NFL Wild-Card Weekend thread

Great defensive mind, but got shoved out the door in Baltimore. I’d want a little more info before making that decision.

 

It took me an embarrassingly long time, like way into adulthood, to actually see this as a dragon and not a robot with its arms raised to shoulder level.

 

I've become ingrained to the idea that great coordinators are only occasionally great head coaches.

 

No, but he was playing at a Pro Bowl level for a couple months before that. It was an ugly win but they didn't have to exert too much to beat the worst team in the league. Mayfield will get a week to get a little healthier and he's home w/some pretty good weapons. Hurts is now officially banged up w/the middle finger, Brown looks like he's gonna be out and the Eagles are an absolute train wreck. The two good teams they faced over the last six weeks beat them by a combined 75-32 and if Tyrod Taylor enters in the second quarter on Christmas Day, they're probably working on a six-game losing streak. Bucs aren't gonna win by a thousand but I'd bet it's double digits.

 

You know how you can just see how someone interacts with people around them and you get the feeling they’re not a fun person to work with?

Just as a guy watching on TV, Wink Martindale gives off that sort of vibe. Imperious almost.

 

I get the exact same vibe from Daboll, which probably explains today.

 

Stop using the “Baker is actually good if he just wasn’t banged-up.”

Baker is ALWAYS banged up. That’s the problem. Then he’ll use it as an excuse when he doesn’t play well. It’s his move. He’d be better off just not playing if he’s really hurt rather than act like a tough guy, suit up and them leak to the press how injured he is.

 

Baker being banged-up should be, uhh, baked into the equation at this point. It's probably going to keep him from ever being a true franchise QB. But the Bucs looked like a surefire contender for the no. 1 pick & he had a terrific year. If a guy can start for four teams in three years, it means he's got to be talented and somewhat likable within the locker room. Those are big traits for a QB and it's easy to see Mayfield having a pretty good run in Tampa for a few years. Of course, the line between surprising playoff QB and guy who will drive you crazy b/c he's just good enough to not lead you to a Super Bowl is a super thin one. But it would still make him a top-5 QB in franchise history down there.

 

Mayfield played an entire season with a torn labrum. I'd like to see anyone in his peer group do it.

 

I don't think I said what you say I said. I just said he's injured and they scored nine points last week, so I wouldn't bet the ranch on the Bucs, and certainly not on them to win by double digits. And I don't think his injuries have been "leaked to the press."

BTW, do you think he's not really hurt?

I do know he's thrown for more than 4,000 yards this season with a pretty good 28-10 TD-INT ratio -- better than Mahomes, Josh Allen, Tua, Goff, Stafford, Trevor Lawrence and Burrow, among others, and the same as Purdy. That said, his .643 completion percentage ranks 20th in the league.

Is Mayfield great? No. Is he terrible? No. Where he fits between those two extremes, I'm not sure. Good enough to take a team to a barely over .500 record, apparently. Good enough to win a playoff game? We'll see.

 

Mayfield's up against a defense that made Tyrod Taylor look like John Elway yesterday. He can win this one.

 

Bet the house on the Eagles.