2015 NFL season

[Eja117]

It's Tebow Time!   

[Donoghus]

Thank god, some actual, real, on the field football starts tonight. 

Predictions?

AFCE: NE
AFCN: BALT
AFCS: INDY
AFCW: DEN
Wild Cards: MIA, CIN

NFCE: DAL
NFCN: GB
NFCS: CAR
NFCW: SEA
Wild Cards: PHI, MIN

Super Bowl 50:  GB v. BALT

The Nelson injury makes me second guess the GB pick a bit but they still have Rodgers.  They had SEA on the ropes last year in the NFC title game.  Think they get redemption.  On the AFC side, I could see anyone from the NE/BALT/DEN mix.  Looks like it's BALT's turn again in the rotation.  Pats make me nervous because of their player losses.  Secondary & O-Line look a bit shaky.

[D.o.s.]

Bold prediction: Pats-Steelers breaks 70 points.

[PhoSita]

The Colts are a soft team.  You don't build a team from the skill positions.  Backwards thinking.  They won't go anywhere until they get better line play.


Bills might be good this year if Tyrod Taylor is a legit QB.  My guess is that the league catches up to him.  He won't be facing the Colts' secondary every week.

The Chiefs are a solid all around team.  Alex Smith is underrated.  I hope they go places this year.

[Donoghus]

Man, Texans are getting taken to the woodshed, huh?  Mallet time soon?

[esel1000]

The infamous Colts run d strikes again, down 17-0 to the Bills at the half and can't stop a run to save their lives.

[Neurotic Guy]

Bills (and Taylor) look pretty good.  Taylor has looked like the pro-bowl QB while Luck has been mediocre at best so far. 

[PhoSita]

I'd love to see the Colts miss the playoffs.


Looks like the Bills and Dolphins are both legit everywhere except for quarterback.  Jets might be competent as well.

Pats will still win the division, but the AFC East is far from a joke this year, looks like.


Seems that the Jags will also once again be a doormat.  Really poorly constructed team down there.  Using high draft picks on QBs, WRs and HBs before a foundation is in place.  Common mistake for bad teams that are poorly managed.

[Eja117]

It took me a little while to get on board with this, but I love the way the Pats draft a QB every year and keep working it. Hoyer, Garapalo, Cassell....heck yes. And....Tom Brady. They had 3 guys including what seemed like a promising Michael Bishop and they took Brady anyway.

They have struck out on the Zac Robinsons, and Kliff Kingsbury's and the Rohan Davey's but it was totally worth it

[D.o.s.]

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have now identified the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 96 percent of NFL players that they’ve examined and in 79 percent of all football players. The disease is widely believed to stem from repetitive trauma to the head, and can lead to conditions such as memory loss, depression and dementia.

In total, the lab has found CTE in the brain tissue in 131 out of 165 individuals who, before their deaths, played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school.

Forty percent of those who tested positive were the offensive and defensive linemen who come into contact with one another on every play of a game, according to numbers shared by the brain bank with FRONTLINE. That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/concussion-watch/new-87-deceased-nfl-players-test-positive-for-brain-disease/

[PhoSita]

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have now identified the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 96 percent of NFL players that they’ve examined and in 79 percent of all football players. The disease is widely believed to stem from repetitive trauma to the head, and can lead to conditions such as memory loss, depression and dementia.

In total, the lab has found CTE in the brain tissue in 131 out of 165 individuals who, before their deaths, played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school.

Forty percent of those who tested positive were the offensive and defensive linemen who come into contact with one another on every play of a game, according to numbers shared by the brain bank with FRONTLINE. That finding supports past research suggesting that it’s the repeat, more minor head trauma that occurs regularly in football that may pose the greatest risk to players, as opposed to just the sometimes violent collisions that cause concussions.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/concussion-watch/new-87-deceased-nfl-players-test-positive-for-brain-disease/

The repeated trauma thing is really tough for the sport because you can adjust the rules to limit the high speed collisions that result in really major injuries, but the tackling and blocking at the line of scrimmage is the heart of the game.  Huge human beings crashing together.

Long term consequences don't trouble me as much, as a fan, when we're talking about professional athletes.  As long as the athletes understand the long term risks, I can feel OK about watching the sport knowing they're well compensated.  That's a decision the players have a right to make, I think.  There are plenty of industries where workers make the decision to sacrifice their long term health to provide for their families, and typically those workers don't make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars every year.

The issue for me is when we're talking about kids playing high school ball, and especially kids playing in college and paying the price without getting nearly as much in return as the NFL guys do.

If I have children, they will definitely not be allowed to play tackle football. 

[D.o.s.]

Yeah I've had that conversation with a few of my friends (none of the ones who have kids) and it's pretty split down the middle, particularly since while I don't think I'd want my hypothetical progeny playing football I have a fond affinity for the 'action sports' (gag) and those are, you know, not absent of inherent risk.

[Donoghus]

Probably the least surprising results of a study ever (well, maybe smoking #1 but still).

It's a violent, violent game.  Nowhere is in worse than along the line.  Those guys get destroyed.  The beating you take as a lineman is silly. 

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

The infamous Colts run d strikes again, down 17-0 to the Bills at the half and can't stop a run to save their lives.

The Pats' run D didn't look much better last week. I hope they figure it out soon.

[blink]

I'd love to see the Colts miss the playoffs.


Looks like the Bills and Dolphins are both legit everywhere except for quarterback.  Jets might be competent as well.

Pats will still win the division, but the AFC East is far from a joke this year, looks like.

I think the Dolphins do have a legit QB in Tannehill.   He has been progressively better every season.  If his OL can stay healthy he should have a good year.