Frankly, this week's intro to "Views from the Nosebleeds" was going to be a potential snoozer about the NFL's slight decline in ratings. However, when I saw this picture of Rashad Ross, DeSean Jackson, Niles Paul (one of five team captains) and Greg Toler with their fist raised during the National Anthem before their NFC East matchup with the Giants, I strongly considered becoming a fan of Washington's NFL team again. In a September 25 Washington Post article, head coach Jay Gruden's "haven't had that issue here" comments were reiterated along with this emphasis on the team's connection to the military: "[The team has] a ton of respect for what goes on for our country with those people. And for three minutes, for us to take our helmet off and stand up and give respect is how we treat it here with the Redskins." On the flip side, Ross insisted, "It's nothing against the National Anthem. It never was against it. It's about all these killings that's going on that aren't right." Jackson, who Ross acknowledged as spearheading the move, said this after the game:
We felt like there's a lot going on out there in our country now. We feel like we have an opportunity to be seen and be heard. We just want to support our people in a time of crisis like this where you have a lot of tragic situations, a lot of people losing their family members due to senseless killings by these police officers and things like that. We just wanted to make a stand, and I think just really putting our fists up and supporting our culture is something important.Although this is what the NFL's most disliked player in Colin Kaepernick has been trying to communicate to the rest of America for over a month now, I am proud to see more and more brothers--who comprise nearly 69 percent of the NFL's player population--echoing the pertinence of his sentiment and standing in solidarity. I am more elated to see someone like Jackson--one of the team's most prominent players who once caught flack for his association with gang members back in his hometown of Los Angeles as a member of the Eagles--be a leader and effectively use his platform to help raise awareness of this social epidemic. I hope they keep it going and contribute in other ways like Kaepernick, but this is a fantastic beginning from a small but passionate fraction of the home team. Now that's how you introduce a spirited Week 3 in the NFL and the first two topics continue the trend...
NO, MIKE DITKA...YOU GET THE HELL OUT! If the Chicago Bears would've been coached by anybody but Mike Ditka during the 80s, then they would've easily been my favorite team in the NFC Central. However, he has always given me a certified douche bag vibe and his insensitive, ignorant comments in response to the social injustice protests by athletes spearheaded by Colin Kaepernick in an interview with KRLD-FM confirmed my assumptions. "I think it's a problem, anybody who disrespects this country and the flag. If they don't like the country, if they don't like the flag, get the hell out." When I hear that kind of vitriolic language, I can't help but think about the "Go Back to Africa" signs and shouts from Whites who vehemently opposed the enrollment of the Little Rock Nine into Little Rock Central High School in 1957 and referred to "race mixing" as "Communism". He also contributed these wonderful gems:
I have no respect for Colin Kaepernick. He probably has no respect for me; that's his choice. My choice is that I like this country, I respect our flag, and I don't see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on...I see opportunities, if people want to look for opportunity. Now if they don't want to look for them, then you can find problems with anything, but this is the land of opportunity, because you can be anything you want to be, if you work. Now if you don't work, that's a different problem.
Ditka's entire spiel reeks of the unapologetic ignorance and the pervasive obliviousness that is White privilege. First and foremost, Kaep is way too focused on being a Black man in America, following every bit of the unwritten protocol in dealing with law enforcement and still possibly losing his life at the hands of a police officer intimated by his Blackness in lieu of some overrated former coach who won mainly because Buddy Ryan was the real coaching genius but did squat once he left the Windy City. Second, of course your White privilege would cause you to say something like "I don't see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on" despite the abundance of video evidence; you only and White folks like you have always seen what you choose to see, which are your surroundings. Third, it's hard to look for opportunities when you don't live long enough to take advantage of them because you're constantly being charged with Existing While Black, convicted and sentenced to death. Don't put that "lazy, shiftless" stereotype on Black people who are being unjustifiably murdered by police. Besides, you're backing Donald Trump...that automatically disqualifies you to speak on political and social issues, bruh...
After being heavily criticized for his vanilla stances on social issues, Cam Newton spoke up in the midst of Scott's shooting death, discussed the shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell (also shot and killed by a White CMPD officer, whose case ended in a mistrial) and even wore a pregame T-shirt with my favorite Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quote, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Unfortunately, the Minnesota Vikings' defense may have delivered a bit of poetic justice (or injustice depending on how you look at it) as they forced three INTs, sacked the reigning MVP eight times (including one by Danielle Hunter resulting in a safety) and ended the Panthers 14-game winning streak at home with a convincing 22-10 road victory. Whether the Panthers were distracted by the week's events or simply underestimated the Adrian Peterson-less Vikes, the only thing they contributed was another "L" for the Tar Heel State and an uphill battle for the defending NFC Champs. If there is a "W" to be had, then it's Cam taking the combination of Colin Kaepernick's refusal to dap up "the modern day O.J. Simpson" by many accounts and Keith Lamont Scott's death personally enough to change his tune. Now let's see if it sticks...
THE DOUBLEHEADER OF THE WEEK: WASHINGTON REDSKINS 29, NEW YORK GIANTS 27. Every member of NFL Network's NFL GameDay Morning didn't give the Skins a chance to win this game. Then again, when you start the season 0-2, haven't beaten the Giants at MetLife Stadium in nearly five years and have an overall terrible history at East Rutherford, it's difficult to get the benefit of the doubt. Bashaud Breeland was still getting burned in coverage and suffered an ankle injury while DeAngelo Hall, who has been playing free safety full-time since last November, suffered what could possibly be a career-ending ACL tear. Allowing Shane Vereen of all people to run the ball at will--including a one-yard TD--was a testament to how porous the Skins run defense is and Eli Manning took advantage of Josh Norman blanketing Odell Beckham, Jr., in the first half by diverting more of his attention to Sterling Shepard--who had a 23-yard TD reception. Toss in an Orleans Darkwa goal-line run and the Giants did what the Skins failed to do up to the 3:58 point in the second quarter: score touchdowns instead of settle for field goals, which was looking like their blowout loss to the Steelers in their home opener. Despite two quick big plays to DeSean Jackson including a 44-yard TD play, the coaching staff's horrendous clock management and Kirk Cousins' oblivious situational awareness at the end of the first half nearly came back to haunt the Skins--especially because they failed to get any points after Greg Toler recovered a Will Blackmon-forced fumble on Shane Vereen.However, in the second half, the Skins succeeded in three areas where they failed in the first two games: 1) they made the necessary halftime adjustments; 2) they played well in all three phases of the game; and 3) they protected the football, especially Kirk Cousins. Although the offense only contributed one more TD with a screen pass from Cousins to Jamison Crowder for a 55-yard score on 3rd and 15, they kept getting into Dustin Hopkins' field goal range as he made five out of five on the afternoon. Speaking of special teams, one of the biggest plays of the day came from punter Tress Way with an impressive 21-yard pass to cornerback Quinton Dunbar on a fake punt, which led to three more points. Despite much being made about Beckham getting the best of Norman on several plays on his way to seven catches for 121 receiving, the much-maligned defense still played their best football of the young season as they held the Giants to two field goals for the remaining 36-plus minutes. In addition to the aforementioned first-half fumble, the Skins defense turned Eli Manning's coach back into the pumpkin it tends to be as Quinton Dunbar snagged a red zone INT early in the fourth quarter and rookie linebacker Su'a Cravens made good on wearing the late Sean Taylor's original jersey number with a heady, sure-handed pick sealing the Skins' first victory of the season. While the home team has tough sledding in the battle for division supremacy, this was a necessary win nonetheless to keep the odds for their playoff aspirations in their favor.
SCRIBBLER'S CHECKDOWNS:
- NE 27, HOU 0: no matter who's playing QB, Bill Belichick #FTW. Hate him all you want or call him a cheater, but that's elite coaching and personnel selection;
- BUF 33, ARI 18: the Cardinals aren't looking like the defending NFC West champs as Carson Palmer must've gotten flashbacks of last season's NFC Championship Game. Meanwhile, the Bills defense played much better and Shady McCoy finally got it going;
- GB 34, DET 27: the Lions made it interesting, but they simply don't do well in Lambeau. Judging from his four-touchdown performance, I suppose the chip Aaron Rodgers had on his shoulder was as big as Detroit's debt while Eddie Lacy rewound his game back to Alabama;
- BAL 19, JAX 17: the Ravens are 3-0 and looking like the best team in the AFC North for now. As for "Just Another Good Showing", this is a team who needs to listen to Brandy every game before they play when she sang, "Everybody knows almost doesn't count." Gus Bradley is going to lose his job behind these dudes;
- MIA 30, CLE 24 (OT): the only thing that matters about this game is how Browns kicker Cody Parkey will be seen on South Beach for a few days after that abysmal performance. You had one job, bruh;
- OAK 17, TEN 10: after the NFC South torched their defense worst than any other team in the first two games of a season since 1940, my AFC team forced three turnovers and got the "W". Looks like another meh season for the Titans though;
- SEA 37, SF 18: Russell Wilson and Christine Michael did what they wanted to do through the air and on the ground. Hopefully, Wilson's knee injury isn't too serious. Meanwhile, if it weren't for Carlos Hyde, the Niners would have no offensive threat;
- LA 37, TB 32: although the Rams offense finally showed signs of life via Case Keenum's two TDs through the air and Todd Gurley's two TDs on the ground, even their first five total TDs of the season weren't as bad*ss as Famous Jameis' TD pass to Mike Evans with two defenders in his face off of his back foot. Second best play of the day behind Su'a Cravens' game-winning INT;
- IND 26, SD 22: Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton keep playing Captain Save-a-Coach for Chuck Pagano. As for the Bolts, that missed extra point loomed large as they needed a touchdown to win instead of a field goal to tie at the end of the game;
- KC 24, NYJ 3: forget Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing six INTs, including a pick-six to Derrick Johnson. The Jets are now 0-63 all time when down by at least 14 points at halftime. Neither the turnover battle nor history were on their side; and
- ATL 45, NO 32: if the Saints had any semblance of a stout defense, then they would be the best team in the NFC South; unfortunately, they're the basement dwellers at 0-3. Meanwhile, the Falcons (who got their first road MNF win in 37 years) look good right now because Matty Ice is stone cold and Devonta Freeman is one of the most versatile offensive threats in the NFL, but I still need to see more from their defense.
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Views from the Nosebleeds" will be on a bye next Tuesday, so please come back on October 11th for our next edition!!!
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