NFL 2015

[01101010]

Peyton playing opossum all season only to open up when it counts. Or maybe that is the plan... play at 65% against lesser teams and dial it up to 100 for the challenging ones. I wouldn't put it past him at this stage in his career. He always was pretty cerebral - especially with a head like that. (Yes Peyton, you do really look like that  )

I also was plagued with the Steelers game since I am banished to this god forsaken town. As a Browns fan, I only really get joy watching the Steelers fall on their faces so yesterday was a pleasure. But yeah, the Bengals had no business winning that game, but hey... that type of game is how good teams beat other decent teams.

As bad as Weeden is, I can't believe Cassel is an upgrade. Weeden worked pretty well when he had Gordon to throw to and I can't see why he wouldn't work better with Dez. At least Weeden looked like he was trying...Cassel just looks lost out there. All the bullshit about the Cowboys going anywhere near the playoffs let alone winning there can be laughed at harder because when Romo comes back they'll be out of it, even in that shitshow division.

[Merusk]

I also was plagued with the Steelers game since I am banished to this god forsaken town. As a Browns fan, I only really get joy watching the Steelers fall on their faces so yesterday was a pleasure. But yeah, the Bengals had no business winning that game, but hey... that type of game is how good teams beat other decent teams.

It seems like that's the first Bengals game most of you have gotten to see this year. That is how the Bengals have played and won every game so far, stats don't tell the whole story. They have NO BUSINESS being undefeated as in most of the games their opponents have defeated themselves. The Seahawks being the most notable example.

I mean, for chrissake when it was 6-10 they were 1st and goal and couldn't even convert that to a field goal. That's how fucked the team is.

[HaemishM]

Oh, I wasn't SURPRISED that the Bengals were that bad. LOLDALTON. I was more surprised that they came back to win. A good Steelers team would have had that game shut down long ago.

Right now, the only undefeated team I really have confidence in is New England. They haven't really been exposed in any game they've played, and the Jets were the only team that was even remotely competitive with them past the first half, and a lot of that was dropped passes by the Pats. I do think the Packers might have a stroll to the NFC Championship game, with the only teams I think that can compete with them in the division being the Cardinals (if Palmer stays healthy) and the Panthers, and those two only because they are probably locks to win their divisions AND have really good defenses. I'm not buying anybody else in the entire NFC.

[sickrubik]

Packers also lost two of their starting defensive backs in the first quarter.

That doesn't matter much to the _77_ yards we kept Rodgers to.

[Shannow]

Yeah that defense is legit terrifying. If you can stop Brady and expose a weak NE secondary and win home field advantage....

[sickrubik]

Speaking as the resident Broncos fan, a lot has been said about the work Manning and Kubiak did together to come to a compromise. They focused on the running game, but allowed Manning to do his thing. Even gave Greene options in route running on crucial 3rd downs. Opening the play book went a long long way.

Our three TDs came from rushing. RUSHING. We have a running game now, apparently. Second week with progress on the o-line and figuring out who fit.

Oh, and DT apparently decided to live up to his contract.

It's a new system and an old quarterback. I've said it before, he's playing like he has in years previous. It's not going to be as STAR WARS NUMBERY. I'm fine with no passing TDs.

[Trippy]

Yes the Pistol formation (though not Pistol offense) is the compromise between Manning's preferred Shotgun formation and Kubiak's preferred under center formation. But the timing is different in all three formations and it takes time to adjust. The fact that Manning rolled out a couple of times to throw (which Kubiak likes his QB's to be able to do) shows that Manning is feeling more comfortable in the new offense.

[sickrubik]

Yes the Pistol formation (though not Pistol offense) is the compromise between Manning's preferred Shotgun formation and Kubiak's preferred under center formation. But the timing is different in all three formations and it takes time to adjust. The fact that Manning rolled out a couple of times to throw (which Kubiak likes his QB's to be able to do) shows that Manning is feeling more comfortable in the new offense.

He's also been doing Wind Sprints up the hill every day, which may have be helping conditioning.

[Paelos]

The Packers secondary looks like UGA's secondary.

[HaemishM]

The Packers secondary looks like UGA's secondary.

With the exception of Casey Heyward, their corners have just about as much NFL experience as those at UGA.

[sickrubik]

And so it begins.

Here we go: 49ers trading TE Vernon Davis to Denver for 6th- and 7th-round picks this year, and a 6th-round pick in 2017, sources tell ESPN.

[01101010]

I'd like to see Joe Thomas go somewhere that might win something soon... sad to say, but he deserves better.

[sickrubik]

Well, we did just send Ty Sambrailo to IR. hmmm..

Edit: HAHAHAH. Broncos are talking to the Browns, apparently for... you guessed it.  

I don't see this one happening though, unless it involves offloading a player or two. Would be too expensive.

[HaemishM]

Dear God, this Indy/Carolina game is going to be painful to watch.

[sickrubik]

Dear God, this Indy/Carolina game is going to be painful to watch.

Totally different game in the second half fourth quarter. Jesus.

[Paelos]

Colts are awful this year. They have to fire Pagano. The team looks completely disjointed, Luck is regressing, and the defense is bad.

[Malakili]

Kaepernick benched for Blaine Gabbert.

[Shannow]

Colts are awful this year. They have to fire Pagano. The team looks completely disjointed, Luck is regressing, and the defense is bad.

Fire the GM who went out in the offseason and did NOTHING to bolster their D and O lines.

[01101010]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14042981/ken-whisenhunt-fired-coach-tennessee-titans

Wow... Titans fire Whisenhunt after 4 games with Marcus. Amazing.

[sickrubik]

Apparently that Broncos/Thomas talk was really hot .... back in the preseason.

According to a source, the Browns had talks with the Denver Broncos early in the season after Denver lost left tackle Ryan Clady to injury in the preseason. The Broncos were willing to part with their first-round pick in 2016, but the Browns also asked for second-year linebacker Shaq Barrett, and that apparently killed the deal.

I am glad that didn't pan out, as Shaq is special, but it will be interesting to see if there are resumed talks given that, not only is Clady out, but Ty Sambrailo as well.

[HaemishM]

That Colts/Panthers game was so bad, I stopped watching it after the Panthers went ahead in the 4th. Which apparently was when the Colts showed up the stadium. And still lost.

Their O line is terrible. Luck is off, partly because his O line is terrible, and partly because I think he feels the need to win the game by himself and he's trying to do too much. His first INT was all on him trying to throw into triple coverage instead of just tossing the ball out of bounds and punting. As for whether to fire Pagano, I think you should start with firing Grigson because the team he put together around Luck is dog shit. No O line and it seems like the only people he wants to sign are old players and/or players so broken down they are available for fucking peanuts like Ahmad Bradshaw. His draft picks outside of Luck have been non-factors and he did make that really shitty Trent Richardson trade that was a spectacular failure (although I will admit I liked the trade when it happened - I thought Richardson was a lot better than he actually was). T.Y. Hilton is the only playmaker on the team, especially since they are limiting Gore's touches, and he can get blanketed like he was last night. I'm sure Pagano won't make it to the end of the season even if they do make the playoffs - which they should because holy shit is that division bad.

The Panthers meanwhile are legit. I still don't think Cam's quite ready to win a Super Bowl, but that defense and strong running game hide a lot of Cam's flaws. His arm is a cannon, and he can bulldoze his way through runs but his decision-making isn't always great and he needs to watch the hits he's taking because he WILL get injured that way. I still don't think they are as good as their record indicates but in this shitty NFL crop, they could go far. They are almost certain to win the NFC South as Atlanta seems unwilling to do so.

Blaine Gabbert starting in San Fran. I'd say this team has reached rock bottom, but then he hasn't thrown a pass yet so there's farther down to go. Kap is done. You don't get pulled for a guy with the lowest QBR in the history of QBR and expect to come back, at least not with this team. The coaches just do not know how to use him and he doesn't know how to perform in this offense.

Whisenhunt out is probably a mistake but the team is pretty terrible. Switching coaches mid-season is not going to help Mariotta settle in any better.

[01101010]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/03/mularkey-plans-changes-to-titans-passing-game-to-develop-mariota/

Don't worry, Mularkey will save them by changing things to accommodate Mariota. Nothing can possibly go wrong with that plan... 

[Paelos]

It's like Mariota wasn't prepared to play in the NFL because he was in an incompatible system all his life. 

[sickrubik]

Browns & Broncos rushing to beat the NFL trade deadline that will send LT Joe Thomas & a 4th  pick in '16  to Denver for a 1st/2nd in '16

 

Edit:

A potential Joe-Thomas-to-Denver deal that both sides were working on up until the deadline did not get completed, per league sources.

[Megrim]

It's like Mariota wasn't prepared to play in the NFL because he was in an incompatible system all his life. 

Or it could be that being a 1st round pick is a trap, and he is now stuck playing on a shit team.

[Velorath]

Blaine Gabbert starting in San Fran. I'd say this team has reached rock bottom, but then he hasn't thrown a pass yet so there's farther down to go. Kap is done. You don't get pulled for a guy with the lowest QBR in the history of QBR and expect to come back, at least not with this team. The coaches just do not know how to use him and he doesn't know how to perform in this offense.

We'll hit rock bottom soon enough. It's all part of our plan to tank the rest of the season, get the #1 pick next year, get a new QB like Goff if he enters the draft, put him in as a starter right away, watch him struggle to adapt to the NFL and see him get manhandled on every down due to lack of an O-line (or a running game since our RB's are made out of Paper Mache), and then after failing to single-handedly turn the team around in a 2-3 years he'll be banged up and getting passed around the league as a backup. It's the perfect plan.

[Paelos]

It's like Mariota wasn't prepared to play in the NFL because he was in an incompatible system all his life. 

Or it could be that being a 1st round pick is a trap, and he is now stuck playing on a shit team.

Jameis was picked ahead of him by an even worse team that's already won more games than last year. And he was picked ahead of Mariota specifically because of the system issues, even with all the legal and personality problems.

[HaemishM]

Mariotta was doomed to fail this season because that team needed more than a QB. Their issues have been devouring first round QB's at an alarming rate. I mean, who does he even have to throw to? Or hand the ball off to? Or name a big playmaker on their defense? Can you? Because I follow football pretty well, and I couldn't tell you the answer to that question because the Titans have been terrible and irrelevant for YEARS. The shambling corpse of Matt Hasselback gave them a few wins over the last few years but they have been a wasteland. At least Winston had the... I don't want to call it advantage, but the benefit of being in a Lovie Smith offense which doesn't rely solely on the QB. And he has Mike Evans to throw to, who is pretty damn good.

I really dread the day Brady, Peyton, Brees and Rodgers aren't starting anymore because I cannot think of one QB drafted in the last five years that I think they hold their jock strap. Luck is busy imploding trying to win games by himself because his team is full of chewing gum and decline and everybody else has shown no ability to win big big playoff games.

[01101010]

Mariotta was doomed to fail this season because that team needed more than a QB. Their issues have been devouring first round QB's at an alarming rate. I mean, who does he even have to throw to? Or hand the ball off to? Or name a big playmaker on their defense? Can you? Because I follow football pretty well, and I couldn't tell you the answer to that question because the Titans have been terrible and irrelevant for YEARS. The shambling corpse of Matt Hasselback gave them a few wins over the last few years but they have been a wasteland. At least Winston had the... I don't want to call it advantage, but the benefit of being in a Lovie Smith offense which doesn't rely solely on the QB. And he has Mike Evans to throw to, who is pretty damn good.

I really dread the day Brady, Peyton, Brees and Rodgers aren't starting anymore because I cannot think of one QB drafted in the last five years that I think they hold their jock strap. Luck is busy imploding trying to win games by himself because his team is full of chewing gum and decline and everybody else has shown no ability to win big big playoff games.

Well to be fair... Brady never has a consistent stable of receivers or backs and he seems to do alright. I mean, outside of Brady, who on that offense is still around from 2007. I can only name Welker and Moss as his big name receivers along with Gronk and Edelman now because they are in the news all the fucking time. Gronk has been somewhat consistent if he is not injured, but running backs? Forget it... I can't really name any of them for the Pats.

Point is a great QB and a great system gives you the opportunity to plug other players in and have them come out looking better than they might be on other teams. Titans might have a great QB but the system sucks so the other parts have to be better.

[HaemishM]

About Brady, there's one stat that will highlight something to illustrate why he's so good despite having a who's who of "who's that?" receivers. Sacks. Since 2007, there's only been 1 year where the team sack totals have been more than the league average (2008 - they were the 5th most sacked team). That was also the year Brady was out for the season with an injury. The next worst year for sacks was 2013 when they were right at the league average for being sacked. Every other year, they've been top 10. That speaks to a lot of things, but it definitely shows that Brady has for the most part, had more time to throw than other QB's and has had less times getting skullfucked by pass rushers. The last two years, the Colts have been better than the league average for getting sacked, this year they are worse (though New England has actually taken one more sack this year).

It isn't JUST the QB, it's the QB with time to throw and people to throw to. This year and last, the Titans have been among the league's worst in getting sacked, and they have the QB injuries to prove it. Tampa's actually been above the league average this year (and exactly half as many sacks as the Titans). Oddly enough, the Seahawks have been sacked the most and the Jets and Redskins the least.

Jeez, I could look at Profootballreference.com all day long. The team with the most drives ending in a score? The Pats (55%). Least? The Titans (25%).

[01101010]

About Brady, there's one stat that will highlight something to illustrate why he's so good despite having a who's who of "who's that?" receivers. Sacks. Since 2007, there's only been 1 year where the team sack totals have been more than the league average (2008 - they were the 5th most sacked team). That was also the year Brady was out for the season with an injury. The next worst year for sacks was 2013 when they were right at the league average for being sacked. Every other year, they've been top 10. That speaks to a lot of things, but it definitely shows that Brady has for the most part, had more time to throw than other QB's and has had less times getting skullfucked by pass rushers. The last two years, the Colts have been better than the league average for getting sacked, this year they are worse (though New England has actually taken one more sack this year).

It isn't JUST the QB, it's the QB with time to throw and people to throw to. This year and last, the Titans have been among the league's worst in getting sacked, and they have the QB injuries to prove it. Tampa's actually been above the league average this year (and exactly half as many sacks as the Titans). Oddly enough, the Seahawks have been sacked the most and the Jets and Redskins the least.

Jeez, I could look at Profootballreference.com all day long. The team with the most drives ending in a score? The Pats (55%). Least? The Titans (25%).

I completely agree with one small addition. Brady is good enough to get rid of the ball quickly by going through his reads and knowing what to do at the end when he doesn't find anyone. His lines have been well coached in blocking schemes and Brady's speed in decision making in the pocket go pretty far in preventing him getting beaten to a pulp (and the generosity of the refs who liked to flag ticky tack shit when it comes to the golden boy). Not to mention they really do a lot of short dump passing which shorten time in the pocket with the ball... that all goes to being in a good system with the right guy to manage it. Have that, and even Brady could win with Bowe, Hartline, Benjamin, and the guy who works the parking hut at Tower City.

[Shannow]

I'm a Pats fan but lets get down to one thing, they got enormously lucky with Brady. For sure they've done more to maximize his talent but I have a feeling he would've been pretty good anywhere. One small note, I'll eat my shoes if the Pats ever use a 1st round draft pick on a WR. The value of that position is just not there in the 1st round. (Even if it is a Calvin Johnson).

[Trippy]

Point is a great QB and a great system gives you the opportunity to plug other players in and have them come out looking better than they might be on other teams. Titans might have a great QB but the system sucks so the other parts have to be better.

The system is definitely a big part of it. Case in point: Matt Cassel.

[HaemishM]

Although, as I mentioned, the one year Matt Cassel was the Pats starting QB, they were among the highest in the leagues in sacks allowed and they didn't make the playoffs. 

I think you put a lot of the QB's out there into the Pats system and they would flourish - or at least be credible and probably make the playoffs before being traded to another team where they would stink. I mean, it's not going to make them Aaron Rodgers. I'd be interested to see Rodgers in the Pats system, where he presumably would not have to do as much scrambling.

[Paelos]

http://deadspin.com/how-to-fix-the-nfl-s-quarterback-crisis-1740772455

Drew Magary discusses how he first rebutted the "QB Crisis" but now admits it's a fucking disaster out there.