2018 NFL Football

[Bella]

Holy shit we actually won

The refs threw so many flags on the Patriots I thought they were going to have to start using the Terrible Towels.

[Bella]

(For clarity's sake, I don't mean that in an "OMG, the refs are biased against the Pats" kinda way, I mean it in a "Holy shit, I don't think I've ever seen a Patriots team play with that little discipline in my life" kinda way.)

[shaft.ed]

Pittsburgh being so Pittsburgh
Losing to one of the worst teams in the league on week, and beating a perennial Superbowl favorite the next

[Bella]

The Patriots played like one of the worst teams in the league against Pittsburgh, tbh.

Gruden bringing THE NATHAN PETERMAN EXPERIENCE to the Oakland practice squad might be the biggest "Fuck you" to a fanbase I've seen. Like, we all know you're leaving, you don't have to rub Nathan Peterman's quarterbacking skills in their faces too. That's just cruel.

[PokerFace]

Oakland really should not have hired Gruden. I felt it was an unnecessary move given how they did the season before, and considering how things went, it was a bad move to get Gruden

[scotmany12]

Two games where we lost by less than the free scores the refs gave opponents now nice. Lose to chargers by 3, they got 14 free points. Lose yo saints by four, they get 7 free points.

And yet they won’t be fired

[scotmany12]

And I can’t even count cause we lost to the saints by 3 not four.

And yeah I’m just venting ok

[BROseidon]

There are only 2 good refs in all sports globally, and they're both in rugby union. This isn't an NFL-specific problem.

[BROseidon]

That said NFL refs are among the worst.

[PJ.]

I don't think that the refs are bad. I think the rules are bad.

[D3f3nd3r]

Wrong sport, but daily reminder that this man exists:

Spoiler:

[BROseidon]

I don't think that the refs are bad. I think the rules are bad.

NFL refs consistently shit the bed, although the rules certainly don't help

[PJ.]

It's hard to not shit the bed when every rule is poorly constructed and/or constructed in a way that "it happens on every play and it's up to discretion"

[PokerFace]

Considering how the catch rule was written and how long it stayed written that way, I agree with panzer^

[Bella]

If the refs had a decent union, they'd have been called together and told to just call it exactly as it's written in the rules. A couple of weeks of that, and we'd either get the rules changed or coaches who want to keep their jobs and win games coaching players to not hold or interfere on ever goddamn play.

[Bella]

On a separate note, it's this shit that's why the Steelers are relying on the Browns to win to get into the play-offs. It's unforgivable for the team's official media people to be uninformed enough to make a big deal about a guy who has been out since week 4, let alone for the DC who is supposed to be preparing his defence properly to play their division rivals claiming he's going to be a real threat to them. Jesus.

[PokerFace]

IND > HOU
SEA > DAL - Hardest Game to pick. Won't be surprised if wrong
LAC < BAL
PHI < CHI

I think hard knocks should be PIT or Oak next year given the stories behind pit missing the Playoffs and Gruden's Raiders

[Bella]

The Steelers can't be compelled to take part, so it won't be them. Assuming no coaches get fired or retire or get traded, it'll be the 49ers, Raiders, Giants, Lions or Washington. My Tier list is 49ers (probably the most interesting story to tell of a team trying to get better) > Raiders (Because they're a shit show who doesn't even know where they're playing next season) > Giants (very possibly the first QB drafted in this class) > Washington (a lesser shit show than the Raiders with a QB overcoming a major injury) > Lions (Big fat "meh")

[shaft.ed]

So is Foles like a rich man's Fitzmagic?

I really don't know how I want the Philly QB situation to pan out. It's so weird

[T-Bone]

Well, listening to Philly sports radio for a bit after the game, both of the hosts and every caller they had were firmly in the camp of Nick Foles over Wentz.

[PJ.]

lots of serious and non-serious talk about Foles over Wentz, for sure. And weirdly the age difference isn't as much as one would think given they were drafted 4 years apart and how it feels like we've already had 3 distinct periods of Foles career. I feel the answer depends on how much you can get for Wentz in a trade. If someone the Giants or somebody would trade 2 first and a 3rd or something and you can get picks and 6 years of Foles instead of no picks and 9 years of Wentz, it's probably worth it. Considering Wentz is the most valuable asset in football for only one more year, it might be good to the pull the trigger.

[shaft.ed]

I just don't understand why Philly's defense plays better with Foles in the game.
Is it because he has less horrible turnovers than Wentz? Do the coaches put more load onto the running game giving more rest for the D? Did Schwartz finally settle on the optimal D-back combo? But why is the pass rusher back to full form?

And why does the O-line plays better. Is that just chance? Is it Johnson getting back to full health and a subpar Peters injuring himself out of the season? Or is Foles easier to block for?

It just seems all these things a quarterback has no business effecting are going right when Foles plays. But at the same time, he is demonstrably balling out.


And I dont see Philly sending Wentz within the division

[Bella]

The O Line play could well be a QB thing if Foles is better at identifying what the opposing D is doing and communicating it to his line. Unlike linemen in stances, after all, the QB's in a position to take a big picture look at the way the D is setting itself up and thus can prepare his linemen to block for him most effectively. As for the defence... I don't know what it is, but I'm pretty sure there's a reason that Chris Long has a Nick Foles shrine int he locker room and there isn't a Carson Wentz one.

[PokerFace]

The Steelers can't be compelled to take part, so it won't be them. Assuming no coaches get fired or retire or get traded, it'll be the 49ers, Raiders, Giants, Lions or Washington. My Tier list is 49ers (probably the most interesting story to tell of a team trying to get better) > Raiders (Because they're a shit show who doesn't even know where they're playing next season) > Giants (very possibly the first QB drafted in this class) > Washington (a lesser shit show than the Raiders with a QB overcoming a major injury) > Lions (Big fat "meh")

I would be fine watching 49ers and Washington. Others sound kinda boring

[PokerFace]

Foles has been good and bad in previous years. His good years have been in Philly so I can understand he wants to stay there. Wentz likely has a longer career ahead of him. I think it really comes down to which one can you make the better deal off of.

MIA, JAX, DEN, NYG, WAS, CIN?, TB?, TEN? (Marriota has skill but he gets hurt a bit too much) are in the market for new QBs next year. I wouldn't be willing to give Wentz or Foles within the division. Other teams I'd be fine with making the deal if the price is right.

I hope Alex Smith recovers well from his injury, you hate to see that kinda thing happen. I think WAS should consider Fitzmagic as their temp replacement for Alex. I don't think Fitz has played there yet, but I could be wrong