Welcome to our weekly column where we look at all things NFL from our regular NFL tipster and Rugby League raconteur Nick Tedeschi. He will look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the NFL, holding back no punches.
Time To Forget Fields
After 56 games in the NFL including a 14-35 record as a starter, Justin Fields’ NFL career should be at an end. His career has been one incredible disappointment for a player with such athletic abilities and he is now a player who is far too unreliable to start and far too unique to be a competent backup. Fields got hooked after another dreadful showing against the Carolina Panthers with the winless Jets non-committal on their starter with Tyrod Taylor almost certain to be their man for the rest of the season until they draft either Dante Moore or Fernando Mendoza next year.
Ranking The Best Football TV Series
Football has served as a great setting for many television shows as well as movies. Here are five that you must watch immediately.
5.Evening Shade: Quaint Burt Reynolds show where he returns to his home town to coach the high school football team begrudgingly after a career in the pros.
4.1st and Ten: Utterly ridiculous 1980s program starring OJ Simpson that follows the California Bulls that remarkably can be streamed in its entirety on SBS.
3.Coach: Coach Hayden Fox leads college program Minnesota State Screaming Eagles before moving to the NFL with the Orlando Breakers in this 200-episode series that is as comforting as it is unrealistic.
2.The League: Television shows don’t come much funnier or more accurate than The League as Kevin, Ruxin, Taco, Andre and Jenny absolutely nail life in a fantasy football league.
1.Friday Night Lights: One of the greatest television shows ever made, we are still tearing up over Coach Taylor’s hard love, Mrs Coach’s relentless positivity, the unlikely rise of Matt Saracen and the rise and fall of the Dillion Panthers.
This Play Never F** Works
Patrick Mahomes is the most accomplished player in the NFL and he is also the most interesting. Add in his acting ability to his wide range of skills after he bamboozled the Raiders with a great piece of theatrics at the line when acting disappointed with a play call declaring “this play never f* works” to make it look like the Chiefs were trying to draw the Raiders offside. Las Vegas relaxed. Mahomes took the snap and handed off to Kareem Hunt for the first down.
Underrated NFL MVP Candidates
The NFL MVP award does tend to go to the same cadre of quarterbacks but this year the award is wide open. A quarterback will win it and there is value in the market.
- Drake Maye: Maye is in from $81 to $7.50 on the back of a stellar sophomore season where he is completing 75% of his passes, has 12 touchdowns to two picks and complements it with 200 yards rushing and two running TDs.
- Daniel Jones: In his first year away from the Giants Jones has led the Colts to a stunning 6-1 start with 10 touchdowns, three picks and a passer rating north of 104.
- Dak Prescott: Prescott has had a stunning season for the ‘Boys with 16 touchdowns, second for the year, and has lifted a very limited roster to a half decent record.
Skat Man
Cam Skattebo is making a run as the most popular player in the NFL with the New York Giants tailback already at cult hero status as he leads a monster Giants resurgence. Skattebo is utterly reckless in his running style and with rookie QB Jaxson Dart has given the Giants faithful hope for the first time since the Tom Coughlin era.
The Best Nicknames Of All
The NFL has had some outstanding nicknames over its 105 years. Here are 10 of the best.
- Christian Okoye: The Nigerian Nightmare
- William Perry: The Refrigerator
- Walter Payton: Sweetness
- Dick Lane: Night Train
- Reggie White: The Minister of Defense
- Lester Hayes: The Molester
- Andre Rison: Bad Moon
- Billy Johnson: White Shoes
- Ed Jones: Too Tall
- Joe Namath: Broadway
Vale, Doug Martin
The NFL was hit with the tragic news that former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Doug Martin had passed away at the age of 36. Martin died after an incident with police in Oakland. Martin spent seven seasons in the NFL, playing in 84 games, scoring 32 touchdowns. He still holds the record for most rushing touchdowns in a half with four while he was twice an All-Pro. It is a tragic end to a very good NFL career.
Week 7 Bad Beat Power Rankings
No sport lends itself to cruel beats more than American football. Here are the three worst for Week 7:
3.Under 35.5 Cle-Mia: The lowest total of the week should have gone well under but a stinker from Tua that included a pick six and two other key interceptions that set the Browns up let Cleveland hit 31 and send the total over.
2.Minnesota +2.5: The Vikings trailed the Eagles all day but scored a wonderful touchdown through TJ Hockenson that would have put Minnesota down by two. The touchdown call was ridiculously reversed though and the Eagles went on to win by six.
1. NY Giants ML: The Giants led 19-0 at the start of the fourth quarter and 32-20 with 37 seconds left when Jude McAtamney missed an extra point. Denve shot up the field and kicked a field goal to make it 33 last quarter points in the 33-32 win.
Punter Stat of the Week
Leo Araguz of the Raiders holds the record for most punts in a game with 16 when playing the Chargers in 1998. The Raiders won the game 7-6.
Fun Fact #1
One in every 12 head coaches to ever coach in the NFL has been called Mike/Michael.
Fun Fact #2
Bo Nix is tied for the shortest name in NFL history.
Fun Fact #3
Nine members of the Matthews family over three generations played in the NFL.
Read It
The Rooney family are revered in Pittsburgh, regarded as not only great owners but as doyens of the modern NFL. Art Rooney was famously a big-time gambler though who funded his purchase of the Steelers through wagering on horses. Here is the story of his gambling exploits.
Watch It
Jim Marshall is one of the greatest defensive linemen to ever play, a member of the famed ‘Purple People Eaters’ Minnesota Vikings defensive line of the 1960s and 70s who played an NFL record for a defensive player 270 straight games where he recorded 130.5 sacks. He is most famously remembered though for his famous fumble recovery he thought he ran back for a touchdown – but was actually a safety when he ran the wrong way. Here is that infamous play.