Until they have a GM in place it is moot you would think.
Was just gonna say fields is not a lock. I think Heinicke is though.
1 Like
A prospective head coach/GM in Chicago might prefer a first round pick and a veteran QB.
The Dallas Cowboys Media Manager deeply regets Dakâs comments
3 Likes
Was watching nfl show on sky last night and they were talking about Murray and how the Cardinals might be considering trading him.
How long do you give a QB when heâs just not producing the goods
surely its on kliff the kunt
1 Like
But Murrayâs now had 3 coaches who heâs not produced the goods for
1 Like
anyones stats would be down if they lost a WR1 like hopkins for the season. murray hasnt run as much this season either but is that down to kliffs tactics or due to a regression or fear from kyler?
their performances fell off a kliff 
4 Likes
Murray speaks a bit too much about trying to keep himself calm which almost screams to others teams that if they get pressure on him heâll panic
He has been running less but thatâs Defences squeezing him also⌠You take away his wheels and heâs too small to see whatâs happening beyond the line of scrimmage 
⌠He could be hurt also tho.
1 Like
3 weeners.
You can imagine the brown nosing going on in those Monday morning meetings.
2 Likes
Bills by 4
Rams in OT*,
Packers by 6
Titans by 10.
Very tight this one. Iâd go so far as to switch to the Buccs should Wirfs be passed fit.
2 Likes
Bills v Chiefs 50/50
Buccs if at full health
Titans will grind them down.
Packers should win but SF will smash them right in their mouth.
Howe: Russell Wilson in â22, the Dolphins and Deshaun Watson, Patriots aftermath and more
By Jeff Howe Jan 18, 2022 91
Now that itâs been determined the Seahawks will retain head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, they must turn their focus toward quarterback Russell Wilson.
Carroll and Schneider met Thursday with owner Jody Allen and delivered an offseason road map to improve upon their 7-10 record and last-place finish in the NFC West, according to a source. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017 âand with just one postseason victory in the past five years â the Seahawks have to acknowledge something must change.
Sources familiar with the situation were curious how that meeting with Allen would go. One source succinctly summed up the general feeling about the mysterious Seahawks owner: âJody Allen is a total wild card. No one knows what sheâs thinking.â She hasnât maintained an active presence in the building since inheriting the team in 2018 from her late brother, Paul Allen, and has generally kept her plans for the football operation under wraps.
Jody Allen remained loyal to the 70-year-old coach, who signed a five-year extension in 2020. Schneider also got a five-year extension in 2021.
Wilson, who is under contract for two more seasons, is the next part of the equation. The 33-year-old still prefers to finish his career with the Seahawks, but itâs unclear how this offseason process will transpire or whether the teamâs vision and his will align.
Wilson expressed frustration last February with how frequently he was getting hit, as he was sacked an average of 48.7 times per season from 2018 to 2020. That displeasure caused teams to inquire about his potential availability in a trade, and the Bears pursued him most aggressively, though it didnât appear the Seahawks were ever close to dealing Wilson, who has a no-trade clause.
But after finding out the Seahawks were listening to these calls, Wilson said he would approve a trade to four teams â the Bears, the Cowboys, the Saints and the Raiders. Wilson never requested a trade in 2021 and still hasnât done so, according to a source.
However, Wilson was sacked this season on 7.6 percent of his dropbacks â a slight improvement from 7.8 percent in 2020. He also injured the middle finger on his right hand while following through on a pass and colliding with Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Wilson had surgery, was out of action for three games â the first time he missed a game in his career â and wasnât fully healed until the final month of the regular season.
Wilsonâs improved play down the stretch coincided with running back Rashaad Pennyâs career revival. Penny led the NFL in Weeks 14-18 with 671 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The Seahawks ranked 24th in rushing yards prior to that. The effectiveness of the running game caused a significant decrease in hits against Wilson, from 2.9 per game in Weeks 1-13 to 1.4 per game thereafter.
But how will the Seahawks handle the roster-building process? Penny, left tackle Duane Brown, center Ethan Pocic and right tackle Brandon Shell are free agents. The Seahawks also need more production behind receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Then thereâs the defense, which ranked 28th in yards allowed and 11th in points allowed. Safety Quandre Diggs, an impending free agent, had surgery this month on a dislocated ankle and broken fibula, and safety Jamal Adams had surgery in December to repair a torn labrum. Carroll and Schneider need to continue revamping this group, and potentially make schematic adjustments, to make it a strength once again.
Given the events of February 2021, it would make sense for Carroll, Schneider and Wilson to huddle and ensure theyâre in lockstep before implementing their plans for the rest of the offseason.
State of the Dolphins
Thereâs some revisionist history happening in Miami.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross seems to be trying to distance himself from the teamâs pursuit of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Since the team surprisingly fired head coach Brian Flores last week, Ross said it would be up to the next coach whether to try again to acquire Watson, and some leaks have insinuated that Flores was the driving force behind an attempted trade. As Watson continues to face 22 civil lawsuits of alleged sexual misconduct â he has denied all claims â the leaks have attempted to portray Flores as the fall guy.
The reality is Ross also wanted Watson to be a Dolphin. Ross tried to set up a phone call with Watson the night before the Nov. 2 trade deadline this season to see if the quarterback would resolve his legal situation to facilitate a trade. Watson wasnât prepared to settle and refused to speak to Ross.
The Texans have wanted at least five assets, including three first-round picks, in any trade for Watson, according to sources. They also have no plans to reduce those demands when trade discussions resume this offseason.
If Ross didnât want to deal for Watson â because of Watsonâs legal situation or the price to acquire him ââ the Dolphins owner could have simply rejected the idea. Ross instead tried to lead the acquisition.
Deshaun Watson was kept inactive all season by the Texans in the midst of his legal issues. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
Also consider the Dolphins were 1-7 with a seven-game losing streak at the time of the trade deadline. Floresâ job security appeared far more tenuous at that point, so it feels unlikely that Flores could have been making personnel demands with the owner, especially while general manager Chris Grier was in charge of the roster.
Itâs understandable that Ross, Grier and Flores would all want to trade for Watson. For such a move to happen, all three had to be on board. The narrative shouldnât be rewritten in the aftermath of Ross and Grier banding together to fire Flores.
Coaching candidates should also be taking notice. Flores led the Dolphins to consecutive winning records for the first time since 1997-2003. It didnât result in a trip to the playoffs, but the Dolphins have gotten to the postseason just twice in 20 years, and they havenât won a playoff game since 2000.
Flores created a level of on-field stability, got fired â many in the organization learned of the firing on Twitter â and got smeared on his way out the door.
Flores has since interviewed with the Texans and Bears for their head coach vacancies. The Texans, according to a source, did not believe Watson would rescind his trade demand if they hired Flores, as Watsonâs grievances against the team have been centered on owner Cal McNair.
Patriots fallout
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who turns 70 in April, said Sunday heâll return for a 23rd season.
As one former Patriots employee recently said, âIt looks like he can coach another 10 years.â
The source wasnât passing along inside information. It was merely an observation from watching Belichickâs energy on the sideline this season.
At any rate, Belichick is entering the offseason with a lot of work to do on defense after the Patriots were embarrassed by the Bills, 47-17. It was the Patriotsâ worst defensive performance of Belichickâs tenure.
Case in point:
-
It was the most points Belichickâs Patriots have ever surrendered and the most lopsided playoff loss during his tenure in New England.
-
The Bills scored touchdowns on all seven of their possessions, excluding kneeldowns. The Bills have now had 20 consecutive possessions against the Patriots without a punt. Remember, the Patriots had a stretch in November when they didnât allow a point for 19 consecutive possessions, and the defense also went 26 possessions when it generated more points (13) than the opposition (seven).
-
The Bills were 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) on third down, with the only âfailureâ being the gameâs final kneeldown. Since stats on third-down conversions began getting logged in 1991, itâs the first time in playoff history that a team converted at least 77 percent on third down.
-
Josh Allenâs 157.6 passer rating was the second highest in playoff history among quarterbacks with at least 20 attempts. Allen had more touchdowns (five) than incomplete passes (four).
All in all, the Patriots lost four of their final five games for the first time under Belichick. So how did the defense melt down to such a catastrophic degree? Itâs a long answer, but two stats stand out. They recorded two sacks and one takeaway in their final four losses. The pass rush was nonexistent, and they couldnât create turnovers when they desperately needed them.
The Patriots did a good job last offseason of restocking the roster in free agency and the draft. But to catch and eclipse the Bills, it must happen more organically through a string of strong draft classes, especially on defense.
The Patriots defense couldnât stop Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Saturdayâs wild-card matchup. (Rich Barnes / USA Today)
Last weekâs 53-man roster included 23 in-house draft picks and eight undrafted free agents. Nine draft picks and two undrafted free agents were defensive players, highlighting the need to draft and develop on that side of the ball.
Their impending defensive free agents include safety Devin McCourty, cornerback J.C. Jackson and linebackers Dontâa Hightower, Jamie Collins and JaâWhaun Bentley. Additionally, inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is expected to interview with the Texans, Raiders and Broncos for their head coach vacancies.
Belichick will be back. The offense, which scored the sixth-most points in the NFL, should be in better shape during quarterback Mac Jonesâ second season. But itâs Belichickâs defense that could look much different in 2022.
Cowboys debacle
Thereâs a difference between âpracticingâ and âpracticing well,â and that was evident Sunday during the final seconds of the 49ersâ 23-17 victory against the Cowboys.
The Cowboys might have practiced that last-second quarterback draw, but the widespread lack of fundamental execution was a sign that they hadnât practiced it well.
Quick rehash: The Cowboys had the ball at the 49ersâ 41-yard line with 14 seconds remaining and no timeouts. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called a draw for quarterback Dak Prescott, who gained 17 yards before spiking the ball as time expired to seal the defeat. There were situational failures across the board.
For starters, itâs a general rule that teams need 16 seconds on the clock to run a play and still have enough time on the back end to spike the ball, so the Cowboys were already tempting fate. Moore called the play with head coach Mike McCarthy on the headset, so both are culpable. Itâs conceivable Prescott could have called an audible, too.
As the play unfolded, Prescott should have slid closer to the 30-yard line to preserve time. He instead slid at the 26-yard line, and his momentum carried him to the 22 before he got up and tried to spot the ball with center Tyler Biadasz near the 23-yard line. Meanwhile, Prescott and the offensive line got into formation before the trailing official could catch up to correctly spot the ball, which is in accordance with the rules. Because the Cowboys had gotten into formation, the official had trouble getting through the linemen to place the ball at the 24-yard line.
Prescott should have directly handed the ball to the official, and the offensive linemen should have looked toward the sideline officials to realize the spot shouldâve been closer to the 25-yard line. If that all happened, Prescott likely would have had enough time to spike the ball and run one more play.
The Cowboys instead lost the game and blamed the official. The problem in that situation is the Cowboys expected everything should have happened perfectly, and they ignored the possibility of human error, most of which was their own doing.
Plus, Prescott never seemed to consider the option of abandoning the spike. Once again, if they did a good job of practicing for this possibility, Prescott would have looked at the evaporating clock and recognized the need for a âred alertâ type of audible, sending each of his receivers to the end zone for a Hail Mary.
Dak Prescottâs scramble ended up being the final play of the Cowboysâ playoff loss to the 49ers. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
So again, did the Cowboys truly practice this play with genuine attention to detail, or was it more of a matter of running through it with an assumption that theyâd get it right?
Rewind the clock a bit further, and more evidence suggests they werenât well-equipped for high-stress situational moments. Trailing 23-7, the Cowboys did a terrific job with a fake punt at the start of the fourth quarter, then tried to confuse the 49ers by keeping the punt team on the field during first-and-10 before a late substitution. The Cowboys ultimately were flagged for a delay of game, couldnât overcome the penalty yardage and kicked a field goal on fourth-and-7. The sequence also cost them 29 seconds, which would have been mighty valuable at the end of regulation.
The Cowboys were a poorly prepared situational football team, and it was on display twice during the final quarter of their season. This can all be traced back to practice.
3 Likes