NFL (2024 Season)

[Max Rockatansky]

And now Gronk will re-retire, Godwin will leave in Free Agency, etc., etc.  Not optimistic on their chances for the playoffs next year.

Yeah, except that with Brady gone and Sean Payton gone, 6 or 7 wins might be enough for the NFC South crown.

It's obviously way too early, but I would honestly give all four teams roughly equal chance. It could be like the 2020 NFC East, maybe worse if that's even mathematically possible.

New Orleans just needed a solid QB situation to be competitive.  They would have easily been the favorite in the Division if Sean Payton stuck around.

A solid QB situation is easier said than done. I can't help wonder if that factored into Sean Payton's decision. They also have a massive salary cap problem, so I could see them going full rebuild.

I guarantee it did.  As it stood they were never going to be better than a 8-10 win team.

[thspfc]

Brady has officially retired.

Timed perfectly to give sports media something to beat into the ground until kickoff in LA.

Wasn't Brady due $15,000,000 on 2/4?  Kind of would be a total dick move to try to collect that and immediately announce your retirement.

Don't like it from the Bucs' perspective?  Don't sign a 42-year-old to a contract that has escalators like that.

The Bucs were perfectly willing to screw their salary cap for several years in order to win at least one Super Bowl and they've done that.

Exactly. One Super Bowl championship is worth at least a decade of being terrible. Probably more. To put it another way, the benefits of one title outweigh the negatives of being bad for the next decade, if that scenario was ever to arise. Tampa is in a tough situation now, but they're more than okay with how things have turned out.

[Henry]

Let's see: The Manning brothers, gone. Kurt Warner, gone. Ben Roethlisberger, gone. Drew Brees, gone. And now the biggest thorn in the NFL's side that was Tom Brady has called it a career after 22 years.

Years from now when we take our grandkids to Canton and show them the aforementioned names, we can tell them that "They simply don't make QBs like this anymore." Then again, our own grandpas told us the same thing about guys like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre and John Elway.

[NWI_Irish96]

Let's see: The Manning brothers, gone. Kurt Warner, gone. Ben Roethlisberger, gone. Drew Brees, gone. And now the biggest thorn in the NFL's side that was Tom Brady has called it a career after 22 years.

Years from now when we take our grandkids to Canton and show them the aforementioned names, we can tell them that "They simply don't make QBs like this anymore." Then again, our own grandpas told us the same thing about guys like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre and John Elway.

If Aaron Rodgers retires or goes to Denver, you're going to have almost all the QB star power in the AFC: Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Jackson, Carr, Herbert

Who would be the biggest star QBs in the NFC after Matthew Stafford: Dak Prescott? Kirk Cousins? Matt Ryan?

More fuel for my argument that the NFL needs to abandon the conferences.

[thspfc]

Let's see: The Manning brothers, gone. Kurt Warner, gone. Ben Roethlisberger, gone. Drew Brees, gone. And now the biggest thorn in the NFL's side that was Tom Brady has called it a career after 22 years.

Years from now when we take our grandkids to Canton and show them the aforementioned names, we can tell them that "They simply don't make QBs like this anymore." Then again, our own grandpas told us the same thing about guys like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Brett Favre and John Elway.

I'm pledging to not be like the 90s Bulls nostalgics who think that those teams would beat today's average NBA team. While no QB will accomplish more than Brady for a long, long time, there will come along at least one quarterback who is better than Brady within the next 20 or 30 years.

And no, Rodgers is not better than Brady. Just because Rodgers can run around and throw crazy off balance passes does not mean he's a better quarterback.

[jeffandnicole]

Can't help but notice there's a lot less bitching about the overtime rules this week...

[webny99]

And no, Rodgers is not better than Brady. Just because Rodgers can run around and throw crazy off balance passes does not mean he's a better quarterback.

It depends on your definition of "better". I think Rodgers is more talented, but he's just not as good in big moments. I still can't believe his season ended scoring 10 points at home in the playoffs as the 1 seed.

There's actually quite a few quarterbacks that I think are more talented than Tom Brady. In terms of their overall body of work, consistency, and longevity though, no one will come close to Brady for a long time.

[webny99]

If Aaron Rodgers retires or goes to Denver, you're going to have almost all the QB star power in the AFC: Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Jackson, Carr, Herbert

Who would be the biggest star QBs in the NFC after Matthew Stafford: Dak Prescott? Kirk Cousins? Matt Ryan?

More fuel for my argument that the NFL needs to abandon the conferences.

I've been thinking about that recently too. It's crazy how stacked the AFC is, and the AFC West in particular. I'm not sure Rodgers would even want to go to Denver for that very reason. It would easily be the most stacked division of all time... great for casual fans, not so great for the teams trying to win championships.

With Brady gone, I do buy into your idea a little more because I do think it's borderline unfair. With all the talk during the season about how stacked and top heavy the NFC was... what NFC team really scares you in retrospect? It's just going to be way, way harder to win the AFC for the foreseeable future.

[US 89]

Can't help but notice there's a lot less bitching about the overtime rules this week...

Well yeah, that's because both teams got a shot at the ball. Chiefs didn't score. Bengals did.

[jlam]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

[NWI_Irish96]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

That source was the team store at the stadium, which a news helicopter caught views of new merch before they could cut the lights.

[Big John]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

That source was the team store at the stadium, which a news helicopter caught views of new merch before they could cut the lights.

as per the below football thread:

On the 6:00 news tonight, Channel 4 in DC had their helicopter flying over FedEx Field and they said the pilot spotted "Commanders" signs in the team store. The lights in the store were cut off almost immediately when the report aired.

[Alps]

LA will have the further distinction of being the designated visiting team in a Super Bowl played in their home stadium (this because the designations alternate between conferences each year and this year it's the AFC's turn to be the designated "home" team). I wonder whether the league will force them to use the visiting locker room. I believe typically when a team has played a "road game" at home (most commonly in baseball, both during the pandemic and when games have been moved due to ballpark problems or completion of suspended games) they don't use the other locker room for convenience reasons, but those situations are a bit different from a Super Bowl or all-star game or similar.

Makes me wonder what happens when the Rams play the Chargers and the Chargers are the home team? I would guess both teams share the home locker room. Given the Rams/Chargers playing at the stadium I guess it is technically possible for the Rams to be the visiting team whenever the two teams play and the Chargers are the home team.

I just searched for this and found that SoFi has two separate home team locker rooms (at opposite ends of the stadium) for the two tenants, and then apparently there are two separate NFL-standard locker rooms for visiting teams that can be subdivided into smaller rooms if needed for an event like an NCAA Final Four. I assume the Meadowlands likewise has separate locker rooms, given that it was built for two tenants from the beginning, but I haven't looked that up to confirm.

Given that, it would seem to make sense that Cincinnati would just use the other "home" locker room for the Super Bowl, but who knows.

I've gotta think Meadowlands has 2 separate locker rooms because otherwise do you want the other team clearing out your lockers during your away week?

[1995hoo]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

That source was the team store at the stadium, which a news helicopter caught views of new merch before they could cut the lights.

as per the below football thread:

On the 6:00 news tonight, Channel 4 in DC had their helicopter flying over FedEx Field and they said the pilot spotted "Commanders" signs in the team store. The lights in the store were cut off almost immediately when the report aired.

I put that in the other thread because it seemed like something that's not specific to the 2021 season, so it seemed to belong there.

With that said, it hasn't taken long for people to realize that "Commanders" can be truncated to "Commies," so the jokes quickly started flying.

[webny99]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

That source was the team store at the stadium, which a news helicopter caught views of new merch before they could cut the lights.

as per the below football thread:

On the 6:00 news tonight, Channel 4 in DC had their helicopter flying over FedEx Field and they said the pilot spotted "Commanders" signs in the team store. The lights in the store were cut off almost immediately when the report aired.

I put that in the other thread because it seemed like something that's not specific to the 2021 season, so it seemed to belong there.

Yeah, that made sense. But since we're here now...

I don't love the name, but I think everyone will get used to it in time. Imagine if "Packers" or "Browns" were unveiled today. Those are much worse names IMO, but no one really thinks about it much once the novelty wears off.

[triplemultiplex]

I wonder who Dan-the-shitstain-Snyder had to wrestle that name from such that it took two years to get it done?

At least "Commanders" is decent.

[1995hoo]

I wonder who Dan-the-shitstain-Snyder had to wrestle that name from such that it took two years to get it done?

At least "Commanders" is decent.

They were Stalin for time while seeking a name that would hit the Marx.

[abefroman329]

The Washington Football Team is going with the name "Commanders,"  per sources.

That source was the team store at the stadium, which a news helicopter caught views of new merch before they could cut the lights.

as per the below football thread:

On the 6:00 news tonight, Channel 4 in DC had their helicopter flying over FedEx Field and they said the pilot spotted "Commanders" signs in the team store. The lights in the store were cut off almost immediately when the report aired.

I put that in the other thread because it seemed like something that's not specific to the 2021 season, so it seemed to belong there.

With that said, it hasn't taken long for people to realize that "Commanders" can be truncated to "Commies," so the jokes quickly started flying.

Careful, you don't want Dan Snyder suing you into oblivion for that photo.

[1995hoo]

Careful, you don't want Dan Snyder suing you into oblivion for that photo.

I'd be more concerned about a lawsuit from the North Koreans saying it's slander to compare their leaders to Snyder.

[Buck87]

I guess they thought "Washington Lieutenant Colonels" was too clunky and went the Navy route instead

[Big John]

Aaron Rodgers building a house in Nashville: https://clutchpoints.com/titans-rumors-aaron-rodgers-latest-move-could-hint-at-tennessee-trade/ 

[I-39]

Aaron Rodgers building a house in Nashville: https://clutchpoints.com/titans-rumors-aaron-rodgers-latest-move-could-hint-at-tennessee-trade/ 

Oh boy........ don't tell Avalanchez71

[thspfc]

Aaron Rodgers building a house in Nashville: https://clutchpoints.com/titans-rumors-aaron-rodgers-latest-move-could-hint-at-tennessee-trade/ 

Real estate choices often don't relate to player movements or lack thereof.

[webny99]

I'm not sure why Rodgers would even want to go to the Titans. Easy division, I suppose, but he already has that in Green Bay.

[webny99]

I pick the Rams to win Super Bowl LVI for one reason only:  If Tom Brady couldn't beat the Rams, what makes me believe the Bengals have any chance?

https://twitter.com/NFL_Memes/status/1488707087282708480