2024-25 NFL Thread

[wadesworld]

I really don't think the idea that NFL QBs sitting for a few years is a good thing for their development is necessarily true, especially now.  It's all situational.

Is Patrick Mahomes good because he got to watch Alex Smith for a year?  Or is he just good because he's Patrick Mahomes?  In my mind, he'd be good even if he was thrown to the wolves right away, even if it was for the Chicago Bears.

Lamar Jackson started year one.  He's developed just fine.  Joe Burrow started year one and has developed just fine.  Josh Allen started year one and has developed just fine.  Justin Herbert.  Dak Prescott.  Matthew Stafford.  Jalen Hurts.  We don't know how CJ Stroud will develop, but starting year one certainly didn't seem to kill him.  I think Trevor Lawrence will end up being a very good NFL QB for a long time despite starting from day one.  Brock Purdy.  Tua.  Goff sat for the first half of his rookie year and then started.

Honestly if you look at the top 15 QBs in the NFL, the only ones who weren't starting by half way through their rookie year were Rodgers, Mahomes, and Love.  I don't think Mahomes needed the year to develop at all, they just had a good QB on the roster.  Rodgers probably needed a year, and Love certainly benefited from sitting a couple of years.  But those are much more the exception than the rule.

[Pakuni]

Rough couple of days for the Vikings.

[cheebs09]

Bad news probably forthcoming on Jordan Addison's knee. Not a great day for the Vikings.

Looks like a non- serious ankle in the update i saw.

[tower912]

Good for him and the Vikings.

[The Sultan]

Caleb Williams already looks better as a passer than Fields ever did.

[JWags85]

Caleb Williams already looks better as a passer than Fields ever did.

It's still very early and Williams will make MANY mistakes.  But that throw to Odunze, no other Bears QB in the franchise history, including Fields, can make that throw.

[tower912]

But did he compete a behind the back pass like Mahomes?

[Lennys Tap]

Caleb Williams already looks better as a passer than Fields ever did.

Not a particularly high bar for the no doubt about it #1 pick of the draft.

[MU82]

It's still very early and Williams will make MANY mistakes.  But that throw to Odunze, no other Bears QB in the franchise history, including Fields, can make that throw.

Cannot believe you would disparage Moses Moreno and Jonathan Quinn like that!

[Pakuni]

It's still very early and Williams will make MANY mistakes.  But that throw to Odunze, no other Bears QB in the franchise history, including Fields, can make that throw.

Cutler could make any throw.

[wadesworld]

Fields stunk. Welcome to the"having a competent QB" club Bears fans.

[Dish]

Mechanically speaking, when Caleb gets out of the pocket and then throws, it's very Aaron Rodgers like. Getting the shoulders squared up with a very slight side arm release while on the move.

[JWags85]

Cutler could make any throw.

I loved (and still love) Cutler, but disagree with him making that throw.  He could make any throw in terms of arm strength and had the ability to make throws into windows that only a handful of QBs in the league at the time could (execution is obviously another story).  But Cutler wasn't throwing a 45 yard pass across his body moving to his left with touch to drop past the DB in good coverage.

If Odunze was wide open, then I probably agree.  But not all the other variables AND a WR in decent coverage like that.

Cannot believe you would disparage Moses Moreno and Jonathan Quinn like that!

Please, I had to think long and hard about that statement before accepting that, despite his profound ability and accomplishments...that throw may have been just a bit beyond the ability of Henry Burris

[Pakuni]

I loved (and still love) Cutler, but disagree with him making that throw.  He could make any throw in terms of arm strength and had the ability to make throws into windows that only a handful of QBs in the league at the time could (execution is obviously another story).  But Cutler wasn't throwing a 45 yard pass across his body moving to his left with touch to drop past the DB in good coverage.

See the throw at about the 55 second mark.

https://youtu.be/gSqF8Qhpiqk?si=uPqy3e3Ouaaeb3Ry

[HutchwasClutch]

Fields stunk. Welcome to the"having a competent QB" club Bears fans.

Bears fans will not be able to contain their excitement.  Hyperbolic statements will be the norm, so get ready. 

[MU82]

See the throw at about the 55 second mark.

https://youtu.be/gSqF8Qhpiqk?si=uPqy3e3Ouaaeb3Ry

Unlike Wags, I don't "love" Cutler - though maybe I should for handing the Panthers a win about 10 years ago - but I agree that was a hell of a throw.

[HutchwasClutch]

I loved (and still love) Cutler

I think i can safely speak for all Packers fans, we loved Jay too. 

[The Sultan]

Cutler could make all the throws. The problem is that they often went incomplete or intercepted.

[HutchwasClutch]

Cutler could make all the throws. The problem is that they often went incomplete or intercepted.

Yes, ability to make any throw doesn't count when it's going to the opponent, but this is a Bears fans debate, so just have to go with it. 

[The Sultan]

I never thought the hype around Fields matched reality, but I have a feeling the hype around Williams will be well-placed when this season is over. We will see how it plays out.

[wadesworld]

I never thought the hype around Fields matched reality, but I have a feeling the hype around Williams will be well-placed when this season is over. We will see how it plays out.

Agreed. It was obvious from basically his OU days, but definitely day 1 at USC, that Williams is an NFL QB. It was obvious from day 1 in Chicago that Fields was an athlete and not a QB.

Big Cat said it right after Williams's first preseason performance. Watching Williams play QB makes him embarrassed he ever thought Mitchell or Fields were ever the guy. It's going to be weird for Bears fans to see good QB play on their side of the ball, and not just have to enjoy their opponent's QB play.

[Herman Cain]

Mahomes behind the back pass to Travis Kelce. #15 was ticked off and said 87 ran the wrong route so he had to make the pass that way...


https://www.nfl.com/news/patrick-mahomes-completes-behind-the-back-pass-to-travis-kelce-in-chiefs-preseason-game-vs-lions

[JWags85]

See the throw at about the 55 second mark.

https://youtu.be/gSqF8Qhpiqk?si=uPqy3e3Ouaaeb3Ry

Not trying to be stubbornly argumentative, but that's not the same throw at all.  He rolls the same way, but then sets and completely pivots his body to make a "normal" throw.  Hell of a play and throw, but very different than Williams making that throw and adjusting his body square mid movement/throw. 

[MU82]

Based on that throw, I think it's safe to say that Caleb Williams will be the greatest QB in NFL history.

Hey, I'm just bitter. Every time I hear his name, I'll think - "Instead of trading up for Bryce Young, why didn't the Panthers just wait a year and take Williams?"

[Lennys Tap]

I never thought the hype around Fields matched reality, but I have a feeling the hype around Williams will be well-placed when this season is over. We will see how it plays out.

What was the hype about Fields? QBs went 1, 2 and 3 in 2021. Fields was the 4th QB taken at #11. Trevor Lawrence (#1) has been better than Fields, Wilson (#2) and Lance (#3) have been much worse. Mac Jones #15 has (like Fields) been up and down but I give Fields a better shot at future success than him. All in all Fields has pretty much met what were mixed expectations.

Caleb Williams, OTOH, has been hyped ala Joe Burrow. #1 overall pick, nobody really close. The bar is much, much higher for him. If he lives up to the hype the Bears will be a playoff team with legit Super Bowl aspirations for the foreseeable future. Hope he does.