Official NFL Thread: 2016-2017 Season

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South Pender
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Let's start a new thread for the upcoming NFL season.

Found this on Pro Football Talk. My nomination for Worst Owner in Football:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... r-offense/

If you have the time, read the longer article highlighted in red in this PFT piece. It details RG3's time in Washington. It will be interesting to see how he does in the Factory of Sadness (i.e. Cleveland)!
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For those interested, here's a piece describing Pete Carroll's philosophy of coaching and some glimpses into how it developed. His approach/philosophy is pretty uncommon among pro football coaches, many of whom come from the Vince Lombardi school of coaching that is very top-down and military in nature.

http://www.seahawks.com/news/2016/05/18 ... -%E2%80%9D

Edit: Here's another piece on Carroll, this time discussing his exceptional ability to relate to black players. The writer rates Pete Carroll as one of the two best coaches in the NFL. I wonder who the other one is. Bill Belichick?

http://sports.mynorthwest.com/128321/ho ... -athletes/
Last edited by South Pender on Fri May 20, 2016 11:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Robbie
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It is very sad and depressing that Ricardo Lockette is forced to retire at a young age of 29 because of a single career-ending neck injury. I wonder if Jeff Heath feels any guilt or remorse at all - probably not. :devil:
And it's also unfortunate that Lockette was involved in perhaps the most infamous play in Seahawks history.
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
South Pender
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Robbie wrote:It is very sad and depressing that Ricardo Lockette is forced to retire at a young age of 29 because of a single career-ending neck injury. I wonder if Jeff Heath feels any guilt or remorse at all - probably not. :devil:
And it's also unfortunate that Lockette was involved in perhaps the most infamous play in Seahawks history.
Good points, Robbie. I don't recall any remorse on Heath's part either at the time or later, so imagine he sees it as just a football play, rather than as a dirty one. And right, although the 'Hawks didn't make much of it at the time, wasn't it believed that had Lockette run his route a little shorter (as he was supposed to), he would have been open. Still, he was one of the most-loved Seahawks in the locker room and seems to be a pretty positive and optimistic guy. I hope he made enough money in his time in the NFL to be able to launch the next chapter of his life with some security.
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Anyone still interested in the truly depressing saga of Johnny Football? This mildly-shocking story popped up on PFT:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... fl-return/

Manziel's downward trajectory has been thoroughly documented and borders on tragic. When he was drafted, I couldn't like the guy--seemed so narcissistic and shallow. Now, I can't help but feel sorry for him, as he seems like a person spiralling downward and desperately in need of help.

Edit, 5/23: And now this. Good grief....

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... g-a-punch/
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Some News, for Those Interested, on Marc Trestman:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ordinator/

Seems as though Trestman has found a good time & place to exhibit his considerable offensive skills.

Hope he is successful....
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2016 Outlook for the Seattle Seahawks

Not sure just how many Seahawks fans there are on Lionbackers, but the 'Hawks are, I guess, the geographically-natural NFL fave for Vancouver fans. I've been a Seahawks fan for years, although more so since the arrival of Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson.

The 'Hawks have had a pretty good off-season. They managed to lock up some important cogs (like Jeremy Lane at CB) and have added some promising rookies via the draft. One of these--Germain Ifedi at RG was obtained at the end of the first round and looks like an upgrade there over last year's RG, J. R. Sweezy. O-line is where improvement is most needed. They also drafted Rees Odhiambo, another guard prospect, in the 3rd round. So some improvement is possible in the O-line. Still, there will be, in effect, 5 guys in new positions on the O-line (including three guys carried over from 2015 in new positions), and so O-line will remain probably the biggest question mark for the 'Hawks going into the 2016 season.

Interestingly, they drafted three running backs: C. J. Prosise in Rnd. 3, Alex Collins in Rnd. 5, and Zac Brooks in Rnd. 7. Collins is a hard-running back who set records at Arkansas and is very much in the Thomas Rawls mold. Prosise has elite speed and good hands and is seen as a natural 3rd down back, replacing Fred Taylor in that role. With these guys in camp, the Seahawks have five quality running backs, with Rawls returning, Christine Michael coming back, and the three draft picks. So running back by committee replacing Marshawn Lynch, who has now finally officially retired. Even with Beast Mode gone, the 'Hawks look very strong at RB.

In addition, they drafted a WR, Kenny Lawler, in the 7th rnd. He is given little chance to make the team with the real depth the team has in Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett, and Paul Richardson (and a couple of others) filling out the receiving corps. Of course, you can add the "U"-type, pass-catching, TEs Jimmy Graham (if fully recovered from knee surgery) and Luke Willson to that group. They also drafted a very good-looking "Y"-type (inline blocking) TE in Nick Vannett, who also has good hands, although not elite speed. He is seen as restoring the blocking previously provided by Zach Miller.

So a lot of emphasis on the offense (actually 8 of 10 draft picks are on the offensive side). In my opinion the offense should be at least as good as in 2015--maybe better--but, of course, much depends on how the O-line works out. It's a worry for most Seahawks fans, although the faith that everyone seems to have in Tom Cable to shape the group into an effective functioning unit is pretty high.

On the defensive side of the ball, the secondary is now stronger. Securing CB Jeremy Lane opposite Richard Sherman is good, and they have several other guys--DeShawn Shead and Tharold Simon--who can fill on the corner--and also at safety. They've brought back Brandon Browner, and seem to have a hybrid role in mind for him--CB/S. Pete Carroll has gone on record as saying that the secondary has the greatest flexibility now that he's had since coming to Seattle. They should be very good. At linebacker, they lost Bruce Irvin, but seem to have some guys ready to step in at the SAM position. They drafted two guys for the D-line, one a very-highly regarded DT they drafted right at the beginning of the 2nd rnd. (and widely-seen as a 1st-rnd. talent), Jarran Reed. He is seen as replacing Brandon Mebane at either the nose tackle or 3-tech. position. He was regarded as the best run-stopper in the draft. They also drafted another DT, Quinton Jefferson, in the 5th rnd. With Ahtyba Rubin returning in the middle, the 'Hawks should be strong against the run. And, of course, with ace pass-rushers Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril returning, and Frank Clark coming into his own as an elite pass-rusher, opposing quarterbacks will have all they can handle from the 'Hawks.

Considering everything, a very good defense will probably be a little better in 2016.

Special teams will continue to be topnotch. Both kickers--PK Steven Hauschka and punter Jon Ryan--are back and are among the best in the business. Pro Bowl returner Tyler Lockett will be back to give the Seahawks good field position.

All things considered, the Seahawks are among the two or three favorites to represent the NFC in the SB. As has been the case over the last 3-4 years, they should be loads of fun to watch on offense. Russell Wilson (who had the top QB passer rating in the NFL 2015) should be even better, and, if the O-line can come together at all, the offense should be very good. The defense will continue to be a stifling unit (and the strength of the team), and could easily end up at the top (they were second in 2015) of the NFL defensive rankings.

I'm looking forward to the start of TC in late July and the regular season just after Labour Day. The Seahawks should be very good in 2016, with only the Cardinals, in my opinion, possibly their equal in the NFC (maybe the Packers too).
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cromartie
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The Seahawks have two very noteworthy problems:

1) The offensive line is among the league's worst and
2) The Arizona Cardinals are better

Good enough to replicate last season, but not better.
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cromartie wrote:The Seahawks have two very noteworthy problems:

1) The offensive line is among the league's worst and
2) The Arizona Cardinals are better

Good enough to replicate last season, but not better.
Some truth to both, but this hasn't kept pundits from ranking the Seahawks #4 in the preseason power rankings (albeit behind the Cardinals). As for (1), the hope is that the addition of Germain Ifedi (1st-round draft pick), plus the maturation of some holdovers (like Mark Glowinski at LG), will make for some improvement in the O-line in 2016. And it remains to be seen how the addition of six-times Pro BowlerJahri Evans will improve things. Tom Cable is reputed to be among the best O-line coaches out there; so things could be better in that position group in 2016. As for (2), yes, the Cardinals do look slightly better at this point, but I think that it's very close between the two teams, and an injury here or there could alter the balance of power.

Jimmy Graham practiced today for the 'Hawks (his first practice since his surgery). With luck, he and Thomas Rawls will be 100% good to go in their first regular-season game.
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Robbie
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True, only a pre-season game but no lead is safe is definitely true as well. Seahawks trail by 10 points late in the third quarter in Kansas City, then scores a touchdown with no time left and gambles on a two point conversion to take a 17-16 win. :rockin:
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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Here's one set (ESPN's) of NFL pre-season power rankings out today:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/1731 ... ots-behind

Pretty clear that the NFC West is the NFL's power division with the Seahawks and Cardinals. On the other hand, the 49ers are ranked 32nd in these rankings, and the Rams are 29th!

Expect these rankings to change frequently--and possibly dramatically--in the weeks ahead.
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Well, while we're on NFL preseason power rankings, here's another set done in late August by Bleacher Report:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2659 ... king-order

Seahawks in 6th place on this one, with a projected 11-5 season and with three NFC teams ranked ahead of them--Panthers, Cardinals, and Vikings.
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Some devastating injuries in the NFL pre-season. Injuries are a constant during training camp and the preseason, with a surprising number of players suffering injuries that are season-ending. Sometimes, the loss of the player isn't such that the team is visibly weakened, but the loss of your starting quarterback is one that can really cripple a team. Unless I've missed some camp news, we've now had two such crucial injuries: (a) Tony Romo having a bone in his back fractured in the game against the Seahawks and (b) yesterday's gruesome knee injury suffered by Teddy Bridgewater.

Romo's injuring should not be season-ending, but the recovery schedule has been given as 6-10 weeks. This will mean that most of the first half of the season, the 'Boys will be without him. And with Romo's medical history (previous back injuries, two broken collarbones), it's probably fair to ask whether he'll really be 100% effective at the end of the present recovery period. The Cowboy's most likely replacement at this point is their 2016 4th-round draft pick, Dak Prescott, who has looked good in the preseason, but is, still, a rookie.

Bridgewater's injury (which was evidently so gruesome that players were unable to view it) is just awful. Torn ACL and dislocated knee. He's obviously gone for 2016, and the Vikes have slim pickings behind him. This one is particularly sad as the Vikings were on the rise and were expected to be very competitive this season, perhaps even displacing the Packers once again for the NFC-N crown. The Vikes have an outstanding coach in Mike Zimmer, who has shown the right response since the injury. The team didn't run a lot of passing plays in 2015, relying on a strong run game with Adrian Peterson, but this reliance on the ground game will likely need to be even greater still in 2016. You just hate to see this happen to any player, but particularly one so talented who was just developing into a legitimate NFL star.
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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AS OF WEEK 1

With the acquisitions, training camp, preseason, cuts to the 53-man roster and stocking of their PR, we now have a pretty clear picture of the 2016 edition of the Seahawks--at least just before the season starts next Sunday. If I had to characterize this team, I'd say that they might have improved a little over the 2015 team, although nothing really dramatic in that regard, just a firming up of a good basic team. Here's how I see the various parts of the team.

1. OFFENSE

Probably improved over 2015. We might see a team that is much like what we saw in the last half of 2015. Although Beast Mode is gone, the 'Hawks will have Thomas Rawls back from his ankle injury and surgery just in time for Game 1. In the meantime, Christine Michael has put together a terrific preseason, and will provide a nice 1-2 punch for the ground game. Third-round draft pick C. J. Prosise, out of Notre Dame and at 6', 220 lbs, with 4.48 speed, has looked good when healthy in the preseason (he missed some of it), and is seen as primarily a 3rd-down back with excellent pass-catching skills as well a solid running ability. Finally, there is 5th-round pick Alex Collins,out of Arkansas, at 5-10, 217, who is a downhill pounder in much the same mold as Rawls. So, while no Beast Mode, the Seahawks have a very talented stable of running backs, and we should expect to see them to continue to be a run-first team that will gain a lot of yards on the ground.

At quarterback, they have Russell Wilson, of course, and he appears to be close to emerging as a truly elite quarterback. His passer rating of 110 was tops in 2015, and his receiving corps remains strong. One question mark at QB is the backup. Last season, he had Tavaris Jackson, who was an experienced and capable backup. However, Jackson pulled a gun on his wife and was charged with domestic violence (I presume), so he won't be back by all indications. This leaves the backup position to Trevone Boykin, a raw rookie and undrafted free agent. The Seahawks like Boykin because of his similarity to Russell Wilson, but his play in the preseason has been spotty at times, and he's not the most reliable backup--at least at this point. We might see the 'Hawks reach out to a more experienced QB to come in for Wilson's backup.

In the passing game, there's a lot to like. The stable of receivers that played so well last season is back--Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett (from whom much is expected in this his second year), Paul Richardson, a speedster who can stretch the field, and surprise guy, Tanner McEvoy (6-6, 230, 4.57 speed) who can also play safety in a pinch. In addition, they have two dynamic pass-catching tight ends in Jimmy Graham (who, recovering from major knee surgery, probably won't play until the second or third game) and Canadian Luke Willson. They also have two pretty solid in-line tight ends in Brandon Williams and 3rd-round draft pick, Nick Vannett. These guys will be the traditional blocking TEs, providing what Zach Miller gave the 'Hawks several years ago.

So the traditional skill positions are in very good hands. What's left is the offensive line, and this is where the Seahawks have flopped somewhat in past years. There appears to be very little continuity from the 2015 O-line, with only Garry Gilliam penciled in again at RT (competing with J'Marcus Webb). The rest of the O-line is either two new guys (Bradley Sowell at LT and Germain Ifedi (1st-round draft pick) at RG, or holdovers playing different positions: Justin Britt now at center and Mark Glowinski at LG. O-line coach Tom Cable seems to be pretty high on this ensemble, but on paper they don't look dominating. Perhaps with a few games under their belts, they will gel into a cohesive unit. However, as in the past several years, this position group would have to be seen as the weak link in the Seahawks' offense.

All things considered: I expect good production out of the 2016 offense. There will be bumps in the road for sure as the O-line comes together, but the quality of the personnel at most positions should mean that they will produce well on the ground and through the air. Possibly a small upgrade from the 2015 offensive team.

2. DEFENSE

Starting with the D-line, the 'Hawks should remain strong. The big off-season loss here was Brandon Mebane who most often played nose tackle. However, they drafted a stud DT in the 2nd-round in Jarran Reed, who was rated as the best run-stopper in the 2016 draft, and playing alongside Ahtyba Rubin, should give the 'Hawks some real power in the interior of the line. The DEs are very good--Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril--and they will be complemented by Frank Clark, who is expected to develop into something special this season. So on balance, this year's D-line should be as good as last years, and maybe slightly better.

At linebacker, the 'Hawks have two of the best back in Bobby Wagner in the middle and K. J. Wright on the weak side. The only real loss from this position group is Bruce Irvin who was very strong at the SAM position. At this point, it looks as if his replacement will be Mike Morgan, who is not the athlete Irvin is, and this will necessitate some adjustments to the defensive packages, likely bringing in Cassius Marsh at rush end for the plays that Irvin played that position on passing downs. The linebacker corps is pretty solid, but they may well miss Irvin.

In the secondary, they should be stronger than in 2015. They won't have a Cary Williams experiment to suffer through in the early part of the season, and should be strong right out of the gate. We'll probably see DeShawn Shead most often at Right CB, across from Richard Sherman, with Jeremy Lane subbing in at times. Shead is 6-2, 220 lbs., with 4.5 speed--big enough to match up with tight ends. When Shead is in at CB, we'll see Lane in at nickel, and, since both of them can play either position, you may see Lane at CB on some plays and Shead at nickel Both these guys are good, and, along with Sherman and the two superb safeties, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, represent a very credible "Legion of Boom." The experiment to bring Brandon Browner back seems not to have worked out and he has been cut.

In summary, the 2016 Seahawks defense should once again be the stifling unit that led the NFL in many categories in 2015--a unit that should keep the 'Hawks in many games when the offense fizzles.

3. SPECIAL TEAMS

No drop off here. Their two kickers, Steven Hauschka (PK) and Jon Ryan (P) are superb. Pete Carroll has put quite a bit of emphasis on special teams in TC and the preseason and expects to have a talented crew, with a number of players making the 53-man roster because of excellent special-teams play. And with Tyler Lockett returning kickoffs and punts, the 'Hawks will have one of the two or three best in the NFL in that role.

4. COACHING

I don't think any changes were made in the coordinators or position coaches. Darrell Bevell will continue as OC and Kris Richard as OC, and Tom Cable will continue as O-line coach.

OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good team. Various football pundits have placed them anywhere from 1st to 8th in preseason power rankings. They play in a tough division, the NFC-West, and will have a major challenge in knocking the Arizona Cardinals out of top spot in the division. Nonetheless, they should be a playoff team in 2016, and, if not hit too hard with injuries to key players and if things gel through the season, could go deep into the playoffs and make it to the Super Bowl.

Of course, things change rapidly once the season starts and injuries start to mount up or other factors come into play to change the team's chemistry and effectiveness. Nonetheless, my prediction would be for an 11-5 season for the 'Hawks--12-4 if things go very well or 10-6 if not--and a post-season berth.
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NFL Week 1 Odds

(in somewhat smushed form)

NFL Odds Week 1 - Week One NFL Football Odds
NFL Game Odds 9/8 - 9/12, 2016
Date & Time Favorite Spread Underdog Total Money Odds
9/8 8:30 ET Carolina -3 At Denver 41.5 -$170 +$150
9/11 1:00 ET At Atlanta -3 Tampa Bay 47.5 -$160 +$140
9/11 1:00 ET Minnesota -2 At Tennessee 41 -$130 +$110
9/11 1:00 ET At Philadelphia -4 Cleveland 41.5 -$205 +$175
9/11 1:00 ET Cincinnati -2.5 At NY Jets 41.5 -$140 +$120
9/11 1:00 ET At New Orleans -1 Oakland 51 -$120 +$100
9/11 1:00 ET At Kansas City -7 San Diego 44.5 -$330 +$270
9/11 1:00 ET At Baltimore -3 Buffalo 44.5 -$160 +$140
9/11 1:00 ET At Houston -6.5 Chicago 44 -$270 +$230
9/11 1:00 ET Green Bay -5.5 At Jacksonville 48 -$250 +$210
9/11 4:05 ET At Seattle -10.5 Miami 44 -$550 +$425
9/11 4:25 ET At Dallas PK NY Giants 46 -$110 -$110
9/11 4:25 ET At Indianapolis -3.5 Detroit 50.5 -$195 +$170
9/11 8:30 ET At Arizona -6 New England 47 -$255 +$215

Monday Night Football Odds
9/12 7:10 ET Pittsburgh -3 At Washington 50 -$170 +$150
9/12 10:20 ET Los Angeles -2.5 At San Francisco 44 -$140 +$120
PK = Pick Em. No Favorite. No Underdog.
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