Now let’s turn our attention to the Thursday night schedule. There are some good ones (Packers/49ers, Eagles/Giants, Bucs/Bears), but there are also some stinkers. And yes, I know that any game right now would be a good a game as we don’t have sports but let’s have some normality in our lives right now and look at some games that could be bad games.
Week 2: Bengals at Browns
The Browns are back in primetime basically right off the bat after an awful 2019 season in which they were on primetime like a million times even though they stunk. Sure, we’ll get to see No. 1 pick Joe Burrow under center for the Bengals but it’s hard to get excited about two of the worst franchises in football going head-to-head, especially so early in the season.
Week 4: Broncos at Jets
Let’s face it – it’s rarely fun to see the Jets as the only option any week, let alone in primetime on a Thursday night. Drew Lock vs. Sam Darnold is OK, I guess, but yeah, it’s hard to ever get excited about the Jets.
Week 8: Falcons at Panthers
Both of these NFC South teams struggled big time last year, with the Falcons going 7-9 and the Panthers going 5-11. Carolina has a new coach (Matt Rhule) and a new QB (Teddy Bridgewater) so they could be ready for a rebound year but these division rivals could be playing some bad football by Week 8.
Week 10: Colts at Titans
Now it’s time for us to be honest – the AFC South is rarely a fun division to watch, even if the Titans beat the Patriots in the playoffs last year before suffering a gigantic collapse against the Chiefs. Will Philip Rivers be under center for his new team, the Colts, in this one? If so, expect some classic fourth quarter INTs from the former Charger. Either way, this one screams Bland City.
Week 15: Chargers at Raiders
Speaking of the Chargers… they are scheduled to go to Vegas in Week 15 to face the Raiders. The Chargers used the No. 6 pick of this year’s draft on Oregon QB Justin Herbert, so this will now be his team with Rivers gone. It could be a rough year for both the Chargers and Raiders, so Week 15 could be a pointless game. But hey, at least it’s in Vegas!
Joe Burrow sought advice from one of the greatest No. 1 overall picks in history.
Joe Burrow gave Peyton Manning a phone call, which apparently is something that one No. 1 overall pick can just casually do with another. Technically, Burrow isn’t the No. 1 overall pick — yet. But barring insane circumstance, he will be. And in an effort to prepare for the rigors of being the top pick in the NFL draft, Burrow picked Manning’s brain.
Manning, the No. 1 overall pick in 1998, recounted his conversation with Burrow. Manning relayed the advice the retired Indianapolis Colts quarterback bestowed upon the LSU Tigers product. Manning also admitted there’s one of his records that he’s hoping Burrow will break.
Earlier on @SportsCenter, Peyton Manning said he talked to Joe Burrow about the difficulty of going to team fresh off the No. 1 pick and learning throughout one's rookie year. pic.twitter.com/CmNnvmyx2i
“Obviously, we have somewhat of a relationship because he came down to our football camp last summer,” Manning said on ESPN on Sunday, as transcribed by 247 Sports. “I try to stay in touch with all the quarterbacks that come down to the camp, if I can be a resource for them, especially as they approach their NFL dreams with what an exciting year Joe had.
“And he just called me about some of the things that I tried to do when I was a rookie that maybe he can apply to his NFL career — looks like it’s going to be with the Cincinnati Bengals — and, look, what I told him, I said, ‘Joe, when you’re the first pick in the NFL Draft, you are going to a team that has really earned the first pick in the NFL Draft. There are going to be some holes there and there’s a reason the Colts are picking No. 1 that year, there’s a reason the Bengals are picking No. 1 this year, the Giants when they had Eli (Manning). So other people have to step up. You have to give them some help.’
“I tried to tell him, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Look, I lost more games my rookie year than I had in my entire high school and college career combined. I threw 26 interceptions,’” he said. “That’s still an NFL record. If Joe wants to break that, Hannah, I’d be OK with that. We’d still be friends. But I tried to learn a lot that year.
“I played every game. Jim Mora never took me out. I learned some things in the fourth quarter of those blowouts about what it took to be an NFL quarterback. And the next year, we went from 3-13 to 13-3. That wouldn’t have happened had I not hung in there and kind of learned the ropes as a rookie, even though we took some bumps and bruises.”
After Manning’s first season, it wouldn’t have been wild to have creeping doubts about his pro prospects. His surrounding cast was an abomination, so he completed 56.7% of his passes for 3,739 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. It wasn’t pretty. And perhaps Burrow is in store for something similar, despite his profound talent. But his career shouldn’t be made or undone in a single season.
As Manning showed in 1999, an excellent quarterback can turn around a franchise and fast. That’s likely what Burrow will have to do with the Cincinnati Bengals after they pick him at No. 1 on Thursday.
The Raiders take the fourth of five quarterbacks in the first round.
If the Cincinnati Bengals could, they would have surely put in their pick on Tuesday morning after the national championship game. They’re taking LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, and it’s hard to imagine anything or anyone stopping them.
On that note, I’ll make an admission. We may have gone a little overboard with the quarterbacks. There are five in the first round. But let’s be real: mock drafts are rarely right at this point in the offseason. It’s not that I’m not trying to be accurate. I am. But the most interesting part of the draft conversation — and the NFL conversation — centers around quarterbacks. This mock draft serves as an avenue to tap into that discussion.
The quarterbacks and receivers have tremendous potential in this draft. It’s beginning to look freakish. Even tackle is impressive. It’s possible — and maybe probable — that offense owns this first round in April.
In one way — and one way only — Burrow is a risky pick. He’s only a two-year starter and a one-year producer. He has been an absolute stud during the 2019 season, but he’s got just one year of film and one year of production, which is reason for concern.
But what am I doing talking down Burrow?
That 2019 film is glorious. He’s glorious. He’s going to be an excellent pro.
2. Washington (3-13) — Chase Young, Edge, Ohio St., Jr.
The Redskins just drafted their quarterback, Dwayne Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick. So Washington will take Haskins’ former teammate: Young. He’s the type of do-it-all edge defender who tends to skyrocket to the top of drafts. Young is almost as good of a prospect as Burrow, but defensive end is less valuable than quarterback.
3. Detroit (3-12-1) — Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama
General manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia should open up phone lines to see if anyone wants to trade up to leapfrog the Miami Dolphins and take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. If no one bites, the Lions could address a number of positions, but let’s give Detroit a complement to tackle Taylor Decker. Wills can help Patricia with a run-first offense, while protecting Matthew Stafford, who was enjoying one of his best seasons before suffering an injury.
4. N.Y. Giants (4-12) — Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson, Jr.
The Giants invested in a quarterback last year, and New York is having issues protecting him. The predictable pick is a tackle, but as long as general manager Dave Gettleman is on the clock, something weird is going to happen. How about Simmons, a safety-linebacker hybrid? The versatile defender would be a boon to New York’s defense. It would feel a lot like the Giants’ selection of Saquon Barkley. Gettleman puts aside the fact that each player is at a position that’s no longer valued at a premium. Instead, he hopes to land one of the most productive and physically gifted players in the draft.
5. Miami (5-11) — Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama, Jr.
Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t rule out the Dolphins passing on a quarterback again. They brought in Chan Gailey to serve as offensive coordinator, and the Dolphins seem to genuinely want to help Ryan Fitzpatrick succeed. (What could go wrong?)
But in the event Miami comes to their senses and realizes The Fitzmagic only lasts so long, they should take Tua, who was in the running for the No. 1 pick for most of this season until suffering a hip injury.
Poor, poor Josh Rosen may find himself on Facebook Marketplace, listed as “lightly used” and at an alarmingly low price.
Let’s not kid ourselves: the quarterbacks are going to rise in this draft class. They always do. Whether the Chargers take a quarterback or someone else trades up to get their guy, it’s entirely possible — and maybe probable — that three quarterbacks go in the top six picks. The top two talents are clearly special. There are plenty of question marks around players like Herbert, Washington’s Jacob Eason and Utah State’s Jordan Love. But cocky GMs and coaches will know they have the answers. In this case, Herbert supplants quarterback Philip Rivers, and brings much-need buzz to L.A.’s (distantly) second-most popular team.
7. Carolina (5-11) — Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio St., Jr.
Finally, Okudah helps the Panthers forget about cornerback Josh Norman, who was brilliant in Carolina, even if he’s had a turbulent runout on his career. Unless the Panthers trade Cam Newton — which they probably shouldn’t do — they won’t consider a quarterback. Instead, they’ll land an elite shutdown corner.
8. Arizona (5-10-1) — Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn
More toys for Kliff Kingsbury? Not so fast. The Cardinals allowed 402 yards per game. That’s really bad. They had the second-worst passing defense and the ninth-worst rushing defense. So perhaps let’s get a player who can address both issues: Brown. He’s got the rare combination of size and athleticism that defensive coordinators scheme around. He’ll be a menace getting into the backfield, whether on passing or running plays. (Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb is a tempting option, considering he and Murray were teammates in college.)
Here are five takeaways from the Patriots’ 34-13 victory against the Bengals.
The New England Patriots got a much-needed victory in Week 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
There are still glaring vulnerabilities throughout the unit, but they’ve done enough to clinch the playoffs and enter the final weeks of the season with an 11-3 record. New England’s scary-good secondary showed why they’re among the best in the league, and the offense did just enough against the Bengals to get the job done — this has been the recurring theme all season.
Needless to say, the Bengals are now 1-13 and this isn’t a victory to boast about. The Patriots will see the Buffalo Bills in Week 16 and the Miami Dolphins during the final week of the season. They’ll have to play much better than they have in the past few weeks, but this game against the Bengals was a solid start.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
Stephon Gilmore is New England’s MVP this season
The Patriots have a league-high 25 interceptions this season and Stephon Gilmore is responsible for six of them.
He is undoubtedly the NFL’s best cornerback right now and he continues to make a case for Defensive Player of the Year. He added on to that case against the Bengals after recording two interceptions — one resulting in a pick-six. Gilmore told reporters after the game that he should’ve had three, maybe four interceptions.
Gilmore leads New England’s secondary and he’s the reason that they feel so comfortable playing man defense. He has changed the dynamic of this team, and the Patriots will need his continued excellence if they want to make a deep playoff run.
The NFL is investigating the New England Patriots for what seems to be a miscommunication during Week 14 in the press box in Cleveland on Sunday, according to multiple reports. The league is looking into whether a scout illegally video taped the Cincinnati Bengals’ sideline.
The Patriots had a scout in the Browns’ facility to view New England’s upcoming opponent, the Bengals. That scout was featured on the Patriots’ digital documentary series, “Do Your Job,” which chronicles the day-to-day life and responsibilities of their many employees in the scouting department, video department or equipment managers. A Bengals scout noticed the Patriots scout video taping in the press box, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The NFL then obtained that video. However, they will likely find the scout was video taping himself — and not the Bengals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor was asked about the incident on Monday during a press conference.
“I’m aware that there was an incident, but I know the league’s investigating it, so I’ve got no comment,” Taylor said. “I don’t have anything to say about it. … I’ve got no comment.”
My understanding of how this played out: A #Bengals scout noticed the videotaping in the #Browns press box. He alerted a #Bengals executive, who alerted NFL Security, which spoke with the #Patriots employees and obtained the video. https://t.co/IrNbSZbR44
Patriots’ advance scout was not filming but being filmed, per a league source. He was being filmed for a feature the team produced called, "Do Your Job." The video crew was credentialed by the Browns to shoot video in the press box and their PR person was aware, per the source
The truth is that the days where videotaping can actually provide a competitive advantage are over. In the days of sideline signaling in the early 2000s, video of hand-signals could provide a huge advantage — like in the days of Spygate. Coordinators now relay their plays with headsets while covering their mouths with the play sheet. Video of a team’s sideline might only reveal a team’s signals for hurry-up offense.
The NFL is investigating the New England Patriots potentially video taping the Cincinnati Bengals play calls, according to Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
“I’m aware that there was an incident, but I know the league’s investigating it, so I’ve got no comment,” Taylor said Monday during a press conference. “I don’t have anything to say about it. … I’ve got no comment.”
The Patriots and the NFL could not be reached for comment at time of publication. However, New England seemed to be filming a scout for the team’s documentary series, “Do Your Job,” according to NFL Network. The series shows a day in the life of their different employees in the organization from scouting to equipment managers to food services. The Patriots scout seemed interested in filming himself — and not the Bengals’ sideline.
An explanation, via a source informed of the #Patriots situation: The team reached out to the #Browns for a credential for a videographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes piece on an advanced scout. A day in the life. They’ve done “Do Your Job” pieces on several other facets (1/2).
More on #Patriots/#Bengals situation (2/2): These "Do Your Job” pieces have been on training staff, equipment, etc. The videographer shot B-roll in the press box. The Pats didnt ask the league until afterward, tho they did inform the #Browns (who had the home game) vs. #Bengals
This wouldn’t be the first time the league looked into New England’s video department. The Patriots were punished for Spygate, when they were illegally taping opponents during the 2007 season. Of course, that isn’t the only scandal involving the team. They were also entrenched in Deflategate, a ball deflating scandal which followed the 2014 season.
For now, this situation, however, seems significantly different than that of Spygate.
