2020 Football (American, that is)

Lethe200 talks about deadhead coaches in post #148

The NFL coaches are not a lot of brainy people.
There are three that are outstanding, the rest are ho-hum
(You know more about you hometown coach than I do.)


Looking over the last 50 years at coaches:

Tom Landry, the Cowboy coach for 20+ years was a 'brainy' coach.
His game plan for each game was explained, 'Here is what you need to do to win.'
His game plan were flawless, but he could not get his players motivated to follow his advise
He was far from a 'Rah, Rah' guy; his players were keep at arm's length.
He did not believe players and coaches should fraternize

Lethe200 mentions Bill Walsh
On the other hand, Bill Walsh was another brainy coach, but he
would fraternize with his players.
He never let a personal preference interfere with his football decisions..

Then of course, there is BB (Belichick) He tells players "Do your Job.')
Really don't know that much on how BB motivates his players.

I think Paul Brown was the best.
What is your favorite, or who do you think is/was the best coach
 

Two of my favorite coaches in the NFL were Don Shula, who I just adored over the years ... he could do no wrong as far as I was concerned, and then there was John Madden. Any game with him on the sideline was so entertaining!
 
Oops, forgot about Shula-Madden was a real rah, rah coach, cuss and holler.
Of course, with that wild bunch in Oakland he needed to cuss
and holler.
 

Thanksgiving Games
SB Nation/Cowboys and NY Times 26Nov2020, edited by lethe200

Washington Football Team 41, Dallas Cowboys 16
Every team in the NFC East has three wins, but each is trending in a different direction. The Eagles appear to be sinking, the Giants are making fewer mistakes, the Footballers (3-7) have found some life on offense, and the Cowboys (3-7) looked downright good in last weekend’s win over Minnesota.

But now Dallas is probably out of the playoff picture. Ezekiel Elliott keeps fumbling, HC Mike McCarthy was defending questionable playcalling afterwards, and two of their best OL players went out with injuries on the very first drive. Washington got 4 sacks in this game. Defensive penalties gave Washington second chances – twice on one drive – and they took advantage of it for another rushing TD. Dallas’ D kept getting slashed by third down conversions. Washington was 7-13 on third downs.

The Cowboys defense had shown improvement against the run in recent games, but they were just all out of sorts against Washington. As a team, Washington averaged over five yards a carry churning out 182 yards. Their offensive line did a great job sealing the edge and creating holes for their running backs. The Cowboys defense was completely out of position several times, allowing big holes that resulted in two 20+ rushing touchdowns by rookie RB Gibson.

Dallas still had a shot at the start of the third quarter as they only trailed 20-16 and had the ball. But their fake punt flopped, and Washington responded immediately as they reeled off three unanswered touchdowns to complete yet another rout of the Cowboys.

Houston Texans 41, Detroit Lions 25
The Lions’ playing on Thanksgiving is a tradition that stretches back to 1934 (with a break during World War II). Detroit (4-6) is 37-40-2 in those games.

But the 2020 Lions are a mess. Detroit had three turnovers in the first half that led to 10 Texans points -- a JJ Watt pick-6 interception that resulted in a defensive TD and then two fumbles. Houston had only five takeaways in 10 games this year, but had three in the first half against a Lions team that just can't get out of its own way. The turnovers kept Detroit from challenging a Texans defense that has allowed the most rushing yards and the highest yards per rush attempt in the league.

Deshaun Watson is having a career year, which has gone unnoticed thanks to the Texans front office and coaching problems. He savaged the Lions putrid secondary, throwing for four TDs -- including two backbreakers to Will Fuller in Q4 to put the game away. Houston ran for just 77 yards and 33 yards per carry, so it was up to Watson to carry the offense again. Watson threw just eight incomplete passes while averaging 12.7 yards per attempt and finishing with a 150.4 passer rating -- the fourth-highest all-time on Thanksgiving (minimum 20 attempts).
 
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

NFL Week 12 Predictions / Thanksgiving game results Pt 1 of 2
Baltimore’s matchup with Pittsburgh has been delayed until Sunday due to coronavirus
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Nov. 26, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

Thanksgiving Games:
Washington Football Team 41, Dallas Cowboys 16
Houston Texans 41, Detroit Lions 25

Sunday’s Best Games

KC Chiefs at TBay Buccaneers, 4:25 p.m., CBS

Pick: Chiefs
Tom Brady already has more TD passes, 25, for the Buccaneers (7-4) than he had all of last season for the Patriots, with TBay averaging 29.1 points a game. But he has already thrown more interceptions than he did last year, at his highest rate since 2009. More troubling - given his team’s star-studded collection of pass catchers - is his complete inability to stretch the field. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Brady’s last 22 pass attempts of 20 or more yds have fallen incomplete - the longest such stretch for any QB since 2017.

TBay has risen to the occasion against several good teams - delivering convincing wins against the Panthers, the Raiders and the Packers - yet looked inept in losses to the Rams, the Saints (twice) and the Bears. The Chiefs (9-1) on the other hand, have no such problems with consistency. KC might want to work out the trouble it had slowing down the offense of its LVegas division rival, but the Chiefs are a sterling 8-0 against other teams, with Patrick Mahomes presumably on the way to his second Most Valuable Player Award.

At their best, the Buccaneers could beat the Chiefs. But knowing which version of TBay will show up is impossible to predict.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:15 p.m., NBC
Pick: Steelers
It has been a rough stretch for the Ravens (6-4). After losing three of their last four games, its facilities closed down due to multiple positive coronavirus tests among players and staff. Out of an “abundance of caution,” the NFL delayed this game from Thursday until Sunday.

RBs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins are both on the Covid-19 reserve list after positive tests, and their expected absence will dramatically weaken the Ravens running game - its biggest strength. Baltimore’s offense is deep enough that the plan of attack won’t change much. Gus Edwards will presumably receive the bulk of the carries. But on Thanksgiving day, QB Lamar Jackson tested positive, and is now on the COVID reserve list. Without him, a win vs the Steelers seems iffy at best.

The Steelers (10-0) are talented, but probably not “undefeated season” talented. If the Ravens aren’t able to somehow pull it together, Pittsburgh will have a leg up in its quest to become the first 11-0 team since the 2015 Carolina Panthers.

LA Chargers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Bills
When last seen, the Bills (7-3) were having their hearts broken by Arizona’s Kyler’s “Hail Murray” pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Just how much momentum that play sucked away from Buffalo will be determined this weekend in a home game against the Chargers (3-7), who have suffered too many injuries on defense to be relevant, but have enough offensive talent alongside QB Justin Herbert to cause problems for any opponent.

It is expected to be 49 degrees and clear at game time in Orchard Park, N.Y., conditions that will keep the passing game in play and lead to a fairly entertaining shootout between Herbert and the Bills’ Josh Allen. Buffalo is likely to win, but the score should be closer than oddsmakers are predicting.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Colts
Despite an ugly start last weekend, the Colts (7-3) showed how great their defense can be in a thrilling win over GBay. The Colts will be without star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner who is on the Covid-19 reserve list, and face another stiff test this week from the Titans (7-3), who bested Baltimore in OT. To add spice, this game could go a long way to determining which of these teams win the AFC South.

The Colts are a much more balanced team. They’re playing at home, and it is easy to imagine their offense putting up a huge number of points against Tennessee’s banged-up defense. The Colts may have too many advantages to doubt them.

SF 49ers at LA Rams, 4:05 p.m., Fox
Pick: Rams
There is a difference between a bad team and one that is simply overcome by injuries, and SF (4-6) has been more of the latter in its letdown season. The Upshot still gives the 49ers an 11 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason, but the team is more suited to a different role: spoiler.

This week, the 49ers travel to LA to face the surging Rams (7-3) who have pulled even with Seattle at the top of the NFC West. SF QB Jimmy Garoppolo remains out with a high ankle sprain, but the team looks likely to have RBs Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson back from their injuries. If WR Brandon Aiyuk is cleared from the Covid-19 reserve list in time for this game, Coach Kyle Shanahan could devise a run-heavy game plan using those four players to make up for the current weakness at QB.

Will that be enough to beat the Rams? Maybe not. To make a division rival sweat a little? Absolutely.

Sunday’s Other Games

Las Vegas Raiders at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., CBS

Pick: Raiders
There is no such thing as a moral victory, but the Raiders (6-4) should be holding their heads high after very nearly beating the Chiefs in a game that came down to which team had the ball last. After giving the Chiefs a scare (and earlier this year their only loss so far), the Raiders shouldn’t find the Falcons (3-7) to be much of a problem. Now in his seventh season, QB Derek Carr has helped transform the LVegas Raiders into one of the better teams in the NFL. It tells you how young these Raiders are that at age 29, Carr refers to himself as “the old man around here”.

Atlanta is 1-4 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the team’s porous secondary will be in trouble trying to slow down the strong-armed Raiders QB. The unclear status of the Falcons’ great WR Julio Jones’s injured hamstring makes Atlanta’s efficacy just as questionable.
 
NFL Week 12 Predictions / Thanksgiving game results Pt 2 of 2
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Nov. 26, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

Chicago Bears at GBay Packers, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Pick: Packers
Aaron Rodgers is coming off a disappointing loss, is going up against a division rival that might be starting a third-string QB and is playing in prime time. You might expect Packers fireworks in such a situation, but Chicago’s defense commands respect regardless of the team’s four-game losing streak.

Knowing that GBay (7-3) can score 25+ points against almost any team, the question is how many points Chicago can score against the Packers’ inconsistent defense. Chicago might get RB David Montgomery back this week, but the choice for the Bears (5-5) at QB will come down to the health of Nick Foles vs Mitchell Trubisky. If neither can go, Tyler Bray will presumably start. All three, at this point in their careers, are bad. The scoring should be fairly low, but it could still result in a lopsided win for GBay.

Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox
Pick: Vikings
QB Teddy Bridgewater and RB Christian McCaffrey both practiced on Wednesday, but it’s possible that Carolina (4-7) will hold either or both out of the game since the Panthers’ next week bye would give both a chance to get closer to 100%. Should Bridgewater be active, however, he could do heavy damage against the Vikings (4-6), even without McCaffrey, as the Panthers have a fairly underrated collection of receivers. If Bridgewater is out, the math changes.

Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Browns
After slogging through three consecutive home games in cold, wet conditions, the Browns (7-3) might feel as if they are on vacation when they visit the Jaguars (1-9). The expected game-time temperature of 76 degrees will be helpful, and Jacksonville’s horrible defense should relax Cleveland even more. That the Jaguars appear set to start Mike Glennon at QB makes any thought of an upset laughable. Anything can happen, but Cleveland should romp.

Arizona Cardinals at NE Patriots, 1 p.m., Fox
Pick: Cardinals
As recently as 2019, a visit from a first- or second-year QB to Foxborough, Mass., could be marked down as a win for NE before kickoff. But no longer. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (6-4) head into NE as favorites. Arizona hasn’t been a consistent performer, but the Patriots (4-6) struggle far more to be competitive on a week-to-week basis.

New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m., Fox
Pick: Saints
The Saints (8-2), who have won seven straight, didn’t slow down much after a switch to Taysom Hill at starting QB last week against the Falcons. Playing the Broncos (4-6) and their tough defense on the road will present more of a challenge than Atlanta did. But New Orleans should be able to do enough on both sides of the ball to win this game, even if Hill comes back down to Earth. He just needs to keep his cool and not make too many rookie mistakes.

In last week’s win over Atlanta, the Saints’ Alvin Kamara was held without a catch for the first time in his career. He also played fewer snaps than Latavius Murray. If Kamara is completely healthy this week, he should have a much larger role.

Miami Dolphins at Jets, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Dolphins
Proving that nearly all evaluation is done via the scoreboard, QB Tua Tagovailoa’s passing statistics for Miami (6-4) in last week’s loss to Denver were not appreciably different from what he delivered against the Rams three weeks before, but this time around he was benched in Q4 rather than lauded for leading his team to a win. The switch back to Ryan Fitzpatrick was temporary - and didn’t work - so Tagovailoa will get his fifth straight start. If Tagovailoa is ever going to have a big week, it will probably come against the Jets (0-10).

Giants at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., Fox
Pick: Giants
QB Brandon Allen was on Cincinnati’s practice squad two weeks ago, but now will start for the Bengals (2-7-1) against the suddenly competent Giants (3-7). The downgrade from Joe Burrow - who is out for the year with a severe knee injury - is palpable. And that’s bad news when going against the Giants, who have either won or lost by a single score in every game since Week 3. For once the Giants are on a roll with a two-game divisional winning streak, and they look likely to extend it to a whopping three-fer.

Monday’s Matchup

Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Pick: Seahawks
The Seahawks (7-3) have shown themselves as flawed contenders in recent weeks, but nearly all of their problems are on defense. That hardly seems like a factor against the Eagles (3-6-1), who lost last week to the Giants. Philadelphia is plagued by more than injuries.

QB Carson Wentz’s decline has turned into a cliff-dive, and his 2020 numbers lump him in with some of the worst starting QBs in the NFL. The Eagles need to find a clone of OC Frank Reich, who left to become the Colts’ HC in 2018. Wentz hasn’t been the same ever since. Even if Wentz can find some relief in the form of Seattle’s secondary - hardly a given – no one can see him keeping up with Russell Wilson.

Seattle needs a win to stay even with the suddenly improved LA Rams, who are likely to win against the injury-crippled Niners. But Seattle has a powder-puff schedule for four weeks against lesser East Coast teams, while the Rams have only two easy games out of four. But the competitive NFC West may go right down to the wire, as the last two games of the year pit all four teams against one another in divisional battles.
 
Late-breaking newsflash:

Ravens Game Against Steelers Is Moved Again, to Tuesday Night
Lamar Jackson, the N.F.L.’s 2019 M.V.P., was among more than a dozen Baltimore players to have reportedly tested positive for the virus.
NY Times 28Nov2020

For the second time this week, the N.F.L. has rescheduled the matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, moving it to Tuesday night from Sunday, after the coronavirus outbreak in the Ravens’ clubhouse spread further on Thursday, the original day of the game.

It will be the second N.F.L. game of this season to be held on a Tuesday night; the Titans beat the Bills on Oct. 13. Because the Ravens are now playing on Tuesday, their following game, scheduled for just two days later against the Dallas Cowboys, will now be played on Monday, Dec. 7, assuming the outbreak in Baltimore does not spread further.
 
Today, the Denver Broncos have no quarterbacks to play, so they are bringing up a wide receiver from the practice squad to fill that spot. This should be interesting for awhile.
 
The Saints are one of the few teams that have back-up QBs in their regular receivers. Not only is Taysom Hill doing a decent job as a 3rd string QB stepping in for Brees, but Alvin Kamara, their first-string RB, was a former college QB!

The Saints have only one tough game left on their schedule - going up against KC Chiefs on 12/20 - so unless the Vikes and the Panthers straighten themselves out in the next few weeks (Saints play them on their last 2 games of 2020), they are likely to win their division.

NFC West is a cat fight that will probably remain undecided until the final week or two, when all four teams play one another. Niners can only be spoilers, at this point.
 
The Broncos played as expected without a QB. They wouldn't have lost by nearly that much if Lock was playing. They still would have lost, but not by as much.

The Broncos need to get rid of Elway. He was a great QB, but he sucks as GM. He can't seem to get any really good offensive players. Other teams can, so why can't he?
 
It is Wednesday, 3:30 P M The Steelers and Ravens are playing on NBC
Is this live?
Addendum Yes, it is a sanctioned game, making up for postponed game-real peculiar watching a game on Wednesday afternoon,
had no idea it was to be played....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Post 2, Well it lived up to expectations, a rock'um, sock'um defensive struggle.
Boy, what defenses both teams have.--

Irwin and others ask: How come our teams can't pull themselves out of the mire and be contenders?
You would think these people are supposed to be running business.
It has to be personalities, here in Dallas, Jerry Jones is a brilliant business man, but his ego won't let others make
decisions.
Jerry Jones never saw an offensive star he didn't like, QB, wide receivers, running backs.
The no-name personnel that block, well 'we can pick up an offensive line. in the late rounds of the draft.

The defensive, well anyone can tackel or knock down a pass,
 
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Am I alone in getting tired of some teams getting to the 30 yard line and settling for a 50 yard field goal. I wish they'd narrow the goal posts to make it more difficult to score from midfield.

I know people like high scoring games but I'd rather see them pick up the points via running and passing. Making it a bit tougher to kick a FG would force teams to extend the line of scrimmage to the 20 before settling for the automatic 3 pts.

Again - -just my opinion.
 
kicking is part of soccer. as Garo Yepremain (from Austria) said, while playing for Miami said,
"I kick a touchdown."

Watching the Ravens and Steelers knock heads today was a pleasure-two teams that know how to play defense.
 
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What We Learned From Week 12 of the NFL Season Pt 1 of 2
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Nov. 29, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

One* Sentence About Sunday’s Games *Except when it takes more.

Bills 27, Chargers 17. Buffalo’s defense did most of the heavy lifting in this win at home, but Josh Allen threw a 2-yard TD pass, and ran in a 3-yard score, giving him 15 career games with both a passing and a rushing TD. In 39 career games, Allen has 52 TD passes and 23 rushing TDs. Allen trails only Cam Newton, who had 20, for the most such games in a player’s first three seasons.

Chiefs 27, Buccaneers 24. Tyreek Hill showed how vulnerable the Buccaneers are to elite speed by burning the team for 203 yds receiving and two TDs - in the first quarter. It was the most receiving yds in a quarter for any player since 2006 and the most receiving yds in a game for a player all season. Hill finished the day with 13 catches on 15 targets for 269 yds and three TDs. But the last 8 yds were the most vital. Hill’s catch on a short pass with 1:15 remaining gave KC a first down, allowing them to run out the clock in a game that threatened to slip away.

In a season in which he continually seems to get better, Mahomes has had an NFL record of at least 30 completions and 300 yds passing in four consecutive games. His 462 yds passing on Sunday were the second-most in his outrageous career, and 229 of them came in the first quarter. He is up to 3,497 yds passing and 30 TDs for the season and has thrown just two interceptions. In three seasons, Mahomes has thrown for at least 400 yds five times. In the must-see play of the game, Patrick Mahomes, who increasingly seems assured of winning his second career MVP Award, completed a 75-yard TD pass to Hill in which the ball traveled more than 60 yds in the air.

Titans 45, Colts 26. The Colts were dealt quite a blow when DT DeForest Buckner was ruled out of this game following a positive test for the coronavirus. The massive interior lineman is a key part of Indianapolis’ D and without him - and already missing two other important starters on defense - the Colts were sunk. Indianapolis got 295 yds passing from Philip Rivers, and two rushing TDs from backup QB Jacoby Brissett, but that wasn’t enough to compete with Tennessee, which could have taken the entire second half off on offense and still won.

Titans RB Derrick Henry rumbled for 178 yds and three TDs. All three of Henry’s TDs came in a laugher in which Tennessee went into halftime leading 35-14. With the 45-26 win, the Titans (8-3) took sole possession of first place in the AFC South. They stand a good chance of holding onto that lead, as they face teams with losing records in three of their final five games.

49ers 23, Rams 20. The defending NFC West champs Niners have little chance this year to achieve more than a tenuous wild card spot. But for the second year they have swept their divisional games with the Rams. DC Robert Saleh, who must be heading up every NFL HC candidate list going forward, worked his magic with a depleted corps to thwart Rams HC Payton’s offensive schemes right up to the end of Q3. They allowed their divisional rivals one short burst of hope, then shut them down hard again.

The Niners D was helped by the return of Richard Sherman, back from IR after a 9-week absence. He had a team-leading 7 sacks, a beautiful in-stride interception of Jared Goff, and was the one who chased down LA’s Cam Akers on a 61-yd sprint in late Q3 that could have easily changed the momentum of the game over to the Rams. The Rams scored a go-ahead TD but were throttled again on their next two drives, finally forced to punt with 2:10 left to play and the score tied. Niners back-up QB Mullens got the win during a 56-yard drive with an unexpected pass to FB Kyle Juszczyk. It converted a fourth-and-1 with 28 seconds left, setting up Robbie Gould for a third FG to win.

Niners RBs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson returned from injury - a welcome sight - but this upset was powered by WR Deebo Samuel, who had 11 catches for 133 yds, and massive rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who had a 27-yard pick-6. He has a listed weight of 324 pounds, but looked surprisingly speedy and agile escaping Rams trying to stop him. Kinlaw was the Niners’ first round draft pick for 2020, and looks to be another D find that may be as good as their 2019 pick of Nick Bosa.

Fox Sports did a roll call list of the 25 injured Niners during 2020. And the Niners still couldn’t escape adding to it – CB Jamar Taylor went down with a torn MCL left knee injury. He was just signed on Oct. 2nd to replace the first- and second-string CBs who were already out on IR. Taylor was signed on a 1-yr contract and is now out for the season and probably off the team. He was in tears as the cart carried him off.

Patriots 20, Cardinals 17. Arizona came into the day averaging 414.3 yds a game, but New England limited the Cardinals to a respectable 298. Kyler Murray was held without a TD pass for the first time since Dec. 1, 2019. The Pats are now 5–6, with their D playing its best game of the season. WR N'Keal Harry is a 2019 first-round bust so far for the Pats, who aren’t getting much for the 4 yr $10M contract he signed. The Pats offense continues to be anemic, but the special teams play was top-notch, as usual with Belichick’s teams.

Browns 27, Jaguars 25. Florida’s warm weather helped wake up Cleveland’s passing game, with Baker Mayfield throwing for 258 yds and two TDs. But the Browns are unlikely to change their run-heavy approach going forward since Mayfield also missed badly on several other potential TDs while RB Nick Chubb raced for 144 yds on 19 carries.
 
What We Learned From Week 12 of the NFL Season Pt 2 of 2
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Nov. 29, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

Vikings 28, Panthers 27. This game had two remarkable moments, one for each team. In Q3, the Panthers’ rookie LB Jeremy Chinn scooped up a Kirk Cousins fumble and returned it 17 yds for a TD. Carolina’s kickoff resulted in a touchback, and on the first play of the next series, as the broadcast crew attempted to recap Chinn’s previous TD, he helped force a Dalvin Cook fumble before picking the ball up and taking it 30 yds for his second score. Chinn became the first player with multiple fumble returns for a TD in a game since Fred Evans did it for Chicago in 1948. Chinn is believed to be the first defensive player in NFL history to score TDs on consecutive snaps.

Somehow that 14-point swing, which resulted in the Panthers leading by 21-10 early in the second half, did not end with a Carolina victory. It was Minnesota’s turn for a feel-good moment when WR Chad Beebe muffed the catch on a punt return in late Q4, letting Carolina extend its lead with a FG, only to then score the go-ahead TD on his team’s ensuing possession. Cousins found Chad Beebe for a 10-yard TD pass with just 46 seconds left in the game to secure a shocking 28-27 win at home for the Vikings.

Saints 31, Broncos 3. The QB-less Broncos were thrown to the wolves against the red-hot New Orleans Saints. Kendall Hinton, a rookie WR from the team’s practice squad, took the majority of snaps under center despite not having played the position regularly since 2017 - his third year in college at Wake Forest. Hinton, who took the impossible assignment without complaint, completed just 1 of 9 passes for 13 yds, and was intercepted twice.

New Orleans managed just 78 in Taysom Hill’s second career start at QB. But that will suffice when the Saints’ running game can generate 229 yds and four TDs every week.

Packers 41, Bears 25. GBay’s Aaron Rodgers had an easy day against Chicago’s defense, throwing for 211 yds and four TDs. He wasn’t sacked and no Bears players were credited with a QB hit. Rodgers dominated Chicago by throwing four TD passes in a 41-25 victory, and in doing so he reached 50,000 yds passing for his career.

It was 41-10 in the third quarter when the Packers decided they had worked long enough and let Chicago do whatever it wanted for the rest of the game. The result was a final score that was far closer than the game ever felt, but it was easy to imagine GBay scoring 50 or more points if the team had kept pressing.

Giants 19, Bengals 17. Despite losing QB Daniel Jones to a hamstring injury in the third quarter, Big Blue was able to fight its way past a Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati. RB Wayne Gallman rushed for 94 yds and a TD in the Giants’ win. Backup QB Colt McCoy didn’t do much, but the Giants scored three FGs following Jones’s injury, which was enough to secure the team’s third straight win. The 4-7 Giants are tied with Washington for first place in the NFC East ahead of 3-6-1 Philadelphia’s game on Monday against Seattle.

Falcons 43, Raiders 6. A game can go sideways on one play. The Raiders were 3-point favorites on the road in Atlanta, but after a slow first half, LVegas was trailing the Falcons by 6-3 late in the second quarter. Then Atlanta’s Younghoe Koo missed a 40-yard FG attempt wide right. Unfortunately for LVegas, safety Dallin Leavitt fell down at the end of the play and rolled into Koo, receiving a questionable roughing the kicker penalty. Four plays later, Matt Ryan found WR Calvin Ridley for a 4-yard TD pass. From there the Falcons were off to the races, taking advantage of four more LVegas turnovers, ending the game with five turnovers total.

After the Raiders’ loss last week, much of the talk centered on how well QB Derek Carr had played against KC. He turned that narrative on its head by losing three fumbles and throwing a pick-6 in a humiliating loss. The Raiders came out flat, and didn’t help themselves with too many defensive penalties that kept Falcons drives going. A wild card spot now looks much less possible, and there are dissatisfied rumblings from Raiders fans.

Dolphins 20, Jets 3. Because of a thumb injury on Tua Tagovailoa’s throwing hand, Ryan Fitzpatrick was forced into a start against one of his many former teams, and he helped get Miami back on track following last week’s loss to Denver by throwing for 257 yds and two TDs.

In his first action since Week 8, QB Sam Darnold was far less effective than Joe Flacco had been in his place, leading his team on drives that resulted in six punts, two interceptions, a missed FG and a turnover on downs in which aging RB Frank Gore was knocked back for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play in the red zone. After that 3-0 start to the game, the Jets lost by 20-3.

Playing at home against a Dolphins team that was missing its starting QB because of an injury may have been the Jets’ best chance for a win this season, but they couldn’t pull it off. The 0-11 Jets have only one game remaining against a team that currently has a losing record.

Monday Night Football: Seattle 23, Eagles 17.
Seattle's win marks seven straight victories against the Eagles, who have yet to beat Seattle since Pete Carroll took over as head coach. It keeps the 'Hawks atop the NFC West at 8-3 and drops Philly all the way to 3-7-1 in the NFC East. Seattle’s WR D.K. Metcalf finished with 10 catches for 177 yards, and could easily have doubled that against a secondary that couldn’t match up with him, although they managed to keep high-scoring Russell Wilson reasonably well-contained. But Philly’s lack of offense killed them, whether you want to blame HC Pederson or QB Carson Wentz. Wentz got little help from the O-line, receiving corps and coaching staff, which is par for the course in 2020, but was also off-target as usual, failing to connect on open downfield looks and miscommunicating on a red-zone pick.
 
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It's becoming a blur as we race to the end of the year. It's true that once you're over the hill, you pick up speed, LOL. I feel like Jean-Claude Killy on the Olympic grand slalom!

NFL Week 13 Predictions Pt 1 of 2 (all TV times EST)
Things got messy for the NFL in Week 12. All 16 games managed to be played, but the pandemic made games tenuous enough to make the rest of the season seem far more uncertain than it did a few weeks ago. Expect the league’s schedule going forward to be remarkably fluid, with changes possible at any point before game days.
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Dec. 3, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

Sunday’s Best Games

Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. CBS

Pick: Titans
The Browns are 8-3 but their wins include Cincinnati, Houston, Philadelphia and Jacksonville. The Titans have the same record, but are a far bigger challenge.

The Browns have the NFL’s ninth-ranked run defense. Whether it can slow down Titan RB Derrick Henry, while also making sure QB Ryan Tannehill doesn’t have time to stretch the field, remains to be seen. But it’s hard to believe that Cleveland could simultaneously stack the box for Henry and adequately cover Tennessee’s receivers.

Tennessee has its own problems on defense, and will struggle to contain RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. But Browns QB Baker Mayfield has a tendency to be his own worst enemy. All it would take is a turnover or two to let this game get way out of hand.

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m., Fox
Pick: Rams
Two weeks ago the NFC West lead was tied. After both the Rams (7-4) and the Cardinals (6-5) lost last week, the division lead went back to Seattle. Both teams may qualify for the postseason anyway, but division bragging rights adds spice to this game. Arizona has lost three of its last four games, and there has been some speculation that the league’s defenses are figuring out QB Kyler Murray. If Murray wants to quiet that talk, a win against DT Aaron Donald and the Rams would help.

New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Pick: Even
In a fairly ugly game at home, the Patriots (5-6) got 84 yds passing (and two interceptions) from Cam Newton and just 47 yds rushing from Damien Harris, but thanks to some tremendous work from the team’s defense, and to the powerful leg of Nick Folk, New England was able to beat Arizona on Sunday. That gave the Patriots three wins in their past four games, but extending the run to four in five will be tough if the offense has a similarly quiet day, it will not work against the explosive Chargers, who are a bigger threat than their record (3-8).

Denver Broncos at KC Chiefs, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Pick: Chiefs
After struggling through a QB-less loss to New Orleans last week, the Broncos (4-7) will have Drew Lock, Blake Bortles and Brett Rypien all available for this game. However, a full QB room did not help the last time they played the Chiefs (10-1) – KC walked away with a 43-16 win in Denver on Oct. 25.

If the Chiefs really want to win by 27 points again, they probably can. But the Chiefs have been playing close to the level of their opponents, winning their last 3 games by an average of only 3 points. With the Raiders belly-flopping against Atlanta last week, the Chiefs have a clear path to the divisional championships. It wouldn’t be surprising if the team looks to coast by not only Denver but also Miami and Atlanta. Only the Saints promise a tough match on Dec. 20th.

Sunday’s Other Games

Giants at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m., Fox

Pick: Seahawks
The Giants (4-7) have won three consecutive games, pulling into a tie with Washington at the top of the NFC East. The Giants were clearly building some momentum under QB Daniel Jones. Much of the optimism over those improvements fell away last weekend when Jones injured a hamstring. Colt McCoy did not do much in relief of Jones last week. The Giants will need more than a few FGs to keep up with Seattle.

Seattle fans lovingly mock the Seahawks’ tendency to keep games far closer than they need to be: 8 of the team’s 11 games this season have been decided by a single score. But without QB Jones, the Giants will be hard-pressed to score.

Philadelphia Eagles at GBay Packers, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Pick: Packers
Carson Wentz got lucky on a Hail Mary near the end of Monday’s loss to Seattle: The ball was swatted toward the ground in the end zone, but TE Richard Rodgers, who wasn’t even the targeted receiver, made a great play to scoop it up for a TD. That score, along with a 2-point conversion, gave the Eagles (3-7-1) a respectable 6-point loss. Keeping things that close against the Packers (8-3) will be a more difficult task. Smart money won't bet against Aaron Rodgers.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Colts
With DT DeForest Buckner still on the Covid-19 reserve list, the Colts (7-4) have struggled. The Colts will try to rebound from their loss to the Titans. The Texans are 4-7, and this game got a lot easier when Houston WR Will Fuller V was suspended after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Vikings
Considering how bad they were in their first six games, the Vikings (5-6) have improved drastically after a horrible start, winning four of their last five games while looking much improved on defense. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has 918 yds receiving and six TDs. Both numbers could grow substantially in a matchup against Jacksonville. The Jaguars (1-10) have lost nine straight, with an atrocious defense, and they plan to give the journeyman QB Mike Glennon a second straight start.
 
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NFL Week 13 Predictions Pt 2 of 2 (all TV times EST)
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman Dec. 3, 2020 (edited by lethe200)

Las Vegas Raiders at Jets, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Raiders
The Raiders (6-5) didn’t just lose to Atlanta last weekend, they were humiliated. The team started slowly and got continually worse until time ran out. Though it’s possible that LVegas has been a bit overestimated in recent weeks, this loss shouldn’t erase all the optimism the Raiders built before their loss to the Falcons. But given that star RB Josh Jacobs might miss this game with an ankle injury, the Jets (0-11) might at least cover the spread.

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., Fox
Pick: Saints
Because Taysom Hill will start again at QB in place of injured Drew Brees, the Saints (9-2) will stick with a run-heavy approach. But the versatile Hill has demonstrated a strong connection with WR Michael Thomas, and that could help should New Orleans need a big play at some point. At their best - as they were last week - the Falcons (4-7) can certainly give a contender trouble, but it would be a lot easier to believe in them if WR Julio Jones’s availability wasn’t questionable because of a lingering hamstring injury.

Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., CBS
Pick: Dolphins
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa returned to practice on Wednesday, so despite the thumb injury he might play Sunday. He is their future, but Ryan Kirkpatrick will do just as well for Miami (7-4) to win. Xavien Howard has been a huge part of Miami’s strong season. The fifth-year cornerback has seven interceptions already this season.

Cincinnati (2-8-1) was dealt a crushing blow two weeks ago with the season-ending injury to the rookie QB Joe Burrow. They kept the score close against the Giants last weekend in a welcome surprise, but most doubt they can do it again vs Miami. Back-up QB Brandon Allen has bounced around after being drafted by the Jaguars in 2016, but this will be only his fourth start under center.

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., Fox
Pick: Bears
The Bears (5-6) have lost five straight since their 5-1 start to the season, getting shellacked by the Pack last week. The Lions (4-7), after picking up their fourth loss in five games, fired their HC and GM last weekend. Detroit’s interim coach, Darrell Bevell, has reportedly been pushing for the Lions to pick up their pace, which would be a welcome change from the team’s sluggish approach.

SF Niners DC Robert Saleh is expected to be at the top of a lot of teams’ lists for HC as soon as the season ends. Most analysts expect the Lions to extend an interview. Saleh has made lemonade with very few lemons available, and has family and friends in Michigan. Whether he can be lured to a perpetual loser like the Lions organization is moot. If he leaves, the Niners will once again have big shoes to fill on D. They lost DC Vic Fangio to Denver prior to hiring Saleh, but hopefully Saleh will do better than Fangio as an HC.

Monday’s Matchups

Buffalo Bills at SF 49ers, 8:15 p.m., ABC and ESPN

Pick: Bills
The 49ers (5-6) got RB Raheem Mostert and CB Richard Sherman back from injuries last weekend and proceeded to give the Rams their first loss at SoFi Stadium. The return of Richard Sherman provided a huge lift for SF’s defense last week. He will have his hands full with Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs. This matchup is even more difficult because SF must get used to its temporary home at the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium as host.

The Bills (8-3) are a solid playoff contender that on a good day are effective on both sides of the ball. Buffalo will have an almost full complement of players including QB Josh Allen, while the Niners still lead the NFL in # of players on IR. They would like to be spoilers, but the odds are they can’t pull it off twice in a row. SF may have to be content with sweeping their divisional rivals the Rams in both 2019 and 2020.

Washington Football Team at Pittsburgh Steelers, 5 p.m.
Pick: Steelers
The Steelers (11-0) are the first team to get this far into a season without a loss since the 2015 Carolina Panthers. They have had more than their share of hiccups along the way due to the pandemic. At some point, the various changes - and the fact that the Steelers will not get a genuine bye week this season - could catch up to them. That may have been part of the reason for Pittsburgh’s somewhat sluggish 19-14 win over Baltimore at home this past Wednesday, six days later than originally scheduled.

Does that create an opportunity for the Footballers (4-7)? Probably not. Washington has steadily improved, and the team’s offense is clearly stronger with Alex Smith under center. While that might lead to a closer game than oddsmakers are predicting, the result should still be Pittsburgh running its win streak to 12-0.

Tuesday’s Matchup

Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens, 8:05 p.m.; Fox, NFL Network, Prime Video

Pick: Ravens
There are so many unknowns in this game for the Ravens (6-5). The multiple changes in scheduling their Steelers game were draining on both teams. Will QB Lamar Jackson return? What about RBs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins? How serious are the offensive problems that the team was displaying even before the coronavirus depleted its roster? Playing at home will certainly help, and the Cowboys (3-8) are not the toughest opponent. Baltimore’s roster uncertainty should make this a tossup, but from what we have seen of both teams, even the depleted Ravens roster that lost to Pittsburgh would be able to beat Dallas handily.

It has been a difficult season for Dallas, but perhaps the novelty of playing on a Tuesday can bring out the best in Andy Dalton and the rest of the Cowboys. The Ravens-Steelers bouncing game pushed this game off as well. So the Cowboys now have basically a second full bye week as they’ll be going 12 days in between contests. Dallas, like other teams during this season, have had their schedule turned upside down due to another team’s inadequate approach to the safety regulations. Baltimore traced their outbreak to a strength and conditioning coach who didn’t report his symptoms and was maskless in the facility.
 
Wow, it must be painful to be a Jets fan this year!

The Jets found a new way to lose
NY Times 06Dec2020 by Benjamin Hoffman

You don’t get to 0-16 by making good decisions. After a fairly thrilling back-and-forth swing in a game that was expected to be a blowout victory for Las Vegas, the Jets appeared to have the game won. They were leading the Raiders by 28-24 with just 19 seconds remaining and, thanks to that 4-point lead, Las Vegas would need a 46-yard touchdown to win. There has rarely been a more obvious situation for an extreme prevent defense, but the Jets haven’t gone winless this far without a fair amount of questionable decisions.

With Las Vegas throwing deep, the Jets put only three players in coverage — with one defender inexplicably left as a spy in case quarterback Derek Carr tried to run. Cornerback Lamar Jackson tried to stick with rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in man coverage, got beaten badly with a double move, and let the outrageously fast Ruggs run right past him for what ended up being a 46-yard touchdown pass and a 31-28 win for the Raiders.

The Jets became just the 12th team to start a season 0-12 and are well on their way to joining the 1960 Dallas Cowboys (0-11-1), the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14), the 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16) and the 2017 Cleveland Browns (0-16) as the only N.F.L. teams since 1944 to go winless for an entire season not shortened by a strike. To avoid that fate, the Jets will need a win against one of four fairly good teams: the Seahawks, the Rams, the Browns and the Patriots.
 

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