When the NFL calendar turns to mid-December the season is all but lost for those that have lost way more often than they have won. Desperation, despair, depression, and disgust are all prevalent on the teams that won’t be present during the playoffs. It’s fourth and very long. We sample five Hail Marys and the like below.
- Texan’s safety Justin Reid is done for the season after suffering a hand injury in Sunday’s 36-7 loss to the Chicago Bears, a source confirmed to ESPN on Monday. Their number one cornerback Bradley Roby was suspended for the final five games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Cornerback Gareon Conley has been on injured reserve all season, and they were without cornerbacks Phillip Gaines and rookie John Reid because of injuries. When a secondary can make Mitch Trubisky look good you’ve got problems. And, the Texans at 4-9 have plenty of problems.
- As he prepares for the final three games of the season — and perhaps his New York Jets career — Sam Darnold said Monday that he still envisions himself as the franchise’s long-term solution at quarterback. Of course, he does. His agent told him to say just that. The 0-13 Jets envision yet another fresh start. And, it’s one without Darnold at QB and Gase as the head coach.
- Gardner Minshew is back as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting quarterback.
The Jaguars (1-12) have lost 12 games in a row, and coach Doug Marrone said he’s going to do whatever it takes to snap that streak and win the remaining three games. Pride is good, isn’t it? Minshew got plenty of praise at the end of last year and the first game of this one. In between that, he hasn’t gotten much. Mike Glennon and Jake Luton have started all of the games in between. Who and who? - The Eagles have a 109 million dollar problem. They benched quarterback Carson Wentz last week after his season-long struggles. Jalen Hurts ran for over one hundred yards in his first career start and threw well enough to beat a very good New Orleans defense to earn a second start over the $109 million dollar man. Wentz is a former first-round pick and rumors have it that he’s been disenfranchised with the franchise ever since they chose Hurts in round two this past spring. Should we say that the move they made hurts his feelings? Ahem.
- And, how ’bout dem Cowboys? On a day when Stephen Jones said head coach Mike McCarthy will return in 2021, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said he has not given thought to his future as the Cowboys’ defense has struggled this season, allowing the most points and rushing yards in the NFL so far. “I just take it a day at a time anyway,” he said. “I’d prefer not to answer the question just because it’s not what’s on my mind.” Picking Cee Dee Lamb in round one looks like that Cadillac in the driveway when you needed a few Ford trucks upfront on D. Steve and Jerry got caught up trying to keep up with the Joneses when the defensive side of the ball was in great need. Now, Nolan will be the sacrificial lamb for the pick of Lamb and other personnel moves gone wrong for the franchise. Remember, in Dallas, the Joneses are never wrong.
The good news for most of the above is that they’ll be put out of their misery in a few short weeks.
The bad news for future picks for some of the teams above is that the endless cycle of mediocrity will continue.