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NFL Wild Card Playoffs |OT| - It's Time for a SWITCH™

gutshot

Member
So just catching up on the end of the season after the holidays took most of my attention. The Eagles ended on a positive note, with a 2 game win streak, which was good to see. And thankfully they will only be picking 2 spots later in the first round than they would have been had they not traded up for Wentz. Acquire a potential franchise QB for two 3rd round picks and moving down from 12 to 14 in the first round? Sounds like a great deal to me. Thanks Minnesota!

Overall, the season went about as well as could be expected given they were starting a very inexperienced rookie QB in addition to all of the talent deficiencies they have on offense. The 3-0 start gave a lot of people some false hope, but 7-9 is basically what I predicted prior to the season (notably, this was with Bradford at QB). And most advanced metrics show they were a better team than their record indicated, which bodes well for the future. And, honestly, they could have been playoff contenders had Lane Johnson not been suspended. They were 5-1 in games with Johnson and 2-8 without him. It's not unreasonable to thing they could have gotten 3 more wins with him available for the full season and been in the mix for a wild card spot.

The defense was a bit of a disappointment this season, but only because I had pretty high expectations. And they started out so strong. I think injuries at the cornerback spot really hurt them. The lack of depth there is pretty glaring. Trading away Rowe looks like a very bad move right now. They need to add some CB talent and depth in the draft. Vinny Curry, and to a lesser extent, Fletcher Cox, were disappointments along the d-line. But Brandon Graham was a stud. And Jordan Hicks looks like a star. And Jenkins continues to be a leader and a playmaker. They have some guys to build around, just need to fill in a few holes and add depth at LB and CB.

On offense, the cupboard is pretty bare, but the good news is you have stability at the QB position. First time a QB has started all 16 games for Philly since Donovan McNabb in 2008! And he's young and has potential. The offensive line also looks to be in decent shape. Lane Johnson has blossomed into one of the best tackles in the NFL. Peters was once that and still is very good, but will need to be replaced soon. And the guards are decent. Kelce may need to be replaced, but it's not a pressing need. The big issue is at the skill positions. With the exception of the ageless Darren Sproles, there are no playmakers at the positions where you most want them. The Eagles have to upgrade here through any means necessary: free agency, draft or trade. My preference is getting a stud RB through the draft (Cook or Fournette), signing a vet WR (DeSean?) and then just hoping against hope that one of DGB or Agholor could break out in year 3 (the year WRs traditionally finally put things together). But really, any moves they make would be an improvement over what they have now.

Overall, I think the future looks bright for the team. Pederson may not be the next great coach, but he seems solid. Wentz looks like he could be very good, once he corrects a few mechanical flaws and gets a better supporting cast. The defense showed flashes of dominance and with some better corners and more depth, could sustain that. And, as long as Dave Fipp doesn't leave, our special teams should continue to be a top 5 unit. As things stand right now, I think next season the goal should be 10-6 and a wild card spot. We'll have to see how the offseason goes and then of course training camp and the preseason. But I think that is a realistic win total for this team, barring any offseason disaster.

Looking forward to free agency and the draft and seeing what Howie and Co. have in store! #FlyEaglesFly
 
Texans should win the wildcard game Saturday so I wont be surprised if they do.

At the same time if they lose the wildcard game on Saturday I wont be surprised either.

Man the playoffs suck

It's funny how fans on both sides are just hopeless. Both have fans that feel their team has no shot, and some feeling optimistic for some strange reason. At their current state, both are easy beatable by even the Browns, imo.
 
My question is this. Who in the hell is going to walk into San Francisco and expect not to have their head on the chopping block almost immediately? The entire team is a disaster, and having three head coaches in three years is going to make everything there a clusterfuck.

Granted, doing worse than this season would be quite the feat, but I wouldn't trust York to give the new staff the time they would actually need to get the team turned around.
 
Exactly.

Frankly, the only way this whole thing makes any sense to me is that O'Brien wants to be coach AND GM (like Belichick) and Rick Smith is in his way. Problem with that is that O'Brien really hasn't done anything to prove why he should take Smith's job.

If O'Brien is still around come draft time, I expect to hear a story about how he wanted 'X' QB that the Texans didn't take.

Yeah I think that's the angle as well. Interesting that a team with the kind of talent and coaching staff they have struggles with the internal politics. Smith has built a decent team (albeit without a franchise QB, which as you point out 3/4 of the league lacks). The coaching staff has taken that talent and produced a playoff caliber/division winning team, albeit in a weak division.

Smith can argue "I got the talent; the reason we're not champs is that the coaching staff can't coach the QB I got."

BOB can argue "the QB you got me sucks despite the coaching he's getting."

Straight up none of the QBs the Texans have fielded in recent years are worth a damn. If they had a franchise QB they'd be SB contenders.

To me, both Smith and BOB are doing a good job, with just that one missing piece. Gonna wind up tearing the franchise apart and destroy the window they have by making power plays.
 
My question is this. Who in the hell is going to walk into San Francisco and expect not to have their head on the chopping block almost immediately? The entire team is a disaster, and having three head coaches in three years is going to make everything there a clusterfuck.

Granted, doing worse than this season would be quite the feat, but I wouldn't trust York to give the new staff the time they would actually need to get the team turned around.

Got news for you.

People felt that way the second Harbaugh was fired. If getting your team to 3 Conference Championships and a Super Bowl can't save you, nothing can.
 

Gigglepoo

Member
My question is this. Who in the hell is going to walk into San Francisco and expect not to have their head on the chopping block almost immediately? The entire team is a disaster, and having three head coaches in three years is going to make everything there a clusterfuck.

Granted, doing worse than this season would be quite the feat, but I wouldn't trust York to give the new staff the time they would actually need to get the team turned around.

It's going to be four coaches in four years. We'd be lucky to get Lane Kiffin.
 

chuckddd

Fear of a GAF Planet
I will try to watch it later and offer my criticisms then.

Allow me to save you some time.

giphy.gif
 

jmdajr

Member
Was it because the color of their skin?

Good morning GAF. Rick Smith is an awful GM. He knows how to draft in the first round but everything past that is suspect. He just had to have the corpse of Ed Reed over re-signing Glover Quinn for cheap.

That was poop
 
Oh god dammit!

I cant post the tweet but here is a link to BRB that has the entire exchange between Lance Zierlein and an NFL exec:

http://www.battleredblog.com/2017/1...mors-bill-obrien-texans-agreeing-to-part-ways

Rick trying to exert his "authority". I understand Deacons side in this but aint this some BS? the exec in this exchange says you dont do this type of thingas a GM right before a playoff game.

Reading that i'm more convinced than ever that Smith is eliminating O'Brien because O'Brien wants Smith's job. This seems very similar to the Niners situation - cutting down the coach before he gets too powerful and takes your position.

Shame really, I think BoB's doing great work there,but he was silly in thinking he could usurp Smith.
 

MechDX

Member
Reading that i'm more convinced than ever that Smith is eliminating O'Brien because O'Brien wants Smith's job. This seems very similar to the Niners situation - cutting down the coach before he gets too powerful and takes your position.

Shame really, I think BoB's doing great work there,but he was silly in thinking he could usurp Smith.

Se are becoming the NIners of two years ago? Who will be our Jim Tomsula?

O'Brien will be a head coach next year in the NFL. Mark my words, if him and the Texans part ways he will have a job within 10 days
 
I will try to watch it later and offer my criticisms then.

I'll be interested. Obviously I am a Roseman supporter so it's nice to see the other side.

Some of the best parts are him basically acknowledging they have a lot of work to do, him highlighting the impact and importance of Joe Douglas, and how Douglas is going to be the one setting their draft board and key in making decisions about what players to go after. Howie had a nice jab at Chip saying he "wishes he could hop in a Delorean". He stated that 10-6 is not good enough and made it clear they are shooting for better. It's all sort of obvious stuff but he was very confident and concise about the goals for the offseason, and it really projected that internally the organization is in better shape than it has been in years.
 
Se are becoming the NIners of two years ago? Who will be our Jim Tomsula?

O'Brien will be a head coach next year in the NFL. Mark my words, if him and the Texans part ways he will have a job within 10 days

I agree. I really hope for your organization's sake that this whole thing is blowing smoke because firing a coach for firing's sake NEVER works out well.

That said if it does happen, i'm curious to see if O'Brien's next stop gives him GM powers out of the gate.
 
@JeffDarlington 6m6 minutes ago
Update on Dolphins: Source tells me Ryan Tannehill will not practice today. No decision has been made for Thursday. Still not ruled out.

If he's not even practicing in limited fashion today I doubt he'll be ready by Sunday.


lucky!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not if I can't get in ;_;

Prob all northeast transplants

Probably, I've mentioned it to co-workers and only the transplants seem to give a damn, everybody else doesn't care.
 

this_guy

Member
The only way Bob can have his way in Houston is to have McNair's child. That's higher on the pecking order than Rick Smith being God Father to McNair's grandson.
 

Doomsayer

Member
My question is this. Who in the hell is going to walk into San Francisco and expect not to have their head on the chopping block almost immediately? The entire team is a disaster, and having three head coaches in three years is going to make everything there a clusterfuck.

Granted, doing worse than this season would be quite the feat, but I wouldn't trust York to give the new staff the time they would actually need to get the team turned around.

We are going to get some shitty retread coach that is likely going to get scapegoated after 1 season or we are going to get an unknown offensive coordinator somewhere.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I'm glad we got rid of Baalke, but this organization is fucking garbage from the top down. You fire a guy who got you 44 wins in 4 seasons because our GM didn't like him? Then we fire the GM two years later? Classic.
 

MechDX

Member
We are going to get some shitty retread coach that is likely going to get scapegoated after 1 season or we are going to get an unknown offensive coordinator somewhere.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I'm glad we got rid of Baalke, but this organization is fucking garbage from the top down. You fire a guy who got you 44 wins in 4 seasons because our GM didn't like him? Then we fire the GM two years later? Classic.

"Those who dont learn from the past are doomed to repeat it-- Some dude

Deja Vu like a motherfuck
 
I'll be interested. Obviously I am a Roseman supporter so it's nice to see the other side.

Some of the best parts are him basically acknowledging they have a lot of work to do, him highlighting the impact and importance of Joe Douglas, and how Douglas is going to be the one setting their draft board and key in making decisions about what players to go after. Howie had a nice jab at Chip saying he "wishes he could hop in a Delorean". He stated that 10-6 is not good enough and made it clear they are shooting for better. It's all sort of obvious stuff but he was very confident and concise about the goals for the offseason, and it really projected that internally the organization is in better shape than it has been in years.

Anyone but howie setting up the draft board is already a massive improvement. I do not see how the organization is set up better internally with a much worse head coach then either Chip or Andy, but maybe if they could get someone competent to pick the players then dougies failings wont matter as much. I really wished he had agreed to give up the playcalling duties, it definitely seemed like it was to much for him this year.
 

Doomsayer

Member
Niners fans, I know it's been a while but did Harbaugh ever indicate he was interested in Baalke's job?

There were reports of he and Baalke beefing on control of roster/picks.

Like I know AJ Jenkins was a Baalke pick and Kaep was a Harbaugh pick. I think the "power struggle" started with Harbaugh wanting to be able to have control of the roster as well.

I'd say yes.
 

Striker

Member
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is the 1st CB to win Defensive Player of the Week with 3 teams (AZ, DEN, NYG) since Deion Sanders (ATL, SF, BAL)

09w3w6a.gif


He hit a $500K escalator in his contract too by getting 5+ INT's.
 

Striker

Member
To bad he didnt give a fuck when he was with the Eagles.
That was a concern when the Giants signed him for that much but it's been a helluva deal. There was some strange talk of the Giants moving on from him after this year (I never really found out why) but they won't save that much by cutting him, especially since he's been so good. (checking, looks to be around $4.5M by releasing him, jumps to $6.5 after next season; speaking of, cutting Cruz can get the Giants around $7M)

On the Eagles front, they've had DRC, Nnamdi and Maxwell and none of them worked out.
 
@DavidHaugh
Pace on staying with Fox, who's 9-23: "For us to get better long-term, it's developing our talent and culture. I think we're doing both."

Sorry BearsGAF. You deserve better
 

Matrix

LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world he’d rather have. The problem is, Dwyane’s not a woman.
Oh god dammit!

I cant post the tweet but here is a link to BRB that has the entire exchange between Lance Zierlein and an NFL exec:

http://www.battleredblog.com/2017/1...mors-bill-obrien-texans-agreeing-to-part-ways

Rick trying to exert his "authority". I understand Deacons side in this but aint this some BS? the exec in this exchange says you dont do these type of things as a GM right before a playoff game.


I don't care for Buttchin (mainly his coaching this season) much at all, but Ive wanted Smith gone for years. Should have been let go when he got Kubes/Wade kicked out. Isn't Smith best friends with McNairs son? ugh Smith aint ever going anywhere. The fucking Corey Brewer of GM's.
 
That was a concern when the Giants signed him for that much but it's been a helluva deal. There was some strange talk of the Giants moving on from him after this year (I never really found out why) but they won't save that much by cutting him, especially since he's been so good. (checking, looks to be around $4.5M by releasing him, jumps to $6.5 after next season; speaking of, cutting Cruz can get the Giants around $7M)

On the Eagles front, they've had DRC, Nnamdi and Maxwell and none of them worked out.
Yeah they are cursed at DB for sure. None of the guys they drafted worked either. Rowe showed flashes but the bad man drafted him so he had to go. Eagles need to new starters next year. Can't go through another year with the crap they had this year.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Joe-Theismann-slams-49ers-for-giving-Colin-10834407.php

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann isn't happy with the San Francisco 49ers' decision to give Colin Kaepernick an award for "inspirational and courageous" player.

Kaepernick sparked a national debate by kneeling during the national anthem before games as a way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality.

Kaepernick received the Len Eshmont Award last week. The prize is described as the team's most prestigious honor; its recipient is decided by players.

Theismann noted the team's 2-14 record during an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday and questioned what Kaepernick has inspired. He said, "Everybody has the right to express their opinion, but not in the workplace."

Theismann called on the NFL to adopt a policy requiring players to stand for the anthem.
 

Drakeon

Member
It's going to be four coaches in four years. We'd be lucky to get Lane Kiffin.

Yep. We're by far the worst coaching opportunity. Only advantage is if someone wants to bring a GM with them, we're the only place that can happen (for now, I'm still not entirely sure Grigson/Pagano are safe).

We'll probably have to settle for someone like a Mike Pettine, an assistant coach not getting offers elsewhere, basically.

Our roster is just so fucking piss poor, it's going to take years to climb out of the hole Baalke/York put us in.
 
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