NFL (2020-2024)

[ZLoth]

https://twitter.com/NFL_Scorigami/status/1872078759852970155

[jgb191]

CJ is looking worse and worse by the week.  Apparently this isn't a slump, this probably is the real CJ Stroud.

[texaskdog]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

[texaskdog]

Texans unraveling big time today

The announcers spent every second praising Lamar, 5 loss team with all that talent.  After 10 minutes I couldn't watch anymore.  Texans are just that awful.

[Max Rockatansky]

Doesn't seem I missed much by not watching either game.  I have Netflix but having to open a streaming service to watch teams I don't have an investment in was too much of a hassle. 

[webny99]

I wonder how upstate New Yorkers that are paying attention are feeling about this Ravens/Bills divisional round matchup that looks inevitable at this point.

First of all we're going to drop the vague words and call it like it is:

Mm-hmm. I don't think it's inevitable, so I don't have any specific thoughts on the matchup yet, but no one is losing sleep worrying about the Ravens.

while KC beat the Ravens and Texans and has not given up more than 30 in a game.

... and have also not *scored* more than 30 in a game.

[Henry]

It looks like the Seahawks won't be the only Seattle guys who will be at Soldier Field tonight, as I will be going there with my father, who got two Bears tickets for Christmas. I haven't been back there since I was a high school senior, so this is going to be quite an experience.

[NWI_Irish96]

It looks like the Seahawks won't be the only Seattle guys who will be at Soldier Field tonight, as I will be going there with my father, who got two Bears tickets for Christmas. I haven't been back there since I was a high school senior, so this is going to be quite an experience.

I'm actually going to be downtown seeing Les Mis tonight. Wife's Christmas present.

[webny99]

The rest of the week 18 games look meh.

The slate for this Saturday, however, looks pretty good.

Chargers are win and in against the Patriots... but a loss would open the door for the Dolphins and Colts.
Rams are win and in against the Cardinals... but a loss would set up a Week 18 division title game vs. the Seahawks.
Broncos are win and in... but losing to a desperate Bengals team would force them into a must-win scenario in Week 18.

[thspfc]

I wonder how upstate New Yorkers that are paying attention are feeling about this Ravens/Bills divisional round matchup that looks inevitable at this point.

First of all we're going to drop the vague words and call it like it is:

Mm-hmm. I don't think it's inevitable, so I don't have any specific thoughts on the matchup yet, but no one is losing sleep worrying about the Ravens.

while KC beat the Ravens and Texans and has not given up more than 30 in a game.

... and have also not *scored* more than 30 in a game.

I'll take the Ravens to win at Buffalo, if/when that matchup happens. Then I'll take the Chiefs to beat the winner of that game.

[mgk920]

Doesn't seem I missed much by not watching either game.  I have Netflix but having to open a streaming service to watch teams I don't have an investment in was too much of a hassle. 

I avoided the sports bars, too.

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

Doesn't seem I missed much by not watching either game.  I have Netflix but having to open a streaming service to watch teams I don't have an investment in was too much of a hassle. 

I avoided the sports bars, too.

Mike

Irony is that nobody in the house wanted to watch either game.  I thought that was interesting given most of my extended family likes football.  Die Hard was on for almost the entire run time of the Chiefs-Steelers game. 

[Roadgeekteen]

It looks like the Seahawks won't be the only Seattle guys who will be at Soldier Field tonight, as I will be going there with my father, who got two Bears tickets for Christmas. I haven't been back there since I was a high school senior, so this is going to be quite an experience.

It was quite the experience, huh? 

[SEWIGuy]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

I don't know if it was having everything handed to them, but having a lot of talent around them that made them look better than they actually are.

[Henry]

It looks like the Seahawks won't be the only Seattle guys who will be at Soldier Field tonight, as I will be going there with my father, who got two Bears tickets for Christmas. I haven't been back there since I was a high school senior, so this is going to be quite an experience.

It was quite the experience, huh? 

It certainly was, although I could do without the 6-3 score, or the seven sacks that Caleb Williams took in the loss. While the win keeps the Seahawks' playoff hopes alive, it's going to be another long offseason in Chicago.

[Roadgeekteen]

It looks like the Seahawks won't be the only Seattle guys who will be at Soldier Field tonight, as I will be going there with my father, who got two Bears tickets for Christmas. I haven't been back there since I was a high school senior, so this is going to be quite an experience.

It was quite the experience, huh? 

It certainly was, although I could do without the 6-3 score, or the seven sacks that Caleb Williams took in the loss. While the win keeps the Seahawks' playoff hopes alive, it's going to be another long offseason in Chicago.

I think my 7 year old cousin could manage the clock better than Thomas Brown.

[mgk920]

and to think that the Lions still do not have the NFC-North division and 'home field/first round bye' sewed up.  If they lose and the Vikings win the next two games (quite possible), the Vikings win the NFC-north.

Mike

[jgb191]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

Just goes to show that the draft is nothing more than a "pick what's behind Door #__ or Curtain #__"  You just don't know what you're getting when you draft an upcoming rookie.  Great college players sometimes don't pan-out in the NFL.

[SEWIGuy]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

Just goes to show that the draft is nothing more than a "pick what's behind Door #__ or Curtain #__"  You just don't know what you're getting when you draft an upcoming rookie.  Great college players sometimes don't pan-out in the NFL.

I think the correlation between "successful NFL player" and "drafted in an early round" is a pretty strong one.

[mgk920]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

Just goes to show that the draft is nothing more than a "pick what's behind Door #__ or Curtain #__"  You just don't know what you're getting when you draft an upcoming rookie.  Great college players sometimes don't pan-out in the NFL.

I think the correlation between "successful NFL player" and "drafted in an early round" is a pretty strong one.

For quite some time now, I have marveled at the differences in how the Packers develop new starting Quarterbacks compared with the Bears.  The Packers draft them later (Bart Starr was a 17th round (!) draft pick) and then have them 'grow' in a backup position for 3 or 4 seasons while the Bears take them early and ready to go, only to see them fizzle out within a season or two.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

Too many of these top program QBs (Alabama, OU, Clemson, Ohio State, etc) generally seem to flop.  Those from Wyoming, Texas Tech, etc who had to work hard and didn't have everything handed to them tend to be more successful.  I saw Caleb and Trevor lawrence as two more examples of flops.

Just goes to show that the draft is nothing more than a "pick what's behind Door #__ or Curtain #__"  You just don't know what you're getting when you draft an upcoming rookie.  Great college players sometimes don't pan-out in the NFL.

I think the correlation between "successful NFL player" and "drafted in an early round" is a pretty strong one.

For quite some time now, I have marveled at the differences in how the Packers develop new starting Quarterbacks compared with the Bears.  The Packers draft them later (Bart Star was a 17th round (!) draft pick) and then have them 'grow' in a backup position for 3 or 4 seasons while the Bears take them early and ready to go, only to see them fizzle out within a season or two.

Mike

Not really. Favre was traded for a first round pick, and Rodgers and Love were first round picks.

The difference is that all three had the benefit of learning from offensive minded coaches throughout their growth. (Holmgren, McCarthy, LaFleur). The Bears keep a mediocre coach (Fox, Nagy, Eberflus), draft their quarterback, and fire the mediocre coach in year two. They have done this three times now.

Also contrast this year with how the Commanders prepared for Jayden Daniels. OC Kliff Kingsbury has a rep for working well with young QBs mostly because he runs a pretty simple offense with simple reads. Williams had to learn the notoriously complex offense of Shane Waldren, who didn't even make it halfway through the season.

Just a complete malpractice by the Bears who are quickly becoming among the worst run franchises in the NFL.

[mgk920]

Yea, the Packers traded for Favre and Love and Rodgers were both taken LATE in the first round (then they all served an 'apprenticeship' for a few seasons).  BTW, who did the Falcons take with that draft pick and how did he do?

Mike

[Big John]

Yea, the Packers traded for Favre and Love and Rodgers were both taken LATE in the first round (then they all served an 'apprenticeship' for a few seasons).  BTW, who did the Falcons take with that draft pick and how did he do?

Mike

That pick (#17 in 1992 draft) was then traded a couple more times, eventually going to Dallas, who picked CB Kevin Smith, who had an 8-year career.

[epzik8]

Never would have thought the Broncos would have a game with playoff implications this year

[Great Lakes Roads]

AFC
East- Buffalo Bills (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)
North- Baltimore Ravens (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)
South- Houston Texans (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)
West- Kansas City Chiefs (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)

NFC
East- Philadelphia Eagles (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)
North- Detroit Lions (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)
South- Tampa Buccaneers
West- Los Angeles Rams (CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT)

AFC Wildcards- Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos OR Miami Dolphins
NFC Wildcards- Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders

Week 17 update... I knew that the Chargers would clinch a playoff spot this week with an easy win against NE.

Forked from my perspective...

AFC: NYJ, NE, CLE, CIN, TEN, JAC, LV, IND
NFC: NYG, DAL, CAR, NO, CHI, SEA, SF, ARI, ATL