The 2013 NFL Playoffs? PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS??? Morathread

[CountDeMoney]

You won't believe Baltimore talk radio, though.  Negative vibes about Flacco STILL.  You'd think this team went straight from Johnny Unitas to Joe, and have forgotten everybody in between that couldn't get a first down to save their lives since Bert Jones. 

I'd believe that.  There's folks out there for whom Flacco could be the greatest ever, and it wouldn't matter because he's white.  Plus he stole Troy Smith's job.  Never mind that Troy Smith wasn't a good NFL player, while Flacco has led the team to glory.  He's a cracker.

Nah, it's really not that;  it's almost as if he's not rah-rah enough, like he needs to do a Ray Ray Chicken Dance after every first down.  They bitch about his demeanor in the huddle, on the sidelines, as if he's not "passionate" enough.

You'd think a city used to years of Cal Ripken Jr. would know the difference between Vinny Testaverde-eyeballs-frozen-over-with-catatonia-by-the-2nd-quarter-with-the-1,000-yard-interception-stare aloofness, and leading by example with quiet confidence.

I hope they pay him as the franchise QB that he is.  His stats and records speak for themselves.

[Valmy]

That was sudden, chip Kelly is new eagles coach.  Per twitter.

Huh.  Poor guy.  The Philly rebuild is going to be at least as hard as Arizona or Jacksonville, but it's compounded by having to do it in the NFC Least, where one loss means that everyone in your city turns on you.

Rumor has it he got personnel control as well.  Sounds like a trainwreck to me...and since it is Philly I hope I am right.

[CountDeMoney]

I was sorta hoping Billick would get the Philly job;  he's got the demeanor to handle that team, the media and that town.

[Neil]

I was sorta hoping Billick would get the Philly job;  he's got the demeanor to handle that team, the media and that town.

Yeah, but I figured he was a longshot at best.

[derspiess]

Nah, it's really not that;  it's almost as if he's not rah-rah enough, like he needs to do a Ray Ray Chicken Dance after every first down.  They bitch about his demeanor in the huddle, on the sidelines, as if he's not "passionate" enough.

You'd think a city used to years of Cal Ripken Jr. would know the difference between Vinny Testaverde-eyeballs-frozen-over-with-catatonia-by-the-2nd-quarter-with-the-1,000-yard-interception-stare aloofness, and leading by example with quiet confidence.

I hope they pay him as the franchise QB that he is.  His stats and records speak for themselves.

So would it take a Super Bowl win to shut them up?

[CountDeMoney]

So would it take a Super Bowl win to shut them up?

Probably depends on if he throws a pick 6 or not.   

[Valmy]

So would it take a Super Bowl win to shut them up?

Only if he did a victory dance afterwards.

[Neil]

You won't believe Baltimore talk radio, though.  Negative vibes about Flacco STILL.  You'd think this team went straight from Johnny Unitas to Joe, and have forgotten everybody in between that couldn't get a first down to save their lives since Bert Jones. 

I'd believe that.  There's folks out there for whom Flacco could be the greatest ever, and it wouldn't matter because he's white.  Plus he stole Troy Smith's job.  Never mind that Troy Smith wasn't a good NFL player, while Flacco has led the team to glory.  He's a cracker.

Nah, it's really not that;  it's almost as if he's not rah-rah enough, like he needs to do a Ray Ray Chicken Dance after every first down.  They bitch about his demeanor in the huddle, on the sidelines, as if he's not "passionate" enough.

You'd think a city used to years of Cal Ripken Jr. would know the difference between Vinny Testaverde-eyeballs-frozen-over-with-catatonia-by-the-2nd-quarter-with-the-1,000-yard-interception-stare aloofness, and leading by example with quiet confidence.

I hope they pay him as the franchise QB that he is.  His stats and records speak for themselves.

I don't see how they couldn't.  Either he gets a long term deal worth over a hundred million dollars, he gets the tag (which would absolutely blow up the team's salary cap for next year) or he ends up playing somewhere else.  The Ravens are too smart to let the third happen, because they know what it's like to try to win with horseshit at the QB position.

Yeah, I don't see how anyone who has been watching Flacco for the last two years can mistake what he's got for aloofness.  Didn't they see him pumping that arm when Torrey caught that pass in Pittsburgh last year?  Watch him on the sidelines and you'll see.  Just because he's sitting on the bench doesn't mean he doesn't care.  Look at Ray last week.

I dunno, I get the feeling that with some people it's more.  Like Mike Preston at the Sun.

[CountDeMoney]

I dunno, I get the feeling that with some people it's more.  Like Mike Preston at the Sun.

Preston's a frustrated offensive lineman that could never make it to the big time. To him, a pure pocket passer that waits until the last minute to take the last best shot with the ball makes the OL look bad when the pocket gets caved in, so it's better to have wheels.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't see how they couldn't.  Either he gets a long term deal worth over a hundred million dollars, he gets the tag (which would absolutely blow up the team's salary cap for next year) or he ends up playing somewhere else.  The Ravens are too smart to let the third happen, because they know what it's like to try to win with horseshit at the QB position.

Well, Ray Ray will have some cap savings when he's gone, and I really don't think Ed Reed will be in Baltimore next year;  either they win a ring and he retires, or they let him go and he plays out his last year of his contract elsewhere.  And what he's due to be paid next season, I could see him in a Redskins or some other uniform next year.  He wants that ring above anything else.

[sbr]

That was sudden, chip Kelly is new eagles coach.  Per twitter.

Huh.  Poor guy.  The Philly rebuild is going to be at least as hard as Arizona or Jacksonville, but it's compounded by having to do it in the NFC Least, where one loss means that everyone in your city turns on you.

The little bit I saw of Foles makes me think the Eagles are better off than the Cardinals and Jaguars, not that that is saying much.  The only question is, is Fole mobile enough for Kelly?  I think Kelly i ssmart enough to build a system around his players, but after seeing how much success Griffen III, Wilson, Newton have had running the spread option in the NFL Kelly may look for something similiar.  Hopefully he doesn't buy into the fool's gold that is Mike Vick.

[CountDeMoney]

From what I remember watching Foles at Arizona, he seemed quite mobile.  Guess you develop that when it comes to running for your life.

[sbr]

That was sudden, chip Kelly is new eagles coach.  Per twitter.

Huh.  Poor guy.  The Philly rebuild is going to be at least as hard as Arizona or Jacksonville, but it's compounded by having to do it in the NFC Least, where one loss means that everyone in your city turns on you.

Rumor has it he got personnel control as well.  Sounds like a trainwreck to me...and since it is Philly I hope I am right.

That would be crazy if true.  I am a big fan of Kelly as a coach, but with no NFL experience at all that is a reach.  He has only been a head coach in one place at Oregon, before that a couple of years as OC at Oregon and before that he was OC at New Hampshire for goodness sake.

[sbr]

From what I remember watching Foles at Arizona, he seemed quite mobile.  Guess you develop that when it comes to running for your life.

Yeah that is what I was thinking.  He is mobile for a "pocket passer", I don't see him running any sort of spread option at the pro level though.

[Neil]

I don't see how they couldn't.  Either he gets a long term deal worth over a hundred million dollars, he gets the tag (which would absolutely blow up the team's salary cap for next year) or he ends up playing somewhere else.  The Ravens are too smart to let the third happen, because they know what it's like to try to win with horseshit at the QB position.

Well, Ray Ray will have some cap savings when he's gone, and I really don't think Ed Reed will be in Baltimore next year;  either they win a ring and he retires, or they let him go and he plays out his last year of his contract elsewhere.  And what he's due to be paid next season, I could see him in a Redskins or some other uniform next year.  He wants that ring above anything else.

I think Reed is a free agent this offseason, so unless he's willing to take a home team discount, this is his last year as a Raven.  He could almost certainly get a more money on the free agent market from somebody trying to make a desperate push, but if the Ravens win it all this year, I agree that he's retiring (and maybe even if they don't...).  Cary Williams is going to be gone.  Paul Kruger is going to be gone, because no way is Baltimore going to pay him Suggs-like money.  Jacoby Jones has a big roster bonus coming his way, so his contract might be in danger.  Ellerbe will stay and so will Flacco, but this is going to be a brutal offseason.  Not as brutal as it will be for the Steelers though.