Who Fed It And Who Ate It: 2018 Week 4
September has come to a close on the NFL calendar, with a quarter of season already concluded and the early races taking shape. We have a few places to go on this day...
The Ass Kicking of the Week was performed in the Windy City, as the Chicago Bears absolutely laid waste to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 48-10 spanking that made clear the direction of each franchise There are certain games that are played that mark a turning point in the fortunes of one or both clubs involved. This may be such a game. Mitchell Trubisky, the target of criticism due to his development as an NFL quarterback not in sync with their world beating defense, set franchise records in a thorough dismantling of the Bucs by throwing 5 touchdown passes... in the first half. No Bears signal caller had passed for 5 TD's in a game, and Trubisky did it in one half. He would tack another one on to complete his tally at six. Interestingly, his 19 completions went to 5 receivers, and each one scored at least once, with running back Tarik Cohen grabbing a pair of them. Combine this offensive potential with a defense headlined by Defensive Player of the Year front runner Khalil Mack, and this is a team on the brink of something big. A lot of talk about NFC supremacy has been relegated to the LA Rams after their 4-0 start, but the 3-1 Bears are making people take notice. On the flip side, the Pewter Pirates have been dropped to a flat 2-2, the good feelings of their 2-0 start to the year evaporated. This loss was so demoralizing to the Buccaneers that the head coach, Dirk Koetter, was calling for everyone's head on a pike, including his own, after their abysmal performance. Certain owners would consider taking Koetter's suggestion, but he and his men will be given a chance to redeem themselves next week. And who will be Tampa's starting quarterback next week, this year's only known starter Ryan Fitzpatrick or the incumbent man under center before an NFL sanctioned suspension Jameis Winston? Looks like we'll find out soon enough.
The Cincinnati Bengals are leading the AFC North with a 3-1 record after winning a 37-36 shootout in Atlanta against the Falcons Certain teams surprise for various reasons. From an influx of talent to a quick response to new coaching, some teams can make sudden turnarounds of fortune. But in the case of the Bengals, it's harder to pinpoint because they make so few changes. But one thing is for sure is their offense has been rejuvenated, finding pop that was wanting one season ago. By virtue of Cincy's Week 2 defeat of the Baltimore Ravens, they are the leaders of their division. While the AFC North is looking a little top heavy, with the Bengals and Ravens knotted at 3-1 , the underwhelming Pittsburgh Steelers and recovering Cleveland Browns each sitting at 1-2-1, it could make the North a two team race for the next three months. There's a lot of games to be played, but the Queen City Cats are off to a great start. Let's see how they finish.
Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas suffered what looks to be a season ending broken leg... that could cost him even more than time on the field Contract situations between players and their teams can become incredibly contemptuous, as each side may reach a level of intransigence that makes finding compromise nigh impossible. Such a place was reached this off-season between Thomas and the Seahawks, as the veteran was entering his final year of his current contract and Seattle general manager John Schneider in no hurry to extend their defensive stalwart. In the 'Hawks 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Thomas was injured during the game, sustaining a broken leg that more than likely concludes his 2018 season. As he was carted off the field, he gave his own sideline the middle finger on his way for medical observation. While some may bristle at Thomas' crude method of personal expression in a state of utter frustration, it was very clear where it came from. He expressed his wish to be sent elsewhere via trade, with the Dallas Cowboys his reported desired location, if the Seahawks were not interested in re-signing him. Instead, Schneider stood pat, either believing that he could eventually extend Thomas with enough money to make it worth his time to stay in Seattle or keep the elite defender as long as possible to extract the most value from a perceived desperate team looking for help in the secondary. What has occurred is an inconvenience to the team, but a crippling development for the player. While Seattle would lose Thomas outright due to free agency, the loss of the season to Thomas may cost him millions of dollars on the open market come this spring. As returning from injury always leaves some measure of doubt as to their effectiveness, teams who will dole out the money will use it as leverage to low ball Thomas for his services. If those who are exasperated over the Pittsburgh Steelers' contract impasse with running back Le'Veon Bell wonder why a 27 year old player in his prime is willing to lose money in the short term to gain more in the long run, this is precisely why. One injury could be the difference between $10 million a year and $1 million. While fans may not be sympathetic to a player's cause to be better compensated, one could empathize with someone who wishes to earn more money to ensure their family's fiscal security. And because of the NFL's cutthroat nature, decisions are made that do not necessarily square with a fan's priorities. Here's wishing Thomas a full recovery and the best of luck wherever his career leads from this point.