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What, no Week 2 wrap-up thread?

Don’t think it has been mentioned but Steelers were without Bush Haden and obviously Watt for most of the game. That’s three of their best defensive players and they were still 1 third down stop away from having the ball and needing a field goal to win the game. We should have some good value going against the Raiders this week.
 
Don’t think it has been mentioned but Steelers were without Bush Haden and obviously Watt for most of the game. That’s three of their best defensive players and they were still 1 third down stop away from having the ball and needing a field goal to win the game. We should have some good value going against the Raiders this week.

Easy place for an emotional let-down coming home off that win, too. I throw out Brissett's game against Buffalo. Give him a full week to prepare and historically he's somewhere between average and pretty good. Miami may be a good tease opportunity here, especially if this moves to +4.
 
I'm going to be interested to see how Green Bay plays this week. There was a point, early in that game last night, where it really looked like Rodgers was still out to lunch. And I was worried he might be deciding just to mail this whole thing in.

That seemed to change when he ended up getting a short field. Suddenly he was in the redzone and it felt like he decided, 'OK, fuck this, I'm good at this, let's get into the endzone.'

Fast forward to Detroit falling apart and now GB is 1-1, which really isn't all that far off from where they expected to be, I imagine. Sure, they probably thought they'd be 2-0, but NO was always a road game, even before they took it outside on the grass. Then Rodgers, by his own admission, got punched in the nuts. Literally. So you could see where the guy might have been like, 'You know what, let me just get my money this year, then I'll figure out if this is even worth it any more.'

The question is, did last night get Rodgers back into this season or not. Were I a Packer fan, I'd hate the matchup this week for this reason. Give Aaron another really easy opponent and maybe he's suddenly fired up again. Problem is, this matchup has been historically terrible for GB. And SF is coming off a pretty weak win, after being on the road for over two weeks.

Anyway, my guess is Rodgers plays OK, but GB still loses. What I'm interested to see is if it goes wobbly on him early and he decides this is another Saints game. If so, there's a chance he makes a business decision on this year, imo. But if they go back and forth on Sunday and it's a close loss or they get the win, maybe we can completely throw out that Saints game and declare that GB has officially decided to participate in the 2021 season.
 
That, btw, is another thing. There's a potential of a longer than normal Week 1 over-reaction this year, imo. Because some teams barely tried in the preseason, some not even starting their starter much at all, I think you're already seeing teams start slower.

I mentioned Tenny earlier, I think they might have finally joined us in this NFL season starting in the second half of their game last week. Maybe GB did the same last night. Part of me thinks you might get a pretty big performance from Buffalo this week too. Sure, they beat the brakes off Miami, but it's not as if Josh Allen's QB rating was all that great in that game. Now, the Dolphins' D is good, but 2TDs and 1INT for 179 yards in a game you won 35-0 isn't great.

Now, they obviously didn't need him to be great. But in some ways, Buffalo has started slow. I feel like that might end this week vs. a backup QB. Give Allen some short fields, let them spread the field a bit. Also, they kind of get a redo on their home opener where they did unspeakable things to a pooch that did not deserve it.
 
That, btw, is another thing. There's a potential of a longer than normal Week 1 over-reaction this year, imo. Because some teams barely tried in the preseason, some not even starting their starter much at all, I think you're already seeing teams start slower.

I mentioned Tenny earlier, I think they might have finally joined us in this NFL season starting in the second half of their game last week. Maybe GB did the same last night. Part of me thinks you might get a pretty big performance from Buffalo this week too. Sure, they beat the brakes off Miami, but it's not as if Josh Allen's QB rating was all that great in that game. Now, the Dolphins' D is good, but 2TDs and 1INT for 179 yards in a game you won 35-0 isn't great.

Now, they obviously didn't need him to be great. But in some ways, Buffalo has started slow. I feel like that might end this week vs. a backup QB. Give Allen some short fields, let them spread the field a bit. Also, they kind of get a redo on their home opener where they did unspeakable things to a pooch that did not deserve it.
Good point.

Titans are a prime example.
 
Can we talk about dumbass coaches and time management?

At the same time.,..Dallas hit that long FG to win but they also had ways to stop the clock and let it run to the very end without even running a play. That was a Mike McCARTHY SPECIAL. Tea was less than impressed with that guy, no doubt.

In college and pro, these teams need to hire clock specialists or something... we see multiple errors every week of something that is VERY simple.
I agree with the clock management issues, but I do see two sides to the coin. Here's the other side:

1) The previous week they were in a similar situation, Down 2, 2 minutes left, ball at their 35. They hit a big pass early to get right into FG range. Then they stalled and left Brady 1:24 to drive for the GW FG. I'm sure they ran a slower pace and more runs on Sunday to make sure Herbert and his cannon arm had no chance to counter.

2) With 33 seconds left, Dallas had 2 and 6 on the Chargers 41, right at the edge of FG range, 1 timeout left. They decided to run....I would've been passing. They should've had two plays ready to go, maybe they did, I dunno. But now there's 28 seconds left, the clock is running, 1 timeout left, and its 3rd down. The choices are not great:

a) call timeout now. IMO you've moved into a high-risk position because its third down. If you run a play that doesn't stop the clock but also doesn't convert, then you're running the FG unit at double time and trying to kick a 50+ yarder in 20 seconds.

b) run a hurry up and get a play off to try to convert while keeping the timeout. This is their best option but for whatever reason they were slow in setting up (which they were that whole possession) and now they risked screwing up the play, losing yardage, or turning it over, or getting a penalty that would push them out of range.

This led them to go with option c) let the clock run to almost nothing a give your big leg a shot from a distance he can reach fairly easily. Here the only real risk is getting it blocked. Otherwise miss and its still a 50-50 shot in OT.

So from a clock management standpoint it wasn't their best. But from a risk management standpoint they basically did what happens in the NBA all the time. They held the ball in a tie game for the last shot and then instead of driving to the hole had Dame throw up a fall away three. This time it swished.
 
I think it's simpler

Scott Pioli was on Rome yesterday and discussed how McCarthy couldn't actually see the game clock, it's just there in the in the middle of the advertisement board that lights up when action isn't going on at LA RAMS ARENA. Sounds cheesy but I get it, go to games where you count on it and all the flashing bullshit, it's hard to see the clock as a fan, pretty sure it's the same for a coach. We get coddled having a clock highlighted on our tvs, I actually believe he couldn't find the clock/time and it shouldn't be meshed in with all the advertising on that so popular band they put everywhere now
 
I think it's simpler

Scott Pioli was on Rome yesterday and discussed how McCarthy couldn't actually see the game clock, it's just there in the in the middle of the advertisement board that lights up when action isn't going on at LA RAMS ARENA. Sounds cheesy but I get it, go to games where you count on it and all the flashing bullshit, it's hard to see the clock as a fan, pretty sure it's the same for a coach. We get coddled having a clock highlighted on our tvs, I actually believe he couldn't find the clock/time and it shouldn't be meshed in with all the advertising on that so popular band they put everywhere now
You need to know this pregame.
Bottom line

Every team in league needs a coach for this .head coaches simply cannot handle it correctly...
 
You need to know this pregame.
Bottom line

Every team in league needs a coach for this .head coaches simply cannot handle it correctly...
He said he did know it pregame and when the time came, they flashed so much neon for the entire stadium to see he couldn't actually read it

I do not like McCarthy one bit, but after listening to Pioli, I buy it completely. As in the flashing lights were to the point you couldn't see that little scoreboard/clock
 
Also, Rome is still on the radio. This is something else I learned this week.
He's the only "mainstream media" I remotely watch occasionally on CBSSN other than when Cowherd has Joel Klatt on which is right about now

Saw something that Rome's contract has him making around $30 milly a year with endorsement/advertising
 
He's the only "mainstream media" I remotely watch occasionally on CBSSN other than when Cowherd has Joel Klatt on which is right about now

Saw something that Rome's contract has him making around $30 milly a year with endorsement/advertising

I believe it. I think that was his big move. He went early to CBS and was going to be their tent-pole guy, maybe even before Cowherd jumped to Fox. Or maybe it was around the same time. It just so happens that I don't have CBSSN on my TV package and CBS Radio is on kind of a weird HD radio station here on the dial. So I honestly never hear the guy. Like ever. I heard a radio ad with him on it a couple of months ago and did that, 'Oh yeah, that guy used to be 'the' guy in LA. I wonder what he's been doing.'

But I believe he's out there still making money. I don't really like Rome (I don't particularly like Cowherd either), but we get a good bit of national ESPN and Fox radio here and it is fucking horrible. I feel like once ESPN was able to get rid of LeBatard they went all in on what I call slapdick radio. Sort of faux hot takes between a couple of hosts who try to mushroom stamp the other host on the forehead for two hours. "Lebron is better than Jordan! OMG, no way! You're crazy!" Just a couple of guys, slappin dicks. No need to ever think about anything meaningful here, because that might hurt the bottom line. The stupid makes my brain hurt.
 
I believe it. I think that was his big move. He went early to CBS and was going to be their tent-pole guy, maybe even before Cowherd jumped to Fox. Or maybe it was around the same time. It just so happens that I don't have CBSSN on my TV package and CBS Radio is on kind of a weird HD radio station here on the dial. So I honestly never hear the guy. Like ever. I heard a radio ad with him on it a couple of months ago and did that, 'Oh yeah, that guy used to be 'the' guy in LA. I wonder what he's been doing.'

But I believe he's out there still making money. I don't really like Rome (I don't particularly like Cowherd either), but we get a good bit of national ESPN and Fox radio here and it is fucking horrible. I feel like once ESPN was able to get rid of LeBatard they went all in on what I call slapdick radio. Sort of faux hot takes between a couple of hosts who try to mushroom stamp the other host on the forehead for two hours. "Lebron is better than Jordan! OMG, no way! You're crazy!" Just a couple of guys, slappin dicks. No need to ever think about anything meaningful here, because that might hurt the bottom line. The stupid makes my brain hurt.
I don't do fabricated debate shows at all, they're cheesy and I'd rather watch Bambi

Simply will not spend a second on them
 
I don't do fabricated debate shows at all, they're cheesy and I'd rather watch Bambi

Simply will not spend a second on them

Totally agreed. The problem is it's sort of bleeding out. Max Kellerman for two hours was the replacement for the lion's share of LeBatard's show. It's awful. And honestly their two-person shows are the same drivel. Just two people, filling time.

I probably hear more sports radio than I do sports TV, but I'd say the best radio I've heard in the last couple of years has been the three woman show ESPN used to have on like Saturday mornings and the show Fox has now with Lavar Arrington, Plaxico Burress, and TJ Housemazolli. The hour Fox gives RJ Bell to do gambling is also somewhat decent, but he needs a better co-host. Which, coincidentally as I was driving home yesterday I heard he's getting. His other co-host is getting an early morning gig with someone else to replace Clay Travis who I guess is just going to go off and be a right wing troll now.

Which, to circle it back to Rome, I also get. There is an absolute ton of money to be made on the conservative grifter circuit, particularly telling racists what they want to hear. I'm sure Travis will become very rich. Also, don't forget to take your horse meds, everyone. Your liver won't thank you, but you'll be free of horse worms, which is what the pandemic has always been about.
 
Totally agreed. The problem is it's sort of bleeding out. Max Kellerman for two hours was the replacement for the lion's share of LeBatard's show. It's awful. And honestly their two-person shows are the same drivel. Just two people, filling time.

I probably hear more sports radio than I do sports TV, but I'd say the best radio I've heard in the last couple of years has been the three woman show ESPN used to have on like Saturday mornings and the show Fox has now with Lavar Arrington, Plaxico Burress, and TJ Housemazolli. The hour Fox gives RJ Bell to do gambling is also somewhat decent, but he needs a better co-host. Which, coincidentally as I was driving home yesterday I heard he's getting. His other co-host is getting an early morning gig with someone else to replace Clay Travis who I guess is just going to go off and be a right wing troll now.

Which, to circle it back to Rome, I also get. There is an absolute ton of money to be made on the conservative grifter circuit, particularly telling racists what they want to hear. I'm sure Travis will become very rich. Also, don't forget to take your horse meds, everyone. Your liver won't thank you, but you'll be free of horse worms, which is what the pandemic has always been about.
Yeah no RJ or obviously Clay Travis for me, disgusting to listen/watch

I guess Rome is pretty liberal but he does fairly well to keep the politics out of it...for me he's a stand up comic talking sports. And Cowherd is an extreme liberal but I don't enjoy him at all, he's so stuck on LA/Pats/Cowboys etc for ratings and provides less than zero
 
Yeah no RJ or obviously Clay Travis for me, disgusting to listen/watch

I guess Rome is pretty liberal but he does fairly well to keep the politics out of it...for me he's a stand up comic talking sports. And Cowherd is an extreme liberal but I don't enjoy him at all, he's so stuck on LA/Pats/Cowboys etc for ratings and provides less than zero

I'm good with RJ if he just talks gambling, because at least he knows it. He strikes me as a Trump guy in real life who pretends a lot of it isn't about the racism and it's instead about the 'Fuck yeah, America!' and the 'Trump that bitch!' from 2016. Which requires a lot of delusion, but if you're willing to put in the effort, maybe it makes your life easier or whatever.

I don't really listen to enough of Cowherd I guess (which, thank god) but I've never really thought of him as a liberal. Although he seems to agree on vaccines so maybe that's enough now? I genuinely don't know. But I also don't like him. I agree he's kind of one note, sort of like a more accessible Skip Bayless in a lot of ways. The one thing Colin does, and Rome has been able to do this forever (and Rome has always better interviewer) is get good guests.

The ESPN guys seem like they either get other ESPN guys (hey look, it's Buster Olney!) or they get someone from the fucking league they're in bed with which is useless. At least with Colin you'll get former players and guys who want to talk openly about the league. I was in the car a lot yesterday and I think it was Colin who had Mark Sanchez on who, shockingly, was a good interview. Mainly because was willing to get into the weeds on the rookie QBs and his related experience.

I guess Fox is going to try giving Colin's sidekick her own couple of hours to see if that works. I'm one of those weird people who believes in radio, so anything that improves the medium I'm down for.
 
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Totally agreed. The problem is it's sort of bleeding out. Max Kellerman for two hours was the replacement for the lion's share of LeBatard's show. It's awful. And honestly their two-person shows are the same drivel. Just two people, filling time.

I probably hear more sports radio than I do sports TV, but I'd say the best radio I've heard in the last couple of years has been the three woman show ESPN used to have on like Saturday mornings and the show Fox has now with Lavar Arrington, Plaxico Burress, and TJ Housemazolli. The hour Fox gives RJ Bell to do gambling is also somewhat decent, but he needs a better co-host. Which, coincidentally as I was driving home yesterday I heard he's getting. His other co-host is getting an early morning gig with someone else to replace Clay Travis who I guess is just going to go off and be a right wing troll now.

Which, to circle it back to Rome, I also get. There is an absolute ton of money to be made on the conservative grifter circuit, particularly telling racists what they want to hear. I'm sure Travis will become very rich. Also, don't forget to take your horse meds, everyone. Your liver won't thank you, but you'll be free of horse worms, which is what the pandemic has always been about.
Well, to be fair there aren’t many(Travis etc). So it’s nice to have one.

Otherwise we get Herbie crying on TV every week
 
Well, to be fair there aren’t many(Travis etc). So it’s nice to have one.

Otherwise we get Herbie crying on TV every week
Why do we need one infiltrating sports? I don't know how Herbie is politically, do the cult not cry?
 
And Joe I don't care much about radio but I drive an '09 Altima I bought new that has 43k miles. Not on the road.

But if I was, there isn't some opinion honk I'd listen to, even Rome, if it gets into divide and conquer

Rather listen to Enya
 
Hahaha

You’re joking on the 1st question, correct?
No, if you somehow extrapolate sports talk into politics, wish we'd just dust them all

That's where we are? Clay Travis is a shitty listen first, then an alt right hack second. I focus on the first.
 
Debate and opinion shows whether tv or radio are complete trash, always has been

Only reason I've ever listened to or watched Rome is the Everett thing and he makes me laugh
 
No, if you somehow extrapolate sports talk into politics, wish we'd just dust them all

That's where we are? Clay Travis is a shitty listen first, then an alt right hack second. I focus on the first.
Preaching to the choir of you are saying keep politics out of sports……but you know how that’s been going
 
Preaching to the choir of you are saying keep politics out of sports……but you know how that’s been going
Keep shitty debate out of sports

I don't care about your politics like you don't care about mine. I respect it all til you give me a reason not to. And that's debate media these days, anyone with an ounce of credibility in debating cringes at what's out there. It's shouting over each other....that's not debate.
 
And Joe I don't care much about radio but I drive an '09 Altima I bought new that has 43k miles. Not on the road.

But if I was, there isn't some opinion honk I'd listen to, even Rome, if it gets into divide and conquer

Rather listen to Enya

The weird thing is, I think that's the alternative to the two guys slapping dicks model. And I don't mean that politically, I mean that in the Skip Bayless vs. Shannon Sharpe or First Take kind of way. Isn't that the point of those shows, to manufacture dumb arguments over nothing so you can see a blood vessel burst out of Stephen A. Smith's forehead?

I can't deal with that nonsense. It's exhausting for no reason.
 
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The weird thing is, I think that's the alternative to the two guys slapping dicks model. And I don't mean that politically, I mean that in the Skip Bayless vs. Shannon Sharpe or First Take kind of way. Isn't that the point of those shows, to manufacture dumb arguments over nothing so you can see a blood vessel burst out of Stephen A. Smith's forehead?

I can't deal with that nonsense. It's exhausting for no reason.
It's turned me on to the weather channel in the mornings
 
Preaching to the choir of you are saying keep politics out of sports……but you know how that’s been going

I mean, you kind of can't though. At least, historically that's always how it's been going back to before Ali. But I would say that the corporate interests agree with you for the most part. They seem to think at least a certain type of politics is bad for business. Which is how we get the sports version of Dingo & The Baby.
 
It's turned me on to the weather channel in the mornings

I believe it. I honestly haven't watched an ESPN show for years now. I'll watch games, but in terms of a show? Maybe I watched an episode of Highly Questionable some time before they finally shot it in an alley a week or so ago? Maybe a PTI? I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't even watch SportsCenter. I haven't in forever.
 
I believe it. I honestly haven't watched an ESPN show for years now. I'll watch games, but in terms of a show? Maybe I watched an episode of Highly Questionable some time before they finally shot it in an alley a week or so ago? Maybe a PTI? I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't even watch SportsCenter. I haven't in forever.
I watch more ESPN+ for soccer than any of their actual channels unless there's a big game on
 
I watch more ESPN+ for soccer than any of their actual channels unless there's a big game on

I'm guessing that the majority of this site is roughly the same age. Which I say as a preface to this, how weird is it that ESPN is basically useless now when growing up it was essential viewing.

I mean, in HS, in college, etc. SportsCenter was appointment TV. Now, if it's not a game, I don't even think about seeing what's on the channel. To me that is just crazy.
 
I'm guessing that the majority of this site is roughly the same age. Which I say as a preface to this, how weird is it that ESPN is basically useless now when growing up it was essential viewing.

I mean, in HS, in college, etc. SportsCenter was appointment TV. Now, if it's not a game, I don't even think about seeing what's on the channel. To me that is just crazy.
Their programming sucks, who even turns to ESPN but for live sports or the occasional SVP monologue?

Burned me out years ago...wake up at 5-6am and wouldn't mind watching some inspirational 30/30 to go into the day but nope...6 back to back Sportscenters of things I've already seen.

Sportscenter was huge for a reason growing up, we didn't have access to most of the games they highlight. Now we see them within a couple minutes, don't need the highlight show or the rabble rousing between 4 dudes in the morning. Basically the opposite of inspiration.

Rather they show overnight soccer/rugby/table tennis whatever than destroy the day before it starts
 
No, if you somehow extrapolate sports talk into politics, wish we'd just dust them all

That's where we are? Clay Travis is a shitty listen first, then an alt right hack second. I focus on the first.
yet JoeP just accused Trump of racism.
 
I mean, you kind of can't though. At least, historically that's always how it's been going back to before Ali. But I would say that the corporate interests agree with you for the most part. They seem to think at least a certain type of politics is bad for business. Which is how we get the sports version of Dingo & The Baby.
Ok, cool. So one or two guys in the industry take a conservative approach vs the rest.

I don’t subscribe to the entire “shut up and play” deal really either, and you all might not like the views of Clay or Whitlock but….
 
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