National Football League Thread

[MidnightDragon]

Chiefs have won the last five. Hope it keeps up. Yes, we just beat the Raiders, but you never know.

[Conker]

Another Vikings game that ends up close and comes down to the last play, just crazy after they were up 29-0 on the Steelers 

[Conker]

Former NFL WR Demaryius Thomas a star with the Broncos especially when Payton Manning was QB was sadly found dead https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32834405/former-denver-broncos-wr-demaryius-thomas-33-found-dead-home-police-say

 

Who will forget his famous play on first play of OT against the Steelers in the Wildcard on a pass from Tebow

[MidnightDragon]

2 minutes ago, Conker said:

Former NFL WR Demaryius Thomas a star with the Broncos especially when Payton Manning was QB was sadly found dead https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32834405/former-denver-broncos-wr-demaryius-thomas-33-found-dead-home-police-say

 

Who will forget his famous play on first play of OT against the Steelers in the Wildcard on a pass from Tebow

May he RIP. From the sounds of it, it was medical reasons and foul play isn’t suspected.

Edited December 10, 2021 by MidnightDragon

[PerryToxteth]

16 hours ago, Conker said:

Another Vikings game that ends up close and comes down to the last play, just crazy after they were up 29-0 on the Steelers 

  Last night was a perfect illustration of the Vikings season. They are consistently inconsistent.  In the first half, the offense couldn’t be stopped. The defense held the Steelers passing to under 75 yards. But unfortunately, old bad habits took center stage in the second half. Suspect pass blocking, dropped passes, stale play calling. On defense, abysmal cornerback play, linebackers (attempting) to cover receivers, dumb penalties. 
  We deserved to lose to the Lions last week, despite the heroics needed by Goff at the end. Hell, we should have been swept by the Lions this season bc we truly stole a win from them in the first contest. Belated congrats on the win @majob!
  At this point, I’m ready to see Mike Zimmer get fired. Nothing against him personally, and I think he’s a good coach, but he’s had his chance with this roster and it’s not working.  We have some talent on the team to compete and so I think someone else should get a try. What’s very frustrating is that although Cousins is everybody’s favorite punching bag, this team is losing solely because of their defense. And the defense is Mike Zimmer’s baby. He has hand-picked this defensive roster. He has had heavy sway in draft picks, and this is the defense we get. They can not stop anyone in fourth quarter drives. The defense hemorrhages points away at the end of first halves. I know there are injuries to starters but guess what? It’s December and everyone has injury issues in the NFL at this point in the season. 
  And while we are at it, we can clean house with the GM Rick Spielman as well.  We’ve drafted more first-round secondary picks than any other position the last decade, and they are all disappointments or off the roster. Corners Xavier Rhodes (great, until he wasn’t), Trae Waynes (overrated), Mike Hughes (bust), Jeff Gladney (soon to be in prison). We waste a first-round pick on a center (Garrett Bradbury) and he’s garbage. 

Vikes knew cornerback would be a problem so they sign pretty much the worst CB in the league in Bashaud Breeland. Which then gets us into the salary cap issues that will plague this team in the future. Bloated contracts like Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce and Kirk Cousins mean no help will come via free agency. 
  This team isn’t worthy of making the playoffs. So let’s move on and try something else. 
Thanks for letting me rant. 

[kinnyman]

16 hours ago, PerryToxteth said:

  Last night was a perfect illustration of the Vikings season. They are consistently inconsistent.  In the first half, the offense couldn’t be stopped. The defense held the Steelers passing to under 75 yards. But unfortunately, old bad habits took center stage in the second half. Suspect pass blocking, dropped passes, stale play calling. On defense, abysmal cornerback play, linebackers (attempting) to cover receivers, dumb penalties. 
  We deserved to lose to the Lions last week, despite the heroics needed by Goff at the end. Hell, we should have been swept by the Lions this season bc we truly stole a win from them in the first contest. Belated congrats on the win @majob!
  At this point, I’m ready to see Mike Zimmer get fired. Nothing against him personally, and I think he’s a good coach, but he’s had his chance with this roster and it’s not working.  We have some talent on the team to compete and so I think someone else should get a try. What’s very frustrating is that although Cousins is everybody’s favorite punching bag, this team is losing solely because of their defense. And the defense is Mike Zimmer’s baby. He has hand-picked this defensive roster. He has had heavy sway in draft picks, and this is the defense we get. They can not stop anyone in fourth quarter drives. The defense hemorrhages points away at the end of first halves. I know there are injuries to starters but guess what? It’s December and everyone has injury issues in the NFL at this point in the season. 
  And while we are at it, we can clean house with the GM Rick Spielman as well.  We’ve drafted more first-round secondary picks than any other position the last decade, and they are all disappointments or off the roster. Corners Xavier Rhodes (great, until he wasn’t), Trae Waynes (overrated), Mike Hughes (bust), Jeff Gladney (soon to be in prison). We waste a first-round pick on a center (Garrett Bradbury) and he’s garbage. 

Vikes knew cornerback would be a problem so they sign pretty much the worst CB in the league in Bashaud Breeland. Which then gets us into the salary cap issues that will plague this team in the future. Bloated contracts like Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce and Kirk Cousins mean no help will come via free agency. 
  This team isn’t worthy of making the playoffs. So let’s move on and try something else. 
Thanks for letting me rant. 

 

Interesting points about the defense.  Anthony Harris and Eric Wilson were two Vikes that came over to play for the Eagles.  I was excited for both when I heard about the signings, but both haven't panned out.  Wilson was cut halfway through the year, and Harris seems to play hard, but he's out of position on a lot of plays.  Now Idk if it's him running all over the field trying to do it all on a crappy defense that can't pressure the QB, or Gannon's zone coverage system ain't for him?  For every play where he makes make a great read, I see 3 where's he's trying to chase down a guy from behind or taking a bad angle and getting rubbed out. 

[PerryToxteth]

7 hours ago, kinnyman said:

 

Interesting points about the defense.  Anthony Harris and Eric Wilson were two Vikes that came over to play for the Eagles.  I was excited for both when I heard about the signings, but both haven't panned out.  Wilson was cut halfway through the year, and Harris seems to play hard, but he's out of position on a lot of plays.  Now Idk if it's him running all over the field trying to do it all on a crappy defense that can't pressure the QB, or Gannon's zone coverage system ain't for him?  For every play where he makes make a great read, I see 3 where's he's trying to chase down a guy from behind or taking a bad angle and getting rubbed out. 

  Anthony Harris had a great season two years ago, but the Vikings weren’t willing to give him a long-term deal and he had a very sub-par year with the franchise tag on him in 2020. Even in his stellar year in 2019 though, his picks came from tips or horrible passes. It seemed he never read the QB correctly and anticipated the pass. The ball typically ended up in his lap. Your comment about him out of position is spot on. I think the Vikes knew he played out of his ass in 2019, and weren’t about to reward him. Nobody in Minnesota was tore up about Harris leaving and his replacement, Xavier Woods from Dallas, has played much better this year. 

  As for Wilson, he’s a guy you root for bc he came in undrafted and earned a starting spot.  He worked hard but has limitations. He used 2020 to his advantage bc the Vikings were so thin at LB due to injury, Zimmer put him in positions to excel, which he did by putting up good stats. That translated into a career year and a good contract somewhere else, bc there was no way the Vikes would pay him well with him being the third-best LB on the team. 
  The guy we really needed to walk was Anthony Barr to the Jets. They were going to pay him big time, but he recanted and came back to the Purple. And he’s done absolutely nothing since. He’s barely played in the last two seasons and has not produced big plays when on the field (except in the BAL game). Could be that he’s asked to do things he is incapable of, like covering WRs and athletic TEs. But he has the worst contract on the team and is just one example why the Vikings will have salary cap issues in the future. 
If we lose at Soldier Field next week, it will not be fun to sit among the Boo Birds at US Bank the following week vs. the Rams. I think we have similar teams. Disappointing, somehow still in the playoff hunt, and yet we know they have zero chance of making the Super Bowl. 

[kinnyman]

15 hours ago, PerryToxteth said:

I think we have similar teams. Disappointing, somehow still in the playoff hunt, and yet we know they have zero chance of making the Super Bowl. 

Amen to that.  This may be the 1st year I'm actively rooting for my team to not make the playoffs when they still have somewhat of a shot lol.  Thanks for the extra insight on Harris and Wilson too.

[acasser]

15 hours ago, PerryToxteth said:

  The guy we really needed to walk was Anthony Barr to the Jets. They were going to pay him big time, but he recanted and came back to the Purple.

 

Sorry, not sorry.

 

The Jets are such a catastrophe when it comes to player personnel and free agents that I won't throw back the one that actually seems to have worked out well for Gang Green.  Especially as Mike McCagnan and Adam Gase envisioned Barr playing alongside C.J. Mosley in a rebuilt defense, something neither guy ever had an opportunity to oversee -- McCagnan was fired shortly after free agency that year, and Gase got all of about six quarters out of Mosley in two years.

 

The Jets are a train wreck and have spent a lot of money in recent years on free agents who haven't panned out, but at least this one worked better for them.

[Conker]

Huge blow for the Arizona Cardinals, after losing Monday night to drop out of 1st seed in the NFC, they are also gonna lose DeAndre Hopkins for rest of regular season https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32876576/sources-arizona-cardinals-wr-hopkins-expected-miss-rest-regular-season-knee-sprain

[Conker]

The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Urban Meyer https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32879774/urban-meyer-jacksonville-jaguars-head-coach-rocky-first-year

[MidnightDragon]

Official statement from Jags:

 

https://www.jaguars.com/news/a-statement-from-shad-khan

 

Surprised it didn't happen sooner. 

 

Also a former kicker claimed that Meyer kicked him in the leg during practice. Meyer denied it, of course, but wonder if this was the last straw.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32876891/trevor-lawrence-drama-stop-jacksonville-jaguars-win

Edited December 16, 2021 by MidnightDragon

[Zio_Sam87]

Bye bye Meyer, who's the loser in the staff now? ?

[skidmarkgn]

[MidnightDragon]

Shit’s getting real. Browns/Raiders moved to Monday and WFT/Eagles and Seahawks/Rams on Tuesday.

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-covid-week-15-game-postponement

[acasser]

3 hours ago, MidnightDragon said:

Shit’s getting real. Browns/Raiders moved to Monday and WFT/Eagles and Seahawks/Rams on Tuesday.

 

So the NFL has finally decided to acknowledge reality where the virus and team rosters are concerned and the potential for some laughably non-competitive games?  (Like the Saints-Broncos tilt last season where all four Denver QBs were unavailable for the game?)

 

Although I suppose it could be worse.  Both the NBA and the NHL are largely in "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" mode with the virus.  Even though the NHL has started to shut more teams down and postpone games.

 

It's like all these sports felt that vaccinating everybody would be enough and no further problems would arise from there.  That the virus would respect all that and ignore them much the way the virus is supposed to ignore certain sorts of events in the public square because "reasons".

[MidnightDragon]

Was real surprised Belichick decided to kick a field goal on 4th down rather than go for it. He probably would’ve had a better shot at winning.

 

On a more positive note, Chiefs are now #1 in the AFC!

[Conker]

10 hours ago, MidnightDragon said:

Was real surprised Belichick decided to kick a field goal on 4th down rather than go for it. He probably would’ve had a better shot at winning.

 

On a more positive note, Chiefs are now #1 in the AFC!

Yeah that was a questionable call, but they did still get a chance but Jonathan Taylor was just a beast again last night, he deserves to be in the MVP race

[Conker]

So who saw the Lions easily handling the Cardinals? big questions on them now

 

Steelers and Dolphins win to stay alive 

 

Chiefs are now the 1 seed in the AFC

 

Coowboys get win 10 to keep 1 seed hope alive

 

No Meyer, Jags remain same as Texans handle them

 

Bills win to set up AFC East showdown next week

 

 

[Matto_lsi]

Rams suddenly have a lot more to play for on Tuesday.  Cards lost to the Lions?  Seriously?  Wow... two losses in a row - including to the worst team in football, now looking at losing their commanding lead in the NFC West.  And with the Colts, Cowboys, and Seahawks remaining on their schedule, they might slip to 2nd.

[skidmarkgn]

Didn't watch any of the early games today because the Cowboys stomping a crap team or Pittsburg/Tennessee were the only options, turned on the Packers/Ravens about 10 minutes ago to immediately be greeted with a garbage PI call against the Ravens and Rodgers executing his "at least once per game" exploitation of a 12th guy having a toenail on the field (honestly, why don't they fix that fucking rule).  I just don't know how much longer I'm gonna last with this sport if this is the way it's gonna keep going.  Seems like every incomplete pass is followed up with everyone immediate looking for either the inevitable PI flag or roughing the passer flag, defense is just... dead.  We've moved into an era where a game with a 52-45 final is somehow considered "entertaining" (I'm sure the obsession with fantasy football has a lot to do with that as well) and I just don't get it.  Politics, officiating, the handcuffing of defenses, players' inability to tackle, every year it gets harder and harder to find entertainment.

Edited December 19, 2021 by skidmarkgn

[Conker]

In a Big defense battle on Sunday night football, the Saints without Sean Payton handle the Bucs 9-0 on 3 fg’s, as for Bucs they lost during the game Godwin,Evans and Fournette and Bucs lose ground on Packers for chance at 1 seed in NFC 

[Matto_lsi]

Ok, quick show of hands, who had the Saints sweeping the Bucs this season on their 2021 bingo card?  I know I didn't.  And a shutout tonight?  Yeah, that wasn't even fathomable until 3 minutes ago.  Actually, it still isn't... 

 

4 hours ago, skidmarkgn said:

Didn't watch any of the early games today because the Cowboys stomping a crap team or Pittsburg/Tennessee were the only options, turned on the Packers/Ravens about 10 minutes ago to immediately be greeted with a garbage PI call against the Ravens and Rodgers executing his "at least once per game" exploitation of a 12th guy having a toenail on the field (honestly, why don't they fix that fucking rule).  I just don't know how much longer I'm gonna last with this sport if this is the way it's gonna keep going.  Seems like every incomplete pass is followed up with everyone immediate looking for either the inevitable PI flag or roughing the passer flag, defense is just... dead.  We've moved into an era where a game with a 52-45 final is somehow considered "entertaining" (I'm sure the obsession with fantasy football has a lot to do with that as well) and I just don't get it.  Politics, officiating, the handcuffing of defenses, players' inability to tackle, every year it gets harder and harder to find entertainment.

 

Yeah man, I totally agree.  I used to watch all the games - thurs, mon, sat (towards end of the season) and 3 straight on sunday, even flipping back and forth for double-headers.  Now I watch maybe one a week... maybe, and mostly just the highlights on youtube.  Watching the refs try to get the Falcons back in the game today by calling a roughing penalty on the Niners for *gasp* sacking the QB with a normal tackle was a painful reminder of just how bad the calls and the refs have become.  Especially when I watch guys like Bridgewater and Fields get obliterated on every play without a single flag ever being thrown.  It makes no sense, and I find myself waffling between following the season and giving up on football entirely every year.  I think the worst game I saw so far this season was the Bears/Steelers game.  That was just an atrocious display of refball.  I've been a football fan for well over 30 years now, and I know you're a hardcore fan as well.  If people like us are considering giving up on the game, with younger generations having far less interest as a whole, I can only imagine what the state of the NFL will be in a few decades.

[skidmarkgn]

2 hours ago, Matto_lsi said:

 Especially when I watch guys like Bridgewater and Fields get obliterated on every play without a single flag ever being thrown.

 

My first thought is T.J Watt and what he gets away with in the name of "trying to punch the ball out", lol.  The Steelers as a whole seem like they commonly get away with borderline assault and no penalties because 'that's just Steelers football", yet Brady has a finger graze his helmet in a freakin' AFC title game and it's 15 yards, I hate it.  The rule book needs to be burned and rewritten with some common sense in mind this time.

[MidnightDragon]

Tom Brady threw and broke a tablet and has been accused of telling the acting Saints coach to go fuck himself in the Bucs loss to the Saints. Tom, you’re 44! Fucking act like it!