The NFL Thread

[Dire Wolf]

He won't win Coach of the Year, but he should:

Inside the Bills: In his team's darkest moment, coach Sean McDermott's leadership comes to light

"How do I know that we'll be able to overcome? We have to," McDermott said. "Just like we've done many times before. This city, and the people of Western New York, have dealt with what they've dealt with. That's what you do."

buffalonews.com

 

[Tony Towner]

Pederson or Daboll deserve it

 

[Dire Wolf]

Pederson or Daboll deserve it

Based on turning around their team, yes. Based on what adversity a coach has guided his team through, with dignity, humility and supreme leadership McDermott wins it hands down and it isn't at all close.

 

[Tony Towner]

He's the only one who has had to though. Which isn't belittling what he's done or what he's faced, just I think it's unfair to look beyond the sporting element

 

[Dire Wolf]

He's the only one who has had to though. Which isn't belittling what he's done or what he's faced, just I think it's unfair to look beyond the sporting element

I completely disagree. Being a coach is more than just results on the field, it's how you develop the character and culture of the team, its about how you develop your team and players in facing up to adversity and challenges and its about how you create the values around a team that connects with the community.

Results on the field matter of course, but coaching at any level is about more than just results. He has excelled in every aspect of the non-results part of his job and and in the face of massive levels of adversity, the like of which is unprecedented, he has still led his team to the playoffs with a 13-3 record.

I doubt very much he will win coach of the year and I don't think the Bills will win the Super Bowl, but the job he has done this year is more than outstanding.

 

[Alan]

Never forget that Sean McDermott started Nathan Peterman at QB.

 

[Tony Towner]

Bit of noise that Chicago will see what they can get for Fields. More due diligence at this stage

 

[Alan]

Unexpectedly ruthless, but I think it’s the right call.

 

[Alan]

@BillyDee Fields is wonderfully talented but hasn’t developed his reading of the game, and he has a short clock on his career because of how many hits he takes.

I don’t think his stock will ever be higher than right now.

 

[Tony Towner]

So difficult to judge, I'd say Fields' ceiling is 10-12, but I'd have said the same about Hurts last year and that was wrong. What would you say Young's ceiling without playing in the NFL is Alan?

 

[Alan]

Young’s ceiling is Drew Brees.

Note that that means he’s going to need an offense tailored to him in the way New Orleans tailored theirs for Brees.

IMO.

EDIT: Reading back, I may have misunderstood what you meant by “ceiling”.

 

[Tony Towner]

Are you comping talent or style? Not sure a pocket passer would have the impact in the game now it did a decade or so ago.

Edit to your edit. Not sure I'd spin the wheel for a system QB based on that. Fields +Carter (they prefer him to Anderson supposedly) or 2 1s. Is better than Young + 2 1s or a 1 and a 2 surely?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Hmmmm. So I guess the bears draft mandarins must REALLY like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.

I wonder who could afford Fields in terms of cap space and would view a deal for him as good value?

 

[Tony Towner]

Cap space wouldn't be an issue he'd be on the 3rd year of his rookie deal and couldn't be offered an extension even if he wanted one. If the price was 2 1s, I doubt they'd get it. If it were 1 1st and other picks then a QB needy team lower in the draft order like Tampa (assuming Brady is off) may be interested I suppose. Teams do stupid things, but personally I think he has enough question marks to not pay the ranch for him. They drafted him 11th in the first round imo that's still his worth, so if Tampa would lose this weekend that would be their 1st and 2nd round picks on the draft value chart for instance

 

[Deano]

I think Fields has done well this year, there's always going to be question marks with a QB that runs as much as he does and his passing needs to improve but by the same token he hasn't had a very good supporting cast at all this year.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I wouldn’t mind Fields at my lot. We have decent wide receivers and running backs so it would complement his scrambling, whereas the Bears seem to be utterly dependent upon it.

Plus we clearly will need a QB unless Howell turns into Elway / Marino clone. Heinecke throws far too many interceptions to be a playoff QB and the expensive Wentz experiment has been an absolute bomb.

 

[Tony Towner]

Not what Ryan Poles said in his press conference yesterday.

What he said leads me to exactly that conclusion. He would have to be "absolutely blown away" to take another QB. He could have answered the question definitively, he didn't

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We will know as soon as the first draft pick is in. If it’s Bryce or Stroud they are cashing in. If it’s Anderson or Carter they are sticking with Fields

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It all really depends on what the Chicago senior management think of a) Fields b) Bryce Young c) CJ Stroud d) Will Anderson, and e) Jalen Carter.

As all that stuff is correctly rather private within the Bears organisation, anything said at the moment is clickbait and speculation!

 

[Dire Wolf]

Miami Dolphins told Tua Tagovailoa risks brain damage ahead of NFL playoffs

Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in concussion protocol after suffering three head injuries over the 2022 season, leaving his presence in the playoffs in doubt

www.mirror.co.uk

I really hope I'm wrong on this one, but it would not surprise me in the least if that ass-clown of a head coach in Miami is willing to risk Tua's future life in the quest for playoff success. It surely isn't worth jeopardising his future? But they've already thrown him out there twice, in my belief knowing full well he was suffering with concussion. Surely they'll do the right thing? Won't they?