NFL 2024-2025 Season

TNF
Bears 3 - 6 Seahawk
My bad for not listing the week 17 live games, but I think I've done everyone a favour. I've just watched it back & the Seahawks made hard work of closing out victory & snapping a 2 game losing streak. The Bears issues are well documented, they surprised many after a 4-2 start but have gone winless for 10 games, losing some close ones. Williams is super talented, but is learning. He was sacked 7 times last night, 67 on the season, only 2 QB's have sustained more, David Carr twice. The anomaly is that Williams had gone 9 games without an interception, he threw one in the dying seconds of the game, hoping to at least give his team a shot a a game tying field goal. The 2 stats are married to each other, holding onto the ball for too long, trying to make a play. Sacks are preferable to interceptions, turning the ball over hurts your team the most. But what are the coaches calling the plays doing to help Williams.

Week 17
Live Games on Sky Sports NFL

Saturday
Chargers @ Patriots 18.00
Broncos @ Bengals 21.30
Cardinals @ Rams 01.10

Sunday
Cowboys @ Eagles 18.00
Packers @ Vikings 21.25
Falcons @ Commanders 01.20

MNF
Lions @ 49ers 01.15

Bengals 30 - 24 Broncos O/T
That game was a blast. Not much in the way of scoring with the teams tied 10-10 after 3 quarters, in the main it was down to a combination of errors & great defence.
Then everything kicked off in the 4th quarter with 2 TD's apiece. Overtime seemed inevitable & then no team could find the killer punch until almost the final minute of overtime.

If you were so bad that you were going to get first pick in the draft then why would you want to win you last couple of matches?

^^ The Giants beat the Colts who were still alive in the playoff picture. The win means the Giants are now tied for the worst record, but with games still in play. It's an interesting theory, could a struggling franchise be ordered by the front office to lose games in order to gain the 1st pick in the draft. I'd like to here that conversation relayed to the Head Coach 7 in turn down to the players. Personal pride comes into it is situations like these. Players have different agendas, some will be showcasing their skills to perhaps attract interest from better teams for a trade. Out of contract players who want to stay will be putting a marker down for a new contract, or those down the depth chart just trying to impress the coaches in order to get more playing time next season.
Ultimately, if you get pick No.1 or No.6 there's no real guarantee which player will be more successful.

The Giants ran up 45 points to eliminate the Colts after only scoring 215 points in the previous 15 games at an average of 14.33 per game.

(29-12-2024 21:47 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  ^^ The Giants beat the Colts who were still alive in the playoff picture. The win means the Giants are now tied for the worst record, but with games still in play. It's an interesting theory, could a struggling franchise be ordered by the front office to lose games in order to gain the 1st pick in the draft. I'd like to here that conversation relayed to the Head Coach 7 in turn down to the players. Personal pride comes into it is situations like these. Players have different agendas, some will be showcasing their skills to perhaps attract interest from better teams for a trade. Out of contract players who want to stay will be putting a marker down for a new contract, or those down the depth chart just trying to impress the coaches in order to get more playing time next season.
Ultimately, if you get pick No.1 or No.6 there's no real guarantee which player will be more successful.

It's a tough spot to be in.
I don't think coaches or players ever tank. Too much pride. Front offices on the other hand may try to not put the best product on the field and pressure coaches. If a coach is on his way out the door, they try to win for the players and fans (even though fans would rather they lose for a better draft pick)
Seeing how Jayden Daniels and CJ Stroud have been the spark their teams needed, I understand the sentiment.
The Browns are in the running for the number 1 pick. Judging from their past efforts, I'm not too optimistic. They've whiffed in the draft many times.

The draft is not an exact science, & having the best college QB is no guarantee of success, or at least in the short term. Some of the greats were drafted later & also had the luxury to learn the offence thoroughly such as Brady & Rogers. Some aren't afforded this time & get thrown into the deep end like Williams, a veteran QB would've struggled this year surrounded by the lack of talent & coaching disruption. Look how Rogers has struggled at the Jets, with better talent.
Stroud was magic last year but had struggled with injuries & not impressed in the same way, it's not always an upward curve. This is the toughest position & peaks & troughs are inevitable. The QB's get all the plaudits when times are good but also take too much blame when losses start to stack up, often it is other player personnel or poor coaching decisions that are at fault.
I can remember clearly last season in certain areas of the media bemoaning the death of talent at the QB position in the NFL, outside of 4 or 4 obvious stars & 5 or 6 with that potential, the next tier down looked to be lacking & many teams had poor back-up options.
This seasons new crop look as good as any & we've had Darold start to fulfil his potential after finding himself in some bad situation at the start of his career. Clearly he learned a lot on the 49ers side-line & was rated highly by them, make no mistake they wanted to keep him. Look at how Goff has gone to the next level. Different player mature at different rates, in the same way that players decline.

MNF
49ers 34 - 40 Lions
A depleted 49ers team put up a fight against a Lions teams that have had their own injury problems mainly on defence. Both teams have 18 players on IR. For the Niners yet more injuries including Purdy who had a great game until 2 late interceptions separated the teams, coupled with 2 missed field goals & an extra point by Moody.
Bosa, Warner & others played banged up, it would have been easier to sit it out but that is not their way.
Both teams scored at will & it was some time before either QB had an incompletion. The games first 7 rives resulted in TD's & neither team punted in the entire game. Pearsall & Kittle had 100+ receiving yards, Guerendo had 99 combined. For the Lions Gibbs rushed for 117 yards & had 4 catches for 46.

The 49er's defensive is really very bad. New faces are needed for next session.
The defensive co-ordinator needs to go as well.

Although the offense played OK, Purdy is a liability. I'm sure that they could get a quality player either from the draft or from another team. Why can't they get a Baker Mayfield.