weather permitting. Game 1 in Houston is still set for Wednesday, but at least it's the later game. Game 1 in San Diego is set for 8 Eastern tomorrow.

That's because you're using a closed-effect power. The desolid doesn't care. To be sure: I'm assuming the basis for this is D&D's Pass Without Trace, so it's not just entangles and barriers. And there's plenty of cases where thick undergrowth will cover FAR!!!!! more than 10 meters. I get the sense you're thinking about a power, creating the issue. Swamps. Rain forests. In some cases, temperate forests. Teleporting requires assessing a destination point. In difficult visual conditions, this is much easier said than done...and any barrier, entangle, or overgrown area can *easily* reduce visibility greatly. It's not quite implied, but it's close.

Considering the details of the 'plot' this group had, I don't see it rising above the comic interlude level. Just a few...little...gaps in the plan...like, you know, gaps in aged Swiss cheese. Not the baby stuff, the good stuff.

Sounded like it was in the works before yesterday. Even with Arizona being pretty desperate, Anderson still wasn't worth anything, which shows how much the move was forced onto the Panthers.

From the Pulse newsletter from The Athletic this morning: Honorable mention: Bailey Zappe, man. Sure, he helped the Patriots beat up on a lost Browns team, formatting mine...

This is the same guy who thought Tim Tebow could play QB? I don't need to imagine anything. After the debacles against the Niners and Colts, it's proven beyond any possible doubt. I'd watch an NBA exhibition game over another Bronco mess.......well, OK, not if the Lakers or Nets were playing. Then I'd have to just turn the TV off, or try to catch up on the streaming stuff I *still* haven't gotten round to.

And if you like, you can build your own power. Both versions allow you to pass through completely solid objects. If that's not desired, then I built a "diffuse body" power. Basically: +1d6 damage negation (PD and ED), and +2 to Contortionist rolls. Costs END to use. Side effect: mass is reduced. How much is open, because it has limited value...and I don't actually recall. It does NOT have increased KB; I figure this is a softer, squishier body so it's compressible. Desolid in Champions 3 is as per 6E, mostly. Near-perfect defense, pass through almost anything (maybe slowly), flat 40 point cost. Doesn't have any way to affect the physical world, tho. Champions the SRPG, 3rd Ed printing, p. 22.

Bad news: Yankees win 4-2, forcing a game 5. Good news: now I have an alternative to a Donkey Game tomorrow.

Welcome to the real NFL, Cooper Rush. First half: 5/16 for 36 yards and 2 picks. Rating: 1.0

Kliff Kingsbury's seat has to be heating up. 2-4 is not going to sit well in the desert...and some of it is directly on him. 4th and 4 at the Seattle 20...go for the first, don't get it. 4th and 2 at the SEA 27...same. Scores were 3-3 and 9-3 Seattle, with 9 minutes left in the 3rd on the latter. Then 4th and 2 at the SEA 23, down 10, with 10 minutes left. Same thing. That's what he does, we know that. But those are at best questionable decisions, and IMO the first and last are bad decisions. This isn't a rookie head coach, either. One can also question the offense generally...as in, 4-16 on 3rd down, and 1-5 on 4th down. Could be several things, but one thing the stats show is, ok, Arizona ran for 144...but Murray was 100 of that. The backs were 18 carries for 44 yards...rather awful. Another telling point: Murray was sacked 6 times. Yeah, Kingsbury went 11-6 last year...BUT lost 4 of his last 5, then lost the WC game. There were rumblings at that point, and this is not the kind of start to silence them.

No team in the AFC North, NFC South, and NFC West can be over .500 at the end of the afternoon games. Ravens, Bengals, Bucs, Falcons and Niners are 3-3; winner of Cards-Seahawks will be as well. The loser will join the Browns, Steelers, and Saints at 2-4. Detroit's the only 1-4; they have a bye. Rams are 2-3 and playing...and losing to the Panthers. That is a LOAD of mediocrity.

But Trubisky pulled out the win. Or TB blew it...3 red zone field goals is NOT good. Pats are managing as best they can; I still don't see them in the playoffs. And yes, them losing is a nice-to-have, but Cleveland losing is just plain AWESOME. The Jets and Giants are 9-3 combined???? What's up with the Packers, cuz this was at Lambeau. And the Ravens...and IMO Lamar Jackson in particular...they're shooting themselves in the foot over, and over, and over again. And they did it last year too. Bad pick to set up the Giants' go-ahead score. Carries it around loosely in traffic...gets knocked away. Yeah, fine, that's a situation where he makes lots of good plays...but too many costly ones. We all know the old saw...1000 attaboys, promotion, raise. 999 attaboys, one Aww<BLEEP>...fired. Ravens also had too many flags. This is a relatively minority opinion, I'm sure, but Jackson is severely overrated...BECAUSE of the number of mistakes he makes.

Padres made the WS back in '84 and '98. Phillies may have a puncher's chance against the Astros. It's not like the 'stros dominated; those games were nailbiters.

Or just put that into a batch file, or a shortcut where that's what you put in the Target field.

If you have APG, the alternate form of Desolid might work too.

And restructuring byes so there's a bye in every week from 1 to 17...there are no TNF games in week 18...is seriously problematic to the teams stuck with super-early or super-late byes. TNF is in itself a problem, I'll concede that. But it doesn't explain the utterly putrid play the last 2 games. Even if we just took TNFs, played in good weather, since the inception...where would these 2 rank, among the worst of the worst? WAY up (or down, if you prefer) there. I think it's broader than TNF. I think the quality of play is *seriously* down. The bottom half of the league is TERRIBLE. Why? Some or all of: --coaching changes left, right and sideways, combined with free agency: consistency is almost impossible. The players are still having to actively think instead of react/use muscle memory. --lack of work on fundamentals? EXCESSIVELY large playbooks leading to lower familiarity with what's in there? --related to that: offenses that are so bloody freaking complicated that they're impossible to run. Combine this with the compulsion to draft a QB in the first round, meaning the team will HAVE to rush him into the lineup quickly --injuries? --coaches loving genius calls and plays --horrific use of analytics...generally a very shallow, surface approach.

<punches the button...starting the multiple ceiling fans to whirl...while shedding the sheathes on all the sword blades...> Raise your hand if you saw the NLCS as Phillies-Padres... Oh the opportunities for a time machine, and 3 $100 bets...Padres in WS, Phillies in WS, Padres-Phillies NLCS...made at the start of the season.

Another one bites the dust Another one bites the dust And another one gone, another one gone, Another one bites the dust! USC 42-35. Utah has a nice drive for a TD. Coach elects to go for 2...which given the game, is quite sensible, as the offenses have been the superior units. Play opens up to be a QB draw...to the score to take the lead with 43 seconds left. USC can't move it enough to get into range. UTAH!! wins. 4th top 10 team to fall this week, altho 2 of em lost to other top 10 teams. 4 other top 25's fell as well. Trick or treating starts mid-month this year...

WALKOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cleveland down 5-3, bottom of the 9th. Get a run in, get the bases loaded. 1-2 on the batter. Ball up the middle. PASSES THE PITCHING MOUND. Splits 2nd and short. 1 run is in. Takes its sweet time getting to the center fielder. 2 runs in!!! WALK IT OFF!!! CLEVELAND WINS to take a 2-1 lead. In Guardians style. SMALL BALL. 5 hits, don't think any of em would've counted as hard-hit balls.

We are seeing the compelling reason why we really, REALLY want to keep the runner on 2nd in extra innings in the regular season.... The DODGER game has started, and Seattle-Houston's still going. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh just as I write that.... Astros get a solo dinger to go up 1-0 in the top of the 18th... If that's the final score, this has to be the most crushing (for Seattle) and misleading 3 game sweep *EVER.*

OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bama misses a long FG with 15 seconds left. Tenn completes 2 long passes, getting down on the ground to stop the clock (first down) with 2 seconds left. Kicker catches it kinda fat and it's knuckling...but holding...and going...and going...AND GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 52-49 TENNESSEE!!! DOWN GOES BAMA!!! DOWN GOES BAMA!!!

Yeah, put that on the TV. 28-10 (!!!!) right now; Bama player thought he saw the ball hit a teammate on a punt return. He tried to grab it, and in classic greased-pig fashion, it slipped right through. Tenn recovers, briskly punches it in. Saban's going "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING!!!!" If this stands up, then Bama *has* to beat Ole Miss; losing to them would be a 2nd loss, and mean they've got no real shot in their division. If they win, and win out, they make it to the SEC title game, against Georgia or Tennessee. They'd have to win that. That'd be the win that would put them back in the top 4. Any other path, and I don't see it. 2 losses, and 2 very unimpressive results, does not make a top 4 team. Particularly since Michigan and Ohio State are making strong cases. Michigan cleaned up the mistakes and rolled #10 Penn State; Ohio State's risen to #1 at a point when that's reasonably meaningful. Georgia and Tennessee are also making strong cases. Clemson and USC would be the other 2 in the mix right now; the question may be the perception of their respective conferences. OK, I'll stop now. It's only mid-October, harping too long on this is like playing Christmas music before Halloween....