2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[dcowboy7]

Cardinals/Cowboys jan 2 moves from 1:00 to 4:25 national tv.
"How bout them cowboys".

[tcripe]

Is Urban the worst coaching disaster in NFL history?

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by tcripe

Is Urban the worst coaching disaster in NFL history?

If you add in the money he was paid for 13 games, more than likely yes.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by tcripe

Is Urban the worst coaching disaster in NFL history?

Yep. Easily the most overpaid kicker in the league.

[RageATL]

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

They cant cause the super bowl date is already set.
They really dont want it cause it thins out the sunday sched too much.
Remember there was a season yrs ago with 2 byes & the networks b****ed n moaned cause the sunday sched was rough on them.

Fair enough, not next year but in the future.

Thins out? There's PLENTY of games on each week, more than enough to keep folks busy watching them. They could also move some of the 1PM games to 4PM to balance Sundays out some and not have it be front loaded so much. Shoot, as much as I love TNF, they can take that back in order to give them an extra weekend game.

[traths]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Off topic, but I REALLY hope the owners/commissioner strongly consider a two-bye week schedule next year. It's doubtful as, from what I've heard, they don't want the Super Bowl to push into President's day weekend, but it's so very much needed.

Originally Posted by dcowboy7

They cant cause the super bowl date is already set.
They really dont want it cause it thins out the sunday sched too much.
Remember there was a season yrs ago with 2 byes & the networks b****ed n moaned cause the sunday sched was rough on them.

They could if they moved the start of the season up a week or two.

[dcowboy7]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Fair enough, not next year but in the future.

Thins out? There's PLENTY of games on each week, more than enough to keep folks busy watching them. They could also move some of the 1PM games to 4PM to balance Sundays out some and not have it be front loaded so much. Shoot, as much as I love TNF, they can take that back in order to give them an extra weekend game.

People still watched but the ratings were lower cause the selection wasnt as good & that was before there was a TNF game every wk thinning it out even more now.
They just got a boatload of $$ for TNF to go to amazon next yr so that aint going anywhere.
The reason theres way less 4:25 games is cause thats the national tv game that they want to go to most of the country.
If theres more games in that timeslot then they have to send those games to the local markets & people complain they are stuck with DET when they want to watch say KC/GB.

Originally Posted by traths

They could if they moved the start of the season up a week or two.

No....they did try starting before labor day & the ratings were bad.
Thats why they dont do it anymore.
People out on last vacations, bbqs, beach etc.
Thats why they start the thursday after labor day.

[tcripe]

NFLPA is currently trying to push the entire season back 1 week due to the COVID outbreaks.

[El Rey]

like dcowboy said, not gonna happen due to the SB date being set. Unless of course they lose the BYE week before the SB game but I doubt the teams who are in contention would be ok with that

but speaking of the NFLPA

NFL's new COVID-19 rules include changes to return-to-play protocols, return of intensive restrictions
play

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have negotiated changes to the league's COVID-19 protocols, some of which are being put in place immediately and could help teams whose rosters have been decimated this week.

Effective immediately, all 32 NFL teams will be placed in intensive COVID-19 protocols until the conclusion of Week 15. This means the reimposition of mandatory mask wearing in team facilities, social distancing, grab-and-go meal service in team cafeterias, all-virtual meetings, limits on the number of people allowed in weight rooms and restrictions on activities outside the facility.

Teams already in intensive protocols due to ongoing outbreaks will continue daily testing of all players and personnel -- vaccinated or not -- but the rest of the teams won't be subject to daily testing.

Also effective immediately, the league and the NFLPA will institute changes in the return-to-play COVID-19 protocols that will make it easier for players who are vaccinated and asymptomatic to return to practice and games.

Under the previous protocols, a vaccinated individual who tests positive for COVID-19 has to produce two negative tests 24 hours apart before being cleared to return. The new protocols relax that requirement and could enable teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team to get some players back for this weekend's games.

In creating the new return-to-play protocols, the NFL and NFLPA focused on a new metric that measures the viral load of a player, known as the "cycle threshold" (CT). In essence, the CT value can measure whether a player is still contagious, even if in some cases he would still test positive on a traditional test.

That testing can begin as soon as one day after the initial positive and could significantly shorten the amount of time a vaccinated player spends away from the team facility.

There are now three ways for a vaccinated player to return under the new protocols:

• Two PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests that are either negative or produce a CT value of 35 or greater.

• One PCR test that is either negative or produces a CT value of 35 or greater, and a negative Mesa test result taken with 24 hours of the PCR test. (Mesa tests usually return results in less than an hour.)

• Two negative Mesa tests.

According to NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills, previous NFL test analysis has shown that players with CT values at the level of 35 or higher do not transmit COVID-19 and thus would not be contagious.

"It's not about loosening our standards," Sills said. "If anything, we're just bringing a higher degree of precision in measuring ourselves against a more precise ruler."

There is no change to the rules for unvaccinated players, who will continue to be tested daily and must stay away from the team facility for at least 10 days before they can be cleared to return after a positive test.

​"Throughout the pandemic we have continuously evolved our protocols to meet our goal of advancing the safety of the players, coaches and staff," the league said Thursday in a statement. "The changes we are making today aim to address the increase in cases and the advent of the Omicron variant. Effective immediately, all clubs will implement preventative measures that have proven effective: masking regardless of vaccination status, remote or outdoor meetings, eliminating in-person meals, and no outside visitors while on team travel. We will continue to strongly encourage booster shots as the most effective protection.

"Finally, and based on expert advice, we will adjust the return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19. All of these changes are grounded in our data and science-backed approach, with safety our number-one goal for the entire NFL community."

The NFLPA also is pushing to allow players the ability to opt out of the season if they are uncomfortable with changes to the protocols, though it's unclear whether the league would agree to that.

As of Thursday afternoon, there was no plan to mandate COVID-19 booster shots for vaccinated players, though the league and the NFLPA continue to strongly encourage unvaccinated players to get vaccinated and vaccinated players to receive boosters.

The Cleveland Browns, meanwhile, announced Wednesday that head coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least eight starters -- including quarterback Baker Mayfield -- have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week.

The Los Angeles Rams have placed 13 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list in the past week, including star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and starting running back Darrell Henderson.

Washington has placed 17 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week -- including eight on Wednesday and three more on Thursday -- bringing its total to 21 overall and 11 starters.

[Eye Candy]

Jimmy Johnson talks Cowboys then and now with Dan Patrick

Jimmy Johnson on the Dan Patrick Show Full Interview | 12/16/21 - YouTube

[traths]

That was a wild finish to the game.

[RageATL]

Unreal, I had KC dead and buried. Kudos to them. Man, LAC is fun to watch and they have themselves quite a QB, wow.

[BLMN]

Originally Posted by RageATL

Unreal, I had KC dead and buried. Kudos to them. Man, LAC is fun to watch and they have themselves quite a QB, wow.

Those 4th and goal miscues early in the game cost the Chargers this game, always take the points! too early to go for it. Now the blue print is out to take down this Chiefs team.

[ronboster]

Originally Posted by BLMN

Those 4th and goal miscues early in the game cost the Chargers this game, always take the points! too early to go for it. Now the blue print is out to take down this Chiefs team.

Keep in mind, you had Chris Jones the top defensive player out for the Chiefs...plus, Willie Gay their top LB and their top corner in Sneed. So 3 key defensive players out for the Chiefs.

I'll acknowledge my bias, but I think the Chiefs would have been able to put pressure on Justin and stopped a couple of those drives (only 1 punt all game-last possession before regulation) with addition of those 3 players (on the field).

I still think the blue print was established in the Bills game how to best beat the Chiefs. I knew Sammy Watkins was an important player for their offense, but not having that third (SOLID) go to receiver has really limited their offense (and created this "lessor" version of Mahomes).

[Moviefan1203]

Originally Posted by BLMN

Those 4th and goal miscues early in the game cost the Chargers this game, always take the points! too early to go for it. Now the blue print is out to take down this Chiefs team.

Yeah, I don’t know why some of these coaches don’t take the points that are there for you. There’s a time to be aggressive, but you also have to be logical about it.

[RageATL]

Originally Posted by Moviefan1203

Yeah, I don’t know why some of these coaches don’t take the points that are there for you. There’s a time to be aggressive, but you also have to be logical about it.

Seemed like the thought there was, we got them on the ropes, let's go for the kill shot. Problem was, it was WAY too early for that.

[ronboster]

Last night's game made me think of the Ravens, who have always played the Chiefs with more aggressive analytics, which in 2019 and 2020 made a lot of sense. But, the 2021 version of the Chiefs (unless you're the Raiders), their offense hasn't been that explosive....it doesn't need to be a shoot-out to beat the Chiefs. So Staley's 4th down decisions, leaving (what one can assume) pts on the board via FG didn't make sense to me.

The Chargers should have won last night. They and the Bills may end up the 6/7th seeds...those are two teams I don't want to see again in the playoffs. I think the match ups pose troubles for the Chiefs.

[imsounoriginal]

Was fine with Staley going on that first fourth down. They're at the five-yard line, barely five minutes into the game. That's a chance you take; worst case, KC starts on their own five-yard line and your defense isn't bad (at least not yet...). Obviously that decision-making has to change late in the fourth quarter, when points are way more precious.

Could be good news for Washington in new NFL Covid protocols: asymptomatic vaccinated players that test positive can come back possibly with just one negative test. Maybe that helps for this weekend, as most of Washington’s 21 players on Covid list are vaccinated and asymptomatic

via Twitter

[InBruges]

i saw no real blueprint last night as said 3 key defenders were out for them. especially Jones not being there to help stop the run/pressure. i thought the same last about Staley acting like this is the Chiefs of the previous 2 seasons scoring at will. he acted like he made no mistakes or seem to really think it was a problem to go for it. i get the thought to try it but not that much. analytics isnt everything.

[imsounoriginal]

Heinicke placed on Covid list. WFT signing Cowboys legend Garrett Gilbert.