NFL (since 2016)

[crystal falace]

"Free agency started last night and was pretty crazy some huge money being spent. Osweiler getting £18m a year for the Texans, leaving the Broncos without a QB, Giants have spent a fortune on good but not great players, Oliver Vernon has more guaranteed money than JJ Watt. lots more deals but cant be bothered to list them all."

[El Scorchio]

Kyle Allen of the Washington.... has just suffered a terrible looking leg injury. The huge weirdness is that it looks like Alex Smith is going to replace him. Something good coming out of something terrible. Looks very grim for Allen. Broken leg at the very least.

[zebthecat]

Dalvin Cook has started where he left off last week.

[southbankbornnbred]

"Definitely - those of us who witnessed Vick at other teams will probably feel very differently! He was incredible during that Championship game season, though. What he was doing was so new to most defenses/coaches that he ran amok. His speed was incredible - and the speed of his decision-making."

[ironsofcanada]

I guess I should say with the Falcons.

[ironsofcanada]

"Michael Vick was pretty unstoppable for that season they went to the NFC Championship game. With not a lot of help on offence and a below average defence beyond Brooking at linebacker and maybe a cornerback. But that was very early, I believe and defences figured things out (except the Saints of course) and they didn't go to the dance again under him. Pretty sure. Anyway fastest quarterback then for sure and still holds some 40 records. But no arm like Mahomes, Jackson and Murray."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Agree with you about Jackson, too. He one of the better read-option players, because he has an average arm. But he doesn't have a good or great arm and he's clearly not comfortable in the pocket. He seems to throw better on the move. You can constrict the field when he steps back, which means good defenses will always get on top of him. He's talented - and the best at what he does. He'll always put up good running numbers providing he stays fit. But what he does is limited."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Scorch, Totally agree, mate. It was interesting how some really limited read-option QBs, like Tebow and Griffin, made such big headlines when they entered the NFL - and yet achieved so very little. Those who had a decent arm, like Wilson and Newton, made the transition. But most of them fell by the wayside - often quite quickly. It's amazing how quickly defensive coaches adjust to these things. Somebody, Saban I think, worked out that you just send two defenders straight at the read-option 'mesh': one to take out the running back and one to take out the QB. If you hit the QB when he doesn't have the ball, it's not a problem, because there's not going to be a 'roughing' call on most read-option situations. End of fad. Seattle and Baltimore still run a few read-option plays per game, as do the Patsies with Newton. But nowhere near as many as you would find six or so years ago."

[El Scorchio]

"It is/was a very interesting fad. Once defences caught on it really nullified things. I think because most running QBs are not the best pure passers, they can take the risk knowing they probably won't get gashed with deep passes too often. In addition, running should really just be a last resort rather than a regular option. Leads to injuries and also predictability. Dare I say it but I think Lamar Jackson is a little overrated/one trick pony. Great runner with good arm strength but not a great passer. A good defence will always beat a QB who isn't a great passer because they make him one dimensional. A pure drop back passing QB (if they can run a little and are good with play action then it's a bonus) will always be the best solution to keep defences guessing constantly."

[southbankbornnbred]

"I wasn't aware of this until last night, but incredibly, Vince Young's agent destroyed his career over the read-option dilemma at the Titans. The agent demanded that the coaches ran fewer read-option plays because he feared that Young would get busted up in the NFL (he ran a spread/read-option offence at college, where linebackers are a lot smaller). But the read-option was the reason the Titans drafted Young. He didn't have the arm to play as a pocket QB and he spent a couple of seasons trying to learn how to do it - to no avail. So his stellar-looking career faded away within three seasons of NFL football. I get the agent's concerns, but why the hell was a players' agent even trying to dictate to coaches and GMs about tactics and formations?! Besides, it backfired. The agent believed Young was talented that he'd just learn how to play as drop-back passer. He never could learn the role - and his career divebombed. Same with Tebow."

[RBshorty]

San Francisco 29ers. How many were out with COVID-19.? Nice to see the NFL looking after their employees.

[southbankbornnbred]

"Had a bit of spare time, for the first time in a while, last night - ended up reading quite a bit about the rise and fall of the 'read-option' offense. It was heavily in vogue around 2011/12, wasn't it? Started with the Titans drafting Vince Young in the mid-2000s and then gradually escalated to its peak with Kaepernick/Newton. But then defensive coaches got wise to it - and just sent out linebackers (hiding behind the defensive end) to crash the QB because there is no roughing the passer rule on read-option plays. So we ended up with lots of QB injuries (Griffin etc) and people like Kap and Newton had to start using their arms a bit more. Some thrived if they had decent arms (like Newton initially, and Wilson) and others faded away, like Kap, Griffin, Young, Tebow etc. It was entertaining reading about the defensive coaches and how they formed a bit of an informal union to try to work out how to deal with read-option. Belichick called Nick Saban at Alabama the day after the Fins lined-up with a wildcat/read-option formation agains the Patsies. Within a year, ruthless NFL coaches just went out to crush QBs who were good with their feet. A few survived, like Wilson, but because they still had good arms."

[Grumpster]

Poor Rams are just wank even with a fit team :o) Nice having such an open tournament.

[ironsofcanada]

Looking forward (with the slightest bit of pessimism) to Bucs/Saints. Bucs shown themselves to be a better team so far. Very good defense. Though Brees' quick release and mid range throws mitigate some of their biggest strengths. Those receivers against the often tire fire of the Saints secondary could be ugly. The pass rush will be key again and Saints were missing Davenport the first time. Changes the game if you can't always double Jordan. Shame it is 1:30 in the morning or something like that.

[Mr. Burns]

Grumpster 12:17 Fri Nov 6 Re: NFL (since 2016) Nothing pleases me more.

[El Scorchio]

"Grumpster 10:49 They also have a very good defence, which helps A LOT too."

[Lee Trundle]

"I'd like to see that, Grumps. I want to like Garoppolo, but I just don't think he has it in him to be good enough to win the Super Bowl."

[Grumpster]

Believe we made history last night. First time a team has played a game with their entire offensive set of 8 playmakers all injured! No Jimmy G or Kittle for the rest of the season probably and I wouldn't be surprised if we start contemplating changing the QB next season.

[zebthecat]

Dead right Grumps. The two receiving tight ends they already had and Miller are also very handy (that's before you get to a decent O-line and a top Defence) and Jameis Winston put up ridiculous yardage and good TD numbers last season. I know as I had him in my fantasy team when Drew Brees got injured.

[Grumpster]

"Where Brady has fallen on his feet is that the Bucs have a brilliant set of receivers. Goodwin and Evans are dynamite and surrounded by both experience in Gronk and potential. Can't see them winning anything, but their fans must be loving it after years of average shite."

[ironsofcanada]

"But Brady-adjacent, I am looking forward to CJ Garder-Johnson getting in Antonio Brown's ear this weekend. Maybe a suplex in return? One up from the flying kick he gave that punter."

[ironsofcanada]

"Brady and the Pats are like Michael Jordan to me, undeniably the best, at the very, very least in their era but you don't have to like them or not acknowledge they got little bits of help/luck along the way."

[southbankbornnbred]

"I still hate the Patsies, though. With a passion."

[southbankbornnbred]

"Hermit, Spot on. It was the extraordinary combination of them both being in the same place at the same time - all a result of BB drafting a barely-scouted TB in the 2000 draft. Brady was at college alongside another very good (at college level) QB, in Brian Griese. So Brady was a back-up for most of his college career - even though he was very good every time he took to the field. At the time, everybody thought that the Wolverines player most likely to have a stellar NFL career was Griese. Griese left to join the NFL and then Brady had to compete with Drew Henson for the starter job. Again, he wasn't always seen as a nailed-on starter - even though he did start most games in 98/99. As a result of Michigan's QB depth, Brady somehow went under the radar in the 2000 draft (which was weird because his numbers were strong). But Belichick had his eye on him the whole time. In any other year, or set of circumstances, Brady would have gone in the first three rounds of any NFL draft and the Patsies (who already had Bledsoe) would not have drafted him. But the weird circumstances dictated that he landed on the Patsies lap as a 6th rounder. When you consider that Belichick shouldn't even have been at the Patsies, it was an extraordinary scenario. Earlier in 2000, Belichick was announced as the new head coach of the Jets. But he was concerned about the impending takeover by our shite owners (the useless Johnson family still in charge) and resigned after one day! How the hell the Jets let their new head coach walk away after 24 hours is beyond me. They barely put up a fight! The rest is history. Beautiful history if you are a Patsie. Horrible history if you are a Jets fan. Belichick and, most likely, Brady, could have been at the Jets for decades. But easily the best head coach/QB tandem in NFL history. Both exceptional talents."

[Hermit Road]

"Brady is a top quality leader. You can see his drive for excellence and the ability he has to bring others along. And he still has the arm. That being said, I think the Brady vs Bellicheck debate is a bit false. BB built incredible teams, created a winning culture and built defences that put rings on Brady's fingers as much as Brady's cool-headed, game-winning drives put rings on Bill's fingers. Patriot fans got lucky and ended up with a potent combination of the two greatest competitors ever to do their jobs, in the two most important roles at the same time. And yeah, that call for the Bucs was a joke."

[ironsofcanada]

"Crystal Your late night posts are always fun. I will say Brady's teams are still getting calls like he is an elite quarterback. Watch the mic'd up for this week and they had the Tampa game at the end. Defender not looking at the ball, full on runs into the receiver before the ball gets there. Official correctly throws a flag for PI. Conference and he is told to pick the flag up. He does. Game."