Re: Matt Rhule's seat being the hottest... He's entering Year 3 with a franchise QB on the roster for the first time in his breif tenure. Admittedly still an outsider's opinion on the subject, so I may not have all the details, but unless Matt Rhule specifically asked for Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold and told management "I can get you a Ring with those guys", then I believe he's safe for at least another season. He got 10 games out of a combined 33 from his best player over those two season (All Pro RB Christian McCaffrey). PPG differential in 2020 was -3.25 and that jumped to -5.88 in 2021, despite the defense improving from 18th in yards-allowed to 2nd in yards-allowed. The only way I'd put a bullseye on Rhule is if he told Tepper that Darnold was "his guy". I suspect he was simply the best of a bad situation. In 2020, they were outside the Top 3 QBs (Burrow, Tagovailoa lmaooooo, and Herbert all went before their pick), and in 2021 they watched QBs go 1, 2, and 3 and opted to pass on Mac Jones (understandable) and Justin Fields (questionable). In 2022, there we no first round caliber QBs.
Don’t sleep on Pickett. We’ll find out soon enough if Pickett is for real. Maybe mayfield can get his head on straight and be the QB you thought he is. Hopefully going 3-1 against the AFCN with his one loss to Pittsburgh.
Not sure on this one.. on the one hand @SAS makes a valid point in personnel.. on the other hand if he hits 3 years in a row of 5 win seasons.. he gone! So that’s a pretty hot seat. Regardless of QB, if you can’t improve a team in 3 years, your probably a better college coach than pro. Now, that being said, if McCaffery comes back healthy, I expect the Panthers to make a run at the NFC South title. At the end of the day the Buccs keep their title for another year, but the Panthers make a dramatic turnaround and get one of the wild card spots.
Totally fair. Again, not being aware of what promises/expectations are being made/set to the ownership by Rhule but I also have to wonder how realistic ownership is with the situation. David Tepper is a relatively new team owner (became majority owner in 2018). They fired long-time coach Ron Rivera mid-way through the 2019 season after a 5-7 start to the season. Interim coach Perry Fewell went 0-4 and they finished 4th in the South. Total house cleaning ahead of 2020 (Covid year, remember). Long-time QB Cam Newton was gone, All Pro LB Luke Kuechly retired, they had a pretty sus draft, and the new group struggled with injuries and a suspect defense, but as I noted finished with a -3.25 PPG differential. Not awful. To start 2021, they went 3-0 and then lost McCaffrey, went 1-4, brought him back (probably too early), went 1-4 and had to swap QBs bringing back Newton. Then lost McCaffrey for the season and went 0-5 down the stretch. The NFC is very weak overall on QB talent -- you've got two elite guys at the top (Brady, Rodgers), a couple of very good guys behind them (Stafford, Prescott, and Murray) and then not much. Baker Mayfield legitimately is QB6 in the NFC. Between that major upgrade and a finally healthy McCaffrey? I'm not saying this team is going to challenge Tampa or even make a playoff push, but they'll be markedly better than 2021 and I think that growth will give Rhule more time.
Contrasted with the guy I had called out on the Browns' board (Kevin Stefanski) who's got an extremely volatile owner and a suspect GM to work with. With lower expectations in 2020, the Browns went 11-5 and won their first playoff game in 26 seasons. They did that without Kevin Stefanski. He followed up 2020 by refusing to trade Odell Beckham Jr., openly trading jabs with his starting QB over the offensive scheme, sabotaged said QB during the season (he's the friggin' head coach... if the QB's injury is too severe to execute the offense he wants to use - sit him). The GM worked to repair the sieve 2020 defense but between terrible personnel moves and suspect game-day adjustments/calls, the team faltered to 8-9. THEN came the offseason. Won't go through all the gory details, but we saw the mismanagement from start to finish as they rushed to move on from the QB who'd delivered them a playoff win, Top 10 QB finish, and Top 2 PFF QB finish to the season for a guy who was a serial sexual predator, quit on a team, and comes in with a looming year-long suspension. They've cycled through six QBs and counting with a rumored interest in a seventh guy -- all of these moves irrespective of any injuries -- and now face the upcoming season with a 1930's offense and a QB who's best statisical output was 5 seasons ago (2017), saw him finish with significantly worse stats than their broken FQB from 2021, and who took a league-leading 52 sacks en route to a 4-11 finish as a starter. Stefanski's inability to work with Baker is the precipitate to all this.
To tell you the truth, Rudolph leads the camp stats in everything good except completion % which Pickett leads in. The only stat Trubisky is leading in is throwing the most ints in camp. I don’t believe Pickett is really number 3, but Tomlin isn’t budging off his order. I believe Pickett isn’t really being given the opportunity to earn the starting job.
It's official. Question mark will be that offensive line, but with better weapons than he's ever had and a coach who might actually call plays suited to his strengths, there's no reason for a lot of optimism around Carolina's upcoming season. Tampa's a 10-win team, sure, but maybe not a lock for the Division crown. Gimme 9-8 for Carolina and sniffing a playoff spot in a down NFC conference.
Appreciate you bringing the @gidion72 trolling I knew and loved from my Browns days over to this new spot. Never change, friend.
So the Baker trend continues... No matter where he goes, he wins the starting gig... Cleveland is the only place that didn't accept a playoff win as good enough to grow on, despite it being the first playoff win in 27 years. Bernie only got the Browns one more playoff victory in his first 4 seasons, yet we idolize him...and were already doing so back in those days. This isn't about the Browns, it's about a new chapter for Baker and I for one hope he can enjoy a prosperous career.
Fair point... they lose McCaffrey (again) and they're toast. Especially with that brutal start to the schedule (after Week 1, of course). The New Orleans, Arizona, San Francisco, @Los Angeles (Rams), Tampa Bay is a gauntlet. Fortunately, they get most at home, but that's tough for even elite rosters and Carolina is a far cry from that. Tough I would argue Baker's rookie year roster and Carolina's current were close in overall talent. Carolina has much better skill position players than that year -- and truthly any year since Baker's been in the league -- with the trade off being their offensive line isn't as strong. Defensively, probably a wash.
I'm not sure we know what this is just yet... Saints should be fairly close to Carolina.. 49ers..could they be the NFC Browns, not leaving well enough alone with a QB that has taken them to two double digit win seasons and a Super Bowl. granted, he also led them to two 6 win and one 4 win season out of 5 total. But to his credit, they were 5-0 in 2017 before he got hurt, then they dive bombed to the tune of 1-10 the rest of the way. Then again, only got 3 starts in 2018 before injury hit....AND yet again in 2020 going 3-3 before hitting injured status again. I guess what should really surprise is that anyone would want him after this stretch as the 49ers starting QB? Regardless, doesn't mean their 2nd year guy Lance will fair any better. He's going to have growing pains. IF McCaffrey stays healthy though, I think they can make some noise.
Just the ones they're going to lose to, so the Falcons, Jets, Dolphins, Commanders, and Steelers (Week 18 since y'all be resting your starters) are safe.
