I have to agree with Shadarr. Giants continually underperform during the regular season and only really show their faces if they end up making a playoff run. That being said, it's definitely not in the cards for them this year (I hope). I feel like the Falcons are going to the flipside of the coin. Solid season show, going to go AWOL when the playoffs come around. No real hard facts, just a hunch.
You make that sound like I haven't been following the Cardinals for years and haven't felt the pain for the past few. I know full well it ain't easy to find even a decent quarterback (despite all the rookies tearing it up this year). Regardless, they have to keep trying. Given the recent failures, it would probably help a lot if they brought in some to evaluate QBs.
Wow, definitely not, huh? I'd like to believe that but last season they were 7-7 by this time of the year and we see how that turned out. Trust me I would like nothing more than not seeing them make the playoffs. I am hoping that RG3 comes back to play at 100% and the Skins don't miss this golden opportunity.
The Cardinals need to fix their offensive line before any QB they bring in can succeed. Heck, I'm not even sure Kolb or Lindel couldn't be the answer if they could survive back there. People talk about how well Alex Smith was playing and how Kaepernick has stepped in and played equally well, but a big part of both their success has to be having three first round picks and a Pro Bowler blocking up front instead of guys like Adam "lookout!" Snyder and Kwame "is he still in the league?" Harris. I don't think any QB in the league could be successful behind that Cardinal line, and most probably wouldn't survive more than a game or two. Using a high pick on another QB at this point would be like buying an iPad and throwing it down the stairs.
For most of the season that would be the case, but the Cardinals Offensive Line has actually done well for weeks now - and that's including going on our third Center (Snyder, who had to move over from Right Guard). The main issues with the Cardinals OL were the Left and Right Tackles, and that has improved dramatically over the season. Nate Potter replaced Batiste at LT, and Bobby Massie at RT went from being one of the worst to one of the best. There will be no doubt that they'll look into more line improvements over the offseason, but once Levi comes back to LT (and he was improving before the season-ending injury), I think the one thing keeping the Cardinals from being great is a decent quarterback.
They should go for "slightly below average" before reaching for great. Just IMO of course. Baby steps. :)
So Mark Sanchez is benched for the season, Greg McElroy gets the start (Tebow's not even in the conversation, heh heh). I guess the question is what now? The Jets owe Sanchez 8.25mn next year. Nobody in their right mind is going to make a trade for Sanchez at that price; honestly I don't see how anyone would sign him for more than league minimum at this point. So no matter what the Jets are going to be taking a bath on his contract; which is going to make it awkward to find a replacement next year in free agency. I'm also not aware that the Jets have much to offer in trade, other than draft picks I guess. Seattle could always dangle Matt Flynn in front of them, see what they'll give up (assuming Seattle's looking to unload him next year, which I guess they will be).
Well, Seattle will still need a backup for Wilson so they'd have to find someone first. Flynn's contract is pretty friendly, though, especially since they are only paying Wilson 3rd round money for the next few years. And Seattle is nowhere near the salary cap either, so they don't have to trade Flynn. If someone wants to overpay for him, then sure. But the lack of interest in him last offseason and the team friendly contract he signed with Seattle means I doubt anyone is going to offer a first or second round pick for him. At that point Seattle might as well keep him as their backup. He might even play at some point, improving his stock for a future trade. In other news it looks like we're going to get a heavy dose of Tebow attention again. Supposedly he wants off of the Jets now that they've decided to go with McElroy the rest of the way. I see his point, but I really do wonder just exactly what he thinks his future is. He's shown no sign of developing the actual passing skills that have allowed other hybrid option QBs like Wilson and RG3 to flourish because they can do both. Like Denver last year, you'd have to build your offense around his limitations, and I just don't think anyone is really going to do that.
Is the $8.25 million guaranteed? Or do you just mean that they're going to have to eat the cap hit? Either way, I think it's a lot more likely they would cut him outright than that anyone would want to trade for him. As far at their next QB, a good fit would actually be Alex Smith, because he has shown that he can protect the ball for a defensive, running-based team. However, that assumes Rex Ryan keeps his job, and I highly doubt that will happen. Much more likely is that they clean house, bring in a new coach and draft another QBOTF in the first round. As for Tebow, he has always been Eric Crouch with more media attention. So either he learns a new position (most likely fullback/short-yardage RB) or, like Crouch, he's out of the league in another year or two. He's not a good enough runner to make the wildcat work the way it did with Ronnie Brown, and as Sarkus said he's shown no signs of improving his passing. I guess the wilcard option would be now that Josh McDaniels is back in New England, he could go there, back up Brady for the next five or so years and completely relearn his mechanics.
Actually, cutting Sanchez would hurt more then just keeping him from a cap standpoint. If they cut him before next year they would take a $17.15m cap hit - his guaranteed salary of $8.25m plus remaining bonus money that equals $8.9m that would otherwise spread out over additional years. And the Jets are already heading towards a "capageddon," as their under contract roster is $18m over the projected cap for next year. They can cut a bunch of guys, of course, but Sanchez alone would offset a lot that with the escalated aspects of his contract. I'm not saying they won't do it, but its unlikely.
Fortunately for their new coach, the rookie salary cap means they won't have to give their new QB a Mark Sanchez contract, which means they can continue to pay out Mark Sanchez's contract.
If they change coaches. There is some specualtion that they will can the GM (who actually has a lot of control) but give Rex another year since a) the players are still playing for him and b) they did have some bad injury issues this year.
Yeah I don't know that Rex is done. The Jets' primary issues are, IMO, personnel related. That's not on him.
Jim Harbaugh continues to have issues with the Seattle media. Before the first game he gave short, one word responses to questions asked during the NFL required phone presser. His whole attitude was very dismissive, which is apparently his approach to these in general. Today he had his required conference call for Sunday and ended it after four minutes, deciding to hang up after somebody said thanks after he complimented a question they asked. I'm not sure how he gets away with this. The NFL must not really enforce those rules.
Are you saying he's not a prick, or that he's a different kind of prick than Pete Carroll? I would disagree with the former, but the latter is okay.
That's what he does. He plays everything close to the chest. Yes it's annoying when you want answers and especially if you're the opposing team media but what do you want the NFL to do? Force him to reveal his gameplay?
Other coaches manage to professionally deal with their media responsibilities without being dicks about it and without revealing everything. That dick Pete Carroll, for example. Part of the job of an NFL head coach is to deal with the media. IIRC its required language in their contracts by the NFL. So it'd be nice if Jim Harbaugh didn't feel the need to treat all media sessions like they are the last place he wants to be. It's one of the ways coaches communicate with their teams fan base so you'd think he would treat it with some decorum. In the short run, as as long as the 49ers are winning, it won't matter and he can get away with it. If things turn its one of those things that could come back to bite him in the ass later. Just like it might come back to bite Carroll in the ass that he looks like he ran up the score against the Cardinals and Bills.
Coaches' behavior in mandatory conferences gets a big "who gives a shit" from me. Unless they're delivering comedy gold ("PLAYOFFS?!"; "CROWN THEIR ASS"; etc.), it's a bunch of meaningless soundbites; these conferences are not meaningfully different from sideline interviews.
I know, the likely best case scenario is that they squeak into the playoffs and go one-and-done. But hey, no other 9-7 team ever won the Super Bowl either until the Giants did, so there's a first time for everything.
Yeah wow he's such an asshole, just read this transcript. Also nobody cares what a Seattle fan thinks about Jim Harbaugh. We could be talking about what an exciting game it's going to be, but Jeff has already decided it will be lame and boring and you prefer to whine about Jim not being a better conversationalist and acting like he's cheating or something because of it. It will literally never ever come back to bite him on the ass later. Ever.
Calm down Bill! The 49ers will still probably win the division even after they lose on Sunday! ;-) I wasn't referring to that press conference, but rather to the private one he did with the Seattle media the other day as well. I just found it interesting that Harbaugh decided to cut the whole thing so short, and its not like its the first time he's acted that way when fulfilling his media responsibilities. Besides, it just adds to the rivalry here in Seattle.
I have found nothing on the internet regarding this private press conference. I am sure it exists, and I'd like to read a less-biased account of it. And I'd be more inclined to agree with you about the outcome of Sunday's games if Seattle's starting corners weren't both busted for using Adderall ;-) On another subject, officials admit they ruled Delanie Walker's incomplete pass a fumble accidentally. Yeah, oopsie. Good thing we have mandatory replay on every possession...except when we don't.
Good times. <3 EDIT: Fun fact: Ingmar is a 49ers fan, and pretty much during the entire Superbowl, he kept growling how it was so not fair the 49ers would totally be crushing the Patriots arghghghgh. It was delicious.
They've been playing excerpts of it on local radio all week, but I can't find a transcript or audio file of it anywhere online, unfortunately. Well technically only one of them has admitted to it. ;) The other has his appeal hearing on Friday and probably won't be denied until next week, making him eligible to play in this game. Since they are at home and the defense normally plays better here I'm not sure it will matter. Then the other one will come back week one of the playoffs.
Ah well. I guess the thing is, I know he can be prickly and certainly obtuse but I've not heard of him outright refusing or being glaringly difficult. Which reminds me: OK, so Sherman says he drank another player's Adderall-laced drink (lol)? Sooo...which player? Or was a bottle of some bizarre random drink just sitting there and Sherman decided to guzzle it?
Yea, you can see even in the transcript that is linked. A report asks a long winded question and Harbaugh responses with a two word answer multiple times. I guess my problem was Sarkus saying he had a problem with the Seattle media when it's just clearly his thing where he gives a lot of short answers and just doesn't care for the media whether it's the home or away team.
Adderall is a common ADHD drug and apparently there are players in the NFL with legitimate vetted prescriptions who are allowed to take it. Sherman's claim was that he "accidentally" drank from a bottle where a legit adderall user had crushed up a pill and put it in the bottle. It's a lame excuse, of course, and technically doesn't matter given the wording of the rules, which make it clear "accidental" ingestion of a banned substance isn't ever going to be viewed as a legit excuse.
This is the other edge of the idiotic rule that awarded the Texans a touchdown on Thanksgiving--the 49ers are not allowed to throw the challenge flag because then they will be penalized 15 yards and the refs won't review the play. So, they abide by the rules, don't throw the flag, and the refs still don't review the play. The league needs to change the rules to put more emphasis on getting the call right and less on protecting the referees' fragile egos. As for Sherman, he had his appeal on Friday but he gets to play on Sunday? How long does it take to say "Appeal denied, that's a lame excuse dawg"?
