NFL 2021: The Week 12 thread

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It's that time of year when we say what we're thankful for.

[writes 5,000 words on ÇÅM'Š RĒTŪRÑ TØ ÇÅRØŁÏÑÅ]

I'm also thankful for the weirdness that is the 2021 season as well as the wackiness that is the GWJ NFL threads. I hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

And I hope the entire Washington Football Team gets lockjaw. I hate those guys.

A THANKSGIVING RANKINGS FEAST!

Football Outsiders put together this list of best all-time WR trios based on lots of math (specifically DYAR -- Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement -- and harmonic mean). I busted this out from behind the ESPN+ paywall as my Thanksgiving present to you all. It's long, hence the spoiler text.

Here goes:

Spoiler:

1. 2004 Indianapolis Colts
WRs: Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Marvin Harrison
QB: Peyton Manning
Notable: "Easily the best wide receiver trio of all time. This list is ordered by harmonic mean of DYAR between the three receivers; the gap between the 2004 Colts and the 2015 Cardinals at No. 2 is equal to the gap between No. 2 and the 2007 Patriots at No. 10."

2. 2015 Arizona Cardinals
WRs: Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Michael Floyd
QB: Carson Palmer
Notable: The Panthers smoked them in the NFC championship game.

3. 2012 Denver Broncos
WRs: Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Stokley
QB: Peyton Manning

4. 2008 Arizona Cardinals
WRs: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston
QB: Kurt Warner
Notable: One of four teams with three 1,000-yard receivers; others are 1989 Footballers, 1995 Falcons and 2004 Colts.

5. 2013 Denver Broncos
WRs: Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker
QB: Peyton Manning (again)
Notable: Thomas was No 1 in DYAR this season.

6. 1984 Miami Dolphins
WRs: Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, Nat Moore
QB: Dan Marino
Notable: This was my team back in the day; too bad they couldn't run the damn ball when they had to.

7. 2012 Green Bay Packers
WRs: Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson
QB: Pre-QAaron Aaron Rodgers
Notable: Nelson missed a bunch of games, and so did No. 4 Greg Jennings

8. 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WRs: Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown
QB: Tom Brady
Notable: The season's still not over!

9. 2001 St. Louis Rams
WRs: Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Ricky Proehl
QB: Kurt Warner
Notable: Greatest Show on Turf

10. 2015 Seattle Seahawks
WRs: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Jermaine Kearse
QB: Russell Wilson
Notable: All three receivers caught 70%+ of intended passes (one of only two trios to do so; other was 2016 Vikings)

11. 2007 New England Patriots
WRs: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth
QB: Tom Brady
Notable: Moss' 568 DYAR is second-best all-time (after Michael Irvin in 1995)

12. 1990 Houston Oilers
WRs: Haywood Jeffires, Ernest Givens, Drew Hill
QB: Warren Moon
Notable: Year 1 of the Run and Shoot in Houston

Honorable mention:

1989 Washington: Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders, Art Monk

1998 San Francisco 49ers: Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, J.J. Stokes

1999 Minnesota Vikings: Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Jake Reed

2009 Pittsburgh Steelers: Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace

2018 Los Angeles Rams: Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp

Old school best (pre 1983):

1979 Buffalo Bills: Frank Lewis, Jerry Butler, Lou Piccone.

GIFS OF THE WEEK

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/jOcslEgHQjYHR0aEWa/giphy.gif)

Jonathan Taylor, my goodness. 4 rushing TDs (and one receiving TD), 185 yards rushing. Against the Bills, too, and they used to be good.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/VmGj1bpwNpvqJy9FbA/giphy.gif)

Ekeler's pretty good, too. The Chargers are my favorite fun team to watch.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/gfSeMjWD96woRWlUmv/giphy.gif)

He's going to win another ring, isn't he.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/wKJhtDc4CBfor8SyGZ/giphy.gif)

You knew I was going to include this one, right?

STAT OF THE WEEK

The FaLOLcons are the first team since 2000 to have three different QBs throw interceptions in the same game. Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks completed passes to Patriots players last Thursday night. OOPS.

The Chargers were the last team to pull off this feat, with Moses Moreno, Ryan Leaf and Jim Harbaugh.

SCORIGAMI

We had another one this week! Colts 41, Bills 15.

That's No. 1,070 all time and either the third or fourth of the season.

POWER RANKINGS

Via NFL.com this week:

1. Cardinals (4th last week)
2. Packers (1)
3. Buccaneers (6)
4. Chiefs (7)
5. Cowboys (3)

Biggest gainer: The Footballers (+5 to 21, never mind that they barely beat a team that's only one spot ahead of them in the power rankings, not that I'm f**king bitter about losing to the worst franchise in the history of professional sports)

Biggest losers: Bills -5 (to 7th) and Saints (-5 to 18th, and this was before extending Taysom Hill, who's a jack of all trades except being traded and a master of nothing except getting big-@ss contracts)

PLAYOFF WATCH

AFC division leaders: Patriots (7-4), Ravens (7-3), Titans (8-3), Chiefs (7-4)

AFC wild cards: Chargers, Bengals and Bills (all 6-4)

NFC division leaders: Cowboys (7-3), Packers (8-3), Bucs (7-3), Cardinals (9-2)

NFC wild cards: Rams (7-3), Vikings (5-5), Saints (5-5)

WEEK 12 SCHEDULE

With coverage maps.

Turkey Day: Bears at Lions (12:30p, Fox), Raiders at Cowboys (4:30p, CBS), Bills at Saints (8:20p, NBC)

Sunday early: *Bucs at Colts*, Jets at Texans (The Bad Bowl), Falcons at Jaguars (The Worse Bowl), Eagles at Giants, ₽ÅÑTHĒRŠ at Dolphins, *Titans at Patriots* (Vrabel v Belichick), Steelers at Bengals

Sunday late: Chargers at Broncos, *Rams at Packers* (GOTW), Vikings at Niners

Sunday night: *Browns at Ravens* (NBC)

Monday night: Seahawks at Footballers (ESPN; no ManningCast)

Bye: Cardinals, Chiefs

Jets at Texans (The Bad Bowl)

AKA the We Beat the Titans Bowl

If you'd had told me two years ago something on the Bucs offense would rank historically better than the Greatest Show on Turf, I'd naturally have assumed it involved interceptions.

The FaLOLcons are the first team since 2000 to have three different QBs throw interceptions in the same game. Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks completed passes to Patriots players last Thursday night. OOPS.

An important point; not only did it happen within the same game, it happens within ten minutes of game time. And there were four picks between those three QBs.

Another important point; that probably doesn't make the top ten of hilarious Falcons Failcons within the last decade or so.

One more important point; 28-3.

It was literally 4 days ago when I posted the tweet about Flacco being unvaccinated and not wanting to discuss it.

Incredible. What a scrub.

Josh Rosen might not be any good, folks. He's Gabbert-level bad.

In the spirit of the season, a great thanks to Enix for taking on the weekly, semi-grueling job of keeping us entertained. It's a tough job, but ŠØMĒ ₽ØØR ŠÇHŁŪß HÅŠ GØTTÅ DØ ÏT

garion333 wrote:

Josh Rosen might not be any good, folks. He's Gabbert-level bad.

That's *heavy sigh* Super Bowl Champion Blaine Gabbert to you.

Time to dust off this oldie:

Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback?

Rat Boy wrote:

Time to dust off this oldie:

Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback?

You reminded me of the name I picked for my Xbox *Elite* controller a while ago.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/41Jbjtx.png)

Joe Flacco has as many rings as Blaine Gabbert. That makes Blaine Gabbert elite also!

Joe Flacco has one Super Bowl ring (like Qaaron) and 0 Covid-19 Vaccines (like Qaaron).

Flacco is as good as Qaaron.

Qaaron has Covid Toe.

Too funny.

Get the vaccine next time, guy.

Speaking of QAaron, the Wall Street Journal (which knows about as much about football as I do about crypto, which is to say nothing) reports that the Packers QB has Covid toe.

PFT says not so fast! Rodgers was just joking about the Covid toe thing.

COVID toe? That's where he wanted to go?

Rat Boy wrote:

COVID toe? That's where he wanted to go?

He spreads it fast, and then he runs real slow...

*Legion* wrote:
Rat Boy wrote:

COVID toe? That's where he wanted to go?

He spreads it fast, and then he runs real slow...

Vaccination? He says "no".

COVID toe, COVID toe.

Hall of Fame semifinalists were announced today.

First-year eligible players are Anquan Boldin, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Robert Mathis, Steve Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Vince Wilfork.

Just looking at that group, I'd pick Steve Smith for sure (because I'm a homer) and probably Devin Hester because he was probably the most terrifying return guy this side of Deion Sanders.

As for the rest of them, I guess? I know all the names, and I know they're all good, but I couldn't make a good case for (or against) for any of the rest.

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Enix wrote:

Hall of Fame semifinalists were announced today.

First-year eligible players are Anquan Boldin, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Robert Mathis, Steve Smith, DeMarcus Ware and Vince Wilfork.

Just looking at that group, I'd pick Steve Smith for sure (because I'm a homer) and probably Devin Hester because he was probably the most terrifying return guy this side of Deion Sanders.

As for the rest of them, I guess? I know all the names, and I know they're all good, but I couldn't make a good case for (or against) for any of the rest.

Vince Wilfork is a 1dt balloter in my mind. Dude was huge, but also athletic. Problem is stats for NT/DT are iffy. He was a huge part of their defense for so long.

Hester, agreed, though it may not make him be 1st ballot simply because it's only return ability.

I hope Q gets in. Dude was a baller. Unfortunately he played for the Ravens for a few seasons and that makes your numbers look worse.

I believe all of these players are younger than Tom Brady.

St Louis NFL lawsuit settled at $790 million. It looks like it will remain confidential how much of that Kronke himself is going to pay.

QAaron actually has a broken toe and if I had to look at his foot, so do you.
IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/hTbYQxD.png)

Pink Stripes wrote:

St Louis NFL lawsuit settled at $790 million. It looks like it will remain confidential how much of that Kronke himself is going to pay.

Holy sh*t

The law firms Dowd Bennett and Blitz Bardgett & Deutsch that represented the plaintiffs will receive 35% of the settlement, or $276.5 million, for their work on the case.
The settlement does not include an expansion football team for St. Louis, a source said.

A $3 billion franchise, or $790 million of "go away" money?

NFL got off cheap.

Given how low the number is, I assume the settlement comes with a (hopefully legally-binding) guarantee of the next expansion team.

Pink Stripes wrote:

QAaron actually has a broken toe and if I had to look at his foot, so do you.

Rex Ryan has entered the chat.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

Given how low the number is, I assume the settlement comes with a (hopefully legally-binding) guarantee of the next expansion team.

I think you missed the part I quoted.

No agreement of any kind regarding an expansion team.

Tony Boselli and Patrick Willis or GTFO.

Willie Anderson can go in after Boselli.

I'm not making the case for putting Fred Taylor in, but I am making the case that Fred Taylor is far more deserving than Eddie "3.6 yards a carry, even Bettis thinks it's a joke" George. I'm also making the case that Fred Taylor belongs well above Ricky Watters. So if any RB in this group makes it, it should be Fred.

*Legion* wrote:
iaintgotnopants wrote:

Given how low the number is, I assume the settlement comes with a (hopefully legally-binding) guarantee of the next expansion team.

I think you missed the part I quoted.

No agreement of any kind regarding an expansion team.

I are read.

On the contrary, I think the implication here is that unless someone physically moves their team to St. Louis in the night without league approval, StL will not have a team in my lifetime.

That may be possible, but at the same time, if and when the NFL decides to expand again, STL will be on e of the largest available markets and money will talk again.

PS: Happy Thanksgiving!

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/4za9HyD.png)

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