Alex Smith announces retirement

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

The home playoff loss to Tennessee was the last straw for me on Alex. I think he's a really good person, but I'm glad he's no longer our starting QB.

That was a stinker, which is a shame because he put up a hell of a first half. You just can't follow that up with a goose egg in the second half.

If that douche Triplette doesn't call off the "forward progress" sack, who knows how it ends? That's kinda been Alex's career though. In 2011 he definitely goes to a Super Bowl if not for Kyle Williams muffing two punts. In 2013 he just couldn't hang on in the end @IND with the Luck fumble TD. The forward progress sack and Mariota's TD pass to himself against TEN in 2017.

Guy was just always on the wrong end.. and that was mostly his fault. I'd say @NE 2015, PIT 2016 and TEN 2017 were losses I'd say he took the brunt of the blame for having subpar games.

Originally Posted by -King-

I found it fun. Frustrating at times but still fun.

It was fun. I watch highlights from that period frequently.

It was frustrating and not nearly as fun as it is with Mahomes, but a hell of a lot better than going 4-12, 6-10 or some shit like that.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

It was frustrating and not nearly as fun as it is with Mahomes, but a hell of a lot better than going 4-12, 6-10 or some shit like that.

Youre making me ponder this...but I am not sure what is more fun, honestly. If I was watching games live,
I guess I would rather watch the better team, but as a fan at home just knowing we can't win in the playoffs ruins things for me.
If you were to give me the choice right now between 2-3 miserable seasons and some high draft picks / rebuild
and 5-6 mediocre seasons with middle of the road picks and middle of the road picks...I might just put the gun to my head and try to end the misery faster...
but full disclosure if I had season tickets or still lived closer I might not think the same way...

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

Youre making me ponder this...but I am not sure what is more fun, honestly. If I was watching games live,
I guess I would rather watch the better team, but as a fan at home just knowing we can't win in the playoffs ruins things for me.
If you were to give me the choice right now between 2-3 miserable seasons and some high draft picks / rebuild
and 5-6 mediocre seasons with middle of the road picks and middle of the road picks...I might just put the gun to my head and try to end the misery faster...
but full disclosure if I had season tickets or still lived closer I might not think the same way...

I understand your point of view, especially after we'd had a few 10-6, 11-5 first round playoff exits with Alex and it became more and more apparent that he would probably never get us over the hump. 45+ years of pretty much never making it past the Divisional Round wore us down. We NEEDED that Super Bowl that Mahomes was so kind enough to deliver.

But generally speaking, give me the puncher's chance over that losing season shit. Just make it to the postseason and anything can happen.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

But generally speaking, give me the puncher's chance over that losing season shit. Just make it to the postseason and anything can happen.

The funny thing is i ABSOLUTELY used to feel that way but the years of Marty and decent teams beat that notion out of my head.
Basically decades of fielding good solid teams with backup QB's and seeing the futility of it all....
I'm pretty convinced now that maybe there are a few exceptions but basically you need a premier QB to have a real shot to win it all.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I understand your point of view, especially after we'd had a few 10-6, 11-5 first round playoff exits with Alex. 45+ years of pretty much never making it past the Divisional Round wore us down. We NEEDED that Super Bowl that Mahomes was so kind enough to deliver.

But generally speaking, give me the puncher's chance over that losing season shit. Just make it to the postseason and anything can happen.

Your last sentence sounds great in theory.

But your second sentence all but precludes that last sentence from being true.

In other words, after 50 years of getting to the playoffs and losing, it got to the point where I never even felt we had a puncher's chance. Going into a first round playoff game, the expectation was always that we'd lose, probably from 2003 on, for me.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

But generally speaking, give me the puncher's chance over that losing season shit. Just make it to the postseason and anything can happen.

Except, it doesn't.... or hasn't in the AFC for the past couple decades.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

The funny thing is i ABSOLUTELY used to feel that way but the years of Marty and decent teams beat that notion out of my head.
Basically decades of fielding good solid teams with backup QB's and seeing the futility of it all....
I'm pretty convinced now that maybe there are a few exceptions but basically you need a premier QB to have a real shot to win it all.

Agreed.

Just saying, we went from the perennial playoff punching bag to elite, budding dynasty seamlessly. The idea that we needed to have some 4-12 seasons thrown in between is an incorrect one.

Knowing that, I'd rather have the winning season she to bide my time until the right QB comes along.

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Your last sentence sounds great in theory.

But your second sentence all but precludes that last sentence from being true.

In other words, after 50 years of getting to the playoffs and losing, it got to the point where I never even felt we had a puncher's chance. Going into a first round playoff game, the expectation was always that we'd lose, probably from 2003 on, for me.

Eh, it can happen. Brady's first three Super Bowls come to mind, as does Russell Wilson's one and only. 2007 and 2011 for the Giants. 2017 Eagles. 2012 Ravens.

I'm not going to spend a bunch of time thinking about it, but the 2019 49ers and 2017 Vikings came close. None of those teams had premier QBs at the time.

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Except, it doesn't.... or hasn't in the AFC for the past couple decades.

Kind of a weird time in the AFC having the two QBs with the greatest claim to GOAT status playing at the same time. Now it looks like Mahomes is picking up where Brady and Manning left off..

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Eh, it can happen. Brady's first three Super Bowls come to mind, as does Russell Wilson's one and only. 2007 and 2011 for the Giants. 2017 Eagles. 2012 Ravens.

I'm not going to spend a bunch of time thinking about it, but the 2019 49ers and 2017 Vikings came close. None of those teams had premier QBs at the time.

Prior to Brady's first Super Bowl, the Patriots had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1997, just 5 years before.

Russell appeared in two Super Bowls with the Seahawks (2013 and 2014), winning one. The Seahawks had also appeared in the Super Bowl just 8 years earlier, in 2005.

In addition to 2007 and 2011, the Giants had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1990 and again in 2000.

The 49ers played in the 2012 Super Bowl before making it back again in 2019. They lost the NFC Championship 4 times in the 1990's. They also won the 1994 Super Bowl.

The Vikings made it to the 1998, 2000, and 2009 AFC Championship games.

I arbitrarily only went back 20 years but if I had gone further, this statement would be even more impactful:

Between Len Dawson and Mahomes, the Chiefs played in one conference championship game. ONE.

Of the teams you listed, only the Vikings really come close but even then, the Vikings fans at least had SOME evidence they had a punchers chance. Chiefs fans had literally nothing to give them hope. Nothing.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Prior to Brady's first Super Bowl, the Patriots had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1997, just 5 years before.

Russell appeared in two Super Bowls with the Seahawks (2013 and 2014), winning one. The Seahawks had also appeared in the Super Bowl just 8 years earlier, in 2005.

In addition to 2007 and 2011, the Giants had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1990 and again in 2000.

The 49ers played in the 2012 Super Bowl before making it back again in 2019. They lost the NFC Championship 4 times in the 1990's. They also won the 1994 Super Bowl.

The Vikings made it to the 1998, 2000, and 2009 AFC Championship games.

I arbitrarily only went back 20 years but if I had gone further, this statement would be even more impactful:

Between Len Dawson and Mahomes, the Chiefs played in one conference championship game. ONE.

Of the teams you listed, only the Vikings really come close but even then, the Vikings fans at least had SOME evidence they had a punchers chance. Chiefs fans had literally nothing to give them hope. Nothing.

I see. You're operating with full hindsight, so it seems you have all the leverage. The issue is, we actually did have a puncher's chance many of those years, and a pretty damned good chance in quite a few others. Hell, we lost four playoff games with Alex by a combined 4 points. You're telling me we had no chance in those games?

I honestly feel like the point you just made only strengthens my argument. Those teams got lucky and had some success in the postseason without a premier QB. They just stacked their roster and hoped to get hot.. and they did.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Prior to Brady's first Super Bowl, the Patriots had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1997, just 5 years before.

Russell appeared in two Super Bowls with the Seahawks (2013 and 2014), winning one. The Seahawks had also appeared in the Super Bowl just 8 years earlier, in 2005.

In addition to 2007 and 2011, the Giants had appeared in the Super Bowl in 1990 and again in 2000.

The 49ers played in the 2012 Super Bowl before making it back again in 2019. They lost the NFC Championship 4 times in the 1990's. They also won the 1994 Super Bowl.

The Vikings made it to the 1998, 2000, and 2009 AFC Championship games.

I arbitrarily only went back 20 years but if I had gone further, this statement would be even more impactful:

Between Len Dawson and Mahomes, the Chiefs played in one conference championship game. ONE.

Of the teams you listed, only the Vikings really come close but even then, the Vikings fans at least had SOME evidence they had a punchers chance. Chiefs fans had literally nothing to give them hope. Nothing.

If you make the playoffs, you have a punchers chance.

Teams like the Jaguars, Lions, Browns, etc. haven’t.

They can’t even make the dance.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

That was a stinker, which is a shame because he put up a hell of a first half. You just can't follow that up with a goose egg in the second half.

If that douche Triplette doesn't call off the "forward progress" sack, who knows how it ends? That's kinda been Alex's career though. In 2011 he definitely goes to a Super Bowl if not for Kyle Williams muffing two punts. In 2013 he just couldn't hang on in the end @IND with the Luck fumble TD. The forward progress sack and Mariota's TD pass to himself against TEN in 2017.

Guy was just always on the wrong end.. and that was mostly his fault. I'd say @NE 2015, PIT 2016 and TEN 2017 were losses I'd say he took the brunt of the blame for having subpar games.



It was fun. I watch highlights from that period frequently.

It was frustrating and not nearly as fun as it is with Mahomes, but a hell of a lot better than going 4-12, 6-10 or some shit like that.

Alex fumbled late in that Indy game. The ball was recovered by an Indy defender whose ass cheeks were split by the boundary at the edge of the field.

in other words...he was out of bounds when he recovered the ball.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Alex fumbled late in that Indy game. The ball was recovered by an Indy defender whose ass cheeks were split by the boundary at the edge of the field.

in other words...he was out of bounds when he recovered the ball.

Yep, and it was the turning point in the game. The ball went backwards for like 20 yards and the guy falls on it near the sideline, but when he gets control, he was clearly out.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Alex fumbled late in that Indy game. The ball was recovered by an Indy defender whose ass cheeks were split by the boundary at the edge of the field.

in other words...he was out of bounds when he recovered the ball.

Originally Posted by TEX

Yep, and it was the turning point in the game. The ball went backwards for like 20 yards and the guy falls on it near the sideline, but when he gets control, he was clearly out.

Meh, if we were on defense and made that same play, I'd be furious if they didn't give us the ball.