Football thoughts - week 17

[Cobra Mgr]

Wild Card round winner predictions: KC, LARams, Jax, & NO...........

.........Panthers offense needs a complete overhaul. First, Cam's eyes need to get checked. Newton was 14 of 34. As bad as that sounds, it was worse. Cam went a perfect 7 of 7 on their lone TD drive. That means the rest of the game we Panther fans had to sit through a gruesome 7 of 27. Three of those incompletions landed in the Falcons wings.

Everyone knows my opinion of Mike Shula as OC. You know my critique of offensive roster moves made by management. Particularly @ WR. I fear I sometimes come across as a Cam apologist. But I can't ignore 14 of 34 & 3 INT's. This isn't bad. This is Tebow bad. Both looked like they were best suited for point guard. Tebow: Master of the bounce pass. Cam: Lord of the alley oop. Why can't this guy lower his aiming point? His entire career he has missed high. It's like he has zero depth perception. I have no faith, none whatsoever, in the Panthers' passing game. For too long they've had a subpar receiving corps. The middle of the line is injury prone. And Cam's blindside has too often been a turnstile.

And I'm to expect them to go into New Orleans and beat a team that swept them in the regular season?

The bad news is this is a team in limbo. Personel changes (roster & coaching) can't come until they hire a GM. A GM can't come until they find a new owner. And who knows if we get the Rooneys or the NFL's equivalent to Derek Jeter?..........


.........Be wary if Elway offers you an incentive laden contract............


.........Scott Frost was spot on in his criticism of the playoff committee. You saw me type the same things during the year that he expressed post game. They kept finding some 2 or 3 loss Power 5 team to put ahead of the Knights as they continued to win. Obviously with the intent of keeping them from ever getting near the top 5 or so. So they go out and beat Auburn, a team that had a +6 pt diff in 5 games vs 3 of the Final 4. Now what? Nothing. You know the committee will not change how they look @ the "other" schools. Especially when they feel somehow justified after seeing Bama in the title game. Horse manure.

People keep predicting a time when the Power 5 breaks off from the NCAA. I say, the others should break off from the Power 5. With the desire for live programming on an ever increasing amount of channels, why not give the networks a new product? A true playoff. Let the Power 5 burn in the inferno of their own making. Make them have to feast on each other instead of having the Directional State Tech come into town for their annual 50 pt butt whippin'. Meanwhile, the other schools can have their own showcase, something to grow.........


......What happened to Leon Lett?.............


.......Want to know who your team is playing next season? Right here............


......Want to know if your team had the toughest/easiest schedule? Right here...........


......Want to know where your team will be drafting next year? Right here.......


......People will say Oklahoma lost to Georgia in double OT. They will say they lost it when a fg in 2OT was blocked. I'll remember they lost it just before halftime. That squib kick they ordered cost them the game. I don't get why coaches call those things. How many KO's are returned for scores? How many are returned into scoring position? How many are returned past the returning team's 35? Why do coaches think they have to do something different @ that moment? You know they don't practice it. So why risk the game with a play nobody on your team is prepared for? It's stupid. It's moronic. It's over thinking the situation. In OU's case, it set up the Bulldogs for a gift 3 points, made it a 2 possession game, and gave the Dawgs a desperately needed boost of momentum going into the locker room. It cost them a trip to Atlanta.........


.......Speaking of which, wouldn't it be something if both Georgia & the Minnesota Vikings win it all in their home state?. They say Georgia's appearance has driven the asking price for tickets into 6 figures...........


........Can't see Georgia winning though. Love the physical running game they possess. But you can't be one-dimensional on offense & expect to beat the Tide. Teams that beat Bama are successful through the air & the ground. And most of the time, the ground gains come from a mobile QB. Frohm doesn't possess the skill set, IMO.........


......Was Jon Gruden that great of a coach?........


.........Cleveland fans, avert your eyes...............

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

......What happened to Leon Lett?.............

Probably somewhere touching something he shouldn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rNQ4puNN5Q

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

......Want to know where your team will be drafting next year? Right here.......

I don't know what they were thinking, but they are obviously not a Cowboys fan because those suggestions hint towards hating the Cowboys, not helping. The Cowboys will not be drafting a CB or TE, full stop! At least not in the early rounds. A DT is possible but will most likely be a WR and WR help in FA if possible as well.

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

......Was Jon Gruden that great of a coach?........

He's a decent coach. I'll take him any day over some random coordinator.

[Déjà Bru]

It's not on your list of topics (I will review it again to see if I can comment anyplace, but my 2017 Giants are dead . . . last in the NFC East so you will perhaps excuse my flagging interest) but I got a kick out of this story:

Andy Dalton Saved the Bills, and Bills Fans Flocked to His Charity

Andy Dalton, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, is an unlikely hero for Buffalo Bills fans.
But Dalton’s improbable last-minute touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday cleared the path for Buffalo’s first playoff appearance since the 1999 season, and grateful Bills fans responded by channeling their excitement into charity. Dalton said that by Tuesday evening, 7,000 people had donated over $170,000 to his foundation since the game, enough to cover most of the charity’s goals for all of 2018.
Many of the Bills fans donated $17 as a tribute to breaking their 17-year postseason drought.

Hah, that last part.

[Déjà Bru]

Yes, I do have a comment on your post. Thanks, man. Thank you very much for this; I appreciate it:

.........Cleveland fans, avert your eyes...............

The Giants were positively giant-ic compared to these guys!

Gee, this video really is a monkey rodeo. What the heck?

Heh, the best: Toward the end of the video, the Browns receiver getting a faceful of football as it goes right through his hands.

[rudel.dietrich]

I am wagering on all of the favorites this weekend. I see nothing that makes me think any of them has a chance.
Only one that worries me is Carolina vs New Orleans.

[Ragnar]

I wouldn't count out any of the underdogs. I would not be surprised if any of them won.

Rams should win. But they can't give Ryan all day to pass back there or it's going to be close

Saints should win. Being at home helps them a lot.

Tennessee can beat KC. To me this game is a toss up and I am going with the Titans.

Also look for Buffalo to beat the Jags.

Cleveland goes 1-15 and follows that up by being worse and going 0-16. Has there ever been a team that has had back to back seasons this bad?

[Airdrop01]

Chiefs. Rams. Saints. Buffalo.

Your mileage may vary!

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Airdrop01

Chiefs. Rams. Saints. Buffalo.

Your mileage may vary!

I like the picks. I initially had Tennessee winning but not now that Murrey is out.

[thehef]

Re Gruden possibly going to the Raiders...

52 years of Super Bowls, and here's the full list of head coaches who have won at least one, and then moved on to another team and won another:








...

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by thehef

Re Gruden possibly going to the Raiders...

52 years of Super Bowls, and here's the full list of head coaches who have won at least one, and then moved on to another team and won another:

...

Vermiel & Dan Reeves I think are the only 2 to take 2 franchises to the SB.

Gruden has had 6 winning seasons, 2 .500 & 3 losing years. Made it to the Conf final twice. I think he is OK as a HC. But I'm surprised people act like he's a messiah.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Vermiel & Dan Reeves I think are the only 2 to take 2 franchises to the SB.

Gruden has had 6 winning seasons, 2 .500 & 3 losing years. Made it to the Conf final twice. I think he is OK as a HC. But I'm surprised people act like he's a messiah.

Several legends - Landry, Shula, Noll, Walsh, as examples - didn't even try (never went to another team). Many big names, though - Stram, Ditka, Parcells, Seifert, Johnson, Holmgren, Shanahan, Vermeil - have tried, and have come up short (to varying degrees).

Holmgren & Parcells came the closest, reaching the Big Game again with another team, but losing. Shula & Vermeil came close but in the opposite order - losing the Super Bowl with one team, then moving on to another team and winning it.

By my count, 10 Super Bowl-winning coaches have been hired by other teams hoping to catch some magic, only to come up empty. (And surely many of the coaches who hung it up after winning would have / would have had no trouble getting hired if they wanted to give it another shot... like Gruden now.)

Someday it will happen, but it sure hasn't yet... So I'm a bit surprised that teams keep trying to go to that well again and again.

[Bluenoser]

I always wonder about Bill Cower at this time of year. His name seems to get mentioned every now and then, but never seriously. Maybe he just has no interest in coming back. I always thought he was still young enough when he retired that he might come back after a few years away.

I'm sure there would be a few teams more than willing to give him similar to Gruden money.

Chiefs
Falcons
Saints
Jags

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

I always wonder about Bill Cower at this time of year. His name seems to get mentioned every now and then, but never seriously. Maybe he just has no interest in coming back. I always thought he was still young enough when he retired that he might come back after a few years away.

Cower, Billick, Gruden, and Dungy seemed to generally fit into that category of hot commodity and/or frequently rumored... but happy doing TV... for now... Billick's time may have passed, perhaps Dungy's, too. Cower could still probably get any open job he wanted. I guess Gruden decided to strike while the iron was still hot...

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by thehef

Several legends - Landry, Shula, Noll, Walsh, as examples - didn't even try (never went to another team). Many big names, though - Stram, Ditka, Parcells, Seifert, Johnson, Holmgren, Shanahan, Vermeil - have tried, and have come up short (to varying degrees).

Holmgren & Parcells came the closest, reaching the Big Game again with another team, but losing. Shula & Vermeil came close but in the opposite order - losing the Super Bowl with one team, then moving on to another team and winning it.

By my count, 10 Super Bowl-winning coaches have been hired by other teams hoping to catch some magic, only to come up empty. (And surely many of the coaches who hung it up after winning would have / would have had no trouble getting hired if they wanted to give it another shot... like Gruden now.)

Someday it will happen, but it sure hasn't yet... So I'm a bit surprised that teams keep trying to go to that well again and again.

Forgot about Holmgren. Should have remembered Shula.

[thehef]

Chiefs, Rams, Jags, Saints to win.

With the points, though, I'll take Titans +8.5, Falcons +5.5, Bills +8.5, and Saints -6.5...

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Forgot about Holmgren. Should have remembered Shula.

Parcells too with the Giants and Patriots.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by thehef

Holmgren & Parcells came the closest, reaching the Big Game again with another team, but losing. Shula & Vermeil came close but in the opposite order - losing the Super Bowl with one team, then moving on to another team and winning it.

In Shula's defense, he did win the NFL Championship that year against the Browns 34-0. Losing the following week to the AFL (Jets) champs doesn't take that away.

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Chiefs, Rams, Saints, Jags

[BaseballMan]

Gruden hasn't been completely away from the game. He has had to study 2 teams a week instead of one single team. The Raiders have talent but the coaching was horrible this year. I would be ok with Del Rio staying if Downing was gone. Look at how much better the defense was playing after Norton got fired.
If Gruden had stayed in Oakland he would have a much better coaching record.
Remember he came to the raiders after they went 4-12 and had Jeff George at qb. Yeah Callahan took them to the super bowl but it didn't take long for that team to fall apart.

As for him winning a super bowl with Dungy's team. Well he could have lost it. Dungy didn't win it with Tampa's defense. Dungy didnt draft Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks or John Lynch. Any team should have a decent defense when you have Monte Kiffin coaching the defense. Dungy was good but overrated. I would put other coaches in the hall before hjim. He had a great defense in Tampa and a great offense in Indy and won one super bowl. Not saying he isnt a hall of famer but a bit overrated.

Gruden did have some bad years with defense in Tampa aging but i dont know what draft picks the bucs had. Anyway if Dungy could't win with that great defense would he had done any better with an aging defense.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Parcells too with the Giants and Patriots.

You know, I can never think of him on the Pats. Even though I use his "shop for groceries" line all the time. I think it's because Belicheat is so dominant now when you think of NE coaches. It's like they never had a HC before him.