Logic

In all seriousness, I do believe that the future of offensive football is "positionless" to a certain extent. To call Christian McCaffrey a running back does not accurately describe all that he does. To call prime Deebo Samuel a wide receiver does not accurately describe all that he does. To call Dalton Kincaid a tight end does not accurately describe all that he does. You get the picture. I think Brady plans to be "Mr Matchup". He collected a pile of skill players with different skillsets, and -- based on the camp report from day one -- plans to employ a multitude of motions and shifts to get certain offensive players matched up against certain defensive players in isolation or against certain coverages, and expects Josh to simply find and exploit the most advantageous matchup. That may sound like an obvious, "duh" sort of statement, but it's not exactly how things worked under Ken Dorsey or Brian Daboll.

I never knew you liked baseball. Huh.

Totally agree. Pre heart episode, I considered him a guy that's great to have for depth and special teams and who can get you through a few weeks if your starter is injured. I even thought he had the upside to develop into a plus starter, though he wasn't there yet. Post heart episode, he did not play as well, but I will absolutely cut him some slack for the immense mental hurdle he had to overcome to play professional football again and all the distractions that must've been happening in his life. Now, a year later, drama behind him and able to concentrate solely on football, it won't surprise me in the least if he makes a run at a starting job or at least a prominent sub-package and reserve role.

That I can agree with. I'm not so sure I'd enjoy the guided session either, particularly if it involved other people. I'm definitely a "sit by the river" guy when it comes to this stuff. Give me a napsack with some bottled water, citrus fruits, and an Alan Watts book and leave me alone. I'll be back in 7 hours.

On the contrary, I think "set and setting" are very important to the outcome of a psychedelic trip, at least if therapeutic or medicinal results are sought. That is, one's mood/state of mind/intention when taking the substance, and the setting in which one takes the substance. Taking a heavy dose of psilocybin in a quiet, candlelit room with classical music playing and a comfortable temperature and a pitcher of ice water nearby, when one is in good spirits and has a had a bit of quiet reflection beforehand...can bring about a PROFOUNDLY different experience than taking them with a group of friends or at a concert or when one is stressed or agitated about something. I don't think a trained guide, is practically speaking, necessary, though it can be helpful. Nor do I think it's necessary to undertake the experience in a sterile medical environment. I DO think, though, that some preparation, a good mindset, and agreeable surroundings are vitally important to a good psychedelic experience.

To expand on this... From https://time.com/6167638/psilocybin-addiction-therapeutic-breakthrough/ : "Additional research has shown another potential therapeutic use of psilocybin: to assuage depression. For instance, a small randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2020 found that psilocybin-assisted therapy caused a rapid reduction in the symptoms of major depression symptoms, and that the effects remained statistically significant at least four weeks later. Another study, published this year in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found that among a small group of participants with depression who received two doses of psilocybin with supportive therapy, 75% still had some response to the treatment, and that 58% were in complete remission from depression. In another study co-authored by Jones, published earlier this year in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, he and colleague Matthew K. Nock reviewed NSDUH data, and found that psilocybin use was associated with a reduced risk of major depressive episodes." 58% WERE IN COMPLETE REMISSION FROM DEPRESSION. I cannot overstate how impressive a 58% complete remission rate is, particularly when compared to the pharmaceuticals commonly used to treat depression.

I'll let the experts do the talking. They can explain it much better than I can. While I can vouch for their effectiveness on a personal level, my ability to explain the particulars in scientific terms is limited. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/treating-addiction-with-psychedelics/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/03/treat-addiction-with-psychedelics/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/well/mind/psilocybin-mushrooms-addiction-therapy.html https://time.com/6167638/psilocybin-addiction-therapeutic-breakthrough/ Scientific American, Time, Harvard...you'll notice these aren't just Looney Tune fringe outlets talking about this stuff. I will grant that more research still needs to happen to more fully understand the mechanisms by which psychedelics can treat addiction and provide general medicinal and therapeutic value. This research is JUST NOW starting to be allowed and to proliferate, after years of legal prohibition in this country. In my estimation, there's a reason that so many different cultures from all over the world have revered these substances for thousands of years. They're not just recreational "drugs". They powerfully impact the mind and, when approached in the proper setting and with the proper intention and even a trained professional, they can provide great value to the experiencer. Psilocybin, DMT (the psychoactive ingredient in Ayahuasca), and Ibogaine seem to be the most powerful and commonly mentioned compounds, in terms of medicinal and therapeutic psychedelic usage. Fascinating stuff.

I absolutely believe that motion and pre-snap shifts provide the BIGGEST advantage you can legally give an offense. Motion and shifts can cause defensive confusion, help the QB identify coverage, set the offensive player up to out-leverage the defender, and make defenders hesitate for just a split second, which can be all an offensive player needs to beat his man. They can also force the defense into disadvantageous personnel groupings, like when an offense comes out in 12 personnel and then flexes the RB and TEs out into a spread set, creating isolation matchups against linebackers and safeties. In my estimation, EVERY offense should make liberal use of pre-snap motion. The Bills didn't do it nearly enough (or effectively enough) for my liking in the Dorsey era. I also believe that the APPEARANCE of complexity can provide a big advantage, even if what ultimately ends up happening is relatively simple. Kyle Shanahan and his coaching tree love to call the same basic play out of multiple different formations and with multiple pre-snap motions and shifts. But it all still winds up being the same play. Makes it simple for the offense, but creates headaches and confusion for the defense. I know its only day one, but the talk of condensed formations, reduced splits, and ample motion and shifts has me very excited about Brady's potential offense.

I know this thread is primarily about the NY/NJ thing, but I'd just like to take this moment to say... Psychedelic therapy is a legitimate avenue for self-improvement, self-inquiry, and beating addictions. It has worked wonders for many, including myself. Changed my life. It's kind of sad that an arrogant, narcissistic knucklehead like Aaron Rodgers has become a national poster boy for it. He gives the whole enterprise a bad name and turns it into a bit of a joke. Ah well. As Lao Tsu said: Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.

Brian Thomas Jr. Ran a 4.33 at 6'3" 209 lbs (!) and scored 17 TDs last season. Insane. Kid's gonna be a star. Ray Davis led all FBS backs in receiving TDs in 2023 with 7, which was the most by an SEC running back in over 20 years.

Reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated. .......too soon?

My favorite three Tweets of the day so far below. Music to my ears. I think I'm going to like Mr Brady's offense

Forget calling a timeout, I've seen Stefon Diggs retire MID-ROUTE a bunch of times.

Hmmm...something here feels really familiar...

Pretty classless to retire before the season starts. Everyone knows that the right way to do it is at halftime and without warning. Just pack your sh!t and go.

Show a little leg.

I know, right? In fairness, the Raiders could say "we're going all out, balls to the wall, and gunning for a Lombardi", and they STILL likely wouldn't pose even a whisper of a threat to the Chiefs. Luckily we also have a Raiders in our own division: the Brissett led New England Patriots.

If anyone doesn't already follow @32BeatWriters on Twitter, they should! It's an account that aggregates any kind of news or training camp reports from all 32 teams and posts them on Twitter daily, as well as re-Tweeting pertinent reports from others. It's a MUST for serious dynasty/fantasy football players and just for NFL news junkies in general. Just to give a few examples...

Beane and McDermott use the term all the time. They've used it when referring to guys like Josh Allen and Micah Hyde. So if I was to guess, based on who McDermott and Beane are as people and on the two examples listed above, I'd say "Bills DNA" means: leadership qualities, tenacity, mental toughness, intelligence, high moral character, selflessness, teamwork, a willingness to put the greater good of the team ahead of one's own glory, a relentless will to improve, and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Put whatever shade of lipstick you want on a pig, and it's still a pig.

Yeah. I do think he deserved his first MVP award. And as much as I wanted Josh to win in 2020, Aaron Rodgers deserved it over him that year as well. 2023 is the first time that I feel like Josh Allen was well and truly shafted for MVP. But even if Josh didn't win it, CMC was more deserving than Lamar, IMO. It was the ultimate "let's just re-name it the 'most outstanding quarterback' award" season. So dumb.

I like Lamar Jackson. He seems like a cool, genuine, likable person. He isn't outwardly arrogant or braggadocios or unlikable in any way to me. Just a good player who consistently plays an exciting brand of football. He has gone from being told he should switch to WR despite a sensational college career, to being a two time league MVP. As Josh Allen says, "it's hard not to root for him". Like others, I feel that the amount of accolades he receives relative to, say, Josh Allen, is sometimes unreasonable. I also feel like he is often given some benefit of the doubt that Josh is not given, despite Josh being unarguably superior in the playoffs. I also flat out think that Josh Allen is a better quarterback. But any frustration I have is at the media or the sports-watching world for the seeming double standards and selective recognition. None of the ill will goes toward Jackson himself. Great player.

It's hard to give a definitive number because ABV varies so wildly from drink to drink. Even among beers only, there's a big difference between a 4.5% and an 8.5%, and the latter seems to be much more prevalent than the former these days. That said, I generally won't drive if I've had more than two beers or two glasses of wine. The duration of time over which those drinks were consumed and the amount of food I did or did not have with them also plays a part. More than anything, it's kind of a "feeling" thing. I like to think that after this many years, I've got a pretty good "meter" for when to stop drinking, when not to drive, etc. While I enjoy consuming alcohol, I genuinely don't enjoy being cognitively impaired. I always try to avoid getting "drunk", irrespective of whether driving is involved. Regardless, If I have even the slightest doubt whatsoever, I won't drive.

I don't know why but I thought Boyst was like 60. Huh.