State of the NFL

[trueblade]

I've been an NFL fan most of my life, and I'm a lot closer to 50 than I'd like to admit. I was always a casual fan until I got a 'home team'. One representing my home stat of South Carolina (and North Carolina as well - Two States. One Team.)  

Last night's game was a ton of fun. I had a great time.

The game is going to go through cycles as people adapt to the meta. Right now, the meta seems to be favoring spread offense and passing a disproportionate amount of the time. Maybe some team comes along and figures they counter the meta with ground and pound. Whatever is successful will get copied until it becomes the new meta and then someone will come up with a counter and round and round we go.

[AviationMX]

Same could said about MLB, players are paid for the long ball. Averages are secondary and few teams play station to station anymore.  The NHL has less fights, but I'm OK with that.

To the OP's point-Maybe the passing game is why Horn was picked as opposed to another player.

[jayflip]

Lol this thread is old man yells at cloud through and through. 
 

The NFL is cyclical and teams also scheme for strength / weakness. 
 

Dallas was right to not even test the Buccs amazing runstopping D. You’re just used to Fox and Riverboat not game planning for specific opponent trends. 
 

Likewise, TB was wise to exploit Dallas’s shitty secondary. You’re just used to Fox and Riverboat not game planning for specific opponent trends.

[PNW_PantherMan]

How is the NFL cyclical?  It's been changing ever since the 50's or whatever.

[kungfoodude]

Not sure I would take last night's game and make it more than what it was. The league has shifted over the past decade to more of a passing driven league but those things are also a little cyclical too. 

You operate within the rules the league has and make the best of it. Don't overthink it.

[WUnderhill]

There is a certain degree of tension that is lost when you just kind of expect that the offense is going to move down the field and score on most possessions. This isn’t every game or every offense, obviously, but it’s enough. Now, if the Panthers offense were that good, I’d be all for it.

[Mr. Scot]

26 minutes ago, Tbe said:

Watching RBs run into a brick wall to pick up 1-2 yards isn’t fun.

It is when it's 3rd and 1.

[hepcat]

There are other reasons I'm losing interest in the NFL than just strictly how much passing teams are doing now.

1) The games take way too long and the commercial breaks seem to get longer and louder. Actual NFL gameplay is only like 11 minutes total. Compared to MLS which I am getting more and more into, it's a crazy difference. MLS games have commercials only at halftime and it's constant action for 90+ minutes.

2) Accessibility to watch games out-of-market is stupidly cumbersome and expensive. NFL Sunday Ticket is not easy to sign up for unless you have full DirectTV. The NFL basically begs you to stream the games illegally. 

3) The safety rules are getting over the top. These ticky tack unnecessary roughness penalties are getting ridiculous. I wanna see guys wreck an unprotected QB again. Holding calls seem to be on the way down though which helps scoring.

4) The NFL finds itself on a precise to either go full NBA social progressive or try to continue pandering to the military/right wing vibes of the past. Colin Kaepernick really did a number on the NFL and owners punished him for it. The NFL fanbase is definitely smaller than it was a few years ago

5) The Panthers have sucked ass since Tepper bought the team.

[SCO96]

I feel the salary cap biased toward QB's has had a lot to do with my decreased interest. I believe the QB position should be the highest paid position in general. But, a QB's success is very dependent on the team surrounding him.

1) A poor offensive line will get even the best QB killed

2) Crappy receiving options limits a QB's effectiveness

3) A poor running game results in too many attempts which increases the risk of sacks/QB hits and INT'S.

4) A poor defense will almost always catch up to even the best offenses in the postseason. Dak Prescott balled last night. He'll probably throw for 35-40 TD's and 5,000 yards this year...and the Cowboys will struggle to make the playoffs because that defense doesn't make stops when it matters.

Yet, QB's are almost making twice as much on average from any other position in the NFL. You can't afford to have a solid playmaker at each level of the defense like you could back in the day once your QB gets past his rookie deal. 

The NFL seems to aiming for a league where every team has a high priced QB to sling the ball game in and game out; and have him face defenses with almost no chance of holding him below 25-28 points per game.

 

[Mr. Scot]

26 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I don't think the defenses are worse, I just think they're significantly handicapped by today's rules vs. the rules of years past.

 I'd have to agree.

Heaven knows you have phenomenal athletes in the mold of Julius Peppers playing defense these days.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Mr. Scot

[LinvilleGorge]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

 I'd have to agree.

Heaven knows you have phenomenal athletes in the mold of Julius Peppers playing defense these days.

Think about what a guy like Patrick Peterson could've done at CB back in the 70s and 80s when DBs could maul WRs. You basically have a small LB who moves like a CB and he can just manhandle the poo out of your WRs. Good luck with that.

[davos]

Zeke is an extremely boring RB and overrated. I feel like I watch him run into brick wall after brick wall then he'll bust out a 20-30 yarder every once and a while.  Then with the volume, he looks like he does well but he's like the Matt Stafford of RBs. All volume, no proof of success with him.

[jayflip]

14 minutes ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

How is the NFL cyclical?  It's been changing ever since the 50's or whatever.

Like anything that progresses, it has been moving and evolving but there’s always a buckle back as teams evolve. Not too long ago teams were stacking their D with big strong dudes to counter smash mouth, then O’s were like fug it let’s get smaller and fast, then D’s we’re like we will also get smaller and faster, then O’s were like fug it let’s get hawgmollies!

 

Also time is a flat circle  

 

[exactlyzack]

I don’t think last nights game is the best example. Tampa Bays defensive line has been extremely good at defending the run the last few years, and let’s be honest, Dallas’ offensive line isn’t the same as it used to be. Tampa also doesn’t have a consistent runner they can rely on.