PROJECT 11, A SUCCESS
693 days ago, Alex Smith’s right leg collapsed and snapped under the weight of a JJ Watt tackle. The former No. 1 overall pick was pummelled in his return, sacked six times by Aaron Donald and the Rams front.
But none of that really mattered because Smith’s return to the gridiron was the ultimate success.
Washington have said Kyle Allen will likely return as starting QB next week, meaning Smith heads back to the clipboard.
Again, none of that matters. Smith has returned from a career-threatening then life-threatening injury to make the comeback of all comebacks.
Seeing his wife and children jump for joy in the stands was very emotional.
For those who want to see more about Smith’s story of resilience and triumph, track down the ESPN documentary, ‘Project 11’.
DQ GETS DQ’D
Dan Quinn should be a Super Bowl-winning coach.
Everyone raves about the work he did as the Seahawks defensive coordinator with the vaunted Legion of Boom which was why Atlanta hired him.
Midway through the third quarter, ATL was up 28-3 on New England and we all know how that story ended. Quinn is now unemployed, as is general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
Quinn only just survived an assessment of his job status last season and after beginning 2020 with five straight losses, owner Arthur Blank finally pulled the trigger.
Atlanta has numerous offensive weapons but a god-awful defence so the next hire will be fascinating.
VEGAS RAIDS THE PALACE
Patrick Mahomes has owned the division since taking over as starting QB. To be fair – he’s owned most of the NFL – but no one in the AFC West has been able to touch Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Mahomes was far from poor on Sunday, throwing for 340 yards and making some miraculous late plays but Derek Carr and rookie Henry Ruggs III carried Las Vegas to a dub.
Ruggs exploded upon return from injury with two catches, 118 yards and a TD.
Vegas move to 3-2 and have actually outscored KC on the season. Time to stop sleeping on those Raiders.
DAK DEVASTATION
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys endured a sometimes tiring back-and-forth over his contractual status this off-season just gone.
In September, it was reported that Prescott turned down $33m per season for a four-year plus term.
He eventually signed the franchise tag which does pay him north of $30m but he’s out of contract at the end of this season.
IF Prescott is unable to recover from his gruesome compound fracture, he will have lost out on a significant amount of money. Maybe a hundred million dollars.
Prescott bet on himself and he was winning, thanks to his performance on the park, before his ankle dislocated and pointed in the wrong direction.
Jerry Jones will feel compelled to look after Dak but rich people a re rich because they’re ruthless so this will be interesting to follow.
DK & CLAYPOOL
For last past decade, I have admired Calvin Johnson and AJ Green. Both are humble but other-worldly wide receiving talents.
However, Megatron is retired and Green looks like his best days are behind him.
Step up Mr. Metcalf of Ole Miss and Mr. Claypool of Notre Dame.
Claypool detonated on Philly, dropping four touchdowns and 113 total yards. The 6-4″ wideout kicked off his stellar day with a 2-yard jet sweep, then reclaimed the Steelers lead with a five-yard TD catch and a 32-yard TD in the second quarter.
He nailed the Eagles coffin closed with a stop-go route which left the Philadelphia defenders in no-man’s land as he waltzed into the end zone for TD No. 4.
Through almost three quarters, my newest main man – DK Metcalf – had done nothing extraordinary. he caught a TD late in Q3 but was called upon throughout the Seahawks game-winning drive with Wilson lobbing a deep ball into the Seattle wind and rain with Metcalf coming down with a 39-yard grab. He nabbed six passes on the night, including the TD which secured victory.
After five weeks, Metcalf has amassed 496 yards and five scores. The former Ole Miss Runnin’ Rebel stands 6-4″, weighs 230 pounds, can run a freakish 4.33 40-yard dash and can obviously go up and get the rock.
He’s my pick for to be the best WR in the NFL within two years.
TENACIOUS TITANS
Tennessee has been struck harder than any by this dreaded virus.
More than a dozen players and staff have tested positive, meaning last week’s game against Pittsburgh had to be canned and no one has been able to enter the practice facility, making for a hellacious preparation leading into Tuesday night’s clash with the 4-0 Bills.
All that mattered for nothing as Tennessee rolled to a dominant 42-16 victory.
No practice, no worries. Ryan Tannehill accounted for four scores (three passing, one rushing), Derek Henry showed up when it mattered with two touchdowns and AJ Brown (7-82-1) and Jonnu Smith (5-40-2) were both powerful in the passing game.
The Bills have not put a foot wrong this season and 4-1 after five weeks is an excellent result, but they were very much brought undone on a weird Tuesday night of football.
Bonus Pick: Jets RB Le’Veon Bell was released on Wednesday afternoon (our time) which will be a fascinating watch to see where the former All-Pro ends up.
Josh Jenkins Sports 