NFL - Random Opinions

There are some big games this Sunday, but none bigger than Cleveland vs Pittsburgh.

I cant even believe it comes down to this for the Browns after the season they had.

 

So the saints lost pretty much their entire running back room due to close contact after Kamara tested positive for covid 19. Somehow ty mongomery is safe and likely to be the starter. So lets review the Broncos lost all their qbs for a game, the browns lost their top 4 wrs so basically their whole wr corp, and now the saints have lost basically the entire rb corp. When are teams going to get smart and try and seperate their positions into tiers in order to try and make sure they have players for a game? I mean how bad will it suck if in a playoff game you have to go with out an entire position?

Look run through and practice are one thing but when it comes to meetings ive got Claypool and JuJu in one room and Johnson and Washington in another. Use technology to link them together. When practicing if they are not on the field they are on opposite sidelines. Maybe they are doing this who knows but how much more will covid suck if it blows up a team in the playoffs.

 

With the way Fields shredded the Clemson D does he make a push for #1 overall pick? What if he does the same to Bama?

 

Jacksonville may take a punter.

Really though, will anything derail the Lawrence hype train?

 

My 2 cents . . .

Justin Fields is not as good as he looked last night (and I'm a Buckeye fan).
Trevor Lawrence is better than he looked last night. A lot better.

 

What IF... Justin Fields puts up 40+ on Bama? lol, might give you something to consider or reconsider.

 

Justin Fields is not as good as he looked last night (and I'm a Buckeye fan).
Trevor Lawrence is better than he looked last night. A lot better.


I wondered after watching that game last night if Lawrence Stock went down ???

IF......(biggest word in the English Dictionary)

IF you were Jags GM would you consider Fields over Lawrence ???

 

For about 5 seconds, yeah.
But you and your scouting department will have watched and re-watched a minimum of 6 games a piece of each player by the time you need to make that call. So that one game isn’t likely to sway anything really

 

So that one game isn’t likely to sway anything really

BUT what if Fields Waxes the Tide Jan 11th and is MVP of NC game ?

 

If he does all that then we’d have to honor it by considering him. But I think come draft day you’d still land on Lawrence.

 

Plus Lawrence wasn't bad. His team was just ass.

 

Fields may be really good but I think anyone thinking Lawrence vs Fields at #1 needs to step back and think Fields vs Wilson at #2.

 

Mysef im taking Lawrence but ive been big on him ever sense he beat Bama for the championship.

 

Ok, so I grouped all of these up at the top because they all run a similar theme.

I think there is some weight to be added to Fields name if he comes out and smokes the Tide. Recency bias is real, regardless of how people downplay it or act like evaluators should be above it.

The truth is, evaluators need to take every available scrap of information on a player to form their opinion, not just the stuff they agree with ahead of time or what fits into the molds that they have created to filter information. Having a grade on Fields prior to what he did against Clemson doesn't necessarily render that performance moot. It has to be viewed in its own bubble. It has to be broke down and evaluated just like any other game. What did he do well? Where did he fail? What were the circumstances surrounding him in both success and struggle?

And that's just the preamble to breaking down all of the nuance that goes into playing the position (mechanics, footwork, vision, etc...).

So to condense it, yes, if Fields goes off on Alabama it should affect how scouts/GMs/owners view the young passer and his potential to crush it at the next level.

They just shouldn't ignore all of the film that came before that.

There's a reason Lawrence has been considered the top choice for this draft class for so long, and it's a simple one...

Trevor Lawrence checks off more boxes for potential NFL success at the most important position on the field than any prospect since Andrew Luck.

He has the prototype size, build, requisite arm strength, accuracy, timing, field vision and athleticism necessary to be a success at the pro level.

Joe touches on the idea of Fields being in the discussion at #2, and a lot of analysts/draftniks are of that same mindset. I don't think he's going to end up with that kind of score by the time I finish up my profiles, but because of the premium on position it makes for an interesting discussion.

There's a lot of time between now and the draft but Fields is definitely doing what is necessary to make his stock rise.

However, I don't see any chance of him passing up Lawrence for the #1 overall pick.

 

I agree there is 0.0% chance of that happening. The caliber of player that Lawrence represents comes along so rarely that the decision is made well in advance. Lawrence was the #1 overall pick before we began worrying about COVID 19 and this season has done nothing to change that notion.

I love watching Justin Fields, especially as a Buckeyes fan, but he still has a MUCH lower floor than Lawrence and a lower ceiling as well. That’s not to say he isn’t to be discussed as a top draft pick and possibly the 2nd best prospect in this draft, but if the Jaguars decide the need to build the team outweighs the need for Lawrence, they will trade the pick. That is the ONLY way Lawrence is not a Jaguar the night of the draft.

 

Well @Tim i cant remember if it was this thread we were discussing it on but alas Anthony Lynn has indeed perished as HC of the Chargers.

The 45-0 home blowout to the Pats looked like a back breaker at the time and i guess that must have been the case since they won out from there right? Including 3 straight divisional wins no less.

Very unfortunate. Clearly the decision was made but i cant say i like it, especially closing out winning 4 straight.

 

5-2 in their last 7. Clearly a team on the rise. I don't get that one at all.

 

Playoff Chatter

So, the games are set to kickoff today at 1:05pm in Buffalo. The Bills are favored in this one at -6.5. This feels like right where the line should be, but I wouldn't be surprised if Buffalo covers and pushes for double digits. This game is primed for Philip Rivers to come in and throw an unfortunate pick early, setting the table for the Bills to jump out to a hot start. If Josh Allen continues the momentum he currently has then the Bills have to be viewed as the best team to knockoff the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

The next game up is the 4:40pm matchup between the Rams and the Seahawks. Seattle is giving -3 in this one so, again, the line feels about right. However, this game is set up perfectly for Russell Wilson to hit some early scores and force Los Angeles into a one dimensional ball game that kills them. The quarterback situation for the Rams is not one that can overcome a two score deficit so I expect Pete Carroll to unload the guns early.

The third game for Saturday is the 8:15pm matchup between the Bucs and the Team. The line is set at -8 with Tampa favored, but this line feels just a touch strong. Home field advantage won't count for much, but the Bucs on the road against a defense that is going to pressure an aging Brady feels like an opportunity for a closer than expected outcome. I wouldn't go as far as suggesting that this game will be an upset, but it probably does have that kind of potential. If it were to flip for the Football Team, Antonio Gibson would need to have a monster day on a bum toe.

 

I like Seattle also. The Rams QB situation will be a factor and on the opposite side of the ball, Russel Wilson has shown a huge propensity to thrive in the big game lately... Rams have good defense, but Russel will pick it apart, im thinking. I like the Hawks in this one.
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I like Buffalo at home, But Indy will be stiff competition with that defense. If Buffalo 'unleashes' Josh Allen and allows him to run, then there wont be enough defense for the Colts to stop him.
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This is a weird matchup, in my opinion. I dont know what to expect. If its the 'good' Bucs, Brady and experience will prevail.... If its the porous defense for Tampa, the Football Team has a shot. Kinda wish this was the 1 o'clock game... save the others for the 'prime time', lol.
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Earlier today I was evaluating what and how to spend my time. I forgot it was Saturday, lol. Bring on the games, Im ready!

 

If Frank Reich could insert himself as the starter for Indy today then I’d take the Colts and the points. His last postseason start in Buffalo went pretty well.

No disrespect to Indy, but this one won’t be close.