8:40pm EDT: After working all day, precooking dinner for the fam, and then announcing a local high school JV football game, I am just getting a sec to sit and read this over dinner. Unfortunately, I am late in signing up for the fantasy football league. If we have enough interest and someone wants to set up a 2nd league, count me in. Otherwise, I'll get "next" next year.
Given these other takes, I was surprised at how well the Seahawks did in the predictions on The Ringer: 10/10 predict the playoffs with 3 thinking it'll be via winning the division.
I really liked what Cowherd's guy (former QB) had to say on Geno's interceptions last year, pointing out 9 of them happened on 1st or 2nd down, making them entirely 'fixable'. I agree Geno's 2nd half fall-off happened due to trying to overcome injury dilemmas. Pete has had trouble fielding solid offensive lines, which I think has now been corrected. Given time to absorb the entire field, Geno will kick ass. Excuse me, I meant to say KICK ASS.
I think the 2nd half falloff falls squarely on the shoulders of the offensive line. Every fantasy football analyst out there is saying that K9 got stopped too many times behind the line but that was happening because he was getting tackled as he was taking the handoff. It got better late but for too many games there were no openings to run through and the offense stalled way too often.
Link vs. embedded- the embedded videos are easier, but on my device (iPad) I can’t go to full screen from them so I frequently have to leave the Substack app to search for the video in it’s native app. I don’t know how difficult it would be, but maybe you could include a link even on the embedded videos.
Penix looked phenomenal in his first game. Seemed to pick up right where he left off. If he's not the best QB in the draft class, he appears to be one of the best. Decent mobility. Rifle of an arm with excellent touch. Of course has things to improve upon, such as the consistency of his footwork, as mentioned in the video. Really solid decision making skills too.
Finally had a chance to see Grayson McCall. His decision making skills are superb. I see why you like him so much. That is, after all, the most important skill for any signal caller. He does not appear to have the arm talent of the guys at the top of the class. A bit of mobility but really he's built more like a linebacker. I can see why he tends to be thought of as a guy who might get drafted but is unlikely to start at the next level. Of course, the same was said of Russell Wilson and Tom Brady. Would never root against any kid. I'm rooting for Richardson even though I have a primitive shadow that feels otherwise.
In 1984, All-American point guard Leon Wood was the tenth pick of the NBA draft. Unlike fellow class members Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwan, Wood was never more than a journeyman (literally—have a look at his career history). After a few years bouncing around Europe and the CBA, Leon decided to try his hand at officiating. In 1996 he became an NBA ref and 27 years later has officiated in 1,459 NBA regular season games.
I'm a big Sheil fan, always curious to hear what he says about the Hawks (and the NFL). The Ringer has a really good archive system (Simmons really appreciates a good archive, Grantland had a great system too). You can revisit his predictions for 2022 and they're worth a look.
He's probably 50/50 on the year which is not bad, and I don't bring these up to shame Sheil so much as to point out:
A) making good season-long predictions for any NFL team, let alone the league, is incredibly hard and also mainly click bait.
B) It's interesting to see what the pundits/reporters thought going into the season, because even the most rigorous minds (I'd put Sheil high on that list) can get things really wrong. Like his 2022 Rams predictions. Or his 2022 Broncos predicitons. Or his 2022 Seahawks offense prediction (well, that was actually right for part of the season).
I could do a minute-by-minute breakdown of that refereeing video, because it's really good! [Hey You! Yes you, the SSJ community member who's reading this comment saying "i don't wanna click a link, i'll pass on that video". No! Stop! Go to youtube, type 'NFL steve smith' and hit what is probably the first result. Now! Go, do it. I'll wait for you to finish and come back to read the rest of my comment]
~1:54 Carl gives Steve the marker beanbag and penalty flag, and he says about the flag "Be careful with this... make sure when you put this down it's a clean solid foul". This is Intro To Ref 101 stuff but really really good advice for any ref in any sport doing it early on. Only call when you know, really know, it's a foul. "Use with cuation", applies to the flag but you can expand to everything you do as a ref. The more you flag, shout, whistle, the less people pay attention to what you are doing.
~2:55 Steve says "I was scared of you, but not now" and they hug. Refs are humans too! Just doing their best, and fundamentally are good nice honest people. [Also, steve looks good in stripes]
~3:55 Putting the emphasis on communication. Establishing "you do this, look for this". Getting Steve to focus in on his area and assignments, just like a player would do. But making clear, you do that because the other Refs are doing their jobs. Every NFL game has three teams on the field!
~4:10 That 'Hawks fan is all of us deep down right now going into Wk 1 :p
~5:00 Just chatting about DB's, NFL Refs love football as much as anyone. But also, just talking through what's happening, running their own little internal commentary. It really highlights how much each ref is trying to cover on each play. So when something gets missed there's just that context. Watching Steve then going through the progression and trying to manage all the info I think is a great demonstration of the skill involved in being a ref. It's hard, really hard mentally.
~6:50 Flag on the play! Steve sticks to his call which is good, but i also like the hesitancy in his voice - to be expected from a rookie. All fun and games, but then it rolls through to Steve talking about what i just said - it's a lot of process and is really tough mentally. "ADD on steroids" is pretty apt, I remember doing my first Ref work (not American Football, but honestly the translation to Soccer & Rugby are real) and feeling so overwhelmed by it all. Such a great depiction of what it takes to be a Ref, and this was just practice!
Luckily i'm not going to minute-by-minute the rest here :p Just to say it's a great video, and take it and also apply it to other sports your follow - being a referee in other sports is incredibly similar. So, be kind to your Refs, as without them we wouldn't have sports.
Thanks, this was a GREAT comment! Easy to forget how hard a ref's job is, thank you for taking the time to really emphasize that. Steve Smith being a ref would be really amazing because I bet it would task every last reserve of what little humility he has not to get animated and into it out there. I love Steve Smith and all his crazy energy so it would be a little rough watching him be serious 100% of the time (I'm joking not joking).
Hmm... it is hard not to read something into JS not mentioning Adams when talking about the Seattle secondary. Oversight? I doubt it--the GM is only too aware of Adams and what he is costing against the cap. Superstition? Maybe they don't want to talk about Adams because it will jinx his recovery lol. I am sure that PCJS are feeling burned that they designed the 2022 D around Adams then lost him Game 1 last year, and maybe feel like they cannot count on him. Better maybe to be surprised by his contribution than disappointed in his unavailability.
When he brought up the secondary, my first thought was "What's he going to say about Jamal Adams?" Not because Adams is the best or even a top-3 player in the secondary anymore, but because he's Jamal Adams. John, you traded a lot to get him, you paid him a lot, we've been anxiously waiting for his return. So yeah, I wouldn't normally read too much into a non-mention, but this one feels different. He was the player I wanted to hear mentioned and there was no mention, so that felt like it meant something.
Ha, it IS hard not to speculate, isn't it? My immediate assumption was that he was talking about "most improved" and simply hasn't seen enough from Adams to say or the secret plan is to use Adams more like a Linebacker this year and not mentioning him was a tell (that's a lot of projection on my part).
But yeah, Adams has cost them a lot without delivering much, I'm sure JS is unhappy about that, not sure he'd hold that against Adams though. But I have always wondered if Adams was mostly a Pete thing or if they were really both on board. Little moments like this imply Adams was likely all Pete and not John but "imply" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
I don't think the trade for Adams happens unless Pete and John are on the same page. But particularly from the GM point of view, it has to be a PITA that he has the contract he has, and is did not play last year/contribute as planned.
Oh yeah, I didn't mean that Pete told John he had to make this trade, but over time there have been hints that they both have had favorites between the vets they trade for/sign.
8:40pm EDT: After working all day, precooking dinner for the fam, and then announcing a local high school JV football game, I am just getting a sec to sit and read this over dinner. Unfortunately, I am late in signing up for the fantasy football league. If we have enough interest and someone wants to set up a 2nd league, count me in. Otherwise, I'll get "next" next year.
Bosa in now the highest paid non QB. 170m 5 year 122m guarantee
Find someone who admires you as much as Mark Sanchez admires Geno.
Given these other takes, I was surprised at how well the Seahawks did in the predictions on The Ringer: 10/10 predict the playoffs with 3 thinking it'll be via winning the division.
I really liked what Cowherd's guy (former QB) had to say on Geno's interceptions last year, pointing out 9 of them happened on 1st or 2nd down, making them entirely 'fixable'. I agree Geno's 2nd half fall-off happened due to trying to overcome injury dilemmas. Pete has had trouble fielding solid offensive lines, which I think has now been corrected. Given time to absorb the entire field, Geno will kick ass. Excuse me, I meant to say KICK ASS.
I think the 2nd half falloff falls squarely on the shoulders of the offensive line. Every fantasy football analyst out there is saying that K9 got stopped too many times behind the line but that was happening because he was getting tackled as he was taking the handoff. It got better late but for too many games there were no openings to run through and the offense stalled way too often.
I have faith in Geno and I have faith in K9.
NFL YouTube could teach classes in how to step over dollars to pick up dimes.
Link vs. embedded- the embedded videos are easier, but on my device (iPad) I can’t go to full screen from them so I frequently have to leave the Substack app to search for the video in it’s native app. I don’t know how difficult it would be, but maybe you could include a link even on the embedded videos.
I'll keep that in mind!
Penix looked phenomenal in his first game. Seemed to pick up right where he left off. If he's not the best QB in the draft class, he appears to be one of the best. Decent mobility. Rifle of an arm with excellent touch. Of course has things to improve upon, such as the consistency of his footwork, as mentioned in the video. Really solid decision making skills too.
Finally had a chance to see Grayson McCall. His decision making skills are superb. I see why you like him so much. That is, after all, the most important skill for any signal caller. He does not appear to have the arm talent of the guys at the top of the class. A bit of mobility but really he's built more like a linebacker. I can see why he tends to be thought of as a guy who might get drafted but is unlikely to start at the next level. Of course, the same was said of Russell Wilson and Tom Brady. Would never root against any kid. I'm rooting for Richardson even though I have a primitive shadow that feels otherwise.
In 1984, All-American point guard Leon Wood was the tenth pick of the NBA draft. Unlike fellow class members Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwan, Wood was never more than a journeyman (literally—have a look at his career history). After a few years bouncing around Europe and the CBA, Leon decided to try his hand at officiating. In 1996 he became an NBA ref and 27 years later has officiated in 1,459 NBA regular season games.
NBRA page: https://www.nbra.net/nba-officials/referee-biographies/leon-wood/
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Wood
Great story!
I'm a big Sheil fan, always curious to hear what he says about the Hawks (and the NFL). The Ringer has a really good archive system (Simmons really appreciates a good archive, Grantland had a great system too). You can revisit his predictions for 2022 and they're worth a look.
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2022/8/16/23305679/top-nfl-offenses-patrick-mahomes-josh-allen-justin-herbert-tom-brady
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2022/8/17/23307846/projecting-nfl-defense-baltimore-ravens-san-francisco-49ers-tampa-bay-buccaneers-los-angeles-rams
He's probably 50/50 on the year which is not bad, and I don't bring these up to shame Sheil so much as to point out:
A) making good season-long predictions for any NFL team, let alone the league, is incredibly hard and also mainly click bait.
B) It's interesting to see what the pundits/reporters thought going into the season, because even the most rigorous minds (I'd put Sheil high on that list) can get things really wrong. Like his 2022 Rams predictions. Or his 2022 Broncos predicitons. Or his 2022 Seahawks offense prediction (well, that was actually right for part of the season).
I'm in for fantasy football. Sounds like fun.
I could do a minute-by-minute breakdown of that refereeing video, because it's really good! [Hey You! Yes you, the SSJ community member who's reading this comment saying "i don't wanna click a link, i'll pass on that video". No! Stop! Go to youtube, type 'NFL steve smith' and hit what is probably the first result. Now! Go, do it. I'll wait for you to finish and come back to read the rest of my comment]
~1:54 Carl gives Steve the marker beanbag and penalty flag, and he says about the flag "Be careful with this... make sure when you put this down it's a clean solid foul". This is Intro To Ref 101 stuff but really really good advice for any ref in any sport doing it early on. Only call when you know, really know, it's a foul. "Use with cuation", applies to the flag but you can expand to everything you do as a ref. The more you flag, shout, whistle, the less people pay attention to what you are doing.
~2:55 Steve says "I was scared of you, but not now" and they hug. Refs are humans too! Just doing their best, and fundamentally are good nice honest people. [Also, steve looks good in stripes]
~3:55 Putting the emphasis on communication. Establishing "you do this, look for this". Getting Steve to focus in on his area and assignments, just like a player would do. But making clear, you do that because the other Refs are doing their jobs. Every NFL game has three teams on the field!
~4:10 That 'Hawks fan is all of us deep down right now going into Wk 1 :p
~5:00 Just chatting about DB's, NFL Refs love football as much as anyone. But also, just talking through what's happening, running their own little internal commentary. It really highlights how much each ref is trying to cover on each play. So when something gets missed there's just that context. Watching Steve then going through the progression and trying to manage all the info I think is a great demonstration of the skill involved in being a ref. It's hard, really hard mentally.
~6:50 Flag on the play! Steve sticks to his call which is good, but i also like the hesitancy in his voice - to be expected from a rookie. All fun and games, but then it rolls through to Steve talking about what i just said - it's a lot of process and is really tough mentally. "ADD on steroids" is pretty apt, I remember doing my first Ref work (not American Football, but honestly the translation to Soccer & Rugby are real) and feeling so overwhelmed by it all. Such a great depiction of what it takes to be a Ref, and this was just practice!
Luckily i'm not going to minute-by-minute the rest here :p Just to say it's a great video, and take it and also apply it to other sports your follow - being a referee in other sports is incredibly similar. So, be kind to your Refs, as without them we wouldn't have sports.
Thanks, this was a GREAT comment! Easy to forget how hard a ref's job is, thank you for taking the time to really emphasize that. Steve Smith being a ref would be really amazing because I bet it would task every last reserve of what little humility he has not to get animated and into it out there. I love Steve Smith and all his crazy energy so it would be a little rough watching him be serious 100% of the time (I'm joking not joking).
True that, guys! Very good video.
Hmm... it is hard not to read something into JS not mentioning Adams when talking about the Seattle secondary. Oversight? I doubt it--the GM is only too aware of Adams and what he is costing against the cap. Superstition? Maybe they don't want to talk about Adams because it will jinx his recovery lol. I am sure that PCJS are feeling burned that they designed the 2022 D around Adams then lost him Game 1 last year, and maybe feel like they cannot count on him. Better maybe to be surprised by his contribution than disappointed in his unavailability.
When he brought up the secondary, my first thought was "What's he going to say about Jamal Adams?" Not because Adams is the best or even a top-3 player in the secondary anymore, but because he's Jamal Adams. John, you traded a lot to get him, you paid him a lot, we've been anxiously waiting for his return. So yeah, I wouldn't normally read too much into a non-mention, but this one feels different. He was the player I wanted to hear mentioned and there was no mention, so that felt like it meant something.
Ha, it IS hard not to speculate, isn't it? My immediate assumption was that he was talking about "most improved" and simply hasn't seen enough from Adams to say or the secret plan is to use Adams more like a Linebacker this year and not mentioning him was a tell (that's a lot of projection on my part).
But yeah, Adams has cost them a lot without delivering much, I'm sure JS is unhappy about that, not sure he'd hold that against Adams though. But I have always wondered if Adams was mostly a Pete thing or if they were really both on board. Little moments like this imply Adams was likely all Pete and not John but "imply" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
I don't think the trade for Adams happens unless Pete and John are on the same page. But particularly from the GM point of view, it has to be a PITA that he has the contract he has, and is did not play last year/contribute as planned.
Oh yeah, I didn't mean that Pete told John he had to make this trade, but over time there have been hints that they both have had favorites between the vets they trade for/sign.