are we on the upswing

You really going to trust Burrow not to miss half of the season again.

 

I think it's tough to go a whole season having to win in a shootout every week.

 

Don't disagree but they are the one team with the offensive weapons to do it. If they manage to improve that OL just to average then it would be like Rodgers with two + receivers.

 

aaron rodgers has been more durable in his career than either joe or lamar. he has 3 season where he has missed more than one game out of 20 years. jackson has missed more in 4 out of 8. burrow has missed 3 out of 6. so this talk of him being fragile and old and doesn't want hit is BS.

 

Cleveland: still has a strong defense, and some really nice offensive pieces....
However, they turned over 4 of 5 o-line spots and no one knows what they have at qb yet.. those are 2 huge ifs...

Cincinnati: any team sporting Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins is going to score, and score often... they also lost their best pass rusher on defense, while acquiring a damn strong presence on the inside of the line..... that secondary still has a long way to go, and I'm not sold on their lber unit.... pretting sure they're still gonna be on the losing end of shootouts most weeks

Baltimore: the offense will still be highly productive, and i'm pretty sure the new coaching staff will actually use Derrick Henry on a regular basis to keep Lamar from running too much, while age at the te spot will be an issue .... their defense is still suspect on the outside though and can and will be had


Pittsburgh: I like our upside at the qb position post Rodgers, and i'm extremely high on our wr, rb and te rms..... our o-line is deep and strong.... most experts look at our ilb unit as the weakness of the defense... i say that their job should be relatively easy behind our d-line.. i also maintain that we have the deepest olb rm in the league.. our cb's are young and strong..... i worry about the S unit though because of injury history and I still have ptsd over Mike Tomlin's allergies to the deep middle .... overall, the arrow is definitely pointing up

 

I think the OL will end the season as the best unit we've had in a while.

But I think it's likely going to be a tough start to the year for them. Looking more and more like every position but center will have a different start than last season.

 

They did acquire Lawrence.

I don't think he's at his peak anymore.

But their D will be better than it was.

And if they can keep Burrow upright, they'll be a good team. It's a tall order for them. But having a better defense should help protect Burrow too.

Another (somewhat related) question, is do we think we can keep Rodgers as healthy as he was last year? If we cut Mason to keep the lottery tickets (which I hope is what we do even though I like Mason), we won't really have an NFL backup QB. So if we lose our 42 year old QB for any games, it's probably going to be bad.

 

AFC North should be competitive this year with 3 of 4 teams making major changes from top down in the coaching ranks. Bengals have the edge, IF.... they can get the defense to at least average.

 

It is bs

But some of our posters were told to think that by some piece of clickbait and dag nab it they are going to think it

I have one poster in mind who recently changed his login name he is challenged with new thoughts

 

I actually proved statistically it was bs and the response I got was “I can tell by watching”

 

Genuine question; how are you countering the low yards per throw and low time to throw?

The stats I’ve seen have Rodgers having throwing quicker and shorter than his peers across the league.

I’ve also seen stats indicating that Rodgers throws the ball into the cheap seats more than his peers. Dates back to late in his tenure at GB.

All paint a picture of a QB who is working quickly and short to avoid sacks and turnovers.

Not necessarily a terrible thing but it hampers the explosive part of an offense. Especially for a player who built his HOF resume on punishing defenses by avoiding the rush and then making a strike deep.

Almost all QBs spend their twilight years playing in a similar fashion. Their legs go and the body just can’t take a speeding human being the size of a refrigerator crashing into them any longer.

 

True.


That said, the early goings of the Schedule are a bit more manageable as far as difficulty goes. New England isn't going to be an easy out and Cincinnati will be a tougher test than others are giving it credit for. However, I'd rather face such Conference Level threats early than late as the margin of error is greater for both sides. Teams usually in the early stages of the NFL Season are often mistake prone; last years game against New England being a good example. Now, I don't expect New England to turnover the ball as much as they did but I do anticipate issues on their end as well. Same goes for Cincy; particularly with so many new Defensive pieces.


As I see it, having a somewhat manageable first eight weeks will resolve some of the kinks but how quickly will determine the rest of the season. Those final eight games are just brutal. Even Carolina isn't the guaranteed layup people are making them out to be.

 

Agreed.


Dexter Lawrence might not have the pass rush juice he used to (maybe he does) but that isn't the sole reason that Cincy gave up such a high asset in the first place. Dexter's mere presence on that interior essentially forces teams to double or even triple team him at all costs. This frees up the likes of the 4-3 DEs. In the case of Myles Murphy and Boye Mafe, both have the athleticism and first step to do damage. The less resistance they receive to the QB, the greater their chances.


In short?! Teams better have competent OT play from both sides and a rock solid IOL as well to deal with. Pittsburgh does have both... but on paper. Need to see how quickly this unit gels and they will be tested very early in Week 3.

 

I don’t have to counter that, it’s actually the statistic that proves of my point. He’s not rolling up in a ball and taking a sack because he’s afraid of taking a hit. He’s not throwing the ball away because he’s afraid to take a hit. He’s not running out of bounds because he’s afraid of taking a hit.

If the line is breaking down and no one is open deep he’s getting what he can in the time he can.

That’s a good quarterback.

 

Which goes back to an important aspect of the position when factoring in Release Speed along with Yards Per Attempt; pre snap processing. Processing the information the Defense gives you Pre Snap permits you to both analyze and identify weak points in the defense. Once those points are ID'd, it is then about making the decision as quickly as possible.


If the Defense does have their weaknesses covered, then reading the field would be the next available avenue for the QB to take. In short?! Taking what the Defense gives you. Whatever that is, find it and execute the play.

 

I hate QBs who throw the ball too quickly, like it's a hot potato and it's just a two-yard gain on a checkdown.

Sometimes it's important to throw quickly, but sometimes it's important to have big plays, so you have to let the play develop instead of getting rid of the ball too quickly. Like on third down, a sack isn't the end of the world if you tried to get someone open, but when it's a quick pass for only a two-yard gain and you have to punt after that, it's so frustrating, and it's been the Steelers offense since 2020. Boring as hell.

 

Often need a 15 yards play in a drive if you want to score and sometimes the QB need to take a hit for the good of the team if you want a big play

 

And this has nothing to do with the answer I accurately gave

But nice goal post move as usual

 

Neither does this

 

First I did not quote you and second,so often the quick pass in the nfl are short pass and this is for a short gain unless your receiver are great after the catch or he has a open field ahead of him.Can't count always on that

 

Sorry I mistakenly thought you were logically following the conversation rather than just generating a random comment

I forgot who I was responding to

 

Here is a good video on what the likes of me and @jeh1856 are alluding to for those interested. QB'ing isn't just about flashy plays. It is about of being consistent, dependable and reliable; both pre snap and post snap.

 

As much as I trust LJ, and Rodgers, and all of them play in the same division.

 

No , You are mixing 3 different things up.
I would like to point out that fragile, or durable, and afraid to get hit are 3 different things. I should not have to tell you this.
I still believe at his age he is very durable, and not fragile, but I also believe he is afraid now to get hit. They are very different issues.
Maybe this will help you sort them apart.

 

6 of these teams did even make the playoffs. LoL