2017 NFL thread v. Patriots Dynasty

[axeman90210]

Cam Newton has been in the league since 2011. He has probably been asked hundreds of questions over the years, especially during the MVP/SB season.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the first time that a female reporter brought up routes and it completely threw him off guard.

Not condoning anything. Just trying to look at all angles.

I dont think he should have said that in that forum, but I personally don't find it that big of a deal.  I feel like I did something similar not too long ago when Stadler Axeman and I were having a beer and a few females came by and we started talking and they were going to the Iron Maiden concert as well, and I was like "wow some females who like Maiden".  I guess I am a sexist or something, but it surprised me.  Not that they don't exist, but I hadn't really come across any in conversation before.  Sort of like how Cam probably hadn't gotten asked about routes from a female before.  You got to know your audience, and he should know that anything that can be taken as a slight will be taken so, so I think there is fault on him here, but I don't think it should be a big uproar personally.

I think the difference there is that he was implying that it was surprising to hear a woman talking about route running because women wouldn't know that much about the intricacies of football (objective knowledge), whereas music is a much more subjective experience.

[cramx3]

I agree, I think I was also pointing at "there's a time and a place" such as, being on a podium, you don't make those comments or laugh, whereas in a bar, I wouldn't necessarily say it's appropriate, but much more informal and no spotlight and I didn't think the words Cam said were so bad or wrong ( I didn't watch the clip, just read the quotes, so I missed the laugh) but more of where he said it and I would add, how he said it, as well because I think, I myself might have a similar reaction to a female talking the intricacies of the sport, and I know I've said so to a female I dated before who was much more into football than I was who didn't get offended, but we were also in a bar.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Carson Wentz does not look like a 2nd year QB. He is on track to be elite.

[KevShmev]

The league is in good hands with a lot of really good young signal callers.  I think Wentz and Prescott will both in the next 2-3 years be in that top tier, and Goff is showing early this season why he was the 1st pick. Carr and Mariotta could both make it, but QBs who are as injury-prone as they are showing themselves to be are rarely elite.

Their upside is limited because of who their QB is, but that Jags D is legit.  On the flip side, has Roethlisberger hit the wall?  The eye test sure seems to say so.

[King Postwhore]

The league is in good hands with a lot of really good young signal callers.  I think Wentz and Prescott will both in the next 2-3 years be in that top tier, and Goff is showing early this season why he was the 1st pick. Carr and Mariotta could both make it, but QBs who are as injury-prone as they are showing themselves to be are rarely elite.

Their upside is limited because of who their QB is, but that Jags D is legit.  On the flip side, has Roethlisberger hit the wall?  The eye test sure seems to say so.

I totally agree Kev.

[KevShmev]

I think Wilson was just on the cusp of being elite for a while, but the organization has completely let him down and now I am not sure he will ever get there.

[King Postwhore]

No doubt.  He's running for his life.  I feel the same way aboutLuck.  The organization has let him down as well.

[El Barto]

While I'm certainly happy to see the Giant's season collapse out from under them, it's a shame to see ODB2 go down. Always a loss when somebody so exciting goes out.

[PowerSlave]

On the flip side, has Roethlisberger hit the wall?  The eye test sure seems to say so.

Yes. He's still better than average at times, but the beating that he's taken over the years is beginning to take its toll. The physical attributes that he used to be able to rely on are diminishing, and I think that a change of focus in the team's offensive scheme is in order. They need to return to being a more balanced attack like they were when they had the bus, and Ben entered the league. This isn't the first time that we've seen a QB approach the end of their career to become much more reliant on their ground game. However, the problem with that is that rather than divide the workload on a set of RB's, Tomlin likes to run the wheels off of one guy at a time. In turn, the team is usually hurting at the position by the time that the post season comes around.

[DragonAttack]

Is Oakland's defense that bad, or did the Ravens just have 'one of those days'?  Haven't seen Baltimore look that good offensively since Kubiak was the OC. 

Maybe it was going back to white shoes

[KevShmev]

Aaron Rodgers = 

[King Postwhore]

J.J. Watt = Gronk.

[Cable]

I wouldn't go that far yet. Gonk hasn't played 16 games due to injury for five out the six past years, already counting this year. This is however two years of apparently huge injuries for Watt, and not that far into either of the years.

[faizoff]

Anyone see the video of the Dolphin's line coach snorting right some 'powder' before a coaches meeting? I can't stop laughing at the banter he's got going lol. Not going to link here but the ending line is classic.

[Cable]

Anyone see the video of the Dolphin's line coach snorting right some 'powder' before a coaches meeting? I can't stop laughing at the banter he's got going lol. Not going to link here but the ending line is classic.

I’ll have to check it when I get home, I saw it mentioned on Mike&Mike while I was at the gym. They thought it was terrible (choice).

[mikeyd23]

On the flip side, has Roethlisberger hit the wall?  The eye test sure seems to say so.

Yes. He's still better than average at times, but the beating that he's taken over the years is beginning to take its toll. The physical attributes that he used to be able to rely on are diminishing, and I think that a change of focus in the team's offensive scheme is in order. They need to return to being a more balanced attack like they were when they had the bus, and Ben entered the league. This isn't the first time that we've seen a QB approach the end of their career to become much more reliant on their ground game. However, the problem with that is that rather than divide the workload on a set of RB's, Tomlin likes to run the wheels off of one guy at a time. In turn, the team is usually hurting at the position by the time that the post season comes around.

I agree. He's definitely playing below expectation, but with the surrounding cast, it frankly shouldn't matter. Someone needs to inform Haley he has the most loaded offense in the league, the season is over a quarter of the way done, and he still has yet to figure out an identity for his unit and/or how to actually utilize the weapons he has effectively.

[Azyiu]

Aaron Rodgers = 

     

[KevShmev]

I agree. He's definitely playing below expectation, but with the surrounding cast, it frankly shouldn't matter. Someone needs to inform Haley he has the most loaded offense in the league, the season is over a quarter of the way done, and he still has yet to figure out an identity for his unit and/or how to actually utilize the weapons he has effectively.

Todd Haley is always the whipping boy of Steelers fans when things aren't going well. 

I think the beginning of the 4th quarter told the tale.  20-9, Jags have the ball at their own 2, and they run it on every down to get into FG range and extend the lead, killing over half of the 4th quarter clock in the process.  At some point, the head coach has to be held responsible, no?

[PowerSlave]

I agree. He's definitely playing below expectation, but with the surrounding cast, it frankly shouldn't matter. Someone needs to inform Haley he has the most loaded offense in the league, the season is over a quarter of the way done, and he still has yet to figure out an identity for his unit and/or how to actually utilize the weapons he has effectively.

Todd Haley is always the whipping boy of Steelers fans when things aren't going well. 

I think the beginning of the 4th quarter told the tale.  20-9, Jags have the ball at their own 2, and they run it on every down to get into FG range and extend the lead, killing over half of the 4th quarter clock in the process.  At some point, the head coach has to be held responsible, no?

I don't hate Tomlin. Much of the fan base despises him, but the answer is yes. The problem, in this case, lies at the top. I hope he gets it figured out soon.

[Stadler]

It's rarely, if ever, ONE PERSON, though the change out of one person can often be the spark to get things going.  I don't watch them close enough to know which change is the most needed, but when even Ben wonders - out loud - whether he's lost it, that's indicative (and I'm a Ben fan, so that isn't a knock on him). 

[TAC]

It's rarely, if ever, ONE PERSON, though the change out of one person can often be the spark to get things going.  I don't watch them close enough to know which change is the most needed, but when even Ben wonders - out loud - whether he's lost it, that's indicative (and I'm a Ben fan, so that isn't a knock on him).

Yeah, I agree. And I love Ben (the player) too..

[mikeyd23]

I agree. He's definitely playing below expectation, but with the surrounding cast, it frankly shouldn't matter. Someone needs to inform Haley he has the most loaded offense in the league, the season is over a quarter of the way done, and he still has yet to figure out an identity for his unit and/or how to actually utilize the weapons he has effectively.

Todd Haley is always the whipping boy of Steelers fans when things aren't going well. 

I think the beginning of the 4th quarter told the tale.  20-9, Jags have the ball at their own 2, and they run it on every down to get into FG range and extend the lead, killing over half of the 4th quarter clock in the process.  At some point, the head coach has to be held responsible, no?

I don't disagree. Tomlin is Haley's boss, so yeah... And I don't mean to harp on Haley, but seriously, there is valid criticism for him at this point.

It's rarely, if ever, ONE PERSON, though the change out of one person can often be the spark to get things going.  I don't watch them close enough to know which change is the most needed, but when even Ben wonders - out loud - whether he's lost it, that's indicative (and I'm a Ben fan, so that isn't a knock on him).

Yeah, I agree. And I love Ben (the player) too..

You guys know he was frustrated and just trying to be accountable for a really bad game, right? I think the media is blowing this one out of proportion, I wouldn't read into it beyond that.

[KevShmev]

I don't hate Tomlin. Much of the fan base despises him, but the answer is yes. The problem, in this case, lies at the top. I hope he gets it figured out soon.

I think, at this point, Tomlin is who he is as a coach.  Like Colin Cowherd often says, the Steelers under him are never "buttoned up."  Heck, Roethlisberger has taken several indirect shots at him in the past year.  I think Ben is frustrated at seeing his last years play out on a team that often looks unprepared and/or unfocused.

  Tomlin is Haley's boss, so yeah... And I don't mean to harp on Haley, but seriously, there is valid criticism for him at this point.

I think the coaches, starting with Tomlin, are too worried about keeping Antonio Brown happy.  He throws that tantrum last week, and boom, gets 19 targets the following game. Between his FB nonsense last year in the playoffs and his tantrum last week, Brown gets away with everything, and Tomlin refuses to do anything to get him to knock it off. Can you imagine a player pulling that nonsense under Belichick??

[King Postwhore]

Makes me so happy seeing you credit Belichick Kev.  Lol

[PowerSlave]

I don't hate Tomlin. Much of the fan base despises him, but the answer is yes. The problem, in this case, lies at the top. I hope he gets it figured out soon.

I think, at this point, Tomlin is who he is as a coach.  Like Colin Cowherd often says, the Steelers under him are never "buttoned up."  Heck, Roethlisberger has taken several indirect shots at him in the past year.  I think Ben is frustrated at seeing his last years play out on a team that often looks unprepared and/or unfocused.

  Tomlin is Haley's boss, so yeah... And I don't mean to harp on Haley, but seriously, there is valid criticism for him at this point.

I think the coaches, starting with Tomlin, are too worried about keeping Antonio Brown happy.  He throws that tantrum last week, and boom, gets 19 targets the following game. Between his FB nonsense last year in the playoffs and his tantrum last week, Brown gets away with everything, and Tomlin refuses to do anything to get him to knock it off. Can you imagine a player pulling that nonsense under Belichick??

I miss Bill Cowher. He wasn't anymore successful than Tomlin has been, but I prefer how he handled these kinds of situations. He was too much of a hard-ass to allow these kinds of things.

That being said, I do believe it's within Tomlin's power to right the ship. When jobs get put on the line it could be the perfect situation to see what he's made of.

[TAC]

Makes me so happy seeing you credit Belichick Kev.  Lol

In case anyone missed it..

Can you imagine a player pulling that nonsense under Belichick??

[KevShmev]

Post-Week 5 Power Rankings

Top 10
1. Kansas City -  lost in their 5-0 start is that there was their toughest 5-game stretch of the season
2. Philadelphia - they continue to impress everywhere
3. Washington - can they get their record to reflect how good they have looked?
4. Carolina - back to back road wins at NE and Detroit, and Newton all of a sudden looks like the 2015 version again
5. Denver - can they win on the road? We will find out soon.
6. Green Bay - no words left for how good Aaron Rodgers is
7. LA Rams - despite the tough loss, this is still a team on the rise
8. Jacksonville - unbelievably, this team is 2nd in the NFL in point differential; imagine if they had a real QB!
9. New England - ugly win over TB, but now there are reports that Brady's shoulder is banged up; is this the beginning?
10. Seattle - that o-line is god-awful, but any team with Russell Wilson and that D has a chance

Trending Up
NY Jets - 3 wins in a row???!!!!
Minnesota - fought back to over .500, but their upside is limited with Case Keenum at QB
New Orleans - got rid of the dead weight that was old man Adrian Peterson
Cincinnati - can they get back in it?
Buffalo - despite the loss, this is still a team doing better than expected

Trending Down
Dallas - offensive line simply does not as dominant this year
Oakland - getting Carr back will help, but what has happened to Amari Cooper? 
Tennessee - have to be considered one of the biggest disappointments thus far
Tampa Bay - just when I thought they were on the rise, Winston plays like Ryan Leaf for most of the game
Pittsburgh - should survive enough to win that division, but this team has a lot of issues

Bottom 5
28. Chicago - more growing pains coming from the rookie
30. Indianapolis - 2-3 on the way to 5-11
30 . NY Giants - they should tank, get a new coach, and draft a new QB
31. San Francisco - on pace to either sign Cousins or get one of the top QBs in next year's draft
32. Cleveland - they are somehow getting worse

NFL MVP Top 5
1. Aaron Rodgers - take him away and this team is quite possibly 0-5
2. Alex Smith - playing out of his mind thus far
3. Carson Wentz - this guy has superstar written all over him
4. Tom Brady - will likely move up as the Patriots win more games, assuming he stays healthy
5. Kareem Hunt - not just the rookie of the year, but the best RB this year so far and a major difference maker

[KevShmev]

Makes me so happy seeing you credit Belichick Kev.  Lol

Hey now, I always give Belichick props.  The guy is the best coach ever.

I miss Bill Cowher. He wasn't anymore successful than Tomlin has been, but I prefer how he handled these kinds of situations. He was too much of a hard-ass to allow these kinds of things.

Imagine if Cowher had a QB the caliber of Roethlisberger for all of his career like Tomlin has.  I am actually shocked he hasn't made the Hall of Fame yet.

[cramx3]

30 . NY Giants - they should tank, get a new coach, and draft a new QB

Pretty much how I feel about this team.  They are done this year and McAdoo has been shown he is outcoached consistenty.  I think it's time for a full house clean starting with the GM Reese who knew they had OL issues and did nothing to fix it, maybe because he was hoping his draft pick (Flowers) would get things going, but he's terrible.  I think Eli still has something left, but they should get a top notch QB to ride the coattails next season and depending on if Eli can mesh with the new coach, then maybe he can keep playing another year after. 

[King Postwhore]

KC looks for real buy I also know I have to say "Prove me this in the playoffs KC".

[TAC]

Sergio Dipp will work the sidelines of the Pats-Raiders game in Mexico City.

[KevShmev]

Sergio Dipp will work the sidelines of the Pats-Raiders game in Mexico City.

And he will have the time of his life.

Pretty much how I feel about this team.  They are done this year and McAdoo has been shown he is outcoached consistenty.  I think it's time for a full house clean starting with the GM Reese who knew they had OL issues and did nothing to fix it, maybe because he was hoping his draft pick (Flowers) would get things going, but he's terrible.  I think Eli still has something left, but they should get a top notch QB to ride the coattails next season and depending on if Eli can mesh with the new coach, then maybe he can keep playing another year after.

Eli is too much of statue back there now. Might as well get a young QB who has some upside. Eli has been trash for several years now, except for having Beckham there to jack up his stats.

KC looks for real buy I also know I have to say "Prove me this in the playoffs KC".

Yep, that is the way it goes when you do not have a proven track record.  Barring injuries, I don't see how they don't get the 1 seed in the AFC.

[King Postwhore]

Unless they just fall apart, they are the one seed.

[mikeyd23]

I don't hate Tomlin. Much of the fan base despises him, but the answer is yes. The problem, in this case, lies at the top. I hope he gets it figured out soon.

I think, at this point, Tomlin is who he is as a coach.  Like Colin Cowherd often says, the Steelers under him are never "buttoned up."  Heck, Roethlisberger has taken several indirect shots at him in the past year.  I think Ben is frustrated at seeing his last years play out on a team that often looks unprepared and/or unfocused.

  Tomlin is Haley's boss, so yeah... And I don't mean to harp on Haley, but seriously, there is valid criticism for him at this point.

I think the coaches, starting with Tomlin, are too worried about keeping Antonio Brown happy.  He throws that tantrum last week, and boom, gets 19 targets the following game. Between his FB nonsense last year in the playoffs and his tantrum last week, Brown gets away with everything, and Tomlin refuses to do anything to get him to knock it off. Can you imagine a player pulling that nonsense under Belichick??

I miss Bill Cowher. He wasn't anymore successful than Tomlin has been, but I prefer how he handled these kinds of situations. He was too much of a hard-ass to allow these kinds of things.

That being said, I do believe it's within Tomlin's power to right the ship. When jobs get put on the line it could be the perfect situation to see what he's made of.

Couple of things. First off, I think Ben is frustrated with several things Steelers-related at the moment. Tomlin is one, AB is definitely one. And I think he's clearly frustrated with himself, and rightfully so. Second, it should be clear to most at this point that AB is a distraction at best, a locker room cancer at worst and has zero interest in winning, only interest in his own gain. How many SBs have the Steelers won with AB? Oh yeah, none... and they clearly don't look like they are on the brink of doing so. And lastly, no way Cowher would have put up with this stuff, but that said, every coach is different and handles these things differently.

Imagine if Cowher had a QB the caliber of Roethlisberger for all of his career like Tomlin has.  I am actually shocked he hasn't made the Hall of Fame yet.

Bingo. Cowher had years and years of horrible talent to work with at QB (Slash!!), if Bill had Ben through the entirety of Ben's career I'd wager Ben would have possibly 4 championships at this point rather than 2. And in terms of championships, 4 is way, way more than 2.

[Stadler]

Makes me so happy seeing you credit Belichick Kev.  Lol

Hey now, I always give Belichick props.  The guy is the best coach ever.

I miss Bill Cowher. He wasn't anymore successful than Tomlin has been, but I prefer how he handled these kinds of situations. He was too much of a hard-ass to allow these kinds of things.

Imagine if Cowher had a QB the caliber of Roethlisberger for all of his career like Tomlin has.  I am actually shocked he hasn't made the Hall of Fame yet.

I actually wanted to say this.    I don't have anything against Tomlin, though I don't like his "wolf pack" mentality as a coach, but this is where coaching comes into play.   Would you rather have Yngwie - really, REALLY good at one thing, and pretty much one thing only, or would you rather have Steve Morse or Steve Howe - very good at most everything in that context.   I think Tomlin is a Super Bowl coach when everything aligns for him.  Players are healthy, no controversy, etc.   I think Cowher is a Super Bowl coach even when NOTHING is aligning for him.