2020-21 NFL Season

[The Sultan]

I think a better comp for Lawrence than those three knuckleheads is a guy like Marcus Mariotta.  (Although he has a stronger arm than Mariotta does.)

[Uncle Rico]

I think a better comp for Lawrence than those three knuckleheads is a guy like Marcus Mariotta.  (Although he has a stronger arm than Mariotta does.)

You think so?  I think he's a lot better than Marriotta and I like him a lot.   

[The Sultan]

You think so?  I think he's a lot better than Marriotta and I like him a lot.   

I just mean from a headcase comparison.  Comparing Lawrence to three guys who were clearly headcases is odd because he seems nothing like those guys.

I agree that he is better than Mariotta. 

[Uncle Rico]

I just mean from a headcase comparison.  Comparing Lawrence to three guys who were clearly headcases is odd because he seems nothing like those guys.

I agree that he is better than Mariotta.

Gotcha!  Agree on that, too

[GooooMarquette]

I just mean from a headcase comparison.  Comparing Lawrence to three guys who were clearly headcases is odd because he seems nothing like those guys.

I agree that he is better than Mariotta.

I was not comparing their mental stability. I was comparing the way NFL teams were talking about them being franchise-saving QBs before the draft.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy easy to that Lawrence is better than any of those guys. But at the time, all the players I mentioned were viewed as guys who had a very real chance of turning franchises around. Just like Lawrence.

[CreightonWarrior]

So where does Le'Veon end up?

[Uncle Rico]

I was not comparing their mental stability. I was comparing the way NFL teams were talking about them being franchise-saving QBs before the draft.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy easy to that Lawrence is better than any of those guys. But at the time, all the players I mentioned were viewed as guys who had a very real chance of turning franchises around. Just like Lawrence.

And in fairness to the guys you mentioned, they ended up in bad spots and situations. 

I think Lawrence is the surest thing since Peyton Manning but if he ended up with the status quo Jets, it would be quite the feat to turn that mess around

[wadesworld]

https://twitter.com/Titans/status/1316168490752118785?s=20

Oh.

[The Sultan]

https://twitter.com/Titans/status/1316168490752118785?s=20

Oh.

And the play officially never occurred due to offsetting penalties.

[GooooMarquette]

https://twitter.com/Titans/status/1316168490752118785?s=20

Oh.

Reminiscent of the time Bo Jackson carried Brian Bosworth into the end zone. Don't think Boz even slowed him down...

[Jockey]

And in fairness to the guys you mentioned, they ended up in bad spots and situations. 

I think Lawrence is the surest thing since Peyton Manning but if he ended up with the status quo Jets, it would be quite the feat to turn that mess around

In his rookie year, Manning threw a league-worst 28 interceptions and led his team to a 3-13 record.

But I think the pick worked out OK.

[MU82]

Saints unhappy with New Orleans, so they're going to take their ball to Baton Rouge

Maybe they should go to Gainesville.

[Dish]

In my opinion, I don't think the dropoff is far from Trevor Lawrence to Justin Fields. Part of me thinks Fields ceiling might be higher and he hasn't hit it yet. If I were an NFL GM, I'd be happy with either.

[Pakuni]

In my opinion, I don't think the dropoff is far from Trevor Lawrence to Justin Fields. Part of me thinks Fields ceiling might be higher and he hasn't hit it yet. If I were an NFL GM, I'd be happy with either.

Counterpoint: Justin Fields couldn't take playing time from Jake Fromm.

[The Sultan]

Just because Kirby made a poor decision...

And I say that with understanding WHY he made that decision at the time.  But in retrospect, it wasn't the correct one.

[JWags85]

In my opinion, I don't think the dropoff is far from Trevor Lawrence to Justin Fields. Part of me thinks Fields ceiling might be higher and he hasn't hit it yet. If I were an NFL GM, I'd be happy with either.

Fields needs to improve his decision making. He made some really stupid throws last year. He has a bit of Terrelle Pryor in him being just a freakish athlete and being able to overcome some stuff as a result of that. But I do agree that he projects very well if he lands in a good spot

[GooooMarquette]

Falcons shutting down facility after 1 new positive COVID-19 test

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-falcons-shutting-down-facility-after-multiple-positive-covid-19-tests-124712638.html

[Hards Alumni]

Falcons shutting down facility after 1 new positive COVID-19 test

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-falcons-shutting-down-facility-after-multiple-positive-covid-19-tests-124712638.html

Looking at the body of their work, they should probably just shut down for the rest of the season.

[MU82]

Looking at the body of their work, they should probably just shut down for the rest of the season.

Wait ... you mean they haven't shut down their season already?

[The Sultan]

Can you shut down something that never really started in the first place?

[MU82]

Fair point. I sit corrected.

[Pakuni]

RIP Fred Dean.
Died after going to the hospital for COVID.

[MU82]

Vaughn McClure, who covered the Bears for the Tribune when I was in Chicago and most recently has been the Falcons reporter for ESPN, died at age 48. No cause was given.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30122237/vaughn-mcclure-espn-atlanta-falcons-reporter-dies-48

Vaughn was a very good reporter and a great guy.

He is the third journalist I knew well to die in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Bill Rood, who hired me as a columnist with Copley and later became a Tribune executive, died at age 78 on Sept. 30; and former AP hockey writer Ken Rappoport, who probably was the nicest person I've ever met in journalism, died earlier this week at 85.

Man, 2020 sucks.

Interesting side note ...

Bill Rood probably is best known for writing a detailed defense of John Kerry after Kerry had been "swift-boated" during the 2004 election run-up.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-0408220342aug22-story.html

There were three swift boats on the river that day in Vietnam more than 35 years ago--three officers and 15 crew members. Only two of those officers remain to talk about what happened on February 28, 1969.

One is John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate who won a Silver Star for what happened on that date. I am the other.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Absolute fucking gift of a touchdown. Brutal.

[MU82]

Absolute unnatural carnal knowledgeing gift of a touchdown. Brutal.

Refs have been terrible in this game. Horrible interference call on each team, and an awful roughing the passer call. Need to drug-test the refs!!