2019-2020 NFL Thread

[draynay]

The blindside block thing doesn't even make sense. They're not even blindsided. Most of the examples were face to face. And how the hell are you supposed to block someone chasing them down?

The "forcible contact" will probably be the key, which means there's gonna be a deluge of tickytack penalties where the guy barely gets touched.

[xskarma]

The "forcible contact" will probably be the key, which means there's gonna be a deluge of tickytack penalties where the guy barely gets touched.

I assume those will be 15 yard penalties, so that might kill some drives early in the season until they let guys play. We'll see how the refs handle it, but you just bummed me out about this rules change, cause it seems very likely that this happens.

[draynay]

All rule changes are a bummer, everything the NFL does is a bummer, join me in offseason despair.

[eschatological]

Are you kidding? The offseason is the time for hope. This is the only time of year I actually harbor the idea the Bills could possibly win the Super Bowl.

(Not every year, but I'm feelin' pretty groovy this offseason...)

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Edit: My main goal in this offseason is to convince xskarma in a slack debate about why defense doesn't win championships and how it is irrelevant to be anything better than below-average-to-mediocre in terms of defense. Something like 3 of the top defenses last year were godawful teams (Bills, Denver, Ravens).

[xskarma]

Edit: My main goal in this offseason is to convince xskarma in a slack debate about why defense doesn't win championships and how it is irrelevant to be anything better than below-average-to-mediocre in terms of defense. Something like 3 of the top defenses last year were godawful teams (Bills, Denver, Ravens).

Well the Chiefs are basically the ideal version of your theory. They have a ridiculous offense and a really good QB and a very mediocre defense.

Couldn't get it done against a team with a worse offense and a better defense though...


I think next season will be a good test of your theory, cause the Chiefs haven't improved their defense, the Rams defense was very mediocre last year in the period Talib was out, and have lost quite a few pieces this offseason, so definitely won't be a great defense and the Steelers defense has been sub par for a while too now. And all 3 have very good offenses.

I'm pretty confident though that all 3 teams will lose against teams with a lesser offense but a better defense.

[Crissi]

To be fair, Chiefs were one offsides away from winning so I wouldnt count that in your defenses > offences column

[Grube]

top defenses last year were godawful teams (Denver).

I wouldn't include Denver in that. Giving up back to back 200 yard rushers, and barely short of the TE receiving record in 1 half eliminates you from being a top defense. Not to mention all the really bad secondary play. The Ravens would have needed an all-time great defense to carry an offense that can't throw the ball. No idea about the Bills issues.

Lately (outside of some rare situations) it has mostly been offense gets you into the playoffs, and the most balanced teams win in the playoffs. Teams with the equivalent of the 2018 Chiefs defense or 2010 Chargers special teams (so bad they had a top offense and defense, but missed the playoffs) aren't winning the Super Bowl.

[eschatological]

A worse offense with the GOAT QB that had previously won 5 Super Bowls and been in 3 others, and a Hall of Famer TE.

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I wouldn't include Denver in that. Giving up back to back 200 yard rushers, and barely short of the TE receiving record in 1 half eliminates you from being a top defense. Not to mention all the really bad secondary play. The Ravens would have needed an all-time great defense to carry an offense that can't throw the ball. No idea about the Bills issues.

Lately (outside of some rare situations) it has mostly been offense gets you into the playoffs, and the most balanced teams win in the playoffs. Teams with the equivalent of the 2018 Chiefs defense or 2010 Chargers special teams (so bad they had a top offense and defense, but missed the playoffs) aren't winning the Super Bowl.

Denver was a top 5 defense last year, by the only stat that matters (defensive DVOA). The reason I named those three teams is that they were 3 of the top 5 defenses last year and didn't make the playoffs. Wait.......did the Vikings make it? Make that 4 out of 5. Oh no wait.......the Ravens actually made the playoffs, lol.......3 out of 5, and only because they put in Lamar and ran a weird funky option offense where they ran for like 300 yards a game down the stretch.

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Meanwhile, the top 5 offenses made the playoffs, and 11 of the 12 playoff teams were in the top half of the league in offense.

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Holy shit I'm listening to the media scrum of Kim and Terry Pegula (Bills and Sabres - our NHL team - owners) and its a fucking tire fire. Someone needs to give Terry Pegula a crash course in NFL PR speak. He basically threw his GM under the bus in re: the Antonio Brown trade, and then there was this:

Terry Pegula: "Management teams tend to fare better. Look at the Patriots, with Belichick and Brady. It's like breakfast. It's like Tim Hortons."

WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN??? Is he talking about game management systems? Cause you ain't gonna get that with Josh Allen and Brian Daboll. Is he talking about a collaborative effort between a great QB and great HC? No fucking clue.

[Kyanion]

Hey, in rules changes that are far too late to impact the biggest mistakes made in the past, Pass Interference is now reviewable. Still floors me just how bad the system is in the NFL when it comes to replay and referees. The fact that other lesser football leagues can have a better system in place is just pathetic.

[eschatological]

Any time I hear someone say they prefer the human element to getting the calls right I wonder who hurt them.

It's more that I prefer games not to be extended by half an hour. Football is already so much slower than hockey, basketball and I'd say even soccer. Only baseball is slower.

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Plus, it's totally arbitrary to only allow these reviews of PI/OPI and non-calls in the final 2 minutes. A PI at 2:03 isn't game changing, but the one 3 seconds later is?

[Mightytasty]

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NFL just made blindside blocks illegal (tweet has a video with some examples): https://twitter.com/NFLFootballOps/s...97189800288256

I'm okay with this, always felt kinda cheap to lay someone out when they couldn't see the block coming.

Davante Adams likes this.

[eschatological]

Baseball was slowed down by moneyball-esque tactics where they switch pitchers like every 1 1/3rd inning.

[Kyanion]

Any time I hear someone say they prefer the human element to getting the calls right I wonder who hurt them.

My point is technology could make the game faster. You don't think a chip in the football for exact spotting of the ball wouldn't speed shit up? No more stupid chain gang running out like it is 1953 to measure the inaccurate spot made by a human referee in the first place. No more moronic index cards used to measure said spotting. No more CLEAR AS DAY missed calls. You think that the game couldn't be sped up and improved at the same time with the right technology? You do realize other football leagues have it way better than the NFL does right?

[Kyanion]

Which is kinda what my point was...

Sorry I think I misread what you initially said. I think baseball purists are the nuttiest ones in sports the ones that want to keep the game slow and boring and have the human element ruin games so they can have famous referee blunders being shown 30-40 years later. I just wish the NFL would stop dragging their feet.

I think the chain gang is the one that just annoys me the most. The game is so slowed down for 2 old men to run out there and align 10 yards of chain (that is sometimes not 10 yards or is longer due to the nature of chain bundling up at times. I mean you are taking human nature in spotting the ball, then for 2 other people to run out and measure the spot and then a conference of did the edge of the ball push past.

[Vetali]

Kinda bummed the onside 4th and 15 didn't go through.

[draynay]

Kinda bummed the onside 4th and 15 didn't go through.

A solution is needed but I'm not super convinced this was it, but my pessimism is high, I expect them to call defensive holding or roughing the passer every time.

[xskarma]

WR Jordy Nelson is retiring. https://twitter.com/89JonesNTAF/stat...04796238643200

Shame, cause I was hoping he might give the Patriots a try. Might have not worked out like with previous veteran receivers, but he could have made a big difference too.

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Former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo is joining the Patriots staff as a Linebackers coach.

He was awesome covering the Patriots in the media, smart and engaging. Hopefully he brings that same energy to the coaching staff.

Going to be an interesting year, hopefully the Patriots bring in more inspired choices for coaching positions (lord knows we need it after the exodus that took place).

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Reactions to it from current players and former team mates is awesome too. Aqib Talib chimes in that he'll coach DB's fro Mayo in a few years when he's a head coach and Ninkovich adds "You do DB's I'll do DL".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D2rekv9WoAEOE-3.jpg

[eschatological]

Gruden cried for days when they traded Mack, which is funny since I had the impression he didn't really want him:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...aign=editorial

[xskarma]

Gruden cried for days when they traded Mack, which is funny since I had the impression he didn't really want him:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...aign=editorial

Even if it's hyperbole that's a ridiculous thing to say.

Gruden's press dealings kinda make me understand why Belichick never says anything, unless it's a long story about former players or the intracacies of Special Teams play. You can never win with what you say, cause it either sounds ridiculous later (or even in the moment) and it only serves to motivate your opponents or demotivate your own players, or worse BOTH.

[Pattiecakes]

League majority owner Tom Dundon told USA Today on Wednesday that a lack of cooperation from the NFLPA to allow young players to play in both leagues could cause the AAF to fold.
"If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can't be a development league," Dundon said. "We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league."

Sounds like the AAF is in trouble again. I really hope it is able to stick around. I'm enjoying it.