Khyber53

The only thing that matters is wins, right? This ain't fantasy football. And yeah, losing record. But playoff berth, backed in but still there. And more wins than we've had in a long while. It ain't all roses, but don't act like its all horseshit.

Says the guy who has harped on the same thing for nearly a decade.

Man, my journey has been he was a poor choice in the beginning, that he has struggled and that now we're stuck in a situation where a few good games might either be just luck or that he's actually better than advertised but stuck in some really timid playcalling. And I've said this time and time again, his ceiling is probably as a quality back-up QB. Still, for all that Darnold sucks, stuff, the guy will be on his couch watching games not because his team is out of the playoffs, but because he's led a team to first place in the conference and earned a bye. And the year before, he took a Vikings team to the playoffs after their season seemed over at the very beginning. Maybe he doesn't suck, at least anymore. With Bryce, there's a good chance of either buyer's or seller's remorse. A poor pick from the beginning, matched up with bad coaching and a poorly built team behind him. He's a nice kid, good head on his shoulders and full of heart, but he might not have the force of will and stature to make it as a starting QB. Still, he gets however many games coming up that he can earn for this season. Maybe one and done, at least that's what the odd makers will say.

Yeah, Bryce didn't lose the game for us on Saturday. Now, he's got a chance to win one, maybe more. Just remember, whatever happens, we are far from a complete project yet. We're better than we've been in a long time, but there's a lot of work to be done. Winning will require us to catch an opponent sleeping (not likely) or limping into the playoffs.

Dude posts like he's been listening to a lot of call in talk radio and hitting Urban Dictionary to sound hep around his kids when they stop by on the weekend. Roll back on the testosterone supplements, manscaping commercials and manosphere subscriptions. Go back to rattling your jewelry instead, it was so much less annoying.

Well, he gets another shot at it. See, here's the thing. The same people that said Baker sucked, that Darnold sucked, the even Bridgewater sucked... they're the same ones saying Bryce sucks. And yeah, while I see a litany of deficiencies, I also see that the naysayers have been terribly wrong in the past.

But for us, that's a major improvement. Whether we like it or not, right now we have a young QB that hasn't really proved he can be a major force in the league, just given us some very tantalizing scraps here and there. The kid has moxy, but sometimes gets caught up in small ball rather than taking over the game. And that won't get us very far, until it does, somehow, like it has this season. The biggest, most contentious and maddening thing is that you look at Bryce, then look at how Darnold and Mayfield, heck, even Mac Jones did after getting out of cesspool coaching situations and then wound up spending a season with San Francisco or the Rams and suddenly they become world beaters after spending some time with a good HC, QB coach, OC and a top end QB ahead of them. Now, if we could make a swap trade to San Fran for Mac Jones (who looks a thousand miles better than he did with the Pats and Jags) for a season, sending Bryce there for a tune up, we might do well. But we'd need a HC and play caller (two different positions) to make it work. Otherwise we'd be tuning up a car and then giving it to our grandma to drive. Never heard of two teams doing that, but considering it will be a while before we have the NFCWest as opponents again...

Yes, but why spend time listening to the same harpies wringing their hands and woe is meing before we have to. I know you live for it, but really, just take a break for a few hours and breathe.

Let's save the postmortem until after the Falcons have either made us or sank us. After our games are done, that's when we should dissect and disassemble.

We're better than we were, but there's a lot of work to be done. There's some building up ahead, some tearing down, too.

I think it's the kind of thing you line your trade partner up, in informal channels, and invoke it if they want you to. Let them decide if it is a benefit or a hindrance.

Didn't work the last time either. Next time sub sandwiches.

Pick it up and his trade value goes up, especially if he makes a run into the playoffs. There's enough mystery there as to has the coaching been holding him back or has it been his physical portion. There's going to be a coach or GM out there that's going to look at Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, look at the Panthers organization, and think Bryce might be worth a flyer if there's a two year inexpensive tryout period. Maybe the Vikings, Dolphins or even Pittsburgh. Might even be a hail Mary attempt from Phoenix. And maybe we do it and stick with him after a really strong showing in the playoffs, if we get there. The biggest problem is that Bryce has had some pretty good performances, just enough to make a front office wonder, but we've also had some really dud coaching games, too. So is Bryce the problem or is it our coaching and game planning. Hell, we don't even know, so other teams probably are looking at it and seeing that while the odds aren't good, there's a heck of a payoff if they are right.

Going with a somewhat nautical theme here, feasting on the foes: Homemade fish sandwiches and British style chips and malt vinegar. Let's sink that ship and send their season to Davy Jones' Locker.

We're going to win this because the NFCSouth needs some shaking up. It's time.

This ^. I think that this team has been coached up about all it can be for the talent level it has. We have a handful of really good players, maybe a couple that are bonafide star potential, and a lot of folks we took because either we drafted them or they were willing to come here. I think if we want to see Canales really turn this thing around, we have to look at this season (no matter what happens) as a proof of concept work. And part of that concept might very well be that Bryce is going to make one heck of a back-up QB, that we need real work on the LB corps and that our DB situation is much better than anyone thought. But yeah, this team shows more capability than they have in many recent years, but the talent just isn't there to excel.

Yeah, this isn't the position of need to go with the paycheck that he will want. Also, he hasn't been good enough for a struggling Cowboys team to hold onto him, whether he wants out or not. There's a reason they didn't try to hold onto him until the offseason and trade for something, dollars be damned.

Nope. I'd rather have Horn. I like players who try on every play and let their actions speak more for them than a really cool, but rarely used sack dance.

If you can't get some playing time on a team with this many injuries and this many weak spots, then you're just not getting something. Maybe he can't learn the playbook, maybe he isn't catching on well with teammates, maybe he's just working through too many nagging but no debilitating injuries. Maybe he's a meathead that can hit someone right in front of him, but can't actually be part of a system. Who knows? I do know, though, that at this last moment of the regular season, if you aren't getting used, then it's because they have little use for you. They used to keep guys like this as a wedge buster for kick offs....

Wish we had Sam Darnold in his prime. Both he and Baker just kinda write the litanies of who we were/are vs what can be done out there with the same materials.

This ^. O-line lost battles all day. Could not generate a ground game. QB was fairly accurate when he could throw but almost all throws were behind the line or short, either due to play calls or receivers just not getting open. The Seahawks were completely better than us on the day. Offense, defense and special teams. I've got to say they are a very complete team and they're going to be monsters in the playoffs.

Nah.

We're going to learn a lot about Bryce over the next couple, and hopefully more, games. He's as much in control of his destiny as the team itself is. Everything from here on out is the fourth quarter of the game for him. Everything is a game winning drive potential. If he makes it, there's going to be a lot in store for him. If he doesn't, then we and he are all waiting for the offseason to hear the other shoe drop.

It's going to be a good one. Hoping we take the win. It'll be close, I'm thinking, though.

Usually I'm the first guy to say never trade for someone else's problems... But if he were out there, I'd trade for him in a heart beat. Players, draft picks... yeah. Instant return on investment.