To Mr. Schottenheimer, thank you

I sit here sulking in the Chargers loss to the Denver Broncos by loading up my X-Box 360 and playing Madden 07. It is a fun throwback to a time in which my favorite player of all time would glide past defenders on his way to the end zone. That player is the Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. I’d rock my powder blue #21 every Sunday as LT lit up the scoreboard and now I try to relieve those memories through video games. When you play as the Chargers, a small screen pops up where you can select the uniform, difficulty and playbook. Next to the playbook, it says SD - M. Schottenheimer. It made me a little sad as it was a reminder that Coach Schottenheimer had passed in February. I wanted to take a moment to thank Coach Schottenheimer. His tenure with the Chargers was too short and ended so poorly, I wish it could’ve been different. The man helped shape my favorite player into an all time great. However his impact not only on the Chargers and LT was one of success, his impact on football can not be denied. A career win total of 200 wins, a coaching tree filled with champions and his coaching being responsible for multiple Hall of Fame inductees. The criticisms on his career come from his lack of a super bowl appearance. However that shouldn’t take away from his incredible career. I am a firm believer and if anyone with any influence in Canton sees this, the Hall of Fame needs to induct Marty Schottenheimer as soon as possible. In the same way I feel about Don Coryell, if you influence the game in any meaningful and impactful way, you have shaped the history of the NFL and thus your bust deserves to be in Canton. Like Coryell, Schottenheimer won’t get to attend his own ceremony but that shouldn’t take away all that he has done for the game I love.

However I’m not here to debate Coach Schottenheimer on whether he belongs in Canton or not. I’m here to thank a man of a lifetime of work. He had a simple offensive philosophy. Run the football and because of that, my hero became a legend. Breaking the single season touchdown record in 06, LaDainian Tomlinson was set to lead the Chargers to their first ever Super Bowl. However plans were hampered in the playoffs by misfortune capped by Marlon McCree’s fumble after intercepting Tom Brady. Coach Schottenheimer never got another shot to coach my Chargers as he was fired in the offseason. I don’t know what could’ve been. I don’t want to think about it. I do want to think about a packed Qualcomm Stadium erupting to LT breaking the touchdown record against the Denver Broncos. I like to think about Coach Schottenheimer’s great speeches. I think about them a lot, this one in particular. He spoke on the feeling of watching a player grow. The feeling of seeing someone you taught succeed. He was a mentor, a teacher and a good man. He allowed a six year old kid from Hawaii fall in love with a player he only met through a TV screen. He made my Chargers great, he took a franchise in obscurity and let them be seen on CBS which was really helpful as that’s the only game my TV would catch. He would coach in the UFL and in his only season, he’d win a championship. He went out as the winner he was. Whenever I need a lift, I watch LT’s Hall of Fame speech, where he thanks Coach Schottenheimer and says he was the best coach he ever had. It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it. Thank you Coach, for everything. When I visit the Charger greats in Canton. LT, Ron Mix, Dan Fouts, Junior Seau and co. I hope to see your bust there one day, perhaps with my favorite phrase of your etched below. “One play at a time, let’s go kick some ass.”

How the Steelers should move on from Big Ben

Yes I know. In my previous post, I said the Steelers should hang on to Ben Roethlisberger and I still stand by it. However there is a very real possibility that the Steelers could move on. The Steelers are one of the great franchises in America. Only three head coaches in their entire history, a legacy of greatness proven by the bust of Steelers now and then sitting in Canton, Ohio. A track record of game changers dominating the three rivers. Last names like Bradshaw, Bleier and Blunt. Hall of Fame linebackers like Lambert, Ham and Greene and possibly one day Harrison. There’s mean Joe and Franco Harris with his immaculate reception. The 1974 draft where the Steelers front office, led by Hall of Famers Chuck Noll and Bill Nunn went on to acquire a record five Hall of Fame players. Or any claim against their greatness soon becomes extinguished by the sight of their record six Lombardi trophies. However that is the past and this is now. For the past ten years following their Super Bowl XLIII victory, the Steelers have been above average at best. Several AFC East titles signaling potential but only one AFC championship appearance resulting in a 36-17 blowout at the hands of the New England Patriots, displays a failure to compete at the top level. I do believe that the current roster Pittsburg possesses is impressive, they’re only a few roster moves away from once again hoisting football’s greatest prize.

One of the true regrets of the Steelers organization was their selection or lack of in the 1983 draft. Sitting with their first round pick, they had an opportunity to draft a quarterback. This draft already held future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and John Elway, in fact five quarterbacks had already been selected at this point. Yet there he was. A Pittsburg kid through and through. Born and raised, attended the University of Pittsburg, graduated and all. Highly rated and battle proven. The Steelers drafted a defensive tackle and that quarterback went on to play for the Miami Dolphins. His name was Dan Marino. The Hall of Famer who was one of the best quarterbacks of his era. He was an All Pro, Pro Bowler and MVP. For the Steelers, not drafting him led to a dismal end to Chuck Noll’s coaching career and a twenty-five year championship drought. If the Steelers want to win a championship again, they will only go as far as their quarterback takes them. Both Bradshaw and Roethlisberger did so and I believe Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett could be the next to do the same. Pickett is a strong arm pocket passer who has been lighting up the ACC. He has good height, decent mobility and a wonderful sense of timing. There’s some decision making issues but those can be coached and schemed out. He is the perfect fit for the East Coast, excellent for Matt Canada’s offense and the rewrite of an almost forty year wrong.

Now we need to revamp the offensive line. To put it easily, the O-line has been quite poor. I would like the Steelers to look for veteran leadership in free agency. If we look at how the Chargers revamped their O-line, having a veteran center can take a lot of pressure off of the quarterback. A center’s ability to call out or change protection will boost a quarterbacks ability to deliver the ball where it needs to be. Plus Najee Harris is a stud and getting those running lanes open will trouble defenses.

Eric Ebron’s contract expires at the end of the season and I have a lot of faith in Pat Freiermuth to be TE 1 for the next five years. Use his money to re-sign key players. At the top of my list is Minkah Fitzpatrick and Juju Smith-Schuster. Juju needs to be the leader for that offensive core and Fitzpatrick is an invaluable asset. For the defense, the hallmark of those great Steeler teams, they need to get help on the outside. Joe Haden isn’t the player he used to be. One or two more cornerbacks will give their impressive defensive line the extra second they need to reek havoc on opposing teams quarterbacks.

For the draft, get Pickett and build around him. The team is already loaded with potential, he can be the next piece to take them over the top. I would like the Steelers to look for a defensive back on day two and sure up their skill positions on day three.

Last thing they need to do is give Mike Tomlin a huge extension. He has made chicken salad out of chicken shit multiple times as head coach. He made Duck Hodges a winner and that should speak on his name. The Ravens gave John Harbaugh an extension in Lamar’s first year, for the stability of the new gunslinger, the Steelers should do the same. Besides, its what the Steelers do.

Steel Will and Why I Need Diapers

On this beautiful Sunday night in America, families from all walks of life storm grocery stores to grab their turkeys for Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving, I love Thanksgiving. A time for which we as a nation indulge in the three things that make us wonderful. A day off of work, endless feasting and football. This is a week for which I look forward to. There are three days throughout the year that bring me joy. Super Bowl Sunday, Red River Rivalry Saturday and Thanksgiving. Other days are good but there’s nothing like those three days for me. However on this fine Sunday evening, my week was almost ruined. I am a die hard Chargers fan, I’ve been a fan since 07. Stuck with the team through the rough final years in San Diego with the failed stadium deal, with the sudden but expected move to LA and with the end of Philip Rivers career. However the flame that ignites my football heart burns bright through the arm of Justin Herbert. I wasn’t sold on drafting him but there’s a reason I’m a writer and not a NFL GM (yet hopefully). On this Sunday night, my Chargers faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the winner moving into a wild card spot in the AFC. A Steelers defense without top players T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joe Haden was perfectly set up for a Justin Herbert carving. That’s exactly what he did. Herbert posted 3 touchdowns to 1 interception with 382 passing yards to complement his 90 yards rushing. With a commanding 27-10 lead entering the fourth quarter, in typical Chargers fashion, they let the Steelers score 27 points to take a 37-34 lead. I was stunned, sitting in my powder blue Keenan Allen jersey at a cramped booth inside Buffalo Wild Wings. Herbert had one shot. Ball in his hands. 75 yards. Perhaps it was the sugar from the five Pepsis I drank or the sugar metabolizing from carbs inside my pretzel bites. Maybe it was the 60 degree air pumping from the vent above my head or the fact that I’ve seen this story written before but I had the shakes. My teeth were chattering as if I was on a ride at Disneyland in February. Nervous, scared, emotionally shitting my pants. I was a mess. Herbert only took three plays to score, aided by a Steelers blown coverage which allowed Herbert to hit Mike Williams in stride for a game clinching touchdown. A defensive stop by the Chargers gave them their undeserved sixth win of the season. This was a heart stopping game. A weekly occurrence for a Chargers fan like me. I internally shit my pants every week, I can’t remember the last time the Chargers trotted to an easy victory. Maybe against the Jaguars once if that but the Chargers are serious playoff contenders. However if they want to go for a championship, they need to learn how to finish.

On one sideline, victory. On the other sideline, agony. The Steelers should’ve been written off in this game, they should’ve been written off weeks ago. The first month of the season had fans screaming for Big Ben’s retirement and analysts wouldn’t give them not shot to compete. They called Roethlisberger the worst quarterback in the AFC North, their win against the Bills a fluke and the team a disaster. Now look at them, competing at the highest level under Ben. I hate the notion that both Ben and head coach Mike Tomlin need to go. They’ve never had a losing season, two Super Bowl appearances and a ring together. They won their division last season and the lack of both front office ability to build a championship roster and misfortune have prevented the Steelers from winning their seventh championship. For a long time Tom Brady and the incredible defense of “Sacksonville” stopped the Steelers from once again reaching the pinnacle of football. Now it’s the lack of an offense. Ben today had a marquee performance. 273 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Steelers defense when healthy is a top five defensive unit. They have top players all across the field. Watt, Hayward, Tuitt, Bush, Fitzpartick, Haden and others led the Steelers to a division title last year. This year, they’re still the same cats when together. However the Steelers have no number one receiver, a tight end in Eric Ebron who is due to drop passes and an oline who couldn’t stop a nose bleed in a hospital. They lost Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler and Maurkice Pouncey and decided Trei Turner and releasing All Pro guard David DeCastro was the solution. They haven’t gone after a receiver in the first round in ages, only now trying to replace the production of Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell. Quite frankly its a mess. I think Ben still has a little more juice in him. If I was the Steelers, here’s what I would do. Re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster. Go after Tyler Linderbaum (Center, Iowa) in the first round. He’s a top talent and will provide that offensive line leadership vacated by Maurkice Pouncey. Take a receiver in the second round, the 2022 draft is filled with studs and for all that is right in the world, please get a suitable left tackle. Big Ben is ending his time in the league but tonight proved he ain’t done yet. He wants to win, even taking a paycut to do so. Use the money, use the draft capitol and bring home the Lombardi. Steel Will is still strong in Pittsburg.

Michael Mayock: A promising calm in a burning dumpster fire

When Mark Davis donned his finest suit and signature bowl cut to introduce Jon Gruden as the new head coach of the then Oakland Raiders in 2018, a promise was made. In exchange for his return, Gruden would have full control of the Raiders and if anyone had any questions, they could look at his 10 year, 100 million dollar contract as evidence of who ran the show. Then GM Reggie McKenzie was promptly shown the door and in his place was Mike Mayock. Mayock, a broadcasting veteran spent a total of zero years as an NFL executive before being given the keys to the franchise. Mayock’s resume was simple, a long time draft analyst. His job, also simple. Provide analysis on top draft prospects and work to see Gruden’s dreams come true. It’s unsure what players Mayock had a hand in drafting but one thing was simple, if the Raiders were a sleek black Bentley, hell would have to freeze over for him to drive it and those keys, symbolic. It was Gruden’s show and with it saw the departures of All-Pro Khalil Mack, Pro Bowler Amari Cooper and NFL punting yards leader Marquette King. In return, Gruden received a whole host of draft picks and with it, Gruden hand selected first rounders Kolten Miller, Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, Johnathan Abrams, Henry Ruggs III, Damon Arnette and Alex Leatherwood. Remember when I said Mayock would need hell to freeze over to have complete control over personnel decisions? Well it has.

Gruden was unceremoniously forced to resign when an investigation into the Washington Football Team discovered Gruden sent emails to then Washington President Bruce Allen. Laced with racist, sexist and homophobic rhetoric, compounded by insulting language towards NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Gruden was subsequently shown the door by the league. And for Gruden’s draft success? Both Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette were released in the past two weeks. Ruggs for vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol and Arnette for making threats via social media while brandishing a firearm. Many consider Ferrell a bust, Abram a reach and Jacobs a risk as he’s found slight difficulty in staying on the field along with Jacobs crashing his sports car while speeding at the end of last season. Leatherwood who played left tackle in college was moved to right tackle where he has struggled and now hopes to reignite his lofty career expectations at guard. Quite frankly, Gruden’s draft history is riddled with misses and players taken higher then their worth. Gruden also had a claim that he wanted high character players but with the actions of Jacobs, Ruggs and Arnette along with signing Richie Incognito who was found to have bullied former players in the past, Vontaze Burfict who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL and lets not forget the Antonio Brown debacle. The moral of the story is that the Gruden experiment has failed miserably.

Now comes in Mike Mayock. Since Gruden’s firing, the Raiders have gone 2-1 under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and are in the midst of a playoff push lead by quarterback Derek Carr and edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The Raiders have talent. Carr and Crosby, a top 5 tight end in Darren Waller, an elite slot receiver in Hunter Renfrow along with a burgeoning defensive line led by Crosby but outlined with key players such as Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue, Carl Nassib, Solomon Thomas along with a rotation of talented defensive tackles. However, the Raiders lack depth and talent in various positions such as receiver, cornerback and tackle. With Gruden being gone, the job rests on Mayock’s shoulders and I believe he will deliver.

Mike Mayock isn’t someone who likes to take gambles. He’s quite conservative in player selections and if the Raiders went by what the experts were saying, they would have a boatload of talent. Mayock came from an analyst job, those analysts are his friends and his track record suggests he’ll agree with most of their opinions. Right now, the Raiders are trying to piece together a team but with an offseason of potential looming, Mayock will be able to select his coach, his players and now the keys to the Bentley work ever so beautifully when it isn’t driven into the ground by a coach who priortized being in control over being a champion.

The Lamar Jackson Story

February 3, 2013. That day that is known for three things. A stadium blackout, a Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl victory and the day the NFL changed forever. With the keys to the franchise in one hand and the Lombardi trophy in another, Joe Flacco was king and with his crown came the spoils. A 6 year, 120 million dollar contract making him the highest paid quarterback in NFL history. In the following months, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan and Arron Rodgers would all sign deals either matching or breaking Flacco record setting amount. However the NFL has a hard salary cap, meaning there is a set number of dollars teams are allowed to spend on players. Where quarterbacks make bank, franchises must make sacrifices. With less firepower to equip quarterbacks with on both sides of the ball, you must be sure your guy is the guy. The guy that can get it done, the guy that can make magic happen where there is none and the guy that will be a leader on and off the field. Now what if I told you that your team needed that guy and in your hands you have a man who has won a MVP, 2 division titles and 36 games out of 45 starts all before the age of 25. How about a player who has made the playoffs every year he’s been in the league, has had a playoff victory and has led the league in touchdown passes. Or a guy who has thrown for more touchdowns than Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, recent members of the big contract clubs. How about to top it all off, his top three receivers have combined for a total zero all-pros and zero pro bowls. His number one target is a tight end.

Sounds like a guy who can make magic out of nothing. I am referring to Lamar Jackson. He is electricity personified and the most disrespected player in the national football league. He is now and always has been. A Heisman winner who was the fifth quarterback selected in the 2018 NFL draft, he wasn’t even the Ravens first pick of the draft (Hayden Hurst) who went on to break records and lead his team to success. However, there is still a debate in the NFL community arguing that the Ravens shouldn’t sign Jackson to his rightfully earned mega-extension and the fact that a deal has not come together yet, even after fellow 2018 first round pick Josh Allen signed his 6 year, 258 million (150 million guaranteed) contract is telling of a franchise who wasn’t hesitant to shell out the dough nine years earlier. Now some may argue that with big money, it takes time to iron out the details. It is a fair argument if Buffalo, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Houston and the Los Angeles Rams didn’t sign their shot callers to mega deals within the last two years. It would be fair if Carolina didn’t shell out for Teddy Bridgewater and Jacksonville didn’t shell out for Nick Foles just for them to be gambles which ultimately failed. The Ravens have the sure thing and are still hesitating. Why? Maybe it’s the pressure of what to do next? Maybe they're afraid they won’t have enough money after signing Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Stanley to big extensions. Well that’s false because Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams contracts are expiring, freeing up over twenty million per year in cap space so that’s false. If everyone else can figure out the numbers, Baltimore is more than able to. Maybe it’s his off the field conduct? He was criticized for playing beach football and running routes on a basketball court. Funny because other quarterbacks are playing backyard football, golf, basketball and yet they’re not criticized. Funny that in the criticism of Jackson, no one brings up that he was spending time with his family and was at a youth event but yes, the family and community man isn’t the guy for me. Maybe it’s because he’s a running quarterback, he’s susceptible to injury. Well he hasn’t missed a game due to injury in the pros or college so that should speak volumes regarding health.  Maybe it’s because he is in the bottom half of the league in passing yards? Well wouldn’t we all be if our number one receiver is 5’9 with a history of dropping passes. So now I ask, what’s the real issue?

I think if you ran the franchise, you’d sign him the first second you got but you don’t run a franchise. You don’t get paid to run a franchise, you don’t feed your family by running a franchise. In fact, your career doesn’t live or die based off what you think of Lamar Jackson. The reason Lamar hasn’t gotten the spoils of his crown is because of everyone but him. Coming out of college, several NFL executives wanted him to convert to running back or receiver. A player like him couldn’t succeed in the NFL was common thought. Jackson was drafted 32nd, the last pick in the first round. In fact, Baltimore traded New England for that pick. That means every GM in the NFL could’ve gotten him and didn’t. That’s fine if you got Mahomes or Brady but those are two men and there are thirty-two teams. With a new deal, that is the evidence that everyone was wrong and when you are wrong, people start asking why. Fans, players and owners all ask how did you get this so wrong. In fact, the GM that drafted Lamar (Ozzie Newsome) retired so his replacement must be the one to pull the trigger, a trigger that’s hard to pull when it goes against the football philosophy we we’re all educated with. Lamar will get his deal and will continue to prove us wrong but while names like Allen, Mahomes, Rodgers get revered, Jackson’s gets disrespected because not only did majority of NFL teams and media voices reject Jackson’s ability to succeed in the league, they rejected the notion that a player like him could play and that’s worse. We’ve all had our fair share of bad picks but to say that his style won’t work means you are behind the curve in an ever-evolving industry and to be behind is to be out the door, closing the dream these GM’s try desperately to hold on to. Even if that means bashing a guy who has achieved so much more at 24 then most of the players they draft will ever do in their careers.

Is Baker Mayfield worthy of an extension?

Short answer, yes. Long answer, without a doubt. If you look at the Browns franchise, there are two quarterbacks of note, Bernie Kosar and Otto Graham. You can throw that one year with Derek Anderson in there but I wouldn’t. However both Kosar and Graham are relics of the past and serve as a reminder of what was, not what is. Those Cleveland Browns, formed under Paul Brown moved to Baltimore in the nineties and in a deal struck by the league, the new Cleveland Browns took their place. It has been a disaster ever since. With only one playoff appearance and zero playoff wins, the Browns were the laughing stock of the NFL for decades. I mean who hasn’t seen the picture of the man with a Tim Couch jersey with the names of every following starting quarterback attached to it. Since 2000, the Browns have averaged a new quarterback almost every season. We all know of the failures from the front office. Names like Quinn, McCoy, Manziel and Weeden haunt the franchise’s inability to produce consistent quarterback play. Talents like Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, Alex Mack, Joe Haden and much more were wasted due to one position. Now here comes this undersized arrogant gunslinger from Oklahoma who not only has survived but thrived in Cleveland and has captured the ultimate goal for the franchise, a playoff victory. Not just any playoff victory but a win against their arch rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over the past three years, Mayfield has had four head coaches, three offensive coordinators and the weight of being a Brown on his shoulders, yet he has guided the former laughing stock to an above .500 season and into a true Super Bowl contender. Sure, he is surrounded by weapons but Baker threw for over 3,500 yards, 26 touchdowns with a 62.8 percent completion percentage against 8 interceptions. Those numbers are not commonplace in the NFL and definitely not in Cleveland. He is the real deal. All I have to say is this, you can look at the numbers. You can look at his style, you can look at everything but Baker has done what no one could and just because the Browns became a threat doesn’t mean they should find Arron Rodgers or another replacement. The Browns are still the Browns and it takes a special player, a unique talent with the f you attitude to succeed. Baker isn’t the best fit for ninety percent of NFL franchises but he's a perfect fit for Cleveland. Thus he is more than deserving of his contract extension.