“Mama Always Said I’d Get Benched!”

There are a lot of famous benches in the world, the bench that Forrest Gump sat on while he droned on about life being like a box chocolates, or there is the bench in love actually where a young Sam tries to explain that he is in love to the guy from the Taken movies. Ohhh you can’t forget the bench in Out Cold where Pigpen makes love to a snowboard bench while dreaming about saving a bunch a woman from a cable car by convincing them to take their tops off, a reference that only a hand full of people on this planet would know. Russell Wilson is just another member of the long list of famous benches in the world. On Wednesday Sean Peyton and the Denver Broncos decided to bench Russell Wilson for Jarrett Stidham in one of the stranger moves I’ve seen this year. But Sean Peyton seems to not care what anyone thinks, he is going to do what’s best for the team and he thinks that is to start Jarrett Stidham over a borderline Hall of Famer, or is it…

I mean it’s not like Russell has been good since touching down in the Mile High City, so this move seems like an equitable one. But there seems to be something else at play like every spy movie ever there might be a double agent in the Broncos Organization. Russell Wilson is set to make a guaranteed 39 million dollars in 2024 with an additional 37 million dollars if he can’t pass a physical in March. So do you start Russell Wilson just to have him get hurt and force you to pay the extra 37 million in March or do you start the back up and ensure that you don’t have to pay the extra 37 million. Some real 007 stuff is happening inside of the Broncos Facility right now. So, Sean Peyton or should I call you M… can say that it’s a “football” decision and they are looking for a “offensive spark” all he wants but we all know this is looking like a money decision. You could hide it better than with Jared Stidham, if you had a Rookie QB in waiting I would believe you that you want to try and spark the offense but Jared Stidham? You’re just yanking our chains… With Russell Wilson set to make 204 million dollars over the next 5 years (that’s a lot of money for a 35-year-old mobile QB) this seems like a decision that would have Russell being done in Denver for good.  

“Mama always said when one door closes another opens.” This might be a good thing for Russell Wilson, we have seen a resurgence of former benched quarterbacks making comebacks left and right this year. Joe Flacco is the best example, he has been phenomenal this year since coming in for the disgraced, injury prone Deshaun Watson. Joe Flacco might have the story of the year. As of a few weeks ago he was at home watching football on his couch eating Cheetos, who am I kidding have you seen that man, he looks like he hasn’t aged a day, it’s striking to look at the chiseled 38-year-old who maybe in the best shape of his life as I look down at my gut and wonder what happen… There is no way he was sitting eating Cheetos he was probably on his elliptical machine, applying anti-aging cream to his whole body and watching football saying, “these guys aren’t that good, I can throw it to a wide-open Amari Cooper if you just give me time.” The Browns must have thought the same thing because since signing him they are 3-1 with Joe throwing for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. If Kevin Stefanski doesn’t win coach of the year, I will personally have a B.F. and write a strongly worded letter to the NFL on his behalf.

Joe Flacco isn’t the only one to have a resurgence at QB this season. With all the injuries to starting quarterbacks throughout the league it has led to some old faces popping up out of the Rabbit Hole that we thought were lost forever in Wonderland, including Sam Darnold who came in for Brock Purdy after he suffered his second stinger in two games and he looked good, he looked like the 3rd overall pick that The Jets thought they were getting but it just goes to show you that if you leave The Jets anything is possible. There are so many examples of it, look at Geno Smith he was found in a Jets gutter when Pete Carol brushed him off and gave him a great home to live in and he has done nothing but flourish out there in Seattle. He has them in position to take the Seahawks to back-to-back playoff appearances since trading Russell Wilson to Denver. Last week we saw Jacoby Brissett pop up out of nowhere and guess what he still has it, he led the Commanders back from a 27-7 deficit to take the lead in the fourth, but they would eventually fall to the Jets on a last second field goal. Speaking of mounting comebacks that fell a little short, Tyrod Taylor came in for Tommy DeVito after he had an abysmal first half, leaving the Giants in a 20-3 hole headed into half time. But Tyrod Taylor came in and it was seamless, he tried his darndest to lead the Giants to a victory over their division rival Eagles, he even threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Darius Slayton to pull them with in 5 but in the end, he came up a little short throwing a pick on the last drive and losing 25-33. With the NFL becoming bigger, faster, stronger more than ever we aren’t going to see these journeymen go away anytime soon. Backup quarterback has always been an important position, but it seems like with all the injuries this year it might be the second most important behind starting quarterback. No matter how safe you make the game, injuries will always be an unfortunate part of the sport we love to watch.  

Who knows what is instore for Russell Wilson but if the recent trends in quarterbacking stay the same, he will end up getting another chance for a desperate franchise who is willing to fork over 204 million dollars for a 35-year-old quarterback. I had to look at that contract again because I didn’t believe that number but after double checking, it was true the Broncos really paid that much for an aging mobile quarterback… What are the Waltons doing? I can’t think of a team that would be that desperate to pay for him besides the Patriots but with Bill Belichick most likely being done in New England who knows their plan. As a Broncos fan am I sad to see Russell go? I mean the short answer is No, No I am not, it was a failed experiment like Jurassic Park, by the way what did John Hammond think was going to happen when he tried to recreate a prehistoric world, with animals that were extremely dangerous… Just Dumb. Any ways, Russell while sitting on the bench over the next couple of weeks thinking of where you will end up next, just remember the famous words of Forrest Gump “Mama always said there’s an awful lot you can tell about a person by their shoes where they go, where they been.” So whatever shoes you decide to wear next Russell I’m glad they’re not orange anymore.

Restore The Roar In 2024!

What a remarkable Sunday afternoon for the city of Detroit and Lions fans throughout the world. I think it might be official that these underdog Lions with a coach that nobody gave a chance to succeed and a Quarterback who was banished out of Sean McVay’s castle have Restored The Roar back to Detroit! My poor father has been a lifelong Lions fan/Detroit sports fan in general he has been through some hard times as a sports fan but watching him on Sunday almost have a heart attack as Justin Jefferson made miraculous catch after miraculous catch trying to will his team to victory but fell a little short after the final Nick Mullens intercepted nail was put into the Vikings coffin, he almost fell out of his old but still sturdy oak rocking chair in sheer joy! That’s what sports joy should look like! In that moment I came to realize that there is only one fan base that has any right to complain about their team and it's not The Jets even though things have looked bleak lately from the butt fumble to Rodgers tearing his Achilles and forcing us to watch Zach Wilson… Not The Bills even though you lost 4 straight Super Bowls back in the early 90’s… Not The Browns… wellllll maybe The Browns have a case… Not the Vikings even though you have never won a Super Bowl… try being the only team that has never even made it to the big dance… It’s the Lions without question. It has been 30 years since they won the Division! That’s right, not a Super Bowl not an NFC Championship, just the lonely NFC North. 30 years of Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre poaching the hearts of Lions Fans. But this year could be different.

There has been hope at moments in time for the City of Detroit’s pride and joy before this. Back in 1989 when the Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge champion, Barry Sanders dangled his way on to the scene! The Lions couldn’t have had more hope. This allusive, Heisman Trophy winning running back out of Oklahoma State was just the hope they needed to restart a Franchise that was stalled on the side of the highway like most of the vehicles that are made in Detroit… I’m sorry that was a cheap shot… But you know what Ford stands for, right? Found On Road Ditch… That hope led them to the 1993 Central Division Championship, that’s right it wasn’t even called the NFC North back when they last won the Division! Barry Sanders was so electric that a running back carried a team to a Division Championship. The Lions were eventually upset in the Wild Card round to a young up and coming QB by the name of Brett Farve and his Packers. We all know what he ended up doing to the eventual NFC North over the years. After Barry retired young in 1999 after 10 seasons in the league, The Lions went through some truly God-awful years. But you could see them kind of start to piece together some good draft picks including Calvin Johnson out of the Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech in the 2007 draft. This man maybe the best receiver to ever play the game. He was said to have a catch radius of a two-car garage. Go outside and admire spider webs at the peak of your garage door, now that you have done that, attempt to touch the peak of the garage without pulling every muscle in your lower body. Pretty impressive that he could catch a ball anywhere on that garage. But even a man with Marvel Universe super hero abilities couldn’t even help the Lions from having the first ever 0-16 season led by a bunch of horrible QB’s including a 36-yearold John Kitna, ESPN analysis Dan Orlovsky who has one of the worst plays in NFL history when he was running for his life from an actual Viking in Jared Allen in the back of the endzone, when he just eventually ran out of the back of endzone and who can forget the arm rolling, Randy Moss deep ball throwing Daunte Culpepper. But that 0-16 season led to maybe the greatest outcomes an 0-16 season could have, a chance at a franchise quarterback and that quarterback was Matt Stafford who would change the Lions franchise in more ways than we thought.

When Matt Stafford rode in on his white Georgia Bulldog to save the franchise, he was riding into one awful situation, one that I don’t think even he was prepared for. But his toughness was just what the Lions needed. He arrived as the savior of the franchise with expectations higher than Pride Rock because of his outstanding career at The University of Georgia where over his short 3-year stent he passed for over 7,000 yards and 51 touchdowns. He got off to a rough start in his first season passing for 2,267 yards with only 13 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Then in 2010 he injured his right throwing shoulder, so that season was a wash, not the best start for an NFL franchise saving quarterback but then something started to click between him and the great Calvin Johnson in 2011. This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Kind of like Harold and Kumar but instead of trying to find White Castle they were trying to find the playoffs. In 2011 Matt Stafford threw for more than 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns, with Calvin Johnson catching 96 of those balls for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns. This duo led the Lions to a playoff appearance for the first time since 1999. They lost in the Wild Card round but who cares, they made it. From Lake Heron to Lake Michigan people were roaring with joy.

A couple good seasons followed between Calvin and Matt including another playoff appearance and Calvin breaking the single season receiving record with 1,964 yards, a record held by Jerry Rice for 17 years. But with most things in life and with most of the Lions great players they don’t last very long. Calvin Johnson retired after 9 short years in the NFL. But during those 9 years he created a reputation as one of the best wide receivers to ever play and earned himself a spot in the Hall of Fame. Matt continued his career with the Lions for a few more years and even earning one more playoff spot in the 2016 season with it ending with, you guessed it a wildcard loss. Proving he could do it without a great receiver. Then the injury bug kept creeping up and biting Matt right in every single part of his body. Which led all the way to the end of the 2020 season when the Lions decided to part ways with Matt Stafford by sending him to the Rams. In one of the nicest trades, I’ve ever seen a franchise do, they sent Stafford to a great situation in LA with a young coach, as what seemed to be a thank you for his years of service to a decrepit franchise. I don’t need to tell that Stafford went on to win the Super Bowl in the following year and the Lions fan base felt like they won a Super Bowl because a member of their family won and it may be the closest they will ever get to winning.

In that trade to the Rams, they actually got a nice piece in exchange for Stafford, that piece was Jared Goff. Jared Goff was shipped out of LA because he wasn’t good enough to win the Super Bowl for Sean McVay and he wanted an upgrade which I guess worked out pretty well for him. But the Lions got a QB with a giant chip on his shoulder playing for a team with an even bigger chip on their shoulders sprinkle on a little bit of a no name coach with a motivating attitude and it is kind of a match made in heaven. The Lions have made some great draft picks lately including Sam LaPorta, Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams (despite his gambling problems) and they took a step back in time by drafting a new Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge, Patches O'houlihan in the form of Jahmyr Gibbs. This kid is like a new spark plug on a 67 Mustang, bringing the speed and energy to an old car. The Lions have a real shot this year to make some noise with the fire power that they have on offense. But issues arise when we look at the defensive side of the ball, they are ranked 15th in total defense which isn’t as bad as I thought but hopefully that secondary which is ranked 23rd against the pass can be enough to hold up against some of the juggernauts of the NFC. All I know is that Michigan born Aidan Hutchinson will do his darndest to get after the QB and disrupt the pass game.

How can you not route for the Lions they have had it so bad for so long. I don’t care if you’re a Bears fan, Packers fan or even a Vikings fan, you have to feel good for that franchise. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say, “boy you know what, I really hate the Lions they just get under my skin.” So, if your team is out of the playoffs like my smugly coached Broncos are, route for the Lions this post seasons just on the great story alone, from the years of heart break to the new underdogs that have joined the franchise. But whatever you do, don’t complain about your team being bad this year even though Russell Wilson needs to be thrown in jail for all the money he has stolen… As I was saying don’t complain because somewhere on this rock there is a 73-year-old fan of the Lions that has had it much worse than your franchise will ever have. Enjoy losing because when that day comes when your favorite team wins their division for the first time in 30 years, it’s going to feel so much better. I hope it feels as great as my dad made it look on Sunday. I don’t think he is ever going to take off his Honolulu Blue Lions sweatshirt, it’s been 4 days now and he is still wearing it, I still see the butter stains from Christmas dinner on it but who cares because that must be one of the greatest feelings a sports fan could ever feel. Who knows this feeling might get better when it ends up in a Super Bowl so they can finally say that they Restored the Roar In 2024.     

MIF Agent Lock

What a game on Monday Night. I went to bed smiling… creepy I know it was like that movie Smile that I never saw but I pissed my pants whenever the trailer came on… But the reason for my creepy bedtime smile was that I couldn’t have been happier for Drew Lock and the Seattle Seahawks… Hold on I’m getting way to ahead of myself, Let’s set the scene of Last night’s magical Monday Night spectacle between The Eagles and The Seahawks. It twas a week before Christmas when all through Seattle, not a player was stirring not even a Fant, the passes were hung by Drew Lock with care, in hopes that a touchdown will soon be there, The Eagles were nestled all in their beds, while visons of super bowls danced in their heads.

Adam Schefter informed Drew Lock and his mullet that he was going to start with what seemed like 5 mins before kickoff. Geno had a groin issue that has been lingering for a couple weeks now and was a game time decision. But Geno ended up not being able to go so that means it was the Young Jeezy bench rapper Drew Lock that got his opportunity to prove that he can play QB in this league and boy did he take advantage of that opportunity. He didn’t have a particularly great game overall, with 208 yards passing and 1 touchdown but he didn’t make any major mistakes and the pieces around him made all the difference which gave him a chance to succeed. From Keneth Walker III finally looking like he is healthy again to DK Metcalf having 79 crucial yards. But that one touchdown Drew did have couldn’t have come at a better time. Drew Lock and the Seahawks offense were given an impossible task that some would say that Ethan Hunt and the IMF couldn’t even accomplish.

Johnny! Cue the Music… “Dun dun dada Dun dun dada Dun dun.” (Movie Trailer Voice) “In a city covered in drizzle, with an endzone far, far away and not much time on the clock, can one man and his group of players drive 92 yards in less than 2 mins to save their season. With all the odds stacked against them and the weight of a city on his shoulders, Agent Lock stood in the shot gun and started firing missiles at Agent Metcalf one after another and he kept coming down with them including a deep missile that could have taken out half of Lumen Field if he didn’t catch it, but Agent Metcalf with ice in his bulging veins and a black visor covering his eyes saved the day by cradling the missile to safety. With only 33 seconds left on the clock and the one they call the Eagle fast approaching, Agent Lock threw a frozen rope at Agent Jaxon… he caught it just in time to use it against the Eagle to save the day. Everyone inside of Lumen Field cheered in glee because they knew Agent Lock came in out of nowhere and saved Seattle from the big bad Eagle ruining their season.”

What a finish to an ok game. But this loss must hurt the Eagles more than anything. With The Cowboys losing on Sunday the door was wide open for the Eagles to fly away with the division. But like I said in previous blogs, The Eagles look like they have some broken wings. Yeah, I know Jalen Hurts wasn’t feeling good and that cold Seattle drizzle couldn’t have helped the situation. But they had better wake up and figure things out because the playoffs are fast approaching, and they are not ready at all. Maybe the fact that they lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators from last year is a bigger deal than anyone thought, but they just don’t look right. I’m not here to talk about the Eagles woes and the fact that they will probably have a first round exit in the playoffs. This was Drew Locks and the Seattle Seahawks night.

You could be the biggest 49er fan with an internal hatred towards the Seahawks and their fans but last night you had to feel good for Drew Lock. A young man who has had rocky career since he burst on to the seen in the Rocky Mountain city of Denver. When he first stepped on the field for the Broncos, I thought this was the answer in Denver. He was cocky with a cannon, that’s my kind of QB. In his opening game week 12, 2019 vs, the Chargers he only threw for 134 yards and 2 td’s, but he led a last second drive to give the Broncos the go-ahead field goal and the win, we will ignore the fact that there was a 40-yard pass interference penalty that set up the field goal… But none the less he went on to win 4 out of his first 5 starts in Denver throwing for a total of 1020 yards and 7 touchdowns. He played well, I thought he was the future in Denver. With his Jay Cutler sized cannon and his Brett Farve gun slinging attitude. But 2020 rolled around and he was less than stellar with a 4-9 record while throwing 16 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. That play unfortunately continued into the 2021 season where he proceeded to go 1-5 with only throwing 2 touchdown passes for the whole year. At that point we kind of knew his days were numbered in Denver. Then came the trade of all trades the Broncos sold their future for a washed-up Russell Wilson and a horrible coaching staff, while in the process sending Drew Lock northwest to the Seahawks where he resides now. He filled in for Geno here and there over the years but nothing special. That is until last night.

Call me crazy but Drew Lock is the reason why we love sports. We as human beings seem to love the second chance; we seem to love the underdog story and we seem to love great stories in general. Last night was a perfect example of it, you could see on his face after the game how much this week 15 regular season game meant to him. He was full of so much emotion and I’m sure it was because he was told he wasn’t good enough in Denver, then was traded to a new team and never really got a chance to play, but when he goes out and does something like that with a team that clearly rallied around his mullet, it makes your heart warm with joy, it makes you feel good just for a moment in time. I think all of us can relate to being told we aren’t good enough at something, but who cares what people say and it just goes to show you don’t give up on whatever it is that you enjoy doing because with a little perseverance and a little hard work anything is possible. No matter what happens in your life along this wild journey that we all take, everyone deserves a second chance, and everyone deserves a moment to shine. Sports are there for a distraction from everyday life and when you have stories like this it makes you feel good about the world as it seems to crumble around us. I just wanted to say thanks Drew for giving us a little glimpse of hope in second chances when it doesn’t seem like there are many out there. So yeah, call me “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” but Drew Lock is the reason we love sports.