Didn't see the game against Denver, but honestly I wasn't that impressed. Eddie Lacy ran all over them and Rodgers and the GB receivers just flat out played like shit. He overthrew people all game and when he was on target they were dropping passes all over the field. Not to mention the constant penalties. The bills will have have the best (marginal) season they've had in a long time and then they'll promptly go back to sucking. Mainly because that offense fucking blows and I don't see them getting better in the near future.
My brother and I were both watching the game saying, why don't they just run the ball until buffalo loads the box and then throw because of how effective Lacy was (and we both had him going in fantasy). Seriously the dude could have run for 200 yards. That's just bad play calling. Rodgers was off and Nelson never seems to drop that many balls, or the other receivers for that matter but the run was working.
2 interceptions, at least two other near-interceptions (including one that was only not a pick-6 because Jordy contacted the ball while it was in the defender's hands), and a strip/safety off one of the top QBs in the game. More than half of Lacy's runs went for fewer than 3 yards (not including the 1 yd TD) - there were some great, long runs in there but I think "running all over" is a stretch. Green Bay did plenty to hurt their own chances, but the Bills had a solid game. Their offense is putrid but they've put together a pretty nasty defense in the last couple years. Getting Kiko back next season should be a nice bump.
Even worse is that today's result pretty much eliminates the Browns from playoff contention. They could have waited until next week to put Manziel in and it wouldn't have mattered.
I can see why they had to put Manziel in this week. Hoyer was sucking balls, and the pressure from the community and fans, not to mention (likely) Browns ownership to use their shiny new toy in Manziel, must have been fairly overwhelming. It was one thing when Hoyer was playing at least competently, but he hasn't been for the past few games and it was starting to cost them wins. That said, it was the first professional start of a guy that almost everyone knew was going to struggle with the transition from college to the NFL, so the results were not that surprising. Manziel may be the new Tebow, and it is just the most Browns thing ever for them to trade up to draft him. As for the Green Bay/Buffalo game, I think some Packers fans are seeing this a bit strangely and not wanting to give credit where it is due. The reason Rodgers had such a shitty game was because he had almost literally zero time to throw, and when he would try to step into his throws, he was either hit or couldn't make the full step, and that affected his ability to get the ball there accurately. The pass rush on him was exactly what every team in the NFL wants out of their pass rushers; pressure. Sacks are nice, but when the QB doesn't feel comfortable, he is going to start making bad throws and decisions, like Rodgers was doing all day.
I think there's a fair amount of actual football value in giving reps to your new guy instead of limping into the end of the season anyway. It was a fairly narrow set of scenarios where the Browns might gimp their way into the playoffs and once there, they were hardly playing Superbowl-caliber football. Barnwell had a pretty good article on this: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/start ... xans-bucs/ Basically, a high variance QB is a net gain no matter what. If you lose games, your draft pick improves, but meanwhile you've given some meaningful playing time to someone who badly needs it. Of course, best case is he is the new Tebow, at least in respect to the other teams not having much game tape on him and thus struggling with him, and maybe he gives the offense a spark.
Manziel didn't play well, but people throwing dirt on his grave already are ridiculous. From what I watched, he had a couple potential big completions that his WRs flat out dropped. Hitting guys in the hands, albeit a bit high, only to have the dropped. I only saw one pass that was a terrible decision (the red zone INT), his other pick wasn't a bad decision, he just didn't put enough on it and the DB made a great play. I think he has a much higher upside than Tebow, due to his throwing motion, specifically on the run. If I'm the Browns staff and Manziel, I get as much Russell Wilson tape as possible and just have him study how to move around in the pocket and not let your size hurt you too much. The other interesting tidbit was Manziel is only 4 years removed from playing HS football. That's crazy to think about. He's still really young and didn't have a ton of college experience. Still tons of potential.
Early in the game he threw some high balls that got his receivers absolutely crushed by defenders. I think that played into the drops later on.
That GB/Bills game was a fucking runnyass shitshow. Yes, the Bills d-line was putting some pressure on Rodgers but not enough to warrant all of the bad throws. Some were his fault some were his receivers fault. Hey Jordy, how about you turn your other shoulder around ya know, TOWARD THE PASS. I don't think the officials called an even sided game but every team that loses thinks that. That was pathetic and thanks to that home field is, yet again, lost. They better get their shit together because it's about to get crazy with the Wild Card in that division.
Why isn't anyone talking about the greatest 17 yard scramble by a QB of all time? Were you people blind? It was incredible. FUCKING INCREDIBLE. Here is an awesome link of it.
Yes. Blinded by the incredible awkwardness of it. It cracks me up when Brady scrambles for a few yards and jumps up screaming like he just single-handedly won the Superbowl.
I'm just happy that Green Bay went from home field to being a possible 6th seed. Fuck playing in Lambeau.
Even his teammates were ragging on him. Edelman called him a Clydesdale, saying it was the slowest 17 yard scramble ever. I feel like I could run faster than Tom Brady. It's entertaining, but never impressive. He's done it a lot this year and has made key plays. These last few years since his last injury he's been a statue that fell over if he smelled pressure. Now it looks like he's gunning it and its great.
Ha. Reminds me of when the pats were playing at Chicago the year the bears went to the super bowl and Brady won the game by faking out Urlacher to pick up the first down. Although, the game yesterday was a bit less intense.
Well I really thought Tom was rushing more this year than he has previous years, but it's just when he's picked up that yard or two. He's only rushed 27 times for 38 yards, picking up 8 first downs, 1.4 YPG and 0 TDs. In 2012 he had 4 TDs, 11 first downs on 23 attempts. 2011, he had 43 attempts, 109 yards, 3 TDs and 20 First Downs.
Well last night closed the casket on Trestman's tenure in Chicago...thankfully. There was plenty of talk in the Chicago media that he would still be getting more time because the McCaskey's are foolishly "loyal" and hate making tough football decisions, but after the Kromer debacle and this absolutely emotionless going through the motions on national TV, he's done, along with both his coordinators. He hasnt had the respect of the team all season and it's beyond ridiculous. Last night also was a perfect example of why Gruden is terribly overrated as a commentary guy. He's an AMAZING Xs and Os guy, but his individual player critiques are ridiculous. He bashes Cutler all game, rightly cause he was AWFUL, but then starts falling all over him one he settles in and starts making throws. He also went to so far as to blame the horrible discipline the offense line has played with all year on Cutler having a bad cadence, which I thought was a bit absurd. 3 false starts on fucking WRs doesnt make me go "hmm, the QB must have a shitty snap count". But it makes sense when you realize the ENTIRE fucking game, Gruden never once criticized Trestman, probably due to some coaching fraternity bullshit. Burn it all down. Pie in the sky, the Bears get Harbaugh and fans here, meathead and savvy alike, rejoice. But knowing this organization, Phil Emery, the shitty GM, will remain and they will botch this hire like they did 2 years ago when Bruce Arians REALLY wanted the job but they did stupid shit like saying he would have to keep the defensive staff and run Lovie Smith's offense still, as well as forced him to conduct a mock press conference. Bloody hell.
Id give serious thought to shelving my fanship for awhile in that case. I did it once with the Milwaukee Bucks when it was clear the organization had no direction, competency, or ambition and it wasn't worth the stress or annoyance. This would signify that the McCaskeys are so fucking dumb and still drunk on 1985, that its not going to change until people die and you'd see the Bears join the Raiders as a once great franchise run into the ground by family incompetence over the generations.