2014-15 NFL Discussion thread

[Tal]

Even Hugh Dallas and Willie Collum wouldn't have got that one wrong. Who said video replays were a good thing?

I would suggest not watching Bills@Broncos

I was happy with the overall outcome there.  #talkingthroughthepocket

Shouldn't have even been close as to whether we covered the spread.

[Skippy]

Why are the 49ers so bad? Often when I watch them they seem to be better than their opponents, but ending up self destructing. Or sometimes they can't get anywhere on offence. Has everyone figured out Kaepernick now?

[Kmac84]

Why are the 49ers so bad? Often when I watch them they seem to be better than their opponents, but ending up self destructing. Or sometimes they can't get anywhere on offence. Has everyone figured out Kaepernick now?

I think it's more to do with the coach having lost the squad.  They just don't seem interested.  Does it come from higher up the organisation?

You may well be right about , but The Camel thought him one of the greatest things since sliced bread, and he is pretty awesome but do they rely too much on him to be the game changer, and when it doesn't work they have zero back-up. 

[TightEnd]

Why are the 49ers so bad? Often when I watch them they seem to be better than their opponents, but ending up self destructing. Or sometimes they can't get anywhere on offence. Has everyone figured out Kaepernick now?

very good defence (though missing willis and bowman is unfortunate)

Kaepernick has been worked out, no great arm strength. Range of receving options poor (V Davis at end of career, crabtree inconsistent)

big off field problems. dressing room hates harbaugh, front office hates harbaugh. he will leave then they can go again


this week at seattle Seattle are 10 point favourites and the point make up is 38 or so

this assumes 49ers points of c14, one of the lowest expectations ever

this tells you where the problem is

[Skippy]

Why are the 49ers so bad? Often when I watch them they seem to be better than their opponents, but ending up self destructing. Or sometimes they can't get anywhere on offence. Has everyone figured out Kaepernick now?

very good defence (though missing willis and bowman is unfortunate)

Kaepernick has been worked out, no great arm strength. Range of receving options poor (V Davis at end of career, crabtree inconsistent)

big off field problems. dressing room hates harbaugh, front office hates harbaugh. he will leave then they can go again


this week at seattle Seattle are 10 point favourites and the point make up is 38 or so

this assumes 49ers points of c14, one of the lowest expectations ever

this tells you where the problem is

Why do you think they hate him so much? I've read a bit but it all seems to be tittle-tattle.

The fad for running-around quarterbacks who can run about and throw seems to be coming to an end. It all started with Tebow, who could run around but not throw, but people like Kap and RGIII seem to be going out of fashion.

It's a real shame Tebow isn't playing any more- being honest he was pants, but he was tremendously entertaining when he was QB at Denver.

[TightEnd]

As to Harbaugh, difficult to say unless you are on the inside. Certainly an abrasive character. Almost certainly will go elsehwere and have more success. was a brilliant drafter and builder of a team after singletary was fired and the 49ers really set the blueprint for developing a team from the inside out by drafting offensive and defensive line first, skill positions later

C K is not accurate enough. When he entered the league he had two big advantages

a) 49ers had drafted heavily on the OL and they protected him fantastically for the first two years. this year, with injuries, less so, particularly at right tackle where jonathan martin is not good enough

b) teams look at film, they develop defensive strategies to deal with running quarterbacks. the only one still having success is russell wilson and he has marshawn lynch as a foil

ultimately, with only a very few exceptions, the great quarterbacks are pocket passers with cannon arms

[DungBeetle]

I've been reading the NFL articles more and more online and see this phrase there as well.  What are defined as "skill positions"? 

[TightEnd]

I've been reading the NFL articles more and more online and see this phrase there as well.  What are defined as "skill positions"? 

quarterback

wide receiver

running back

tight end (though that is a hybrid of receiving and blocking)

basically the positions which score points

[TightEnd]

never let it be said sports fans are fickle, with short term memories

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/09/some-49ers-fans-burn-kaepernick-jerseys/

[DungBeetle]

Thanks Tighty - makes sense.  Kind of like football teams building a solid defense first and building from there.

One other question - lots of articles have been raving about the Rams and how they will be a huge force when they add a new QB.  Do they need to draft/trade one or do you think they are just waiting on Sam Bradford to return from injury next year?  I remember him being a number 1 pick a few years back, but he seems to have suffered a lot with injuries. 

[TightEnd]

Thanks Tighty - makes sense.  Kind of like football teams building a solid defense first and building from there.

One other question - lots of articles have been raving about the Rams and how they will be a huge force when they add a new QB.  Do they need to draft/trade one or do you think they are just waiting on Sam Bradford to return from injury next year?  I remember him being a number 1 pick a few years back, but he seems to have suffered a lot with injuries. 

He was

they are very close, maybe a QB and a WR away

defense is top notch, had a lot of draft picks from the RG3 trade and are stocked up there and have built the OL too

will undoubtedly look to draft one, and then see if Bradford recovers so they have a few clubs in the bag

probelm is it is not a good draft for QBs. Mariota, Wnston and maybe Hundley and thats it

[AndrewT]

Is RG3's fall from grace injury-related or more Kaepernick 'not as good as we thought/found out by opposition'?

[TightEnd]

Is RG3's fall from grace injury-related or more Kaepernick 'not as good as we thought/found out by opposition'?

both

two bad injuries

but also, apparently, a real attitude problem that meant he didn't respond to coaching. spent a lot of his college career working out of the shotgun and that gives you some time to find the right pass, when asked to operate under center in the pros he didn't have the footwork to be an accurate passer

behind the scenes in washington..management of the franchise, building a roster has been a bonfire for years too


so a combination of injury, talent around him and attitude

all of this with hindsight of course

[Skippy]

I'm very much enjoying this Tighty-explains-the-NFL thread.

So, is RGIII toast, or does he have a future.

Johnny Football- a terrible attitude problem or just a bit precocious?

[AndrewT]

My question was sparked by this - which just seemed really odd to me about a player who was supposed to be the bee's knees.

http://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/video/robert-griffin-iii-kicking-a-ball-to-himself-sad-story-120814