NFL (2020-2024)

[SEWIGuy]

Lamar Jackson gags in big games.

Jackson's lifetime playoff passer rating is just a tick below Goff's. And his rating for this year's playoffs? 122.5. Goff has never been close to that. I'll take a quarterback choking like that anyday.

Much of Jackson's passing game relies on him being mobile to buy time for open receivers versus staying in the pocket.  When he is forced to stay in pocket against better defenses he tends to produce really bad turnovers like last night.  What happens as he ages and suddenly becomes less mobile?

None of this is relevant to who is better now. It is clearly Jackson.

A lot of pressure was take off Lamar Jackson this year because of Derrick Henry.  That most certainly helped with boosting opening up the Ravens passing game.  Aside from the third quarter the Bills contained Derrick Henry last night which forced the Ravens offense to rely on Jackson to beat them.

Jackson won two MVPs without Henry.

I'm not denying that most fans would prefer a flashy mobile quarterback.  I do question the narrative that it yields superior results.  Regular season MVPs are nice, but they don't amount to much unless it comes with a Super Bowls.

I seriously question your football acumen if you think Jackson is simply a "flashy mobile quarterback." Again, Detroit would make that trade in a heartbeat. Baltimore would not.

[Max Rockatansky]

Did I ever say Goff was better than Jackson?  I don't recall ever saying who I thought was third or fourth best quarterback.  They both are post season gag artists who clearly are step below the top two guys.  Allen until proven otherwise is a considerable step behind Mahomes.

What I saying is that I don't agree with the narrative that the NFC doesn't have any worthwhile QB play.  I'm not sure how we got down this rabbit hole of defending Lamar Jackson.  But yeah sure, I do think a pocket passer works better for the offense the Lions are trying to run.

I'm just happy my team has been consistently competitive the last couple years.  The Lions have never had of any measure of consistent success during my lifetime.  Considering the coaching carousel is probably going to affect them heavily who knows how long it will last?

[thspfc]

Daniels is the 5th best quarterback in the league, I don't care if he's a rookie. The usual shortcoming for rookies is that the pressure is too high - both literally speaking (in terms of the pass rush) and figuratively speaking (in terms of being in the NFL for the first time). Daniels is elusive, plays in a spread offense where he gets the ball out on time, and has ice water for blood. So it doesn't matter that he's a rookie. If he doesn't get that "superstar" label yet, whatever.

In the postseason, is anyone taking Lamar over Daniels at this point? I'm not as tough on January Lamar as many people seem to be, but Daniels undisputably has two postseason performances that were better and more clutch than Lamar's best postseason performance. Same can be said of Stafford who had one of the most clutch playoff runs of all time, but just got eliminated because he ran into a top 3 defense in the league in a snowstorm. Burrow is not even in the playoffs thanks to his defense.

All of that is to say, as far as the playoffs are concerned, two of the top four QBs come from the NFC (Daniels, Stafford). Allen is 2 and Mahomes is 1 in a different universe than everyone else.

Did I ever say Goff was better than Jackson?  I don't recall ever saying who I thought was third or fourth best quarterback.  They both are post season gag artists who clearly are step below the top two guys.  Allen until proven otherwise is a considerable step behind Mahomes.

What I saying is that I don't agree with the narrative that the NFC doesn't have any worthwhile QB play.  I'm not sure how we got down this rabbit hole of defending Lamar Jackson.  But yeah sure, I do think a pocket passer works better for the offense the Lions are trying to run.

I'm just happy my team has been consistently competitive the last couple years.  The Lions have never had of any measure of consistent success during my lifetime.  Considering the coaching carousel is probably going to affect them heavily who knows how long it will last?

I don't know how one could watch that game Saturday, knowing what Goff is working with in terms of talent around him and play calling (supposedly - not sure how the boy genius Ben Johnson himself only got Gibbs 14 designed touches when he was clearly the best player on the field, but whatever), and say Goff is a top 5 QB - meaning by extension better than Daniels.

[SEWIGuy]

Did I ever say Goff was better than Jackson? 

You said that he was "right there with Jackson." He is not.

[webny99]

Despite how Goff played this last game, how exactly he not a top five Quarterback?

Because there's at least 5 QB's in the AFC alone that pretty much anyone would rather have than Goff. Not in terms of production, yards, stats, etc., but in terms of building around their skillset to win championships, Right now I'd rather have Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow, and CJ Stroud over Goff.

And I'm not disputing that Goff has had top-5 production the last few seasons in Detroit. But he's also surrounded by great talent and a great offensive scheme. Take roster, coaching, and scheme out of the picture and I don't think he's top 5. Maybe top 10.

What I saying is that I don't agree with the narrative that the NFC doesn't have any worthwhile QB play.

Sure there are some decent QB's in the NFC, but the bar is much lower there than it is in the AFC. The NFC simply doesn't have many QB's that could compete in the AFC playoffs with regularity. Pretty much every playoff team in the entire NFC conference has placed a greater emphasis on building a strong roster and offensive scheme that can get production out of an otherwise mid-tier quarterback, in contrast to the AFC approach of finding a superstar QB and building their roster and scheme around their talents.

Time will tell if the Commanders and Jayden Daniels are an exception. If they are, and if they build around him the right way, they should make it deep into the playoffs with regularity until someone else in the conference finds a top-tier QB.

[webny99]

All of that is to say, as far as the playoffs are concerned, two of the top four QBs come from the NFC (Daniels, Stafford). Allen is 2 and Mahomes is 1 in a different universe than everyone else.

"Playoffs" meaning in general or in this year's playoffs specifically?

If it's the former I'll take Burrow somewhere in the top 4. His playoff record is better than any active QB except Mahomes (not counting Daniels yet because he has no history before this season).

[thspfc]

All of that is to say, as far as the playoffs are concerned, two of the top four QBs come from the NFC (Daniels, Stafford). Allen is 2 and Mahomes is 1 in a different universe than everyone else.

"Playoffs" meaning in general or in this year's playoffs specifically?

If it's the former I'll take Burrow somewhere in the top 4. His playoff record is better than any active QB except Mahomes (not counting Daniels yet because he has no history before this season).

Meaning this year

[thspfc]

Ben Johnson had no confidence in the "basketball guys", so he decided to roll with the McCaskeys and Kevin Warren.

[Henry]

I see the all-NFC East matchup far more intriguing than Allen vs. Mahomes, as the latter will be at home, he's expected to win and eventually become the first QB ever to three-peat. As for Commanders vs. Eagles, Washington has come a long way, from forging a completely new identity to breaking an NFC Conference Championship drought with their best team since the last Super Bowl-winning roster of 33 years ago. I'm rooting for the Commanders because it would be great to see the newest version make it to the Big Game, after making all the others as the Redskins.

[webny99]

NFL teams should not be permitted to start the interview process for head coach candidates until after the Super Bowl, full stop. The current rules are completely nonsensical, forcing the hand of candidates on playoff teams and making it impossible to focus on their existing jobs. Does anyone *really* think Ben Johnson was laser focused on building a game plan for the Commanders last week? Of course he wasn't.

[jgb191]

The Texans had opportunities to win on Saturday, but brought their worst game at the worst possible time -- the season-ending game.  Special Teams blundered multiple times, CJ got sacked a career-worst eight (8) times, and our defense eventually crumbled in the 4th Quarter failing to even force one turnover.  The effort was there, but the Texans self-inflicted mistakes doomed the season; basically the Texans beat themselves.  And sure one can point out the officiating, but there is no changing the favoritism towards KC no matter who they play against; it's a rule we have to live with so the Texans needed to find ways to overcome all that but they didn't....and yes injuries are also a part of the game

The Texans are still the only team in the history of the sport that has never won a Divisional Game; our fans are the most deprived (more so than any other fanbase).

Next Season 2025:  Road games at Rams, at Seahawks, at Chiefs, at Chargers, at Ravens; home games vs Niners, Cardinals, Raiders, Broncos, Bills, and Buccaneers.  Plus our division games.  All will be tough opponents to beat.  But the Texans are just a good offense away from taking that next step towards the AFC Championship; our defense is already one of the best in the league; but the offense is in need of upgrades everywhere (especially the O-Line and play-calling).

[SEWIGuy]

NFL teams should not be permitted to start the interview process for head coach candidates until after the Super Bowl, full stop. The current rules are completely nonsensical, forcing the hand of candidates on playoff teams and making it impossible to focus on their existing jobs. Does anyone *really* think Ben Johnson was laser focused on building a game plan for the Commanders last week? Of course he wasn't.

The problem with this is that agents and teams are going to be talking regardless. And that can make the process less "fair" and open - which has traditionally negatively impacted minority candidates.

And I don't think there was any problem with Detroit's offensive game plan. People can be focused on their job as well as a job search. It happens all the time.

[webny99]

The problem with this is that agents and teams are going to be talking regardless. And that can make the process less "fair" and open - which has traditionally negatively impacted minority candidates.

Yeah, the agents and teams are going to be talking regardless, but that has zero relevance to the timing of the process. How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

People can be focused on their job as well as a job search. It happens all the time.

LOL. "Focused" is a very relative term. No one is giving their current job maximum focus and attention while actively searching/interviewing for another job.

[SEWIGuy]

How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

Having agents and teams making deals behind the scenes, and waiting for show "interviews," empowers the more powerful agents and doesn't allow other candidates to emerge. 

No one is giving their current job maximum focus and attention while actively searching/interviewing for another job.

Speak for yourself on that one. Having been through a number of job searches, I have never found it to be a problem.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is "maximum focus" anyways?  Do you sit in an office making the Bob Knight game face?

[webny99]

How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

Having agents and teams making deals behind the scenes, and waiting for show "interviews," empowers the more powerful agents and doesn't allow other candidates to emerge.

But again, that's the case currently too. Making everyone wait wouldn't change that and would in fact level the playing field.

o one is giving their current job maximum focus and attention while actively searching/interviewing for another job.

Speak for yourself on that one. Having been through a number of job searches, I have never found it to be a problem.

Of course it's not a problem for you. It's a problem for your employer. This is why when someone puts in two weeks notice, many companies choose to terminate them immediately rather than keeping them on for two weeks.

[SEWIGuy]

How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

Having agents and teams making deals behind the scenes, and waiting for show "interviews," empowers the more powerful agents and doesn't allow other candidates to emerge.

But again, that's the case currently too. Making everyone wait wouldn't change that and would in fact level the playing field.

I have explained to you multiple times why it wouldn't. I don't know if you don't understand, or are just being argumentative. Either way I am not going to explain it to you a third time.

[webny99]

I have explained to you multiple times why it wouldn't [level the playing field]. I don't know if you don't understand, or are just being argumentative. Either way I am not going to explain it to you a third time.

No, I understand what you said fine, but it wasn't relevant to the question of why it's less fair to make everyone wait. "Some agents are more powerful" is a non-answer because any candidate can use any agent. If it's a question of ~six weeks being too much time for the agents to get in with the teams, why not just ban agent/team communication during that period?

[thspfc]

And I don't think there was any problem with Detroit's offensive game plan. People can be focused on their job as well as a job search. It happens all the time.

The (relative) lack of Jahmyr Gibbs was shocking. Every time he touched the ball it was good for Detroit. Obviously they were losing, but you would rather have a 5-minute touchdown drive than a 2-minute drive ending in yet another interception.

Glenn was also interviewing for other teams and the defense was a joke. Injuries, yes (49ers game . . . WHY . . .), but the only other team to eviscerate the Lions like that all year was Buffalo. I believe Brady commented on the broadcast that DET was selling out to stop the run on every 4th and short . . . was Daniels ever going to be instructed to hand the ball off on one of those plays? Absolutely not, the NFL learned from Super Bowl 49 to always give your best player a chance to make a play in the biggest moment. Even I was screaming "bootleg right" on the one where they overloaded the right side of the line. Aaron Glenn apparently couldn't figure that one out. Oh, and, 12 men. He couldn't figure that one out either.

[SEWIGuy]

I have explained to you multiple times why it wouldn't [level the playing field]. I don't know if you don't understand, or are just being argumentative. Either way I am not going to explain it to you a third time.

No, I understand what you said fine, but it wasn't relevant to the question of why it's less fair to make everyone wait. "Some agents are more powerful" is a non-answer because any candidate can use any agent. If it's a question of ~six weeks being too much time for the agents to get in with the teams, why not just ban agent/team communication during that period?

LOL...seriously? How are you going to enforce a ban between an agent and a team?

And no, not every coach can sign with every agency. It is actually a point of contention between the league and the agents right now - how the powerful agents have a degree of control over the search process.

[webny99]

LOL...seriously? How are you going to enforce a ban between an agent and a team?

Same way that player/team negotiation bans are enforced prior to free agency?

And no, not every coach can sign with every agency.

Citation needed...

[JayhawkCO]

LOL...seriously? How are you going to enforce a ban between an agent and a team?

Same way that player/team negotiation bans are enforced prior to free agency?

That works super well, as all the deals that are announced within an hour of free agency opening would prove.

[jeffandnicole]

How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

Having agents and teams making deals behind the scenes, and waiting for show "interviews," empowers the more powerful agents and doesn't allow other candidates to emerge. 

That'll happen regardless of when the actual interviews occur.  Those true interviews should occur after the Superbowl, especially when coaches that are most likely to be candidates for open positions are those on playoff teams.

[SEWIGuy]

LOL...seriously? How are you going to enforce a ban between an agent and a team?

Same way that player/team negotiation bans are enforced prior to free agency?

Ah. So in other words, it's unenforceable.

And no, not every coach can sign with every agency.

Citation needed...

Don't expect me to find it for you.

[SEWIGuy]

How is what we have now more fair and open then making everyone wait until after the Super Bowl?

Having agents and teams making deals behind the scenes, and waiting for show "interviews," empowers the more powerful agents and doesn't allow other candidates to emerge. 

That'll happen regardless of when the actual interviews occur.  Those true interviews should occur after the Superbowl, especially when coaches that are most likely to be candidates for open positions are those on playoff teams.

So let me get this straight. A candidate IS distracted by going through an interview process, but ISN'T distracted by working with his agent on that process. Do I have that right?