Reality or Overreaction: Carousel failure? Are we crowning a new AFC king?

Overreactions & Reality Checks for PML

Tbandit

The Bears and Cowboys will be contenders in the Nfc

Overreaction or Reality: Reality

In a conference where there’s realistically 10 teams that can make the playoffs every season, every game matters and any slump you go through during the course of the season can be the deciding factor in you being in or out. With these 2 teams they accounted for 3 of the 10 teams that were represented in the super bowl last cycle and thus far they haven’t sniffed the playoffs thru 2 seasons. When you and everybody else considers you a top user, missing out on the playoffs can really mess with you so I knew these 2 coaches would right the ship and make the necessary changes to find themselves back in the mix. So far these 2 coaches are off to a h*** of a start both sitting at 3-1 and in all honesty, they are both a few plays away from 4-0 with Sp having a close week 1 loss to Mike that was dominated by his special teams in the 2nd half and Jefe losing a shootout to cook that could’ve gone either way. When you stay in a h*** conference every game counts and that’s why this hot start to the season is so vital and leads to me to believe these good users will be around come playoff time and a week or two after that. I’m not saying either of these teams will represent the Nfc but with the way they look to start the season I can almost guarantee they will be in the final 7 and may make a run.

The Eagles will be run out of Pml by the end of season 4

Overreaction or Reality: Reality

I promise I have no hard feelings towards Cb or do I wish this happens to him. From what i’ve seen and heard so far through 6 games (Including Pre-Szn). The newest carousel members that’ve been brought into Pml have been disappointing to say the least as both members were given rosters that were ready to compete in divisions filled with playoff coaches. CB is going to get ran through 6 times a season and I wonder if it’ll take a toll on him. CB seems like a good guy that’s willing to take the challenge and continue to do anything necessary to compete within his division. The attitude and will to get better is something that other Pml members should adopt but that’s about it. When you think about that division that’s 0-6 right there and then you add on whatever other divisions you play and that’ll add on about 5-6 more minimum (Unless your playing Carolina, Pittsburgh or Cleveland). I promise i’m not hating and I want nothing but the absolute best but I just have a bad feeling that playing the Nfc East and getting beat up by the rest of the league week in and week out will take a toll on him mentally and cause it not to be a fun hobby anymore. As bad as he is the last thing I expect him to do is quit ( The way he carries himself makes me believe this) and it’ll be JT coming to him letting him know that he’s moving along as he doesn’t see him as a fit.

Matigy

Joe Burrow will be the MVP 

Overreaction or Reality:  Reality

The Cincinnati Bengals have started off hot winning their first 4 games, and Burrow has looked fantastic with 16tds to 4 INTs and avg 337 yards per game in the air. Last year he was looking like the MVP mid way through before his 2 game suspension but he has been even better in 2024. In the offseason they picked up 6’5 4.3 speed rookie WR Quentin Skinner and through 4 games he’s got 27 catches, almost 500 yards and 7 TDs, completely stealing the show from Chase and Higgins that combine for 5 less yards and 1 less TD. So far only 100 yards on the ground a game between Mixon and Zach Evans. There’s been rumors swirling around that the Bengals are shopping Mixon around and that Zach Evans is ready to take over his role so we will see if he gets sent to the NFC .On defense 5 different players have 2 INTs on defense so they are definitely doing enough for the W so far thru a team effort. But so far Bosa seems to have not performed as he the coach would’ve expected. 

Commanders won’t make the playoffs 

Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction 

After winning the division the Washington Commanders have started 2024 off 1-3 and getting cooked week 1 & 4. But a tough loss week 3 the 3-1 cowboys where the defense played well hurts. Howell only has 5 TDs on the szn but that should pick up with the panthers and Steelers up next for this team and hopefully he 3-3 heading into a huge week 7 game against the New York Giants followed up with the buccaneers. Then from week 10 thru 14 they play 4 games with teams combining for 2 wins. So the schedule will get easier and some other playoff team hopefuls have slipped to start off the szn as well. Rookie Wr Troy Franklin who has 30 yards through 4 games should hopefully find a role in this offense while the run game should be interesting as they have used Sam’s legs a lot more often as he already has 25 rushes through 4 games after finishing the last 2 years in the 40s. And the defense will only get better with momentum.

Arod

The Browns carousel move was a failure

Reality or overreaction: Reality

Case: Vet → Miles: Cleveland Browns

Gameplay: Vet won a few games each season while the Browns are still winless including a loss to the Steelers who hadn’t won in 23 games.  Vet took care of his Arod games at the very least.  Advantage: VET

Content: Vet did team content videos that most didn’t watch or appreciate.  Haven’t seen much out of Miles yet besides an appearance on the prediction show.  Any new owner entering this league should be an upgrade in content if it isn’t going to be gameplay. EVEN

Chat: Both don’t chat. Nothing has changed.  EVEN

Verdict: In a 1-0 final score, this was a failed carousel move and this was not an upgrade in any capacity thus far. These types of moves were not what the carousel was meant for.  In my opinion, carousel members need to prove themselves BEFOREHAND that their worth exceeds the user they are replacing. This includes but not limited to chat, content, tryout games, and involvement in other capacities of our league.   In this case, Miles you may be a good fella, but this hasn’t been an upgrade over a PML OG who may have not met expectations in some of these components, but he was certainly not exceeded by his replacement.  Even if the gameplay isn’t there, make up for it in chat and content at the very least. 

Saints will secure a top 5 pick

Reality or overreaction: Reality

I was very high on the Saints to begin the season as I predicted they would compete with the Bucs and Falcons in a 3 way dance for the division.  Fast forward week 4, the Saints have dropped some very winnable games and have actually gone backwards from their 10-win season 1 campaign.  He has built this team over the course of 2 off-seasons with a few very very favorable moves.  He shipped Kamara and Winston out for assets way beyond the value of them guys.  He acquired Josy Bosa from the Chargers in what was supposed to create a culture of winning via defense first.  To be fair, his first 4 games were not a cake walk, and in a real world, 1-3 would have been a realistic scenario at this point.  Aside from his divisional games, the rest of the schedule is brutal for not only the Saints, but the NFC North as a whole.  Hey, this is just content, at 2 games out, the Saints could very well bounce back and make a play for the division.  But from what we’ve seen so far, they have their backs against the wall.  

CEO and the Vikings are a sinking ship

Reality or Overreaction: Overreaction

The PML Prediction Show over the past 2 weeks has been very critical towards one, if not our most consistent members of PML, who no matter the competition, finds himself in the playoffs season after season. The man has played in the toughest divisions, and without excuse, has grinded it out and straight up competes.  I’ve listened to Que and Drama openly say CEO is finished this season while sitting at 0-2.  Many others have written him off as well this cycle and he is no longer mentioned with the top tier users of our league.  While many are calling for a quarterback change, the fact is, Zach Wilson has been a very efficient game manager for the Vikings offense while protecting the ball and limiting turnovers.  He rocks a 126.4 QB rating and has a 6/2 TD/INT ratio.  I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hot take by any means so you can read this with confidence. You could lock the Vikings into one of the playoff seeds come wildcard weekend, mark my words.  We’ll circle back to this later in the season.  Do not write this man off.  Haven’t we learned that already?

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Spdot
The Bengals are the Favorites in the AFC:
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
The Bengals are off to a hot 4-0 start with impressive wins over the Ravens, Broncos, and Commanders. Joe Burrow is the early season MVP favorite, with a deadly receiving core of Tee Higgins, Jamarr Chase and Quinton Skinner. Burrow is one of only a few game changing quarterbacks that are left in PML, and if he keeps playing like this he will stay like one of the top QBs. The AFC still has other contenders that I would still trust in the playoffs over the Bengals. This will be likely the best chance for the Bengals to make their run, but there are steep obstacles in their way.


The Justin Fields trade was a win-win


Overreaction or reality: Reality
One of the biggest moves of the offseason was the Bears sending Justin Fields to Jacksonville for Jordan Love and 2 draft picks. Both Qbs are thriving in their new systems, Justin Fields having 12 touchdowns and 3 picks in 4 games, and Jordan Love with 9 touchdowns 0 picks in 4 games. Both teams stand at 3-1 with solid wins under their belt. Both teams moved for quarterbacks that fit their system better, Fields being a mobile QB and a threat in the run game while Jordan Love is more of a distributing pocket passer. One interesting thing to note is that these two teams play each other in week 5 in one of the more interesting matchups of the year. Does the winner of the game mean that that team was the one who won the trade?

Cammy

The Bears are primed to make playoffs

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Chicago Bears have been so close to the playoffs each year only missing a spot by one game and it seems that this year could finally be the year that they can break that curse and secure a spot into the playoffs. They started off the year with a tough loss to their division rival Packers but they’ve always seemed to have troubles against Greenbay. Not letting that game affect the locker room they went out and secured wins both week 2 and 3. Now at that point in time the jury was still out on Chicago, were they poised to make a playoff push or did they just get lucky with teams earlier in their schedule? Well all that talk can go to bed because in week 4 the underdogs came out with a huge win over the undefeated plus former superbowl champions the Los Angeles Rams. I think this is the year where we see coach Spdot feel comfortable with the roster he has and make a major push towards the playoffs. Does he have a chance at the bowl? Who knows but I do think that roster limits him a lot and it still needs another year of building.

The Seattle Seahawks will come first place in the NFC

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Seahawks have been having an MASSIVE year to start off season 3. They have come out guns slinging every week and have looked like the better team in each game. In the first three weeks of the season they have come out and beat three former playoff teams from last season in the Vikings, Packers, Giants convincingly and came out this week and beat a team that was very close to making the playoffs in the Falcons. Stroud is finally settled into his second year of PML and is playing like a veteran safe quarterback but the best thing about this team is how good they are at limiting points on defense and forcing turnovers whenever they wish too. This truly is the team to beat in the NFC and I think after we see how their matchup in week 7 goes against the Rams we’ll be able to tell if this is the team to beat if you want to make it to the Superbowl. Because at this point I do not think there is a team that could stop the run that Coach Z star is on.