#not pictured: Backslide playing on loop

[carmsgarms]

The shrine begins

LOOK AT THE SNAIL HE DREW FOR MEEEEEEEEE IM CRYING

[slidewhistlebj]

TUA Season 2 is finally here! I think it was a really cool season with some really awesome potential, but there are some parts that I think really didn’t work and this is how i think they should have been fixed

(Spoilers for Season 2 of the Umbrella Academy. Obviously)

i think landing the siblings in different years was amazing, they got time to explore themselves and we could see their personalities through what they did

On the other hand, they didnt devote enough time to those storylines so it never felt like they had a solid purpose (for most of the siblings), it was more to show “time has passed”

How did Luther end up boxing under a gangster? How is he adjusting to no dad, no academy?? He was alone on the moon, He was left behind by his siblings in the academy, now he is alone and in a whole other *time* like i wanna hear about that!

Klaus has mansion and a cult and had a girlfriend benefactor lady?? Like: lets get into that! if the show wants humor that can be amazing

but it can also be really interesting and deep for exploring klaus’s need for both personal space (physically and somewhat emotionally) yet also his need for positive attention from whoever will give it to him!

More on that alone now track: the opening scene with their fighting was built to get us hyped

it fucking worked, that shit was amazing

but along with wishing that we saw more of their individual stories, i wish some of their growth had been gradual

like Klaus should have been showing off ghost stuff with his cult which is part of why they follow him which would set up his new ability to summon and conjure multiple ghosts at a time

instead of it being a throw away scene at the end where he gets caught

or Diego could have been shown in his ‘alone in dallas’ storyline to be trying to escape multiple times from the asylum and in that, figuring out his ability to start affecting other peoples shots at him, etc

Stuff like that would have been a great way to both dive into the characters *and* ramp up their abilities

Moving onto The Commission who i absolutely love so so much 

Hell yeah u funky lil time-space assassins

I think that the Handler should have stayed dead

her return to the show while awesome (because she is played so well by her actress) continues this problem for the show of seemingly running in place where things dont have consequences like they should

I also think her return made a very campy feel to certain parts which is fine, the story should have fun! but it doesnt fit with the vibe very well with the other more serious plots

Imagine a storyline where the Handler is replaced by Carmichael, a competent replacement with no close personal relationship to Five

A head to head show down throughout the season of Five trying to outthink and outwit Carmichael and Commission Agents to get a briefcase 

The misdirects! 

The drama! 

The action sequences and reveals!

More Screen Time for the Cool Ass Talking Fish 2k20!

All of which culminates in the board of directors scene but now with real weight behind it for the audience because we have been watching these two face off with one another for a season of build up

LET FIVE EAT THE FISH!

Giving that scene to the handler was the worst part of the whole season, u cant change my mind bros

This would also open up Lila to be more of her own person

Her storyline would change without the Handler there so that instead of being actively manipulated by the Handler, she has gone rogue from the commission to kill Five for her parents deaths due to previous planning and programming from her mother

(its only been 14 days for Five, a very normal turn around for him to desert, have the Handler tell Lila her version of the story, get killed, and have Lila get ready to take him down)

its generally the same plot, but Lila is more in the drivers seat

Going from tagging along with Diego in the hopes that Five returns for him to questioning some of her commitment to her mission as she spending time with them, etc

it could culminate in a reveal of her mother to Five and Diego and then a redemption where she helps them get a case from Carmichael in someway, looping her into the main plot in an important way with generally the same story

but skipping the pretty basic “obviously evil character is obviously evil but hero doesn't see it” trope that they fell into

I think that Luther’s arc in this season was awesome 10/10 gold standard

he was still him, but this storyline showcases the softer side of his loyalty and lets him grow from season 1 mistakes which is everything I hoped for

Comforting Vanya? Check

Being there for Five? Check

Being a voice of reason but still being a dumbass? Cheeeeeck

Diegos arc this season fell flat for me which was hard because he was such a main part of the plot 

This whole season had a build-up trying to break down Diego’s need to be a hero (which they turned to a fucking 11 from last season?? he was not *this* intense last season, im not quite sure why they made the switch), telling him that he isnt / cant be the hero

I assumed this was leading to Diego having a big moment or sacrifice that proved that hero or not, he cares and the effort that he puts into all of these different things matters

But it just didnt??

He didnt stop the president from being assassinated, he didnt save vanya, at the farm he got trapped under a tractor

it just felt like the point was “haha see he isnt a hero”

which,,,,,,okay? What the point of that??

His involvement with the Commision was weird too, i didnt care for him being a part of that storyline very much, it just didnt add anything

Allison’s arc was just on the edge of greatness for me

it was an awesome choice to put in her in a position where she wasnt treated equally and show exactly what kind of person she is by how she fights back

her not using her rumors also seems very genuine and character based here like: 10/10 character motivations and work

My one complaint, like with just about all the partners in this season, is that she fell in love with a man and just had to leave him 

which makes sense and they talk about it but like: she loves him, its hard to picture someone as loving and loyal as Allison just leaving her husband behind forever 

Klaus’s arc just needed more *time*

He is a hella deep character but all of his story lines needed more time to be able to address that complexity 

Show us more of the cult and his ghost powers being used there to trick and amaze and how he has been handling being cut off from the family again

I,,,,,,I understand,,,dave’s storyline

I get the time period

but fuck

that just hurts

I think Klaus not trying to rekindle his relationship with a younger Dave, but trying to protect him from the war was an amazing angle and it needed more time to get the full punch of klaus pulling out all the stops to save him but failing to really land it

Five

My Son

My Trash Boy

I feel like his job as ‘leader of the stop the apocalypse’ movement is good but that was his whole story this time around

He should have gotten more to play off of with the Commission (*cough cough* Carmichael) in his fight to get a briefcase instead of what felt like 10 hours of Five trying to herd his siblings and them just fucking up in someway or another

Five and Older Five was a cool dynamic and im glad they brought him in but again, it just felt like another long storyline attempt that didnt have a purpose as they ended the scene without the case or anything new

Ben’s arc was,,,,,strange

I love Ben and i think his interplay with Klaus is really cool!

But the writers made him fall in love which someone so they could give him a reason to want to possess Klaus which i feel like didnt need to happen

The possession was a good part of the season and could have been taken to some awesome places

It was rough and the ‘consent’ wasnt run entirely well but i think the possession is supposed to be on the line and not quite black and white 

its Ben asking to take control of Klaus! That can be conflict! Thats good stuff right there! Ben is selfish! so is Klaus! thats a cool story to get into between them and see how they try to work it out

Ben wanting to connect with his other siblings after the small taste of being corporeal that he got and pushing Klaus for more and more of that freedom into possession territory would be A+ shit

and Finally: Vanya!

I think most amnesia plots are lazy and just a way to stall progress and reset a character so you can run a very similar plot again but this one seemed to genuinely grow Vanya’s character, even when she remembered 

She definitely has more personality in this season

And while shes quiet, thats just who she is, she isnt as afraid to take space and speak up which is awesome!

And this stays when she gets her memory back which is very good, i dont want to see backsliding for no reason! Give me growth!

I have two complaints about her storyline though

 First Sissy and Harlan

I love both of them and I think they are really cool characters!

Theyre pretty similar to vanya season 1, taking whatever is thrown at them which places Vanya in a more assertive position where she wants to protect them which i loved!

but their ending doesn't sit entirely right with me, just like Raymonds

These characters are in love and they all just leave each other so that the siblings can have a clean, no characters permanently added slate for the next season

it just makes me tired and i really want season 3 to have little to no romance if the only way the show can go about it is to do a love interest per season

My second problem gets its own section because it is the culmination of everything else i have said 

episode ten

Vanya is strong af so any writer that wants big final fight needs to very carefully weigh out how to give each sibling their appropriately sized struggle so they get equal ability to contribute

Instead of doing that though, they did my least favorite trope: Evil Character secretly can do everything the heros can but better and without a problem or ***training***

It meant that they could do whatever they wanted with throwing commission agents at them because Luther, Allison, and Klaus were completely added on just to react to things

Five sort of got to do some fighting (<3 thats my lil geriatric 13 year old) but it was minor, he was mainly there to very obviously turn back time when the big bad shoot out happened

Diego got the most to do out of the siblings and it was suddenly knowing a new ability and doing it a little bit

I dont want a final fight to be trying to woo a bad guy to the good side because theyre too strong to fight 

I want there to be stakes and drama as the siblings show off exactly what the season was all about, what they learned, how they grew together and apart, etc and to take down the big bad which could have very easily been the united front of the Commission instead of 18% Vanya, 15% Harlan, 30% Lila and the Handler, 20% the Swede(s), etc

Lila’s turn to good could have been to help them sneak attack the commission, maybe in their base so as to shrink the fighting to manageable bites for each character?

That would have allowed five’s killing of the board to draw the fighting to a close, a hard decision for him as he is trying to move away from killing but does so to save his family, always to save his family :’( 

Luther could protect his siblings from hits like they showed at the beginning in a way that mirrors how he has been doing that emotionally all season

etc etc etc for all of the siblings so that they each get to show off and have their moment in the spotlight as heros

I loved the season even though i just ranted for like 3 pages, and it has some of the best one liners and line readings ever (”Thats where you come in Five” “Nope. No it isnt”) I just wish that some parts of it had been given some more thought / care so they could really show of the amazing cast, effects, sets, etc without writing in the way

[honestlyhufflepuff]

Nesting and Resting

Jam Week Day 5: Home. Summary: Steven gets a little too into decorating Connie’s dorm. Word Count: 2203

Steven surveyed the dorm room, trying to figure out what it was missing. He was sitting on Connie’s loft bed, the highest vantage point of the space, trying to get a feel for the room’s flow. The first place his eyes were drawn to was the plush Papasan chair by the bay window- mostly because of who was in it. Connie lay curled up under a white faux fur throw, dust particles dancing around her in in the setting sun. The golden light illuminated the errant hairs of her thick ponytail to make a glowing crown. She looked like a small bird in a nest of wicker and cotton.

The chair took up far too much floor space in the modest room, but Steven insisted they could make it work by raising the bed to make room for her desk underneath it. He said he just wanted to be sure she felt comfortable.

Connie kicked out her legs, dangling them over the edge of the giant chair’s cushion, and looked up at Steven.

“It looks great,” she said with a tired smile, “We’ve done enough decorating for today. I don’t think it could feel any more like home.”

He sighed, tearing his gaze away from her to scan the room once more “I know, there’s just something I’m forgetting.”

She groaned and threw the blanket off her.

“I know you’re tired,” he cooed from his perch on her bed, “Take a nap. I’ll be quiet.”

“No, I’m hungry,” she popped out of the chair, “Let’s go check out the restaurants near campus! I saw a really good looking boba tea place on our way in.”

“I’m really not hungry yet, and I want to finish some stuff in here. Why don’t you grab some stuff from the kitchen, and we can go out to Boba afterwards?”

She sighed, looking like she wanted to say something about his decorating obsession, but thought better of bringing it up when she was getting hangry.

“Fine,” she said, “but we are getting boba afterwards. Promise?”

He nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand, “Promise.”

He sat still as she left, and he could hear the indistinct chatter she was having with one of her new suite mates.

The room was lush and bursting with stimuli that elicited comfort. Connie had kindly endured months of dorm inspo videos on TubeTube as Steven picked her brain for what she would like the most. A Pothos Ivy and a succulent of green pearls were cradled in macramé that hung from the ceiling by the window. The new plants looked so small and fragile in the pots at the nursery, but one kiss each from Steven sent streams of emerald growth almost down to the floor. He wished growth in humans was as easy as that.

The bay window was easily the best feature of the room and looked out on a courtyard filled with crisp fall leaves and bustling new freshman.  The sunlight filtering into the room was softened by gauzy white curtains, that faintly glowed with twinkle lights. Not many dorms were lucky to have so much natural light, but Gale was an old, uppity university with a certain standard of living expected by the students. Even with Connie’s mom being a doctor, they could not have afforded it easily had Connie not gotten a full ride scholarship. She was the Valedictorian of her high school, an ethnic minority, a classically trained violinist, and a woman going into STEM. Apparently, all those things meant she practically had colleges fighting over her, and she was a shrewd bargainer. Gale was her dream school, but she acted aloof until they offered her a single unit dorm, a bunch of sweet collegiate merch, and meal vouchers to try nearly every restaurant around campus at least twice.

No colleges were fighting over Steven. He sat on top of a blue and white striped comforter with the college’s regal crest emblazoned on it. Connie’s drawers and wardrobe were filled with blue, a way for Gale to mark her as theirs. Even Steven wore a blue hoodie from her with the school’s name stamped to his chest, but he was not theirs. He was hers. All this blue crowding him was from a new phase of her life, one that involved him being two states away.

Throughout the room, the blue warred with the pink- with remnants from the past. On top of the Gale comforter was a throw pillow made from one of Steven’s old pink t-shirts. The gold star in the middle was more faded than he remembered when contrasted next to all the vibrant, new, blue items around it, including the stuffed poodle that rested on top of it.

Steven thought a poodle was a stupid mascot, and carefully rearranged the pillows on the bed so that the star was more prominent.

He looked for other pink things in the room. Connie’s sword was mounted above her bed, ready to grab at a moment’s notice, although she would probably never need to. He ran his hand along the artfully crafted hilt, a surge of confusing nostalgia settling in his chest, and felt pained when his fingers came away with dust on them. Was it normal to miss a time of war when people were constantly trying to abduct or kill you?

A massive pink shag rug covered most of the hard wood floor. Connie loved it the moment she saw it in the store because it reminded her of Lion’s mane.

Steven climbed down the ladder at the foot of the bed and wiggled his toes in the rug’s fibers. He wandered around, brushing the tops of the items that composed Connie’s small, new home with his fingertips. There was the noisemaker he got her for when the old pipes and creaky floors in the colonial dorm building were too creepy at night. He turned it on and found the sound of the ocean, hoping that one was her favorite.

There was the bar cart in the corner stashed with tea, mugs, and snacks. There were the tiny potted succulents and air plants in corners where more energy flow was needed. There was a hanging stack of organization cubes filled with linens, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Then there was her desk, under the bed. That was the part of the room she wouldn’t let Steven touch, as she was more particular about her study area than anywhere else. The entire upper half of the wall under the bed was covered in cork board, which was scattered with pictures from their childhood pressed in by little star thumb-tacs, and interspersed by Connie’s fanart drawings, photos with her family, and with friends from school. Next to the picture board was a dry erase calendar, blank and crisp before being filled with responsibilities. By her desk there was a short bookshelf filled with all the fantasy novels she gushed over with him as a child, as well as new titles that were too technical for him to understand.

He was looking at some old, silly pictures of them when his eyes were drawn to the desk. Amongst the lamp, the laptop, and the new textbooks already tabbed and highlighted before the semester started, there was a mug of writing utensils with a familiar bracelet looped around a portion of them.

He lifted the small loop of pink plastic, held it under the lamp, and cupped it to his face, shielding out the light to try and make it glow once again. He knew the glowing properties had left it long ago, but for some reason he felt compelled to try, just as Connie had felt compelled to keep it even when its designed purpose was over with.

Steven had been doing a lot of work on himself the past few years, trying to not constantly feel aimless or abandoned, but as tears began to well up in his eyes, he couldn’t help but think he was backsliding. It was normal, his therapist had said, to feel sad about his best friend leaving for college. Was crying over an old glow bracelet normal, though? Was it one step away from spiraling out of control again like what happened back when he would glow pink at the slightest exacerbation of his insecurities?

Just the thought of going back to that stage of his life sent a jolt of anxiety through him, and he clutched the bracelet to his chest as he plopped in Connie’s desk chair with his knees pulled up under his chin.

“Steven?” Connie stood in the doorway, two bowls of steaming ramen noodles in her hands and worry on her face.

He must have been quite a sight, he thought to himself, tearing up and huddled in the corner over an old glow bracelet with calming ocean noises playing.

“Hey, Connie!” He wiped his face quickly before he looked up at her, “You didn’t have to make me anything!”

“It’s the least I could do for you making my room look like it belongs on a Mumblr aesthetic blog or whatever.”

She placed the bowls on her bar cart and trailed her hand down Steven’s arm until she was grasping the hand that held the bracelet. He was sure she’d noticed the red and the wetness in his eyes, but she didn’t mention it.

“You said you wanted to finish stuff in here. What were you working on?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, “It’s perfect. I guess I was just looking for something wrong with it so I could have something to fix. Sorry- you know that’s a thing I do.”

“I know,” she said, and booped his nose, “but at least you’re aware you were doing it. Now eat your ramen.”

Steven obediently took his bowl and slurped up the warm, wavy noodles. “You sure you can feel like this place is home?”

“You mean a place away from you?”

He nodded.

“Well, I know the twin bed is a little small, but you could always sleep in the Papasan. Just live here and we won’t tell anyone.”

“What if your dorm police find out?”

“Again, Steven, they’re called Resident Assistants. And if they come by you could just shapeshift into a cute emotional support cat or something.”

“Nope!”

“What?”

“I don’t do cat shapeshifting. No way.”

Connie laughed and slurped up another noodle so fast it splashed broth in between her eyes. It was second nature for Steven to wipe it off with his thumb without either of them missing a beat in the conversation.

“Ok, so the place is a little cramped for you to live in my dorm, but you could always live here in Blue Haven. If you wanted to.”

“What? And just leave everything back in Beach City?”

“I understand if you don’t want to, but all the coolest things you’re doing in Beach City you could also do here.”

She hid her face in her bowl and came back up with her cheeks red as she looked at him again.

Steven did have a lot going for him, even if college might not be his thing. He had a successful vlogging TubeTube channel. It was an eclectic mix of space adventures with Lars, pranks with Amethyst, original music and covers from animes, reaction videos, cooking tutorials, and music tutorials. He had no idea how he got almost 9 million subscribers, but it was enough to support himself easily without his dad’s help.

He was giving music lessons, which was a rewarding way to help people.

He even made emergency calls to the hospital when Dr. Maheswaran needed a spit healing, but they’d found out the hard way he couldn’t overdo that, and it wasn’t exactly a board-approved practice.

He couldn’t think of any reason he couldn’t do those things in the same town as Connie. Being in such a culturally vibrant college town could be good for connecting with other content creators.

“Also,” piped up Connie again, “you’re a space prince with a magic Lion who could easily warp you back for a visit once a week- or more if you got the right treats for him.”

“That’s true,” Steven said, “Lion only shows up when he wants to, though.”

“Well, I guess if you really need to you can just take your car like the rest of us lowly humans.” She winked at him.

“Heh, yeah. So, do you want me to move here?”

“I want you-” she stood up with her empty bowl and bent down to kiss his forehead, “-to do what you want to do. We’ll make it work either way. I’m sure this place will feel like home after a while, when I make some friends and get to know the campus.”

“Maybe,” he smiled at the idea, and plopped the rest of his ramen into his mouth, savoring the salty flavor.

“There’s no time to decide now about moving now,” said Connie, “because there’s something more important we have to do.”

“Hmm?”

“Boba?” She raised one eyebrow at him.

“Boba,” he agreed.

They strode out of the dorm, leaving Connie’s sword, instead ready to take on the world armed with bubble tea.

[junker-town]

5 NFL teams with the most to panic about right now

The Packers are still winning, but Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been playing at an elite level.

The Packers’ fourth-quarter woes could catch up to them in the playoffs, the Titans’ 9-7 destiny awaits, and the Falcons winning games hurts the Falcons most of all.

The Packers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. This Green Bay team, however, is built much differently than the ones that were a postseason staple through most of the 2010s.

The Pack of the past relied on Aaron Rodgers’ MVP play behind center to lift them to shootout victories and fourth-quarter rallies. The 2019 version of the team has had no problem scoring early — but Rodgers hasn’t been the late-game wizard he once was, and that could forebode trouble.

Green Bay ranks third in the league in first quarter scoring at 7.5 points per game, but drops to 27th in the fourth at 4.6. In six games against teams with .500 records or better, the Packers have scored just two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Both came against the Chiefs, which lost the time of possession battle with Matt Moore at quarterback.

What’s the reason for these late-game slumps? It may fall on Rodgers’ big arm. The 36-year-old has been a house on fire in the first quarter, but his game drops to “just pretty good” in the fourth.

Rodgers in the first quarter: 75.2% completion, 1,053 yards, 9 TDs, 0 INTs, 10 Y/A, 135.1 passer rating Rodgers in the fourth quarter: 64.2% completion, 786 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs, 7.2 Y/A, 99.4 passer rating

This was on full display in Sunday’s 21-13 win over the Bears. Rodgers dropped back to pass six times in the fourth quarter. He completed zero of his passes, was sacked once, and scrambled once for six total yards. He failed to convert any of his team’s third downs. Granted, his Packers were playing with a different sense of urgency with a lead at home, but that’s still a reason for concern.

It’s all been a function of a larger decline as well. While Rodgers has been a perfectly decent quarterback since October, he’s only thrown eight touchdown passes in his last six games. He’s averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt in that span, which would be the worst mark in the NFL if spread throughout an entire season. If he can’t reverse that trend — and he’s confident he can — Green Bay is going to be mostly toothless in the playoffs.

Panic index: Rodgers typically reaches another gear in the postseason, as his 99.4 playoff passer rating (against nothing but quality opponents) suggests. Even if he can’t in 2019, he’ll have a rebuilt defense to pick him up. The Packers have backslid lately, but the Za’Darius Smith-Preston Smith combination has been able to come up with key pressures throughout the season. Those two pricy free agents will be called on again if Rodgers can’t find his fourth-quarter footing in January.

The Vikings might have to secure a playoff spot without Dalvin Cook

The Minnesota Vikings are just a win away from making the playoffs, and possibly two games away from the NFC North title, but they might be without one of their best offensive weapons to do so. During Minnesota’s 39-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, running back Dalvin Cook left the game after suffering a a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, Cook might be out for the rest of the regular season:

Adam Schefter just said he would be surprised if Dalvin Cook plays again in the regular season but it came off more as opinion than report. Holding Cook out for these final two games, would be an excellent idea.

— Judd Zulgad (@jzulgad) December 17, 2019

Cook brings an explosive threat to the Vikings that helps take some of the pressure off of quarterback Kirk Cousins and Minnesota’s passing game. About halfway through the season he was leading the NFL in rushing yards, but he’s been banged up lately and his play has declined.

His best performance on the ground this season came in Week 2, when Cook rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown in a 21-16 loss to Green Bay. The Vikings will host the Packers on Monday night for the rematch, in what will be a huge game against one of their biggest rivals. If Minnesota beats Green Bay, the Vikings will be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and will still have a chance at the division crown.

The Vikings are currently a 4.5-point favorite over the Packers, but Cousins hasn’t had any success on Monday night. He’s 0-8 in Monday Night Football games as a starter, and not having his top running back — especially one who ran over Green Bay earlier this year — might not bode well for him in trying to change that record.

Panic index: After Cook left the game last week against the Chargers, backs Ameer Abdullah and Mike Boone split carries. Boone finished with 56 yards and two TDs on 13 carries, so if he can put up similar numbers against the Packers — who have a worse rushing defense than the Chargers — Minnesota might be just fine.

On the other hand there has been some indication that Cook might play ...

“Yeah, it feels good today.” - Coach Zimmer on if @dalvincook could play through injury suffered yesterday

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2019

... whether or not he’s 100 percent if he does play remains to be seen.

With or without Cook, the Vikings don’t need to panic if they lose to the Packers. Minnesota could drop its last two games and would still have a nice 69 percent chance to make it in as a wild card team, per the New York Times.

The Titans are forever stuck in a 9-7 loop

In both of Mike Mularkey’s seasons as head coach, the Titans were 9-7. In Mike Vrabel’s first season in Tennessee, the Titans again ended with a 9-7 record. Now Tennessee is careening toward — you guessed it — another 9-7 season.

The Titans rank No. 15 in total offense and No. 19 in total defense. They’re essentially the perfect picture of mediocrity and can’t stop finishing with a good-not-great record to match.

Right now, the Titans are 8-6 and finish the year with games against the Saints and Texans. They’ll win one and lose one, of course. It’s destiny.

And just like the other three times, it won’t be enough for the division title — and the home playoff game that comes with it. The Titans haven’t won the AFC South since 2008 and another 9-7 season will lock down second place yet again. This year, it might be enough for a wild card spot, just like it was in 2017, but the door would still be left open for the Steelers to snag it instead.

Panic index: As long as the Titans beat the Texans in their season finale, FiveThirtyEight gives them a greater than 90 percent chance at making the playoffs. That’s even if they lose to the Saints in Week 16.

But if the Titans get booted on Wild Card Weekend or they don’t make the playoffs at all, it’s time to worry. Tennessee will have to ask itself how to get out of its slightly-better-than-Jeff-Fisher purgatory.

Derek Carr’s time with the Raiders is nearing its end

A month ago, everything was great in Oakland. Derek Carr was playing his best football, and the Raiders were in the playoff hunt.

That quickly changed. Carr has been inconsistent and the Raiders have lose four straight, most recently their final game in Oakland. It was a pitiful showing from both Carr and the team, which allowed 17 unanswered points in the second half to the Jaguars. That loss included the quarterback being booed off the field:

Derek Carr exciting the Coliseum field for the final time - to a chorus of boos. Not exactly the way this was supposed to go. pic.twitter.com/wgTPkrigT4

— Scott Reiss KTVU (@StanfordVoice) December 16, 2019

Carr’s biggest issue is that when he struggles, he can’t really dig himself out of the hole. His actual stats are fine. He ranks near the top of the league in completion percentage (70 percent), bad throw percentage (11.9 percent), and on-target percentage (81.8 percent).

But while Carr isn’t losing them games, he isn’t winning them, either. The Raiders are still ninth-worst in the league in offensive scoring and fell to 6-8 with their last loss.

More than that, there are now rumors surfacing that Carr and head coach Jon Gruden don’t see eye-to-eye. Michael Lombardi reported that there is a “significant disconnect” between the two.

That report made the nebulous point that Gruden probably doesn’t like that Carr “never displays the fire that would remind anyone of former quarterback Rich Gannon,” which sounds like nonsense. But anything is possible with Gruden. He’s not shy about making sweeping changes.

The Raiders are committed to Gruden above all else, and if Gruden thinks it’s time to move on, they’ll move on. And it’d certainly make a splash if the Raiders’ first season in Vegas came with a new (and perhaps more exciting) quarterback.

Panic index: The Raiders have no clear answer for the position beyond Carr, who still has three years left on his contract. They have two first-round picks in 2020, but both will be outside the top 10 and they have other holes to fill. However, if the Raiders could decide they’ll have a better chance at competing with someone else next year — whether that’s with a draft pick or a free agent option — then trading Derek Carr shouldn’t be too difficult.

The Falcons keep ruining things for everyone, but mostly themselves

The Falcons show life at the weirdest times. In the midst of a 1-7 start that seemed destined to get coach Dan Quinn fired by midseason, their sole win came in the final minutes of a game against the Eagles.

They halted a six-game losing streak in Week 10, when they shocked their biggest rivals, thumping the Saints by a double-digit margin in the Superdome. Last week, they pulled off another unexpected win with a last-second touchdown (two, kinda) on the road against the then-No. 1 seed 49ers.

The Eagles, Saints, and 49ers have paid a huge price losing to the Falcons. The Eagles would be atop the NFC East, instead of tied and facing a must-win game against the Cowboys in Week 16. The Saints would be in the No. 1 seed in the NFC, instead of the No. 3 spot (which means no first-round bye). The 49ers would still be in the No. 1 seed in the NFC, instead of the No. 5 spot (which means no home game in the playoffs).

Not only that, but Atlanta’s win in San Francisco potentially helps the hated Saints, who now have an easier path to the top seed.

But the Falcons may have hurt themselves most of all — and not just because they did the Saints a solid. With each win, they fall in the draft order. Right now, they’re penciled in at No. 12, which is 10 picks after Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young is projected to go.

Young would have been the perfect draft pick for the Falcons. The Heisman finalist is considered the best prospect in 2020:

Chase Young is better than BOTH Bosa brothers, according to @McShay13. (via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/mVtJj7knkm

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 17, 2019

And he’d be the disrupting force that Atlanta needs on defense. Now, he’ll be long gone by the time the team picks.

Panic index: The Falcons were probably a long shot in the Young sweepstakes anyway. They have too talented of a roster to finish worse than the Giants or Dolphins this season.

You can’t blame the players for still trying to win games, either, especially when they’re trying to save Quinn’s job.

So maybe that means they’ll end up drafting outside the top 10. The Falcons can still land a quality player —just maybe not a true game-changing defensive player they could really use.