Barkley’s 27, and he was coming off of a not-awesome 2023, averaging only 3.9 yards per carry. These days, teams are often hesitant to pay a running back who’s getting into his late 20s, knowing that, in most cases, running back performance rapidly declines with age and carries (witness the Packers parting ways with Aaron Jones during this past off-season, as well).
Obviously, Barkley is tearing things up this year, and good for him, but he’s now on a 3 year, $37 million dollar contract, and it’s entirely possible, if not likely, that he won’t be near the same player by year 3 of that, when he’s going on 30.
As @pulykamell’s chart shows, modern NFL kickers have to be at least 80% accurate (preferably more like 85%) inside of 50 yards, and at least 50% accurate out to around 57-58 yards. If you can’t do that, you won’t have a job for long in the NFL.
And, tonight’s game was in a dome in Houston, so weather conditions and turf conditions aren’t a negative factor, either.
And, as far as Jake Bates, the Lions’ new kicker this year, goes, this past spring, he hit a 64-yarder, a 62-yarder, and a 60-yarder, while playing for the Michigan Panthers in the UFL. Also, amazingly, the 64-yarder was the first time Bates had ever made a field goal during a game in his life (and only his second attempt ever): he’d been a soccer player, who switched over to football in college, but had specialized in kicking off, rather than field goals, until this year.
I mentioned in the Week 7 thread that I’m concerned I’m jinxing the Lions by watching them, because I didn’t turn on the Lions-Vikings game until the 3rd quarter, to see the Lions quickly lose a big lead they had built while I wasn’t watching. The Vikings were briefly up by a FG, before the Lions just managed to squeak out a win.
Last night, with the first half feeling like watching the election returns, Lions down I think it was 23-7 at the half, I muted the sound at halftime and decided to ‘rest my eyes’ for a minute, just to try to relax and gain a little inner peace. Next thing I know it’s 3 am. I check my phone-- “huh. Lions won”.
So, if I just don’t watch another minute of a Lions game, I think they’re a lock for SB champs
My wife asked the same question as we watched the game (go Birds!). I think during last week’s game the color guy said that the Eagles’ scheme dovetails much more with Saquon’s skill set. They even showed some Giants film to try to explain it.
It made no sense to me, and still doesn’t. Based on what I’ve seen this year (every game), Saquon’s mad skills would fit any scheme. I think it’s perhaps more your point re: his age and what he’d command in $$$, combined with the Giants’ recognition that they’d absolutely stink this year.
Anyway, I’m thrilled with the signing. He’s been a joy to watch this year.
It’s very uncharacteristic of me that I’m really happy for Saquon. I normally root for former Giants but never the Eagles. But for him, I’m happy to see him on a real team instead of wasting his career on a basement-dweller.
EDIT: It helps take the sting out of it that the Giants rushing game is actually pretty good this year, averaging 120 ypg compared to 110 last year with Saquon. The defense is kind of good, too, leading or near the top of the league in sacks. Poor Dexter Lawrence is the next guy on my list of feeling bad about wasting an elite athlete’s career.
I feel like I should say something nice about my Patriots this week, since they went on the road and dominated the Bears in all phases. At times, they looked…good, which is not something I’ve said in a while. I doubt I will be able to say anything like it again for the rest of the season, since they don’t have any really winnable games left on the schedule (maybe the Colts if Flacco continues to struggle?), so I’m getting it in while I can
Maye looks legit. Making all the expected rookie mistakes, but he’s looking better every week. Reminds me a bit of a much better Sam Howell. Still takes a lot of sacks.
I think it only makes sense to pay a running back wen you already have a good team and your trying to get to the next level. For example, Carolina giving McCaffrey a bi contract made no sense. However, The 49ers trading for om and that big contract made perfect sense.
Back to Saquon, the Eagles have a great offensive line, while the Giants have had a terrible O-line for the last 10+ years.
I found other sources that showed the same trend that stopped at around 2014 or maybe it was 2016, so this is the one with the most recent data I could find.
Here’s another one for 2014-2018:
It looks like the 50-50 spot there was around 58 yards for those years.
How exactly does that graph have data out to 80 yard field goals. The longest successful field goal in NFL history was 66 yards by Baltimore’s Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens against the Detroit Lions on September 26, 2021.
