Official 2013 NFL Discussion Thread

[IPD]

I don't put much if any value in preseason. I have seen teams go undefeated in preseason only to go sub 500 in the regular season. Then there have been teams with 1 or even 0 wins in preseason go on and dominate the regular season.

colts. not saying they did well in the post-season...but that's been a trend for pre-season/regular-season many times within the last 10 years or so.

[HilbillyHomeboy]

[Echo419]

with the jaw that woman has I'm sure she was fine. damn, she looks like a Predator without the mandible sticking out.

[HilbillyHomeboy]

Yeah, she was alright. They hugged it out, afterwards.

Jeremy

[93STLTH]

Brandon Weeden Working On Foot Speed To Better Chase Down Opposing DB’s
By PFM Staff Updated: August 21, 2013

CLEVELAND, OH – Second year Browns QB Brandon Weeden has been putting in extra hours at the team’s practice facility recently, working to improve his foot speed in order to better chase down opposing defensive backs as they return his intercepted passes, it was reported early Wednesday.


“That’s part of what makes Brandon such a special player,” said Browns coach Rob Chudzinski. “He pays attention to details like that, and works hard to get better ever day. He doesn’t just want to be good at chasing down players who pick off his throws. He wants to be the BEST at it.”

Weeden, who finished fifth in the league last season with seventeen interceptions, has been studying film and working with a track coach to improve his reaction times, take longer strides, and follow better pursuit angles, all in the hopes of limiting opposing cornerbacks to lower return yardage totals.

“I was planning to watch film of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers to analyze their post-interception techniques, but as it turns out there isn’t much of a library of them throwing picks,” said Weeden. “So instead, I’ve been focusing on quarterbacks like Romo, Cutler, and Sanchez. Once a ball gets intercepted, those guys are amazing at chasing down a DB and making the tackle.”

Concluded Weeden, “That shows you what years of practice can do for you.”

[HilbillyHomeboy]

Eh, I understand it's satire, but Weeden has looked phenomenal so far in the preseason.

Jeremy

[sergechronos]

Kirk Cousins Insists RG3 is Ready to Take Full-Speed Hits to His Knees - SportsPickle | SportsPickle

Washington backup quarterback Kirk Cousins showed support for Robert Griffin III today saying he believes RG3 should “immediately be given the opportunity to take hits to his knees at game speed.”

“Why wait?” said Cousins. “Robert says he’s ready, so I think we have to trust him. Let’s get him out there and let’s get some lineman falling around his knees.”

Cousins also insisted that Griffin’s rehab has reached the point where “he doesn’t need a knee brace anymore. His knee should definitely be unprotected out there.”

Griffin has been waging a very public battle with head coach Mike Shanahan, pushing to get back on the field in game action before Washington’s regular season opener on September 9th. The 2012 Rookie of the Year underwent reconstructive knee surgery just seven months ago, but says he has received constant encouragement from Cousins from the beginning.

“A lot of backups might secretly root for an opportunity to be the starter,” said Griffin, “but not Kirk. He’s been challenging me throughout my rehab. Just hours after my surgery he called me and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you try to jump up and down on it. I believe in you.’ And it’s not just words either. It’s actions like trying to push me down a flight of stars to ‘test my reactions and knee strength.’ He’s the kind of teammate you want to have.”

Cousins says he believes Griffin should get back on the field immediately “if for no other reason than that life is very short. What if this preseason game is his last opportunity to ever start a game? What if, heaven forbid, something happened to him, such as the brake line in his car somehow got cut and he slammed headfirst into an embankment, catching fire?”

The backup then excused himself and headed off towards the players’ parking lot carrying his gym bag and also a flashlight and a pair of shears.

[93STLTH]

^^^ Touche'. It's not as funny when it's my team being poked at.
That said, Cousins would be a step up for a number of teams in the league. He could probably be the starter for at least 10 teams, maybe more.
I watched Sanchez in the game against Jacksonville and he was clueless out there. Slow to react, bad decision making, throwing into coverage. Cousins would be the starter tomorrow if he was traded there.

[sergechronos]

I think Cousins is a great back up QB and he would make a good starter for most teams. I honestly would love to see Carolina either ditch Newton, or trade Clausen for a more mobile back up. Just seems absurd to me that they have a QB who is best known for being a dual threat (and who has had as many or more rushing attempts as the HBs) as a starter, and then a non-mobile QB as his back up. If Newton goes down, you lose a lot of the playbook. Especially that read option bullshit they were trying to run last year (hated that shit.) Really though, Carolina is set up for any QB could go in and do alright. Good TE, a good WR, very solid stable of RBs and a decent o-line (who are better when we let them runblock) with a good defense on the other side of the ball. If Carolina leaves the gimmicks behind, plays solid smashmouth football and runs play action off of it (which is pretty much how they previously won when they made NFC championship and Super Bowl Runs) they could surprise quite a few teams this year I think. I still want to see them fire Rivera.

Of far greater interest to me in terms of NFL story lines though: Baltimore and Jacksonville. Both teams are rather different than they were last year and it will be interesting to see how both do this year with such wholesale changes. While I disagree with 3 year period to turn college programs around (given you can only bring in so many guys each year,) the NFL is an entirely different beast since you can trade away (or cut) players who don't fit your system or accumulate draft picks or pick up guys in free agency. You can completely overhaul an NFL roster within 2 years using a combination of draft picks and veterans, and there aren't really as many unknowns in the NFL as there are in college. A zone blocking scheme on offense can turn any run of the mill HB into a 1000 yard stud pretty easy (love him to death, but look at Arian Foster), and a Cover2 defense is a bend but don't break concept with a weak middle in an era when defenses can't really do anything to stop receivers over the middle anyhow. Just my opinion. With that in mind, wouldn't be surprised to see the Cowboys looking damn good this year. NFC East should be a brutal (for once)

[93STLTH]

NFC East should be a brutal (for once)

Wait... what??
You are aware that NFC East teams have won 26% of all Super Bowls? And that's including the Eagles, who have none.