Fitz Passing

New York Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is the ultimate example of a journeyman quarterback. The former 7th round and 250th overall pick in the 2005 draft has played for the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans and Jets. He was benched this past Sunday in favor of Bryce Petty in their loss to the Rams.

After 12 seasons and 112 starts, he has yet to play in a post-season game. He has moved up in all-time stats due to the proliferation of the passing game.

His recent TD broke a tie with Earl Morrall, Jeff Garcia and Jake Plummer. He has thrown for more career TD's than Roger Staubach and yards than Bart Starr.

He has made good money, but it looks like he will watch the playoffs from home again this year

Breathing Gronk

It doesn't look like fans will know whether Rob Gronkowski suffered a collapsed lung during the team's loss to the Seahawks. Gronk said he took the hardest hit of his career which forced him to the sideline for a short time. He returned and was involved in the incomplete pass on the last play of the game.

Reports first said he had a chest injury. It suddenly became a collapsed lung and was the lead story on the 11pm news last night. The team has been quiet on it. All we know is that he has a chest injury.

The lung issue could certainly keep him out of the game with the 49er's as it would not be a good idea to fly across country.

Cruz To Nowhere

Giants WR Victor Cruz is out of the game tonight against the Bengals because of an ankle injury. He has returned this year after missing most of the last two seasons.

At 30, he is a shell of his former self. He took a huge pay cut to stay on the roster. The hand writing is on the wall. He won't be with the Giants next season unless he plays for the minimum. He will need to beat out others for a roster spot. His career is evaporating.

Not The Same Teams

I have no doubt that the Sunday night game between the Pats and Seahawks will be a great contest. It's being hyped as a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, but both teams have changed a lot over the past two seasons.

They have a core group of players and most of the same coaches, but roster turnover is a way of life in the NFL.

The most important thing for the league is to have a good television rating. They are floundering big time and hope to calm their sponsors with millions watching.

Telling Lies On Ratings

The NFL knows it must address the downward spiral of television ratings. They blame it on a variety of reasons, including the recent election.

Nothing stops them from telling lies to the public. They claim they will look into making games shorter by having fewer timeouts and commercials. Who are they kidding? The commercials drive the revenue stream that they so covet. How can they control timeouts with all of the replays and injuries?

They say things to pander to the public. They won't admit that many of the marque games are between teams with mediocre records and don't feature the stars of the league.

They are so worried about having to give back money to the sponsors because the ratings were not what they were guaranteed to be.

London Issues

The NFL has ben playing games in London since 2007. It seems like they are determined to have a team there full-time eventually.

Former Giants great Osi Umenyiora is their point man there. He also does some broadcasting work for the BBC with a week in review show and a Sunday game preview.

The league is determined to make it happen in spite of all the push back. Any team based there would face a brutal travel schedule to away games, especially those on the west coast. Teams making the trip to London would also need to deal with jet lag.

The travel is a major hurdle. Will it effect the quality of the games? The NFL is probably ok with having it suffer because of the potential revenue stream.

Election Nonsense

Apparently, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are not allowed to share a friendship with Donald Trump. Both were badgered by the media during their press conferences yesterday.

Belichick has known Trump since his days with the Giants. Brady had been a friend since the start of his career.

Some people don't like that and want to make a point. I can't believe that they are being called out on it.

No Bowl Chance

With the recent loss by UMass to Troy, they now hold a 2-8 record with two games left at BYU and Hawaii. Hopefully, they can get a win.

The football program has made great strides playing as an Independent, but continue to have a losing record. The critics focus on that.

They have a very ambitious schedule for 2017.Will it be their year?

Raiders Are Back

The Oakland Raiders are finally back in contention after all these years with a record of 7-2, the second best in the AFC. They seem to be rolling along for a possible playoff spot.

They have a real passionate fan base and one of the worst stadiums in the NFL. Owner Mark Davis wants to move the team to Las Vegas where officials are willing to raise a hotel room tax rate just to get them there with a new stadium.

The league should vote against any move. Fans should not lose their team for a second time.  

Jets On The Brink

It looks like the season is over for the Jets after losing to the Dolphins and having a record of 3-6. They will need to finish at 6-1 to have any remote chance of making the playoffs.

It doesn't look like it will happen. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick hurt his knee. Coach Todd Bowles decided to bench defensive stars Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson for the first quarter because of  being late for team meetings.

If they have a losing season, someone will pay the price with their job. It's usually the coach in the end.

Picture This Fine

The NFL is out of control in its attempt to eliminate player celebrations on the field. They levy fines for almost any type of behavior.

The game between the Rams and Giants during Week 7 in London became a prime example. Giants safety Landon Collins returned an interception 44 yards for a TD on a very exciting play.

Several players gathered to celebrate. DE Owa Odighizuwa pretended to take a fake picture with an imaginary camera.

It looked very harmless. The NFL thought differently by fining him $12,154. It's all about control.

As The Roster Turns

The NFL trade deadline ended at 4pm today, but that doesn't mean the Bill Belichick has ended his roster tweak. There is still one open spot to replace LB Jamie Collins.

Will it be a defensive player? What about the offensive line? The team needs improvement in various areas. Will a player be promoted from the practice squad or PUP?

It was a bold move to trade Collins, but BB is moving on to the Seahawks.