fergie's ire

I think that with Eli it is important to remember the context that he was being advised by his father. He played for a really poorly run Saints team. One year he led the conference in attempts, completions, and yards and the team finished with two wins. Another year he was the NFC player of the year...and his team was 7-9. Yes, there are teams that have ups and downs...with cyclical success and failure, but there are teams that are poorly run and always struggle (e.g. the football team). Archie did NOT want his son to go through what he went through, and he was the driving force behind Eli saying he would not play for the Chargers.

I watched the game on Hulu live. No problems.

That "illusion of Blitzing" is something the Giants did well in the Super Bowl to prevent the Pats perfect season. A lot gets made of them being able to bring pressure with 4 and some say that not many teams have the personnel to do that. While that is partly true, and the Giants had great pass rushers, they also used that illusion of blitzing. They ran some zone blitzes and just enough blitzes for the offense to look for it, and I remember seeing a lot of Patriot lineman blocking air...waiting for a blitz to come that didn't...while somewhere else along the line a rusher was getting to Brady.

A lot will depend on things like ligament damage, but if the recovery goes well, he'll still be paid. Yes, this kind of injury can be devastating, but Tua had the injury that ended Beau Jackson's career. It CAN be devastating. But, because the recovery went well, he was still drafted 5th. Okay...not first, but still pretty high. Teams are desperate for quality quarterbacks and Dak was tearing it up before he went down. Look at the Bills. They haven't had a good quarterback in decades. What we give for the chance to have Dak close to what he was before the injury. We would certainly pay...uh...wait...what? Oh yeah. Sorry. Force of habit. WE won't pay him...but some sad unfortunate team desperate for a quarterback will.

If they'd kicked the extra point (instead of trying for two) and then kicked the field goal, it would've been a two score game.

To be fair, they claimed to have plans in place. They never said they were GOOD plans.

Not sure if they have, but I know they are allowed to because it was reported that Cam Newton was keeping up with virtual sessions.

I agree completely. The inaccurate label always bothered me for this reason and erratic seemed to be a better description.

Yes, the way they word it (and the timing of the tests) does make it confusing. They need back to back clean days and then can return the NEXT day. But since that day a test (from the previous day) comes back early in the day, if it comes back with a positive they have to cancel that day. So, it's really three days. Earlier this week is an example. The Titans had no positive tests on Mon or Tue, and were cleared to return to practice on Wednesday. But when Wednesday's test came back, they cancelled the practice that had been previously cleared.

I agree that it is the array that is impressive. Early on, Raiders were playing press man to man and Allen beat them over the top a few times. Then, I think it was just before the Diggs bomb, the commentators mentioned that he hadn't had a long throw since early...that the Raiders were giving him everything short and took away the deep passes. I think Josh picked them apart and they adjusted again. Last year, he could pick apart a zone but struggled against man to man. Now he can recognize the defense and adjust to beat what they are doing. Very impressive.

Though the "football move" going to the ground rules may be stupid, they are there. So, if a player is falling (or diving) to make a catch...he has to possess the ball through the ground for it to be a catch. So, if the ball had popped out when Brown hit the ground, it would not have been a catch. Therefore, though he had control of it....and two feet touched...he didn't officially possess the ball until he hit the ground...which happened outside the end zone. That's why the announcers were talking about going to the ground and possession.

As mentioned, that was one lab. But what is interesting is the way that I have heard it phrased. It is being reported that Cam has been DIAGNOSED with Covid, not that he has tested positive. Makes me wonder if he has symptoms.

I think that the issue with the Titans is not so much how many are infected as trying to prevent the spread. A couple more test positive each day, so if those who were already infected, but still hadn't tested positive were around teammates they could have kept the spread going. I think they will wait until they can go several days without any new positives before allowing players back into the facility.

On the plus side, IF our game with them gets cancelled, that would mean that KC would play us on short rest with us coming off a bye week.

Was that the Elway fumbled snap? There's a great shot of him in shotgun and his eyes just get wide as the ball is snapped before he is ready. Can't remember if it was that game, though....but I'm pretty sure it was against the Bills.

VIRGIL!!

Initially, I thought it was a BS call (though I figured we were owed one in our favor and was happy to take it). However, when they slowed it down, I could see why it was a penalty. Yes, Davis initiates the contact into the defender, but then the defender gets his hands on him and holds onto him when Davis tries to break right. It looked like when an offensive lineman engages a rusher and then the quarterback scrambles the rusher moves to the side to chase and if the O-lineman doesn't release his grip, he gets called for the hold. Looked like the referee had a good look at it, too. It may have been a bit ticky-tack...and maybe doesn't get called all the time, but I could see where that was PI.

And of Belichick who mocked it by listing Brady as probable EVERY week for years.

That is why it was so important for Allen to be able to loft the ball...to put some air under it. Often, in man to man, a quarterback needs to throw over a defender. Against zone, Josh could find a seem and gun it through the open space to his receiver. That was why the "deep ball" problem was never so much about throwing the ball down field. He had some long connections (30-40 yds) but the ball was thrown on a line. It also helps that he has Diggs who is great at beating man to man. There was a completion in the 2nd half Sunday that really demonstrated the benefit of Diggs and this improved ability to loft the ball. It was the pass on the sideline that was reviewed. At first I was thinking "Oh no...an old Josh mistake" because it looked like a very dangerous pass. Diggs was covered tightly. However, watching the replay, Diggs gets just enough separation and the ball DROPS over his shoulder. The defender had no chance. And it's those kinds of plays that Allen could not do consistently last year that make him so dangerous against man to man this year.

Don't know if they have the cap space to do it, but I agree that the trend seems to be to re-sign before the fourth year. The problem with after the fourth year is then they start smelling the free agent money...and even the franchise money for QBs and corners is so good, that they seem to be willing to hold out for huge money....a la Cousins and Prescott.

"Those numbers are very low." Ha.

I know Kyle Shahan was blaming the "sticky" turf in Jersey. Not sure if it is new or why it would be different this year.

I agree that Dodson played well. However, I think that Edmunds provides a unique advantage in Frazier's defense, particularly against quick passing. He is so athletic and has such long arms that he plays like a wing defender in basketball and makes those quick middle plays difficult. I remember last year, I don't remember the game (Patriots, maybe) that the commenter pointed out it was clear the opposing quarterback wanted to go quick, but Edmunds was always there. He had some tips...maybe an interception...and then the threat of him made the qb turn away from the middle as an option. I hope he's back against the Rams.

Yes, but because there was air under the ball, Smoke could adjust...and he beat the defense so badly that they couldn't catch up. That's actually a really good throw in that situation. If he tried to hit Smoke in stride...and the ball was overthrown by six inches, it would've been incomplete. As another poster pointed out, he had a problem missing open guys deep last year. This was a good safe throw which lead to an easy 6.

Yes, and while I haven't seen the replay other than in-game, it looked to me like it might have been the same route on the next play...only this time, instead of continuing across the field, Smoke cuts up the way Josh wanted him to the first time.