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Lazuli  1d ago (text post)   261 thread views

Weekly NFL Thread: Week 9

Let's chat about the National Football League: This week's schedule (all times Eastern):

Thu 2024-10-31 8:15PM Houston Texans @ New York Jets
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland Browns
Sun 2024-11-03 1:00PM Washington Commanders @ New York Giants
Sun 2024-11-03 4:05PM Chicago Bears @ Arizona Cardinals
Sun 2024-11-03 4:05PM Jacksonville Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sun 2024-11-03 4:25PM Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Sun 2024-11-03 4:25PM Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks
Sun 2024-11-03 8:20PM Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota Vikings
Mon 2024-11-04 8:15PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs
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Winston will go nowhere with the Browns because they're benefiting from what I call the New QB Effect. Every year, at least one quarterback who had been previously written off as a backup will play in a game or two where he puts up good numbers and surprises everyone. Then he eventually comes back down to earth and people remember why this guy isn't starting. The reason for this is simple: Any QB worth his salt will do well if the opponent doesn't have any tape on him. Once the guy plays a few games, opponents can figure out his tendencies and prepare for them. This is exactly what happened to Mike White with the Jets 2 years ago and to Mason Rudolph with the Steelers last year. It's why the first few weeks of the season are a crapshoot (since the preseason is all backups and coaches don't want to give away their gameplans it's pretty much useless as a study aid). So while I'm glad to see the nonthreatening Browns deliver Ravens loss that helps the Steelers in the standings, I'm not too worried that the Browns will be good enough to beat us when we play them. We'll have three weeks of tape by then, which is coincidentally around the amount it takes to figure a guy out.

Flacco went 4-1 with most of this same Browns team last year. Merely competent QB play could deliver a winning record, though probably not enough to reach the playoffs.

Flacco went 4-1

Anthony Richardson could learn a thing or two.

Joe Flacco left the Ravens after 11 seasons, traded because a rookie named Lamar Jackson upstaged him while he was injured. He started another year and became a backup after failing a physical and having surgery at age 35. the Bucs dumped Jameis Winston at age 25 in favor of a 43-year-old Tom Brady, because the former threw too many picks. Winston would never be a regular starter again. People forget that the guy's only 30, because he feels like a has been. Flacco was able to give adequate QB play because being adequate is what he did all his life. Winston is athletic but turnover-prone. He's also similar stylistically to Watson, and a big part of the problem is that Cleveland runs more of a Joe Flacco type offense than a DeShaun Watson type offense. Watson's best years were running a spread offense where he threw a lot and was able to scramble if necessary. Cleveland runs heavy sets and wants to run the ball a lot. I don't know why they thought he'd be a good fit.

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