NFL 2020 Season

[Timber]

Just me or do America not give a stuff about Covid?

Not defending it or anything but for SB55 apparently there were immense measures put in place, as there has been all season long. 22,500 fans of which 7,500 were vaccinated healthcare workers, remaining fans offered take home testing after the game and 30,000 cutouts to fill the stadium. Both teams and players in daily testing and covid protocols. And local measures for the event too which was much reduced from previous events.

So I don't think it's quite as bad as it looks on TV with mask-less players hugging and getting close etc.

 

[AndyCr15]

no intention to foul and Evans flopped.

Definitely disagree with you there. Clearly beaten, clearly panicked and took Evans down, just in case. (IMHO)

Hold on the interception was a complete phantom call too

Would probably agree with that though. The refs got far more involved in the first half than they needed to and spoilt the game IMO.

not having the starting tackles has been the decider for this,

Again, I agree here. I know a lot of analysts projected it, the Chiefs O Line just couldn't deal with the Buccs standard pressure.

First time I've watched A.F and thus SuperBowl, enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Well, imagine if you'd seen a good game

Just me or do America not give a stuff about Covid?

They have restrictions, like everyone else. Limited crowd for the game. In fact, there was something about a lot of them being vaccinated health care workers, wasn't there? You understand our national lockdown doesn't apply to them

 

[fez]

Not defending it or anything but for SB55 apparently there were immense measures put in place, as there has been all season long. 22,500 fans of which 7,500 were vaccinated healthcare workers, remaining fans offered take home testing after the game and 30,000 cutouts to fill the stadium. Both teams and players in daily testing and covid protocols. And local measures for the event too which was much reduced from previous events.

So I don't think it's quite as bad as it looks on TV with mask-less players hugging and getting close etc.

You can do all you want but a lot of people willing to go to the stadium for that game won't give a stuff about the rules. If they test positive they won't isolate.

I read an article the other day saying that a significant minority would be quite happy to fly with COVID symptoms and just wouldn't say anything. The reason we have things like lockdowns is to make it easier to police the people that don't give a **** and try and limit some of the hard they do.

America has ultimately got away very lightly considering their almost complete lack of action on it. The only thing that is keeping their numbers relatively sane is the geographical isolation of a lot of their population.

 

[AndyCr15]

So... the US are doing a lot better than us... but let's sit in judgement of them, right?

I would say they're fine. A certain amount of normality needs to carry on (or return) as you're moving past things. Do stadiums stay empty forever? No, gradually things can start to go back to normal, which is what they're doing.

Anyway, surely lets not make this a Covid thread. I'm sure there's somewhere more suitable to discuss it and leave this thread for the football

 

[iamdjdz]

Pleased with the Buccs win but disappointed by the game. I think if the Chiefs offensive line hadn't been shaken up by injury it would have been a lot more competitive, also Mahomes toe injury seemed to plague him a bit. Too many soft penalties too on the Chiefs. But the result went the way I'd hoped and amazing to see Brady still going strong despite not making any particularly memorable throws.

And the Covid microcosm of the NFL has been fantastically done, lots of pressure for the teams and players but to be able to have a 0.08% infection rate (NFL network preshow) is incredible really. Hats off to the organisation really.

 

[Timber]

You can do all you want but a lot of people willing to go to the stadium for that game won't give a stuff about the rules. If they test positive they won't isolate

Well I think the failings of the US response to the pandemic, or the moral consequences of keeping a sport going is probably a different debate.

But rewarding frontline workers with tickets (which normally can sell for thousands) was a nice touch. The NFL seems to have put in place measures like other major sports and did manage to to keep to a season schedule as planned with the loss of only one game.

 

[mp260767]

chiefs didn't do themselves any favours, but fair play to the tampa defence and the game plan to keep hill quiet.

just makes you wonder what brady could have done at the pats with some of the help hes had at tampa.

 

[Street]

Fairly surprised to wake up and see that result this morning. I really thought the Chiefs would win after how they played against us in the Conference Championship. I didn't really want either team to win, so not even sure I can be bothered to watch the highlights, especially as a few have said it wasn't a great game. Roll on next season!

 

[Gimpymoo]

Not defending it or anything but for SB55 apparently there were immense measures put in place, as there has been all season long. 22,500 fans of which 7,500 were vaccinated healthcare workers, remaining fans offered take home testing after the game and 30,000 cutouts to fill the stadium. Both teams and players in daily testing and covid protocols. And local measures for the event too which was much reduced from previous events.

So I don't think it's quite as bad as it looks on TV with mask-less players hugging and getting close etc.

More about the scenes in the exec boxes at the end of the game.

A LOT of old fashioned PR spin in full effect it seemed.

 

[Timber]

More about the scenes in the exec boxes at the end of the game.

A LOT of old fashioned PR spin in full effect it seemed.

I suspect the owners, executives, celebrities and families are probably amongst some of the safest groups there is and have had access to testing etc. more than most. But I do think the NFL met a challenge well, given the circumstances and unlike other sports its schedule did not slip. Certainly an impressive show.

 

[Karl]

Disappointed I spent so long watching it really, it was on a par with the Pats v Rams SB in terms of me getting to the third quarter and starting to fast-forward the gaps between snaps.

I think the best playoff game I saw this year was Chiefs v Browns, and the rest have been a bit 'meh'.

 

[FortuitousFluke]

Hey folks, quick questioned from a relapsed Steelers fan. I stopped watching the NFL around 10 years ago when I left uni, just dropped off the wagon when real life kicked in. I'm really keen to get back into it this year, so I was planning to watch the draft and as many regular season games as I can. How do you guys tend to keep up with it? I know I can get the draft and a good chunk of games through the year with Sky Sports but I don't fancy dropping £25 pm if there's a better way. Any help greatly appreciated, I'm tight fisted you see.

 

[booyaka]

Eagles trade Carson Wentz to Colts for two draft picks

no surprise there I think.

Interesting stat - And with the trade of Carson Wentz, there will now not be a single QB drafted in the first round from 2009-2016 that is still with his original team. 0 out of 22 total.

 

[AndyCr15]

I know I can get the draft and a good chunk of games through the year with Sky Sports but I don't fancy dropping £25 pm if there's a better way. Any help greatly appreciated, I'm tight fisted you see.

For me, GamePass is the best way.

 

[FortuitousFluke]

For me, GamePass is the best way.

Interesting, I took a brief look at that during my research, do you know how extensive the blackouts are for the UK? Is it massively noticeable or just the odd game.

 

[AndyCr15]

The games that Sky feature on a Sunday are blacked out. That's not bothered me for a few seasons now though because when you get used to the RedZone channel, there's no other way to watch on a Sunday night

 

[FortuitousFluke]

Cool that looks like a plan then, can't see a price for the new season but last year was about 50% the price of a sky upgrade so happy days. I look forward to getting reacquainted with our ruinously expensive geriatric quarterback. The last time I paid proper attention was his first superbowl win! Going to be a shock to the system i think.

 

[McGray]

Red Zone is on SS as well.

 

[AndyCr15]

So he could pay twice as much for it if he wants. Nice

 

[booyaka]

Dak Prescott contract -

$160m - 4 year Contact with $128M guaranteed.

crazy deal in my eyes - They have a very limited options outside of him I guess so he probably had the upper hand in the deal

The deal will see Prescott receive a $66m signing bonus, make $75m in year one alone when including his $9m base salary, and earn $95m in fully guaranteed money upon signing thanks to his $20m salary in 2022 - all three representing NFL records. His $31m base salary in 2023 also means he is fully guaranteed $126m unless the team were to cut him after one year, which they will not. All while living in income-tax free Texas.

Don't forget the tax free income part!!!