Jay Gruden and Redskins
As the sun rose on the Inova Sports Performance Center last Sunday, Jay Gruden was wide awake. He had been called in at 5:00 A.M. to discover his inevitable conclusion. After leading a revolving door of quarterbacks to a 0-5 start, Jay Gruden was officially fired as the Washington Head Coach.
In his six seasons, Gruden put up a 35-49-1 record, managing to make and lose a singular playoff game. For the time being, the team is coached by Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan. Callahan’s last coaching experience was shrouded in controversy after he led a 2002 Oakland Raiders squad to the Superbowl in his first year; however, after rumors of sabotage that came out the following year, with the team faced a losing record, he was fired and left coaching until now. If the interim coach can’t get the job done, possible replacements could be Offensive Coordinator Kevin O’Connell, Jets Coordinator Gregg Williams or even current Arizona State Coaching Advisor Marvin Lewis. No matter what, the future looks uncertain in Washington.
New quarterbacks so far
With the questionability of Mason Rudolph, the great quarterback plague of 2019 has reached seven victims. As Week six dawns on a nation of NFL fans, it seems like ample time to review some of this young league of hopeful backups who have had fame thrust upon them.
Kyle Allen – Carolina – (3-0)
Allen has gone beyond expectations in the absence of Cam Newton. He boasts the second highest completion percentage of all our subjects today at 66.7%. He is also the only one still undefeated, managing to completely turn around a Panthers squad that started out 0-2. In three games he’s put up five TD’s and leads this list in passing yards through three games. The future of Carolina looks to be in safe hands.
Daniel Jones – New York Giants
When Eli Manning looked ready to disappoint the men and women of New York once again after an 0-2 start, Daniel Jones hopped in to save the day. Since then, Jones’ performance has oscillated between prophetic and passé. His last outings have been the greatest cause for concern, dropping him to a completion percentage of just barely over 60%. However, as the offense heals some major injuries, it is likely things will be looking up for the infamous “Danny Dimes.”
Luke Falk – New York Jets – (0-2)
Although not technically a rookie, Falk’s time with the Jets this year has been his first true game experience in the NFL. For a third string QB expectations are always low, but that wouldn’t stop Falk from disappointing. In two starts, the sixth round pick from Washington State is yet to produce a touchdown and boasts a total QB rating of 7.7. For some perspective, Alvin Kamara completed a singular pass for the Saints in a game earlier this season. His Total QB rating is 63.4. Its safe to say, the future looks bleak in New York.
Gardner Minshew – Jacksonville
By far, Minshew is the most storied name on this list. We could fill pages just talking about the tales of the moustache, but for now let’s just stick to the stats. In just four starts, the rookie has the 13th most yards of any NFL QB — even behind the leagues ninth worst defense. Minshew also boasts the tenth best average yards per attempt. It is quite possible, if Jacksonville could flesh out the rest of their team, they could pull out as real playoff contenders behind.
Lions at Packers on MNF
The NFC North is closer than anyone would ever have imagined. It seems each team faces a major match-up each week. This week is no different as the 2-1-1 Lions visit Lambeau to take on the 4-1 Packers. The odds seem highly in Rodgers and friends favor going into primetime. Detroit’s defense has struggled across the board, but has been even worse on the road. That being said, if Matthew Stafford can pull of the upset, he would pull his team into second in the division and closer to a certain winning record that has eluded them in recent years.
Matthew Shimkonis is a first-year student majoring in history. MS925373@wcupa.edu