MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Hope you're right. Bodes well for the Steelers. Against them it drops to 57.9% 3 TDs, 5 INTs. Heck, the entire AFC would probably be thrilled by that. His playoff stats mirror his career against the Steelers. 55.9%, 3 TDs, 5 INTs. 1-4 record.

There have been many QBs over the years that thrived off a strong running game. Lamar is another in that line. Take it away, drop the LBs in the middle of the field and he's toast. Fortunately, for the Ravens there's just not that many teams out there that can stop the Ravens running game. So he can tear it up against those teams.

 

Dude you missed. It happens. You and Cian Fahey need to throw in the towel and just admit the guy is a stud.

 

I sense absolutely no bias in your post.

A QB with stats that dip when facing better competition in the playoffs? That’s totally unheard of in the NFL.

 

I don’t know. Personally I’m siding with @beachbum on this one. At least in that I would struggle to commit that much to Lamar. And I sure as hell wouldn’t give it to Baker.

Remember when Cam Newton was MVP and played in a Superbowl? We’ve come a long way since then.

Not saying Lamar will slam into a wall quite that abruptly. But I see a scenario where the gimmicks and running don’t work quite as well. And then he’ll have to out-throw guys like Aaron Rodgers and Mahomes. And I’m not buying that future. Especially not for $43M/year.

But to be clear, I’d give it to him long before Baker, if I’m forced to choose.

 

"Dip" - lol

 

He’s an elite running QB, not an elite QB in games where teams hound him

 

Lamar needs a defense that can carry him in the post season

 

Im curious how many rings you think Brady, Big Ben, or Peyton would have had their defenses not stepped up in big ways during the playoffs.

 

His overall body of work puts him in the elite category.

Doesn’t matter to me if the QB bends over and shoots the football out of his ass….if he leads the offense to scoring points (last I checked the whole point of the game) then he’s doing his job.

The Ravens offense scores points. And Jackson is the #1 reason they do.

 

Well thought out retort. Good job.

 

13 a game in the playoffs

 

Peyton Manning threw 1 touchdown in his first 3 playoff games.

Not comparing Jackson to a HOF QB because I think he’s on that level. Making absolute judgements off small sample sizes when a player is still in the early stage of their career simply isn’t fair.

Lamar Jackson does a lot to put his team in position to win a football game. You don’t have to like him or the team to admit that. And, the real point being made here, is that when it’s time to pay him….he gonna get paid.

 

Andrew Berry discusses potential impact of Josh Allen deal on Baker Mayfield



Bills quarterback Josh Allen broke the bank on Friday. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield also is due for a new, potential bank-breaking deal.

After news broke of Allen’s contract, Browns G.M. Andrew Berry appeared on ESPN Cleveland to discuss the potential impact of Allen’s deal on Mayfield.

“I think really for any player or any positional market we’re always aware of the deals that have been done over the past couple years and certainly any new deals that come up over the next couple weeks because we realize that it impacts the market to some degree,” Berry said. “But at the same time with any player that we’re considering extending we really deal with it on a case by case and individual level and really operate within the parameters that we think make sense for our organization and our team and that’s what we’ll continue to do across positions.”

Several years ago, the next quarterback up for a new deal typically got a little more than the last quarterback received. As these deals get bigger and more complicated, that presumption has faded. Now, teams do indeed look more at the player and less at the fact that the next man up automatically nudges the bar higher.

Objectively, Allen is more accomplished than Mayfield. The notion that Allen’s deal should be the baseline for Mayfield therefore may not be accepted by the Browns.

Mayfield may not like that. And he may react by committing himself to being even better in 2021 than he’s been, and then by wanting even more in 2022.

That’s the risk a team assumes by waiting. In Mayfield’s case, however, his full body of work suggests that it makes sense to give it another season. For the Bills, it made sense to sign Allen now.

Whatever the details eventually may be, it won’t be cheap for the Browns to keep Mayfield over the long haul. The question becomes whether, once the deal is done, the Browns will be vindicated for the expense — or whether they’ll eventually regret it, like the Rams and Eagles did with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, respectively.

PFT

 

Seems to me, from the little I know about these things... the owners are the ones who have initiated these sort of QB contracts that are through the ceiling. They, the owners, made their bed now they will have to sleep in them. I personally dont think you can split hairs with QB's contracts these days... seems to me the owners have set the bar real high and who's to say what one is worth compared to another when they operate under different systems.

Allen's contract is just going to simply imply (and I could be wrong), that the others waiting in the wings will get a similar ballpark figure or it could become unsettling for a team to handle or cause some very disgruntled QB's.

Even at the DB level, we are seeing players Like Xavien Howard have one great season last year and wants top money. This kind of mentality is just going to continue to escalate as long as owners write a blank check for some QB's and other positional players.

 

It's like in baseball with how some contracts for star players got to extreme highs. Someone is gonna pay whatever the player wants. I think baseball owners and GMs over the past 5 seasons tried to implement some secret pact to not let contracts get so inflated which is why we saw baseball free agency stretch deep into winter with some contracts not being signed until spring training. But ultimately....if the player is good enough....someone will pay him.

I don't feel sorry for NFL owners. That's not what I'm trying to say. They are rich old fucks that, mostly, care more about profit than trophies. But...the current situation doesn't really have a resolution. If Buffalo doesn't pay Josh Allen what he and his agent want...someone will once the contract runs out if he's still performing at a high level.

I was all for the rookie deals when the NFL implemented them. Seeing high draft picks hold out for large dollar amounts before even playing a game was vomit inducing. But players right and left are massively outplaying their rookie deals then looking for huge dollars as soon as they can. And I don't really blame them. I would say maybe these rookie deals need more performance bonuses built in to them that get the player more money but I don't know how that would count against the cap and the NHL already has an issue with a system that is kinda like that and some teams find themselves dealing young players they don't want to deal when they up against the cap.

It's definitely not an ideal situation right now and I can see it getting worse. I don't think just plainly raising the salary cap overall number fixes it. I think it's in the best interest of owners to push for max contracts...but that is a long way off with the current CBA in place. Owners wanted labor peace for a while and got it and now have to wait a long time to renegotiate.

 

Dude that was in reference to Mahomes 10 year deal. No way he is playing on the contract that long. They will be reworking it after 4 years.

Ive already called myself out several times on being wrong about Allen. You’re late to the party on that one.

My point is, any contract over 4 years is just for headlines. The signing bonus can only be spread out over 4 years, so anything longer will be reworked in 4 years.

 

He's back...



Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is back on the practice field this morning after missing eight training camp practices while battling COVID-19.

The Ravens posted video of Jackson throwing and appearing to be doing well.

Jackson has refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and he tested positive for the virus last week. He also missed a game during the 2020 regular season because he tested positive for the virus.

Backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley ran the offense in camp while Jackson was gone. The Ravens would obviously prefer not to have to go to McSorley and Huntley when the games start to count, and they’ll obviously hope Jackson doesn’t need a third stint on the COVID-19 reserve list.

PFT

 

New York Jets' Zach Wilson says performance in Green & White practice 'not great'

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After three months of buildup, New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson made his debut Saturday night at MetLife Stadium. It was a dud.

In the annual Green & White practice before a crowd of nearly 20,000, Wilson, the No. 2 overall draft pick, threw two interceptions and led the starting offense to only three points in seven possessions.

Facing the first-team defense, the Jets' presumptive starter completed 11 of 24 passes for 112 yards in the two-hour session. There was no live tackling, but it was a simulated game.

"The biggest learning jump for him was that it was under the lights, there was a bigger crowd," coach Robert Saleh said. "It wasn't necessarily a bigger moment, because you want them all to be the same, but I'm sure the young man wanted to do his absolute best. There are a lot of things he can take from this one, and it will be awesome to see him grow from it."

Wilson wasn't pleased, but he insisted it had nothing to do with nerves.

"Not great," he said of his night. "I have high expectations for myself and this offense. I have to lead the guys and I have to make better decisions. That's why this isn't Game 1; that's why we're doing this. I understand that. Of course I'm going to be frustrated with myself, but I'm going back to the film room and find out what I can learn."

Everything is a learning experience for Wilson, a former BYU star. After eight practices of having offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur next to him on the field, the Jets created a game-like situation by putting LaFleur in the booth. Instead of LaFleur, the voice in Wilson's ear was quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese, who relayed the playcall from the sideline.

"There was no one to turn to for him to talk to," Saleh said. "To have that experience, and to be able to go through it all, these moments are priceless for him. He had some good moments and, obviously, he had some rookie moments."

The Jets have a new coaching staff, a new offensive system and a lot of new players, so there's bound to be growing pains.

The Wilson-led offense generated only one first down in its first four possessions. On the fifth series, he was sacked by defensive end John Franklin-Myers and was intercepted by nickel back Javelin Guidry on the next play. Wilson misfired on a seam route to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.

The second-team offense was supposed to come in, based on the rotation, but Saleh stayed with Wilson. He responded with a 13-play drive that resulted in a field goal. His best throw was a tight-window completion to wide receiver Jeff Smith for 16 yards.

They concluded the practice with a two-minute drive. Wilson got to the opponents' 37-yard line, but on a fourth-and-9, he tried to squeeze a pass into Crowder. It was deflected and intercepted by linebacker C.J. Mosley.

New York crowds can be tough, but there was no booing. The fans seemed supportive.

"It's all part of the process," Wilson said. "We're all learning. I've got to make better some decisions, but I know I can learn from all those. This is the reason we do this sort of thing."

YardBarker

 

It's not a small sample size, it's nearly every time the opposing team stops the run and forces the Ravens in obvious passing situations.

Lamar's success throwing the football REQUIRES a successful running game, allowing him to work the middle of the field. Without it, the offense doesn't move, his turnovers increase and they don't score points.