Andrew Brandt@AndrewBrandt
· Nov 23
We’re two days away from 20 million people complaining about the Bears-Lions matchup while choosing to watch it rather than talk to their families.

Billy_T wrote:

Many scientists now think we defeated other hominids because we could work together with much larger groups than they could, and that we lived communally, with almost no hierarchy, for most of our time on this planet. That we’ve basically self-domesticated, and reduced violence radically. More and more scholars are also beginning to think that our downfall was leaving our Hunter-gatherer lifestyle behind. We were healthier, stronger, freer, and lived longer before the switch to settled, agro-villages, etc.

I think most if not all statements about universal human nature are ultimately ideological.

However, I also think there is something to the idea that primitive humanity was cooperative and not inherently selfish.

Still that doesn’t explain conflict between groups. So while each group may be cooperative internally, that says nothing about how groups treat each other (which is also a mixed bag and includes trade and negotiations along with violence.)

And the cooperative group notion fails to account for the sexual division of labor, which is often if not always oppressive.

A lot of these issues come up in discussions of post-apocalyptic fiction and film. You can’t do a post-apocalyptic narrative without making claims about what “human nature” is when civilization disappears or is broken. But then any claim you make in such narratives is ultimately ideological at its core.

….

alyoshamucci

Game 10 … 9ers … putrid.

I’d rather spit my teeth out than write this one, especially since I’m going to be a bit easy on a team I simply expect more out of from numerous angles.

Our offense was inept. Losing Woods is a psychological blow and the team simply did not prepare to adjust for that. We may have prepared the right packages, but I can’t know that. I knew the 9ers were going to run on us. I did not expect us to not be able to score.

There was nothing great. Obviously.

The Good

1) Run blocking was working fine. I thought both Sony and Hendo have been playing at a high level.

2) While they ran on us, then ran for less than 4ypc.

3) Von Miller showed some burst.

4) Gut checks this early in the season by the bye week. We can sort our crap out now.

5) The extra week to get OBJ as a functional member of the rotation.

6) Benny Sko getting open.

The Bad

7) Misses by Stafford. Until he fixes it. Balls behind, low, high … gotta figure his thumb is an issue even though it’s not being said.

8) Having to sit through 2 90 yard ten minutes drives.

9) The fake FG … that’s our 4th string TE … and it was a long get. It wasn’t 4th and 6.

10) Higbee … two drops, one for pick 6.

11) Kupp? Dropped first down?

12) How hard our players were getting popped on those short throws.

13) Dissention among the ranks with Ramsey and Morris.

14) EVERY KITTLE AND SAMUEL PLAY.

15 ) the article on NFL.com … I hope McVay puts it up in his office and the locker room.

16) The disappearance of Fuller and Darious Williams.

The Unacceptable

17) QB Body Language. You’e the leader. I DEMAND 60 football minutes of unbridled unjustifiable optimism.

18) the team not being able to pull themselves together after a brutal first half. Looked like giving up to me. That’s unacceptable.

19) Having two gamers in a row where I don’t watch past the 3rd quarter.

20) Watching Phil Mickelson on with the Mannings saying “Well considering the 9ers are last in rush defense we should expect Mcvay to use it a little more.” He’s a golfer. We ran 9 times. And they were decent chunks I thought.

21) So, my fear here … Shanahan says early in the week “We’re going to impose our will” .. this means we will run and run and run. this sounds like a manhood challenge, it’s not. It’s inspiration to a team he believes in against a team he has had his way with for years. Sean McVay coming in to this should have heard “we’re going to run on you” and been like “K, they’re going to just run at us. All game. Bring a safety down in the box. Make them throw, make Garrapolo hold the ball. But it seems that instead of that, he said “We’re going to impose OUR will … we’re going to stop the run and throw all over you.” Instead of saying “Hey, these guys can’t stop the run … why don’t we just run on them?” I remember a while back when the Vikings were run stopping juggernauts. “How were the Patriots going to run on them?” Anyone remember that game? the Patriots didn’t run the ball the entire first half. Tom Brady just threw it like 30 times. then they were up by 4 TDs and the D line was gassed. So I hope McVay is humbled. I hope someone in his close circle is giving him good info. Because that game plan was deeply flawed and it was not too late to start running in the 3rd. Did no one have the balls to challenge his approach?