The New York Jets lost in comical fashion on Sunday to the Las Vegas Raiders. The worst news? It’s not purposefully, despite appearances.
As Henry Ruggs beat rookie corner Lamar Jackson on a stutter-and-go for a shocking, game-winning 46-yard touchdown catch, there was a popular refrain among legions watching.
The New York Jets are tanking to perfection.
If only this was the truth.
In reality, professional athletes and coaches don’t tank. They don’t have the upside. After this season, the Jets are going to make wholesale changes. Head coach Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be out on their rear ends, and the roster will endure a seismic shake.
The reality should bother Jets fans much more. They’re simply incompetent from ownership on down. And no matter how many changes are made to the coaching staff and personnel, that’s going to loom over the franchise like storm clouds on a boat too far from port.
Owners Woody and Christopher Johnson don’t care about winning. They don’t have enough pride to even pretend they care.
Gase has been an unmitigated disaster since his hire, ranging from his bizarre introductory press conference and sparing with Le’Veon Bell, to routinely criticizing players to media members and making one dumbfounding decision after the next. Yet he’s still employed.
And while firing Gase wouldn’t salvage the season — those dreams were done in October — it would tell the fanbase the Jets still care. This is why the Houston Texans fired Bill O’Brien. Ditto the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions moving on from Dan Quinn and Matt Patricia respectively.
We can agree all those firings came a few months (seasons) too late, but they were made. A point was delivered. The Jets have also made their point. It’s perfectly fine to crater in historic fashion, going through one bumbling loss after the next.
While the Jets epitomize a losing franchise engulfed in a loser’s mentality, they share a building with a team showcasing all the best qualities of an underdog.
The New York Giants began the season 0-5 and 1-7 under first-year head coach Joe Judge. Judge was widely panned when hired from the New England Patriots after serving as their special teams coach. In Week 2, Big Blue watched as star running back Saquon Barkley was lost to a torn ACL.
Fast forward to this morning, and the Giants are 5-7 after beating the Seattle Seahawks on the road with Colt McCoy.
The two New York teams fielded on Sunday are not separated by much in terms of talent. However, in measures of heart, intellect and desire, the gap couldn’t be wider.
The Jets are 0-12 not because they aren’t talented enough to win a game. They’re 0-12 because ownership is indifferent and the coaching staff has a toxic mix of ignorance and indignation.
Ruggs’ touchdown wasn’t a product of the Jets trying to lose. If it was, that would almost be relieving, a way to explain away a Cover 0 blitz when prevent is in order.
No, the Raiders’ miracle win was a product of everything which has been wrong with the Jets for years, all wrapped into a few absurd seconds.
Power rankings
Top 10 players who could be x-factors in the 2020 playoffs
1. Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts
2. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Carlos Dunlap, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks
4. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers
5. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
6. Ronald Jones, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints
8. Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
9. Jerry Hughes, EDGE, Buffalo Bills
10. Michael Brockers, DL, Los Angeles Rams
Quotable
"“I don’t know.”"
– Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy on why the team has collapsed over past two years
Those three words in response to why his team has bombed two consecutive seasons is enough to move on from Nagy.
Going 12-4 in 2018 was terrific in the coach’s first year, but in the NFL, that was a generation ago. The Bears haven’t approached the playoffs since, and at 5-7, aren’t about to this season. Chicago blew a 10-point lead in the final two minutes against the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Soldier Field, with the deciding play — a Mitch Trubisky fumble — coming on a curious decision to throw.
The Bears have lost six straight, the team is trending straight downward and the fanbase is irate.
Tough sell for a fourth season.
Podcast
Random stat
The San Diego Chargers won the franchise’s only title in 1963, taking down the Boston Patriots, 51-10 in the AFL Championship Game at Balboa Stadium.
Running back Keith Lincoln had an all-time afternoon, rushing for 206 yards, catching seven passes for 103 yards and throwing for 20 yards.
Nobody has ever amassed more combined rushing and receiving yardage in a title game.
Info learned this week
1. AFC playoff picture is wild, and about to endure Moving Week
What a wild ending to the first window on Sunday.
The Raiders engineer a miracle. The Indianapolis Colts recover a fumble inside the 5-yard line in the waning seconds to preserve a 26-20 win over the Houston Texans. The Cleveland Browns, who led 38-7 over the Tennessee Titans at halftime, held on 41-35.
The result? Here’s the playoff picture entering Monday night:
- Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0)
- Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
- Buffalo Bills (8-3)
- Tennessee Titans (8-4)
- Cleveland Browns (9-3)
- Miami Dolphins (8-4)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
In the chase are the Raiders (7-5) and Baltimore Ravens (6-5), the latter playing the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday.
However, all the chaos leads us into an incredible Week 14 slate.
The Chiefs visit the Dolphins. The Raiders welcome in the Colts. The Bills host the Steelers on Sunday night. The Ravens head to Cleveland on Monday night. The playoff picture is a mess for now, but clarity is coming with tiebreakers galore being decided in the next seven days.
2. Browns, Titans both make statements in Cleveland win
Staying on the AFC, a bit of a deeper dive into Cleveland handling Tennessee.
Baker Mayfield was sublime in the first half, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 31-point advantage. Rightfully, Mayfield has been criticized for being a liability this season, forcing head coach Kevin Stefanski to hide him while being almost entirely dependent on the rushing attack.
On Sunday, Mayfield was a boon for Cleveland. If he can play anywhere near the level we saw from him in Nashville, the Browns become much more dangerous.
Conversely, nobody wise is basing conclusions on 30 horrid (or great) minutes, but the Titans have major problems. Their third-down woes have been a season-long nightmare. They ranked 32nd coming into the game and allowed Cleveland to go 10-of-16 in such situations.
This is compounded by the lack of pressure Tennessee generates on quarterbacks. The Titans have 14 sacks (none on Mayfield) all year. Only the Cincinnati Bengals have fewer.
The Browns found hope in their young quarterback, at least for one day. The Titans have issues which aren’t getting better, and perhaps are growing worse.
3. Eagles finally make move to Jalen Hurts, but now what with Carson Wentz?
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson made the only move he could. After watching Wentz struggle for 11.5 games this season, Pederson reluctantly went with the rookie in Hurts.
Wentz was lifted in the third quarter on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, trailing 23-3. His stat line? 6-of-15 for 79 yards and four sacks. In relief, Hurts went 5-of-12 for 109 yards with a touchdown, interception and three sacks.
So what now for Wentz, Hurts, Pederson and the Eagles?
While Hurts did provide an undeniable spark, he wasn’t spectacular. He completed fewer than half of his throws, also held the ball at times and turned the ball over. This isn’t meant to be critical of a kid getting his first extended action. Instead, it’s pointing out why Wentz is likely going to get the starting nod in New Orleans next weekend.
Wentz has been horrific all year. He leads the NFL in turnovers and has struggled with accuracy and feel in the pocket. He deserved to ride pine. Yet the Eagles can’t move off his contract until, at the earliest, 2022. The investment is too large to bench Wentz long term barring incredible play from Hurts.
Still, Pederson proved he’s willing to make the switch. Wentz is officially on notice.
4. Chargers have to be near breaking point after comical special teams showing
The Los Angeles Chargers lost 45-0 against the Patriots. Cam Newton threw for 69 yards.
Los Angeles is 3-9 and melting down on a weekly basis. The Chargers have now lost four games in which it led by double-digits in the second half, another on the final play on a dropped pass, and then on Sunday, were annihilated by 45 points with the other quarterback essentially taking a day off.
The latter was made possible by some of the worst special teams play you can imagine. This has been a theme for the Chargers all year — they rank second-worst in special teams DVOA since 2000 — and it was on full display against New England.
Los Angeles had a punt returned for a touchdown and a blocked field goal returned for a score. This coming after special teams coach George Stewart was reassigned on Nov. 25.
At some point, it’s not about the players. It’s about scheme and attention to detail. Blocked kicks are almost always because of missed assignments, bad technique and/or bad alignment. This falls on Lynn and his staff.
The Chargers aren’t only bad, they’re baffling. It falls on Lynn.
5. MNF twin bill offers four teams desperate to win, even the Steelers
The NFL has done a nice job getting the primetime games right this season. Monday night is the latest example.
While the Washington Football Team and Pittsburgh Steelers accidentally winded up under the lights, it’s an intriguing battle. Pittsburgh is 11-0 while Washington is tied atop the NFC East, albeit at 4-7. For the Steelers, they pressure remains on with Kansas City only one loss back of them. For the Football Team, a win and they’re in line to host a playoff game.
Meanwhile, the main event has the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Buffalo Bills — in Arizona.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan should be strongly considered for Coach of the Year. If the Niners reach the postseason, he’s an easy choice. No team has dealt with more significant injuries throughout the campaign, and now with a victory, San Francisco gets to .500 with a real chance to get into the tournament.
Finally, Buffalo is 8-3 but on the verge of fighting for its playoff life with a loss. Miami is 8-4 and only a half-game behind in the AFC East, while the wild card teams in the AFC likely need at least 10 wins to make it. Next week for the Bills? Pittsburgh. A loss here could be a significant issue.
Monday should provide us with some terrific football. It’ll certainly be impactful.
Gambler’s game
In a critical AFC matchup, the Colts are visiting the Raiders on Sunday. Indianapolis comes in an early two-point favorite, despite the Raiders being firmly in the mix for a playoff berth.
Las Vegas has been solid at covering the spread, going 7-5 this year. At home, in a must-win, take the Raiders to beat the Colts by at least a field goal after being shaky the past two weeks. Indianapolis is a good team, but a limited one offensively which may struggle to take advantage of Las Vegas’ subpar defense.
Two cents
Don’t give up on the Baltimore Ravens.
Last year, the Chiefs were 6-4. They didn’t lose again. Now, the Ravens don’t have the same situation as Kansas City, as Andy Reid’s group was getting a bevy of key players back off injury. Baltimore does have ample players coming off the COVID-19 list, but some of its ailments are season-ending such as left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
However, the Ravens entered the season as co-favorites to win Super Bowl LV for a reason. Lamar Jackson is the reigning MVP, the running game is fantastic and the defense is top-five. The former has struggled, but the latter two are still true. If Jackson can find his stride, the Ravens have the talent to be a major problem.
And while Baltimore is 6-5 and outside the AFC playoff picture, peek at the schedule. After hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, the Ravens travel to Cleveland for a Monday night tilt with the Browns. If they win on the shores of Lake Erie, they could win out with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants coming to M&T Bank Stadium before finishing up at the Cincinnati Bengals.
Things have been going poorly for the Ravens, but a month is a long time to get right and get rolling.
Inside the league
Forget the Jets as a whole for a second. Focus on Denzel Mims.
While first-round tackle Mekhi Becton appears a star, it’s the second-round receiver who we check in on here. Throughout his draft process, FanSided profiled Mims’ journey. When I covered the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Mims stood out, and immediately became a player we wanted to shadow.
Getting to know him over the coming months, the Texas native was impressive in both deed and determination. During the pandemic, he trained at his mom’s house. He worked towards his dream while being a doting father to then 11-month daughter, Parker Noelle.
In short, it isn’t surprising to see him making an immediate impact, even if it hasn’t translated to wins yet.
Mims was sidelined for six games with a hamstring injury to begin his career, but has since played in six games and caught 19 passes for 324 yards. Not bad for a rookie playing with Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco at quarterback, and being saddled with Adam Gase as a head coach.
The Jets are the dregs of The NFL, but they found two studs at the top of their first draft class under first-time general manager Joe Douglas.
There’s hope to be found from multiple parts of that sentence.
History lesson
Since the Lions came to be in their current form in 1934, they’ve never played the Bears in a playoff game over their 86 shared years. Yet the pair played one of the most important postseason games in NFL history.
In 1932, The NFL had not yet adopted a postseason format. The team with the best winning percentage was declared champion. However, this season, the Portsmouth Spartans (6-1-4) and Bears (6-1-6) were deadlocked, as ties didn’t factor into the league’s tiebreak scenarios.
What resulted was the 1932 NFL Championship Game. Due to horrific weather, the contest was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium. The field was 80 yards long, and so once a team crossed the opponent’s 10-yard line, they were forced to retreat 20 yards. Also, field goals were not permitted.
The Bears won 9-0, giving them their second title. As for the Spartans, they played one more season in Portsmouth before relocating to Detroit.
Ultimately, though, the situation spawned an annual NFL Championship Game, changing the league forever.
Parting shot
For ample teams, some potentially great news came across the wire on Sunday.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there’s a belief within the league we could see a salary cap of $195 million for the 2021 season. This would represent a drop of $3 million from the current threshold instead of the $175 million number negotiated as a bottom-line number over the summer.
While every team will welcome more money to spend on their own players and free agents alike, there’s a few praying this report comes to fruition. Here’s a list of which teams would already be in the red for 2021 at a $175 million cap:
- Las Vegas Raiders (-$6.2 million)
- Minnesota Vikings (-$7.2 million)
- Houston Texans (-$11.0 million)
- Kansas City Chiefs (-$13.9 million)
- Green Bay Packers (-$16.4 million)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (-$19.2 million)
- Los Angeles Rams (-$19.4 million)
- Atlanta Falcons (-$25.2 million)
- Philadelphia Eagles (-$65.3 million)
- New Orleans Saints (-95.7 million)
If the cap hits $195 million, only Atlanta, Philadelphia and New Orleans would remain underwater.
This would also help teams like Pittsburgh and Green Bay keep key players such as edge rusher Bud Dupree and running back Aaron Jones, respectively. For the Chiefs, they have a litany of key cogs on one-year deals including receiver Sammy Watkins, safety Dan Sorensen and cornerback Bashaud Breeland. They would now have some extra cash if they wanted to retain a few of them.
We won’t know the actual cap threshold until late February, but this is encouraging news for general managers who have been fretting about who they’ll have to say goodbye to.