The surprising 2-0 Buffalo Bills take on the 0-2 Cincinnati Bengals in the sunshine and 80+ degree temperatures of New Era Field this afternoon. The Bills are favored by 5 1/2 points. The Home Opener is usually a noisy affair with plenty of crowd antics like The Wave and some fool running onto the field in the nude.
I am concerned about Antonio Brown. His increasingly erratic behavior troubles me. Too many concussions? Some sort of bi-polar disorder? Antonio Brown signed a $50 million contract with the Oakland Raiders (after turning down a similar offer by the Pittsburgh Steelers). After that contract was voided by Brown’s instance that he be traded to the New England Patriots, he signed a 1-year $10 million contract with the Patriots. Now, that the Patriots have cut him, that contract is voided. So Antonia Brown has gone from being a $50 million dollar man to a $10 million dollar man, to an unemployed athletic facing rape charges. That is quite a spiral downward. Plus Nike has dropped him. How will your favorite NFL team perform today?
Look at the Jets’ quarterback situation. And yet, you have not – and I can guarantee you, will not – heard the name Kaepernick mentioned. The blackballing may make Trump’s teeny little heart go pitter patter, but the NFL is a disgrace.
As for the Giants, the less said the better. They are frankly a shambles. The quarterback situation is the least of it. You have a clueless GM and a coach making questionable decisions, plus the players they have are just Not Ready For Prime Time. I predict another long, pathetic, futile season.
Jeff, in the rankings before the 2019 NFL season started, the Jets were ranked second in the AFC East. Now, their QB situation has changed things dramatically. The Jets might be 0-8 at the Bye Week! The Giants situation is even more dire. In 2018 when five top QBs were available in the First Round of the NFL Draft, the Giants didn’t take one. They waited until 2019 when the QB crop was much diminished. We’ll see how rookie QB Daniel Jones fares today.
Somehow, a thug like Brown will get a job, despite leaving a trail of evidence a mile wide (including threatening his victim’s children), but Kaepernick can’t even get a phone call. Sexually assaulting a woman is OK, but kneeling during the anthem is too offensive to consider an interview? Wait, don’t answer that. The NFL should be ashamed—if it were possible for them to feel shame!
/Dismounting permanently-assembled-and-ready soapbox now.
Deb, I suspect the NFL won’t give Kaepernick a job (even with the shortage of healthy QBs) because they fear the Twitter storm that would hit them from Trump. I love it when you take to you soapbox!
After losing quarterback Drew Brees to a thumb injury (tendon damage requiring surgery) for at least six games, the Saints limp into Seattle to take on the Mariners. Back-up QB, Teddy Bridgewater, didn’t acquit himself very well in last week’s loss (although, to be fair, some bad calls also factored in to the reversal of momentum after Brees was injured) and I’m not sure coach Sean Payton’s plan to platoon Bridgewater with multi-position player Tasum Hill is going to work either. I hate to do it just three games in, but I think I’m going to assume this season will resemble the Saints “Bounty-gate” season of several years ago. The spark has been extinguished.
Deb, don’t fear for the Saints. They’re still one of the better teams in the NFL. Drew Brees may return after his 6-week hiatus and light up the League! Teddy Bridgewater–the highest paid backup QB in the NFL–needs to start earning his paycheck today. I marvel at the talent of Tasum Hill!
The Seahawks, who Deb derides by calling the Mariners (Seattle’s baseball team), play at home vs. the Saints. It will likely be raining, as it is here. If the Seahawk O- line can protect Russell, it will be close.
Sorry Rick, it wasn’t derision—but this time of year baseball predominates the small part of my brain where sports roam free! Please accept my apologies. Seahawks it is!
Accepted. Sorry, I thought you did it on purpose.
Rick, no doubt weather will be a factor in the Saints vs. Seahawks game.
As for AB, he got himself into whatever messes he is in, so I have no sympathy for him. A very good football player gone off the tracks, likely due to a sense of entitlement and too much ego.
Rick, you might be right about Antonio Brown, but I suspect something for serious is going on with his mental health.
I had some memory of the Seahawks having a defense, and an offensive line. Hmmm, I wonder when that might have been. It’s halftime, and I can’t look any more. I’m off to try some reading. Bah.
Rick, the Saints are making the most of Seahawk mistakes.
Sometimes they look so good. Sigh. Congratulations, Deb.