Big Blue Huddle

Even though we beat Arizona earlier this season, we have the edge in the SOS rankings, which comes before head to head apparently:

https://www.tankathon.com/nfl

Please describe what you would need to see from DeVito today in his first NFL start for you to come out of the game believing he has a legit shot of being on the opening day 53 man roster next season?

If you think there is zero chance of that under any circumstances, please just indicate that instead.

Thanks.

Daniel Jones is in his fifth year on the Giants, and his season is over. While it seems almost 100% certain he will be on the team next year due to the seeming impossibility of anyone wanting to take on his contract, it is unclear that he will ever take another regular season snap for the Giants again. Either way, his days as a Giant seem numbered, and it is certainly possible he may never play for us again.

Would you label Daniel Jones a confirmed bust at this point? Why or why not?

Lots of good matchups today. Big ones for me are:


ND at Clemson: ND's season is pretty much over but they have a longshot chance still if they run the table and a lot of things go their way. Either way this is a pretty good matchup.

K State at Texas: Huge Big 12 matchup. Texas is still clinging to national championship hopes, and K State has been surging of late.

Texas A+M at Ole Miss: Very solid SEC matchup. Both teams have done good things this year.

Mizzou at UGA: Can Mizzou shock the world and expose UGA a little? I doubt it, but Mizzou is very good.

Ok at Ok St: Gotta love the Bedlam matchup. Should be a wild one per normal.

Washington at USC: Everyone loves Washington here but I sneaky like SC in this game.

LSU at Bama: Game of the week for sure. I like LSU in this game, but it's a risky pick. But I think Brian Kelly knows Rees like the back of his hand and will have his D prepared.


Very solid stuff.

This article is a bit on the long side but it's worth reading, as it is comprehensive and full of specific details about very poor behavior on the part of Cardinals' owner Michael Bidwill. These allegations sound pretty bad, and it's people speaking on the record with their identities out in the open. This sounds like more than just one or two short tempered blowups. This feels like it has a chance to be a Dan Snyder type situation. I actually had no idea about any of this until this evening. If there were reports about this guy I missed them.


https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38734726/arizona-cardinals-michael-bidwill-workplace-culture

We're 2-6, our QB situation is tenuous at best, we have other injuries, and the remaining schedule is not easy. Our odds of making the playoffs are virtually zero for all intents and purposes. Is there any reason why the Giants should not be trying to move veteran players that they don't intend to re-sign (ie who aren't part of their long term plans)?

Didn't see one started yet, so here we go.

Let's go Giants!

Not exactly a marquee matchup-loaded week, but there are a few games of interest:

IU/PSU: IU is up 14-7 in Happy Valley with 7 minutes to go in the first half. PSU probably wins, but they are getting a game in the first half.

OU at KU: Kansas is winning at home in the first half. Again, I'm sure the Sooners will pull this out, but so far it's been interesting.

UGA at Fla: Georgia is a 14 point favorite. Could be a fun game though.

Oregon at Utah: Definitely one of the more intriguing matchups of the week. Oregon has been impressive this year, but Utah is tough at home.

Tennessee at Kentucky: Solid SEC matchup.



Again, not exactly an exceptional week, but if any of these early games turn into close games in the 4th quarters, that could be interesting.

Also worth keeping an eye on Caleb Williams to see if he "gets right" this week at UCal after a less than exceptional couple of weeks.

Just curious how people feel about attending games live these days.

Thoughts on the sign-stealing stuff with Michigan? This story not only isn't going away, but it seems to be getting worse. The more you read about this the more it looks like a very deliberate, elaborate, multi-layered cheating scheme. Harbaugh has already been suspended once for something else, but this seems much worse to me.

Of course he is publicly denying everything for now, but I'm not sure how long he'll be able to do that. This Stalions guy looks busted dead to rights here, and the lone gunmen theory isn't going to hold water as he was making $55k a year and yet spending thousands on tickets that were all in the same location at these stadiums. This was clearly a multi-person operation.

Harbaugh and the school need to be held to account here. This isn't slap on the wrist stuff this time.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38727023/u-m-staffer-bought-tickets-11-schools

Based on the results on the field in 2023 by each QB, it doesn't seem like an outrageous question.

Daboll was asked about this after the game. See below for his response:

https://twitter.com/RalphVacchiano/status/1716219772931567672

Warning: I don't recommend playing this either at work, in front of children, or if you have a problem with profanity yourself:


https://twitter.com/RalphVacchiano/status/1716211954409161015

First off, to Jolly Blue Giant, if you have already highlighted this game, I apologize for not remembering. In any case, I have been getting mildly bored with Wordle. I still do it everyday, and I still don't mind doing it, but I feel like I'm going through the motions to some extent. Someone recently recommended "Connections" to me, which is also a NYT game. I recommend checking it out. It's enjoyable and a bit tricky, but it's very engaging. Here is the link. I'm curious to see if others like it.

https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections

Not exactly sure how this would go over with Mara and Tisch:


https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1714443391046422556

I'm watching the 9ers/Browns game. Obviously he is in a great situation and that cannot be understated, but Purdy is the real deal. He processes so quickly and his execution is nearly flawless. I think he has a great chance of being a major star for a long time in this league.

The Panthers surprised the Dolphins by getting out to a 14-0 lead in that game.

CJ Stroud is doing a great job in his rookie season with not a lot around him. Impressive stuff.

Sneaky good day of action today. Including a few games of interest (some have already started):


Syracuse at FSU: Is FSU definitely real? They do have a signature win in having blown out LSU, but that was week one, and they haven't done anything that convincing since. Syracuse is obviously a clear underdog here, but can they give the 'Noles are run for their money?

Indiana at UMich: This should be a blowout, obviously, as Michigan could be the best team in the country. Good opportunity for NFL fans to get eyes on JJ McCarthy, who should be a top three or four QB prospect in the upcoming draft.

Oregon at Wash: Heavyweight Pac-12 battle. Huge implications for the NCAA playoff picture.

Miami at UNC: Intriguing ACC matchup and a chance to look at Drake Maye, another top QB prospect.

USC at ND: ND's loss to Louisville cost them any realistic playoff hopes, but this is still a hugely high profile game and a chance to watch Caleb Williams against a legit defense in a hostile environment.

I don't actually want to do this in real life, because I feel we may need to draft a QB and I am also generally a BPA guy (with roster-building in mind), but what would it look like if we just did nothing but attack this O line problem exclusively with an entire draft? Like literally just go best O lineman available with every single pick. Would that solve this crisis once and for all? Perhaps not on day one but in the ensuring couple years?

I mean the team sucks regardless. We're obviously not winning a Super Bowl anytime soon. Is there an argument to be made for just coming in with an all-out assault blitz on this one unit to try to get it right once and for all?

I'm sure nobody will like this idea, but I have been hearing about our line being awful for a decade now, so whatever more standard approach we've been using to try to address the problem clearly hasn't worked. Is it time to try another approach?

"I went home the other day, my wife booed me. That's enough pressure."



https://twitter.com/SNYGiants/status/1712851446851412226

Good stuff here.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1712609042936299874

I mean the guy is constantly hurt and he's getting old (by RB standards). Do you believe the Giants should spend a fully guaranteed $12mm on him next year? If the answer is no, can it be assumed that you are in favor of trading him ASAP, since the season (in practical terms at least) is pretty much over?

Does anyone still want to see him get a contract or wish the Giants had acquiesced to his demands in the last season and had given him a multi-year contract?

Jordan speculating he may have a good chance of playing on Sunday:

https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1709617043304059381

I know this is a sensitive topic for people, but I really think it has to happen. We are 1-3 now and staring down the barrel at 1-5, barring a shocking upset. And even if we get a shocking upset in Miami or Buffalo, we're looking at 2-4. The season is clearly over, and it looks like we're headed for a top 10 if not top 5 pick.

This is a loaded QB draft. If you're the front office, would you double down on Jones and restructure his contract by adding years and spreading out the 2024 $47mm cap hit to free up space in the short term and try to keep building the franchise around him?

Or would you consider drafting a QB in what is going to be a QB-loaded draft?

It's a serious question, and I think it needs to be discussed. Because this is simply not good enough.

There are a handful of interesting games this week but nothing compares to the one going on right now in Buffalo. I'm conflicted today because this is the first nice weather we've had in several days, but it's hard to miss this game.

NBC stepped in you-know-what having the Jets game tonight. The ratings for this broadcast will be absolutely through the roof because of Taylor Swift. The camera will be on here more than any single player I'm guessing.

Not a marquee slate, but not bad. Key games:

USC -22 at Colorado: Can Coach Prime deal with adversity and have his guys ready to keep this one competitive in front of their home fans?

LSU -2.5 at Ole Miss: Marquee SEC battle.

Cuse +7 at Clemson: A win here by the Cuse would really legitimize them and thrust them into the top 25.

ND -5.5 at Duke: ND had a heartbreaking loss at home against OSU last week. Can they bounce back from that and take care of business on the road against a tough Duke team?

Florida +1 at Kentucky: Kentucky is sneaky decent this year. Tough road spot for a potentially overrated Gators team.


A friend of mine told me that some pro scouts said that Caleb Williams is a top 10 QB in the world right now. Really looking forward to getting eyes on him as I haven't watched him since last year.

With our guys having already played and weather on the east coast making any sort of outdoor activity unlikely, this is a good opportunity to check out some other action around the league. Here are the games I'm keying on the most. I'm including the line just for information purposes.


Pats -2.5 at Jets:

Pats have beaten the Jets 14 times in a row. That's pretty astonishing. Can Wilson avoid these terrible gaffes that have cost his team wins in the past and lead an otherwise strong roster to victory today? Or will Belichick get the best of this team yet again?


Chargers +0.5 at Vikes:

Two talented but winless teams battling it out. The loser of this game is in deep, deep trouble. Could be a shootout as neither team plays any D and both have high octane passing attacks. Should be a fun one for fans who enjoy high scoring affairs.


Falcons +3 at Lions:

Intriguing game here. Lions had the big upset in KC back in week one, but their D looked awful in a home game last week. Nobody believes in this Falcon team, but they're 2-0 and they have their share of playmakers. Can they get to 3-0?


Broncos +6 at Miami:

Miami has looked unbeatable so far, but Payton is a seasoned coach and Wilson has played in his share of big games. They also have some playmakers on D. Do they have what it takes to pull an upset here, or are we looking at a 3-0 Miami team?


Steelers +3 at Vegas (night game):

Steelers played well and got a hard-earned victory at home last week against a tough Browns team. Can they make it two in a row by getting it done on the road tonight against a 1-1 Raiders team looking to bounce back from last week's rout in Buffalo?

What type of food or drink that perhaps isn't the healthiest do you have the biggest weakness for?

I know there have been threads before where people outline their exercise routine and things like that, but in this dry NFL stretch I thought it might be helpful to have a thread devoted to health-related tips you can share, based on your own experience, that have worked well for you. It doesn't need to be pertaining to diet/exercise either. It can really be anything health and well being-related.

It can also be things that have decidedly NOT worked for you, or pitfalls that you feel people should try to steer clear of.

I have no idea if people will be interested in running with this thread idea, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'd love to hear from people on this one.

I am sure you have all seen lots of headlines and stories about this submarine that has failed to return to the surface following an expedition to view the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland. Needless to say my heart goes out to those inside, and I hope very much that there will be a miraculous rescue.

Given how quiet the NFL is, I thought I'd post a thread on this to get updates/thoughts on this event.

A couple of things I've read that are of interest:

(1) The oxygen supply is deemed to be 70 to 96 hours. However I'm not sure exactly when that clock started. If it started right when they submerged then it's pretty dire. I don't know if that refers to some additional supply or not that they have. The article below (which came out one hour ago) suggests it might be about 50 hours.

(2) Most (if not all) submersibles have a feature known as "drop weight." The idea being that if the vehicle completely malfunctions, it can drop weight that causes it to rise to the surface on nothing but its own buoyance. The fact that that has not happened with this particular submarine suggests it might be trapped or caught, possibly in the wreckage itself.


Overall a nerve-wracking story. I am hoping for good news here but I'm preparing myself for it not to be.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/submarine-titantic-missing-submersible-tourists-latest-b2360568.html

Which of these two icons is/was the better actor?

Which one has had the better overall career?

Please explain your answers. Also please provide your favorite couple of movies that each was in.

DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED ALL SEASONS OF "SUCCESSION" THROUGH THE FINALE:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





I could have posted in the "What are we watching" thread, but I decided to just make a thread. I don't expect it to last long, but I just wanted to get people's thoughts on the finale.

I thought it was an outstanding episode. Tying these shows up well is so difficult. I think these guys nailed it. Jeremy Strong was superb in this episode. What an emotional roller coaster he had to portray. Culkin's character is extremely difficult to play, and while I can't stand the character, I have to say Culkin does a great job with it.

One thing I was curious about. Does anyone think there was an element to Shiv's final decision of wanting to get back together with Tom? Earlier in the episode, she asks him if they have a future, and he is non-committal about it at best. Maybe by effectively handing him the CEO role with her swing vote, she realized this was probably the only way they could be together? Or was it just purely her dislike of Kendall?