2023 NFL Regular Season Through Super Bowl LVIII

[infrared41]

Cleveland at Seattle: It's third and three with 2:01 left in the game. The Browns have the lead and the ball close to midfield. At QB is former is former Houston Broke-ass Oiler, P.J.Walker. Noted Browns fan infrared41 is yelling at the team via his TV "Whatever you do, don't pass. Run the ball no matter what. Worst case scenario, you have to punt and they have to drive the length of the field against the #1 defense in the NFL."  Keep in mind that Seattle hasn't sniffed the end zone since the 1st quarter.

 

Being the offensive genius he is, Kevin Stefanski decides now would be a great time for Walker to pass the ball. What happens next? P.J.Walker throws a perfect pass straight into the facemask of a Seattle defensive player. The ball bounces off the player's head, goes straight into the air, and is easily intercepted.  Seattle then drives down the field like it's nothing and scores the go ahead TD with less than 30 seconds to play.

 

The moral of this story, you ask? Browns are gonna Browns. This team is the price I pay for the luxury of being an Ohio State fan.

[BBTV]

3 hours ago, DCarp1231 said:

The refs flat out won that game for Philadelphia. Never seen such a disgusting showing of favoritism. Same goes for the announcers. Biting at the bit every chance they get to praise the Eagles while simultaneously nitpicking every little thing Washington does wrong.

 

Curious which ref calls are you referring to.  There was the obvious drop, but Rivera could/should have challenged it.  That's half on the refs, but come on - Smith was motioning for everyone to hustle up and snap the ball.  That's a dead giveaway that it was dropped pass.  I didn't notice anything egregious on either side.  Typical missed holds, a few typically-missed inconsequential defensive holdings, but I don't recall anything that stood out.  It wasn't like there was phantom personal fouls or PIs.  I'm typically the first one to point out lobsided officiating on either side, but I didn't see it today.

 

I had the local radio synced, so I didn't hear the TV broadcast.  Local radio was killing the Eagles, with the exception of AJ Brown and Hurts.  Like it or not, the Eagles have a lot of likeable players and are going to get the benefit of the doubt from national media (for a change).  It's also possible that FOX was trying hard to build up next week's Phila-Dallas game.

 

Washington lost that game more than the Eagles won it.  Eagles turned it over twice inside the five.  You don't deserve to win if you do that.  Their defense had nobody in the right position all game long, and Howell - who is much better than I thought - looked like Tom Brady.  He's good - maybe even very good - but he's not Tom Brady.

 

Hurts played out of his mind - with one leg, and AJ Brown is the best receiver I've seen here since TO.  He's just incredible.

 

Washington played hard, and deserved to win.  Howell looks like he might just develop into a true franchise guy - he just needs to work on some of the intangibles, like leadershipy stuff.  He's young and well coached.  No reason to think he can't get there.

 

The problem with Washington is that they might have a gem there, but they lack the organizational competence to capitalize on it and craft the right team around him.  They'll likely end up wasting him, and that's a shame.  There's some real talent on that team, some really good offensive coaching, but despite all the good things, Ron Rivera seems to always  blunder when it matters most - whether it's turtling up and not going for two, or missing a clear opportunity to challenge, etc.  They also don't seem to have a shrewd GM to manage the cap and fleece teams like the Eagles did with AJ Brown.  And unfortunately, their new owner isn't the panacea the fans think he is.

[tBBP]

Just now, infrared41 said:

Cleveland at Seattle: It's third and three with 2:01 left in the game. The Browns have the lead and the ball close to midfield. At QB is former is former Houston Broke-ass Oiler, P.J.Walker. Noted Browns fan infrared41 is yelling at the team via his TV "Whatever you do, don't pass. Run the ball no matter what. Worst case scenario, you have to punt and they have to drive the length of the field against the #1 defense in the NFL."  Keep in mind that Seattle hasn't sniffed the end zone since the 1st quarter.

 

Being the offensive genius he is, Kevin Stefanski decides now would be a great time for Walker to pass the ball. What happens next? P.J.Walker throws a perfect pass straight into the facemask of a Seattle defensive player. The ball bounces off the player's head, goes straight into the air, and is easily intercepted.  Seattle then drives down the field like it's nothing and scores the go ahead TD with less than 30 seconds to play.

 

The moral of this story, you ask? Browns are gonna Browns. This team is the price I pay for the luxury of being an Ohio State fan.

 

That is also the price teams pay for hiring all these offensive wunderkidz who don't know how to.get out of their geniusly inventive ways and let convention be what it is (as you said, run it, punt it, get the ball back). But what a way to turn momentum at such a pivotal moment in a game, though.

[ruttep]

I am thoroughly embarrassed to be a 49ers fan right now. This team has now completely squandered three games in a row and the division lead. Brock Purdy went from the next Joe Montana to someone who should be flipping burgers. The defense went from dominant to a wet blanket. Kyle Shanahan's playcalling has deteriorated over this stretch. Jake Moody is not Robbie Gould.

 

You have the most talented roster in the NFL. You have not only Pro Bowlers, but All-Pros at every level on both sides of the ball. These losses are inexcusable. It's a good thing there's a bye week, because it gives this team time to take a long, hard look at themselves. You're better than this. Prove it.

 

(If it sounds like I'm overreacting, you're absolutely right. I needed to rant about this team and didn't feel like sifting through all the negativity on Twitter and Reddit, so I posted here.)

[SFGiants58]

Just now, ruttep said:

 Brock Purdy went from the next Joe Montana to someone who should be flipping burgers.

 

He got a massive concussion and the team rushed him back, hence the cognitive decline. It's a less heinous version of what happened to Tua last year.

[ruttep]

Just now, SFGiants58 said:

 

He got a massive concussion and the team rushed him back, hence the cognitive decline. It's a less heinous version of what happened to Tua last year.

 

If that's the case, don't let him play. Let the GEQBUS cook. Also, it doesn't excuse the performance against the Browns.

[SFGiants58]

Just now, ruttep said:

 

If that's the case, don't let him play. Let the GEQBUS cook

 

Exactly, let Bradford start. Or don't trade Trey Lance.

 

Quote

Also, it doesn't excuse the performance against the Browns.

 

That was the #1 overall defense in the league and it's not like the first five weeks featured defenses of the same level.

[ruttep]

2 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

Exactly, let Bradford start. Or don't trade Trey Lance.

 

Bradford?? I think you meant Darnold. 

 

The fact is that my confidence in Brock Purdy is very shaken. I am back to questioning whether the 49ers have a competent quarterback.

[SFGiants58]

Just now, ruttep said:

 

Bradford?? I think you meant Darnold. 

 

Ah, my mistake. Darnold. I get my backup QB's confused.

 

Just now, ruttep said:

The fact is that my confidence in Brock Purdy is very shaken. I am back to questioning whether the 49ers have a competent quarterback.

 

Have they ever truly had one since Steve Young?

[ruttep]

Just now, SFGiants58 said:

Have they ever truly had one since Steve Young?

 

I mean Jeff Garcia was decent for a couple years at the turn of the millennium. Other than that, no.

[SFGiants58]

Just now, ruttep said:

 

I mean Jeff Garcia was decent for a couple years at the turn of the millennium. Other than that, no.

 

You see, I'd rank him below Harbaugh-era Alex Smith/Collin Kaepernick and Jimmy G.

[ruttep]

Just now, SFGiants58 said:

 

You see, I'd rank him below Harbaugh-era Alex Smith/Collin Kaepernick and Jimmy G.

 

Fair. I never actually saw Jeff Garcia play (I wasn't born yet). I just heard that he was decent, if not spectacular.

 

Jimmy G has a complicated legacy though. Yes, he led us to Super Bowl LIV and another NFC Championship Game. But he would always crumble, he would always throw completely braindead interceptions when it mattered most (kind of like Brock Purdy in the last two games). I wouldn't call him good. I would say he was passable when you surround him with that much talent. This year, he left SF to join the Raiders, gained the privilege of throwing to Davante Adams, and the Raiders are going nowhere. I don't like the term "system quarterback,"  but I can't help but apply it to Jimmy G.

[SFGiants58]

Just now, ruttep said:

 

Fair. I never actually saw Jeff Garcia play (I wasn't born yet). I just heard that he was decent, if not spectacular.

 

He was fine-to-mediocre, a C quarterback if you will. He's another name on the Browns' infinite QB jersey (after he played in SF), if that gives any context.

 

Just now, ruttep said:

This year, he left SF to join the Raiders, gained the privilege of throwing to Davante Adams, and the Raiders are going nowhere. I don't like the term "system quarterback,"  but I can't help but apply it to Jimmy G.

 

It applies, especially when he spent his time in SF and as a Tom Brady backup.

[ruttep]

The other thing Brock Purdy's struggles have done is make the Trey Lance saga look way worse. The initial trade where we gave up all those futures for the third overall pick was horrible, but it was justified since we found our franchise quarterback from basically nothing -- the last pick of the draft. But if we don't have our franchise quarterback, then this trade in hindsight becomes one of the worst in NFL history. 

[Sec19Row53]

7 hours ago, Cujo said:

Teams incapable of producing watchable football:

 

Green Bay Packers

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

I get to watch two of these teams live in two weeks.

Yay?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Kap was an excellent QB and was robbed of prime years because of politics. Got the 49ers to a Super Bowl and almost another.

 

He's so clearly the best post-Young SF QB.

[The_Admiral]

Did someone miss a deadline to flex Bears-Chargers out of Sunday night? There were three late games more compelling on paper than this.

[SFGiants58]

15 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

Kap was an excellent QB and was robbed of prime years because of politics. Got the 49ers to a Super Bowl and almost another.

 

He's so clearly the best post-Young SF QB.

He was declining rapidly on-field after 2013 and devolved into Sackorpick by the end. He’s probably the best, but I would not rate him very high at all. He’s only a tad above Harbaugh-led Alex Smith.

 

I fully agree with his politics, but he was just not a serviceable QB at all after 2013. It’s dishonest to say he was “in his prime” or still amazing after the Seahawks rolled the Niners in the NFCCG.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The Hawks barely won that game though. Richard Sherman needed to be Mr. Fantastic or Crabtree wins the game.

 

This is fun:

 

https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1718774377129414894/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1718774377129414894&currentTweetUser=Broncos

 

 

[SFGiants58]

4 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

The Hawks barely won that game though. Richard Sherman needed to be Mr. Fantastic or Crabtree wins the game.

 

 

Exactly, it was a hard-fought game.

 

After that, Kaepernick started to decline, parallel to Harbaugh becoming the crazy fella we know and love (to make fun of) today. Also, the majority of the Super Bowl contender Niners players left during the 2014-15 offseason, accelerating Kaep's decline. You seemed to ignore my larger point about the dishonesty of pretending that Kaepernick was still a top-tier player after 2013/14. He simply was not, especially not in an organization that was hell-bent on creating a hostile environment for players and coaches.