The Athletic power ranking: Bill's #2

[Mr. WEO]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5930653/2024/11/19/nfl-power-rankings-week-12-lions-bills-coaches/

 

Lions #1:--this team is not really being talked about much it seems:

 

 "The Lions are 23-7  (including playoffs) since the beginning of last season. They had 38 first downs and outgained the Jaguars by 475 yards Sunday. Detroit has beaten three teams by at least 38 points this season, and its point differential (plus-15.9 per game) is on pace to be second-highest in the NFL since at least 2000 behind only the 2007 Patriots, according to TruMedia"

 

Bills #2: 

 

"Sean McDermott is not going to be fully embraced in Buffalo until he at least gets the Bills to the Super Bowl, but ending the Chiefs’ perfect season is good for morale. McDermott, who is 82-43 since taking the job in 2017, has gone to only one conference title game, and Kansas City ended the Bills’ season there. Sunday established the Bills as a real contender this season, but they’re going to have to prove it again and probably against the same old foe."

 

 

KC #3:

 

"That’s not a typo that should read cold. Andy Reid’s seat is a throne. The 66-year-old will leave Kansas City when he’s ready and not before. He’s under contract through the 2029 season, and that contract is worth $100 million, according to Sportico. Reid needs 62 more wins to pass Don Shula and become the NFL’s all-time winningest coach in the regular season. He would have to stay on a torrid pace to get there by the end of this contract, but he’s on a torrid pace now."

 

Ravens #8 (big drop):

 

John Harbaugh's coaching seat "temperature check" went from "cold" to "cool"

 

Interesting fact:  Jim Harbaugh's NFL winning % (.696) is 5th all time and #1 among active HC's.

Edited 2 hours ago by Mr. WEO

[Coach Tuesday]

Lol you mean The Athletic.  The Atlantic isn't known for its sports section...

Edited 2 hours ago by Coach Tuesday

[Mr. WEO]

lol true

fixed!

[MJS]

The Lions aren't being talked about? I've been hearing they are the best team in the league for a few weeks now. Nationally they are being talked about, but perhaps Bills fans aren't because NFC teams aren't usually the focus.

[NewEra]

From my reading/watching experience in recent weeks, Detroit has been the  #1 team in the majority of the polls.  They’ve been on a serious run 

[BearNorth]

That being said, I think it interesting, [and I know it's early] that the 49ers are only a 2 pt dog at 5-5, where the unbeaten Chiefs were a 2.5 pt dog.

 

I am hoping that Milano, Coleman, Brown, Kincaid will all benefit from the coming bye week, and the Bills will benefit from not having to travel for the better part of 4 weeks between their return from Indy [11/10] until they leave for LA [12/6].

 

[Mr. WEO]

14 minutes ago, MJS said:

The Lions aren't being talked about? I've been hearing they are the best team in the league for a few weeks now. Nationally they are being talked about, but perhaps Bills fans aren't because NFC teams aren't usually the focus.

 

Beyond the constant Ravens and Chiefs chatter, not as much.  We kind of laughed when they hired the kneecap nibbler as HC.  But that guy can coach. Look at Goff--Boy Genius McVay couldn't figure him out (that Lombardy with Stafford's name on it is sinking their ship--20 wins since).

 

 

4 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

That being said, I think it interesting, [and I know it's early] that the 49ers are only a 2 pt dog at 5-5, where the unbeaten Chiefs were a 2.5 pt dog.

 

I am hoping that Milano, Coleman, Brown, Kincaid will all benefit from the coming bye week, and the Bills will benefit from not having to travel for the better part of 4 weeks between their return from Indy [11/10] until they leave for LA [12/6].

 

 

 

Bills Lions will be the game of the year for the NFL

Edited 2 hours ago by Mr. WEO

[BearNorth]

33 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Bills Lions will be the game of the year for the NFL

Sure shaping up that way.  Bills have to hold serve against the 9ers and Rams, then on to the Motor City.

[Mr. WEO]

49ers in free fall.  Rams have 1, maybe 2 quality wins.  Stafford has 13 TDs in 10 games.  Scored 15 points vs Fins...with Nacua and Kupp back in the lineup.

[HappyDays]

43 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Stafford has 13 TDs in 10 games.  Scored 15 points vs Fins...with Nacua and Kupp back in the lineup.

 

Their OL in that game was as bad an OL performance as I've ever seen. Their RT Joe Noteboom made me long for Bobby Hart. Stafford has never been mobile, he needs decent pass protection to make plays.

[Jauronimo]

2 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Lol you mean The Athletic.  The Atlantic isn't known for its sports section...

I was looking forward to Noam Chomksy's power rankings.

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Beyond the constant Ravens and Chiefs chatter, not as much.  We kind of laughed when they hired the kneecap nibbler as HC.  But that guy can coach. Look at Goff--Boy Genius McVay couldn't figure him out (that Lombardy with Stafford's name on it is sinking their ship--20 wins since).

 

 

I hate to be that guy.... but I did like the Campbell hire. I liked him as far back as his interim stint in Miami after Philbin got canned. I am a "hire a leader" guy at Head Coach though. It's "in" this year apparently and teams are after leaders and culture setters. Presumably after watching such non-entities as Brian Callahan and Dave Canales get Head Coaching shots last time around teams have realised having called a few good offensive drives does not a Head Coach make.  

[RiotAct]

congratulations to Bill!!!

[Yobogoya!]

13 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I hate to be that guy.... but I did like the Campbell hire. I liked him as far back as his interim stint in Miami after Philbin got canned. I am a "hire a leader" guy at Head Coach though. It's "in" this year apparently and teams are after leaders and culture setters. Presumably after watching such non-entities as Brian Callahan and Dave Canales get Head Coaching shots last time around teams have realised having called a few good offensive drives does not a Head Coach make.  

I was quietly pleased the Dolphins didn’t retain Campbell back then.

[FireChans]

12 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I hate to be that guy.... but I did like the Campbell hire. I liked him as far back as his interim stint in Miami after Philbin got canned. I am a "hire a leader" guy at Head Coach though. It's "in" this year apparently and teams are after leaders and culture setters. Presumably after watching such non-entities as Brian Callahan and Dave Canales get Head Coaching shots last time around teams have realised having called a few good offensive drives does not a Head Coach make.  

It's kinda funny how the NFL is when it comes to coaches.

 

Really all that matters is their success.

 

Culture setters/football guys. Teams like the Bills and Lions have gotten pulled out of the mire of generational terrible culture.  McD got a weird/lucky playoff berth year 1 that lent him some credence. Campbell was on the hotseat starting off 4-19-1 in his first two seasons until things clicked and they have been 29-8 since.

 

The problem with these dudes is that their messages grow old and stale if they don't start seeing results and their results do often vary as they are more program runners vs X's and O's savants.

 

Then there's the gifted football minds. Shanny Jr, McVay, McDaniels, Flores. They have track records of good success as playcallers or play-designers, but their results vary if they are terrible leaders. Flores and McDaniels both can coach, at a high level, but their players inevitably hate them and things go sideways.

 

The perfect fit of culture-setter and X's and O's is really rare. Those are usually HoFers. Reid, BB, Walsh etc etc.

[buffblue]

21 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

congratulations to Bill!!!