Well, the 2020 NFL Football season has come to an end, and it is time to wrap up the season for my Washington Football Team.
The first thing I gotta say is that the future looks extremely promising, more so than anything that I can remember in the last 30 years of being a fan of this team.
Once again, we find ourselves in a familiar spot, still looking and hoping for a stable answer at the Quarterback position.
Dwayne Haskins was a bust, simple as that. It didn’t work out, and we waisted a first-round pick on a player that most scouts and experts warned teams to avoid taking in the first round. The Haskins debacle should serve as a cautionary tale from now on for everyone in the front office of this team.
Alex Smith won the comeback player of the year, and what a comeback it was.
Sports media wrote off Smith at the beginning of training camp. His comeback was the crucial turning point for Washington to be in a position to make the playoffs and win the Division.
Going forward, a healthy Alex Smith on the field means that there will be an efficient and capable Quarterback running the offense. Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen add competent depth to the position.
We now know that we are not getting Matt Stafford, and Alex Smith has not yet decided on his playing future. I hope he returns for another season, and he becomes a bridge to whomever we draft in the off-season. I don’t think we should trade for a Quarterback if Smith decides not to retire. It will cost way too much to trade for Deshaun Watson, Marcus Mariota, or even Sam Darnold.
Hard pass on Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Jimmy G, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Nick Foles.
Dak Prescott might be available, but I have never been sold on him. However, Rod Taylor, Gardner Minshew, and Jacoby Brissett pique my interest.
Kyle Smith left for Atlanta as VP of player personnel… I was disappointed to see him go. But I guess the stink of the Bruce Allen era was a heavy burden for Smith to carry on and continue in Washington.
It feels like the time for crappy free agent signings is done and over with. Marty Hurney and Martin Mayhew have a strong connection to this Washington team and its glory years; I’m confident that they will have a solid draft and a productive approach to free agency.
Re-signing Brandon Scherff should be a top priority. Offensive Line depth will be crucial in 2021; maybe we can address the OL in the draft. I like what we are doing at the Running Back position, and it wouldn’t hurt to add another piece there.
Chase Young was the runaway Defensive Rookie of the Year, and our Defensive front continues to be the star of the show. But we need to start resigning or figuring out how to keep most, if not all, of our core defensive players. Salary Cap issues are supposed to be Marty Hurney’s strength, and I hope he figures out a way to keep all of these guys here. Jonathan Allen should be the first in the defense to get some type of deal done.
Ryan Kerrigan will entertain free agency, which is sad; I hoped he would stay to finish his career here.
Our secondary needs to be addressed in the off-season, along with some upgrades here and here. I thought that Kendall Fuller and Ronald Darby were formidable, especially towards the end of the season — and Kam Curl filled in very nicely as Safety replacing Landon Collins.
I don’t get tired of saying that this team is one of the most attractive destinations for free agents who want to be part of something special. The NFC EAST is ours for the taking….The Eagles firing Doug Pederson was nuts, and even nuttier was their hiring of Colts OC Nick Sirianni as their new Head Coach. Philadelphia will be a mess next season. Dallas is in decline and will most likely finish 2021 with a losing record. Maybe the NY Giants might give us some headaches, but I still don’t think Daniel Jones is their answer at Quarterback.
In any case, my level of excitement is insanely high at the moment, and I cannot wait for the 2021 season to start. HTTR…or, I guess, HTTFT.
SUPER BOWL GAME:
BUCCANEERS 31 — CHIEFS 9:
There were dubious penalties against the Chiefs in the first half of the game that sank Kansas City pretty deep; those penalties were a big deal; they put Kansas City in a bad spot from the get-go, and the Bucs, to their credit, never relented. The refs should have allowed more latitude
This game was not really about Tom Brady. He didn’t do anything spectacular or inspiring; He connected with Gronk twice. He connected with Antonio Brown once, and Leonard Fournette had a 27 yard run for a touchdown that pretty much sealed the game for Tampa Bay.
The Bucs coaching assistants were the difference makers in 2020 for Tampa Bay. Effective and efficient game plans by Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich were the key factors here. This 2020 Buccaneers team came in loaded on both sides of the ball with better weapons than the 2019 Buccaneers team. The addition of Leonard Fournette was genius and paid big-time dividends on offense. Gronkowski found his rhythm by the middle of the season and never looked back.
Brady is considered the most successful Quarterback in NFL history, mostly because of his 10 Super Bowl appearances (7 wins, 3 losses). I, however, have my reservations. I do not consider Brady to be the GOAT by those standards, and I certainly, do not think Belicheater to be the Goat NFL coach, as some in Sports media have suggested.
Without question, Brady has created a remarkable career for himself, but most of his Super Bowl wins are surrounded by controversies. Most of those controversies are regarding some of the shady tactics employed by his former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belicheater.
Mahomes backpedaling, scrambling, and even throwing as he was falling was impressive. He made terrific and accurate throws while in distress. He continually tried to produce any sort of spark and even threw a couple of end zone balls into the hands of his receivers that were dropped.
Kansas City came in with a reshuffled and patched up Offensive Line, which left Mahomes extremely vulnerable to Tampa Bay’s defensive front. The pressure was relentless, and Mahomes could never get any type of rhythm going.
All in all, I get the sense that Kansas City will make the necessary adjustments in the offseason and will be back contending in 2021.
On the other hand, Tampa Bay, I feel, is one and done, especially if they cannot keep their defensive unit in one piece — without a dominant defense, Brady’s decline will be much more noticeable in 2021.
See you all on Draft week.
Rod Rioja 