The Awesome World of NFL 2020 NFL

[Tom]

Good read on the Titans pursuit of Peyton Manning a few years back.

A Car Chase, Cheeseburgers and Everything In Between: The Titans' Quest To Sign Peyton Manning

A look back at two days in March 2012 from the people who were there, most of whom have not spoken about it until now.

www.si.com

That's a cracking read. Cheers!

 

[Son Of Jack]

I'm not a big American football fan. I watch the Championship games and Superbowl but little else.

The main thing I want to know is there any team capable of stopping the Ravens or Chiefs in the AFC? Every form expert in America is saying it's a straight toss-up between them in the AFC. Is it that clear cut, and are Mahomes and Jackson as good as they say?

 

[Steve]

I'm not a big American football fan. I watch the Championship games and Superbowl but little else.

The main thing I want to know is there any team capable of stopping the Ravens or Chiefs in the AFC? Every form expert in America is saying it's a straight toss-up between them in the AFC. Is it that clear cut, and are Mahomes and Jackson as good as they say?

Things can change very quickly to be fair, but barring Mahomes getting injured I can't see a way the Chiefs aren't challenging again. Personally, I'm not convinced Lamar Jackson will have the longevity, NFL defenses usually catch up fairly quickly and he's not the greatest passer. Plus he's been pretty badly beaten in the playoffs so far.

I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the Steelers, Chargers, Colts or Titans in the AFC Championship game.

 

[Tom]

I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the Steelers, Chargers, Colts or Titans in the AFC Championship game.

Are you writing off the Bills and Patriots and out of the other teams you mentioned (apart from chiefs who is the strongest) in the AFC

 

[Steve]

Are you writing off the Bills and Patriots and out of the other teams you mentioned (apart from chiefs who is the strongest) in the AFC

Nah, the Bills should be in there tbf, Josh Allen seems a bit boom or bust to me, great athlete and massive arm but inaccurate. They have Stefon Diggs now so should give him a genuine #1 receiver.

Patriots will still have a great defense, the rest is a mystery to me.

 

[David76]

Sooner or later I think Jackson is going to get his bell well and truly rung the way he runs and doesn't slide - will be interesting to see what that would do to his game.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw a slight regression in Mahomes this year... defences have had another year to work him out and there was talk of freeing him up more with trick plays and stuff if he goes too far that way it will blowback.

Most interesting QBs to watch for me this year are Stidham, Allen and Tua (if he starts)

 

[Geezer]

Looks like we've got an update of sorts on the fans situation:

The NFL will let teams set different attendance capacity limits when the schedule starts in August with the preseason, meaning some clubs could play in front of full, or nearly full stadiums and some before no fans. That could lead to questions about competitive equity, and whether the league should allow teams in empty or near-empty stadiums to pipe in crowd noise when the opposing team is on offense.

The league communicated to clubs that they follow local health COVID-19 guidelines on social distancing rules, which vary greatly state to state and are not always, arguably, in line with the trend line of local coronavirus cases. In other words, as of now, the NFL will not dictate capacity thresholds no matter the virus penetration on the ground.

"Attendance will be a state-by-state, county-by-county thing," said one NFL source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of coronavirus planning in NFL. "It will not be a one size fits all.

 

[Steve]

Looks like we've got an update of sorts on the fans situation:

Current hotspots are the southern states, the ones that have domes (Cardinals, Cowboys, Texans). Can't imagine them getting many inside those stadiums.

 

[Birdman]

Current hotspots are the southern states, the ones that have domes (Cardinals, Cowboys, Texans). Can't imagine them getting many inside those stadiums.

Maybe. You'd certainly hope that would be the case. But the Southern states are also the ones with the loosest restrictions, and the highest % of the population who completely disagree with masks, social distancing etc.

So if the NFL just goes with "follow the local rules" then who knows.

 

[Birdman]

The New England Patriots have signed former MVP quarterback Cam Newton on a one-year deal, the NFL has announced.

Newton had been a free agent after being released by the Carolina Panthers at the end of last season.

Newton was picked first overall in the 2011 draft by the Panthers and was named the league's MVP as he led the team to the 2016 Super Bowl, where they were beaten by the Denver Broncos.

But injuries have hampered him since and he featured in just two games last season.

I still fully expect Stidham to be the starter. Cam Newton hasn't looked the same player for a while now.