What a bonkers week.
* We had football on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday AND Tuesday nights. Problem was, most of those games were terrible (except for Chargers-Chiefs a week ago).
* The Lions of all people beat the Cardinals, who were (check notes) 10-and-3 and in first place in the NFC West beforehand. Here's Dan Campbell gnawing on some post-game kneecaps:
* The Bucs got shut out AT HOME! By the Saints! Who started Taysom Hill!! (And who didn't score a TD.)
* The Chiefs won on this magnificent walk-off TD in OT:
The squealing and shaky video make this great. To see professional footage, try here.
* Meanwhile in Duuuuuuuuvaaaaaal, Trevor Lawrence was arrested for his poor play:
* We had a Big Man TD followed by The Worm:
* The Ravens lost again on a failed two-point conversion:
* For some reason Zach Wilson was wearing a Patriots uniform:
* And the soon-to-be-ex Bears coach got a flag thrown on him for an earlier tantrum (but surprisingly not for the tantrum shown here):
Embrace the chaos!
PLAYOFF WATCH
Congrats to the Packers, who became the first team to clinch a playoff spot (*). If the playoffs started today ...
AFC (top 7 seeds): Chiefs (10-4), Patriots (9-5), Titans (9-5), Bengals (8-6), Colts (8-6), Chargers (8-6), Bills (8-6)
AFC bubble teams: Ravens (8-6), Steelers (7-6-1), Raiders/Dolpins/Browns/Broncos (all 7-7)
NFC (top 7 seeds): Packers* (11-3), Cowboys (10-4), Bucs (10-4), Cardinals (10-4), Rams (10-4), Niners (8-6), Vikings (7-7).
NFC bubble teams: Eagles/Saints (both 7-7), Footballers/Falcons (6-8)
POWER RANKINGS
Via ESPN this week (with bonus how-hot-is-your-team-coaching-seat analysis):
1. Packers (3 last week)
2. Chiefs (4)
3. Bucs (1)
4. Cowboys (6)
5. Patriots (5)
Biggest gainer: Saints (+5 to 17th, which is ridiculous considering their offense)
Biggest loser: Cardinals (-5 to 7th, which is why no one's talking about Kliff Kingsbury as COTY).
MVP WATCH
I can't find anything written in the last day or two that gives MVP odds, but I suspect that most people who believe in the Best QB on the Best Team principle are figuring this guy's going to win it:
I wonder if the Bucs QB has something to say about it:
I'm pulling for this guy:
I mean, just look at these dots! 22 mph, baby. Zooooooom.
PANTHERS PICTURE OF THE WEEK
Here's Sir Purr, the Panthers' mascot, of "What's that bear doing?" fame.
Here he is Sunday, after Carolina's loss to Buffalo. Walking home. To Charlotte. From Buffalo. Can't say I blame him.
WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
Thursday night: *Niners at Titans* (NFL only; no Fox)
Saturday: Browns at Packers, 430p (Fox, Amazon, NFL); *Colts at Cardinals*, 815p (NFL only)
Sunday early: Giants at Eagles, Rams at Vikings, *Bills at Patriots*, Bucs at Panthers, Jags at Jets, Lions at Falcons, Chargers at Texans, *Ravens at Bengals*
Sunday late: Bears at Seahawks, Steelers at Chiefs (GOTW), Broncos at Raiders
Sunday night: Footballers at Cowboys (NBC)
Monday night: Dolphins at Saints (ESPN; ManningCast returns Jan 3)
BEFORE WE GO
Here's hoping Santa brings us a weekend of football that's tons better than last week's stocking o' coal. Merry Christmas, y'all.
Putting Shanahan at anything other than "cold seat" is silly. He's got a long-term deal and ownership is giving him a loooooong leash. Shanahan's seat wasn't even slightly warm after going 6-10 last year. Jed York has less than zero interest in going coach and GM hunting again. Shanny would have to go into Urban Meyer mode to get the Niners even thinking about regime change.
Speaking of Sir Purr, here he is On This Day in 1996 talking his way out of a flag.
And if you want to see Kordell Stewart run 80 yards for a TD, wait till the end of the clip.
The best thing about how close the standings are this season is how many games have yuuuge playoff implications...
IMHO, Bengals at Ravens for the division lead is GOTW.
I bet the Jets win and blow their last chance at the #1 pick.
* And the soon-to-be-ex Bears coach got a flag thrown on him for this tantrum:
The flag was for an earlier tantrum. I remember because I really wanted them to flag him for the one in the gif because him getting ejected would have been hilarious.
Enix wrote:* And the soon-to-be-ex Bears coach got a flag thrown on him for this tantrum:
The flag was for an earlier tantrum. I remember because I really wanted them to flag him for the one in the gif because him getting ejected would have been hilarious.
D'oh! Updated. Now that you mention it, I did see Nagy have two meltdowns. All this bad football from Sunday-Monday-Tuesday has run together.
Unrelated, your Pro Bowl rosters are out. QBs are Herbert, Mahomes, Lamar, Rodgers, Brady and Kyler.
And if you want to go all Matt Nagy on it, NFL.com lists its 15 biggest Pro Bowl snubs. That list includes Austin Ekeler, Chris Godwin and AJ Terrell.
IMHO, Bengals at Ravens for the division lead is GOTW.
FYI, I denote "GOTW" in the weekly schedule to let folks know the national Game of the Week - that is, the one that Nantz/Romo or Buck/Aikman will be calling in the late Sunday afternoon slot.
As you correctly point out, Bengals-Ravens will be a terrific matchup on a week full of them.
The designated GOTW (Steelers-Chiefs) really isn't a game I'm looking forward to simply because the Steelers offense is pretty much unwatchable (though I'm intrigued by Chiefs O vs Steelers D).
Maybe Sir Purr's walking for conditioning purposes so he can take a crack at QBing the Panthers?
Unrelated, your Pro Bowl rosters are out. QBs are Herbert, Mahomes, Lamar, Rodgers, Brady and Kyler.
Alvin Kamara and Buddha Baker have no business making the Pro Bowl this year.
And if you want to go all Matt Nagy on it, NFL.com lists its 15 biggest Pro Bowl snubs. That list includes Austin Ekeler, Chris Godwin and AJ Terrell.
Godwin's not a snub, he's just a victim of how packed the NFC WR position is. But he does not belong ahead of any of the 4 guys that made it, and arguably CeeDee Lamb would be the #5 NFC guy, not Godwin. (And to be fair, the article does state that it's not arguing Godwin above the top 4 so much as just wanting to pound the table for him to be #5, which is a fair argument to make - I'd still lean Lamb, but it's a reasonable debate).
If Godwin were in the AFC, he'd probably belong ahead of 2 or 3 of the guys that made it.
A.J. Terrell is absolutely a snub.
PFF has their picks for Pro Bowl, and it's interesting to see a number of position groups where their picks match the final rosters.
Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Correct. It should be Derek Carr like PFF says.
I didn’t hate the decision to go for two at the end of the Ravens game, but going for it at fourth and goal at the three seemed really sus. What do the analytics say about that?
Doug Pederson reportedly has his eyes set on the Jaguars job, and he's supposedly started lining up a staff to bring with him.
Given the level of dysfunction in the Jags organization, I have a strong preference for someone that has been a head coach in the NFL before, even though I would embrace my man Leftwich returning to Jacksonville, one of the other rumored candidates.
Of the realistic candidates for the job, though, Pederson and Caldwell Face are the former head coaches that feel like they actually deserve the shot, and at least Pederson seems interested.
The bar was already so damn low in Jacksonville, then Urban picked up a shovel and took the bar subterranean. A competent head coach with some QB developing skills can make himself a legend in that city just by building a .500 caliber team.
Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Did the league figure out Lamar?
Doug Pederson reportedly has his eyes set on the Jaguars job, and he's supposedly started lining up a staff to bring with him.
Given the level of dysfunction in the Jags organization, I have a strong preference for someone that has been a head coach in the NFL before, even though I would embrace my man Leftwich returning to Jacksonville, one of the other rumored candidates.
Of the realistic candidates for the job, though, Pederson and Caldwell Face are the former head coaches that feel like they actually deserve the shot, and at least Pederson seems interested.
The bar was already so damn low in Jacksonville, then Urban picked up a shovel and took the bar subterranean. A competent head coach with some QB developing skills can make himself a legend in that city just by building a .500 caliber team.
I would get behind Leftwich, and join you in rooting for the Jags!
Though you're probably better with Caldwell, or even Pederson.
garion333 wrote:Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Did the league figure out Lamar?
Yup, 100%. 
Def not major OL issues.
UpToIsomorphism wrote:garion333 wrote:Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Did the league figure out Lamar?
Yup, 100%.
Def not major OL issues.
It's easy. Injure all his running backs, offensive linemen, and blocking tight ends.
garion333 wrote:UpToIsomorphism wrote:garion333 wrote:Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Did the league figure out Lamar?
Yup, 100%.
Def not major OL issues.
It's easy. Injure all his running backs, offensive linemen, and blocking tight ends.
Deebo for MVP, eh?
Titans pass rusher jumps offside. Trent Williams gets his hands up in the facemask of the guy who jumped offside and was a free rusher.
Because facemask is a personal foul, it erases the offside and is 15 yards against the Niners, even though the offside caused the facemask.
That is just a horsesh*t rule.
Jimmy G giving off some strong HEY DARNOLD stench tonight. Good thing not all of the Titans' defensive players can catch (or that they can't recognize fumbles).
Edit: WTF was that end-of-the-half clock management? Niners are in field goal range and just ... let the clock run out. Matt Rhule would have been proud.
Shanny Jr was the original Matt Rhule of time keeping.
Edit: WTF was that end-of-the-half clock management? Niners are in field goal range and just ... let the clock run out.
They were on their own 30 yard line, not Tennessee's.
Dammit Jimmy. The turnovers, still.
Goddamn penalties too
Titans: take the W
49ers: no
Titans: take the W
Jimmy G: no
FTFY
What a choke job.
Titans pass rusher jumps offside. Trent Williams gets his hands up in the facemask of the guy who jumped offside and was a free rusher.
Because facemask is a personal foul, it erases the offside and is 15 yards against the Niners, even though the offside caused the facemask.
That is just a horsesh*t rule.
I missed the play if it was a free rusher unabated to the QB wouldn’t the play have been blown dead? If it was the regular sort of offsides then it’s a free play for the offense and absolutely you would want the face mask Personal Foul to wipe that out..you can’t expect that to be changed.
Basically the only thing that stopped it from being unabated to the QB was Williams reaching his arm out in desperation, which is where he caught some facemask.
In no way should the player who is offside be able to draw a penalty from pass blockers lunging at his illegal head start. And certainly should not be able to draw a penalty that goes beyond offsetting and ends up instead costing the offense 15 and wiping the offside out like it never happened.
In my opinion, the officials should have exercised some judgment, and at worst, called it a 5-yard hands-to-the-face, which then would have been offsetting with the offside, and replayed the down.
Paleocon wrote:garion333 wrote:UpToIsomorphism wrote:garion333 wrote:Yeeeeah, not so sure Lamar should be in there. He started hot but has really struggled since week 8 or whatever.
Did the league figure out Lamar?
Yup, 100%.
Def not major OL issues.
It's easy. Injure all his running backs, offensive linemen, and blocking tight ends.
It also works against Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and anyone else not named Russell Wilson
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