Obviously, we gotta start with the Turkey day games...
- Chicago at Detroit. Last year, after losing to the Bears on Thanksgiving, Fatt Patricia was (thank goodness) relieved of his duties as the Lions head coach. Rumors are already swirling that Bears head coach Matt Nagy has ALREADY been informed he will be fired after the Lions game, win or lose (he denies it)...Should Detroit get its first win of the year over the Bears, that would be a bit of poetic justice... - Las Vegas at Dallas: Ok, I am gonna be honest with you...I don't have any compelling reason why you should watch this game, I am just looking forward to it because the Raiders don't really get on TV in Michigan a whole lot. - Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay: It's the time of year, 2nd half of the season, we have a better idea who the good and bad teams are, and here, we have a 7-3 going against an 8-3 team, possibly with home playoff game implications. Plus, it's Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers. - Tennessee at New England: Two first place teams, what more do you need? - Tampa Bay at Indianapolis: Just a few days ago, Tom Brady threw for over 300 yards. He's also only 23 yards behind Patrick Mahomes for leading the NFL in passing yards, despite having played one less game. The Chiefs are off this week, so at the end of this week's games, a 44 year old will lead the NFL in both passing yards and passing TDs. Ridiculous. I know a lot of people are damn sick of Tom Brady after two decades...but let's be honest with ourselves here. We are witnessing an NFL career that will not, cannot ever be duplicated.
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The teams on the left comprise the North Division, and the teams on the right are the South division. If these team names sound familiar, it's because every single team here was a member of the USFL league that ran from 1983-1985.
A few facts about the new USFL: - Games start in 4 months, March 2022. - League is owned by Fox Sports - The plan is to find private owners for each of the teams, but, like the XFL 2.0, will start as a single entity, with Fox Sports controlling all eight teams - The league has already stated they have no intentions of trying to compete with the NFL like the original USFL did, but rather their goal is to become a feeder league to the NFL - No TV deal has been announced, but it seems likely that games will air on FS1... I think we gotta start with the Sunday night game between the 7-2 Dallas Cowboys and the 6-4 Kansas City Chiefs. Despite all of the jokes, Dallas looks for real this year, and the Chiefs look very, very mortal. The Chiefs are very likely still a playoff team, but could find themselves playing on Wildcard weekend if they don't snap out of whatever funk they have been in. Beating the Raiders was a good start, but then again, with all of the issues the Raiders have had over the last few weeks, maybe it wasn't really all that impressive...
Green Bay/Minnesota. Green Bay SHOULD win, but we've seen some strange events happen during Packers/Vikings games over the years, so you can't take it for granted. Tonight, the Falcons take on the Patriots. The Falcons are not a great football team, but this game might be worth watching, just to continue to watch Mac Jones evolve. It is impossible to replace Tom Brady, but Mac Jones has so far looked like an NFL QB... The Toilet Bowl between the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland if it's Brown, flush it downs...Baker Mayfield might play, he might not. The Lions are riding high? After not losing against Pittsburgh. But, neither of these teams have won any NFL Championships since the 1950s, and all jokes aside, Lions fans and Cleveland fans are actually a lot alike. For some reason, we still support our shitty teams... Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden is suing the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of his private emails being leaked amid an investigation into the Washington Football Team.
Gruden's attorney, Adam Hosmer-Henner of McDonald Carano, said in a statement that the lawsuit was filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada. "The complaint alleges that the defendants selectively leaked Gruden's private correspondence to the Wall Street Journal and New York Times in order to harm Gruden's reputation and force him out of his job," Hosmer-Henner said. "There is no explanation or justification for why Gruden's emails were the only ones made public out of the 650,000 emails collected in the NFL's investigation of the Washington Football Team or for why the emails were held for months before being released in the middle of the Raiders' season." The lawsuit says the NFL pressured the Raiders to terminate Gruden and "intimated that further documents would become public if Gruden was not fired." According to the suit, Gruden lost a sponsorship deal with Skechers and was pulled from appearing in the Madden NFL 2022 video game, as well as having future employment and endorsement prospects damaged. Gruden is seeking unspecified damages on seven claims as well as punitive awards and attorneys' fees. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy called Gruden's allegations "entirely meritless" and said the league "will vigorously defend against these claims." The emails, which contained racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language, spanned a seven-year period starting in 2011 when Gruden worked for ESPN as an analyst on Monday Night Football. The Wall Street Journal first reported Oct. 8 that Gruden had used a racial trope to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith. Gruden apologized, and two days later a listless Raiders team lost at home to the Chicago Bears. On Oct. 11, The New York Times reported many more problematic emails sent by Gruden. He resigned that evening, apologizing again and saying he never meant to hurt anyone. Gruden's messages were uncovered from a set of 650,000 emails that were part of the NFL's investigation into claims of workplace misconduct against the Washington Football Team. They were sent by Gruden to then-Washington president Bruce Allen and others. Gruden has been silent publicly since his resignation as the Raiders have gone 2-1 under interim coach Rich Bisaccia and host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Gruden, who originally coached the Raiders from 1998 through 2001 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- with whom he beat the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII -- was with ESPN from 2009 to 2017. He returned to the Raiders in 2018 on a 10-year contract worth a reported $100 million. Raiders owner Mark Davis said last month that he had reached a settlement with Gruden over the final six-plus years of his contract. Davis did not reveal the terms of the settlement. Thoughts: - The entire email release was designed to embarrass Gruden. They got their wish, but Chuckie is understandably pissed. - I don't think this is about money, Gruden has enough of it. - This is about revenge. Gruden wants to publicly embarrass the NFL and Goodell specifically for destroying Gruden's reputation. - At a minimum, Gruden has a good idea of what else was said in the conversations that he was involved with. Most of the comments he made seemed to be part of multiple back and forth emails with others. Which is strange, because none of the other emails were released. - If there is even the slightest bit of shady emails involving Goodell then he is done as commish. Even as a cash cow for league owners, none of the owners in their right mind is going to back Goodell if it is bad enough. - Which leaves Robert Kraft, who's dementia has him thinking that he's a rap star and will likely support anything as long as they promise to feed him his apple sauce. Odell Beckham Jr. has a new home in a city he knows well.
Beckham is signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Kim Jones reported Thursday. The disgruntled Beckham forced his way out of Cleveland last week after the Browns were unable to strike a deal to ship him elsewhere before the trade deadline. The 29-year-old wideout cleared waivers on Tuesday, allowing him to become a free agent and join any team of his choosing. Prior to his official release, Beckham was excused from back-to-back practice sessions following a series of inflammatory online actions on the part of Beckham's father, who posted a video compilation of the moments in which his son was open, but Baker Mayfield did not throw him the ball. Odell Beckham Sr. followed up by responding affirmatively to comments disparaging Mayfield's motivation and ability. Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters last Friday the video and online activity (including a tweet from LeBron James demanding Cleveland #FreeOBJ) alone did not prompt their parting of ways, but that a "series of discussions ... spanning back longer than that" led to the team releasing the star receiver. Beckham now heads to the Rams, who boast a high-powered offense engineered by quarterback Matthew Stafford that currently ranks fourth in total yards per game, third in passing and fifth in scoring. Stafford already had a bevy of weapons at his disposal, including NFL receiving leader Cooper Kupp, and Beckham's arrival will only further strengthen their receiving corps. My Thoughts: - This may work, but it doesn't make sense to me. - I get the idea of working with Matt Stafford and Sean McVay is a huge selling point for OBJ, OBJ really wanted a veteran QB - But..... The Rams just got rid of a malcontent WR in Desean Jackson. Why was Jackson pissed off? Oh yea, because he wasn't getting enough touches in his view. - The Rams offense goes through Cooper Kupp and how OBJ deals with that will be the key to the Rams~OBJ marriage. - I'm also not sold on Matt Stafford as a big game QB. Maybe he does get it done, but the Titans make him look bad with a strong interior rush. - This may work though. If OBJ can behave himself and be a team player and contributor then he can make himself a bunch of money. If he can't behave for three months then he'll be an inexpensive pickup next offseason. For the full reason, see the NCAA Chatters post...
Anyway, on to some of the games: Detroit at Pittsburgh - Trap game? I've seen some people state this game is ripe for a Lions upset...personally, I'll believe it when I see it. Until the Lions actually beat someone, I don't expect them to beat anybody... Chiefs at Raiders - Who is gonna get released by the Raiders after this game? Anyway, battle is for 2nd place in the AFC West. Carolina at Arizona - Cam Newton has re-signed with the Panthers. Too bad the Cardinals are a vastly superior football team. Honestly though, except for MAYBE the Rams/49ers monday night, this is a very dull week in the NFL. Just about every matchup is lackluster, no real must-see games. The end of the Odell Beckham era in Cleveland is upon us. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that the Browns are releasing the wideout, per sources informed of the situation. The release comes about as OBJ and the team agreed to a reworked contract, Rapoport added. Beckham now heads to waivers. The team later confirmed it's finalizing the process. "After careful consideration, internal discussions and conversations with Odell and his representation, we've determined that it is in the best interest of all parties involved that Odell no longer play for the Cleveland Browns," general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. "We appreciate all his efforts and contributions while in Cleveland, but we've just reached a point where it is best that we move forward as a team without Odell. We are finalizing the process of granting Odell his release and we wish him well as he continues his career." The writing was on the wall all week after Tuesday's social media push to get the wideout out of Cleveland, which included Beckham's father sharing a video showing Beckham open on routes but quarterback Baker Mayfield not throwing his direction. Cleveland attempted to trade Beckham ahead of Tuesday's deadline but couldn't cultivate a deal before the window closed. The Browns excused OBJ from practice on Wednesday and Thursday, indicating they planned to move on if they could figure out the contract situation. It's a tumultuous end to a dud of an era in Cleveland. In 29 games, Beckham caught 114 of 210 targets for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns over two and a half seasons. In six games in 2021, OBJ caught 17 of 34 targets for 232 yards and hasn't scored. In Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh, Beckham had one reception for 6 yards, the fewest in a full game for his career. Beckham leads the team in targets through eight games. The star wideout never found a rapport with Mayfield. The duo got off to a fine start together in 2019, with Beckham playing 16 games and producing 74 catches for 1,035 yards, but a lack of chemistry clouded the tepid production. The past two years, Beckham's struggles have been magnified in Kevin Stefanski's offense. Beckham got off to a slow start in 2020, catching 23 passes for 319 yards and three scores before tearing his ACL after seven games. This year, the issues hit a new height after Beckham returned from the injury but was relegated to a sideshow. Yes, Mayfield missed Beckham too often and didn't see the wideout at other times, but it takes two to tango. Beckham's effort wasn't always great, and he didn't dominate corners as he had early in his career. He generated a -7.9 expected completion percentage, per Next Gen Stats. Stefanski's scheme also didn't play to OBJ's strength. The timing offense predicated on wideouts being at a specific spot and the QB reading the progression negated some of what made Beckham a star in New York. Beckham, who turns 29 years old Friday, wanted out of Cleveland. The Browns granted that wish rather than deal with the dissatisfied distraction. Cleveland becomes the second team to give up on OBJ despite the natural talent and Hall of Fame-level start to the wideout's career. The Giants traded him to Cleveland after five years and 5,476 yards with 44 TDs. Following three Pro Bowl seasons to start his career, Beckham has generated just 2,940 total yards on 216 catches and 16 TDs the past five seasons with the Giants and Browns. Now the question turns to where Beckham lands. Like all players after the trade deadline, OBJ is subject to waivers. If he's not claimed, Beckham would be a free agent for the first time in his career. Pretty much nothing has gone right for him since the infamous boat pic.
Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs will be charged with DUI after being involved in a fatal early morning car crash in Spring Valley, according to Las Vegas police.
Police responded to the crash involving a Chevrolet Corvette and a Toyota Rav4 at South Rainbow Boulevard and Spring Valley Parkway at 3:39 a.m. Fire department personnel located a deceased person inside the Toyota. The preliminary investigation indicates the front of the Chevrolet collided with the rear of the Toyota. Ruggs, who police say was driving the Corvette, remained on scene and showed signs of impairment. He will be charged with DUI resulting in death, police said. The crash closed Rainbow Boulevard between Tropicana Avenue and Spring Valley Parkway “due to debris and vehicles in the road,” police said in a text. Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury during Sunday's 34-31 win over the Indianapolis Colts, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Henry is undergoing an MRI on Monday to determine the full extent of the damage, sources told Schefter. The Titans are concerned that Henry has a Jones fracture, which would require season-ending surgery, according to a source. Titans coach Mike Vrabel is scheduled to talk to reporters later Monday afternoon. Since 2019, when Derrick Henry won the first of his back-to-back rushing titles, he has been the best running back in the NFL. He is accounting for 79.3% of the Titans' rushing yards this season and is on pace to rush for 1,991 yards. The NFL's leading rusher with 937 yards, Henry has 353 more yards than any other player in the league. He also has a league-high 10 rushing touchdowns. On Sunday, Henry rushed 28 times for 68 yards and a 2.4-yard average that was his lowest this season, playing 54 of the 73 offensive snaps. He appeared to receive medical attention on his right foot midway through the first quarter but promptly returned to the field. The 2020 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year did not talk to reporters after the game. Henry, 27, led the league last year with 378 carries for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns. Last week the Titans placed backup running back Darrynton Evans on IR, losing him for the season to a knee injury. The Titans also have running backs Jeremy McNichols and Dontrell Hilliard on the roster. Adrian Peterson, 36, the league's fifth all-time leading rusher, is traveling to Nashville to meet with Titans and to potentially help fill Henry's void, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Titans (6-2) currently have the best record in the AFC after winning four straight. |
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