Four Down Territory: NFL Week 5

First Down

Jay Gruden is out at Washington.

After being hired in 2014 Gruden’s record with Washington is 35-49-1 with one NFC East title to his name. It’s no shock that Gruden was given the boot, the team has a 0-5 record, it’s the manner in which he was shown the door.

According to reports Gruden was summoned to the facility at 5:00 AM Monday morning. Once he arrived owner Dany Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen informed him of their decision.

To recap; they called him in to fire him then sent him home just in time to sit in morning DC traffic.

That’s not surprising, though. Snyder has done this before.

Jim Zorn has just touched down in Dulles after a loss to San Diego before Snyder fired him. That happened at 4:45 AM and that’s about the only consistency Snyder has shown in his tenure as owner.

Snyder purchased the team in 1999. Since that Washington’s record is 139-185-1 and so much drama Shakespeare is taking notes from the grave.

• The Washington Post uncovered an amazing stat: 84% of staff that worked in non-operational departments between 2008 and 2013 left the organization for various reasons.
• The team has had eight coaches.
• Sixteen different quarterbacks have started.
• Paying Albert Haynesworth north of $100 million.
• Trading for Donovan McNabb.
• Ruining RGIII’s career.
• Two playoff wins in 20 years.
• Hiring Bruce Allen.
• Letting Kyle Shanahann and Sean McVay leave the organization.
• The Trent Williams debacle.

Do I need to go on?

Washington is back on the market for a head coach; their wish list is as followed:

Report: Mike Tomlin, Todd Bowles, and Eric Bieniemy are on Dan Snyder’s list for Redskins Head Coach. https://t.co/rIOShcNBIn pic.twitter.com/NzBAjvnCSK

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) October 7, 2019

One take: why would Tomlin leave stable, reasonable people like the Rooneys for an owner that fired his head coach after one year because, “he wasn’t having fun.”

Seriously, what does this organization have to offer? Yes, Dwayne Haskins and Derrius Guice are building blocks but other than that what’s there to offer? It’s going to take a long time to rebuild this team the correct way but Snyder doesn’t have the patience for that. The new coach is going to have to build through free agency and that rarely works; just ask the Eagles “dream team.”

The only way Washington will get better is to get the richest man in the room out of the paint and in my short time on this earth one of the rare facts I’ve learned is that rich people don’t move easily.

Second Down

On Sunday Tommy from Power Christian McCaffrey went OFF against the Jaguars.

 

In an era where running backs are devalued it seems that we’re simultaneously in a golden age of the new-age running back.

So, with everything these days, let’s rank the top backs in the league based on overall talent.

1. Saquon Barkley
2. Alvin Kamara
3. Ezekiel Elliott
4. Christian McCaffrey
5. Dalvin Cook
6. Todd Gurley (even with a bum knee)
7. Nick Chubb
8. Sony Michel
9. Chris Carson
10. Marlon Mack

Leonard Fournette is flirting with a top ten spot, especially if he keeps putting up 100+ yard performances.

Other notable names that aren’t on the list: Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Matt Breida, Joe Mixon, and Phillip Lindsay.

Third Down

Stop the press; the Chiefs lost a game in which Mahomes didn’t have spectacular numbers. The team is no longer good and they should start tanking now for a top-ten pick. Fire Andy Reid today, please.

Those statements are dripping with sarcasm, the Chiefs are missing a stable of key players and Mahomes is suffering from an ankle injury. If anything that’s the main cause for concern. Sprains usually linger and the colder the weather gets the harder it is to keep those muscles loose. Other than that the offense is more than capable of taking them to the promise land.

On the other hand, their defense is the weak point of this team. You can only win so many

shootouts and Patrick is bound to have a bad day, a la Sunday. The Chiefs rank 29^th against the run giving up a monstrous 156 yards per game. That will be their downfall when they meet Belichick in the AFC Championship game.

So, what can they do?

The obvious answer is trade for some help on the defensive side of the ball.

The right answer is to trade for Stefon Diggs.

Look, if you’re going to have the best offense in the league then you might as well add as many weapons as possible.

Will it come back to bite them in the hind parts in the playoffs? Possibly but it’s gonna be one hell of a ride.

Fourth Down 

Last week I went 8-4 for the weekly picks and the season total is 17-10. Let’s do this dance again. Teams that will win are in red. 

Thursday Afternoon 

New England @ New York Giants

Sunday Afternoon 

Carolina @ Tampa Bay

Washington @ Miami (Tua’s future will be decided)

New Orleans @ Jacksonville 

Cincinnati @ Baltimore

Seattle @ Cleveland

Philadelphia @ Minnesota

Houston @ Kansas City 

Atlanta @ Arizona 

San Francisco @ Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee @ Denver

Dallas @ New York Jets

Sunday Night 

Pittsburgh @ Los Angeles Chargers 

Monday Night 

Detroit @ Green Bay 

 

Extra Points

On this episode of Deshaun Watson is a genius…

Deshaun Watson's treatise on the Atlanta Falcons defense, as requested @billbarnwell pic.twitter.com/3JyfYMmMoI

— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) October 6, 2019

The 49ers are 4-0 but let’s keep in mind that the total win/lose record for the teams they’ve played is 5-15. Don’t plan that parade just yet.

Richard Sherman forgot that cameras exist in 2019.

So Richard Sherman claims Baker Mayfield refused to shake his hand at the coin toss. This video seems to indicate otherwise: pic.twitter.com/4CgOsLKLPL

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) October 8, 2019

Don’t forget that Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed for protesting police brutality and racial inequality in this country.

@madads14

As always, thanks for reading.

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