Official NFL 2022-2023 Thread

[Geoff Grace]

Baker Mayfield gets another chapter to his faltering career...

Baker Mayfield claimed off waivers by QB-needy Rams

Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve and could be done for the season. Backup quarterback John Wolford has a neck injury; so it’s conceivable that Mayfield could play as soon as the day after tomorrow, in the Thursday night contest against the Raiders. He's currently flying to LA, while studying the Rams' playbook.

Best,

Geoff

[bill5]

6 hours ago, ProfD said:

I guess GM Jon Robinson was sacrificial after the realization of that WR AJ Brown trade.  It must have been too much for the Titans to stomach after WR Brown came to town and thrashed them on Sunday.🤣

 

Funniest part is the Titans gave the GM a contract extension back in February. It was probably too early to tell that 1) he wasn't a genius and 2) their WR corps would be garbage this season. 😎

Yeah I think just about everyone was scratching their heads at that move. 

 

The Mayfield thing is just weird. I get not all high picks pan out, but he seemed to have the goods. I certainly would not mind him as my backup though.

[ProfD]

The Titans drafted WR Treylon Burks because he's built like WR AJ Brown. The Titans organization did not want to pay WR  Brown's salary.

 

Baker Mayfield will eventually join the ranks of QBs who excelled in college football and won a Heisman trophy but couldn’t bring it to the NFL.  The Rams may be Mayfield's last stand.😎

[jazzpiano88]

2 hours ago, Geoff Grace said:

Baker Mayfield gets another chapter to his faltering career...

Baker Mayfield claimed off waivers by QB-needy Rams

Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve and could be done for the season. Backup quarterback John Wolford has a neck injury; so it’s conceivable that Mayfield could play as soon as the day after tomorrow, in the Thursday night contest against the Raiders. He's currently flying to LA, while studying the Rams' playbook.

Best,

Geoff

 

Bay area media was predicting this more as a poke in the eye to Niners who wanted him for their QB situation.

[GovernorSilver]

My buddies and I were just having a discussion about whether Ohio State has produced a successful NFL QB, because they're not sold on CJ Stroud.  I mentioned Justin Fields, but they're skeptical because da Bears once again have a losing season.  Ironically, when I look at Stroud's highlights, the majority of them show him staying in the pocket and throwing accurate darts like Tom Brady - very different style compared to Fields.   There was only one highlight in which he took for a 30-yd gain.   If he keeps those Tom Brady impressions going against the Georgia defense, his stock will skyrocket compared to Bryce Young's.  Tall order, though... 😃

 

Jalen Hurts has had 2 good seasons in a row with the Eagles, coming out of the same school (Oklahoma) that produced Mayfield.  But he only had 1 year under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.  The previous years were at Bama, which he left after Tua beat him for the starting job.  

[Outkaster]

Von Miller is out for the season.  Man this sucks.  And my Bills are the numbers one seed.

[ProfD]

13 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

My buddies and I were just having a discussion about whether Ohio State has produced a successful NFL QB...

The short answer is no. 😁

 

Ohio State QBs have flamed out for one reason or another whether it was gambling (Art Schlichter) to playing a totally different position in the NFL (Terrelle Pryor and Braxton Miller). 

 

QB Mike Tomczak had a decent career.  QB Troy Smith spent a few years as a backup in Baltimore.  The late QB Dwayne Haskins had his chances with the Washington Football Team and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

 

QB Justin Fields might be different with more experience and if Da Bears can shore up their offensive live. 😎

[surfergirl]

13 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

Jalen Hurts has had 2 good seasons in a row with the Eagles, coming out of the same school (Oklahoma) that produced Mayfield.  But he only had 1 year under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma.  The previous years were at Bama, which he left after Tua beat him for the starting job.  

My argument in favor of the transfer portal, in all likelihood Hurts would not have been drafted if he hadn't transfered. Cade McNamara may or may not be a NFL player, but he will have a chance by tranfering. .

The 49ers being my #2 team, I'm glad they didn't get Mayfield. The 49ers need veteran who can mentor Lance.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, surfergirl said:

The 49ers need veteran who can mentor Lance.

IMO, the 49ers coaching staff will be able to mentor if QB Trey Lance as long as he has the physical abilities and football IQ to play the position. 

 

Except QB Aaron Rodgers, none of the top-tier QBs playing the game today have had a significant amount of time playing behind a veteran QB.

 

QBs Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts are playing at a high level after a couple of seasons behind the wheel. 

 

Today's NFL doesn't rely on veteran QBs to mentor the rookies.  Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett is learning on the job and plays better than the vets on his team.😁😎

[GovernorSilver]

33 minutes ago, ProfD said:

IMO, the 49ers coaching staff will be able to mentor if QB Trey Lance as long as he has the physical abilities and football IQ to play the position. 

 

Except QB Aaron Rodgers, none of the top-tier QBs playing the game today have had a significant amount of time playing behind a veteran QB.

 

QBs Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts are playing at a high level after a couple of seasons behind the wheel. 

 

Today's NFL doesn't rely on veteran QBs to mentor the rookies.  Steelers rookie QB Kenny Pickett is learning on the job and plays better than the vets on his team.😁😎

 

Justin Herbert stated Tyrod Taylor helped out with advice, watched film together with him, and was generally a great teammate to have in the locker room and to look up to as a veteran.

 

Taking over as starter earlier than the Chargers had planned, thanks to that bizarre surgical accident that sidelined Taylor, did however prove to be beneficial for Herbert.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, GovernorSilver said:

Justin Herbert stated Tyrod Taylor helped out with advice, watched film together with him, and was generally a great teammate to have in the locker room and to look up to as a veteran.

Sure.  Some rookies have benefitted from having that veteran presence.  It just seems to be for a much shorter period of time nowadays. 

 

QB Alex Smith was still in KC when QB Patrick Mahomes arrived.  One (1) year later, QB Smith was on a bus to DC and the Mahomes era began.

 

None of the QBs I mentioned above sat behind a veteran QB for several years a la QB Aaron Rodgers and QB Brett Favre (3 years).

 

QB Tom Brady only sat behind QB Drew Bledsoe for 1 year before he became the starter with the Pats.  The rest is history.

 

Thus, the  attractiveness of college QBs who play in a pro-style offense.  Today's rookie QBs are expected to hit the ground running if pressed into service.😎

[GovernorSilver]

I recall that at draft time, Herbert was considered a bit of a question mark compared to Burrow and Tua T. because he played in 3 different offensive systems, and was not thought to have strong leadership skills.

 

NFL adoption of college offensive concepts, particularly from spread offenses, seems to have shortened the learning curve for QBs such as Mahommes, Hurts, and Herbert.  Mahommes came out of the Air Raid variation of the spread offense that Texas Tech ran.  Hurts later played in the Air Raid under Lincoln Riley.

 

Of course the transition from college to NFL is the smoothest on an NFL team willing to run a compatible offense.  Air Raid graduates have been found to be excellent fits for the Bill Walsh/West Coast offense - case in point Mahommes.   I would imagine the transition would be rougher for an Air Raid grad going to an old school I-formation pro offense.

[bill5]

22 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

My buddies and I were just having a discussion about whether Ohio State has produced a successful NFL QB, because they're not sold on CJ Stroud.  I mentioned Justin Fields, but they're skeptical because da Bears once again have a losing season. 

Yeah I remember the same argument about Michigan and have to wonder if that's not at least a little part of why Brady lasted to the 6th round. "Because he played for this school" isn't a good reason to avoid a QB. That said I am not sold on Stroud either. Have seen him several times this year - he's good for sure, just not convinced he's good enough, didn't seem consistent enough to me, esp on longer throws. 

[bill5]

5 hours ago, ProfD said:

None of the QBs I mentioned above sat behind a veteran QB for several years a la QB Aaron Rodgers and QB Brett Favre (3 years).

As far as I can remember that's always been the rule with rare excetion. Rarely does a highly-touted rookie come in and sit for more than a year or so. There's a reason he was highly drafted (he's good and their existing QBs aren't or are expected to be close to done) and you don't spend such a high pick on a guy sit sit for several years - heck by that time their contract is almost up. Rodgers was a rarity - and IIRC they got him thinking Favre was all but out the door, but then Favre kept waffling between staying or not.   

[GovernorSilver]

51 minutes ago, bill5 said:

Yeah I remember the same argument about Michigan and have to wonder if that's not at least a little part of why Brady lasted to the 6th round. "Because he played for this school" isn't a good reason to avoid a QB. That said I am not sold on Stroud either. Have seen him several times this year - he's good for sure, just not convinced he's good enough, didn't seem consistent enough to me, esp on longer throws. 

 

His stock could drop quickly if the Georgia defense lives up to billing.  If they could bring Herndon Hooker back down to Earth, they could probably handle Stroud.  

 

We'll see.

[bill5]

Yep this game is HUGE for him as far as his draft stock goes IMO. I have this sneaky feeling he will surprise many (including me) and shine but we'll see. 

[ProfD]

I realize there is an intersection between the NCAA and NFL as it relates to the draft and whatnot. 😁

 

Bringing this thread back to the NFL, there is a game tonight between the Raiders and Rams.  Not the most exciting week 14 match-up.  There's nothing at stake for either team. 

 

However, it will be interesting to see if the Raiders are tracking towards continued improvement against a Rams team going down in flames for having the worst record for a post-Super Bowl champion.🤣😎

[bill5]

TNF games are almost always terrible lol - but even a half ass game is better than none. I think   They say Mayfield might actually play, that's the most interesting thing about this game to me. 

[GovernorSilver]

It's at SoFi so somebody will go down with a season ending injury

[GovernorSilver]

Holy.....

 

I tuned out to shop for something online... then tuned back in in the final minute to watch Mayfield run the 2-min. drill, finishing with a TD pass, 9 sec. left in the game!!!

 

And they kicked the extra point for a 17-16 lead!!!

 

Didn't Mayfield just get off the plane?!?!!?

 

 

[Geoff Grace]

Amazing!!!

 

That was great. What an ending!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[bill5]

That McDaniels one heckofa coach isn't he? lol

[GovernorSilver]

Oh yeah, ex-Charger Jerry Tillery helped on that final drive.   Mayfield was sacked for a 9-yd loss, but then Tillery followed up with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by smacking the ball.  

 

Still, it's a thrilling finish!  I always enjoy watching somebody do what nobody believed he could do.

[ProfD]

27 minutes ago, GovernorSilver said:

Didn't Mayfield just get off the plane?!?!!?

Like something out of a movie. Unbelievable.

 

Bake played a helluva game all things considered especially in the last 2 minutes. 

 

Raiders blew a 13 point lead in the last 12 minutes of the game which felt more like the last 5 minutes.

 

Raiders defensive coordinator needs to think about turning in his clipboard.😎

[Geoff Grace]

There was an interesting stat in last night’s game: of the 22 starters who won the Super Bowl, 16 returned this year; but of the 16 who returned this year, only five or six (I can’t remember which) have played in every game.

 

Every team has to deal with attrition and injuries every year; but the Rams have had more than their share, which might help explain why their record is so bad right now. The team’s overall performance under Sean McVay—four playoff appearances and two Super Bowls in six years—suggests that their current level is an anomaly and they’ll be better again next year.

 

I think it’s fair to say that this is the first strong football program for which Baker Mayfield has played in his pro career. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the Rams’ system. He may make a good backup for Matthew Stafford. Some pundits are already discussing whether or not Mayfield will be Stafford’s heir apparent. That’s jumping the gun, but it makes food for thought.

 

Mayfield has had a lot of ups and downs so far. If he can get his act together, he has obvious strengths that could benefit any team.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

I think the Rams and Chargers have had more than their share of injuries because of their home stadium SoFi, which has been the target of complaints from the Seahawks and other visiting players, and even a lawsuit from a visiting Bronco player after suffering an ACL injury.

 

https://www.outkick.com/sofi-stadium-turf-high-rate-injuries-occurring/

 

That said, great story about Mayfield and McVay meeting on a Southwest Airlines flight.

[bill5]

2 hours ago, Geoff Grace said:

There was an interesting stat in last night’s game: of the 22 starters who won the Super Bowl, 16 returned this year; but of the 16 who returned this year, only five or six (I can’t remember which) have played in every game.

 

Every team has to deal with attrition and injuries every year; but the Rams have had more than their share, which might help explain why their record is so bad right now. The team’s overall performance under Sean McVay—four playoff appearances and two Super Bowls in six years—suggests that their current level is an anomaly and they’ll be better again next year.

 

I think it’s fair to say that this is the first strong football program for which Baker Mayfield has played in his pro career. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the Rams’ system. He may make a good backup for Matthew Stafford. Some pundits are already discussing whether or not Mayfield will be Stafford’s heir apparent. That’s jumping the gun, but it makes food for thought.

 

Mayfield has had a lot of ups and downs so far. If he can get his act together, he has obvious strengths that could benefit any team.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

Agreed, mostly. He actually had the makings of a good team with the Browns but after a promising rookie year, couldn't keep it going (granted part of that was due to injuries). Hard to say just how good he is or isn't yet IMO. 

 

As for the Rams, they have ignored the OL and RB positions for years and it caught up to them, but they have obviously had major injury issues too and to some of their best and most important players, like Stafford and Kupp. Beef up the OL next year, find at least a decent RB, stay healthy, and they should be back. 

 

[timwat]

Two words:

 

Brock. Purdy.

[bill5]

Yeah he's been purdy impressive so far. HAHAHAHA!!

 

 

Also great fun seeing Brady* throw tantrums, I almost wish they hadn't switched the game just because of that lol. Meanwhile how about those Lions? They are looking quite legit these days. 

[jazzpiano88]

2 hours ago, timwat said:

Two words:

 

Brock. Purdy.

Turning out to be the real deal.   Very disappointing that FOX cut away in the 3rd quarter when the game was over to carry the SEA NC game.

 

Niners seem to be SB bound.