NFL Week 15 thread -- Starry nights at Lambeau

Teams have been doing that for weeks now. He can't hit throws down the field consistently, and the line couldn't protect him most of the time when he tried last night. The receivers know it, too. Look at that last deep ball to Claypool. He expected it to be underthrown and it was. Sure, the defensive back still grabbed him early and it should have been a penalty, but that was another poor throw. So was the fourth-down pass that followed. Washington was open, but Roethlisberger was under pressure, failed to step into the throw and it sailed on him.

You are correct. The touchdown was probably the only really good throw he made all night. He's done. His body simply can't hold up to a full NFL season. Maybe it is the knee. Maybe it is the elbow. Maybe it is a bit of both, but he's not playing anywhere close to the level he was early in the season. When teams tried doing what the Bengals did last night early in the season, he was burning them down the field. Now he can't do it, not even on a night when they actually had a running game.

The thing the announcers missed was the defense. They were not good. Finley is extremely limited as a passer, yet they couldn't get a key stop all night. They have just taken too many hits at linebacker. The run defense hasn't been right since they lost Devin Bush. It got even worse, and the pass rush declined when they lost Bud Dupree. They are without their top three inside linebackers right now and the Bengals took advantage. Marcus Allen simply can't play, but they have no other options. Williamson was decent against the Bills, but he was terrible last night. Dupree's replacement, Highsmith, is completely lost. Teams are constantly fooling him. Maybe they improve a little if they can get Vince Williams back from COVID and Robert Spillane returns Week 17, but this team is not the one that went 11-0.

 

The Steelers have officially entered next quarterback stage.

It’s not that Ben throws short all the time, it’s the same fucking short pass all the time. No bubble screens. No quick outs. It’s that same ball to the same spot on the field. Bell never had to move all night with the exception of the throw to Johnson.

The defense has pretty much horrible line backing play outside of Watt right now and is still good, but not great anymore.

The offense is bad. If you don’t throw deep in the NFL, this is what happens.

 

It's not that he didn't have to move. It's that he couldn't. More clearly, he can't throw on the move anymore. The pass to the end zone to Claypool was an example. Even the first half of this season, he makes that throw and cuts the deficit to three.

I'm not sure the defense is even good, though even that falls on the offense putting them on the field way too much. They just cracked with all the short possessions and short fields last night.

 

I say try to trade JuJu. You got James Washington, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Too many mouths to feed.

 

I mean the Bengal safeties never had to move. They just kept walking up and playing the same slant/crossing route all night long.

 

Jets would have been worth $1,800 on their own for a $100 bet. Might have been quite bountiful.

 

Wilson from BYU would be nice.

 

Their OL is shit but not sure if the Oregon kid is such a sure thing that they should sweat losing out.
I think the biggest blow would be if this win is what convinces the Bengals to keep Taylor on as coach (fully recognizing it's the Bengals and there's a solid chance they'd have kept him on no matter what because that's just how they do).

 

Trade Juju to the Eagles for Wentz. Win-Win for both sides.

 

I don't think that is correct. The Rams were -2000. The way the math works on these extreme lines is that the Jets were only around +1100. Win $1,100 on a hundred dollar bet.

 

Sorry. You’re right. The Rams were -1,800. I was confused.