Sports

[gardenman]

It's a really smart move by the Ravens to extend Harbaugh. You want stability around a kid QB. They've typically played in the same high sholol system for four years. (Sometimes longer as Pee Wee football coaches will often use the same system as the high school coach to help continuity.) They've spent four or five years in the same college system (depending on if they were redshirted or not.) They need stability on the pro level also. If you're thinking of drafting a kid high, like the Jets and Cards did last year, and you have any doubts about your current coach, flush him before you draft the kid and bring in someone new. You want and need stability around a kid QB in most circumstances.

With some kids (Baker Mayfield for example) it doesn't matter as much. Mayfield's just a baller. You could change his coach and system every week and it probably wouldn't affect him all that much. He'll just drop back, find someone open somewhere and find a way to get him the ball. Most quarterbacks however need to be comfortable in a system and that takes time. You can speed up the process by adapting your system to the kid as Bill O'Brien did in Texas with DeShaun Watson, but many coaches don't do that.

The Ravens largely revamped their offense to suit Lamar Jackson which was smart. Put him in the same system you used for Flacco and he'd likely struggle. Give him more running options, open up lanes for him, and he'll succeed.

I don't think the Cards and Jets helped their kid QB's by firing the head coaches. Each of those kids will now be in their third system in three years. They had their college system, their first year system and now a new system yet again. It's asking a lot of a kid to function well with that much stuff going on between the earholes. They often spend the first year or two translating from college to pro. When they get the play call from the sideline they typically translate it into the college version of that play in their head since that's what they're the most used to, so they know what's going on. It takes several years for the pro system to become their native language over the college system. When you change systems yet again after their first year, they're often translating the play into the first year pro system, then the college system, then trying to execute the play all while hoping they didn't mess anything up in the translation. It's just a bad situation to put the kid in.

Lots of very talented kid QB's come into the league and fail miserably and it's typically due to chaos around them. Throwing a football is throwing a football no matter the level. It's the stuff between the earholes that causes the trouble. They say truly learning the West Coast offense (and most pro offenses) takes three to four years, at best. That's assuming everything stays stable. restart taht lerning curve every year or two and the kid never learns the whole system and flounders.

I'm not wildly optimistic about the future for Josh Rosen. I don't think Kliff Kingsbury is likely to survive long in the NFL.(Him being fired next year wouldn't shock me.) A coach who alienates his college players and has a losing collegiate record despite having three NFL caliber quarterbacks (one of whom went on to win the Heisman after leaving because of how he was treated) doesn't generally make for a great NFL head coach. Clearly the Cards see something in him that I don't, but the omens aren't great for Josh Rosen.

[teganslaw]

Ballard isn't willing to trade Brissett, as the QB has value and is a leader in the locker room. In Ballard's words: an offer would have "to blow me away" before trading Brissett. 

Jacoby's contract is through 2019, he'll be a free agent in 2020. He likes being in Indy, but has also mentioned that he would like to be a starter. I don't think that Brissett will be going anywhere this season, but 2020 could change that. 

[sunshine45]

[Spurt]

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@sunshine45 wrote:

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@sunshine45

So they fined him but no penalty...that rule doesnt make sense for a player not flagged for a penalty to be fined.....I'd bring this up at next CBA...some are predicting a player's strike in 2020...too many inconsistencies

[sunshine45]

@Spurt

i posted on the week three thread......shared some videos of the non calls that would have given an advantage to the RAMS.

i was looking at the video. yes, there was helmet contact, but did that meet the criteria for a helmet to helmet hit where someone would have gotten a penalty and be fined? it just didnt look like he lowered his head?

[Spurt]

@teganslaw

Hey Tegan....I saw where Colts and kicker Vinateri are in process of finalizing a new contract!!!YAY!!! 

[teganslaw]

Vinatieri's back for another year. There was some concern among fans about his missed field goals in the Divisional game. I think it was just a bad game, which almost every player has. If Vinatieri didn't feel healthy enough, he wouldn't have returned, and the Colts want him to remain part of the team as long as he can. Other team players look up to him and respect his leadership. 

Many Patriot fans think highly of Vinatieri even though he's no longer with them. They don't care about the Colts, but have nothing bad to say about Vinatieri. 

SPURT, it looks like Preston Smith will become a free agent. Many Colts fans want Indy to check him out. How good is he, and does he have potential as an up and coming player? 

[Spurt]

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@teganslaw wrote:

Vinatieri's back for another year. There was some concern among fans about his missed field goals in the Divisional game. I think it was just a bad game, which almost every player has. If Vinatieri didn't feel healthy enough, he wouldn't have returned, and the Colts want him to remain part of the team as long as he can. Other team players look up to him and respect his leadership. 

Many Patriot fans think highly of Vinatieri even though he's no longer with them. They don't care about the Colts, but have nothing bad to say about Vinatieri. 

SPURT, it looks like Preston Smith will become a free agent. Many Colts fans want Indy to check him out. How good is he, and does he have potential as an up and coming player? 

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@teganslaw

My personal opinion, Vinatieri will do just fine!  The bearded one WILL deliver!

This is the thing on Preston Smith---the guy has talent, he's a good edge rusher, he had 8 sacks in two of his first 3 seasons and the Redskins liked his potential.....The problem is in his contract year, he only had 4 sacks, sometimes he'll make a great play, and other times he's just invisible.  The Redskins defense was healthy so you cant say it was injuries on the D that caused his play to decline.  The Redskins also think there might be someone better to pair with Kerrigan.  Because of Smith's play, opponents are stacking up on Kerrigan...Redskins arent going to break the bank for Preston, and Smith may want too much money for what he's showing on the field........It wouldnt surprise me if the Redskins went in another direction....maybe draft another Bama Boy!-the Redskins are Alabama II-LOL!!! 

Preston's not a bad player, but he doesn't seem to give his all, all the time---doesn't play consistently--and lots of analysts have made mention of this...Now who knows--  different coaching might help him realize his potential....But it bothers me in a contract year how he played--

Here's a potential Bama Boy, edge rusher, seen as a sleeper....

 Christian Miller, 3-4OLB, Alabama 
Height: 6-4. Weight: 230. 
Projected 40 Time: 4.77. 
Projected Round (2019): 3-5. 
1/14/19: With Terrell Lewis out, Miller took advantage of the playing time to have a strong performance in 2018. He had 8.5 sacks, 36 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and one pass batted on the year. Miller was a nice situational pass-rusher coming off the edge for Alabama. 

Or this sounds like Bruce Allen....someone from the Redskins "backyard"...edge rusher from Old Dominion, Oshane Ximines, projected 2nd rounder

Or a FA that might be a good fit at OLB....Shane Ray from broncos....he's buried behind Von Miller and Chubb. Shane's a speed rusher who can play with the big guys up front

[Spurt]

This doesnt bode well for the Rams in the Super Bowl....Beli remrked that Rams DC Wade Phillips hadn't changed his defense in 30 years--Was this an actual compliment, or a little hidden shot Wade....Is Bill secretly thinking...I got you figured out?????

"Ive changed a lot in the last 30 years, schematically,” Belichick said. “Wade really . . . hasn’t. He really hasn’t. You’ve got to give him credit for that. The system has lasted. I mean, really, this is part of his dad’s system that he’s developed and adapted and developed there. I mean, I have a ton of respect for what he’s done and how he’s done it over every different kind of offense you can see...."

This is what a fan wrote that rings true:

Wade Phillips “hasn’t changed his system” …..12 NFL gigs as DC or HC.
Bill Belichick constantly changes his system…..9 Super bowls in past 18 years.
Hmmmmm
I wonder if there is a correlation?

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Speaking of Wade Phillips, his son, Wes Phillips, is unemployed.  The Redskins replaced him as TE coach with Bryan Angelichio, who has been the Packer's TE coach the last 3 years.........

Dad, Wade, put in a plug for his son Wes, bringing up a point that has gotten a lot of coaches hired this season... Joking Wade said, “Wes is a young offensive coach who knows Sean McVay.” LOL....

[Greeneyedlady21]

Adam Vinatieri is worshipped by Patriots fans. Great kicker and great guy. All the best to him.

As for Tom being protected by calls I think he is paranoid about his knees because of what happened in that play a few years ago. Rightfully so, no pliability or diet is going to prevent a torn ACL or MCL in a hit like that. Plus the alleged multiple concussions that he won't talk about. You're talking about brain damage.

The refs don't do their jobs properly, latest glaring example being Rams Saints. And Roger is a terrible commissioner, unbelievable that he's still in that job.