Being a Seahawks fan forever, i'm not sure what to think. Only one road playoff win since 1983, but stuff like that doesnt seem to matter to Wilson. The kid just doesnt break like most rookies do. RG3 doesnt either though. Seattles defense is real too. I'm just not sure. The Hawks might lose, but there is no team that scares me right now. Should be a fun game Sunday.
I actually followed the Bucs when Alstott was playing there. It was tough liking any team that plays in Florida. In any sport. At any level.
At least it's warm in hell. Raiders will be back. One more season in salary cap hell and then McKenzie will really turn his magic on the roster. This year, Raiders had enough money to pay for 15 of the needed 24 starters. The rest were largely league minimum players. The coach is also a work in progress. I saw a lot to like in him this season. Raiders are in a better place than the Chargers or Chiefs. Broncos are positioned to dominate the division for a few years, until Peyton's decline accelerates. The best hope for their offense is that his work ethic rubs off on the organization. Peyton is unlike any other when it comes to game intelligence.
No shit. It was 11F this morning on my commute to work. I can remember a time when other teams wanted no part of the AFC West. This division won't always be this bad and everyone knows that things go in cycles. I can see a time in the not too distant future when the West will be like the 1990's. As for PM all I can say is that I'm sitting back and enjoying his stint with the Broncos. Players like him don't happen too often and we'll miss him when he's gone. I'm hoping Osweiler (his 6'-8" backup) learns lots and can emulate PM's intelligence and work habits.
Just read that ol' Ray Lewis is set to retire at the end of Baltimore's season. In my opinion, he's one of the best LBs to ever play the game. First ballot HOF-er for sure.
No lie, no acting: I really don't like the Broncos. That said, PM is the real deal. I think he is the greatest to ever play the game. Period. He single handedly altered the entire Colts organization into perennial winners. He did that. He did it to a small market team with minimal fan support. What he did for the community in Indianapolis is enormous. The local children's hospital is named 'Peyton Manning Children's Hospital'. He raised so much money for local charities, it was insane. Best part is he did all of that without a hint of scandal. No arrests. No police blotter entries. None of that. If Osweiler is the future, he will have to learn it by paying attention. Curtis Painter didn't do that. Manning isn't a professor. He isn't going to be conducting classes for his heir apparent. Why do you think he left Indy? He wasn't going to be Luck's teacher. He wants to win. Him. He. Peyton. He wants to win. If Peyton is able to change the Broncos the way he changed the Colts, with the shorter time he will have there, the Broncos are going to be set for years. I am convinced the Raiders will be back. They need to keep cleaning out bad contracts but they'll be back. We aren't the Browns or the Cubs. We don't like losing. We don't take pride in it. I think the Chiefs will be back as well. It will take longer but they'll do it. They had some bad drafts and can't seem to get an offensive line. The Chargers? Um. Not so much.
This year the AFC West was the worst NFL division. They have been in contention for it for the past few years, usually with the NFC West. The NFC West is making strides. I don't think the AFC West will be down forever. Yep, as Koncha said, teams with pride. Not willing to settle. Sounds like Andy Reid is going to KC. I'm not sure if this is good for them or not. Reid is a ESPN darling, reminds me of Jim Boeheim from Syracuse in that. I'm just not convinced Reid ever really coaches above his talent. Actually at times he's had pretty strong talent and not been able to take it to that next level. I do think the Raiders will be back, KC will improve, SD? I will defer to the gentleman from Indy on that one.
The first couple of things the Chargers need are the following. 1. OL . When Rivers does get the time, he can be pretty good, but he need more time when you throw like your throwing a shot putt.. 2. DB's They stink across the board. They couldn't cover a all girls team. 3. A coach that can teach them to win the big game. Marty couldn't do it, and Norm couldn't do it. I still remember the NE playoff game, and the Jets playoff game. Those games still pisses me off. Had both games in the bag and pissed them away. Joc
O line is an issue for every team in the league. All of them. Some teams figure it out and others keep doing the same things over and over. Also, a lot of o line issue start with the QB. He has to call the right plays for what the defense is showing. If you don't have a smart QB, he isn't going to read the D and it all goes south from there. That is Rivers' problem. Well, one of them. He tries to force his will onto the defense. Make them play his game. Do you see Peyton or Brady do that? No. They take what the defense is giving and execute to make the D adapt. They get the D out of their pre-planned scheme by executing on what is being given. Rivers has a personality defect that won't allow him to do that. "We play our style of football." What a load of crap. You know what makes great QBs and teams? They don't have a style. They just execute better with what is being given them. If you can force a defense or offense out of the scheme they practiced and studied all week, you are going to win a lot of games. Brady can throw for 300+ yards almost at will. However, if the defense dropped 7 every play and the numbers for the game were 12 of 18 for 112 but 42 rushes for 300 and a win, he'll take it. But that rarely happens. The defense adjusts and stops dropping into coverage when you are running it down their throats. Then Brady goes to work. Same thing with Manning. If the left side of the line sucks, he isn't going to take a ton of 7 step drops. That isn't what is being given to him. When Manning has struggles on the O line, he knows the defense is going to start over pursuing. Watch him play. What does he do after a sack? He will either start dumping off sooner to get the D to keep pursuing or he starts audibling into the gaps created by the over-pursuit. That is why he owned the Texans. Mario Williams was awesome but he couldn't stay home. Some of the weakest RBs in NFL history had career days against the Texans because of over pursuit. That is why Rivers will never be a great QB. He has too much ego to take what is being given instead of trying to force a game plan. It isn't even just Rivers. The entire organization thinks that way, including the owner. "We're going to make them play Chargers football." By all means, please keep with that idea. The AFC West needs a doormat and I would prefer it wasn't the Raiders. But what do I know? I'm just some guy in Indiana.
If I could steal one quarterback from any team in the league, the last guy would be Rivers. He just can't man up and take responsibility for his play. He always blames his receivers or the line or somebody, but its never his fault. Like you say, Kevin, his ego is far bigger than his talent.
On the basis of what? Chiefs have a ton of cap room, still, and actually quite a bit of talent (certainly NOT at the qb spot). We don't have "one more year" to wait to improve.
I am basing that on the assumption the Raiders are one season ahead in the rebuilding, with consistency in the head coach. Also, I am not convinced Pioli is going to be the GM that gets it done the way I believe in MacKenzie. Also, it is my understanding that the Chiefs have a cap issue for 2013. As in, they are already at the cap, depending on how you calculate. http://arrowheadaddict.com/2012/10/18/looking-ahead-to-the-chiefs-2013-cap-situation/ Raiders are about $25M under the cap right now for next season and there are several agreement that will either be restructured or cut to free up more space. For 2014, the Raiders are largely free of the horrendous Al Davis contracts. But cap space is more art than science. Chiefs might engineer more space and make some good acquisitions. To be fair, I don't think the Chiefs are light years behind and it is possible they could pull an Indianapolis-type rebuilding in a single season but I doubt it. As much as it would kill my Raiders, seeing a resurgent Chiefs wouldn't bother me like watching the damn Patriots win anything.
All this Raiders talk on page 69 is appropriate. They do not know what end is up and what end is down. That is fanboy talk. You better switch to the Pats if you want to fanboy it. If Reid coaches KC, they will be on Denvers butt in no time. There is some talent there that just needs to be organized a little better. He would finish better than .500 his first year there with what he has.
In Indy Payton was the team and last year it showed, i think they got to comfortable dumping it on him and not building a better team around him. I to think he is the best ever to play and his total knowledge of the game is how he constantly changes the offense thru the whole game. The raiders the old man built them but in his last years killed them so with that guy from the packers it will take a few years but i see them makeing a comeback once they cut all the garbage out of there. Reid will get the cheifs turned around into play-off contenders but i don't know if they'd be much more than that with out getting a good QB. They took a step back by having Crennely as the coach because he just doesn't give the discipline the players needed.
Rumor has it KC is going to try to snag John Dorsey as GM. Currently the football operations director for GB. If they do, it'd be a good hire. He's been on the GM-in-waiting list for a few years.
