Year: 2017

What was Sean McDermott thinking?

That is the question being asked around the NFL after McDermott made a decision that has no obvious explanation.

The Buffalo Bills rookie coach benched Tyrod Taylor for rookie Nathan Peterman with the Bills still very much alive in the wild card race at 5-4 despite two losses in a row.

It’s not like Peterman was being touted as the quarterback of the future. He was a fifth-round choice, although Jon Gruden said he was the most ready to step in and start of any of the rookie quarterbacks.

Any team thinking of hiring Gruden might keep that comment in mind. Both Gruden and McDermott were wrong. Dead wrong.

Continue reading “Bills newbie McDermott looks out of his league with bizarre Peterman decision”

A look ahead to Week 11 in the NFL’s 2017 season:

1. The NFL schedule makers gambled that the Eagles would have a good team when they matched them against the Cowboys in the Sunday night prime game in Week 11. Sure enough, the Eagles did their part. They are 8-1 and have the best record in the league. But the Cowboys are a disappointing 5-4 and are playing their second game in a row without suspended Ezekiel Elliott and injured tackle Tyron Smith. It no longer looks like a great prime time matchup because the Cowboys aren’t the team they were last year and the Eagles should win easily.

Continue reading “What to look for: NFL Week 11”

A look back on Week 10 of the NFL’s 2017 season:

1. The New Orleans Saints beat the Buffalo Bills, 47-10, for their seventh victory in a row after a 0-2 start. The only other team to win seven in a row after an 0-2 start was Dallas in 1993, although that was because Emmitt Smith held out the first two games. The Saints crushed Buffalo on the ground, rushing for 298 yards and six touchdowns, becoming just the fifth team to rush for over 295 yards and six touchdowns in NFL history. Mark Ingram led the way with 131 yards and three touchdowns. The Bills are going in the opposite direction of the Saints. They started off 5-2 but have given up 492 rushing yards in their last two losses to the Jets and Saints. It is easy to say the Bills missed defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, who was traded to Jacksonville, but that is probably too simplistic. The Bills have beaten only one winning team (Atlanta) and probably aren’t as good as they looked earlier. And quarterback Tyrod Taylor was benched for rookie Nathan Peterman late in the game, and Peterman will get his first start Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. It probably means the end of Taylor’s career in Buffalo, as he will likely move on next year.

Continue reading “Taking a look back: NFL Week 10”

A look ahead to five things about Week 10 in the NFL’s 2017 season:

1. In Fox’s doubleheader game that will be shown to virtually a national audience, the Dallas Cowboys will try to beat Atlanta without Ezekiel Elliott, who begins serving his suspension, and left tackle Tyron Smith, who is injured. This game has wild-card implications as both teams are two behind in the loss column in their divisions.  If the Cowboys lose without Elliott, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is likely to be even more motivated to complain about commissioner Roger Goodell’s power.

Continue reading “A look ahead: NFL Week 10”

The Seattle Seahawks are the latest team that doesn’t seem to understand how serious the concussion issue is for NFL teams.

The Seahawks virtually ignored the league’s concussion protocol Thursday night in Phoenix when Russell Wilson was ordered off the field in the third period by referee Walt Anderson after Wilson was hit hard in the chin by Arizona’s Karlos Dansby, who was flagged for roughing the passer.

Anderson correctly felt that Wilson should be checked out for a concussion before he returned to the game. That is the league’s protocol. But that apparently isn’t what happened.

Wilson returned after one play when Austin Davis handed off to C.J. Prosise. He left the medical tent, saying he was fine. Then after the series was over, he returned to the tent.

The medical personnel obviously didn’t have time during one play to decide if Wilson should be cleared, and it’s uncertain if Wilson got a proper review the second time.

Continue reading “Seahawks’ negligence with Wilson head injury can’t be repeated”

A look back at Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season:

1. The Chiefs appear to be fading and suffered a 28-17 loss to the Cowboys, their third in four games after a 5-0 start. The Cowboys held Kareem Hunt to 37 yards on nine carries and ended Alex Smith’s NFL record streak of 237 passes without an interception. Meanwhile, the 6-3 Cowboys are 3-0 since losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers but aren’t likely to catch Philadelphia in the NFC East and are probably fighting for a wild-card spot. And the loss of Ezekiel Elliott for six games will make it more difficult for them to make the playoffs.

Continue reading “Taking a look back: NFL Week 9”

Gus Bradley insists he doesn’t have any extra motivation about his first visit to Everbank Field Sunday since he was fired as Jacksonville Jaguars coach with two games left last year.

“No,’’ said Bradley, now the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, in an interview with Chargers.com. “I’m more focused on us and what we have to do.’’

That is typical of Bradley, who always takes the high road and says he’s happy for the Jaguars’ success this year.

“To me, you’re happy for them,’’ he said. “You can’t not care for players that you were with for so many years. To see them do well and play at a high level and some of them get rewarded because of it. I think that’s cool. I’m all for that. … I think in the NFL there’s a lot of really good people. (That’s) what I’ve learned from the years I’ve been in it. Just really good people, and people that all want the same thing – at least where I’ve been – and Jacksonville was just another place that has a lot of really good people.’’

According to Chargers.com, “Those within the Jaguars organization, as well as those outside, give Bradley a ton of credit for building a strong foundation they believe will last for years to come.’’

Continue reading “Return is bittersweet for Bradley, but not for Jaguars fans”

A look ahead to Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season:

1. The NFL lawyers suffered a setback last week when they lost their bid to sideline Ezekiel Elliott Sunday, but it is good news for NFL TV types. It means Elliott will play against the Kansas City defense in the CBS doubleheader game that will be shown all over the country. Chiefs have given up 459 yards on the  ground the last three games so Elliott may have a big game. Cowboys are also in prime time three of next six weeks. Sidelining Elliott is not a good idea for a league dealing with declining TV ratings, but Roger Goodell is determined to do it.

Continue reading “Taking a look ahead: NFL Week 9”