The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

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Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 6

Play of the Game

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Game Media

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Box Score

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Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns
Oct 17, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Denver Broncos (2-4)	7	7	3	0	17
Cleveland Browns (3-3)	7	14	7	24	52

Team Stats Comparison
	DEN	CLE
Total Offense	261	479
Rushing Yards	66	214
Passing Yards	195	265
First Downs	17	12
Punt Return Yards	3	19
Kick Return Yards	142	42
Total Yards	406	540
Turnovers	4	1
3rd Down Converstion	8/17	3/7
4th Down Conversion	1/1	0/0
2-Point Conversion	0/0	0/0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2/0	2/0
Penalties	4-25	4-35
Posession Time	29:27	18:33

Denver Broncos PASSING C/A YDS TD INT R.Nassib 21/35 126 1 4 C.Knox 8/9 99 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD A.Williams 12 30 2.5 0 E.Blake 4 19 4.7 0 T.Lynch 4 17 4.2 0 R.Nassib 3 -6 -2.0 0 C.Knox 2 6 3.0 1 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD L.Barksdale 9 75 8.3 1 C.Gillmore 6 52 8.6 0 A.Williams 5 18 3.6 0 D.Hill 4 43 10.7 0 W.Snead 3 28 9.3 0 J.Huff 1 8 8.0 0 T.Lynch 1 1 1.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD S.Dwyer 8 1 0 0 P.Taylor 8 0 0 0 L.Walters 6 0 0 0 B.Marshall 5 0 0 0 C.Harris Jr. 5 0 1 0 A.Talib 4 0 0 0 E.Harold 3 1 0 0 B.Barnard 3 0 0 0 M.Jackson 2 1 0 0 J.Hankins 2 1 0 0 B.Roby 2 0 0 0 E.Milliner 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R.Succop 1/1 2/2 5 44 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 D.Duncan 5 215 43.0 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D.Hill 1 25 25.0 0 T.Lynch 5 117 23.4 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD T.Lynch 1 3 3.0 0

Cleveland Browns PASSING C/A YDS TD INT J.Manziel 12/15 203 2 1 N.Gray 3/3 90 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD J.Rodgers 16 105 6.5 2 S.Rivers 2 81 40.5 1 N.Gray 2 15 7.5 0 J.Manziel 1 6 6.0 0 A.Blue 1 7 7.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M.Bryant 6 166 27.6 2 J.Brown 3 47 15.6 0 J.Rodgers 2 23 11.5 1 E.Sanders 2 37 18.5 0 J.Wright 1 9 9.0 0 J.Clarke 1 11 11.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD T.Gipson 13 0 1 0 R.James 11 0 0 0 C.McCarthy 9 0 0 0 C.Taylor 8 0 1 0 C.Liuget 6 1 0 0 J.Haden 6 0 1 0 J.Lane 5 0 1 0 S.Weatherspoon 4 0 0 0 B.Graham 4 1.5 0 0 C.Lemonier 4 0.5 0 0 I.Penn 3 0 0 0 T.Hunter 1 0 0 0 G.Marsh 1 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG J.McClam 1/2 7/7 10 46 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C.Blake 2 104 52.0 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J.Wright 1 22 22.0 0 J.Rodgers 1 20 20.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J.Lane 3 19 6.3 0

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Journal Pages 1 & 2

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[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

I'm actually incredibly annoyed that Knox is injured again! It's ridiculous! He's played 1 full game and then 3 snaps of the season opener and about a quarter in this game. His injury and toughness stats are both low 90s as well!

[NewscasterNews4]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

It would appear Knox has glass bones at this point. Its a shame, his one big opportunity to become a true franchise QB ruined by injuries. Hopefully when he comes back, he can at least finish out the season healthy.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Its a shame, his one big opportunity to become a true franchise QB ruined by injuries.

I wouldn't go that far, it's still me controlling him after all

Thanks for the input though, always love to see people are following along!

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 7


The Worldwide Leader in Sport


Ed Shakespear, NFL Analyst

USADA and NFLPA Release PED Statement

One of the lesser mentioned inclusions in the recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and NFLPA was the decision to allow outside drug testing for the 1st time in league history. Previously handled in house, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is now responsible for all testing and administrative procedures for NFL players. Often seen as the "Gold Standard" in PED testing, it would appear the proverbial rug has now been lifted on the league, and what was hidden underneath isn't pretty.

"We were fighting a battle we could not win," said long standing NFLPA Director of External Affairs George Atallah yesterday. "Turn on your tv, look at the internet and you'll see stories of how the doping world has moved on and the USADA and WADA have had to move with it. Cases in cycling, athletics, soccer and more have shown the doping landscape is changing. The NFL and NFLPA could not keep pace alone."



"Since the appointment of the USADA to oversee PED testing in the NFL, they have already uncovered an extensive list of PED users across the league. The NFLPA is committed to ensuring the man lining up from each player in the trenches, on the field, is clean. This investigation is ongoing, but know this. We know what is happening. We are not ashamed of the past, but it will not tarnish the future of this league."

Strong words from the NFLPA, and a bold move to admit their own efforts alongside the NFL were insufficient in today's sporting climate. It would appear from this statement that current PED practices within the sport from players are equally dated and the USADA have quickly uncovered a serious issue. Some will want answers immediately, but sources suggest that more evidence needs to be collected before a concrete case can be revealed.



The current reach of this investigation isn't yet known, but the punishment for those caught is well documented. Changes in the latest CBA to include the USADA also contained significantly stricter sanctions for those caught using PEDs. For players, there is an immediate ban (pending appeal) of 1 season. No strikes, no lives, it is a zero tolerance policy. Teams failing to meet the USADA's strict testing parameters and failing to inform the USADA of transport plans and athlete location for testing also face a sliding scale of sanctions that could result in the loss of draft picks.

The NFL and the NFLPA knew they had a problem. The USADA look like they're already going to solve it. Exactly how this one plays out though, and the scale of the impact, we'll just have to wait and see.

Ed Shakespear
ESPN

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Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 7

Journal Pages 1 & 2

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Journal Pages 3 & 4

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Journal Pages 5 & 6

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[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 8


The 24-Hour Home of CBS Sports


Jeff Hardy-Grant, Contributor

At Half Way Stage, Some Familiar Teams Are In Unfamiliar Places

One of the most appealing factors to the NFL is its constant levels of parity. A bad team more often than not won’t be bad forever and the same teams rarely dominate as they were able to in the days of the Patriots and 49ers. The closest we’ve come in the last 6 years to a team reaching that level once again are Dallas who have managed to go an NFL best 72-23-1 in the regular season over that span. Despite trips to the post season in each of those years, it has only provided the Cowboys with a single Super Bowl win. But as is usually the case, the league is once again on the move. A number of teams that have enjoyed recent success are currently struggling and some former basement dwellers are now taking their place. Let’s take a look at the fortunes of some teams that have shaken up the NFL status quo this season.

Dallas Cowboys

The reigning champions are experiencing a serious Super Bowl hangover. Jason Garrett doesn’t look like a multiple winner of Coach of the Year and the Cowboys have been on a real slide to start the year. At 4-4 and with one of their wins being a narrow one over a poor Denver side, this isn’t what Dallas had in mind. Fortunately, their offence is still firing and McBride and Bryant look as strong as ever. Turnovers are the main culprit right now and they can hopefully be reduced.



New York Giants

With 2 #1 picks in the last 6 years and a 33-52-1 record over that span, it hasn’t been a good run of late for the G-Men. But times appear to be changing. Bryson Tracy has turned a corner and despite his recent toe injury, the Giants have kept up the pace behind veteran Ryan Tannerhill. This New York team haven’t been to the playoffs since they won the Superbowl in 2011. That is a long time ago, but there is real hope this season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Super Bowl winners 3 years ago, the Bengals have been to the playoffs in both seasons since. A spat with coach Carlos Calhoun meant the appointment of Lovie Smith in 2019, but the former Bears and Buccaneers signal caller still navigated his team to a 10-6 record last season before a Divisional Round loss at Buffalo. Fast forward to this season and it has been all downhill. With questions being asked of Andy Dalton, the time could be now for the Bengals to consider a rebuild as they sit with a 2-6 record.

Green Bay Packers

It wasn’t long ago that many considered this version of the Packers to be dead and buried. With Aaron Rodgers in the twilight of his career and with a defence that was devoid of talent, the fans at Lambeau needed to accept that a rebuild was coming. Despite 3 trips to the post season in the last 4 years, Green Bay haven’t looked like going all the way since their Super Bowl loss to Kansas in 2016. This season could change all that though with the Pack sitting at 6-1 and playing hard on both sides of the ball. Rodgers continues to be his brilliant best, silencing any critics that might have suggested he was over the hill.



Tennessee Titans

Super Bowl winners just 2 years ago, there have been few offences assembled in recent memory to match the explosive nature of this Titans team. But right now they are misfiring and as owners of a 3-4 record, they’re struggling nearer the bottom of the pile than the top. Injuries to Marcus Mariota and Antonio Brown haven’t helped, but this team needs to find a way to win without them to avoid a lost season.

Baltimore Ravens

Unburdened by the salary constraints of an aging Joe Flacco, the Ravens have turned their offence over to Zach Nelson with immediate results. The young passer from Butler was a forgotten man in 2017, lost in the QB hype surrounding Will Phillip, Claude McDonald and Bryson Tracy. But if early returns are anything to go by, the Ravens are going to be on to a good thing for a while to come yet. At 5-3, Baltimore are a 2 games up at the top of the AFC North. That could be a position they maintain for the foreseeable future.

JHG
CBS Sports

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Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 8

Journal Pages 1 & 2

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Journal Pages 3 & 4

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Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 20/21 - Week 9


Your One Stop Shop For Everything Pro Football!



Carson Dietrich, Senior Writer

Mid Season Power Rankings

Great to see another Lombardi sat in Dallas, but my ‘Boys are struggling this year. Even I can’t put them up there, I can’t even put them inside the top 10! It’ll all come good though, have you see the numbers that McBride and Dez are putting up?!

32) San Diego Chargers – 1-6

Well, I did call it and Philip Rivers did retire. But now the Chargers get to go with a different set of problems, rookie QBs. With 7 TDs and 6 INTs, Jared Todd isn’t pulling up any trees with his 83.1 passer rating. Bigger problem for the Chargers? A 30th ranked rush D. Doesn’t matter who you have at QB, he won’t fix that and it’s killing this team.

31) Jacksonville Jaguars - 1-6

Last season I was high on this Jags offence. This season they have fallen off a cliff. Here is the reason why. Trett Hicks has 180 pass attempts so far. Tyrod Taylor has 45. 3rd year nobody Nathan Ryan even has 35! Injuries at the QB position will stall any team, and this Jags team is no exception.

30) New York Jets - 2-6

So here is a fun one. What happens when the Jets flip the script? Normally they excel, Jack Riley gets injured, then they suck. Turns out this year the Jets are just skipping steps 1 and 2 and going straight to step 3! 31st in pass D and 31st in points allowed. -11 in turnover differential. Jack Riley is….wait for it….1,069/3/10 on the year. Jeez. This is the season they WANT him to get injured!

29) Detroit Lions - 2-6

The Lions are 1st in the NFL in rushing scores with 15. That’s a serious effort! They are also 32nd in pass D and play indoors. Can you say fantasy gold?! I love watching these guys play, the score board goes crazy. They won’t win anything this season though, but it sure is fun.

28) Cincinnati Bengals - 2-6

This was a fall from grace. Lovie Smith is doing Lovie Smith type things and it isn’t going well for the Bungles. These guys are dead last against the run and teams are making them pay. 32nd in points allowed as well, the AFC North is getting soft!

27) Seattle Seahawks - 2-5

These guys just keep getting lower and lower. Andrew Luck missing time really hasn’t helped and news flash, Sean Renfree isn’t very good. With an aging defence that is ready to quit, it’s no surprise that Seattle keep slipping further and further from relevance.

26) San Francisco 49ers - 2-5

At this stage last year, the 49ers had zero wins so this is an improvement. There isn’t a whole lot to shout about, but OLB Jeremiah Attaochu looks like he’s having some fun. 5 sacks already mean he is one to watch going forward.

25) Cleveland Browns - 3-5

Errrrrr, what happened to the Browns? This is like, 2015 Cleveland. I haven’t had them this low in a while but guess what? They kinda suck! Splitting time between Nate Gray and Johnny Manziel hasn’t helped, but they still have 23 passing scores and rank 3rd in passing offence. Their issues lie elsewhere, despite the injuries.

24) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 3-5

Fun trend developing here, the Bucs are 31st against the run. If you can’t stop the run, you end up near the bottom of my power rankings. Simple. Will Patrick has a pretty shoddy 77.9 rating on the year. He isn’t playing so hot. Bill O’Brien might be looking for a new job before too long.

23) Pittsburgh Steelers - 3-4

Jared Cole incoming! And hopefully outgoing as well. Still got no love for that kid and he’s going to have to do a lot better than this if he wants to start getting some. He’s been decent, 2170 yards with 17 scores, but he has 9 picks and that’s no good. The defence is showing up for Joey Porter though, they have 22 sacks and a league leading 16 fumble recoveries. That is legit!!

22) Mexico City Diablos - 3-4

Diablos still appear to be on a slight uptick from their time picking at #1, but there isn’t much to shout about below the border. Their offence still isn’t good and a time share of Josh Mitchell and Nick Foles hasn’t solved things, surprise, surprise! They do own the 3rd ranked pass D though, Desmond Trufant is wasted there.

21) Tennessee Titans - 3-4

Another team I’m not used to slotting this low, but injuries will do that to you. Antonio Brown is one of the most awesome players to watch in the league and he’s suited up twice this year. When you consider Mariota is also missing and Aaron Murray has been their go to guy, these injuries were probably the only thing that could slow this offence down.

20) Denver Broncos - 3-4

The Broncos went and threw their money away on Cory Knox and now they get to pay him big while he sits on the side lines. Great plan! Ryan Nassib is doing what he usually does in his place. Average QB play that is going to get you 6 wins a year. They have 1 fumble recovery this season, but they do have 9 picks. The D is carrying this team in a big way.

19) London Monarchs - 3-4

Having Mike Stark back instantly makes this team 5 wins better a season. He’s not blowing the doors off anybody right now with just 6 scores and 7 picks, but I can’t help but focus on rookie corner Deontae McCoy. Playing in the slot, he has 2 picks, 2 fumbles forced, a fumble recovery, 4 pass break ups. An early 2nd round selection, he looks solid right now!

18) Dallas Cowboys - 4-4

This one hurts. They’re going to come good, but right now, it’s bleak. 1st in passing offence, and Dez Bryant has had a 1st half of the season for the ages with 66 catches for 1,026 yards and 4 scores. It’s just the turnovers. Randle keeps fumbling the ball away and this team is dead last at -11 in the turnover battle. Killer.

17) Chicago Bears - 4-3

How are the Bears above the Cowboys?! This is madness. This is clearly one of Chicago’s “good” seasons. They’re not getting much from their D, ranked 31st in sacks with just 7 in 7 games. That is terrible. Nate Patterson is getting it done though, he has 15 scores to just 3 turnovers. Kid has skills.

16) Carolina Panthers - 4-3

This team just looks like they’re going to turn a corner once Cam Newton comes back. The reason? D-FENCE! The Panthers are the #1 D in football behind Josh Norman and Luke Kuechly. They make it hard for you to win, ranking 1st in penalties so far. So they don’t give you free yards, they do make you work, and they make each play a battle. You don’t need much offence to win in games like that.

15) New England Patriots - 4-3

Exactly the same spot the Pats were in this time last year. Matt Patricia is doing the best he can but it just isn’t clicking. Still, sure is fun watching the Patriots band wagon slowly erode over time. Lamar Miller is looking like a stud again, he has 83 carries for 461 yards and 5 scores. At 5.6YPC, New England need to get him the ball more.

14) Houston Texans - 4-3

Houston have moved on at QB, but they haven’t really moved up. Last season, Jack Del Rio was able to “enjoy” a period of Arryn Carroll, then Matt Stafford, then even Bruce Gradkowski. This time it’s Carroll and ex-Lion and Buccaneer Morgan Lucas. It still isn’t really working but hey, at least Deandre Hopkins is awesome. He has 700+ yards and 3 scores. May as well play him at running back to make sure he at least gets the ball in his hands.

13) Minnesota Vikings - 4-3

Imagine how good this Vikings secondary could be if they actually had some pressure up front!? 7 sacks in 7 games is woeful, yet they lead the league with 11 interceptions. And they aren’t the cheap tip drill lame duck picks. These are legit, jump a route picks. The offence doesn’t have much to do when you can flip the field like that.

12) Oakland Raiders - 4-3

One team that have no problem hitting the QB are the Raiders and they’ve racked up 21 on the season already. Couple that pressure with the score board pressure from Max Shaw, he has 16 passing TDs and has passed 2,000 yards already. Josh Gordon looks as dangerous as ever out wide. With 7 TDs, he looks a threat to score every play.

11) Philadelphia Eagles - 4-3

The Eagles have stabilised at the QB position but BJ Blake doesn’t look all that good. It doesn’t really matter though as Philly have the #1 pass D in football and have 10 picks on the season already. They’re putting together a legit unit and that’s going to make them together regardless of their offensive output.

10) St Louis Rams - 4-3

I’m pleased to see the Rams back up here. They’re too good to be down in the 20s like they were last year. Mike Tomlin is a good honest coach and he gets the best from these guys. Right now they have the perfect combo on the ground. 2nd in rushing offence. 1st in run defence. Take your chances in the air because you can’t run on these guys. RB Daryl Mack continues to excel, he’s had 144 attempts for 641 and 6 scores. 91.5YPG is a top effort.

9) Miami Dolphins - 5-3

Another team slumming it in the 20s last year, they are also getting it done on the ground with the 3rd ranked run offence in football. Couple that with being the lead leaders in sacks with 26, this is another team getting it done on both sides of the ball. Good for Claude McDonald as well, too many people had already written this kid off.

8) Kansas City Chiefs - 5-3

Another trend for you. Teams at this end of my rankings can run the ball well. Control the clock. Control the game. Control the score board and get wins. Kansas have been experts at that this season. A freak loss to Denver aside, they have looked good money for winning the AFC West this year. 15 scores on the ground backs up their efforts to, they like to run and run well.

7) Baltimore Ravens - 5-3

You should have listened to me ages ago Baltimore! Ditch Flacco, and look what happened? Zach Nelson looks incredible, thank me later! He is in charge of the #1 offence in football and with 2,620 yards to his name, he is putting teams on notice. Add in 19TDs to just 4 INTs, he is going to be one hell of a player.

6) New Orleans Saints - 5-2

Speaking of which, anyone seen how good Riley Swanson looks? These Saints are like the Drew Brees’ Saints, but better. 2nd in points per game, but 3rd in total D. That is a great combination. Add in a league best +15 turnover differential and this is going to be a legit NFC contender for sure. Behind the Cowboys, of course.

5) New York Giants - 5-2

So the Giants finally got their act together, huh? Lots of picks near the top of the draft will do that for you. It seems like forever since they made the playoffs. And with Bryson Tracy injured, I’m not sure Ryan Tannerhill can keep their train rolling. Matt Jones looks good though, he might be a better bet to lean on.

4) Indianapolis Colts - 5-2

Rob Pickett. That is all. I just love watching this kid play and I’m soooooooo glad he’s in the AFC!! 2,168 yards, 17 TDs and 4 INTs. They are playing solid D to, like Indy need this. I’m pretty sure I spent about 10 years watching a guy this good play under centre in Indianapolis. He was pretty decent, you know?

3) Arizona Cardinals - 6-2

Sean McDermott is paying back the faith that Arizona showed in him right now. After a 6-10 season, the Cards kept hold of their man and he took them to the Super Bowl. They’re firing again this season with the #1 rushing offence in football and a tasty +17 turnover differential. A force in the NFC, for sure.

2) Green Bay Packers - 6-1

All of a sudden, the Packers just got good again. I don’t get it. They suddenly found some defence again, again, no idea. They’re 3rd in points per game, no change there really, but 2nd in rushing defence? Sean Payton working his magic!

1) Buffalo Bills - 6-1

The Bills. Again! Rex Ryan is proving that he is legit and for every bad word the Jets said about him, he’s proving them wrong at every turn. 2nd in overall defence, Angel Bradley, Preston Brown and Vince Williams are a legit trio at LB. Add in Marcel Darius in front of them and Landon Collins behind them, this unit is scary. Really scary. They don’t even need offence right now.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 9

Journal Pages 1 & 2

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Journal Pages 3 & 4

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[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 10

Gridiron Scoop Dot Net

Everything NFL on the Down Low, Yo!

Top 26 Under 26


Dexter - @DexterScoop247

This article continues to really engage with me as we look across the league at the hot, young talent coming out. The way that teams ebb and flow with the selections they have, and a great look at the teams that are struggling right now but might be big in the future. With 13 of my picks from last year now over 26 , there’s a lot of new faces to take a look at. Get familiar with these guys, people. They’re going to be the next big thing!

Top 26 Under 26 - Year 7 2021/22
#	Player	Team	Pos	Age	Round - Year
1	Cory Knox	Denver Broncos	QB	22	UD - 2020
2	Rob Pickett	Indianapolis Colts	QB	23	1st - 2019
3	Tyson McBride	Dallas Cowboys	QB	25	2nd - 2017
4	Zach Nelson	Baltimore Ravens	QB	25	1st - 2018
5	Riley Swanson	New Orleans Saints	QB	25	6th - 2019
6	Jamar Simon	Indianapolis Colts	WR	23	3rd - 2020
7	Mack Duncan	Miami Dolphins	WR	25	6th - 2018
8	Jaren Jones	Minnesota Vikings	WR	23	1st - 2019
9	Rashawn Martin	Dallas Cowboys	TE	25	1st - 2017
10	Josh McNeil	Denver Broncos	T	25	2nd - 2017
11	Derrick Barkley	Philadelphia Eagles	T	25	1st - 2018
12	Kevin Wright	San Francisco 49ers	T	23	1st - 2019
13	BJ Scruggs	Detroit Lions	T	24	1st - 2018
14	Michael Reedy	Philadelphia Eagles	G	24	1st - 2020
15	Russell Grimes	St Louis Rams	G	25	3rd - 2018
16	Derek Minor	Buffalo Bills	C	24	2nd - 2019
17	Dillon Finley	San Diego Chargers	C	22	2nd - 2020
18	Khris Sims	Dallas Cowboys	C	24	4th - 2019
19	Gordon James	Jacksonville Jaguars	C	22	1st - 2020
20	Casey Redmond	London Monarchs	C	25	3rd - 2018
21	Hooper Lauderdale	New Orleans Saints	C	24	5th - 2019
22	Kedron Jeffery	Jacksonville Jaguars	DT	23	2nd - 2019
23	Malcolm Pruitt	Chicago Bears	LB	24	1st - 2019
24	Nick Sims	Kansas City Chiefs	LB	24	1st - 2019
25	Jelani Hunter	Indianapolis Colts	LB	24	2nd - 2019
26	Antuan Hughes	London Monarchs	LB	24	1st - 2018

Dallas and Indianapolis lead the way with 3 picks each. Most importantly, both teams have a QB to call on. In today’s game, you really ain’t going far without a guy who can sling it around. 5 other teams have a pair of picks each.

12 of the picks are 1st rounders, and props to Cory Knox for making the list as the 1st undrafed player I’ve covered. His healthy might be spotty at the moment, but I think he’s legit and should do well for the Broncos. At 22, his future is bright and Philly will feel bad they let him slip away.

11 of the 26 players were drafted in 2019. That suggests that after roughly 3 years in the league, that is when these guys are staring to make the big strides. Or that was just a deep class.

7 of these players were top 10 picks, and there is only 1 #1 overall pick on the list in Malcolm Pruitt from Chicago. A lot of guys taken up near the top have been struggling lately.

Zach Nelson was taken 20th overall in 2018, and was still the 4th QB off the board in a deep class. Bryson Tracy, Arryn Carroll, Claude McDonald and Will Philip all heard their names called before Nelson, but the man in Baltimore looks to be the best passer in that class after 4 years.

Only 5 players appear on the defensive side of the ball, down from 10 last year. With 6 of the defensive players selected last season now being 26, a lot of those spots have been taken up by offensive guys in a pass driven league.

Peace Out!

Dexter

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 10


Your One Stop Shop For Everything Pro Football!



Craig Costello, Editor in Chief

Pro Football Almanac Round Table – New York Jets

It has been a tough stretch for the New York Jets, even by NFL standards. 38-57-1 over the last 6 years, the team hasn’t been to the post season since 2010. A double digit playoff drought and a continually lacklustre roster. At PFA Towers we thought it best to sit down with our 4 most talented contributors, Carson Dietrich, Boo Carling, Amanda Reditch and Paul Ryans to see what their take was on the once proud franchise, where they’re faltering and what could be done to address the slide.



Costello: So, getting down to business. What is going wrong with the New York Jets?

Dietrich: Probably quicker to start with what is going right, you know what I mean?! 2-7 isn’t pretty, their QB is on a massive contract and playing like trash, their roster has literally nobody good on it from front to back and they’re out of ideas.

Carling: I wouldn’t say it’s quite that bad Carson, but I’m sure next time I bump in Joe Namath, we’ll spend a little more time reminiscing about the good old days and less discussing this current team. It is all uphill for them right now. I remember the team struggling in the 70’s after winning the Super Bowl, but this looks worse than that.

Reditch: They’re ranked 32nd in total offence, 29th in passing offence, 30th in rushing, and the defensive numbers aren’t really much better. Statistically, it’s hard to say much more about this team right now without being mean.

Ryans: You know me, I try not to be critical of people as I know how hard this league can be, but certainly Coach Kiffin is in a tough patch at the moment. I hope the team stick with him, he’s a tremendously talented man, but we’ll have to see.



Costello: Sounds pretty unanimous! What is it that sticks out as the reason for this current predicament? Is there anything you can put your finger on?

Dietrich: Me first, please!! Please. Jack. Riley.

Reditch: Oh boy…….

Dietrich: This guy is just toxic right now! Don’t get me wrong, he seems a nice kid, but between the white lines this season he’s been an absolute liability. Maybe all those injuries have knocked the good stuff out of him, but he’s trending nowhere but down these days. 6th season in the league and he has a career low 66.2 QB rating. 14 picks in 9 games is bad. His output is just bad. Kiffin came in as a QB guy, and Riley has gone backwards. Bad times.

Ryans: I’m not going to be too critical of Mr Riley, I think he is an impressive player in a sticky situation, but I would also say he doesn’t have a lot to work with. There isn’t much in the backfield to lean on, and the stable of receivers is sadly lacking. Rodnell King was the 19th pick in the draft 4 years ago. He probably wouldn’t get into most teams starting line ups, let alone be a #1 elsewhere. And King is top of the tree here.

Carling: I don’t think you have to stop at Rodnell King there Paul, there are some other stones to uncover when you look at the front office and their choices in the draft. Blame Riley or not, he was the #2 pick in that draft and isn’t playing that way. A year later it was Demarcus Griffin and he hasn’t panned out at FS. After King came CB Malik Robertson and OLB Philip Carter. D.J Narcisse looked average along with Robertson this season as both have been badly exposed. I can’t say much for Carter as I’m not sure I’ve seen him hit the field. That’s just too many misses high in the draft.

Reditch: An average draft position of 10th over the last 6 seasons, the team really have very little to show for it. You just can’t defend that. Their policy of spending big up front on defence has fallen apart when you look at players like Shane Ray, John Simon and Derrick Morgan lining up behind them. Robertson and Narcisse have some of the lowest CB ratings this season from across the league. There’s no point in pressure up front unless it’s a team effort in the secondary to.



Costello: Let’s try a ray of light to those long suffering Jets fans. Is there a solution here? Is it coming any time soon?

Dietrich: Nah. Find a new team. The Giants are good this year, easy solutions!

Ryans: Oh Carson, stop it! There are lots of things the Jets can do, but the issue appears to be in identifying talent. Perhaps that is something they need to switch up if they are going to succeed. I don’t like firing people, but perhaps a reshuffle would be in order.

Reditch: As I mentioned, the strong front 3 in that 3-4 hasn’t been working out. But, Mo Wilkerson’s contract is up this off season, as is Damien Harrison’s. Those 2 guys contribute to about $40m in cap space and with about $5m spare going into this season, that gives the team some room to play with. Kaepernick’s deal is also up, that’s another $5m the team could work with but an alternative to Riley may well be needed. The team has 21 contracts up this off season. That’s a lot of room for movement regardless.

Dietrich: Is Jack Riley’s contract up? No it is not. He has 3 years left after this season at $17m, $20m and $24m. He isn’t going to get cut any time soon with numbers like that, though at this stage you’d trade him for a JUGS machine if you could. If they take all that cap room and buy a new line and a bunch of new receivers, maybe he does something but boy, he doesn’t deserve the chance after this year.

Carling: I’m with Amanda on this one. This is the NFL after all. There is always the opportunity to turn things around. Yes, changes will probably be coming but that is the rise and fall of the league. Coach Kiffin will go somewhere else and find success, I’ve had a lot of interaction with him during his college career and he’s a very sharp mind. If you go back to some of the worst teams that stick in the memory, say the ’07 Dolphins that went 1-15, I spoke to Cam Cameron and he knew it was a bad year. But he didn’t lose faith. Same with my old buddy George Seifert when Carolina sunk to 1-15 behind Chris Weinke. You just have to dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 10

Journal Pages 1 & 2

Spoiler

Journal Pages 3 & 4

Spoiler

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 – Week 11




Daniel Grainger, NFL

QBs as Important as Ever, and This Season Proves It

As the NFL continues it full transition into a passing league, there is little to suggest the trend is going to end any time soon. Pickett, Shaw, McBride, Cole are household names to go with Rodgers, Newton, Luck and Mariota. It has been true for a long time that if you don’t have a solid QB, you can’t win and in this day and age that is becoming more and more true with every season that passes. It also means that patience for under-performing signal callers is at an all-time low and the learning curve for rookies is getting steeper and steeper. Let’s take a look at the standings this season and see how the correlate to the passer ratings for each team.



Passer rating is the NFL’s recognised stat for ranking QBs. It is calculated using passing attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and interceptions. A perfect rating of 158.3 requires a completion percentage of at least 77%, 12.5 yards per attempt, 12% touchdown per attempt and zero interceptions. Keep that rating of 158.3 in mind, it’s a good upper benchmark. If every pass thrown was incomplete in a game, the passer rating would be 39.6. Keep that in mind to.

Aaron Rodgers leads the way this season as he continues to roll back the years and play some of the best ball of his career. At 125.3, he is the main reason the Packers are leading the NFC at 8-2. His career best is 122.5 in 2011 so it will be interesting to see if he can eclipse that mark 10 years on. If you take a look at the top of the standings right now, it is a similar story. Dallas are 7-4 behind Tyson McBride (120.8), Baltimore are 7-4 with Zach Nelson (109.4) and Rob Picket has the Colts at an NFL best 9-2 heading into their bye. His passer rating is 113.9. The average rating of the teams in the top 10 in the NFL right now is 109.1. That is going to get it done.



Jack Riley on the other hand, is setting the standard for futility right now. He and the Jets are a miserable 2-8 and with the interceptions piling up, Riley has a passer rating of 66.2. The teams down at the bottom are struggling as much as their QBs. Trett Hicks has the Jags at 1-9 and his rating is 87.2. Rookie Jared Todd is getting beat up in the AFC West and his rating is 88.4 for the 2-8 Chargers. Jameis Winston is the most experienced player to struggle and with a passer rating of 82.3, he should be past those kind of numbers by this point of his career.

Yes, football will always be a team sport, but it is still driven by one position and one position alone. Defence matters, it splits the good teams from the better teams and makes life that much harder on some of these guys who are struggling to put numbers up at QB. But it doesn’t matter how far you go back in recent memory. If you don’t have a passer playing at a high level, you need to get one. And fast. Keep passer rating in mind next time you watch a game or look at the standings, it’s more important than you think.

[Rumplebeanskin]

Re: The N"If"L - A Look into the Future of an Alternate NFL

Year 7 21/22 - Week 11

Journal Pages 1 & 2

Spoiler

Journal Pages 3 & 4

Spoiler