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FMQB: Tip your Bartenders!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 27, 2019
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FMQB: Tip your Bartenders!

 

Woohoo, Antonio Brown got released!!! Knock on wood if you’re with me!

 

Quick Hits:

  • Even after bad penalties, bad play calls, and bad turnovers, the Browns should have won (or at least tied to go into OT) the game against the Rams. Additionally, their entire starting secondary was inactive in the game. We’d be having a MUCH different conversation about the Browns if even 1 of those things goes differently.
  • Even after blowing a terrible lead, the Buccaneers lost the game, Daniel Jones didn’t win it
  • I’m not sure what Vikings team or what Falcons team is going to show up each week
  • Wow, the Saints beat the Seahawks on the road and with their backup QB? If the Saints can go .500 until Brees gets back, they’ll be in good shape. At this rate though they may be going 5-2!
  • Whoever thinks Running Backs are useless should watch Dalvin Cook and Mark Ingraham’s Sunday performance
  • Jacoby Brissett is making the Colts competitive, 75% comp, 310 yds, 2TD’s and a 118.1 rating to take the Colts to 2-1
  • Lamar Jackson could be this/next year’s Patrick Mahomes. He looked incredibly sharp out there and was electric on the run
  • You would have thought with how dirty the Eagles defense was playing that Gregg Williams was their coach
  • Last night reinforced how much I dislike the challenge of the pass interference rule. A couple calls were right and not overturned which would have made this even more ticky tacky. But a couple calls were blatantly missed and not reviewed.

 

 

Adventures in Coaching:

Last week it was the officials, but this week the coaching had me shaking my head several times on BASIC football IQ. Here’s what was weird:

  • The Browns ran the ball on a 4th and 9 while losing in the 4th quarter
  • Bruce Arians took a delay of game, ON PURPOSE, to back the kicker up 5 yards on a game winning field goal try. They missed…
  • The Ravens, when down by 11, decided to go for 2. Meaning they’d be down by 9 if they converted (still a 2 possession game) or 11 if they didn’t (meaning they’d HAVE to convert a 2 pointer to even tie).
  • The Patriots were up 30-7, and ran a play that called for Brady to throw a block
  • Good/bad call: The Ravens Onside kick was one of the more bizarre attempts. They tried a drop kick and kicked it incredibly far (30 yards) and high for an onside kick. The call was weird, but only made sense because they were kicking to a rookie who may not be aware he could call for a fair catch. Good football IQ for him to do so.

 

 

Stat of the Week:

Every team in the NFC North has a winning record, and against the rest of the NFL are 7-0-1

 

Stat of the Week #2:

6 new QB’s started this week (Saints, Panthers, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers and Giants), and those QB’s were 3-3

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Patrick Mahomes hit the NFL history list with the 4th most pass yards through 3 games to start a season. Also compared to last year through his first 3 games, Mahomes has a higher Completion %, nearly 100 more yards per game, a higher passer rating, fewer interceptions and fewer sacks than the start of his MVP season last year. He is also on pace to become the first 6000 yard passer.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Eli Manning, if this is the end, will finish his career 116-116

 

Stat of the Week #5:

Sean McVay in 34 games has scored 30 points in 22 of those games (or 65%). In the previous 10 years, the Rams only had 17 games with 30+ points (or 11%)

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Daniel Jones is 1-0 when trailing by 18+ points. Eli Manning is 0-44 in those games

 

Stat of the Week #7:

As of 3 weeks ago, Antonio Brown was slated to earn $30M this season. Currently he’s likely going to end 2019 with $158,000.

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The 49ers had 5 turnovers and still won

 

Stat of the Week #9:

Statistically, if Lamar Jackson starts Week 4 by throwing 8 straight interceptions, he would still have a higher passer rating than Baker Mayfield

 

Stat of the Week #10:

It has been 22 years since a team has called a run on a play of 4th and 9 or longer

 

Stat of the Week #11:

The Chiefs have scored 57 points in the 2nd quarter alone! That actually beats out 8 teams’ total point production.

 

Stat of the Week #12:

In 2016, the Patriots had Tom Brady, Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garrapolo on their roster. This year, those 3 QB’s are a combined 8-1.

 

Dad Joke of the Week:

Technically speaking, every Browns assistant coach is a part of the Kitchen Staff (since the head coach is Kitchens…). Tip your Bartenders people!

 

Games of the Week:

Bills vs. Patriots, one team won’t be undefeated after Sunday. We’ll likely see how legit the Bills are, whether they hang in there with the Pats or get blown out.

Browns at Ravens: essentially the battle for the AFC North could be won or muddied on Sunday

Vikings at Bears: Could have Wild Card ramifications, but trying to keep up with the Packers.

 

2002 Called…

So just to be clear, Tom Brady is the Super Bowl Champion, the Bengals are awful, Jon Gruden is on the sidelines as a coach, a Carr brother is leading his team into obscurity, and Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are doing the halftime show. And you’re telling me this is 2019 and not 2002?!?!

 

The Saga continues:

If you woke up this weekend hoping to not have to hear about Antonio Brown, you were/are about to be disappointed. Here’s a list of the continued saga of AB over just the past 7 days:

Released, twitter rant, retiring, going back to college, teams interested, in court for trashing an apartment, hints at unretirement.

 

2pt Tracker:

No final minute 2pt decisions this week, although I’m very tempted to put the Ravens in there since they failed on 3 different 2pt attempts. So that’s 6 (or 3) points off the board when they lost by 5. But standings stay the same.

 

Jaguars: -1

Texans: +1

 

Memes of the Week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FMQB: Year 9, Knock on Wood if you’re With Me!!!

Posted by fmquarterback on August 30, 2019
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FMQB: Year 9, Knock on Wood if you’re With Me

Friday Morning Quarterback is back! Year 9!!!! It seems like forever since I’ve put out a post, and I have to say this is been one of the crazier offseasons for stories. Knock on wood if you’re with me!!!!!

 

It’s the NFL’s 100th season. Antonio Brown is getting weirder by the day, and is apparently being sued by a chef because he found his fish head in the freezer and thought it was a mob threat. Not to mention his helmet issues. The Packers played a preseason game on an 80 yard field and no kickoffs (do we think that was on accident)? The Giants were the laughing stock of the league when they drafted Daniel Jones, only to have him look like a veteran QB WAY ahead of Manning in the preseason. And are we really living in a world where the Cleveland Browns are the most hyped team going into the season? Don’t even get me going on the shockwave through the NFL of Andrew Luck retiring, likely leaving $100+ million and a hall of fame bust on the table.

 

This is my annual Prediction post. And I’ll have an abbreviated Week 1 recap next week. Finish the Dad joke and you’ll find out where I am currently honeymooning: “Did you know the first French fries weren’t made in France? No, they were fried in….”

 

2019 Predictions:

  • Rookie of the Year- NOT Kyler Murray
  • MVP- Patrick Mahomes again
  • Comeback player of the year- Cooper Kupp
  • The Daniel Jones Eli Manning narrative will dominate headlines. Manning will make it through the first 4 weeks going 1-3, and by Week 5 Daniel Jones is under center.
  • LeVeon Bell will underperform, starting all 16 games but not hitting 1000 yards, which will hurt the RB market for everyone else moving forward
  • Speaking of RB market, Zeke has a deal done by Week 3, but is outside the top 5 rushers. Gordon will hold out, into October. Gurley will play, but be affected by his knee, coming in outside the Top 10 but will be top 5 in TD’s.
  • Rosen is the starting QB for the Dolphins by Week 7, but will still struggle
  • Nick Foles won’t have the same success as in Philly, but will be a dramatic increase from Blake Bortles.
  • Odell Beckham will be mostly off the radar in terms of drama, but will light it up on the field. Antonio Brown however will continue adding to his weird saga, and will get extremely frustrated as him and Carr are on different wavelengths.

 

FMQB Ranting already:

I do want to step in and give my opinion of the new pass interference rule, and the fact it’s reviewable. My prediction is this is a one and done rule, and will be a disaster once games are won and lost due to it. (I get it Saints fans, you have a right to complain). But we’re going to have a scenario where a call is overturned in the end zone that is ticky tacky and decides the game. I guarantee this happens, and likely more than once. It’s almost a weekly occurrence that a 4th and Goal ends with a fade in the endzone, and now coaches are going to challenge every play. It’s going to be a situation where you look at the play and accept the call on the field, but under review there’s some minor hold that technically defines PI, and it’s going to change the outcome of the game. Just watch, that’s my prediction.

 

Take on Andrew Luck:

I was absolutely shocked to hear Luck was retiring. In fact, one way I know I’m old, is that I remember doing this blog the year leading up to Luck being drafted and now he’s retiring! Here’s my thing, yes the timing was absolutely terrible and essentially ruins the Colts’ season, but he had every right to do this. He’s a grown man and can make whatever decision is right for him. The fact Colts fans booed him off the field was also despicable. The organization was classy by letting him keep close to $25M, that’s a ton of money! But after seeing Calvin Johnson, Rob Gronkowski, and now Luck retire essentially in their prime, I think this is going to become a thing in the NFL. People are more cognizant of the toll it takes on their bodies, and enjoying life. I just wouldn’t be surprised to see some QB’s play well into their 40s, while other stars leaving at 29 is considered “normal.”

 

AFC North: I have the Browns and Ravens battling it out for the division. Should be fun to see the progression of both 2nd year QB’s. The Steelers will regress, and we’re nearing the end of this “regime.”

AFC East: Patriots have this in the bag as always, although I think the Jets are going to make a run at it and sneak in a wild card spot. Sam Darnold is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming years. Watch for the Dolphins to have a Top 3 pick.

AFC South: Such a weird division! You could almost argue for any team, but no team to be more than 10 or 11 wins. I had the Colts taking it until Saturday, now I think they’ll be in last place. The Texans will be solid, the Jags should improve with Foles, and the Titans would be playoff caliber if Mariotta stays healthy.

AFC West: The Chiefs should take this division handily as well. On the fence with Denver, if Flacco has some magic left they could be a team on the rise. Oakland also looks good on Hard Knocks, but that could be fancy camera work. Chargers should regress with Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen missing time.

 

 

 

NFC North: Another weird division. I do think the Bears are the best team in the division, but their kicking woes could easily lose them 3 games. Packers should be better if Rodgers is healthy and a hungry coach. I think the Vikings have a 9-7 season and miss the playoffs again, and the Lions will pull a Lions and be obsolete by Week 5.

NFC East: Without Foles to fall back on, Wentz will have to stay healthy, but the Eagles have a chance to make a deep playoff run. The Cowboys will do what they always do under Jason Garrett, and go 8-8 after a playoff year. The Giants will be newsworthy, but not in the playoff hunt. And the Redskins will have QB woes that still aren’t addressed by January.

NFC South: The Saints are still a powerhouse, but their window is rapidly closing. They’ll take the #1 seed one last time though. The Bucs will have to move on from Winston after this year. Panthers will struggle with Newton staying healthy, and the Falcons will be in line for a Wild Card spot.

NFC West: The Rams are easily the best team in the division. The Seahawks will make a push, but they’ve lost too many players to make the playoffs. Jimmy G will lead the league in INT’s, so the 49ers aren’t in the picture. And Arizona will be a fun team to watch but Murray will have ups and downs.

 

Playoff Predictions

 

AFC:

Patriots

Texans

Chiefs

Browns

Ravens

Jets

 

 

NFC:

Eagles

Bears

Rams

Saints

Falcons

Packers

 

AFC Championship:

Chiefs vs. Texans

 

 

NFC Championship:

Saints vs. Eagles

 

Super Bowl:

Chiefs vs. Saints- Chiefs win it all

 

Quote of the Offseason:

“He drinks a gallon of milk every day. … I think it’s the milk that’s not pasteurized, either. I think it’s right out of the teat.”

Jay Gruden on Colt McCoy’s milk habits.

 

Best Quote of the Offseason:

“Knock on wood if you’re with me” Jon Gruden

 

Meme’s of the Offseason:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FMQB: Packerland

Posted by fmquarterback on December 28, 2018
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FMQB: Packerland

Bittersweet time, it’s the final week of the season! The stakes are finally here, but the games we get are also limited. 20 teams’ seasons end on Sunday.

 

Highlights:

  • The Titans snuck out a win after Mariotta went down to stay in the playoff hunt
  • I didn’t expect Ravens over Chargers on the road. Lamar Jackson isn’t putting up exciting stats at all, but they’re doing enough to win
  • Nick Foles has now also “shocked” the Texans to keep the Eagles in contention
  • I took a nap when the Packers were down 35-20, and woke up hearing they won the game in OT
  • Saints vs Steelers was the game of the week. Steelers totally had that game, but had 2 fumbles and a turnover on downs in the 4th quarter.
  • Mahomes vs. Wilson as also a good matchup, and it stinks we get that once every 4 years

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Christian McCaffery now has most receptions for a RB with 106

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Eli Manning has more passing yards this year than Drew Brees

 

Stat of the Week #3:

There have only been 9 seasons of 5000+ passing yards (Drew Brees has 5 of the 9). And only 5 QB’s have hit the mark. We’re about to get 2 more on that list, with Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes less than 200 yards away

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Adrian Peterson just went over 1000 yards for the 8th time in his career, and the first time since 2015.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

In games where he started and finished, DeShaun Watson has not lost by more than 1 TD since he was a sophomore in high school.

 

For the Record:

  • Panthers were once 6-2, and are now in last place in their division
  • The Browns actually have a chance to finish above .500!
  • By this time 72 hours from now, likely 4 coaches won’t have a job anymore
  • 7 of the 10 Giants’ losses have been within a score.
  • Lamar Jackson is now 5-1 as a QB, and has taken down the Chargers and nearly the Chiefs
  • The Steelers celebrating fake punt that came up short was embarassing

 

Hit of the Season:

The hit of the season was just put on by a kicker…proof of how bad the new defensive rules have become. But dang, look at this! If you want a metaphor to how the Panthers’ season is going, it’s here: https://twitter.com/SBNation/status/1076919562715742208

 

What to watch for:

The NFC is fairly set, all 4 division winners are known. Only the Patriots have the division in the AFC, while the other 5 teams have some crazy volatility! Houston could be the #1, 3 or 6 seed, or the Chargers could also be set at #5, but jump up to #1. Even the Titans, which are currently the #7 seed, could secure a first round bye or miss out entirely.

Colts at Titans is the main game to watch, as the winner is in the playoffs as the 6th seed.

Bears at Vikings have some intrigue, Bears have a very outside shot of getting a first round bye (Rams would have to lose to the 49ers at home), so they could rest their players. Vikings can leapfrog the Seahawks if they lose and get the #5 seed, and in a worst case scenario the Vikes could be out if they lose and the Eagles get an anticipated win against the Redskins.

Browns at Baltimore is the last matchup to watch. The Browns are hot, and if they take down the Ravens the Steelers are in. Could the Ravens lose out on the playoffs for the 2nd straight year in Week 17?

 

The Chargers have likely locked up the #5 seed, but in the off chance the Chiefs slide continues, they’re up for the #1 seed!

 

 

Packers’ History:

I got to go to the Packers Hall of Fame inside Lambeau Field. Even as a non-Packer fan, I was in awe of the history! Everything from the beginning of the NFL, to Vince Lombardi, the other championships; I was geeking out as a football fan.  To all you Steelers fans out there, this is a reminder that the Packers have 13 NFL championships (in 100 years). The final room had 6 Earl Thorpe trophies (the trophy before the current design), their 3 NFC Championship trophies, and 4 Vince Lombardi Trophies. The plaque said that even with the fact that trophies weren’t given for their first 3 championship games, “you are still standing in the most decorated trophy room in the NFL.” Wow, chills.

 

This is the first Super Bowl trophy. Notice how it doesn’t say “Vince Lombardi Trophy” yet.

 

 

Memes of the Week:

 

FMQB: QB Perfection

Posted by fmquarterback on November 30, 2018
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FMQB: QB Perfection

Week 12 Highlights:

  • Utterly shocked that the Cowboys felled the mighty Saints. They held them to 10 points. The Saints had scored 10 points in 12 of last 20 QUARTERS.
  • The Bears won, on the road, a division rivalry, and with a backup QB. Feels like everything is going right for them this year.
  • After starting 0-3, the Texans are actually in the “Elite” conversation
  • The Bengals started off so strong, but now with Dalton on IR you have to wonder if Marvin Lewis finally gets the Axe.
  • Lot of QB’s down now, Flacco, Dalton, Alex Smith, Bortles,

 

Stat of the Week:

Since Hue Jackson left Cleveland, Baker Mayfield has thrown 9 TD’s to 1 INT

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Dan Carlson was 1 for 4 on FG’s with the Vikings, and is 7 for 8 since

 

Stat of the Week #3:

For the 3rd consecutive week, a team has put up 500+ yards and lost.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Phillip Rivers record 25 passes to start a game, perfect. He ended 28 for 29, for an NFL record 96.6% completion percentage. You also know you’re old but dedicated when you remember watching Mark Brunell set the record with the Redskins, and David Carr with the Texans

 

Stat of the Week #5:

Brady passed Peyton Manning for the most all time passing yards, and is now the first person to accumulate 80,000 yards total offense

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Drew Brees is on pace to demolish the single season record for passer rating. Aaron Rodgers 2011 campaign gave him 122.5, Brees currently is at 127.3 with 5 games remaining. In fact, if the season ended today, 4 QBs would be in the Top 10 (Rivers, Goff and Mahomes are on the all time leader board). Which is crazy since in 2017 nobody cracked the top 50.

 

Follow up Stat:

Lamar Jackson ran it 26 times for his first start. Michael Vick, the quintessential running QB never had more than 15 attempts in his entire career. That truly surprised me.

 

Stolen Stat #7:

The NFL’s Final Four in 2017 (Philadelphia, New England, Minnesota, Jacksonville) has a combined record of 22-21-1.

 

For the Record:

  • The 4 longest win streaks currently are Texans, Bears, Colts, Cowboys. None of which made the playoffs last year
  • The Packers have lost 8 straight road games, yet Aaron Rodgers expects to win at the Bears as a part of his plan to make the playoffs.
  • It’s officially December (or will be tomorrow), and the Browns are only 1.5 games out of the playoffs right now.
  • Amari Cooper is proving people wrong, he has been an excellent pickup for Dallas
  • What does $54 million get you nowadays? A 60% completion percentage with 17 turnovers, a 46.8 QBR, and 3 wins in 11 games. That Blake Bortles contract was brutal.
  • In the span of 1 week, people were calling for Jason Garrett’s head, to now if the playoffs started today Dallas would host a playoff game.
  • I would NOT want to play the Colts, Seahawks, or Cowboys in the playoffs. They all are hot teams going into the final stretch
  • I think I may have crowned Nick Mullens a bit too early
  • Apparently the refs on Thursday night’s game had 148 years of combined experience. They blew a ton of calls.

 

Changing of the Guard:

Something that’s rarely discussed is the change of team ownership. In the past 12 months however, this is happening to a large percentage of the league and could have a few repurcussions on the future of the game. Carolina, Seattle, New Orleans, LA Chargers, Pittsburgh, now Houston have all had ownership changes or deaths.

 

More QB Perfection:

In Monday night’s game, there was 2:15 left in the 2nd quarter before an incomplete pass was thrown by either QB. For Phillip Rivers, there was 5:59 left in the 3rd quarter before he threw an incomplete pass.

 

Memes of the Week:

FMQB: Gano Lo Gano! Gano Lo Gano!

Posted by fmquarterback on October 12, 2018
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FMQB: Gano Lo Gano! Gano Lo Gano!

Bit of a shorter week, but trying something new to attain my goal of not doing long, drawn out paragraphs. Here’s a quick highlight section:

 

Week 5 Highlights:

  • Marshawn hasn’t lost anything. He almost had another Saints like run even though it was blown dead.
  • Saquon Barkley seriously looks like Barry Sanders 2.0 out there, and I don’t think that’s crowning him too early
  • I was as surprised as you to see the Bills beat the Titans, and the Browns beat the Ravens
  • The Browns nearly tied AGAIN! There has never been a team with 2 ties before
  • The Vikings eeked one out this week, I like most pegged the Philly game for a sure loss. Their schedule gets easier, so look out NFC North
  • That’s because the Packers are imploding. Crosby missing 4 FG’s, and Xtra point, 13 pts off the board when they lost by 8
  • The 63 yarder by Gano was beautiful, and it would have been good from 70
  • Odell Beckham looks like a whiny toddler on the sidelines. I wonder if he regrets signing that huge contract

 

Drew Brees record:

The NFL schedule makers did a marvelous job putting the Saints in primetime the game that Brees would break the record. I was off by a quarter, he was so dominant that he had his 201 yards well before halftime. The record breaking TD almost looked like the Redskins let him have it, it brought up memories of Strahans sack on Favre where he basically laid down when Strahan broke through. Either way, nice way to cap off a top notch career. There are haters out there, saying Brees gets at a minimum 9 dome games a year, and that he’s really only had the 1 Super Bowl run. Perhaps he’ll be compared to Marino, but I think you put him in top 5 QB’s of all time for sure, with Manning, Brady, Montana, and Elway.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

The Browns have already played in 3 OT games this year (through 5), and they’re 1-1-1 in those games

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Drew Brees went from 3rd to 2nd on the all time leading yardage mark by throwing a TD. 1 Quarter later, he went from 2nd to 1st on the all time list by throwing a TD. Brees also had a stat line of 26/29, 363 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s, and that wasn’t enough for a perfect rating. He had 153.2.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

On the first play from scrimmage, Josh Rosen tossed a 75 yard TD. The entire rest of the game on 24 more attempts, he put up only 95 yards

 

Stat of the Week #4:

TJ Watt and JJ Watt are in a brother vs. brother battle for the sack lead, both are tied for 1st with 6 sacks a piece.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

The Cowboys are 18 of their last 19 when going for it on 4th and 1, yet decided to punt in OT

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Adam Thielen got a $500 scholarship to play D3 football, wasn’t invited to the combine, went undrafted, and just became the first WR ever to start a season with 5 straight 100+ yard receiving games.

 

Stat of the Week #7:

The 49ers became the first team to pick up 30 first downs, hold their opponent to 10 or fewer first downs, but still lose by double digits.

 

Quick Hits:

  • All rookie QB’s went 4-0 this week after going 0-4 last week
  • DeShaun Watson got nailed 3 good times trying to get it in the endzone
  • The Cardinals were the last winless team to get a win, meaning the Browns and Lions can pop the champagne
  • In back to back weeks, Matt Patricia has taken out Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

 

 

For the Record:

  • There was a flag for taunting after Drew Brees broke the record. Seriously?
  • The Browns have a better record than the defending Super Bowl Champs
  • The NFC East is up for the taking, and a 7-9 team could win that division. Just painful to watch the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles or Redskins play
  • All Brees got for breaking the record was a lame certificate
  • “Gano” in Spanish actually means “Won.” Proof the NFL is rigged…

 

Speaking of Which:

The Spanish call of the game winning field goal is classic! Take a listen:

The announcer is saying “Gano Lo Gano” which means “Gano won it”

 

Days of Yore:

So I heard a comment and forgot about an old FMQB bit I used to do. Remember the “it has been 7 days since the last NFL arrest?” I realized I haven’t used that in awhile! Apparently arrests are down significantly, with over 70 happening in 2017 but closer to 30 this year. Wonder what the change is?

 

Games of the Week:

Steelers at Bengals- Chance to see if the Bengals are legit this year

Chiefs at Patriots- Could easily be an AFC Championship pre-cursor

Dophins vs. Bears- Yes, somehow this is a Game of the Week, and at the end one of these teams will have 4 wins.

 

Meme of the Week:

 

Meme of the Week #2:

Posted by fmquarterback on September 28, 2018
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FMQB:

Week 3 was the weekend of surprises. I’m not sure if it was a bigger surprise that the Bills won, or that the Vikings lost. The Patriots laid an egg against the 0-2 Lions, and now they’re 1-2. The Jaguars, who had just slain the mighty beast the week before only put up 2 FG’s. Drew Brees, at 39 years old, also had 2 rushing TD’s including a 7 yard run where he juked 2 defenders!

 

 

Quick Hits:

  • Is Marcus Mariota not the starter anymore? I missed something, and he came in after Gabbert got injured
  • Carson Wentz to Dallas Goedert for the TD, means it was North Dakota to South Dakota. Cool!
  • I went from skeptic to genuinely excited for the Monday night game just to see Patrick Mahomes play
  • Adrian Peterson looked like the 2012 version of himself on Sunday
  • Jimmy Garropolo going out for the 49ers is heartbreaking, even from a fan who sees the 49ers as the biggest threat in the division
  • Week of the rookie QB’s! Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen shined, while Darnold and Rosen did not
  • I’m shocked Matt Patricia got the best of his old boss

 

Bar Observations:

I went to a bar in the #BoldNorth to watch the Vikings vs. Rams game. While living in Minneapolis helps me hear about the Vikings more than any other team, I had a few interesting observations:

  • Vikings fans were cheering just as loud for the successful extra point as they were TD’s
  • Kirk Cousins is apparently the greatest thing that’s happened in this town since Kevin Garnett
  • Minnesota Nice Quote of the night “HOLDING, HOW IS THAT HOLDING???” <tv shows replay> “Eh, that was actually a pretty good call.” Vikings fan

 

Stolen Stat

The Raiders have not trailed in any part of the first 3 quarters of any game, but are 0-3.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #2:

In 2016 only 1 QB threw for 5 TD passes, in 2017 2 QB’s did it. So far through 3.0625 weeks, 3 QB’s have done it in 2018.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Jared Goff is the 3rd QB in NFL history to have a perfect passer rating while throwing for over 30 attempts

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Proof the game is changing: Goff and Cousins both had at least 400 yds, 3 TD’s, and 0 INTs. Prior to 2018 this had only happened once in the same game, but this is the 2nd time this has happened this season.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #5:

Ryan Tannehill is 9-1 in his last 10 starts

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Patrick Mahomes 13 TD passes through 3 games is an NFL record. Keep in mind he has 4 career starts in the NFL too

 

For the Record:

  • The Vikings didn’t miss a FG on Sunday
  • The Bills upsetting the Vikings was the biggest upset since 1995
  • Stiff arm in the Steelers Bucs game was just brutal, in a good way
  • Fitz-magic turned into Fitz-tragic in the 2nd quarter. 3 picks, ouch!
  • Pulling Sam Bradford from the game with 4 minutes left was a bit of a head scratcher to me. I realize he fumbled but that’s not the time to make the switch.

 

Mo Money Mo Problems:

Pricetag of Thursday night’s Vikings vs. Rams roster? $448,269,294 in guaranteed money (over several years). To put this into perspective, the Golden State Warriors alone have $313M in guaranteed money.

 

Coulda Woulda Shoulda:

Adrian Peterson will go down as one of the best RB’s in history, despite being 5843 yards shy of Emmit Smith’s rushing record. This is one of those records we’ll never see beat, and he very well could have surpassed that mark. In 2014 he had the child abuse suspension, 2016 he was on injured reserve early in the season, and 2017 was a bit of a joke with him bouncing around between teams. His last full season he ran for 1485 at age 30 mind you. I realize that’s a killer season, but if you figure he can pull that off in his 3 off-years, that puts him at 16,428 coming into this year! Or only 1927 shy of Smith’s record. At his current pace, you’d think he could have knocked that out in two seasons.

 

Rant of the Year: Penalty on the NFL for Roughing the Fans:

Ok, here is my one rant for the year…I don’t know what it is, but I’ve never been more upset with a rule than what the new roughing the passer has become (and it hasn’t even affected my team yet). After what happened last week, the refs were at it again. Before people debate me, I realize this is how the rule is written, so my problem is more with the rule and the league rather than the refs. I also realize that this was my argument supporting the catch rule for the 7ish years that was in place. SO in reality, my argument is that the rule needs to change, and not that these were bad calls. But here’s my problem:

 

  1. Clay Matthews is 100% right, the game has become WAY too soft.
  2. There’s zero consistency in the calls. In the Redskins game, one play had Aaron Rodgers get completely swung around and body slammed WWE style. There was intent there, but no flag. Next series Clay Matthews does what’s considered a form tackle, with Smith holding the ball still, and he gets a flag
  3. This problem is 100% self inflicted, just like the catch rule was and just like the Anthem controversy is (I did it, I said the “A” word). Just makes you more and more wary of how the NFL as an organization as a whole is run.
  4. Big Ben also realized a nuance to the rule; you can now flop and get a flag. That’s all we need in football now!
  5. Dolphins William Hayes tore his ACL trying to avoid putting his body weight on the Derek Carr. Carr even later came out and said “I wish he would have just landed on me.”

 

I also can’t stand how the NFL keeps supporting this. The NBA will flat out admit when they have mistakes and blown calls. And for some reason, the psychology behind it is to say “ah, oh well that happens to the best of us. We’re all human” rather than to continue blaming the refs. There was even a slim chance for hope when they announced Wednesday that they were going to review the rule and that they were “concerned with the amount of flags thrown,” but then they came out AGAIN and said this is the rule and this is the “point of emphasis.”

 

If they continue to call this a foul, you’re completely limiting the point of even pressuring the QB. If going for a clean sack has the inherent risk of a 15 yard penalty, why not put 11 cornerbacks out there and go for an INT everytime?

 

I can see the side of protecting the QB however. You don’t want star players getting hurt like Brady in 2008, or Wentz last year or Jimmy Garrapolo. It basically ruins that team’s season, so I understand that. But still, 34 Flags through the first 3 weeks, vs 16 flags at this same point last year shows this is an issue.

 

Quote of the Week:

Two or three years ago, it probably doesn’t get flagged” Terry McAulay, who has refed 6 Championship games and 3 Super Bowls

 

Throwback Quote of the Week#2:

After the Bears had a 4th quarter comeback against the Cardinals, you couldn’t help but replay “The Bears are who we thought they were, and we let ‘em off the hook!” in your mind.

 

My Meme of the Week:

Just look at the beak on Josh Rosen! Almost as big as the Cardinal on his helmet.

 

Meme of the Week #2:

 

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Scavenger Hunt:

Alright play with me guys. I’m going to end the week by sending you on a little scavenger hunt that should get you laughing. This will probably work better on a computer than a phone, but here’s how it’ll go: I want you to click on the first link. Get the video playing with the volume up, and then as that’s playing, open the 2nd link in a new tab and focus on that picture as you’re listening to the video. You’ll never look at this guy the same again! and you’re welcome!

 

https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/videos/patrick-mahomes-postgame-press-conference/1666170423506449/

 

http://www.stickpng.com/es/img/al-cine/los-muppets/rana-gustavo-rene-timido

FMQB: Whoah-Oh FitzMagic!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 21, 2018
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: Whoah-Oh FitzMagic!

Whoah-oh Fitz Magic!

If you had Ryan Fitzpatrick slated as the early MVP frontrunner, and beating the Super Bowl champions and a popular Super Bowl pick in the Saints on the road, then prove it. His season is truly magical so far. I agree with DeSean Jackson, how can you take him out and give Jameis Winston his job back?

 

Believe-land:

The range of emotions this team had in a 4 day stretch was pretty crazy. On Sunday, they had 2 missed FG’s and 2 missed extra points. The last extra pt. one was rough, which came right after an exciting 4th and 5 play late in the 4th quarter. It wouldn’t have mattered, as the Saints went up by 3, but they miraculously got back into Field Goal range. Watching Gonzalez march out onto the field for the 52 yarder with his head hanging, you just knew he was going to miss. He basically lost the game for them for the 2nd straight week. Keep in mind, the Browns, the LOWLY Browns, have gone toe to toe with the Saints (pun intended) and the Steelers. Two top-tier teams. They could easily be 3-0.

 

Ah, but Thursday night! The Browns finally won! It’s been 635 days since they’ve tasted victory. They struggled against the Jets and then Tyrod Taylor goes down, Browns fans must have been thinking “not again.” But the curse is broken and the Bud Light fridge unlocked! Congrats Cleveland.

 

The Most Exciting Tie you could see!

Pro-tip, if you’re looking for an exciting game to watch this year, turn on the Packers. They’ve been in two doozys, and the battle for the NFC North was another great one on Sunday. Full disclosure, the refs did not play favorites in this one and both sides have a right to be upset. Even on Rodger’s bum knee, the Packers were up 20-7 in the 4th quarter, partially thanks to a couple bad penalties especially one roughing the passer (although this one was close). But wow, Kirk Cousins turned it on in the 4th quarter. He actually looked fantastic this game, but they scored 21 points in the quarter and a 2 pt conversion to tie it up. The controversy came on the final drive, when he heaved one up as he was getting hit by Clay Matthews. INT, end of game, but hold on a flag for roughing the passer. There is literally a picture from the perfect angle that shows Matthews making contact and the ball is still in Cousins’ hands. He doesn’t wrap Cousin’s up, nor drive him into the ground, nor does he land with all of his weight on Kirk. You can also see Clay put his left hand down and try to brace his fall. This flag was absolutely terrible, but ended up making for an exciting game. The icing of Crosby after making a kick and having him miss, and then the Vikings kicker missing 2 OT FG’s yielded the tie. I will scream this one more time from the highest mountant, the 10 minute OT rule change is garbage! After the Vikings missed their FG, the Packers were driving and punted away with 3:57 left. You’re essentially limiting the number of drives to 3 if you’re lucky. Should have kept it at 15 minutes or at least switch to college football OT rules. I foreshadowed more ties last week, I just didn’t expect it to come the next week. I wouldn’t doubt this is talked about in the offseason, especially if there’s a 3rd tie.

 

Stat of the Week #1:

Ryan Fitzpatrick, a backup QB, is leading the league in TD’s, Yards, and passer rating

 

Stat of the Week #2:

Saquon Barkley had 14 receptions on Sunday, setting a team record. That’s more than Devante Adams, Stefon Diggs, AJ Green, Amari Cooper and Larry Fitzgerald have all season.

 

Stat of the Week #3:

Patrick Mahomes, first player with 10 TD passes in first 2 games. Keep in mind Sunday was his 3rd career start. Even the year that Peyton threw 55 TD’s, he only had 9 TD’s after Week 2.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

Ryan Fitzpatrick has 4 TD’s of over 35 yards, no other QB has more than 1.

 

Stolen Stat of the Week #5:

Oakland defense in first 2 games:

2 sacks

1 forced fumbles

0 fumbles recovered

1 interception

0 touchdowns

 

Khalil Mack in first 2 games:

2 sacks

2 forced fumbles

1 fumble recovered

1 interception

1 touchdown

 

Surprising Stat of the Week #6:

The Dolphins, Bengals, Buccaneers, Rams and Jaguars are in sole possession of 1st place in their division. Tell that to 2016 fans and they’d never believe you!

 

Stat of the Week #7:

In the Patriots Jaguars game, one QB threw the ball 45 times for 376 yards and 4 TD’s; and it wasn’t Tom Brady…

 

Stat of the Week #8:

Baker Mayfield’s first drive ended in points, and in his 1 half of play he threw for 201 yards and a QBR of 94.9 (out of 100).

 

Stat of the Week #9:

This is the first time since the new OT rules were introduced in 1972 that there were tie games in Week 1 and Week 2.

 

For the Record:

  • We’re 2 weeks in, and I wholeheartedly repeal my questioning of Andy Reid’s decision to trade Alex Smith and let Patrick Mahomes lead the team. I was dead wrong and I admit it. Mahomes looks like a star in the making.
  • The NFL eliminated their Catch Rule controversy just to replace it with Roughing the Passer. The Vikings game calls were abhorrent, and the fact the NFL agreed with the refs is an even bigger problem.
  • The Bengals are surprising, after two bum years they may have rebounded and be on their way to winning the division.
  • The Texans on the other hand are not living up to expectations, with everybody healthy
  • The Rise of the Rams is almost as abrupt as the fall of the Seahawks. They went from Super Bowl contender, to .500 team, to garbage in just 17 games
  • The Broncos comeback and final drive was pretty slick. John Gruden’s reaction to them making the kick was 100% Chucky too.

 

 

Divisional Deep Thinking:

Ties are weird, but the cool thing about the Vikings and Packers is that they now cannot tie the season series. They’ll go into their final game knowing that whoever wins will have the tiebreaker.

 

 

What it takes to Excel:

Blame me for being a homer, but this video of Rams coach Sean McVay is absolutely insane. A reporter gives him a situation such as “2015, Redskins vs Saints, 2nd and 12 on the 16 yard line with 4:24 left in the 3rd quarter.” And Sean will literally interrupt him and tell him the formation, the route, or what happened on the play.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-mcvays-power-recall-must-seen-believed-033739946.html

 

Video of the Year:

A few of you may have seen this, but it’s definitely worth watching again

http://dailysnark.com/colorado-mascot-shoots-himself-in-the-balls-after-accidentally-facing-t-shirt-cannon-wrong-way/

 

Quote of the Week:

“Is any of that yours?” Reporter- asking Ryan Fitzpatrick about his post-game outfit that he claimed to have borrowed from DeSean Jackson

“Just the chest hair”- Ryan Fitzpatrick

Quote of the Week #2:

“What came into the decision to let Dan Carlson (Vikings kicker) go?” Reporter

“Did you see the game?” Mike Zimmer

 

Quote of the Week #3:

“Hey, when’s the next article come out?” Reader

“Friday…hence the name” FMQB (sorry bro, I had to!)

 

Stolen Quote of the Week #4:

“The Bills are so bad, their players are retiring at halftime.” Still utterly astounded that Vontae Davis went into the locker room, put on his street clothes and just left. Never heard of anything remotely close to that. Completely disrespectful to the team, I don’t care what he says. If anything, tell the trainers you’re not feeling right or even sick and sit out the 2nd half.

 

Meme of the Week:

Meme of the Week #2:

Meme of the Week #3:

 

Meme of the Week #4:

 

FMQB: You Vike That?!?!

Posted by fmquarterback on September 14, 2018
Posted in: NFL. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: You Vike That?!?!

 

Rodgers Rarity:

The Sunday night game will be one that gets replayed for years and years, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating. The fact that Rodgers was terrible with his good knee, goes out and the Bears have a hay day on defense should have ended the game there. The magic when he walked back onto the field, single handedly breathing back life into the stadium that had been drawn out as he was carted off the field; it was just incredible. The entire stadium went from “oh no, not again!” to “down 20-0? No problem, we have Aaron.” Despite the Packers not doing anything offensively in the 1st half, Lambeau had hope. And while the comeback was exciting, it almost wasn’t surprising, it was expected. If anybody has seen The Natural with Robert Redford, this was like a 3 hour condensed version of that.

 

Quick Hits:

  • Weather delays are extremely rare in the NFL, and we had 2 (technically 3) happen this week
  • The Colts didn’t waste time with easing Andrew Luck back into things. They tested out his shoulder on a league leading 53 attempts!
  • The Steelers didn’t seem to be missing LeVeon Bell. James Connor is leading the league in rushing
  • Saquon Barkley’s TD run shows the talent and explosiveness the Giants were hoping for, just wow. And against the Jags
  • Other than the first play of the game, Sam Darnold looks like the real deal
  • The Vikings and Jags defense looks legit
  • I want whatever Aaron Rodgers was on during his postgame interview. Or maybe I don’t…

 

Stat of the Week:

Drew Brees is on pace for 7024 passing yards

 

Stat of the Week #2:

This was the Bears first 10 point lead against the Packers since 2007

 

Follow-up Stat of the Week #3:

Julio Jones lead the league in receiving with 169 yards, but that elusive TD has his team at 0-1. On his last 20 targets to Julio Jones in the endzone, Matt Ryan is 1-20.

 

Stat of the Week #4:

The Browns 0-0-1 start is their best start since 2004.

 

Stat of the Week #5:

In the Bucs vs. Saints game: 88 points is a new record for a season opener, and there were 1004 offensive yards in that game

 

Stat of the Week #6:

Aaron Rodgers had 13 yards on a good knee in the first half, and 273 yards on a bad knee in the 2nd half

 

Stat of the Week #7:

Nathan Peterman has started 3 games in his career. One of which was this weekend where he went 5/18 for 24 yards and a 0.0 QB rating. It was 40-0 35 minutes into the game. Another start had him at 6/14, 0 TD’s and 5 INTs. Looks like you got yourself a winner there!

 

Stat of the Week #8:

The Ravens scored 47 points, yet their leading rusher had 44 yards, and leading receiver had 49 yards.

 

Stat of the Week #9:

Adrian Peterson passed Jim Brown to become 10th on the all time rushing list. He could get up to 8th if he has a good season. Frank Gore, the ageless one, should get to #4 this week. These are the only 2 active rushers in the top 25, proof the position is dying.

 

Stat of the Week #10:

Tyreek Hill touched the ball twice in the 1st quarter. The first was a 91 yard punt return, and the second a 58 yard receiving TD

 

Stat of the Week #11:

The Dolphins Titans game was 7 hours and 8 minutes long due to two lighting delays. The old record? 5 hours and 16 minutes

 

Stat of the Week:

From out of nowhere, Ryan Fitzpatrick had 417 yds and 4 TD’s

 

Takeaways from Opening Night:

  • The Falcons have struggled in the red zone for literally years. It’s ugly head reared up again last year in the playoffs with 4 shots at the endzone. Can’t believe they lost the game the exact same way
  • Although it was a slight variation, the fact they ran the Philly Special again (and the Falcons fell for it) was hilarious!
  • Nick Foles just somehow wins, no matter how bad his performance
  • The football Gods were just taunting us Thursday night. We waited 7 months, and had to wait an extra hour for a weather delay!

 

 

For the Record:

  • Jimmy Garrapolo is no longer undefeated
  • Only 1 possession in the 1st half of the Bucs Saints game did not result in a score.
  • DeShone Kizer somehow looked worse than Brent Hundley.
  • I don’t think anybody can think Khalil Mack is overpaid after watching his performance on Sunday night; same goes for Aaron Rodgers
  • Looked like the Adrian Peterson of old. He even got the workload of carries with 26 while Chris Thompson only had 5. Ended with 96 yards and a TD.
  • Still not convinced, but I may have been wrong about Patrick Mahomes
  • Case Keenum picked up right where he left off
  • New head coaches were 0-7 in their debuts
  • Ties are still a terrible way to end an NFL game

 

The Browns didn’t Lose!!!

Technically, TECHNICALLY, the Browns ended a 17 game losing streak and a 13 game opening day losing streak on Sunday. Such a weird OT period! There were 5 possessions in the last 1:47! Pittsburgh with the chance at a FG but missed, Browns Punt, Pittsburgh Fumbles in their territory giving the Browns a shot, but their FG is blocked! I will reiterate that the 10 minute overtimes were terrible and will lead to more ties, but I’ve griped about that in the past. Until they switch to college football rules, you’re going to continue to see these as more common.

 

Quote of the Week:

“You Vike That?!?!” Kirk Cousins

 

Games of the Week:

Vikings at Packers: Will likely have playoff consequences and it’s only Week 2!

Chiefs at Steelers

Patriots at Jaguars: Rematch of the AFC Championship

 

Fantasy Football Woes:

 

Despite the meme, I do want to gripe for a second. The only league I paid to be in this year didn’t give me a notification when the draft started, so I had my first Autodraft in years. Thanks ESPN, they went WR, WR, WR, RB, TE (who is now out for the season), QB who was out Week 1. Garbage.

 

Meme of the Week:

 

 

Meme of the Week #2:

FMQB: Ramblin Along

Posted by fmquarterback on December 22, 2017
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

FMQB: Ramblin Along

 

I’m not going to make any more player predictions the rest of this year. In back to back weeks, I’ve made bold predictions about Adrian Peterson (who was put on IR the next week) and Antonio Brown (who will miss the next 2 games).

 

There are obviously two games to talk about as the back to back endings were two of the best this year. Both included rules that fans absolutely hate and the NFL should look at this offseason. Both included teams that went for it all when they were guaranteed a FG to take it into overtime.

The Race for 1st:

The Steelers were up and not dominating but steadily beating the Patriots in every aspect of the game. The Patriots score to seemingly tie it at 17, but the extra point is no good! Pittsburgh scores to go up 8, and it stays 24-16 deep into the 4th. The Patriots are forced to kick a FG with 3:56 left in the game to bring it to within 5. Steelers go 3 and out, and then New England marches 77 yards in 1:10 in an amazing drive which basically only featured Gronkowski. They make a 2pt conversion to go up 3. Taking a step back, I along with Steeler nation was utterly surprised that all of a sudden the Patriots were ahead. Watching the 2nd half, it truly felt like Pittsburgh was in control and going to win until the final 4 minutes, so we were all pretty much shocked. They scored 11 points in exactly 3 minutes. Continue Reading

FMQB: Puddin’ Pops

Posted by fmquarterback on November 3, 2017
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FMQB: Puddin’ Pops

 

Buccaneers disappointing

What happened to Jameis “Puddin Pops” Winston this year? Came into the season with so much promise. Analysts were basically putting him as a top 7 or 8 QB this year, with the team making the playoffs. Granted Hard Knocks can make any team look like a Super Bowl contender (case in point, watch the Rams one from last year). But they seemed to show a ton of promise on that show too.

 

For Liberty and Justice For All!

As you know I’m staying out of the politics of the national anthem, but the Ezekiel Elliot back and forth is utterly ridiculous this year. This truly highlights what’s wrong with our court system in America. His suspension has been imposed 3 times, and successfully appealed all 3 times. Make a decision already! Look at this below, why the heck are there so many chances to appeal? For the record, had Elliot served the 6 games, he’d already be a game into his season, with fresh legs and the ability to carry his team into the playoffs. Take a look at this (it’s not fair that I have lawyer friends who read this. I’m sure I’ve butchered this so take it with a grain of salt).

 

8/11: Goodell imposes 6 game suspension on Ezekiel Elliot

9/8: After taking the NFL to court, Elliot was granted an emergency injunction that allowed him to play Week 1.

9/15: NFL files an emergency motion to stay the injunction

10/12: Court rules in NFL’s favor, re-states 6 game suspension

10/16: Elliot’s lawyers ask for an emergency hearing. Is granted a temporary restraining order allowing him to play

10/30: Judge denies temporary injunction, thus re-instituting the 6 game suspension

11/3: Court of Appeals grants a request for an administrative stay, allowing Elliot to play

Continue Reading