KSpan

MHJ has not been good this year, certainly not up to his draft expectations. Catch rate of 50% and a whopping 726 yards on 51 receptions.

That is one of the most absurd takes about Mahomes I've ever seen. Even excluding the 50-60 yard ropes he's thrown, 30 yards through the air while quite literally horizontal... "never be considered a gunslinger with a huge arm"

I couldn't watch that game specifically and my take is more in general of course - any team can beat any other on any given Sunday in the NFL. The Chiefs are not juggernauts this year by any means and I'd be shocked if they go too deep in the playoffs, but that is kind of my point; Carolina kicked 4 field goals of 33 yards or less that day. Gotta have TDs against the best to win and even 1 TD instead of a field goal wins that game. Is that all on Bryce? No, and no game comes down to a single play (e.g. the Eagles drop, Chuba's OT fumble, etc). My point is that I'm not seeing anything yet that projects him above that Bridgewater/Smith level and these game outcomes are exactly in line with that performance trajectory.

Ah yes, the classic and timeless 'Big Time Throws' HOF metric. Gold star for Bryce and the other QBs that make Big Time Throws. That eyeroll aside, my position has always been that Bryce's ceiling is Bridgewater/Smith levels of effectiveness, which is not good enough to have a consistent shot at winning Super Bowls in today's NFL. My issue and concern with Bryce remains as it has always been - a lack of downfield dynamics. My position has also been that this is what really hampered the Saints with Brees at QB for the last nearly decade, the inability to truly attack downfield vs the top competition when the opportunities presented themselves. That is likely complicated somewhat by the receivers on the roster and time will continue to sort that out if the roster is effectively managed. After watching the second half yesterday there were some very good throws, chiefly the throw over the middle while taking the shot that absolutely should have been roughing and then the superbly-placed TD to Moore, but still only 10 points produced and an inability to really close it out. That complete whiff on the third down pass was an untimely mistake but the kind that happens to all QBs and I don't think that's really outside of Bryce's current range of possibilities on any given throw anyway. I chuckled at the irony given all of the 'clutch' talk recently, but that's not really here or there when assessing the throw itself. Yes, 30 points should be enough to win an NFL game, but the best teams have to be able to put up points and sustain drives when needed even if carrying an unreasonable part of the load. Getting 'close' with teams like the Chiefs and Eagles is to me more a signal of the limitations I mentioned earlier (Saints-esque inability to overcome the best competition) rather than an overly positive sign, and only time will tell if he and the team can move past that. Hopefully these final games show some increased dynamics and a continued growth toward true downfield effectiveness.

God this is so true, though should start with the gate being closed after sucking for a season's worth of games.

You made the first statement claiming he could be 5-1, not me. Could easily be 1-5 as well. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts and all that.

Eagles losses are definitely to be enjoyed, and Kenny Pickett at QB is some extra icing.

What about those other games? What happened there that would have changed the results? Like today, for example - AZ sure shot themselves in the foot instead of putting it away. That game can be played in all directions.

The team is fortunate that Arizona wanted to lose as much as they apparently did. W in the column though.

AZ just giving this game away. Can't get any easier at this point. Can the offense take it?

Arizona just doing everything they can to not win.

AZ defense figuring Carolina out in the second half.

Both teams trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Why did that clown not go out of bounds? Cardinals doing their best to lose it.

Yikes. Terrible throw on a wide open route for the win.

Got to start watching at the start of the 2nd half. Great TD throw, 30 pts is enough to win an NFL game. AZ hanging around though, need another drive from the offense.

There is of course nuance to the situation that can't be summed up in a single sentence, but if the team is 3-11 at this point next year the odds are that there has been no development and bad personnel moves were made. Arguments like these are why Rhule got the entirely undeserved year 3 - if it's clear that someone doesn't have it, you don't sit around and waste time for the sake of 'consistency/stability'. That said, such a scenario would again point back at Tepper as the root dysfunction. Who knows if/when that would ever get corrected.

Yeah but how many of those were Big Time Throws or Gold Star Plays or whatever random-ass esoteric made-up stat one might use to make things look better/more interesting than they might actually be?

Yup. Rivera and Hurney both should have been gone after 2018. It was all downhill from there

This is really the biggest thing. At minimal points has the offense seemed elevated due to him at QB. When things were great across the board, he looked OK, even good from all reports. When things are not great, he has not shown little if any ability to elevate and overcome that. That is not where an NFL team should want to hang their hat, and competition should absolutely remain on the table.

Which changes nothing about Carolina's inability to extend this season as was suggested and makes that window actually even longer than 2 years.

Can't extend a UDFA until after their second season.

Team sucked. Dallas walked all over them, especially the OL. Feels gross just saying that.

That's really the crux of it. Bryce was already an outlier at a historical physical disadvantage when he came into the league. The standard of proof was already greater and that is just the objective reality of it. Couple that with the poor first batch of work and that standard remains arguably even greater than before.