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NFL Random Thought of the Day

Texian said:
I doubt he leaves, by many accounts Belichick is set on becoming the all-time WINS leader.
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28 wins needed for that record. I suppose Bill would see that as a couple more years, but in reality at his current rate it’ll take him 4, if he stays in a job that long.
 
welsh texan said:
28 wins needed for that record. I suppose Bill would see that as a couple more years, but in reality at his current rate it’ll take him 4, if he stays in a job that long.
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I think The Hoodie will move on after the season. And Kraft will let him. Look for the Giants to come calling.
 
JB said:
www.espn.com

Sources: Giants fear QB Jones tore ACL in loss

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones left Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half because of a noncontact knee injury, and sources told ESPN's Jordan Raanan after the game that the initial fear is the veteran has a torn ACL.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Just a little late or Mills might've been heading to a new opportunity.
 
JB said:
www.espn.com

Sources: Eagles TE Goedert has forearm fracture

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert has a fracture in his right forearm and will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine if there is any further damage, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Dallas defender (#14) hooks Goedert's arm and takes him to ground like a WWE move. The result was predictable. I hope the forearm fracture does not include the elbow joint.

1699289970727.png
 
TheRealJoker said:
Teams need to do a better job vetting the players they plan on paying big $ to in FA. Somebody else could pay them and they avoid the headache:

apple.news

Chargers GM Apologized to Team for Horrible, $82.5 Million Signing, per Report — Sports Illustrated

He reportedly called it a “swing and a miss.”
apple.news apple.news
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Things came to a head in Week 4 when Jackson refused to enter against the Raiders, per an October report from NFL Network. He repeatedly refused to enter the game with his shoelaces remaining untied despite his team needing him to fill in for Michael Davis in the third quarter when he injured his ankle.
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Hard to see these things sometimes. Money changes people. New England was happy to take him back, money & all, so I don't think he acted this way, or will, in New England.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Dallas defender (#14) hooks Goedert's arm and takes him to ground like a WWE move. The result was predictable. I hope the forearm fracture does not include the elbow joint.

View attachment 12958
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It appears that this fracture was a proximal radial head fracture........the radial head is part of the elbow joint. I doubt he is seen before the very end of the season. Regaining full range of motion will be his greatest focus.
 
JB said:
www.espn.com

Eagles LB Dean has Lisfranc sprain, source says

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean has been diagnosed with a Lisfranc sprain, a league source told ESPN.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Dean is going for a 2nd opinion regarding the need of surgery.

As I've posted in the past.........there are Lisfanc injuries and there are lisfranc injuries. Surgery is usually not required for Lisfranc ligament sprains when the ligaments aren't fully torn (and therefore the joint is not displaced). The prognosis is altogether different than when surgery is indicated. Typically, in the former case, an athlete is placed in a boot for six to eight weeks to take weight off the joint and rest the injury. Studies have shown that the long-term prognosis for this type of Lisfranc injury is excellent.
 
NFL limits underclassmen participation to specific all-star games
By Mike Florio
Published November 9, 2023 09:28 AM

The NFL’s decision to allow draft-eligible underclassmen to participate in all-star games raises some new issues for players, and for certain all-star games.

Draft-eligible underclassmen are permitted to participate only in the Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, and HBCU Legacy Bowl. Per the NFL, those bowls were included because they have working relationships with the NFL.

That could create some consternation for all-star games like the Hula Bowl, which has been frozen out of inviting underclassmen.

The situation also could make it harder for draft-eligible seniors to get a chance to show their stuff in all-star games and the practices leading up to it, since underclassmen will not be taking their spots. Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent, for example, benefited greatly from the Senior Bowl, as a guy who played at the Division II level.

Another potential problem comes from the deadline for applying to enter the draft early. Players must submit their request by Monday, January 15. The official list will be released on Friday, January 19. The all-star games presumably would like to firm up their expected rosters before then.

As to the exclusion of all-star games like the Hula Bowl, it will be interesting to see whether there’s any pushback. It’s potentially an antitrust violation for the league to limit underclassmen to the all-star games that have a current working relationship with the league. Whether the Hula Bowl or any other all-star game choses to push that angle remains to be seen.
 
NFL posts barrage of messages about roughing the passer
Published November 9, 2023 04:34 PM

It came without warning, or specific purpose. And it will do little to achieve its intended goal of making people feel better about the slipshod, inconsistent manner in which NFL officials call roughing the passer fouls.

A storm of posts on the platform previously known as Twitter from NFL Football Operations aims ostensibly to explain the roughing the passer rule. Under a video narrated by Rich Eisen (because, frankly, the NFL has not employed an authoritative voice on officiating matters since Dean Blandino left for Fox), multiple lengthy messages appear. It’s too much. It’s too technical. It blurs together. It causes eyes to gloss over and brains to check out.

Then again, maybe that’s the true goal. Overwhelm the audience with information so that we’ll all be more inclined to accept the slipshod, inconsistent manner in which officials call roughing the passer fouls.

Buried at the bottom of what would be called a tweetstorm if they were still called tweets is the one sentence that could help everyone better understand when and why yellow flags fly after a quarterback is hit: “When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the Referee should always call roughing the passer.” (Emphasis added.)
When in doubt . . . always call roughing the passer.

It’s the only rule that requires doubt to be resolved in favor of throwing the flag. And it’s the mirror image of the standard for putting someone in jail. If there’s reasonable doubt (i.e., the glove doesn’t fit), the defendant walks. In this setting, if there’s reasonable doubt, the referee is required to throw the flag.

That never gets explained during games. We’ve mentioned on numerous occasions this should be the first thing the rules analysts employed by the various networks mention when asked to comment on a roughing foul. The question isn’t whether Blandino or Gene Steratore (CBS) or Terry McAulay (NBC, Amazon) or John Parry (ESPN) believe roughing occurred. It’s whether the referee, while officiating the game in real time and at full speed, had ANY DOUBT that roughing occurred.

The league wants it this way because it needs quarterbacks to stay healthy. From having a hair trigger on roughing the passer to grossly expanding the area in which passes can land to avoid intentional grounding fouls to not calling offensive holding that blatantly occurs to looking the other way when tackles start into the pass-block set a split second before the snap, the NFL is officiating games in a way that is intended to help keep quarterbacks healthy.

The problem is that, even with such measures, it’s not working. Many quarterbacks have been injured this year, either missing practice time or game time or playing through one or more injuries. Here’s a rough list of quarterbacks who have been banged up (or sidelined) at some point this year: Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Ryan Tannehill, Anthony Richardson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, Desmond Ridder, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Bryce Young, Brock Purdy, Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith.

That’s why the league uses a “when in doubt” standard for roughing calls. That’s why there’s a sense of inconsistency, because sometimes there’s doubt — and sometimes there isn’t — when officials attempt to discern tactics happening at full speed in real time.

Frankly, the only way to instill true consistency would be to change the roughing rules for quarterbacks in the pocket to match the same protections that apply to punters and kickers, and to make roughing reviewable. Yes, that would dramatically alter the game. It also would make it easier to officiate roughing the passer consistently. It would help keep quarterbacks healthy.

Many of you won’t like the mere suggestion of such a strict standard for roughing. That’s fine. That’s your prerogative.

Meanwhile, enjoy watching Tommy DeVito face the Cowboys on Sunday in what Fox will call (with a straight face and zero sense of irony) America’s Game of the Week.
 
Keith Smith confirms that his $87,000 fine was overturned
By Mike Florio
Published November 10, 2023 10:25 AM

A column from NFL Players Association president JC Tretter pointed to it. The player in question has confirmed it.

Via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, Falcons fullback Keith Smith said his $87,418 fine for illegal use of his helmet has been wiped out.

“It’s just like, a lot of the hits, especially at my position, not only just on kick return, but at fullback, because I’ve been fined multiple times for use of helmet,” Smith told Rothstein. “Just carrying out routine blocks.”

The problem comes from the breadth of a rule that was crafted by legal and P.R. (as explained in Playmakers), hidden from the media, and crammed through ownership in early 2018. Players are prohibited from lowering their helmets and initiating forcible contact with an opponent. That still happens all the time, especially when one player tries to block another.

“They are just very subjective in that rule, use of helmet, is sometimes impossible because you can’t always control how a defender takes you on,” Smith said. “So you can only use the technique that you’re taught continuously and sometimes that goes against the rule when you slow it down in slow motion.”

In his column, Tretter said the coach of the player in question (as we now know, Smith) “previously reached out to the league for guidance on how to properly execute the technique his player had been previously fined for, but he received no answer.”

The answer came from the appeal process. The full fine was scrapped. Which shows that, frankly, the NFL has no idea how to properly enforce the rule. Which should make the NFL reconsider the wisdom of the rule in the first place.
 
Expansion should be off the table for the NFL, indefinitely

Published November 10, 2023 06:41 AM

The NFL would like to increase inventory, as evidenced by the expansion of the regular season from 16 to 17 games in 2021. At some point, 18 games will arrive. The next step would be expansion.

And that’s the step the league should not take, for one important reason. There aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around for 32 teams.

There aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around in part because there aren’t enough healthy quarterbacks. There aren’t enough healthy quarterbacks even though the league is bending over backwards to protect them, from aggressively flagging roughing the passer to not aggressively penalizing intentional grounding to not calling offensive holding as often as it happens, to allowing tackles to get a slight head start as they prepare to keep the quarterback from getting hit.

At some positions, there are more than enough players to support 34, 36, 38, 40 teams or more. Beyond having more than enough punters and kickers, there’s a surplus of competent running backs. That’s the biggest reason why the best ones can’t get paid a more fair rate.

The best quarterbacks get paid a lot more than anyone else, largely because of the scarcity of the commodity. There are a handful of true franchise quarterbacks. There is a small cluster of highly competent quarterbacks behind them. Beyond that, the quality plummets. Throw in injuries, and multiple teams end up with no real shot. Put one or two of those teams in prime time, and the ratings won’t be as large as they could be.

Yes, more teams will result in more inventory. Without more competent quarterbacks, it’ll be more ugly football and more inept teams.

Let’s remember that whenever anyone mentions the possibility of expanding the NFL beyond 32 teams.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Expansion should be off the table for the NFL, indefinitely

Published November 10, 2023 06:41 AM

The NFL would like to increase inventory, as evidenced by the expansion of the regular season from 16 to 17 games in 2021. At some point, 18 games will arrive. The next step would be expansion.

And that’s the step the league should not take, for one important reason. There aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around for 32 teams.

There aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around in part because there aren’t enough healthy quarterbacks. There aren’t enough healthy quarterbacks even though the league is bending over backwards to protect them, from aggressively flagging roughing the passer to not aggressively penalizing intentional grounding to not calling offensive holding as often as it happens, to allowing tackles to get a slight head start as they prepare to keep the quarterback from getting hit.

At some positions, there are more than enough players to support 34, 36, 38, 40 teams or more. Beyond having more than enough punters and kickers, there’s a surplus of competent running backs. That’s the biggest reason why the best ones can’t get paid a more fair rate.

The best quarterbacks get paid a lot more than anyone else, largely because of the scarcity of the commodity. There are a handful of true franchise quarterbacks. There is a small cluster of highly competent quarterbacks behind them. Beyond that, the quality plummets. Throw in injuries, and multiple teams end up with no real shot. Put one or two of those teams in prime time, and the ratings won’t be as large as they could be.

Yes, more teams will result in more inventory. Without more competent quarterbacks, it’ll be more ugly football and more inept teams.

Let’s remember that whenever anyone mentions the possibility of expanding the NFL beyond 32 teams.
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Instead of watering down the talent pool by expanding….the NFL should turn their focus towards the USFL/XFL and focus on developing more talent for their current 32 teams. A developmental league would fair much better by taking the other days in the week of the football season versus competing with MLB in the summer. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday would be a nice fill for football fans, especially when their NFL team’s minor league affiliate is playing.
 
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Frustrated Panthers fans plan a Sunday march on team’s stadium
Published November 10, 2023 02:28 PM

The Panthers stink. And Panthers fans are getting fed up with it.
Via the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers Nation Podcast has organized a march on the team’s stadium for Sunday at noon ET.

“Calling #PantherNation! Join us for the OFFICIAL ‘March On Mint’ to make our voices heard,” the podcast said on Twitter/X. “We love our team but it’s time to demand better performance on the field. Let’s show our passion (peacefully) and push for change!”

It’s an interesting gesture, but it won’t make a difference. Ownership is already trying hard to make things better. Ownership is actually trying too hard. Ownership needs to back off and let the football people do their thing, without ownership hovering over them and letting ownership preferences be known in the subtle way that billionaire owners do.

Good luck getting David Tepper to do that. He’s intense. He’s driven. He’s irritable. He’s demanding.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Frustrated Panthers fans plan a Sunday march on team’s stadium
Published November 10, 2023 02:28 PM

The Panthers stink. And Panthers fans are getting fed up with it.
Via the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers Nation Podcast has organized a march on the team’s stadium for Sunday at noon ET.

“Calling #PantherNation! Join us for the OFFICIAL ‘March On Mint’ to make our voices heard,” the podcast said on Twitter/X. “We love our team but it’s time to demand better performance on the field. Let’s show our passion (peacefully) and push for change!”

It’s an interesting gesture, but it won’t make a difference. Ownership is already trying hard to make things better. Ownership is actually trying too hard. Ownership needs to back off and let the football people do their thing, without ownership hovering over them and letting ownership preferences be known in the subtle way that billionaire owners do.

Good luck getting David Tepper to do that. He’s intense. He’s driven. He’s irritable. He’s demanding.
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I guess the fans are finally realizing that their Panthers got the short end of the stick in this years draft. Better luck next season.
 
The catch rule contains a curious loophole
Published November 10, 2023 08:30 PM

After many years of trying, the NFL finally has figured out what a catch is. That doesn’t answer every question regarding the process of making a catch.

Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Eagles included a moment that exposed a curious quirk in the rules. There’s a loophole that the rules don’t address. The league has applied an interpretation that, as best we can tell, the owners have not voted on.

It happens when a receiver is going to the ground in the field of play while making a catch. The catch isn’t complete until the player hits the ground and retains possession. The ball is spotted, however, at its location when the receiver’s knee (or other body part other than hand) strikes the ground, if he has been contacted by an opponent. From the league’s perspective, the placement of the ball when the player has landed on the ground and completed the catch does not matter.

In the Cowboys-Eagles game, it was the difference between a fourth down play ending short of the goal line and a touchdown.

During the fourth quarter, with Philadelphia leading 28-17, Dallas tight end Luke Schoonmaker caught the ball outside the end zone. When his knee struck the ground, the ball was not across the goal line. When he landed (and held onto the ball and thus completed the catch) the ball had broken the plane of the end zone.


It was not ruled a touchdown. It was ruled a turnover on downs.

“By rule he is down by contact,” the NFL explained in response to an inquiry from PFT. “The same would apply at the sideline if a receiver is in the act of completing the catch, has control and knee hits inbounds but he falls out of bounds with the ball. He is down by contact inbounds where his knee hits and the ball is dead at that point.”

At the sideline, however, the player lands out of bounds. Here, the player landed with the ball and completed the catch in the field of play. If the play isn’t over until the player “survives the ground” (as they say), why wouldn’t the ball be spotted not where it was when his knee struck, but where it was when the process of making the catch was completed?

The rulebook is silent on the issue. On one hand, Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1 provides that a play ends “when a runner is contacted by an opponent and touches the ground with any part of his body other than his hands (including the wrist) or feet (including the ankle)” and “when a forward pass (legal or illegal) is incomplete.” On the other hand, and as specified in Rule 8, Section 1, Article 4, a pass is incomplete when the process of making a catch is not completed.

So when is the process of making a catch completed? Under Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, that happens when the three aspects of making a catch are satisfied. Step one, the player “secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground.” Step two, the player “touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands.” Step three, the player “performs any act common to the game (e.g., tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn upfield, or avoid or ward off an opponent), or he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so.”

Here’s the key. If step one and two are satisfied but the player “contacts the ground and loses control of the ball, it is an incomplete pass if the ball hits the ground before he regains control, or if he regains control out of bounds.”

How, then, can the play be over when (under Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1) the runner is contacted by an opponent and touches the ground with any part of his body other than his hands if the catch has not been completed, given that (also under Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1) the play doesn’t end until a forward pass is incomplete?

It’s a very real loophole in the rules, one that the league has decided to resolve by ending the play (runner down by contact) before the play is actually over (pass is not yet incomplete).

The point is that the league has adopted an interpretation that should be resolved by the rulebook, through the normal process of proposing a specific rule and having the owners vote on it.

When is the play over? When the knee is down after a player, contacted by an opponent, is still in the act of catching a pass? Or when the catch has, or hasn’t, been made by a player who has contacted the ground without completing the third step of the catch process?

Again, this isn’t something the officiating department of the league office should be resolving on its own. It’s a clear (although rarely applied) loophole in the rules that the owners should resolve. Is the play over when a catch has been made and a knee is down? Or is the play over when the process of making a catch is, or isn’t, finished?

The answer should be in the rulebook. It’s currently not. It should be a priority for the owners to resolve this loophole in March.

Finally, there arguably isn’t a loophole at all. Rule 7, Section 2, Article 1 specifically uses the term “runner.” If the process of making the catch has not yet concluded, the receiver is not yet a runner. Which means that the play isn’t over until the catch has fully and finally been made, through maintaining possession after landing on the ground.

This makes it even more important that, sooner than later, the owners decide precisely when, in a situation like this, the play has actually ended for the purposes of spotting the ball.
 
Cowboys 1st round 2018 pick LB linebacker Leighton Vander Esch suffered a neck injury in week 5. Jeruh has not wanted to identify the nature of the injury. However, it must be serious for Jones to now volunteer that he is out for the season.

Esch has a very significant history of neck injuries beginning with neck issues back in college at Boise State, where he missed half of the 2016 season with a "pinched nerve" in his neck but was still drafted in the first round by the Cowboys in 2018. He missed 3 games in 2022 and 7 games in 2019 with neck issues.

One needs to be aware that multiple stingers and chronic stinger syndrome are linked with degenerative changes in the spine that lead to serious debility later in life. Makes me think that this may be a career ending injury.
 
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