NFL 2021

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah man, I really liked Madden. Felt like him and Summerall as GhostMachine mentioned were a great duo. He will be missed, cheers to you John Madden.

52 minutes ago, damshow said:

I think the current generation of guys, especially Romo, are fantastic. But they definitely talk about football at a level that might be a little tough for someone who is new to the sport to really pick up on right away.

I actually have really liked Aqib Talib on Fox lately. Maybe because he just seems so positive about the Lions heh.

[The Buscher]

Schefter reported a month or so ago that Roethlisberger had "privately" told his teammates that he was done after this year.  He now more or less confirmed it to reporters, saying that Monday is likely his final game at Heinz Field.

Not really a surprise.  He's looked horrendous for much of the season.  I know the QB class doesn't look great but unless they're actually sold on Mason Rudolph they're a team I expect will take a flyer on one of them in the 1st or 2nd.

[Adam]

The way Big Ben moves compared to the new age QBs like Mahomes, Lamar and Kyler, he may as well be 65 years old. Definitely time to hang 'em up.

[gunnar hendershow]

1 hour ago, CM Busch said:

Schefter reported a month or so ago that Roethlisberger had "privately" told his teammates that he was done after this year.  He now more or less confirmed it to reporters, saying that Monday is likely his final game at Heinz Field.

Not really a surprise.  He's looked horrendous for much of the season.  I know the QB class doesn't look great but unless they're actually sold on Mason Rudolph they're a team I expect will take a flyer on one of them in the 1st or 2nd.

He's going to absolutely murder the Ravens one last time in his final game. Unless by some impossible circumstance he plays so well this weekend but Pittsburgh is eliminated from playoff contention he might decide to go out on that high note.

As for what Pittsburgh does at QB. They're probably going to draft someone pretty early on. They took a flier on Haskins but he's done nothing to deserve a job. Rudolph is likely a career backup. Maybe they bring in Minshew or Foles or any of the other guys who have been decent backups. I'd rule them out making a big trade or move for one of the veteran QBs, doesn't strike me as something that organization would want to do.

[livid]

I could see them going cheap for a vet like Jimmy G or something like that but highly unlikely they go for a big name. 

[The Buscher]

It's just weird to think that the QB class of 2004 is about to be gone.  What a wild class that was.

I love Eli but it's always a what-if scenario to think if he hadn't refused to play for the Chargers.  Ernie Accorsi has said himself that Ben was higher on his draft board than Rivers, so it would've resulted in Eli with the Chargers, Ben on the Giants, and Rivers either with the Steelers or maybe someplace else entirely.  Eli's decision had a direct impact on at least three franchises and who knows which, if any, of them would've won rings on their new teams.

[gunnar hendershow]

Rivers being the best of them all and never playing in a Super Bowl is wild. The class of 2004 is basically right there with 1983 in terms of legendary QB classes. And both drafts shared the top pick refusing to play for the team that drafted him, which had a massive domino effect felt for years.

[The Buscher]

Yeah, Rivers always got a lot of flak he didn't deserve for not winning a Super Bowl.  Playing in the same conference as the always well-run Pats, Steelers, and Peyton-led Colts and Broncos was always going to make it tough to get to the big game.  In general, the media narrative that rings are a QB stat has always been overblown.  By all means you should credit a QB that wins multiple rings, but you shouldn't punish a great player just because he never got over the hump in a loaded conference. 

The media invariably will compare any ringless QB to Marino, and Rivers had more yards and TDs than him.  I can't see how he isn't eventually in Canton.

[gunnar hendershow]

I will say Marino carried some really dreadful Miami teams to the playoffs, something Rivers didn't do. But their lack of playoff success wasn't ever really on Rivers. They just happened to have great seasons at the same time Brady or Manning or Big Ben was also QBing one of the best teams they ever had.

Rivers also had to deal with the Andy Reid Chiefs for the last half of his career as a starter, and they've basically been good ever since Andy arrived.

[GhostMachine]

Dan Marino and Warren Moon are still, in my opinion, the two best NFL QBs who never won Super Bowls. Moon had the misfortune of losing close playoff games when the Oilers were good. He did win 5 Grey Cups up in Canada before he was in the NFL, though.

The Oilers were my favorite AFC team, so I was already a fan before they moved and became the Titans. But the Cowboys have always been my favorite NFL teams, period.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Good to see the Warren Moon love. Though Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, and Fran Tarkenton are also in that discussion of best QBs to never win a Super Bowl. And after this current generation eventually retires a few more will likely be added to that list.

[GhostMachine]

Tarkenton is before my time, but Kelly loses a little luster for being on a team that lost 4 in a row. (Granted, they should have won the first one.) Can't believe I forgot about Fouts, though. 

[Lineker]

OK, who was it that called exactly this happening?

 

 

[Maxx]

1 hour ago, Lineklaus said:

OK, who was it that called exactly this happening?

 

 

It was me, was hoping it would be for a playoff game.  But that should be enough to knock them out of the race.  This was an absolute certainty with omicron, was just a matter of when it happened

[gunnar hendershow]

Still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, you know it's coming.

[Lineker]

Just now, damshow said:

Still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, you know it's coming.

Nah, he should have antibodies flowing through his veins, from head-to-Covid toe.

[GhostMachine]

2 hours ago, damshow said:

Still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, you know it's coming.

My ideal situation is we get a Cowboys-Packers matchup in the playoffs, and that smug douchelord is shut down the day before the game.

 

[The Buscher]

Dan Reeves has passed away at 77.

[gunnar hendershow]

***k You, Ben!

[The Buscher]

I have Higgins in the final of my main league.  Opponent has Chase.

Burrow decided this week to forget Higgins exists and just feed Chase over and over.  Sigh.