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Official NFL 2022-2023 Thread


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3 hours ago, Stokely said:

Fans are gross, overall.

People think they can spend the money and act anyway they want.  They are the biggest reason I don't miss going to games.

Heck even the parents at my kid's soccer games--a freaking rec league--are bad enough that I tend to sit way off away from most of them.

 

What if sporting venues were only filled with symphony fans? I imagine them in semi formal attire, remaining seated until halftime, clapping only when there’s a break in the action, and waiting to leave until the game was over.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

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My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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11 hours ago, ProfD said:

 

Head coach Matt LaFleur and company would be wise to stay that course if they plan to keep QB Aaron Rodgers healthy and happy. 

It's not even about keeping Rodgers healthy and happy. It's about their only chance to have a successful season. They sure as hell aren't doing it through the air.

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5 hours ago, Stokely said:

Fans are gross, overall.

People think they can spend the money and act anyway they want.  They are the biggest reason I don't miss going to games.

Heck even the parents at my kid's soccer games--a freaking rec league--are bad enough that I tend to sit way off away from most of them.

This is what our ever more permissive society has wrought. I wouldn't go to an NFL game if you gave me tickets for free, Super Bowl included. People at these games are such obnoxious slugs. 

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What a great football day!

 

Packers 14, Buccaneers 12

Rams 20, Cardinals 12

Broncos 11, 49ers 10

 

Defense carried the day in these games. Old school NFL. :cool:

 

Also, the Dolphins and Eagles are the only undefeated teams remaining after three games. Who’d have thought?

 

Best,

 

Geoff

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My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Bills, Chiefs and Chargers lost seemingly winnable games.

 

Any given Sunday...or sports bets. 🤣

 

I thought the Commanders would play the Eagles tougher than they did yesterday.

 

Giving up 9 sacks is not a great offensive strategy by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Rather than get the QB creamed every other drop back, it would have made even more sense to run the ball. Commanders deserved to lose that game. 

 

Three games into the season, the Eagles are clearly the best team in the NFC East. Right now, I believe they could hold their own against any NFC team. 😎

 

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Chargers lost their left tackle for the season.   The starting center apparently did not play at all.  With backups at those positions I can guess that put a damper on the Chargers offense against the visiting Jaguars.  I was out of town so I haven't watched game video yet.   They also lost Joey Bosa so half the pass rush was gone.  Herbert reportedly played but should have been held out of the game, despite the highlight reel pass completion.

 

These next few weeks will test Staley's coaching ability.  He and his staff will have to come up with an answer for the OL, whether it's rotating Pipkins from right to left tackle, and/or other positional moves on the OL.   If you can't pass block or run block, you don't have an offense.   OC Lombardi will be leaned upon heavily to fix this problem.   If he can't get it done, Staley has to be willing to fire him.

 

They also lost their burner WR Jalen Guyton for the season.  He's replaceable though.  He's only good for running deep routes - lacks the vision for effective jet sweeps or running for good yardage after catching a short pass.   Because of his lack of versatility, he dropped below DeAndre Carter on the WR depth chart.    They picked up John Hightower from the Eagles practice squad to compete with the other practice squad WRs for Guyton's spot.

 

Bosa is not as easily replaceable.  They'll have to lean on a rotation of backup edge players until he's healthy again, and probably dial up more DB blitzes than Staley would have liked.  Nobody knows how long Bosa will be out.  

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Injuries are a part of football. At the pro level, I have a hard time with the next man up being a whole chasm in talent away from the starter.

 

IMO, every player on the roster should be a capable starter. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to have guys on the team who can't block, run, catch, tackle, etc. 

 

But, I know *why* it happens. The NFL should be scouting players beyond its farm system of schools.

 

Teams need to let the players fully heal instead of giving them shots and sending them back on the field.

 

There's no reason to risk further injury to a player like QB Justin Herbert. That kid can play. He's going to have a several chances to make playoffs and/or win a Super Bowl. 😎

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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Picking players for the next-man-up spots is like picking stocks.   You might get lucky with one that pays dividends like Austin Ekeler, who first made the roster as an undrafted free agent, then gradually worked his way up until he dethroned Melvin Gordon as the starter.  But more often than not, they end up just being bodies to fill up a 53-man roster - like stocks you lose money on.  At best you can look at his measureables and video on the prospective player, but you can't look into his head to see if he is a good student of the game, or if his only plan as a NFL player is to live it up on those nice paychecks.

 

Tre Pipkins ascended from next man up to starter by going to Duke Merriweather to learn the finer points of where to place hands for run blocking, his sets for pass protection.  By becoming a more serious student of the game in that way, he transformed from dud to, well maybe not a stud but at least a reliable contributor.   In various mic'd up videos, you can see that Joey Bosa is also a serious student, as he has an endless repertoire of techniques that he uses on the field - if he relied only on raw strength and athleticism, he might be working in construction right now instead of in NFL stadiums.

 

Chargers are 1-1 on player acquisitions from the XFL - as far as looking for talent beyond college FB.  Parham is a hit, as a 6' 8" receiving TE who was one of Herbert's favorite red zone targets.  Norton, not so much - at best just a body who can spell a tackle for a couple of plays.

 

Staley may have to put his foot down to make his star QB sit and heal up.  It's a long season.

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2 hours ago, ProfD said:

Injuries are a part of football.

Yeah but the Bolts have made it an art form.


 

Quote

 

At the pro level, I have a hard time with the next man up being a whole chasm in talent away from the starter.

 

IMO, every player on the roster should be a capable starter. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to have guys on the team who can't block, run, catch, tackle, etc. 

 

They can block, run, etc. Just not as well as the starter. That's why they're backups. :) And really you have to know that at that level, the difference between "good" and "bad" is often so razor thin. Everybody's big, fast, and so on...but if you're fast and most other guys are faster, you come off "slow." 

 

Quote

But, I know *why* it happens. The NFL should be scouting players beyond its farm system of schools.

???

 

Quote

Teams need to let the players fully heal instead of giving them shots and sending them back on the field.

Amen to that. But the pressure to win is immense. I'm not excusing things that happen, it's just reality thanks to the insane amount of money involved. Owners in general don't really care about a player's health or if he's a thug or whatever. The bottom line is win. 

 

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Surely, I understand discovering and evaluating athletic talent is an inexact science. That doesn't stop the NFL from paying people to do it. 

 

I believe there's plenty athletic talent that never gets a shot because they didn't go to the *right* schools within the NFL farm system. 

 

There are former starters either buried on   roster or sitting at home on the couch but in shape and waiting for the phone to ring. 

 

The owners want winning teams because it makes more money. But, if they let the franchise signal caller get injured, that's shooting in one's own foot.

 

But, I'm a diehard football fan. I'm gonna watch whoever they put out on the field. I'll continue to shake my head when a team mismanages a player injury or fails to gameplan.😁😎 

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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NFL teams select backup players based on what can be seen on video and the measurables (40-yd dash time, shuttle time, etc.).

 

But they can't see into the player's head, which is the X factor that would separate two guys who are equally strong, equally fast, can jump equally high, etc.

 

That's why picking players (draft or free agent signing) is like picking stocks.  Without a mind-reading machine, there is no way to ascertain a player's work ethic - specifically, the desire to perfect one's craft at the position - offensive center, defensive tackle, running back, etc. - as well as the desire to understand the game beyond one's own position - what route one should run (or opposing players could be expected to run), who to block, who might try to block you, etc. for a given situation.

 

Of course, no NFL team wants a player who has all the desire in the world to learn his craft, learn the game, etc. but runs the 40-yd dash in 6 seconds, can't jump very high, etc.  So the safe bet is to look at players who have the physical attributes like speed, strength, etc. then try to weed out the ones don't have what it takes between the ears.

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Now they put Bosa on IR.  And if ESPN is to be believed, Jamaree Salyer will step in for Slater at left tackle.  Salyer has played all OL positions but started at left tackle for Georgia in their national championship season.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34685302/los-angeles-chargers-star-lb-joey-bosa-surgery-go-ir

 

Also, I didn't realize a player on IR is eligible to return to the active roster after just 4 games.  Yet another example of money talks, player's health be damned.

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12 hours ago, GovernorSilver said:

Also, I didn't realize a player on IR is eligible to return to the active roster after just 4 games.  Yet another example of money talks, player's health be damned.

Rule changed starting this season.  I remember when IR meant done for the season.😎

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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On 9/29/2022 at 12:25 AM, GovernorSilver said:

I didn't realize a player on IR is eligible to return to the active roster after just 4 games.  Yet another example of money talks, player's health be damned.

IIRC, there are diff kinds of IR now. It's not an all-or-nothing thing. I don't think that's necessarily an indictment of the NFL's disregard for a player's health. 

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1 hour ago, bill5 said:

What are you talking about?

NCAA Division I seems to be the NFL farm system. Maybe they should be casting a wider net to snag talent. 😎

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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By "Divison I" I assume you mean FBS (formerly 1-A)? They do cast a wider net, all the time. There's a reason NFL teams have entire scouting departments and spend quite a lot of time and money looking closely at talent at all levels. That's why there are numerous FCS players in the NFL, and though more rare, even Div II and III (or whatever they're called now). 

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31 minutes ago, bill5 said:

There's a reason NFL teams have entire scouting departments and spend quite a lot of time and money looking closely at talent at all levels.

You're right. That's what makes it even more mind-boggling when pro teams have players who don't carry out their assignments well i.e. block, run, catch, cover or tackle.

 

Razor thin margin between good and bad is one thing but IMO, making it to the NFL and lacking solid fundamentals means either the scouts aren't very good or there's another reason those players are getting through the system. 😎 

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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The Pats 3rd string QB is slinging it around the yard very well in relief of the backup QB.

 

The Steelers decided to bring rookie QB Kenny Pickett in for the 2nd half. He scored a couple TDs and threw 3 INTs.

 

Jets QB Zach Wilson who just returned from injury led a game winning drive and snatched victory from the Steelers. 

 

Of course, my Commanders lost fair and square today to the Cowbums today. Our o-line still cannot protect the QB who holds on to the ball a second or two too long. We should be running the ball. The defense doesn't have a decent pass rush. 

 

Thank goodness as a football fan I can move on and enjoy the other games. 😎

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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1 hour ago, ProfD said:

The Pats 3rd string QB is slinging it around the yard very well in relief of the backup QB.

 

He really did. NE had no business making that game so close, but the over-hyped Rodgers had his share of whiffs, esp early on.

 

Quote

Of course, my Commanders lost fair and square today to the Cowbums today. Our o-line still cannot protect the QB who holds on to the ball a second or two too long. We should be running the ball. The defense doesn't have a decent pass rush. 

They will never go anywhere with Wentz. And the D wasn't bad, but they could use Young.

 

Hell of a comeback by the Bills, they looked bad early.

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1 hour ago, ProfD said:

The Pats 3rd string QB is slinging it around the yard very well in relief of the backup QB.


I seem to recall that the Patriots had pretty good luck with a backup quarterback in the past, someone named Brady, IIRC. 

 

It wasn’t pretty, but at least the Packers managed to win in overtime. Randall Cobb looked like his old self late in the game. I hope he can have a Renaissance in the season ahead. 
 

Sorry about your Commanders, ProfD. I’m glad, at least, that you managed to enjoy the other games.

 

And congratulations, Dave, on your Raiders’ victory over the Broncos today. Las Vegas is better than their record suggests. The Broncos, on the other hand, look like a mediocre team.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Congrats, Geoff!

 

The Patriots are so good with next man up.   The Hoodie has a secret sauce to his system - something other than messing with inflating footballs - something that other coaches and GMS just can't figure out as far as keeping your team well stocked with depth players.  Maybe Hoodie is actually a mind-reading alien - he can discern with psychic powers whether a player has the work ethic to master his position and understanding of the system.  Thus he collects backups that could be starters on many other NFL teams.

 

Chargers hung to to beat the Texans.  Rookie OL Jamaree Salyer played well at left tackle, protecting Herbert's blindside in place of Slater.  If he keeps it up, he might play his way into the starting LG position once Slater returns.  Rushing numbers were not great but Ekeler finally scored 2 rushing TDs as well as receiving TD.  

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1 hour ago, GovernorSilver said:

Something I missed by not watching the Niners-Rams game live

Yep.  No amount of physical security will eliminate the insider threat aka streaker. 😁

 

The Rams offense has become one dimensional revolving around WR Cooper Kupp. 

 

Offensive genius McVay and QB Matt Stafford won't be going to back to the Super Bowl if they don't figure something out quick.

 

The 49ers have to feel smarter keeping QB Jimmy G around and restructuring his contract.

 

HC/OC Kyle Shananan calls a nice balanced attack between the run and pass game. He's turned out to be a helluva football coach.  I'm sure his dad is proud of him. 

 

Of course, as a Washington Commanders fan...sadly, there are several winning HC's in the league right now who worked here.😎

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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On 10/2/2022 at 8:21 PM, GovernorSilver said:

Congrats, Geoff!

 

The Patriots are so good with next man up.   The Hoodie has a secret sauce to his system - something other than messing with inflating footballs

Yeah. Videotaping other teams illegally. Ah the Cheatriots * 

 

:classic_wink:

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