NFL (2020-2024)

[DenverBrian]

I'm not going to whine too much about the officiating last night causing my Vikes to not have a chance in the dying minutes, since we never should have been in that place to begin with. But there were an awful lot of 3rd down calls that went against us that would have gotten us off the field on drives that eventually led to allowed points.

Anyway, Darrisaw being out for the year probably screws our chances of being Super Bowl worthy anyway. So, the whole game gets a middle finger from me.

Edit - The statement from the refs that they couldn't see the facemask. Uhhh......

That image looks Photoshopped.

[JayhawkCO]

Maybe so. Either way, a bad call to miss. I saw other angles that didn't look much better (for the refs, not necessarily for a doctored image).

[epzik8]

I feel all sorts of ways over Jayden purportedly starting today against the Bears

[webny99]

A long overdue fork update (new in bold):

AFC:
Forked:
Patriots, Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Browns, Jaguars

NFC:
Forked:
Commanders, Panthers, Saints, Vikings, Giants


I'm fairly certain two of my NFC forks (Vikings and Commanders) will be incorrect. After adding the Giants, that leaves me with just three NFC forks, yet I can't think of any other logical candidates to add. This sounds crazy, but I think all 13 other teams have a decent shot.

The biggest shift from previous years is that it's looking like somewhat of a down year for the NFC West. All four teams are in contention for the division, but record-wise it's looking less likely that we'll get multiple teams from that division. Unsurprisingly, that hasn't happened in a long time - since 2017 to be exact.

Meanwhile, in the AFC, three of four divisions have comfortable favorites and we're not even to midseason yet. That leaves only the wild cards and the North truly up for grabs, so it's obviously much easier to start crossing teams off the list. Of the six I've forked, I feel good about five of them*, and the Jets and Dolphins are actively on watch. That would bring me within one team of completing my AFC playoff field... in Week 8.



*The exception being the Steelers, but forget the Steelers, I've fully embraced rooting for them to miss the playoffs and will probably start forking them as an annual tradition until their on-field product becomes highly watchable and suggests potential beyond an unceremonious first round exit.

[webny99]

WOW, the ending of Bears-Commanders was insane. I can't recall a finish that riveting in quite some time. Throw in two emerging rookie QB's coming into form and a truly insane final play and there you have your NFL Moment of the Year.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Forked from my perspective...

AFC: NYJ, NE, MIA, CLE, CIN, TEN, JAC, LV
NFC: NYG, DAL, CAR, NO

NFC West division looks pretty bad (Cardinals, 49ers, and Seahawks are tied in the top of the division at 4-4)...

[epzik8]

WOW, the ending of Bears-Commanders was insane. I can't recall a finish that riveting in quite some time. Throw in two emerging rookie QB's coming into form and a truly insane final play and there you have your NFL Moment of the Year.

This Washington fan has prayed for times like these

[webny99]

Forked from my perspective...

AFC: NYJ, NE, MIA, CLE, CIN, TEN, JAC, LV
NFC: NYG, DAL, CAR, NO

NFC West division looks pretty bad (Cardinals and Seahawks are tied in the top of the division at 4-4)...

Just touched on both of these points in a lengthy edit to my earlier post.

You also have 8 AFC forks which brings you within 1 of a complete playoff field and also locks in a second playoff team from the AFC West, which looks likely, and would be fun. Safe to say no one was expecting to have forked half the conference before midseason, and the AFC East falling flat is a big part of that.

[1995hoo]

I feel all sorts of ways over Jayden purportedly starting today against the Bears

I feel like the second coming of a famous pass 40 years ago occurred tonight.

I vividly remember watching Flutie throw that pass the night after Thanksgiving. We were at my grandmother's apartment in Far Rockaway and had finished dinner. My father, brother, and I all started screaming. My mom and grandma thought we were full of shit until they saw the replay. So tonight, my grandmother and father are deceased, my mom is at home, my brother has moved away, and my wife and I drove the lady next door nuts screaming our heads off. The way the pass tonight worked—throw it, get it tipped, and hope someone catches it—is how Boston College planned that play, "Flood Tip."

[thspfc]

NFC West division looks pretty bad (Cardinals and Seahawks are tied in the top of the division at 4-4)...

Really hate to say it but San Fran is still dangerous. They're going to win that division, no question to me. They get a home wild card game as the 4 seed, so as of today, guess who gets to go play them in the first round? Packers fans don't wanna know. Even Detroit, the obvious class of the NFC right now, would be just a ~2 point home favorite by my estimation against a healthy 49ers team in the postseason.

And it sucks because nobody wants to deal with their shit again. Everyone is sick of the Chiefs to a varying degree, but at least one can appreciate a dynasty when they experience it. The 49ers have a dynasty of losing. They always choke, they always whine, they always do stupid shit at the worst possible moment. Nobody wants to watch that team again knowing the exact outcome at the end of the year.

[Hunty2022]

I hate to do it, but I'm forking the Dallas Cowboys.

[DenverBrian]

I hate to do it, but I'm forking the Dallas Cowboys.

The irrational clinging of fans to the most overrated football team in history is so bizarre.

[Max Rockatansky]

What I don't get is how they remaining so popular despite not doing anything of consequence in thirty years.  I guess they haven't really been truly bad that often but they haven't been that good either. 

[SEWIGuy]

They have a large and loyal fanbase. And as you said, they haven't been completely hopeless like the Commanders or Jets.

[JayhawkCO]

If I'm stuck being a Vikings fan, others should have to be stuck being a Cowboys fan.

[ZLoth]

I already stuck a fork in the Cowboys before they got walloped by the Lions two weeks ago. Last season, most of the Cowboy wins were against sub-.500 opponents while the record for above .500 opponents was more questionable, and those are the games that count. We saw evidence of this in the blowout of the Cowboys by the Packers in the wild card game.

The problems are with both Jerry Jones as GM and Mike! Mike! Mike! McCarthy. Mike is on his final year of his contract, and should really retire. Jerry Jones won't fire Jerry Jones.

I stand by my Super Bowl prediction: Detroit Lions against the Houston Texans.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm a more conservative forker this year:

NE, LV, DEN, NYG

Adding CAR. Should have probably done them before the season, but the NFC South used to produce some surprises. But they looked like hot garbage.

Probably can add TEN and JAX now.

Also, still happy to take the MIN o/u 4.5 wins bet!!

Already forked: DEN, NE, LV, NYG, TEN, JAX.
Now forking: NO, DAL, NYJ, MIA

[mgk920]

They have a large and loyal fanbase. And as you said, they haven't been completely hopeless like the Commanders or Jets.

Well, they are NOT 'America's team', they are Mexico's team.

Mike

[jgb191]

I hate to do it, but I'm forking the Dallas Cowboys.

The irrational clinging of fans to the most overrated football team in history is so bizarre.

If you were to inform me that there are more Cowboys fans outside the state of Texas than there are in the state, I would believe you. 

And to contradict popular myth: no the entire state of Texas is NOT 100% Cowboys fans, in fact there are indeed plenty of anti-Cowboys sentiment here in my home state....by the millions -- obviously the vast majority of which are more concentrated along the gulf coast of Texas.  I may have posted this before, but if I were to estimate of the division of football fans in South Texas, I'd say two-thirds (2/3) to one-third (1/3) in favor of Cowboys over the Texans.  Although I have noticed that the Texans fanbase, particularly of those younger fans where born this century, is slightly growing.  Believe it or not, I also know of several older fans even switched from Cowboys to Texans in recent years.

I stand by my Super Bowl prediction: Detroit Lions against the Houston Texans.

I love your prediction, and I can only wish you're right.  But still something in my gut is telling me that the Texans are still at least a year or two away from a Super Bowl contention.  There still seems to be some missing pieces away from a complete team.  But we have our foundation set and I like the direction they're headed so far.

[thspfc]

I love your prediction, and I can only wish you're right.  But still something in my gut is telling me that the Texans are still at least a year or two away from a Super Bowl contention.  There still seems to be some missing pieces away from a complete team.  But we have our foundation set and I like the direction they're headed so far.

History says they have a better shot this year than they ever will in the foreseeable future. The roster is not perfect; no roster in history is perfect. Once that Stroud contract comes around things will get harder. And it's not like Stroud is still developing.

[webny99]

I love your prediction, and I can only wish you're right.  But still something in my gut is telling me that the Texans are still at least a year or two away from a Super Bowl contention.  There still seems to be some missing pieces away from a complete team.  But we have our foundation set and I like the direction they're headed so far.

History says they have a better shot this year than they ever will in the foreseeable future. The roster is not perfect; no roster in history is perfect. Once that Stroud contract comes around things will get harder.

See the Bengals for another recent example of this.

And it's not like Stroud is still developing.

Exposing my inability to detect sarcasm here, but of course Stroud is still developing; he hasn't even played two full seasons yet. And the fact that he could be a better player by the end of the season actually helps the Texans.

[ZLoth]

And to contradict popular myth: no the entire state of Texas is NOT 100% Cowboys fans, in fact there are indeed plenty of anti-Cowboys sentiment here in my home state....by the millions -- obviously the vast majority of which are more concentrated along the gulf coast of Texas.

In the end, it's all what will draw the ratings and the associated advertising revenue.

Dallas mayor has been pushing for a second NFL team here in Dallas, with hints of having the Kansas City Chiefs moving here after a failed financing vote last spring. And, it may be possible for San Antonio to have a NFL team. However, I don't think Jerry Jones would approve either a move or an expansion here.

I stand by my Super Bowl prediction: Detroit Lions against the Houston Texans.

I love your prediction, and I can only wish you're right.  But still something in my gut is telling me that the Texans are still at least a year or two away from a Super Bowl contention.  There still seems to be some missing pieces away from a complete team.  But we have our foundation set and I like the direction they're headed so far.

Consider it wishful thinking then. I will concede that the Detroit Lions have a better chance than the Houston Texans. The Lions will host the Texans on November 10th on Sunday Night Football, and Chiefs will host the Texans on Saturday, December 21st.

[jgb191]

The Lions will host the Texans on November 10th on Sunday Night Football, and....

The other way around -- the Lions are traveling to Houston; the Texans will host the game.


Last year the Broncos started one win and five losses; this year they are now four wins and three losses.  What's up with that?  Did the Russell Wilson trade actually help the Broncos (and the Steelers for that matter)??  Seems like the Steelers and Broncos helped each other.

Also last year the Jets pummeled the Texans and that was without Aaron Rodgers and Davonte Adams.  Now the Texans have to deal with both of them on Thursday Night.  Aaron Rodgers has had his way against the Texans throughout his career winning his last three in a row; does he still have enough magic to make it four in a row against the Texans?  This also sounds like another trap game.  The Jets look too talented to only be 2-6, their defense is still one of better ones in the NFL.  My bold prediction (and I could be wrong) is that the winner of this matchup won't even get to twenty points, and I even wonder if the losing team will make it to double-digits.  It will be a battle of defense, whichever defense performs better will win.

One notable fact: yesterday for the first time in franchise history, the Texans have swept both games against the Colts in a single season without needing overtime in either game; their two margins of victory was a combined five points.  The Texans also swept them back in 2016, but their home win went to OT.  Also back in 2016, both road teams had double-digit leads fourth quarter....the Colts fell in Houston after squandering their 23-9 lead, but the Texans held on in Indianapolis after nearly blundering their 16-3 lead.

[thspfc]

Exposing my inability to detect sarcasm here, but of course Stroud is still developing; he hasn't even played two full seasons yet. And the fact that he could be a better player by the end of the season actually helps the Texans.

Not sarcasm. Guys that are this good at 25 starts don't have much room to grow. Look at all the high level QBs in the league, and look at how they were playing 25-30 starts into their career. Mahomes, Herbert, Lamar, Burrow, Stafford, Goff, Hurts, Purdy, Cousins, Kyler, . . . none of them are significantly better now than they were at that point. Only Allen had major development after that mark - and he was not particularly good before it. Any improvement Stroud makes from this point on is microscopic, and will be cancelled out shortly by his contract.

[webny99]

Exposing my inability to detect sarcasm here, but of course Stroud is still developing; he hasn't even played two full seasons yet. And the fact that he could be a better player by the end of the season actually helps the Texans.

Not sarcasm. Guys that are this good at 25 starts don't have much room to grow. Look at all the high level QBs in the league, and look at how they were playing 25-30 starts into their career. Mahomes, Herbert, Lamar, Burrow, Stafford, Goff, Hurts, Purdy, Cousins, Kyler, . . . none of them are significantly better now than they were at that point. Only Allen had major development after that mark - and he was not particularly good before it. Any improvement Stroud makes from this point on is microscopic, and will be cancelled out shortly by his contract.

I don't think any of those QB's were fully developed at 25 starts. Pretty much without exception they continued to improve beyond that point, even if the trajectory of improvement may have slowed down. And for every QB that had ~mostly reached their peak through two seasons (which is such a recent trend that it's too early to say for sure that most of them won't further improve), there is also a counter-example of one that improved their game later on in their career... Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Brett Farve, Kurt Warner, Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, obviously Josh Allen, even Stafford and Goff fit that mold to a certain degree.

Stroud is exceptional for a second year player, but there is room for more than microscopic improvement, and I'm sure he would tell you that himself.