The Official 2024 NFL Regular Season Discussion Thread

[RDK]

You guys got lucky with this win. If Garoppolo wasn't anal about his shit quarterbacking, we'd win. 17 points and we were in a good spot. Garoppolo is fired if I am coach.

Fuck that shit.

Jimmy g isn't good lol, and Shanahan is a proven choker

 

[Brandon Blaze]

Yeah, Shanahan ain’t shit. He was the OC for the Falcons when they blew the Super Bowl as well. Let’s remember that

 

[InSaNe]

Jimmy g isn't good lol, and Shanahan is a proven choker

Sad, but true. Sigh. C'mon, Niners, we can win Super Bowl!

 

[Comrade Khan]

As a Packers fan, the niners look good in the trash where they belong

 

[Comrade Khan]

Go Bengals

 

[Doom]

Congratulations to both the Bengals and Rams for making it to Super Bowl LVI!

I am super excited for this match up because I've never expected to see an underdog Bengals team, a team that has silenced its critics, going 10-7 in the regular season. Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, running back Joe Mixon on offense, and a well-played supporting Bengals defense, lead by Trey Hendrickson, got the team back to the Super Bowl, for the first time since the 1988 season.

For the Rams, this is indeed Matthew Stafford's first ever Super Bowl appearance in his 13-year career. He's got an elite supporting cast around him: Cooper Kupp, OBJ, tight end Tyler Higbee, running backs Cam Akers and Sony Michel backing him up. Plus, the elite defense consisting off Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. This is their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2018 season.

 

[Darkavius]

Yeah, Shanahan ain’t shit. He was the OC for the Falcons when they blew the Super Bowl as well. Let’s remember that

Shanahan is questionable but to be fair he has done good things with some middle of the road ass QB's (Jimmy G. and Ryan). I'm not high on the SuperBowl though. Do the Rams even have fans that aren't bandwagon fans? I still think of them as the St. Louis Rams.

 

[Comrade Khan]

Blaze gonna ban you for calling Matt Ryan mid

 

[Brandon Blaze]

Shanahan is questionable but to be fair he has done good things with some middle of the road ass QB's (Jimmy G. and Ryan). I'm not high on the SuperBowl though. Do the Rams even have fans that aren't bandwagon fans? I still think of them as the St. Louis Rams.

Matt Ryan is actually a pretty good QB. the stats back it up. Just questionable play calling and other pieces around him was bad. Ryan was doing alot of that before Shanahan, and has done some good since he’s left also. Just can’t do anything when you got almost no time to get rid of the ball.

 

[Darkavius]

Blaze gonna ban you for calling Matt Ryan mid

Matt Ryan is actually a pretty good QB. the stats back it up. Just questionable play calling and other pieces around him was bad. Ryan was doing alot of that before Shanahan, and has done some good since he’s left also. Just can’t do anything when you got almost no time to get rid of the ball.

He's exactly as I said. He's middle of the road. He's definitely not a bad QB and he has good stats. You are right but he's been a Falcon his entire career. He decided to stay on especially as he watched Thomas Dimitroff make some terrible draft choices. At this point Ryan's time is about up and it's time to rebuild, but as I say that I just realized I have no idea what the NFC South is going to look like next year. Carolina has a coach but no QB. Who knows what's up with Brady and New Orleans has no QB and no coach.

 

[Brandon Blaze]

He's exactly as I said. He's middle of the road. He's definitely not a bad QB and he has good stats. You are right but he's been a Falcon his entire career. He decided to stay on especially as he watched Thomas Dimitroff make some terrible draft choices. At this point Ryan's time is about up and it's time to rebuild, but as I say that I just realized I have no idea what the NFC South is going to look like next year. Carolina has a coach but no QB. Who knows what's up with Brady and New Orleans has no QB and no coach.

He’s only looks it, because of the fact he’s been on the Falcons. I say this as a Falcons fan, but the team failed HIM. Like do you know how many 4th quarter comebacks he has? Most of which is because the defense has always sucked ass and gave up points after points to the point he had to keep scoring. If he actually left us at some point a few years ago. He gave a ring and I’m gonna die on that hill. Ryan didn’t fail us, we failed him

 

[Darkavius]

He’s only looks it, because of the fact he’s been on the Falcons. I say this as a Falcons fan, but the team failed HIM. Like do you know how many 4th quarter comebacks he has? Most of which is because the defense has always sucked ass and gave up points after points to the point he had to keep scoring. If he actually left us at some point a few years ago. He gave a ring and I’m gonna die on that hill. Ryan didn’t fail us, we failed him

But Ryan chose to stay, period even after all the terrible draft choices by Dimitroff he chose to stay a Falcon. I think he should have left Atlanta years ago. He chose to stay even after he knew how bad Dimitroff was doing. That's on him. It's time for the Falcons to start grooming the replacement for Matt Ryan because he's a UFA in 2024.

 

[Brandon Blaze]

But Ryan chose to stay, period even after all the terrible draft choices by Dimitroff he chose to stay a Falcon. I think he should have left Atlanta years ago. He chose to stay even after he knew how bad Dimitroff was doing. That's on him. It's time for the Falcons to start grooming the replacement for Matt Ryan because he's a UFA in 2024.

I mean I don’t disagree he should’ve left, but at the same time I love the loyalty. He loves Atlanta, like not just the team but the city as a whole. He talked about it when they was rumors he wanted to be traded and he and his wife both quickly shut it down a few months back. I feel bad for him, as he wasted his career here. Yeah his own doing, but gotta respect the loyalty. Some people don’t have that

 

[Doom]

Ken Dorsey replaces Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills:

ESPN

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Josh Allen got his wish.

The Buffalo Bills have promoted quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Ken Dorsey to offensive coordinator, filling the role now-New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll vacated last week.

Dorsey has been working with Allen for the last three seasons. Before his time in Buffalo, Dorsey was the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers from 2013 to '17. As a quarterback himself, Dorsey led the Miami Hurricanes to a national title in 2001 and played in the NFL from 2003 to '08.

Allen had advocated for Dorsey becoming the Bills next offensive coordinator.

"When he got here three years ago, my career definitely changed in terms of how I viewed the game of football," Allen said. "Just having a guy in the quarterback room that played the game, was the winningest college quarterback of all time -- 38-2, he'll never let me forget that, he says it all the time -- but just the way he approaches the game, he's competitive, he's smart, he works his ass off."

The team also interviewed Baltimore Ravens wide receivers coach Tee Martin and Las Vegas Raiders receivers coach Edgar Bennett for the position.

Daboll teamed up with former Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen on the Giants. He came into the Bills organization in 2018, the same year Allen was drafted seventh overall out of Wyoming. In Daboll's first season with the Bills, the offense ranked 30th in points and yards per game, but in the last two seasons, Buffalo has ranked in the top five in yards and points per game.

After completing 56.3% of passes and throwing 30 touchdowns to 21 interceptions in his first two seasons, Allen has completed 66.1% of passes and thrown 73 touchdowns to 25 interceptions in his past two years. He was the MVP runner-up in 2020. Allen's development since he entered the NFL has been a surprise to many and a model that other teams would like to replicate.

Allen has close relationships with both Daboll and Dorsey. Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane had promised to loop in their quarterback to the offensive coordinator selection process.

"We'd be crazy not to loop him in," Beane said. "I definitely wouldn't want to bring someone in the quarterback room, player, coach, whatever, that might not allow Josh to be at his best. ... Whatever it is, if Brian leaves we'd be silly not to get Josh's opinion and, listen, we know what he thinks of Ken Dorsey, it's very high. That matters to us. But we definitely have to do our due diligence."

The team still has open spots on the staff, with offensive line coach Bobby Johnson leaving for the Giants and no current quarterbacks coach to replace Dorsey.

I'm really looking forward how Dorsey manages the offense around Josh Allen, since Allen requested him to become the OC.

 

[Doom]

Here's a couple more news going on in the NFL:

The Denver Broncos are now up for sale:

ESPN

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - The Denver Broncos are officially up for sale in what will likely have biggest price tag in North American sports history.

The sale was announced Tuesday by the Pat Bowlen Trust, which has operated the team since Bowlen stepped away from day-to-day operations of the team in 2014 due to the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease. The team is valued at just under $4 billion.

Joseph Tsai paid a total of $2.35 billion -- $1 billion for a 49 percent stake in 2017 and the additional $1.35 billion for the other 51 percent in 2019 - for the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and that is the highest price paid for a North American sports franchise.

The last NFL franchise to be sold was the Carolina Panthers, who were purchased in 2018 by David Tepper for $2.275 billion.

In a statement, Broncos CEO Joe Ellis said: "The Pat Bowlen Trust announced today the beginning of a sale process for the Denver Broncos. We have retained Steve Greenberg of Allen & Company as our financial advisor and Joe Leccese of Proskauer Rose LLP as our legal advisor for this transition of ownership.

"Selling an NFL team is a complex process involving numerous parties and league approval procedures. Nonetheless, the trustees hope to have the sale completed by the start of the 2022 NFL season.

"The Broncos are a special franchise that is part of the fabric of this region, and whoever emerges as the new owner will certainly understand what the team means to our great fans and this community."

The Bowlen family also released a lengthy statement that said in part: "When Pat Bowlen purchased the Denver Broncos in 1984 with the help of his siblings -- John, Bill and Marybeth -- he set out with the goal of being No. 1 in everything. Over the past 38 seasons, his vision enabled the Broncos to become champions on and off the field. With today beginning the Broncos' transition to new ownership, our family is overwhelmed with gratitude for what this organization and community have meant to us. There are truly no words to express our deep appreciation to all of Broncos Country for its unwavering support during the past four decades.''

The sale became almost a foregone conclusion earlier this month when a Denver judge ruled the heirs of former Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser Jr. could buy back any portion of the franchise as part of a right of first refusal agreement.

A holdings group, representing Kaiser's estate, had petitioned the court that it had right of refusal for any sale of the franchise dating back to when Kaiser sold the team to Pat Bowlen in 1984. Kaiser died in 2012 and Bowlen died in 2019.

Denver District judge Shelley L. Gilman ruled Kaiser's heirs had no claim and the right of first refusal included in the 1984 sales agreement between Kaiser and Bowlen was "no longer valid or enforceable in any respect.''

Ellis, one of three trustees overseeing the operations of the team, had repeatedly said over the last seven years if Bowlen's children could not agree on a majority owner the team would likely be sold. That agreement between the siblings was never reached -- a lawsuit between them was poised to go to trial before it was dismissed last July.

"Pat used to say the Broncos belonged to the fans and that ultimately this was their team," the Bowlen family said in a statement. "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for this incredible ride. It has been the honor of our lifetime. All of us know that the impact of 'Mr. B' will live on with the Broncos and in the hearts, minds and memories of the fans. We will always cheer for the Orange and Blue. Go Broncos!''

There are believed to be several groups already formed and interested in making formal bids for the team. Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning have, at times, each expressed interest in potentially being part of any group that would bid on the team.

Manning said earlier this season, when he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Fame, he would "listen'' to any proposals about joining an ownership group, but "that it would have to be the right fit.''

League rules state a "majority'' owner must own at least 30% of a franchise, so in a sale of $4 billion that would mean the majority investor would have to control $1.2 billion.

General manager George Paton, who was hired in January of 2020, as well as newly-hired head coach Nathaniel Hackett, said the ownership question did not influence their decisions to take the jobs. Each said the Broncos have always shown they had the resources to compete for championships -- the franchise has three Super Bowl wins and eight Super Bowl appearances, the last being a Super Bowl 50 win to close out the 2015 season.

"I think that was something we talked about, but in the end it's the Denver Broncos, this is the Denver Broncos y'all ... to have the ability be the head football coach of the Denver Broncos is unbelievable,'' Hackett said Friday when he was introduced as the team's new head coach. "This is awesome, in the end, hey, that's going to work itself out and every day, regardless of who the owner is, I have to prove myself.''

Josh McDaniels to be hired as Raiders head coach:

RAIDERS TEAM WEBSITE

The Las Vegas Raiders have hired Josh McDaniels as Head Coach. Owner Mark Davis announced the hire during a press conference Monday.

McDaniels joins the Raiders for his 22nd season in the NFL, having spent 18 years with the New England Patriots, including 13 seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. He also served as the Denver Broncos' head coach from 2009-10 and the St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator in 2011.

In his 13 seasons as the Patriots offensive coordinator, McDaniels guided an offense to top-10 finishes eight times, including the NFL's No. 1 ranked offense in 2007, 2012 and 2017. He has also coached the team to 12 seasons with 10-or-more wins, while the offense has scored 400-plus points in 11 seasons. Overall, McDaniels was a part of six Super Bowl championships, 14 division titles and eight conference crowns with New England.

In 2011, McDaniels served as offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams. Under his guidance, Rams running back Steven Jackson eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh consecutive season.

McDaniels served as head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009-10.

A native of Canton, Ohio, McDaniels attended John Carroll University, where he played quarterback and wide receiver from 1995-98. McDaniels was a college teammate of Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler.