NFL 2012 Part 2...undefeated Falco

[phanan]

Is this where I say they should have just run the ball the entire 4th quarter and put David Carr in? OK.

They should have just run the ball in the 4th quarter and put David Carr in.

Now why would you say a silly thing like that...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

K

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

That was a damn fine birthday. Damn fine. Splendid even.

 

[BoMac]

I'm loving the new dynamic that Colin Kaepernick brings to the 49ers, but I still feel bad for Alex Smith. I think this will be his last year in San Fran.

 

[LemonMelon]

QBs usually peak around 27 or 28. If this is the case with Alex Smith, and last season winds up being his best, Kaepernick is definitely worth keeping around, especially since Smith has had the worst luck with injuries. Not Chad Pennington bad, but it stunted his growth as a QB early on. The thing about abandoning Smith now is that Kaepernick will inevitably hit a rookie wall and Smith may not want to stick around until the coaches throw him back in. He's tasted the playoffs and knows he could start, albeit on a much shittier team. He looked like he wanted to shoot Kaepernick when he ran in that one TD yesterday.

I see this as a Matt Flynn situation really, but if I were making a decision on this matter, I would pay whatever necessary to keep them both. Outside of Vernon Davis and Frank Gore, they can't have that much money tied up in skill position players.

 

[BoMac]

Agreed. The key is that Harbaugh now knows he can win with both at the helm, although, as Troy Aikman said yesterday, he would have made more of an issue with the change than Smith has.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

If I were Smith and I've done nothing but win in the past 2 seasons I'd be rather pissed right now... especially with Harbaugh's whole buddy buddy thing that he had going with Smith.

This could easily blow up in Harbaugh's face, especially come playoff time.

The 49ers see themselves as a Super Bowl ready team right now. If Kaepernick crashes and burns down the stretch and the 9ers have an early exit... Harbaugh could lose his locker room.

If it works he could win a ring. So its quite the gamble.

 

[LemonMelon]

Smith is not a great QB by any means. He's decent enough and won't rock the boat. The players have gotten used to him. The question is whether it's worth gambling that consistency away on someone who could *potentially* be great but a locker room threat if not.

But if Kaepernick continues to play lights out and some other team wants him, I wouldn't ship him off for less than an arm and a leg. They can certainly afford to keep him, considering they don't have any glaring flaws or overpaid idiots like the Skins do (DeAngelo Hall). It's a great luxury to have two starting-caliber QBs.

 

[PhilsFan]

Who's excited for Monday Night Football!?

 

[No spoken words]

Your Mother.

 

[PhilsFan]

All the sports suck.

 

[LemonMelon]

The Phillies have won a game more recently than the Eagles.

 

[DRay9911]

Damn dude, no need to kick a man while he's down

 

[LemonMelon]

lol yeah that was a bitch move on my part

But look at it this way: at least Peef isn't being hyperbolic anymore. I hadn't really noticed how fundamentally shit they were; I would have killed for an 8-8, 9-7 type team at any point in the last 5 years, but Peef was just ahead of his time bagging on Reid and whatever QB they had starting after every loss. Andy Reid needs to go. Vick needs to go. They need a new DC. They need an OC of any kind. They need someone to handle player personnel so they aren't just going best player available with every draft pick and hoping it results in a legit team. They need to run more than 20% of the time.

Of course I would be happy if they kept Reid forever and kept repeating the same mistakes year after year. I hope Jerry Jones runs the show in Dallas for decades to come, until they're in an Al Davis type situation (they're getting close). But I do feel bad for their fans when it gets like this.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Smith is not a great QB by any means. He's decent enough and won't rock the boat. The players have gotten used to him. The question is whether it's worth gambling that consistency away on someone who could *potentially* be great but a locker room threat if not.

But if Kaepernick continues to play lights out and some other team wants him, I wouldn't ship him off for less than an arm and a leg. They can certainly afford to keep him, considering they don't have any glaring flaws or overpaid idiots like the Skins do (DeAngelo Hall). It's a great luxury to have two starting-caliber QBs.

If kaepernick turns out to be good then they can't keep them both. Sure, they aren't in any sort of salary cap hell now... but give it time. They will be.

When a D performs the way it has for them over the past two seasons it raises the stock of everyone involved... fringe guys bounce for bigger money elsewhere, the stars hold out for a raise, and before you know it your depth has been eroded.

The teams that are successful long term in the league know when and who to cut loose. The teams that are run by dopes trade draft picks for a backup quarterback with a God complex and a shitty arm.

If the 49ers want to rejoin the consistently good, they can't keep both of these guys, especially if they end up going with Kaepernick as the starter. Which only adds to how important it is that he does well now...cause there's really no going back, emotionally or financially.

 

[LemonMelon]

especially if they end up going with Kaepernick as the starter.

I agree with this yeah. If they settle on Kaepernick, Smith won't stick around, and if they go with Smith, Kaepernick won't want to stay, as Smith is too young for this to be a Favre/Rodgers type situation. Besides, who would be willing to hold a clipboard behind Alex Smith when they can clearly perform? Fuck that.

All the same, it remains to be seen if Alex Smith will have the physical skills three or four years from now to take the 49ers anywhere. He wasn't all that great to begin with. Further, he is injury prone; prior to last season, he had only played one full season, missing anywhere from 5-9 games in the others, and now he's back on the bench. With a history like that, and with Kaepernick's modest contract (three years left on a $5 million contract with $3.8 guaranteed), they can afford to wait it out. The problem with waiting is that Kaepernick might not get another chance to play again more than once or twice over the course of his contract, assuming the miraculous happens and Smith strings together a couple of 16 game seasons. By that point, Kaepernick will not be the commodity he is today, regardless of his skill set. It's a tricky situation to be in, but could be very beneficial if handled properly.

 

[PhilsFan]

lol yeah that was a bitch move on my part

But look at it this way: at least Peef isn't being hyperbolic anymore. I hadn't really noticed how fundamentally shit they were; I would have killed for an 8-8, 9-7 type team at any point in the last 5 years, but Peef was just ahead of his time bagging on Reid and whatever QB they had starting after every loss. Andy Reid needs to go. Vick needs to go. They need a new DC. They need an OC of any kind. They need someone to handle player personnel so they aren't just going best player available with every draft pick and hoping it results in a legit team. They need to run more than 20% of the time.

Of course I would be happy if they kept Reid forever and kept repeating the same mistakes year after year. I hope Jerry Jones runs the show in Dallas for decades to come, until they're in an Al Davis type situation (they're getting close). But I do feel bad for their fans when it gets like this.

The entire problem with the Eagles franchise is arrogance. An arrogance that they know better. You think we should run a balanced offensive attack? No, fuck you, Westbrook is better with screens. You think we should run one now that we have McCoy, one of the best runners in the league? FUCK YOU, we're just going to avoid giving him the ball so that we don't have to pay him as much. You think we should draft Earl Thomas? Fuck you, we're going to draft a second round, undersized D-lineman AGAIN, and we're going to trade up for him! You think we need a linebacker? Fuck you, we're going to ignore the position entirely for like eight years. You think we shouldn't draft a 27-year-old fireman with a bad ankle in the first round and should instead get a proven commodity? Fuck you, just because.

Here are some of the tremendous top picks they've taken in recent years:
OG Danny Watkins
FS Jaiquawn Jarrett
CB Curtis Marsh
DE Brandon Graham
SS Nate Allen
DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Jarrett and Te'o are already gone (Jarrett lasted 17 games as a SECOND ROUND PICK!), Watkins has a bum ankle and blows (FIRST ROUND!), Marsh is a special teamer, Allen can't do anything and Graham should have been Earl Thomas.

Keep: Shady McCoy, Bryce Brown, Alex Henery, Brandon Boykin, Mychal Kendricks, Fletcher Cox, Jason Kelce and I guess Brandon Graham. Get rid of everyone else. Everyone.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I agree with this yeah. If they settle on Kaepernick, Smith won't stick around, and if they go with Smith, Kaepernick won't want to stay, as Smith is too young for this to be a Favre/Rodgers type situation. Besides, who would be willing to hold a clipboard behind Alex Smith when they can clearly perform? Fuck that.

All the same, it remains to be seen if Alex Smith will have the physical skills three or four years from now to take the 49ers anywhere. He wasn't all that great to begin with. Further, he is injury prone; prior to last season, he had only played one full season, missing anywhere from 5-9 games in the others, and now he's back on the bench. With a history like that, and with Kaepernick's modest contract (three years left on a $5 million contract with $3.8 guaranteed), they can afford to wait it out. The problem with waiting is that Kaepernick might not get another chance to play again more than once or twice over the course of his contract, assuming the miraculous happens and Smith strings together a couple of 16 game seasons. By that point, Kaepernick will not be the commodity he is today, regardless of his skill set. It's a tricky situation to be in, but could be very beneficial if handled properly.

...and of course, Kaepernick could still end up sucking.

We've yet to see him go up against a defense that's actually game planned for him. Probably why Harbaugh continues to play this game from week to week about who might start... keep teams unbalanced. Problem is it could unbalance his own team.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Peef... Matt Barkley, yay or nay?

 

[No spoken words]

Problem is it could unbalance his own team.

Or his own mind.

Or my mind.

 

[BoMac]

...and of course, Kaepernick could still end up sucking.

We've yet to see him go up against a defense that's actually game planned for him. Probably why Harbaugh continues to play this game from week to week about who might start... keep teams unbalanced. Problem is it could unbalance his own team.

In this case, I defer to Harbaugh because he was involved in a similar situation in Chicago in his playing days and understands the dynamics of it.

It may very well end up blowing up in his face, but he's not one to shy away from taking risks.

Using their draft picks in the first and second round to select a WR and RB is now looking like a stroke of genius given the injuries to Kyle Williams and Kendall Hunter. Although personally, I'd like to see what a fully involved Randy Moss and Brandon Jacobs could do.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Jacobs? Not much.

 

[PhilsFan]

Peef... Matt Barkley, yay or nay?

Nay. Even if it becomes clear that Nick Foles is not the answer, I don't like the crop of quarterbacks in this draft. I vote for filling out the other positions of need: take that tackle from Texas A&M with the first pick, take a defensive back in the second round, and work from there.

This is still a team that has three good wide receivers, two good running backs and a couple decent tight ends, as well as three solid offensive linemen returning next year (Peters, Kelce, Herremans). Another lineman (preferably a tackle so that Herremans can return to his natural position at guard) and some secondary pieces (that's probably the bigger challenge with no good safeties and possibly only Rodgers-Cromartie returning at corner) and I think the Eagles can bounce back somewhat smoothly. But they need to change the system: get rid of the wide-nine, implement a more run-friendly playbook and actually manage the fucking clock.

This organization is so far up its own ass, though, that I don't think the right fixes will be made.

 

[LemonMelon]

Is it just me or do USC quarterbacks blow 99% of the time? I'm sure Barkley will too.

 

[phanan]

It's not just you.

Peef is right. The upcoming draft for QBs is very weak. Better to find other pieces first. If they finally make a change this offseason, they'll be given some time to get things right.

 

[phanan]

And speaking of the draft, the Chiefs picked a great year to fall apart. A year earlier and they would have been set at QB. Now, not so much.

 

[LemonMelon]

Maybe they can convince Johnny Football to drop out of school at 20.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

JOHNNY FOOTS!

the FOOT!

 

[LemonMelon]

Holy fucking shit, DeSean Jackson is on IR now too for multiple fractured ribs. What a disaster. The dream team lived up to their name compared to this.

What are your thoughts on the Eagles cutting Babin, Peef? He was a dud this year like everyone else on that team and plays in a 4-3 so I hope we stay away from him, but he's only a year separated from going beast mode on the regular.

 

[PhilsFan]

He was fucking terrible last year too. If all you do is run around the offensive linemen in hopes you can grab a scrambling quarterback, yeah, you'll rack up some sacks. The guy might be the worst run stopping defensive linemen ever because he doesn't even attempt to do it. That Pro Bowl was a crock of shit.