NFL - Random Opinions

But Ben had concussion issues that season with the motorcycle accident and during two games. Comparison is flawed. Could have ended his career possibly. Dak is 100% healthy, just playing like crap. His oline is supposed to be the best in the league. The Cowboys aren't even competitive for 60 minutes with Dak at QB. The Steelers weren't getting beat like the Browns even though Ben played like crap.

 

The NFL complains about ratings and then does things like keep the Steelers vs Ravens on sunday night ahead of Eagles vs Rams and Vikings vs Panthers.

 

Joe, WTF are you talking about? Those games aren't on the same week. And point #2, the Steelers and Packers are a million times more popular than those 4 teams put together. They would f' up their ratings even worse changing to teams nobody cares about. Just because you want to see those games doesn't mean that many other people want to. If the NFL wants to ruin their ratings then they should change to crap teams that nobody but their local fans would like.

 

I meant Steelers vs Ravens.

 

Quite frankly Steelers vs Ravens is quite possibly the most popular rivalry nationwide. They are almost always one score exciting games. While the Ravens offense isn’t anything to boast about, that defense is pretty damn impressive. That game is shaping up to be a slugfest, typical of most AFC North rivalry games. No offense, but nobody gives a crap about the Rams, even though they are having a great season. Sure to hardcore NFL fans, that Eagles/Rams game should be the game of the week, but to casual fans the Rams just aren’t that popular. Steelers/Ravens give the best ratings out of those three games...also I believe NBC has the right to block games from getting flexed, and they have to pick before the season starts...and prior to the season who would’ve expected the Vikings, Rams, or Eagles to do what they’ve done this year? Steelers/Ravens is the best bet to get good ratings because fans like the usual hard hitting, defensive struggle. Now, I have no idea if Steelers/Ravens was the game NBC slated as the no Flex game, but it’d make a lot of sense to me if it was.

 

It could have been flexed and FOX wanted the Eagles vs Rams game not to be moved even though they didn't protect it. They spent all weekend convincing the NFL not to flex the game. It seemed to work.

 

Ok then Fox didn’t want to lose their best game of the week. Makes sense to me, as NBC will also enjoy good ratings...I haven’t looked at the scheduled times but I assume Eagles/Rams and Vikings/Panthers aren’t played at the same time? Fox would want a quality doubleheader, and if either of those games were flexed then Fox would just lose a quality game...Steelers/Ravens would be aired on CBS if it was flexed...could just be balancing the 3 networks...sorry if I’m not making as much sense as I think I am, kids have me exhausted lol

 

CBS owns Vikings vs Panthers. It's just a giant money circle jerk and oth good late afternoon games are on FOX. FOX moved the Giants vs Cowboys game to 1pm to feature them. The CBS games at 4 will suck. Steelers could have been there and made the whole day better.

 

Why does CBS own a game featuring 2 NFC teams? Well in that case, I couldn't tell you why the Steelers/Ravens wasn't flexed unless the league felt it would draw more viewers than the Vikings/Panthers...

 

I think if FOX really wanted it that bad they may have worked a deal behind closed doors.

 

Joe, do you get to watch the Eagles games on Sundays? Because you have to realize that there is a large national audience for teams like the Steelers, Cowboys, Packers and a couple others that are prime ratings pullers and networks want to show as many of their games as allowed (5). Teams like the Eagles don't have the huge national following. They will get worked in when they play others on that special list.

 

I know the Eagles are on the B-list. But maybe the first team on the B-list. The national audience really wants to see the Eagles but only when they are good or are expected to be good and that's why they usually get a ton of primetime games compared to most teams. That is something I have still to understand. How does a slightly above average natioanl tv rankings fanbase get such high demand and a big draw when they are good but it doesn't happen as much for most other teams? Actually the reason the Steelers and Ravens are playing on primetime in 2 weeks is because FOX won the fight to keep the Eagles vs Rams game. Steelers and Packers drew a normal Sunday Night crowd despite it being a bad matchup on paper. If Rodgers was playing or the records were closer I would bet the ratings would have been the highest in years.

Apparently though Vikings vs Panthers though was not sexy enough to get the Steelers and Ravens off the late game, even with Newton and the team records.

 

I need a break from scouting.

Let's do some random opinions in alphabetical order...


ARIZONA CARDINALS

Bruce Arians made the comment "The way he’s playing right now, I’d be very, very comfortable with Gabbert starting.".

Now, I can only assume this is meant as 'I am comfortable with drafting a QB this off-season and having Blaine here to compete for the starting job' as anything else is simply ridiculous.

I think Gabbert could end up finishing his career in a similar fashion to Josh McCown. He should have plenty of opportunities to remain in the league as a back-up and spot starter. That's a good deal down the road though as Blaine is still to prone to make the bone headed decision.

I'm good with Gabbert as the man holding the spot for the man, but only if it ends with him being the man that holds the clipboard at some point in 2018.

 

ATLANTA FALCONS

Did the Falcons make a mistake in giving Devonta Freeman a 6 year $43mil contract?

If you take out Le'Veon Bell's franchise tag you will find Freeman at the top of the list for average yearly salary in a running back. It's an interesting number that he garners from the Falcon's total salary cap, espescially considering he is basically a 'timeshare back' with Tevin Coleman.

Coleman has played very well during Freeman's absence and the Falcons have to look no farther than their own division to see the impact that a big money contract for a running back has on an overall roster (Doug Martin).

So, is Freeman worth the dough?

Over the past two seasons Devonta has been a model of consistency at his position posting an average of over 1,050 yards and 11 TDs on the ground with an average of 500 yds and 2.5 TDs a season receiving. But how much of that is dependent on having Coleman as the 'two' in the Atlanta 'one/two' punch?

The concussion issue is worrisome and by the time Coleman's contract is up in Atlanta we could be looking back on the deal for Freeman as a mistake for the Falcons.

 

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Is Joe Flacco done at the young age of 32?

Watching him play this season it would be hard to argue that he is in line to make a huge comeback in 2018. Most of the offensive issues were built in before the season even began, then some injuries popped up, but the Ravens have made adjustments in the ground game and have found different ways throughout the season to give Joe more of a chance.

The bottom line - Flacco is failing miserably on the field in 2017.

Baltimore may be in a situation where moving on from Joe is their best recourse. However, that also would bring the question of whether or not Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh should be sent packing as well.

I'm sure Ravens' fans will disagree with me on this one, but I am saying 'yes' to all three questions.

Sometimes things just get to the point where they have run their course and changes need to be made. Considering the depth of talent on the defense and the possibility that the answer in the running game has been found (the combination of Collins and Allen could be formidable), this would be the best time to make these changes. Trading Joe would be the best case scenario, but if he had to be cut then paying a rookie QB would definitely offset the dead cap hit.

Bring in a new GM and coaching staff, identify the quarterback of the future in the draft (or take a swing at Kirk Cousins) and lean on the defense and ground game while the dust settles.

With the right moves the Ravens could find themselves in a dominant position in the AFC North the moment that Ben Roethlisberger retires.

 

No one could really want Gabbert starting, and Freeman could have been replaced he definitely wasn't in that Bell, Elliot class. The biggest problem with paying RBs is that they will miss games, it's not if, it's when will they miss.

 

Getting rid of Joe is one thing, but coming from the Steelers mentality you don't get rid of a successful coach, you just rebuild with him at the helm.

 

BUFFALO BILLS

Tyrod Taylor will start again in week 13 after Nathan Peterman completely whiffed on his one attempt in the batter's box, but what does this mean for the Bills and Taylor long term?

I would say that the graffiti is on the wall and Tyrod's tenure as the Bills starter is tied to how long it will take for the new quarterback to get up to speed in Buffalo.

McDermott is going to want to identify his long term answer at the position this off-season and it would not surprise me to see the Bills pull the trigger early on a quarterback.

For all intents and purposes, the decision to move on from Tyrod was made in week 11, which just so happens to be the same week that Buffalo decided Nathan Peterman was not the future.

 

Tyrod Taylor isn't a bad QB , I could see him holding down the fort in Pittsburgh when Ben retires until we find our next franchise QB. I could even see him winning a SB if our defense keeps improving.

 

CAROLINA PANTHERS

What is the future identity of the Panthers offense?

To put it to a quick summation on 2017 - Cam Newton has played like shit. Now, some of that can be contributed to the changes that the offense appears to be trying to make, at least in their makeup and dynamic, but Cam has been flat out awful in spurts, under average in others and besides weeks 4 and 5 you could make the argument that he has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL this season. Considering some of the quarterback play we've seen this year, yeah, now you understand why I went straight to the expletives to describe Newton's play.

So, where do the Panthers go from here?

I think some of the answers may already be on the roster but spending there way out of issues at WR this off-season in free agency is probably going to be their best bet. Adding another running back in the draft would be a sound move, with someone meant to compliment Christian McCaffrey.

But these moves need to be made with a simple idea in mind - controlling the ball and the clock with the ground game and sound defense while giving Cam a chance for high percentage, short yardage third down and goal line opportunities.

Superman needs to go back in the phone booth and put the suit on. Having Cam approach the game with a manager's mindset instead of forcing the offense through him should be a focus for how this offense gets built moving forward.