NFL - Random Opinions

Let's throw a dart at the board and see what comes of it...

 

The Bengals at 8-4 are poised to take over the top of the AFC North, but the schedule for the rest of the season likely favors the Ravens retaining the top of the division.

I expect both Baltimore and Cincinnati to come away with wins this week. Tyler Huntley is not going to be some kind of severe downgrade for the Ravens against a Pittsburgh team that, in my opinion, is stacking a bit of fool's gold over the past two weeks. I had the Steelers as a 6-11 team going into the 2022 season and right now it looks like I'm going to be within a game of being correct. Pittsburgh could still come away with 8 wins on the year, but I think one of CAR, LV and CLE will become a trap game to close it out, leaving the Steelers with a record that has likely 7 wins.

Cleveland may get a small bump in the final couple of weeks if Watson shakes off the rust. The schedule does them no favors, but I could see them winning against New Orleans at home and possible taking it to the Steelers in the final week of the season. I had the Browns as a 4-13 team going into the season and if they manage 6, possibly 7 wins on the year I believe the coaching staff in Cleveland should be commended for navigating one of the most fucked up off-season/seasons a team has dealt with in recent memory. The one game I think the Browns could really play spoiler when it comes to the playoff hopes of a division rival is the home game against the Ravens. That feels like the kind of game where Baltimore feels the emotional spike down after playing a division rival the week before.

Now, to the two teams competing for the divisions title...

The Ravens have a solid shot at winning 3 of their next 4 going into the final week of the season where they will play the Bengals to close out the year. On the other hand, Cincinnati is faced with a situation where splitting two of four might be the more odds-on outcome. That makes the final week of the season possibly the game that decides whether or not it's the Bengals or the Ravens claiming the AFC North title.

My preseason predictions for the two?
Baltimore at 12-5
Cincy at 13-4

The Ravens would have to win all but 1 and the Bengals would have to win out.

I think the more likely scenario is the Ravens at 11-6 and the Bengals needing two wins in a row to close out the season at 12-5.

 

Totally agree on your take on Huntley. Ive seen him step in before and he showed up well... he's no slouch coming off the bench. He also can be up and down, look like a superstar one week and go from hero to zero the next, but if he gets the chance to run, he does that well, so its going to be tough with him going today.

 

I have a question.

Yesterday, Pat Mahomes threw a ball for a TD underhanded. It was a helluva play. However, I was always under the impression that that type of throw is a lateral and that "forward laterals" are not allowed.

Enlighten me, please.

 

I believe once he's outside the pocket or potentially 'in the grasp' he can advance the ball with any type of delivery.

 

Thanks!

 

I did a little research and discovered that a lateral isn't defined by how it it delivered but, rather, where on the field it occurs (ie: behind or beyond the LOS). Only (forward) laterals beyond the LOS are illegal.

Ain't the interweb great ?

 

Makes sense, since a shovel pass is delivered from all types of angles.

 

And I still like my guess even though it’s obviously wrong. lol

 

This was going to be my contribution, but I'm clearly late to the party.

 

I'm late to the party too.

Another funky aspect is that a backward pass or lateral is still legal even when a forward pass is illegal.

For example, if a team attempts a flea-flicker and the running back goes too far and crosses the line of scrimmage before flipping it back to the quarterback, the backwards flip to the QB is legal. But the QB would not be allowed to throw a forward pass at that point because the ball has already been across the line of scrimmage. He could still lateral it back to another player though, such as a wide receiver looping around the backfield behind him.

 

My random thought of the day is that out of their 53 man roster, the Chicago Bears have 2, thats TWO, players with a cap hit of $5mil or more this season.

That is absolutely wild. Actually i'm not sure how its possible, but at the risk of stating the blatantly obvious, i suspect a link between this fact and the 3-10 record....

 

It's possible because of the $87,213,996 in dead money that is on the books, which brings the team salary cap above the floor..
(from Over The Cap)
Dead Money $87,213,996
Top 51 $104,951,220





I'm only showing ONE player over $5 mil on the cap hit, Cody Whitehair @ $12.3M, next in line is Justin Jones @ $4.6M

 

Yes us Bears fans know all about it heh. That is some painful reading right there and speaks to just what an awful job Ryan Pace did. Would not surprise me at all if several of those names will still be chipping in dead cap next year too. But with my post i was less talking about who wasnt here as the quality of player who is. They can't even find 3 players worthy of legit starter money? Thats just shocking to me.

Eddie Jackson will definately have a cap hit of $5mil+, they're paying him too much for a number below that. His number this year will almost certainly be over $10mil actually. You must have missed it.

 

He over looked Eddie because he is on listed on the 53 roster for the bears due to the fact he is on injured reserve. If you scroll down on over the cap you find his hit is $15,090,000

 

All of that dead money is gone at year end. Which means ALL of that money is available in free agency. As soon as they felt they weren’t going to compete legit for a playoff spot, they went in to a tear down rebuild mode. Which could be good or bad depending on. What they are able to accomplish in the off-season.

 

Yes i get that all of the 2022 dead money is then available again in 2023. My last post to you I was talking about the dead money in 2023 that then won't be available until 2024. I've looked it up now and i was right, of the names in your original this there are several who will still be contributing dead cap next year too.

Robert Quinn is at the top of that list, tho i don't know if that is pre or post trade to the Eagles or what affect it has if it is post trade.

But also there we have:

Danny Trevathan
Mario Edwards
Tarik Cohen
Jeremiah Attaochu

Not only are those pricks not on the team next year, they weren't even fucking on it this year! But there they are eating over $11mil in cap in 2023. A fitting ode to the fucking tool that is Ryan Pace.

 

Miami and Buffalo just as entertaining as vikings and colts

 

Mac Jones really looking like Tom Brady bitching at his receivers.