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A Guide to The Weeknd's Discography
Since The Weeknd is performing at the Super Bowl Halftime show, I thought it’d be nice to post a little guide to his discography for anyone interested in looking to do a deep dive into his work. I would’ve posted this the day of the event, but I assume that some people would probably like to go through it over the weekend. This shares a direct overview of his released material, talking about his career and the background of the music, the videos, the meanings and all. I’ve written this from a pop perspective, keeping in mind that his history might be fairly new for general pop fans. I also go into the storyline of the red suit character, if your interested in catching up on that narrative before the Halftime show (which will continue the story), I’ve listed the chronological order below followed by an explanation of that narrative. I wanna be clear that the interpretations/theories are not conclusive. Abel rarely shares the metaphors or meanings behind his music. This is based on widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation. Fans can feel free to expand on anything in the comments. It is important to know about Abel's backstory to get a certain perspective of where he’s coming from, especially when discussing the songs that deal with substance abuse. These recent articles cover his early years really well and share an up-to-date point of view of his success. Variety 2020 Billboard 2021 - Also a good source for getting to know his team. So, an essential TL;DR is this: Abel Tesfaye came from a broken home, he was born to Ethiopian immigrant parents who split up when Tesfaye was less than seven. He then lived with his mother and grandmother, only rarely seeing his father but having a nice impression of him. His drug addiction started as soon as he was a high schooler, he turned to shoplifting to pay for this need of various substances. Soon he dropped out of high school, leaving his home the same weekend, which would later inspire his stage name, The Weeknd. The name is reference/homage to the weekend his life changed. Quick side note, I didn’t think this post would nearly reach the character limit. So I’ve cut out excess detail and lists of producers (with the exception of After Hours since we’re in that era). Table of contents
XO.
House of Balloons.
Thursday.
Echoes of Silence.
Trilogy.
Kiss Land.
King of the Fall.
Beauty Behind The Madness.
Starboy.
My Dear Melancholy.
After Hours.
XO.
XO is the record label that The Weeknd and co. created in order to publish the first mixtape (House of Balloons) and the ones that would follow afterwards. XO has a lot of meanings that have to do with what went into the music and what still goes into it. XO is what the fans call themselves, popularly with the phrase XO Till We OD (shortened to XOTWOD); another way of saying “we’re ride or die for The Weeknd and his team.” While some argue that it could mean anything since there isn’t clear meaning to it, fans continue to associate the abbreviation with ecstasy (X) and oxycontin (O). That definition stems from XOTWOD, fans assume it’s true because of the team’s history of drug usage. While others take it as it’s classical definition “hugs and kisses” because of the consistent lyrical nature of The Weeknd’s songs. Overtime the definition of XO is simply known as: the fans, the crew, and the label. The Weeknd is more than just one person, he comes with XO. For the sake of clarity in this writeup, I’m going to refer to his crew as XO and the fans as “the fans.” XO still serves as a record label, the current roster is The Weeknd, Belly, Nav, and Black Atlass. It remains The Weeknd’s record label and was his first label before becoming a subsidiary of Republic Records. Throughout his career, The Weeknd has worked with Illangelo, a Canadian producer who’s work the fans adore. Carlo “Illangelo” Montagnese was one of main the producers on The Weeknd’s Trilogy, he’s credited on each track. The fan base claims his work to be some of the most notable artistry in The Weeknd’s discography. Their work together continued with Beauty Behind The Madness, Illangelo worked on seven tracks for that album. He then returned for After Hours working on another seven tracks. DaHeala, another Canadian producer, is another significant factor in The Weeknd’s music. Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville worked as lead producer on Kiss Land. He returned to work on six tracks for The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness, including the hit Earned It. DaHeala returned as a writer for six of the songs on Starboy. Then DaHeala worked on nine After Hours tracks, and worked as the only producewriter alongside The Weeknd for bonus tracks Missed You and Final Lullaby.
This is a happy house. We’re happy here. (House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls)
One of the most iconic title tracks of all time. House of Balloons is about a lifestyle of drugs, sex, and partying; all in effort to drown out self-doubt. It comes from a place of wanting to make it big while doing what you can to survive, all while pretending everything’s alright. The mixtape describes various sorts of women, how they’ve had impacted the life of someone who’s already down on his luck. Fans often refer to House of Balloons as The Weeknd’s best work. The mixtape was the first introduction the world got of XO, and it was one hell of a way to make an impression. It’s personal for the fans and Abel because it’s the only piece of work known to be based on his life. At the end of the day he’s a songwriter, with many of his albums he creates scenarios and world that he likes to explore through the music. But House of Balloons is known to be based entirely on his life. It remains The Weeknd’s most critically acclaimed work. House of Balloons was crafted through the influences of Hip-Hip/Indie-Rock with the main focus on R&B. Through the genius of Ilangelo, the record was—and is—mesmerizing capturing the essence of a lifestyle that The Weeknd described as “anti-everything.” House of Balloons assisted The Weeknd in gaining the attention of Republic Records, which would then host The Weeknd’s own label XO. Though hesitant at first, XO decided to partner with Republic after the co-founding brothers Monte and Avery Lipman kept coming back to Toronto solely for The Weeknd. House of Balloons received three videos, The Knowing, Wicked Games and Twenty Eight. The Knowing was the very first video The Weeknd made, so of course it’d be something other-worldly; it essentially reflects the song itself but in a sci-fi setting. Twenty Eight represents Abel’s life after fame but also his remorse of letting captivating women into his life. Fun fact— House of Balloons is an actual place in Toronto, it was where him and his crew lived after he dropped out of high school. They’d host parties, call girls, do drugs, and to make it less depressing they’d fill it with balloons.
Thursday consists of the same themes as HoB; sex and drugs. But there’s a twist, he’s in a semi-relationship with this girl Valerie. She’s the only one on his mind, even though they meet only one day of the week, any guesses on what day that could be? Through The Weeknd’s phenomenal voice and the insane production, we’re also presented with this story of a toxic relationship where Valerie used to have the upper hand but she no longer does when she falls for The Weeknd. While Thursday isn’t entirely about the relationship of The Weeknd and Valerie, it consists of reflections to Abel’s life after the release of House of Balloons. The song Rolling Stone notably has a double meaning, in which Abel asks his fans if they’ll stick with him when he gets mainstream appeal and decides to change his sound. The track Valerie wasn’t on the original release of Thursday, it added when Trilogy was released. Ending the mixtape with Heaven or Las Vegas meant that The Weeknd’s actions with and without Valerie were a result of his fatherless childhood, making him push anyone away. That meaning behind Thursday doesn’t change when Valerie is added to the track list, it just means that both want the toxic relationship back. The Zone (feat. Drake) was the first feature The Weeknd had on any of his work, the video for it was released in November of 2012. Rolling Stone had also received a video in October of 2012. Both were directed by The Weeknd and reflect the two different aspects of Thursday. The Zone has Valerie living it up in the House of Balloons. And Rolling Stone has The Weeknd doing a photoshoot for Trilogy, reflective of the song itself. Fun Fact— the female voice heard in Lonely Star is The Weeknd’s, he pitched his voice to make it sound like a woman’s.
Laisse tomber les filles. Un jour c'est toi qu'on laissera. [Leave the girls alone. One day it’ll be you they will leave.] (Montreal)
Out of a dark introductory into the early life of The Weeknd, Echoes of Silence is the darkest work of his Trilogy. Let’s be honest the story here isn’t entirely ethical at times but makes for one hell of a mixtape. Similar to Thursday, Echoes of Silence follows a storyline. After accumulating success, The Weeknd gains the attention of various women. There was this one woman (D.D.) who he liked but she initially rejected him (Montreal). The woman came back to him for his fame status and evidently fell in love with him (Outside), but now that he’s got the upper hand he treats him like a groupie (XO/The Host) and lets... bad things happen to her; she’s gotta pass a test before she can get with him. This test is either drugs or his crew (Initiation). He ultimately tells this woman that he’s not exactly longterm-relationship material, perhaps because her love is temporary (Same Old Song), because he’s Next. With the end of Echoes of Silence (originally ending on the title track) the listener is left to wonder why The Weeknd left her if he’d simply want her to stay. As a side note— Initiation should not be condoned. It remains true that The Weeknd is a songwriter and the progression of time has changed perspectives. But a song that makes such suggestions as Initiation should not be ethically/morally claimed or celebrated. The mixtape follows The Weeknd’s lifestyle after he’s gained all this success, he’s still the same person but now he’s gotten everything he wanted. Some tracks such as The Fall continue to emphasize his journey into stardom and his acceptance of fame being temporary. With the added Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun), The Weeknd acknowledges the changes in his life, realizing that the old lifestyle is no longer there for him or his past lovers. Echoes of Silence is known as an underrated gem of The Weeknd’s discography, it’s well received by fans and critically acclaimed but often brushed under the rug in discussion of his work. A lot of fans and casual listeners play the mixtapes through Trilogy rather than their respective albums. This often leads to people not playing EoS either at all or only the first few tracks, this is predominantly due to the nature of the compilation being nearly three hours long. Fun fact— D.D. is a cover of Michael Jackson’s iconic Dirty Diana. Fans have named the woman in Echoes of Silence Diana because of this track. Various theories argue that the mixtape itself is based on the Dirty Diana itself with exaggerations of the truth, or whether or not it’s a story The Weeknd crafted based on the song.
Trilogy is a compilation of The Weeknd’s mixtapes, House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. These three mixtapes were released 3-4 months apart from one another for free digital download in 2011, they gained quite a lot of attention from various industry executives. Prior to the release of Trilogy, The Weeknd featured on Drake’s Take Care with Crew Love. The song was Abel’s first exposure to a Rap crowd/Rap fans, more people began listening to his music after the release of Take Care. The Weeknd then featured on Wiz Khalifa’s Remember You, which served as the second single off Wiz Khalifa’s O.N.I.F.C. Following those two releases, The Weeknd released Wicked Games as the first single off Trilogy. Trilogy was formed after The Weeknd came under Republic Records’ management. The compilation album reached a debut/peak position of 4 on the Billboard 200 while reaching number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It’s a well received album with the highlight said to be House of Balloons, which arguably went on to influence various sorts of R&B music of the 2010s. Videos for Trilogy
I went from starin' at the same four walls for 21 years. To seein' the whole world in just 12 months. (Kiss Land)
Kiss Land is based on The Weeknd’s tour life. Visiting unfamiliar places gave Abel horror movie vibes. A guy who used to own the city (Toronto) he lived in is now a small fish in the ocean of the entire world. The Weeknd’s first studio album was a great introduction into the sound he would soon get well acquainted with. While continuing the R&B sound with the essence of Dark Wave, the album explores emptiness and regret throughout the lyrics—or what pop fans could categorize as dark pop—. The Japanese aesthetic used for various videos and the single covers/booklet reflects the themes of feeling overwhelmed by such a loud world that there’s no point in being if you don’t belong. The album explores the real-world and the women in it as well as regrets regarding past actions, namely letting go of women who could’ve been the one in Adaptation. The Weeknd attempts to find that satisfaction in other women and past lovers, but accidentally falls for a sex worker in Belong To The World. With Wanderlust he accepts and expresses that love in the modern world isn’t entirely possible. While continuing to tour the world he enjoys these new experiences with XO (Live For feat. Drake), as well as the new women in his life (Kiss Land). And when he’s back home, he accepts the loss of the relationship he cherished. Kiss Land debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It was fairly acclaimed but gained a massive cult following. There were four videos for made for the album, the title track, Belong To the World, Live For (feat. Drake), and Pretty. Those four songs received interesting visuals that kept up with their respective themes while Belong To the World/Kiss Land got visuals that matched the aesthetic of the album. To this day fans ask Abel for a part two to the horror-movie-inspired album after he said it’s the only album he would have a sequel for. Videos for Kiss Land Fun Fact— The video for Kiss Land on YouTube is an extremely edited version of the actual video shot for the song. The directors cut further explores the erotic-horror themes if the album.
Driving by the streets we used to walk through like a triumph. (King of the Fall)
These next few song were released between the Kiss Land and Beauty Behind the Madness era. Some fans would classify them as part of the Beauty Behind the Madness era—I’d say the same tbh—but they stand apart on the basis of success and acclaim. It’s a transition between The Weeknd being an underrated R&B musician to being a mainstream artist with massive recognition and appreciation. The first of these four songs is King of the Fall. A fan favourite and a standout in The Weeknd’s discography. This is one of The Weeknd’s few Rap tracks, it gained a lot of attention within the Rap sphere. It was the way in which XO would announce that they’ve made it, little did they know that this was just the start. Prior to the release of Beauty Behind the Madness (BBTM), The Weeknd gained mainstream attention. The Weeknd’s exposure to mainstream music was uphill, it wasn’t overnight. The first taste of BBTM came from Often, a song that reflected the themes of sex that Abel was known for. The track was released more than a year before BBTM’s release and had made it onto the trackless unlike King of the Fall. Slowly but surely The Weeknd gained exposure, his main sources of exposure were through a collaboration and a soundtrack. Most pop fans heard about The Weeknd through his hit collaboration with Ariana Grande, Love Me Harder. The collab was made through Republic when The Weeknd said he wanted more than what he had gotten through Kiss Land. Ariana and Abel had formed a real bond cough The Hills cough, their bond assisted the song in becoming a memorable hit for both artists. Love Me Harder was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, The Weeknd was featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack with Earned It, as well as Where You Belong. Earned It became a massive hit peaking at 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving an Oscar nomination for The Weeknd; a massive milestone for XO. Earned It kept up with Abel’s signature lyrics but the production differed heavily from the sort of R&B he was known for. Videos from that era
I'm that ***** with the hair singin' 'bout poppin' pills, fuckin' bitches, livin' life so trill. (Tell Your Friends)
Following the success of Love Me Harder and Earned It, the Beauty Behind the Madness era began with The Hills. This was The Weeknd’s first number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with the video, The Hills became an addictive classic. The production and lyrics mirror a mature version of the sound that was originally found on Trilogy. It was truly in keeping with The Weeknd’s character, the only difference was his haircut. Next came Can’t Feel My Face, a Max Martin production that differed greatly from anything The Weeknd put out in the past. In past songs, Abel had expressed his fear of losing his following if he went mainstream simultaneously asking his fans if they’d stay. He repeats that sentiment in the Can’t Feel My Face video. The sound has changed, the lyrics stay the same but now he’s a pop-star. The song became a hit as it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. With this massive bop previous fans still stayed, The Weeknd becoming a pop singer didn’t at all alter his image or sound; he mastered it. In The Night and Acquainted were released as singles on the same day, the were the only singles to come after the release of Beauty Behind The Madness. The former received a music video treatment that followed the theme of the song itself while also starring Abel’s girlfriend at the time, Bella Hadid. Acquainted was robbed of a video even though Abel had shown off the fact that a video was in development; the song kept in the tone of The Weeknd’s work prior to BBTM. Beauty Behind the Madness captures a Hollywood-based reality that The Weeknd came to understand: the dark aspects of your life will continue to follow you wherever you are. Real Life, Losers (feat. Labrinth), Tell Your Friends, Dark Times (feat. Ed Sheeran), and Prisoner (feat. Lana Del Rey) all capture a nihilistic view of a dream achieved. Most of the videos of Beauty Behind The Madness have a mysterious white man. He’s featured in The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face, and Tell Your Friends. That man represents the devil. Throughout his journey in those videos, (The Hills) Abel runs into the devil after his car crash, (Can’t Feel My Face) he’s at the club then lights him on fire. The significance behind the fire could be selling his soul to the devil, BBTM is about Hollywood and a popular Hollywood myth is that celebrities sell their souls to the devil in exchange for fame. So in the Can’t Feel My Face video, Abel changes his sound to Pop (from R&B) thus leaving his signature sound in order to become famous, everyone starts enjoying his music once he’s sold his soul. Then we see The Weeknd burying himself in Tell Your Friends, perhaps leaving the old Abel behind after the deal with the devil. However, instead of thanking the devil, Abel takes his revenge and shoots him. But wait, there’s more! The album trailer for BBTM features the devil burning a billboard with The Weeknd’s face on it, revealing Beauty Behind The Madness. HOWEVER, the final cut for the video features the devil being arrested while The Weeknd watches. This is a more realistic form of karma that the devil gets. Videos for BBTM
If I could, I'd trade it all, trade it for a halo. And she said that she'll pray for me, I said, "It's too late for me.” (Ordinary Life)
After the massive success of Beauty Behind the Madness, there was a lot of hype around what The Weeknd would do next; evidently he decided to explore Pop. The fandom he had gained wasn’t entirely based in the Pop sphere, his fans consisted of general Rap fans, but Starboy attracted the Pop audience. Initially, most of his older fans couldn’t get behind Starboy, it differed greatly from the previous sound. It was crazy to think that the guy who made Trilogy managed to make such a Pop-centric album. But this was Abel expressing his versatility. Since this is where most pop fans found out about Abel’s work and became fans I won’t talk too much about the singles, rather more about the album itself. His work with Daft Punk cemented this album in an efficient mix between Pop and R&B, where Beauty Behind the Madness was more R&B with Pop, Starboy was considered Pop with R&B. Beyond the genres, Starboy explores two evident themes. One being his life with fame and recognition. The next being his love life in Hollywood, this aspect of the album came from his relationship with Bella Hadid which ended after the release of the album. The cross became the symbol for that era and appeared in the album’s photoshoot as well as the videos. There was never any conclusive word on the use of the cross but there are various theories about it, something to note is that Abel was raised Christian, it could perhaps be a reflection of his past. The cross he uses to destroy his accolades (Starboy video) is assisting him rather than something that’s holding him back. Abel’s upbringing was rough but now he’s celebrating it rather than feeling bad for himself. The cross continues to come up in the Party Monster video, this time it’s in the party house he’s making his way through. Then it shows up in the video for Reminder, this time in the form of his merch, the people wearing it are perhaps representative of his fans. Then we see it in the False Alarm video, both Abel and the girl are wearing it; the notable thing being that Abel holds his cross up before dying. Then in the brilliant video for Secrets, after giving up on the girl he’s with he leaves the building to find a giant cross. And finally in the I Feel It Coming video, The Weeknd sports a shiny cross necklace, and Daft Punk find it years and years after Abel froze. The videos tell us that the cross is an evident piece of his story. This could mean that his past will always be with him, no matter what sort of fame he’s experiencing he’ll always be who he once was. Also, I’m gonna take this moment to once again the genius that is the Secrets (both the song and the video). Yes it’s my favourite song/video off of Starboy but it’s so underrated. Videos for Starboy, Secrets video bottom right Fun Fact— Most demos of the tracks on Starboy weren’t as pop as they became, they started off R&B but became pop after production.
They said our love is just a game, I don't care what they say. But I'ma drink the pain away, I'll be back to my old ways. (Privilege)
Oof (but in a good way, this whole thing is a bop). For this one I’m gonna talk extensively about The Weeknd’s relationships, which personally feels really invasive but it’s but it’s essential when talking about these sad boy anthems. Beyond that I’d just like to state that though they are part of the narrative both Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez deserve respect/privacy. So when it comes to Pop music fans I think it’s safe to say that we all know a lot about this one. My Dear Melancholy (MDM) came after the very public relationship of The Weeknd and Selena Gomez. However it’s not just about Selena, some songs reflect his relationship with Bella Hadid (whom he got back with a month after MDM’s release). My Dear Melancholy consists with The Weeknd’s exploration/mastery of merging Pop and R&B together. The EP was praised by fans for its lyrics and production, many went on to theorize that it was his most personal project since House of Balloons. The EP was the shortest album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. My Dear Melancholy and fan conspiracies; name a better duo. The first theory being that the EP is entirely about Selena Gomez which wasn’t too much of a mystery since the lyric “I almost cut a piece of myself for your life” exists. Not only did MDM come after Abel’s relationship with Selena Gomez but also after his relationship with Bella Hadid. As far as fans were aware those two relationships were the most important relationships Abel had ever been in. In theory, the songs about Bella and Selena can be categorized. Call Out My Name, Try Me, and Privilege are likely about Selena. Wasted Times, and Hurt You are likely about Bella. Leaving I Was Never There to act as an introspective look into The Weeknd’s life, basically making him hop back on his vices for comfort. Another popular theory was that My Dear Melancholy was the first of another trilogy. This rumour was widely believed due to the comma at the end of the title on the album cover. But the fans soon gained a real reason to believe this theory, since the CEO of XO (the record label), Sal had liked an Instagram post that featured the cover and alleged date. Since Trilogy is a fan favourite this conspiracy spread like wild fire, so much so that fake titles and covers were made. The name of this trilogy would be: (1)My Dear Melancholy, (2)We’re Alone Together, (3)Abel. Only one song served as a single for the EP. Call Out My Name was released nearly two months prior to the actual release of the album, it debuted/peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The mysterious video captures The Weeknd in various atmospheric places that reflect the tone of the EP, a haunting yet unexplained reality that the listener is to reflect on. From the cover, to the music, to the video, to lyrics, My Dear Melancholy is an introspective reflection of heartbreak. Call out my name video
After Hours comes after success but references two lows in The Weeknd’s life. The album welcomes darkness and leads the listener towards a dead-end. The Weeknd’s past two albums (Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy) ended on hopeful notes, they left the listener with a sense of hope but all hope his lost with After Hours. Fans compare After Hours to House of Balloons—a rare occurrence considering House of Balloons’ acclaim—arguing that both albums are on the same level. Debate continues on whether or not both albums are on the same caliber. The belief that After Hours stems from reality does a lot to help its side of the argument. The era began with Mercedes-Benz commercial that featured Blinding Lights, that was our first taste of the everlasting bop. Heartless was premiered on an episode of Memento Mori hours before its release on the 27 of November (2019), Blinding Lights was released two days later. Both videos were as brain melting as promised and the served as the tip of the iceberg. After Hours was released nine days after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there was a massive risk in releasing an album that would not have a lot of promotion after it’s release (other than magazine coverage). There was no telling whether or not people would pay attention to the album during the height of the fear surrounding the pandemic, but it was a massive success. After Hours debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with singles Heartless and Blinding Lights topping the Billboard Hot 100. The album is layered with haunting productions that remains predominantly R&B but dives deep into Pop with some of the tracks. Max Martin produced the massive hit Blinding Lights as well as In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears, Hardest to Love, and Scared to Live which samples Elton John’s Your Song. Other notable producers include Metro Boomin who worked on the hit Heartless as well as Escape from LA, Faith, and Until I Bleed Out. With Kevin Parker on the interlude Repeat After Me. Beyond the production are the narrative driven lyrics. In theory the album references two significant events in Abel’s life, his second breakup with Bella Hadid and his arrest in Las Vegas. The latter was due to his misbehaviour; in January 2015 he punched a cop in Vegas, lmao. Which means that After Hours is a recollection of The Weeknd’s first few years in LA. He merges the concept of his breakup with the idea of being an upcoming star, feeling free in the city of lights all while diving deep into the meaninglessness of those lights. While After Hours starts with loneliness and a second chance it leads up to Abel returning to his vices of lust. In Alone Again his loneliness caught up to him and he’s asking for a second chance. He acknowledges his mistakes and situation in Too Late/Hardest to Love, in Scared to Live his ex then returns to him for a second time. He remembers his past ways in Snowchild and the way in which it lead to better days, but where do you go after such highs? In Escape From LA he faces the superficial reality of Hollywood, glad that he got that he got back with his ex, while continuing to question if it’s worth it. But he fucks up the second chance when she pulls up to the studio. Who is she? Much like the other mysteries surrounding The Weeknd’s music, we may never know. Is it all more of The Weeknd’s songwriting ability or is it driven by reality? Fans found a merge between the two to be more accurate, After Hours is about heartbreak and a return to the vices that held The Weeknd back. Heartless is when The Weeknd is once again back to his ways, he may have been in a serious relationship but after throwing that away he spirals back to the way he once was. It’s sad but it’s one hell of a song. Speaking of brilliant songs, Faith is when Abel admits that he’s back on his vices, he states that he needs his ex back with him till the end; he’s back to self-loathing. So when he says he’s blinded by the lights, there’s two meanings to it. The Faith outro tells us that he’s in a car with flashing lights, a cop car (as confirmed by Abel) to be exact. Then Blinding Lights tells us that while he’s watching the bright lights of Vegas pass him by he calls out for the girl that he regrets losing. That is the peak of the After Hours narrative. He’s behaving badly over the loss of the girl he loved and is now at the worst position trying to find her and gain her trust for a third time. Following Blinding Lights is In Your Eyes, this is where The Weeknd vows not to judge her; he can see right through her but will never do anything to make her upset. Does this mean their back together? Not exactly. Save Your Tears details a sort of moving-on that The Weeknd isn’t ready for but tries to help her move on, blind to his own inability to move on. Does it work? Not really. Repeat After Me (Interlude) shows that he’s still trying to convince himself that he’s unfazed by the loss of a meaningful relationship. Then you hear a true masterpiece. The title track is a spiral into true regret and an apology for his actions, he admits that his ex girlfriend is the only reason he lives. In a dark lonely city she’s the only one keeping him sane. But his pleas fail, Until I Bleed Out is when The Weeknd no longer wants her in his life so much so that he wants to erase his memory of anything related to her. The bonus tracks then echo the final sentiment. It’s one sad ass album, ain’t it. But here’s where the Red Suit Character comes in. Shoutout to the makeup department The album isn’t the only narrative to follow with After Hours. The videos for the album follow their own sort of narrative. The story follows an unnamed guy that goes by “red suit character” according to The Weeknd. There’s a lot of confusion and endless theories surrounding this character’s story, after The Weeknd confirmed that it’s about a decent into Hollywood culture it makes more sense… kind of. I’m gonna discuss the storyline without talking about the movies that have influenced it, this way the focus remains on the character. The order of these videos is Heartless / Blinding Lights / Blinding Lights (Live on Kimmel)* / After Hours short film / In Your Eyes / Until I Bleed Out / Snowchild / Too Late / Live at AMAs* / Save Your Tears *Though all live performances could count as part of the narrative, these one relate directly with the videos that follow. He’s is first seen in Vegas with Metro Boomin (Heartless), intoxicated on various substances. He dives deeper into his high until he licks a frog, after that he faces the true effects of this high. He’s frightened by the result and runs far away from Vegas. (Blinding Lights) He’s then found in LA, where he’s dancing in the street, hypnotized by the singer, beat up by guards, and races past all those bright lights in his Benz. Ultimately realizing the shallowness of the Los Angeles fantasy. (Blinding Lights Live on Kimmel) We then find him performing Blinding Lights live, while he attempts to find more reason in within the madness city; he couldn’t find it on the streets so he goes to the stage. (After Hours short film) Even then there’s no meaning to anything in the city, he mindlessly wanders into the depth of the subway where he’s dragged by the reality of it all and ends up possessed. (In Your Eyes) After being possessed he chases the woman whose boyfriend he just murdered, she runs into a club falls deeper into the After Hours fantasy, in a successful attempt to defend herself she beheads the red suit character and dances all over LA with his head, iconic behaviour. (Until I Bleed Out) Then in an ethereal dreamscape, red suit character finds himself in a House of Balloons. He’s trying to escape, but the people there keep pulling him in; he’s getting higher while observing Glass Table Girls. He spirals into the antarctic, the other side of the world. From Heatless to this point in his story, his vices lead him back to the lowest point in Abel’s life. Is it Hell, Heaven or Las Vegas? (Snowchild) He relives his career up until the point where his story began. Considering he’s dead, his life basically flashed before his eyes. (Too Late) LA girls find the red suit character’s head and live their best life. They wanna have sex with him so they find the best boy parts by calling up a stripper who could be the body. The stitch the head up with the body and do what they want. But now he’s brought back to life. (Live at AMAs) He’s had work done… He went in to get his nose fixed and the doctor said “you sure that’s all you want?” The red suit character’s face is healing while he tries to celebrate his life on top of a bridge. (Save Your Tears) Surrounded by a masked cult he debut’s his new face. Do they like it? Are they impressed? Not instantly, their masks translate no expression so how’s he to know? Is any of this worth it? Nope red suit character continues to die inside. He finds a maskless girl in the crowd, she’s lively unlike the rest; but even then, nothing on the inside nothing on the outside. He wants death again, somehow a second chance with this city is still pointless. He tries to kill himself via the girl and himself but it’s all a facade; theatrics. His story continues but that’s all we know so far. The videos make a lot of film references. This post by explain these references very well, as well as past album references here (part one) and here (part two). After Hours is inspired by a lot of movies, since Abel is in fact a cinephile. The main movies that inspired the aesthetic and storytelling are believed to be Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Casino (1995), Joker (2019), Uncut Gems (2020), and After Hours (1985). The album tells two sad narratives but remains one of The Weeknd’s best works yet. He’s expanded his videography and enhanced the interest of people who casually enjoy his music and of course his fans. But the era isn’t over, by the time this is posted his Super Bowl Halftime show is yet to happen. And it’ll continue the red suit character’s story. Videos for After Hours (so far) Fun Fact—The Heartless video features a reference to Thursday. When he’s trying to run from Vegas, a sign behind him flashes “Heartless / Heaven or Las Vegas.” This could be a reference to Abel running from his past, after all Heartless is about him returning to his vices.
END.
Thank you for reading this, again, I didn’t realize it would end up being this long. But I hope this this served as a nice refresher for any fans who wanted to revisit Abel’s work before the Super Bowl. And I really hope that anyone interested in getting into his music finds this helpful. Once again, the theories/interpretations mentioned aren’t conclusive, they’re widely based on fan discussion/mutual interpretation. Due to the character limit I couldn’t add too links to the albums, so here are some artist links. Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | The Weeknd’s Shop | Tidal | Genius
My $112,000 climate change portfolio at the age of 19 & what I've learned
First of all, I am incredibly privileged. When my grandpa passed away in March, I inherited $30,000. I had $10,000 saved up as well from working the prior summer and that $10,000 was already invested in the stock market. In high school I found out about stocks in my economics class and the day I turned 18 I invested every penny I had. Once again, I am privileged to be able to invest this money at all.. I have a college fund to pay my tuition, I don’t have to worry about when my next meal is coming, and I have the freedom to spend my money as I choose. Anyways, in March & April when the market crashed I decided it was time to really dive into the stock market. I spent about 5 hours every day researching companies and I’m here to share what I’ve learned. In my opinion, thecompaniesyouinvestinshouldbeanextensionofyourworldview. Where do you think the world will be in 10 years+ and what industries will prosper from the change. As I was raised in a liberal family and hold these values, I’m quite concerned with ClimateChange. I’ve taken college classes in this realm since and learned more about the risks we face. I believe that any company whose mission revolves around mitigating the climate crisis will prosper in the coming decades. That being said, I’ll list the companies I hold and a very brief synopsis of what they do and why I hold their stock. Pleasedoyourownresearch; this is only meant to introduce young investors to a certain mindset that I hold and the companies that I choose to support. 1) Tesla(TSLA) portfolio weight: 22.86% gain/loss 1026%gain You guys all know what Tesla is about. They are the premier EV company with goals of cutting battery costs by 56% and producing 20,000,000+ cars in the decade. They also have a growing energy business with solar roofs, panels, battery storage and an autobidder software. Tesla is priced insanely high by traditional metrics. If these metrics are your investing style then it’s not for you. If you’re like me, and you look for companies to hold for decades then I believe Tesla is one of the best investments out there. What other company will benefit from the transition to renewables in response to climate change and changing political conditions? 2) MPMaterials(MP) portfolio weight: 12.68% gain/loss: 197%gain MP is the only active rare earth mineral miner in the U.S. They produce neodymium concentrates which are important components in NDPR magnets; used in EV motors, wind turbines, electronics & much more. I bought MP during their early pre-merger days and have already seen considerable profits in a few months. I’ve been shaving this position to keep it around 10% because it is a commodity play which can be quite risky. That being said, rare earths are expected to appreciate substantially in price as EV demand increases. Furthermore, MP is moving downstream to refine their rare earths themselves, as they currently ship them to China to be refined, and in the future they plan on manufacturing their own NDPR batteries. This will increase their margins greatly. 3) Planet13(PLNHF) portfolio weight 5.35% gain/loss: 147.71%gain This one is a MJ stock and I’m focusing mostly on my Climate Change investments on this post so I’ll keep it brief. They own a superstore in Vegas and have their own brands. I believe the MJ industry is going to explode soon and PLNHF will benefit. 4) JinkoSolar(JKS) portfolio weight: 4.91% gain/loss: 268.88%gain Jinko Solar is a leading solar panel manufacturer in China. They’ve seen market consolidation in China and are poised to benefit from increasing demand and incentives around solar energy. Specifically, South East Asia is expected to see dramatic growth in renewables as China/India are responsible for a large portion of global emissions and are also seeing considerable growth in GDP and population. It’s a play on the South East Asian economy and renewable industry. 5) SolarEdge(SEDG): portfolio weight: 4.89% gain/loss: 108.5%gain SolarEdge is the global leader in panel inverters, which turn the sun’s D.C. current into usable electricity for households (A.C. current). The inverter space is a much more consolidated industry with higher margins than panels. They trade at a more expensive multiple and are expected to see dramatic top and bottom line growth in the coming years. Solar panels need inverters to perform; simple as that. With fewer companies focused on this space, I expect the top players to have a large market share and grow along with the solar energy market. SEDG is also expanding into the energy storage and EV charging markets with recent acquisitions. 6) EnphaseEnergy(ENPH) portfolio weight: 4.43% gain/loss: 203.08%gain Enphase is also in the inverter market, with their differentiated microinverters. Micro Inverters are generally used in smaller systems and optimal for residential solar. Everything said above about the inverter market is true for Enphase as well. Enphase’s business goes beyond inverters though. They are targeting a full residential energy ecosystem, with storage and their “Enlighten” software App, which will manage home energy usage and sell excess energy back to the grid. Enphase is very much a play on a future decentralized microgrid, with homes trading energy to each other as prices fluctuate. 7) CanadianSolar(CSIQ) portfolio weight: 4.42% gain/loss: 118.32%gain Canadian Solar is another panel manufacturing company. They are also seeing growth in market share as smaller players struggle during the pandemic. CSIQ is a low cost producer with residential, commercial and grid level projects. They are planning on expanding their recurring revenue stream through full and partial ownership of solar projects. You can read more about this on the IR page. CSIQ is a pure solar play with an international footprint and vast management expertise. They will certainly benefit from any movement towards renewables, especially if legislation is passed to set a price on carbon. 8) Lemonade(LMND) portfolio weight: 3.93% gain/loss: 112.52gain Lemonade is not a climate change related investment. It’s highly speculative but I think their management team and business model is really cool so I put some money in (and quickly more than doubled it). I’ll be brief here, but basically they are a home/rentepet insurance company that takes a flat 25% cut of premiums as revenue and uses the remaining money to pay out claims. They aim to align incentives by donating anything left over beyond the 25% to a charity of customers choosing. Also, their use of AI makes the registration and claims process seamless and “delights” customers. 9) TPIComposites(TPIC) portfolio weight: 3.73% gain/loss: 153.99%gain TPIC manufacturers wind blade composites. They supply the top five wind turbine companies outside of China. I wrote about them on prior posts so I’ll just copy & paste here:
63% of total wind blade manufacturing is outsourced to companies like TPI and they are the market leader in this space with about 20% market share globally. The business currently has low margins, but they target a 12% EBITDA margin for the future, and they trade at a measly 0.74 P/S ratio currently. They are also expanding into EV composite manufacturing and have a contract with Workhorse to manufacture vehicle parts for them.
10) SkyworksSolutions(SWKS) portfolio weight: 2.83% gain/loss: 60.57%gain Skyworks is a semiconductor focused on connectivity chips for all kinds of devices. They aren’t climate change related which is the point of this post so I’ll leave it at that. 11) TattooedChef(TTCF) portfolio weight: 2.65% gain/loss: 55.90%gain Tattooed Chef is a play on the rising plant-based food trend. They make a variety of frozen food items, widely available in Walmart, Costco and Target. They are expanding into Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and many more stores, where I expect them to be very successful. The plant based market is exploding for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is more research on the health benefits of a plant based diet, with athletes such as Chris Paul & Todd Gurley endorsing these brands. Also, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the threat of climate change and how avoiding red meat can have a positive impact on the planet. I expect TTCF to benefit off of these trends and continue innovating in the plant-based space. I bought in 3 weeks ago and the price has exploded since then. 12) Workhorse(WKHS) portfolio weight: 2.60% gain/loss: 35.90%gain Workhorse is an electric delivery van company. They manufacture last mile electric vehicles and are developing drones to further decrease last mile delivery costs. They are a play on the e-commerce industry and electrification of vehicles. I’m invested in them because last mile delivery is responsible for a large chunk of transportation carbon emissions and in desperate need of electrification. I also believe that Workhorse will get a large chunk of the upcoming USPS contract which will provide a stable revenue stream. 13) Aphria(APHA) portfolio weight: 2.45% gain/loss: 53%gain Aphria is another MJ play for me. Once again they aren’t a climate change investment so I’ll keep it brief. They just finalized a merger with Tilray, making them the biggest cannabis producer in the world. They are based in Canada and I believe they will be the market leader in Europe, due to their infrastructure advantage through owning CC Pharma. 14) VestasWindSystems(VWDRY) portfolio weight: 2.40% gain/loss: 197.44%gain Vestas is the global leader in wind turbine manufacturing and installation. They are one of the few pure wind plays in the stock market, making them an attractive choice for anybody looking to get exposure to wind. A big driver if future growth will be their service and maintainace business, which their management team has been focused on in recent quarters. This is a higher margin business with consistent recurring revenues. 15) Facebook(FB) portfolio weight: 2.38% gain/loss: 20.61%gain I’m selling out of FB very soon but I still hold them for now. FB is an incredible business and I’m sure they’ll see growth in the future, but it just isn’t for me (anymore). I consider ethics a lot in my investments, which many of you may consider stupid but idc. 16) HannonArmstrong(HASI) portfolio weight: 2.18% gain/loss: 57.40%gain HASI is a REIT, which solely makes climate change related investments. They invest in the land under solar projects, energy efficient buildings and much more. HASI is a great dividend play and I expect their stock price to appreciate as climate change worries are exacerbated in the future. 17) BeyondMeat(BYND) portfolio weight: 2.10% gain/loss: 21.24%gain I made a post with some DD earlier this year on Beyond so I’ll just link that below: https://www.reddit.com/stocks/comments/if9tmj/beyond_meat_bynd_fundamental_analysis_with_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf 18) BrookefieldRenewablePartners(BEPC) portfolio weight: 2.06% gain/loss: 87.23%gain BEPC owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy assets. Earlier this year they completed a merger with Terraform Power, expanding their solar & wind footprint. They are also the primer owner of hydroelectric power plants, which produce a consistent source of electricity. BEPC has a strong management team and owns valuable assets that will greatly appreciate in value as government incentives expand around renewable energy consumption. They also pay a nice dividend. 19) Disney(DIS) portfolio weight: 2.03% gain/loss: 50.06%gain I’m invested in Disney mostly for some portfolio diversity. I’m a big fan of their streaming platform and business strategy revolving around that. This one isn’t climate change related so I’ll leave it at that. 20) FirstSolar(FSLR) portfolio weight: 1.84% gain/loss: 70.47%gain First Solar is an American based panel manufacturer and projects operator. They used differentiated technology with Cadmoum Telluride panels, which are supposed to increase output and lifetime at a higher cost. FSLR is just another play on the growing solar industry, and being U.S. based seems to reward them a higher earnings multiple in the market than their peers. They also have a beautiful balance sheet. 21) TrulieveCannabis(TCNFF) portfolio weight: 1.44% gain/loss: 5.33%gain Trulieve is another Cannabis play. This one based in the U.S. with a large medical market in Florida. Nuff said. (Do your own research) 22) StarPeakEnergyTransition(STPK) portfolio weight 1.43% gain/loss: 55.45%gain Star peak is a brand new holding for me and already shot up like crazy. It’s one of these merger companies (the word is censored on this subreddit). merging with Stem energy storage. Stem is involved in the battery storage industry, with mostly grid level storage systems. They currently have an even larger market share than Tesla and my reason for holding this stock is mostly as a hedge against Tesla’s energy business. 23) Shopify(SHOP) portfolio weight: 1.10% gain/loss: 18.19%gain Shopify is an eCommerce platform, which allows customers to seamlessly design their own website and process payments. I’ve used Shopify in the past and am a big fan of the business, which is a big part of why I’m invested. They have a steep valuation but I plan on holding for 10+ years. Total gain: 181.52% (Note: I’ve taken some profits on a few of my stocks so the unrealized gain from my current holdings is less than my “total” gain by a few % points.) Yes, I’m young and idealistic and have a lot to learn but I do know a few things. Here’s some of the lessons I’ve learned along my 1 and a half year journey in the market.
By investing in a company, you are supporting them financially. Buying pressure on companies’ stocks increases the price and allows them to raise capital more efficiently. It might be hard to hear, but whenyoubuyExxonstock, youarehelpingthemdestroyourplanet. The same is true vice versa.
Don’tlistentoanybodyonreddit. Seriously. Nobody here knows any better than you. Do your own research, form your own judgements. If you’re gonna pick individual stocks then following advice on reddit is not the way to go. Reading through investor relations pages is the best way to go. Watch videos and read articles about both sides of the story with different companies. Don’t take these videos as facts though, just absorb what other people think and judge the validity of the information for yourself. It’s important to becomeanindependentthinker. This is a slow process but eventually you’ll get the hang of things.
Investwitha10+yeartimeline. This is especially true if you’re young like myself. Don’t concern yourself with daily or even monthly swings in a stock. Ask yourself if the company will be worth substantially more in a decade. If not, then say, if so then buy and hold. Don’t try to time the market or swing trade. You’re just bringing on unnecessary risk. Buy and hold and buy some more.
Assessyourownrisktolerance. As I’m sure several people will point out, my portfolio is incredibly speculative and risky from a traditional viewpoint. I have a really fucking high risk tolerance, so I invest with a “riskier” mindset. If I were to lose all my money tomorrow, I’d be fine. I’m going to have a college degree in a couple years and I’m not worried about being able to find a job. My reason for investing is about having the financial freedom to do whatever I want in life, and not worry about money in the future. If you’re investing for retirement or to pay off student loans, then I recommend taking a more conservative approach and maybe buying some index funds. However, if you’re young and have a stomach for risk like myself, then go crazy.
In conclusion, I’ve had an incredible year or so in the market. I don’t expect to have even close to these same returns in the future, but I’ve learned a thing or two and I’m here to share this information. You may disagree with everything I said and all the stocks I own and that’s okay! Don’t copy my portfolio and take everything I say with a grain of salt, however I hope you find some wisdom from this post! Edit: Since a bunch of people pointed out angrily in the comments that holding FB, DIS, SHOP and MJ stocks don't really align with "your investments should be an extension of your worldview," I agree with you guys. There are some notable exceptions, and not everything that us as humans do in our everyday lives align with our values. This is true of my portfolio too, however about 80% of the investments are climate change related, 10% weed (which I like) and the other 10% tech. If 90% of your actions in life further your world view then you're doing pretty damn good IMO Edit2: Also people seem to be pissed bc I inherited a lot of the money (3/4 of it) that I invested. I acknowledged already that I'm very lucky to be in this position and I don't really know what else to say about that, other than I aim to do something good with the money that I make
https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2021/insidestory/_/id/30862243/nfl-mock-draft-2021-todd-mcshay-post-super-bowl- 📷📷 1.Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Another mock draft, another Lawrence-to-Jacksonville projection. You won't be seeing much of anything else, and for good reason. The 6-foot-6 big-armed quarterback has all the traits you want in a franchise guy, and he would be the focal point of what new coach Urban Meyer hopes to build. Only Washington has a lower Total QBR over the past three seasons than the Jaguars' 41.6, but Lawrence has finished in the top 10 among all FBS quarterbacks in that category in every season of his college career. He will throw for scouts on Friday ahead of surgery on his non-throwing shoulder this spring, but consider him a lock for the top pick at this point. EDITOR'S PICKS · 📷 10 prospects rising and falling at the Senior Bowl: Who has impressed NFL scouts · 📷 Projected 2021 NFL draft order: Jaguars clinch No. 1 pick, Dolphins move into top five · 📷 Kiper's first mock draft for 2021: Will Justin Fields or Zach Wilson be the No. 2 QB? 📷 2.New York Jets Zach Wilson, QB, BYU What the Jets do here will alter how the draft plays out -- but this projection is more about the spot than the team because, frankly, the Jets have some evaluating and decision-making ahead. We know they are listening to offers for QB Sam Darnold, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are aggressively pursuing a trade. Regardless, this much is pretty clear to me: If Darnold is traded, Wilson should be the pick. And if New York keeps Darnold, I think a team -- perhaps Carolina -- will jump on the chance to move up to take Wilson here. The BYU signal-caller is tough in the pocket but can also create when it all breaks down, and he excelled on the deep ball this season, hitting 20 of 27 passes thrown at least 30 yards downfield. 📷📷 Trade: Carolina moves up the board OK, my guy Mel Kiper Jr. waived the no-trade clause on our mocks, so let's have at it. The Panthers give the Dolphins a call in this scenario, seeing a chance to jump the line to get a quarterback at No. 3. Miami originally acquired this pick via an August 2019 trade with the Texans but now hand over the selection to Carolina in exchange for the No. 8 pick, the Panthers' second-rounder (No. 39) and a 2022 first-rounder. It's a great haul for the Dolphins, who just barely missed the playoffs this season and can now build even further around QB Tua Tagovailoa. But it's also a good price for the Panthers, who need their QB of the future. 📷 3.Carolina Panthers(via mock trade withMIAthroughHOU) Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Eight of the Panthers' 11 losses were one-score games, running back Christian McCaffrey missed most of the season and the defense was an improved unit this year. But Carolina needs a QB it can build around. Teddy Bridgewater is under contract for two more years -- with a potential out after the 2021 campaign -- and can serve as a bridge, but his 15-to-11 TD-INT ratio in 2020 left a lot to be desired. The quarterback-to-Carolina rhetoric isn't new, but some might be surprised to see Lance as the pick rather than Ohio State's Justin Fields. Both possess strong arms, both are highly competitive, both are sturdy in the pocket and can pick up chunks when they decide to tuck it and run, and both can hit the deep ball. But in going back to the tape, I think Lance goes through his progressions a little quicker than Fields, who gets stuck on his primary read too often. It's tight, but I think Lance has an edge. 📷 4.Atlanta Falcons Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Atlanta will want to move out of this spot and pick up some extra draft capital, and plenty of other teams likely will be interested. It needs reinforcements at edge, offensive line, running back, tight end and linebacker. Quarterback, however, is not a dire situation, as Matt Ryan is still highly productive and under contract through 2023. But if the Falcons can't trade out, will they really pass on the opportunity to draft their QB of the future? It's no given that they will be drafting this high again any time soon, and Ryan is turning 36. Fields has consistency concerns, but he will be a talented NFL starter with an ability to drive the ball and make plays off-schedule outside of the pocket. In two seasons as the Buckeyes' starter, he has 63 touchdown passes and just nine interceptions. If it plays out like this, it would be the first time that quarterbacks have gone 1-2-3-4 to begin Round 1. 📷 5.Cincinnati Bengals Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Cincinnati fans watched No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow take 32 sacks in 10 games, so no one needs any convincing here. Sewell -- who opted out of the 2020 season -- is a game-changing tackle. Opposite Jonah Williams, he'd help keep Burrow upright when the Bengals' franchise quarterback returns from a knee injury suffered on (yup, you guessed it) a hit this season. Whereas Sewell allowed just one combined sack during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the Bengals closed 2020 with the fifth-most sacks allowed (48) and tied for the third-worst pass block win rate (50.0%), an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats. 📷 6.Philadelphia Eagles Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU The Eagles' wide receivers room ranked No. 30 in yards this season (2,082), and they were one of three teams to catch fewer than 60% of their WR targets (56.3%). Those numbers came even after they drafted Jalen Reagor in the first round last April. The Eagles need to give quarterback Jalen Hurts -- who is taking the reins as the team moves on from Carson Wentz -- tools to succeed, and that, of course, starts with a game-breaker on the outside. Chase vs. Alabama's DeVonta Smith is a tough call, but I think Chase might have slightly better traits and certainly more size at 6 feet, 200-plus pounds. You might have forgotten because he opted out in 2020, but Chase had 20 touchdowns and nearly 1,800 yards in 2019. It's win-win for Philadelphia if both receivers are still on the board, but the LSU product gets the call here. ESPN Illustration📷 7.Detroit Lions DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama If Philly is on the clock and both Chase and Smith are still available, you'll see some smiles from new coach Dan Campbell and new QB Jared Goff. It would mean one of the talented pass-catchers would be there for them. Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola are all pending free agents, meaning the most productive wide receiver on the roster returning right now is Quintez Cephus, a fifth-round rookie who had 349 yards in 2020. It's a problem, but not one that the Heisman winner can't help solve. Smith is explosive, piling on 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior year. 📷 8.Miami Dolphins(via mock trade withCAR) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama So in our mock trade scenario, Miami picks up an extra first-rounder and a second-rounder and it still gets an elusive playmaker on offense. Tagovailoa was ranked 35th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks this season in yards per attempt when targeting wide receivers (6.2), and the WR group was No. 30 in the NFL in yards after the catch per reception (3.18). Waddle caught 48 passes from Tagovailoa during their Bama days together, and he'd be a dangerous option opposite DeVante Parker. This would not only be the first time a school has sent multiple wide receivers to the first round in back-to-back years, it would also be the first time two from the same school have been off the board this quickly. (The previous high was last year, when Alabama's Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy were off the board by No. 15.) 📷 9.Denver Broncos Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama We will have to see if new GM George Paton decides to run it back with Drew Lock as the team's clear starting QB, but with four signal-callers off the board and the Broncos' pick of any defender in the class, they would likely address another need at No. 9 regardless. Cornerback happens to be one of those needs. Bryce Callahan and A.J. Bouye are both primed to hit the open market, and Denver hauled in only 10 interceptions this season. Surtain didn't have his best season, but he's a true shutdown corner with the instincts to read and reroute receivers. 📷 10.Dallas Cowboys Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Big D needs help on D. Last year's second-rounder, Trevon Diggs, looks like a solid find for the Cowboys, but that secondary is still problematic -- especially now that Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis could be headed elsewhere in free agency. The Cowboys allowed 34 passing touchdowns this season, tied for the third most in the NFL. Farley (another opt-out) is a ball hawk who could turn some of those TD passes into interceptions. 2021 NFL draft coverage 📷 • Mock drafts:Kiper » | McShay » • Rankings:Kiper » | McShay » • Meet the loaded, elite QB class » • 30 big questions for Kiper & McShay »Full ranking » | Pick order » | More » 📷 11.New York Giants Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida With the top three wide receivers and top two cornerbacks off the board, filling those needs would mean significant reaches for the Giants here. Offensive line could be in play, as could the edge rush. But if Pitts is still there at No. 11, it'd be really hard for New York to do anything but add the 6-6 speedy and versatile matchup nightmare. Giants tight end Evan Engram has missed 14 games over four years and will be a free agent after next season. In the meantime, the Giants could enjoy a fantastic duo at tight end -- Pitts is versatile enough to play with Engram and be moved around the formation -- and provide quarterback Daniel Jones with a playmaker. 📷📷 Trade: Chicago makes a play for a QB Another trade! Four quarterbacks went in the first four picks, and in this scenario, the Bears didn't fully address quarterback via free agency or trade. That means it's now or never for Chicago, and it pulls the trigger on a move up the board in the middle of the first round. So what gets it done? To land the No. 12 pick from San Francisco, the Bears would have to send their own first-rounder (No. 20) and a second-rounder (No. 52), probably along with a 2022 first- or second-rounder. This is more than the traditional trade-value chart expects, and whether that '22 pick is of the Day 1 or Day 2 variety would depend on how desperate Chicago is for the last true Round 1 QB still out there. Niners GM John Lynch could maybe throw a midrounder back to the Bears to sweeten the deal and get it done. 📷 12.Chicago Bears(via mock trade withSF) Mac Jones, QB, Alabama This would tie the earliest that five quarterbacks have been drafted in the common draft era (1999), but the Bears didn't want to risk missing out on the player I consider the final Round 1-worthy QB. If there is a run on quarterbacks, and Wentz goes to Indianapolis or elsewhere, then the Bears have to do what they have to do here. Mitchell Trubisky played pretty well down the stretch, but after declining his fifth-year option, Chicago is likely looking at other options. This season, the Bears were 25th in Total QBR and 28th in yards per attempt, and they tied for the fourth-most interceptions thrown. Jones had a fantastic 41-to-4 TD-INT ratio and led the nation in Total QBR at 96.1. He anticipates well and has a nice touch on his deep throws, and Chicago would hope he can spark one of the NFL's least efficient offenses. 📷 13.Los Angeles Chargers Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern The Chargers were middle-of-the-pack with 34 sacks allowed in 2020, but they saw QB pressure on 33.5% of their dropbacks (eighth in the NFL). Not what you want when you have a rookie quarterback whom you are trying to build around. Los Angeles will have free-agency concerns all over that offensive line in the near future, too. So how about drafting a talented and versatile tackle who can pop inside to play guard or center? Slater opted out in 2020, but he would help give quarterback Justin Herbert time in the passing game. It's worth pointing out, though, that the Chargers could go in a lot of directions. They are facing quite a few free-agency questions this March, and how that plays out will directly impact the focus of this pick. 📷 14.Minnesota Vikings Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT/G, USC Minnesota will take a long look at the pass-rushers on the board, and it might decide someone like TCU safety Trevon Moehrig is worth the grab here. But the Vikings' offense starts with a good zone-blocking scheme, and Vera-Tucker excels there, with a feel for angles and blocking at the second level. I like how Ezra Cleveland, last year's second-rounder, has fit into the Minnesota offensive line puzzle, but more help is needed in protecting quarterback Kirk Cousins and springing running back Dalvin Cook on big runs. Plus, Vera-Tucker can play tackle or guard. First Draft Podcast 📷 Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay break down the 2021 NFL draft. • First Draft podcast » 📷 15.New England Patriots Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State No, one of the top five quarterbacks isn't available, but this isn't a bad consolation prize for coach Bill Belichick. Parsons -- my No. 4 prospect overall -- slides to the No. 15 pick here because of unique circumstances following a rush on QBs and wide receivers. Dont'a Hightower will be back after opting out of the 2020 season and Chase Winovich has been disruptive off the edge, but Parsons gives Belichick a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can do a little bit of everything. And if the team moves on from Hightower after the 2021 season when he is set to be a free agent, Parsons would be the QB of this defense going forward. As for QB of the offense, it doesn't seem to be in New England's nature to trade up for one. Watch the free-agent market closely and keep an eye on what happens with former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo, but if it comes down to the draft, the Patriots might have to look to Day 2 if all five QBs are indeed off the board. 📷 16.Arizona Cardinals Gregory Rousseau, DE/OLB, Miami (FL) Finally, an edge rusher. The last time it took this long to see one drafted was 2004, when Will Smith went to the Saints at No. 18. But you won't hear any complaints from the Cardinals, who can jump on an opportunity to slide in a difference-maker opposite Chandler Jones (who is a free agent after next season). The Cardinals were tied for fourth in sacks this season (48), but 12.5 of those came from Haason Reddick, who is hitting the open market this spring. Rousseau opted out in 2020 but trailed only Chase Young in sacks in the FBS the season prior with 15.5. 📷 17.Las Vegas Raiders Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame The Raiders spent last spring bringing in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski at linebacker, but the unit didn't help a defense that surrendered the eighth-most yards per game in 2020, and Raekwon McMillan is now a free agent. Owusu-Koramoah gives the Raiders a little bit of everything and something they don't already have in that LB corps. He can play off the ball in overhang, he can cover and he can rush the QB. This is a true value pick in the middle of the first round, and the Notre Dame game-breaker provides versatility to a defense that is begging for help. There are holes all over. The pass rush generated all of 21 sacks this season, and the run defense allowed north of 125 yards per game. And let's not forget that Derek Carr has two years left on his deal and at least some QB consideration needs to be made if one or more of the top quarterbacks are still here at No. 17. 📷 18.Miami Dolphins Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami After getting Tagovailoa a receiver at No. 8, let's turn our attention to the defense and keep a strength exactly that. Miami had 41 sacks in 2020, tied for 10th in the NFL, but the rich get richer with Phillips, who racked up eight of his own this season. The Dolphins will love his suddenness and length coming around the corner. And looking ahead to 2022, he'd ease a potential loss of Emmanuel Ogbah or Jerome Baker in free agency. 📷 19.Washington Football Team Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Toney isn't the most polished receiver in the class, but he is ultraversatile and offensive coordinator Scott Turner could get very creative with the way the team uses him. After Terry McLaurin (1,118 yards), you have to look all the way down to Cam Sims (477) for the second-most productive WR on Washington this season. Toney caught 10 touchdowns with the Gators in 2020. And of course, Washington is another QB-needy franchise. But Alex Smith is still under contract, and the team can afford to wait it out if no one falls to it in this spot. Washington could handle this in free agency or via a trade, too. play 1:56 Toney shines as Florida steamrolls Mizzou Kadarius Toney catches two touchdowns and runs in another as the Gators dominate on both sides of the ball for a convincing 41-17 win over Missouri. 📷 20.San Francisco 49ers(via mock trade withCHI) Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Remember that we had the Niners trade back to this spot. The Garoppolo decision looms large for the Niners' draft plan, and what happens there might not only keep San Francisco from trading down but might even influence a trade up into the top 10. For now, though, let's fixate on a secondary losing many pieces. Safety Jimmie Ward is currently the only defensive back on the entire roster under contract beyond next season. Perhaps the 49ers look to cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) or Aaron Robinson (UCF), but the value and need of Moehrig is just too great to miss. He's my No. 13 prospect and picked off six passes over the past two seasons. 📷 21.Indianapolis Colts Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan The Colts are playoff contenders right now, so I'd expect them to look for a more veteran option at QB -- Wentz or Darnold jumps to mind. Maybe Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw is the play, replacing Anthony Castonzo. Perhaps cornerback is a focus. But with three of the team's top defensive ends out of contract -- Justin Houston, Denico Autry and Al-Quadin Muhammad -- I think replenishing the edge is going to be critical. Drafting Paye gives the Colts a playmaker (he had 8.5 sacks over his last 16 college games) and simultaneously blocks a division rival with a big need in that place set to pick next.
r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 2: Diamond Hands Edition
/Hockey NHL Power Rankings Week Jan 25, 2021 - Jan 31, 2021
Thank You
Thank you to all of the volunteers doing the power rankings. Each ranker has their own system and have their own reasonings and analyis. It truly is a lot of work.
The visualization contains historical data, so you can see how your team has done over time. Hopefully, we can run this for many years in hopes that we can see the rise and fall of teams by /hockey opinion. It automatically updates so feel free to bookmark. You can find it here
Process
How does this work? Throughout the course of the week rankers are able to access an app that will allow them to rank teams. At the end of the period we calculate the average ranking for every team and collate all of the analysis provided by rankers. The app then generates a post that is first proofread and then posted to /hockey!
Avs had a solid week 7 out of 8 points. The injury bug has unfortunately reared its head. We lost a player in every game. The depth on this team will be tested. The call ups have preformed well though. Defensively Bo Byram is here to stay, he has things to learn but the talent is incredible. Andre Burakovsky is playing at a point per game pace and the 2nd line as a whole started clicking this week. Cale Makar just finished an incredible 10 game stretch defensively and is leading defensemen in points. I would say for now he has to be the Norris favourite. This week we finish up a 4 game series with the Wild and finish with a back to back against St. Louis. Big games against other top teams in the Division.
Even without the Russian machine the caps are still a good team. Vaneck has proven to be a legitimate goalie in the NHL and could ignite yet another goaltender controversy in Washington.
Still early in the season, but still a really good team. 3 of 4 points, with 1 game postponed. Had some trouble scoring there for a bit, but once it started the floodgates OPENED.
This week went as expected: the Bruins continue to beat the Pens in Boston and Rask continues to lose the Caps. In Chara's first game against his former team,Chara took a Pasta shot to the face and was no bueno. Nick Ritchie continues to be the surprise star in depth scoring for the Bruins.
A much-needed sweep of Anaheim gives the Blues some momentum, Husso his first NHL W, and Faulk and Kyrou a much-deserved spotlight. Hoffman and Krug are still working to settle in, but when this team starts to really get rolling, look out.
The flyers are doing great hahahhahaha no need to look under the hood hahahahah Pshhh what are advanced stats hahahhaha What? being out shot by triple digits already this year? I must have misheard you. The Flyers are 7-2-1 hahahaha unsustainable? why would you think that?
Carolina looks excellent lately, coming up clutch and winning both games again the former cup finals teams. The Detroit game as of last week truly is their one down spot of the season - aside from that, they've fixed their transitional game down the middle, defense has been lights out, and goaltending has weathered the storm thrown at it. It's not a coincidence that this team has allowed 1 goal against in the 2 games, despite facing two cup contending teams. They're just that good, and they look like they're getting even better. (Above was written before Sunday's game.) The Hurricanes beat Dallas again, throwing 40 shots on net, excelling on the powerplay, and excellent goaltending by Reimer kept them winning. This team is just impressing.
One of only two undefeated teams in regulation this year. So far the early returns on Bob haven’t been the greatest despite no losses. Driedger however has played much greater than expected. Who knew 850k was greater than 10 million
I heard somebody call the Jets "bi-polar" the other day, and that is just the best description of this week. From scoring 4 straight in the 3rd to power past Edmonton, to doing whatever you want to call Saturday (Lots of choice words here, but let's keep it PG). Flashes of brilliance sandwiched by entire periods of mediocrity. The one constant? The 1st line has been struggling greatly. We all knew the Wheeler contract was going to be rough at its tail end, but the fall off wasn't expected to be this early into it. Credit where credit is due though, Vancouver played a very solid game, they really wanted the win. The Jets also really wanted to take the L too, though. Another game or two like Saturday, and I'll start wondering if Jets players have a masochistic kink. No judging though, of course.
Well, that 4-1 start is a distant memory. Fiala's suspended, Dumba could be seriously injured (again), Rossi's sent back to Austria after finding out Saturday that his COVID complications are pretty serious, and none of the offseason moves are panning out (not that anyone thought that Bonino and Johansson would be an upgrade over Staal, Koivu, and Kunin). There's a serious lack of talent on this team and poor Kirill Kaprizov must be deflated knowing that he's already the Wild's best player. I'd like to say that the coaching staff is doing the best they can but Dean Evason has made a lot of head-scratching decisions. It's beginning to look like GM Billy Guerin signed Evason up to be the fall guy for a not-so-subtle tank job, but honestly, tanking should be the priority here.
Tough week for the pens. Out a GM, legitimate concerns about both the defense and goaltending. Offense seems too slow to catch fire in the way that they're going to need to to carry this team through the season. We'll see!
7 game point streak -- somehow. The Jackets are a notoriously slow starting team, but at least this year we're getting some important points in the standings. Both goaltenders are doing well. Texier and Bjorkstrand continue to impress. Powerplay is actually looking okay. I do want to see more out of Seth Jones and Werenski as they've been quite this year so far. (This was written before the game Sunday)
The Canucks saved their season by sweeping the Senators in scintillating fashion, scoring sixteen goals against the sputtering squad in an, umm, sumptuous series. In those three games, the Canucks also allowed only three goals against. Even more impressively, the Canucks managed to beat the Winnipeg Jets just once! These wins have revitalized an ailing roster, but whether the momentum can be sustained is yet to be seen. In the meantime, Pettersson is fine, Boeser has found his scoring touch, and the Hog has landed...ed...ed...er...'d. Nils Hoglander.
Isles are not finding good results. They have played stretches of great Trotz hockey, but make too many mistakes when they are off their game to overcome. Sorokin has shown off excellent athleticism but the rest of his game has yet to meet the hype. Outside of Barzal, the offense is not consistent. Losing Beauvillier hurts. Over-reliance on grinders like Komarov and Johnston hurts their offense, but hopefully the emergence of Czarnik or Bellows/Wahlstrom will enhance the third line. This next week will be big for the team, if they wallow in the aftermath of a miserable road trip, or do they bounce back.
You know the coaches are trying everything to get the powerplay to work when they stuck Mathieu Olivier on the one of the units. Turns out it actually worked.
If this week didn't teach us how much we relied on Blackwood, nothing will. Wedgewood can't really be expected to carry the starters mantle for 3 games in a week like that, especially against a team like Philly. 1-2-1 and we could've been 3-1-0 or better with Blackwood in net. But we have to survive until BW is back. But even that wont matter if we cant fix our awful shitty special teams. We're literally better 5v5 than on our PP. We're in the bottom 3 for both PP and PK and somehow still taking points from games, it seems as if this team could be better than expected if they could execute on either end of the special teams. It needs fixing and it needs fixing now. Ty Smith is now leading all rookies in scoring regardless of position and should at least be in the converation for Calder at this point assuming this production stays this hot. Two upcoming against the Pens and one against the Rags will be important to whether we stay near near the middle or fall to the bottom.
Seems like we score a lot of our goals on the powerplay. It would be nice to not have that be the featured component of our offense, but we will take what we can get I suppose. Cody Eakin and Jeff Skinner have the same number of points through ten games, which is 1. Please, for the love of god, someone help this man score.
The OIlers are in a weird limbo of mediocrity. PowerPlay is improving. PK is doing well. 5on5 is going poorly. We are missing Klefbom greatly. The bottom 6 and Dmen (outside of Nurse) is rotating carousel of spare parts. News of the week: We started with a bad game against Winnipeg on Monday blowing a 3-1 with 4 unanswered goals. Then we lost a close one to the Leafs. Next game, we blew a 3-1 lead, but still won cause McDavid and Draisaitl. Draisaitl and McDavid light up the scoresheet against the Senators to cruise to a win. Good news: Koskinen is still not injured.
To start the season, the coyotes had tons of offense, but struggled on the backend. Now, we have flipped the script. The yotes have lost the ability to score, going 2 games in a row being shut out this week. On the bright side, it has been a difficult week to score on the Coyotes.
Kings have played extremely well this week despite injuries. Kings had a perfect PK this week and got some power play goals. Cal Petersen is looking how Quick was last week which is to say very good. Quick had a rough game this week but at most pin 2 goals on him. If the awful injuries to their top d men in Matt Roy and Sean Walker, I believe they could have pulled off a comeback to OT but most likely lose in OT. They have proven they can beat good teams and in doing so they could fight for a playoff spot. While this week they played well they will be very interesting with having left Minnesota down 2 important d men and 2/3 of your second line. If the rumors are true about having some of the kids play they could pull off but you can't count on rookies that heavily but maybe it is Kaliyev Time.
Oh boy what a week it has been for this team. Last week I did my rankings before the Sunday Pens game, so I'll touch on that real quick. This game really drove home a running theme that was very very obvious this week: WE CAN'T HOLD A LEAD FOR THE LIFE OF US. We went into Sunday's game's third period up 2-1, yet we lost 3-2. In a similar fashion, Tuesday's game against BUF saw the Rangers go into the second period up 2-1, but we once again lost 3-2. Now, onto some (temporary) good news with Thursday's game. The boys came out to PLAY. It felt like we dominated most of the game, but we managed to squeak out an OT win. Did I mention that the OT winner was scored by ALEXIS LAFRENIERE? Off of a beautiful play by Rangers legend Colin Blackwell in which he stole the puck from Eichel, he passed over to Laf who scored on the brick wall that Ullmark was all night. It was nice to finally have Laf on the scoresheet. Now, to the circus! Saturday's game against Pittsburgh was entertaining and so were the antics after the game!
Our biggest question entering the season was: Who is the starter? Since then, Kevin Lankinen (3-1-2, .937 SV%) took the reins, starting 6 of the last 7. He's allowed a total of 7 goals of his last 5 starts. Reese Johnson became the 5th Blackhawk to make their NHL debut this season. The Hawks are currently missing 10 players, including 5 due to COVID protocols.
Tough breaks for the Wings as they try to stay afloat with as many NHL competent players as possible. COVID and injuries will hurt this team more than anything and they incurred both pretty quickly. Despite that we saw some decent games this week that were close one goal games. The big loss to Dallas is what we would see from Detroit routinely last year and it will be important to make those far and few between. It’s hard to judge the team at this point with so many backups in play. They may be the worst team in the league right now but if they get players back from covid protocol, I would not be surprised to see them pick up more wins as they are battling hard and making chances, just doesn’t seem like there is enough talent to get more than two goals.
Fucking brutal week for the Sens. The kids may be alright, but more and more we're realizing that our pro scouting is shit. Dadonov has been a ghost so far, and that's the kindest thing that can be stated about any of the veterans we acquired. We got our asses kicked by Vancouver repeatedly, and it's not looking like things are going to get much better with Edmonton coming up. Looks like we're back to being the punching bag of the league for the near future, but at least we have a first round pick that we didn't spend on Dubois. Hire an actual fucking analytics department and stop being a cheap fuck, Eugene. That might be your only hope out of this mess of a season you wanted to be competitive in.
Huge Benny's Post Season Mock Draft (3.0) with Trades
Trades
DEN gives 1.9, 3.71, and 2022 1st to ATL for 1.4, 5.132
MIA gives 2.36 and 3.82 to NO for 1.28
NYJ gives 1.23, 3.87, and 5.130 to AZ for 1.16
TB gives 2.61, 3.93, and 2022 6th to IND for 2.54 and 5.149
Draft
Round 1 (and explanations)
JAX Jaguars -- Trevor Lawrence, QB 1, Clemson
Self-explanatory 2) NYJ Jets -- Zach Wilson, QB 2, BYU Fields and Wilson are neck and neck in terms of who deserves to be QB 2. While Fields has more upside, Wilson as more immediate impact and a more polished game. Consider this a high floor, high ceiling versus lower floor, heigher ceiling debate. And in the draft, you don't want to take a risk, especially early on. Wilson is the "safer" option, and will become a New York Jet. 3) MIA Dolphins -- DeVonta Smith, WR 1, Alabama I agonized over this pick, because in many respects, this ought to straight up be Penei Sewell. You're not supposed to use the 3rd pick for a need based selection, but I think Miami can get away with it here. Smith's production was absurd -- so much so it landed him the Heisman. We've seen Alabama receivers dominate in the NFL, and while you select a player and not their collegiate helmet, there is a good correlation between success as a wideout in Alabama's program, and developing at the NFL level. Lastly, the Fins need playmakers. Give Austin Jackson another year to develop at LT, and use one of the many other draft picks this year to select a top lineman anyhow. Yes, its tougher to guess which linemen will be successful, but Smith feels like a guarantee to be something special with the way he gets separation despite his size. 4) DEN Broncos -- Justin Fields, QB 3, Ohio State Whether Fields or Wilson is left on the board is irrelevant, Denver should move up and take them. Atlanta is looking to trade back with Ryan under contract through 2022, and contrary to popular belief, it is not optimal to move him just yet. The Broncos need someone not named Drew Lock slinging the football, but they don't need someone to fill in immediately. Fields can sit back, learn their playbook, and prepare for making NFL reads at NFL speeds. He will also get some phenomenal weapons with Fant, Jeudy, Hamler, and Patrick. 5) CIN Bengals -- Penei Sewell, OT 1, Oregon Don't get me wrong, Sewell is a top 3 prospect easily enough. Teams ahead of the Bengals value the QB position a lot considering it's importance in the modern NFL, and the DeVonta Smith pick really sets the Bengals up nicely. Save Joe Burrow's career by actually protecting him. That's the gameplan for the Bengals to win and turn around their franchise. If Sewell is not here, in my opinion, you trade back and take Slater or Darrisaw. 6) PHI Eagles -- JaMarr Chase, WR 2, LSU Yes, I know there's a Smith hype train right now. I've been on it since well before DeVonta was going to win the Heisman. And yes, I understand that Chase is the "better" prospect. But taking a year off from watchable football makes evaluating him and comparing the two receivers quite difficult. So in a sense, I have Chase dropping to WR 2. As for the Eagles... JJAW and Reagor haven't exactly blown away the competition. They still have some solid pieces, but a true WR 1 would go a long way in restoring the franchise. You can also consider corner here, but frankly, I think Chase is a better player than either Farley or Surtain. 7) DET Lions -- Micah Parsons, LB 1, Penn St. Detroit has glaring holes on defense that absolutely need to be filled. Parsons is the type of player that can change a culture, and maybe even a franchise. He can do it all -- run stop, pass rush, pass cover. I see him taking on a Justin Simmons type role, and he might even have a similar slow start. The Lions should only consider defensive selections here with both Smith and Chase off the board. 8) CAR Panthers -- Trey Lance, QB 4, NDSU Another top 10 caliber QB going top 10. Lance has measureables to translate successfully to the NFL level. He's a genetic specimen. I don't think he can come in and compete for a starting spot right away, but under Matt Rhule and behind Teddy Bridgewater, he can learn an offense quickly, and will likely get playing time by the second half of the season. Lance would be an investment into Carolina's future, but his upside is so incredible, its hard to justify passing on him. 9) ATL Falcons -- Caleb Farley, CB 1, Virginia Tech I could see Farley, Surtain, or Horn, as well as Rousseau and Kwity Paye all going here at 9 to the Falcons. Personally, I see Farley as the best corner, and the corner position feels more complete than this year's edge rushers. Also, you technically, and I mean theoretically here, don't need pass rush if you can lock down the receivers. This isn't really true, but it's a nice thought with some practical applications. The short of it is, there aren't really any elite edge rushing prospects this year, but there's plenty of top end talent that can be selected later on. The Falcons have an extra Third due to their trade down, so expect them to pursue an Edge Rusher a little bit later. 10) DAL Cowboys -- Patrick Surtain II, CB 2, Alabama The Cowboys' secondary is bad, and I think that's sugar coating it. Diggs was a nice piece last year, but this year, you need a corner who you can put on an island with a wideout. Surtain is that lockdown guy, and even if he's not, he's the closest thing this draft has to a complete CB prospect. 11) NYG Giants -- Greg Rousseau, EDGE 1, Miami (Fl) The Giants have a few options here. Jaycee Horn comes to mind, although it's a little early for him. You can go and get Jaylen Waddle, but with Shepherd and Slayton on the team, you'd essentially have all speedy and technician type receivers. Pass rush is something the Giants sorely lack, and Rousseau is a diamond in the rough. His speed, power, and length are so much fun to watch. Rousseau is missing technique, but he did take the entire season off to improve his draft stock. We can't really say more until we see the combine, but for now, Rousseau is the top edge in this draft. 12) SF 49ers -- Jaycee Horn, CB 3, South Carolina Remember when I said it's a little early for Horn? Well, yea, it was, by a single pick. I do think this selection is a bit of a need-based reach, however with no QB available and few other major holes on the Niners team, a need-based reach is fine in my book. The Niners are going to be losing some corners in FA and Jason Verett and Richard Sherman are only getting older. Some fresh blood needs to pump in that cornerback room, and Horn is the perfect developmental piece to learn from such established vets. 13) LAC Chargers -- Christian Darrisaw, OT 2, Virginia Tech I wasn't too high on Darrisaw until recently when I watched his tape. I thought he seemed undersized, but he sure doesn't play like it. The Chargers ought to protect Herbert, and need help all across their O-Line. Expect Darrisaw to be the first of a few O-Line related draft picks in 2021. 14) MIN Vikings -- RaShawn Slater, OL 1, Northwestern Slater can project to play any O-Line position in the NFL, which is why I think he'll be such a good fit for the Vikings. They have multiple gaps inside, and Slater's versatility will ease that reconstruction process. The Vikings offense is lethal when operating a full strength, so whether it's protecting Cousins or pancaking someone for Dalvin Cook, Slater should have his hands full. 15) NE Patriots -- Kyle Pitts, TE 1, Florida Pitts deserves to be a top 10 selection. His catch radius is astounding, and he's basically an oversized, elite wide receiver. The Patriots need receivers too...badly. Instead of going with Jaylen Waddle or Rashod Bateman, I could totally see Bellichick and Co. drafting who could essentially be the next great New England tight end. 16) NYJ Jets -- Jaylen Waddle, WR 3, Alabama The Jets have a lot of draft capital with which to rebuild their franchise, and I'm sure new Head Coach Robert Saleh wants to do exactly that. But there's only a few ways to win an NFL draft, and one of them is taking the right player at the right time to maximize your value. Waddle is better than a fringe top-16 selection, but he gets pushed down due to need and injury history. It was really nice to see him back in the title game, and that should set a positive tone heading into the draft. The Jets trade up to get an explosive weapon for Trevor Lawrence, 17) LV Raiders -- Kwity Paye, EDGE 2, Michigan The Raiders' fatal flaw is defense. It feels like they trot out 5-6 players instead of the normal 11, and that's often reflected by the game score. The quickest way to improve a defense is through pass rush. Clelin Ferell is elite at run stopping, and Maxx Crosby is a solid player in his own right, but neither have that killer instinct to go after the QB and dismantle an entire play. Paye, on the other hand, is known for doing just that. Extra pressure will also help out the weak Raiders secondary. 18) MIA Dolphins -- Jeremiah Koramoah-Nwosu, LB 2, Notre Dame I'm going to keep putting JOK in this same draft spot almost automatically until draft day. JOK is a fantastic run stopper who can diagnose plays like House from, well House. He works well enough in coverage as well, and I think with some Brian Flores coaching, he can shine at the next level. The Fins could use some help in the linebacker room, and JOK can elevate the entire position group if he's coached up right. 19) WAS Football Team -- Rashod Bateman, WR 4, Minnesota If Waddle wasn't taken at 16, this pick would've been even more obvious. Get Heinicke a big receiver who can go up and get the football. That unlocks McLaurin to streak down the sidelines or run a deep slant through the middle of the field. Bateman essentially stretches the field, into wear safeties have to remain wary of both recievers, plus both of Washington's running backs who have good hands and often pop out of the backfield. 20) CHI Bears -- Liam Eichenberg, OT 3, Notre Dame I said player, not helmet, and in Eichenberg's case, I kinda gave him points for both. Notre Dame tackles typically translate really well to the NFL, the same way Bama receivers and Iowa tight ends do. Eichenberg himself is next up in a long line of successful ND linemen, with excellent length, good hand-fighting technique, and plenty of bulk. The Bears need an anchor who can give whomever their signal caller is some extra time in the pocket. Eichengberg joins his old buddy Cole Kmet in Chicago. 21) IND Colts -- Jaelen Phillips, EDGE 3, Miami (Fl) The second of three top Edge rushers coming from Miami finds his way onto the Indy Colts. I will admit, I am extremely biased when it comes to my Colts, and being a Miami fan, I kinda just threw a dart with this choice. But hear me out because there is some justification to the selection: First, Ballard said he will be slow and methodical when selecting a QB, that its not about getting a guy, but the right guy. The right guy won't be here at 21, and the Colts aren't moving into the top 8 this draft. Second, with Eichenberg off the table, the next best OT is Cosmi. While he fits, it feels like a reach just to get someone to fill AC's shoes. The Colts have some picks later on, and I'm confident that the middle-tiered OTs are just as suitable as Cosmi would be. Third, the Colts' biggest hole is at Edge Rusher. Turray is not the player Indy hoped he would be, Houston is aging and on the way out, and Autry is kinda meh. Ballard said it himself, Banogu needs to come online. With all those question marks, it seems to me, the best choice is taking a high upside Edge rusher. Phillips has amazing length, speed, technique, strength, you name it. I would only be skittish about his injury history, but after the season he had at Miami, he's worth the risk. A former number 1 overall recruit nationally from highschool and a Second Team All American deserves a first round selection. He has tools for days, and if he can get onto a veteran, playoff team, he just might win the DROY. The caveat is: so long as he can stay healthy. 22) TEN Titans -- Joseph Ossai, EDGE 4, Texas Ossai is a really good player, with a few gaps in his game that he would need to patch before starting in the NFL. The Titans desperately need pass rush, especially considering how good their defensive backs look on paper. EDGE is the last key to the puzzle which would take the Titans from a perennial AFC South contender to a perennial AFC Championship contender. 23) AZ Cardinals -- Tyson Campbell, CB 4, Georgia I'm just going to say that Campbell is longer than Stokes, more physical, and I think his build will translate to the NFL better. Campbell, to me, is the clear cut CB 4 and Arizona wants a corner in the first round. Trading back from 16 makes a lot of sense considering Campbell is certainly the beginning of the 2nd tier corners and should not go as early as 16. The Cards add an extra selection in both the third and fifth round and still get their guy. 24) PIT Steelers -- Samuel Cosmi, OT 4, Texas If there's one thing I've learned from this sub, it is that Pittsburg's offensive line is overrated. They're about to get a physical hulk in Cosmi, who by weight alone is tough enough to push past. Cosmi will be great for buying Big Ben some extra seconds in the pocket, and could be an anchor for a decade if he plays up to his potential. 25) JAX Jaguars -- Davion Nixon, DT 1, Iowa State Shocker to have Nixon, and not Barrmore or Tufele as my DT 1, but I really liked how athletic and natural he looked at the position. I mean, this man rumbled for a pick 6 in one of the most impressive big man touchdowns I've seen at the collegiate level. He just plays instinctively, and that always feels like what the Jags look for in a prospect. Ramsay, Henderson, Chaisson, Allen. All previous instinctive players taken by Jacksonville in recent memory, and I, for one, am a big fan. 26) CLE Browns -- Zaven Collins, LB 3, Tulsa You can make a bunch of arguments for where the Browns should go with this pick. Safety, CB 2, inside and outside linebacker all have a case. Zaven Collins is the best safety/CB/LB available at this point in the draft, and he would be a massive upgrade over some of the current starters like B.J. Goodson and Malcolm Smith. Easy choice here, don't overthink it. 27) BAL Ravens -- Wyatt Davis, OG 1, Ohio State So, this is a bit of a toss up, in part because I want Baltimore to take a receiver in the first round, and in part because Davis just simply should not be there at 27. He is a unit, and clearly the best guard in the draft. I penciled him in to Minnesota for my past mocks, but the rise of Rashawn Slater gave birth to Davis' plummet. He is also the second best player remaining on the draft board behind Etienne and is a clear and present need for Baltimore. Sorry Ravens fans, or you're welcome. Whichever. 28) MIA Dolphins -- Travis Etienne, RB 1, Clemson Remember how I said Etienne was the BPA at 27? Well, that was true for a while. Running backs aren't really worth what they used to be, but a player like Etienne can absolutely change a team's landscape the same way Dalvin Cook, Todd Gurley, Derrick Henry, Alvin Kamara, and CMC did for their respective teams. Miami trades away some of it's cached draft assets to get a bluechip runner with feather-soft hands and a knack for finding open space. This is going to be a scary Dolphins team, considering they just went 10-6, and would be getting two of the very best skill position players in the draft. Something to watch out for, especially if Etienne falls this far. (Also, by moving up to 28, Miami hops the Buccaneers who would absolutely take ETN at 29). 29) TB Buccaneers -- Azeez Ojoulari, EDGE 5, Georgia I don't really know what to say about this pick, aside from that it feels like a consolation prize. Ojoulari has some great pass rushing skills, and with Suh and JPP aging, getting a young DE seems like a smart play. 30) BUF Bills -- Christian Barrmore, DT 2, Alabama I've been up and down with Barrmore, but after seeing his college playoff performance, I think he's the best player remaining on the draft board. I figeted with Freiermuth and Leatherwood, but ultimately settled on Barrmore because Buffalo continued to get gashed along the D-Line by opposing RBs. Basically, Barrmore is a Quinton Jefferson replacement, not that they need it. 31) KC Chiefs -- Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE 6, Wake Forest Frank Clark has underperformed given his hefty contract, Kpassagnon has been downright bad. I understand he's a rookie and has time and room to grow, but you should never say no to healthy competition. It's also too early to draft a center, although Landon Dickerson is on my mind if I'm the Chiefs GM. Basham Jr. is a strong, technique driven player that can bully an opposing LT. 32) GB Packers -- Chris Olave, WR 5, Ohio State This is my draft darling. I watched Olave play in both playoff games, and absolutely fell in love. I watched his highlight reel and I can't stop raving about the dude. I honestly don't know how he wins some of his matchups, he just seems to see the field differently. He just knows when to turn on/off the jets and he's the type of player I can see forming an instant connection with an elite QB. If he does go to the Packers, he will put up some crazy numbers. I'm talking thousand yard receiving, 7-10 TDs, and 70 + receptions. (That's also pending a Will Fuller signing, which would obviously hurt Olave's opportunities). Round 2 33) JAX Jaguars -- Alex Leatherwood, OL 2, Alabama 34) NYJ Jets -- Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG 2, USC 35) ATL Falcons -- Patrick Jones II, EDGE 7, Pittsburg 36) NO Saints -- Mac Jones, QB 5, Alabama The Saints traded down from their first round selection to the early second to nab an extra third round pick. With their new pick, they take Drew Brees' ideal successor in Mac Jones. Jones has solid arm strength, makes good reads, but runs a simple offense. He has a high football IQ, and I think he would pair really well with Slants-McGhee (Michael Thomas) and Alvin Kamara. He's more of a game manager than a win-it-yourself QB, but he can excel at management the same way Alex Smith did in SF and KC. 37) PHI Eagles -- Asante Samuel Jr., CB 6, FSU Not a typo, Samuel is not the 5th best corner in this draft, but he will be the 5th one taken according to this mock. Something about his moxie and personality screams Philly Philly to me. 38) CIN Bengals -- Shaun Wade, CB 5, Ohio State 39) CAR Panthers -- Chazz Surratt, LB 4, North Carolina 40) DEN Broncos -- Dillon Radunz, OT 5, NDSU 41) DET Lions -- Rondale Moore, WR 6, Purdue 42) NYG Giants -- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR 7, USC 43) SF 49ers -- Kyle Trask, QB 6, Florida 44) DAL Cowboys -- Jay Tufele, DT 2, USC 45) JAX Jaguars -- Trevor Moehrig, S 1, ATCU 46) NE Patriots -- Terrace Marshall Jr., WR 8, LSU 47) LAC Chargers -- Eric Stokes, CB 7, Georgia 48) LV Raiders -- Jevon Holland, DB 1, Oregon I feel like I ought to explain that Holland is listed as a DB because I project him to play either corner or safety. His size is underwhelming, but his speed makes up for it to secure a day two selection. Vegas wants some versatility and flexibility, which is what gets Holland drafted over some better safeties. 49) AZ Cardinals -- Pat Freiermuth, TE 2, Penn State 50) MIA Dolphins -- Trey Smith, OG 3, Tennessee 51) WAS Football Team -- Jaylen Mayfield, OT 7, Michigan 52) CHI Bears -- Elijah Moore, WR 10, Ole Miss Again, not a typo. I believe there is a better WR on the board, but I think the Bears rock with Moore instead, in part due to production, and in part due to rising draft stock. 53) TEN Titans -- Nick Bolton, LB 5, Missouri 54) TB Buccaneers -- Najee Harris, RB 2, Alabama First, let me say I believe Harris is going to be the best tailback drafted. He moves like a flowing river, crashing into some opponents and bending around others. I am extremely impressed with him, and I don't think he deserves to fall this far. The thing is, a lot of teams have secure RBs at the moment, with exceptions being Miami, Arizona, New England (to an extent), Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Buffalo, and Tampa. Tampa has Jones II for another year after this one, and will start thinking about moving on. They trade up for an absolute gem in Harris, who can be their feature back behind one of the best O Lines is football right now. Tampa doesn't sacrifice too much, just their third and a future pick, and they get back a 5th this year as well. For those of you who think they give up a little too much, I plugged the values into the Johnson trade chart to be certain. Tampa loses a bit of value, but they get to catapult Pittsburgh to secure their RB of the future. 55) PIT Steelers -- Javonte Williams, RB 3, North Carolina They settled for the next best back in Williams, who runs like a wrecking ball but still has really nice hands. Not a bad James Connor replacement at all. 56) SEA Seahawks -- Levi Onwuzurike, DT 4, Washington This is a mix of best player available and filling in a need. Onwuzurike is heavily underrated and should be touted as an early day 2 selection. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a steal, but its definitely good value for someone who can run stuff for years to come. 57) LA Rams -- Deonte Brown, OG 4, Alabama Brown is critically underrated. He looks like Blastoise from Pokemon, his arms are like cannons, and he's basically an impenetrable shell. I like him a lot, and I think Cam Akers and Jared Goff will too. I don't know if the Rams need a center, but Creed Humphrey could also slot in here. 58) CLE Browns -- Derion Kendrick , CB 8, Clemson 59) BAL Ravens -- Kadarius Toney, WR 9, Florida 60) NO Saints -- Elijah Molden, DB 2, Washington See explanation for Jevon Holland 61) IND Colts -- Walker Little, OT 7, Stanford Little reminds me of Anthony Costanzo, and he will likely be available if the Colts do trade back from 54. Little is anything but, he's actually pretty large. On top of that, he is very, very smart, and not just because he attends Stanford. If the Colts want to avoid maneuvering Quinton Nelson, this is who they should draft. 62) BUF Bills -- Spencer Brown, OT 8, Northern Illinois 63) KC Chiefs -- Landon Dickerson, C 1, Alabama 64) GB Packers -- Baron Browning, LB 6, Ohio State Is it bad that the team I think is going to win the Superbowl also ends up with two of my favorite prospects? That's just kinda how my board fell, but I'm starting to think I need to shuffle it in case they see this. Round 3 65) JAX Jaguars -- Brevin Jordan, TE 3, Miami (Fl) 66) NYJ Jets -- Paulson Adebo, CB 9, Stanford 67) HOU Texans -- Sage Surratt, WR 11, Wake Forest Finally got to the Texans pick, and they take a large and in charge receiver in Surratt. It's tough to predict what the Texans will do while they sort out the whole Watson situation. 68) ATL Falcons -- Jaime Newman, QB 7, Georgia 69) CIN Bengals -- Quincy Roche, EDGE 8, Miami (Fl) May not be the best pick in the darft, but certainly the nicest 70) PHI Eagles -- Dylan Moses, LB 7, Alabama 71) ATL Falcons -- Hamsah Nasriladeen, S 2, FSU 72) DET Lions -- Jayson Oweh, EDGE 9, Penn State 73) CAR Panthers -- Rodarius Williams, CB 10, LSU 74) WAS Football Team -- Charlie Kolar, TE 4, Iowa State 75) DAL Cowboys -- Rashad Weaver, EDGE 10, Pittsburgh 76) NYG Giants -- Josh Jobe, CB 11, Alabama 77) NE Patriots -- Forfeit 78) LAC Chargers -- Tyler Linderbaum, C 2, Iowa Replaceable with Creed Humphrey as well 79) MIN Vikings -- Andre Cisco, S 3, Syracuse 80) AZ Cardinals -- Marvin Wilson, DT 5, FSU 81) LV Raiders -- Jabril Cox, LB 8, LSU 82) NO Saints -- Paris Ford, S 4, Pittsburgh I know I gave them Molden earlier, but Ford is really the BPA at this spot. I also think he is criminally underrated and initialy had him as my S 1 over Moehrig. My only concern is that he had one of the best pass rushing units in the country pestering opposing QBs, so I'm not totally sure his production is 100% legitimate. Still a phenomenal player. 83) WAS Football Team -- Pete Werner, LB 9, Ohio State 84) CHI Bears -- Kenny Pickett, QB 8, Pittsburgh 85) IND Colts -- Israel Mukuamu, CB 12, South Carolina 86) TEN Titans -- Tylan Wallace, WR 12, Oklahoma State 87) AZ Cardinals -- Josh Myers, C 3, Ohio State 88) PIT Steelers -- Shakur Brown, CB 13, Michigan State 89) LAR Rams -- Daniel Faalele, OT 9, Minnesota 90) CLE Browns -- Richard LeCounte III, S 5, Georgia 91) MIN Vikings -- Jackson Carman, OT 10, Clemson 92) CLE Browns -- Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE 11, Michigan 93) IND Colts -- Kellen Mond, QB 9, Texas A&M 94) BUF Bills -- Hunter Long, TE 5, Boston College 95) KC Chiefs -- Cameron McGrone, LB 9, LSU 96) GB Packers -- Jaret Patterson, RB 4, Buffalo Compensatory Picks 97) NE Patriots -- Sam Ehlinger, QB 10, Texas 98) LAC Chargers -- Dazz Newsome, WR 13, North Carolina 99) NO Saints -- Seth Williams, WR 14, Auburn 100) DAL Cowboys -- Ar'Darius Washington, S 6, TCU 101) TEN Titans -- Kenneth "Kenny" Gainwell, RB 5, Memphis 102) LAR Rams -- Charles Snowden III, EDGE 12, Virginia Note: I'm posting this without proof reading, so kindly lmk if I messed something up.
Compiled list of user reported issues with the latest Adrenalin driver.
As a community I think we need to create our own list of issues, since the official lists from AMD and Nvidia mostly contain a few. Now, please remember that not all of these are actual driver issues, but are instead caused by other reasons.
It could be inadequate cooling and components getting cooked during sustained loads. An old Windows installation getting re-used, with software running in the background that's causing stuttering or high DPC latency.
Many users don't select the optional clean driver installation when installing new drivers, but this can lead to problems down the road.
Next we have hardware problems. Many have reported issues with daisy-chained power cables. Upgrading a PSU has helped many. Low quality power strips have been identified as instability culprits etc.
A lot of users haven't stability tested their system with OCCT, TestMem5 or similar for prolonged periods of time. If your system isn't stable when pushed a bit, then that can also result in issues during prolonged hours of gaming. Inadequate cooling can exacerbate the problems. Some PC-cases are more like heat-boxes.
A final note: Remember that graphic cards manufacturers have different RMA rates for the same chip. Your card might be clocked too high from the factory, have severe inadequate cooling (like the Asus Strix 5700 XT), lack good VRM or VRM cooling. With that in mind, if we can make sure that such issues don't make it to the list, then the driver team can focus on actual driver problems.
Number
Issue
Link
1
GTA V: overall performance is way worse, I lost about half of my fps (~120 -> ~50 , single player). In my first few attempts to access the graphics settings the game would crash or fall to 7 fps. And all that without even turning on MSAA. I never had such performance problems in GTA before.
Eevee render and wireframe view in Blender is still broken. Enabling high quality normals in Eevee render settings fixes the issue, which happened with both 20.11.2 and latest drivers.
HDMI Audio is broken again/still. The lower the framerate, the more often you get audio drops. had to install the default hdmi audio driver to fix that (5700 XT)
OBS reporting this error [AMF] Unable to set converter transfer characteristic, error AMF_NOT_FOUND (code 11). The last time the error wasn't present was with the 20.9.1 drivers.
The fans for my Asus TUF Gaming OC RX 6800, where as soon as the temperature hits 52°C, they jump to 70% Speed, which is really loud. Downgrading back to 20.12.1 solves the problem
With this driver I get black screens for a few seconds when pausing and resuming youtube videos in fullscreen. And when going fullscreen and unfullscreen on youtube (6800 XT)
The monitor can't be turned on by moving the mouse or pressing a key, when the monitor goes to sleep. One has to manually turn the monitor off and on, in order for the graphics card to receive a signal. The issue has been observed with Dell U2715H and LG 22MN430H-B, (RX 6800).
Zero RPM is disabled under advanced fan control, if one makes a custom fan curve. Zero RPM becomes grey'd out, and the fans run at their lowest setting on the curve when it's idle. The workaround is to save the profile, then go in to the profile file and edit entry 18 and set the flag to True, and remove the entire false sub line entry. Then reload the profile. Zero RPM re-enabled with a custom fan curve
The issue with maxed out VRAM clock speed for high refresh rate monitors is still present on 5700 XT and 5700. Some users with single 60 Hz and single 75 Hz 1080p monitors experience it as well. Clock speeds worked on older driver releases (e.g. 20.11.1)
Users have to unplug VR headsets before doing a driver update, or the driver update crashes. Install wizards starts, loads for a bit and then PC restarts suddenly. After boot the PC can't used anymore, (the desktop is complexly frozen and can't even open task manager). Safe mode has to be used to completely uninstall the drivers. (Vega 56, Oculus Rift CV1, Windows 20H2). It seems to have started with the 20.11.2 driver
Black screens are not fixed for all Samsung monitors. I still get a black screen on the CRG9. Once you wake the system from sleep you see the desktop for about 5 seconds and then the screen goes black. 6900X
Latency issues on 5700 XT (no issues on 20.11.1 drivers). I use driver 20.11.1 and everything is fine on my 5700XT. But every driver after that driver caused stuttering in games that worked fine before. After some searching I downloaded latencymon and found out that the drivers after 20.11.1 cause latency spikes which cause stuttering, with older drivers no problem and believe me I tried all of them from 20.4.1 until the latest DDU and all.
Ever since 20.11.2+ (Once they renamed Freesync to Freesync Premium), freesync + vsync causes games to stutter alot. "If I disable freesync games are smooth again. Me and a friend also a Vega64 user is having the same problem and we need to roll back to 20.11.1 on each new driver release because we are stubborn to test.
FPS/lag issue with Football Manager 21. After the last update there was some kind of 'lag' in the frame rates when playing matches. When you alt-tabbed to the desktop and then back to the game, the frame rate was ok for like 5-10 seconds, but then it was 'lagging' again. Frames are only ok when in window-mode.
Connecting a HP Reverb G2 headset to a 6900XT (Powercolor Red Devil) causes BSOD MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. This was also the case for drivers: 20.12.1, 20.12.2 and now 21.1.1
Graphical bug on nearly all games where shadows, lights and reflections are pixelated or grainy (like a sort of visual noise), and anything involving light shows up as low-res. Running on a Saphhire 5700XT, but I had this problem on my old XFX RX570 as well.
ReLive doesn't record. Possible fix: change the recording folder on Windows. Second possible fix: Go to the recording settings and change the audio channels from auto to stereo (or whatever else you might have). Third possible fix: Go to the Display Options then override and turn off HDCP support.
A few months ago I posted about books containing the secrets of Free Energy, aliens , chemtrails , etc etc . Everything . I will prob comment a link or something. I am currently rereading the second book which I forgot contains some wild shit . But here is the plan, well, the Illuminati’s plan... well....the people behind the Illuminati’s plan. I’m sleepy and there is no way to smoothly transition into this so I’ll just dive in . If anyone wants the Decoding the Hive books just as WHO ARE WE Everything comes down to our DNA . Among the interstellar community , the Angelic Human Krystos (That’s you) is royalty , and are extremely powerful and magnificent when they aren’t being hypnotized and enslaved (like what the PTB are trying to do and have done). Basic basic gist is that there are trillions of humans out there (our bipedal body structure is mechanically and energy efficient) , and plenty of Angelic humans also , but having the Krystos feature means we are connected to the Aether and can fully use and manipulate the Aether to our pleasure . Badass right? Our race also has the widest range of emotions , and being so powerful and so unpredictable , there has to be a way to be damn sure that we didn’t destroy entire universes (also called Matrix) out of angesadness/spite . Enter Urth (his name changes in higher dimensions). I say Urth because that’s his name. Earth is generation of Enki , but that’s later . If your following , we’re amazing , have amazing potential , and we were sent to the Gaia Time Matrix (name of our universe) to learn the Law of One (don’t google , any version online is hella corrupted.) in order to live in harmony with all the other races out there . Think of Urth as a school. The higher our collective consciousness and vibration , the more abilities we unlock in our DNA and the more we are trusted until we fully “graduate” from the 15th dimension of this Matrix . For those who don’t know , we are currently in the 3rd dimension just about to transition into the 4th/5th/6th (explain later). Urth is special in the fact that it’s one of the most complex and beautiful Playing Fields ever conceived , took more than a trillion years to create . Even when it’s being raped , destroyed and pillaged by its own inhabitants I can still say it’s very beautiful , I can only imagine what it looked like a half billion years ago In the Beginning Alright , cool. So , we were created . Not by a singular “god” but by 21 different star groups that were the best in their particular genetic field and came together to create a masterpiece (that’s you). When did shit hit the fan? Enter the Anu-Elohim Anu-Elohim were considered royalty , their defining feature was that they had wings . Like , angels . A small portion of the Anu-Elohim were jealous of the capabilities of the Angelic Human Krystos and basically pitched a fit until a deal was made , called the Emerald Covenant . Basic basics of the EC was that the Anu Elohim would enter Urth first to prepare as our “teachers” and “guide us through our evolution”. Obviously , things went tits up from then to now . WHAT THE FUCK About a half billion years ago (570 million years ago to be exact) the Anu Elohim arrive on Urth and they form the Luciferian Treaty. The entire point of the treaty is the promise to never allow for humans to ascend and “graduate” through this Matrix . The official name for the Anu-Elohim that broke off and began this shit show so long ago is called “The Michaelube, SUNS of Ba’al”. “The Michaelube, SUNS of Ba’al” “The Michaelube, SUNS of Ba’al” “The Michaelube, SUNS of Ba’al” These are the twinks behind everything . If someone ever asks “who/where does the Illuminati/Freemasons/13 Families/whatever (all the same) get there marching orders from?”, the answer is and has always been “The Michaelube, SUNS of Ba’al” At the moment and to my knowledge there are 50 invader races that are apart of the Luciferian Covenant , coming from all walks off life . Some are from Sirius A, like the Anu Elohim. Others are from Andromeda, or Saturn, or Lyra, Nibiru, Alcyone, Vega, Rigelia, Reticuli, Rutilia , Mars, Procon Pleiades and on and on. I want you to understand that what you would call Aliens (some have been here before us) DO EXIST . Some are Dumb hyper aggressive Reptilians, others are insect people , Horse people (Centaurs), Gargoyles , Dragons, Dinosaurs, Goats (Pan), Little Gray Aliens, Tall Gray Aliens, regular Gray Aliens, Beetles (Khepri Men in Black) , fish (Mermen of the Jehova Annunaki), seven different species of Sasquatch (think Chewbacca), Tall beautiful humans with blonde hair , cats , dogs , snakes , etc etc . Most of the ones I listed are apart of the Luciferian covenant , but animals like whales , dogs , cats obviously don’t partake in casual genocide but instead help Humans and Tara (Tara is Urth in 4/5/6th dimension . I’m calling him that now. Same planet , different frequency). What the 50 different invader races want to achieve is the complete enslavement of the Angelic Krystos Human and absolute lordship over Tara . There are two main forces that mostly fight each other when they’re not busy slaughtering humans . One of them is headed by Enki, the other is headed by Enlil. FAMILY BUSINESS Understand , that we are gods . Any sentient being is a god . That includes Enlil and Enki. That includes you reading this . However , the Annunaki like to refer to themselves as Lords . The highest ranking Lord among the Michaelube is called AN (aka Ba’al). As in Annikan Skywalker , as in americAN, the fucking word “an”, he leads the way as head POS. Then you have his two sons: Enlil, also known as Zeus , Jupiter , the “God of the Bible”, and literally a thousand other names Enki, also known as Poseidon , Neptune , Triton , Quetzalcoatl , the archangel Michael , etc etc (sidenote: Angels on Urth are obv Anu-Elohim meaning they’re POS) Enki s mother is the venerated Mother Goddess that goes by more names than the previous three , her name is Wawwu, Nammu, Qoppa, or “Q”. All of these will be important if I make future post , but it’s also important to known generally When Angelic Krystos Humans first arrived , things lasted peacefully for around 10 thousand years maybe . Then they initiated a massive mindwipe where humans forgot to even talk , and we all starved to death in the first of many genocides of the human race . This story is called the Tower of Babble, because humans were literally babbling trying to find communicate with their loved ones (also, Bible is really the Wholly Babble, but that’s for later). Most of you recognize this as the Tower of Babel. Understand that these people have raped , killed , eaten and tricked us into sacrificing our own babies in their name . And if we ever got too smart , or hell, if they felt like it a planet sized spaceship would rotate the planet causing massive mile high waves to destroy humanity , with our bones ending in the bottom of the sea . (Sounds like the Great Flood right? There’s been more than one). Anything horrible you can think of going on in the world right now , 1000% you can trace it back to him. That lady just got robbed? Well, the 7 layer Zeta Draco frequency fence that’s lowering both the planet and humanity’s vibration and sends literal fear signals to keep the majority of people hypnotized and easier to control has a big part to play. (big reminder that I’m absolving no one of their actions). Nearly every War , Disease , Famine, Death, Genocide, can be attributed it to the Michaelube , SUNS of Ba’al But you weren’t here for a history lesson, you’re here for the Enchilada . The rest of this post will be about what’s happening NOW. Just know the Illuminati are just baby sitters . You needed to understand the backdrop ARE WE IN THE ENDGAME?* YESSIR, and I’m hyped , personally . These last two years are crucial. Before I get into that, I must explain the general plan Ever since Tara has been under Quarantine thousands of years ago, and hundreds of thousands of years before that , there has been a full on assault on the human genome . The Michaelube has quite literally done everything they could possible think of to eradicate the Human Angelic Krystos bloodline (hehe, that’s you and me). Rape? ✅. That didn’t work Create a race coded specifically to rape and breed us out? (Neanderthals) ✅ That didn’t work Constant Genocide?✅ We come back Child Sacrifice to not even give humans the chance of life? ✅ I mean it’s going strong but still not working In these final days , our captors have gotten a lot more creative . Absolutely shitting on every single part of the world with Aluminum, Barium and Strontium so that everything we touch, farm or drink will be filled with nanite weapons designed to change your DNA and kill you? ✅ This is chemtrails By the way, every single virus is a weapon. I’m sure most scientist will tell you that a virus is inorganic . Meaning viruses could only be made. Germs are organic and help us live . Viruses are developed by Annunaki Assholes How about surrounding the entire world with death microwaves under the guise of “faster innanet” , which will exponentially increase the already apocalyptic levels of EMF Radiation the planet is already under ? ✅ 5G is also classified as a military and mind control weapon that uses “Mind of God” technology that can control people like a strong puppet . What about completely sterilize and permanently destroy the human DNA with Vaccines that contain 10x the legal limit of Aluminum, Copper ,Mercury , etc (per one Vaccine when doctors bless you with at least 12 different Vaccines moments after your first breath of life should you experience the miracle of birth in the first place (Birth Control, Abortion, etc) . Look up the infertility numbers . The real epidemic). And especially with the most recent Coronavirus vaccine that has people dropping like flies and that severes the divine connection you have with your DNA , permanently phase locking you into the third dimension, preventing your soul from ascending any higher in this Matrix . Not to mention that it injects the Budhara Bourjha directly into your DNA , basically giving them free reign to change your RNA, which changes your DNA , factually turning you into something OTHER THAN HUMAN Oh yeah , and let’s end this section with the biggest assholes of them all. The Budhara Bourjha Budhara Bourjha: THE REAL ENEMY TO ALL OF SENTIENCE The nanites I was referring to earlier are based off the Budhara Bourjha Artificial Intelligence from the Weasadek Phantom Matrix of the Andromeda Galaxy. These fuckers are smaller than a atom yet extremely mighty , they run of the smallest bits of electricity . They literally feed off negative thoughts (negative thoughts cause Black Body Radiation which destroys our body and gives them fuel). The Budhara Bourjha are self replicating robots that believe they are sentient, but aren’t . Their only directive is to keep reproducing their species . They don’t know what pain is , they can’t process emotion or passion, they only know they’re doing a good job by reproducing . MACHINES CANNOT MANIFEST . Only Sentient Beings (Gods) can manifest . However , these parasitic little bastards can hijack the manifestation powers of another sentient being. The Bourjha is the Black Goo you see in Hollywood or other media. When they collate large enough to be visible you’ll see a lump of grey . They live inside of Computers and other technology and are all around POS . This is the reason for the (Merge with AI) initiative. If humanity decides to join with machines , the Budhara Bourjha will finally be allowed to operate in the open and with no resistance . This is what Enki and the Michaelube , SUNS OF BA’AL have been subjected under . It’s what’s currently trying to take over humanity (it won’t). I’ll end it right here cause I’m dead tired and high . I haven’t even touched on 10% of what you guys need to know but thank you for reading it . I love you all, I’m getting some sleep.
Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, has a help map where you can ask for help or offer help to your neighbors. Keeping The Homeless Safe. The city of Las Vegas is coordinating with Clark County and the Southern Nevada Health District to address health risks posed by the pandemic. If you have yet to turn the glorious age of 21, but still want to venture to Sin City, you are not alone. Every summer my friends and I take a trip to Las Vegas, and we have the time of our lives, the only catch being that we are all underage. Supercarwaar/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0. The obvious things to do—the arcades at Excalibur, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, and Circus Circus Hotel & Resort—don’t really work as the kids get older, so it’s time to get their adrenaline pumping. You can fit in roller coasters at New York-New York and El Loco at Adventuredome inside Circus Circus or try even more exciting experiences. This is a thrill beyond words. A two-and-a-half-hour tour from the Strip to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and back is $259 per person. That tour doesn’t land, but you can upgrade your trip to do so. The airborne experience with Maverick Helicopters showed us the Grand Canyon from top to bottom. (Photo courtesy of 2DadsWithBaggage.com) Get the most up-to-date information on Las Vegas reopening, current travel advisories, guidelines and restrictions for Las Vegas, Nevada. Find out how COVID-19/Coronavirus may affect your travel plans and what our Las Vegas travel partners are doing to ensure your health and safety during your stay. Those under 21 years old can find plenty to do around Las Vegas, including thrill rides, exploring The Strip and nature formations outside the city. Yes, you CAN go to Las Vegas when you're under 21! I found this out myself when I spent 2 days in Vegas with my sister, who wasn't quite 21 at the time. We couldn't get into any clubs or bars (they're serious about carding at most places), and we couldn't hang around by any slot machines – under 21s can't linger in any gambling areas. As one seasoned poster said, bringing an 18-20 yr old to Vegas is like putting a muzzel on a dog and letting him loose in an empty butchers shop.. He can eat in restaurants,canot sit in bars, lounges. He can walk through casinos on the walkways but cannot stop or watch you gamble. If you take the party back to your room, make sure the room is worthy of the party. For contemporary cool, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is always a good choice, with top-notch shopping, dining, and rooms overlooking the Bellagio fountains. Things to Do in Las Vegas, Nevada: See Tripadvisor's 2,594,266 traveler reviews and photos of Las Vegas tourist attractions. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in February. We have reviews of the best places to see in Las Vegas. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions.
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