AZ54

QB is easy. If you aren’t convinced Fields is the answer just hedge your bet and draft another one. Let them compete. He’s got Fields locked up for two more seasons if he wants him. the only downside is the opportunity cost because it likely means bypassing MHJr. There are other good options among the WR and TE with Bowers that can help.

I couldn't tell for sure but it appeared Hockenson was able to hit the tail end of that ball as JJ was securing it. I'll be looking for a highlight but yeah JJ wasn't gifted sticky hands.

I'd be in the trenches with you. We were on the road against a superior opponent, in front of a national audience and while it wasn't pretty, we won the dogfight. That goes a long way for the confidence of every player on the team. I don't get as much time to write here as I used to for family reasons but tonight here we go... Kudos to Eberflus for having this team ready to go. Kudos to him for calling a great defensive game. I know he's still learning on the job but the top trait I want in a HC is leadership and nothing shows that more than guiding a team through all the rough spots and performing well like they did tonight. Plus his expertise on the defensive side of the ball is really showing. Even the announcers begrudgingly gave him credit for having the top rush defense in the NFL, then quickly moved on. TV idiots couldn't even put together a graphic for a short discussion on it. So they obviously came prepared with all the Vikings and Josh Dobbs stuff queued up and couldn't use it because our D was suffocating them. Getsy...that 2nd half WR screen after WR screen showed he needs to go. I kept thinking there's a big play coming on one of these with a fake but it never was to be. For all those decrying the lack of quick slants the issue with that is the LBs/DBs routinely fake stack the LOS and then quickly drop off. You could never rely on hitting a quick inside slant. I'm no OC but I suspect you could work the WR stacks better to the outside on short routes than what we did, or find inside gaps behind the LBs as we seemed to do early on. After seeing this D earlier in the season I was curious what he would dial up to counter it. If this is your best counter punch it failed. Fields deserves a game ball simply for stumbling and then getting back up and leading the team to victory. If you never had the sports monkey hanging on your back in the middle of a game (I have) then you may not realize how hard it is to do what he did after making those two big mistakes. I think he was getting frustrated with all the WR screens and safe calls. You know when coaches are reeling it in. I'm still waiting to see the full season before making my QB decision. Danielle Hunter just auditioned for his next contract. If he can finish the season healthy he'd look really good in a Bears uniform. Focus on the 3-tech in the draft. Kyler Gordon is playing at a Pro Bowl level. How many NBs can stuff a RB in the hole like he did? Run a TE out of bounds short of the 1st down marker as he did? And cover WRs? It's not a coincidence the Bears D resurgence began when he returned to the field. His injury had me worried because I love watching great defense. JJ had himself a day. Edmunds is finally starting to get it and head downhill on run downs. Coverage was good too. While the Vikings' ESPN announcers couldn't figure it out, Dobbs had to throw over him to get the ball into Addison on one play. That high throw led to one INT when the receiver bobble the ball. Dexter is starting to become a beast. I also thought Billings played well although he doesn't get much credit for the dirty work. Roschon is finally starting to feel the cutback lanes and hit them. I think it was him who took on two blitzing players up the middle at once. I have to find that highlight and IIRC he enabled Fields to complete a pass. For awhile I was wondering why Roschon was getting so many snaps but I came to suspect he was likely there for better pass protection. Yet I wanted Herbert running because he's so much better at finding the crease. This will be some good film for the rookie to learn from. DJ Moore is simply awesome. We have to pair him up with a good talent on the other side of the field to see his true potential. Of course I'd love to see MHJr in that role next year. Do you think the Vikings would keep playing a single high safety with Moore and MHJr on opposite sides?

I'd have fired Getsy on the spot if he tried to run any plays against that front inside the 15, when you can just run the clock down as they did, make Minn burn their two remaining timeouts, and then kick a FG which has something like a 99% success rate.

Even with his bad games this season Fields easily slots in above Tannehill at $30mil. $40mil per year would put him 14th on the list. That will rank lower after this off-season https://overthecap.com/position/quarterback

CJ Stroud proved there was a starting QB available at the top of the draft. Carolina just chose poorly.

That'd be a good draft.

I totally disagree on Davis, he's playing some good football. I'd like to see the game film you have showing him to be so bad. I just watched the Football Scout's breakdown of the Detroit game and he looked pretty good. If you need $11mil cut Whitehair and Eddie Jackson. That'll get you $20mil.

No doubt, that'd be a total disaster. Warren didn't hire Poles but the owner did. The owners also hired Warren to focus on the new stadium. Keep it that way.

Right after watching the Detroit game I felt it was Fields' best game of his career. I wanted to wait and see the film to validate that. I've now watched JT O'Sullivan's review and Chase Daniel's review. Both backed up my sentiments. JT was a bit more critical on a few plays but even on a couple of those you can clearly see pressure breaking free and Fields working around it. Where JT says he should stand in there and fire, I'm also thinking.... if I could run like Justin can I'd escape and reset outside the pocket versus forcing something under pressure. There was one really obvious play late in the game where Fields missed a wide open deep in-route. The rest was generally on time, he went through progressions quickly (quicker than I've ever seen), and when watching the all-22 angles some of his passes were pretty incredible. If he plays like this in the next game the arrow is definitely pointing upward and he's our QB for 2024. After watching Mahomes lose to the Eagles one thing is clear...receivers make a big difference. The Chiefs had multiple drops in the game. Jalen Hurts looked lost and played poorly under pressure for the vast majority of that game. Feel free to roll back the film of Fields against KC for comparison. I've only seen 3 Bills games this year but have yet to see Josh Allen play as well as what Fields did Sunday. Sports and athletes are not a linear projection. Back to the WR issues on our team: Consider Tyler Scott with the poor route on the deep pass to run the clock out and win the game. Put MHJ in that spot next year and that game ends with a W. I don't know what happened to Mooney, he rocked up in the offseason but now he can't separate from anybody. DBs are easily jogging with him step for step in coverage. Sure he gets open at times but almost always against zone coverages. What have you seen him do in the redzone where coverages tighten up? Velus could be cut any day now and nobody would notice. He's not only been replaced by Scott but also the late roster addition Trent Taylor. Cole Kmet is a very good inline TE but not a field stretcher in receiving. Tonyan is horrible. Tonyan can't block anyone and while that was somewhat expected I thought he'd at least be a reliable 4th option as a receiver. He's not. Fields has the running game support he needs. The pass protection is good. Sure there are issues from time to time but that's also the NFL. Mahomes and all the other top 10 QBs deal with occasional protection breakdowns too. When that happens you want a guy like Fields (or Mahomes or Allen) who can escape and throw on the run, or just run. If his performance holds, even with some up/downs, then we need to see him with a legit #2 WR on the field next year alongside DJ Moore, plus a legit TE receiving threat as a compliment to Kmet. I'm doubtful on bringing back Mooney on anything but a 1yr deal and prefer to let Scott take his role and then double dip in the draft with Rd 1/4 picks. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'd keep ESB for next year, he's just reliable in both run game and passing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFCwGuqEnVI. Chase Daniel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Nf-erIkrU. JT O'Sullivan

No his range is too limited in coverage. He's a good player, very good when moving toward the LOS, but he'll keep the WLB spot warm until we find the right player.

No good player gets cut midseason. Even if we did sign Shaq Leonard he likely isn't a special teams player so he's not a backup LB. If he starts that means TJ Edwards sits on the bench or moves over to SLB. I don't think we paid Edwards $6mil/yr to be a part-time player.

He didn’t impress me either. I’m kinda surprised at the numbers. That said it’s still draft him before Bryce Young. The arm talent is there but the mental side of the game is lacking when there is pressure.

Yeah, you couldn't watch that game and not chose Fields over Goff. If Scott doesn't quit on that last route the entire narrative changes. If Jaylon Johnson could catch a ball that hits his hands the entire narrative changes.

Not to sit here and argue scheme but it’s the intermediate sideline out not the deep corner that gets exposed and that TD wasn’t even on the sideline.

That’s it exactly

If that was a correctly played cover 2 by the safety it’s incomplete.

That first down was on Fields too

That sack is on Field

I’m tired of Anzalones cheap shots on Fields. He just tried to throw an elbow at his head as he was going down.

I don’t think that’sa good shot at all. Hard to challenge so good take the points.

I haven't watched any of Houston's games so I'll take your word for it. And I don't disagree on where Fields needs to grow as a QB but you've also seen him handle an all-out blitz and make a hot read for a 1st down. Hit a quick out on 4th and short for a 1st down.

Yes that’s what 7 or 8 years of experience does for a QB. Of course it also caused Goff to almost throw 3 INTs in the first half. 1st half: Justin 11/16 103yd, O TD. 0 INT. 43yd rushing Goff. 11/18. 107 yd, 1 TD. 2 INT. 4yd rushing

Our LBs seem confused on how to line up on each play.

I got 3 so far of thumb chat.