KiwiSox

I dont think so. Brady was executing a masterful gameplan. Everything the Patriots did on both sides of the ball was done with such purpose. Belichick made one bad call, going for it on fourth down (Mahomes got in his head), but other than that it was perfect. Brady is great. Probably the greatest. But he's not as good as he used to be yet somehow the Patriots are better than ever. Its Belichick. The Chiefs on the other hand had no gameplan. A few gimmicky (three!!! on one play) fake jet sweeps and some runningback wheel routes but other than that they just told Mahomes to go back there and ball. You switch the QB's and the Patriots would've won by seventy. The NFL falls for bad ideas all the time. Now its en vogue to jUsT bE aGgReSsIvE, bRo. The groupthink that permeates the other thirty-one coaching staffs in this league is what has led to the Patriots run of dominance.

The better QB lost both games this week.

I do think Josh Allen has Mahomes-like potential that could be unleashed next year. But even then it's probably not enough.

Mahomes is great but not great enough. The AFC just didn't have THAT team this year and in our post-Mannkng world there is no QB in existence that is capable of getting in the way of the Patriots machine. It came out that the Chiefs are gonna give Mahomes $200m next off-season. The Chiefs will soon find themselves in the same place the Packers have in the Rodgers era. Not ill will to the Patriots. They have perfected their process and I love their mistake free football that focuses on things like special teams and physicality. I don't see Brady slipping at all. This could go on another five years easily, especially since nobody in the AFC can take them down.

There is really no reason to give up on players like Bush.

I think if you try put yourself in a position where you think about what you'll think of certain prospects this time next year, something the Sox critically failed to do in the Shields trade, you find yourself becoming more open to dealing Basabe and less open to dealing Bush.

They aren't going to trade Bryce Bush. I dont a ***SOURCE*** to tell me that. Just common sense. It'll be something like Luis Basabe and one of the minor league bullpen arms.

Simplest explanation for this is that they want both. I do not buy for one single second that the Harper market is less active than the Machado one. We are just not witnessing as much movement ourselves.

I believe part of the reason this is going to possibly last into the regular season is that there are two teams that are absolutely All-In on getting one of Harper or Machado, but at the same time aren't willing to break the bank for either because they still hold a realistic goal of getting both.

They have zero intentions of signing Moose. This is all more posturing for Machado.

I still think they have a better chance with Harper.

Why not? Machado isn't to settle and teams aren't going to pony up. If this can make it to late-January there's no telling how long it will go.

round and round we go.

Right now I'd be surprised if this happened before spring training starts and would put even odds on it dragging into the regular season.

Hate this idea of handing anyone a job. UDFA's and vets looking for work will be fine. Whoever can handle the pressure of fighting every day in training camp for the chance at an NFL lifestyle for a year (and maybe beyond) can handle the pressure of high-leverage field goals.

Just bring people into training camp and have an open competition.

If he's signed then wtf is the delay in announcing it? Unless they really want to keep this under wraps until Soxfest.

I knew the Yankees were never out.

This is going to drag into the regular season.

I dont think there will be any opt-outs. These deals are for the long-term.

Flying is only one part of the job.

I have been saying all along this rumor cycle things is just going to keep playing itself out forever and has a chance to get into Spring Training.

A major contributing factor to how this has drawn itself out this long is that one team (White Sox) is still totally committed to getting both. Its hard for Harper or Machado's agent to sign, knowing full well that the Sox are doing everything they can to save their pennies and also land the other whale, but at the same time the Sox are never letting themselves fall behind in the bidding so there's no cause to go to New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Cincinnati (?!) etc.. This could be bullshit but to me its very plausible bullshit and one of the few logical explanations for how this thing has dragged out. Everytime the Sox think they've got one of Harper or Machado wrangled the other slides out of pocket and they are caught playing catch-up on the second front, then once that process completes itself the reverse plays itself out. Round and round.

I just dont expect anything to nice to happen as I'm still in a doom & gloom sports mood in the midst of Hurricane NFL just tearing what was a promising Bears team down to the studs.

That is true. QB hours are about on par with coaches hours. I think guys are more prepared for that now than they were even five or six years ago but still doesn't make it any less of a burden.