2021 NFL: Week 6

As time moves forward, it’s inevitable that some people are going to be left in the past. They can’t or won’t adapt as society progresses, for better or for worse. Which brings us to Jon Gruden.

Let me start by making this clear: I’m not a social commentator. There are countless people who are much more intelligent than yours truly who can give you the kind of insight that is required when situations like this come up. I encourage you to read or listen to their words.

What I can say is that the type of language Jon Gruden used in the emails he sent to various people like then-Washington Football Team executive Bruce Allen has no place in the league now. If you want to argue that he didn’t break any laws, I’ll accept that. If you want to tell me that he wasn’t even employed by the NFL during the time he sent those emails, that’s fine. Both are true.

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

And it’s also strange that Gruden’s emails came to light because of an investigation into the toxic atmosphere of the Washington Football Team. But more on that later.

Regardless, the type of culture in football that accepts racist, homophobic and misogynistic language is a thing of the past and it seems the NFL, for all of its faults, wants it that way. Which made Gruden’s decision to resign as the Raiders head coach a few days ago the right thing to do. He wasn’t fired, he stepped down. It would be hard to go into the Las Vegas locker room and face Carl Nassib, the first active NFL player to come out as gay. It would also be difficult to face the other players on the roster, many of whom are Black.

I take no personal pleasure in seeing Gruden’s career go up in smoke. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. I enjoyed his energy on the sidelines and liked listening to him talk passionately about the game of football. He was great as an analyst on “Monday Night Football.”

But if people want to brush all that aside and say the language in those emails are proof of what lies in Gruden’s heart, I’m having a hard time disagreeing with them. And at the end of the day, that’s a shame.

As time moves on, people will probably be willing to forgive, especially if Gruden shows contrition and a willingness to grow as a person. But that time is not now.

NFL’S TOP 10

1. Cardinals — Still the NFL’s lone unbeaten team and they’re coming off back to back wins over division opponents. I doubted their potential before the season started and they’re proving me wrong every week. Two of their next three games are against solid teams, so I’m excited to see how they perform.

2. Buccaneers — Remember how Tampa was the league’s healthiest team last season? That’s a thing of the past. Linebacker Lavonte David, a key contributor, will be out for a stretch, so the Bucs might get challenged a bit defensively.

3. Bills — They have put up at least 35 points in each of their last four games, including a 38-20 win over the ailing Chiefs on the road on Sunday night. Buffalo’s defense has also been rock solid. In fact, if it wasn’t for my obsession with Tom Brady’s greatness, I would have this team in the second spot. Something tells me they’ll get there soon, especially with four very winnable games in a row after this week’s bye.

4. Rams — L.A. has fallen into a troubling habit of starting games slow. You can get away with that against lesser teams, like the Giants and Lions over the next two weeks, but that’s not going to work in the long term. But maybe I’m nitpicking a 4-1 team that I feel hasn’t played its best football yet.

5. Cowboys — Yes, I’m on the bandwagon. Big D has weapons all over their offense as the Cowboys are second in the league in yards per game and points per game. Defensively, they don’t stink. And that’s enough. By the way, cornerback Trevon Diggs is on pace for almost 20 interceptions. That will not happen, of course, but to have 6 picks in 5 games is something special. This team will run away with the NFC East crown.

6. Chargers — Speaking of bandwagons, I have a reserved seat up front. Their win over the Browns was about as entertaining an NFL contest as you’ll ever see, even though there wasn’t a lick of defense played by either team. But hey, people love offense. And thanks to Justin Herbert, they have plenty of that. It’s still unreal to see the poise this second-year quarterback has displayed. And like I’ve said again and again, he’s only going to get better. That’s frightening.

7. Ravens — Lamar Jackson is making me mad. He was on my fantasy team last year and he didn’t put up the kind of numbers he’s racking up now. But that’s my problem. What’s obvious is that few leads are safe with him on the field as he helped erase a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the Colts on Monday night and had more than 500 total yards. Wowza. He keeps this up and he might just hoist a second MVP trophy at the end of the season.

8. Packers — Green Bay did everything they could to give that game away in Cincinnati. They refused to be aggressive in the fourth quarter and overtime and Mason Crosby was an absolute disaster kicking field goals. But the latter came through in overtime and made the game-winner. I guess that’s all that matters. They’re now 4-1 and have two interesting road tests against the Bears and Cardinals sandwiched around a home game against Washington coming up.

9. Browns — Cleveland has lost two games so far and both of them were winnable, if not for some costly mental errors. The Browns defense gave up 42 points last Sunday but I have to look at that as an aberration. They have a chance to make a statement at home against the Cardinals this week. That is, if they don’t beat themselves.

10. Titans — Do they deserve to be in the top 10? Probably not, but hey, I’m sticking with my AFC title game pick. Sue me.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

What’s to come: Jon Gruden is collateral damage from the investigation into the Washington Football Team. Apparently, there are 650,000 emails stemming from the probe and it’s hard not to wonder what other questionable material they may hold. Many people are saying Gruden is just the tip of the iceberg. They might be right. It doesn’t seem like the league is in a rush to release those emails to the public, but we’ll see if the NFL caves to the outside pressure. If they do, this could get real ugly real fast.

Loving the emotion: God, I feel bad for the Lions. They’re sitting at 0-5 but they should have two wins under their belt. They got their hearts broken by a record-setting Justin Tucker field goal in Week 3 and this past Sunday, they did everything right late against the Vikings only to have their souls stomped on to the tune of another field goal as time expired. After that game, head coach Dan Campbell got choked up while describing the effort his players put forth. And while a lot of people like to make fun of the macho, rah rah Campbell, my heart went out to him. I enjoy seeing people care. And you can’t deny that the man deeply cares. I hope he catches a break.

Speaking of breaks: Urban Meyer was under the microscope at this time last week. He was considered an embarrassment and a man certain to lose his job. Not saying anything has changed in that regard, but the spotlight quickly shifted to Jon Gruden’s travesty, which gave Meyer a breather. Don’t worry, people probably haven’t forgotten, but it goes to show how easily people’s attention can be shifted.

Seattle’s Worst: The Seahawks are in serious trouble. Russell Wilson’s finger injury required surgery and although he’s expected to return this season, he’s going to miss at least a few weeks. And with the team’s defensive problems, they’re not going to be able to keep up offensively with Geno Smith under center. This is rapidly turning into a lost year.

Sigh of relief: I’ll admit that when I saw Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields hyperextend his left knee, I feared the worst. In fact, I threw something at the TV in frustration because I can’t stand when promising rookies suffer major injuries. Luckily, my worries weren’t needed as Fields says he’ll be OK to play on Sunday against the Packers. My guess is they will lose this game, but even if they fall to 3-3, they’re still right in the thick of things. And that’s a reason to be optimistic, even though I don’t blame Bears fans for being cynical. They’ve been through a lot.

APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 6

Dolphins at Jaguars: There’s nothing interesting about this matchup football-wise. However, I’m interested to see if Jacksonville can knuckle up and get its first win of the season. Not sure that will help Urban Meyer’s future all that much, but it’s a start.

Packers at Bears: A tasty NFC North matchup. I’m guessing this one will be close for a while, but Green Bay will pull away in the second half.

Bengals at Lions: Please, Detroit, let’s get a W. We don’t want to see Dan Campbell cry again.

Vikings at Panthers: Minnesota stumbled out of the gate but a win here will put the Vikings back at .500. Not a bad place to be. As far as Carolina goes, Sam Darnold needs to stop turning the ball over.

Chargers at Ravens: Grab the popcorn. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is great at calling defenses, but quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson can render a game plan null and void. Containing him will be the key to this game, if that’s possible.

Cardinals at Browns: Another delicious contest. Again, if the Browns can avoid shooting themselves in the foot, they’re more than capable of winning this game.

Raiders at Broncos: Something tells me Las Vegas will come together and play hard. This roster will need to rely on each other during this difficult time.

Cowboys at Patriots: Look for Dallas to win big.

Bills at Titans: I’m really enjoying watching Buffalo, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not semi-rooting for Tennessee. I have my non-existent reputation to worry about.