Some things I learned today: Alex Smith's current contract is nominally for $24M, but has incentives for up to $33M. One would imagine Smith was on track to hit many of those incentives. Also, next year's $7.5M if only guaranteed if Smith remains on the roster until April 1, 2013. Make of this what you will. Also, shame about that nice defense you had there, Seahawks. Rumors point to Aderrall. Weird how that's become a thing with NFL players lately.
If this continues to play out like you said, their season will pretty much come down to the Green Bay game. It's likely after two more weeks [if you're right about the Chicago games] the NFC North will have the following records: Green Bay 9-4 Chicago 8-5 Minnesota 7-6 Detroit 5-8 If they can beat Green Bay at home - which after last night's game certainly doesn't seem totally unlikely - then I think Chicago wins the division at 11-5 because I doubt Green Bay will run the table. Here's how I can see the rest of the year playing out: Chicago Seattle - L (8-4) At Minnesota - L (8-5) Green Bay - W (9-5) At Arizona - W (10-6) At Detroit - W (11-5) Green Bay Minnesota - W (8-4) Detroit - W (9-4) At Chicago - L (9-5) Tennessee - W (10-5) At Minnesota - L (10-6) Minnesota At Green Bay - L (6-6) Chicago - W (7-6) At Houston - L (7-7) At St Louis - W (8-7) Green Bay - W (9-7) Detroit Indianapolis - W (5-7) At Green Bay - L (5-8) At Arizona - W (6-8) Atlanta - L (7-8) Chicago - L (7-9) I've put probably like five minutes of thought into this, but I don't think these predictions are unreasonable.
Or New York. I'd put the Jets at the top of the list of destinations. If Alex Smith was starting for them, I think the Jets would likely finish the season .500 or better. The thing with Kansas City is who is going to make that deal? If I'm Pioli, I'm too busy stealing office supplies on my way out to worry about their future at quarterback. Philly actually seems the most pleased with their current situation, since for some reason that is unclear to me they like Foles.
What the incentive for any team drafting in the top half to not pick a rookie QB and do with him? They are cheaper and have more potential than any of these retreads. Smiths best shot would be with a decent team just needing a little QB help. Like the Jets.
We know Alex Smith does not suck. They might suck. See: Sanchez, Mark or Gabbert, Blaine. Plus, it's a really weak year at QB. Last year's draft was known to have at least 5 potential NFL starting quality QBs (plus prospects in Foles and Osweiler); it's two this year with a lot of top notch defensive talent on the table. Three is you're generously disposed towards Tyler Wilson of Arkansas. Rumor is that Barkley is dropping to something like 15 due to senior year struggles and his shoulder injury. I have no idea why this idea that the Jets are a good team merely in need of a QB persists. Probably just from ESPN coverage. They are mediocre-to-bad at a lot of positions. They really have only a handful of truly good players (Mangold, Ferguson, Revis, and Keller in my opinion. Wilkerson on a good day) and a lot of their decent ones (Cromartie, Harris, Holmes, Pace) are aging. There are a lot of areas where that team is struggling, and a QB bandaid isn't going to fix it.
I'm just curious as to why you think the Seahawks are going to win in Chicago. The Vikings-Bears game in Minneapolis is a toss up because the Vikings are traditionally good at home, and its hard to beat the same team twice, much less within the span of 3 weeks. But Seattle is AWFUL on the road. Their only win is at Carolina. Their D keeps them in games so they don't get beat down, but their record speaks for itself. Especially if their cornerbacks are suspended. The idea that the Bears would lose to them but not GB just doesn't make sense to me. After last night, GB looks beatable, but their problem is that they are terrible against the run. Unfortunately, the Bears don't have the OLine to exploit that, nor a OC that properly utilizes their top tier RB. The injuries they have may play into the Bears hand, but we'll see, should be an interesting game. I figure the Bears lose 2 more games, but I definitely don't think Seattle will be one of them.
I agree with everything JWags and Trakiel have posted except for two things. Both Bears related. I watched that game yesterday and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that shows that the Bears are going to lose to the Vikings. "It's hard to beat the same team twice?" Bullshit it is, the Bears have better players. The better players can win twice. It isn't hard, and we sure as fuck know neither coaching staffs are going to bring out wildly different game plans. The point differential was too great to let have any suggestion that homefield or a second game would have any impact on that. Seattle. Uh, is that game in Seattle? No? Then they're losing. End of story. Not to mention they just lost both of their corners to fucking Adderall. Jesus, why are we punishing these guys just because they're trying to finish Breaking Dawn before they see it in the movies?
Depending on whether the underclassman all go out for the draft, I'd say that AJ McCarron, Aaron Murray, Tajh Boyd, Tyler Wilson, Geno Smith, and Landry Jones are all probably better prospects than Weeden or Tannehill were last year. There aren't any sure things like Luck or RG3 and the best players aren't QBs this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see 2-3 starting quarterbacks come out of this draft.
Dont forget Barkley. Landry Jones screwed the pooch not coming out last year. Cost himself a lot of money. He was projected top 10 last year, not even 1st round any more.
I'm not really commenting on actual quality, just consensus. Many see Smith as probably the top available now that Barkley's stock has fallen, with Wilson as a borderline first rounder who might fall to mid second, Murray as a borderline second-rounder and more likely a third rounder, and with the rest being third round or below. Jones is seen as a head-scratching catastrophe given his high draft stock a few years ago. There's still a lot of time for things to shake out, but the feeling is there are a maximum of two QBs here that you pass over upper-first-round talent at other positions for.
Oh fuck off. It's obvious the majority of the league is doing something. Just certain people are getting caught. Don't try to put this on the Patriots. Everyone who isn't secure in their roster spot will do anything to secure it. The article even mentions how he was coming back and trying to do something. It's probably adderall also, how much could that really help a defensive player in a football game? Like I said, fuckers wanna finish some Twilight.
Probably Adderrall? Thats the new excuse for all the cheaters. Just because everybody else is doing it, doesnt make it OK. Certain people getting caught? So theres others doing it and not getting busted? Like Brady and Welker? Too bad. We will miss JC in Miami this Sunday.
Wilson is one of those quarterbacks who might end up sticking around for awhile. My old roommate's little brother is currently the 3rd stringer at Arkansas and says Wilson is an absolute moron. But whats been discussed recently about quarterbacks who are a bit too smart struggling in the NFL due to overthinking and such, maybe he will stick. I think its the year that some of the smaller school QBs rise up the board. Zac Dysert from Miami (OH) is getting some favorable writeups and likely will rise up the list once pro days and combines start, but got little love this year cause they were absolutely terrible and he had a miserable supporting cast. He has the size and tools, put up good numbers considering the circumstances, and unlike someone like John Skelton, he still played FBS football.
There's actually speculation that the players have been taking advantage of the "probably Adderrall" line of reasoning. The league is legally bound to keep that shit under cover, so a player or an agent might float the idea that it is Adderall knowing that the league won't contradict him.
Actually I don't; I just reposted D26's list without thinking about the other games on their schedule aside from the Packers game. The bottom line is that I believe if the Bears beat the Packers then the division's theirs; they're not going to lose enough of their other games for the Packers to overtake them. I still have faith in my team. Chicago beat Minny at home, SF beat Chicago at home, and Minny beat SF at home, each game by double digits. Chicago's the better team, but not by such a great margin that them beating the Vikes at the Metrodome is a forgone conclusion.
You're completely removing the rock paper scissors factor that is sports. On top of the fact that Minnie is a poor mans SF. They somehow won that game by getting outlier above average performances from their WRs and a godlike game from Percy Harvin, who once again, is an injury wildcard. Also 18 points is a pretty damn decisive. How many points did they need? 20? 30? 40? Come on. Don't be that fan. You can have faith, but that's a Chicago win on the books, an a loss is an upset. I'm not even a Bears fan, but there is no way you can watch that game and have expectations set the other way.