Ugh, Bradford is a great comparison. As 12s we squint our eyes and talk ourselves into the idea we snagged a QB that led his team to 14 wins last year. Sadly, it’s all a mirage and we’ll be exactly we are now, next year.
Oh wow, thanks I was wondering how I’d conflated the Jets washout first rounder with the Rams washout first rounder from a decade previous. I’d just assumed it was my dotage.
Would the Patriots objectively even be a “meh” team without all the years of history, expectation and entitled fans pushing that moneyline up? Are they really that much better than the Jets or Dolphins at this point?
I would place them on the borderline of the meh and the bottom rung. Little things like the return of Barmore to the D-line and the fact that Campbell feels like a super "Safe" lineman push them up a bit.
Eh, if you could turn the Injuries slider off for this season, I think the line would be sensible. Which pretty much, in my biased mind, reflects how fan gamblers work at the start of a season. (Speaking as a Pats fan)
"This is not a stealth playoff contender that had a triumphant offseason. It’s a rebuilding team that looked great against backups for a half hour on Sunday Night Football."
I'll be saving this as ammo if my Bears fan husband wrong me in the next two weeks.
Look, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Bears Homer Nutjob, but I defy anyone, even someone who has had multiple servings of Johnson-Allen-Williams Kool-Aid, to find 10 wins on that brutal schedule (and 10 wins might be what it takes to get to the NFC playoffs). The Bears could make real progress and still end up 6-11.
I first read "Pitts, the very living paragon of fulfilled Falcons expectations" as Tanier intending to say "unfulfilled", but then decided he intended this to be a much deeper burn.
‘sounds too much like a case of filling lots of blank spaces with what we hope to see’ cuts deep and I can’t help but thus wonder, doesn’t this just kinda describe that whole division especially right now?
Honestly not sure if the "Sam Bradford" sentences were trolling or a Mike brain fart. I was very confused for a minute bc I had forgotten who the Seahawks actual starting QB is.
Loved the comment on Vrabel and the Pats. It’s hard not to look at that organization and laugh at how desperately they’re trying to hold on to that Patriots Way silliness. I mean, I would too if I were a Pats fan and had been used to so much winning in the not-too-distant past, but I too have had a hard time taking Vrabel seriously these days.
I live in Nashville, so I saw a lot of Vrabel’s Titans. I completely understand everyone thinking his act is tired. However, I’ll tell you who loves it and that’s his players. Every Titan loved that guy. He had nicknames for every player, called everyone out regardless of stature, participated in drills himself, and had them ready to play week-in-and-out. When he got fired, you didn’t hear any player badmouthing him which is usually a honored pastime for a recently fired coach
I saw *seriously* good Ravens teams lose to Vrabel-coached Titans teams; and also struggle in dogfights against them in games that "should've" been easier. I have a healthy respect for Vrabel.
Not so much for Josh McDaniels (when he's not standing next to Tom Brady).
Michael Penix is older than Kyle Pitts and has overcome a lot more than Pitts to get where he is with the Falcons. I hope the mentorship flows from Penix -> Pitts instead of the direction Tanier assumes.
For me, it is a Bill Paxton/Bill Bixby thing, because this thread has informed me that I have been wrong about who played bruce banner all those years ago
Fair. Pullman in Spaceballs and Independence Day was great.
HOWEVER, Paxton in A Simple Plan, Frailty, Edge of Tomorrow, Tombstone and One False Move bests any Pullman list. Also the HBO show Big Love he was great and had 3 Emmy noms for Paxton (during the same era where Cranston was winning for Breaking Bad).
Howie Roseman signing Bradford to a zillion dollar deal at the time...then immediately drafting Carson Wentz....then trading Bradford to the Vikings for a 1st rd pick bc Teddy Bridgewater got injured late in pre-season is the perfect example of Roseman being aggressive, being willing to take risks and make mistakes....and being bailed out by sheer dumb luck or taking advantage of incompetent fellow NFL GMs. The right answer is it's both.
Given Darnold's contract, I can understand mistaking him for Bradford.
The Darnold/Bradford braincramp, which imma leave in there, really says a lot about that space they both occupy in my mind.
So that was a Freudian slip...I wasn't sure but I went along with the bit because I have come to expect these things here at the Too Deep Zone.
Same.
Ugh, Bradford is a great comparison. As 12s we squint our eyes and talk ourselves into the idea we snagged a QB that led his team to 14 wins last year. Sadly, it’s all a mirage and we’ll be exactly we are now, next year.
Oh wow, thanks I was wondering how I’d conflated the Jets washout first rounder with the Rams washout first rounder from a decade previous. I’d just assumed it was my dotage.
+220 that Zabel Grey is Pantone's 2025 color of the year
Would the Patriots objectively even be a “meh” team without all the years of history, expectation and entitled fans pushing that moneyline up? Are they really that much better than the Jets or Dolphins at this point?
I would place them on the borderline of the meh and the bottom rung. Little things like the return of Barmore to the D-line and the fact that Campbell feels like a super "Safe" lineman push them up a bit.
It boils down to whether you think Maye is better than Justin Fields at the moment.
Every Pats fan think Maye is better than Herbert lol. At least the ones I know. Their certitude is completely reasonable.
Eh, if you could turn the Injuries slider off for this season, I think the line would be sensible. Which pretty much, in my biased mind, reflects how fan gamblers work at the start of a season. (Speaking as a Pats fan)
I would love any team to go 7-6-4. Sicko!
Just think: 7-6-4 would best 9-8 into the playoffs!
"This is not a stealth playoff contender that had a triumphant offseason. It’s a rebuilding team that looked great against backups for a half hour on Sunday Night Football."
I'll be saving this as ammo if my Bears fan husband wrong me in the next two weeks.
Look, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Bears Homer Nutjob, but I defy anyone, even someone who has had multiple servings of Johnson-Allen-Williams Kool-Aid, to find 10 wins on that brutal schedule (and 10 wins might be what it takes to get to the NFC playoffs). The Bears could make real progress and still end up 6-11.
I think the biggest takeaway from this group of teams is that there are too many quarterbacks named Sam.
I first read "Pitts, the very living paragon of fulfilled Falcons expectations" as Tanier intending to say "unfulfilled", but then decided he intended this to be a much deeper burn.
‘sounds too much like a case of filling lots of blank spaces with what we hope to see’ cuts deep and I can’t help but thus wonder, doesn’t this just kinda describe that whole division especially right now?
After the Parsons trade, are we absolutely sure Jerrah and Trump aren’t the same person. I’m getting serious negotiating with Putin vibes!
Just found out that the Patriots claimed Tommy DeVito. I thought he would never leave NY.
Honestly not sure if the "Sam Bradford" sentences were trolling or a Mike brain fart. I was very confused for a minute bc I had forgotten who the Seahawks actual starting QB is.
Loved the comment on Vrabel and the Pats. It’s hard not to look at that organization and laugh at how desperately they’re trying to hold on to that Patriots Way silliness. I mean, I would too if I were a Pats fan and had been used to so much winning in the not-too-distant past, but I too have had a hard time taking Vrabel seriously these days.
I live in Nashville, so I saw a lot of Vrabel’s Titans. I completely understand everyone thinking his act is tired. However, I’ll tell you who loves it and that’s his players. Every Titan loved that guy. He had nicknames for every player, called everyone out regardless of stature, participated in drills himself, and had them ready to play week-in-and-out. When he got fired, you didn’t hear any player badmouthing him which is usually a honored pastime for a recently fired coach
I saw *seriously* good Ravens teams lose to Vrabel-coached Titans teams; and also struggle in dogfights against them in games that "should've" been easier. I have a healthy respect for Vrabel.
Not so much for Josh McDaniels (when he's not standing next to Tom Brady).
Michael Penix is older than Kyle Pitts and has overcome a lot more than Pitts to get where he is with the Falcons. I hope the mentorship flows from Penix -> Pitts instead of the direction Tanier assumes.
I thought the Bradford thing was intentional, given how both their careers are going lol.
Sam Bradford?
It's a Bill Pullman/Bill Paxton thing.
For me, it is a Bill Paxton/Bill Bixby thing, because this thread has informed me that I have been wrong about who played bruce banner all those years ago
Bill Paxton as "David" Banner is a legendary idea. Awesome.
HEY! Bill Paxton (RIP) had a much more legendary career.
Mad respect to bill paxton (his whiny soldier in Aliens is legendary) but c’mon, Pullman was in Spaceballs!
Fair. Pullman in Spaceballs and Independence Day was great.
HOWEVER, Paxton in A Simple Plan, Frailty, Edge of Tomorrow, Tombstone and One False Move bests any Pullman list. Also the HBO show Big Love he was great and had 3 Emmy noms for Paxton (during the same era where Cranston was winning for Breaking Bad).
A Simple Plan is so underrated.
So true.
I remember reading that book and thinking it was like Camus wrote a crime novel.
True dat, not even a comparison. And let’s not forget Paxton’s seminal role as the bully big brother in Weird Science.
feel ya
Sam Bradford?? I mean to be fair, he lasted so long in the NFL doing nothing that it wouldn't shock me if he were still around but still...
Howie Roseman signing Bradford to a zillion dollar deal at the time...then immediately drafting Carson Wentz....then trading Bradford to the Vikings for a 1st rd pick bc Teddy Bridgewater got injured late in pre-season is the perfect example of Roseman being aggressive, being willing to take risks and make mistakes....and being bailed out by sheer dumb luck or taking advantage of incompetent fellow NFL GMs. The right answer is it's both.