I'm going to comment on your "Top Gun" aside. I don't see myself watching the new film for the same reason I don't remember the old one. I'm a guy who tries to find films that enrich rather than merely entertain. I want to come away feeling like I learned something or grew as a human being. I have zero hope that a "Top Gun" remake would leave me feeling that I had accomplished anything beyond wasting a couple hours of my life and whatever they charge for a ticket these days.
Last night I saw a film I loved, which is unusual. Every year, I see just a handful of films I can honestly recommend. The film is, and I shit you not, "Bathrooms Over Broadway" on Netflix. It's intelligent, funny and heart warming (all in one). I'll admit it's not a film for everyone. It's likely to appeal to those with sardonic humor, who were early fans of David Letterman (before he got really famous, when he did dry, offbeat stuff), for students of film and more intellectual/egghead types. If you're someone who prefers to be simply entertained with special effects, there's nothing wrong with that. Different strokes and all.
As for Lock and Smith, I don't put them in the same basket. As others have said, though we've not really heard this much from you, Kenneth, we've seen enough of Gino Smith to have a good sense of his ceiling and his floor. He could carry us to a five, maybe six, win season. Perhaps more if the defense or the running game is great.
Lock was on track at one point to maybe become the Denver starter. He looked fairly promising coming out of college. His first four NFL games were wins. Between covid and the lack of support he received in Denver, it's not fair to place him in the "forever backup" column just yet.
Unlike Wilson, who seemed more the backup coming out of college (based on body type if nothing else), he didn't grab the bull by the horns. Brady is another guy who stepped up and took advantage of his opportunities, even as his college coach tried to shuck him aside. We've not seen that from Lock. But we know he's got tools. Strong arm, mobility, size, stature. All of which does not a great QB make. The question is really more about his mentality. Can he gain the composure to stop making game and career imploding mistakes. We'll see. I hope the Hawks give him a chance. I think they will.
If we want serviceable, we should go get that Minshew guy everyone is talking about. He's already in that category.
In seriousness, I think Geno's ceiling is in the "serviceable" tier while his floor is "existent" tier. I think the most likely outcome is something barely serviceable. I think Lock on the other hand has real "good for a minute" tier upside. He's much more likely to turn in an "existent" tier performance, but I think both those outcomes are more interesting (and better for the franchise) than a probable "serviceable" performance from Geno.
Wow, Rex Reed's review is harsh! Sounds like he may not be into avant-garde films, including Cronenberg. It was well-reviewed by NPR/Fresh Air. I'll see it!
One of the methods of sports commenting is to link guys to the past. It's like at the beginning of games when they show team's win/loss head-to- head.
Problem is, most of the head-to-heads happened before the current guys were on the team.
It's fair to look at Drew's accuracy in the past and say it's relevant. But is it a 1 to 1 equivalent? When you see tape and see guys drop catchable balls that Lockette won't, then maybe not.
Many of the interceptions are bad. Game changing bad? Depends. Matthew Stafford is hailed as a hero, but if Tartt picks that ball and the 9ers win, they Stafford's the Lions QB that can't win the big one, and they have to extend him 'having not won the big one,' and SF has an even bigger mess of their hands of JG won the SB.
Lock has intriguing athleticism, QB skill set, a few years in the Broncos' farm system, and confidence to want to look.
He's young enough and skilled enough that if he hits, someday they're be a list with Drew Lock saying it CAN be done.
After all, it was Seattle that have Russ the chance to do what hadn't been gone previous to that moment.
I don't know if Geno or Drew are similar but, if they could have a similar Tommy Maddick season I would be elated. Your post has actually given me a little more optimism.
Our defense will have to get to the QB and cause turnovers. The short field with a strong run game is a winning combo.
My only worry and it has been the same since 2012 Russell 1st year. I have always felt Pete puts to much pressure on the Quarterback to not turn the ball over. Matt Stafford threw the second most picks in the league last year, and won the Super Bowl. I think Drew was under similar pressure in Denver. The head coach who is a good D coordinator gave Teddy check down Bridgewater the starting job. I would hate Seattle having the self serving Bridgewater. I am not saying just chuck it up but if there are turnovers which there will be, learn and move on.
If not Baker, my next choice would be Tannehill. Next to that, sign Fitz out of retirement. 4th choice is Minshew. He lacks a ton of what you want as a starting QB, I realize. But he doesn't throw picks, and is cautious to a fault which I suspect is what this org wants for a stop gap quarterback.
I was listening to 710 a good bit this week and the hosts were all at attendance for minicamp. The biggest thing I heard over and over is that on offense there was never a single "wow" play from our passers like when we had Russell. Not that I'd expect many from Smith working with the starters and Lock with the 2nd team (seriously, they aren't even rotating these guys?) but it's wasn't "There weren't many wow plays," it was "there wasn't one single one. And we used to see one a drive."
I realize I come across as a Baker fanatic here and that almost embarrasses me. But I have watched nearly every Browns game that didn't conflict with a Seahawks game since my wife picked them to be her 2nd favorite when she saw them celebrate their only win of a season years back. I have watched a ton of Baker Mayfield, and in my opinion 2020 wasn't an outlier. He just had the best cast around him that year and the most things finally break the Brown's way... as they tend to when you're a pretty good team. But in 2020, he was special. And he showed me that he was tough as nails when he delayed surgery to trot out there with a broken body last season. I'm still mixed on him as someone I'd want leading my team. But for the love of everything holy he seems the best available QB for us THIS year that wouldn't cost us a crazy ton of capital. I just want us to be good this year and not terrible. The QB decision will determine that.
Ryan Tannehill. He had a better career in Miami than Lock had in Denver, but it wasn't great. He's been at least good for a minute in Tennessee, though no one outside of Tennessee will be shocked that his minute already ended. I think he deserves a spot on that list though, and I think that first-year-Titan-Tannehill is the 2022 hope for Lock. Geno Smith is Blain Gabbert.
If the Hawks brain trust see real playoff potential with this team, Lock will be traded, Gino becomes QB 2 and and a new Q B. will be the starter. Minshew, Mayfield, Jimmy G. or TBD.
I've always felt the same way about Dave Krieg that is written here about Fitzpatrick. Great backup (relatively speaking), but pushed into a starting role he just wasn't equipped to handle. I always used to say he was good for about 8 games a year and that's it. At least he was better than Kelly Stouffer, Dan McGwire, and Stan Gelbaugh.
Fitzpatrick threw for 223 TDs That's tied with Kirk Cousins for 36th most all time. He was a pretty good quarterback, and played more at the level of a solid journeyman than a backup.
I'm going to comment on your "Top Gun" aside. I don't see myself watching the new film for the same reason I don't remember the old one. I'm a guy who tries to find films that enrich rather than merely entertain. I want to come away feeling like I learned something or grew as a human being. I have zero hope that a "Top Gun" remake would leave me feeling that I had accomplished anything beyond wasting a couple hours of my life and whatever they charge for a ticket these days.
Last night I saw a film I loved, which is unusual. Every year, I see just a handful of films I can honestly recommend. The film is, and I shit you not, "Bathrooms Over Broadway" on Netflix. It's intelligent, funny and heart warming (all in one). I'll admit it's not a film for everyone. It's likely to appeal to those with sardonic humor, who were early fans of David Letterman (before he got really famous, when he did dry, offbeat stuff), for students of film and more intellectual/egghead types. If you're someone who prefers to be simply entertained with special effects, there's nothing wrong with that. Different strokes and all.
As for Lock and Smith, I don't put them in the same basket. As others have said, though we've not really heard this much from you, Kenneth, we've seen enough of Gino Smith to have a good sense of his ceiling and his floor. He could carry us to a five, maybe six, win season. Perhaps more if the defense or the running game is great.
Lock was on track at one point to maybe become the Denver starter. He looked fairly promising coming out of college. His first four NFL games were wins. Between covid and the lack of support he received in Denver, it's not fair to place him in the "forever backup" column just yet.
Unlike Wilson, who seemed more the backup coming out of college (based on body type if nothing else), he didn't grab the bull by the horns. Brady is another guy who stepped up and took advantage of his opportunities, even as his college coach tried to shuck him aside. We've not seen that from Lock. But we know he's got tools. Strong arm, mobility, size, stature. All of which does not a great QB make. The question is really more about his mentality. Can he gain the composure to stop making game and career imploding mistakes. We'll see. I hope the Hawks give him a chance. I think they will.
If we want serviceable, we should go get that Minshew guy everyone is talking about. He's already in that category.
In seriousness, I think Geno's ceiling is in the "serviceable" tier while his floor is "existent" tier. I think the most likely outcome is something barely serviceable. I think Lock on the other hand has real "good for a minute" tier upside. He's much more likely to turn in an "existent" tier performance, but I think both those outcomes are more interesting (and better for the franchise) than a probable "serviceable" performance from Geno.
Wow, Rex Reed's review is harsh! Sounds like he may not be into avant-garde films, including Cronenberg. It was well-reviewed by NPR/Fresh Air. I'll see it!
One of the methods of sports commenting is to link guys to the past. It's like at the beginning of games when they show team's win/loss head-to- head.
Problem is, most of the head-to-heads happened before the current guys were on the team.
It's fair to look at Drew's accuracy in the past and say it's relevant. But is it a 1 to 1 equivalent? When you see tape and see guys drop catchable balls that Lockette won't, then maybe not.
Many of the interceptions are bad. Game changing bad? Depends. Matthew Stafford is hailed as a hero, but if Tartt picks that ball and the 9ers win, they Stafford's the Lions QB that can't win the big one, and they have to extend him 'having not won the big one,' and SF has an even bigger mess of their hands of JG won the SB.
Lock has intriguing athleticism, QB skill set, a few years in the Broncos' farm system, and confidence to want to look.
He's young enough and skilled enough that if he hits, someday they're be a list with Drew Lock saying it CAN be done.
After all, it was Seattle that have Russ the chance to do what hadn't been gone previous to that moment.
I don't know if Geno or Drew are similar but, if they could have a similar Tommy Maddick season I would be elated. Your post has actually given me a little more optimism.
Our defense will have to get to the QB and cause turnovers. The short field with a strong run game is a winning combo.
My only worry and it has been the same since 2012 Russell 1st year. I have always felt Pete puts to much pressure on the Quarterback to not turn the ball over. Matt Stafford threw the second most picks in the league last year, and won the Super Bowl. I think Drew was under similar pressure in Denver. The head coach who is a good D coordinator gave Teddy check down Bridgewater the starting job. I would hate Seattle having the self serving Bridgewater. I am not saying just chuck it up but if there are turnovers which there will be, learn and move on.
If not Baker, my next choice would be Tannehill. Next to that, sign Fitz out of retirement. 4th choice is Minshew. He lacks a ton of what you want as a starting QB, I realize. But he doesn't throw picks, and is cautious to a fault which I suspect is what this org wants for a stop gap quarterback.
I was listening to 710 a good bit this week and the hosts were all at attendance for minicamp. The biggest thing I heard over and over is that on offense there was never a single "wow" play from our passers like when we had Russell. Not that I'd expect many from Smith working with the starters and Lock with the 2nd team (seriously, they aren't even rotating these guys?) but it's wasn't "There weren't many wow plays," it was "there wasn't one single one. And we used to see one a drive."
I realize I come across as a Baker fanatic here and that almost embarrasses me. But I have watched nearly every Browns game that didn't conflict with a Seahawks game since my wife picked them to be her 2nd favorite when she saw them celebrate their only win of a season years back. I have watched a ton of Baker Mayfield, and in my opinion 2020 wasn't an outlier. He just had the best cast around him that year and the most things finally break the Brown's way... as they tend to when you're a pretty good team. But in 2020, he was special. And he showed me that he was tough as nails when he delayed surgery to trot out there with a broken body last season. I'm still mixed on him as someone I'd want leading my team. But for the love of everything holy he seems the best available QB for us THIS year that wouldn't cost us a crazy ton of capital. I just want us to be good this year and not terrible. The QB decision will determine that.
Ryan Tannehill. He had a better career in Miami than Lock had in Denver, but it wasn't great. He's been at least good for a minute in Tennessee, though no one outside of Tennessee will be shocked that his minute already ended. I think he deserves a spot on that list though, and I think that first-year-Titan-Tannehill is the 2022 hope for Lock. Geno Smith is Blain Gabbert.
If the Hawks brain trust see real playoff potential with this team, Lock will be traded, Gino becomes QB 2 and and a new Q B. will be the starter. Minshew, Mayfield, Jimmy G. or TBD.
I've always felt the same way about Dave Krieg that is written here about Fitzpatrick. Great backup (relatively speaking), but pushed into a starting role he just wasn't equipped to handle. I always used to say he was good for about 8 games a year and that's it. At least he was better than Kelly Stouffer, Dan McGwire, and Stan Gelbaugh.
Fitzpatrick threw for 223 TDs That's tied with Kirk Cousins for 36th most all time. He was a pretty good quarterback, and played more at the level of a solid journeyman than a backup.