NFL 2021: Week Nine Lives

The Game Room
1

Another trade deadline, another big tub of nothing. With Derrick Henry’s injury and Houston’s rebuilding process, I thought we’d see some trades. Instead, the Titans bring Adrian Peterson out from the old folk’s home, D’onta Foreman from the “RB’s don’t recover from Achilles tears” home, and the Texans pay Deshaun Watson to stay at home. Boring.

Covid is back in the NFL news, as self-absorbed asshole Aaron Rodgers tests positive and will miss Sunday’s game against the Chiefs and possibly more. Rodgers, who told the media he was “immunized” and didn’t follow all the NFL protocols for players too stupid to get vaccinated, will have to quarantine for 10 days and may cost the Packers some money in fines. So we get to see the great Jordan Love. Whoop fucking eee.

In other news, Odell Beckham Jr has reverted to his prima donna self, only this time without the prima donna production that makes him tolerable to some teams. The Browns have excused him from practices as he throws his hissy fit.

Although it was covered in Week 7’s thread, Raiders WR Henry Ruggs has killed a person. Here’s hoping we never have to mention his name in the NFL again. Except maybe in a decade some asks “Did you know Henry Ruggs is still in prison?”

In happier news, the NFL has a Josh-Allen-off this weekend, as Bills QB Josh Allen will be chased around by Jaguar’s DE Josh Allen. To add to the oddity, both were the 7th pick of their draft class.

Finally, New York has decided we all need to pay attention to journeyman backup Mike White and his NFL second worst 4.1 intended air yards per throw. So … pay attention I guess.

Here’s your games this week:

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts (-10.5, 46.5)

SUNDAY

Early

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (-5.5, 43.5)
Denver Broncos @ Dallas Cowboys (-8)
New England Patriots @ Carolina Panthers (+2.5, 43.5)
Minnesota Vikings @ Baltimore Ravens (-5.5)
Cleveland Browns @ Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5, 46)
Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars (+14, 49)
Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins (-7, 46)
Las Vegas Raiders @ New York Giants (+2.5, 47.5)

Late

Los Angeles Chargers @ Philadelphia Eagles (+2.5, 51.5)
Green Bay Packers @ Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5, 55.5)
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers (+2.5, 47.5)

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Rams (-6.5, 53.5)

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Chicago Bears @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5, 40.5)

Whew, not a lot to like there. Thursday’s game is totally skippable, as are most of the early games on Sunday. The Browns/Bengals game is the best of the games. Two teams that should be better than thy are face off in a grudge match. It could be a fascinating defensive game to watch. The Bengals offense is pretty diverse, and the Browns can run you into submission. Seeing how these defense fare is definitely worth a look.

The late games could have been fantastic. But the Packers are missing their starting douchebag/QB, the Chargers have faultered recently, as have the Chiefs. I do think the Niners Cards could be a great watch though. All 3 games could go down to the last possession.

And I suggest sleeping through the Sunday and Monday night games. I suppose the Bears/Steelers has some old-fashioned smashmouth football allure, but neither team offers much excitement on offense.

So which is your favorite Josh Allen? How stupidly self-absorbed do you have to be to be unvaccinated and cost your team possibly two games? How many more yards can child-abuser Adrian Peterson run for? Let me hear from you.

2

The Bills are being reckless by running Josh Allen on so many running plays. You shouldn’t risk your franchise QB that way. Either that, or he himself is recklessly taking off running that way.

As for Rodgers, I still can’t understand why a guy wants to go to all that trouble to dodge the vaccine when it’s the easiest thing in the world to…you know, just get 2 injections. (well, 80 million other Americans baffle me similarly.)

3

Apparently Rogers used homeopathy (aka snake oil – no wait snake oil contains more than water). Rogers tried to get that approved and the NFL wisely said “nope” and deemed him unvaccinated.
Trouble is, has hasn’t been following the rules for unvaccinated players (mask-less press conferences, travelling separately, etc).
One would think/hope that Matt LF and GB powers that be knew, and still allowed violations.
As much as it hurts GB, the NFL should come down hard IMHO.

Brian

4

IIRC, Chiefs/Packers opened at KC -3. After KC’s less-than-stellar showing on MNF, it was down to KC -1/2. Then after the news about Rogers, it skyrocketed in favor of the Chiefs.

According to vegasinsider.com, it’s now KC -7, and the O/U is 48. Sporting News has it at KC -7.5, as does CBS Sports.

5

I know the Bears are pretty trash, but them giving almost a touchdown to the scuffling Steelers feels like a gambling opportunity. Anyone else surprised to see the Saints still favored by 5.5 after losing their QB? The defense is good, and Atlanta is bad, but that still seems like a spot to take the points.

6

I’m going to go out on a limb and predict the Lions are finally going to break their streak and not lose this week.

7

Usually, I’d say that’s a safe bet. But this being the Lions, I fear they will still find some way.

8

From what I’ve heard (HoF sports journalist John “The Professor” Clayton on the radio), OBJ has guaranteed money this year. So he’ll likely be paid for sitting on his couch the rest of this year. However, next year he is probably gone.

My prediction is that he ends up with the Houston Texans.

9

OBJ has been released and is on waivers.

10

If a team signs him off waivers, I think they still have to pay him his remaining salary, which is $8.05. He’s pretty untouchable at that price, but the Browns could choose to restructure his contract and pay him part of the salary as a signing bonus. That would lower the cost to a team making a waiver claim, and help the Browns escape the now obviously overspent contract by a chunk.

There are a lot of teams in need of a WR, my Packers included. I’m guessing he’ll end up where most veterans with troubling behavior do, with the Raiders. But the Saints could really use him too.

Personally, I think his time as a #1 WR are done and he carries too much risk to be worth is salary, but for a nice discount (say a mil or 2), he’s certainly worth a shot. If you can tolerate his drama queen personality that is.

11

And it just so happens that the Raiders have an opening at wide receiver…

12

Rodgers is going off the deep end. He was just on Pat McAfee’s show talking about getting advice from Joe Rogan and taking Ivermectin.

13

It’s because State Farm is giving his discount to everyone now. Look how the same thing has affected the play of Patrick Mahomes!

In other news, I do think that the Bengals are going to have a bunch of offensive output on Sunday. They’ve been on the road 3 of their last 4 games and it’s the battle of Ohio and these games have a tendency to be very wacky.

14

It’s weird that football prima donnas are almost always wide receivers or cornerbacks.

Someone had posted the theory that it’s because that job requires a supreme amount of self-confidence because you’re alone 1-on-1 on an “island” most of the time where it’s just the WR, the CB, and one football, and one guy will be the hero while the other will be toast. You can’t succeed without an excessive amount of “me, me me” attitude and I-can-do-it.

15

“I realize I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now,” Rodgers said. “So before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket…” Wow, he’s hitting all the buzzwords. I never realized he was that far gone.

from the article:
Rodgers placed blame on the media, saying reporters were “on a witch hunt” to identify which players were vaccinated. He also blamed reporters at the news conference where Rodgers said he was “immunized.” Rodgers said if any reporter asked a follow-up question, Rodgers would have explained he’s “not an anti-vax flat earther,” but that he’s a “critical thinker.”

Yup, it’s your fault for believing me. Chumps!

16

Don’t the teams require players that are addressing the media that aren’t vaccinated to wear masks? Why did the Packers let him get away with it?

17

Because he’s the Franchise. Good players always get away with it.

18

I am sure he feels vindicated now.

19

I wouldn’t want this guy anywhere near a team. He’s a liability not only off the field (as you’d expect) but on the field as well. It doesn’t matter how good he is physically, he’s a garbage receiver.

Beckham was visibly incensed not to get the ball at such a critical moment. And in the hours and days that followed, Mayfield was relentlessly panned. Why didn’t he throw it to Beckham? Especially when OBJ was wide open?

Except, Beckham had run the wrong route. Or, to put it another way, his own route.

“That’s why Baker looked confused,” as one team source put it. “That’s how it was all year, which was frustrating.”

Any WR who does that sucks. If he won’t run routes properly then you can’t throw to him, and if you can’t throw to him then he’s a liability. He might as well be paid by your opponents.

Now, maybe that was due to a conflict between OBJ and the Browns coaches and/or Mayfield, and he wouldn’t do that elsewhere. But he had friction before with the Giants which is why NY traded him away. So I’m pretty sure this is just him.

20

It’s all our fault.

"That’s - that’s where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with - geometric logic - that a ivermectin DID work! And I’d have PRODUCED a winning season if they hadn’t’ve pulled me out of action! I, I, I know now they were only trying to promote wokeness-

Umm… naturally, I can only cover these things roughly, from - memory… but if I’ve left anything out… why, you just ask me - specific questions and I’ll be - perfectly happy to answer them… one by one. I was immunized…"