BrianS

I'm not a Deonte Brown fan. I'm a fan of finding out in the midst of a year we were supposed to be rebuilding whether or not the guys we drafted are going to be able to help us. Both BC and Deonte fall in this category for me. They both needed far more playing time.

It only makes sense. There are still three teams who could finish at 13-4, potentially going down to tiebreakers as the first seed. Likewise, seeding is still up for grabs among four teams that could finish 12-5 potentially as seeds 2-5. NFC Playoff picture is fairly clear as to who the participants are, but seeding is still very much a question. Good. That's what we want. I don't want to win a meaningless game.

Let's get this out of the way first. It's not a narrative that Shaq has been underperforming the contract he was given. It's a fact. He was paid like Bobby Wagner. He's been "solid", yes, but not spectacular. Shaq has nearly played up to his contract this year, and a better team might have led him to be even more effective. Glad to see it. Now, what has never been in doubt (that I've heard) is his mental fortitude. He's right. If you don't get pissed off at losing, we don't need you. That sounds an awful lot like Cam. Good. We need that attitude.

Isn't this the sort of passing chart that made us think Teddy was the problem? Why doesn't this apply to Sam who has completed far fewer throws and committed far more turnovers?

Joe Burrow has been sacked 51 times this year. His team however is 10-6, and won their division. Burrow has thrown 34 TD's against 14 INT's and over 4000 yards passing while completing 70% of his throws.

In other news, Steve Smith too short to be an NFL receiver in the Rhule playbook.

Heaven forbid we have two serviceable tackles, that doesn't fit the Rhule narrative.

Protection is talked about far too much by the Darnold apologists. Let me lay some stats on ya. Here are the current sacks surrendered numbers for the league: Yep, there we are 4th from bottom. Our line is terrible. However, Cincy is WORSE. And yet . . . There's Joe Burrow, top five in passing yards and completion percentage. #6 in TD's. Oh, his team is 10-6 and have their division wrapped up. Ryan Tannehill with Tennessee is struggling this year, not a great line. Lots of sacks. Yet that team is 11-5, in the playoffs, and scoring 24 per game. I definitely agree, it's much easier when you have a good line. By the same token, a good QB and scheme can do things even with a bad line.

Was the TD drive the scripted one? I think it was. We should just script the entire game. What's the worst that can happen? We score 10 points? Just so someone says it: We lost the second half, AGAIN.

This is what I've been saying. It's possible that Sam was salvageable, but not by putting him into the exact same situation that made him bad.

It was not my opinion prior to that draft, but bottom line is the Joe Burrow is the real (*&@$ing deal. Then they said "Oh, here, have Ja'marr Chase". Cincy is a good team. Their line isn't wonderful, but Burrow makes fast decisions that make them look better than they are.

I'd have to dig for the clip, but this is the guy that Rhule told us earlier in the year was "one of the toughest guys on our team". Thomas Davis and Steve Smith would have run both these OI*&@ers out of the locker room weeks ago.

Don't think Trask will play. Bucs will still need to win to improve their conference record for tiebreaking reasons. Currently have three NFC division leaders at 11-4. Which honestly, is good for us. I would rather see us get Brady'ed again at this point just to drive another nail in the Rhule coffin. But is there anything more terrifying that Kyle Trask learning for two years from Bruce Arians and Tom Brady? In our division? Makes me sick to think about. I don't know if Trask will be good, but the kid had tools and didn't make Darnold level goofball decisions. He landed in the best possible spot, for sure. (I really wanted us to draft him, before I knew Rhule couldn't develop players)

Oh, 100%. Had Cam not been injured, I suspect that he'd have a ring by now and Rivera would still be our coach.

As much as I like Cam, he is nowhere near HoF quality. Ever adding his rushing yards to his passing yards, he's in the company (yards wise) of Dave Krieg, Boomer Esiason, Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck. Add his rushing TD's to his passing TD's and you get . . . Dave Krieg, Vinny Testaverde and Russell Wilson. Those aren't the right numbers. He didn't win the SB. The one glimmer of hope we have for him is that he did win an MVP. It's rare, but not unheard of, for a former league MVP to not end up there.

The entire problem with the seven year plan for "players getting better every day" is that by the time they are actually good seven years later they're ready to retire.

Don't forget, we also allowed Chris Reed to walk. He's now with the Colts on like 1 million. He was pretty serviceable last year.

And this class is why you never, EVER give your HC full control. With separate duties, as a normal franchise has, if the coach isn't getting the talent he wants he goes to the owner and says "The GM is crap". If the coach isn't getting the most out of the players, the GM goes to the owner and says "The coach is crap". It's really very simple, balanced and functional in a well run franchise.

This.

If Coach Hoodie wins it all this year, it will put the ultimate stamp on this line of thinking. Even if takes him a couple years. They're 9-5 with a rookie QB for heaven's sake. Not Trevor. Not Trey. Not Zack. Not even Justin. The fifth best QB in the draft. I don't like him, but you have no choice but to respect him.

This is something I'm sure that the few remaining Rhule apologists haven't even considered. The playoffs are an entirely different level of NFL football. Maybe Rhule finally becomes an average NFL coach. MAYBE. In a few years. In the playoffs, you're coaching against Belichick, Reid, Harbaugh, Payton, etc. The best of the best. Does that sound like something Matt Rhule is capable of in the next five years? I daresay it's not. Speaking only for myself, I don't want to wait five plus years for our coach to be capable of winning a playoff game. Free agents won't want to wait five years. I do not understand how anyone thinks this is ok. Successful coaches turn an NFL team around in two years. That's the thing about the NFL. Andy Reid took the Chiefs to the playoffs with ALEX FREAKING SMITH at QB. He was 11-5 in his FIRST SEASON there. With the Eagles, in his first NFL HC job, he took a 3-13 and made them 5-11. The next year they were 11-5 and in the playoffs. This is what good coaches are capable of.

Never underestimate the pride of someone who has been wildly successful. It makes you believe you are "smarter" than you really are. When you have success you spend a good amount of time with people telling you how smart and great you are. It's pretty rare that a successful person is wise enough to understand that their success in one area doesn't guarantee their success or knowledge in another.

Assuming the interest is mutual, the Jacksonville Jaguars are making better decisions about their staff than the Carolina Panthers. And they hired and fired Urban Meyer. Think about that.

If I'm an NFL assistant coach, what on earth could possibly persuade me to join a staff where the HC didn't really want me and who is likely to be fired in a year anyway? No. Just . . . no.

Under Rhule, our offense is fine . . . until teams get tape on us. Teddy, Sam, Cam; doesn't matter. As soon as opponents have seen all 10 of our plays, our pass game goes in the toilet.