NFL 2017 Week 13 Thread

Matt Waldman took a look at WTF is going on with Kareem Hunt and the Chiefs (might be locked behind pay wall). Here's what he saw from last week's game tape:

*Opponents aren't as susceptible to the Chiefs' misdirection as they were six weeks ago.
*The offensive line isn't winning its matchups in November as consistently as September and October.
*Defenses are shifting late in the pre-snap process to gaps that will increase its chances of foiling the offense at the line of scrimmage.
*The Chiefs line is making mental errors with assignments and getting physically outmatched at the point of attack.
*The Chiefs receivers are making mental errors with route assignments and dropped passess, forcing more three-and-out offensive series.
*Hunt earned 2-3 pass protection assignments this week (there's progress but still mixed results), which is 1-2 more than I've seen from him in the past, but the Chiefs prefer to use Charcandrick West inside the 20s and the two-minute drill because West remains the better pass protector. It means Hunt's volume earns a decrease when the Chiefs fall behind early.
*Hunt has been an excellent rookie producer, but he's still a rookie who occasionally misses potential creases for big plays.

Hunt may be the fantasy problem for teams that began the year with a hot start, but it's the Chiefs that haven't figured out a way to address opponents that have developed a counter punch to the offense's early success. The NFL season is often divided into three parts. If teams don't make adjustments in October and November, it's the end of the road for them in December.

Kansas City has the talent and coaching to turn this around but I cannot tell you it will happen.

That pretty much checks out from what I’ve seen. It’s why I think the Chiefs should maybe relax on the volume of misdirection and start adding more straight forward runs.

And OL is just not where it should be, but that’s probably related to injuries. You have guys like Fulton moving up and down the line, and Morse and LDT back from injury, but how healthy are they?

But I think that can all point to giving Mahomes a shot, as it would be a bit of a reset, adding another level of unpredictability.

And while they have had Hill all season, they their WR2 to an Achilles and their WR3 ha missed several games. Conley and Wilson aren’t difference makers, but they have had experience with the offense and missing them really limited Smuth’s Options for guys he is comfortable knowing will be in the right place. Demarcus Robinson has suddenly become their WR2, and while he has a ton of potential, he’s still raw.

But many of Mahomes huge plays in preseason was to Robinson. I would love to see him sling the ball around to Robinson and Hill.

Maybe as guys get healthier they can finally adjust to wha teams are doing to them.

I am officially A-OK with Mike Daniels of the Packers as his My Cause My Cleats shoes are Dragon Ball Z themed.

*Legion* wrote:

Anyway, Hue Jackson says he has "big plans" for Josh Gordon in this week's game.

"I plan for him to play and play as much as he can handle. He's a very talented player. He needs to get out there and play but we have to see where he is and make sure how much can he handle, how much can he do."

It'd only be fitting if Gordon is the spark that saves Cleveland from an 0-16 season.

Those big plans are to score double digit points and only lose by 10.

Does anyone know what the issue is with the Titans offense? They have two good RBs, some receiving talent (Delanie Walker) and most likely a franchise QB. I thought they also had a big OL. Is it as simple as the coaching?

172 yards passing from Garoppolo in the first half. Only miscue so far was an INT that his receiver caught but had wrestled out of his hands.

garion333 wrote:

Does anyone know what the issue is with the Titans offense? They have two good RBs, some receiving talent (Delanie Walker) and most likely a franchise QB. I thought they also had a big OL. Is it as simple as the coaching?

IMO the success they have is in spite of Mularkey, and it covers up the issue.

garion333 wrote:

Does anyone know what the issue is with the Titans offense? They have two good RBs, some receiving talent (Delanie Walker) and most likely a franchise QB. I thought they also had a big OL. Is it as simple as the coaching?

Probably the same thing that causes the wind to blow south in Kentucky and north in Alabama.

Games like this make Bortles look like a good NFL QB.

It's a trap!

Yeah, Indy is good for stats!

As are the Lions when they aren't forcing takeovers. Flacco has more passing yards than the prior six months combined.

The Bucs put their two best offensive linemen on IR this week, and the line is now so bad I'm pretty sure Winston got sacked twice during halftime. There's been a blocked punt and a strip sack that was taken out of the air and run back for a TD, so it's looking like in the battle of Tampa's bad offensive line vs. Brett Hundley going back to being Brett Hundley, the Packers have an advantage.

Niners win!

On 5 field goals, but hey. Garoppolo was having to throw passes to Louis Murphy.

Robbie Gould rubs it in against his old team.

Garoppolo looked good. Top priority for this team in the offseason is going to be getting him some WRs. Too bad Pierre Garcon is on IR.

I don't know who the Lions backup QB is but he just got killed and threw a pick six. Poor guy.

Jay Cutler must have really hated his time in Denver the way the Fins are beating the Broncos.

KC-Jets is like mainlining bizarre.

The Bucs defense held Brett Hundley to 13/22 for 84 yards and a pick.

The Bucs lost.

That was impressively awful.

Frank Gore passed Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson to become the NFL's 5th all time leading rusher, and on fewer carries than either of those players (about 35 fewer than LdT, about 300 fewer than Bettis).

garion333 wrote:

I don't know who the Lions backup QB is but he just got killed and threw a pick six. Poor guy.

I was going to make a comment about how you must not watch Mountain West Conference football, because Kellen Moore is the bastard all time Boise State passing leader...

... but apparently Kellen Moore is in Dallas now, and the guy you're talking about is...

... Jake Rudock?

Oh a 6th round pick from a year ago. Meh.

*Legion* wrote:

Frank Gore passed Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson to become the NFL's 5th all time leading rusher, and on fewer carries than either of those players (about 35 fewer than LdT, about 300 fewer than Bettis).

Gore's durability and constant production are really impressive, but he never had the explosiveness or impact or LdT, obviously.

I think it goes without saying Gore's 4.4 ypc is somewhat more impressive than Fat Art Monk--er, Jerome Bettis'--3.9. Gore had 3.9 last year, and below that in 2015 and this year, which are the only seasons in his ridiculously long career where his ypc was below 4.

Jerome Bettis is living proof that refusing to retire and doing it in a polite and gregarious way is absolutely a valid path to the NFL Hall of Fame instead of the usual "actually being great at football" sort of way.

I agree that Gore is not LdT, I think LdT is the singular best running back of his generation, and the only modern name that should be argued alongside Jim Brown and Walter Payton.

Gore can be the #2 guy of the generation.

Tom Savage converts 4th and 19 to keep the Texans alive... then throws an INT in the endzone to lose.

*Legion* wrote:

I agree that Gore is not LdT, I think LdT is the singular best running back of his generation, and the only modern name that should be argued alongside Jim Brown and Walter Payton.

Gore can be the #2 guy of the generation.

Adrian Peterson may be human garbage, but he was incredibly talented human garbage. LdT and Peterson get to argue for #1, and Gore gets #3. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure who else would take that spot.

Football sucks.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

I agree that Gore is not LdT, I think LdT is the singular best running back of his generation, and the only modern name that should be argued alongside Jim Brown and Walter Payton.

Gore can be the #2 guy of the generation.

Adrian Peterson may be human garbage, but he was incredibly talented human garbage. LdT and Peterson get to argue for #1, and Gore gets #3. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure who else would take that spot.

Peterson is a phenomenal runner, but he loses out in the receiving game.

It also doesn't hurt that Gore is a better human.

I'm also thinking Legion may consider Gore and LT to be in a slightly early generation than AP.

Jayhawker wrote:

Football sucks.

I agree. The amount of time I saw the Jets on Red Zone today was gross.

46 of Cleveland's 57 playing yards are to Josh Gordon.

garion333 wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

I agree that Gore is not LdT, I think LdT is the singular best running back of his generation, and the only modern name that should be argued alongside Jim Brown and Walter Payton.

Gore can be the #2 guy of the generation.

Adrian Peterson may be human garbage, but he was incredibly talented human garbage. LdT and Peterson get to argue for #1, and Gore gets #3. Off the top of my head, I'm not sure who else would take that spot.

Peterson is a phenomenal runner, but he loses out in the receiving game.

I do have a strong bias for all-around backs, which is part of why I favor Walter Payton so heavily. And Tomlinson for that matter.

Not a Seahawks fan, quite the opposite. That being said, Russell Wilson is a stud. I love his competitiveness even being in a sh*t situation with no O line or running game.

Love seeing Chris Pratt raising the flag.

Go Hawks.

No offense Top, but that whole flag thing looked like a truck commercial to me.