Official NFL 2020

[fonzeee]

Chicago should not be in the playoffs but 6 Wildcard games is pretty juicy. Miami with Tua have no business there either, they've been riding the turnover differential all year. Yesterday was a horror show.

Rodgers is on another planet. He just dismantled the bears ilb replacement for Roquan Smith the second he arrived. Beating Mahomes to MVP at 37 is really something.

People saying this about Chicago but the worst team in the playoffs would have been there anyway under the old system too. The Eagles stopped trying to win and the Redskins still almost lost the game. Fumbles, bad plays, I think a late turnover on downs at midfield? It was embarrassing. And in the AFC a 10-6 team missed out so still a reasonable barrier. I probably prefer a smaller playoffs just so a 8-8 or 9-7 that gets hot doesn't sneak a championship, but I'm actually okay with how this shaked out for the most part.

Miami would have probably qualified if they'd stuck with Fitzy. As a bit of a Fins fan I like Flores but he totally botched that situation; if you're developing a rookie you go with Tua from the start and stick with him through thick and thin. If you want to win go with the vet. He ended up going down the middle which was the worst option of all.

[fonzeee]

So the Redskins, err I mean, the Footballs are the last team through to the playoffs. The quarterback playing on one leg.

Don't expect they will go any further, as usual.

Doug Pederson being flat out accused of throwing the game.
Went for 4th and Goal from the 3 yard line (having gained 1 yard in three plays) instead of levelling the scores at 17-17. Then pulls Jalen Hurts from the game and gives the reins to a journeyman backup for the 4th quarter.

Having already left several notable starters out "injured"

I posted mine as soon as the game finished, but I knew this was coming. Being a sore loser isn't confined to Trump. What motivation would he have for throwing the game, coaches live by their results, even when they're out of the playoffs.

Bottom-line, if you have to depend on another team to win and that team has no particular motivation of its own, then you're bound for disappointment.

Go the Washington Footballs!

Do you have a favorite new nickname? We've got anon down for Rednecks...

And FWIW I wouldn't go as far as saying he threw the game, but he clearly thought it was more worthwhile to see what some rookies and taxi squad-ers could do than keeping a mediocre yet potential multi-season starter in the game. Which he's perfectly entitled to do IMO.

The Giants fans can really STFU. You won 6 f**king games, you have no right to complain. If you hadn't lost 10 games you wouldn't need a result in a game you aren't participating in in order to sneak into the playoffs through the back door.

[fonzeee]

Jaguars and Chargers fire their head coaches. Bengals decide to keep theirs.

Maybe inevitable for Marrone given the record but I really liked that team from 2017. They had a great gritty feel about them and had a mighty chip on their shoulder. Tough defense. Came within a hair's breadth of a Super Bowl appearance but gave up a lead late at New England in the AFC title game, a week after taking the 2 seed down in Pittsburgh.

[fonzeee]

Rodgers is on another planet. He just dismantled the bears ilb replacement for Roquan Smith the second he arrived. Beating Mahomes to MVP at 37 is really something.

I'll qualify this by saying I can't really speak much (if at all) on pre-2000 quarterbacks, but for my money he's the best I've ever seen.

Fonz's Official All-Time-Except-Not-Before-2000-or-So QB Rankings (based on peak ability + top tier-longevity):

1) Rodgers
2) Brady (hate to admit that)
3) Manning
4) Warner
5) Mahomes (I could see him going to as high as 3 if he keeps this up another 6-8 seasons)
6) Roethlisburger
7) Brees
8] Luck
9) Ryan
10) Rivers

Kind of a dropoff between 8 and 9 for me. Honorable mentions to top game-managers Russell Wilson, Eli, and Alex Smith. Also non-game managers Romo, Culpepper, Hasselbeck, and McNabb. Maybe also Flacco and Brad Johnson for turning into HoF quarterbacks in the playoffs in the years they went the distance.

Since he kind of falls in the middle between the 90s and 00s, I'll also say I'd have Favre in the 6-8 area.

What sayeth the bored re: GOAT QB?

[Yer Man]

Chargers are apparently interviewing Jason Garrett for Head Coach...

[Flyin Ryan]

Browns coach plus a couple assistants and a couple players tested positive for Covid and will not be on the sidelines this coming weekend for their playoff game.

[johnstrac]

Chargers are apparently interviewing Jason Garrett for Head Coach...

Saw that earlier, seems a bit wtf to me.

[Yer Man]

Browns coach plus a couple assistants and a couple players tested positive for Covid and will not be on the sidelines this coming weekend for their playoff game.

Yeah, Stefanski & their Pro Bowl Guard are out.
Also Olivier Vernon is injured.

They're f*cked.


Anyone else get the sense that some pundits have been casting suspicions about Big Ben suddenly getting hot after halftime in week 16?
It's true that he hadn't played like that in weeks, going deep and hitting the target.
But they way several people said "whatever they said to him or gave to him at halftime..."

[Yer Man]

Apparently Urban Meyer may have second thoughts on the Jags job.
The owner has said that he has oversight of the roster - and intends to keep that power going forward.
New Head Coach & GM won't have final say on players...

[Newsome]

So the Redskins, err I mean, the Footballs are the last team through to the playoffs. The quarterback playing on one leg.

Don't expect they will go any further, as usual.

Doug Pederson being flat out accused of throwing the game.
Went for 4th and Goal from the 3 yard line (having gained 1 yard in three plays) instead of levelling the scores at 17-17. Then pulls Jalen Hurts from the game and gives the reins to a journeyman backup for the 4th quarter.

Having already left several notable starters out "injured"

I posted mine as soon as the game finished, but I knew this was coming. Being a sore loser isn't confined to Trump. What motivation would he have for throwing the game, coaches live by their results, even when they're out of the playoffs.

Bottom-line, if you have to depend on another team to win and that team has no particular motivation of its own, then you're bound for disappointment.

Go the Washington Footballs!

Do you have a favorite new nickname? We've got anon down for Rednecks...

And FWIW I wouldn't go as far as saying he threw the game, but he clearly thought it was more worthwhile to see what some rookies and taxi squad-ers could do than keeping a mediocre yet potential multi-season starter in the game. Which he's perfectly entitled to do IMO.

The Giants fans can really STFU. You won 6 f**king games, you have no right to complain. If you hadn't lost 10 games you wouldn't need a result in a game you aren't participating in in order to sneak into the playoffs through the back door.

I like how Judge took the moral high ground and talked about the good of the game and its integrity - how many past and current players have convictions?

I agree with you completely. STFU.

[Bwen]

Colts must be sickened to be behind at half time. Bills with the rub of the green on the big plays in last drive of the half.

[Whatever]

Colts must be sickened to be behind at half time. Bills with the rub of the green on the big plays in last drive of the half.

Aye. Bills squeaked it. First time I've seen this guy Allen but he seems to have some great vision.

Old man Brady looking good against the Washington Footballs. What is it about Washington and losing quarterbacks, it's like the All Blacks and first fives. Why did Brady leave the Patriots, new challenge?

[Flyin Ryan]

Bad loss by the Seahawks.

Wilson in the game apparently threw a pick-six interception on a wide receiver screen pass. That was the first interception of a wide receiver screen pass all season.

[Flyin Ryan]

[Whatever]

The Footballs done, right on schedule

Brady goes on.

[Demilich]

43 year olds looked a lot older back in 1970.

[Yer Man]

Baltimore bottling it as soon as the get to the playoffs again.

I'm not liking the play-calling - seem to be so obvious what the offence will do.
And now Lamar heaves one downfield and is easily picked off.
So far off where it should have been thrown that I'm wondering if the wind took it.

[Bwen]

Do the NFL have a history of dodgy 4th quarter decisions by the officials to level play off games? The decision against Bills yesterday for example.

[iarmhiman]

Didn't see that defense coming from Baltimore

[Yer Man]

Didn't see that defense coming from Baltimore

That was an impressive turnaround.

Needed a bit of unbelievable magic to get them rolling, but after that they just strangled the life out of Tennessee. Derrick Henry - only 49 yards
Played Big Boy football on both sides of the ball in the 2nd half.

New the Chiefs have had their number the last couple of meetings, maybe the Ravens are better prepared having had to figure things out the hard way this late season.

[iarmhiman]

Didn't see that defense coming from Baltimore

That was an impressive turnaround.

Needed a bit of unbelievable magic to get them rolling, but after that they just strangled the life out of Tennessee. Derrick Henry - only 49 yards
Played Big Boy football on both sides of the ball in the 2nd half.

New the Chiefs have had their number the last couple of meetings, maybe the Ravens are better prepared having had to figure things out the hard way this late season.

Chiefs are a passing team . Can't see Baltimore stopping Mahomes and Kelce

[Yer Man]

Who was it that stopped the Chiefs about 3 years ago by laying a helmet to helmet hit on Kelce to knock him out of the game?

edit: just checked - it was the Titans.

[blindcider]

Baltimore bottling it as soon as the get to the playoffs again.

I'm not liking the play-calling - seem to be so obvious what the offence will do.
And now Lamar heaves one downfield and is easily picked off.
So far off where it should have been thrown that I'm wondering if the wind took it.

That aged well

Go Ravens!

[fonzeee]

Well, can't blame that one on Mitch. 50 yard bomb right into the breadbasket. Dropped.

[Whatever]

Well, can't blame that one on Mitch. 50 yard bomb right into the breadbasket. Dropped.

I think he was already thinking about his celebration. Poor.

[Yer Man]

Anyone else think Brees is struggling to get enough zip on the ball?

Several passes have been contested or defended because the ball simply takes too long to get there...

[Yer Man]

Baltimore bottling it as soon as the get to the playoffs again.

I'm not liking the play-calling - seem to be so obvious what the offence will do.
And now Lamar heaves one downfield and is easily picked off.
So far off where it should have been thrown that I'm wondering if the wind took it.

That aged well

Go Ravens!

They started shite.

I'm impressed how they managed to figure things out.
I'm a Raiders fan, I'm used to seeing a team that gets shut down early go on to be useless for the entire match

[Kahu]

That was some weak asf defence from the Bears on that Murray TD. 95% of test rugby players take him down before the line

[fonzeee]

That was some weak asf defence from the Bears on that Murray TD. 95% of test rugby players take him down before the line

Tackling in the NFL is generally weaker. Especially in recent times as full contact practices have become increasingly limited due to recent CBAs, but also because defenders are often chosen for coverage ability rather than physicality/tackling. Increasingly so in this pass-happy league.

[Kahu]

That was some weak asf defence from the Bears on that Murray TD. 95% of test rugby players take him down before the line

Tackling in the NFL is generally weaker. Especially in recent times as full contact practices have become increasingly limited due to recent CBAs, but also because defenders are often chosen for coverage ability rather than physicality/tackling. Increasingly so in this pass-happy league.

I used to always think if the USA got involved in Rugby it would dominate the world. Now though I'm less confident of it than ever. I can understand the NFLs position with trying to reduce the head injury toll with the IRB heading down the same path.

Apologies to any Steelers fans here, they've lost every game this season I've backed them to cover the line.

Also what was up with that sucker punch crap?

[Gavin Duffy]

Are the Browns 28-0 up in Q1? Am I reading that right?

[paddyor]

Are the Browns 28-0 up in Q1? Am I reading that right?

Yep, just got another intercept

[Kahu]

This KHunt is going alright. Love his name

[paddyor]

Browns shitting the bed now 35-23 steelers to get the ball on their 38

[paddyor]

Big 'ol Ben!

[Whatever]

Big 'ol Ben!

Just sitting on the bench by himself, not even going out to congratulate the winners.

[Flyin Ryan]

Big 'ol Ben!

Just sitting on the bench by himself, not even going out to congratulate the winners.

Probably just depressed at how they went out. Started off 11-0, finish the season 1-5, and were chasing the Browns whole game.

Could also be retiring. It wouldn't surprise me. (Rumors out there when Brees loses he's done.)

Next weekend's schedule:

Saturday has Rams at Packers in the early game, Ravens at Bills in the nightcap.
Sunday is Browns at Chiefs early and Bucs at Saints late.

[Flyin Ryan]

That was some weak asf defence from the Bears on that Murray TD. 95% of test rugby players take him down before the line

Tackling in the NFL is generally weaker. Especially in recent times as full contact practices have become increasingly limited due to recent CBAs, but also because defenders are often chosen for coverage ability rather than physicality/tackling. Increasingly so in this pass-happy league.

I used to always think if the USA got involved in Rugby it would dominate the world. Now though I'm less confident of it than ever. I can understand the NFLs position with trying to reduce the head injury toll with the IRB heading down the same path.

Amateur wrestlers are better crossover athletes into rugby than football players. We get loads of both in U.S. senior men's amateur rugby. The wrestlers do the rucking and tackling awesome because it's built into them to get low. Football players can handle the physicality of the game perfectly fine.

I watched our women play Italy once in the Women's World Cup, and a more competitive USA Men's team could be a better version of them. Italy dominated our women in every rugby aspect of the game, especially in the scrum. But we killed them with speed out wide, so in this one narrow instance, our athleticism beat Italian rugby skill and the U.S. won the game. It was quite the crazy game to watch really. I think our men would be better than that game form just because we'd have guys in the scrum playing in Europe or wherever.

[Flyin Ryan]

The Footballs done, right on schedule

I thought their QB Heinicke played a really good game for himself considering it was his first career start.

I feel Seattle's and Pittsburgh's losses over the weekend were really damning in a sense of "where do we go from here?" Seattle are wasting most of Russell Wilson's career because they cannot find effective offensive linemen to protect him year after year, and him being a scrambling QB and getting older, the end is near. Pittsburgh meanwhile, something has to change. Tomlin, Roethlisberger, something. Normally it's the coach but Rooney has always given his coaches a long leash. Roethlisberger is in his twilight.

[Yer Man]

The Footballs done, right on schedule

I thought their QB Heinicke played a really good game for himself considering it was his first career start.

I feel Seattle's and Pittsburgh's losses over the weekend were really damning in a sense of "where do we go from here?" Seattle are wasting most of Russell Wilson's career because they cannot find effective offensive linemen to protect him year after year, and him being a scrambling QB and getting older, the end is near. Pittsburgh meanwhile, something has to change. Tomlin, Roethlisberger, something. Normally it's the coach but Rooney has always given his coaches a long leash. Roethlisberger is in his twilight.

Pittsburgh to make a trade for Darnold or Wentz and draft a quality running back would go a long way to refreshing things.