Banging Heads

Fans saw the NFL concussion protocol in action the other day when the Pats played the Browns. Late in the game, WR Chris Hogan banged his head on the ground while making a reception.

The referee ordered him to the sidelines. He went to the locker room for examination by a third party doctor who cleared him to return. The system seem to work as intended.

What would happen if a player like Tom Brady sustained a concussion late in a crucial game and the referee ordered him off the field? It could decide the outcome of a game. We saw that with Julian Edelman in the waning moments of the Super Bowl.

Nobody wants to leave the game. It would be a tough decision to make, especially if the player was ok in the end.

It's only a matter of time before we see this happen.

The Early Slide

It's already panic time for Jets and Giants fans with their teams having 1-4 and 2-3 records respectively.

The Jets are already in a deep hole and don't look like they will repeat their 10-6 record of last year. The Giants have issues on both sides of the ball. Odell Beckham is having his own problems.

I predict that the Jets will fall out of the playoff race before the Giants. Neither are headed for the post-season.

45 Million Reasons

It really doesn't make any sense in terms of player safety to play a game on Thursday night after one on Sunday. Whenever there is money involved, the NFL ceases to use logic.

The league has a license to print money with their television contract. The new one for Thursday night brings more money to the table. Over the next few years, the networks will pay an average of $45 million to televise each game.

The quality of the product doesn't matter when there is that much money at stake. The NFL will mumble some concern about the players, but will move forward.

The Biggest Enemy

The NFL is wondering why its television ratings have taken a nose-dive this season. Fewer viewers will results in financial adjustments to sponsors. That means less money for the league.

Tonight's game features a great contest with the Giants at the Packers. At 9pm, it will go up against the second Presidential Debate which is guaranteed to have monster ratings. The league will take another hit.

The NFL puts up with a lot, especially players who suffer crippling and long term injuries. They especially hate losing money.

The Head of OBJ

There is no doubt that Giants WR Odell Beckham has a chance to be one of the all-time greats. His first two seasons are a reflection of his unlimited potential.

He is also hurting his team with his on-field behavior that is drawing penalties. His teammates have called him out in an effort to settle him down and stay focused on the game.

Defensive backs have been able to get into his head by verbally abusing him. It seems to be working. Teammates and coaches keep pointing this out to him, but to no avail.

Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan has criticized opposing defensive players by saying that their taunts and other acts are done only because they lack the ability and confidence to stop Beckham.

He is probably right to a degree, but it's up to Beckham to be mature enough to rise above this and show them who is the better player. Instead, OBJ continues to whine his way through games and hurt his team.

The Great Joe Thomas

We never hear enough about the offensive linemen who are the ones who can really make or break a team. Without a good line, there is no offense or points scored.

Durability is a challenge. Brutal contact happens on every play. It's hard to imagine how LT Joe Thomas of the Browns is able to be so consistent.

Thomas has played all 148 games of his career in Cleveland and never missed a snap over 9,203 plays. It's the longest consecutive streak in the NFL.

Any play could end it, but he keeps going.

The Wallet Tightens Up

It remains to be seen if CB Antonio Cromartie gets another chance to play in the NFL after being released by the Colts. He signed with them back in August, but it ended after their recent game in London.

How will this effect his child support payments? He has fathered twelve children with eight different women. He has been hauled into court on several occasions to enforce child support orders.

His kids will be the ones who get hurt.

Gronk's Cover Story

Fans are beginning to wonder if there is really something true about the "Madden Curse" in light of Rob Gronkowski's injured marred season.

Since 2000, several players on the cover have experienced injury filled seasons or sub-par performances. Gronk suffered a hamstring injury during training camp which caused him to miss the first two regular season games. He has only one catch so far while being used primarily as a blocker.

Some were concerned about the so-called curse when Gonk's selection was announced. It does seem rather strange that there is a bad trend for the players on the cover.

Too Much Trade Talk

Now that the Pats played poorly against the Bills and lost 16-0, fans need to pump the brakes on Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett. Talk shows have wasted too much time on trade discussions involving Jimmy G. Many seem to think that GM's will beat the door down to trade for him.

After Matt Cassell filled in for Tom Brady during the 2008 season, they were only able to get a 2nd round pick for him. They also had to include LB Mike Vrabel in the deal.

There is a shortage of good quarterbacks in the league. The Pats will probably trade Jimmy G, but don't expect a first round pick in return.

Showing Them Mediocrity

The NFL is trying to grow the game in Europe by playing in London. Since 2007, they have staged 14 contests. They have never had one between two teams with winning records. In fact, just eight of the first 28 teams had a winning record.

The game yesterday between the Jaguars and Colts had two teams with a combined 1-5 record. British fans will need to wait until the Oct 23rd match between the Giants and Rams if they want to see teams with a possible .500 record.

They draw well on game day and with the BBC broadcast. The NFL is not showing its best product, but few teams want to make the trip across the pond.

Quick To Fire

There is no doubt that several NFL coaches will lose their jobs at the end of the season. It happens every year. The lack of job security comes with the profession.

It gets worse on the college level. Les Miles, the coach of LSU, was fired after his team lost to Auburn last Saturday and left them with a 2-2 record.

They are probably out of the BCS playoff picture, but could get a bowl bid with a seven win season. This isn't good enough for alumnae and the LSU administration.

Miles lead LSU to a national title in 2007, but hasn't been able to have a double digit win season since 2013. They lead all schools with 43 active players in the NFL.

Schools are quick to pull the trigger. Notre Dame's coach Brian Kelly fired his defensive coordinator after the Irish lost 38-35 at home to Duke. Someone had to take the fall in order to keep everyone happy.

Watt Dimmed For Season

Players try to return from injuries too soon in many cases, especially after having surgery. Houston star J.J. Watt will be the poster boy for trying to come back too soon after a recent back operation.

He was hurt in his team's loss to the Pats and had another back procedure the other day. His season has ended as he was placed on IR.

Will two back surgeries effect his playing future? Will he be the same dominant player next year? Time will tell, but I have a hard time believing that he will have a long career.