On to the next

[D-train]

I've yet to see the 9ers play this year. My last memory is the Seahawks humiliating them in the playoff run.
Are the current 9ers that much better than end-of-last-season 9ers? Is the current Seahawks that much worse
than the team that humiliated them?

It feels like it will be great game if the refs don't ruin it.

They are far closer to equals since that playoffs last season. Walker went off for 19/116 and 3 TDs and they are much healthier. We shall see who is better on Sunday.

Two forces at play this week in terms of officiating.

1. Officials VERY aware that they are currently regarded as Ego maniacs and over officious jerks (credit Marv Levy)

2. Players know that officials seem to be calling EVERYTHING and then some for good measure.

Call me crazy but I predict that there will be fewer penalties this week; not only vs. this past weekend and vs. average but the lowest amount in quite some time.

This seems more likely than a massive amount of penalties EVERY game until the end of time which some seem to think will be the case...

[Donn Beach]

fpi isn't a hot take, its analytical projections, do the same thing in baseball. Sure, got to play the games, so far 49ers are doing a good job of it, silly to deny it. Its going to be a good test, bring it on

Field Gulls

FPI: its the 49ers Conference, everyone else is just living in it.

ESPN updated playoff projection percentages using FPI:

49ers probabilities :

98% make playoffs

78% win division

59% # 1 seed

Seahawks probabilities:

75% make playoffs

16% win division

9% #1 seed

I know FPI loves the 49ers but this is ridiculous 3 weeks into the season.

[Donn Beach]

heres the fpi rankings top ten

San Francisco 49ers: 6.9
Jacksonville Jaguars: 4.7
Los Angeles Rams: 4.5
Kansas City Chiefs: 4.4
Seattle Seahawks: 4.1
Buffalo Bills: 4.0
Dallas Cowboys: 3.6
Chicago Bears: 2.3
Cincinnati Bengals: 2.2
Detroit Lions: 1.3

[Sibelius Hindemith]

2-2 over the next four. SF and KC likely losses.

I am sticking with my 4-0....

Damn right. Even after two stinkers I'm not going to doubt this team and their coach. We were in a similar spot last season and things turned out okay.

It's not about doubting the team. The stars aligned last year otherwise they don't get to the SB. I'm just trying to be realistic. KC and SF have pretty decent coaches too.

[auroraave]

I've yet to see the 9ers play this year. My last memory is the Seahawks humiliating them in the playoff run.
Are the current 9ers that much better than end-of-last-season 9ers? Is the current Seahawks that much worse
than the team that humiliated them?

It feels like it will be great game if the refs don't ruin it.

They are far closer to equals since that playoffs last season. Walker went off for 19/116 and 3 TDs and they are much healthier. We shall see who is better on Sunday.

Two forces at play this week in terms of officiating.

1. Officials VERY aware that they are currently regarded as Ego maniacs and over officious jerks (credit Marv Levy)

2. Players know that officials seem to be calling EVERYTHING and then some for good measure.

Call me crazy but I predict that there will be fewer penalties this week; not only vs. this past weekend and vs. average but the lowest amount in quite some time.

This seems more likely than a massive amount of penalties EVERY game until the end of time which some seem to think will be the case...

You know 100% thee marching orders coming out of 345 Park Avenue this week are "dial back the over-flagging, it's making us look bad."
Ultimately the bigger problem is the refs are told to call these fouls - "points of emphasis' the league calls it - I believe they get critiqued after games. On one hand 345 Park avenue says 'throw the flags, we gotta protect the faces of the franchise QB's at all costs,' and when the negative optics hit they'll says 'whoa, dial it back'. It's part of the NFL's never ending hypocrisy. It's part of what makes games unwatchable.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

[D-train]

Yeah I imagine they are striving for a happy medium that is challenging to achieve....

but I have watched hundreds of hours of reality TV in my life so I guess I don't find anything unwatchable...lol

btw finally watching Ozark for the first time the past couple of weeks. Wow. Jason Bateman is a massively underrated actor and is definitely one of my favs of all time.

[auroraave]

Yeah I imagine they are striving for a happy medium that is challenging to achieve....

but I have watched hundreds of hours of reality TV in my life so I guess I don't find anything unwatchable...lol

btw finally watching Ozark for the first time the past couple of weeks. Wow. Jason Bateman is a massively underrated actor and is definitely one of my favs of all time.

Great show! I used to be on his legal team at the law firm I work at - he left because he didn't want to pay commissions anymore and thought hourly was the way to go - he'll regret that - he was a huge time suck (just from his prod co being so busy, not cause he's a dick). He'd been with his atty since he was 15. Have you seen DTF St Louis? It's too wild. The Gift is another really good one (film). I think they're all on Netflix - he has a first look deal there. I mean the crown jewel is either arrested development or Ozark.

[D-train]

He was good in Juno, Horrible bosses too. Lynda has watch Couple retreat about a dozen times. Pretty good but once was enough for me. Ha.

Will check out DTF STL... thanks!

[trharder]

You know 100% thee marching orders coming out of 345 Park Avenue this week are "dial back the over-flagging, it's making us look bad."
Ultimately the bigger problem is the refs are told to call these fouls - "points of emphasis' the league calls it - I believe they get critiqued after games. On one hand 345 Park avenue says 'throw the flags, we gotta protect the faces of the franchise QB's at all costs,' and when the negative optics hit they'll says 'whoa, dial it back'. It's part of the NFL's never ending hypocrisy. It's part of what makes games unwatchable.

This is pretty much what Brock Huard was saying this morning in a more politically correct manner.
Basically that the Goodell and the ass hats will tell the refs to dial it back and they likely will, but
This will not change the culture of a group of refs who see themselves as omnipotent, rather than customer service.
The only way to do that is to root out the dick heads and fire them. When the union protests, threaten to lock them out.
Instead, the union is fighting even the weak sauce suspensions of the worst offenders.
https://740thefan.com/2026/10/06/nfl-re ... officials/

[D-train]

Yeah I couldn't believe that. Actually I could because if they did nothing the officials would ask "why do we even have a union"

I'm sure there are a dozen or so tools officiating games but this notion that there is suddenly an infestation of ego maniacs seems over blown to me...

It keeps happening throughout the year I reconsider this position.