First Down
Baker and the Browns beat the holy hell out of the Bengals. This is interesting on many levels.
- The Browns are winning games and that’s a good thing, unless you’re in the AFC North.
- Hue Jackson now works for the Bengals. For those who aren’t keeping score Hue was the coach of the Browns until week 8. He was fired then went to Cincinnati to join forces with his old friend, Marvin Lewis.
- The Bengals are in a free-fall and with Andy Dalton being out for the year with a thumb injury it’s only going to get worse. It’s going to be great seeing Hue throw Marvin under the bus once everyone is fired this offseason. (Who are we kidding, it’s clear that Lewis has something hanging over ownership, he’ll never get fired.)
- Mayfield has been a star and shown that he was indeed worth the number one pick. His stats since Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired have been insane.
Did the coaching change i Cleveland help Baker Mayfield? Not only yes.. but hell yes:
With Hue Jackson/Todd Haley: 4 TD and 6 INT
Since Hue Jackson/Todd Haley were fired: 9 TD and 1 Int— trey wingo (@wingoz) November 26, 2018
After the game Baker and Hue met at midfield for what should have been pleasantries but ended with Mayfield giving his former coach the cold shoulder. His press conference did not disappoint.
Baker Mayfield was not a fan of Hue Jackson going to coach the divison-rival Bengals. pic.twitter.com/uvTblVZdo8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 25, 2018
It’s easy to understand, Mayfield feels betrayed that Hue would go to a rival right after being fired from the Browns.
He doubled down on Instagram after Damein Woody commented on the situation on ESPN’s First Take.
That’s a real comment from Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/jJY0th7l65
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— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) November 26, 2018
As a man that’s inching closer to 30 by the minute and been on the wrong side of unemployment I gotta go with Woody on this one. Hue Jackson was fired. What is he supposed to do? My dad always said, “Some money is better than no money.” Who is Baker to tell someone where they can and can’t work? If the Browns released him this offseason and the Steelers wanted to employ him would he say no if that was his only opportunity? I highly doubt it.
Baker does have a point about Hue being fake, though. After he was fired Jackson went on the media circuit blaming everyone but himself for the Browns atmosphere of losing. He even went as far to say the he wanted to draft Carson Wentz but the organization wouldn’t let him. (Thanks for that, by the way. Signed – an Eagles fan.) Hue has a special relationship with the media and uses it at every opportunity to exploit others. So, on that frontier, Baker is on point and has every reason to be upset and if I were to guess I’d say that’s the root of his issues. Not that he went to a division rival.
While we’re talking about Baker HOW BOUT THIS BALL FAKE DIPPED IN ALL THE SAUCE!!
Baker Mayfield got that filthy fake 😳 @bakermayfield https://t.co/rBdsPv6qGy
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 25, 2018
Are we really surprised, though? I mean…this is the same guy that gave us this gem back in Oklahoma.
This better be Baker Mayfield’s first touchdown dance pic.twitter.com/udY96zuZKh
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 21, 2018
Keep balling, Baker. For all of us.
Second Down
Can anyone find evidence of any analyst predicting the Colts would make the playoffs?
Let me stop you: it doesn’t exist.
The Colts have won five games in a row and Andrew Luck (my fantasy QB ayeeeee) looks like the guy who was dubbed a prodigy after leaving Stanford.
Remember the chaos that happened before the 2012 draft? Luck had just lost the Fiesta bowl to Oklahoma State and Luck was stopped after the game and he acted like he had no idea that the Colts were about to draft him? Indianapolis then sent Peyton packing only for him to win MVP in 2013 and win a ring with Denver. It was the right move for the Colts but the only problem is they didn’t give Luck great tool protection wise and the man ended up with a lacerated kidney and a bum shoulder.
Speaking of which, that Stanford team had Ty Montgomery, Coby Fleener, David DeCastro, and Zach Ertz along with Luck. Not bad.
Anyway, head coach Frank Reich has engineered an offense that covers up those deficiencies and they’re actually thriving. The folks in Philadelphia are realizing how valuable he was to their Super Bowl run.
That’s the scenic way of saying that the AFC isn’t full of world-beaters and the Colts have a legit shot of making the playoffs.
This league is wild, man.
Third Down
The Panthers are in trouble, or are they?
Carolina is on a three game losing streak and it’s all because they can’t execute in the red zone and keep shooting themselves in the foot. The Seahawks had no business winning Sunday but thanks to an interception, a fourth down stop, and a pair of short field goals Carolina let them hang around.
There’s hope, though. Ron Rivera has finally figured out how to use Christian McCaffrey, who is having a stellar season.
NFL scrimmage yards leaders:
1. Gurley – 1,484 (17 TDs)
2. Elliott – 1,437 (8 TDs)
3. Barkley – 1,410 (12 TDs)
4. McCaffrey – 1,365 (10 TDs)RB position has a ton of young talent
— Max Henson (@maxhenson) November 26, 2018
This stat should also make Panther fans smile.
The @panthers are the only team over the past decade (2009-18) to lose three straight games in a season with a 100+ passer rating in each game. CAR had a low QBR in one of those games. 100+ rating = 72% win rate in #NFL this season, down from past yrs as high ratings proliferate.
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) November 26, 2018
Let’s be honest, the only way they were making the playoffs was through a wild card berth. That’s still more than possible as the bottom of the NFC isn’t that good. Many have called the Panthers frauds but I beg to differ. They still have one the best quarterbacks in the league and, in the playoffs, that’s more than enough.
Fourth Down
There was a fight on Sunday…well something that resembled a fight.
Leonard Fournette n Shaq Lawson EJECTED 😱 after Jaguars n Bills teams get into a FIGHT 😵 https://t.co/aIpV4bLnuZ
— VERSACEBOYENT (@versaceboyent2) November 25, 2018
Fournette was suspended for one game because he left the bench. I’m of the belief that NFL fights are usually underwhelming. Think about it; how much damage is your fist going to against a helmet designed to absorb impact?
I will say this, the fact that Fournette went over to fight a 260lb lineman with no helmet tells me all I need to know about that man.
Time to watch the only NFL fight that’s worth our time.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc1vVnOPt8A[/embedyt]Extra Points
If Baker wasn’t hard enough on Hue Jackson then Damarious Randall took the cake.
Oh man, Randall picks off the pass and hands the ball to Hue Jackson on the sideline after pic.twitter.com/EaXnjs6NZ4
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 25, 2018
Hue is gonna have to put one of these young whippersnappers in their place or they’re just going to keep testing him. Time to activate old man YMCA skrenth.
The Olympics aren’t for another two years but Chris Carson is placing his bid for a gold medal already.
https://twitter.com/SportsQuotient/status/1066783294887550979
The Vikings are in the lead for celebration of the year.
the Vikings really used Adam Thielen as a limbo stick 😂😂😂
🎥 @thecheckdownhttps://t.co/CWHYop81mE
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 26, 2018
Reuben Foster was released from the 49ers after another domestic violence dispute. That’s his second accusation since February. GM Jon Lynch cliched his way out of the situation but this is just another chapter in a long book of the NFL not knowing how to handle cases of domestic violence.
@ me: madads14
As always, thanks for reading.
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