NFL 2018 Season Thread

[SlowwHand]

I know what Detroit needs to do.
Trade both Stafford and Calvin Johnson for a boatload of draft picks.
Trade with one team or two. Start over.
At the current rate of progression, both are being wasted anyway.

[rah]

Their value has dropped.

[Zopperoni]

Plus, they have massive salary cap values. Stafford's 2016 contract value is about $22M, Johnson's is about $24M.

It's better/easier/cheaper if the Lions just stay away from coaches named Jim.

[Sava]

I read Andrew Luck ranks 47th in passer rating

that makes me happy

[-Jrabbit]

Luck may or may not be playing hurt, but he is definitely playing without protection.

Post-Peyton Indy GM (Ryan Grigson) has had three years to give him an offensive line and/or a decent defense, and has failed utterly to do either. This year, Indy spent its 1st round pick on the 6th-best WR, (Phillip Dorsett, 5'9", 180, 11 catches), who is even smaller than TY Hilton. Did they draft or sign any quality offensive linemen? No. But they did sign 33-y.o. WR Andre Johnson ($21 million, 3 yrs), DE/LB Trent Cole, 33 (2 yrs, $14 million) and RB Frank Gore, 32 (3 years, $12 million). Nice cap management! And just in time for Andrew Luck's rookie contract to run out, yay!

It's a case study in how to destroy the value of your franchise player.

And although I've indicted the GM, Grigson is really just doing the bidding of a meddlesome owner. Jim Irsay fancies himself a football guy despite the fact that his only qualification is inheriting the team from his daddy. (His degree is in journalism!) But I digress.

[Zopperoni]

Was it Collinsworth who referred to the Colts roster as the "Pro Bowl Alumni Club"?

At the same time, it's easy to pass the blame around when things are falling apart like they are. Nobody saw any problems last year when the Colts Offense set franchise records for yards and points, despite using 11 different starting O-Line configurations.

Obviously, heads have started to roll already, so things are likely to get worse before they get better in Indy.

---

Meanwhile, what the 49ers have done is downright shameful. They benched Kaepernick to prevent him from getting injured; an injury would have triggered a clause in his contract, skyrocketing his guaranteed money to $60M. It also eliminates all the incentives, so they can cut him with a minimal amount of dead money.

Essentially, they're tanking the season--in which they're the Super Bowl hosts no less(!)--because everyone knows that Blaine Gabbert isn't going to be the solution.

But maybe I expected too much from these people...

[SlowwHand]

Business.

[Zopperoni]

Business.

Still, if you're in the football business, shouldn't the football part be more important than the business part?

[Donegeal]

Business, regardless of industry, is unfortunately about money.

[ColdWizard]

If you don't do the business part right, you won't have the football part for long. See also USFL.

[-Jrabbit]

Hilarious to see the Chargers fan reaction after MNF. Apparently losing to the Bears at home means "we've hit rock bottom."

Best part: calling for the firing of the strength/conditioning coach, who is apparently the cause of all the San Diego injuries this year.

[SlowwHand]

Part of the problem.
Who else to blame?

[-Jrabbit]

Well, a sizable group blame McCoy, of course. Because, fire the coach.

I'm just trying to figure out how they managed to score <20 against the Bears defense.

[Demonbinder]

Because most of their WR's were rookies and looked it. I saw at least three passes they dropped that they turned their head before they had the ball. I kept expecting Bears to blow it at the end but secondary played better than the last two weeks. If they win those last two, they would have only been one game behind Pack. But you are what you are.

[rah]

Or they could have lost the last two that they won and been tied with the Lions for a much better draft pick.