Watching the Pats offseason moves, I'm not so sure they are the team to beat this year in the AFC. Sure they always have an advantage with hoody and Brady but this year should be up and down for them. In my opinion, the teams to watch are the Browns, Tacks, and Bills. The Browns have been putting the pieces together for a few years and could be really strong this year. And if I'm honest, I like how the tacks have been casually improving positions on both sides of the ball. Seem to be using the Jags formula for roster building. The same could be said for the Bills, although their approach is a little more drastic. I'm not concerned with the tinhorns. They are past their window and you can tell they are in chase mode with some mediocre players. If I had an offseason ranking...
Pats (tops until their not)
Jags
Steelers
tacks
Buffalo
Chargers
Kansas
Browns
Baltimore
Oakland
tinhorns
Broncos
Bengals
Dolphins
Jets
clots
(03-22-2018, 09:18 AM)B2hibry Wrote: [ -> ]Watching the Pats offseason moves, I'm not so sure they are the team to beat this year in the AFC. Sure they always have an advantage with hoody and Brady but this year should be up and down for them. In my opinion, the teams to watch are the Browns, Tacks, and Bills. The Browns have been putting the pieces together for a few years and could be really strong this year. And if I'm honest, I like how the tacks have been casually improving positions on both sides of the ball. Seem to be using the Jags formula for roster building. The same could be said for the Bills, although their approach is a little more drastic. I'm not concerned with the tinhorns. They are past their window and you can tell they are in chase mode with some mediocre players. If I had an offseason ranking...
Pats (tops until their not)
Jags
Steelers
tacks
Buffalo
Chargers
Kansas
Browns
Baltimore
Oakland
tinhorns
Broncos
Bengals
Dolphins
Jets
clots
Buffalo at 5?! Yikes.
I'd put Chargers at 3 ahead of the Steelers.
(03-22-2018, 06:42 AM)Go Jagwaas Derp Wrote: [ -> ]Watson makes the Texans a contender for sure, that being said he tore his ACL in November and shouldn't be 100% for the 2018 season.
I don't get the Watson hype. he was 3-4 as a starter (this includes the half he played against the Jags); he put up Gaudy fantasy stats but all the warts he had in college remained in the NFL.
-Against KC, you were down 6 TD's. while its cool that you have a few scores in the 4th quarter to make the game appear close, at no point was KC in danger of losing that game, playing against a vanilla defense in garbage time does not make up for 3 quarters of subpar play.
-Against Seattle, all you need is a FG, you're 30 yards from FG range. You go incomplete, sack, interception on 3 consecutive plays to seal the game. That's about the worst 3 plays you can have as a QB.
A lot of his big numbers come from floating the ball out to space and letting Fuller or Hopkins run under it. He's really not accurate at all on passes past 10 yards. Teams had to respect his mobility, but with the ACL tear he'll need to make serious strides as a passer to put up similar numbers.
Watson reminds me of a slightly better version of Vince Young. Despite his early "success" I just don't see him being all that great going forward.
(03-22-2018, 11:17 AM)Firesky Wrote: [ -> ] (03-22-2018, 06:42 AM)Go Jagwaas Derp Wrote: [ -> ]Watson makes the Texans a contender for sure, that being said he tore his ACL in November and shouldn't be 100% for the 2018 season.
I don't get the Watson hype. he was 3-4 as a starter (this includes the half he played against the Jags); he put up Gaudy fantasy stats but all the warts he had in college remained in the NFL.
-Against KC, you were down 6 TD's. while its cool that you have a few scores in the 4th quarter to make the game appear close, at no point was KC in danger of losing that game, playing against a vanilla defense in garbage time does not make up for 3 quarters of subpar play.
-Against Seattle, all you need is a FG, you're 30 yards from FG range. You go incomplete, sack, interception on 3 consecutive plays to seal the game. That's about the worst 3 plays you can have as a QB.
A lot of his big numbers come from floating the ball out to space and letting Fuller or Hopkins run under it. He's really not accurate at all on passes past 10 yards. Teams had to respect his mobility, but with the ACL tear he'll need to make serious strides as a passer to put up similar numbers.
Watson reminds me of a slightly better version of Vince Young. Despite his early "success" I just don't see him being all that great going forward.
He was 3-4 as a starter.... The team was 1-8 in all other games. That's why there's hype.
Let me see if I can tie this into the discussion...
I think DiRocco recently wrote a fair article about Keenan McCardell for ESPN.com, but the headline doesn't seem to represent what DiRocco is attempting to convey.
http://www.espn.com/blog/jacksonville-ja...-receivers
More pressure on Keenan McCardell with inexperienced Jaguars receivers
That headline seems grim, but when you read this:
McCardell was arguably the offensive MVP last season when he had to heavily rely on a pair of rookies following the loss of Allen Robinson in the season opener and Hurns for six games late in the season. McCardell turned Keelan Cole, who was undrafted after playing at Kentucky Wesleyan, and fourth-round pick Dede Westbrook, who missed nine games after sports hernia surgery, into reliable options for Blake Bortles.
DiRocco is conveying what a great job 'Old Thunder' had been doing for us. Anyone who knows Keenan, even in brief terms, knows he is a awesome, positive influence. He had all of Jacksonville asking, "Why not us?"
Is it really any surprise McCardell is doing a terrific job?
That said, we are going to have to really dig deep and play harder than before. The old adage is, " with each victory, the samurai tightens the helmet."
Having key people like Keenan McCardell gives us an inside track for another highly successful season.
The spirit and atmosphere around the team, with the exception of veteran roster subtractions, is nowhere near the kind of down after the 1999 Jaguars fell in the AFC Championship game.
One gets the sense that apart from not addressing the only true need of a quarterback upgrade and over-killing tight end, there is reason to remain positive.
Is it possible Bortles can upgrade himself? After so many seasons, it seem incredulous that he is still trying to figure out how to play quarterback. Last season he flashed here and there being what a NFL QB looks like. Yet, with the ball in his hands with 2:48 left in the AFC title game, he failed to produce in a way the exceptionally talented QBs always do.
Blame a lack of running game late doesn't hold true, particularly with so many of Bortles' supporters pining away about how they wish Blake would finally get the ball in a big game to show what they believe is a great QB. Take a look at the final four drives in the title game against New England. Failure after failure.
Why keep repeating this? Because the Jaguars will now have to survive another season of NFL play just to get back to the place they left business unfinished.
2018 for the Jaguars means making a statement about who they are every snap of every game. In one season they earned the privilege to contest the title against the best the conference has to offer. Maybe some of the pressure to perform with perfection the Patriots feel year after year will rub off on the Jaguars.
What the Jaguars' do with that pressure upon them in 2018 will either dumbfound them or challenge them to reach the peak of their competitiveness.
Keenan was "Thunder." Jimmy was Lightning.
(03-22-2018, 06:31 AM)SignMeUpAtQB Wrote: [ -> ]If the Texans stay healthy, i dont even think we are a lock for the top spot in the AFC South...
I tend to agree. Perhaps it's because of such putridness over the years, but I have a hard time seeing the Jags as one of the favorites in the AFC. Not that they can't be, but let's see them win a second AFCS title first.
My fear is regression toward the mean. I've seen too many teams that made a big jump one year fall back the following season. But let's hope that good health and good luck continue to be a Jaguars by-product.
(03-22-2018, 12:30 PM)scottyg Wrote: [ -> ]Keenan was "Thunder." Jimmy was Lightning.
I never could remember who was which. I edited it. Thanks.
Still dont think they can get to super bowl with Bortles but they can prove me wrong.
(03-21-2018, 09:06 PM)The_Franchise_QB Wrote: [ -> ]It's hard to consider this team a favorite. Reason is this team can win against anyone but also lose to anyone. That's because of our offense is inconsistent but the D is elite and keeps us in games.
I understand the concern however the offense that started in the play-offs against Buffalo was not the same offense that ended the season in Boston. They gained loads of confidence in themselves and in each other.
(03-22-2018, 03:14 PM)Jags02 Wrote: [ -> ] (03-22-2018, 10:38 AM)Cleatwood Wrote: [ -> ]Buffalo at 5?! Yikes.
I'd put Chargers at 3 ahead of the Steelers.
Oh my. In my last ranking I had Buffalo at #32. They have no QB.
Certainly not a#32 team. How can you realistically put them at that position after the year they just had? They picked up AJ who should be as serviceable as Tyrod and they have two 1st round picks to go along with the other 6. Even if they don’t drastically improve you could surely name quite a few teams less talented. In any case, Bills and Browns are my dark horse teams this year.
(03-22-2018, 08:37 PM)copycat Wrote: [ -> ] (03-21-2018, 09:06 PM)The_Franchise_QB Wrote: [ -> ]It's hard to consider this team a favorite. Reason is this team can win against anyone but also lose to anyone. That's because of our offense is inconsistent but the D is elite and keeps us in games.
I understand the concern however the offense that started in the play-offs against Buffalo was not the same offense that ended the season in Boston. They gained loads of confidence in themselves and in each other.
You're hitting my point. Remember the three game stretch where Bortles looked immortal? He had his best game as a pro against the Seahawks IMO. The offense thrives off the confidence of Bortles. Problem is, when that confidence goes the offense is shot. Teams see it and go all in on the run. We don't have to worry about that at all with the defense. They are elite and rise up to the challenge. Only game they got rocked was Garapollo, and I'm thinking they didn't expect it.
So because we have an elite D we can stay in the games the O gets shot down. Those games may end up 10-7, but we can be on the losing end. If the offense can somewhat try and replicate that success season long that they had against the Seahawks, oh man!
(03-22-2018, 03:27 PM)nhiverson Wrote: [ -> ]Still dont think they can get to super bowl with Bortles but they can prove me wrong.
3rd and 18. Stop the Pats from getting a 1st down on 3rd and 18, and we're in the Super Bowl with Bortles. So it can be done.
(03-21-2018, 08:18 PM)MojoKing Wrote: [ -> ]Worried about defense actually. Depth at LB and how good Hayden will actually be. Also we were so incredibly lucky with injuries on Defense last year.
Offense has a lot to prove still. Especially with all of these new faces. A rookie WR won’t help us. I think drafting a TE round 1 would be a big benefit. If not, I think we should draft defense. We saw first hand this year that D wins championships. No need to get cute or overly flamboyant with an offensive selection.
So a rookie WR can't help us (Westbrook Cole??) but a rookie TE definitely can?
(03-22-2018, 03:27 PM)nhiverson Wrote: [ -> ]Still dont think they can get to super bowl with Bortles but they can prove me wrong.
Are you one of those folks that thinks Bortles is why we lost to the Pats? If my grandma were on the thread, this is the part where she would say "Bless your heart."
The titans are going to be mighty strong next year. I don't know what Vrabel will be like with his lack of coaching experience but their DC is one of the best in the league and their OC is a big upgrade from last year. A revamped Mariota in a offense that suits him paired with a 2 very talented RBs and a good defense will be tough.
Likewise with Texans but think they have a few more holes , particularly on that offensive line.