2020 NFL Week 15: Gruden and The Playoff Bubble

My parents tried to teach me many life lessons during my childhood. Some of them I listened to, others I ignored. But one of them always stuck in my head: Don’t talk about how much money you make.

Why? No. 1: It’s nobody’s business. No. 2: It’s not classy, they said. And I’ve agreed with that philosophy and don’t discuss that kind of stuff with people outside my immediate family.

Which brings me to Jon Gruden.

The Super Bowl-winning coach was enjoying a very successful broadcasting career when the then Oakland Raiders came to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse: a reported 10-year, $100 million contract to patrol the sidelines of the team that gave him first head coaching job.

And since that day, people haven’t let him forget it. Virtually every time his name is brought up (especially after a loss), you can guarantee that some talking head will mention that reported contract with a bitter, almost jealous tone in their voice.

Granted, is that a lot of money to pay a head coach? You could make that argument. I was certainly amazed when I saw the news a few years ago. But Gruden making that money doesn’t affect the team’s salary cap. Also, it’s not my money being spent, so why would I care? If anything, I was impressed at Gruden’s ability to land a payday like that.

But that’s the sad truth of life if you’re a player or head coach in the NFL. Everyone in the world knows how much money you’re making and can’t wait to throw it in your face if anything goes wrong.

And yes, the Raiders are struggling. They just fell back to 7-7 with their loss on Thursday night against the Chargers, a team that had lost nine straight AFC West games. Las Vegas’ playoff hopes are in trouble after having a 6-3 record on Nov. 15. Their defense is a mess and it’s clear they have work to do this offseason.

But Gruden’s salary really has nothing to do with anything. Stop counting his money or anyone else’s money. It’s just not classy.

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

JUST OUTSIDE THE PLAYOFF BUBBLE

Ravens

What. A. Game. Watching Lamar Jackson pull a Paul Pierce and return to the field after he was dealing with bathroom, err, cramping issues on Monday night, was the type of triumphant moment that lives on in our memories. And the Ravens definitely needed him as they were able to escape with a crucial win over the Browns.

Baltimore sits at 8-5, out of the playoffs at the moment, but the Ravens share the same record with the Dolphins, who have the final wild card spot. Here’s good news for the flock: Their remaining three games are against the Jaguars, Giants and Bengals, with the first two at home. Meanwhile, Miami plays the Patriots, Raiders and the Bills, with the last two games on the road. Despite all their struggles, the Ravens can still backdoor their way into the postseason if they handle their business.

Raiders

That was a bummer. Despite losing Derek Carr to an injury, Marcus Mariota came back from the QB cemetery and played well enough for the Raiders to win on Thursday night. But like many a Mariota game from the past, they ended up falling just short. Now they need to win out against the Dolphins and Broncos and need a couple of other teams to stumble if they have any prayer at the playoffs. I don’t like their chances.

Vikings

Minnesota is the first team out of the bubble and it’s currently under .500 at 6-7. The Vikings still have a decent chance at the playoffs since the Cardinals (7-6) are in the final wild card spot and aren’t playing all that well. Minny faces the Bears, Saints and Lions over the next three weeks and if they could win two of those games, and the Cardinals fall flat a couple times, a 9-7 record could get them into the postseason. Stranger things have happened.

Giants

Their remaining schedule almost isn’t fair. They face the Browns and Ravens before finishing up against the Cowboys. Their hopes at a wild card waved bye bye to them and the rest of the NFC East many moons ago, but Big Blue still is just a game out of first place in the division. Yet, the team they’re trying to catch, Washington, will play the Panthers and Eagles after taking on the Seahawks this week. Not sure if New York is going to make it.

Bears

Another team that’s still technically in the mix. But let’s be real, they’re not going anywhere.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Randy has something to say: I’m not going to sit here and say that Randy Moss wasn’t one of the greatest receivers to ever step on the field. That would be a lie and I feel as though I’m above that. However, it’s generally accepted as fact that Jerry Rice was the GOAT. What shouldn’t come as a surprise is Moss disagrees.

Appearing on Terrell Owens’ podcast (didn’t know he had one), Moss said he considers himself the best wide receiver ever, with T.O. second. And Rice?

“I would put Jerry probably third or fourth.” Hmm, OK. Well, why?

“I’m talking about dominating the game and changing the game of football. I don’t live on statistics because if you live on statistics and live on championships that’s all political,” Moss said.

OK, let’s break this down. I would say that there’s nothing political about statistics. You either catch the ball, or you don’t. You either reach the end zone or you don’t. However, maybe Randy does have a point. Owens pointed out in the podcast that Rice had the benefit of playing with Joe Montana and Steve Young for most of his career. Both those quarterbacks are, of course, in the Hall of Fame, with many people believing that Montana was the greatest to ever play the position. And the 49ers in that era were the class of the NFL, with loaded rosters that were always in championship contention. A huge part of the legend of Rice was his epic Super Bowl performances. But he definitely wasn’t the only star on those teams.

That has to count for something. Does that diminish what Rice accomplished? Should we discount his great Super Bowl performances? Of course not, and Moss said as much.

“I don’t want people to think myself and T.O. is slandering or bashing anything Jerry did, because Jerry was at the top.”

Fair enough. Moss respects Jerry, but he feels that he had more of an impact on the way the game is played. I can respect that opinion. Many people can feel free to disagree, but I can attest that Randy Moss was someone special to watch. An otherworldly talent. If he calls himself the greatest, god bless him. I’m not going to put up a fight.

Drew is back: The Saints managed to stay afloat while Drew Brees was on the shelf for several weeks with 742 broken ribs and a punctured lung. Despite their 3-1 record with him out, the Saints announced that the wily veteran will return for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. It would make sense to bring Brees back for that matchup, but I’m still worried about him. He’s not a spring chicken anymore and I’ll wince every time someone puts a hand on him.

Speaking of Carr: Reports came out on Friday that Derek Carr will miss 10-14 days while healing from the groin injury he suffered on Thursday. If Mariota continues to play well in Carr’s absence, we might not see the latter in a Raiders uniform again. The team can either trade him or release him when the new league year starts in March and can save $19.625 million in cap space, with only $2.5 million in dead money. Gruden tends to mow through quarterbacks and he might be anxious to move on from someone he inherited from the old regime.

APPOINTING VIEWING FOR WEEK 15

Bills at Broncos: After taking down the Steelers, Buffalo can build on its momentum with a win over Denver. A victory here would put them at 11 wins. The last time they had that many? You have to go back to 1999. That’s right, the season they lost the “Music City Miracle” playoff game against the Titans.

Panthers at Packers: Not a great matchup per se, but Green Bay can continue to hold on to the top seed in the NFC with a win and Aaron Rodgers can grab a firm hold of the MVP award with a strong performance. That’s enough to get me to watch.

Buccaneers at Falcons: Tampa can’t afford a hiccup here. Granted, the Falcons aren’t a playoff team, but they’re at home against a divisional opponent. They should show up ready to play.

Lions at Titans: Playoff implications for Tennessee!

Texans at Colts: Playoff implications for Indianapolis!

Patriots at Dolphins: Playoff implications for … not New England!

Seahawks at Washington: I’ve heard some chatter about this being a sexy upset pick. The FTs are playing well, but Alex Smith is out with an injury. Seattle should have enough to escape with a win.

Jaguars at Ravens: Baltimore seems to have righted its ship. It would be a shame if the Ravens fumbled their momentum here. Don’t worry, they won’t.

Jets at Rams: I’ll watch this game. None of you need to. I’ll let you know what happens.

Chiefs at Saints: The game of the week, by far. Grab your popcorn and let’s see if New Orleans’ defense can put any kind of clamp on Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

Browns at Giants: Playoff implications for both teams. Expect everyone on that field to play with emotion and desperation. Should be a fun watch.