Former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth ripped Lamar Jackson and Ravens fans
The Baltimore Ravens drafted quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. The 32nd overall pick has since gone on to win two MVPs and have a successful career despite not having the most pass-catching talent around him compared to others.
Former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth ripped into the quarterback and Baltimore fans when talking about Jackson. He mentioned how he didn’t want to hear complaints about Jackson not having help, discussing the team’s repeated first-round selection of wide receivers over recent years.
It’s no secret that the Ravens have invested first-round picks in wideouts in the last five years, and Jackson has not had quality tight ends to throw to, such as Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. However, Jackson has had to do more with less overall in the pass-catching department and has elevated countless players with his talent.
Longtime NFL vet and analyst Mark Schlereth smartly explains the benefits of Dan Campbell’s aggressive coaching style
Dan Campbell loves going for it on fourth down instead of punting or kicking long field goals. It’s one of the hallmarks of Campbell’s coaching style with the Detroit Lions.
And while it doesn’t always turn out well, as in the NFC Championship Game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, it’s helped forge the Lions as a very difficult team to play against. One longtime NFL player and current analyst is a big believer that Campbell’s aggressive playcalling shouldn’t change even after the misstep in January.
Mark Schlereth, who won three Super Bowls in 12 NFL seasons as an offensive lineman, brought up a great point about how positively Campbell’s go-for-it nature benefits the Lions. Now a television analyst, Schlereth beamed about the energy in the building in Detroit on a recent episode of his “Stinking Truth” podcast.
After praising Campbell and GM Brad Holmes for the culture and energy, Schlereth was asked if he thought Campbell might “dial back” the aggression.
“No, I don’t,” Schlereth stated. “I think that’s the way he wants to play.”
The man known as “Stink” in his playing days then brought up a great reason why the occasional misfires are worth the overall aggressiveness,
“My guys knowing that the odds are we’re going for it on fourth down, takes the pressure off on third down. They are more — they have more duality on third down than any team in the NFL.”
Detroit was certainly quite good on third downs in 2023. The Lions 41.7 percent conversion rate on third downs tied for seventh last season. Campbell’s offense was 21-of-40 on fourth downs, the second-most successes and attempts. The 52.5% success rate was 13th.
The former offensive lineman says the NFL is a better place when Washington is relevant.
“The stench is gone.”
That’s what former Washington offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Mark Schlereth said about the Commanders with former owner Daniel Snyder long gone.
“I feel like the stench, the overall stench of Daniel Snyder, who just came into a crown jewel of the National Football League and took a s–t on it, I really believe that stench is gone,” Schlereth said Thursday on his Stinkin Truth Podcast.
Schlereth, who was drafted in the 10th round by Washington in the 1989 NFL draft, played six of his 12 seasons for the Redskins, including winning a Super Bowl. He would play six more seasons in Denver, where he won two more Super Bowls. Schlereth has worked in the media since his retirement and currently calls games on FOX Sports.
The former member of The Hogs is a fan of new head coach Dan Quinn.
“You know, when Dan Quinn is the guy carrying two bottles of Febreze, you know, and they’re just psshhhhhh just all over………..just spraying Febreze all over that. Josh Harris, the new owner, and Magic Johnson’s hanging around, it feels like it’s moving in the right direction. So, I hope so because I still have an affinity. That’s where I cut my teeth in the NFL, and, you know, I’ve said this about the Raiders, which hurts, but the league’s a better place when Washington’s relevant, and they haven’t been relevant since Dan Snyder bought them.”
Schlereth is never one to hold back. For years, he’s shared his disgust with the franchise’s direction, hoping it would get back on track. You can add him to the list of alumni back on board since Harris bought the team last summer.
Randy Gradishar appears to be on the verge of reaching the Hall of Fame, but these Broncos players continue to be overlooked by voters.
The Denver Broncos are represented by 10 former players and late former owner Pat Bowlen in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and another former player will likely join them in Canton next year.
Former Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar was named a senior finalist for the Hall of Fame last August, and he seems likely to be elected as a member of the 2024 class in January. Even with Gradishar seemingly on the verge of getting in, though, Denver remains underrepresented in Canton.
Two months ago, 16 former Broncos were named among 173 modern-era nominees for the 2024 Hall of Fame class. That list of nominees was narrowed down to a list of 25 semifinalists announced Tuesday and not a single Denver player made the cut.
Granted, many of the modern-era semifinalists this year are more than deserving — Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney and Devin Hester among them — but the Broncos also have many deserving players who have been overlooked for years, and they are now one more year removed from possible enshrinement.
Here’s a quick look at ten Denver representatives who should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mark Schlereth played 12 NFL seasons and was a part of three Super Bowl champions. Schlereth spent the first six years of his NFL career with the then-Washington Redskins, before finishing his final six years with the Denver Broncos.
Since his retirement, Schlereth has been a prominent NFL analyst, first with ESPN for several years and most recently calling games on FOX since 2017.
Working for FOX, Schlereth usually calls multiple Washington games each season. He’ll be on the call for the Commanders’ Week 8 game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
In preparation for Washington’s game on Sunday, he reviewed the Commanders’ film from their ugly Week 8 loss to the New York Giants.
Let’s say he wasn’t impressed. And as a former offensive lineman, he was highly unimpressed with Washington’s current offensive line.
“Things aren’t going really well right now in Washington,” Schlereth said this week on his “Stinkin Truth” podcast. “They can’t get out of their own way on the offensive side of the football.”
Schlereth then talks about Washington’s sack problem. The Commanders have allowed 40 sacks, some of which are on Howell for holding the ball too long.
“I was watching the film, and I wanted to be sick for Sam Howell,” Schlereth said. Schlereth and his host then discuss how not all sacks are on the offensive line, and as a former offensive lineman, Schlereth is often quick to defend those who play in the trenches.
“In this case, they are awful,” Schlereth said of Washington’s offensive line. “They cannot pick up a blitz. They cannot snap a game off. Like, it is…..unreal. They should dress up for Halloween as vampires because I ain’t never seen so many neck-sucking bloodsuckers that don’t see anything going on around them……..Pull your head out and actually look for the twister. Pay attention — to the blitzer. It’s as bad as it gets.”
He wasn’t done.
“They can’t run it,” Schlereth said of the Commanders. ‘They can’t throw it. They didn’t separate from man to man…….They couldn’t do anything.”
Please tell us what you really think, Mark.
Here’s the full podcast, and you can find Schlereth talking about the Commanders at around the 14:25 mark.
Jeudy tried shooting down his “haters” before Schlereth blasted him.
After a woeful 2022, the Denver Broncos have somehow become an even worse football team. The magnitude and scope of their ongoing 2023 failure is a lot to process. But while the root of Denver’s issues might be Sean Payton and Russell Wilson not being quite good enough, they’re not the only underperforming people in the organization.
Enter Jerry Jeudy.
A Denver first-round draft pick in 2020, the former Alabama product has a total of 174 receptions, 2503 yards, and nine touchdowns in 36 career starts. Put another way, he averages about four catches, 69 yards, and zero touchdowns a game. Woof. Once a highly-touted playmaker of the future, this is probably who Jeudy is in his fourth NFL season — a consistently inconsistent receiver.
That didn’t stop Jeudy from taking to his Twitter timeline to seemingly rip the “old heads” who criticize him and these dreadful Broncos:
Later that evening, Denver sports media personality and Fox color commentator Mark Schlereth — a two-time Pro Bowler and starting guard on each of the Broncos’ Super Bowl championship teams in the late 1990s — had some thoughts for Jeudy appearing to come after his “haters.”
He seemed to think Jeudy was partly referring to him with the “old heads” reference. That, or the Broncos legend just wanted to aptly roast Jeudy. So, Schlereth proceeded to drop the hammer down about Jeudy’s availability and notorious underperformance:
Does "old heads" mean someone that has more playoff starts that you have career starts? https://t.co/Yg0lYGdVHh
Oh. My. Goodness. Wait, let me check Schlereth’s math here. He has 16 career playoff starts between stints with the Washington Commanders and Broncos. Jeudy, again, has 36. Hmm, that doesn’t quite add up, Mark. It’s a good dunk attempt, but it’s a whiff.
Let’s have some fun and try another one. Schlereth has 16 career playoff starts to Jeudy’s total career touchdowns (9). Let’s try another one again. Schlereth has three Super Bowl rings to Jeudy’s career 100-yard games (2). I’m not quite sure which number is more brutal. Let’s just go with … both.
But at any rate, that context is much better. That’s how an “old head” can forever maintain bragging rights.
Five players who won Super Bowls with the Broncos have been nominated for the Hall of Fame, including wide receiver Rod Smith.
Rod Smith headlines the list of former Denver Broncos players who have been nominated for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The Hall of Fame announced 173 modern-era nominees on Tuesday, including 16 players who spent time with the Broncos.
Smith might have the strongest case. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Smith’s numbers (849 receptions for 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns) are similar to those of Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irving (750/11,904/65). Smith is also the NFL’s all-time leading receiver among undrafted wide receivers.
Four other Broncos Super Bowl winners were also nominated — center Tom Nalen, guard Mark Schlereth, defensive lineman Neil Smith and kicker Jason Elam. Those four players and Smith helped the team win back-to-back championships in the late 1990s.
Two more recent wide receivers — Brandon Marshall and Wes Welker — were also nominated, as was hard-hitting inside linebacker Al Wilson.
Here’s a quick look at the 16 former Denver players who have been nominated for the Hall of Fame.
Mark Schlereth played the first six seasons of his NFL career with the then-Washington Redskins. A 10th-round selection in the 1989 NFL draft out of Idaho, Schlereth appeared in 75 games for Washington, making 59 starts. He earned a Super Bowl ring from his time with Washington as a member of “The Hogs.”
Schlereth left Washington for Denver, where he would spend the final six seasons of his NFL career, winning two more Super Bowls. After retirement, Schlereth joined the media world, appearing on ESPN for years before moving to FOX Sports in 2017, where he remains today.
Schlereth will be on the call for Washington’s Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals, something for which he is excited. Schlereth has spoken out in support of Washington’s new ownership group since Josh Harris took over as owner in July.
In studying for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, Schlereth did what all good analysts do: He watched the tape. Which Washington player stood out on tape? Fourth-year guard Saahiq Charles.
Of course, Schlereth would choose a guard.
He explained what he saw in Charles, noting Charles was “absolutely freaking killing people.”
Here’s further context, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
Former Washington guard Mark Schlereth, who is calling the Commanders' opener for Fox, had some seriously high praise for current Washington guard @saahdiq: pic.twitter.com/7A5K7YABLM
Charles was in competition with Chris Paul to start at left guard this offseason. Charles missed some time with injury, but it was clear Washington wanted Charles to win the job. Head coach Ron Rivera has always praised Charles, noting his biggest obstacle has been his health.
If Charles can remain healthy this fall, he could finally solidify what has been a revolving door for the Commanders at left guard.
As for Schlereth, he knows what good guard play is supposed to look like. The Commanders enter Sunday’s game with two former drafted tackles — Charles and Sam Cosmi — now the team’s starting guards.
“Albert O” has shown flashes of great potential as a receiving tight end, including a big performance in the team’s preseason finale last week. Against the Los Angeles Rams, Okwuegbunam had a huge game with seven receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown.
That monster game wasn’t enough to make the 53-man roster, though. Why not?
Mark Schlereth, who played for the Broncos from 1995-2000, helped explain the Okwuegbunam cut on Tuesday with a video breakdown of one of Denver’s running plays against the Rams.
Schlereth pointed out a play where he says “Albert O” had “the easiest block on the field.” Despite having inside positioning, Okwuegbunam is driven off the line of scrimmage and is pushed all the way past the hole that the running back ends up running into.
“That is just absolutely garbage,” Schlereth says in the video. “And that’s why ‘Albert O’ is looking for work.”
Schlereth knows a thing or two about blocking — he won three Super Bowls (two with Denver and one with Washington) during his 12-year career as a guard in the NFL.
Okwuegbunam will now be subject to the NFL’s waiver wire.
69 Mark Schlereth days until Week 1 for the Commanders.
Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 69 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 69?
R.C. Thielemann (1985-88) came to Washington in a trade for Washington wide receiver Charlie Brown. Thielemann had come to Arkansas when Joe Gibbs was an assistant coach. A three-time Pro-Bowler with Atlanta, when Washington needed another “Hog,” the trade was made. Thielemann made 34 starts in the last four seasons of his career, including Super Bowl XXII. He was plugged in at right guard as Washington moved Mark May to tackle and George Starke retired.
Happy 66th Birthday to former OL R.C. Thielemann!
•1x All-Pro
•3x Pro Bowl
•Super Bowl XXII Champion
•1977 NFL All-Rookie Team
•Appeared in 157 games (148 starts) over his 12-year career w/ ATL & WAS
Perry Brooks (1978-84) was drafted as the 202nd player overall by the New England Patriots in the 1976 draft. Brooks persevered and finally earned his way onto a roster with Washington in 1978. Brooks was a backup his first three seasons to Dave Butz and Diron Talbert. A starter in 1981, Brooks achieved a career-high 6.5 sacks. He was again an effective backup to Butz and Darryl Grant in his last three seasons. Brooks finished with 27 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries. The Redskins released Brooks during the 1985 preseason.
Good Morning Redskins Nation we have 69 Perry Brooks days until the 2016 Redskins season opener pic.twitter.com/UYQO8e8nVv
Mark Schlereth (1989-94) played in 75 games, starting 59 for Washington. Though drafted the 263rd overall player (10th round) in 1989, Schlereth was making 6 starts his rookie season. In his third season (1991), he started all 16 games at right guard for the Super Bowl champs, as the offensive line only allowed 9 sacks all season. Schlereth was a Pro Bowler along with left tackle Jim Lachey. As a free agent, Schlereth signed and played for the Broncos his last 6 NFL seasons, winning two Super Bowls.
