[ad_1]
Sez Me …
Chargering isn’t merely a Sherlockian Great Grimpen Mire to escape. It’s become one of the NFL’s inevitables. All but impossible to avoid. Similar to riding a camel out of Laayoune and trying to miss the Sahara.
Heimlich gave up trying to clear this inept franchise’s throat long ago. There is a lump of Chargering maestro Fredo Spanos stuck in there.
Historically, it’s been easy to sleep on the NFL Team That Used To Be Here — you know, the Judases/L.A. Lodgers/Tempur-Pedics. It is, after all, one of sportsdom’s more comfortable mattresses, providing a restful, good night of slumber for decades.
All too often their inferior opponents have awakened bright-eyed-bushy-tailed, and so full of vim and vinegar, breakfast can be skipped.
Theirs has been both a thrilling and pathetic history.
It’s so difficult — as always — to say they’re going to be contenders, but we may know pretty soon. The Judases host Miami today in their opulent Dollar Rent-A-Stadium, and the Dolphins are not without talent.
But I see the J’s getting up on the right side of the bed rather than falling out of it in a cold sweat.
I can’t say we’re going to see something special today, next week, or in December. Hell, the last time we saw them they blew a 27-0 playoff lead to Jacksonville. But I’m going to be surprised if we don’t. Sleep on these J’s and you’re likely to be terribly uncomfortable and wet the bed.
And I’ll tell you why.
One of the most important acquisitions of the entire NFL offseason didn’t involve a player. The Cowboys for some screwball Jerry Jones reason fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. And the Judases, who had canned Joe Lombardi after a few undistinguished seasons, immediately snapped up Moore.
During his four years in Dallas, Moore’s offenses ranked No. 2 in The League in total offense (381 net yards per game), and scoring (27.7 points per game). They also ranked fourth in net passing yards (266.4 per game) and No. 7 in rushing (126.6).
And I’ll say without hesitation Moore has more to work with in L.A. than he had in Dallas. The J’s have better offensive skill. The Cowboys aren’t matching quarterback Justin Herbert, tailback Austin Ekeler, wideouts Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, No. 1 draft pick Quentin Johnson, who looks like a stud, Josh Palmer and an efficient group of tight ends.
The offensive line has been a problem, but it’s healthy, and now is expected to be among the 15-best in the game. Special teams (seemingly) has been taken care of.
It all has to do with health — on both sides of the ball — and these Judases have had a bad run of luck. Joey Bosa played four games in 2022. Corner J.C. Jackson, an All-Pro before becoming an expensive free agent acquisition, came back from injury too soon and tore up his knee. Allen and Williams were on the field together for four games. Herbert went through most of the season with broken ribs. Rashawn Slater, a primo left tackle, missed everything.
No team is deep enough anymore to make up for the loss of so much Pro Bowl talent.
So, I’m saying Moore is going to make a difference. If head coach Brandon Staley, supposedly a defensive wizard, can hold things together just enough — and not do stupid things — they should be hell to play.
They should be hell to play no matter which side of the bed Fredo gets up on. …
The J’s today are retiring the jersey numbers of Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner. About 30 years too late, but Fredo didn’t realize they played for him until a month ago, when he met them for the first time during Don Coryell’s induction into the Hall. …
No team in any sport has been more lax in honoring its greats than the J’s. …
Remember when San Diego State retired Haven Moses’ No. 25. The next season, some obscure DB was wearing 25. When asked, Coryell said: “Aw, he’s not gonna play, anyway.” …
No team that met the 49ers in 2022 won a week later. Whatever protection you’re wearing, strap it on snugly. …
Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor could have been called for some kind of penalty on every play vs. the Lions. Officials didn’t flag him until the final two-minute warning. It was, well, shameful. Unprofessional. So obvious Cris Collinsworth noticed it. …
It was a treat to see the Lions, with one of the better offensive lines, running the ball with two fine backs and playing D. Football. …
K.C. has dilapidated skill. The Chiefs were 0-for-7 on second-half third downs. Patrick Mahomes was 2-for-12 with a pick during that time. So Mike Greenberg said Mahomes “was spectacular.” …
Talking Headless II: Mike Tirico called the Detroit win an asterisk because K.C. played without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. Have the Chiefs not lost games with Kelce and Jones? …
Andy Reid goes for it 4th-and-25 from his own 30, down 1, with three timeouts left and 2:09 to play? It’s ego, it’s beyond athletic arrogance, it’s stupid. …
The only thing worse than the Pac-12 is the Pac-12 Network, which now can be seen only on the outskirts of Fresno, Gateway to Visalia. …
It got so bad last week, for a short time I found myself (briefly) watching New Mexico play a football game. That’s how my life is when I run out of bamboo shoots to jam under my nails. …
Penn State has a 6-6, 275-pound pound kicker, Gabriel Nwosu. Problem is, every time he fully extends his leg to do his job, he’s offside. …
With decades of quarterback service at Auburn and Oregon, Bo Nix has passed on NIL money for his pension. …
It will take the worst year of cumulative baseball for the Padres to make the playoffs. So there’s a chance. …
Damn, there is some bad ball being played. …
Washington State and Oregon State have a case against the Pac-It-In Conference. …
The game-changing World War II Navajo Code was developed by Marines at Camp Elliott. So stop the verbal cruelty. San Diego can do something right. …
Petco Park finally gets to say it in January: “This is my first rodeo.” And some of the clowns who inhabited the place from April through September get a chance for offseason work in barrels. …
Chris Mortensen is retiring. Great guy, consummate pro, cancer survivor. …
After Brian Urlacher won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mort called and asked what I noticed in Brian at New Mexico to give him my 1999 first-place Heisman vote. Answer: “He was the best football player I saw.” …
The Five Certains of Autumn: Death, taxes, receivers claiming interference, returners trying to run out punts from inside their own 10, and everything from martinis to rib eyes laced with pumpkin spice. …
Remember, I don’t care about your fantasy football team. Not a bit. I don’t even like mine, but I have partners with passion for the bottom lime. …
Oh, and fantasy football isn’t gambling. The NFL says so. …
There was amateur boxing Friday night in Little Italy. Just like every day there when I was growing up.
Source link
