1 hour ago, FranklinFldEBUpper said:

By the same token, you could say it's a very different game if Dean picks off that pass and walks into the endzone.

Yes.  But the point was regarding the early onslaught that the Eagles really didn't seem prepared to handle immediately, specifically the first two drives.  The dropped pick 6 wasn't until the second quarter.

13 minutes ago, judunno said:

If they really want returns they'll need to move up the starting spot for touchbacks.

Or just have the kickoff from the 30 or 25 instead of the 35. 

Michigan is getting wrecked, Mason Graham drops to us in the 1st, Loveland in 2nd😋

The win last night was important for five reasons...

1.  Conference win
2.  Tie-breaker against a likely playoff team
3.  It was a 'home' game
4.  A win, but still plenty of teaching opportunities for the coaches
5.  Keeps this Blog tolerable for ten days

Just pointing out there’s 4 ranked teams (Penn state, Oklahoma state, Kansas state and ga tech) playing unranked teams and all losing at halftime.  

16 minutes ago, judunno said:

If they really want returns they'll need to move up the starting spot for touchbacks.

Or

Hear me out

Let’s not use rules made up by a twice defunct league due to nobody watching. 

27 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Curious what happens with Devin White now. It’s not like he’s some excellent coverage LB’er and the way Dean and Baun played there really isn’t a reason to put him out there. 

Dean looked good when things were in front of him but he had issues in coverage. I think there may be a role for White situationally. There’s probably some chance he gets cut if the team thinks he was just throwing a fit about getting benched. 

1 hour ago, judunno said:

His center actually helped him with some of his reads and calls. There's still some chemistry to be developed with a new center. What's not to understand?

I'm not sure.  The center isn't to blame when the QB rolls to his right from a clean pocket and throws the ball across his body late and it gets picked off in the RZ.  Nor is the C to blame when the QB stands in the pocket, surveys the field and then throws to the inside of a clearly covered WR, who has a LB running stride for stride with him ON THE INSIDE, and the ball gets picked off.   And the center takes no blame when the QB leaves the pocket and chooses to take a sack at the end of the half rather than throwing the ball away preserving a timeout.  That's not about QB-C familiarity.  In other words, Hurts' biggest blunders in the game had nothing to do with a new center.   The two botched snaps are split.  One on Jurgens and one on Hurts.  No one is blaming Hurts for the one that was clearly on Jurgens.  And that's where the new center makes a difference in those two.  But they aren't concerns for which Hurts has been getting criticized.  The only way it is linked is if its because Hurts' head was swimming regarding the protections that he never had to worry about before with Kelce.  Then its linked and its a concern moving forward.  He could grow into it.  He might not.  They might also turn it over to Jurgens eventually as well.

45 minutes ago, brkmsn said:

Yeah ... I never expect perfection. That's a pipe dream. It might be realistic if the other team wasn't trying to win as well. 

They won a bunch of games last year doing dumb stuff. Chasing the standard, chasing the standard, blahblahblah. Almost all the issues involving Hurts were there last night. That's a problem, like it or not.

8 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

The win last night was important for five reasons...

1.  Conference win
2.  Tie-breaker against a likely playoff team
3.  It was a 'home' game
4.  A win, but still plenty of teaching opportunities for the coaches
5.  Keeps this Blog tolerable for ten days

And now there’s an outside chance we see a Sam Darnold or Caleb Williams led team in January

1 hour ago, RLC said:

The Packers got an INT on the next play. 

But not the '6' part.

Big Ten 🤣🤣🤣🤣

4 minutes ago, Saltpeter said:

They won a bunch of games last year doing dumb stuff. Chasing the standard, chasing the standard, blahblahblah. Almost all the issues involving Hurts were there last night. That's a problem, like it or not.

... and here we go:

 

30 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

5 of 24 kickoffs have been returned so far (one being an awful Gainwell decision). Awesome new rule 

The decision by the Packers kick returner to return the last kickoff was also a terrible decision.  So, really it is only 3 returns.  The rule is a real game changer, but only in the negative.  Absolutely nothing positive came from this!

8 minutes ago, Connecticut Eagle said:

The win last night was important for five reasons...

1.  Conference win
2.  Tie-breaker against a likely playoff team
3.  It was a 'home' game
4.  A win, but still plenty of teaching opportunities for the coaches
5.  Keeps this Blog tolerable for ten days

There was a lot to like about the offense despite Hurts’s gaffes. As much as people like to hate on him, he had some great throws.  His TDs to AJ and Saquon were beautiful passes. They played well against the blitz. He just needs to throw it away or run it when plays break down. 

8 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

But not the '6' part.

The DB's momentum is pushing him out of bounds. It's not the same play as the Nakobe one which was a gimme.

21 minutes ago, BDawk_ASamuel said:

Or just have the kickoff from the 30 or 25 instead of the 35. 

Or... leave well enough alone. 

 

NFL:  There are too many injuries on kickoff returns.

Also NFL:  We need to do something to eliminate all the touchbacks and make the kickoff return exciting again.

Also NFL: We will eliminate the surprise onsides kick, and make that a completely meaningless moment in any game as surprise onsides kicks have much much higher rates of success, whereas known onsides kicks are almost always recovered by the return team.

 

 

Pretty good right guard play last night. Don't want to put a damper on the overfocused negativity but that's a big deal. Great things from game1: (1) looks like a good starting RG, (2) Baum is a player, (3) Mitchell is one of those rare rookie dbs who looks like an all pro, (4) Dean makes plays, and (5) Smith is one of the best WR in the NFL

Negatropolis: Maddox, Hurts Turnovers, CJGJ -- fixes: (1) Rogers, (2) OC, and (3) Dejean

18 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Or

Hear me out

Let’s not use rules made up by a twice defunct league due to nobody watching. 

Even Butthead gets it!

Aaron Jones, Austin Ekeler, Deandre Swift, Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard…

good job Howie

It'll be interesting and telling to see who they play at the CB spots next week.

Must-watch

4 minutes ago, NCiggles said:

There was a lot to like about the offense despite Hurts’s gaffes. As much as people like to hate on him, he had some great throws.  His TDs to AJ and Saquon were beautiful passes. They played well against the blitz. He just needs to throw it away or run it when plays break down. 

And learn the difference between the two.  The throw in the RZ that was INT... run that.   The run where he was sacked before the half.  Throw that to the ball boy.

He had some nice moments.  He had some brain dead moments.   The sad part is, he should know better by now... or so you'd think.  Coach's kid.  Played a ton of ball in college and has been a starter for years now in the NFL.   These aren't nuanced things.  These are fundamentals.

3 minutes ago, Next_Up said:

Pretty good right guard play last night. Don't want to put a damper on the overfocused negativity but that's a big deal. Great things from game1: (1) looks like a good starting RG, (2) Baum is a player, (3) Mitchell is one of those rare rookie dbs who looks like an all pro, (4) Dean makes plays, and (5) Smith is one of the best WR in the NFL

Negatropolis: Maddox, Hurts Turnovers, CJGJ -- fixes: (1) Rogers, (2) OC, and (3) Dejean

Becton's play is going largely under the radar.  If he can sustain it, and remain healthy, that's a lottery ticket that absolutely could pay huge dividends... almost like the Jordan Mailata 7th round pick lottery ticket.    If he maintains it for about 8 more weeks, I could foresee Howie trying to lock him up for the future.

1 minute ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Becton's play is going largely under the radar.  If he can sustain it, and remain healthy, that's a lottery ticket that absolutely could pay huge dividends... almost like the Jordan Mailata 7th round pick lottery ticket.    If he maintains it for about 8 more weeks, I could foresee Howie trying to lock him up for the future.

I was surprised by his size and mobility. Mailata usually makes players look small. Not this dude.