dave mcbride

The Skinchise!

He was OK; he played about half of the season (the second half; he had a back injury in the first game) and the team put up points. He didn't throw many TDs, but this was a team with hardly any senior production. They're rebuilding.

As a UCLA fan (alum), this is gonna be fun. Not sure people were paying attention, but UCLA's offense really started clicking late in the season. They're a young squad and will improve. Nice matchup between Kelly and Kingsbury going forward.

He calls to mind this guy, who had a very good age-31 season in 2012, slipped a little in 2013 (age 32), and fell off a cliff after that. He got hurt in his age 30 season, but probably would have racked up big numbers if he had stayed healthy. Extremely similar players, stat and size wise. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JohnAn02.htm If Julio can give us similar production in his age 30-32 years (barring injury), than of course you grab him if he's available. You dump him after the age 32 season, just when you need to unlock the Brinks Truck for Allen's second contract.

Both are excellent runners who have made huge plays with their legs.

So you're saying that with regard to his flexing, it was more like this: https://giphy.com/gifs/lol-8oe1ekRC6kjPq

Should Zay Jones caught the picture-perfect throw to him a play earlier despite mild-but-real interference (the type of interference that good receivers swat away like an annoying fly when they routinely make catches in that sort of situation)?

The one clear head shot (one, not really multiple - the wrap-around the neck play was a reasonable no-call) was a terrible non-call by the ref, and it was game-determinative given when and where it happened (second down and 11 at the 30 of Miami on the Bills' third-last play). Milano's PI, however, was a great call. He arm barred him all the way down (which you cannot do!) and didn't look back for the ball. It was a very, very easy call and not really disputable at all. Pressure stats - why didn't you include them?

Again, he is not going to throw the qb under the bus. Again, it was an impressive play in many ways and Allen played a pretty good game. But if you're going to focus on drops, focus on the play before (and yes, I know the pitchforks aren't out for zay because he has been playing well). Jones was interfered with, and yes, PI should have been called, but good receivers hold onto perfect throws like that all the time even while being mildly interfered with (that is, it was PI but hardly a mugging). It was a perfect back-shoulder throw right in his breadbasket, and he basically failed to keep it in. Moderately tough play, yes, because of the interference (and hence I'll give him a pass on it), but a less tough catch than the wounded duck Clay had to field. But because the pitchforks are out for Clay, there is no mention of the previous--and equally important--play.

I was pulling for SD, who I like, but Pitt, who I don’t like, was completely jobbed in this game. The punt return non-call was a joke, as was the false start non-call.

I honestly don’t care a whit if my opinion isn’t popular on this message board, and popular support for your position among fans here who have their pitchforks out ain’t what I call “empirical evidence.” See my expanded reply above. I also wonder if people here actually watch other teams with any degree of closeness.

We disagree strongly about this. But you blamed Watkins on a bad pass by Taylor, so we’re on different sides with regard to this basic issue. You blame receivers on bad but borderline catchable passes (which go incomplete ALL of the time if you actually watch other NFL teams), and I think it’s the QB’s job to be at least moderately accurate. I liked Allen’s game today, but his final throw today was very off target. He was a top ten pick and we should expect him to deliver on that pass. He didn’t today, but I expect him to do so in the future. He had a lot of good throws today, but consistency on the accuracy front is a real issue at present.

Huh? Twist my words! I loved his game for the most part today except for a few plays and have complimented multiple times on the play up to the wounded-duck, helicopter-rotation throw. But yeah, blame the receiver. It was a circus catch situation. I am standing by that.

Whoops - in my frenzy i thought i was responding to dog re the NE game. My bad. I agree about that jets game. Regardless, coming back for the ball on a crap throw isn’t as easy as you seem to think it is.

I just watched three good players in high pressure situations fail to make catches that were less “circus” than clay’s not catch the ball. Sometimes, it’s the qb’s fault.

Can you quantify “no heart” or at the least provide an anecdotal example?

What is he supposed to say? Sheesh. Do you really expect him to throw the qb under the bus? Can you at least admit that it was a highly inaccurate pass and that the qb didn't deliver in a signature moment (despite a great scramble and good decision)?

See previois comments by me about the field surface today — players were falling down all game. Regardless. It was short by 6-7 yards and required a circus catch because it demanded a reverse in direction. I remember you blaming watkins for taylor’s int v NE despite that he leaped as high as he could and his fingertips grazed the ball.

Ah, my favorite blame-the-receiver line: “it hit him in the hands.” It was a bad throw (after a great scramble and great decision) that would have been a bona fide circus catch if caught. And are fans here completely blind to the fact that players on both sides were slipping and sliding all day on that surface??

You are wedded to your interpretation. I liked allen’s play for the most part on that play (as I explicitly stated earlier). But it was a crap throw. It is what it is.

Anyone just watch TN’s johnny smith’s “drop” of an easier catch possibility (but still a very difficult catch) in the end zone? Anyone see sterling shepherd’s “drop” in OT today??

Lol. The ball most decidedly did not get there. It freaking did not even reach the goal line. You are about to enter my pet peeve of always-blame-the-receiver fans!

Huh? That was a perfect throw in the only place the receiver could make a catch. It was precisely on target.

(Nothing peeves me more than fans bringing out the pitchforks for receivers who don’t mke citcus catches on bad throws.)

You are nuts. It’s not easy for any receiver to change direction and scramble back for a bad underthrow (and on a bad playing surface that saw tons of guys slipping around all day). Why can’t we all focus on the main reason it wasn’t caught — the fact that it was 6-7 yds from where it was supposed to be?? Sheesh.