2019 NFL: Week 6

It’s just the start of Week 6 and we’ve already had our first head coaching casualty. Most people probably aren’t surprised at who got the ax, as Jay Gruden was coming off back-to-back 7-9 seasons and started 2019 with an 0-5 record.

While the average fan approaches coach firings with the attitude of “meh,” I always feel a measure of sympathy for those jettisoned men. Except for maybe Jim Tomsula.

For example, let’s take a look at the ladder Jay Gruden had to climb to get to this point, courtesy of Wikipedia. He never reached an active NFL roster during his playing career, but was a standout in the Arena League. When he started coaching, he spent six years with the Buccaneers as an offensive assistant while also being a head coach back in the Arena League.

A short stint in the short-lived UFL was followed by his hiring by the Bengals to be their offensive coordinator. That was Gruden’s best break because he put together some competitive units in those years under Marvin Lewis, which caught the attention of decision-makers around the league. And finally, in 2014, he landed one of the 32 most coveted jobs in football.

Sounds great, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, that gig meant that he was saddled with owner Daniel Snyder, a man over his skis when it comes to football. Gruden never really had a quarterback he could count on and was subject to the whims of Snyder (and god knows who else in that front office) when it came to roster moves and draft picks.

And the one time he had someone truly capable under center? That would be Alex Smith in 2018, who played well until he suffered one of the more gruesome leg injuries we’ve ever seen. That’s the kind of misfortune that sinks coaching careers. In the end, Gruden never won more than nine games in a season in D.C.

That has to be a bummer. And to make things worse, Stephen A. Smith was the one who broke the news of his upcoming firing and as a final kick to the groin, a video was circulated that showed Gruden apparently flirting with a younger woman while smoking something that can’t be identified. Now, that could be a complete coincidence, but would it really be surprising to find out the team had something to do with this in order to sort of salt the earth on his way out?

Rough gig, man. Be careful what you wish for. But I have a feeling that Jay will catch on somewhere. Probably pretty soon.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

NFL’S TOP 10

1) Patriots — Is this team for real or not? The talking head shows keep screaming and arguing this question, but for me, the issue is simple. Who they have played so far is irrelevant. What’s important is that this defense continues to be suffocating and an aging Tom Brady isn’t being asked to be a superhero. All he needs to do is make a few plays every game and this team will be just fine.

2) Saints — I’m so impressed with how New Orleans has not only survived without Drew Brees, but has flourished. Teddy Bridgewater’s success under center puts the Saints in an interesting position as he will be a free agent after this season. If Brees decides not to retire, some team is going to come knocking for Teddy’s services.

3) 49ers — Am I being a prisoner of the moment? Perhaps, but you can’t argue with what everyone saw on Monday night. They took the Browns apart on national television with a pass-rush that looks absolutely vicious. Nick Bosa might say stupid things from time to time, but he’s being paid to put quarterbacks on the ground and he has accomplished that so far. Plus, they’re the only unbeaten team in the league other than the Patriots.

4) Chiefs — Sure, they dropped two spots in the rankings. Let’s be fair though: Sammy Watkins left early in their loss to the Colts and then Patrick Mahomes had his ankle stepped on by a teammate and hobbled around for the rest of the game. These things happen.

5) Seahawks — Two NFC West teams in the top five? Yes, it’s about time we had some west-coast bias in the media. Russell Wilson is absolutely my choice for MVP if the season ended today as he’s a frustrating QB to watch if you’re rooting for the opposing defense. He can spin away from trouble and keep the chains moving.

6) Packers — If this was the NBA, Aaron Rodgers would have pulled a LeBron and found a way to get to Dallas. Some of his best performances, including his Super Bowl win, have come at AT&T Stadium and Sunday’s game was no exception. Green Bay’s running game even managed to get into the act.

7) Rams — Watched that Thursday night game at home with my Seahawks fan wife. And when Greg Zuerlein’s kick sailed wide, she was jumping for joy around the living room while I sat at the end of the couch with a dumb look on my face. Sigh. The good news is, the offense did well, the bad news is their defense lost Clay Matthews for at least a month to a broken jaw.

8) Bills — Great defense, terrible offense. However, if you’re going to have a one-dimensional team, it’s better to be stronger on defense. Teams that can’t stop anybody don’t win championships.

9) Eagles — They looked pretty bad in their win against the Jets and Carson Wentz hasn’t topped 200 yards passing in back-to-back games. Yet, I’ll say it again: There is way too much talent on this roster to not consider them a true contender.

10) Colts — There are a bunch of teams with 3-2 records that could go in this spot. But Indy is the only team that is coming off a win against the Chiefs.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Silver and back: Jon Gruden isn’t getting enough credit. His offense looked amazing against an elite Bears defense. It wasn’t just that they put up points, it’s that they pounded the ball down their throats at times. And Khalil Mack, the linebacker the Raiders traded to Chicago last year who made a point of saying he couldn’t wait for this game? He did next to nothing, with one quarterback hit and two solo tackles. That flight home must have been very fun. And long. London to Oakland? Yuck. At least they get a bye week to shake off the jet lag.

Please protect him: Something strange happened to Texans QB Deshaun Watson against the Falcons. He didn’t get sacked. At all. And here’s what happened: He completed 28 of 33 throws for 426 yards and 5 touchdowns with a QB rating of 158.3. Good lord. Was head coach Bill O’Brien paying attention? Was every head coach around the league? Having a strong offensive line is of the utmost importance in football. It’s amazing to see what Watson can do when he’s not running for his life.

Speaking of Atlanta … : I’m out on the Falcons. Done. I’m sick of thinking this team has a chance to go somewhere, saying that out loud and then being made to look like a fool. Head coach Dan Quinn was brought to Atlanta because he was the defensive coordinator in Seattle during the peak Legion of Boom years. Fast forward and his defense can’t stop a damn thing. More on that next.

Who should be worried? We’ve already seen one head coach lose his job and if the NFL has taught us anything, it’s ownership suddenly getting restless. I just talked about Dan Quinn. If things keep going south with the Falcons, he could be looking for a new home. This might be Zac Jackson’s first year with the Bengals, but if things go from bad to putrid, he might be out of his butt. Anthony Lynn also might be in trouble if the Chargers continue to underachieve. Same with Freddie Kitchen in Cleveland as Browns ownership has already proved to have a short leash.

Where’s OBJ? The Browns’ prized offseason acquisition hasn’t been very productive over the last couple games, but it’s not like he’s being ignored. You can clearly see defense rotating to put multiple people on him, but it’s up to his coaching staff to get him the ball in space. They haven’t really done that yet.

Sherman’s imagination: The 49ers cornerback said Baker Mayfield refused to shake his hand before their Monday night matchup. Then video surfaced of Baker doing just that. Sigh. Sherman is an amazing player, but sometimes it’s better to not talk. Especially when the things coming out of your mouth can easily be disproven.

Dodgers losing: I know, this has nothing to do with football. I’m just really upset about their season ending in a Game 5 to the Nationals at home on Wednesday and I need a place to vent. So, here goes: God-@#$@#$^@$#%&#^@$%@#%@##%@%#!!!! Whew, thanks. I feel better.

GurleyGate: The Rams running back suddenly appeared on the injury report with a quadriceps injury and he’s questionable to play in a huge game against the 49ers on Sunday. The weirdness around Gurley continues. Nobody knows what’s going on and it appears nobody ever will.

WHAT’S TO WATCH IN WEEK 6

Panthers at Buccaneers: Not the sexiest game, but NFC South matchups are entertaining. Let’s see if QB Kyle Allen can extend the Panthers’ winning streak to four in Cam Newton’s absence. By the way, haven’t heard his name pop up at all recently.

Seahawks at Browns: It doesn’t get easier for Cleveland. A loss here would drop the Browns to 0-3 against the NFC West this season. At least they have a game against the Cardinals still to come.

Texans at Chiefs: This is a statement game for not only Houston, but for Deshaun Watson. If he outduels Patrick Mahomes in this one, maybe people will start looking his way when it comes to the “most talented QB in football” discussion. Personally, I think he can do it.

Redskins at Dolphins: Two winless teams clash! The good news is, one team will have at least one win under their belt at the final gun.

Eagles at Vikings: Interesting matchup between two teams that have over promised and under delivered. Philly needs to run the ball early and often and hope for big plays off play action. The Vikings, meanwhile, need to decide what kind of team they want to be. Head coach Mike Zimmer has an old-school mindset that relies on running the ball and playing strong defense. Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of roster he has.

49ers at Rams: All eyes on this one. The NFC West is the best division in football and San Francisco can officially notarize their return to prominence with a win here. You can guarantee that head coach Kyle Shanahan has all kinds of goodies to run against a Rams defense that isn’t playing up to snuff.