Beck Water

I saw that. Now I do grant that the LA Rams won a Superbowl playing 2 year retired Eric Weddle at Safety. But Phillip Rivers was not particularly mobile at any point in his career, and he was statuesque at the point where he retired.

I feel like someone could yell to Higgins and the UNC: "You Lied! You All Lied!" https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-news-roundup-latest-league-updates-from-monday-dec-8 INJURIES WR Tee Higgins is in the league's concussion protocol after reporting symptoms after Sunday's loss to the Bills head coach Zac Taylor told reporters. The NFL and NFL Players Association released a joint statement obtained by NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe regarding Higgins' evaluation Sunday: "Tee Higgins was evaluated twice in game and cleared to return. After the game, in discussion with club medical personnel as part of a postgame evaluation, he notified the team he was experiencing symptoms and was immediately placed in the concussion protocol."

Amazing throw. Thank you for finding this and pointing it out. I'd like to call out the role of Josh's OL in continuing the play and enabling the throw, as well. Notice how Torrence hustles over and screens off Josh from the incoming 99, giving Josh just that extra moment to plant and release. We also have to believe that the run threat Josh represents enables that play. Why doesn't 92 commit and launch a tackle to try to bring Josh down? I would think he was coached that he had to maintain contain, if he launches himself to tackle Josh before another defender is in position to back him up, Josh could evade him and be halfway to the endzone.

What concerns me are the fumbles. Especially the fumble near the goal line. Homie, You Can't Do That. Factually, Kincaid saw 63% of the snaps in 2023, 57% of the snaps in 2024, and 41% of the snaps this season. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KincDa00.htm In 2024, he was running 65.7% prior to his week 10 injury, and then 34-51% after he returned (but 24% the week he returned) This season, he was running 49% of the snaps prior to his week 5 injury, 22% the week he returned, then trending up until injured again.

I didn't think they use either snowplows or shovels on the field of play itself. Too much risk they would damage the playing surface. They do snowblow, though, and it isn't just at halftime if the hash marks and the yard lines are becoming obscured.

Kurt Warner talks about every QB as though every QB still has to prove he is a good player or something. Ya gotta understand, when you go from Arena Ball to the Superbowl with "Mad Mike" Martz, you have to be able to survive hard coaching. And in that offense, given the defense pre-snap there were maybe 2 choices and an outlet, then post-snap, there was one best place to go with the ball every play. It was based on rhythm and getting the ball to the right place at the right time, or the QB was Wrong. It took Warner years to warm up to the reality that Josh could do things he (Warner) never could, and they were sometimes good things. So he gives Josh his propers now. But he still breaks down tape through that lens of "one best place every play". If a fan isn't all fluffed up and indignant at anything critical, IMHO he's a very interesting watch and an interesting perspective. Remember, he is the guy that announced Allen for MVP. He knows he's a great player. He just wants him to be even better.

If the NFLPA was worth anything, they would put a stop to that.

Nah. You got fans like myself, never played a snap of football. And I do love me some stats. But I also love the game of football - the chess match, trying to understand the way roles and responsibilities on the defense change depending on how the play develops post snap. And I understand that I'm always going to be struggling to decode stuff that everyone who's played or coached at the college level grew up on. And I don't do fantasy football. That makes a huge difference these days. The other factor is PFF. They do a good job of some things. They don't do a good job with line play - OL or DL - and sometimes with front 7 D - because their metrics can't really account for what the actual assignment was on the play. They're guessing, and it's closer to a guess from someone like me than a guess from someone like @HoofHearted To roll with your analogy: if I were an accountant from Raleigh looking to buy a tractor, the first thing I'd do is find me some farmers to chat up and find out what's important to them in a tractor. Then that's what I'd look for.

I thought the problem with Tottenham was that the NFL doesn't get to play on the normal surface. They take it out and replace it with astroturf rolled over concrete. Just what I heard.

Top 51 is just for the off-season

I can only imagine the feelings of Browns fans watching Baker providing 3 years of competent QB play for a winning football team in Tampa My only question is: Would they be more or less salty than Jets fans watching two different former Jets first-round QB providing 4 years of competent QB play for a winning football team in Seattle?

Do we get to count Hunter Henry, or No? He hasn't quite panned out to expectations for being a Chargers 2nd round pick, but he's been a consistent 600+ yd receiver for a while, including 2 previous seasons with NE. He runs a good route, and has good hands - catches in the high 60's year after year.

I hear ya, @dcinmuncie. I personally thought that when McDaniels reneged on the Colts his shots at HC were up. But what do either of us know, because he got serious looks from Cleveland and then hired by Vegas. So he seems to have the "golden key" as a sales dude. I suspect you're correct that OC is where he should stay, but I don't know I can say that I understand what governs who does or does not get shots.

Patriots fan, are you? Give Maye his propers. He's leading the league in like - everything right now. He also has the advantage of working with a good veteran OC who has enough pieces around him. Decent OL, two canny vet WR and a solid TE. A lot of reliance on the run game in terms of attempts, if not in terms of yards. And, the Patriots have a solid D. Vrabel may be a meathead, but he's a very good coach and traditionally gets the best out of his teams. There's a long history of players who look amazing and for one or another reason don't last. I remember when we were hearing "show me another QB who is playing better than Mac Jones right now". Belichick ruined him with his Matt Patricia experiment, but I digress. "He's better than Josh already right now" is hyperbole. There's a Josh McDaniel cycle just like there's a Ryan Fitzpatrick cycle: 1) look great as Patriots OC 2) get hired as HC 3) fail 4) rehired as Patriots OC, look great McDaniel has an ego. We'll see how long he works great with Meathead. I think 5-7 years is a stretch.

I think it's very simple. Someone, believe it was Emmanuel Ocho, said that teams have to believe they can win. And in order to believe you can win, teams have to have enough "freakazoids" on the team, guys who can just change the course of the game. He said sometimes a team goes out there and they can "just feel it" that they don't have enough exceptional players to win vs the other team's exceptional players Now remember, we're talking perception here. We're talking belief. Through much of the season with all the injuries, the Bills haven't had enough guys who can do their job, let alone exceptional guys, especially on D. They have guys out of place, not doing their job. Best player on IR; looked like Hoecht would be a needed injection of umph, takes the field and promptly goes on IR. A rotating body and fender shop. Who are the defensive Freakazoids? Against the Steelers, Benford stepped up and said "Me!" but that's not enough.