MichiganCardinal

The Jets were too busy signing Rodgers' friends like Allen Lazard for $11MM (20 receptions for 290 yards) and Randall Cobb for $3MM (3 receptions for 20 yards) to think about signing a competent backup like Teddy Bridgewater for $3MM.

I tend to agree with Ramage that it has to be Goff.... Sutton would be my dark horse though.

When I look at the defense, I don't think they're that far away from being very good, regardless of questions about Glenn and scheme. On the line, Hutchinson, McNeill, Paschal, and Houston will likely be here and honestly make up a pretty good core. Martin too I guess. Cut weight with pretty much everybody else. We don't need Levi, the Okwaras, and Charles Harris wasting roster spots. Pick up an edge who can win a one-on-one battle in both free agency and the draft. The linebackers are largely set and should only improve as Campbell develops. In the secondary, Sutton, Branch, Walker, and Joseph will likely be here. Re-sign CJGJ to another one-year deal if he wants it and pick up a CB2 with two ACLs in free agency. With just that, two free agents and one draft pick, I think the defense is somewhere in the good to great range, instead of watching Hutch get double teamed and a mediocre QB getting all day to find whoever Jerry Jacobs is supposed to be covering.

Saleh's seat should be warm. The way that franchise is run right now though, it will probably just depend on what Aaron Rodgers wants to have happen.

The tiebreaker with Green Bay isn’t as clear cut. Obviously we tied with them in-season so the second tiebreaker is record in-division. Wins over Chicago and Minnesota would put us at 4-1 before week 18, they sit at 2-2 right now. If they won out, we would need to win both games against Minnesota to not force the third tiebreaker, which is common games.

CJ Beathard vs. Jake Browning is going to OT tied at 31, just as everyone predicted.

Lawrence was just helped to the locker room with what looks like a potentially serious injury. He slammed his hands down on the ground and threw his helmet before trainers got to him.

Back and forth game on MNF.

I really doubt they win out. They're playing well, but the NFL is hard and they are very young. I don't think they're even that particularly good talent-wise, I think they are just very well coached and execute exceptionally well. I would suspect they go 3-2 or 4-1 in their remaining games. Which should probably be good enough for a wildcard spot. Not a team I would love to see in January, though we've beat them in January before.

I don’t think we will catch the Eagles and I don’t think hosting a playoff game against SF is more significant than being healthy for the playoffs. I’d like to clinch this thing by Christmas and have a couple weeks to get healthy.

That argument completely misses the point too. Oddsmakers are not prognosticating team talent, the games themselves are! Vegas sets lines to make money, not to predict outcomes... And if we are going to go that route, I guess we better take Washington out and put Oregon in, considering Oregon was supposed to beat Washington, per Vegas. Take Alabama out too and put Georgia in, they weren't supposed to win that game either, per Vegas.

I actually didn't realize the Giants are riding a two-game winning streak into Monday Night Football against the Packers. Granted it's against the Commanders and Patriots, but still.

The Lions would eliminate the Bears from NFC North contention with a win on Sunday. To clinch the division next Saturday Night against the Broncos, the Lions would need probably too much help to fairly expect: (1) Lions beat Bears, (2) Giants beat Packers, and either (3a) Raiders beat Vikings, or (3b) Bengals beat Vikings. If all three occur, the Lions clinch the North with a win against Denver. It's not impossible, but more likely is probably the following week on Christmas Eve in Minneapolis.

Didn’t we just think Minnesota was going to win out last week? Before they lost 12-10 to Chicago?

I’m still so angry for Florida State. They deserved better. I feel like it was predetermined too. If Alabama had lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl and then beat Georgia, I bet Georgia would be #4. They weren’t leaving the SEC out, whether for TV money, general bias, or whatever you want to call it. It didn’t matter how well Florida State did this year. The B1G can get left out in 2018 and 2019, the PAC-12 can get left out in 2016 and 2018-2023, the ACC can get left out in 2022 and 2023, and the Big 12 can get left out in 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022…. But GOD FORBID the chicken comes home to roost with the SEC. It’s shameful and yet another reason to get rid of everything to do with the current format.

If Michigan can have an Orji at QB, why can't the Lions have a Hooker? I'll be here all week.

By letter of the law, it was absolutely the correct call, and like I said during the game - I would be pissed if I was a Saints fan and had to watch Jameis Winston throw the football because my QB got knocked out of the game because of that hit. I don't think it's that hard to ask him to just toss Carr to the side instead of landing directly on him like that. Maybe I shouldn't comment on the difficulty of the position, but at least it seems like most other edge rushers are able to do so successfully.

Bruce Irvin played 11 snaps and still recorded a TFL, a sack, and a QB hit. Crazy what can happen when the defensive line basically puts three guys on Hutch and two guys on McNeill. Charles Harris and the Okwaras are just bad at getting to the quarterback. Win a one-on-one one time!!

It's probably an overstated impact that is heavy in confirmation bias. If he struggles on Sunday, people will say "see! the weather!" and if he does well no one will remember the weather. But I do think there is some disparate impact on Goff, who has probably played far less lifetime games in the rain and snow than most NFL QBs.

The Bears actually have one of the best rush defenses in the league. They and the 49ers are tied for fewest rush yards allowed despite having seen 32 more rush attempts than the 49ers (Lions are 6th), they are 2nd in the league in YPCA at 3.4 (Lions are 6th), and they are tied for 3rd in rushing TDs allowed at 6 (Lions are tied for 18th). In week 11, they held us to 115 yards on the ground, one of our worst outings on the season. They rushed for 183 yards on us that week. We will need to spread it out, use more of Jamo, and we will need to get the ball to ASB and LaPorta in space.

Winds were swirling in Baltimore this year and he didn't do well. Counterpoint, he excelled in Green Bay last year. I do think there is something to NorCal kid going to a NorCal college and getting drafted by a SoCal NFL team not having a ton of exposure to playing in the elements and it therefore impacting his game more than it might a prospect from the midwest who attends a (midwest) B1G school.

I was talking to an Ohio State friend about McCord last week and he mentioned how despite the ostracization of McCord in Columbus (due to his not falling in line with the Barrett/Haskins/Fields/Stroud lineage), he is the type of QB who would be adored in East Lansing and basically become a cult hero overnight. He's not wrong. Not sure if Smith will be able to pull that off, but McCord would be a great get for MSU. Grass isn't always greener though if you're OSU. Just like calls for Day to leave, McCord was 11-1. I wouldn't be surprised if McCord was just told "you're not guaranteed the starting job" and he gave them a big middle finger. Proven commodities aren't easily acquired, and success isn't easily maintained even when you get one.

This one won't be easy. The Bears are better than they looked early this season and Goff historically struggles in the elements. I like our chances if we can hold them to four field goals though.

Jordan Love is outplaying Mahomes tonight

So the Bahamas Bowl is being played in North Carolina this year? Think they'll tell Old Dominion or Western Kentucky before the plane takes off?