2024 NFL Discussion Thread

[Fear The Chorizo]

18 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Minnesota is such a cupcake 9-2.

Every year they have a season like this, it's obvious they have a 0.500ish roster that catches all the breaks - until they get in the playoffs and get trounced by a team unwilling to implode on itself.

Most viking fans already know this.  

[OldSchoolSnapper]

How the Packers fare this week should be telling. If they play a clean game that stays close and still lose, I think that's fine. If they get trounced then I think our ceiling is probably the divisional.

[BrewerFan]

12 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Older players, even if Uber talented, eventually wear down and break...and they are typically expensive, too.

That is the 49ers in 2024....long in the tooth, and still without a qb on a longterm contract they can build around.

Sure...maybe that's part of it...though most of those players are younger or in their prime, but even if it was just older players, it's hardly because they brought in McCaffery. 

They still have another year with Purdy under contract and if they extend him, even if it's for 4/200M, we all know how that deal will go. It's more like 5/200 since he's got just 1M, his cap hits will still be plenty cheap enough the next few years.  

I'd love to believe this is the downfall of SF, but I think it's just a bad year. They'll be back next year. And if anything has really hurt SF, it was that Trey Lance deal...maybe the Buckner deal. They had an elite DE and a top 3-4 DT that made them a nightmare and they tried to trade Buckner and draft a guy, but those guys are rare.

 

This is the 2020 49ers. They still have too much good young talent, but you're always vulnerable to injuries. 

[CheezWizHed]

On 12/2/2024 at 7:10 AM, Fear The Chorizo said:

Every year they have a season like this, it's obvious they have a 0.500ish roster that catches all the breaks - until they get in the playoffs and get trounced by a team unwilling to implode on itself.

Most viking fans already know this.  

I hate to say it, but the Vikings and Packers are pretty even statically.  Scoring, Yards, Pt differential (both have +78) are all very close to each other. Darnold has outplayed Love so far this year..fewer Ints in more games and better completion percentage.  Injuries were a part of Love's play and I think he will finish strong, but Darnold has been better so far. 

I don't see the Vikings going far in the playoffs but this isn't the 2022 team that went 13-4, but had a -3 point differential. 

Even with the teams being so close, I do see a difference in how they've gotten there.  The vikings seem to be more consistent.  They make fewer penalties and do the little things well.  

The Pack has more upside, but still a lot of youthful mistakes.  Penalties against the Lions was a major killer.  Love pushes the ball deep too often and doesn't always consider the situation (i.e. keep a drive moving).  He is getting there, but still needs some maturity there.  Likewise the defense has a lot of promise developing...plus maturing in the system.  Perhaps a few players not a great fit for this system, but just needing growth overall. 

[homer]

[Fear The Chorizo]

47 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

I hate to say it, but the Vikings and Packers are pretty even statically.  Scoring, Yards, Pt differential (both have +78) are all very close to each other. Darnold has outplayed Love so far this year..fewer Ints in more games and better completion percentage.  Injuries were a part of Love's play and I think he will finish strong, but Darnold has been better so far. 

I don't see the Vikings going far in the playoffs but this isn't the 2022 team that went 13-4, but had a -3 point differential. 

Even with the teams being so close, I do see a difference in how they've gotten there.  The vikings seem to be more consistent.  They make fewer penalties and do the little things well.  

The Pack has more upside, but still a lot of youthful mistakes.  Penalties against the Lions was a major killer.  Love pushes the ball deep too often and doesn't always consider the situation (i.e. keep a drive moving).  He is getting there, but still needs some maturity there.  Likewise the defense has a lot of promise developing...plus maturing in the system.  Perhaps a few players not a great fit for this system, but just needing growth overall. 

The Vikings have a fantastic coaching staff that squeeze the most out of their roster - and agreed a good portion of the Vikings success is just not making game changing mistakes.  I see them losing their last 3 games of the regular season (@ Seattle, GB, @ Det) and then bow out of the playoffs in short order the next weekend.  They've been skating through a charmin-soft part of their schedule since that road Rams loss, yet with the exception of the Titans game they could (and at times should) have lost each of their other 4 games against teams nowhere near playoff contention.

I just think GB is a much more talented and deep roster, and that will show down the stretch.

[HarryDoyle]

Sterling Sharpe and Mike Holmgren are finalists for the Hall of Fame. Let’s hope the committee finally gets it right this time.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

On 12/2/2024 at 7:37 PM, BrewerFan said:

Sure...maybe that's part of it...though most of those players are younger or in their prime, but even if it was just older players, it's hardly because they brought in McCaffery. 

They still have another year with Purdy under contract and if they extend him, even if it's for 4/200M, we all know how that deal will go. It's more like 5/200 since he's got just 1M, his cap hits will still be plenty cheap enough the next few years.  

I'd love to believe this is the downfall of SF, but I think it's just a bad year. They'll be back next year. And if anything has really hurt SF, it was that Trey Lance deal...maybe the Buckner deal. They had an elite DE and a top 3-4 DT that made them a nightmare and they tried to trade Buckner and draft a guy, but those guys are rare.

 

This is the 2020 49ers. They still have too much good young talent, but you're always vulnerable to injuries. 

Disagree. I feel like this happens all the time where a "rising" team suddenly has a rash of injuries, their fan base just says "wait til we get everyone back!" and it just...never really happens. 1 or 2 guys come back, a couple are never the same again and they middle around in mediocrity for a while and disappear.

The focal point of their offense is now a 29-year-old RB coming off IR with 2,000 career touches. Purdy has always been completely unimpressive to me.

They haven't looked good this year. At all. Before anyone got hurt. They haven't played a single strong game. And to your point, they really aren't even a young team, either. Deebo is 29 next month. Statistically they are the 7th oldest team in the league. They're closer to a blow-up than a comeback. I wouldn't be totally shocked if they eek back into the playoffs, but this version of them lost two Super Bowls. They're coming down off that peak.

[HarryDoyle]

Seriously? Are Vikings fans really booing Kirk Cousins?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The weirdness of the NFC North is ... weird. I believe I want the Vikings to win, and Tampa to take the South. I think they are the best team there by a wide margin, and that would set them up against Minnesota, a game I think they could very well win. 

I think GB is destined to make two trips to Seattle. Then likely head to Detroit in the divisional if they can win in Seattle. 

I guess you can make an argument the Packers could still move into 5 and get a game with Atlanta which they really should win, but I think it's pretty unlikely at this point.  Minnesota could lose their last 2 games but I don't think Atlanta will hold that division. Not sure I want to visit Tampa as a 5th seed. 

[HarryDoyle]

I have no idea how Atlanta is 6-6 and in first place. I'd be a lot more worried about playing Tampa Bay in the playoffs than this team.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

I have no idea how Atlanta is 6-6 and in first place. I'd be a lot more worried about playing Tampa Bay in the playoffs than this team.

The only reason Tampa is 7-6 is the schedule and injuries. Without injuries to the receivers that is a 10 or 11 win team and look at who they have lost to, and by how much. 

You want the Packers to finish 6th and Minnesota 5th for that reason. I think that is happening anyway.  

[HarryDoyle]

1 minute ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

The only reason Tampa is 7-6 is the schedule and injuries. Without injuries to the receivers that is a 10 or 11 win team and look at who they have lost to, and by how much. 

You want the Packers to finish 6th and Minnesota 5th for that reason. I think that is happening anyway.  

So do I.

[HarryDoyle]

Good to see that the Eberflus firing has inspired the Bears to play better ball.

[Sixtolezcano]

On 12/1/2024 at 12:42 PM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Minnesota is such a cupcake 9-2.

I would beg to differ, and I really hate the Queens. They have a top 5 defense coached by one of the best DCs in the NFL in Brian Flores. The Jefferson, Hockinson and Addison (really coming into his own the past few games) as starting receivers are elite. And we all know what Aaron Jones can do at RB. O’Connell’s coaching and play calling has been superior to MLF this season. What O’Connell has done with Darnold as QB boarders as a miracle. The Packer roster may be deeper but I hate to say it the Vikings starters are much better and with a 2 game lead on the Packers with 4 games to go the Vikings are in a much better position. I think most posters underestimate the Queens this year based on the hate in their heart rather than objectively using their heads.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

36 minutes ago, Sixtolezcano said:

I would beg to differ, and I really hate the Queens. They have a top 5 defense coached by one of the best DCs in the NFL in Brian Flores. The Jefferson, Hockinson and Addison (really coming into his own the past few games) as starting receivers are elite. And we all know what Aaron Jones can do at RB. O’Connell’s coaching and play calling has been superior to MLF this season. What O’Connell has done with Darnold as QB boarders as a miracle. The Packer roster may be deeper but I hate to say it the Vikings starters are much better and with a 2 game lead on the Packers with 4 games to go the Vikings are in a much better position. I think most posters underestimate the Queens this year based on the hate in their heart rather than objectively using their heads.

I agree. They were a lot more convincing today. There was a point this year where I thought they were going to dive and finish like 9-8.

I still don't really take them seriously as a contender. I think they are playing at their ceiling. And they are going to likely regress when they have to move on from Darnold and into what is an unknown. 

I am not sure Darnold is a miracle though. He is a 1st round talent that cratered with the Jets - he really wasn't even terrible for them, and then landed in Carolina. Just hasn't ever been in a good spot. Just makes me think Zach Wilson should get a second chance too.

[HarryDoyle]

I predict the Chiefs will win when on the last play of the game a Chargers receiver catches a 10 yard pass, runs another 80 yards to the end zone as time expires and then drops the ball right before crossing the goal line, thus fumbling the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. Chiefs 23 Chargers 19.

[adambr2]

Looked like a late hit out of bounds on Mahomes somehow not called.

The irony is that I think it would have been better for the Chargers if they had called it because it would have given them a chance to get the ball back.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Looking more and more likely the Packers could travel to Los Angeles and not Seattle especially if they beat Seattle next week. The Rams play a much softer schedule the rest of the way. Might come down to Rams/Seahawks in Week 18. Of course if that happens it's also likely Tampa moves to 3. Tampa or LA are both better than Seattle IMO.

[adambr2]

Assuming we don’t fall to the 7 seed, the Rams are probably the single worst opening round draw we could get. 

At their best and healthiest, they can move the ball up and down the field and beat literally any other team in the NFL. 

If there’s a silver lining, their fanbase is basically a social club who don’t really care about them, so there’s not much homefield advantage in their house.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Yeah, Puka running around without Jaire is not something I want to think about. Of course without Jaire the Packers aren't going anywhere anyway.

[JosephC]

I had a pretty good time listening to the score out of Chicago this morning.  Even though they will acknowledge that the offensive and defensive lines are terrible, the result of this game was really due to Shanahan coaching circles around the new head coach/offensive playcaller and new defensive playcaller.  For some odd reason, I am thinking that if Shanahan took the field with the Bears roster, then he is the one who would have taken the beat-down.

I honestly, 100% believe that if the Georgia Bulldogs had walked out on that field yesterday, that they would have managed more than 4 yards of offense in the first half.

Lots of really gutless Bears players to complain behind closed doors and get the head coach fired, and then not show up for the following game.

[yourout]

I really wish the NFL would change one of the challenges to be a super challenge that allowed you to challenge anything anywhere but if you use that challenge there was no more challenges for the game. 

There's been so many missed quarterback face masks and quarterback roughings this season.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

10 hours ago, yourout said:

I really wish the NFL would change one of the challenges to be a super challenge that allowed you to challenge anything anywhere but if you use that challenge there was no more challenges for the game. 

There's been so many missed quarterback face masks and quarterback roughings this season.

I wish they'd whack all challenges if they aren't going to implement lasers and such that just don't miss calls. Replay has just gotten worse since its inception. Constantly changing the gray area of what you can and can't challenge. Going to replay a good chunk of the time and seemingly still getting the call wrong. It has not cut down on controversy at all. People just argue about stuff more now. 

More importantly though I just find it awful as a fan watching for entertainment. Most climactic moments follow with a few minutes of finger crossing hoping that what you just got excited about isn't wiped off the board. All because of our obsession with getting some calls in a sports game "right" - which we aren't even doing anyway.

It's just made the televised product worse.

[young guns]

It feels like it should be as simple as allowing the expedited review process to flag things like the burrow face mask noncall from last night, but it also feels like a where does it stop type thing.  Pretty sure if you looked at every part of every play close enough there is at least one thing that can be called.

 

How do we get the egregious things called correctly without ruining the game.