MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

P.S. Is this hoping we have nothing to play for week 17?

 

Do the Eagles need this game for home field advantage?

 

I still think the Eagles will put forth an effort Week 17 - I don't see them really benching their starters.

But there's NO WAY anyone can tell me the virtually-eliminated Raiders are gonna fly from sunny California to chilly Philly for a game on Christmas Day against an Eagles team that needs a win to wrap up home field, and somehow put up a competitive game.

Eagles by 20+ points.

 

A win here or in Week 17 gives them home field throughout.

 

They do not necessarily need it if they win in week 17 or if the Vikings lose one. If the Vikings lose to the Packers then it's a definite pointless game for Philly.

 

I was just playing. Seahawks vs Cowboys is going to be ruthless. Loser is out, winner will be alive regardless of results elsewhere.

 

Vikings move toward difficult quarterback decision(s)

With Case Keenum helping the Vikings clinch the NFC North and, potentially, lock up a bye (and possibly nail down the No. 1 seed), it would take a massive collapse at this point for Keenum to land on the bench. A bigger question is looming.

Will he even be on the team in 2018?

None of the four quarterbacks under contract with the Vikings are under contract beyond this season. As to one of them, Kyle Sloter, the Vikings control his rights, since he’s an exclusive-rights free agent (i.e., not a free agent at all). As to the other three (Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford), all are headed for unrestricted free agency.

PFT reported earlier in the season that the team would make no decisions about their quarterbacks until after the season. There’s no indication that the team’s position has changed. Which means that, when the postseason concludes, it will be time to figure out who stays and who goes.

Bradford has become the forgotten man in the equation, and for good reason. A career-best performance in Week One against the Saints followed two days later by news of a balky knee led to eventual placement on injured reserve. With a healthy Keenum and Bridgewater, it makes no sense to keep Bradford around — unless he’s willing to take backup money, and backup status.

As to Bridgewater, he still hasn’t played very much since shredding his knee in practice nearly 16 months ago, and it’s still not clear whether he’ll ever reach his full potential. While he’s a sentimental figure and a fan favorite, rolling the dice with Bridgewater could be a risky proposition.

Then there’s Keenum. With each passing week, he’s setting himself up for a major payday, somewhere. And if he gets the Vikings to their first Super Bowl since 1976 (and possibly to their first Super Bowl win ever), how can they let him leave?

Yes, it’s happened before. But Keenum is no Trent Dilfer. Keenum has undergone a Kurt Warner-style transformation, exploding after years of so-so performances (although Keenum had a handful of great games in his past) into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

 

Case Keenum proving he can make plays with his legs

It’s no longer fair to consider Case Keenum‘s success this year a surprise, since he’s maintained this level all season.

But the Vikings are willing to admit there’s one part of Keenum’s game that has caught them off guard — his ability to create plays with his legs as well as his arm.

“I didn’t know he could move around like he does,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said, via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I think that’s part of the things teams have started to have to prepare for now — the possibility of him running.”

Of course, he’s only rushed 37 times for 160 yards and a touchdown this year, so he’s not exactly Cam Newton. But that has nearly matched his rushing total for the previous four years (56 carries for 163 yards), and his mobility shows up in other ways.

Primarily, Keenum has shown the capability to move the pocket, and keep passing lanes downfield open. He’s only been sacked 25 times this year, and that’s with a line that has endured some injuries and multiple lineup changes this year.

“A lot of times he’s extending the play because something broke down, and he’s making you right by fixing something you screwed up,” guard Joe Berger said. “It’s great to have a quarterback who’s mobile back there, who can extend the play and get the ball down the field.”

That kind of game is something the coaches had to adapt to, since they weren’t moving Sam Bradford around much, even before his knee injury. But Keenum’s ability to improvise harkens back to some Vikings quarterbacks of the past, and has made them one of the top teams in the NFC despite a season of changes. (PFT)

 

Geno Smith believes he’s still a starting-caliber quarterback

With the offseason nearly upon us and a number of teams about to enter the market, one guy wants to make sure the league doesn’t forget about him as an option.

Via John Healy of the New York Daily News, Giants backup (at least until this week) Geno Smith declared that he can still be a starter in the NFL.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Watch the tape. You’ll see it.”

That tape this year was limited to the one game that led to the downfall of the Ben McAdoo era, when Smith replaced Eli Manning and lost to the Raiders. He was 21-of-34 passing for 212 yards and a touchdown, but he fumbled twice.

This week, he’ll be the inactive third since they’ve promoted rookie Davis Webb to the backup role for the finale.

“It’s not one of those things I took personal,” Smith said. “I know that it has nothing to do with me, personally, so I’m not going to take it that way and that’s all I can say about that.”

Smith didn’t have many takers last offseason, when he was coming off a torn ACL (as well as his Jets career). There may be plenty of teams looking for help at the position this offseason, but it’s hard to imagine a team handing its reins (willingly) to a guy with a career 58.9 completion percentage, a 72.9 rating and more interceptions (36) than touchdowns (29).

But it’s good to be confident. (PFT)

 

I've been on the Keenum bandwagon since he was draft in 2012. He set Division I passing and single-game completions (41) and TDs (9) records. He became the 2nd QB Houston's history to complete over 5,000 passing yards in one season. In 2008, he also led the nation in total offense, and was the national runner-up in passing yards. He graduated with a Masters degree and holds the records for:

• Most career pass completions: 1,546
• Most career passing yards: 19,217
• Most career passing touchdowns: 155
• Most career games with 300+ passing yards: 39
• Most games with 300+ passing yards in a single season: 14 (tied with Paul Smith)
• Most seasons passing for 5,000+ yards: 3
• Most seasons passing for 4,000+ yards: 3 (tied with four others)
• Most career total yards: 20,114
• Most career touchdowns responsible for: 178

(from Wikipedia)

Why Zimmer didn't think he was capable of this is beyond me. Why his other coaches didn't pick up on this equally puzzling. His biggest knock is his size of 6'1"/215. Yet he is bigger than Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. He should be a coaches wet dream.

 

His arm strength was red flagged and he was considered a product of his system. He had accuracy issues deep outside the hash and the ball would get away from him at times. He looked really off throwing at the combine and it definitely hurt him in the draft. Progressions were not part of his evaluation because he so rarely had to do it in college.

There were just certain things that kept him from being considered a viable option and a lot of that had to do with what he was asked to do. It's an x-factor that is difficult to evaluate.

Should he have been drafted over Chandler Harnish, Ryan Lindley and B.J. Coleman? Yep, and you will find a lot of evaluators that had him ranked over those guys and some had him over Nick Foles and Brock Osweiler as well. However, looking at how the draft went down and the type of quarterback Keenum was coming out it's not surprising that he slid, just a bit surprising that he slid all the way out.

 

Even a Mr. Irrelevant would've been a wise investment for a QB needy team. I'd have loved for the Ravens to draft him in the 7th that year. DeAngelo Tyson wasn't bad for a 7th rd pick but Keenum as a back up may've saved our 2015 season (or at least prevented a losing season) when Joe went down. Tyson has now been a UFA since 2016 and waiting for a shot. Still a b/u role for Keenum anywhere imo is a waste.

 

Doug Pederson: Nick Foles will still start

As expected by many (but apparently not by the Eagles), the shift from Carson Wentz to Nick Foles at quarterback hasn’t gone smoothly. The Eagles nevertheless will be sticking with Foles.

When the only alternative is Nate Sudfeld, it’s not a tough decision.

Coach Doug Pederson explained during a Tuesday press conference that Foles will indeed start, when the Eagles host the Saints, Panthers, or Falcons on January 13.

But despite an initial effort to run the offense with Foles in the same way the offense was run with Wentz, Pederson explained that the team will study things from Foles’ past performances in order to find plays and concepts that he’ll be able to run effectively.

“I’ve gone back and watched a lot of his tape here, [from] St. Louis and when he was here before when I was here,” Pederson told reporters. “I just wanted to go back and just see the types of plays. [T]he quick throw was there, a little play-action pass, the shotgun stuff. . . . Those are all things that are in our system. We might just have to dust a few more off and get that ready to go. But that’s kind of what this week is for: To get some of those ideas and thoughts down on paper and execute them this week in practice.”

Of course, that’s also a clue for whoever the Eagles will be playing regarding their plans for the playoff game. They now know to study the things Foles has done well in the past, and to prepare to see those plays and concepts.

If the new concepts don’t work, in whole or in part because defenses are prepared for them, Pederson didn’t rule out switching to Sudfeld.

“Listen, it’s a one-game season,” Pederson said. “It’s hard to be in desperation mode, but if you are in that mode, who knows? I do know this: It’s not about one guy. It’s about 11 on offense, defense, and special teams. A lot of contributing factors go into winning a game.”

Only one factor can go into losing a game. Poor quarterback play is one of those factors. That’s precisely what the Eagles have had for most of their time without Carson Wentz. (PFT)

 

Sam Bradford returns to Vikings practice

Sam Bradford's long-awaited return to the practice field has become a reality.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in November. Coach Mike Zimmer told reporters last week he anticipated Bradford practicing again after the regular season ended.

What remains unclear is when or if the Vikings will have Bradford back in uniform for the playoffs. With Case Keenum excelling and Teddy Bridgewater a more than capable backup, there's no need to rush Bradford back. He remains on injured reserve for now. (NFL.com)

 

All I can say is DUH! Why would you think you can run the same offense with your back up QB that you do with your starter? I get you try and have back ups with similar styles to your starter but usually when you move to your back up you have to adjust your game plan.

 

Kansas City Chiefs open to trading Alex Smith in offseason

The Kansas City Chiefs will take the field today with quarterback Alex Smith under center -- one of the game's most underrated players despite holding the league's top quarterback rating.

And yet, the Chiefs are open to trading Smith this offseason, sources say, thanks in part to one of the most fervent quarterback markets in recent memory.

Kansas City won't actively seek out trade partners, but they will listen. There is a real chance Smith, who's set to make $17 million next season, will be dealt for the second time in his career.

There is a caveat. If Smith leads the Chiefs to Super Bowl LII, that might cause all sides to pull back. Regardless, the Chiefs are thrilled with everything they have seen from 2017 first-round draft pick Patrick Mahomes II.

Mahomes is the heir apparent and the reason the team believes it can make a smooth transition from Smith. The rookie's play during Week 17 impressed team brass, going 22-of-35 for 284 yards with an interception in his first game.

When Smith was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Chiefs in 2013, it wound up being for a price of two second-round picks. Smith could fetch more this time -- in part because of his recent success.

In addition, there are more than a handful of teams who will need quarterbacks. If Kirk Cousins somehow sticks with the Washington Redskins, Smith would be the top signal-caller available. Among those who could be interested: New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals inquired about Smith when the Niners traded him, sources say, and the Broncos are already considering it. Browns general manager John Dorsey's first move when he took over in Kansas City was to trade for Smith. Could history repeat itself?

Either way, expect Smith to be in the spotlight this offseason, just like he will be in the playoffs. (NFL.com)

 

Un-fucking real...

Best season of his career, the Chiefs are in the playoffs and Ian 'I Talk Out My Ass' Rappaport has to bring this shit to the table.

Here's how I envision Alex choking Ian, as acted out by Cage and a different, probably more trustworthy, Rapaport -

 

I agree, Tim.

The timing is stupid ridiculous... I swear they just make shit up for clickbait.

 

Who is the Vikings’ backup quarterback this week?

It wasn’t that long ago that Vikings reporters were asking Mike Zimmer if he knew who his starting quarterback was. Now that Case Keenum has established it’s his team, the Vikings have to decide who their backup quarterback is.

Teddy Bridgewater has served as Keenum’s backup since Week 10 when the Vikings activated him from the physically unable to perform list and placed Sam Bradford on injured reserve. But Bradford has returned to practice and could return to the 53-player roster.

Zimmer was secretive Monday when asked if he knows which quarterback will backup Keenum on Sunday.

“I think I know, yes. You’ll have to wait until Sunday,” Zimmer said, via quotes distributed by the team.

Bradford, who passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening victory over New Orleans, had two days of practice last week. The quarterback called his work “very encouraging.”

“He got about one third of the reps, so we’ll just take our time and see how it goes,” Zimmer said.

The next quarterback question for Zimmer will come after the season when he’s asked about his quarterback for 2018. Keenum, Bridgewater and Bradford all are scheduled to become free agents in March.

 

My uess is that they want to trade him while his stock is high so they can draft a QB of the future. Reid has proven pretty capable. If this has legs then a team like the Browns with a ton of draft picks could opt for this.