NFL 2023 - Week 18 - Down the Stretch They Come!

[bfj]

Looks like the AFC has three spots open with 5 teams still in contention.
NFC has two spots open with 6 teams left in contention.

If you are Baltimore or SF, do you rest your stars/starters? Three weeks is a long break. Or do you start Lamar and roll the dice that some PIECE OF SHIT STEELERS PLAYER blows up Lamar's knee trying to prove himself to Mike (I cheated and tried to trip Jacoby Jones) Tomlin.

I think this Ravens team is a tougher out then the 2019 Ravens. Different Lamar, different offense, different weapons, MUCH different defense.

[tennbengal]

Baltimore should not risk anyone they don't have to. Neither should the 49ers.

[A_B]

Baltimore should not risk anyone they don't have to. Neither should the 49ers.

Yeah. Heck, Joe Flacco is sitting too, along with I assume several other key players.

[tennbengal]

Baltimore should not risk anyone they don't have to. Neither should the 49ers.

Yeah. Heck, Joe Flacco is sitting too, along with I assume several other key players.

Cleveland should sit everyone too that they can along with Flacco, for sure.

[bfj]

Baltimore should not risk anyone they don't have to. Neither should the 49ers.

Yeah. Heck, Joe Flacco is sitting too, along with I assume several other key players.

He was sitting all season. Throw him out there!

[Pruitt IV]

Bills win and they host the Browns and then (conceivably host the Chiefs). Lose and they could be out of the playoffs or have to play in Arrowhead.

All this drama because they forgot that teams can only field 11 guys.

[sancarlos]

Christian McCaffrey is sitting out this week. They said he would have played if they needed him to.

[Brontoburglar]

Bills win and they host the Browns and then (conceivably host the Chiefs). Lose and they could be out of the playoffs or have to play in Arrowhead.

All this drama because they forgot that teams can only field 11 guys.

Bills host the 7 seed if they win

[A_B]

Bills win and they host the Browns and then (conceivably host the Chiefs). Lose and they could be out of the playoffs or have to play in Arrowhead.

All this drama because they forgot that teams can only field 11 guys.

Bills host the 7 seed if they win

Yeah I was thinking that the Browns were almost 100% locked in to playing the AFC South champion that will have the worst record of all division winners.

[Brontoburglar]

Yeah, the seeds that are locked for the AFC are 1, 3 and 5

[Pruitt IV]

Bills win and they host the Browns and then (conceivably host the Chiefs). Lose and they could be out of the playoffs or have to play in Arrowhead.

All this drama because they forgot that teams can only field 11 guys.

Bills host the 7 seed if they win

Oops, sorry about that.

So the Colts or Steelers?

[Brontoburglar]

So the Colts or Steelers?

+ Jags or Texans

[Pruitt IV]

All are preferable to the Browns!

[bfj]

[L-Jam3]

Hey, that’s 2022 Pro-Bowler Tyler Huntley. Show the man his respect.

[bfj]

Hey, that’s 2022 Pro-Bowler Tyler Huntley. Show the man his respect.

The guy who tried to dive into the end zone against the Bengals by jumping vertically into a pile.

[Jerloma]

Yeah, that was the year the the Steelers lost to the Ravens back-ups last game of the season with a playoff spot on the line.

[Pruitt IV]

Yeah, that was the year the the Steelers lost to the Ravens back-ups last game of the season with a playoff spot on the line.

I was at the last game of the season in Buffalo when the Bills lost to the Steelers backups and missed the playoffs.

Nothing says "Your team is not good" quite like that situation.

[Jerloma]

Yeah, that was the year the the Steelers lost to the Ravens back-ups last game of the season with a playoff spot on the line.

I was at the last game of the season in Buffalo when the Bills lost to the Steelers backups and missed the playoffs.

Nothing says "Your team is not good" quite like that situation.

Lol. If Duck Hodges as your starter wasn't enough affirmation...

[Jerloma]

Although that scenario is way better than when they sneak in because Brandon Staley or something happens and you know they don't belong there but you talk yourself into them having a chance after listening to too many podcasts and then you have to find out halfway through the 1st quarter and then watch the rest of the game in shame.

[Pruitt IV]

Although that scenario is way better than when they sneak in because Brandon Staley or something happens and you know they don't belong there but you talk yourself into them having a chance after listening to too many podcasts and then you have to find out halfway through the 1st quarter and then watch the rest of the game in shame.

The Bills' first playoff game in 18 years and they roll into Jacksonville... with Tyrod Taylor and score 3 points.

[MaxWebster]

Ronnie
Harmon


(i'm only saying his name to exercise the demons, Pruitt)

All are preferable to the Browns!

[Giff]

We just need a Browns/Texans playoff game the weekend of 1/20 and you may experience two Swampers/now real-life friends hating each other by the end of it after watching together! Especially when I have the Deshaun Watson card to play no matter what!

[A_B]

We just need a Browns/Texans playoff game the weekend of 1/20 and you may experience two Swampers/now real-life friends hating each other by the end of it after watching together! Especially when I have the Deshaun Watson card to play no matter what!

Hey, he's played more for your team than mine!

It would be neat but it's nearly impossible for it to happen. By my reckoning, the Browns would have to not play the Texans in the opening weekend and win, but then the 6th and 7th seeds would then both have to win so the Browns are now the #2 seed left and go home to host the Texans who slipped in the playoffs as the 6th seed. So I guess that would mean that the Jags and Texans both win this weekend but I cannot begin to think of what permutations have to happen for Texas to be the 6th seed over whoever.

[Pruitt IV]

Ronnie
Harmon


(i'm only saying his name to exercise the demons, Pruitt)

All are preferable to the Browns!

Brutal...

[MaxWebster]

honestly this still kills me

and IIRC - and I'm pretty sure I do having been obsessive in those days - i remember that mfker blaming Kelly for a high throw after the game. Since we didn't have interwebs n shit back then I think it wasn't until that week's SI came out with an article on the (objectively incredible) game that had a still shot of the ball literally in that asshole's hands. Pretty sure the Bills let him go after that game/season. Yes I do hold a grudge.

...from roughly 2001-2023 I probably watched 3 football games in total but am now sufficiently back on board the Bills train (not in small part due to the fuckery that has become the once-proud shitass Sabres organization - fold already) - enough that if they lose on Sunday night it'll be entirely my fault, I understand and accept this.

Ronnie
Harmon


(i'm only saying his name to exercise the demons, Pruitt)

All are preferable to the Browns!

Brutal...

[sancarlos]

[bfj]

[L-Jam3]

Ronnie
Harmon


(i'm only saying his name to exercise the demons, Pruitt)

All are preferable to the Browns!

More a fan of the work of his sister Heather.

[sancarlos]

More a fan of the work of his sister Heather.

Lots of Heather Harmon's on a quick google search. But, I'm pretty sure I identified the one of whom you [ahem], speak.

[EnochRoot]

I know the Ravens are a little short in the RB dept, but this is as much about keeping him away from teams that can knock them off (Bills, Chiefs, et al) as it is giving the Ravens depth.

[Gunpowder]

Wouldn't you want to hand-deliver Dalvin Cook to teams you might face in the postseason?

[mister d]

Wasn't he pretty good before he played for a mess of a team with a bigger mess of a line?

[bfj]

Wasn't he pretty good before he played for a mess of a team with a bigger mess of a line?

1100 yards the year before he went to the Jets.

[The Sybian]

Wouldn't you want to hand-deliver Dalvin Cook to teams you might face in the postseason?

That was my first thought.

Wasn't he pretty good before he played for a mess of a team with a bigger mess of a line?

As a guy who watched every Jets game this year, I'm the first to blame everything on the O-line, but even when Cook had holes, he looked slow and weak. He either isn't fully back in shape, or he has nothing left. Michael Carter and Izzy Abanikanda looked much better than Cook.

[degenerasian]

Oh, my fault. The Bears have until May to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields. They're still not going to do it, as drafting will push the cost of a quarterback contract extension down the road a few years.

If Fields has a career game and knocks out the Packers, will that change anything?

[A_B]

Oh, my fault. The Bears have until May to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields. They're still not going to do it, as drafting will push the cost of a quarterback contract extension down the road a few years.

If Fields has a career game and knocks out the Packers, will that change anything?

A slightly better return on the trade?

[DSafetyGuy]

Oh, my fault. The Bears have until May to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields. They're still not going to do it, as drafting will push the cost of a quarterback contract extension down the road a few years.

If Fields has a career game and knocks out the Packers, will that change anything?

No, I don't think so. Or at least it shouldn't matter, but their ownership insists that beating Green Bay is more important than beating other opponents because they are terrible.

I think the only thing that can make them keep Fields is some team offers them a preposterously bigger trade package for #1 overall than what they got for #1 this season. Carolina gave them D.J. Moore, 2023 first- and second-round picks (#9 and #61 overall), 2024 first-round pick (turned out to be #1 overall, but the Panthers looked grim before the season), and a 2025 second-round pick (TBD, but it's hard to say it won't be a top-40 pick at this point). I don't know what some team would offer that could possibly exceed that, especially because the Panthers have been ripped for making that trade, and not just because Young looks like a bust.

[sancarlos]

Even if they don't have to move until May on his contract, I'd guess the Bears will be highly motivated to trade him before the NFL draft. Partly because a trade partner would be more interested in acquiring Fields before they invest in a rookie themselves, and partly because if the Bears draft a QB, their leverage on trading Fields has to go way down.

[sancarlos]

Each of the four franchises who've never played in a Super Bowl have clinched a spot or have a solid chance to make the playoffs this season.