NFL 2020 Season Playoffs - Wildcard Weekend

Of course I missed the humdinger.

I nodded off and when I woke back up Cleveland were up by a cricket score so I turned back over.

BonnieSituation

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Of course I missed the humdinger.

I nodded off and when I woke back up Cleveland were up by a cricket score so I turned back over.

That's always the way.

I had to stay up for it. I just felt it in my waters that it would be an epic.

That being said, I struggled to nod off anyway at 5am, so I'd I would have been the same if I went to bed at midnight.

JeffKenna

BonnieSituation wrote: »

That's always the way.

I had to stay up for it. I just felt it in my waters that it would be an epic.

That being said, I struggled to nod off anyway at 5am, so I'd I would have been the same if I went to bed at midnight.

How are people watching the late games, I'd be a wreck today if I were up till 5am

el Fenomeno

I'd be worried that Cleveland have blown their load here and already played their Super Bowl - first playoff game in donkeys years on the road against Pittsburgh given everything that's happened between the two teams recently.

Likely in for the rudest of awakenings in Kansas next week.

cosatron

el Fenomeno wrote: »

I'd be worried that Cleveland have blown their load here and already played their Super Bowl - first playoff game in donkeys years on the road against Pittsburgh given everything that's happened between the two teams recently.

Likely in for the rudest of awakenings in Kansas next week.

agreed and everything that could go wrong for the steelers went wrong, it was kinda like the jaguars game a couple of years ago. I thought big ben made some really nice throws, especially the one to claypool but his int at the end was terrible.

threeball

cosatron wrote: »

agreed and everything that could go wrong for the steelers went wrong, it was kinda like the jaguars game a couple of years ago. I thought big ben made some really nice throws, especially the one to claypool but his int at the end was terrible.

I think thats it for Roethlisberger. He's making too many mistakes and he's too static in the pocket for the modern game. The steelers need a dynamic new QB who can unleash the talent they have in their receivers. Ben is only throwing 10 and 15yard passes 95% of the time and never runs so its not asking enough questions of the opposition defence. The quality of their receivers has kept them trundling along.

BonnieSituation

JeffKenna wrote: »

How are people watching the late games, I'd be a wreck today if I were up till 5am

Don't ask. I'm a shell today.

BonnieSituation

el Fenomeno wrote: »

I'd be worried that Cleveland have blown their load here and already played their Super Bowl - first playoff game in donkeys years on the road against Pittsburgh given everything that's happened between the two teams recently.

Likely in for the rudest of awakenings in Kansas next week.

You're likely right. But the pressure is now off though.

PIORUN

JeffKenna wrote: »

How are people watching the late games, I'd be a wreck today if I were up till 5am

record and watch during breakfast....working from home has it's perks.

Jaded Walker

BonnieSituation wrote: »

You're likely right. But the pressure is now off though.

The Browns and Bills are freerolling now.

BonnieSituation

PIORUN wrote: »

record and watch during breakfast....working from home has it's perks.

I struggle to watch non-live sports.

Jaded Walker wrote: »

The Browns and Bills are freerolling now.

House money!

el Fenomeno

Big Ben threatens retirement pretty much every off-season, but I wonder is this actually it? Was strange to see him crying on the bench after the game last night.

Though I had to laugh at the top comment on Reddit of the video of him crying.

"When she gives consent"

Ouch.

BrentMused

https://twitter.com/dariusjbutler/status/1348621729959186434?s=21

Steelers get caught out in situations similar to the above waaaaay too often.

Foxtrol

threeball wrote: »

I think thats it for Roethlisberger. He's making too many mistakes and he's too static in the pocket for the modern game. The steelers need a dynamic new QB who can unleash the talent they have in their receivers. Ben is only throwing 10 and 15yard passes 95% of the time and never runs so its not asking enough questions of the opposition defence. The quality of their receivers has kept them trundling along.

Is there a direction for them to go though unless they blow everything up?

If they move him on his dead cap is $22m. QBs in FA don't look too talented and even if they go that route or trade for a QB it will likely end up costing at least his $19m salary Ben is due (even ignoring them currently sitting $21m over the expected cap before trying to resign a raft of starters).

Draft doesn't look promising either given where they're picking, probably looking at a tier 3 guy if they don't move up (which they are unlikely to afford due to all the holes they'll have).

Will be interesting times to see what direction they go.

el Fenomeno

https://twitter.com/miketanier/status/1348431214307377155?s=21

The_Honeybadger

Foxtrol wrote: »

Is there a direction for them to go though unless they blow everything up?

If they move him on his dead cap is $22m. QBs in FA don't look too talented and even if they go that route or trade for a QB it will likely end up costing at least his $19m salary Ben is due (even ignoring them currently sitting $21m over the expected cap before trying to resign a raft of starters).

Draft doesn't look promising either given where they're picking, probably looking at a tier 3 guy if they don't move up (which they are unlikely to afford due to all the holes they'll have).

Will be interesting times to see what direction they go.

I think he will probably play one more year, they’ll do an extension / restructure with a void year to get the cap charge down.

If he retires I think their best play is a cheap Dalton / Tyrod Taylor type to compete with Rudolph in 2021 before trying to get their QB in the 2022 draft. They’ll have a much better draft position then presumably. Too many holes to go after a QB this year as you have pointed out. I think they have eight starters hitting free agency and might be looking at some retirements too.

Mike Tomlin is lucky the Rooney family have such patience. Given the tools he's had to work with, he has done criminally for the last decade.

Foxtrol

Deleted User wrote: »

Mike Tomlin is lucky the Rooney family have such patience. Given the tools he's had to work with, he has done criminally for the last decade.

Absolute nonsense.

Tomlin hasn't had a losing season in his 14 year time there, with 9 of those years having double digit wins.

The success Belichick had has completely warped what some fans believe success looks like in the NFL (unfortunately for the Steelers they had to share a conference with them or they would have had even more).

Forget talking about 'patience', most owners would give a coach a job for life on the spot if during their interview they could promise that kind of consistent success over a 14 year span.

el Fenomeno

If anything, it's beginning to look like stellar work from him to get the production he got from Bell and Brown without the locker room blowing up.

Starting the season 11-0 is way above what that team should have been capable of also.

threeball

Foxtrol wrote: »

Is there a direction for them to go though unless they blow everything up?

If they move him on his dead cap is $22m. QBs in FA don't look too talented and even if they go that route or trade for a QB it will likely end up costing at least his $19m salary Ben is due (even ignoring them currently sitting $21m over the expected cap before trying to resign a raft of starters).

Draft doesn't look promising either given where they're picking, probably looking at a tier 3 guy if they don't move up (which they are unlikely to afford due to all the holes they'll have).

Will be interesting times to see what direction they go.

I'm not saying they'll ditch him. He should have enough sense to walk away. He doesn't need the money, he's not getting any better and there's a good chance they lose some tools next year. Hes had a good innings with the franchise and should walk so they can get the rebuild going.

BrentMused

Foxtrol wrote: »

Absolute nonsense.

Tomlin hasn't had a losing season in his 14 year time there, with 9 of those years having double digit wins.

The success Belichick had has completely warped what some fans believe success looks like in the NFL (unfortunately for the Steelers they had to share a conference with them or they would have had even more).

Forget talking about 'patience', most owners would give a coach a job for life on the spot if during their interview they could promise that kind of consistent success over a 14 year span.

I agree with this.

It's the same as Harbaugh at the Ravens - I can never understand why some people criticise him.

13 seasons, 9 playoff appearances, a Super Bowl, 8 years of double digit wins, and only 1 losing season.

With the amount of roster turnover in the NFL, I don't think some people fully grasp just how difficult it is to have the level of consistency that Tomlin and a select few others have achieved. The fact that we are talking about two coaches who are in the same division makes them even more impressive.

List of teams with current consecutive streaks of appearing in the playoffs:

1) Chiefs - 6 years
2) Saints - 4 years

The rest are on 3 or less. That's how tough it is.

On the opposite end, the following teams have failed to win a playoff game in:

Bengals - 30 years
Lions - 29 years
Dolphins - 20 years
Raiders - 18 years
Washington - 15 years
Jets - 10 years
Bears - 10 years
Giants - 9 years

The Patriots are a ridiculous outlier, the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetimes, and have skewed reality in terms of achievement/underachievement.

Off topic - how has it been 9 years already since the Giants have won a playoff game? Feels like only a few years ago they won that Super Bowl. The years are racing by! :eek:

Foxtrol

Foxtrol wrote: »

Absolute nonsense.

Tomlin hasn't had a losing season in his 14 year time there, with 9 of those years having double digit wins.

The success Belichick had has completely warped what some fans believe success looks like in the NFL (unfortunately for the Steelers they had to share a conference with them or they would have had even more).

Forget talking about 'patience', most owners would give a coach a job for life on the spot if during their interview they could promise that kind of consistent success over a 14 year span.

Belichick has warped **** all.

Tomlin has made an absolute balls of having some of the greatest players of the past twenty years together in the same team.

cosatron

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Belichick has warped **** all.

Tomlin has made an absolute balls of having some of the greatest players of the past twenty years together in the same team.

Can you back this up. Tomlin is a great coach. Everyone talks about the big three who were very unlucky to come up against a great patriots team. He had brown and bell playing lights out week in week out who are hard work by the looks of things and what have bell and brown done since they left, f**k all. That's high level coaching if u ask me

ELM327

cosatron wrote: »

Can you back this up. Tomlin is a great coach. Everyone talks about the big three who were very unlucky to come up against a great patriots team. He had brown and bell playing lights out week in week out who are hard work by the looks of things and what have bell and brown done since they left, f**k all. That's high level coaching if u ask me

He won his SB on the coattails of Bill Cowher's team, and hasnt done anything of note since.

cosatron

ELM327 wrote: »

He won his SB on the coattails of Bill Cowher's team, and hasnt done anything of note since.

his being to the superbowl in 2014 and also being to the playoffs 6 out the following 10 years from a notoriously tough division. It look like on this forum that if you don't win superbowls every year your a bad coach.

ELM327

No, it looks like if you have a superbowl caliber team that you inherited and you dont win multiple ones with it, you are a bad coach.
And I'm not even saying he's a bad coach - because he's not! He's just mediocre, middle of the road, won with Cowher's team and can't win on his own. That team with Bell, Brown, Ben should have won the SB - like the 07 NE team.

adrian522

Next we'll be hearing about what a terrible coach Sean Payton is....:rolleyes:

ELM327

adrian522 wrote: »

Next we'll be hearing about what a terrible coach Sean Payton is....:rolleyes:

If you need someone to pad the stats in the regular season, cost you a first round draft pick and win one SB with Brees, one of the best to play the game statistically anyway.

Deleted User wrote: »

Belichick has warped **** all.

Tomlin has made an absolute balls of having some of the greatest players of the past twenty years together in the same team.

Agree

adrian522

Wow.

ELM327

BrentMused wrote: »

I agree with this.

It's the same as Harbaugh at the Ravens - I can never understand why some people criticise him.

13 seasons, 9 playoff appearances, a Super Bowl, 8 years of double digit wins, and only 1 losing season.

With the amount of roster turnover in the NFL, I don't think some people fully grasp just how difficult it is to have the level of consistency that Tomlin and a select few others have achieved. The fact that we are talking about two coaches who are in the same division makes them even more impressive.

List of teams with current consecutive streaks of appearing in the playoffs:

1) Chiefs - 6 years
2) Saints - 4 years

The rest are on 3 or less. That's how tough it is.

On the opposite end, the following teams have failed to win a playoff game in:

Bengals - 30 years
Lions - 29 years
Dolphins - 20 years
Raiders - 18 years
Washington - 15 years
Jets - 10 years
Bears - 10 years
Giants - 9 years

The Patriots are a ridiculous outlier, the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetimes, and have skewed reality in terms of achievement/underachievement.

Off topic - how has it been 9 years already since the Giants have won a playoff game? Feels like only a few years ago they won that Super Bowl. The years are racing by! :eek:

Harbaugh is a consistent good coach but the same argument applies, should have won more SBs with that defense.

cosatron

adrian522 wrote: »

Wow.

his in good form today.

Kev8360

ELM327 wrote: »

No, it looks like if you have a superbowl caliber team that you inherited and you dont win multiple ones with it, you are a bad coach.
And I'm not even saying he's a bad coach - because he's not! He's just mediocre, middle of the road, won with Cowher's team and can't win on his own. That team with Bell, Brown, Ben should have won the SB - like the 07 NE team.

Since the salary cap was instituted in the NFL only 3 head coaches have won more than 1 Super Bowl - Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick. they have been plenty of squads with super bowl calibre talent that couldn't even make the playoffs and many teams have got to a Superbowl and dont look like ever getting back (my raiders are high on that list!).

I don't put Mike Tomlin on a pedestal but as a head coach given his record I think he is in the upper tier of Coaches in the league since he got the job. He has consistently put his team in a position to challenge for the conference title.

I can see Steeler fans frustrated at some of the losses they have suffered in the playoffs (the Jjacksonville one especially) but I would have a coach like that in a heart beat over the revolving door most NFL teams pursue to try and get success.

The_Honeybadger

ELM327 wrote: »

No, it looks like if you have a superbowl caliber team that you inherited and you dont win multiple ones with it, you are a bad coach.
And I'm not even saying he's a bad coach - because he's not! He's just mediocre, middle of the road, won with Cowher's team and can't win on his own. That team with Bell, Brown, Ben should have won the SB - like the 07 NE team.

To be fair to Tomlin every time they got to the postseason during those years one or both of Bell / Brown were injured. 2015/16 playoffs they had to go to Denver without either of them and lost narrowly, 16/17 Bell was having a historic playoff run but went down with an injury in the Divisional round in garbage time, he played a few minutes of the AAFCCG before limping off. Excuses excuses, next man up etc but when your team and identity is built around a few stars on offence you need them healthy and rolling in the playoffs. Take Hill and Kelce out of the Chiefs lineup today and I’d bet you any money they’d struggle to cope.

Tomlin has his faults but he is one of the best coaches around imo. Certainly top 5-10 at worst. I think they are old at some key positions now and don’t have a championship roster any more so I wouldnt be overly hard on him about the collapse this year. Once the injuries started piling up on defence I think it killed team morale and they just looked like a jaded team that knew the game was up down the stretch. Big rebuild needed now. Don’t know if Tomlin will be up for that or not.

cosatron

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

To be fair to Tomlin every time they got to the postseason during those years one or both of Bell / Brown were injured. 2015/16 playoffs they had to go to Denver without either of them and lost narrowly, 16/17 Bell was having a historic playoff run but went down with an injury in the Divisional round in garbage time, he played a few minutes of the AAFCCG before limping off. Excuses excuses, next man up etc but when your team and identity is built around a few stars on offence you need them healthy and rolling in the playoffs. Take Hill and Kelce out of the Chiefs lineup today and I’d bet you any money they’d struggle to cope.

Tomlin has his faults but he is one of the best coaches around imo. Certainly top 5-10 at worst. I think they are old at some key positions now and don’t have a championship roster any more so I wouldnt be overly hard on him about the collapse this year. Once the injuries started piling up on defence I think it killed team morale and they just looked like a jaded team that knew the game was up down the stretch. Big rebuild needed now. Don’t know if Tomlin will be up for that or not.

ryan shazier getting injured aswell had a huge effect on the team so late in the season

dh1985

ELM327 wrote: »

Harbaugh is a consistent good coach but the same argument applies, should have won more SBs with that defense.

Harbaugh,.Tomlin and Payton should have won more superbowls. And McCarthy when with the packers too. The only problem I see is that there is only one superbowl per year for this to happen!!!
The Patriots is most definitely an outlier. 20 years of dominance in the AFC. 9 superbowl appearances. It also wasn't Tomlin that threw four interceptions or snapped the ball over big Ben's head.

BonnieSituation

BonnieSituation wrote: »

165-91 (0.645) coming in

That drive from buffalo was just something. Ridiculous.

Picks for the week:

Colts @ Bills by 4
Rams @ Seahawks by 4
Buccaneers by 8 @ Football Team
Ravens by 5 @ Titans
Bears @ Saints by 6
Browns @ Steelers by 3

4-2 (0.667) on the week leaves me at 169-93 (0.645) on the season

Lionbacker

Lionbacker wrote: »

170-86 for the regular season.

Colts @ Bills
Rams @ Seahawks
Buccaneers @ Washington
Ravens @ Titans
Bears @ Saints
Browns @ Steelers

4-2 which leaves me at 174-88 overall.

Kev8360

Kev8360 wrote: »

Saturday

Colts @ Bills
Rams @ Seahawks
Buccaneers @ Washington


Sunday

Ravens @ Titans
Bears @ Saints
Browns @ Steelers

5-1 for the weekend - really thought the seahawks would win even without the home crowd.

Paleface

Paleface wrote: »

173 - 83 for the season.

Colts @ Bills
Rams @ Seahawks
Buccaneers @ Washington
Ravens @ Titans
Bears @ Saints
Browns @ Steelers

4 - 2 which brings me to 177 - 85 for the season.

@ Realt Dearg Sec I think this means I won our tie breaker or did you want to keep going?

Realt Dearg Sec

Paleface wrote: »

4 - 2 which brings me to 177 - 85 for the season.

@ Realt Dearg Sec I think this means I won our tie breaker or did you want to keep going?

It does mean you won, yeah, though we can keep going. But you'll know and I'll know...

Not too worry though I'm sure the second prize is still pretty substantial. Mods can contact me and I'll let them know where to send the money.

TheDoctor

TheDoctor wrote: »

166-90 for the regular season

Colts @ Bills
Rams @ Seahawks
Buccaneers @ Washington
Ravens @ Titans
Bears @ Saints
Browns @ Steelers

3-3 for the weekend

Realt Dearg Sec

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

173-83

Colts @ Bills
Rams @ Seahawks
Buccaneers @ Washington
Ravens @ Titans
Bears @ Saints
Browns @ Steelers

.

3-3 playoffs
176-86 overall

Paleface

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

It does mean you won, yeah, though we can keep going. But you'll know and I'll know...

Not too worry though I'm sure the second prize is still pretty substantial. Mods can contact me and I'll let them know where to send the money.

You played a good game and I look forward to doing it all again next year. Enjoy the winnings! :pac:

We keep going also....