DalTXColtsFan

One buttcheek also equals two feet. Not a joke.

For whatever it contributes to the conversation, I hope 2023 was an anomaly in terms of starting QBs getting lost for the season. It's just not the same league when half the teams are trotting out backups.

The 2023 season saw an unprecedented number of teams lose their starting quarterback. In spite of that, the Chiefs had to go through FOUR playoff opponents that DIDN'T lose their starting QB. Tagliova, Allen, Jackson and Purdy all played and were healthy. The 49ers didn't any "breaks" either, facing Love, Goff and Mahomes after getting a first-round bye. They didn't appear to get much of a break from their division opponents either - for the 9ers, Smith and Stafford played almost the whole year (and the Cardinals stunk no matter who was QBing them), and for the Chiefs, Herbert and Wilson played pretty much the whole year. Honestly, the Raiders didn't experience much of a dropoff from Garappolo to O'Connell from what I saw. I just thought that was interesting because normally in such an injury-plagued season the SB champ "gets a break" by getting a pretty easy draw, but that wasn't the case for either participant really. As a matter of fact, of all of the playoff teams, only the Browns and Steelers had significant challenges with stability at the QB position.

I'd forgotten about that. Embarrassing and frustrating that their lone W during their collapse was us. That nonsense block in the back call that negated Hines's 65-yard catch and run? I was furious.

...among the greatest collapses in NFL history? They went from 10-1 to 11-6, and not only that, lost in the playoffs to a 9-8 team.

One other iron to put in this thread's fire: It seems like Minshew clearly has the arm strength to heave the ball 50 yards down the field. It also seems like his accuracy when he does so isn't horrible (I've seen better, I've seen MUCH worse, even at the NFL level). Do we all agree it's more either an unwillingness to push it down the field or perhaps just a vision issue, i.e. he needs to get better at reading the defense and knowing when the deep threat is going to be open? Here's the question: If it is indeed either of those last two things, are those COACHABLE? Are those things Minshew could WORK ON and IMPROVE at this stage of his career?

Jerry Hughes? Sorry, I'm not sure which play you're talking about.

Why too soon? That was easily the closest game we played all year. The bogus PI call was just one example, there was also Minshew protecting the ball better in the end zone so Garrett doesn't get a strip-sack TD. Either of those things happen (and nothing else that bounced our way doesn't bounce the other way) and we're hosting a playoff game.

As most of us know, the NFL is a league where a play here and a play there can be an enormous difference. We were 1-2 in games decided by 10 or 11 points. We were 2-3 in games decided by 14 or more points. Biggest win, 30-13 over Pitt, biggest loss 34-14 to Cincy We were 6-3 in one-score games. In our 9 one-score games, what are some examples you can think of of individual plays that easily could have swung the game in the other direction? I'm thinking of the bogus PI call in the Browns game for one, or if Matt Gay doesn't tie an NFL record with 4 50-yard field goals in a game against the Ravens.

How weird is it that Nelson is the only starting OL that DIDN'T make his roster? Oh, my bad, Fries didn't either, but my point is not exactly invalidated - three OLs made his roster and none of them were Big Q?

Last night's upset is the perfect illustration of what I'm talking about. Who had Jacksonville laying an egg against a backup QB? You gotta beat the teams on your schedule no matter what your record is.

IMHO strength of schedule is overrated. Look back at SuperBowl champions and participants over the last 10 to 20 years - you'll see plenty of teams that had easy schedules. You'll also see plenty of teams that had easy schedules that couldn't BEAT the teams on their schedule. Yesterday is a perfect example - many are going to say, "Oh, wow, you beat a 4-8 team in overtime." It was a 4-8 division rival in THEIR HOUSE.

How is this injury-riddled band of ragamuffins 6-5? Surely there are more talented teams with less wins? How much of this "success" (because let's face it, as easy as our schedule has been, winning 6 games by this point in the season is an accomplishment) is because the coaches are busting their humps to get the players fired up to play and doing a good job of maximizing their talents to put them in a position to succeed? I'd love to see what this staff could do with, for example, a healthy Taylor and Richardson for 16 games, not missing Stewart for 6 games, basically not losing all 4 of their top 4 corners etc.

Gabriel Macht of Suits could play him to perfection IMHO. Agree? Disagree?

Playing devil's advocate he was 2 of 8 over his career from 60+ before that kick. He was actually 54 of 79 from 50+ before that kick which is INSANELY impressive. He's 106 of 118 for his career from under 50 and has never missed from under 30. Great kicker. No question about it. But asking even the best to be clutch with a 60+er on the line is a stretch. EDIT: The all-time NFL average for 60+ yard field goal is 17.2%.