NFL (2025 Season)

[jgb191]

Davis Mills remains undefeated in Nashville winning all of his starts; but now he has to go from one extreme to the other extreme as the Bills come visiting into Reliant/NRG Stadium tomorrow night; the best that I can hope for is another very close, competitive loss against the Bills (while covering for CJ) but that's probably going to be wishful thinking -- last time Davis Mills faced the Bills ended up a 40-0 shutout at Buffalo.

You forgot one small but important thing though: NRG Stadium is a house of horrors for the Bills and especially Josh Allen. 8 sacks for the Texans defense tonight sets a new career high for Allen.

Another key difference between last night and September 2021 (last, and to date only other, time Davis Mills started against Buffalo), the Texans didn't have one of the NFL's best defenses back then -- if not the best defense in the league right now.  We didn't have (in my opinion the MVP of the Texans) Will Anderson Jr. nor our culture-establishing coach in DeMeco Ryans.  With our defense, and especially with Davis have acquired all that experience since then, I knew it wasn't going to be anywhere near the 40-0 shutout at Buffalo back in 2021 but going up against Josh Allen it was still going to be an uphill battle to slow him down with his immense talent, and the defense more than delivered.

Texans are now 6-2 in their last eight games and still looking very much alive and well, and will aim for 7-2 (since losing their first three games) next weekend at Indianapolis, that's going to be another tough one.  The only weakness in the Texans defense is slowing the opponent's run game and the Colts have the best RB in the league in Johnathon Taylor, who I think is the leading candidate for MVP this fall.  Hopefully CJ will be back by then.

[SEWIGuy]

Do divisions even matter? It's essentially "top seven get in".

1. Division winners still get home field in the first round.

2. There is a chance that a division winner will get into the playoffs with a worse record than the 4th best wild card. This obviously doesn't happen every year, but it did back in 2022 when a 8-9 Tampa won its division and got into the playoffs ahead of a 8-8-1 Commanders team.

The most egregious example of this I can remember was the 2010-11 playoffs when the 7-9 Seahawks won the NFC West and secured the 4th seed, hosted a wild-card game against the 11-5 Saints (the 5th seed and defending champions that year), and wound up upsetting the Saints (The "Beast Quake" game).

And there was a 10-6 Tampa team with a better record as well.

I think under .500 division winners should not get a playoff birth if there is a fourth wild card with a .500 or better record.

[CoreySamson]

Davis Mills is 3-0 as a starter. I think we can chalk that up to better O-line play though.

[webny99]

I wonder if Sean McDermott is feeling his seat warm......

Just saw a stat: 6 coaches have been in their current position since 2017 or earlier.

Andy Reid - 3x SB champion, 5x conference champion
Sean McVay - 1x SB champion, 2x conference champion
Mike Tomlin - 1x SB champion, 2x conference champion
John Harbaugh - 1x SB champion, 1x conference champion
Kyle Shanahan - 2x conference champion
Sean McDermott -

Point made, but if you're looking at "since 2017", it is pretty disingenuous to count Harbaugh/Tomlin's SB and conference victories from before 2017.

And McDermott has done more than Harbaugh and significantly more than Tomlin in terms of regular season and playoff wins since 2017. The facts are, no one in the AFC has done anything in that era besides one season of the Brady Patriots and the Chiefs. I'd feel differently about McDermott if there were a whole bunch of other AFC coaches with post-2017 success on the list.

[thspfc]

I wonder if Sean McDermott is feeling his seat warm......

Just saw a stat: 6 coaches have been in their current position since 2017 or earlier.

Andy Reid - 3x SB champion, 5x conference champion
Sean McVay - 1x SB champion, 2x conference champion
Mike Tomlin - 1x SB champion, 2x conference champion
John Harbaugh - 1x SB champion, 1x conference champion
Kyle Shanahan - 2x conference champion
Sean McDermott -

Point made, but if you're looking at "since 2017", it is pretty disingenuous to count Harbaugh/Tomlin's SB and conference victories from before 2017.

No, winning a Super Bowl at any point in your tenure rightfully buys you goodwill and benefit of doubt.

And McDermott has done more than Harbaugh and significantly more than Tomlin in terms of regular season and playoff wins since 2017. The facts are, no one in the AFC has done anything in that era besides one season of the Brady Patriots and the Chiefs. I'd feel differently about McDermott if there were a whole bunch of other AFC coaches with post-2017 success on the list.

How much longer is it gonna be like this then?

[ZLoth]

Combined with the Seahawks win over Titans, the Giants loss at Detroit has made the Giants to the first team to eliminated from playoff possibility. The Jets did not have a playoff elimination scenario.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm just relieved the Lions didn't blow it at home and lose to the Giants.  I know Jameis Winston is a wild card and can sling the ball but what the fuck?

[JayhawkCO]

Jameis is magic. Also, magic for my fantasy team this week.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Week 12 update- the NYG is the first team eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row...

AFC East- Patriots
AFC West- Broncos
AFC North- Ravens
AFC South- Colts

NFC East- Eagles
NFC West- Rams
NFC North- Packers
NFC South- Buccaneers

AFC Wildcards- Bills, Chiefs, Chargers
NFC Wildcards- Lions, 49ers, Seahawks

Eliminated AFC teams: TEN, NYJ, MIA, CLE, LAS, CIN, HOU, JAX, PIT
Eliminated NFC teams: NO, NYG, ARI, WAS, MIN, ATL, DAL, CAR, CHI

[NWI_Irish96]

Week 12 update- the NYG is the first team eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row...

AFC East- Patriots
AFC West- Broncos
AFC North- Ravens
AFC South- Colts

NFC East- Eagles
NFC West- Rams
NFC North- Packers
NFC South- Buccaneers

AFC Wildcards- Bills, Chiefs, Chargers
NFC Wildcards- Lions, 49ers, Seahawks

Eliminated AFC teams: TEN, NYJ, MIA, CLE, LAS, CIN, HOU, JAX, PIT
Eliminated NFC teams: NO, NYG, ARI, WAS, MIN, ATL, DAL, CAR, CHI

Bears are leading the NFC North.

[jmacswimmer]

Week 12 update- the NYG is the first team eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row...

AFC East- Patriots
AFC West- Broncos
AFC North- Ravens
AFC South- Colts

NFC East- Eagles
NFC West- Rams
NFC North- Packers
NFC South- Buccaneers

AFC Wildcards- Bills, Chiefs, Chargers
NFC Wildcards- Lions, 49ers, Seahawks

Eliminated AFC teams: TEN, NYJ, MIA, CLE, LAS, CIN, HOU, JAX, PIT
Eliminated NFC teams: NO, NYG, ARI, WAS, MIN, ATL, DAL, CAR, CHI

Bears are leading the NFC North.

For the moment yes (and I'm trying not to get overly excited about it myself), but it'd take a big effort to hold onto that down the stretch with the remaining schedule including both Packers games as well as the finale against the Lions. Depending how things play out, that final game strikes me as a potential candidate for SNF.

A different style haart attaak game this week with the Bears holding the lead the entire 4th quarter and needing the defense to close it out. But now the difficulty really ratchets up starting with the back half of Pennsylvania week on Black Friday.

[jgb191]

I'd like an opinion or two as to the best way for the Texans moving on: 
Option A: Keep Davis Mills as starter until further notice or
Option B: Re-insert CJ Stroud back into the starting lineup effective immediately

What should the Texans do?  This is coming up to be an increasingly heated debate among our fanbase. 

"Money Mills" as we like to label him is undefeated as starter and seems to have a calmer demeanor and mentally more collected than CJ.  CJ on the other hand is far more physically gifted and talented but mentally and emotionally less stable of the two. 

[wanderer2575]

I'm just relieved the Lions didn't blow it at home and lose to the Giants.

They tried their darndest to blow it, but the Giants blew it even more by not going for the field goal near the end of regulation.  That let the Lions tie it up with only a field goal of their own instead of needing a touchdown.

[mgk920]

The Bears have been VERY LUCKY this season.  I also don't see that luck continuing.  At most I see them as a wild card.  OTOH, I have already 'forked' the Vikings.

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

The Bears have been VERY LUCKY this season.  I also don't see that luck continuing.  At most I see them as a wild card.  OTOH, I have already 'forked' the Vikings.

Mike

Sometimes it is better to be lucky.  It will usually at least get a team in the playoffs.

[NWI_Irish96]

The Bears have been VERY LUCKY this season.  I also don't see that luck continuing.  At most I see them as a wild card.  OTOH, I have already 'forked' the Vikings.

Mike

I wouldn't call it luck so much as achieving at a higher level than their talent would indicate. The defense, which would be good but not great at full strength, is pretty bad with all the guys they've had out injured. They have managed to force enough turnovers to mitigate that.

[webny99]

Point made, but if you're looking at "since 2017", it is pretty disingenuous to count Harbaugh/Tomlin's SB and conference victories from before 2017.

No, winning a Super Bowl at any point in your tenure rightfully buys you goodwill and benefit of doubt.

What?  So Tomlin and Harbaugh can coast until whenever they decide to retire with zero fear of losing their job just because of fumes from a Super Bowl victory decades ago that has zero relevance in today's NFL?

I completely disagree, but setting that aside, this means you're not looking at "since 2017" like originally insinuated. McDermott is simply the longest-tenured head coach not to have won a Super Bowl... but oh wait, Shanahan hasn't either. So, he's the longest-tenured head coach not to have won a Super Bowl or conference title. But he also has seven playoff wins this decade, more than 30 other active coaches including four of the five with equivalent or longer tenures. I'm not defending McDermott, I'm simply unimpressed (on multiple levels) by this stat.

[Henry]

The Bears have been VERY LUCKY this season.  I also don't see that luck continuing.  At most I see them as a wild card.  OTOH, I have already 'forked' the Vikings.

Mike

It's been a fun season, and with the Bulls and Blackhawks also winning again, this is shaping up to be an interesting  winter in Chicago sports.

[thspfc]

Point made, but if you're looking at "since 2017", it is pretty disingenuous to count Harbaugh/Tomlin's SB and conference victories from before 2017.

No, winning a Super Bowl at any point in your tenure rightfully buys you goodwill and benefit of doubt.

What?  So Tomlin and Harbaugh can coast until whenever they decide to retire with zero fear of losing their job just because of fumes from a Super Bowl victory decades ago that has zero relevance in today's NFL?

No, not even close. Significant reading comprehension issue. I said goodwill and benefit of doubt, not complete immunity.

I completely disagree, but setting that aside, this means you're not looking at "since 2017" like originally insinuated.

I am looking at coaches that have been in their current positions since 2017.

McDermott is simply the longest-tenured head coach not to have won a Super Bowl... but oh wait, Shanahan hasn't either.

Shanahan has made the Super Bowl with TWO QBs who were borderline top 10 QBs in that given year. McDermott has never, with a QB who will end his career borderline top 10 to ever play the game.

In a race of who is a better coach, Shanahan runs laps around and drags McDermott by the nuts.

But he also has seven playoff wins this decade, more than 30 other active coaches including four of the five with equivalent or longer tenures. I'm not defending McDermott, I'm simply unimpressed (on multiple levels) by this stat.

Okay, then they should put up with it for 7-10 more years and watch Josh Allen's career slowly slip away while the same shit happens every year.

[Great Lakes Roads]

da Bears got a BIG win over the da Eagles!

[Henry]

da Bears got a BIG win over the da Eagles!

Which makes me the happiest fan on this forum!

[ET21]

Everyone chose Philly to beat the Bears, they all lost     

[Great Lakes Roads]

Week 13 update- to no one's surprise, the da Bears are currently in first place in the NFC!

AFC East- Patriots
AFC West- Broncos
AFC North- Ravens
AFC South- Colts

NFC East- Eagles
NFC West- Rams
NFC North- Bears
NFC South- Buccaneers

AFC Wildcards- Bills, Jags, Chargers
NFC Wildcards- Packers, 49ers, Seahawks

Eliminated AFC teams: TEN, NYJ, MIA, CLE, LAS, CIN, HOU, JAX, PIT
Eliminated NFC teams: NO, NYG, ARI, WAS, MIN, ATL, DAL, CAR, DET

[thspfc]

the 2025 Vikings offseason will go down as one of the greatest suicide bombings in the history of the NFL.

[epzik8]

Wdym the Bears are the top seed in the NFC after giving up 52 points to the Lions earlier this year?