Take number one: Pretty sure it’s a fireable offense to toss your $55 million quarterback whose non-throwing shoulder is still wonky, out on the field in a meaningless game when you’re 2-9, but I’m not Doug Pederson. But if that is not a fireable offense, then surely it is when he gets hit late, his head bounces off the turf like a basketball and he’s carted off with a concussion.
Take number two: Not gonna lie, I was nervous about the Washington game against the, yes, god awful Titans, but also a team that has a top 5 defense (it’s true, look it up!) But a blow out and a bye will hopefully right the ship and the team will get to the playoffs.
Take number three: Another one I can’t believe is not on the unemployment line? Joe Schoen. Your boss literally says - ON CAMERA - that if a player you decide to let walk (Saquon Barkley) ends up doing well with one of your division arch rivals, you’re not going to be happy and he not only does well but is a top 3 MVP candidate, and yet. Add that to another guy you traded away (Leonard Williams) and let walk in free agency (Xavier McKinney) who are also balling out and you just released the quarterback you handed $80 million to the mix, and the Schoen family will surely be looking for new housing come January.
Take number four: It is too bad Brock Bowers plays for one of the three worst teams in the league because on paper he should be getting more rookie of the year hype. He is going to set the rookie record for catches by a tight end, which may end up being north of 100, while catching passes from (checks notes) Gardner Minshew, Aiden McConnell, and Desmond Ritter.
Take number five: Nice to see Bryce Young bouncing back from the struggles he had as a rookie and early into his second season. Good reminder we should not give up on talented players just because it takes them a little longer to pick up the pro game.
Take number six: You have to feel bad for Joe Burrow. I saw a stat on ESPN noting he has thrown for more than 300 yards with 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions five times this year and the team’s record is 0-5 in those games. He’s got 30 TDs and 5 INT’s and is already well over 3,000 yards passing and yet he’s saddled not just with a terrible defense but a franchise with a long history of coming close to winning it all and then going into a slow and steady decline.
Take number seven: Had the Bears not fired Matt Eberflus the day after their awful loss on Thanksgiving it would have dominated the NFL discourse all weekend but they lanced the boil and got rid of a guy who well deserved it. You can’t lose that many games in that many embarrassing ways (four losses that came down to the literal final play of the game!) and keep your job. Some coaches are just not cut out to be anything more than coordinators and that’s fine. Eberflus can have a long career as a respected DC, but handing him the big job ever again? Um, no.
Take number eight: The Chiefs and Ravens are weird. The former is winning close games late at a rate rarely seen and the latter spit the bit any time they lose momentum in big games. I know people have lost a lot of money over the years betting against Mahomes (and made money betting against Lamar) but do you trust either of these teams, the former with a wonky offensive line, anemic offense, and defense starting to fade, and the latter, that looks unstoppably one week and pedestrian the next whose HOF kicker looks like he has the yips, and a history of coming up short in the playoffs?
Take number nine: Eagles record after 12 games in 2023? 10-2. Eagles record after 12 games in 2024? 10-2. Bills record after 12 games in 2023? 6-6. Bills record after 12 games in 2024? 10-2. Don’t tell me Saquon is MVP when the team he plays for has the exact same record it did last year and have a far better defense this year than last when Josh Allen, with less talent on offense and defense than last year has the Bills four games better while rarely turning over the ball and throwing/running for 27 TDs.
Take number ten: Non-sports related. I love women’s college volleyball. Great athletes, fast paced, passionate fan bases. It’s a sport on the rise to the point where ESPN did a selection show for the NCAA tournament that starts on Thursday. But the worldwide leader really messed up this show and it made me so mad. The production was amateur hour - graphics that came up too early, showing three of the four top seeds but not the fourth which probably made little sense unless you knew A LOT about the game, the reaction shots from the teams when they got announced not syncing with the actual announcement, shaky sound on the interviews (which were not illuminating in the least and too short) etc etc. They did not put their best foot forward and that is a real shame because the sport deserves more attention.
