tukafan21

He's been doing this all season, in obvious situations we should be throwing to T-Mac, like 3rd and short-ish there, we use him as a decoy route and never even have Bryce look his way, hoping to fool the defense. Sometimes your best play is just throwing to your best player, not using them as a decoy, but 9 games in and Canales still can't figure that out yet.

I get it, it was a bad throw and would have been an impressive catch. But realistically he had a hand (maybe 2?) on the ball with no defender even jumping with him to break it up. Awkward throw or not, when you're as good as he is, he needs to make that catch, it was a drop.

It was a bad pass, yes. But it was also a drop, 100%

It was, but it still should have been caught

gotta catch that one T-Mac

It's week 9 and we haven't thrown a single jump ball to T-Mac in the end zone all season long. But we love to throw them to him in the middle of the field when we need 1st downs, and because of it, he's one of the league leaders in them. Make it make sense

100%, everyone can see it. But if I were to say this, it's just me complaining that my guy isn't getting TD's, instead of just objective analysis. And it's not even Bryce, it's Canales, as most of the time you can see the first read of those plays are to XL and he never looks T-Mac's way.

But, but, but, but, I was told Dalton's bad game was proof that Bryce is a god and our savior at QB.

I hope we trade Rico, because if they do that, it would actually make me think the front office and coaches don't believe in Bryce. If they think Bryce is going to be our guy, then they should be pushing for the playoffs this year with our record right now, not sending away our current starting RB.

He’s still playing well enough to make it worth it (if he can stay healthy) So I have no problem with it since the cap space rolls over anyways. Everyone complains that we don’t keep our good players around, and then complain when we extend one of our steadiest players of the last decade.

It's better to clear the cap space and not use it than clear it and then overspend on a player out of need and them not live up to the contract. Clear it this year, roll it over and spend it next year on a player worthy of the contract.

I want to replace both of them this offseason, but if it's only one or the other, I think getting the right coach in place is more important than replacing Bryce next year. It gives us a year to use our picks and cap on building out a better roster to allow better success for the new QB. Not to mention that I wouldn't want the first year of a new QB to then be coached by someone I don't think has what it takes to be a good HC. That's a good way to ruin the new QB before they ever get off the ground, sound familiar?

Wasn't insinuating that you were one of those people by quoting you, just a more general statement about a lot of people here and was quoting you two because I was talking about the speed/quickness thing, that's all.

Well sure, I'm clearly not a Bryce believer, but I've also been very loud against Canales too, for an offensive minded coach who calls plays, he kinda sucks a play design and calling, it's bland and predictable. I will give Canales a ton of credit in that he has completely reshaped this franchise's locker room spirit, these guys seem to be having fun and genuinely believing in themselves and each other. That's something we haven't seen here in a little while and he gets A marks from me in that regard. But if I had to keep one next year and replace the other, believe it or not, I'd replace Canales and keep Bryce. Use Tepper's huge wallet and a promise that the HC gets 1 season of Bryce and then it's 100% his call, no GM or Owner input, while also guaranteeing them 2 full seasons post Bryce, no matter what. It allows them to build out a team properly instead of feeling they need to shoot for the moon right away, think like the Texans did before getting Stroud. Then they have the choice in year 2 to dump Bryce and sign a gap year QB while building out the rest of the roster without concern that a bad year will get them fired, knowing we'll then go all in on getting a QB in the next offseason. Tepper needs to get in a room with the top candidates and be sincere and prove to them he'll hold his word on this, it's the only way to attract a great HC candidate.

Everyone is seeing it now, but nobody wanted to listen to me when I was saying all these things for well over a year leading into this draft. And it's not that it's sneaky speed, it's like I said, he's not a quick twitch guy that has super burst off the line, but once he gets going with those long strides, he really gets moving. Everyone was so sacred about potential 40 times, he was never going to be that kind of guy to have a crazy fast time, but he has more than enough speed to be an elite WR in this league given everything else he brings to the table. Which is why using him on the underneath stuff isn't a bad strategy, he excelled on those in college since he's catching it in full stride and was good at getting YAC on those routes. The problem is Canales' play design and calling, the great coaches run certain plays to set up later plays that get that player running wide open across the middle just 7 yards downfield, but with acres of space and at full stride, and Canales just doesn't have that in him. But also yes, we need to be throwing more jump balls to him when there's no safety help on the outside, it seems like Canales won't let Bryce check to it for some reason, as he never does, particularly in goal to go situations. I don't think Bryce has one time checked at the line to throw the fade to the corner, despite him being covered on an island at least a dozen times in those situations this year already. Yep, I saw AJ in him from the second he stepped foot onto the field as a Freshman, to me the closest direct comp. But in the pre-draft process I saw someone say he's a combo of Plaxico and V-Jax and I couldn't help but feel that was scary accurate.

Although, I will admit there is a big caveat to this game. Packers coming off an emotionally big game against Rodgers on the road in Primetime and a MNF matchup with the Eagles at home the following week, it is a prime opportunity for a let down game with them being at home and looking ahead. Which if it's the case, I think we still lose, but only something like 24-21.

We lose in a non competitive game 38-20. Bryce doesn't look much better than Dalton did and all the people this week saying "see we told you he's great, look how bad this team is without Bryce" blame it on the OL injuries and/or his ankle and already start laying the groundwork for that being why he is still one of the worst starting QB's the rest of the season and why he deserves another year, if not even an outright extension. And no, that's not what I'm rooting for, just what I objectively think will happen, just as I've been saying for a month would happen once we got past the cupcake portion of the schedule.

Those jerseys are terrible, but I can't like, those helmets are pretty freaking awesome.

That you think all I care about is T-Mac getting his yards is just sad. Yes, I'm over enthusiastic about him being a Panther. Yes, I would love to see him put up monster stats and become a superstar. No denying any of that, would be dumb to say or think otherwise. But that doesn't mean everything, or anything, I say in regards to the team is rooted in me wanting him to have better stats. I want those, but even more, I want to be playing competitive playoff football again. I'm not going to try and go find old posts of mine, but I was saying these EXACT same things about how to build the roster and find a long term QB solution well before we drafted T-Mac, these are not new stances by me on here, hell, I was saying them in 2023 about that class and why I didn't want to trade up for one. We might not find a "better starter" in FA if the best option is say someone like Jameis. But I still contend that Jameis would be FAR better for the development of all our young pass catchers than Bryce is, even though Bryce would win us a few more games because of less mistakes. He would be cheap, would let us use our draft picks and cap room on other dire needs, and then if the roster is in the right place, you attack QB hard in some manner the following offseason and they're stepping into a much better team around them. You view that as a step backwards, I view it as prudent roster building towards contending for a SB. Keeping around a QB who isn't the guy or overreaching for the wrong replacement is how you get stuck in the cycle we are in now. And no, that has nothing to do with T-Mac other than him being part of a group of WRs and TEs that are basically all in their 2nd or rookie seasons, all of whom could be a part of a playoff caliber team with some growth. And also no, this has nothing to do with not being able to see past the long ball. I care far less about that than I do having a QB that can properly throw a pass that is 20 yards downfield, but to the sideline and from the opposite hash. Bryce can't drive that throw at an NFL level, he has to feather it in there and we've seen that pass get overthrown, broken up, or picked off too many times because of it (not to mention the under throws when he's trying it off balance). That some people still can't see that undeniable fact is what I struggle to understand and take them seriously.

Keeping Young would be worst than bringing in someone who isn't even as good as him. Once a 1st overall pick has proven to not be the guy, keeping him around is just asking for trouble, more so than going for a re-set. Especially as it would mean picking up his 5th year, which in turn means he's probably here for 2 more years. Sometimes you have to take 1 step backwards to then be able to take 2 steps forward, rather than just staying stuck in the mud.

I didn't say do nothing if we don't draft one in the 1st and I"m not counting on a FA to magically become a franchise QB. But signing a FA to be our starter for the year and then re-address the next offseason would be FAR better than reaching on the wrong QB in the 1st this offseason. Feeling we HAVE to find our long term solution just because we need a new QB is how we got into this mess. We thought Two Gloves would be at worst an average level QB for a few years, that didn't happen, so we went out and traded for Darnold. That didn't work so we went out and traded for Baker, that didn't work so we went out and traded up to get Bryce. Our last 4 QB moves were all trying to force a solution, none of them worked out, and we're still trying to find Cam's replacement all these years later. We'd just have been better off spending a year or two building up the rest of the team and going year to year on FA QB's while doing so. I get it, it will be frustrating to deal with, but then when you find that actual long term solution, they plug right into an already built out roster and you're ready to contend immediately.

If you take a QB in the 1st and it doesn't work out, it absolutely sets you back 3-5 years unless you're so bad that you luck into another top pick in a good QB year and can replace them before that time period is up. Because if that doesn't happen, you end up with that QB as your starer for at least 3 years, even if you then replace them after that time, you generally have a year or two of growth with a new QB too. So yea, if you take the wrong QB in the 1st round, it's usually going to be a good 5 years before you have a chance to be a contending team again. And yes, I know that's not a hard rule that always takes place, but in 95% of the bad 1st round QB picks, that's the case.

Not against it, clearly, seeing as I'm one of the more vocal anti-Bryce guys on here. But I'm nowhere near saying that I'm "all in" on it at this point, for many reasons. Mainly because it's way too early to know where we'll be drafting, what QB's will be actually worth 1st round picks, and who might be there once we're on the clock. If there is a QB that makes sense, then yes, 100% I'm in. But reaching and taking the wrong QB will set us back another 5 years. We're not a piece or two away from contending, but I do think we have a lot of nice building blocks in place that if we go about things the right way the next few offseasons, we have a real shot at being relevant again this decade.

Literally never one time said Rico getting 200 wasn't good, but sure, why let facts get in the way of the narrative you want to spin. Go back and read the thread, I made it clear over and over again that I was talking about what I thought was poor play calling, because it was going to come back to haunt us against good teams. As I gave Rico the credit for the big day because he ripped off a handful of big runs, but on the whole, it was very poor and predictable play calling that entire game. Which is the same thing here but instead of the player overcoming it and having a big day because of a few extraordinary plays, they went the other way and crapped the bed. It's the literal reason I started that thread, to call out the continuing issue that myself (and many others) have been seeing and talking about for a while. That Canales has no idea what he's doing, everything is bland and predictable outside of his one surprisingly amazing play design/call per game (yesterday it was that 3rd and 5 run call for a 1st that nobody saw coming). But too many people just jumped all over myself and others for not "just enjoy the win" and now we have to sit through games like this. We've been sounding the alarm that this was coming for weeks, that our continues issues were going to rear their ugly head once we played the non worst teams in the league.

I literally said Dalton was terrible, I wasn’t defending him in the slightest. Solely pointing out that if he was THAT bad and still put up the stats he did today… shouldn’t Bryce be doing THAT much better if he is even remotely supposed to be our long term QB solution?