I’m excited for Bagent season. I don’t want Fields hurt and I really don’t want any excuse for the Bears to exit this season still undecided on him. But I’m glad we get a chance to evaluate Bagent. Obviously today wasn’t the best circumstances for anyone to enter a game and certainly a few ugly plays. But, at this point we’re in full tank mode so let’s get a real look at the kid.
Of course, let’s hope Fields thumb isn’t so bad that he can’t play again this season. Want to get 4-5 games for Bagent and then let’s get Fields back out there.
Pass interference in the end zone is penalized by spotting the ball at the 1 yard line. If the ball was already at the 1, do they get half the distance to the goal line?
No, by rule DPI in the end zone gets spotted at the one.
A different penalty, however, which normally penalizes you yardage or half the distance, I believe can move the ball to the 1/2 yard line. And then that’s as close as it gets.
Pass interference by the defense is enforced at the spot of the foul. If it occurs in the fouling team’s end zone, the ball will be placed at the one-yard line, or half the distance to the goal line from the previous spot, whichever is more beneficial to the offense.
So if the previous spot was inside the two-yard line, the ball will be spotted somewhere inside the one-yard line. And the spot can be inside the half-yard line.
I was very skeptical of Campbell at first, with his talk of biting off kneecaps (what is this guy, an NFL coach, or a WWE heel?) and his going for it seemingly every single damn time on 4th down (yes, there’s a time and place to go for it on 4th down, but that time is not every time).
But he’s won me over as a coach. Of course, winning will do that, but he does have an earnest quality (early kneecap-biting talk aside) that comes across when he does post-game interviews.
I was amused by Campbell initially with the kneecap-type bluster. The NFL needs more characters! But I was sold when I understood that his colorful speeches were for the benefit of his players, not the media or fans. He really has the players bought into this and believing they can win anything.
Having one of the top 3 offensive lines in the NFL, a #1 draft pick at QB, a young, stud pass rusher, multiple high picks from a desperate team helps too.
To state the obvious, Desmond Ridder is not a good player, and he’s almost getting worse every week. The Falcons are not finished yet at 3-3; as someone who watched all of his Washington games I’m confident Taylor Heinicke gives them a way better chance to win than Ridder does.
Much has been written thus far (on this board and elsewhere) about Patrick Mahomes not playing up to his usual standards this season. Here are some stats that came across my XTwitter feed; I haven’t verified them.
Chiefs had 2,294 yards of offense thru 6 games last season.
Chiefs have 2,294 yards of offense thru 6 games this year too.
But KC’s 147 points are the fewest in Mahomes era at this point of season (179 last year and previous low was 172 in 2019).
However, KC has allowed 88 points, their best by 39 points since 2018.
In the end, the Chiefs are +59 thru 6 games, which is their best scoring differential in the Mahomes era.
So, yes, Mahomes isn’t up to his usual standards. But the KC defense is among the top 5, at least in terms of points allowed.
I feel like God himself fated a Giants win over the Bills, but the Giants are just so inept they managed to fuck it up anyway. I mean, come on, you get an untimed down on the one yard line because of a defensive penalty as time expired. Saquon Barkley is in the game and has been running well. lEt’S tHrOw! Fuckin’ morons.
And then the Jets miracle a win themselves, but it just makes me think even more what the team would be like with Rodgers playing. They are literally only missing a quarterback. So goddamn frustrating.
New York football is pretty friggin’ depressing in 2023. Not that that’s a big departure compared to the previous decade.
I’m hoping the Lions get a Super Bowl win this season, or at the minimum, the playoff win that’s eluded them for 32 years. They deserve it more than anyone.
The Lions are looking good, with a 5-1 record, a remaining schedule with some very beatable teams coming up, and benefiting from a weak division. Barring a complete collapse (which, hey, it’s the Lions-- always possible) the Lions are likely to at least get into the playoffs, and possibly as a top seed.
I know, I know, it’s a little early to be saying that stuff, but I see articles like this and I dare to dream…
(The article title is cut off at an unfortunate point-- the full title is ’ We Lived Long Enough to See the Detroit Lions Officially Enter the Super Bowl Conversation’. It’s not a time-traveling article from 4 months into the future, unfortunately)
