NFL 2016 Week 9: Once You Go Dak, You Never Go Back

[Mexal]

It gets worse for the Bengals. Gio Bernard tore his ACL on the last play of the game (or one of the last few then played on it). Hope we tank, put in all the rookies and see what we have for next year. The biggest issue we've been running into is we keep drafting in positions we're stocked (CB/OT/S/DE anyone?), they never get any playing time and by the time it's their shot, they haven't had enough trial by fire to be battle tested.

And I also just found out Kirkpatrick got injured but doesn't seem to be as bad as Green/Gio though not sure what that means. Seems we lost 3 starters last night and not in a good way. At least we have 2 more first round CBs to try out!

Hope this is the end for Marvin Lewis and that they blow up the coaching staff some. It's time.

[Maithanet]

Pretty exciting two weeks in Washington.  Our defense played bad for most of the game, and we still held the Packers to 24 points (slightly below their average this year).  Our offense on the other hand was utterly unfazed by the swirling winds and the Packers "defense".  Highlights include:

 - Backup Tackle Ty Nsekhe.  How awesome is he?  The Redskins radio people are legit debating whether Trent Williams is going to come back at left guard. Which I really doubt, but isn't quite as crazy as it sounds since LG is the only weak spot on our line.  I'm wondering if when Trent comes back if we move Nsekhe to RT and give Moses a couple of weeks to heal that ankle.  

 - Fat Rob Kelley!  So happy we have a real starting running back.  Undrafted free agent took the roster spot from our 7th round pick, and now took the starting job from our 3rd round pick.  I couldn't be happier about it.

 - Pass catchers - open early and often.  

- Kirk Cousins.  These past two weeks have been really really something from him.  The Vikings defense is still pretty good, and he tore them up.  The Packers defense isn't good, but presumably the wind would keep scoring down.  Instead we scored 6 touchdowns and a field goal.  This is the first really great KC game where he didn't have one inexplicable pass to the other team (which is often dropped because DBs are surprised to have the ball coming right to them).  He had one last game where two Vikings collided and couldn't pick it.  This game, none.  He is just a great fit for this offense, and he looks more comfortable than ever.  It's disappointing that we're going to have to pay Cousins $20 mil a year when we have so many needs on defense, but it's probably time to pay the man.  

Big game in Dallas this week.  Not a huge fan of playing a night game on Sunday and then an afternoon game on Thursday.  Thanks Obama.

[Jaime L]

39 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

Pretty exciting two weeks in Washington.  Our defense played bad for most of the game, and we still held the Packers to 24 points (slightly below their average this year).  Our offense on the other hand was utterly unfazed by the swirling winds and the Packers "defense".  Highlights include:

 - Backup Tackle Ty Nsekhe.  How awesome is he?  The Redskins radio people are legit debating whether Trent Williams is going to come back at left guard. Which I really doubt, but isn't quite as crazy as it sounds since LG is the only weak spot on our line.  I'm wondering if when Trent comes back if we move Nsekhe to RT and give Moses a couple of weeks to heal that ankle.  

 - Fat Rob Kelley!  So happy we have a real starting running back.  Undrafted free agent took the roster spot from our 7th round pick, and now took the starting job from our 3rd round pick.  I couldn't be happier about it.

 - Pass catchers - open early and often.  

- Kirk Cousins.  These past two weeks have been really really something from him.  The Vikings defense is still pretty good, and he tore them up.  The Packers defense isn't good, but presumably the wind would keep scoring down.  Instead we scored 6 touchdowns and a field goal.  This is the first really great KC game where he didn't have one inexplicable pass to the other team (which is often dropped because DBs are surprised to have the ball coming right to them).  He had one last game where two Vikings collided and couldn't pick it.  This game, none.  He is just a great fit for this offense, and he looks more comfortable than ever.  It's disappointing that we're going to have to pay Cousins $20 mil a year when we have so many needs on defense, but it's probably time to pay the man.  

Big game in Dallas this week.  Not a huge fan of playing a night game on Sunday and then an afternoon game on Thursday.  Thanks Obama.

A few thoughts building off of yours:

1. I'm seriously gonna name my first kid Ty Nsekhe. What a stud.
2. So, I think even we underrate how good this offense can be. They've already played a lot of the very good defenses in football (i.e.: Eagles, Vikings, Ravens, Giants) and they've had no problem going up and down the field on anyone. The only ones to ever really stop them...was themselves, both in the RZ and those occasional Kirk Cousins brain exploding moments. But he looked supremely confident last night. Sure a big part of it was the Packers exclusively starting guys Ted Thompson ran into at his local 7-11 in their secondary. But still the way Kirk Cousins was letting the deep ball fly in that nasty wind was awesome. Not sure why he was so tentative to start the season, but the swagger from last December is back. I have zero problem with paying the man at this point. Not like there'll be anything close to as good out there on the FA market or in the draft, and there's no point assembling all these awesome weapons without a competent QB to make it all work. And Cousins isn't just competent...he's good.  
3. The defense is the opposite. The only time they actually stop anyone is when the other team stops itself. Aaron Rodgers was apoplectic when Ty Montgomery fumbled because he knew Joe Barry was never stopping him the rest of the way. So glad Gruden seemed to finally understand this by going for it on 4th and inches. 
4. The scheduling this week is about as unfair as it gets. I would think it's terrible to have a team play TNF after SNF. But to have to travel 1,500 miles and play a Thursday afternoon game after SNF? That's total bullshit. Not to mention it's against the best, most physical offense in football. With the way the Skins are playing I'd give them a decent shot if this were a typical Sunday game, but considering how brutal of a turnaround this is...I give 'em a 25% chance at best. 

[Trebla]

1 hour ago, Maithanet said:

Big game in Dallas this week.  Not a huge fan of playing a night game on Sunday and then an afternoon game on Thursday.  Thanks Obama.

It's a dick move by the NFL schedulers. They did the same thing to the Cowboys back in 2014. In '14, Dallas played a SNF game @ the Giants and then had to play the Thanksgiving game vs Philly. Dallas won the Giants game (though you'd have thought NY had won the game since all the highlights were OBJ making his first one-handed catch) but got their asses kicked on Turkey Day. 

Every team that has an upcoming Thursday game should automatically play a noon game the Sunday before. 

[Maithanet]

21 minutes ago, Jaime L said:

A few thoughts building off of yours:

1. I'm seriously gonna name my first kid Ty Nsekhe. What a stud.
2. So, I think even we underrate how good this offense can be. They've already played a lot of the very good defenses in football (i.e.: Eagles, Vikings, Ravens, Giants) and they've had no problem going up and down the field on anyone. The only ones to ever really stop them...was themselves, both in the RZ and those occasional Kirk Cousins brain exploding moments. But he looked supremely confident last night. Sure a big part of it was the Packers exclusively starting guys Ted Thompson ran into at his local 7-11 in their secondary. But still the way Kirk Cousins was letting the deep ball fly in that nasty wind was awesome. Not sure why he was so tentative to start the season, but the swagger from last December is back. I have zero problem with paying the man at this point. Not like there'll be anything close to as good out there on the FA market or in the draft, and there's no point assembling all these awesome weapons without a competent QB to make it all work. And Cousins isn't just competent...he's good. 

I don't know why Cousins started the season so slow.  In the first four games he was missing wide open guys, and without those scores we failed to keep up with the Steelers, failed to put away the Cowboys, and probably deserved to lose to both NYG and CLE.  But whatever it was, he's put that behind him, and now the offense is humming.  It is easy to see how a playoff run might be possible.  The problem with such optimistic thinking is the defense. 

The safeties have been questionable all year, and they put in their worst game against GB.  The pass rush comes and goes.  The tackling is unreliable.  Thus far they've mostly been making the plays they need to make, giving up yards and points, but getting the big stop or turnover needed to win (except when handed a 4 point lead with a minute left @ Detroit).  But I feel like it is really easy to imagine a playoff game where the offense starts a little slow and we're down 17-0 in the first quarter. 

[Rockroi]

I think Cousins is a very good QB.  He's 3rd in yards, 5th in yards/att, 8th in completion %, 10th on passer rating, 11th in TDs and has only thrown 7 INts (less than the vast majority of starters).  And outside the stats he seems like he can play; like he leads the team, controls the game; the guys listen to him etc.  

Lets look at it this way- you are building pro football team- what QBs would you rather have than Cousins? Brady, Wilson, Brees, Rothlesberger, Rodgers- those guy you would take over Cousins.  But after that, there is AT LEAST an argument.  Matt Ryan I would probably take over Cousins, but how much is Ryan and how much is it Julio?  What about Andre Luck?  Isn't Luck just Ryan spelled differently?  Same # of letters and everything.  Dak Prescott?  Okay, but what will his sophomore slump look like?  

I'm not saying Cousins is great, but right now you would take him over Rivers, Mariotta, Dalton, Tannehill, Stafford, Winston and probably even Carr.  

[Jaime L]

8 minutes ago, Rockroi said:

I think Cousins is a very good QB.  He's 3rd in yards, 5th in yards/att, 8th in completion %, 10th on passer rating, 11th in TDs and has only thrown 7 INts (less than the vast majority of starters).  And outside the stats he seems like he can play; like he leads the team, controls the game; the guys listen to him etc.  

Lets look at it this way- you are building pro football team- what QBs would you rather have than Cousins? Brady, Wilson, Brees, Rothlesberger, Rodgers- those guy you would take over Cousins.  But after that, there is AT LEAST an argument.  Matt Ryan I would probably take over Cousins, but how much is Ryan and how much is it Julio?  What about Andre Luck?  Isn't Luck just Ryan spelled differently?  Same # of letters and everything.  Dak Prescott?  Okay, but what will his sophomore slump look like?  

I'm not saying Cousins is great, but right now you would take him over Rivers, Mariotta, Dalton, Tannehill, Stafford, Winston and probably even Carr.  

Yeah, I think this is pretty much right. Personally I'd still have Rivers and Luck above him - the difference in offensive talent that Cousins gets to play with is immense. 5 legit weapons in the passing game and a pass-blocking line good enough that he only gets sacked about once a game (although some of that is his quick release). I think you put either guy in this offense, both are setting records. Dak, Ryan and Carr have similar advantages but all have been better so far in avoiding turnovers so give them each the slight edge at least for now. Mariota seems to have made a leap and I think he has more longterm upside than Cousins but I'd rather have Cousins if I need to win right now. I think he's between the 8th-12th best QB in the league ATM, depending on what you most value, which considering where he was 2-3 years ago is legit amazing. 

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

It's gotta be Grammy's conversion van. The chicks dig it.

[sperry]

Trent Williams is a hall of fame tackle, when he's not doing dipshit stuff to keep himself off the field. Ty Nsehke isn't replacing him.

[Jace, Extat]

Both National Anthems tonight were kinda bad, but the American one was just terrible.

[Ramsay B.]

18 minutes ago, Pony Queen Jace said:

Both National Anthems tonight were kinda bad, but the American one was just terrible.

Yeah, she was not that good. I feel like you can find a singer like that at any bar or something.

ETA: Lucky Raiders. That bullshit call just about sums up Hopkins year so far.

[Commodore]

Clowney been compared to Khalil Mack since he was drafted, you know he's fired up for this game

[Jaime L]

I was at a bar, but did I see that right? Did the Texans really punt on 4th and 5 from midfield, down 7 with 3 minutes to go and one timeout? 

[Jace, Extat]

38 minutes ago, Jaime L said:

I was at a bar, but did I see that right? Did the Texans really punt on 4th and 5 from midfield, down 7 with 3 minutes to go and one timeout? 

Don't you go judging, you don't know what it's like to have Brock Osweiler taking snaps.

[Maithanet]

13 hours ago, sperry said:

Trent Williams is a hall of fame tackle, when he's not doing dipshit stuff to keep himself off the field. Ty Nsehke isn't replacing him.

Trent Williams isn't quite a hall of famer, although he is consistently in the 2nd-5th best tackles in the league.  The issue is that right now our team has three good OTs, one good guard and one good center.  Of the three good OTs, the only one that can also play guard is Williams.  So if we want to have the best O line we can, it might be with Williams at guard.  But I doubt we'll do it, don't want to piss off your pro bowler and having an effective backup swing tackle is so important for a playoff run.  No telling what injuries will happen as the season goes on. 

[Maithanet]

Also, the Texans got absolutely hosed on the spot on third and 4th down.  I was even rooting for the Raiders and I thought those spots were atrocious.  Miller made the first down by a yard on 3rd down, and then made it by half a yard on 4th down, and both times they put it a couple inches short.  Houston even challenged on 4th down and apparently it wasn't conclusive, although he pretty obviously got there. 

In general the Raiders got the benefit of some really surprising choices from the ref.  Miller didn't step out in the first quarter, but it was called out, and took away 4 points. 

[Commodore]

not to mention they allowed a laser to be shined in Osweiler's eyes (just him) for three quarters without stopping the game

 

[Jaime L]

3 hours ago, Maithanet said:

Also, the Texans got absolutely hosed on the spot on third and 4th down.  I was even rooting for the Raiders and I thought those spots were atrocious.  Miller made the first down by a yard on 3rd down, and then made it by half a yard on 4th down, and both times they put it a couple inches short.  Houston even challenged on 4th down and apparently it wasn't conclusive, although he pretty obviously got there. 

Yeah, saw that. Couldn't believe they didn't give them a first down on either play and then again upon review. Again, didn't have sound on in the bar so didn't know if there was something I was missing. But from everything I could tell Texans clearly made a first down twice...and yet the refs kept marking them short. I didn't have a dog in the fight, but that was some blatant bullshit. Never seen anything like that. 

[Maithanet]

31 minutes ago, Jaime L said:

I didn't have a dog in the fight, but that was some blatant bullshit. Never seen anything like that. 

I feel like there are certain ways that you expect the refs to mess up some of the time.  Holding and pass interference are very open to interpretation, and even flagrant holds are often missed.  It happens, and while fans often bitch about it, you also get used to that.   

But I can't think of another example of missing the first down spot so badly on two consecutive plays, and then to have a challenge fail as well!  It felt like the fix was in, somehow.  Although if there were any franchise that the NFL isn't going to rig things to help, it is the Raiders. 

[James Arryn]

On November 21, 2016 at 2:22 PM, Jaime L said:

Yeah, I think this is pretty much right. Personally I'd still have Rivers and Luck above him - the difference in offensive talent that Cousins gets to play with is immense. 5 legit weapons in the passing game and a pass-blocking line good enough that he only gets sacked about once a game (although some of that is his quick release). I think you put either guy in this offense, both are setting records. Dak, Ryan and Carr have similar advantages but all have been better so far in avoiding turnovers so give them each the slight edge at least for now. Mariota seems to have made a leap and I think he has more longterm upside than Cousins but I'd rather have Cousins if I need to win right now. I think he's between the 8th-12th best QB in the league ATM, depending on what you most value, which considering where he was 2-3 years ago is legit amazing. 

Are y'all leaving Newton out as oversight or in deliberation?