Hey NFL fans! Welcome to Part Two of the Aerys Huddle. In case you missed Part One yesterday, make sure to check it out. During the Aerys Huddle we discussed a variety of different topics from all over the league. See what your Aerys writer’s have to say during Part Two the Huddle.
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Do you think Jay Cutler and his offensive coordinator Mike Martz have a healthy relationship? Which QB/Offensive coordinator duo do you believe has the best relationship?
Brenda (Broncos) - If I had to pick a word to describe Jay Cutler and Mike Martz’s relationship: tepid. It’s there. It’s not terrible nor is it close.
Jae (Cowboys) – Probably about as “healthy” as his relationship with Kristin Cavallari, I would think.
Patty (Rams) – No. Martz isn’t an easy coach to get along with. Then again, Cutler doesn’t have the best track record either, I guess.
Miranda (Offsides) – Does Jay Cutler have a healthy relationship with anyone? I don’t really know that Cutler listens to Martz. Cutler kind of has a teenager mentality so, it’s kind of like Martz is the father in a dysfunctional father son relationship.
Kristine (Jets) – I really don’t like Mike Martz and his way of doing things. Even though I make fun of Jay, I just don’t believe they are using him as best they could, although they appear to be making it work the past few weeks.
Corinna (Jaguars) – Sometimes I feel like the media blows coach/player relationship out of proportion. With that being said, I think there is definitely a problem with the Cutler – Martz relationship. But like mentioned above, Cutler doesn’t have the best track record.
Brandyn (Eagles) – I try not to pay attention to Jay Cutler so I can’t answer this question.
Melissa (Lions) – I can only answer this question based of what the media reports as I’m not on the field or in practice with these two. But from the looks of it, I would say no. But, then again, I’ve known plenty of coaches and players who don’t always see eye to eye but still have a great partnership. I just don’t know enough about these two’s relationship to be able to answer this.
Patty (Rams) – He’s not playing right now but Peyton Manning his OC have the best in my opinion.
Kristine (Jets) – Michael Vick often credits Marty Mornhinweg for his success and they appear to have a very nice repor.
Jae (Cowboys) – I don’t know enough about the relationships between all the quarterbacks and their offensive coordinator to say whose is best, but Tony Romo and Jason Garrett are pretty tight. I have seen them interact together outside of a football setting, and they seriously seem smitten with each other.
Brenda (Broncos) - Things are definitely rosy between Aaron Rodgers and Joe Philbin up in Green Bay.
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How is the “Suck for Luck” campaign affecting – or will affect – teams later this season? Is it fair for fans to want their respective teams to play poorly for the chance at Andrew Luck?
Miranda (Offsides) – If they are actually sucking for Luck, then that sucks. And yes, I see what I did there!
Brenda (Broncos) – “Suck for Luck” is in full swing – not so much here in Denver, though locals love the John Elway/Stanford connection.
Corinna (Jaguars) – I strongly disagree with any team intentionally losing a game just to benefit next year. What happened to living in the moment?
Jae (Cowboys) – To say that teams are trying to suck is ridiculous. Head coaches know that their job is on the line, and they will never play to lose for the sake of getting the top draft pick.
Melissa (Lions) – All I have to say to this is that if there is anyone in a team’s front office or on the sidelines (or even in the stands for that matter) who honestly WANTS their team to lose or loses on purpose to get a QB who isn’t even guaranteed to be effective in the NFL, then I’ve lost all faith in professional sports. They are out there to win, period. Throwing games/seasons for any reason is pathetic and shameful.
Brandyn (Eagles) – I don’t think it’s fair or unfair—fan sentiment shouldn’t be affecting team’s performance.
Brenda (Broncos) – As a Colts fan first and foremost, you better believe I want Indianapolis to consider drafting Luck IF in such a position. With that said, I am in no way advocating my team – or any team – give up or throw away a season for that No. 1 overall pick. I root for an Indianapolis win every week. Obviously, my cheers have been for naught. I don’t think it’s wrong for fans to think ahead to the future; just don’t do it at the expense of this year’s team. Is that hypocritical? No, just toeing a delicate line.
Miranda (Offsides) – Andrew has a lot of season left at Stanford, something could happen between now and opening day 2012. It’s difficult to understand why you are holding all the hopes of your franchise on someone not even 25. I think it is very unfair to hard core fans of these teams.
Patty (Rams) – As a competitor you hate to see a team or players “give up” in the short term for a long term gain. But that’s pretty much what the Suck for Luck campaign is all about. As a fan, I think it’s bad for the game.
Kristine (Jets) – I don’t think fans should want their teams to suck. I understand that Andrew Luck might be one of the best college QBs we have seen but what if Luck stays at Stanford or gets injured? What then? How did that work out? Sucking for the first pick in the draft is a ridiculous idea although it does make for a good discussion for us.
Brandyn (Eagles) – I think there is a danger in putting all of your hopes into a young kid who is not proven in the NFL. I’m sure that no team wants to be in the position to suck so much that they get Luck, let’s put it that way.
Corinna (Jaguars) – As a stated earlier, I also don’t think that one player will make or break your team. If you can’t win a game in 2011, chances are pretty high that Luck isn’t going to win them all for you in 2012.
Jae (Cowboys) – The fans will root for it, but you can’t build a team around one player. Just ask the Rams. Bradford can’t score if his receivers don’t catch. Not to mention, Luck is not the only good QB in college football right now. If I was picking, Robert Griffin would be at the top my list to take as the next Cowboys QB. He’s got the legs of Michael Vick and the accuracy of Peyton Manning.
Brenda (Broncos) – Let’s not forget that top-seeded playoff teams often rest players ahead of the postseason in those Week 17 garbage games – and get criticized for it. I’m curious to see what the Luck “contenders” do this season.
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At this point this season, is your team performing at, below, or above expectations?
Brandyn (Eagles) – Definitely below. By this point everyone is more than aware of the “Dream Team” crashing and burning. Damn Vince Young for uttering those words and then sitting back and not doing a thing. And the one time we saw him on the field it was horrific.
Melissa (Lions) – It’s hard to say. The Lions did have high expectations going into the season, but we’re still the Lions. So regardless of how good I thought we were preseason, I don’t think I would have ever expected to start the season 5-0, or be 5-2 right now. With that said, we aren’t performing well as of late. Our record is still good and there is still hope for playoffs, but as of today, they are performing below my expectations.
Patty (Rams) – WAY BELOW. The Rams were 7-9 coming off their best season since 2006 when they were 8-8. Unfortunately, with all the injuries their new high explosive offense sputtered before the season was able to get going. Now they are staring at 0-6 going into Jerry World this week.
Brenda (Broncos) – The Broncos are right on par. I predicted a 6-10 record in 2011, and through six games, Denver is 2-4. I’m sticking by 6-10, though 5-11 is probably more accurate.
Corinna (Jaguars) – Below but on the rebound! …This was supposed to be the year! For as long as I can remember the Jaguars have been “rebuilding”. But this was supposed to be the year the Jags turned things around.
Jae (Cowboys) – Below, but we’re not in bad shape at this point. The Cowboys are sitting at 2nd in the NFC East, and all three losses were close games. Eliminating the turnovers is all it will take to be one of the best teams in the NFL.
Kristine (Jets) – Hard for me to say. I think that almost all of the teams were going to require more time than they had to settle in because of the lockout. I have seen the Jets play well at times and other times play poorly but I am encouraged by how things have gone the last few weeks and I think they have finally found their stride.
Brandyn (Eagles) – The Eagles have not met expectations for any team they have assembled in the past several years. These first few games out of the bye will be critical in determining if the team really has started to correct the many issues that plagued them in the first several games of the season, or if there are some deeper, more systemic problems that need to be addressed. In particular I will be looking to see if the o-line continues to gel and protect Vick, and if the defense can, oh, I don’t know—actually tackle somebody.
Miranda (Offsides) – While I am the general reporter, I do consider the Colts as my team. And they are performing well below any expectations I had. I thought it would be a bad year without Peyton. But I had no clue it would be this bad. It’s obvious that it is not just Peyton at this point. It’s the team’s culture. And that boils down to the coach and the message he sends. That is obviously NOT a good message!
Corinna (Jaguars) – A winning season couldn’t have come at a more opportune time: the Colts are basically out of the running; the Titans have been less than impressive; so that only leaves the Texans for the Jags to steal the AFC South division title from… But no the Jaguars have lost 5 straight games since their week one victory over the Titans. Needless to say… I’m severely disappointed. However, Monday night’s game could be an indication that the Jaguars have found their groove & are ready to turn things around… [Fingers crossed]
Kristine (Jets) – As far as expectations, I think the whole Super Bowl or bust thing is ridiculous and I won’t engage in that kind of talk. I would love to see them get to the playoffs, as I am sure we all do with our teams, and to make it to the big dance. But I didn’t expect it. I hope they make it to playoffs and beat the Patriots. And I think they can.
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The Bengals front office was adamant that Carson Palmer would not be traded, but that all changed when he was shipped to Oakland. Were the Bengals smart to finally give in? Did the Raiders give too much in exchange?
Patty (Rams) – Bengals got the better end of the deal. They dumped Carson Palmer who absolutely refused to play another down in Cincy. Worst case scenario they receive a 1st rounder in 2012 and a 2nd rounder in 2013. The Raiders have given away most of their 2012 draft picks and are in it to win it this season. They’ll worry about the lack of draft picks next season for later.
Brenda (Broncos) – Oakland gave up more than it should for Palmer, so the Bengals are the winners in this trade. Palmer, too. He’s out of Cincinnati and back home in California. Oakland will come to miss those draft picks at some point.
Kristine (Jets) – I think this was a win-win-win situation and for us to criticize it is a waste. Carson wanted out, the Raiders needed a QB and Mike Brown got what he wanted. Whether or not it was too much has yet to be determined. If he is successful it’s not too much. And even if he is not, they did what they thought was best. They are a potential playoff team and were unhappy with the backups they had. No risk, no reward.
Brandyn (Eagles) – The Raiders absolutely gave up too much in exchange. I think it’s the only reason Palmer was traded—who can blame the Bengals for offloading their whiny QB for a 1st and 2nd -round draft pick?
Melissa (Lions) – I think it’s impossible to say at this point who got the better deal. The Bengals were definitely right to finally let him go and the Raiders just happened to need a QB after Jason Campbell went down. And despite a terrible first game, I don’t think we can base Palmer’s effectiveness on that game. He’s obviously rusty. I think after a few more games, we’ll be able to better assess whether giving up a crap ton of draft picks was worth having Palmer in the pocket. Right now, it’s not looking promising.
Jae (Cowboys) – If they were smart, they would have let him go from the beginning. What is the point of holding a player against his will?
Corinna (Jaguars) – The Bengals were incredibly smart to trade a player who refuses to play. The Raiders were in a bind. Seems like a pretty simple deal to me. The Raiders can worry about next season… well next season!
Miranda (Offsides) – The 2012 first round draft pick alone was worth it. And if by some miracle the Raiders make the AFC championship with Palmer, they get a 2013 draft pick. The Bengals came out ahead on this. Considering Palmer’s performance in his first game back, it does seem the Raiders may have paid too much. BUT, I do believe we need to let Palmer get some work in during this Bye week and some more playing time and we will have a better answer. But right now… it seems like too much. In the end though, it may turn out to be a bargain!
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That concludes Part Two of the Aerys Huddle. Make sure to check back tomorrow for Part Three. Follow @Aerys_NFL on Twitter for more updates from around the NFL.
Quite a few news tidbits to talk with you about … let’s get to it!
