2019 NFL Season Discussion Thread

[Rupert Patrick]

Daniel Jones dragged back down to earth the last few games. Though in New England it is exceedingly difficult for a rookie QB the first time. Still the Patriots were very off that game and could have been had if facing a different opponent. Giants were somehow only down 7 when the 4th quarter began.

I respect what the Patriots have done so far and they are undefeated. But their numbers on defense might be overinflated because the combined record of the teams they've played is 7-24, including 3 currently winless teams (Redskins, Jets, Dolphins). The AFC East is still the worst division in football and I don't think Buffalo is for real.

Agreed on the Bills; they are 4-1 right now, but I see them finishing 9-7, maybe 10-6 and should be in the middle of the wild card hunt. They're not going to go 12-4.

[sluggermatt15]

Daniel Jones dragged back down to earth the last few games. Though in New England it is exceedingly difficult for a rookie QB the first time. Still the Patriots were very off that game and could have been had if facing a different opponent. Giants were somehow only down 7 when the 4th quarter began.

I respect what the Patriots have done so far and they are undefeated. But their numbers on defense might be overinflated because the combined record of the teams they've played is 7-24, including 3 currently winless teams (Redskins, Jets, Dolphins). The AFC East is still the worst division in football and I don't think Buffalo is for real.

Agreed on the Bills; they are 4-1 right now, but I see them finishing 9-7, maybe 10-6 and should be in the middle of the wild card hunt. They're not going to go 12-4.

They'll have to be a wild card. Division is probably not going to be an option.

[RRMarshall]

Everyone ready for that titanic meeting between the winless Washington Redskins and likewise Miami Dolphins tomorrow? Having grown up in the 1970s it's kind of sad watching these once two proud franchises reduced to such mediocrity. As Casey Stengel might have said:"I don't think either team can win it.."

[conace21]

Daniel Jones dragged back down to earth the last few games. Though in New England it is exceedingly difficult for a rookie QB the first time. Still the Patriots were very off that game and could have been had if facing a different opponent. Giants were somehow only down 7 when the 4th quarter began.

I respect what the Patriots have done so far and they are undefeated. But their numbers on defense might be overinflated because the combined record of the teams they've played is 7-24, including 3 currently winless teams (Redskins, Jets, Dolphins). The AFC East is still the worst division in football and I don't think Buffalo is for real.

Agreed on the Bills; they are 4-1 right now, but I see them finishing 9-7, maybe 10-6 and should be in the middle of the wild card hunt. They're not going to go 12-4.

11-5 is a very real possibility. They only have 4 games against teams at .500 or better (and only 2 with winning records.) NE, Balt, Dal, and Phi.

[sheajets]

It's just one win in what is already a lost season, but Sam Darnold breathed life back into the Jets franchise

[sluggermatt15]

It's just one win in what is already a lost season, but Sam Darnold breathed life back into the Jets franchise

It's amazing the Jets are a world of difference when Darnold is at QB.

[sheajets]

It's just one win in what is already a lost season, but Sam Darnold breathed life back into the Jets franchise

It's amazing the Jets are a world of difference when Darnold is at QB.

After such a long layoff it was thrilling to see him come in and show no signs of rust and just dominate Dallas 6th ranked D (coming into the game) The Jets suddenly found a few weapons here and there and Gase was finally able to open up the playbook and run an NFL offense

[Rupert Patrick]

It's just one win in what is already a lost season, but Sam Darnold breathed life back into the Jets franchise

It's amazing the Jets are a world of difference when Darnold is at QB.

After such a long layoff it was thrilling to see him come in and show no signs of rust and just dominate Dallas 6th ranked D (coming into the game) The Jets suddenly found a few weapons here and there and Gase was finally able to open up the playbook and run an NFL offense

I watched the Jets game yesterday and Darnold looked pretty good. I was expecting Dallas to walk all over New York but the Jets surprised me, and I think exposed the fact that Dallas isn't very good. The Cowboys won their first three games against the Dolphins, Giants and Redskins, who have a combined 3-14 record, but when you remove the games the three teams played against one another, the record of three teams is 1-12. Jason Garrett will be lucky to survive the season.

New England might have already clinched Home Field Advantage in the AFC playoffs with the Chiefs loss to Houston. The Texans have become my second-favorite team behind the Steelers and they did not give up when they fell behind 17-3 on the road. Deshaun Watson will never be one of those guys like Brees or Brady who throws for a 65 to 70 percent completion rate every game, but he is a big-time playmaker and always finds a way to keep his team in the game. I've been going crazy trying to come up with a historical parallel for Watson - I don't know, he reminds me to a point of John Elway and Brett Favre, maybe Tarkenton with a stronger arm. Having watched him at Clemson for several years, I knew Deshaun Watson would be a superstar in the NFL and thought he should have been one of the first four picks in the 2017 NFL draft. Houston stole him with the 12th pick in the draft.

Getting to the Steelers, they made Mike Tomlin's job a whole lot more secure today. I didn't see their win over the Chargers coming, and they had the Chargers all the way. At 2-4, the Steelers might still be able to salvage the season, as they lost three of their games (to Baltimore, SF and Seattle) by a total of nine points; they can still finish 8-8 or 7-9.

We might want to look ahead to Week 16, December 22, Cincinnati at Miami, which could decide the first pick in the 2020 Draft, but I think it was probably already decided yesterday.

[sluggermatt15]

I think Tomlin will be safe through this season. At 2-4, the next game against Miami should bring them to 3-4. Then, the Colts game is winnable, and who knows how the Rams will continue to play with a confused and injured offensive line and a hurt Todd Gurley. Say they split. At 4-5, the next three are the Browns (twice) and Bengals. I can't imagine the Steelers doing worse than 2 of those 3. The Browns haven't lived up to any hype and Mayfield looks like a mess. The rest of the Steelers games are winnable, if the defense keeps playing at the level it has - at Cardinals, Bills, at Jets, at Ravens. 9-7 or 8-8 is not out of the question. I think Tomlin is the coach next year with either record. I think 7-9 is the line. If he finishes 6-10 or worse, then I think he will be gone.

[Aron Harris]

If Tomlin takes the Steelers to the playoffs this year, I could see him being named as a candidate for the Coach of the Year. Not that he will or should win, seeing as there's a lot of football left, but to lose Ben and have many other impact players on that team injured, it would be one of his more impressive coaching performances.