TheMostInterestingMan

Opinion based on previous seasons: I don’t believe Darnold is the answer based on what I have seen in the NFL. I don’t really buy Gase as the reason he couldn’t put it together and think he’s a second too slow processing plays to make it in this league. Opinion based on fugging nothing whatsoever: Rhules is coddling Darnold and trying to cover his own ass for trading for him even though he’s going to start week1 anyway. Come on man. Seriously? I know you strongly dislike the decision to roll with Darnold but you are really in the camp of he’s being coddled? That’s your opinion? Well, by all means you are entitled to it. And I am entitled to point out how dumb I think it is. He’s going to start week 1. They aren’t coddling him. They just have a different philosophy about the preseason than you do. Again. I know your argument on these things is it’s a football forum and is for discussing opinions. But this is just wild speculation. Other than not playing very much (along with many of our starters) where are you drawing this coddling conclusion from exactly? It just doesn’t even make sense.

Agreed. It’s already happening now. More and more teams are just sitting starters and that’s only going to continue tending in that direction. All it will take is one significant injury to happen for all teams to shut down the starters in the preseason other than maybe draft picks. People keep saying “even Mahomes is getting reps” and I think that’s absolutely stupid. Imagine Mahomes blowing out a knee in a preseason game. Same people would be calling KC idiots and they would be right. Mahomes doesn’t really NEED the reps. So why play him?

I completely agree with you. The reality is it’ll likely take a full season to really know if this experiment can work or not. But that’s actually my point. It seems we can draw the conclusion that Rhule is incompetent and regrets trading for Darnold and is now coddling him after just two PRESEASON games and yet I know this same crowed will discredit him and not buy into him if he goes 3-0 to start the regular season. That’s my issue lol.

He has been playing under those circumstances his entire career. The difference is now he is getting the opportunity to do so with the best pass catching RB in the league, a potentially top 10 WR group in the league, a QB coach for the first time in his career and a more than likely much better OC. We don't know exactly how the practices are structured and exactly how they are being drilled. And we really don't know what Sam Darnold needs. I can see the argument for "I wish he played more" because hell, I do too. I can't see the "he's being coddled and the coaches have no idea what they are doing" because at this point that is not really based on very much. It just isn't. But one thing I know for sure, he knows what its like to play behind a sh*t line. This isn't going to be something new for him to get familiarized with.

I agree with you. But it would then seem more appropriate to wait until week 1 to determine if Darnold is being coddled aclusio if this decision matters right now or not, no? So can we wait for week week 1 before drawing our conclusion here? I can already tell you this. If Darnold comes out and looks even decent. If Darnold comes out and completes 59% of his passes with one TD and one turnover and we win the game then I can already see the argument being "well he played one of the 3-4 worst teams in football. It really doesn't mean he is a good QB. Get back to me in week 8" and that is a completely valid take. So why is it that these preseason games seem so unbelievably important when virtually nobody will give him credit if he gets the job done in a real regular season game? My point is we just have to let this play out. But if anyone is banging the table about him needing to play right now then frankly I don't want those same people saying "its just the Jets" if he does okay and gets a W when the games actually matter. Because week 1-4 of the preseason is frankly NOTHING like week 1 of the regular season. I know we are all aware of this. I know the coaching staff and the players are aware of this. Getting worked up about ANYTHING other than, I dunno, your starting QB getting a serious injury during the preseason seems pretty pointless.

I agree with both of you honestly. On one hand, as you say, its preseason which is legitimately a glorified, televised practice that you learn VERY little from. We are all putting WAY too much stock in these meaningless games. Positively or negatively. On the other hand we have seen more positive than negative from nearly every pick so far despite the tiny sample size in said meaningless games. Based on the last decade of Panthers drafts this already feels like an improvement lol.

"We" weren't the only ones not sold on Fields. He was picked 11th and the 4th QB taken. The Broncos, Giants, Lions and soon rebuilding Falcons all passed. Could he be great? Sure, that's a real possibility. Was any pro scout as high on him as this fugging board? That seems pretty unlikely as half of you have already deemed him a franchise savior based on a couple of preseason games which really highlights the most important point of all. Some of you seem to be putting WAY to much stock into the preseason. Seriously. The season is almost here. Can we chill on this nonsense that Darnold is being coddled and the coaches have no idea what they are doing and they suck at team building even though they seem to have picked 5+ contributors in the previous draft based on what we have seen, even though on draft day they were called idiots for trading back to much etc... Can we just hold our judgement until at least ONE SINGLE regular season game has been played ffs or does everyone here just already know Darnold, Rhule, Snow, Brady etc all suck? Fug me lol.

Getting a pretty good idea about what the “this week I learned on the huddle” topic will be. The importance of preseason and why it apparently is the best indicator of success...

Defense came out awesome. We are fast and aggressive. As Zod pointed out in another thread, Brown and Christensen are still showing they belong. Marshall is going to be a stud. I hope that knee holds up for a long time cause he’s a real talent

Right? I put Grier on par with Cam. THAT is how inaccurate he is. No wonder Smitty wanted out. We will be luck to keep Moore at this rate. Rumor has it Robby Anderson already wants out. I’ve heard some here suggest it’s cause he doesn’t want to play with Darnold. That’s how you know these silly contract extension talks are just BS

I’m sure there will be more said this week to reflect on. I’ll be back!

You MIGHT be on to something lol

Probably should have included this is all in jest, I do think PJ has shown me more as a bank up than Grier in their careers and that the point of this is to take the more absurd hot takes I read each week (Walker should be our starter) and ponder them lightheartedly. I don’t really believe anything I just posted. At all. Lol

@MasterAwesome pointed out in the gameday thread that I needed to follow up on my post from last week. And he is absolutely right. Our humble ruler @Zod also pointed out that people need to take things more in stride around here. And he is also absolutely right. So perhaps the best way to do that is to focus on one or two of the weekly huddle hot takes and really reflect on what we have learned from them. So without further ado, lets get into it. This week on the huddle I learned PJ Walker should be the starting QB, Will Grier should be cut sometime before our 3rd preseason game and Darnold is our backup this season. After last weeks preseason games a few fellow huddlers tried to tell us all that PJ Walker, NOT Sam Darnold, should be the starting QB for this team in 2021. Here is why they are right. Sam Darnold is just a flat out bad QB and the fact that this team traded for him is so embarrassing that they are protecting themselves by playing him as little as possible. But what did Darnold show us today? Well he showed us he is REALLY bad. He went 1/2 for 16 yards. The one pass he completed was telegraphed so clearly that its amazing an NFL DB wasn't able to pick it off and take it to the house. And his completion was so inaccurate it flew 30+ yards over the head of his nearest receiver in the endzone. That just isn't good enough. We have to do better. And thankfully that is where our hero steps in. PJ Walker. A few huddlers were telling us last week just how good he is. I had my doubts. I admitted I was hopeful he could be a backup in this league but what he showed me tonight has without a doubt changed my mind. Sure, he went 1/8 for 8 yards today. That isn't exactly impressive, but there is more to the story than just this. Everybody has bad days. We know this. But where he shined was showing a tremendous ability to pick up yards on the ground when he is misfiring through the air and that is what makes him a true NFL caliber starter. Walker also finished the night with one carry for 4 yards. That may not sound like much but lets break this down to see just how impressive it is. Walker averaged 4 yards per carry against a very strong Ravens run defense. Compare that to Chuba Hubbard who averaged just 2.7 yards per carry and suddenly the picture begins to come into focus. While Walker struggled to complete passes he showed the ability to more than make up for it by running the ball like a true workhorse back. In fact, we can even compare his rushing to the Ravens starting RB J.K. Dobbins (4 attempts for 8 yards) who averaged just 2 yards per carry. Walker actually averaged TWICE AS MANY yards on the ground per attempt than Dobbins. Darnold better be looking over his shoulder, because Walker is really making a strong claim for the starting job. In Darnolds defense, Walker did play with mostly backups. So while Walker may not have it just yet, I suspect his name will sit on top of the depth chart within the first couple of weeks. Will Grier. What can you say about this guy? While Walker has gone from XFL to future of the franchise, Grier has just played himself out of a job. He was 11/14 for 144 with a 109.5 passer rating. Turns out the numbers DO lie. He was also the ONLY player on the team to record a sack and was sacked not once, but twice. This shows a severe lack of pocket awareness. He also failed to record a TD. In fact, through the first two preseason games, Walker is the only QB that has scored a TD. Lets compare them side by side. Walker is now 11/29 for 169 yards and a score. Grier is now 17/28 for 175 and no TDs. Zero. 0. Grier does actually have twice as many yards on the ground than Walker with 3 attempts for 8 yards. But its the efficiency that is lacking with just a 2.7 yards per attempt average. But ultimately, if you can't score TDs you can't win games. And clearly PJ is the only player on this roster capable for scoring TDs. In conclusion, when need to cut ties with Grier ASAP and start getting ready for PJ to take the reigns. He has shown the ability to score and when all else fails, the ability to run the ball better than Dobbins to get the job done. Grier is a good guy but he just can't score. He doesn't have "it" and should be out of the league by week 1. This is what I have learned on the Huddle this week. I genuinely can't wait to see what I learn this week. And I look forward to sharing whatever new insights I pick up in the near future. See you then! /s

I’ll just delete my account xD The only preseason reaction that I really don’t seem an overreaction is that we can do better than Slye. He’s got a cannon of a leg but it’s unfortunately as accurate as Shaq from the free throw line. At the very least, we need some competition there.

No. The problem is that you pitch a fit with anyone that expresses a different opinion from your overtly negative bias. Same as the Hornets draft thread where you had a meltdown over the players we drafted, exclaimed Mitch had no idea what he was doing and that our picks were both busts. Now you are calling anyone who doesn’t share you opinion “drunks” and exaggerating the points made saying everyone has decided he’s great. The reality is that he is entering just his second year as a HC. Growing pains should have been expected. Now go ahead and continue your tantrum before bed time.

You can say “starting caliber QB” all you want but that doesn’t make it true. I like PJ, but he’s a backup. I just don’t see his career ever being beyond that unless it’s for a team in crisis. That may be us this season at some point. But in that event, he’s still not the future.

Agreed. I think the long term plan with drafting a guy like Kai is to let him develop while PJ finishes his contract and then PJ walks and Kai steps in ready to take over that role.

That’s his season then

Damn how I want to see Rivera leading the Washington Redhogs lmao

Nah the Seahawks went through a long stretch of trading away their 1sts for players around the league. They did it like three or four consecutive years in a very win now mentality.

Thanks for your constructive input. Ignore the 80 some posters who have pie’d this post and feel it has gotten a little out of hand. They are all... cucks and dilweeds I guess. Have a good one.