NFL 2021 Regular Season Thread

[stevew]

They didn't squib, and then they just let Hill run 19 yards for free basically.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, this is like being an AL SS during Cal Ripken's career.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I get the feeling we are going to look back on Allens career and say he would have won a lot more if he didn't play in the same league as Mahomes.

How many of the 20 slots in the AFC CHampionship game over the next ten years will include Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, or Herbert? Is 15 too many?

[sterlingice]

For those who are arguing that the NFL should change the overtime rules to make sure both teams touch the ball: Chiefs owner Clark Hunt proposed just such a rule 3 years ago, after the Chiefs lost the AFC Championship Game in OT. His proposal was voted down. So don't blame us.
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) January 24, 2022

SI

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Man what a crazy fun finish. I would have loved to see somebody anybody to make as strong a defensive play at the end as all that offense was. Thought Bills had won it twice there

that 2 point convertsion was a thing of beauty

[Kodos]

What a crazy, great weekend of football.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

How many of the 20 slots in the AFC CHampionship game over the next ten years will include Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, or Herbert? Is 15 too many?

Depending on how Trevor Lawrence develops that number is probably pretty close.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Depending on how Trevor Lawrence develops that number is probably pretty close.

I looked back from Brady's first and the quartet of Brady, Manning, Rivers, and Ben did 13 in 10 years and 19 in 15 years.

I do think Lawrence has a shot and if Watson plays again he's probably as good as anyone in the AFC. God help you, though, if you don't have a franchise QB. I lived that as a Bengals fan and it isn't fun looking at a decade of futility.

[Thomkal]

Funny seeing almost all of my regular political commentators on Twitter now commenting on that game.

[henry296]

Sounds similar to the Brady/Manning/Ben era. They represented the AFC in 14 of 16 Super Bowls from 2004-2019. The two they didn't make it were both Ravens.

The end of that might be the start of the Mahomes/Allen/Herbert/Burrow era. This year will make 3 in row for that group.

[RainMaker]

I don't understand why teams rush at all in that situation. There is no incentive to get to the QB. Swap out the 4 lineman for some DBs and LBs and have them sit 15 yards downfield. Would be impossible to pull off one of those plays.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

And Leslie Frazier is the guy the George McCaskey wants to hire for the Bears.

Remember they hired Nagy after he shit his pants in the Chiefs playoff game.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't understand why teams rush at all in that situation. There is no incentive to get to the QB. Swap out the 4 lineman for some DBs and LBs and have them sit 15 yards downfield. Would be impossible to pull off one of those plays.

Yep. The OL has to sit there since they can't be downfield. And with the pressure of the clock, leaving the QB unpressured doesn't allow him to just sit back and wait for an open receiver to work free. Flood the field with coverage and make him make a throw into 11 guys within 2-3 seconds of the snap.

[sterlingice]

I get this is less than an ideal way to do OT, but has anyone watched college football OT rules? Especially since they went to the 2 point conversion contest after the 2nd OT?

I mean, if we want to do the alternating 25 yd possession thing and then teams have to start trying for 2 point conversions after their TDs after, say 2 OT, that's fine(-ish). But the "they should just adopt college football OT rules" is an awful take.

SI

[NobodyHere]

Looks like I picked the wrong game to nap through.

[stevew]

Couldn’t you just audible to a screen with no down defensive linemen and then you got 5 hogs on a bunch of small guys? Those guys can go up friend if the pass is behind the line I believe.

Where’s BYU or someone who coaches football. I think you gotta have at least 2-3 d-line

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by stevew

Couldn’t you just audible to a screen with no down defensive linemen and then you got 5 hogs on a bunch of small guys? Those guys can go up friend if the pass is behind the line I believe.

Where’s BYU or someone who coaches football. I think you gotta have at least 2-3 d-line

The D-Lineman are worthless whether they throw a screen or a quick 20 yard pass. Screens are not exactly quick plays either, especially if you're counting on running behind a bunch of 300 pound lineman.

The only possible way the Chiefs could get into field goal range in 13 seconds was with 2 quick 20 yard downfield passes. You only need to prevent that and a hailmary from happening. Anything that requires excess time (a screen, waiting for a receiver to get open) is worthless for the offense.

[RainMaker]

Also on a screen, all 11 players can immediately attack one area of the field. On a downfield pass, they have to defend sideline to sideline.

[RainMaker]

My solution for OT is that there is no OT. Just as a game can't end on a penalty, it can't end in a tie. You keep taking downs until both those qualifications are satisfied.

[CrimsonFox]

Congratulations to that coin for winning a playoff game. Especially in the face of this coin shortage. What a brave brave coin!

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

I really disliked the decision not to squib kick there at the end. Seems unfathomable that you would give Mahomes any extra time. To me that was one of the worst coaching decisions all weekend.

I can't say what anyone was saying/thinking in the moment but I feel like this is a bit of playing the results. Would more time have been run off with the squib kick to the KC 44 or the pass from Mahomes to Hill that took the ball from the KC 20 to the KC 44? I don't know if it would but if we think it is the same, then KC still ends up with the ball on their 44 with 8 seconds left and time to get the ball to Kelce to set up the field goal.

[GrantDawg]

T didn't watch any football yesterday. Did I miss anything?

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

T didn't watch any football yesterday. Did I miss anything?

Not really. Nothing exciting. Brady lost again. He's always losing...

[Ksyrup]

I would like to see the OT rule changed, at least for the playoffs, but not to the college rule. Just play it normally, with each team getting a chance with the ball and if one team scores more than the other after the first possession, it's over. If not, keep playing until someone scores. Pretty simple.

I get wanting to limit play during the regular season, but no reason to do that when it comes to the playoffs.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I would like to see the OT rule changed, at least for the playoffs, but not to the college rule. Just play it normally, with each team getting a chance with the ball and if one team scores more than the other after the first possession, it's over. If not, keep playing until someone scores. Pretty simple.

I get wanting to limit play during the regular season, but no reason to do that when it comes to the playoffs.

This is where I am, too.

[Solecismic]

Or take the extreme, and say playoff games have a 10-minute overtime, not sudden death. If it's tied again, then go to the existing rule.

What I like about the new rule is that it is producing results that seem coin-toss neutral. Of course, you look at an individual result like last night's where it seemed inevitable that Kansas City would score a touchdown against what was the best pass defense in the NFL during the regular season and it's natural to want to adjust for that.

[Ksyrup]

Offenses are too good today. When the original OT rule was put in place, it was 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Sudden death made sense. Since then, they've tried to half-ass it with this FG exception. And I don't have much problem with trying to limit regular season games in this way. Shorter OT, a modified sudden death, makes sense. But for the playoffs? The NHL has it right.

[Lathum]

I think OT should be if the team that starts with possession scores a TD, the other team gets possession but has to go for a two point conversion if they score a TD.

[Lathum]

dola- listening to the radio this morning and they brought up an interesting point. On the last Kelce pass the Bills should have just tackled all the KC receivers right off the line. They would take a 10 yard penalty but not leave KC enough time to get in FG range and force a hail mary.

[cuervo72]

Yeah, I was thinking about that as I was getting ready for bed. HOLD EVERYBODY. Trade the time for the yardage.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I think OT should be if the team that starts with possession scores a TD, the other team gets possession but has to go for a two point conversion if they score a TD.

Wouldn't that just mean the team that scored first would go for 2 knowing the opponent had to?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Wouldn't that just mean the team that scored first would go for 2 knowing the opponent had to?

I doubt it. You ever watch how conservative some of these coaches are?

[Lathum]

dola- of do something like you have to go for a game winning play, be it 2 or a PAT.

I dunno, just spitballing

[Solecismic]

Stafford led a remarkable comeback, throwing two pinpoint touchdown passes capping 75-yard drives after the two-minute warning, giving the Bills a three-point lead with 13 seconds remaining.

He never got the ball back.

Yeah, it's not a great story, but I'd hesitate to blow up the system in the immediate aftermath of a single example we don't like.

As I wrote, the current rule has done a great job mitigating the advantage of winning the coin toss - and that's all in the last few years. If what Mahomes, Kelce and Hill did at the end of the game was what they could regularly do no matter what, we'd have triple-digit scores.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I think OT should be if the team that starts with possession scores a TD, the other team gets possession but has to go for a two point conversion if they score a TD.

You would absolutely want to defer then, right? So you knew what was coming?

EDIT: Never mind - already been asked

SI

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Yeah, I was thinking about that as I was getting ready for bed. HOLD EVERYBODY. Trade the time for the yardage.

That's an idea but it only takes one of those receivers to get past the guy trying to hold him and it's an easy td?

If you try to tackle up close, in a bump 'n run position, a guy like Kelce throws the guy off and is on his way. If you wait for the receivers to come to you and grab\tackle, Mahomes throws the ball and it's PI, ball at that spot. And the clock stops on the penalty.

You might burn enough clock it works but, it seems pretty risky? Then there is the look of it. Sure you won but how will other players look at you from now on? When you show off your SB ring but see the look in the eyes of whoever you are showing it to will it be worth it?

I'm sure some will argue it's like fouling in basketball when a team needs 3 to tie but when you foul him he only gets two free throws. I suppose that is on point but it's a place I would hope football would never go. In basketball you are fouling one guy with the ball and IIRC fouling a guy without the ball results in FTs and keeping the ball? In this NFL hypothetical the image of a team "group fouling" is not a pretty picture and if it occurred I think\hope rule changes would be quick to follow.

[Lathum]

It's been done before

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Lathum

dola- of do something like you have to go for a game winning play, be it 2 or a PAT.

I dunno, just spitballing

Thinking after I posted that maybe require going for 2 for all td's in OT? Ups the chances of failures that would make the game end ASAP? Then stick with once each team has had a possession the game becomes sudden death?

Yeah, just spitballing here too

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It's been done before

In a group? NFL? I've never seen or heard a thing about it, care to share where and when?

[spleen1015]

I think part of me wants to see the OT rules change because I wanted to see more from the Bills/Chiefs last night. I wanted to see the Bills get a chance and see more amazing shit happen.

[Brian Swartz]

I've always thought all of these machinations to make ways to have 'more interesting OT' were silly. Just have it be an extra quarter. You keep playing more quarters until somebody wins. Having it decided in a different way than the rest of the game doesn't make sense to me.

Regular season, no OT at all. Nothing wrong with ties. Playoffs, when somebody has to win, have a real OT.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

I've always thought all of these machinations to make ways to have 'more interesting OT' were silly. Just have it be an extra quarter. You keep playing more quarters until somebody wins. Having it decided in a different way than the rest of the game doesn't make sense to me.

Regular season, no OT at all. Nothing wrong with ties. Playoffs, when somebody has to win, have a real OT.

Agree, 1 10 minute quarter, hell I actually like the College OT rules more than the NFLs and wouldn't mind them adopted, but you have to go for 2 every time.

[Brian Swartz]

I hate the college rules with a hot hot hate. Football is played on a 100-yard field, not a 25-yard one. Field position, actually getting in FG range not starting there, these things matter or you're not playing football anymore. It's how you end up with games tied 10-10 in regulation that finish 31-27 or whatever after OT. It's just dumb.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Sweed

In a group? NFL? I've never seen or heard a thing about it, care to share where and when?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baCeMpAZIgI

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I think part of me wants to see the OT rules change because I wanted to see more from the Bills/Chiefs last night. I wanted to see the Bills get a chance and see more amazing shit happen.

I honestly believe that the only way that game last night would have ended is if one of the offense screwed up. Neither defense had a chance over the last 12 minutes of the game. I would not want to see that game because of an offensive gaffe and I think that was the more likely scenario than one of those defenses stepping up and making a play. It would have sucked to have to hear about how Mahomes, Allen, Davis, Kelce or any of the offensive players choke away the game because of a interception or fumble.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

How many of the 20 slots in the AFC CHampionship game over the next ten years will include Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, or Herbert? Is 15 too many?

I'm happy that I'm a fan of an NFC team over the next decade.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I'm happy that I'm a fan of an NFC team over the next decade.

Right. Always more fun to lose in the Superbowl

[Lathum]

dola- It is interesting to look at the conferences. The best young QB in the NFC is Kyler and I'm not sure it is even close. I guess Dak is next.

all the top guys are getting up there and have a lot of uncertainty, Wilson, Stafford, Rodgers, Brady...In a league where having a great QB is a monster advantage the AFC has a huge leg up for the next decade.

[Ksyrup]

This is why I'm so pessimistic as a Broncos fan going forward. Who would willingly go to the Broncos (as a coach or a QB) when you play Mahomes/Herbert 4 times a year?

[Lathum]

Heard an interesting thought on the radio today. If the game goes to OT, instead of a coin toss, whatever each team did at the coin toss to start the game they would do that to start OT. That way you know going in if you are kicking or receiving to start OT. Could change the way teams approach the end of regulation time.