Other Teams In Division News 2014

[denverYooper]

No doubt the kid can deliver plays. He is not JUST a game manager who avoids mistakes. He has genuine talent and a big arm. But he is ultra conservative on most plays and that plays well into his team's strengths. He is a perfect fit. But I do think he did not come to be a dangerous player until the second half of his rookie season.

The weapons argument is legit. I just view him as a second level guy (behind Rodgers, Manning, Brady, Brees). Also give him credit for not trying to be the statue QB like Ben, Aikman or Carson Palmer. He knows he does not need to take that kind of punishment when he can move like he can. Its a lesson Manziel would do well to learn.

It seems a little funny, but I see Brady and Rodgers as more on the conservative side of the QB spectrum as well. Rodgers can make any throw, sure, but there are several that he won't take. I wonder if his collarbone injury last year will affect his risk/reward calculations or if he'll throw more away and take less sacks.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Having seen Wilson at WI I knew he was going to make some team very happy. He's smart and has a great arm, those 2 traits alone will carry him very far in this league. Add in that he's mobile and looks to use his mobility to throw first then run and he's an elite talent just waiting to be recognized. He's like ARod in that he doesn't force stuff and thus keeps his INTs down. I think he'll be underrated most of his career while he keeps piling up wins and possibly more SBs.

[Pugger]

It seems a little funny, but I see Brady and Rodgers as more on the conservative side of the QB spectrum as well. Rodgers can make any throw, sure, but there are several that he won't take. I wonder if his collarbone injury last year will affect his risk/reward calculations or if he'll throw more away and take less sacks.

I hope so.

[mraynrand]

I think he'll be underrated most of his career while he keeps piling up wins and possibly more SBs.

That won't last long in the NFL. He's not Trent Dilfer for crissakes. Unfortunately for the Packers, he seems destined to be a smarter, more mobile Terry Bradshaw, and possibly accumulate as many rings.

[Fritz]

That won't last long in the NFL. He's not Trent Dilfer for crissakes. Unfortunately for the Packers, he seems destined to be a smarter, more mobile Terry Bradshaw, and possibly accumulate as many rings.

My eleven year old dog is a smarter, more mobile Terry Bradshaw. I grew up watching the 70's teams, and while I greatly admired the Steeler receivers, such as Lynn Swan (Swann?), I never was impressed by Terry Bradshaw.

I don't know that much, really, about Russell Wilson. He seems awfully good for a second year guy especially, and it'll be interesting to see how he develops or how the team's talent pool fluctuates and how he then responds.

[smuggler]

Swann, yeah

[Pugger]

Wilson is a nice QB but I can't see him carrying a team like Rodgers, Brady, Brees or Manning do.

[smuggler]

If he never has to, people will consider him an all-time great regardless, because that's how it works with quarterbacks (Bradshaw, Roethlisberger, Aikman).

[Brandon494]

Wilson is a nice QB but I can't see him carrying a team like Rodgers, Brady, Brees or Manning do.

He only put up better numbers his first two seasons then those guys their first two seasons playing. His mental makeup is also a lot like those three guys in the way he studies and prepares for games.

[mraynrand]

He only put up better numbers his first two seasons then those guys their first two seasons playing. His mental makeup is also a lot like those three guys in the way he studies and prepares for games.

I'd downplay the stats, because of the various different circumstances involved. Wilson so far has had a good situation, in that the defense allows him to work like a starting pitcher with a three run lead. But when you look at individual games, when the chips are down, Wilson typically plays great. Any team that becomes one-dimensional can get punked, and Wilson would probably look as bad as Manning did in the Super Bowl last year in similar circumstances. He's really young, but a lot of his great plays remind me of Elway back in the 80's engineering comebacks. Funny thing is that (circumstances again) Wilson doesn't seem to make as many of the same reckless mistakes that some of the younger great QBs made (except Marino maybe). He's an interesting guy with a huge upside in a great environment. Will be fun to watch in the upcoming years. I just hope he plays like crap against the Pack!

[Bretsky]

I notice that the Wilson detractors don't provide specifics (AND I DON"T BLAME THEM ONE BIT) so I'm happy to put myself out there with a view to be analyzed

Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers are top tier QB's in the NFL and undoubtedly better than Wilson. I doubt Wilson ever gets to that level.

But then I think you can throw him into the next tier of QB's that would include guys like Romo, Capernick, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Stafford, Rothlisberger, Luck, Newton, Cutler, and RG3


When looking at that group it's not hard to argue Russell Wilson is in the top third of QB's in the NFL. I'd take him over a number of the above QB's. Stats would undoubtedly support this.


YET..........somehow........Seattle wins with what some call a Game Manager................at QB

[pbmax]

There was plenty of evidence during the season. They kept talking about how they were using only a part of their offense and asking him to be cautious while they figured out what would work.

Eventually they grew more bold and even used some read option. He was efficient but not dominating in the first half of that season.

[Fritz]

It's been interesting to follow the new Lions' coach as he attempts to do the balancing act required in Detroit with Suh. Caldwell of course is pooh-poohing any notion of Suh's lingering contract talks (renogotiation) being an issue, but the thing is taking on its own life.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140522/SPORTS0101/305230002/Ndamukong-Suh-remains-Lions-befuddling-behemoth

This reminds me of the Packers' camp in 2009, when Brent "retired" then wanted to come back. Everybody hopes there is no distraction, but there is. It's not a scenario any coach wants to have to deal with - having a player be the spotlight, for negative reasons.

But that's what Caldwell's gotten. Not the ideal way to start things - it all just sounds like the same ol' Detroit Lions.

As for Suh himself, what might he have meant when he said he could've made a decision on draft day that would've landed him elsewhere? The only scenario in which that could occur would seem to be demanding a trade and insisting one will not play for a certain team - the ol' Elway/Eli move.

No matter what the guy says, he'll either sign a renegotiated contract that will give the Lions some leeway this year but will kill them down the road, or Suh really just wants out of Detroit, will break off talks once the season begins, claiming he really, really tried and it just didn't work out.

Neither way seems terribly beneficial for the Lions - they already have big contracts and a narrow cap space this year, with things only getting better as Bush's, Stafford's, Johnson's, and Tate's contracts begin to balloon up and up in the coming years.

[pbmax]

PASSING

Value		G	W	L	T	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate	Y/A	AY/A	

September	4	2	2	0	60	100	60.00%	594	4	4	73.5	5.94	4.94
October		4	2	2	0	69	110	62.73%	872	6	4	90.4	7.93	7.38
November	3	2	1	0	49	70	70.00%	585	7	0	128.6	8.36	10.36	
December	5	5	0	0	74	113	65.49%	1067	9	2	115.2	9.44	10.24

RUSHING

Month		A/G	Y/G	Att	Yds	Y/A	TD	A/G	Y/G	TD	Pts
September	25.0	148.5	22	80	3.64	0	5.5	20.0	0	0
October		27.5	218.0	14	48	3.43	0	3.5	12.0	0	0
November	23.3	195.0	21	99	4.71	0	7.0	33.0	0	0
December	22.6	213.4	37	262	7.08	4	7.4	52.4	4	24

[Fritz]

Just opinions here...

The Lions seem to be the same old Lions, so far. The Suh stuff, future cap problems, still a lack of defensive backs.

The Vikings are still in transition. After they moved Percy Harvin for what, two big draft picks, I thought they'd set themselves up to rebound quickly, but here they are, with the best running back in the game whose rumored to be traded after the year, and another new first round draft pick QB with some questions attached.

The Bears, I dunno what to think. I don't think they had a sexy draft, but maybe it was a good draft. But with Cutler there, there's always that game-losing interception to be tossed.