2018 NFL Thread - The Dynasty

[Stadler]

I'm not sure how you can really complain about his management after 18 years remarkable success.

Patriots fans have slightly turned on Belichick in the sense that they will defend him against almost everyone, but when it becomes "the hoodie" vs "Tom," they aren't about to blame 12 for much, so Belichick becomes the fall guy.

Edit: And most fan bases would do the same thing when it comes to a superstar vs a coach.  It is much easier to get emotionally tied to rooting for a player than rooting for a coach (unless you are a dweeb who roots for Duke ).

Well, I wrote "'tired' arm", but you're right, it IS the legs.  It's the same with pitchers.   Well, the "off plays" were one a game, or sometimes even one every two games.  Then it was one a half.  Now it's one a drive. Seriously.   

It's not just one drive. Go compare his numbers this year vs last year.  Heck, do just the eye test.  He is obviously still very good, but he's not consistently playing at the GOAT-level anymore, and all you have to do is watch to see this.  They have scored 10 points in three games this season.  10 points.

I didn't say "one drive"; I said "one off play PER drive". 

[Dream Team]

Looks like Scam Newton will miss the playoffs. Gee that's a shame. Really hope Brees plays like this again next week, he's had 3 sub-par games in a row.

[gmillerdrake]

Looks like Scam Newton will miss the playoffs. Gee that's a shame. Really hope Brees plays like this again next week, he's had 3 sub-par games in a row.

Brees cost me my Fantasy championship last night. All I needed was him to score 10pts or more. He had 6.

[Dublagent66]

Forget about getting Cam a beer to cry in.  He'll need something much stronger.   

[mikeyd23]

Another thing to consider in the Brady conversation.

Tom famously is a pocket passer, he likes to throw in the pocket, or if pressure comes, he likes to step up in the pocket and throw. He's never really excelled at running side to side out of the pocket and connecting on throws. The Steelers forced him out of the pocket and didn't allow him to step up in the pocket to avoid the rush. When he need to push out of the pocket, he was inaccurate or he refused to scramble and made mistakes.  In the past, the Steelers had failed to do this. I think it was a combination of TB's skills and reaction time becoming slightly diminished, plus his O-line was not great. In the past, his pass protection seemed much better. Couple that with Gronk's disappearing act (Gronk would often bail TB out when the pressure came by getting open for those nice pickups over the middle) and I think it's just all catching up.

That said, this Steelers fan would still not want to play NE in the playoffs. I have a feeling BB and TB would still find a way to beat Tomlin and the Steelers when all the chips are on the table.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I fully expect Brees to return to form in the dome. They're never a great road team, but they found ways to win divisional road games to maintain home field advantage.

I think the Ravens have won their last game of 2018. Jackson will be exposed in LA this week and I think Baker gets him in week 17.

Will be interesting to see how well Mahomes plays in Seattle. Tough place to play, especially since Seattle still has something to play for.

McVay's too savy not to get the Rams' recent woes turned around. Let the offense run through Gurley, and if teams are zeroing in on him, give Goff quick throws/confidence boosting plays.

[DragonAttack]

Looks like Scam Newton will miss the playoffs. Gee that's a shame. Really hope Brees plays like this again next week, he's had 3 sub-par games in a row.

Brees cost me my Fantasy championship last night. All I needed was him to score 10pts or more. He had 6.

And that allowed my wife to advance to the finals.  Meanwhile, I finished 3rd in my league, second in total points with 128 per game.....and got a whopping 60 this weekend.

btw...last night's 12-9 game was just as entertaining to me as that 54-51 MNF shootout of a few weeks ago.

[bosk1]

Imagine what a dismal state the Patriots will be in next season if Brady and Gronk really do both retire.  I will laugh if Belichick calls it a day as well and tells Robert Kraft, "Good luck with this disaster now."

I've never been a Pats fan.  My current feelings are that this dynasty commands respect, and I do respect them immensely and root for them selectively.  And whenever something like this happens with a team, it's frustrating when they squander their potential to be so much more.  That's what has happened.  And while I don't really wish them any ill as a team, it would be deeply satisfying to see the above scenario play out.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I want the Jets to win the division at least once before Brady and/or Belichick call it a day. I don’t want to hear any excuses about how they only did it because those two guys were gone.

[Stadler]

Last night was text book Cam.    He gets into a jam - it was third and maybe 8? I'm sure Kev will set me straight if I have it wrong - and does a nice job of rushing for the first down, taking a solid hit in the process but bulling his way to a first down.  He gets up and he's dabbing, and pointing, and smirking, and this and that... next play throws a crappy interception that a DII college QB knows not to make (THROW IT LONG!!!) and takes his team out of a game-changing sequence.   That's not what you need from your leader.   Meantime, Drew Brees just does what he needs to do to win.  Yeah, I'm sure that he'd love to throw for 400 yards and 4 TDs each game, but Brees is smart enough to know that a Super Bowl trophy means more than that. 

[hefdaddy42]

Cam has been playing hurt most of the season (right shoulder).  For the first half of the season, he was playing great, but it has really caught up with him over the last couple of games.  He didn't have any juice in his arm last night.

Too bad, because the defense played their asses off last night.  Shame it was a wasted performance due to the offensive issues.

[El Barto]

Christ, Wittenbooger is calling the super bowl this year. I had no idea. The good news is that I suspect that will lead to far more criticism, and hopefully a change in course.

https://nypost.com/2018/12/18/a-no-comment-booger-mobile-less-test-espn-could-revamp-mnf/
Interesting article, but ESPN seems to have missed the point. They're going to bring Booger into the booth. I actually think the Booger-mobile is a pretty good idea. He's got a unique vantage point which gives him good insight into the game on the field. I don't really think the problem is that he's detached from the other two is the problem. I suppose it might help a little, though. Seems to me the biggest issue is that Booger is the dominant voice, and Witten doesn't really want to get involved much. Better idea would probably me to make it the Witten-mobile, and let him chime in when he has something to contribute.

[pg1067]

Christ, Wittenbooger is calling the super bowl this year. I had no idea. The good news is that I suspect that will lead to far more criticism, and hopefully a change in course.

I would say that the good news is that those of us in the U.S. won't have to listen to this mess.  CBS has U.S. broadcast rights, and I assume that means Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.  The TessWittenBooger team will be on "ESPN International’s broadcast of the Super Bowl."  I assume that means an English language broadcast outside the U.S.

[El Barto]

Christ, Wittenbooger is calling the super bowl this year. I had no idea. The good news is that I suspect that will lead to far more criticism, and hopefully a change in course.

I would say that the good news is that those of us in the U.S. won't have to listen to this mess.  CBS has U.S. broadcast rights, and I assume that means Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.  The TessWittenBooger team will be on "ESPN International’s broadcast of the Super Bowl."  I assume that means an English language broadcast outside the U.S.

Ah, I didn't catch that. It'll be better for the game, but I was hoping for a massive outcry of incensed 1-day football fans.

[romdrums]

So I've been dealing with some weird feelings lately.  I'm a Cleveland native, and as such, a Browns fan, and I'm enjoying watching Browns football for the first time since I was a kid in the late 80's.  Watching the most recent game against the Broncos, even when they were down 13-10, I knew the Browns were going to win.  Like, I had a confidence that they could close it out against the Broncos that I have never felt before.  Even though Baker Mayfield was not having a great game, I had this feeling that he just needed one drive to make it happen.  And then the defense got the interception and sure enough, Browns score the touchdown to go ahead.  Hey Patriots fans, does this feeling get old?  I hope it doesn't.

[Stadler]

Christ, Wittenbooger is calling the super bowl this year. I had no idea. The good news is that I suspect that will lead to far more criticism, and hopefully a change in course.

I would say that the good news is that those of us in the U.S. won't have to listen to this mess.  CBS has U.S. broadcast rights, and I assume that means Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.  The TessWittenBooger team will be on "ESPN International’s broadcast of the Super Bowl."  I assume that means an English language broadcast outside the U.S.

I despise Jim Nantz; not so much the man, but the announcer.   He always seems to want to make every event "one for the ages", and mid-season NFL games just don't have that gravitas.  Plus I'm still bitter over that first Uconn-Duke NCAA Championship where he was almost dumbfounded that Uconn would have the NERVE to challenge the sacred Mike Krzyzewski.    I'd much rather have Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth.

Having said that, as much as I didn't like Romo on the field, he's fast becoming one of my favorites in the booth.  He's smart - smarter than I thought, honestly - and he doesn't succumb to the typical rookie mistake of making everything into the "Immaculate Reception"; he's got a good mix of enthusiasm and realism. 

[El Barto]

So I've been dealing with some weird feelings lately.  I'm a Cleveland native, and as such, a Browns fan, and I'm enjoying watching Browns football for the first time since I was a kid in the late 80's.  Watching the most recent game against the Broncos, even when they were down 13-10, I knew the Browns were going to win.  Like, I had a confidence that they could close it out against the Broncos that I have never felt before.  Even though Baker Mayfield was not having a great game, I had this feeling that he just needed one drive to make it happen.  And then the defense got the interception and sure enough, Browns score the touchdown to go ahead.  Hey Patriots fans, does this feeling get old?  I hope it doesn't.

Nope. Never gets old. But it's not permanent, either. There will be games when the team just doesn't look right, and you'll be hoping instead that they don't choke away their 4 point lead. On the bright side, there might be a time when you know your team is going to win the super bowl when they're only down by 19. 

[Stadler]

So I've been dealing with some weird feelings lately.  I'm a Cleveland native, and as such, a Browns fan, and I'm enjoying watching Browns football for the first time since I was a kid in the late 80's.  Watching the most recent game against the Broncos, even when they were down 13-10, I knew the Browns were going to win.  Like, I had a confidence that they could close it out against the Broncos that I have never felt before.  Even though Baker Mayfield was not having a great game, I had this feeling that he just needed one drive to make it happen.  And then the defense got the interception and sure enough, Browns score the touchdown to go ahead.  Hey Patriots fans, does this feeling get old?  I hope it doesn't.

Nope. Never gets old. But it's not permanent, either. There will be games when the team just doesn't look right, and you'll be hoping instead that they don't choke away their 4 point lead. On the bright side, there might be a time when you know your team is going to win the super bowl when they're only down by 19. 

It's actually worse when it goes away, since the roller coaster is more extreme.  At least with the Giants, I know what I'm going to get (the opposite way) and so there's no false hope, no great expectations, no feeling of being let down.   

[Dream Team]

The Browns are reaping the benefits of high draft picks and the absence of Hue. Should be a hell of a division for the next few years especially if Cincy rebounds. Getting rid of that garbage Burfict would be a good start, he’s rated as one of the worst linebackers in the league.

[KevShmev]

With the Browns, we'll see who they get as their head coach and how they handle higher expectations.  It's one thing to win when your season is in the toilet and you can surprise people, but it's another to win when you are expected to win.

[Dream Team]

Lol at Brady being selected for the Pro Bowl over Andrew Luck.

[KevShmev]

Pro Bowl nominations have been a sham for as long as I can remember.

Wilson should have made it in the NFC as well over both Rodgers and Goff.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I miss the days of the pro bowl being after the Super Bowl. Seems bizarre to me that they would advertise this as an all star game without stars from the super bowl contenders.

And yeah, sucks about all of the snubs. Pretty crazy to see Kamara and McCaffery not voted in, but understandable considering the RBs that did get in. Needless to say, the position has gotten deep.

[hefdaddy42]

I miss the days of the pro bowl being after the Super Bowl. Seems bizarre to me that they would advertise this as an all star game without stars from the super bowl contenders.

And yeah, sucks about all of the snubs. Pretty crazy to see Kamara and McCaffery not voted in, but understandable considering the RBs that did get in. Needless to say, the position has gotten deep.

I agree with all of this.

[mikeyd23]

Christ, Wittenbooger is calling the super bowl this year. I had no idea. The good news is that I suspect that will lead to far more criticism, and hopefully a change in course.

I would say that the good news is that those of us in the U.S. won't have to listen to this mess.  CBS has U.S. broadcast rights, and I assume that means Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.  The TessWittenBooger team will be on "ESPN International’s broadcast of the Super Bowl."  I assume that means an English language broadcast outside the U.S.

I despise Jim Nantz; not so much the man, but the announcer.   He always seems to want to make every event "one for the ages", and mid-season NFL games just don't have that gravitas.  Plus I'm still bitter over that first Uconn-Duke NCAA Championship where he was almost dumbfounded that Uconn would have the NERVE to challenge the sacred Mike Krzyzewski.    I'd much rather have Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth.

Having said that, as much as I didn't like Romo on the field, he's fast becoming one of my favorites in the booth.  He's smart - smarter than I thought, honestly - and he doesn't succumb to the typical rookie mistake of making everything into the "Immaculate Reception"; he's got a good mix of enthusiasm and realism.

I'm totally with you on Romo. He might be my favorite color guy in the booth calling games right now.

[KevShmev]

I'm totally with you on Romo. He might be my favorite color guy in the booth calling games right now.

His enthusiasm is hard not to like, but there are times I wince a little, like when he gets a little too forceful when trying to say how a QB should handle this situation or that situation (considering Romo was not known for situational greatness ).

He is a million times better than his old pat Witten, however, which obviously is not difficult.

[Dream Team]

Glad to see Flacco finally benched. Nobody ever got more out of a lucky 4 game stretch in NFL history.  Signed a huge contract and didn’t do squat after.

[bosk1]

That's not true at all.  He's elite.  Just as Destiny Of Chaos.

[Dublagent66]

LOL, not any more.  Carson Wentz is elite now.  Oh wait...that's not true either.

[KevShmev]

Carson Wentz's stock has really taken a hit. It was a little over a year ago when he looked All-World on his way to leading his team to the 1 seed...and then he got hurt...and then his backup led the team to the Super Bowl...and then they won the Super Bowl with his backup being the MVP...and then he came back this year and struggled at times...and then got hurt again, showing that he seems to be injury-prone...and then his backup came back again and led them to a huge road upset of the 11-2 Rams.  He went from being on the verge of elite to a good QB who might be a bit too injury-prone.

[King Postwhore]

I'm wondering about Jimmy G with that as well.  Can't stay on the field.  And it's on him for those injuries too.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

That's not true at all.  He's elite.  Just as Destiny Of Chaos.

LOL, not any more.  Carson Wentz is elite now.  Oh wait...that's not true either.

No need to misquote me gentlemen.  I never said Flacco was elite. I said that he played at an elite level during the 2012 playoff run, but that's it. In fact I've stated several times that he's not elite.

As for Wentz, last year, I said he was trending towards elite, prior to the injury. This year, it looks like he was brought back too soon, and some of the magic seems to have followed Reich to Indy. So while Wentz still has the potential to be elite.... he's got a long way to go to get back there. 

[kaos2900]

That's not true at all.  He's elite.  Just as Destiny Of Chaos.

LOL, not any more.  Carson Wentz is elite now.  Oh wait...that's not true either.

No need to misquote me gentlemen.  I never said Flacco was elite. I said that he played at an elite level during the 2012 playoff run, but that's it. In fact I've stated several times that he's not elite.

As for Wentz, last year, I said he was trending towards elite, prior to the injury. This year, it looks like he was brought back too soon, and some of the magic seems to have followed Reich to Indy. So while Wentz still has the potential to be elite.... he's got a long way to go to get back there.

I think when it come to Wentz you have to throw this year out when comes to the "elite" discussion. He's not there yet, but the Eagles saw a ridiculous amount of injuries this year especially to the O-line and RB. The whole team was down this year, not just wentz.

[King Postwhore]

But are they having fun?  That's what matters right Lane Johnson?

[El Barto]

Josh Gordon done again. I guess this shouldn't surprise anybody, but for some reason it kind of does. Kid's got talent. Shame he's such a knucklehead.

https://www.wcvb.com/article/josh-gordon-stepping-away-from-football-to-focus-on-mental-health/25640762