2018 NFL Thread - The Dynasty

[King Postwhore]

The Patriots had the 5th best rushing attack in the NFL this season and a top 10 scoring defense.  And, oh yeah, they still have Bill Belichick as their coach and (despite his age) Tom Brady at QB.  It's crazy for anyone to suggest that this team isn't good enough to win it all any more.

I see that but the offense has been dysfunctional and the Defense can't stop anyone worth their salt.  This game worries me.

[busty sinclair]

the Ravens average 300 yards of rushing a game since lamar jackson took over and were held to under 100 against the chargers.  All I'm saying is that if the chargers defense plays the way they played in Baltimore it could be a long day for NE.

[Stadler]

I think it says volumes that the fact that the Pats - still four point favorites - aren't a lock in the Divisional round is in and of itself news.   I think two good teams are going to play football on Sunday, and whoever remains has a REAL good shot at bringing home an even bigger trophy in three weeks.   

[Destiny Of Chaos]

The Pats get the benefit of the doubt. Chargers have everything to prove here. Would love to see the Chargers win....but I know what BB can do with a bye week.

[rab7]

the Ravens average 300 yards of rushing a game since lamar jackson took over and were held to under 100 against the chargers.  All I'm saying is that if the chargers defense plays the way they played in Baltimore it could be a long day for NE.

The Ravens didn't change much from their meeting a few weeks ago, and the Chargers figured out a couple of "tells", particularly the LT's feet, which indicated run/pass 100% of the time

[pg1067]

I dont see how the patriots win this game. yeah they have brady but that chargers d line with bosa, ingram and even philon and square is playing great. the secondary is dangerous as well especially if they play out of that 7 db nickel package. old man gronk vs derwin james or adrian phillips. i'll take that match up all day.

the only thing that worries me about that game is the chargers offense. the chargers havent looked right since the chiefs game granted they've played much tougher defenses in baltimore, denver and baltimore again so it'll be interesting to see what they could do against a soft pats defense.

With all due respect, I don't see how anyone who watches football can say that.

Agree.  It's not unrealistic to thing the Chargers might win, but to suggest that there's no apparent way for the Patriots to win is baffling.  It's not like the Patriots barely squeaked into the playoffs or the Chargers were some sort of juggernaut.  We're not talking about the 1985 Bears here.  And, the Patriots have had two weeks to rest and prepare for this game.  Will it shock me if the Chargers win?  No, but I don't think it'll happen.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Looks like Cleveland and Denver have decided on new head coaches.

Kitchens to Cleveland looked obvious. I trust Dorsey's judgment completely. If Kitchens and Baker got good mojo...don't break it up.

Fangio to Denver is interesting. It's a bit of strength/strength hire so it will be interesting to see who he gets to run the offense.

[El Barto]

I like Arians, Bowles, and Leftwich going to Tampa. What could possibly go wrong? 

And I was glad to see GB hire somebody that wasn't JMD. While I think he's going to inherit a trainwreck, I would like to see him get the NE gig when the time comes.

[mikeyd23]

I like Arians, Bowles, and Leftwich going to Tampa.

Steelers fans everywhere mourning the pipe dream of Arians coming to Pittsburgh as HC 

[pg1067]

Looks like Cleveland and Denver have decided on new head coaches.

Kitchens to Cleveland looked obvious. I trust Dorsey's judgment completely. If Kitchens and Baker got good mojo...don't break it up.

Fangio to Denver is interesting. It's a bit of strength/strength hire so it will be interesting to see who he gets to run the offense.

Yup.  Until the Broncos fix the offensive line, the team isn't going anywhere, so hiring a defensive head coach makes little sense unless he can bring in an offensive guru as OC.  It's a bit like the selection of Bradley Chubb in the draft.  As good as he was, I still bristle at the failure to select the Pro Bowl-bound Quenton Nelson to anchor the O-line for the next 10 years.

[axeman90210]

I like Arians, Bowles, and Leftwich going to Tampa. What could possibly go wrong? 

And I was glad to see GB hire somebody that wasn't JMD. While I think he's going to inherit a trainwreck, I would like to see him get the NE gig when the time comes.

I'm hearing there's a chance Bowles goes to Chicago now that there's a DC opening there. He has a connection with Nagy.

[El Barto]

I like Arians, Bowles, and Leftwich going to Tampa. What could possibly go wrong? 

And I was glad to see GB hire somebody that wasn't JMD. While I think he's going to inherit a trainwreck, I would like to see him get the NE gig when the time comes.

I'm hearing there's a chance Bowles goes to Chicago now that there's a DC opening there. He has a connection with Nagy.

I thought the DC in Tampa thing was official. Guess he's pulling a McDaniels.

[PowerSlave]

I like Arians, Bowles, and Leftwich going to Tampa.

Steelers fans everywhere mourning the pipe dream of Arians coming to Pittsburgh as HC 

No way in hell I would have wanted to see that. He would have put his hands all over the offense, and that's not what they need to fix at this point.

[T-ski]

happy to see Fangio leave the Bears.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Adam Gase gets picked up by the Jets. Sure he sold ownership on his ability to develop Darnold.

[KevShmev]

I can't say I am excited about the Broncos hire, but we'll see what happens.  Kubiak returning as the OC is great, as he is awesome at getting the most out of a QB, and that can only help the offense.

Poor Jets fans.  Adam Gase?

And I have to admit that I chuckled at people saying the Browns was the most attractive of all of the head coaching jobs...and then they hire someone no one else would have as their head coach. 

[Rattlehead]

I'm pretty excited about Fangio in Denver. I think he's a great fit for this team and he was the best option available. I also love the idea of Kubiak being a part of the coaching staff again.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Adam Gase gets picked up by the Jets. Sure he sold ownership on his ability to develop Darnold.

Not sure how I feel about this signing, especially with McCarthy still on the market. Sure his Packers teams have really fallen off in the past two years and it seems like he lost the confidence of his players, but he’s one of the most successful coaches to hit the open market in years. He has a Super Bowl title, and if I’m basing my decision on QB development, well I’m pretty sure the success of Rodgers trumps the “success” of Tennehill. I’m hopeful that this decision will work out but if it doesn’t, it will just be another instance of Jets fans looking to the past and thinking “what if”.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I think that's like saying that McCarthy deserves the job because he got to drive a Ferrari while Gase was driving a Focus. If Gase got anything out of his experience with Tannehill/Moore/Cutler.....then that's a huge accomplishment.

Edit...Oh and he made Brock Osweiler look serviceable

[kaos2900]

Tampa is going no where as long as Winston is their QB regardless of who their coach is.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I think that's like saying that McCarthy deserves the job because he got to drive a Ferrari while Gase was driving a Focus. If Gase got anything out of his experience with Tannehill/Moore/Cutler.....then that's a huge accomplishment.

Edit...Oh and he made Brock Osweiler look serviceable

Honestly I didn’t really want McCarthy, but I’m not sure Gase is the answer either.

[KevShmev]

I'm pretty excited about Fangio in Denver. I think he's a great fit for this team and he was the best option available. I also love the idea of Kubiak being a part of the coaching staff again.

Time will tell, regarding Fangio.  I sure hope the rumors of them going after Flacco are not true.  Not that I am a big fan of Keenum, but I'd rather see Kubiak bleed as much as he can out of him than go after Flacco, who has been pretty mediocre since that bizarrely awesome postseason run he had six years ago.

Honestly I didn’t really want McCarthy, but I’m not sure Gase is the answer either.

Gase is obviously a great offensive mind, but word was that a lot of the Dolphins hated him near the end of his tenure there, which makes me think he is better off being a coordinator than a head coach.

[pg1067]

I'm pretty excited about Fangio in Denver. I think he's a great fit for this team and he was the best option available. I also love the idea of Kubiak being a part of the coaching staff again.

Time will tell, regarding Fangio.  I sure hope the rumors of them going after Flacco are not true.  Not that I am a big fan of Keenum, but I'd rather see Kubiak bleed as much as he can out of him than go after Flacco, who has been pretty mediocre since that bizarrely awesome postseason run he had six years ago.

I hadn't heard about going after Flacco.  What a pointless move that would be.  Flacco will be 34 at the start of the 2019 season; Keenum is three years younger; the two have been relatively comparable/mediocre over the past few seasons.  The only reason for anyone to bring in a guy like Flacco would be to mentor a younger QB, but I don't see what Flacco could offer that Keenum can't.  And, as I wrote a couple days ago, until the offensive line gets fixed, it won't much matter who the QB is.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Kubiak got a lot out of Flacco the year he was the OC in Baltimore. If he believes Flacco is an upgrade to Keenum, I would tend to trust him.  But really, either one of them are good enough to do just enough if the defense gets back to it's dominant self.

[DT2003]

I live in NY and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a fan base as upset as the Jets are that they got Gase rather than McCarthy. I’m a Giants fan so it doesn’t matter to me one way or another, but I think the Jets made the right choice. I don’t like McCarthy and think he’s very overrated. He has had the luxury of having Rodgers as his QB and that is the reason he has the record he has.

[Cool Chris]

I live in NY and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a fan base as upset as the Jets are that they got Gase rather than McCarthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZxNeFLuY98&feature=youtu.be&t=38

[Stadler]

I think McCarthy is more than just Aaron Rodgers, and he has a lot to prove (including that he is more than Aaron Rodgers).  I'd give him a flyer if all else was equal.   I'm not sure about Gase.   He's highly regarded, but is this a case of "Belichick in Cleveland", "Hue Jackson in Cleveland", or somewhere in between. 

[KevShmev]

I think McCarthy is more than just Aaron Rodgers, and he has a lot to prove (including that he is more than Aaron Rodgers).  I'd give him a flyer if all else was equal.   I'm not sure about Gase.   He's highly regarded, but is this a case of "Belichick in Cleveland", "Hue Jackson in Cleveland", or somewhere in between.

It doesn't help McCarthy's rep that not only did he always have Favre or Rodgers in GB, but his record was pretty awful in games missed by either during his tenure there.

[Stadler]

I think McCarthy is more than just Aaron Rodgers, and he has a lot to prove (including that he is more than Aaron Rodgers).  I'd give him a flyer if all else was equal.   I'm not sure about Gase.   He's highly regarded, but is this a case of "Belichick in Cleveland", "Hue Jackson in Cleveland", or somewhere in between.

It doesn't help McCarthy's rep that not only did he always have Favre or Rodgers in GB, but his record was pretty awful in games missed by either during his tenure there.

I don't really hold that against him as an indicator though; the guy who can put a legendary QB into a system, and have that system function without said legendary QB is as rare as Trump apologies.   Belichick.  Maybe Walsh. I suppose you can knock him for not having a suitable backup in uniform, but they can't all be Jimmy G or Dan Orlovsky.   

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I went 1-3 in the Wild Card round. Let's see if I can go 0-4!

6. Indianapolis @ 1. Kansas City - Mahomes out-does Luck and the Chiefs finally get past the divisional round and advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since some dude name Joe was QB.

4. Dallas @ 2. L.A. Rams - This looks like a toss-up on paper, but like the Chiefs, I expect the Rams to get back on track and win by 10 or so points.

5. L.A. Chargers @ 2. New England - Don't care that the Chargers are undefeated outside of LA. New England is New England, and we know what to expect from this team coming off of that bye week.

6. Philadelphia @ 1. New Orleans - I think that this game is much closer than the one earlier in the season, but New Orleans just has too many weapons.

[pg1067]

Cody Parkey showed up on the Today show this morning.

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/bears-kicker-cody-parkey-appeared-on-today-show-and-it-was-weird/xug11u3nukeg1h0p6snomjix0

I can't quite figure out why, but it sure sounds like the people who interviewed him had never seen a football game before:  "'I think they should have MHPs. Most Honorable Player,' host Savannah Guthrie said about Parkey, adding he was the 'the classiest of class acts.'"

So...missing a kick and then praying makes one "honorable" and "classy"?

[bosk1]

I went 1-3 in the Wild Card round. Let's see if I can go 0-4!

6. Indianapolis @ 1. Kansas City - Mahomes out-does Luck and the Chiefs finally get past the divisional round and advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since some dude name Joe was QB.

4. Dallas @ 2. L.A. Rams - This looks like a toss-up on paper, but like the Chiefs, I expect the Rams to get back on track and win by 10 or so points.

5. L.A. Chargers @ 2. New England - Don't care that the Chargers are undefeated outside of LA. New England is New England, and we know what to expect from this team coming off of that bye week.

6. Philadelphia @ 1. New Orleans - I think that this game is much closer than the one earlier in the season, but New Orleans just has too many weapons.

With those picks, I'm predicting 1-3 again.  But who knows?    This is set to be a pretty good divisional round.

[rab7]

I went 1-3 in the Wild Card round. Let's see if I can go 0-4!

6. Indianapolis @ 1. Kansas City - Mahomes out-does Luck and the Chiefs finally get past the divisional round and advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since some dude name Joe was QB.

4. Dallas @ 2. L.A. Rams - This looks like a toss-up on paper, but like the Chiefs, I expect the Rams to get back on track and win by 10 or so points.

5. L.A. Chargers @ 2. New England - Don't care that the Chargers are undefeated outside of LA. New England is New England, and we know what to expect from this team coming off of that bye week.

6. Philadelphia @ 1. New Orleans - I think that this game is much closer than the one earlier in the season, but New Orleans just has too many weapons.

I too went 1-3, and have the exact same picks as you.

I'd be happy with 1-3 as long as I'm right about the Colts losing

[Dublagent66]

The only road win that would surprise me is Philly.  The other three teams are all capable of an upset.

[Rattlehead]

I went 2-2 in the DTF Pick 'em league, even though I could've sworn that I picked Dallas... I was on the fence with that game and I ultimately would've gone with Dallas, but I forgot to update the pick 

This week I'm going with...
Chiefs
Cowboys
Chargers
Saints

I'd love to be wrong about the Chiefs and Saints picks.