NFL 2014

[Yegolev]

I know I'm late but what the shit happened to my fantasy teams last week?  Did San Diego eventually arrive at the stadium?

In other news, I must publicly announce that my biggest mistake this season was rage-dropping Brady.

[HaemishM]

Did San Diego eventually arrive at the stadium?

Not that you could tell. Somebody in their uniforms appeared, but I refuse to believe it wasn't an entire team full of Make a Wish candidates.

[Yegolev]

I sort of wish I could have watched some of that game from between my fingers.  I did get to see New England deconstruct Denver, though.

[Velorath]

I just tend to watch Redzone mostly these days, especially when the Niners aren't doing well. For the afternoon games this week, they pretty much focused on the Patriots/Broncos game as much as possible, occasionally going over to the Seahawks/Raiders. They pretty much only reluctantly showed the Niners/Rams game when the other two games were on a commercial break. I was ok with that (as well as with the announcer saying things like "and now back to Santa Clara" rather than San Francisco).

[Paelos]

The Ryan Mallett era begins.

Houston is going to finish 7-9, in the worst possible draft position because other people in their own division are committed to shitting the bed for draft picks from the jump.

Were I them, I'd tank now. Hard. Finish 4-12 and get a tradable slot where you can move up for a QB without giving away the farm.

[Nebu]

The Ryan Mallett era begins.

I've watched him play most of his career.  He's an amazing physical talent but dumb as a bag of hammers.  I don't think he'll ever be any more than a backup.

[HaemishM]

TBF, I was kind of surprised the Mallett era didn't begin the minute they acquired him. Any idiot whose watched Fitzpatrick since the modicum of success he had in Buffalo would know he's a turnover machine who could also score some TD's, but he wasn't anything to build a championship around. The bigger concern should be that their defense is dead last in yards given up, 11th in points per game and 17th in sacks, and their running game is relying on Arian Foster's legs which seem to be made of silly putty. That defense and run game is what got them to the playoffs and what will help out whoever is at QB.

[WayAbvPar]

Is Fitzpatrick hurt or did he finally give the job away? It was inevitable.

[Paelos]

Is Fitzpatrick hurt or did he finally give the job away? It was inevitable.

Gave the job away. Here's the upside: Mallett has three years working under Tom Brady. Even if Brady is a complete dick and taught you nothing personally, you at least got to see how one of the best QB's in the game goes about his business by just being around him.

I'm sort of rooting for the guy. He's done it the right way in my mind. Stay behind a seasoned veteran, learn how the NFL works, then get your start after a year or so. In his case, it just took a few more years due to the Patriots not needing him.

[K9]

Gave the job away. Here's the upside: Mallett has three years working under Tom Brady. Even if Brady is a complete dick and taught you nothing personally, you at least got to see how one of the best QB's in the game goes about his business by just being around him.

How does that logic work with Favre and Rodgers then? 

Because by all accounts Favre treated Rodgers like shit, and I'm pretty sure Rodgers didn't learn much about football by shadowing Favre as he went to AA meetings, visited his cousins at their trailer, and chain-banged his way through the coed dorms of UoW.

[Paelos]

I think it helped Rodgers immensely. Favre's a shithead, but you learn a ton from watching successful shitheads, and you learn how to avoid their mistakes too.

[HaemishM]

The QB ahead of you isn't going to be the only one teaching you shit about being a starting QB. It doesn't hurt if you actually have a shitton of talent too. For all Rodgers does with reading the game, he's also just a really good athlete. He makes a number of plays with his feet without ever being considered a "running" QB.

So I guess the Bengals invitations to tonight's game got lost in the mail? Because that's not an NFL team out there. They are sucking wind. Their defense isn't doing much and Andy Dalton looks like he couldn't hit the broad side of a fucking barn. Does he just totally wither on nationally televised games?

[Mithas]

I think Andy Dalton needs someone to teach him how to play QB.

[Ginaz]

I think Andy Dalton needs someone to teach him how to play QB.

The Bungles are back!   What an awful game.

[Mithas]

I have Andrew Luck but Andy Dalton as my backup in FF. Last second tonight I dropped Dalton and picked up Carson Palmer. Thank God.

[HaemishM]

Fucking Dalton. I played Sanu because he's been lighting it up with AJ Green out. Goddamn ginger fucker couldn't even complete passes with both those guys on the field.

[Merusk]

Ah, hah, hah, hah, hah.

Facebook was blowing up so I flipped it on. This went as I expected.

At least I got to see my company's sign in the endzone above the stands once, briefly.  Money well spent. 

[Cyrrex]

Well shit, go Cleveland?  I don't want to jinx them, but doesn't that put them in first place for the moment?

Meanwhile, I am looking like a genius starting the Cleveland defense in Fantasy over the last several weeks.  I expect the universe will correct itself over the next month or so, probably just in time for the playoffs.

[Paelos]

Saw it coming, took Cleveland +260 on the ML.

Cincy is heading to a bad place, while Cleveland has pieces with Hoyer that make them dangerous.

[HaemishM]

I'm really starting to get on the Hoyer bandwagon. Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think he's anything like an "elite QB" or even an MVP QB. What he is, though, is a very capable starter. Going over it in my head, I figured he's probably a better starting QB option that 1/4 to 1/2 of the teams in this league currently have on their rosters. In some cases, he may not be as good as the starting QB but he'll win based on making less mistakes. He's efficient, has the ability to escape pressure and doesn't seem to make a lot of bad decisions. He was playing against a good defense last night and his best receiver was Miles Austin, who is probably a high ceiling WR3 at this stage in his career. His best TE is missing and his running backs are a committee, he hasn't had their one dynamic playmaker (Gordon) all year and yet he's winning. The Cleveland GM is going to have a conundrum at the end of the season, especially if they make the playoffs. Do they resign Hoyer as the starter with Johnny Football sitting over shoulder going "WHEN'S GON' MAH TIME??!" and Cleveland fans calling for Manziel after every loss (which they have surprisingly not done yet) or do they try to trade Johnny Football without anyone really knowing if Manziel is starter quality or not. I suppose it would depend on which foolish GM is willing to given Cleveland a high pick based purely on Manziel's reputation. Either way, you have to give both Hoyer credit and Pettine. He's coached well and they've both handled the idiotic ESPN fueled media speculation about Manziel very well. Better than they've handled that situation in Washington with RGIII.

BTW, I put Washington as one of those teams that would be better with Hoyer. 

I think Cleveland makes the playoffs and gets dumped first round but that would be an improvement for Cleveland.

Cincy, though? They aren't even waiting until the playoffs to collapse this year. That $100 million contract for Dalton is looking mighty stupid right now. He's way near the bottom of the league in most of the QB stats. He's no Geno Smith but who is?

[01101010]

I think Cleveland makes the playoffs and gets dumped first round but that would be an improvement for Cleveland.

Cincy, though? They aren't even waiting until the playoffs to collapse this year. That $100 million contract for Dalton is looking mighty stupid right now. He's way near the bottom of the league in most of the QB stats. He's no Geno Smith but who is?

That we are even mentioning Cleveland and playoffs as a thing...together... is an improvement. Hoyer is a capable starter, but seems like a game manager and does just enough extra. The whole nameless team seemed to work last night, but the past few weeks? Shabby. They did enough to win, but over those teams? The Bucs and Raiders? Most likely because I am a Browns fan and am always looking for a excuse when the wheels fall off (not if, but when), I am not about to start getting my hopes up. Even the media is emphasizing that most of last night's game as the Bengals screwing things up rather than the Browns playing a great game. However, I and everyone else is paying more attention now at least. Now if they can keep the coaching staff and GM somewhat intact for a few years, we might turn into a consistent competitor. That would be welcomed.

[HaemishM]

Oh by no means were the Browns great last night. As bad as Cincy played, they should have lost by like 40 points. But considering the team IS full of a bunch of cast-offs and no names on offense, they are still finding ways to win. As for a game manager, I don't take that as the insult most give the label. I think Hoyer's probably on the Alex Smith level - get a good team around him and he can win you more games than he will lose. He won't be flashy but he won't make you pull your hair out with stupid mistakes.

[Paelos]

Cincy has 3 games on the road, but I think they go 2-1 in that stretch. The question is they have 4 tough games at the end with Pitt, Cleveland, Denver, Pitt. If they win one of those, they'll be lucky.

Cincy finishes 7-9 and looks bad doing it with a collapse at the end. They should finally fire Marvin Lewis for regressing after 3 years of playoff berths. Marvin Lewis will have a career sub-.500 record at that point.

[Rasix]

Nice effort, Bears.

[Phildo]

Well, this game was supposed to be high-scoring.

e: Bet Cutler comes back from the half with a black eye and Marshall has a mysteriously bandaged knuckle.

[Paelos]

This is like TB and Atlanta from a few weeks back.

[Slayerik]

The Lions. And the Browns. Twilight Zone NFL?

The fuckin' Lions actually look like a team this year. I'm still pretty blown away by the victory today. With this D, Stafford not puking balls to the other team, a couple A+ receivers, a decent O-line, and a thunder/lightning backfield... they might even have a shot at winning a playoff game. How bout that fake punt?  Though he went to the well one too many times, it's great to see calls like that. He isn't the best clock manager, but I kinda like Caldwell. He's got balls.

[Paelos]

This week produced probably some of the most unwatchable football games I've seen in a while.

Seattle? After a half it wasn't close.
GB? Never close from the opening bell.
Denver? I think it was over by the second quarter.
Dallas? Over in the 2nd quarter.
Cleveland? You know it was over by second quarter too.
Ravens? By the early third quarter you knew Titans were done scoring.
Jets? Over in the first quarter. 17 unanswered.

The average margin of victory this week so far is 15 points. That's ridiculous. Spreads in the double digits are becoming the norm. This is starting to look like college football week-to-week in terms of lop-sided victories.

The prior two weeks the average margin was 12.4 and 13.4, this just took that even higher.

[Mithas]

I looked at the remainder of the Raiders schedule and they may not win a game this year.

[01101010]

I looked at the remainder of the Raiders schedule and they may not win a game this year.

Bad time to be get the #1 draft pick since there are no elite college players coming out in 2015.

[Paelos]

Bad time to be get the #1 draft pick since there are no elite college players coming out in 2015.

Say what? Vic Beasley, Amari Cooper, Jameis Winston, DeVante Parker, Donte Fowler, Marcus Mariota (who I think sucks but whatever), Todd Gurley, Landon Collins, and then a bunch of defensive talent that's elite but not big-gamed.

This isn't a great offensive year, which is maybe what you're judging it by. It's a fantastic year for defensive players.

[01101010]

Bad time to be get the #1 draft pick since there are no elite college players coming out in 2015.

Say what? Vic Beasley, Amari Cooper, Jameis Winston, DeVante Parker, Donte Fowler, Marcus Mariota (who I think sucks but whatever), Todd Gurley, Landon Collins, and then a bunch of defensive talent that's elite but not big-gamed.

This isn't a great offensive year, which is maybe what you're judging it by. It's a fantastic year for defensive players.

Not going with offense or defense. Just saying there is no huge blockbuster name that jumps off as #1 worthy - No Luck, no Clowney, no Newton... there are solid gems but no real standouts.

[MrHat]

Bad time to be get the #1 draft pick since there are no elite college players coming out in 2015.

Say what? Vic Beasley, Amari Cooper, Jameis Winston, DeVante Parker, Donte Fowler, Marcus Mariota (who I think sucks but whatever), Todd Gurley, Landon Collins, and then a bunch of defensive talent that's elite but not big-gamed.

This isn't a great offensive year, which is maybe what you're judging it by. It's a fantastic year for defensive players.

Probably a good year to trade down for a few players.

[Paelos]

Well in my mind that's a good thing. With the exception of Luck, the "BIG NAME NUMBER ONE" has been mostly a bad thing over the years.

So far Clowney has been injured and the "motor" question remains unanswered. He has two tackles in the NFL.
The Chiefs too Eric Fisher in 2013, so I can't count that as a big named number one.
Luck was 2012, which I think was a huge success and a huge outlier.
Cam is 2011, and I think he's not a bust but he's sub-par as a QB in the NFL compared to the tons of other gamechangers out of that draft (Watt, Pouncy, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, AJ, Von Miller, etc.)
Sam Bradford 2010. Need I say more?
Stafford in 2009. Questions still remain about the kid's work ethic. He's never been in a pro-bowl or won a damn thing up to now.
Jake Long in 2008. Again, not a big named year. Yet, the gems in that draft were everywhere. Matt Ryan, Jerod Mayo, Aquib Talib, Rogers Cromardie, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, DeSean Jackson, Ray Rice.
Jamarcus Russell in 2007. Yeesh.
Mario Williams in 2006. He's a stud, but played on crap teams.
Alex Smith in 2005. Jury is still out there. He got dumped immediately by his drafting team when a flashy guy showed up.
Eli Manning in 2004. I'd say that was a huge success.

So far the best overall big named number one pick is Eli in my mind. Maybe Luck. The rest are good players, but not game-changers. The real issue how big the drafts were behind these guys in smaller named years.

[01101010]

Well in my mind that's a good thing. With the exception of Luck, the "BIG NAME NUMBER ONE" has been mostly a bad thing over the years.

So far Clowney has been injured and the "motor" question remains unanswered. He has two tackles in the NFL.
The Chiefs too Eric Fisher in 2013, so I can't count that as a big named number one.
Luck was 2012, which I think was a huge success and a huge outlier.
Cam is 2011, and I think he's not a bust but he's sub-par as a QB in the NFL compared to the tons of other gamechangers out of that draft (Watt, Pouncy, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, AJ, Von Miller, etc.)
Sam Bradford 2010. Need I say more?
Stafford in 2009. Questions still remain about the kid's work ethic. He's never been in a pro-bowl or won a damn thing up to now.
Jake Long in 2008. Again, not a big named year. Yet, the gems in that draft were everywhere. Matt Ryan, Jerod Mayo, Aquib Talib, Rogers Cromardie, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, DeSean Jackson, Ray Rice.
Jamarcus Russell in 2007. Yeesh.
Mario Williams in 2006. He's a stud, but played on crap teams.
Alex Smith in 2005. Jury is still out there. He got dumped immediately by his drafting team when a flashy guy showed up.
Eli Manning in 2004. I'd say that was a huge success.

So far the best overall big named number one pick is Eli in my mind. Maybe Luck. The rest are good players, but not game-changers. The real issue how big the drafts were behind these guys in smaller named years.

While all true...I am looking at it from a college perspective. All those names may not have turned out in the NFL (and many are TBD), but their final year in the college, they were the go to #1. I am sure there will be some killer players coming in the 2015 draft - but nothing stands out in the college realm quite yet. Hell, even the Heisman circus is not as pronounced as it has been in recent years.