2021 NFL Thread v. Super Bowl 56: Rams vs Bengals

[hunnus2000]

Cam Newton signed with the Panthers.
 
I am not sure how I feel about this.  Obviously, I hope he plays well.

Well I think at this point you know what you have in Sam Darnold, and Cam gave Carolina their best years, so why not give him another shot to bring the Panthers success.

Maybe the ticker on the NFL Network got it wrong but it looks like 1yr 10M dollars? Surly not 10 million dollars. 

What I saw was 4.5 guaranteed.

Yep - and he can make up to 10M. Just WOW! OK - give him another chance but for THAT kind of money? Sorry but I say. 

[pg1067]

Rams signed Beckham.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32608165/odell-beckham-jr-finalizing-deal-los-angeles-rams

[El Barto]

Either you're going to allow the refs to make discretionary calls about sportsmanship or you're not. You simply can't legislate every single action a player might come up with. On the one hand I don't want a league where Deion Sander taunting the entire Falcons sideline while returning a pick 6 is a penalty, that was fantastic, but I want a league where the players can behave as ridiculously as they want even less.

Exactly.  There has to be a huge amount of discretion with something like this.  The problem is that (1) the "point of emphasis" has gone WAY over the edge, and (2) football is the only major sport where this sort of call can materially impact the game.  Gain 30 yards to get into field goal range with 5 seconds left on the clock...and...get called for taunting and get pushed back 15 yards, out of field goal range.  You were all set to kick a 50-yard game-winning field goal but now have to choose between trying a 65 yard field goal or running a "Hail Mary" play.

A ticky-tack holding call, which is also subjective (there's holding on every play, remember) can have the same effect. Or PI, which is called differently every single game. How many touchdowns get called back because of some barely noticeable holding penalty? I always point out the 78 Super Bowl where Benny Barnes got flagged for getting tripped by Lynn Swann, which shifted the momentum back to the Steelers. It sucks when it happens like that, but sometimes it just does. Refereeing is simply part of the game, and my hunch is that it all evens out in the end.

Also, between Cassius Marsh and Brian Burns, I'm really sick of the bitching and moaning. At worst the thing with Mac Jones was a missed holding call, and this idiot is acting like it's the return of Bill Romanowski. While I'd personally find it pretty amusing if a quarterback named McCorkle turned out to be a secretly violent and viscous player, this is just silly.

[King Postwhore]

Cassius Marsh also took a beeline right to the ref. There was plenty of space to avoid him.

[KevShmev]

I disagree.  Marsh turned around and ran direct for his own sideline.  The ref then went out of his way to make contact.

But that guy from Carolina needs to shut it.  I have zero problem with anything Mac Jones did on that play.

[King Postwhore]

The ref did stick his ass out(one step back) no doubt but Marsh took a like basically at him with a wide open field.  So he put himself in a position to have this happen.

[KevShmev]

Eh, I'd have to watch it again, but I just remember him turning around and running to his sideline and then the ref bumping him.  I don't think Marsh even thought about the official because he did not expect to be flagged, so he was just running past him.

[King Postwhore]

Watch it again.  He has so much space to get to the sidelines.

[El Barto]

This is the first time I've watched the whole clip as it was broadcast (the taunting, not the bumping the ref part).

Marsh fucked up, and based on what the ref saw he was correct to throw the flag. He was wrong, mind you, but from his perspective Marsh was taunting the punter. The ref misinterpreting what he was seeing is unfortunate, but the truth is that Marsh was deliberately directing his antics at the Steelers bench, he certainly wasn't trying to hide it, and he wound up interacting with the punter whether it was his intention or not. Kev's speeding analogy really takes a new light here. He created a situation where his actions were misinterpreted.

Watch where Marsh, the punter, and the ref are in relation to each other. After Marsh is already shouting at the steelers bench, how does the punter interaction look from the ref's vantage point? What really got him was the sidestepping in the path of the punter, I reckon.




Ironically, the reason he took such a direct path at the ref is because he'd been staying in front of the punter, not taunting him. 


edit: Also, I didn't realize that this was the same guy that didn't have any fun playing for Bill and the Patriots. Hope he enjoyed himself Monday night. 

[Architeuthis]

Any given Thursday!  Dolphins beat the Ravens.   

[ReaPsTA]

Either you're going to allow the refs to make discretionary calls about sportsmanship or you're not. You simply can't legislate every single action a player might come up with. On the one hand I don't want a league where Deion Sander taunting the entire Falcons sideline while returning a pick 6 is a penalty, that was fantastic, but I want a league where the players can behave as ridiculously as they want even less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXEkZuwRBfQ

[pg1067]

Watch where Marsh, the punter, and the ref are in relation to each other. After Marsh is already shouting at the steelers bench, how does the punter interaction look from the ref's vantage point? What really got him was the sidestepping in the path of the punter, I reckon.

I think the skipping may have played into it too.  Sort of has a "neener, neener" quality to it.

[hunnus2000]

Watch where Marsh, the punter, and the ref are in relation to each other. After Marsh is already shouting at the steelers bench, how does the punter interaction look from the ref's vantage point? What really got him was the sidestepping in the path of the punter, I reckon.

I think the skipping may have played into it too.  Sort of has a "neener, neener" quality to it.

It looked to my eyes that the ref had his hand on the flag as if to say 'just give me a reason' and we he got barely bumped that's when he threw it. He could have thrown that flag while Marsh was shouting at the Steelers bench.

[King Postwhore]

[El Barto]

Watch where Marsh, the punter, and the ref are in relation to each other. After Marsh is already shouting at the steelers bench, how does the punter interaction look from the ref's vantage point? What really got him was the sidestepping in the path of the punter, I reckon.

I think the skipping may have played into it too.  Sort of has a "neener, neener" quality to it.

It looked to my eyes that the ref had his hand on the flag as if to say 'just give me a reason' and we he got barely bumped that's when he threw it. He could have thrown that flag while Marsh was shouting at the Steelers bench.

If you watch a clip of the bumping incident he was clearly fumbling to get the flag. He decided to throw it a couple of seconds before he actually did throw it. In fact, I think he might have been reaching for it at the end of the gif I posted when he raises his hand to his belt (which is exactly where the flag was). That's part of the reason I think the ref thought he was taunting the punter. It was immediately after the skipping thing that he reached for the flag.

[Dream Team]

https://twitter.com/KentrellFree_/status/1458938461856096257/photo/1

 

[El Barto]

That was a damn fine half from New England. After the Browns opening drive they turned dominant, and gained confidence with every possession.

I've been waiting to see Rhamandre Stevenson for a while. He's got an excellent combination of skills. Aside from his size, he's got incredible balance, and he never stops moving his feet. He's always looking for traction to move forward. Give that guy another year and he's going to be unstoppable.

[King Postwhore]

Yeah.  He hits the hole fast. No hesitation and keeps those legs pumping.

[El Barto]

As much as I despise tie games, nobody deserves to win Pitt/Det. This is the sloppiest OT I've ever seen. I wish there were a game to give them both a loss.

[KevShmev]

I bet a co-worker a lunch this week that the Patriots would win the AFC East (a friendly wager just for fun). I am feeling pretty good about that after today.  This looks like the 2001 Patriots. 

Meanwhile, the Broncos need to cut Teddy Bridgewater the second this game ends.  I am not kidding.  He quit on the team.  And he is the QB.  To hell with that guy.  And to hell with that organization if they keep him.

[TAC]

Meanwhile, the Broncos need to cut Teddy Bridgewater the second this game ends.  I am not kidding.  He quit on the team.  And he is the QB.  To hell with that guy.  And to hell with that organization if they keep him.

What happened?

[KevShmev]

Meanwhile, the Broncos need to cut Teddy Bridgewater the second this game ends.  I am not kidding.  He quit on the team.  And he is the QB.  To hell with that guy.  And to hell with that organization if they keep him.

What happened?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHwk2KpgIWQ

Around the 20-second mark.  He literally watches the player run past him for the score.  I get that you don't want your QB getting hurt trying to make a tackle on a runback, but you can't do what he did.  There is no way his teammates can have any respect for him after they get in the film room and see that tomorrow.

[TAC]

Oh, that is awful. At least Mac Jones would've twisted his ankle.

[KevShmev]

Exactly. 

[King Postwhore]

Kev, that was pathetic.   I feel your pain.

[TAC]

Oh, BTW, I don't usually come in here and ballwash, but Mac Jones was fucking nails today.

[Cool Chris]

Marino had the good sense to run out of bounds after a turnover.

That 20 hours a day of finger rehab certainly paid off for Russell Wilson today.

[DragonAttack]

So much for the Lions perfect season.  Kissing your sister ain't so bad after all

[King Postwhore]

Oh, BTW, I don't usually come in here and ballwash, but Mac Jones was fucking nails today.

He seems to make the right read all the time and has great touch where only a receiver can catch the pass.

No rookie looks like this in my memory. 

[El Barto]

Meanwhile, the Broncos need to cut Teddy Bridgewater the second this game ends.  I am not kidding.  He quit on the team.  And he is the QB.  To hell with that guy.  And to hell with that organization if they keep him.

What happened?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHwk2KpgIWQ

Around the 20-second mark.  He literally watches the player run past him for the score.  I get that you don't want your QB getting hurt trying to make a tackle on a runback, but you can't do what he did.  There is no way his teammates can have any respect for him after they get in the film room and see that tomorrow.

They were still in the game. When you said he'd given up on them I figured you meant the game was out of hand. That was awful, and it's not going to go over well tomorrow when they're watching the tape.

[KevShmev]

Predictably, NBC said nothing about it when they showed the highlights of that game, other than for one of the jugheads to say, "the Broncos appeared to not know that wasn't a live play." 

I won't say the obvious, but will just say that if that had been Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Jimmy G or Ryan Tannehill, they would have crucified him for it.  I will leave it at that.

[El Barto]

Oh, BTW, I don't usually come in here and ballwash, but Mac Jones was fucking nails today.

He seems to make the right read all the time and has great touch where only a receiver can catch the pass.

No rookie looks like this in my memory.

That kid's ball placement is really something else. We've seen him have a bad game, and he was pretty inaccurate. When he has his head screwed on right he's got amazing accuracy. As for touch, that's come a long ways, too. In his first few games he was putting the ball right out where a receiver would want it, but he was drilling them in there. Now he seems to be dropping it in there when need be, and firing bullets when that's necessary. That TD throw into double coverage was a thing of beauty.

That said, it remains to be seen how well he develops. Next year will be the telling point. And with that in mind, I hope he doesn't get overconfident in his ability to rifle a ball into tight spaces. That's something that can kill young quarterbacks. Somehow I doubt Bill is going to let him get a big head, but you never know.

[El Barto]

Predictably, NBC said nothing about it when they showed the highlights of that game, other than for one of the jugheads to say, "the Broncos appeared to not know that wasn't a live play." 

I won't say the obvious, but will just say that if that had been Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Jimmy G or Ryan Tannehill, they would have crucified him for it.  I will leave it at that.

I actually considered that watching it. It certainly didn't seem like it should have been live. At the same time, TB was running with the coverage, so he seemed to know, or at least assume. More importantly, though, it doesn't matter. Only losers fail to play through the whistle.

[King Postwhore]

El Barto, the kid seems mature beyond his years and already does the Belichick speach. I feel he won't get too cocky and improve.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, today's game was fun.