2023-2024 NFL Thread

[xskarma]

Well then, there's a surprise. Ben Johnson, Lions OC, is staying put and deciding to not persue the remaining HC openings. I thought he was THE lock this season to get a HC job.

[Kokolums]

Since the NFL expanded to 7 playoff teams per conference:

1. No wild card team has appeared, let alone win, a super bowl.
2. Only 2 out of 16 conference title game teams were wild cards.
3. 4 of 8 Super Bowl teams were #1 seeds.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Since the NFL expanded to 7 playoff teams per conference:

1. No wild card team has appeared, let alone win, a super bowl.
2. Only 2 out of 16 conference title game teams were wild cards.
3. 4 of 8 Super Bowl teams were #1 seeds.

Who was the last wild card to make a super bowl anyway? I know the Packers did it when they last won (as the 6th seed no less) I don't recall if the Giants did it as well the next year.


I feel like this goes to show the strength of home field crowds now. It used to be "crowd so loud you can't hear plays" was a special power. Hell that's where the 12th man came from in Seattle. Now it feels like 3/4 of the NFL can do it.

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Well then, there's a surprise. Ben Johnson, Lions OC, is staying put and deciding to not persue the remaining HC openings. I thought he was THE lock this season to get a HC job.

Gonna irresponsibly guess here and say Seattle is zeroing in on MacDonald and Johnson decided he didn't want to deal with Washington's current situation.

[Tech614]

Since the NFL expanded to 7 playoff teams per conference:

1. No wild card team has appeared, let alone win, a super bowl.
2. Only 2 out of 16 conference title game teams were wild cards.
3. 4 of 8 Super Bowl teams were #1 seeds.

It was always about an extra 2 games for more TV money, the chances of a 7 seed ever making the super bowl are remote as hell and probably only becomes a thing if some key player like a franchise QB was missing for half the season then came back and snuck in the playoffs hot.

[xskarma]

Gardner Minshew is a Pro Bowler.

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Seems like all the good OCs and OC candidates are choosing to remain with their teams or went to work for their friends. Slim pickings at this point. =/

Usually the Quarterback Coaches and other position coaches are happy to move to a better position elsewhere. I wonder if that's an endictment of the Quarterbacks in the draft after Caleb Williams. Cause the Bears had no problem getting Waldren as their OC, but Washington can't get Ben Johnson to commit, despite having the pick of everyone except Caleb and the Patriots are also interviewing guys and seeing them stay home or move elsewhere with the 3rd pick.

After Washington cleaning house of everything related to Snyder and the Patriots being up front about wanting to move in a new direction, I have a hard time believing it's the organizations, which leaves the QBs as the reason to not want to get involved.

[Tech614]

Gardner Minshew is a Pro Bowler.

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Seems like all the good OCs and OC candidates are choosing to remain with their teams or went to work for their friends. Slim pickings at this point. =/

Usually the Quarterback Coaches and other position coaches are happy to move to a better position elsewhere. I wonder if that's an endictment of the Quarterbacks in the draft after Caleb Williams. Cause the Bears had no problem getting Waldren as their OC, but Washington can't get Ben Johnson to commit, despite having the pick of everyone except Caleb and the Patriots are also interviewing guys and seeing them stay home or move elsewhere with the 3rd pick.

After Washington cleaning house of everything related to Snyder and the Patriots being up front about wanting to move in a new direction, I have a hard time believing it's the organizations, which leaves the QBs as the reason to not want to get involved.

I'd rather be the OC for the team that drafts MHJ than the team that drafts Caleb tbh. Talk about a WR who can bail out a QB and make them look good, that's what he did all year with McCord. That's the kind of thing Smith and Brown do for Hurts.

Instead of a rookie QB who is far more likely to be a rookie QB than be CJ Stroud. The ceiling is definitely higher for Caleb but you ain't gonna be there to see the ceiling an average in today's NFL.

[draynay]

Gardner Minshew is a Pro Bowler.

Probably one of the top 30 QBs in the league, which seems to be the threshold now.

[Vetali]

Probably one of the top 30 QBs in the league, which seems to be the threshold now.

Well, hes definitely one of the QBs of all time.

Mike Macdonald or likely eternal suffering with Ben Johnson demanding 15+m a year.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Gardner Minshew is a Pro Bowler.

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Seems like all the good OCs and OC candidates are choosing to remain with their teams or went to work for their friends. Slim pickings at this point. =/

Usually the Quarterback Coaches and other position coaches are happy to move to a better position elsewhere. I wonder if that's an endictment of the Quarterbacks in the draft after Caleb Williams. Cause the Bears had no problem getting Waldren as their OC, but Washington can't get Ben Johnson to commit, despite having the pick of everyone except Caleb and the Patriots are also interviewing guys and seeing them stay home or move elsewhere with the 3rd pick.

After Washington cleaning house of everything related to Snyder and the Patriots being up front about wanting to move in a new direction, I have a hard time believing it's the organizations, which leaves the QBs as the reason to not want to get involved.

Well would you want to go to Washington because as far as spots for OCs to become HCs that's all that's left. If Seattle was willing to wait until after the Super Bowl just to talk to MacDonald that was a sign to all their other candidates that the job was MacD's to lose.

Washington's roster is a mess, probably one of the 3 worst rosters in the NFL at this point. And if you're looking at all the playoff-caliber teams that seem poised to make a change next year; Dallas, Philly, Buffalo, and now Pittsburgh has joined that club too, why not go back to the Lions or the Texans and try to make one more run at it there and get your pick of the plum jobs next year?

Same reason I imagine Bill and Vrabel are gonna sit on the sidelines this year.



As for the Texans QB coach saying he's not gonna take an OC job, I'm guessing he's already tied at the hip to Slowik getting a HC job next year.

[Grube]

Probably one of the top 30 QBs in the league, which seems to be the threshold now.

They needed a replacement for both Jackson and Mahomes and I assume Josh Allen declined. Looks like the options were him, Lawrence, Russell Wilson, Flacco or Browning. They probably didn't want to go with someone that got benched or that played 5 or 10 games so they didn't have anyone else.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

They needed a replacement for both Jackson and Mahomes and I assume Josh Allen declined. Looks like the options were him, Lawrence, Russell Wilson, Flacco or Browning. They probably didn't want to go with someone that got benched or that played 5 or 10 games so they didn't have anyone else.

I'd be willing to wager Lawrence also declined. Most of those playoff-caliber guys do these days.

[Tech614]

Don't know what the point of the pro bowl is anymore, but when Hawaii finishes building their new stadium they should at least move it back there so players can see it as a decent vacation. Not sure what else they could do to attract people to play in it anymore, injury risk is already nearly gone.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Don't know what the point of the pro bowl is anymore, but when Hawaii finishes building their new stadium they should at least move it back there so players can see it as a decent vacation. Not sure what else they could do to attract people to play in it anymore, injury risk is already nearly gone.

Either that or move it to Vegas permanently.

At least if there's a vacation aspect to it some of these younger guys might decide to go instead of the top half of QBs all saying no.

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And there we go, MacDonald's the guy in Seattle.

Now all eyes on Washington after Johnson and Slowik both pulled out.

[xskarma]

And there we go, MacDonald's the guy in Seattle.

Now all eyes on Washington after Johnson and Slowik both pulled out.

So none of the young guys wanted Washington, which leaves the likes of Dan Quinn and Mike Vrabel and I guess Belichick, but no way he signs with a team that has a new GM with all the power, and no players to speak of, including a soon to be rookie QB.

It's weird how not enough people find the ability to be a HC somewhere enough draw. In the old days people would jump at any chance to be a HC, but it seems this new wave of young guys is young enough and have future enough that they are willing to stay in a good job just to get a better deal or a better situation.

I really thought the new owner in Washington would change things enough where people would ignore their previous reputation. But guess not.

Which means Washington will likely have to go with a 2nd time HC like Dan Quinn or Vrabel, OR just dig some utter rando out from the trash heap and give him a 2 year contract to hold the fort till their reputation is mended enough to get the kind of coach they want. Much like the Texans did with Lovie Smith before getting DeMeco Ryans.

Tough situation if you are Washington.

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I was just reminded how the Niners once hired Jim Tomsula cause no one wanted their job. That's the kind of hire I now expect for Washington. lol

Maybe they can tell Rivera he can get 1 more year afterall. xD

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

So none of the young guys wanted Washington, which leaves the likes of Dan Quinn and Mike Vrabel and I guess Belichick, but no way he signs with a team that has a new GM with all the power, and no players to speak of, including a soon to be rookie QB.

It's weird how not enough people find the ability to be a HC somewhere enough draw. In the old days people would jump at any chance to be a HC, but it seems this new wave of young guys is young enough and have future enough that they are willing to stay in a good job just to get a better deal or a better situation.

I really thought the new owner in Washington would change things enough where people would ignore their previous reputation. But guess not.

Which means Washington will likely have to go with a 2nd time HC like Dan Quinn or Vrabel, OR just dig some utter rando out from the trash heap and give him a 2 year contract to hold the fort till their reputation is mended enough to get the kind of coach they want. Much like the Texans did with Lovie Smith before getting DeMeco Ryans.

Tough situation if you are Washington.

I wouldn't say it was just Washington either. The hires in Atlanta and Carolina also seem like the top OCs passed on those openings.

I think that top tier of candidate is more willing to keep a cushy OC job on a contender than jump at the first team willing to hire them. After all if you're a Ben Johnson or a Bobby Slowik you gotta be looking at next year and the potential to coach someone like a Jalen Hurts or a Josh Allen and saying "Yeah I'd rather make another playoff push with my current team and then go coach them, instead of being the fall guy for Washington's, or Atlanta's, or Carolina's rebuild."

Also I think Tepper has had a huge impact on this as well. I think prospective coaches are more leery of new ownership than they used to be seeing how Tepper has basically burned through 1 coach per year since he bought the Panthers. Owners have to show it before candidates will truly believe the culture has improved now.

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Packers with a rather surprising DC pick. Grabbing Boston College's HC. His defense rankings going back to his time as Ohio's DC are pretty good. Hopefully it's a sign the team's serious about getting better on defense.

[Xath]

It was always about an extra 2 games for more TV money, the chances of a 7 seed ever making the super bowl are remote as hell and probably only becomes a thing if some key player like a franchise QB was missing for half the season then came back and snuck in the playoffs hot.

Packers very nearly beat the niners of course you aren't expecting a 7 seed to make a run but nothing to say it's not possible six seeds have won a title after all.

[eschatological]

Packers with a rather surprising DC pick. Grabbing Boston College's HC. His defense rankings going back to his time as Ohio's DC are pretty good. Hopefully it's a sign the team's serious about getting better on defense.

I'm a BC alum and I'm still kind of surprised by this. BC has been trash under him, even if his defenses have been good. I guess that's why he's going to DC instead of continuing to be a HC at the CFB level. I read something (from either Rap or Schefter) that he's tired of what the college game has become, ie recruiting, handling donors, NIL, scholarships, etc.

Edit: here's the tweet: https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/statu...33836256317495

"He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football,” a source told ESPN. “College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers. There’s no time to coach football anymore."

[xskarma]

Ravens getting raided already and Mike MacDonald hasn't even begun staffing yet in Seattle. But both him and the Secondary coach who was one of the people in line to take over from MacDonald, is leaving to become DC for the Titans.

Unless they manage to keep everyone else, this might be a debilitating coaching drain for the Ravens.

And that's not even mentioning the Ravens front office getting raided by Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz, the new Chargers GM.


It's super hard to keep your culture and continuity when tons of coaches and front office people leave the organization for better (paying) gigs in a short span of time.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I'm a BC alum and I'm still kind of surprised by this. BC has been trash under him, even if his defenses have been good. I guess that's why he's going to DC instead of continuing to be a HC at the CFB level. I read something (from either Rap or Schefter) that he's tired of what the college game has become, ie recruiting, handling donors, NIL, scholarships, etc.

Edit: here's the tweet: https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/statu...33836256317495

"He wants to go coach football again in a league that is all about football,” a source told ESPN. “College coaching has become fundraising, NIL and recruiting your own team and transfers. There’s no time to coach football anymore."

Yeah I've seen a few other "reports" that coaches are saying he won't be the last one to take a demotion to go coach in the NFL in coming years.

Hopefully this is a case of "good coordinator bad head coach," the stats would say it is. If nothing else glad to see we've got a coach with a scheme that involves cover safeties and press corners, instead of saying "it's 3rd and 3 and we'll give you a free 5 yards in coverage."

[Vetali]

Ravens getting raided already and Mike MacDonald hasn't even begun staffing yet in Seattle. But both him and the Secondary coach who was one of the people in line to take over from MacDonald, is leaving to become DC for the Titans.

Unless they manage to keep everyone else, this might be a debilitating coaching drain for the Ravens.

And that's not even mentioning the Ravens front office getting raided by Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz, the new Chargers GM.


It's super hard to keep your culture and continuity when tons of coaches and front office people leave the organization for better (paying) gigs in a short span of time.

Reminds me of the Eagles after last season.

Lots of players; Ravens, Michigan alumni talking very highly of Mike Macdonald. Thats always a good first sign especially coming with one of the most player friendly coaches in the league. Gonna have to think of a nickname though. MM obviously is cursed and doesn't work.