“Hahaha SEE THE BROWNS ARE TRASH!”
The Browns are not trash. Week one was bad. At one point they had four offensive possessions that ended as follows: interception, interception, turnover on downs, pick 6. Baker Mayfield had a passer rating of 64.0. The Browns got blown out 43-13 and there where a chorus of cheers saying things like “ See Odell is overrated” and “So much for the super bowl!”
Relax… The Browns have a talented team and talent wins in the NFL. I get that for some reason NFL fans are conformist and hate when players have personalities even though they’d hate to be censored in their own careers. So people like rooting against guys like Odell Beckham Jr. who, to this point hasn’t committed a crime, hasn’t had a bad public moment other than partying with an Instagram model and booking a day on a boat with some buddies (normal rich guy stuff). He hasn’t failed a drug test and the only time he’s been aggressive has been on the field or directed toward a field goal prop.
For as bad a day as the Browns offense had, Mayfield completed 65.8% of his passes, Nick Chubb ran for 75 yards and Odell Beckham Jr. is on pace to catch 112 passes. The Browns are not trash, remember it took a second for the Miami Heat to figure out how to use Lebron, Bosh and Wade and that team still made the finals. People love to hate on super teams but you sound like an asshole making fun of a team that has been abysmal for decades.
“The Raiders (or Steelers) are better off without Antonio Brown”
I see this argument more than those about OBJ. Antonio Brown JUST signed a contract with the Raiders and has been an annoyance to ownership and team management. In that time, AB used his childish tactics to get released from the team. However, the mere fact that the team put up with him as long as they did shows how much they valued his talent. Furthermore, the Patriots picked him up almost immediately and gave him all the money he was initially guaranteed by the Raiders. Clearly, the teams themselves feel having Antonio Brown is better than not having Antonio Brown.
The Raiders won in week one and looked decent in doing so. It is however a single game against the Denver Broncos who we don’t expect to be very good. The Patriots dismantled the Steelers without Brown in the line-up and now will add a receiver that is so talented that it’s got everyone up in arms. No one is better off with less talent on their team.
“The Dolphins won’t win a game!”
This is patently absurd. This is ridiculous. Do you know what you’re saying? My guess is that the Dolphins will in fact win a single game. So if I’m right, you’re all wrong. The team is tanking and this is what it looks like. They want one of these high end NCAA prospects and considering the team has been searching for an answer since Dan Marino, I completely understand.
The fact of the matter is they traded their only decent offensive lineman and top receiver days before the season started and on the 53 man roster, the Dolphins have 31 players who have never played NFL football prior to this season. They didn’t have 31 draft picks so I imagine the rest were just hanging around Maimi tanning salons and dated tiki-bars. The point is, it’s hard to lose 16 games and having been a Dolphins fan my entire life I can tell you one thing, The Dolphins will find a way to screw anything up. Whether or not it includes tanking for a full season remains to be seen.
“How ‘Bout them Cowboys”
There’s nothing worse than Cowboy fans. They’re obnoxious petulant children. I happen to run a sports aggregator and host a podcast with one (if you haven’t heard it yet remember we’re on Spotify, YouTube and pretty much wherever you consume your podcasts. Remember to watch, like and subscribe). Dak Prescott looked good, Zeke is under contract and Amare Cooper seems to have located his hands after leaving Oakland.
The Cowboys have a window here. The offensive, line is overwhelming, the defense is good and Dak Prescott is god enough to be successful in good conditions. This is perfect for a 77 year old owner who likely will not live through another rebuild (I’m not being mean; blame Johnny Walker for making such a delicious beverage). There is little chance that after paying Elliot the team will be able to afford paying their quarterback and Amari Cooper. Still, having the money to build around a quarterback on a rookie contract is the philosophy that got the Seahawks a super bowl in 2013. They aren’t an overwhelming favorite, they did destroy a pretty awful New York’s Giants team however, I can see a scenario where Cowboys fans become completely unbearable come February.
“Lamar Jackson can actually THROW THE BALL”
Lamar Jackson’s inability to play the quarterback position as a thrower was the most overplayed narrative of the season last year. After one game against a team that would get slaughtered by a few NCAA programs (the Miami Dolphins) guys are ready to anoint Lamar Jackson the next Pat Mahomes.
Lamar Jackson’s footwork and ability to read an NFL defense needed work last season. After an entire offseason, it’s not impossible to believe that this would improve. I’m a huge Lamar Jackson fan; he also won’t light up every team the way he beat up a Tanking Teal and Orange in week 1. I think Lamar Jackson will be a very good quarterback but I don’t think he’ll set the league aflame just yet. The dude gets some swag points responding to reactions of his performance, “not bad for a running back”. My god I love this dude! Lamar Jackson will make huge strides, but won’t be the best quarterback in the NFL this season.
“The Patriots Will Win AGAIN!”
Probably… The team is good. Running backs are good, receivers are good and just upgraded by getting one of the best wide receivers in football, and their quarterback is old but still amazing somehow. Yeah, the Pats will be a formidable team coached by and run by the ballsy Bill Belichick. I am a fan of a division rival and I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t even hate them anymore. They just do the things it takes to win, more franchises should be run that way. So yeah, AFC, I guess it is time to panic.