The most interesting offseason since the 1993 advent of free agency culminated with Green Bay resigning Aaron Rodgers to a whopping $50 million per season. Some might argue it’s the return of Tom Brady but its not having the immediate ripple affect like this signing. Now Rodger’s favorite target Davante Adams is unnerved with the franchise tag draped over his wishes to get a new deal. Last we heard he said he wouldn’t play under that designation.
It could be a ploy to get brass to offer a long term contract however ramifications have hit with the release of Za’Darius Smith. He missed almost all of last year but flashed for 26 sacks 5 forced fumbles and earned Pro Bowl berths in his previous 2 years with the club.
These are the first two dominoes to fall in an offseason that still has the Packers nearly $7 million over the cap and the draft is still a month away.
What will happen with Davante Adams and will it affect chemistry when he comes back??
This is the second installment where I’m asking the question on large quarterback deals crippling the rest of the roster. Is it feast or famine??
The ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl and the huge QB deals have not proven to win you the big game. Before we go any further lets point a few things out:
NFL salary rankings of QBs who won Super Bowl in the last 10 years.
Take a wild guess when the last time an NFL team with the highest paid quarterback won the Super Bowl?? Try Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX to conclude the 1994 season. Super Bowl 29?? We’re headed to Super Bowl 57 next February.
Tom Brady reworked his contract on 8 different occassions and its no coincidence he has played on squads with top level talent around the roster. He has made the Super Bowl a bi-annual habit.
Get this.. the Rams won LVI with Stafford as the 13th highest paid while trading away the 6th highest in Jared Goff. So before they nabbed Von Miller from Denver they locked up CB Jalen Ramsey with a contract extension in September.
Its at this point you can see where Devante Adams is coming from. The Rams saved $7 million going from Goff to Stafford and every bit of it was needed to make the roster moves they did. Including Odell Beckham signing for a minimum deal and a chance at immortality.
So a part of the equation when The Chancellor doesn’t pick a mistake prone Dak Prescott $40 million, bypass a polarizing Aaron Rodgers $50 million and looks favorably on the LA Chargers and Justin Herbert on a rookie deal, don’t act surprised.
The ink is just drying on several moves, including the trade they just made for 2 time Taylor Blitz Times Defensive Player of the Year in Khalil Mack. Which looks a lot like the Von Miller deal the Rams used to vault to NFL champion status. Hmmmmmm??
Did you know the terrible call on Bengals LB Wilson #55 happened at the same time as the non pass interference call the Rams benefitted from in the 2019 NFC Championship Game? Remember when Robey-Colvin hit the Saints Wilson with 1:45 to go?? Well This one gift wrapped Super Bowl LVI for the Rams also with 1:45 to go. Terrible finish and now that gambling is legall and endorsed by the NFL we are entering a strange era. These horrendous calls will come under a microscope.
During each postseason every football fan dreads a moment where the game is decided by the referees and not the players on the field. We think back to “The Tuck Rule”, Mike Renfro’s catch/non catch in the ’79 AFC Championship, or Bert Emanuel’s catch/non catch in the NFC Championship. Yet yesterday for the 1st time since Referee Jim Tunney made the call after Renfro’s catch had a nationally televised audience yelling in anguish at a moment instant replay could have corrected.
Sean Payton dispairs over one of the most egregious non calls in NFL history.
Football coaches and players at all levels will tell you “The eye in the sky doesn’t lie” meaning the truth is always caught on film. It’s there for teams to study film against an opponent or the camera can catch what has been missed by the naked eye of an out of place referee. On…
NFL Propaganda shows… quit mentioning Andy Reid when bringing up Patrick Mahomes. Bring up OC Eric Bienemy. When you bring up Josh Allen in Buffalo you dont bring up HC Sean McDermott… you bring up former OC Brian Daboll which shapes the narrative omitting the genius work of black coordinators.
Ill give you an example. Take the Giants when they beat the Patriots twice in Super Bowl play. We ALL heard about Giants DC Spagnuolo as though he was there for both XLII and XLVI. He wasnt…. it was Perry Fewell (yes he is black) who took the 27th ranked defense into XLVI and devised a defense that offered a Cover 2 look but both safeties sat on all of Tom Brady’s short routes in the Super Bowl because they couldnt get deep.
How would you remember this? One of the indelible moments was Brady scrambling and threw a bomb to Rob Gronkowski that was intercepted by Linebacker Chase Blackburn over 40 yards downfield. There were no safeties back there.
Yet listen to the media “Spags..Spags..Spags” hell he was busy struggling in St Louis as a head coach by then. XLVI was great because it forced the sports media to cover what happened and not propaganda. Eli Manning, the NFL’s 27th ranked defense and a black defensive coordinator they didnt give credit to or try to glorify in Perry Fewell.
Eric Bienemy is the OC in his 4th straight AFC Championship Game and possibly 3rd straight Super Bowl but you covered Bills OC Brian Daboll more who has only been to a single conference championship game.
Feb 2, 2020; . Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Whats the media’s role in the lack of black head coaches?? One is painting pictures… if it isnt accurate or misleading, I call it propaganda.
Last night as we watched the Bears struggle on offense you knew the sand was out of the hourglass when it comes to Coach Mike Nagy. His offense has been beyond anemic. Right now Colin Cowherd is waxing philosophical about analytics and how an offensive minded coach is what the Bears need. To move away from the defensive identity Chicago has long been recognized for. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are multiple ways to win in the NFL.
Nevermind these armchair types that didn’t play positions that are the soul of football. Spouting b.s. about analytics, QBR and were the type that took their ball and went home when you hit them too hard as kids.
Cant stand sportswriters like that
Wasn’t Mike Nagy brought in with his huge play sheet with 748 plays where only 6 have proved to work?? I thought Mike Martz who was the offensive minded coach who was the architect of The Greatest Show on Turf was going to bring the Bears into the modern age?? Even going back to 1999 Dick Jauron was hired and brought in BYU offensive guru Gary Crowton and the Bears struggled.
Jauron saved his job when he moved away from Crowton’s mistake prone offense and the 3 headed QB of Cade McNown, Shawn Matthews and Jim Miller and moved to a balanced run first offense and made it deep into the playoffs in 2001. So all the calling for the latest sleek passing offense hasn’t proved fruitful in the winds whipping off Lake Michigan into Solider Field. For decades…
There is still a fire and brimstone defense in Chicago and a balanced approach would best serve this team. Enter Mike Singletary.
Singletary has already cut his teeth when he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. People forget it was Singletary that built the 9ers into the team Harbaugh took to Super Bowl XLVII after 2012. He didnt get the chance to complete his mission as the team was building and he was growing as a coach.
As a leader he would be able to reach young players as he was able to reach Patrick Willis, Novorro Bowman and Ray Lewis.
How?? He’s been there as a player and as a coach. He also would be entering his 2nd tenure where many coaches like Dick Vermeil, Pete Carroll and Bruce Arians achieved their greatest successes.
Since his tenure as head coach in San Francisco he has stayed in the craft coaching collegians at the Hula Bowl and within the LA Ram and Viking organizations as well. Continually working toward this 2nd opportunity.
Of course there are two elephants in the room when it comes to the plight of black coaches and the ageism that has afflicted Head Coach hirings in the last few years. National media has beat this drum of teams looking for the next Sean McVay but let the Chancellor of Football remind you…
I mentioned Mike Singletary to coach the Bears and some think he is too old or the game passed him by. I do rememeber a 63 year old Dick Vermeil having that said about him. The game had changed blah…blah….zzzzzz…. Well 3 years later 12 NFL records fell as his Greatest Show on Turf Rams stormed to Super Bowl XXXIV. They also said that about Pete Carroll (wasn’t he in his 60’s) leaving USC and that was after being fired by the Patriots and Jets. Three years later he had an insurmountable lead over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Experience mixed with youth in the coaching ranks and veteran players is one of the mixes that works. Otherwise a very old (nearly 70) Bill Belichick and his experience wouldn’t have embarrassed young Sean McVay in Super Bowl LIII just 3 years ago.
Experience? Belichick knew to go to the I and power it down the throat of a defense not conditioned to take on the run.
The same type of experience, leadership, and player credibility Singletary would bring to a franchise that has been lacking in each of these areas. As a black former player and coach there is so much to be gained by this organization in bringing in one of their own. Just as they had Mike Ditka back in 1982. Singletary is a Chicago Bear and one who can restore stability to an organization that desperately needs it.
Bring Mike Singletary in as head coach. The Bears and the NFL need this.
While writing about the teams of the National Football League there are certain values you assess certain players with. One here at Taylor Blitz Times is the description of the quarterback. Is the quarterback an Alpha or a Beta? In doing so Dak Prescott has been labeled a Beta Quarterback which has drawn the ire of Cowboys fans. Its a clash waged on social media between friends/readers for a few years now.
To bring you up to speed lets take you back and define the line between the two distinctions:
The alpha infuses confidence in his football team through his play and leadership. His teammates are inspired through his verve, spirit, and fight which in turn raises their level of play to meet his. You can see the confidence in their eyes when the game is tight. He doesn’t shrink when games are on the line or when the team is up against a superior opponent. This is what every coach covets each year in the NFL draft…
Then you have the beta quarterback that many teams seem to be afflicted with. He comes through with the physical gifts that scouts and coaches can see where he can improve, and can possibly sculpt a winner from. He shows promise and can win you a few football games yet isn’t a leader. This is the guy that looks to his teammates for confidence when they’re looking to him for theirs.
Subsequently when the situations get tight or they’re up against tough teams, he shrinks at the moment of truth. Sure they win games they are supposed to win but the superior opponent he needs to beat to become a champion, he will always come up short. Late game interceptions, missed connections in crucial times, & mangled last minute drives which short ciruit his team’s efforts. Most important he always loses when an alpha quarterback is leading the other team. Constant big game heartbreak follows this guy….always.
Dak playing from behind…
In dissecting Dak’s play its been one where The Chancellor has described Dak as falling behind 20-7, then scrambles back gaining garbage yards against vanilla defenses. Only to lose 30-24 and Cowboy apologists blame everything but Dak. “Its the defense…. Its Mike McCarthy, the play calling etc.” Truth be told its Prescott’s fault struggling early in games although he has gotten better lately…. but still a beta quarterback. He feasts on his weak division and struggles against top defenses and contending teams.
For starters lets look at the 1st half of Prescott’s games in 2019 & 2020 before injury. We’re going to look at each with overall defensive ranking, defense vs pass ranking, Dak’s stats, whether the Cowboys were up and if they ultimately won the game:
Jets (7th/17th v pass) 13 of 20 – 125yds 0TDs 0ints down 21-3 at half/Loss
Eagles (10th/19th v pass) 12 of 16 -147yds 1TD 0ints /1sack / up 27-7 at half/Win
Giants (25th/28th v pass) 11 of 19 – 89yds 1TD 1int /up 13-12 at half/ Win
Vikings (27th/25th v pass) 12 of 19 – 185yds 2TDs / down 17-14 at half/ Loss
Lions (32nd/31st v pass) 16 of 25 – 274yds 2TDs/1 sack / up 24-14 at half/Win
Patriots (2nd/1st v pass) 10 of 15 – 88yds 0TDs 1 int/ down 10-6 at half /Loss
Bills (3rd/4th v pass) 16 of 24 163yds 1TD 1int/ 3 sacks/ down 13-7 at half/Loss
Bears (8th/9th v pass) 7 of 12 60yds 0TDs / 1 sack / down 17-7at half/Loss
Rams (12th/13th v pass) 9 of 15 158yds 2TDs up 28-7 at half/Win
Eagles (10th/19th v pass) 11 of 18 125yds 0TDs/ down 10-6 at half/Loss
Wash (27th/18th v pass) 12 of 19 120 yds 0TDs/3 sacks/ up 20-7 at half/Win
Of course the question will be raised as why just analyze the first half? Did you notice Dak was 8-0 when he led the Cowboys to a half time lead? What is glaring are none of these games showed him overcome a deficit to lead Dallas to a come from behind win. Also:
Did you notice Prescott was 2-6 against defenses that ranked in the top half in the NFL?? Or notice the 1-5 record vs playoff teams in 2019 with the lone win against the Eagles?? What about in 6 of those losses he didnt throw a TD in the 1st half of games?? I thought it was the defense Cowboy fans?? Why can’t Dak get leads on quality defenses or quality teams?? Where are his 4th quarter heroic comeback wins??
Troy Aikman’s 1st half of 93 NFC Championship Game
What made Troy Aikman a great quarterback is his 1st half consistency completing passes for 1st downs and touchdowns so he could turn it over to Emmitt and The Great Wall. In fact both Dallas and San Francisco in their yers of dominance came out passing. Notice the stat line where Aikman is averaging nearly 13 yards per completion. Dak needs to get leads and allow his defense to pass rush and line up in predictable down and distances.
This will also allow the Cowboys to turn it over to Ezekiel Elliott and what’s left of The Great Wall II as well.
Another graphic to contrast is this freeze frame from Joe Montana’s performance in the 1st half of the 1981 NFC Championship Game vs Dallas. Notice he is averaging 15 yards per completion??
The reason these are being shown is to get you to understand passing for 80 yards and 0TDs is why he is always behind. The other is Prescott signed a new contract for narly $40 million per year. You’re expected to win championships at these dollar figures.
Can Dak improve and play alpha quarterback football?? Of course he can but will he?? Its not been his norm nor a part of his mental makeup. Keep in mind Dak was only 1-3 last year and all 3 losses were to playoff teams to the Rams, Seahawks, and Cleveland Browns. By the way…he was playing from behind in the last 3 of his regular season starts.
Up ’til now Dak Prescott hasn’t been an alpha quarterback and hasn’t flashed any greatness. Several times during the season I had called him “Fools Gold” and a “Beta Quarterback” which drew the ire of Cowboys fans. Show me where he has exhibited greatness or a win against a marquee non NFC East team??
Now after a severe leg injury and several MRIs on his throwing shoulder keeping him out of the 1st 2 preseason games, Prescott is expected to be great?? This is a tall ask as he begins against Tom Brady and the Super Bowl Champion Bucaneers. Furthermore the Bucs defense ranked 6th last year. Oh boy! Dak… your mission, should you choose to accept it…
When most sportswriters chronicle a franchise’s turning point its usually attributed to the hiring of a coach or a number one draft pick QB who goes on to a Hall of Fame career. One where the culture of an organization completely shifts as the team has a pivotal player & focal point to build around. Enter Hardy Nickerson.
Most try to equate the turnaround with the drafting of Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks when the direction was set in motion several years before these two Hall of Famers were drafted in ’95.
Let’s take you back to the early 1990’s Tampa was a desolate outpost no one wanted to play for. It was a rudderless franchise that had just finished 1992 having set an NFL record with their 10th straight double digit loss season.
The culture was so demoralized just 8 years before 1st round draft pick Bo Jackson refused…
It could be a ploy to get brass to offer a long term contract however ramifications have hit with the release of Za’Darius Smith. He missed almost all of last year but flashed for 26 sacks 5 forced fumbles and earned Pro Bowl berths in his previous 2 years with the club.
Its at this point you can see where Devante Adams is coming from. The Rams saved $7 million going from Goff to Stafford and every bit of it was needed to make the roster moves they did. Including Odell Beckham signing for a minimum deal and a chance at immortality.
Sean Payton dispairs over one of the most egregious non calls in NFL history. 
Yet listen to the media “Spags..Spags..Spags” hell he was busy struggling in St Louis as a head coach by then. XLVI was great because it forced the sports media to cover what happened and not propaganda. Eli Manning, the NFL’s 27th ranked defense and a black defensive coordinator they didnt give credit to or try to glorify in Perry Fewell.
Nevermind these armchair types that didn’t play positions that are the soul of football. Spouting b.s. about analytics, QBR and were the type that took their ball and went home when you hit them too hard as kids.
Singletary has already cut his teeth when he was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. People forget it was Singletary that built the 9ers into the team Harbaugh took to Super Bowl XLVII after 2012. He didnt get the chance to complete his mission as the team was building and he was growing as a coach. 
Most try to equate the turnaround with the drafting of Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks when the direction was set in motion several years before these two Hall of Famers were drafted in ’95.
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