MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

And at the same time they nearly beat the unbeaten Eagles on their turf, so they arnt too far off. In my opinion, discipline (Bienemy style) can go a very long way if you have the knack of being hard-nosed without loosing the players and thats a fine line.

 

Arthur Smith says Desmond Ridder remains Falcons starter

After Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Jaguars in London, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said the team has to get the offense “jump-started” after scoring a total of 13 points in back-to-back losses.

That process will not include a change at quarterback. Smith said at his Monday press conference that Desmond Ridder will remain in that role when they host the Texans next weekend.

It’s not a surprise that the Falcons will stick with Ridder. They committed to the 2022 third-round pick as the starter early in the offseason and were clear that they signed veteran Taylor Heinicke to back Ridder up rather than compete with him.

Going the other way now would be an admission that they should have handled things differently this offseason, but questions about the team’s offensive direction will only get louder if Ridder’s back-to-back duds are sign of things to come.

NBC

 

Kevin Stefanski: Deshaun Watson was medically cleared, but he didn’t feel he could go

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was the one who made the decision not to play on Sunday.

Asked if Watson was medically cleared to play in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered, “Yes.”

So why didn’t Watson play? Stefanski said Watson didn’t believe his injured shoulder was ready.

“He knows his body. He’s played through serious pain before. Very, very serious injuries. It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties,” Stefanski said.

Stefanski said the Browns’ coaches didn’t know until pregame warmups whether Watson could play.

“We listed him as questionable. He didn’t throw all week, and we had to get to the game, that was going to be the first time he was going to throw to see, ultimately, how he felt,” Stefanski said.

Watson felt like he couldn’t go, and that meant it was time to turn to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Thompson-Robinson had an ugly debut, with three interceptions and four sacks, and the Browns lost 28-3.

PFT

 

Report: Kenny Pickett has bone bruise that could result in short-term absence

Kenny Pickett walked through the Steelers locker room Monday afternoon, wearing sandals and nothing on his knee. Chris Adamski of triblive.com said the quarterback did not walk with a limp.

MRI testing of Pickett’s knee injury delivered good news.

His knee injury is bone bruise, and Pickett also has a muscle strain, NFL Media reports. It is not serious but could lead to a short-term absence.

The Steelers, however, are leaving the door open for Pickett to play this week, per NFL Media, but the fact that they have an off week in Week 6 could play a factor in their decision.

Pickett injured his knee with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter when he was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Jonathan Greenard. Pickett was in the shotgun on a fourth-and-one play from the Houston 33 when Greenard made his second sack of the day.

Pickett grabbed his left leg and was favoring it as he left the field.

Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett in the loss to the Texans and will start for however long Pickett is out.

NBC

 

I'm sure this is a reliable source.

 

lol

Might not be, but the idea that he can make enough money to be choosy about when to jump in is a reality that the NFL is going to have to get used to with star college players.

And I don't think it's a far stretch for a young quarterback to look at how things are going for Justin and not want to be locked into a similar situation.

 

I don't disagree at all. However, I think a star player stands to make much more by pulling an Eli than not declaring. You make significantly more money by being drafted early, and by spending as long in the NFL as you possibly can. Entering the draft a year older, or insisting you get drafted by a team later in the draft, or by getting injured prior to the draft... All of these inherently reduce your financial ceiling. Plus, there's no guarantee next year's bottom feeder teams don't suck just as much (and aren't the Bears again).

 

It's possible, and I'd have to put a great deal more thought into it before arguing with any conviction one way or the other.

It is something to consider for a player that he may be able to make more money in college and use up all his availability, rather than trying to force his way into a situation. There's no drama in simply going back to school, so long as you don't make a big deal out of why. The other side of the coin is endless media scrutiny over telling a team no.

Plus, you can always take the year, get paid to play at school and still say no if the situation doesn't get any better.

The injury concern is legit, and probably the biggest reason to jump when you can.

Interesting conversation to poke around with...


Where are you at with the Bears?

 

Oh, we'd definitely have to do some more thinking on it to have a serious position, given all the nuances and risks at play. I'm sure there's some rule in the CBA I don't know about that restricts players pulling an Eli, etc. Just spitballing.

I think there are two types of players - those that go back to school because they believe they can improve their draft position, and those that stay in school because they don't want to go to a team likely to take them at #1, #2, etc. The former is relatively common - the OT Fashanu from Penn State is a guy I wanted Chicago to draft, and then of course he went back to school. Went from being a likely mid-late first round pick to being a likely early first round pick. For him, that's a bet that's going to pay him several million dollars more early in his career. Seems worth it.

Our conversation really pertains to the latter category, though. We're talking about someone that won't improve their draft position, but may change the team they land with. Presuming we're talking about a likely #1 overall pick, and a player at a premium position (QB, DE, LT, etc), they're going to be making the same money in the first 4-5 years of their career. However, it's the back end of their career where the decision matters.

Let's assume a QB that plays at a high level until the age of 40, just for example's sake: with the ever-increasing pool of money in the league, the higher chunks being paid to players at premium positions, etc, it's likely that that player is making $40+ million a year over the last several years of their career. A player coming into the league at 22 gets 18 years in the league, versus a player at 23 who gets 17 years. So that one year could well be worth $40+ million. No way they're making that much for one year in college (NIL and salary considered only, here - sponsorship deals and the like are a whole separate beast).

Injury risk is real, and probably the ultimate factor. But you are 10000% right that you can't ignore the imminent death of your career by landing with a team like Chicago. That completely torpedo's the above conversation, because a shitty franchise ran you into the ground before you got out of your rookie deal. So that's just as big a risk to consider. This is why I land on the "pull an Eli" strategy - leave school as early as you can once you know you're a top 3-ish pick, but also make sure that you're going to a team that doesn't seem like it's run by single-celled organisms. Maximizes your financial ceiling, while also giving you a chance not to be awful before you get there.

I've spent more energy on thinking about the above hypotheticals than I have spent on having hope for the Bears. Where am I with them? I'm embarrassed that I pulled my family into being Bears fans, too. I can't wear my Bears shirts out and about without feeling inherent shame, which sucks because I've gotten too fat for a lot of my other shirts. I keep hearing people say that the Bears "just need a good offensive coach", or "they need to completely start over", ignoring that the Bears have done exactly that time and time again with nothing to show for it. The cycle continues. The same conversation comes up two and three years down the road. We just end up in this horrible Groundhog's Day of incompetence.

Someone recently told me that I was exhausting to talk to because of how negative I was, saying that the solution was just for the Bears to hire a better coach. Then they said, "I know exactly how you feel, I'm a Steelers fan. You don't see me being as doom and gloom!". It was hard for me not to hit that person.

The team needs to be sold. And that won't happen until the new stadium is built at the earliest. So in the meantime, the same people who have made horrible decisions on picking staff and the like will continue to make those horrible decisions. The GM will fire the current coach, hire "his guy", draft a new QB, and then when all of that sucks we'll repeat it all again with ownership sticking their noses into every decision and hiring the wrong people again.

I don't know why we suffer this curse, but I await the day it's broken. Until then, I try not to pay too much attention to football. I stop in here a few times a day (big thanks to @Willie for keeping me up to speed on everything), I watch some game film during the week to form my own opinions, I read a couple headline articles that interest me, and that's about it. Every five years or so I buy a Madden game for $10 to get the Bears to the Super Bowl, but the games suck too much to be real cathartic. Ah, well. Hockey season starts soon!

 

Joe Burrow off injury report, feeling the best he has felt all season



Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow talked about his team putting its “best foot forward“ the rest of the way. The only way the Bengals can put their “best foot forward“ is for the quarterback’s calf injury to allow him to put his best foot forward. Literally.

Burrow said Wednesday that “this is the best I’ve felt” and expressed optimism at being able to do more and more as the lingering calf strain improve.

He was not on the injury report for the first time this season.

“We’re adding a little more each week,” Burrow said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Today felt good. Hoping to do a little more tomorrow and a little more the next day. I’m optimistic for that part of my game.”

Burrow injured his right calf on the second day of training camp and aggravated it in Week 2. He has played 98 percent of the snaps this season, but he has not played well.

He is 32nd in completion percentage (57.6) and is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, the lowest in NFL history for a quarterback with at least 150 attempts through four games. Burrow has two touchdowns and two interceptions.

He obviously isn’t himself because of the calf injury.

“My ability to throw hasn’t been affected,” Burrow said. “Mainly my ability to move in the pocket, run for first downs, extend plays, find that extra second. Maybe certain plays I would have slightly extended and found a completion. I haven’t gotten out and run or anything. I ran for a first down last week, but it was only a couple yards. It’s more so just the subtle pocket movement that’s still coming back.”

Completely healed or not, Burrow needs to play better and the Bengals need to win. Burrow calls it a “must-win,“ and with the Bengals sitting 1-3, that’s not hyperbole. It’s now or not this season for Cincinnati on Sunday against the Cardinals.

PFT

 

Derek Carr: We have the right people to get offense going

Saints running back Alvin Kamara said the team needs to have some “tough conversations” about its offense after last Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers, but head coach Dennis Allen stonewalled any questions about coaching changes at this point in the season.

Quarterback Derek Carr doesn’t think it’s a personnel issue either. The Saints have scored four offensive touchdowns in four games, but Carr said he’s confident the team is going to find better footing because of the quality of the people they have on the roster.

“We have the right kind of people in the room,” Carr said, via the team’s website. “We have people that know what they’re doing, we have people that want to do it right and they can do it right. We want to get back on track just as bad as everybody wants us to. We know what we’re capable of. The best thing is, we just go out there and try to prove it again this Sunday. Make the corrections from what we’ve talked about, make our adjustments and things like that. But we have the right people, that’s for sure.”

It’s understandable that the Saints aren’t ready to make big changes to coaching or personnel after four games, particularly because running back Alvin Kamara missed three of them and Carr missed half of Week Three with a shoulder injury. The longer the unit fails to score points, though, the harder it will be to say that it’s just a matter of an adjustment here or there to get things on the right track in New Orleans.

NBC
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Carr didnt mention the QB position, lol.

 

Josh Allen closing in on Steve Young for second-most rush TDs by a QB in NFL history

Bills quarterback Josh Allen scored the 40th rushing touchdown of his career in Sunday’s win over the Dolphins, and that moves him into some elite company in NFL history.

Allen is now tied with former Bills quarterback Jack Kemp for the third-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback ever.

In second place on the quarterback rushing touchdowns list is Steve Young, with 43. Allen, who averages a rushing touchdown every other game over the course of his NFL career, should surpass Young some time around the Bills’ 12th game of this season.

But Allen will still be a long way from breaking the all-time NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. That record belongs to Cam Newton, who scored 75 rushing touchdowns in his career. Allen is years away from threatening Newton’s record.

No other active quarterbacks are close to catching Allen. The active quarterback with the next-most rushing touchdowns, Aaron Rodgers, is certainly not going to catch him. After Rodgers, the active quarterback with the next-most rushing touchdowns is Jalen Hurts, with 29. The 25-year-old Hurts has a chance of eventually catching Newton, but he’s years away.

Lamar Jackson, with 28 rushing touchdowns, typically doesn’t run the ball in short-yardage goal-line situations, so he probably won’t catch Newton.

If Allen stays healthy, Newton’s record is within reach. For this year, passing Young for second place looks likely.

NBC

 

Anthony Richardson: I can only imagine what it’ll be like to play with Jonathan Taylor

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is now back in the fold after spending the first four weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list.

It appears that time has calmed the waters between Taylor and the team, as the running back was listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice report.

Head coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday that “We’ll see” if Taylor can play in Sunday’s game against the Titans after the Colts get to see him during the practice week.

Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson noted that he’s excited to see what the pair can do together.

“I know he’s a great player and I know I can do some things pretty well,” Richardson said in his Wednesday press conference. “Just trying to combine those two things, I can only imagine what it’s like but we won’t see until it actually happens. We’ll see and I’m excited.”

Richardson added that he feels like he’s got a “pretty tight” relationship with Taylor already, which will now have to translate to the field. While he hasn’t really been on the field with the running back, he has watched Taylor’s highlights.

“Oh yeah, all the time,” Richardson said. “Even when he was back in college just seeing the way he played, watching him last year and the year before that. Watching his highlights and stuff — he’s a dog, he’s a great player and I’m glad I’m a quarterback with him, he’s a running back and we’re going to see what happens.”

We’ll find out over the next few days if we’ll get to watch Taylor’s 2023 debut on Sunday against Tennessee.

PFT
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When this season was getting underway, I didnt really think the Colts would make a splash, but the way Richardson is going and now Taylor getting back, which should help Richardson game even more, the Colts are looking as legitimate contenders in the AFC South, especially the way the Jags have played. Only 4 in and injuries being a key factor, as it stands right now, I like the Colts chances.

 

Desmond Ridder: I don’t let the outside noise affect me

Atlanta’s second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder has come under some significant criticism after the Falcons scored just six and seven points, respectively, in their last two games.

But Ridder told reporters this week that he’s staying focused on the task at hand.

“For me, I don’t let the outside noise kind of affect me,” Ridder said in his Wednesday press conference. “I just know what I have to do every single day and that’s to improve. We talk a lot about here of the growth mindset, and for myself that’s coming in watching the film — like I said, I had eight hours to watch it on the plane, watched it twice over there, so it’s just about coming in here and getting better every single day. Not only myself but every other guy on this team getting better, so we can improve as a team.”

Ridder finished the 23-7 loss to Jacksonville 19-of-31 passing for 191 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble.

Head coach Arthur Smith said he never considered benching Ridder during that game and on Wednesday Ridder noted he never felt as if he might be benched.

“That’s playing in fear and that’s not something I want to do or would advise anyone to do is to play in fear, or to play like someone’s looking over your back,” Ridder said. “For me, it’s just about going out there and playing every play as a new play and going out there trying to play the play as best as you can, try to get the best result out of each play, and not play with that fear.

“When you start to play with that fear you start to second guess things … When you get into that game of oh, is he going to bench me? Oh, is he going to do this? That’s when you start to get into a lot of crappy play and a lot of fear.”

The Falcons went all-in on Ridder during the offseason, signing Taylor Heinicke to be Ridder’s backup and not really to push him as a starter. But if Ridder’s play and Atlanta’s offense as a whole don’t improve, then Smith might need to look at changing things up at QB.

PFT

 

There's a humble young man in those words. I like him.

 

I don't know why we suffer this curse, but I await the day it's broken. Until then, I try not to pay too much attention to football. I stop in here a few times a day (big thanks to @Willie for keeping me up to speed on everything), I watch some game film during the week to form my own opinions, I read a couple headline articles that interest me, and that's about it. Every five years or so I buy a Madden game for $10 to get the Bears to the Super Bowl, but the games suck too much to be real cathartic. Ah, well. Hockey season starts soon!


Well said DLine.......very good attitude.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you were born when the Bears Won the Super Bowl in 1986 ?

And Kudos you have been a Bears Fan for many years and I agree with you Ownership of Chicago Bears is a problem.


I keep hearing people say that the Bears "just need a good offensive coach", or "they need to completely start over", ignoring that the Bears have done exactly that time and time again with nothing to show for it. The cycle continues. The same conversation comes up two and three years down the road. We just end up in this horrible Groundhog's Day of incompetence.


"Time and time again"........Bang On well said.....maybe Da Bears will win tonight.


Ah, well. Hockey season starts soon!

Good Luck for your Panthers and they Open their season 2023 @ Xcel in Saint Paul , Minnesota, next Thursday.

I hope you can get a ticket and good luck for Florida this year.

 

It looks like Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is on track to play this week against the Ravens.

Pickett was upgraded to a full participant in Thursday’s practice after he was limited on Wednesday with his knee injury.

The second-year quarterback said on Wednesday that he felt like he’ll be good to go by Sunday. The fact that he was upgraded to a full participant for the week’s second practice is a good indication that he’ll be ready for the game.

But the Steelers did add linebacker Alex Highsmith to the injury report with a groin injury and he did not practice on Thursday.

Punter Presley Harvin (right hamstring), tight end Pat Freiermuth (hamstring), offensive lineman James Daniels (groin), and offensive lineman Dan Moore (knee) remained out of practice on Thursday.

Defensive end DeMarvin Leal (concussion) was upgraded to a limited participant. Offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor (elbow) went from DNP on Wednesday to full on Thursday.

And linebacker Cole Holcomb (back) went from limited on Wednesday to full on Thursday.

PFT

 

I was not around for the Bears' Super Bowl win, no. My Irish immigrant father married a woman from Chicago, so I was born a Bears fan. Life's not fair.

I'm debating with the wife about going to the Panthers v Wild game. Money's tight and it's a school night, but it's the season opener in our new town... it's like fate is telling me to go. We'll see.