NFL Week 17 -- Swimming Downstream

If there's a year to do it, this is the one. There are no QBs.

 

You've got my vote for commissioner, with this take. The taking away of the onside kick possibility is ridiculous enough to kill this. Fuck that shit.

 

As a Giants fan, I have no problem with them beating the Colts... or wiping the floor with Eagles practice squad next week.

With a franchise so unlucky, you live in the present and take what joy you can find there.

 

Yeah, it’s still so weird to watch. Certainly anything but “dynamic.”Witnessed for the first time Sunday a penalty on a team (Vikings) for not kicking the ball to the landing zone. Maybe it’s safer (although a Packers player got a concussion on one today), but there haven’t been that many TDs or even long kickoffs this season, have there?

 

Not going to lie, would much rather play the Rams in round 1 than the Eagles. The latter seemed inevitable all season. Curious to see how Quinn approaches that Dallas game.

 

Rams young, strong defensive front feasts on immobile qbs. They don't do well with mobile qbs. You want the Rams.

Considering that the Rams are 9-2 in their last 11, they really don't impress anybody. The offense has disappeared down the stretch while they've kept winning. If Stafford can find some old magic, and Cooper Kupp can make his way out the witness protection program, the Rams can be a tough opponent. Otherwise, I think every NFC team would love to come to Sofi for the wild card game.

 

Other than the onside kicks, it hasn't really changed anything. Well, and the touchback to the 30.

Teams have gotten so good at kicking off there haven't been returns in a long time anyway and now they just make you start at the 30 and teams have decided that's ok, both kicking and receiving. I've only seen two penalties of kicks not landing in the zone, which shows their accuracy, and mostly touchbacks.

I guess I don't really mind it. At least it gives a chance for a return. If it is safer, who knows. Probably a little.

 

You do wonder if we will eventually see kickoffs leaving the sport entirely, with teams just starting on the 25 to start a half/after a score, and an "onside play" option in which you can keep the ball if you gain some stated distance - 15 or 20 yards - on a single play from your own 35 in lieu of an onside kick. I don't like that plan at all, but I also don't like the current kickoff scheme, and at levels below college doing away with kickoffs would have safety benefits as they are the plays most likely to generate concussions or neck injuries in youth football.

 

I vote for the scrum.

 

Kickers now are putting the ball almost all the way out of the end zone on kickoffs. So, line 10 guys up at the 35. The kicker kicks off from the 25. That way every kick isn't a touchback, you get returns, and the defense isn't really penalized.

 

If you can still kick a touchback at that point though, move it back to the 25 or even 20. You’ve done work worth rewarding.