8 votes

2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 9

Posted by hamstergeddon
Tags: ask.discussion, usa, nfl, weekly game thread, season.2025, recurring.weekly

Welcome to the 2025 NFL Season Weekly Discussion Thread! 🏈

Share your thoughts on Week 9 — wins, losses, fantasy fumbles, predictions, or anything else football-related.

5 comments

  1. NonoAdomo
    Link
    Last week I said this: ...and somehow, the Panthers won. We looked competent and with a plan as we also finally used our best RB as the starter and bellcow to go and grind the clock away. Our...

    Last week I said this:

    Anyways, Next week we play against the (currently) best team in the NFC in the Packers. I already know we are likely losing this game, I just want it to be competitive.

    ...and somehow, the Panthers won. We looked competent and with a plan as we also finally used our best RB as the starter and bellcow to go and grind the clock away. Our defense also gave the Packers fits all day, with multiple takeaways and looking much more improved from earlier in the year!

    My favorite part about this win is that I can see we've graduated as a team from the general fan perception. We are no longer "Bottom Tier Bad" but we are now most certifiably "Mid" and top teams are a different kind of frustrated when they lose to us. For example:

    1. Packers fans are looking internally, but they aren't calling for heads to roll. They are wondering if their team was oversold, but not complaining that they lost to a "bad" team.
    2. Cowboys fans, by contrast, were calling for heads to roll when we beat them a month ago. They have now changed their tune about the Panthers, and are just enjoying the Packers loss in good rivalry fashion
    3. Teams are not immediately firing people after we beat them. Last year, we were most definitely bad, so when we went on a tear and beat a few teams that they figured they assumed they were in a different class than the Panthers. This prompted them to fire people, leaving a casualty list in our wake. That hasn't happened this year, and I think that's a sign of growth
    4. 49ers fans are starting to get vocally anxious about our upcoming MNF game in a few weeks in response to the Packers losing to us.
    5. Power Rankers (despite their dubious credit) are now consistently placing us above 20, squarely in the "lower Mid" tier of the league. This is where I hoped we would be this year, and I'm happy we've made it. It's just been a bit of a rollercoaster ride to get here.

    At any rate, I'm glad to have officially graduated to "Mid" and this team has worked hard to deserve the sentiment. I don't expect people to ever actually take us as a threat in the court of public opinion, but I am glad that we are not just "One of the bad teams" anymore.

    Next week is the Saints. If we don't win this game, then something has gone massively wrong. The Saints are having a fire sale with the trade deadline. Anything resembling talent is being sent out the door for whatever they can get. At this point, the team is a skeleton crew of people who would be backups anywhere else with only a couple starting caliber players. This is the safest best win of the year (And we play them twice!) Because of the Saints, we have a solid chance of reaching a winning record this year.

    I really hope I don't have to eat these words.

    6 votes
  2. [4]
    hamstergeddon
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm convinced the Commanders are cursed. Or the field is cursed? Maybe the football gods are mad and won't be content until the Commanders return to the hollowed grounds of the former RFK stadium....

    I'm convinced the Commanders are cursed. Or the field is cursed? Maybe the football gods are mad and won't be content until the Commanders return to the hollowed grounds of the former RFK stadium. It's certainly not a lack of sacrifices. We've been injuring players and especially QBs left and right going back years now!

    4 votes
    1. Mikie
      Link Parent
      Feels like RGIII all over again. Also, it feels like this weekend in general was rife with season-ending injuries across all the teams. That's probably some kind of observational bias on my part...

      Feels like RGIII all over again. Also, it feels like this weekend in general was rife with season-ending injuries across all the teams. That's probably some kind of observational bias on my part though.

      4 votes
    3. cdb
      Link Parent
      People keep calling this injury cursed, seemingly attributing it bad luck. While luck is always a factor, to me this was largely a clear failure in training/coaching. You don't stick your arm out...

      People keep calling this injury cursed, seemingly attributing it bad luck. While luck is always a factor, to me this was largely a clear failure in training/coaching. You don't stick your arm out like that to break your fall if you know how to fall.

      It seems like no one is really learning from the mistakes of others. While the injury is different, Tua is a good example of someone who had to learn falling skills to avoid injury. It's silly that others aren't learning from his example and learning proper falling skills. Hopefully Jayden and others will see this incident as a possibly controllable aspect of the game and learn how to better protect themselves.

      I'd also put learning when to slide and when to dive in the same bucket. It seems like a lot of QBs slide way too late and get rocked as a result. When i see these kinda of seemingly preventable incidents I think about a Tom Brady rant I heard about how young players aren't learning the skills to protect themselves and their teammates.

      1 vote