2020 NFL: Week 16

Well, we made it to Christmas and I’m so full of holiday spirit that I want to shot put season’s greetings to the whole world. I’m not sure how the NFL made it this far into the regular season without a complete disaster, but here we are.

The playoffs are just a couple weeks away, but before we start overwhelming ourselves with playoff excitement, let’s take a few minutes to recognize people who have had a tougher time than others.

So, here are those in the NFL who deserve a nice gift this year.

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

New York Jets

I know, this organization has itself to blame for its miserable performance. They’re poorly run and tough to watch. However, I’m thinking about their fans. I know several members of Jets Nation and man, they’ve been through a lot. And to their credit, while they may be frustrated with their’s team lack of direction, they haven’t jumped ship. It’s not in their blood.

So, here’s hoping they continue to stink out loud for the rest of the regular season, get rewarded for their incompetence with the No. 1 pick and (sorry, Sam Darnold) select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. Get a new GM and coach in there and start fresh.

Dak Prescott

This poor guy. He deserved a big contract for the Cowboys, but didn’t get quite as much money as he wanted. That’s fine, that’s how negotiations work. So, like Kirk Cousins a few years ago, he decided to bet on himself and play on the franchise tag. Unlike Kirk Cousins, he suffered a devastating injury in Week 5 against the Giants.

Sigh.

He’s on the road to recovery and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be his old self when he gets back on the field. But when you add his injury to the death of his brother during the offseason, it makes me want to give him a huge hug.

Running backs

I’m going to date myself, but when I first started watching football in the 1980s, the NFL was not a quarterback-driven league. It might be difficult to imagine, but it’s true. Running back was the glamor position and they ruled the NFL. Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen, Roger Craig and many more were the centerpiece of offenses.

Fast-forward to the present and running backs are not necessarily an afterthought, but they’re looked at as a dime a dozen. Teams usually do the following: draft a back in the third round, use him up for a couple seasons, then toss him aside when it’s time for his second contract. It’s a cynical, ugly attitude to have, but teams have been rewarded for doing so.

Look at what happens when you give them big money. Todd Gurley got a nice deal from the Rams and within a year, he was washed up and the team couldn’t wait to move on from him. Ezekiel Elliott held out and got $90 million from Jerry Jones and now he’s a shell of himself.

So, it looks like things are going to get worse for running backs going forward. So, if you run into one out there, buy the man a drink.

Ron Rivera

He had some success as a head coach in Carolina, but he was fired with four weeks left in the 2019 season, despite having a Super Bowl appearance on his resume. That’s a rough exit, but these things happen. New blood is needed in leadership positions every now and again.

And we all knew he would find another job soon and he did. The Washington FT (nee Redskins) scooped him up and he wasn’t on the job long before there was drama. Stories emerged of a culture of harassment in the team’s offices, putting team owner Dan Snyder under fire. Then Snyder, after many years of pleading from the nation, finally decided to rid the organization of the Redskins moniker.

When August arrived, Rivera announced he had been diagnosed with cancer. Sigh. While the type of cancer he has is considered very treatable and was caught early, he had to go through chemotherapy while still coaching the team.

And his team? Forget about it. They struggled out of the gate, dealt with a quarterback who didn’t play well and seemingly had little regard for COVID-19 restrictions, and has still managed to somehow be in the playoff hunt despite a sub.500 record.

Wow.

If there’s anyone in this league who needs an amazing gift, it’s Rivera.

All of us

The year 2020 won’t leave our memories anytime soon. To say it’s been a challenge is the understatement of the century. We’ve been separated from loved ones, had our lives and routines upended and dealt with the specter of a deadly disease hanging over our heads.

To all of you, I wish you all the best. I know the holiday season can get depressing during times like this, but let’s take a moment to be kind to ourselves. We definitely deserve it.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Bad hair day: Titans linebacker Will Compton appeared on the team’s injury report. The reason? For showing up at the team facility with a haircut so horrifying, the Titans listed him as doubtful for this week’s game. It was all done in jest, of course, but if you get a minute, google his name and check out his ‘do. I must admit, I’ve seen worse, but I’ve definitely seen better. Looks like a homemade job.

Secrecy, really? Last week I thought Derek Carr would be out for a while with a groin injury he suffered against the Chargers. However, he’s practiced several times this week and despite head coach Jon Gruden being “optimistic” about Carr’s chances of playing, he’s not revealing who his starting quarterbacks will be against the Dolphins.

Let’s be real:It doesn’t matter if Carr or Marcus Mariota is under center on Sunday, they will likely lose and see their slim playoff hopes officially dashed.

Stop messing around: Panthers head coach Matt Rhule says star RB Christian McCaffrey, whose 2020 season has been decimated by various injuries, is anxious to play against Washington. And Rhule has smartly said he won’t let McCaffrey suit up. There’s no point to letting him play and possibly tear up his body even more. Take the L and wait until next fall.

APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 16

Vikings at Saints: New Orleans still hopes to get the NFC’s No. 1 seed, so the Saints will be determined to get this win against a Vikings team whose playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread.

Buccaneers at Lions: Tampa got off to a slow start against Atlanta last week before righting the ship, so it will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers come out on the road on Sunday.

49ers at Cardinals: San Francisco is pretty much done playoff-wise, but Arizona is sitting at 8-6 and needs every win it can get.

Dolphins at Raiders: Expect Miami’s defense to get after whoever Jon Gruden throws under center.

Colts at Steelers: Pittsburgh has hit the skids lately and after Monday’s ugly loss to Cincinnati, things get much tougher as Indy’s vaunted defense comes to town.

Rams at Seahawks: Sean McVay was mortified after the Rams lost to the previous winless Jets at home last Sunday. Now L.A. has to face Seattle on the road. Can the Rams gut this one out?

Titans at Packers: The second game this week featuring two teams with double-digit wins. And with playoff seeding implications to boot. Grab your popcorn.

Have a wonderful holiday! See you next week.