The weakness of the Patriots schedule is breaking analytics. The Football Outsiders bunch talked about it a bit this week - they think that the Patriots are probably the best team in the league, but not by so much as their model indicates. Still, on a per play, per drive and per game basis, they’re outperforming the bad teams by a substantial margin, generally at least two TDs more than normal margin of victory again them.
The other side of things is that their offence is weird right now. They fail the eye test, and they’re benefiting from a defence constantly giving them fantastic field position, making them look better than they are. And the defence and special teams are chipping in with points. With all of that said, the offence is still on pace for over 400 points, and the team as a whole is on pace for over 500. They’re currently first in the league in points scored.
Belichick obviously feels like some improvements are needed, given the trade for Sanu. But I also suspect that the offence is playing possum to some extent. Belichick likes to try to break tendencies and hide his strategies when games are well in hand. The Patriots don’t like giving other teams usable tape if they can help it. And conversely, the longer the season goes, the more tape Belichick has, and generally the Patriots play their best in November and December.
Which is a long way of saying that none of us really have any idea right now whether these Patriots are an all time great team, but it’s probably not wise to make definitive statements about them being anything other than the front runner until proven otherwise.
If this team wants an all time great mantle for either side of the ball they're going to have to beat their winning record competitors just as viciously including in the playoffs.
Bills won't really count because of the dynamic there but neither would the Jets or Dolphins if they were anything besides miserable. AFC East veterans should probably form a survivors group based on how the last twenty years have gone.
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I expect the Pat's to suffer a crushing loss on the playoffs once they face a good team. Bills are the best team they have beaten, and that was a good Pat's D vs an average Bill's Offense. Buffalo has that record thanks to their defense, and that D shutdown Brady. Sadly Buffalo's offense just isn't that good.
Though I do love the idea of another undefeated Patriot season ending with a Superbowl loss.
And collectively the 6 teams they have played (Jets twice) have 11 wins. And Buffalo has five of those wins to themselves.
Their opposition's entire body of work is 11-27 at roughly the half way point of the season.
Those numbers really are something to hang your hats on.
And their next 7 opponents, which includes the Bengals and the Browns, combine for 23 wins so far. So they've got a harder schedule ahead, before finishing the season against Buffalo*.
*Yes the Pats play Miami in week 17. I said what I said.
And collectively the 6 teams they have played (Jets twice) have 11 wins. And Buffalo has five of those wins to themselves.
Their opposition's entire body of work is 11-27 at roughly the half way point of the season.
Those numbers really are something to hang your hats on.
And their next 7 opponents, which includes the Bengals and the Browns, combine for 23 wins so far. So they've got a harder schedule ahead, before finishing the season against Buffalo*.
*Yes the Pats play Miami in week 17. I said what I said.
23 wins at best puts them 4 over .500 as a cohort.
At best!
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And collectively the 6 teams they have played (Jets twice) have 11 wins. And Buffalo has five of those wins to themselves.
Their opposition's entire body of work is 11-27 at roughly the half way point of the season.
Those numbers really are something to hang your hats on.
And their next 7 opponents, which includes the Bengals and the Browns, combine for 23 wins so far. So they've got a harder schedule ahead, before finishing the season against Buffalo*.
*Yes the Pats play Miami in week 17. I said what I said.
23 wins at best puts them 4 over .500 as a cohort.
At best!
My point is that their next seven opponents have over twice as many wins as their last 7. So, like, technically it's going to get harder.
And collectively the 6 teams they have played (Jets twice) have 11 wins. And Buffalo has five of those wins to themselves.
Their opposition's entire body of work is 11-27 at roughly the half way point of the season.
Those numbers really are something to hang your hats on.
And their next 7 opponents, which includes the Bengals and the Browns, combine for 23 wins so far. So they've got a harder schedule ahead, before finishing the season against Buffalo*.
*Yes the Pats play Miami in week 17. I said what I said.
The only chance the spoiler game might matter, is if the Pats drop a game prior to that.
I can see them pulling out all the stops if they're 15-0, and going for a perfect season, the one missed accolade they're capable of getting, and already had a chance for, but didn't. And given you can already lock them in for a bye, probably the first one, so the players will still get time to rest, and it's not like they need to field everyone to win. Hell, they likely will be able to leave half or more of their starters in the locker room at the half.
But if they drop a game, and no longer have a perfect game as an outcome, I can absolutely see Belichick going "Fuck it", and not even suiting up his starters. Put every backup on the field, bring up some prospects from the practice squad, see what they've got going forward, and get some experience in case they're needed in the post season. Essentially, a Pre-Season game for them.
And given the opponent, it'd still be at least a competitive game. Especially if there's still a doubt on who gets the first pick next year.
The weakness of the Patriots schedule is breaking analytics. The Football Outsiders bunch talked about it a bit this week - they think that the Patriots are probably the best team in the league, but not by so much as their model indicates. Still, on a per play, per drive and per game basis, they’re outperforming the bad teams by a substantial margin, generally at least two TDs more than normal margin of victory again them.
The other side of things is that their offence is weird right now. They fail the eye test, and they’re benefiting from a defence constantly giving them fantastic field position, making them look better than they are. And the defence and special teams are chipping in with points. With all of that said, the offence is still on pace for over 400 points, and the team as a whole is on pace for over 500. They’re currently first in the league in points scored.
Belichick obviously feels like some improvements are needed, given the trade for Sanu. But I also suspect that the offence is playing possum to some extent. Belichick likes to try to break tendencies and hide his strategies when games are well in hand. The Patriots don’t like giving other teams usable tape if they can help it. And conversely, the longer the season goes, the more tape Belichick has, and generally the Patriots play their best in November and December.
Which is a long way of saying that none of us really have any idea right now whether these Patriots are an all time great team, but it’s probably not wise to make definitive statements about them being anything other than the front runner until proven otherwise.
If this team wants an all time great mantle for either side of the ball they're going to have to beat their winning record competitors just as viciously including in the playoffs.
Bills won't really count because of the dynamic there but neither would the Jets or Dolphins if they were anything besides miserable. AFC East veterans should probably form a survivors group based on how the last twenty years have gone.
They mentioned the 1999 Rams had a weaker schedule than their projected one. No one really cares except as an in-season excuse. If they continue to play like they have been, with an average margin of victory of 25, it's not going to matter.
Plus there's the whole "defending Super Bowl Champions" thing. Their worst season post 2013 is a two point loss in the Conference Championship game. Its not exactly an untested team.
The weakness of the Patriots schedule is breaking analytics. The Football Outsiders bunch talked about it a bit this week - they think that the Patriots are probably the best team in the league, but not by so much as their model indicates. Still, on a per play, per drive and per game basis, they’re outperforming the bad teams by a substantial margin, generally at least two TDs more than normal margin of victory again them.
The other side of things is that their offence is weird right now. They fail the eye test, and they’re benefiting from a defence constantly giving them fantastic field position, making them look better than they are. And the defence and special teams are chipping in with points. With all of that said, the offence is still on pace for over 400 points, and the team as a whole is on pace for over 500. They’re currently first in the league in points scored.
Belichick obviously feels like some improvements are needed, given the trade for Sanu. But I also suspect that the offence is playing possum to some extent. Belichick likes to try to break tendencies and hide his strategies when games are well in hand. The Patriots don’t like giving other teams usable tape if they can help it. And conversely, the longer the season goes, the more tape Belichick has, and generally the Patriots play their best in November and December.
Which is a long way of saying that none of us really have any idea right now whether these Patriots are an all time great team, but it’s probably not wise to make definitive statements about them being anything other than the front runner until proven otherwise.
If this team wants an all time great mantle for either side of the ball they're going to have to beat their winning record competitors just as viciously including in the playoffs.
Bills won't really count because of the dynamic there but neither would the Jets or Dolphins if they were anything besides miserable. AFC East veterans should probably form a survivors group based on how the last twenty years have gone.
They mentioned the 1999 Rams had a weaker schedule than their projected one. No one really cares except as an in-season excuse. If they continue to play like they have been, with an average margin of victory of 25, it's not going to matter.
Plus there's the whole "defending Super Bowl Champions" thing. Their worst season post 2013 is a two point loss in the Conference Championship game. Its not exactly an untested team.
I dont think the Rams get cited as an all time great offense, they just had a catchy nickname.
2000 Ravens? All time great defense.
And as always it's your quarterback and coach who are tested, not the rolling junk heap of overperformers that gets assembled every year and half cast aside the next.
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Both the Niners and Pats benefit from their divisions being matched with the AFC North
The Niners have already played 3 of their 4 games there, and those three teams are 4-19*. They still have the Saints and Panthers, Ravens, Packers, and their own tough division ahead of them. 6 of their 8 remaining opponents are capable of winning their division.
The Pats have only gotten to roast the Steelers out of the AFCN, but have been able to feast on their own skid mark division and the sub-basement of the NFC East. They still have the Ohio trashbag teams, Miami, Houston, and just the regular basement of the NFCE. Their only “tough” opponents are the Ravens (who have looked like diarrhea at times), Chiefs (...), and Bills (....).
I think the Pats win at least 14...Niners may have 4 or 5 losses left on their schedule though
"“If you don’t like Deshaun Watson you don’t like anybody. If you don’t like Deshaun Watson you’re a miserable human being.” - Jon Gruden."
- James Palmer is a NFL Network reporter.
I do not like this.
I do not like this at all.
I do not want to like anything about Jon Gruden, or in any way feel bad about watching him fail.
Lions traded a player to the seahawks, Quandre Diggs?
I'm real mad about the trade. Diggs has had a down season, sure, but his body of work is crazy. The dude can play any position in the secondary and hits like a truck. Lions got fleeced in that trade.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will practice today. Andy Reid won't rule him out for Sunday night.
I fucking hate that I have to say this, about the second respected coach in the NFL.
I think Andy is out of fucks to give, and is calling the Hunt Family's bluff, to shit-can him.
Because good God, he and the Chiefs are trying their best to fuck Mahomes over. You have the QB , NFL equivalent to Steph Curry, and you are rushing him back!? Fuck that KC , let Patrick heal, let Shady McCoy be your workhorse, and within four weeks, MaHomes is relatively healthy.
But nooo!! Andy keeps shooting himself in the crotch, with these self inflicted wounds.
I just want Reid to win one, Goddamned Superb Owl and leave the NFL.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will practice today. Andy Reid won't rule him out for Sunday night.
While I agree with the sentiment, I also understand the position Reid is in here. Not going to beat Green Bay with the backup, and can't afford to piss away too many opportunities.
If it was anyone else on the schedule (Pats/Viks excepted), I'd say roll the dice. And if there's any lingering concern at all, fine. But it's a hard decision to bubblewrap one of the best players in the league, if he's good to go, and you want to try and lock in a bye.
Side note, why the fuck have the Pats been able to play their last two regular season games (and four of the last five) against the Chiefs, at Gilette? And they get to do it again this year too. That's pretty fucked.
Side note, why the fuck have the Pats been able to play their last two regular season games (and four of the last five) against the Chiefs, at Gilette? And they get to do it again this year too. That's pretty fucked.
This year they're playing KC as the AFC W champ. Two seasons ago they played the AFC W champ in Denver.
Last year they played KC as part of the AFC W and it was on a rotation.
2014 was the previous rotation (in KC) and 2011 (@NE) the one before that
Prior to the 2009 season they changed the rotatioin so East Coast teams might not have the extra travel their division rivals might not have https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4009230
So you don't have to do Oakland and (now LAC) on the road when your division mates might have to only go to the midwest.
That meant a reshuffling so the 2011 like 08 was in NE. 2005 (and 2004 for both being division winners) the games were in KC back to back via a similar coincidence. 2002 was in NE before then.
Lions traded a player to the seahawks, Quandre Diggs?
I'm real mad about the trade. Diggs has had a down season, sure, but his body of work is crazy. The dude can play any position in the secondary and hits like a truck. Lions got fleeced in that trade.
Feels like a "throw in the towel" move. We're 2-3-1 in one of the hardest divisions in the NFL and our star running back is out for the season. A 5th seems a bit low though. The only thing I can think of is that we have a bunch of young guys that they want to get more playing time.
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Lions traded a player to the seahawks, Quandre Diggs?
I'm real mad about the trade. Diggs has had a down season, sure, but his body of work is crazy. The dude can play any position in the secondary and hits like a truck. Lions got fleeced in that trade.
Feels like a "throw in the towel" move. We're 2-3-1 in one of the hardest divisions in the NFL and our star running back is out for the season. A 5th seems a bit low though. The only thing I can think of is that we have a bunch of young guys that they want to get more playing time.
I thought that at first as well, but they didn't get much for him, his backup is playing lights out better than him, and Diggs has been hurt while also not playing well.
I think they just wanted to get rid of him because he's not playing well and his backup is better. So might as well get something for him while you can before you bench him and he loses value?
Now if they start trading out core pieces like they did last year with Tate, then I'll start being worried.
I doubt we’ll trade any core players. We’re playing pretty good football and should only get better. I think this is mostly getting reps for younger guys for next year. Hard to see us grabbing a playoff spot ahead of GB or Minn at this point.
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I doubt we’ll trade any core players. We’re playing pretty good football and should only get better. I think this is mostly getting reps for younger guys for next year. Hard to see us grabbing a playoff spot ahead of GB or Minn at this point.
Season isnt over yet. But its nearly there. I did a preseason schedule evaluation and then re-evaluated after the first quarter of the season. I'm planning on re-evaluating after the second quarter of the season (after the Raiders game), especially since its clear that some teams coming into the season were severly overrated (Eagles and Charges I'm looking at you). Even prior to that re-evaluation, though, the loss to the Vikings puts this season in serious jeopardy (obviously). At home versus the Vikings needed to be a win, especially since they tied the Cards.
Using my post-first quarter evaluation, at this point the Lions absolutely have to beat the bad teams (NYG, @WAS, @DEN), win @OAK*, 3 of (CHI, @CHI, TB*, DAL) and 1 of (GB and @MIN) to even sniff the chance at a wildcard. This is assuming 9-6-1 wont be good enough for a wildcard. And I assume it wont be after looking at the NFC West and the other teams in the NFCN.
So this is what they have to do, any deviation from the below results and I will feel comfortable saying the season is over
Week 8: NYG - W
Week 9: @OAK - W*
Week 10: @CHI - W/L
Week 11: DAL - W(if 10 is L)/L
Week 12: @WAS - W
Week 13: CHI - W(if 10 or 11 are L)/L
Week 14: @MIN - W/L
Week 15: TB - W(if 10, 11, or 13 are L)/L*
Week 16: @DEN - W
Week 17: GB - W(if 14 is L)/L
The first non-must-win game in this scenario wouldn't be until week 10. And then if they drop that it would be must-win until week 14.
TLDR: This season isn't over, yet. If they lose to NYG this weekend, then its definitely over. After that, losing in any week basically turns every subsequent week into must win with the exceptions being week 14 (can lose) and 12/16 are always must-wins.
*My quick mid quarter re-evaluation would swap OAK and TB since OAK looks like the better team. In this case, the first non-must-win game would be week 9, but if they lose to OAK, then its must win until week 14. Non-conditional must wins would then be 12/15/16.
New England is trading DE Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys for 7th-round pick that can go to a 6th-round pick in 2021, league sources tell @Schultz_Report and me.
Bennett's dust up with the d-line coach sees him ejected from the Patriots for the stale fries found in the floorboards of Jerry's car.
Adrian Peterson is pissed off about how the Vikings treated him?
Adrian Peterson needs to fuck off. He was given way more tolerance than anyone in a similar position. His sense of misplaced entitlement makes me hope he never gets the TD's he needs on this shithole team, to get the number he wants.
Hopefully this game is over sometime in the 2nd Quarter, and Washington get shut out again.
I like rooting against the Raiders, because Gruden, and it's funny. I like rooting against Washington, and Peterson, because they're deplorable.
The rest of our schedule isn’t bad, but with the Panthers at 4-2 and the Seahawks at 5-1, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get in even if we win the games we should. Losses to Minn (away) and GB (home but they’ll have adams back) seem like a lock to lose. Also have a hard time seeing us win both Chicago games and the Dallas game.
If we played in any of the AFC divisions, i’d say we would have a shot. As is, the offense looks good and the defense is better but still needs some help at corner and D-line. Enough that the future looks decent.
That might be one of the worst roughing calls I've seen
That hit on Cousins? Yeah, I get that there are "rules", and referee "judgment calls" especially on reviews have been suspect as fuck, but that was one of those "f'n srsly?" calls.
New England is trading DE Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys for 7th-round pick that can go to a 6th-round pick in 2021, league sources tell @Schultz_Report and me.
Bennett's dust up with the d-line coach sees him ejected from the Patriots for the stale fries found in the floorboards of Jerry's car.
And the dust up was basically that Bennett was almost not playing so it is a combination. The team is much more 34 and he works much better in a 43
TLDR: This season isn't over, yet. If they lose to NYG this weekend, then its definitely over. After that, losing in any week basically turns every subsequent week into must win with the exceptions being week 14 (can lose) and 12/16 are always must-wins.
With Green Bay in week 17, I would expect the Lions to be 1 game out of a wildcard at that point. It's the only thing that will make GB's backup QB putting up 450 yards and 5 touchdowns feel worse.
TLDR: This season isn't over, yet. If they lose to NYG this weekend, then its definitely over. After that, losing in any week basically turns every subsequent week into must win with the exceptions being week 14 (can lose) and 12/16 are always must-wins.
With Green Bay in week 17, I would expect the Lions to be 1 game out of a wildcard at that point. It's the only thing that will make GB's backup QB putting up 450 yards and 5 touchdowns feel worse.
But the Lions have the tie. Doesn't that mean they'll be a half game out of a wildcard? Because that'd be very Lions-y. That giving up 18 unanswered points in the last 12 minutes of a game against an at best mediocre Cardinals team (and then pissing away the chance in overtime), causes them to miss out on the playoffs by a half game.
The XFL player draft, held October 15, had a whopping 71 rounds, during which eight teams filled out their rosters with a combined 568 guys. But a maximum of 567 of those guys will proceed to whatever the next stage of this project winds up being, after former University of Tennessee standout and recent Arizona Cardinals training camp castoff Corey Vereen dumped his new team upon learning that non-quarterbacks in the XFL will be paid roughly jack shit.
The salary details come via a report from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, and they are grim. While quarterbacks in the league can make up to nearly $500,000 for a season of work, an average non-quarterback on an average team can expect to pull in somewhere around ten percent of that amount, and is only guaranteed a harrowing portion of even that:
The XFL informed agents a week before its Oct. 15-16 draft that non-quarterbacks would receive $2,080 every two weeks they are under contract, for a max base salary of $27,040 for the season. There are $1,685 bonuses for being on an active game-day roster and another $2,222 for players on the winning team. A player who is active for all 10 games and is on a team that goes 5-5 would earn $55,000 for the season.
On top of not getting paid shit, XFL players also don't get insurance. So, they're basically making sub-minimum wage after paying out of pocket for a plan that probably won't cover them if they get hurt on the job (most insurance plans have disclaimers for playing organized sports).
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If this team wants an all time great mantle for either side of the ball they're going to have to beat their winning record competitors just as viciously including in the playoffs.
Bills won't really count because of the dynamic there but neither would the Jets or Dolphins if they were anything besides miserable. AFC East veterans should probably form a survivors group based on how the last twenty years have gone.
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Though I do love the idea of another undefeated Patriot season ending with a Superbowl loss.
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And their next 7 opponents, which includes the Bengals and the Browns, combine for 23 wins so far. So they've got a harder schedule ahead, before finishing the season against Buffalo*.
23 wins at best puts them 4 over .500 as a cohort.
At best!
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My point is that their next seven opponents have over twice as many wins as their last 7. So, like, technically it's going to get harder.
The only chance the spoiler game might matter, is if the Pats drop a game prior to that.
I can see them pulling out all the stops if they're 15-0, and going for a perfect season, the one missed accolade they're capable of getting, and already had a chance for, but didn't. And given you can already lock them in for a bye, probably the first one, so the players will still get time to rest, and it's not like they need to field everyone to win. Hell, they likely will be able to leave half or more of their starters in the locker room at the half.
But if they drop a game, and no longer have a perfect game as an outcome, I can absolutely see Belichick going "Fuck it", and not even suiting up his starters. Put every backup on the field, bring up some prospects from the practice squad, see what they've got going forward, and get some experience in case they're needed in the post season. Essentially, a Pre-Season game for them.
And given the opponent, it'd still be at least a competitive game. Especially if there's still a doubt on who gets the first pick next year.
They mentioned the 1999 Rams had a weaker schedule than their projected one. No one really cares except as an in-season excuse. If they continue to play like they have been, with an average margin of victory of 25, it's not going to matter.
Plus there's the whole "defending Super Bowl Champions" thing. Their worst season post 2013 is a two point loss in the Conference Championship game. Its not exactly an untested team.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
Technically the Colts, but I'm not sure how good they are either.
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I dont think the Rams get cited as an all time great offense, they just had a catchy nickname.
2000 Ravens? All time great defense.
And as always it's your quarterback and coach who are tested, not the rolling junk heap of overperformers that gets assembled every year and half cast aside the next.
Come Overwatch with meeeee
The Niners have already played 3 of their 4 games there, and those three teams are 4-19*. They still have the Saints and Panthers, Ravens, Packers, and their own tough division ahead of them. 6 of their 8 remaining opponents are capable of winning their division.
The Pats have only gotten to roast the Steelers out of the AFCN, but have been able to feast on their own skid mark division and the sub-basement of the NFC East. They still have the Ohio trashbag teams, Miami, Houston, and just the regular basement of the NFCE. Their only “tough” opponents are the Ravens (who have looked like diarrhea at times), Chiefs (...), and Bills (....).
I think the Pats win at least 14...Niners may have 4 or 5 losses left on their schedule though
*guessing
"“If you don’t like Deshaun Watson you don’t like anybody. If you don’t like Deshaun Watson you’re a miserable human being.” - Jon Gruden."
- James Palmer is a NFL Network reporter.
I do not like this.
I do not like this at all.
I do not want to like anything about Jon Gruden, or in any way feel bad about watching him fail.
And yet, there's this statement.
I'm real mad about the trade. Diggs has had a down season, sure, but his body of work is crazy. The dude can play any position in the secondary and hits like a truck. Lions got fleeced in that trade.
I just cut a cigar with my O-ring.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
I fucking hate that I have to say this, about the second respected coach in the NFL.
I think Andy is out of fucks to give, and is calling the Hunt Family's bluff, to shit-can him.
Because good God, he and the Chiefs are trying their best to fuck Mahomes over. You have the QB , NFL equivalent to Steph Curry, and you are rushing him back!? Fuck that KC , let Patrick heal, let Shady McCoy be your workhorse, and within four weeks, MaHomes is relatively healthy.
But nooo!! Andy keeps shooting himself in the crotch, with these self inflicted wounds.
I just want Reid to win one, Goddamned Superb Owl and leave the NFL.
And I'm a Seahawks, Colts fan.
While I agree with the sentiment, I also understand the position Reid is in here. Not going to beat Green Bay with the backup, and can't afford to piss away too many opportunities.
If it was anyone else on the schedule (Pats/Viks excepted), I'd say roll the dice. And if there's any lingering concern at all, fine. But it's a hard decision to bubblewrap one of the best players in the league, if he's good to go, and you want to try and lock in a bye.
Side note, why the fuck have the Pats been able to play their last two regular season games (and four of the last five) against the Chiefs, at Gilette? And they get to do it again this year too. That's pretty fucked.
This year they're playing KC as the AFC W champ. Two seasons ago they played the AFC W champ in Denver.
Last year they played KC as part of the AFC W and it was on a rotation.
2014 was the previous rotation (in KC) and 2011 (@NE) the one before that
Prior to the 2009 season they changed the rotatioin so East Coast teams might not have the extra travel their division rivals might not have
https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4009230
So you don't have to do Oakland and (now LAC) on the road when your division mates might have to only go to the midwest.
That meant a reshuffling so the 2011 like 08 was in NE. 2005 (and 2004 for both being division winners) the games were in KC back to back via a similar coincidence. 2002 was in NE before then.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
Feels like a "throw in the towel" move. We're 2-3-1 in one of the hardest divisions in the NFL and our star running back is out for the season. A 5th seems a bit low though. The only thing I can think of is that we have a bunch of young guys that they want to get more playing time.
I thought that at first as well, but they didn't get much for him, his backup is playing lights out better than him, and Diggs has been hurt while also not playing well.
I think they just wanted to get rid of him because he's not playing well and his backup is better. So might as well get something for him while you can before you bench him and he loses value?
Now if they start trading out core pieces like they did last year with Tate, then I'll start being worried.
Season isnt over yet. But its nearly there. I did a preseason schedule evaluation and then re-evaluated after the first quarter of the season. I'm planning on re-evaluating after the second quarter of the season (after the Raiders game), especially since its clear that some teams coming into the season were severly overrated (Eagles and Charges I'm looking at you). Even prior to that re-evaluation, though, the loss to the Vikings puts this season in serious jeopardy (obviously). At home versus the Vikings needed to be a win, especially since they tied the Cards.
Using my post-first quarter evaluation, at this point the Lions absolutely have to beat the bad teams (NYG, @WAS, @DEN), win @OAK*, 3 of (CHI, @CHI, TB*, DAL) and 1 of (GB and @MIN) to even sniff the chance at a wildcard. This is assuming 9-6-1 wont be good enough for a wildcard. And I assume it wont be after looking at the NFC West and the other teams in the NFCN.
So this is what they have to do, any deviation from the below results and I will feel comfortable saying the season is over
Week 8: NYG - W
Week 9: @OAK - W*
Week 10: @CHI - W/L
Week 11: DAL - W(if 10 is L)/L
Week 12: @WAS - W
Week 13: CHI - W(if 10 or 11 are L)/L
Week 14: @MIN - W/L
Week 15: TB - W(if 10, 11, or 13 are L)/L*
Week 16: @DEN - W
Week 17: GB - W(if 14 is L)/L
The first non-must-win game in this scenario wouldn't be until week 10. And then if they drop that it would be must-win until week 14.
TLDR: This season isn't over, yet. If they lose to NYG this weekend, then its definitely over. After that, losing in any week basically turns every subsequent week into must win with the exceptions being week 14 (can lose) and 12/16 are always must-wins.
*My quick mid quarter re-evaluation would swap OAK and TB since OAK looks like the better team. In this case, the first non-must-win game would be week 9, but if they lose to OAK, then its must win until week 14. Non-conditional must wins would then be 12/15/16.
Adrian Peterson needs to fuck off. He was given way more tolerance than anyone in a similar position. His sense of misplaced entitlement makes me hope he never gets the TD's he needs on this shithole team, to get the number he wants.
Hopefully this game is over sometime in the 2nd Quarter, and Washington get shut out again.
I like rooting against the Raiders, because Gruden, and it's funny. I like rooting against Washington, and Peterson, because they're deplorable.
And fuck. Don't give them turnovers.
If we played in any of the AFC divisions, i’d say we would have a shot. As is, the offense looks good and the defense is better but still needs some help at corner and D-line. Enough that the future looks decent.
This game sucks. Thanks, Obama.
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That hit on Cousins? Yeah, I get that there are "rules", and referee "judgment calls" especially on reviews have been suspect as fuck, but that was one of those "f'n srsly?" calls.
And the dust up was basically that Bennett was almost not playing so it is a combination. The team is much more 34 and he works much better in a 43
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I mean, in reality? No probably not really. He probably doesn't give a shit.
Going into a game against said Vikings? Hell yeah he cares.
Anything to get that chip on your shoulder.
With Green Bay in week 17, I would expect the Lions to be 1 game out of a wildcard at that point. It's the only thing that will make GB's backup QB putting up 450 yards and 5 touchdowns feel worse.
But the Lions have the tie. Doesn't that mean they'll be a half game out of a wildcard? Because that'd be very Lions-y. That giving up 18 unanswered points in the last 12 minutes of a game against an at best mediocre Cardinals team (and then pissing away the chance in overtime), causes them to miss out on the playoffs by a half game.
Or do you mean a game and a half? Not as funny.
Awesome! FOOTBAW!
Via Deadspin.
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