The 2019 NFL Season is Finally Here!

[tetelestai]

Crazy bizarro universe!

The Steelers are winning without Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, LeVeon Bell, JuJu Smith-Shuster, and James Conner.

They have an undrafted QB as their starter. Three undrafted wide receivers caught passes against the Browns last Sunday (all were on practice squads when this season began) Their running back was drafted in the 5th round, and scored his first ever NFL touchdown last Sunday.

The Steelers offense looks like what you would see on the field in the second half of the last preseason game.

The Steelers are 7-2 in their last 9 games.

 

[tetelestai]

Given that Baltimore is looking like the toughest team in the league right now,

Your Pats might have to reconsider Antonio Brown. He's a whackjob, but he sure would help Brady right now.

 

[Idolater]

Your Pats might have to reconsider Antonio Brown. He's a whackjob, but he sure would help Brady right now.

There's no "might" about it, but he really upset Kraft so I don't think it's a possibility, plus I guess it remains to be seen what the league's going to do about him and nobody wants to pay him if he's just going to get suspended anyway.

Hopefully Sanu is healthier, he's been hampered a bit with a high ankle sprain I want to say, and if he's healthier he should be more of a factor. Right now we've got basically Edelman and no serious no. 2 so defenses take away him, and then Brady's got nobody else to go to. Basically no tight end, no other WR, unless they run White out of the backfield. Not too tough to defend. I've heard it said that a big part of their trouble this season's been the loss of our FB (Develin), who provided necessary blocking for some plays that are just not an option anymore for them. Less options also translates to easier to defend against.

Brady doesn't look all that good, but folks who "grind tape" are saying that it's our receivers who just aren't running good routes that are the dominant culprits recently. No QB can throw perfect passes all the time, and Brady's not perfect this season, but if receivers aren't running good routes, or even the right routes, then some of his balls look way worse than they actually are, if he's expecting a receiver to be somewhere and they change the route mid-throw, or even just stop running their route (which is what happened at least once in the game against Houston).

I hope their offense improves, and that this turns out like other seasons where Belichick just has the post-season in mind, trying to hang on to a first-round bye, and playing their best ball in the tournament, but so far the offense is just about a disaster compared to what we're used to seeing, so my optimism is waning.

But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[tetelestai]

There's no "might" about it, but he really upset Kraft so I don't think it's a possibility, plus I guess it remains to be seen what the league's going to do about him and nobody wants to pay him if he's just going to get suspended anyway.

Hopefully Sanu is healthier, he's been hampered a bit with a high ankle sprain I want to say, and if he's healthier he should be more of a factor. Right now we've got basically Edelman and no serious no. 2 so defenses take away him, and then Brady's got nobody else to go to. Basically no tight end, no other WR, unless they run White out of the backfield. Not too tough to defend. I've heard it said that a big part of their trouble this season's been the loss of our FB (Develin), who provided necessary blocking for some plays that are just not an option anymore for them. Less options also translates to easier to defend against.

Brady doesn't look all that good, but folks who "grind tape" are saying that it's our receivers who just aren't running good routes that are the dominant culprits recently. No QB can throw perfect passes all the time, and Brady's not perfect this season, but if receivers aren't running good routes, or even the right routes, then some of his balls look way worse than they actually are, if he's expecting a receiver to be somewhere and they change the route mid-throw, or even just stop running their route (which is what happened at least once in the game against Houston).

I hope their offense improves, and that this turns out like other seasons where Belichick just has the post-season in mind, trying to hang on to a first-round bye, and playing their best ball in the tournament, but so far the offense is just about a disaster compared to what we're used to seeing, so my optimism is waning.

But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

The good news for you, is that other than Baltimore, there aren't many other good teams in the AFC right now.

 

[tetelestai]

with young Lamar Jackson on the rise.

Heading into tomorrow's game, Lamar Jackson has 977 rushing yards. Buffalo's Josh Allen has 428 rushing yards.

Their combined 1,405 rushing yards, is the most combined rushing yards by opposing QB's in NFL history.

 

[tetelestai]

Sooooo........once again, the Patriots are caught cheating.

 

[JPPT1974]

KC Chiefs got revenge over the Patriots on their home turf!

 

[The Berean]

The 49ers pulled off a great win in Seattle and earned the NFC #1 seed. I thought when the Seahawks had the ball first and goal on the one yard line they 49ers were dead.

 

[drbrumley]

Seattle got screwed at the end of that game. There was no doubt that was PI in the endzone.

 

[tetelestai]

I thought when the Seahawks had the ball first and goal on the one yard line the 49ers were dead.

So did the Seahawks. In fact, they were so sure the 49'ers were dead, they completely forgot about the play clock.

 

[The Berean]

So did the Seahawks. In fact, they were so sure the 49'ers were dead, they completely forgot about the play clock.

I don't know why Russell Wilson just didn't run a QB sneak up the middle for the TD?

 

[Town Heretic]

Playoffs...and I haven't done a bit of math, but let's look anyway.

1) Buf @ Hou (2.5): that's a thin line and justifiable given the up and down play from the Texans, who have real questions on defense and a sporadic production offensively.

Buffalo has a top 10 defense. They're 4th stingiest against the pass and 10th against the run. And they're even more stout in the red zone, yielding the 2nd least points on average. On offense they're much weaker, generating the 23rd worst yards per game in the NFL. They're 26th in passing yards per game, 8th in rushing the ball, and 22nd in terms of points generated--which you'd expect given how much of their offense is anchored in that rushing game.

Houston is 13th in terms of overall offense, and their attack is balanced. This breaks down as follows: 15th passing yds, 9th rushing yds, with a strong 13th in points scored. On defense? 28th in yards allowed. 29th against the pass and 25th against the rush. In the red zone? They're 19th in giving up points. That may be better with a productive Watt in play, but it's a sieve of a defense, in sum.

Bottom line: I like the Bills chances for a mild upset. The Titans weak defense will help the Bills even with their lack of balance, while Houston's offense is going to be tested by pressure on the part of that Bill's D-line.


2) Ten @ NE (4.5): A weak line for the defending champions underscores just how different this team is a year removed...some would say how differently they're playing late in the season when facing a tougher schedule as well.

Tennessee has come on with Tanyhill under center. And having the league leading Henry in your backfield doesn't hurt. First, the Titans bend on defense, heavily, if almost entirely because of their pass defense. They're 20th in terms of yards allowed--24th against the pass and 12th against the run, the combined result seeing them 19th in the red zone. Not inspiring. On offense they're 12th in overall yards, 21st passing, and 3rd best at rushing the ball, with a 10th place red zone effectiveness. And keep in mind some of this is skewed weaker due to the current hot streak qb substitution later in the season.

New England is a nervous favorite in what could well be the last game for Brady in a Pats uniform. The Patriots are 1st in holding down overall yards defensively, 2nd against the pass and 6th against the run, while their red zone defense is the best in the NFL, in total. On offense they're a middling 15th in offensive yards generated, 8th in yards per pass and 18th rushing.

Bottom line: the distinctions are misleading for both teams. Tennessee has played better than their rankings since Tanyhill took over the offensive reigns and Brady and company have played worse down the stretch and in the teeth of the more substantive part of their schedule. On paper it looks like the weakness of the Titans, defending the pass, will help Brady control the game flow and put up points while Tennessee struggles.

And that could happen, but I think this one will be close...closer than the spread, so I'd take the Titans, who could win outright.

 

[Idolater]

Well that was fun. lain:











This season. From flying high 8-0, knocked all the way down to one-and-done in the wild card round. And it was one of Brady's best years. So when you have both Brady and Belichick, and you want to know who's more important to winning games, the answer is, receivers who don't drop well thrown balls.

They are more important than both Brady and Belichick. And we had very few of them this year. Even Edelman dropped an easy pass, which would have been a first down, thrown right into his hands, and he was open and not in danger of getting clobbering after the catch either. Just dropped. In this game that they just lost to the Titans.

The Pats were among the league leaders in dropped passes this season. That's the achilles heel and overarching theme of this season. And with Brady at 42, playing that well, saying he wants to keep playing, that was just an awful thing to do to him. It's just wrong to do that to an NFL quarterback, to make him work that hard to get you the ball when you've worked so hard to run your route and get open, he hits you right in the hands, and you drop it like that. Come on.

Anyway. Buffalo should have won that one. The two-man missed sack of Watson at the end was horrible, that was like throwing it to a wide open receiver, throwing a strike, hitting him between the numbers, and he drops it. That's what that missed sack was like in that game. Watson was sacked, it was a gimme, with two rushers closing in on him simultaneously, nowhere to throw, nowhere to run, and they Both didn't tackle him, that was like an open receiver dropping a perfect pass.

I don't know who wins this year. I can't be objective. I really don't think anybody has a chance against Baltimore or the Chiefs, depending upon who wins the AFC, and of course I can't even be sure that KC wins next week. I think Buffalo would have given Baltimore more of a challenge than Houston will give KC, but KC could still lose that game. But Houston wouldn't have any chance against Baltimore in Baltimore, and I don't think Tennessee beats Baltimore either. But, if KC wins, they could beat Baltimore, but either of those teams I think is the clear favorite against any NFC team.

Like I said, I can't be objective. I don't think that's objective. I don't see Minnesota or Philly representing the NFC, but between the others, I could see any of them unless GB plays SF, I don't see GB winning that game.

So, if GB plays SF, then SF will play Baltimore or KC, and they could beat KC and maybe beat them hard, but I don't think they beat Baltimore. SF could lose the divisional round. GB could too. I just don't see Minnesota going anywhere, and Philly's been too erratic I don't think they could go on the run.

So there you go. Good luck, everybody who's still got horses in this race!

 

[tetelestai]

So when you have both Brady and Belichick, and you want to know who's more important to winning games, the answer is, receivers who don't drop well thrown balls.

If only they didn't release Antonio Brown.........

 

[tetelestai]

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger have represented the AFC in15 of the past 16 Super Bowls. None of them will be doing it this year...........Which QB from the AFC is it going to be this year?

**** Joe Flacco was the other QB

 

[Idolater]

If only they didn't release Antonio Brown.........

The off-field stuff did him in.

But imagining that never happened, then he absolutely would have given Brady enough to work with all by himself without any other changes, but I also think there's a contagion when someone's lighting it up, others will play better around him, and that combined with a deflation of the defense's spirit, Brown would have done more than just give the Pats a good shot, they would have given Baltimore a run for first seed and my guess is beat them in the regular season.

But if we're going to wonder what could have been, I've got about three SBs plus the 2015 season to think about before this season's sad end for Pats nation gets a spot in the line.

 

[Idolater]

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger have represented the AFC in15 of the past 16 Super Bowls. None of them will be doing it this year...........Which QB from the AFC is it going to be this year?

**** Joe Flacco was the other QB

And now Baltimore's got another QB with a hot hand, and the same coach. They're the favorite to win it all this year so far as I can tell. It's going to be tough to stop them. It should be interesting to see if any defensive coordinator comes up with something that can work against Jackson's unique collection of talents. You can take away his running or his passing, along with the rest of the skill positions, but that still leaves one more skill that he has in either scenario, and he throws a wrench into things with whatever it is that you can't stop. I do not remember another quarterback who was a legit short and medium range passing threat, plus a separate threat to run for 100+ yards.

 

[Town Heretic]

No real surprises from the WC round. I thought the NO game would be a pick'em and didn't have a feel for which team would come out with the win. The Bills just weren't ready to sustain a solid first half and should learn from it. Their qb looked like a first timer and the stage was too big for him this time around.

What's up next? I think KC and the Ravens are the class of the AFC. The NFC? The Niners are so complete I think they could make it to the SB and shock an over confident Ravens team. I'll take a more particular look later. I'm not sold on the Hawks or Vikes getting past SF and GB looks like it got a whole team a year or two too late for their qb...we'll see.

 

[tetelestai]

The Niners are so complete I think they could make it to the SB and shock an over confident Ravens team.

If the 49'ers play the Ravens in the Super Bowl, who does Jim Harbaugh root for?.....his old team, or his brother?

 

[The Berean]

Wow, the Ravens lose to the Titans, 28-12.