Official NFL 2022-2023 Thread

[Doerfler]

On 8/24/2022 at 12:49 PM, MAJUSCULE said:

Turf is awful for injuries. There's a reason The Other Football doesn't touch the stuff.

 Met Life Field is artificial turf . New York Giants are already a mess with injuries and the season hasn't started yet

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/dreams-dashed-giants-injury-epidemic-125532821.html

[GovernorSilver]

1 hour ago, Doerfler said:

 until they find out he was involved in the gang rape of a minor. He is now unemployed and ready to go to jail for a long time if the allegations against him are true

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-release-punter-matt-araiza-following-alleged-gang-rape-of-minor-235219113.html

 

Bills made the right call there.   Not that they had much choice.  Keeping him on the team would have been a terrible look, and would be a distraction from their quest for another playoff run.

 

Needless to say, I have no sympathy for him.

 

The other two accused are off the Aztecs team.

 

No idea why no arrests have been made yet in this case, or if it will ever happen.

[GovernorSilver]

RIP Ernie Zampese

 

He was the offensive coordinator who innovated the passing game along with Don Coryell.   He and Coryell coached SDSU to 2 College Division national championships ("We threw the hell out of the ball and won some games" - Coryell).  He stayed at SDSU for a few more years, before reuniting with Coryell as wide receivers coach for the San Diego Chargers.  

 

The Chargers' notoriously inept ownership and management eventually led to Zampese's departure, and he eventually landed in Dallas where he collected Super Bowl rings as their offensive coordinator. 

[Geoff Grace]

I remember Zampese well. Great coach!

 

RIP, Ernie Zampese.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

Chargers sign yet another member of the Superbowl-winning Rams squad - this time Sony Michel.  He was on the market after being cut by the Dolphins.

 

Improving depth behind Austin Ekeler was one of the priorities.  They drafted an RB and now have Michel.   Enough bodies now to relieve Ekeler of some of that 17-game wear and tear.

[KenElevenShadows]

I'll post about the Bears a little bit. They're definitely in rebuilding mode, with much of the expensive contracts jettisoned. During the pre-season, Justin Fields (QB) looked sharp. Pre-season doesn't necessarily mean anything, but I'd rather have have people look sharp than not. Also, the Bears were playing without committing very many penalties, also a good sign. 

 

They are bereft of talent, so even if the coaching is super great, I don't know how far they will get. But with a talented defense and Alan Robinson last year, they won only six games. So if they win six or more this year in a rebuilding year with far less talent, that would be a win. And if Justin Fields shows noticeable progress and can make his teammates around him better, that will bode well for the future.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, KenElevenShadows said:

And if Justin Fields shows noticeable progress and can make his teammates around him better, that will bode well for the future.

The Bears future is tied to this young man becoming a solid QB. Hopefully, they will surround him with the *right* players to make them a better team without ruining him in the process.

 

I think QB Fields and WR Mooney will develop into a new tandem. The offensive line is supposed to be improved since last year. 😎

[KenElevenShadows]

46 minutes ago, ProfD said:

The Bears future is tied to this young man becoming a solid QB. Hopefully, they will surround him with the *right* players to make them a better team without ruining him in the process.

 

I think QB Fields and WR Mooney will develop into a new tandem. The offensive line is supposed to be improved since last year. 😎

 

I hope so. And Fields and Mooney did have a connection last year, as Mooney was the only one who practiced with him outside of regular practices. But this time, Fields is practicing and playing with the first string, so I am thinking there will be more of a connection between him and most of the WRs this year. I hope so. 

[bill5]

On 8/27/2022 at 11:05 PM, Doerfler said:

 until they find out he was accused of being involved in the gang rape of a minor.

FTFY. 

 

Bills are kicking themselves for cutting Haack and Colts get a break as they lost their punter for the year to injury. 

 

Meanwhile I thought the Bills/Rams was tonight not next Thurs.  Oh well, the BBQ chips and brats aren't going anywhere. 

[surfergirl]

How often are the Bills going to punt. On the rare occasion they need someone who can control it, not kick it 80 yards. If it were their kicker I would be worried because they will be kicking off a lot.

[ProfD]

The 2022 NFL season officially starts tonight with the Bills/Rams matchup.  Should be good minus 1st game cobwebs.😎

[Geoff Grace]

24 minutes ago, ProfD said:

The 2022 NFL season officially starts tonight with the Bills/Rams matchup.  Should be good minus 1st game cobwebs.😎

 

It seems that practically every sports pundit has picked the Bills to win the Super Bowl this season. I'll be interested to see how they fare against the defending champs.

 

 

GO RAMS!!!   
 
Best,
 
Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Well, the Bills made a great case tonight for everyone who picked them to go all the way. Tied 10-10 at halftime, the Rams were humiliated in the second half: 21-0. Everyone here knows I'm a Von Miller fan, but I really wish he'd had an off game tonight with his new team. Von was all class in his postgame interview, saying he misses his friends on the Rams. LA fans miss you too, Von!

What a statement game for Buffalo! Congrats to any Bills fans who might be reading this. Your team is a force to be reckoned with.

My disappointment in the Rams is tempered by the knowledge that season openers are similar to preseason games in predicting the outcome of a season, especially now that starters mostly take the preseason off. Also, LA didn't win a single game last November but managed to go on to win the Super Bowl anyway; so hope is still alive.

Best,

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

Bills pretty much served notice to the AFC.

[surfergirl]

The Bills tried to give it to them in the first half. 2 int, 1 l lost fumble and an out of bounds kick off.

I'm not a Bills fan, Chargers are my team, but Josh Allen sure is fun to watch.

[Mark Zeger]

Greetings from Bills territory! Though the stadium is a 75 minute drive, training camp is 5 min from my house.

 

I’m a more moderate Bills fan (and sports fan in general). I don’t own team gear and only get a little emotionally invested in the games except for the Super Bowl losses, the Tennessee “Music City Miracle” playoff loss, and last season’s “13 seconds”. It’s great when win puts everyone here in a good mood.

 

I had big band rehearsal last night. Fortunately, our 3rd trumpet had the section enjoying the game on the stand next to me. 

 

 

[ProfD]

10 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

Bills pretty much served notice to the AFC.

Yep.  Other than a few miscues, the Bills are definitely playing up to the hype.

 

But, I'm sure the Bengals, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers and Ravens aren't going to just lay down for them.😁😎

[bill5]

  

On 9/8/2022 at 5:21 PM, Geoff Grace said:

 

It seems that practically every sports pundit has picked the Bills to win the Super Bowl this season.

Talk about the kiss of death. Rarely if ever has a media darling to win the SB at the beginning of the season done it. I think they will be upset in the playoffs and some lesser team will win the AFC and is served up to the Bucs for an easy SB win. The NFC is a joke and give credit to Brady he knew it when he joined the Bucs. 

[Geoff Grace]

The Packers' 23-7 loss to the Vikings today wasn't as bad as their season opener was against the Saints last year; but in some ways, it was harder to dismiss. Green Bay was missing its three best receivers from last year, two of whom have signed with other teams. The third, Allen Lazard, was out with an ankle injury. The new rookie receivers played like rookies. With any luck, they'll develop into worthy replacements. Two o-line starters were also out, and a third was injured in today's game. As a result, Aaron Rodgers was repeatedly mauled by Minnesota's defense, which included former Packer Za'Darius Smith.

 

The Vikings, on the other hand, looked like contenders. Justin Jefferson is becoming one of the best wide receivers in the league, and new head coach Kevin O'Connell is using Jefferson the same way he used Cooper Kupp last year, when O'Connell was the Rams' offensive coordinator. O'Connell helped Matt Stafford win a Super Bowl last year, and Kirk Cousins looked like the beneficiary of the same good coaching in today's contest.

 

That's great news for my fourth favorite team, and bad news for my favorite. Nonetheless, the Packers lost last year's season opener 38-3 and went on to finish 13-3; so maybe it's not so bad.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[bill5]

13-3 is so not happening and they will be lucky to even make the playoffs. I get that they have a lot of injuries, but GB is going nowhere this year. Even when healthy the WR crew is lame and frankly Rodgers was IMO overrated last year due to numbers that looked better than they were thanks to WRs catching off-target balls...he was inconsistent in both his throws and his decisions and he's picking up right where he left off. I will be surprised if he plays beyond this year. 

 

Anyway this is one of the craziest weeks I can ever remember in the NFL. Mostly close games and wild finishes. I watched the Steelers vs Bengals and wow Burrow looked pathetic. Like Rodgers, he was very erratic. The OL also doesn't look much improved. But credit to the Steelers and Tribusky, who looked mostly good. 

[GovernorSilver]

Good Chargers-Raiders game.  

 

Several new players made big plays:   Mack, Callahan, Everett, Carter.  Carter was signed for his returning skills - nobody expected him to deliver additional value at WR.  He'll benefit from  Allen and Williams getting the attention of the secondary

 

Raiders credited with zero sacks, which means new right tackle Pipkins and rookie guard Johnson, among others, did a good job in the trenches.

 

 

[ProfD]

It was a good week 1 of NFL football so far. 

 

The Commanders made it harder than necessary but pulled out a win against the Jags.

 

The  Cowbums lost and they look bad in a good way. I thought they'd run through the NFC East. Hold the phone. The Eagles might dominate the mediocre division. 

 

The Chiefs didn't play anything like they lost their #1 WR. Then again, they've still got a Pro Bowl QB and TE, an improved defense and a good coaching staff. They aren't anointing the Bills. 😁

 

The Giants, Lions, Bears and Dolphins played better than I expected.

 

The Vikings put it on the Packers. I'm sure QB Aaron Rodgers would caution everyone to relax. 

 

There's a whole lotta football left to be played. The 2022 season is just getting started. 😎

 

 

 

 

 

[Geoff Grace]

3 hours ago, bill5 said:

13-3 is so not happening and they will be lucky to even make the playoffs. I get that they have a lot of injuries, but GB is going nowhere this year. Even when healthy the WR crew is lame and frankly Rodgers was IMO overrated last year due to numbers that looked better than they were thanks to WRs catching off-target balls...he was inconsistent in both his throws and his decisions and he's picking up right where he left off. I will be surprised if he plays beyond this year.  

 

Gee, thanks for the pep talk, Bill.

To quote Billy Joel, "You may be wrong, but you may be right." I agree that there isn't much to suggest the Packers will have a fourth straight 13–3 season. They've had more attrition on offense than notable additions, and Aaron Rodgers is getting older. Green Bay does have a good track record at drafting well, though. We'll see how the rookies come along.

I have little faith in my ability to predict the future, nor do I have much faith in anyone else's ability to do so. In fact, one of the things I like most about sports is how unpredictable it can be. As the saying goes, "That's why they play the games."

Looking forward to Monday Night Football.

Best,

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

Season predictions are a comedy act at best.  

 

An unexpected injury can suddenly change the season for a team.   It can happen to anyone, at any time.

 

Chargers have had such events affect their season negatively in the past.  They did have one surprise injury have a longterm positive effect, although no one thought so at the time - the freak surgical accident that sidelined starting QB Tyrod Taylor, opening the door for then-rookie Justin Herbert to step on the field.   They didn't make the playoffs that year, but Herbert made games entertaining to watch, and he clearly benefited from the experience.   Other rookie QBs in the past were broken by being thrown into the fire too early.   Luckily for Bolts fans, Herbert wasn't one of them.

[surfergirl]

I was most impressed with Mahomes. No Hill, 5 tds and 3 or more completions to 6 receivers and td pass to 4. 

[GovernorSilver]

Mahommes has always been a tough opponent to defend - with or without Tyreek Hill.

 

Chargers getting JC Jackson back in time for Thurs night would be helpful indeed.

 

Keenan Allen and Donald Parham Jr coming back would also be great, as Herbert can use as many weapons as he can get, in case this they get into a shootout

[Geoff Grace]

1 hour ago, GovernorSilver said:

Season predictions are a comedy act at best.  

 

An unexpected injury can suddenly change the season for a team.   It can happen to anyone, at any time.

 

Chargers have had such events affect their season negatively in the past.  They did have one surprise injury have a longterm positive effect, although no one thought so at the time - the freak surgical accident that sidelined starting QB Tyrod Taylor, opening the door for then-rookie Justin Herbert to step on the field.   They didn't make the playoffs that year, but Herbert made games entertaining to watch, and he clearly benefited from the experience.   Other rookie QBs in the past were broken by being thrown into the fire too early.   Luckily for Bolts fans, Herbert wasn't one of them.

 

Poor Tyrod Taylor. I still feel sorry for him.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

1 minute ago, Geoff Grace said:

 

Poor Tyrod Taylor. I still feel sorry for him.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

 

Such a bizarre event too.  The surgeon was operating on him for cracked ribs, but then accidentally punctured his lung while attempting to inject a pain killer

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29952469/chargers-qb-tyrod-taylor-lung-punctured-team-doc-sources-say

[Geoff Grace]

I remember it well, GovernorSilver. You were right to describe it as a "freak surgical accident."

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[GovernorSilver]

I didn't catch the Bears-Niners game but did see the highlight during the Seahawks-Broncos halftime show.   Wow!  Slip and slide field indeed!