NFL: 2021 Season

[Car-Guy]

Well looks like at this point we have two things to bet on with regards to this years Superbowl... 1st of course, what two teams are going to be in it... I'll make my picks after this weekends games... 2nd, where it's going to be held.. Will it be in LA as planned? Or will it be moved to Dallas or even somewhere else... This could get interesting.

 

[easysurfer]

Well looks like at this point we have two things to bet on with regards to this years Superbowl... 1st of course, what two teams are going to be in it... I'll make my picks after this weekends games... 2nd, where it's going to be held.. Will it be in LA as planned? Or will it be moved to Dallas or even somewhere else... This could get interesting.

I'd add a 3rd and 4th. 3rd, will a star player (such as a franchise QB) come down with covid before Superbowl gameday? 4th, if so, will the NFL stick to the rules and make the player ineligible to play for the big game?

 

[Car-Guy]

I'd add a 3rd and 4th. 3rd, will a star player (such as a franchise QB) come down with covid before Superbowl gameday? 4th, if so, will the NFL stick to the rules and make the player ineligible to play for the big game?

My guess is they won't come down with it "before" the game unless it's a really bad case.

 

[easysurfer]

My guess is they won't come down with it "before" the game unless it's a really bad case.

I'm thinking, the week before the game is all the hype and silly Q+A of the players with lots of people around. At least that's how things were pre- pandemic. Say what if a day or two before gameday a franchise QB get's infected? Will the NFL make some excuse saying good to go (assume the player is physically able) or will the NFL say, too bad, rules are rules?

Agree, could be interesting .

 

[Koolau]

The new testing rules *might* lessen that, as only symptomatic people are subject to testing. They have also shortened the quarantine period per CDC guidelines

The NFL is a money machine, the last thing they want are playoffs "tainted" by covid (bad enough when they are tainted by bad calls ) so I will not be surprised if somehow they are likely to come up with something that causes this to be less of an impact.

Yep. When there is that much money at stake, it's amazing how fluid the rules can become. More like "guidelines."

 

[Car-Guy]

Say what if a day or two before gameday a franchise QB get's infected? Will the NFL make some excuse saying good to go (assume the player is physically able) or will the NFL say, too bad, rules are rules?

I will be surprised if they say (admit) anything at that point.

 

[Car-Guy]

Nevertheless the Cowboys/Dak were still awful and did not deserve to win.

Well they looked like a different football team last night. "If" they keep playing like they did against the Eagles last night, they will go all the way to the SB. Strong, consistent and few mistakes... Dak threw 5 TD passes in this game, a record for him... He probably would have got a 6 TD pass if they hadn't taken him out of the game in the 4 qt.

 

[gotlost33]

Well they looked like a different football team last night. "If" they keep playing like they did against the Eagles last night, they will go all the way to the SB. Strong, consistent and few mistakes... Dak threw 5 TD passes in this game, a record for him... He probably would have got a 6 TD pass if they hadn't taken him out of the game in the 4 qt.

The Cowboys have plenty of talent, but I'm not sure yesterdays game means all is well... They were playing majority of their starters the whole game vs. Eagles backups (and the Eagles starting defense isn't that stellar to begin with), pretty sure the competition will be tougher next weekend when the opponent is playing for real.

 

[pb4uski]

+1

 

[Midpack]

What about the KC scoop and score to defeat the Broncos for the 13th consecutive time?

I have nothing for/against KC or Denver, but boy that had to hurt, with the Broncos snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

 

[pb4uski]

Yeah... great play by the KC defense but a definite ball-buster for the Broncos... but even after that the Broncos made it challenging.

 

[MRG]

Yeah... great play by the KC defense but a definite ball-buster for the Broncos... but even after that the Broncos made it challenging.

+1
While having no playoff implications for Denver, they were motivated by being beaten 12 straight games by KC, Lock was motivated to start against his hometown team, Vic wanted to keep his job. Unfortunately all those didn't matter. KC won, Lock played his heart out, Vic was canned this morning. I think that's a good thing for Denver.

 

[eytonxav]

Well they looked like a different football team last night. "If" they keep playing like they did against the Eagles last night, they will go all the way to the SB. Strong, consistent and few mistakes... Dak threw 5 TD passes in this game, a record for him... He probably would have got a 6 TD pass if they hadn't taken him out of the game in the 4 qt.

They have done this before and then come back the following week and disappoint, so I am not getting too excited yet about their payoff prospects. Still need to cut down the false starts.

Like the Cowboys, the other elephant in the room is staying out of the Covid protocol. They had several players that went to Mavs game to see Dirks jersey retired and then got sick, so were missing last night.

 

[Car-Guy]

They have done this before and then come back the following week and disappoint, so I am not getting too excited yet about their payoff prospects. Still need to cut down the false starts.

Very true.... My issue is the only two teams I really care about are the Cowboys and Buccaneers and they both can't be in the SB next month... So, I just hope one of them can make it otherwise I doubt that I'll even be watching.

In a perfect world for me, if the SB gets moved to Dallas , (probably unlikely) I'd like to see the Cowboys make it. If it stays in LA, I'd probably lean towards the Buccaneers but either one be okay with me. YMMV

 

[pb4uski]

Great Sunday night game between LAC and LV! Tied at 32-32 in OT with 4:30 left.

 

[pb4uski]

LV wins in OT on last second field goal. What a game!

 

[Car-Guy]

The Buccaneers easily beat the Panthers yesterday which was expected. Also as expected, they wanted to pull Tom Brady out late in the game once the win was assured... What was fun to watch was Brady making it clear that he wasn't going to leave the game until he threw the pass that got Rob Gronkowski his 55th reception for the season which got "Gronk" a $500,000 contract bonus. After the game I read that Gronkowski said he appreciated it and joked that he wouldn’t be sharing any of that bonus money with Brady. Like if either one of these guys need it.

Clearly two friends, on and off the field, that are really having fun "on the job", and getting richer and richer. Talk about the American dream.

 

[Plantman]

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to watch three OT games from start to finish. Steelers vs Ravens, 49ers vs Rams, and Chargers vs Raiders. It was the best game watching day of my life and one that will probably never be repeated.

 

[easysurfer]

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to watch three OT games from start to finish. Steelers vs Ravens, 49ers vs Rams, and Chargers vs Raiders. It was the best game watching day of my life and one that will probably never be repeated.

Watched most of the 49ers vs Rams and Chargers vs Raiders OT games. Both kind of crazy. Looked the the Raiders were going for a tie near the end until the Chargers called timeout.

 

[jollystomper]

Looked the the Raiders were going for a tie near the end until the Chargers called timeout.

That certainly made the Steelers happy . If they had tied both would have gone into the playoffs and the Steelers would have been shut out. Imagine what the sports talking heads would have been saying this morning if that had happened.

Titans being the #1 seed in AFC is definitely something no one saw when Derrick Henry got hurt. Vrabel is somewhat underrated as a coach.

Yesterday was a great Football Sunday. The overtime games, the Jaguars upsetting the Colts which made the AFC games even more interesting... fun times!

 

[easysurfer]

That certainly made the Steelers happy . If they had tied both would have gone into the playoffs and the Steelers would have been shut out. Imagine what the sports talking heads would have been saying this morning if that had happened.

Titans being the #1 seed in AFC is definitely something no one saw when Derrick Henry got hurt. Vrabel is somewhat underrated as a coach.

Yesterday was a great Football Sunday. The overtime games, the Jaguars upsetting the Colts which made the AFC games even more interesting... fun times!

I was kinda hoping for a tie.

A somewhat similar scenario happened in the 49ers vs Rams OT. A tie, and both teams would have got what the wanted as far as playoffs and seeding.

 

[pb4uski]

Watched most of the 49ers vs Rams and Chargers vs Raiders OT games. Both kind of crazy. Looked the the Raiders were going for a tie near the end until the Chargers called timeout.

Yes, and I have no idea why LAC called a timeout... it sort of signaled to the LV coach that they might be trying to play for the win but it didn't make any sense. I'm somewhat surprised that the head coaches didn't have players ferrying messages to each other to "let's just take the tie and be happy to go to the post season"...which obviously would have screwed over the Steelers and Big Ben.

 

[RunningBum]

Yes, and I have no idea why LAC called a timeout... it sort of signaled to the LV coach that they might be trying to play for the win but it didn't make any sense. I'm somewhat surprised that the head coaches didn't have players ferrying messages to each other to "let's just take the tie and be happy to go to the post season"...which obviously would have screwed over the Steelers and Big Ben.

There was some pre-game speculation that they just sit on the ball the whole game for a 0-0 tie and both go to the playoffs but that wouldn't have played well. But at the end of OT you could make a case that making, missing, or not even attempting a FG put them in the playoffs, but a blocked FG run back for a TD knocked them out, so the safest and smartest play would've been to take a knee. I only watched some of the game, and only read the play-by-play boxscore of the OT, so I don't know how it looked.

 

[easysurfer]

Yes, and I have no idea why LAC called a timeout... it sort of signaled to the LV coach that they might be trying to play for the win but it didn't make any sense. I'm somewhat surprised that the head coaches didn't have players ferrying messages to each other to "let's just take the tie and be happy to go to the post season"...which obviously would have screwed over the Steelers and Big Ben.

I suppose out of habit, the coach called a timeout to save some time on the clock. Habit similar to why some players run out of bounds when they should milk the clock.

There are times when coaching is too aggressive. Like when the Chargers coach went for it on their own 18 yard line, only down by a field goal with plenty of time in the game.

 

[easysurfer]

Read more about the decision of Raiders kicking the FG instead of tying. They may have gone for the win to avoid playing the Chiefs by winning.