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THE NEW YORK JETS WILL BE FLYING IN AND OUT OF JUSTIN FIELD’S IN 2025

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The New York Jets can close the book on their darkness retreat chapters starring Aaron Rodgers. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood soured the Big Apple in New York as he single handedly burned down his own team taking the Jets franchise to nothing but a heap of smoldering ash. The Jets thought at the time they just needed a quarterback to get over the hump and signed Rogers after he left Green Bay kicking and screaming. It’s been two years of pure hell for J-E-T-S as now they can finally move on and try to put some distance between them and the Mr. Darkness retreat. The Jets in day one of free agency have found Rogers’ replacement by signing former number one pick from the Chicago Bears, Justin Fields. Fields gets a two year deal worth 40 million which 30 of that is guaranteed as he will be an expensive rebound for this fan base. This move also gives this Jets franchise a breath of air and a new start which they need right now.

Justin Fields is now 26 years of age and has 4 NFL seasons under his belt. Originally Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL draft number 11 overall from Ohio State University. He has played three seasons in Chicago where he had his ups and downs. Last year in his lone season in Pittsburgh as a Steeler, he achieved his first winning record in a season as a starting NFL QB. He was traded to Pittsburgh and only started 6 games for the Steelers where he had a winning record of 4-2. He played in a total of 10 games for the Steelers where he completed 65.8% of his passes which is a career high for Fields. He tallied up 1,106 passing yards with 5 touchdown passes and only 1 interception. He started the season as the starter for the Steelers because the other QB Pittsburgh signed at the time was Russell Wilson who had an injury to start the year off then replaced him week 7.

It took three full seasons as a starter for Justin Fields to win 10 games as a starter for the Chicago Bears. Last year he almost won half of those starts that he won in less than half a season. Fields is a duel threat quarterback that can beat you with his legs more than his arm. He has a nice deep pass but always had problems throwing over the middle of the field. I always say once athletes leave the Chicago sports landscape, they do better. Fields has always turned over the ball with an interception or he’s very good at coughing up the football. His career numbers in 4 seasons he is 14-30 as a starting QB. He has a completion percentage of 61.2% and he has tallied 7,780 yards in the air and thrown 45 touchdown passes. However he has thrown 31 interceptions. He threw only one as a Steeler. With the legs he has rushed the ball 418 times for 2,509 rushing yards with 19 rushing touchdowns. With the Bears he went through coaches and offensive coordinators like changing your underwear on a daily basis. In Chicago he had the turn style offensive line. With the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin, he changed his game and made less mistakes. He definitely had better protection. His turnover rate as a Steeler averaged out to 0.8% in 2024. From 2021-23 with the Bears, Fields averaged an NFL turnover rate of 2.8%. He has been careful with the ball in Pittsburgh. With the Bears he was the worst QB taking the sack. From 2021-23 he was sacked with a 12.4% sack rate. With the Steelers he cut that sack rate down to 9%. During those six games he started, the Steelers offense were averaging 20.7 points per game. The Jets would have loved to have 20.7 points per game as they did not get that with Aaron Rodgers last year.

The New York Jets pick at number 7 in this April’s draft may not get them one of the top two QB’s on the board. The Jets are in need of a future franchise quarterback. They have failed before at developing former number one picks they have selected such as Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. Darnold finally had his best year in a Vikings uniform last season. Darnold may be a late bloomer while Wilson looks like the next Ryan Leaf. If the Jets are going to select a quarterback in this upcoming draft, they need to develop him. The best plan may be to have the guy stand on the sidelines with a clipboard and learn. Justin Fields may be a bridge gap QB for the Jets. Fields could also showcase his own talents and improve his game on the field to ultimately get a bigger deal elsewhere. However if luck is not on the side of the Jets in developing a draft pick, then if Fields performance is solid they may have found a solution behind center. If Fields does good he could be a trade chip for another team if the QB he grooms turns into something.

The Jets have had a solid defense the last few seasons during which I thought they took a step backwards last year. The stench of Aaron Rodgers rotted everything it touched in that Jets locker room last year. The Jets have hired a defensive-minded head coach in Aaron Glenn, former Lions D-Coordinator. Glenn can probably get that defense to its old self. If Justin Fields is careful with the football, then the Jets may have found a new formula to win games. Defense and duel threat QB who does not turn over the football. I think Fields will also flourish because he will have his former teammate catching his passes. From Ohio State, former Buckeye Garrett Wilson is the best receiver the Jets had had the last three seasons. With all the bad quarterback play the Jets had over the last few seasons, he still has found ways to tally over 1,000 receiving yards. The Jets were 5-12 last year and finished 3rd in the AFC East. They should benefit with an easier schedule next season. My knock of Fields in something he may not be able to improve, is the killer instinct with the ball in his hands in the last minute of the game. Taking the lead or tying the game to send it to overtime. Most importantly, the comeback to win the game. He was a disappointment in close games in the last few minutes in a Bears uniform. Right now Fields has a chance to showcase his talents with a new team and being the starter. How will he handle objects in his side mirror that are closer than he thinks? I like this move by the Jets because it turns the page on Rodgers. Fields is most likely only a rebound after a bad break up for the Jets. He gives this franchise a chance to heal. He gives this franchise a chance to rebuild. He gives the Jets a fighting chance every Sunday and makes each week exciting even if the record is not a winning one. The Jets should be better than 5-12 as the darkness retreat clouds have lifted over the New Jersey stadium on home games.

WE NOW KNOW WHO PETE CAROL’S GUY IS AND IT’S NOT RUSSELL WILSON

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When Pete Carol was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders, you knew the “win now” mentality was going to be the plan for the oldest head coach in the league. You knew the Raiders would go in another direction with their quarterback room from last season that featured Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Many thought the Raiders would sign free agent Russell Wilson and Carol was set for their own reunion back in their Seattle days. The Raiders inquired about Matthew Stafford. The Rams were not going to trade their starting veteran quarterback. The free agent waters had some other interesting names like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and if you have the oldest coach in the NFL… why not get the oldest Quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers. Instead the Raiders went with Carol’s other guy from his Seattle days and struck a deal with the Seahawks bringing Geno Smith to Vegas baby! The Raiders will give Seattle a 2025 3rd round pick and the 34 year old Smith will be set for reunion with his old coach from Seattle.

Geno Smith was originally drafted by the New York Jets back in the 2013 NFL draft in the 2nd round 39th overall. After going 8-8 in his rookie season, Smith struggled after his first year in the league with the Jets. After 4 seasons the Jets pulled the plug on Smith. Smith bounced around the next two seasons before finding a back role for the Seahawks, as he backed up Russell Wilson. The Raiders will be Smith’s 5th NFL organization as he suited up one season each with the Giants and Chargers. Smith finally got another shot at the starting job when Wilson and Pete Carol’s relationship soured and he was traded to Denver. For the Jets, Smith had a 12-18 record as a starter dressed in green. For Seattle he will leave with a winning record of 28-24 in 5 seasons. He made two pro-bowls in 2022 & 23 both with Seattle where he resurrected his NFL career. In 11 seasons Smith has played in 94 games and has a record of 40-42 as the starter. He has tallied up 19,143 passing yards for his career with 105 touchdown passes to 72 interceptions.

Why Geno Smith over Russell Wilson? Wilson would have not cost the Raiders to give up any draft capital. I think the Raiders could have gotten Wilson cheaper as well. Wilson played 11 games last year for the Steelers where he was 6-5 as the starter. Wilson tallied 2,482 passing yards completing 63.7% of his passes. He threw 16 touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. Wilson had the Steelers in the driver’s seat to win the AFC North. The Steelers struggled at the end of the season and backed in the playoffs as a wild card, before they were quickly dispatched from the post-season after 1 game. Geno Smith completed 70.4% of his passes last season. He went 10-7 as a starter as he tallied up 4,320 passing yards. He threw 21 touchdown passes compared to 15 interceptions. He had Seattle in the driver’s seat in the NFC West, but the Seahawks would also fold down the stretch and miss the post-season. Wilson is 36 years of age and he can’t move like he used to back in his Seattle days. Smith is two years younger but has the ability to escape the pass rush with his legs. I think Smith has the stronger arm and can throw the ball down field better than Wilson can. Smith is more of that gunslinger mentality as Wilson is better at being careful with the football. Both guys are pretty much equal, but I would give Smith the edge. I think it comes down to Pete Carol probably has more trust with Smith than his old Quarterback he won the Superbowl with back in his Seattle days. I think Smith would get more respect in any locker room as Wilson is high maintenance and gets under most players’ skin with the special treatment he needs.

What is Seattle doing retooling or rebuilding? The Seahawks have one quarterback on their roster, former Washington Commander Sam Howell. In 2023 Howell chucked the ball 612 times that season which is by far the most passing attempts in the league. Howell has been in the league only 3 seasons and was back up to Geno Smith last year. He has played in 20 games and has a 5-13 record as a starter. In 2023 he tallied up 3,946 passing yards while throwing 21 touchdown passes but also threw 21 interceptions. He seems like Jameis Winston reincarnated. The Seahawks could be linked to Sam Darnold as their next starting quarterback. The Seahawks have freed up money by dealing Smith to the Raiders. Smith is the 19th highest paid QB in the league and is in his final year of a 3 year deal worth 75 million. The Seahawks were about 10 million apart with an extension for Smith. Seattle was looking to pay Smith 35 million per season, but his people wanted him to be paid 45 million per season. Seattle also has one of their top wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf who wants out and is seeking a trade. Even if you trade Metcalf, the Seahawks still have some interesting pieces for whoever their next starting quarterback will be. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a top receiver in the league. They have a pair of solid running backs in Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III. The Seattle defense played well last season.

The Raiders made a splash before this trade locking up their best asset on defense in Mad Maxx Crosby as he will be paid the most money by a player not being a quarterback in NFL history. The Raiders have brought in Chip Kelly to be the team’s offensive coordinator. Last year the Raiders ranked 29th in the NFL averaging 18.2 points per game. Kelly has had successful offenses that he had run in the NFL. Kelly was not a good head coach in the NFL. Kelly is most known for his exploding offenses at the college level. The Raiders have one of the best tight ends in the league. Brock Bowers may be the newest Travis Kelce in the entire NFL. Bowers in his rookie season caught 112 passes for 1,191 receiving yards and 5 touchdown catches. The Raiders will need another wide receiver. The one they currently had in Jakobi Meyers did have a nice season as well catching 87 balls for just over 1,000 yards and he caught 4 touchdowns. The Raiders will need a better running game than what they had last year. If the Raiders can add a few more guys to this high tempo offense Kelly likes to run, things may have gotten even more interesting in the AFC West.

Where does veteran Geno Smith fit in the pecking order of the AFC West at the quarterback position? You have to still rank Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs number one. Is Chargers Justin Herbert number two? His performance in the post-season last year versus Houston was weak. The Rise of Bo Nix for the Broncos may be the 2nd best QB in the division. Herbert and Smith could equal out behind Nix and Mahomes. The head coaching in this division is unbelievable. Remember the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos made the post-season last year leaving only the Raiders at home from the AFC West. Andy Reid, Sean Peyton, and Jim Harbaugh all explain why three teams made the post-season. Pete Carol and the Raiders are behind the 8-ball looking in, but today they improved their team with Smith behind center. The Raiders will need more pieces to be able to leap frog some of these division rivals. For the long haul I see the Raiders getting better as a team. They may grab a wild card spot next year or the year after. The Raiders and post-season don’t go together like the days of “just win baby” which now was decades ago. I don’t see the Raiders winning a Superbowl with Geno Smith as their quarterback. Smith is nowhere close to being the Rich Gannon style of QB who blossomed like Geno late in his career and led the Raiders to a Superbowl appearance. The Raiders need a true number 1 QB to go along with the rise of a Max Crosby and Brock Bowers. It is always good to talk about the silver and black finally getting their act together.

THE BEARS SEEK THE HELP OF A MAN THAT HAS HELPED TWO HATED DYNASTIES WIN MULTIPLE SUPERBOWLS

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The Chicago Bears are Trumping up their offensive walls to keep out the opposing defenses’ migrants. Maybe General Manager of the Bears Ryan Poles got a good fence guy recommendation from Donald Trump. The Bears pulled off a monster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to give Chicago a true pillar on an offensive line that gave up more screws than a whorehouse last season. The Bears acquire left guard Joe Thuney from the Chiefs for a 2026 4th round draft pick. Thuney has been the protector of Tom Brady back in the New England dynasty and has given protection to Patrick Mahomes for several seasons and this current Chiefs dynasty. Thuney has won 4 Superbowls in his 9 year NFL career, which 2 of them came from the Patriots and the other two the Chiefs.

Joe Thuney is 32 years of age. He was drafted by the Patriots in the 2016 NFL draft in the 3rd round 78th overall from the University of Carolina. His first 5 seasons was with the Evil Empire Patriots. His last 4 seasons he was down in Kansas City joining another hated franchise. Don’t let the age fool you as Thuney has only missed two games in his entire career. He played in all 17 games last year for the Chiefs. He has 146 games under his belt in the NFL. He is a 4x All-Pro and was selected to 3 Pro-Bowls in 9 total seasons. Last year he played 895 snaps at the left guard position. Then he was asked to protect Patrick Mahomes’ blind side at left tackle due to an injury. He played 217 snaps at left tackle. In the last two seasons he has had the highest pass block win rate of 97.8% in the entire league.

So why did the Kansas City Chiefs suddenly make Joe Thuney expendable? The Chiefs’ best offensive lineman Trey Smith recently got the franchise tag and is a guy younger than Thuney. Trading Thuney to the Bears will free up 16 million dollars off the Chiefs salary cap. Smith is only 23 years old and with a franchise tag would be paid in the neighborhood of 23.5 million which is the going rate out of your top protectors in the NFL. The Chiefs coming off their Superbowl loss will look to retool their roster but also get younger in the grand scheme of things.

For the Bears it’s simple, they have to protect their investment number one pick from last April’s draft in Caleb Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season which almost broke David Carr’s single rookie season he had in his first year with the Houston Texans. In 2002 Carr was sacked 76 times. This is the second move by the Chicago Bears in a matter of days. Both moves to improve their offensive line have come through trades. The first trade was with the LA Rams which landed them a 315 pound moose in Jonah Jackson, an X Detroit Lion who has ties to newly hired head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears have three free agents from last year who were fixtures on that terrible O-line they had who they will most likely let walk away instead of re-signing them.

Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator for the last several years had success because of the guys in the trenches. The Detroit Lions had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL the last few seasons. They ran a well-balanced offense with a two-headed monster at running back that opened up the play action pass for Jared Goff. Johnson turned Goff into a serviceable quarterback that can help your team go deep into the post-season. The experts think Caleb Williams has all the star-studded tools of being a top NFL quarterback in this league. Williams now will have protection in the middle of the line in these first two moves of the off-season by the Bears landing a pair of guards. Obviously Johnson still has to work on Williams’ mechanics and help him get rid of the ball quicker to avoid those types of sacks in which Caleb found himself doing his rookie season. Now it will appear he will get that time after these two trades.

As many expected, the Ben Johnson era will be a carbon copy of what the Lions needed to do to resurrect that franchise from the dead. The Bears are now investing heavily into the offensive line as Joe Thuney will get 16 million next year as he finishes a 5 year extension he got in 2021 by the Chiefs that was worth 80 million. Rumors are swirling that Thuney may get an extension even before putting on the shoulder pads. The Bears will be paying Jonah Jackson 17.5 million who’s in his second year of a three year contract he signed with the Rams. I don’t expect either deal to be a one year try out. If the Bears don’t give Thuney the extension, they can let him ride out the end of his deal and call it a day. For Jackson the Bears could cut ties with him before next season in his final year which would not cause problems for the salary cap. I think Johnson and Ryan Poles think these two guards will be here longer than one season. For Jackson who only played 4 games last year for the Rams, it is a move right now I will question. I give Johnson the benefit of the doubt as they have connections. I do like the Thuney trade. He is older but looks like a guy that still has thread on the tires and we know he plays that way. He’s been a part of elite winning programs like the Chiefs and Patriots. I like he comes from colder climates such as Kansas City and New England, so he should feel right at home in Chicago. I like Thuney able to play either tackle or guard. The Bears may need one more guy for that O-line to get the full makeover. Now they can address that in the draft or through free agency. All of the moves the Bears have made on offense the last two seasons are for Caleb Williams. Williams will be the final piece of the puzzle if this franchise will contend for years to come. Winning the off-season does not win Superbowl titles.

ANOTHER BEARS BLUNDER NOT RE-SIGNING SANBORN

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The Chicago Bears organization’s best comparison is a teenager who constantly makes bad decisions. It does not matter who’s in charge at the top. Does not matter who is the head coach. Somehow the Bears will make a blunder which will leave you scratching your head in disbelief. The latest is non-tendering strong side linebacker Jack Sanborn who’s a local kid and a player that has thrived the last three seasons since being signed as an un-drafted free agent from the University of Wisconsin. Sanborn was a restricted free agent and the money to keep him on this team is chump change which tallies to 3.263 million. Now Sanborn is a free agent and can sign anywhere he wants to. Some say the madness of this Bears move was to re-sign Sanborn for his services at a cheaper price. I have to believe some team will come in and scoop up a talent and want Sanborn’s services in the upcoming season.

Jack Sanborn is only 24 years of age and signed with the Bears as an un-drafted free agent in the 2022 season. That year he cracked the starting line up and made six starts for the Bears. In three seasons with the Bears he has played in 48 games and has made 19 starts at linebacker. Last year he played in all 17 games and tallied up 17 tackles while registering 1.5 sacks on the QB. Sanborn is a tackling machine as he has been involved in 164 tackles in three NFL seasons which 110 of those were solo. He has racked up 14 tackles for a loss of yards while defending 5 passes. He has one interception while racking up 4.5 sacks. He grew up a Bears fan and is from Lake Zurich, Illinois. Former Bears coaches say Sanborn is a versatile player, intelligent, a hard worker, and a guy that can play in nickel situations on third downs. You have to like his motor as he keeps going until the whistle blows. He can back up all the team’s linebacker positions. If not a starter, Sanborn would give any team depth on the roster.

The Bears have a new head coach in Ben Johnson who is here to fix the team’s offense and develop the quarterback. Johnson hired former Saints/Raiders head coach Dennis Allen who will be bringing in a different style of defense than what Matt Eberflus had the last few years. The Bears have invested heavily in linebackers through free agency by signing former Eagle T.J Edwards and former Bill Tremaine Edmunds before the 2023 season. Both Edmunds and Edwards might not be the linebackers in Allen’s defensive scheme. The Bears will be looking for guys that can pressure the quarterback is my guess and that made a guy like Jack Sanborn expendable for this new regime.

One team that may scoop up a guy like Jack Sanborn is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have a new D-Coordinator and it is Matt Eberflus who definitely knows what his defense needs and will know what he would be getting if they ink Sanborn to a free agent contract. Sanborn should have multiple suitors for his services. I know he was not drafted, but he played defense in the Big Ten at the University of Wisconsin. Big Ten manufactures linebackers and solid defensive options like a factory. It’s a conference that plays defense still. Many of these un-drafted free agents play with more heart than most of these guys that were drafted. Sanborn seems like that guy that a coach would say, “If I only had 11 Jack’s out there, what this defense could do.” That defense would play hard. That defense would not shoot themselves in the foot and play smart. Whoever signs Sanborn will get a better version of Jack because he will be even more motivated to be better if that is even possible. I’m not going to lie. I hate seeing the Bears give up on a local kid that was doing well. He is only 24 years of age and has not even hit his prime of his football career. I wish him the best of luck. I really do think the Bears have made another blunder which is the norm for this franchise and for all the teams in the Chicago Sports landscape.

IS J.J. GOING TO BE DYNAMITE FOR THE BEARS OFFENSIVE LINE NEXT SEASON?

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The Ben Johnson era in Chicago starts off with a move that several past General Managers for the Bears used the band aid method on over the last two decades. You could even throw the current GM Ryan Poles under a bus for not knowing what an offensive lineman looks like. The Bears pull off a trade with the LA Rams to land a veteran guard and one of Johnson’s old disciples from back in the Detroit days. The Bears acquire 28 year old left guard Jonah Jackson from the Rams for a 6th round 2025 draft pick. Before you make your Superbowl plans for the Bears, it comes with a cost of 17.5 million on the salary cap. The Bears will take on the entire length of Jackson’s contract – a guy that only played in four games last year. This sounds more of a Bears-like move.

Jonah Jackson was originally drafted by the Lions in the 2020 NFL draft, as he was selected in the 3rd round 75th overall from Ohio State University. Jackson has 5 seasons under his belt as he has started 61 NFL games. In 2021 Jackson was named to his only Pro-Bowl, by far his best season in the NFL. Last year the Lions chose to let Jackson walk out the door in free agency as he signed with the Rams on a 3 year deal worth 51 million. His lone season in LA was not worth remembering as he missed most of training with camp due to a injury. He did return to line up for opening week then in week two a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve. He would return late in the season and play in another two regular season games. In Jackson’s first two seasons in the NFL, he played in 16 games in back to back years. In 2022 he played in only 13 games. In 2023 he played in only 12 games. Last year he played in 4 games. The Bears hope he can stay healthy this upcoming season and have a bounce back year.

Last season the Bears GM Ryan Poles improved the offense by adding all the fancy play makers and new offensive coordinator. Like past Bears General Managers he did not address that offensive line and it was like putting make up on a pig. Poles’ number one pick, Caleb Williams, paid the price in almost breaking David Carr’s rookie record of being sacked the most in NFL history. Williams made mistakes as a rookie that did not help the guys the Bears had protecting him. He would hold on to the ball way too long. Most of the games, the Bears offensive line caved in like a house of cards as defenders would blow up the middle of that line each week. The Bears coaching staff had no answers and no adjustments as Williams is lucky he is still in one piece by the end of another miserable season on the gridiron for Chicago. Williams’ first season was like Mitch Trubisky’s & Justin Fields’ first season with the Bears. Quarterbacks selected in the first round come in with a shaky line and a coaching staff that is doomed from the start. Then after that year, all three quarterbacks have to start over with another head coach and offensive coordinator. This go around the Bears kept Poles as he convinced ownership they need to spend the big money to hand the reigns over to Ben Johnson. He’s that hot shot offensive coordinator who did wonders in Detroit the last few years. Can Johnson avoid what happened to Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus who ruined Trubisky and Fields? It looked like the Commanders who picked second overall in last April’s draft and selected Jayden Daniels, which made the better choice for now after one season. Will it continue?

The Bears will need more than one move to solidify their offensive line this off season. The Bears will not resign Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton or Matt Pryor who all played on the offensive line last season. They are set to become free agents and other teams’ problems. The Bears could address their line issues with free agency, the draft, or by trade, like they did with their first significant move of the off-season. This first move is indeed interesting. Jonah Jackson and many others in the NFL worked very hard to get that first pay day and after they get it, their performances drop off the map. Jackson got the big deal and after year one has not lived up to it. Injuries happen in football. Ben Johnson knows Jackson very well working with him for years so I suspect they think he will bounce back and the shoulder problems should not linger for years to come. You have to give head coach Johnson the benefit of the doubt because he knows what an offensive line man looks like over the yahoos who have failed at finding the right big guys to protect your asset which is the quarterback. Hopefully Coach Johnson can develop the quarterback as well. Which the Bears brass have not figured that out for quite some time. Keeping the QB upright is the first step which is basic Football 101. Jackson is a 315 pound beast the Bears are adding at left guard. He can play some right guard as well. He should help prevent the opposing defenses from caving in the middle of that line. He’s getting the big bucks so he better be worth it. The Bears have some space in their salary cap which will not be an issue making other signings. In the third year of the contract which will be the 2026 regular season, if Jackson is not worth keeping he would not cost much against the cap to cut ties with next off-season. His track record raises red flags for me as his career goes on, the less he plays. The Bears did not give up a lot for him. You are not getting a starting offensive lineman in the 6th round of this April’s draft. The pressure will be on Ben Johnson as he is getting paid well and this is his guy. Right now this move will be a wait and see. It could be dynamite in either way. Bears fans hope it does not explode against them like most of their front office moves they have seen for years.

BUFFALO BILLS NEED A GAME WRECKER ON DEFENSE

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The NFL is a copycat league like in all sports. Once the recipe is out there in the football world for how to prevail against your enemy, suddenly your own team gravitates to some changes. When the Philadelphia Eagles defense gave the Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs a beat down in this past Superbowl, you better believe it that general managers around the entire league took notice. Especially Brandon Beane, the GM of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills can’t clear that final hurdle to the Superbowl which is the Chiefs. It may not be the extra weapon Josh Allen needs on offense to get the job done versus the Chiefs. What Allen and the Bills need most is a guy that can help disrupt the flow of Mahomes and that Chiefs offense to put up another disastrous performance like he did last month. Could a game wrecker be possible for the Bills this off-season in a trade with Cleveland for defensive end Myles Garrett? Could the Bills simply sign Khalil Mack who is available in free agency? Would either one of these guys be the key to getting by the Chiefs?

Myles Garrett is unhappy in Cleveland and has demanded a trade. Garrett is 29 years old & has 8 seasons in the NFL all with the Browns who drafted number 1 overall in the 2017 NFL draft. In 117 games in the NFL Garrett is one of the best at killing the QB, as he racked up 102.5 sacks in his career so far. Last season he had 14 sacks in 17 games with 40 solo tackles and 3 forced fumbles. Garrett has been named defensive player of the year multiple times from different outlets over his career. He is also a six time Pro-Bowler. Khalil Mack was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL draft in the first round 5th overall. Mack is 34 years of age and has 11 seasons under his belt with the Raiders, Bears, and Chargers for the last few seasons. He has played in 167 career NFL games and has racked 107.5 sacks. Mack is a 9x Pro-Bowler and also has won multiple defensive player of the year awards. Last year he had only 6 sacks in 16 games and 20 solo tackles along with 2 forced fumbles. Mack has only 5 playoff games under his belt in his career as he tallied up 3 sacks in post-season play. While Garrett has one sack in three post-season games.

I would love to have Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett on my defense rushing from opposite ends. With Garrett you get a younger guy that has more octane in his tank than the old Mack truck. Garrett is like a crazed animal out there on the field and he can easily wreck your game plan. Only one time he used the quarterback’s helmet as a weapon of mass destruction on the the QB he took it from. He is not that guy who will cost you a game for losing his cool as he did that night with Mason Rudolf when he played for the Steelers. Garrett was drafted in 2017 and Josh Allen was drafted in 2018 which means the Bills’ top two guys on their respected units are about the same age. Allen is 28 while Garrett is 29. I remember when the Bears first landed Khalil Mack from the Raiders as he had no pre-season action and helped the Bears get back to the post-season. The Bears had one of the best defenses in the league. The Bears got there with Mitch Trubisky as the starting quarterback and they have moron Matt Nagy as the head coach. Mack was unstoppable that year as he had 12.5 sacks in his first season in a Bears uniform. Mack is a streaky kind of guy. Some years he can have monster numbers and some years like last year, he only had 6 sacks. It’s not like he has less effort as he could be getting double teamed. When you take on double teams, it should free up someone else on that defense that can create the havoc that week.

The bottom line is how much is it going to cost you to land one of these guys? Brandon Beane has pulled the trigger on landing a big player before. Right before the 2020 season Beane got Josh Allen, one of the top play makers in the league with Stefon Diggs. That trade was a bowl of mixed nuts for the Bills as they dealt Diggs to Houston before the 2024 season started. For the Browns who are being handcuffed by the biggest flop of a trade in NFL history they made by acquiring Deshaun Watson from Houston. They will certainly will ask a lot for a Myles Garrett. It will cost the Bills trade capital and chunks of salary cap to get Garrett. Other teams could drive the price up for Garrett as well. For Khalil Mack it is about how much does he want in his bank account. Will Mack take less at his age with a chance to go further in the post-season with the Bills than any other team he has played for in his career? Mack played his college ball with the University of Buffalo where he dominated. Could that be enough to entice him to come back and play in the cold weather after a few seasons in the LA sun?

These moves are always a doubled edge sword which can cut your own team more than help. When the Bills went out and signed Von Miller in 2022, it was supposed to be “MILLER TIME” in Buffalo instead of the normal Lablatt Blue. Last year Miller tallied up six sacks in 13 games as a guy who is 35 years of age. Giving Khalil Mack a big contract or big money next season at the age of 34 kind of makes me nervous. Miller should be a salary cap casualty coming up which will give the Bills more money to spend on the open market. The biggest question is does one guy make that much of a difference? The Eagles used the legs of Saquon Barkley to ride them all the way to the Superbowl. At the end it was the Eagles defense who won that Superbowl. The Eagles defense did it as a unit. If I had to pick out of Mack or Garrett, put me down for Myles over Khalil. Age makes a difference on the football field. If the Bills could land two impact free agents for the one price on that defense, then sign me up for that. I think Sean McDermott and the Bills may be heading to a different philosophy on the defensive side of the ball with some of the new hires as coaches on that side of the field. I would like to see some new horses in the trenches. I would like to see a shut down corner back as well. This Bills defense is not terrible. They already have some solid pieces in place. The Eagles defense has some of those names you probably heard the first time because of the Superbowl. Let’s keep the draft capital. Let’s invest in multiple needs for the entire roster and not put all our eggs in the single basket.

WHEN DID THE NFL KICKER/PUNTER TURN INTO SAVAGES?

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The job as a kicker or punter in the NFL was always a quiet position. They were two positions that were known as your outcasts on the team’s roster over the years. Kickers and punters don’t get down and dirty. The only time you would hear about a punter was if their kick was blocked or if he somehow botched the punt and it cost your team. The regular kicking job was a different story as you are either loved or hated. If you deliver a game winning kick on Sunday, they may be hoisted on the team’s shoulders in celebration. If these kickers miss a game winning field goal, they may be shunned in the locker room by their teammates. They may receive hate mail with death threats. The kickers/punters jobs are no longer the guy from the soccer team booting the ball for his team. No longer the foreign guy kicking the ball for your team. The positions have evolved as they are no longer the hush puppy on the sidelines. In the game of football, many players turn into savages in a violent game. It’s no longer the big guys in the trenches that have lost their marbles on the football field. It’s no longer the primadonnas at the wide receiver position talking foolishly. Suddenly the kicker and punter are contributing to those dramatic off the field stories like the rest of the players.

We start with our Deshaun Watson of the kicking world. The last player from the Baltimore Ravens team that won the 2012 Superbowl is Justin Tucker. He’s 35 years old and has played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Ravens. Tucker has played in 212 NFL games and has hit 417 field goals while knocking through 524 extra points. He has made quite the name for himself on the football field kicking winning field goals and burying long distance kicks through the uprights from high 50’s to 60-something yards out. He is a 7 x Pro Bowler and was part of the HOF All Decade 2010’s team. Tucker, like Watson, has the same problems on the massage table as he wants to fondle the merchandise. So far 16 massage therapists have come out of the woodwork just like in Watson’s case as he had more. All of them from the Baltimore area which makes sense. All the allegations are from 2012-’16 so Tucker eventually stopped. Or found the right girl with everything in the package deal. He exposed himself during the massage and probably handled all the girls stroking them on the inner thigh while leaving a wet spot on the table when concluded. More details will emerge.

Other recent news is a former Viking punter from 2005-’12 was arrested in California at a city council meeting. Chris Kluwe is 43 years old and he spoke at the meeting as he made his feeling clear that he is not a Donald Trump supporter. He compared the Make America Great Campaign to the Nazi Party. He compared Trump to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He had to be dragged out of the meeting during his speech as things got heated. It was the Huntington Beach city council that were installing a plaque at the local Library of Donald Trump’s slogan Make America Great Again and giving MAGA their support. This is not the first time Kluwe has had words against this same library who were banning books a few years back. Kluwe said he’d rather play video games than be a politician which the Democrat party has been knocking at his door. He may consider running as multiple topics have him venting against the Trump regime. He played in 127 games in the NFL which was 8 seasons all with the Vikings. He says when he became an activist for gay rights and same sex marriages, his career was terminated by the Vikings and the NFL after the 2012 season.

The Kansas City kicker used his soap box in 2023 in a commencement speech at his Alma Mater, Georgia Tech University. Harrison Butker is the opposite of what Chris Kluwe is preaching. In that speech he said women that get degrees get excited more about getting married and having children than having a career. This is freedom of speech. It can be true and false, just an opinion. He goes on saying Catholic leaders are pushing ideologies on the youth of America. He ripped Joe Biden’s stance on abortion. Made comments on Pride month and the LGBTQ community. Butker did not get in trouble for his speech but did get some backlash. It’s freedom of speech but using all your political stance in a commencement speech is a little odd. He did not do it on the Chiefs clock. Maybe Butker and Kluwe will debate in the future of this country.

Then you have a former Buffalo Bills punter who was drafted in 2022 in the 6th round who got cut from the team because he was involved in a group rape back at his college, San Diego State. Matt Araiza calls himself the punt god. The girl in this sticky situation said she was 18 years old and she was at the college campus partying. She was only 17 years of age. At first it was said that Araiza got oral sex from the Jane Doe 17 year old, outside somewhere during the parties. Then led her back into the house where his teammates got a turn on Jane Doe as she was drunk and most likely everyone had a fair share. It went on for over an hour where three of the punt god’s teammates gave her a ride. The Bills did cut ties with Araiza who turned out to be innocent as the case was dropped. Araiza played his first season in the NFL with the Chiefs this season and played all 17 regular season games including the playoffs. You have to wonder why this kid put himself into a situation like this. Sure he is probably innocent, but some truth even if it’s a sliver of it means this kid made a bad decision. I blame the girl as well and whoever she hangs out with should not be called a friend of the future. She may have been embarrassed and was caught in a pickle or more. Someone could have paid her to go away. Maybe the others got the blame. The nickname punt god… give me a break. Kick the ball and that’s it. Do your job.

Marquette King played 84 games as a punter in the NFL. He played six seasons in the NFL 5 with the Raiders and one with the Broncos. He is now kicking in the UFL United Football League for the Arlington Renegades as he may tell you the NFL black balled him. King was a solid punter and he still is presently. In football, every player has to use the referee’s signal for first down when they achieve one. You have your touchdown celebrations. You have your sack dances on defense. Now on a turnover from all the defenses in the league you have, your group dances for that particular celebration. It’s really pathetic. King had his punt dances which would draw flags from the referees. King would also get in fights with the special teams coaches because he would call his own plays on the field. Like instead of kicking the ball, he’s going for the first downs and not getting them – putting his team in bad field position. Which some of these calls surely resulted in losses which head coaches are not going to like. King is a talent as he is also a pop and hip hop artist. Just do your job on the field and do your other stuff on your own time. No fan wants to see their punter dance or call plays on the field. Stay in your lane. King suffered an injury in his last season in Denver which may be the NFL’s excuse not to bring him back.

I remember when Todd Sauerbrun was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft from West Virginia University. He purchased a sports car he showed up to training camp in with vanity license plates that said “Hang Time.” It’s better than punt god. Why does a punter or kicker have to be flashy or use their position as a soap box opportunity? Justin Tucker is hot garbage like Deshaun Watson. The old days you never heard anything about kickers or punters off the field. Present days with social media everything is game and out there to read. You would think being in the spotlight just playing the game would be hard enough and not add off the field issues to the situation. All athletes are under the microscope. For Tucker he should be arrested. For Harrison Butker and Chris Kluwe, wait until your career is over and then get into the politics game. Look what happened to Colin Kaepernick. No team wants him bringing that kind of baggage to any locker room in the league. It would be stupid talking about day in day out “Colin this Colin that.” He was just an average QB. If a player is average or below average and your off the field issues are loud, you’re expendable. Marquette King is a solid punter but an easy change of the light bulb as a replacement. I think Tucker will be out of a job soon. Even if Tucker was winning Superbowls with the Ravens, he would still be kicked out the door. He is not a QB. Even though Watson should be done in the NFL because he not a very good QB anymore. The Browns are heavily invested and have their hands tied. Only a few kickers and punters play in the NFL. Only 32 punters and 32 kickers. Maybe some teams keep an extra kicker to do kick offs. Imagine how many kickers and punters that play in college and want a job in the NFL. Many!! You can replace a kicker and a punter easily. The best referees are unknown in the game. The best punters in the league are unknown. The best kickers you know because they convert when they are called upon in the clutch. Tucker will not be remembered now by those big kicks. He will be remembered as a sexual predator like Watson. Two peas in the same pod could compare their war stories on the massage table. The world has turned the footballer into a common savage like all of the others.

REMEMBERING THE 2001 CHICAGO BEARS WITH HEAD COACH DICK JAURON

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When it comes to the Chicago Bears, decades and decades have gone past without a franchise quarterback. The jury is still out on Caleb Williams’ rookie season this past season. When it comes to head coaches, the Bears have had a list of clunkers since the team fired Mike Ditka in 1993. The Bears have been looking for a solid coach since they fired Lovie Smith in 2012. He led the Bears to a Superbowl loss in 2006, the last time they made it to the big game. We know with Ditka the Bears won their only Superbowl in 1986. We know before Ditka, Papa George Halas was a legendary head coach in Chicago for decades. The Bears have not figured out a way to find a head coach better than Smith. Many will say the Bears have not found a better replacement than Da Coach. In between Ditka and Smith, the Bears did find success. It was 2001 when the Bears went 13-3 under the former Yale graduate of Dick Jauron who had the Bears in the post-season in one entertaining magical year in team history. Jauron coached 28 seasons in the NFL and played 8 seasons as a player. He was loved by all whereever he worked as a coach and a player. It’s a shame when good people pass away as Jauron quietly did less than a week ago at the age of 74.

Dick Jauron was born in Peoria, Illinois. Jauron would attend grammar school in Rensselaer, Indiana. He played his high school football at Swampscott High School located in the state of Massachusetts. He was named top ten best high school players in the state of Massachusetts. He then played his college football at Yale University where he was 3 x First Team all Ivy-League. The Detroit Lions drafted Jauron in the 4th round of the 1973 NFL draft as a safety. He was also drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals as a short stop in the 1973 MLB draft. However he chose football over baseball. He played 8 years in the NFL with two teams. The Lions for 5 seasons and then the Bengals for 3 seasons. He earned his only pro bowl nomination in 1975 as he was still with the Lions. He played in 100 NFL games as a free safety and had 25 career interceptions. He had two defensive touchdowns. His NFL career ended after the 1980 season. In 2015 Jauron made it to the College Football Hall of Fame for his stellar play for the Yale Bulldogs.

Dick Jauron then took his talents to coaching as he started in 1985 with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive backs coach. Then from 1986-1994 he held the same job he had in Buffalo, only he did it with the Green Bay Packers. From 1995-98 he was the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars under Tom Coughlin. Then the Bears gave him his first head coaching job from 1999- 2003. In 2001 he led the Bears to the post-season as they were one and done. They were quickly dispatched in the wild card round by the Eagles. Jauron would get fired by the Bears and finished with a 35-45 record in 5 seasons in Chicago. In 2005 Jauron was defensive coordinator in Detroit the last few years after Chicago and he took over the head coaching duties. In the last games in 2005, he finished 1-4 as the interim HC. It was good enough that the Bills gave Jauron his next head coaching job in 2006. He was fired in week ten of the 2009 season as he lasted 4 seasons. Jauron had three straight 7-9 seasons in Buffalo until the 4th year when things got worse. He started the season with a 3-6 record and was fired. He finished with a 24-33 record in Buffalo. In 10 seasons as head coach he had a 60-82 record and only coached one playoff game which was the loss to the Eagles. After Buffalo, Jauron did one season in Philadelphia as defensive backs coach.Then got the defensive coordinator job in Cleveland for another three seasons.

The Bears before the 2001 season were picked by the experts to be one of the bottom feeders in the league. The Bears most likely played a weak schedule from being a bad team the year before. Like the LA Chargers this season played well, got into the playoffs, and looked like they did not belong. I think the Bears may have gotten lucky in some of these games they played in this magical season where they went 13-3. It was a year that they were 8-0 in games decided by 7 points or fewer. The things most Bears fans remember were the back to back overtime games they won that year with Dick Jauron as the head guy. These two games were comebacks by the Bears to send them to OT. The Bears then won both overtime games against the Browns and 49ers with Bears safety Mike Brown scoring two defensive touchdowns to seal the deal in back to back regular season games. Jauron instilled a work ethic with these guys in 2001 and it was working.

Mike Brown was Johnny on the spot as you would think he had some magnet that had the football go to him like a dog bringing back a stick after you tossed it. Every winning season has some luck. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs blocking a field goal to deny Denver an upset this past season. Then all those games where the zebras gave the Chiefs the call that sent Kansas City home with a slew of victories and followed that same MO throughout the postseason until they were denied in the Superbowl. What comes around goes around.

Dick Juaron won 13 games with quarterbacks named Jim Miller and Shane Matthews as the starters. Miller was one of my favorite Bears quarterbacks of all-time. Miller arrived in Chicago in a clunker he drove from Pittsburgh. Probably his high school car. He was a fat guy who tested positive for steroids. Something has to be wrong with the NFL testing when you see a QB fleshy and gooey. Miller that season was 11-2 behind center as the Bears’ main guy. Matthews went 2-1. The Bears had the A-Train at running back.

Anthony Thomas was bruising back the Bears drafted from the University of Michigan. He had a solid season for the Bears rushing for 1,183 yards with 7 touchdowns. Jauron had the defense playing well and the offense. The QB’s were game managers taking what the defense gave them and not making the mistakes to cost their team. It was the last year in Soldier Field before the city gutted the insides and put a space ship on top of the stadium in an all out makeover.

The next season the Bears played all their home games at the University of Illinois while the makeover was going on.. That did not help Dick Jauron’s team. It would also be the quarterback play that eventually doomed Jauron’s first head coaching job. The Bears signed former Falcons veteran Chris Chandler who was at the end of his NFL career. Chandler made 7 starts in 2002 and went 2-5 as the starter. The Bears also gave another washed out veteran a chance in former Steelers QB Kordell Stewart, aka Slash. The Bears then drafted Rex Grossman in the 2003 NFL draft as Chandler would linger another year after 2002 to be the bridge guy. The Bears did not play well after 2001 and Jauron was fired.

Dick Jauron was a players’ coach like Lovie Smith. These coaches were always calm, cool, collected and more like father figures than an NFL head coach. Jauron was head coach of two of my favorite teams that I follow to this day, the Bears and Bills. He came into both jobs when both franchises were not playing well. He was a guy that was a straight shooter to his players, media, and people in general. He did things his way. You knew where you were at with Jauron. He treated everyone like how he would want to be treated. Both the Bills and Bears did not have a solid team built for him to work with. He took average guys and made them better. You would have loved to see what he could have done if he had a solid roster to work with. Smith had the horses as he was the guy hired after Jauron. Jauron was hired by a different General Manager than the one that fired him. Jerry Angelo was the guy that fired Jauron and he probably had no choice to keep Dick after that 13-3 record. Angelo did more moves-wise for Smith than Jauron. You could say the deck was stacked against him after that 2001 season.

Watching Bears football over the years Dick Jauron would not be the worst coach I’ve seen on the sidelines. He definitely is one of my favorites. In Chicago we have had a lot of bad teams in the Windy City landscape. Jauron would not make that list of all the bad coaches we had in this town in the four main sports. He was a brilliant mind. Played the game smart. He was a better college player than professional. In 28 years of coaching in the NFL he called some great games on the defensive side of the ball for many teams. Jauron was diagnosed with cancer and lost his battle at the age of 74 years old which is a shame. He stepped away from the game to help his wife deal with dementia. He always put others ahead of himself. The NFL world lost a wonderful guy, husband, father, coach, and friend. The 2001 Bears team was one of the best seasons being a fan of a very bad franchise. You have to thank a guy like Dick for giving us something to cheer for in bleak times. As Bears fans, we hope Dick RIP!!!

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM

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Back in 1787 the United States constitution was signed at the Assembly Room of Independence Hall in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia has the cracked Liberty Bell that has rung since the 1800’s. It’s a town that packs quite a punch with the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich on hand. It has seemed like the city of great underdog stories that is home to the Rocky Balboa movies with the Rocky statue perched on top of the many stairs of the Museum of Art.. Rocky is the greatest underdog story ever to have hit the big screen. The Philadelphia sports landscape has always been blue collar teams like Charles Barkley bringing the toughness to the hardwood court. The Broad Street bullies, those Flyers teams, that dished it out in the 1970’s on the ice. From Mike Schmidt hitting those towering home runs for the Phillies on the baseball diamond. The Philly faithful are dedicated to their teams and if they don’t like what is going on, just ask Santa Claus as he’s been pelted with snow balls because of what took place on the field. They get fired up and will be heard if they don’t like how things are going. They are passionate. The Philadelphia Eagles football team now has taken down two evil world power tyrannies in the NFL world. Nick the Dick Foles in 2018 defeated the Evil Empire of the Patriots in the Superbowl with a play called the Philly special. On Sunday, the Eagles gave Patrick Mahomes and the hated Kansas City Chiefs a beat down in the Superbowl 59 we will never forget.

Andy Reid has the most wins in Eagles history, but he has never won the Superbowl in Philadelphia. Reid has the most wins as a head coach in Kansas City and has helped them win three Superbowls including one against his former team, the Eagles, two seasons ago. Then you have the great Patrick Mahomes coming into this Superbowl with a 17-3 record in post-season. Mahomes had an 8-0 record versus Vic Fangio as a defensive coordinator. Fangio has been a D-Coordinator for a few teams as he took the job in Philadelphia after the Dolphins fired him after one season in Miami. The Chiefs had the best record in the AFC and were the conference champions once again going for the 3-peat, something that never happens in the sport of football. The Chiefs going into the Superbowl seem to have the referees behind their back like an angel all season steering them out of any trouble they got themselves in. How many games did Kansas City win by one score or few points with some break from a penalty called on the other team or a no call favoring them? The Chiefs threw that 3-peat phrase around like they were the showtime LA Lakers of the 1980’s. If the Three-peat occurred, then would we have seen the meat head Travis Kelce propose to the annoying pop singer Taylor Swift? The state farm commercials of the Chiefs would have lingered all the way to next season if the 3-peat would be pulled off. The Chiefs were favored but not by much. For any team beating the Chiefs, it seems the odds are stacked up against you like prisoners versus the guards in a friendly death match of a football game.

Jalen Hurts played a very good game versus the Chiefs. More on him later. It was the Eagles defense that made this victory happen for Philadelphia. Vic Fangio remembers the times he has played Mahomes in the post-season with the 49ers and Dolphins. He made some adjustments. The Eagles were able to establish a nice healthy system of a 4 man front that was in the face of Mahomes the entire night. The Eagles contained Mahomes in the pocket most of the night and sacked him six times. Josh Sweat had 2.5 sacks in the game. They were able to rush his passes and Mahomes made mistakes throwing two interceptions and one, a pick six from Cooper De Jeans. Then the other was a diving snatch by line backer Zack Baun right before halftime. The Eagles blanked the Chiefs in the first half 24-0. The Chiefs offense had 23 yards total offense in the first half.

Jalen Hurts earned the MVP of the game which should have went to the entire Eagles defense. “Hurts So Good,” the John Cougar Mellencamp song played in my head as he rushed for 72 yards and scored a rushing touchdown on the tush push. Hurts was not impressive versus the Commanders in the NFC Championship holding on to the ball way too long and taking the bad sacks. Hurts threw one interception. He threw some nice touchdown passes as he had two for the night. The 46 yard throw to De Vonta Smith was a work of beauty by Hurts which made 34-0 in the second half and one of the final nails of the Chiefs’ coffin. You know the Chiefs defense zeroed in on running back Saquon Barkley as he rushed for only 57 yards on 25 carries. It was Barkley that got the Eagles back in the Superbowl. The Chiefs were baffled by a few misleads going after Barkley when Hurts would take the ball the other way. Barkley did add a few big catches as that Eagles offense rolled like a well-oiled machine. By the time the Chiefs found the scoreboard, it was in garbage time. The beat down was for real as the Eagles got their revenge against the Chiefs and their old head coach Andy Reid knocking the nuggies out of the bully.

I bet every Superbowl party across the nation looked like some kind of St. Patrick’s Day party with everyone wearing some kind of green. Andy Reid now has lost three Superbowls, two with the the Chiefs and the other one with the Eagles earlier in his career. The meathead Travis Kelce finished the night with 4 catches for a meager 39 yards. We did not have to listen to his Rocky-style slurred speech at the end of the game licking Mahomes’ tush because they did not win. Balboa in Rocky 4 rambled on after beating the Russian in Russia in that movie. The pop singer was MIA most of the game which was priceless. Who was Travis’ brother rooting for? His old Eagles team or Travis? Jason Kelce looks like the guy you call if you need a possum removed from your attic. Who felt sorry for poor old DeAndre Hopkins wide receiver for the Chiefs telling the world that no flags were called against the Eagles defense? The Chiefs all year get all the calls their way & now will react by crying like they always do when things do not go their way.

The Philadelphia Eagles win their second Superbowl in their history. Now the league has a blue print for how to beat the Chiefs which will be in all stores next season when everything gets fired up once again. How many University of Georgia defenders do the Eagles have on that defensive unit? That might be the pinch of salt in the blue print recipe to beat up on Patrick Mahomes and company next season. Do the Eagles become the next dynasty? Is this the end of the Chiefs dynasty? I believe these two teams will be in the thick of things next year. Just like Ivan Drago in Rocky 4, once you draw first blood you can beat Mahomes just like Rocky beating the Russian. Goat like? Mahomes has been impressive in the post-season. However Tom Brady was never blown out in a Superbowl. Brady took three Superbowl losses. All close games. Now Mahomes has been blown out twice in Superbowls. One last Sunday and let’s not forget about Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers who gave Mahomes the first beat down. In that one the Buccaneers defense pressured him all night long like a hooker that was going to get paid for that act she just did. I feel that Philadelphia freedom Eagles are like the resistance. They have slayed the Evil Empire in 2018. Now they have come back after another evil-doer treated them like the Empire Strikes Back. They returned as the Jedi and brought much needed peace to the NFL and the football world to prevent the league from toppling in a Chiefs three-peat that would have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths all year. Finally Good has prevailed over Evil at least for one night and the future is hopeful once again.

JIMMY BUCKETS HAS TORCHED EVERY PLACE HE HAS PLAYED

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I don’t think any teams that Jimmy Butler has played for in his entire career will retire his jersey in the future. Any reunions or future team functions from all these teams Jimmy has played for, his invite is lost in the mail. He has burned the bridges of every organization he has ever played for. His latest torch job is South Beach as he put the heat on the Miami Heat for his latest exit out the door kicking and screaming. Pat Riley plays the newest Batman style villain in the mind set of Jimmy Buckets, a nickname he earned torching the net on the basketball hardwood. Riley orchestrates a deal sending Butler to the west coast where he will team up with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Good riddance thoughts have to be playing in the mind of the GM Riley of the Heat. Now they can move on from this South Beach saga that has gave this franchise the publicity they did not want. In weeks and weeks dealing with Jimmy Buckets’ exit strategy. Now the Heat, like the other teams in Butler’s past, close this chapter for good.

Jimmy Butler is 35 years old and has played in the NBA for 14 seasons. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 2011 NBA draft 30th overall from Marquette University. He played six seasons in Chicago and Miami. In between Chicago and Miami, he had stops in Minnesota along with Philadelphia. This year Butler has only played in 25 games as he was suspended multiple times by the Heat unhappy with the organization. Jimmy Buckets this season has averaged 17 point per game with 5.2 rebounds while dishing out 4.8 assists per game. Over his entire career, Butler averages 18.3 PPG, 5.3 TRB, and 4.3 Assists. Butler is a 6 x All-Star, 5 x All-NBA and he is one of those rare guys that plays solid defense as he has been selected 5 x All Defense as well. In 2022-23 he earned himself Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Right now the Miami Heat are the number 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Golden State Warriors need the Butler spark as they the 11th seed right now and obviously wanting to move up past the play in post-season to get a better seed.

In Chicago Jimmy Butler once called his head coach Fred Hoiberg soft, and he was a hired puppet at the time. He butted heads with Derrick Rose as he moved up the food chain on the roster depth charts. He questioned the younger players and exchanged unpleasant words with other Bulls veteran players on the way out of Chicago such as Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo. The Bulls traded him to Minnesota to reunite with his former head coach Tom Thibodeau who helped Butler develop into all around player. The Bulls would only make the playoffs once since trading Butler and were dispatched quickly in 2022 by the Bucks in the very first round. In Minnesota things started well as it always does when Butler first arrives into town. The Timberwolves had assembled a nice young group of talented players. Minnesota would make the playoffs in Butler’s first season, but they were quickly dispatched by the Houston Rockets. Butler was fed up with the surrounding cast and he made his thoughts clear to the media and the GM of the Timberwolves. Butler would turned down a extension by Minnesota and request a trade. The one famous practice where Butler teams up with all the bench players in a scrimmage to play the starters. Jimmy Buckets’ team of scrubs won the scrimmage as he would yell to the GM at the time, Scott Layden, “You fucking need me.”

Jimmy Butler then was traded to Philadelphia. The 76ers relationship would last only one season. Butler aggressively challenged the Head Coach, Brett Brown, of the 76ers. Butler created a rift with his Head Coach speaking out in negative ways in a film session about how the offense was run. The 76ers has Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons with Butler which gave them a solid three in the starting line up. Despite Coach Brown’s offensive strategies, Butler took it upon himself to take over the 4th quarter with plenty of highlights that turned into game winners. That 2018-19 season, the 76ers made it to the second round of the playoffs versus the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference. Butler played outstanding as the series went the full length. The Raptors would eventually win the series and went on to win their first title ever. In the end Jimmy proved the offense ran better with the ball going through him. In the off-season, the 76ers were excited about the younger talent of Tobias Harris and moved on from Butler who could have had gotten a extension. Butler would get revenge on the 76ers being in a Heat uniform and knocking out Philadelphia years later. Butler would then say, “Tobias Harris over me?!”

Then with the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler continued his epic post-season moments. The Miami Heat were the first ever play in seed to get the the NBA finals. It was Jimmy Buckets who made that happen in 2023 where the Heat stormed through the Eastern conference. The Heat took down the number one seed Milwaukee Bucks as Jimmy averaged a sick 37.6 point per game in that series. The Heat finished off the Knicks and then the Celtics to move on to play the Nuggets in the finals. The Heat would win game two of the series versus the Nuggets, but Denver would prevail the rest of the way and win their first NBA title. It’s pretty much the same story that keeps happening in Jimmy life in his professional career. The coach and the surrounding cast around Butler. Then the front office not being able to get him the players he needs to get the job done. Butler would miss the team’s flights. Skip out on mandatory team functions. He would walk out of practices fed up. Eventually the match was lit and the Heat franchise would go up in flames. Now as things are smoldering and both parties have moved on without each other.

New life for Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors. The big three will feature Stephon Curry, Draymond Green and now Jimmy Buckets. How will this work for a Warriors team that are about at the end of their ropes with this dynasty that has been over for the last few seasons? Is Butler there to save the day & this dynasty from the plug being pulled? Curry is the number 1 guy on this team. Can Butler coexist with Curry being the number one guy? This may be the best team that Butler has played for. He has played with aging washed up NBA veterans at the end of their playing careers. Mostly Butler has been surrounded by a younger cast. Curry and Green are on a different playing level then any of the guys Butler has played with before as they can still get the job done every night on the hardwood. Let’s face the facts this is Butler’s last chance. If he gets out of control, he may just as well hang up the shoes for good. The Golden State Warriors head coach is Steve Kerr who played with Michael Jordan and won titles with him as a player. He has coached all these Warriors championships with Curry and Green. Kerr is no Fred Hoiberg. He by far is the most decorated head coach Butler has ever played for. Playing with Jordan who did everything including throwing the kitchen sink at winning the game. Butler has that winning is everything mentality. Kerr may know how to utilize Butler’s talents to mesh with Curry’s like the splash brothers where they both get the ball enough. Kerr could pound that team concept into Butler’s noggin. NO I in TEAM. You could say Butler has that Jordan mentality in him. Even Jordan needed a cast surrounding him to win the titles. Before that he was a one man show. Jordan changed his game when he finally got guys like Scottie Pippen and others to play with. Butler does not have to be just Butler and could use this opportunity into a possible championship he has been seeking since day one. The Warriors need some kind of spark. Now they once again have that three-headed monster that every NBA team needs. This will be interesting how this goes down. We know these guys can score points. The NBA does not play defense like they did decades ago. Defensively adding Butler with Curry and Green, that’s something to watch. All three guys can can play both sides of the court and do it well. The Butler move here by the Warriors will either launch this dynasty back into some kind of relevance or the time bomb is slowly ticking away to blow it all up. We will wait and see if drama occurs and if Butler once again burns this time the Golden Gate Bridge, leaving elsewhere.