2020 NFL Thread v. Tom Brady aging better than Mila Kunis

[Stadler]

This is always that time of year, though, and with COVID, it's even worse than before.  With no preseason, the injuries are going to be more of a factor (ask any SF fan), and so it's all up in the air.  I think if anyone tells you they "know" who will be in the Super Bowl, they're deluding themselves.

I'm Team New Orleans right now, and I'm deeply concerned that they've peaked.   In a one-game playoff situation, the Steelers are beatable, the Chiefs are beatable, the Packers are beatable, the Bills...

[El Barto]

HAHAHA!

Hey, I found this.  I mentioned Wentz as a Pat earlier, and on it's face it doesn't make sense, but this - where a trade before March of 2021 breaks the Eagles even on the cap - is intriguing.    In fact, they are number two on the list of potential landing spots for Carson.  But honestly, 3, 4, and 5 (especially five) make even LESS sense.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/forecasting-carson-wentzs-future-what-are-eagles-options-2021-landing-spots-contract-scenarios/

Nobody's going to trade for the guy. He makes 34.5 next year, and the only way around it would be to restructure his deal over a longer term. He's worth neither the 34.5 nor the multi-year commitment. Phili is stuck with him on their bench next year.

[Stadler]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.   

[Dream Team]

Pats whip Chargers 45-0 and are within Cam being stopped at the 1-yd line against Seattle and fumbling down there against Buffalo of being 8-4 with 8 opt-outs on D. Belichick continues to answer the question, emphatically. This roster being 6-6 while Tampa's loaded roster is 1 game better is pretty funny.

[Stadler]

Pats whip Chargers 45-0 and are within Cam being stopped at the 1-yd line against Seattle and fumbling down there against Buffalo of being 8-4 with 8 opt-outs on D. Belichick continues to answer the question, emphatically. This roster being 6-6 while Tampa's loaded roster is 1 game better is pretty funny.

It's not a bad way of looking at it. 

Watch the games too; once you get past the "names", the Pats are playing disciplined, smart football, and the Bucs are... well, not.   

[hunnus2000]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

Troy is on every week on a sports radio station in Dallas. Tuesdays at 7:50am. He doesn't mince words and he's definitely not a homer. He's also hilarious!

Now it's hard for me to believe that the players just suck when the change is at defensive scheme and coordinator. Their "D" looks like they are playing to contain rather than attack. I think I'm going to refer to them as the Covid Cowboys.....

[King Postwhore]

That's why to win 6 SB's you need both.  Something I will never see again in my lifetime. 

[Stadler]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

Troy is on every week on a sports radio station in Dallas. Tuesdays at 7:50am. He doesn't mince words and he's definitely not a homer. He's also hilarious!

Now it's hard for me to believe that the players just suck when the change is at defensive scheme and coordinator. Their "D" looks like they are playing to contain rather than attack. I think I'm going to refer to them as the Covid Cowboys.....

There are some that don't like him, but I'm a fan.

And as I think about it, it seems like being a Cowboys QB is a precursor to being a good broadcaster (Dandy Don, Troy, Tony Romo, of whom I'm also a fan).

[hunnus2000]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

Troy is on every week on a sports radio station in Dallas. Tuesdays at 7:50am. He doesn't mince words and he's definitely not a homer. He's also hilarious!

Now it's hard for me to believe that the players just suck when the change is at defensive scheme and coordinator. Their "D" looks like they are playing to contain rather than attack. I think I'm going to refer to them as the Covid Cowboys.....

There are some that don't like him, but I'm a fan.

And as I think about it, it seems like being a Cowboys QB is a precursor to being a good broadcaster (Dandy Don, Troy, Tony Romo, of whom I'm also a fan).

Dandy Don  - that Monday night crew was one for the ages. Between the three of them they would down a gallon of vodka every Monday night until management told them to stop. 

[El Barto]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

Troy is on every week on a sports radio station in Dallas. Tuesdays at 7:50am. He doesn't mince words and he's definitely not a homer. He's also hilarious!

Now it's hard for me to believe that the players just suck when the change is at defensive scheme and coordinator. Their "D" looks like they are playing to contain rather than attack. I think I'm going to refer to them as the Covid Cowboys.....

There are some that don't like him, but I'm a fan.

And as I think about it, it seems like being a Cowboys QB is a precursor to being a good broadcaster (Dandy Don, Troy, Tony Romo, of whom I'm also a fan).

Don't forget Jason Witten.

[Stadler]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

Troy is on every week on a sports radio station in Dallas. Tuesdays at 7:50am. He doesn't mince words and he's definitely not a homer. He's also hilarious!

Now it's hard for me to believe that the players just suck when the change is at defensive scheme and coordinator. Their "D" looks like they are playing to contain rather than attack. I think I'm going to refer to them as the Covid Cowboys.....

There are some that don't like him, but I'm a fan.

And as I think about it, it seems like being a Cowboys QB is a precursor to being a good broadcaster (Dandy Don, Troy, Tony Romo, of whom I'm also a fan).

Don't forget Jason Witten.

Or Daryl Johnston, though I don't like him as much as Aikman and Romo.

[KevShmev]

Watch the games too; once you get past the "names", the Pats are playing disciplined, smart football, and the Bucs are... well, not.

Right.  Brady is seeing now how the other half lives. For as great as he has been, he had the luxury of playing on a team for 20 years that was very disciplined, not going to beat itself, and almost always did the little things right. 

[El Barto]

Watch the games too; once you get past the "names", the Pats are playing disciplined, smart football, and the Bucs are... well, not.

Right.  Brady is seeing now how the other half lives. For as great as he has been, he had the luxury of playing on a team for 20 years that was very disciplined, not going to beat itself, and almost always did the little things right.

Yep. I posted about this week one, when his receivers were quitting routes early (one resulted in a pick) and his D was committing stupid penalties. He might not have liked all the discipline in NE, but I bet he sure appreciates it now. This is the cost of going to play someplace more relaxed.

As for Bill, I'd say that NE is actually over-achieving this year, given the circumstances. Tonight is the big test of how well it's coming together, but to be honest, my money is on LAR's D over NE's QB. That money wouldn't be more than a buck or so, though. 

[TAC]

As for Bill, I'd say that NE is actually over-achieving this year, given the circumstances. Tonight is the big test of how well it's coming together, but to be honest, my money is on LAR's D over NE's QB. That money wouldn't be more than a buck or so, though. 

Overachieving??

No way. 6-6 is in no way an overacheivement to this point. If they win out and end up at 10-6, then I'll concur. But to me, 9-7 was the MINIMUM expectation this year.

[KevShmev]

Patriots/Rams under 45 tonight was my lock of the year.  I can't see either team scoring more than 20, which means it'll end up 34-30.

Full disclosure: I am 30-35 in my Blazing 5 picks this year (a buddy and I pick 5 games either against the spread or on the over/under), so my lock of the year is like a fading stock. 

[El Barto]

As for Bill, I'd say that NE is actually over-achieving this year, given the circumstances. Tonight is the big test of how well it's coming together, but to be honest, my money is on LAR's D over NE's QB. That money wouldn't be more than a buck or so, though. 

Overachieving??

No way. 6-6 is in no way an overacheivement to this point. If they win out and end up at 10-6, then I'll concur. But to me, 9-7 was the MINIMUM expectation this year.

Was that before or after the opt-outs? Or the covid inactives? Or the injuries to the O-line? I said 10-6 before the season got underway, but that quickly turned into a 6-10 when the shit really started to hit the fan.

[TAC]

Was that before or after the opt-outs? Or the covid inactives? Or the injuries to the O-line? I said 10-6 before the season got underway, but that quickly turned into a 6-10 when the shit really started to hit the fan.

After the opt-outs. I know Hightower was a tough loss.

Covid inactives? The only game Cam I think missed was KC, which they were going to lose anyway even with him. Did Gilmour miss a game or two because of Covid? I don't remember.

O-Line injuries? I mean there's injuries every year, but they've had Andrews back this year and that's huge.

None of these should've prevented them from going anything less than 9-7.

[El Barto]

Was that before or after the opt-outs? Or the covid inactives? Or the injuries to the O-line? I said 10-6 before the season got underway, but that quickly turned into a 6-10 when the shit really started to hit the fan.

After the opt-outs. I know Hightower was a tough loss.

Covid inactives? The only game Cam I think missed was KC, which they were going to lose anyway even with him. Did Gilmour miss a game or two because of Covid? I don't remember.

O-Line injuries? I mean there's injuries every year, but they've had Andrews back this year and that's huge.

None of these should've prevented them from going anything less than 9-7.

I'd say that was optimistic. The Patriots had four meaningful opt-outs (I know Vitale hadn't even played yet, but we've seen the importance of a skilled FB for the type of game NE plays). Moreover, there were two games with O-linemen playing out of position alongside 3rd stringers. Also, I said over-achieving this year, under the circumstances. I'm not basing this on my pre-season projection, but rather some of the things they've had to contend with since this abortion of an NFL season began.

But, hey, maybe I'll back off of over-achievng and just say they're doing every bit as well as could be reasonable expected.

[King Postwhore]

Disagree Tim. El Barto is correct.   The one thing I like is the youth getting playing time. It may be a benefit moving forward.

[KevShmev]

I think COVID wrecked the Patriots games against the Broncos and 49ers as well.  They barely got to practice, and that is a death knell for a Belichick team, which always relies on precision, repetition and details.  How this team is 6-6 is unreal.

[TAC]

I think COVID wrecked the Patriots games against the Broncos and 49ers as well.  They barely got to practice, and that is a death knell for a Belichick team, which always relies on precision, repetition and details.  How this team is 6-6 is unreal.

Yup, and he was the first person to whine about that.



They still should've beaten the Broncos. I expected them to lose against San Fran, so that was already a loss for me. I'm not buying it. Covid maybe made the game go from a loss to an embarrassment.

[King Postwhore]

2 plays.  Oof.

[TAC]

Was that before or after the opt-outs? Or the covid inactives? Or the injuries to the O-line? I said 10-6 before the season got underway, but that quickly turned into a 6-10 when the shit really started to hit the fan.

After the opt-outs. I know Hightower was a tough loss.

Covid inactives? The only game Cam I think missed was KC, which they were going to lose anyway even with him. Did Gilmour miss a game or two because of Covid? I don't remember.

O-Line injuries? I mean there's injuries every year, but they've had Andrews back this year and that's huge.

None of these should've prevented them from going anything less than 9-7.

I'd say that was optimistic. The Patriots had four meaningful opt-outs (I know Vitale hadn't even played yet, but we've seen the importance of a skilled FB for the type of game NE plays). Moreover, there were two games with O-linemen playing out of position alongside 3rd stringers. Also, I said over-achieving this year, under the circumstances. I'm not basing this on my pre-season projection, but rather some of the things they've had to contend with since this abortion of an NFL season began.

But, hey, maybe I'll back off of over-achievng and just say they're doing every bit as well as could be reasonable expected.

I think a Belichick team, for as good as he is, should've overcome some of these things. If you're saying that 9-7 was a glass half full season, that's fine. Every team has circumstances every year. Belichick is paid to overcome these things. A 9-7 record simply doesn't do it.

[TAC]

With a buy one get one free sale, I cam take care of both Kingshmegland and El Barto this Christmas.

[King Postwhore]

So I can look like Danny Devito's Penguin as a Pats fan?  No thank you.

[King Postwhore]

To me, that was not down by contact.  Until he has control the receiver whiffed trying to touch him.

[TAC]

To me, that was not down by contact.  Until he has control the receiver whiffed trying to touch him.

I agree.

[King Postwhore]

And after a missed call like that Cam throws a pick 6.

[DragonAttack]

You're probably right; I just have dreams of glory. 

Anyone watch the game last night?  Funny exchange between Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, where they were both gushing over Tucker, who had - to that point - made something like 76 straight field goals under 40 yards.  Buck even made the joke about who would be to blame if he tanked it because of all their praise.  He made the field goal attempt, but it was wiped out by a penalty then he hooked the retry. It was funny, and I think Buck was truly a little embarrassed by it.

Troy was REALLY harsh to the Cowboys.  On more than one occasion he flat out said they were tanking it, not putting in the effort.

I think I've heard every announcing team say stuff like that after he'd hit thirty straight.  And, yeah, after finally seeing the second half earlier this evening, I wonder if Jerry Jones will ever talk to Aikman.  The truth hurts.

[KevShmev]

I think COVID wrecked the Patriots games against the Broncos and 49ers as well.  They barely got to practice, and that is a death knell for a Belichick team, which always relies on precision, repetition and details.  How this team is 6-6 is unreal.

Yup, and he was the first person to whine about that.



They still should've beaten the Broncos. I expected them to lose against San Fran, so that was already a loss for me. I'm not buying it. Covid maybe made the game go from a loss to an embarrassment.

I think you are being a bit harsh.  Opt-outs and losing weeks due to COVID are not little things that are easily overcome.  If you want to bag on Belichick for not getting more talent at the skill positions, I can get on board with that, but all things considered, he has done a terrific job this season. I can't think of another coach in the NFL who would have this team at .500 this deep into the season given all they have dealt with.

[TAC]

He's a great coach. I get it.

I don't know. I'm not impressed, what can I say. 6-6 is weak.


It's a me problem I guess.

[El Barto]

He's a great coach. I get it.

I don't know. I'm not impressed, what can I say. 6-6 is weak.


It's a me problem I guess.

Yeah, you're spoiled.

[King Postwhore]

We are.  Can't disagree. 

[TAC]

He's a great coach. I get it.

I don't know. I'm not impressed, what can I say. 6-6 is weak.


It's a me problem I guess.

Yeah, you're spoiled.

Hah!

That's the second time I've been called spoiled on DTF in the last week.

[KevShmev]

It's a state of mind. I was talking to a co-worker about this a few weeks ago.  As a Broncos fan, it sucks to see them going through this down period, especially since I am used to them always contending at a high level (7 Super Bowl appearances since I became a fan 35 years ago, with 3 wins), but it's the nature of sports.  Down periods or down seasons are going to happen in pro sports for every franchise.  Hell, even the Yankees went through a down period, by their standards, for most of the 80's and the early 90's.

Maybe we should all just get together and have a good laugh at the Dallas Cowboys who are living off the glory days of 25+ years ago in order to stay relevant.