Under Center: The NFL In The New Millennium

[Calcaterra]

November 18, 2016: Rumors circulate as to who will take the Indianapolis Colts head coaching position left vacant by Jim Caldwell. It is reported that the organization hopes for an offensive guru, with the intention of hiring young. This leaves interim head coach Jim Bob Cooter without much of a chance, confirmed by a local radio interview in which Cooter says “I am the interim head coach. Do not mix up whatever good I do with vying for the job, because that’s not what I’m here for.”

November 20, 2016: The Miami Dolphins defeat the New York Jets, 54-21, on Sunday Night Football, as Russell Wilson passes for six touchdowns, 453 yards, and a perfect passer rating. Jets RB Tim Tebow rushes for two touchdowns, 172 yards, along with passing for a touchdown and 87 yards in the wildcat.

November 21, 2016: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the New England Patriots, 31-21, on Monday Night Football, as Derek Carr passes for three touchdowns and 422 yards, while Teddy Bridgewater passes for two touchdowns and 460 yards. The Steelers win after a fourth-quarter comeback, scoring two touchdowns in the last eight minutes, both off of Carr touchdown throws. The game is praised as an instant classic, and a game of the year candidate.

November 24, 2016: The New York Knicks defeat the Boston Celtics, 107-93. James Harden puts up 38 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists in the game and Klay Thompson puts up 27 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, while Kawhi Leonard puts up 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. The “Manhattan Madness” lineup is universally praised after the game, although their ability to win over the still-title favorite Lakers is doubted, despite a victory over their fellow Eastern Conference contenders in Boston.

November 27, 2016: The New Orleans Saints defeat the Houston Texans, 35-13, as AJ McCarron passes for one touchdown and 303 yards. David Johnson of the Saints rushes for three touchdowns and 270 yards, smashing the Texans defense.

As always, please comment your thoughts on the latest events, and feel free to DM me about your thoughts, ideas, or random musings. Thanks for reading.

 

[Calcaterra]

November 30, 2016: Five-star QB prospect JT Daniels announces his commitment to USC, over Ohio State, Tennessee, and Notre Dame. Daniels, dubbed the “Bionic Quarterback”, was considered lean Tennessee, where he would have the privilege of sitting behind Heisman-contender Josh Rosen for a time before taking over a proven winning program. USC, although close to home and allowing him to start, was considered an outsider due to dysfunction within the program, and a less than compatible offensive scheme.

December 1, 2016: The Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 44-14, on Thursday Night Football, as Matt Ryan passes for three touchdowns, 345 yards, and Eli Manning passes for two touchdowns, 299 yards, and an interception. The Rams’ Adrian Peterson rushes for two touchdowns and 117 yards. Pete Carroll’s Los Angeles team is on the fast-track to the first seed in the NFC, and yet another NFC West title.

December 2, 2016: A list made by sports website The Game lists the top five NFL quarterbacks to play since 2000, the list going:

1.Peyton Manning, Colts
2.Drew Brees, Giants
3.Aaron Rodgers, Raiders
4.Matt Ryan, Rams
5.Brett Favre, Packers/Saints
6.Ben Roethlisberger, Broncos
7.Andrew Luck, Falcons
8.Russell Wilson, Dolphins
9.Drew Bledsoe, Patriots
10.Ryan Leaf, Dolphins/Seahawks

(OOC: What's your top ten/five ITTL list?)

December 4, 2016: The San Fransisco 49ers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 27-23, on Sunday Night Football, as Alex Smith passes for two touchdowns and 281 yards, while Johnny Manziel passes for a touchdown and two interceptions, along with 134 yards, before being benched. Manziel’s career, a sequence of underwhelming bad plays and controversies, is deemed a failure by analysts, and he is replaced as the Chiefs’ starter by Case Keenum.

December 7, 2016: Carson Wentz of Michigan State declares for the NFL Draft, on the same day as Deshaun Watson of Oklahoma, both quarterbacks rated likely to go in the first round. Wentz is older, although his experience is virtually unmatched in the class. Watson is praised for his great play with the Sooners, especially regarding his toughness and durability.

December 11, 2016: The Los Angeles Raiders defeat the Calgary Cardinals, 24-20, as Aaron Rodgers passes for two touchdowns and 288 yards, while Robert Griffin III passes for a touchdown and 209 yards, rushing for a touchdown and 73 yards. After the game, Cardinals coach Jim Harbaugh talks of the importance of learning from close loses, although he makes clear his pride in the team, as they went toe to toe with a league heavyweight. The Raiders have run away with the division, without much challenge from the traditionally great Broncos, and little opposition from the scrappy wild-card hopeful Express.

As always, please comment your thoughts on the latest events, and feel free to DM me about your thoughts, ideas, or random musings. Thanks for reading.

 

[Calcaterra]

December 12, 2016: Rumors surface that Ben Roethlisberger has openly discussed a trade with Broncos GM John Elway. While he isn’t expected to command a first-round pick or a Pro Bowl-level player due to his age, injury status, and personal issues, he is still believed to carry value due to his status as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who routinely plays at Pro Bowl level. Elway plans on sending him to the NFC, where Ben has listed the Cowboys, Lions, and Seahawks among the teams he would most willingly be sent. The Cowboys are his alleged desired location, although Kirk Cousins is said to be negotiating for a potential extension onto his expiring contract.

December 15, 2016: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the New York Jets, 38-27, as Derek Carr passes for five touchdowns and 409 yards, while Jets QB Josh Freeman passes for two touchdowns, 266 yards, and two interceptions. Jets RB Tim Tebow rushes for a touchdown and 192 yards, in the snow of Pittsburgh. Tebow, despite a great performance, sits out the fourth quarter after he begins to feel soreness in his knees. The 6’3 running back, considered a marvel for his speed and athleticism despite a non-typical size for his position, has played only two full seasons after six years in the NFL. Afterwards, the Jets training staff, when questioned about Tebow, report that he will play a reduced amount of time, a change that may need to be permanent. Many in the media question whether the Jets offense can operate without the former Offensive Player of the Year.

December 18, 2016: The Chicago Bears defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 17-14, on Sunday Night Football. Rob Bortles passes for a touchdown, 183 yards, and an interception, while Matt Stafford passes for two touchdowns and 234 yards. Bears RB Alfred Morris has a miraculous rushing touchdown from his on ten-yard line, breaking seven tackles and juking out a defender. Morris puts together 146 rushing yards along with the touchdown that is hailed as one of the greatest rushing scores of all time.

December 24, 2016: Leaks indicate that the ownership of the Five Boroughs Group, holders of Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers and the New York Knicks, are undergoing a rift. Principal investors Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg are said to be at odds over team control and the integration of Trump’s New York Knights into the endeavor. Trump is in favor of the introduction of the team, due to the increased stability and financial resources it would bring, while Bloomberg is not in favor of the risk an FFL team would represent, especially with the questionable status of the league. Trump, worth a reported $4 billion, has talked with advisors about leaving the group, being bought out by the $45 billion Bloomberg along with other investors.

December 25, 2016: The Green Bay Packers defeat the New York Giants, 33-28, on a special Sunday Night Football Christmas edition. Jay Cutler passes for two touchdowns, 310 yards, and an interception, rushing for an additional touchdown for five yards, while Drew Brees passes for three touchdowns and 283 yards. The game is called a game of the year candidate, featuring two fourth-quarter lead changes, and solid play on both sides of the ball. The Packers' away win further strengthens their case as a Super Bowl contender, and leads them to be placed behind only the Rams and Dolphins in Super Bowl odds.

December 26, 2016: The Miami Dolphins defeat the New England Patriots, 51-45, on Monday Night Football, in one of the highest-scoring games of all time. The game, played in the abnormally warm (82 degrees) Miami, sees Russell Wilson pass for six touchdowns (for the second time in the season), 504 yards, and one interception, while Teddy Bridgewater passes for five touchdowns, 441 yards, and two interceptions. Analysts talk of how the game nearly guarantees Wilson the MVP Award, although the Dolphins defense is called into question for giving up 45 points against a Patriots team that didn’t make the playoffs.

As always, please comment your thoughts on the latest events, and feel free to DM me about your thoughts, ideas, or random musings. Thanks for reading.

 

[Calcaterra]

December 28, 2016: Following a season that sees huge attendance numbers for both of the expansion teams, Commissioner Steve Young announces two new franchises to be established by 2020. Among the North American cities to be considered are Montreal (considered the presumptive first city), Portland, Vancouver, and Monterrey. Other options are said to include Dublin, Ireland, where the Steelers’ controlling family, the Irish-American Rooneys, have already laid the groundwork, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, where the hugely popular Amsterdam Admirals played during the NFL Europe days, and Frankfurt, Germany, where the NFL Europe team Frankfurt Galaxy played to great success in front of adoring crowds. In the same press conference, Young responds to questions about a purchase of the FFL with promises of progress being made, although he refuses to commit to previous talks of protection for FFL teams.

December 29, 2016: The New Orleans Saints defeat the Tennessee Titans, 21-17, on Thursday Night Football, as AJ McCarron passes for one touchdown and 278 yards. The win sends the Saints to the playoffs as a six-seed with their 9-7 record, a miraculous turnaround from their previous status as the worst team in the league-designate. The “Super Saints” become a darling of the media and fans, as David Johnson’s jerseys become bestsellers on the NFL website.

December 31, 2016: It is reported that Kirk Cousins and Jerry Jones have failed to advance with an extension deal. It is believed that Cousins will be allowed to walk in free agency, without the use of a franchise tag. The move clears the way for the Cowboys to make an offer for Ben Roethlisberger in the offseason.

January 1, 2017: The Indianapolis Colts announce Falcons Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay as their new head coach. McVay brings along with him, from Atlanta, Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator, and hires the Broncos’ Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator. McVay is the youngest head coach in the NFL, at just 30 years old, and the youngest of the post-merger era. He opens the press conference by saying:

“I’m happy to be in Indianapolis now and for however long they’ll have me here. The Colts have been in a rough spot for a while, nobody is going to deny that, but we have good potential and a base to build upon. My immediate focus is going to be on rebuilding the offense around our current weapons and using our defense in a better way. Before I take questions, I want it to be known that our roster, our plans, can lead us to great things.”

The Colts hold the first overall pick in the draft, which they are expected to use on an offensive skill player. Mock drafts frequently place running back Christian McCaffrey (Stanford) or quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Texas) and Deshaun Watson (Oklahoma) in the pick, although it is unknown where they would leave incumbent starter Jason Campbell.

January 3, 2017: The Washington Football Club announces that it will change its name, effective upon the 2016 Draft, to the Washington Nationals, with a different logo, although limited changes to their uniforms. The change, the second in ten years, reflects the unpopularity of the uninspiring “Football Club” moniker among the fanbase.

As always, please comment your thoughts on the latest events, and feel free to DM me about your thoughts, ideas, or random musings. Thanks for reading.

NEXT UP: The 2016-2017 NFL Playoffs

 

[AdmiralMB]

December 28, 2016: Following a season that sees huge attendance numbers for both of the expansion teams, Commissioner Steve Young announces two new franchises to be established by 2020. Among the North American cities to be considered are Montreal (considered the presumptive first city), Portland, Vancouver, and Monterrey. Other options are said to include Dublin, Ireland, where the Steelers’ controlling family, the Irish-American Rooneys, have already laid the groundwork, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, where the hugely popular Amsterdam Admirals played during the NFL Europe days, and Frankfurt, Germany,

How is the league handling the logistics with the London team so far? While materials can be eventually sourced from local vendors I imagine regulation equipment has to be shipped over to the UK and back to North America for the first couple seasons. Not to mention the players and personnel, some of whom might not fancy living and working in the UK despite mostly being American. The jet lag of one week in Europe and another in North America is probably also taking its toll on the team's performance. On top of all of that you have taxation issues as well, although I'm sure that might've been solved along with the Canadian and Mexican taxes.

Also, what do the conference divisions look like now after realignment?

 

[Calcaterra]

How is the league handling the logistics with the London team so far? While materials can be eventually sourced from local vendors I imagine regulation equipment has to be shipped over to the UK and back to North America for the first couple seasons. Not to mention the players and personnel, some of whom might not fancy living and working in the UK despite mostly being American. The jet lag of one week in Europe and another in North America is probably also taking its toll on the team's performance. On top of all of that you have taxation issues as well, although I'm sure that might've been solved along with the Canadian and Mexican taxes.

Also, what do the conference divisions look like now after realignment?

The logistical organizers are meeting the more optimistic predictions. The players and personnel, on the whole, are usually neutral-to-happy with the arrangement, and they've formed something of an enclave in certain neighborhoods, with many settling in the City of Westminster (those with families especially, although it is expensive, it is quite close to the "American School"), and the personnel in the London Borough of Brent, close to Wembley. Also, in a previous post, I covered the way in which their scheduling was handled for the Monarchs: they play four home, four away, four home, four away (you can mix that up if you like). It will likely be like that for a little while, at least until European expansion furthers or an additional bye week is added. As it stands, teams visiting London frequently have their games scheduled the week after their bye or a Thursday Night Football game, to allow more time for adjustment. They never schedule them directly after Monday Night Football games, an arrangement that provides limited options in scheduling the Monarchs themselves on a Monday home game. In addition, the league has put funding into the possible purchase and redevelopment of de-commissioned Concordes for London games, to replace the current Airbuses that teams usually charter.

On the subject of realignment; the London Monarchs play in the AFC East, the Mexico City Aztecs in the NFC South. One of the reasons I'm so hurried to expand further is because of the extremely odd way that all lines up. 34 teams left me with no other options than controlled chaos, cramming the extra two into a system they weren't really supposed to fit into by design. It's the driving factor behind the consideration of another European team, it would sure as hell help out logistics, but mostly because, if I can fit two teams on the other side of the Atlantic, the realignment would be easier. Before, I had promised a team to Portland, Oregon, although that seems increasingly unlikely. Throw the Monarchs and another European team into a reformed AFC East, and I've already got a division. Also, I feel like it's not even a spoiler to say that Montreal is getting a team, it would just be so much easier and logical than many of the other locations I listed.

 

[Chocolate Raines]

Washington Nationals

Is the baseball team there too or are they still the Expos?

 

[Ry Guy]

Is the baseball team there too or are they still the Expos?

They're in DC but under a different name.

 

[AdmiralMB]

I wonder if it would be worth it for the Monarchs to have a training facility in North America to allow for easier preseason training camps and to serve as their home base while they do their four away games in North America.

 

[Calcaterra]

I wonder if it would be worth it for the Monarchs to have a training facility in North America to allow for easier preseason training camps and to serve as their home base while they do their four away games in North America.

Very good idea, one that I will gladly try and fit into the story. Any ideas as to where it should be? (I’m asking that generally, by the way, not just to you)

Is the baseball team there too or are they still the Expos?

As Ry Guy said, the baseball team is the Senators.

 

[farmerted555]

As Ry Guy said, the baseball team is the Senators.

If the football team is the Nationals and the baseball team is the Senators, what's the name of the hockey team?

 

[Calcaterra]

If the football team is the Nationals and the baseball team is the Senators, what's the name of the hockey team?

Still the Capitals. No reason to really change that, it's been that way since 1974 and it's not like there's ever a reason to change it. I made it the Washington Senators because:

1. I wanted to flash some of the butterflies and
2. The Senators name is more attached to baseball, so I could both pay homage to that and leave the Nationals name just in case I felt like I needed to change the Washington football team's name down the line.

 

[Calcaterra]

January 7, 2017: In the NFC Wild Card Round, the six-seed New Orleans Saints defeat the three-seed Atlanta Falcons, 28-21, in a divisional rivalry game that is described by Sports Illustrated as “intensely raw”. AJ McCarron passes for two touchdowns and 220 yards, while Andrew Luck passes for three touchdowns and 328 yards. David Johnson rushes for two touchdowns and 107 yards, on way to being named Man of the Game by the broadcast crew. The Saints go onto face the top-seed Rams in the Divisional Round.

January 7, 2017: In the AFC Wild Card Round, the three-seed Los Angeles Raiders defeat the six-seeded Toronto Stallions, 31-6, as Aaron Rodgers passes for three touchdowns and 436 yards, while Marcus Mariota passes for 194 yards and two interceptions. Raiders wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. nabs two touchdowns and 184 yards, including a one handed catch, dubbed “The Catch of the Year”, while mobbed by defenders, in order to put his team in the red zone. The image of Beckham, in a herd of Stallions, becomes a popular internet image, and finds itself being run and rerun on Sports Center routinely. The Raiders advance to face the second-seed Steelers in the Divisional Round.

January 8, 2017: In the NFC Wild Card Round, the four-seed New York Giants defeat the five-seed San Fransisco 49ers, 35-21, as Drew Brees passes for three touchdowns and 330 yards, while Alex Smith passes for two touchdowns and 256 yards. The Giants go onto face the two-seed Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round.

January 8, 2017: In the AFC Wild Card Round, the four-seed Jacksonville Jaguars defeat the five-seed Las Vegas Express, 27-7, as Jimmy Garoppolo passes for two touchdowns, 272 yards, fumbling once, while Kyle Orton passes for 212 yards and three interceptions. Garoppolo credits his play to the offensive chops of his coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who prioritized an aggressive attack early on, before stressing a more conservative style once a lead was attained. The Jaguars advance to face the top-seed Dolphins in an all-Florida Divisional matchup.

January 10, 2017: An anonymous source tells Sports Illustrated that the FFL’s finances are in a precarious position. The chief causes of these issues, according to the same executive, appear to be over expansion, unstable ticket sales in certain markets, and the fragile peace among owners. Risk is further exacerbated by turmoil in the ownership of the most valuable franchise, the New York Knights, due to continued unrest on the part of Donald Trump. Among the struggling franchises are the recently established Halifax Sailors, the near-insolvent San Diego Chargers, and the newly-moved reigning champion Atlanta Apollos. The source finishes by mentioning that the NFL would, if a purchase is made, most definitely need to fold at least four FFL franchises, as most of the value comes not from the teams or their brands, but rather their players and television rights.

As always, please comment your thoughts on the latest events, and feel free to DM me about your thoughts, ideas, or random musings. Be sure to like this, and thanks for reading.

 

[Ry Guy]

Well for the NFL going back to Buffalo and San Diego is not gonna happen.

 

[Calcaterra]

Well for the NFL going back to Buffalo and San Diego is not gonna happen.

Yeah. In a prior post, I had some leaked audio come out where it was apparent that Buffalo is a non-option. I think I had Steve Young even say the only thing they'll gain from it is a "welcome home riot". San Diego, on the other hand, maybe? I mean, not during this whole round of expansion (and I don't want it to seem like I'm going to add a team a year, this is the last one for a while, maybe even the last one depending on where I decide to end the TL) because of anger and resentment built up against the league. I see it like this; the only way San Diego will welcome back an NFL team is if they're the Chargers. The Chargers name is being used by an FFL franchise, and the franchise itself is one of the cornerstones of the league. If the NFL buys the FFL, sure, they may buy out the current Chargers, but they'll likely stay in any sort of future FFL incarnations, making it unlikely that any NFL franchise will need to exist in the city.

 

[Jim Smitty]

An FFL merger with the NFL would be a hot mess. But it could work.

 

[Calcaterra]

An FFL merger with the NFL would be a hot mess. But it could work.

The egos involved alone would be unbearable. Mind you the FFL has individual ownership, all of whom are billionaires, and the league itself has Vincent Kennedy Mc-fucking-Mahon as it's CEO and chief backer.

 

[simssss]

There was no Days of our Steelers back then. They had Polamalu, the Bus, Hines Ward, Casey Hampton instead of CFF and the Diva.

Who are cff and diva?

 

[Ry Guy]

The egos involved alone would be unbearable. Mind you the FFL has individual ownership, all of whom are billionaires, and the league itself has Vincent Kennedy Mc-fucking-Mahon as it's CEO and chief backer.

So obviously not all the owners are willing to work with each other.

 

[Don Corleone]

Who are cff and diva?

CFF = Captain Fat F*** (Big Ben).

The Diva = Antonio Brown.