The NFL Roundup 2020: Week 4 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one thing that football fans everywhere can agree upon today, it would have to be that Week 4 in the NFL, was wild and unpredictable. For this week’s slate of games featured some stunning upsets, the kind that made one franchise decide upon a coaching change. Plus, there was the postponement and shuffling of games because of the Covid-19 pandemic and well, these are the kind of twists and turns that leave you talking for days on end over how much they stunned you. So, with that in mind, let’s not waste any more time and get right down to discussing one mind-boggling weekend of football and everything that it took the time to teach us.

The NFL needs to get its Covid situation under control.  
Make no mistake about it. The NFL has done a poor job in keeping Covid away from team facilities. Simply because the league has left too much to chance this season. Because unlike the NBA and the NHL, these players get to go home at night and enjoy some sense of a normal routine and that’s not the way to handle this. Because people are going to be people and gather and relax and well, the league simply has to do more to keep Covid out of the locker rooms. Not because it will jeopardize the season, but because they need to keep their players safe. Plain and simple. And that means the NFL and the NFLPA need to figure out a plan that keeps these guys from getting anywhere near situations that get them infected, and hopefully they do it quick before a major outbreak surges through a team facility.
 
The Jets need to fire Adam Gase.
There is a prevailing belief in the NFL that coaches and players, deserve multiple chances in this league and there is merit to that line of thinking. Because time and time again, we’ve seen players thrive in a new system or a new city, and we’ve seen coaches that stink in one town; win a championship in another. But sometimes, it’s obvious from the get-go that someone isn’t suited for their respective role and they shouldn’t deserve any more chances and Adam Gase is someone who meets that particular criteria. Because this is a guy that’s only had one winning season as a head coach and his teams have been plagued with sloppy play week in and week out and that is why it is amazing that the Jets are still hanging onto this guy. Because the team isn’t improving under his watch, and well, that means it is time to cut ties and send Gase packing, because he isn’t cut out to be a head coach in this league. 
 
The Houston Texans made the right call in firing Bill O’Brien.
Ironically, while the Jets opted to retain Gase for at least another week after his embarrassing loss to the Broncos, the Houston Texans decided they saw enough of what Head Coach Bill O’Brien had to offer them, since they promptly fired him Monday afternoon and well, this was the right call through and through. Because he was clearly getting too comfortable and big for his britches. After all, he was quick to assume the title of General Manager when the opportunity arose and truly, his time in that particular chair is what likely cost him his job. Because he traded away tons of talent, including his best offensive weapon in DeAndre Hopkins. But thankfully, ownership recognized that Bill was obsessed with building the perfect roster instead of coaching this team and now that he’s out of the way, hopefully this team will hire a skilled GM and a quality head coach so they can reload the roster and get back to their winning ways.
 
Where do the Dallas Cowboys go from here?
Truly, no team had higher expectations surrounding them in 2020 than the Dallas Cowboys. Because the prevailing belief surrounding this team was that a new head coach and better play calling on both sides of the ball, would finally make the Cowboys an elite team, and well… it hasn’t. Instead this team has outright regressed on defense under Mike Nolan and Mike McCarthy’s collective watch and that’s led a disastrous start to the season. One that has ruined the 2020 season for this team and its fans. Because there’s zero chance of them reaching the playoffs and just going 8-8 seems like a stretch at this point, so what then, does Dallas do from here, in order to salvage the season and keep the fans from turning on the team? Well the answer to that question is simple, dump Mike Nolan as the defensive coordinator. Because tossing Nolan now and starting the search for a quality coordinator (perhaps a Wade Philips reunion?) would show the fans that Jerry is serious about winning again and won’t tolerate anything but the best from this team.
 
It is time for Miami to make a quarterbacking change.
Look, we all get it. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a fun guy to watch on the field, and he’s a good human being and he’s definitely a steady hand under center and those are elements that a great many teams want out of a quarterback. But the Miami Dolphins are 1-3. His stats are pretty pedestrian, and the fact of the matter is, this season is slipping away, and this team is in dire need of an offensive spark. Which means that the time has come to bench ol’ Fitzy and let the rookie take his lumps. Because what’s the point in keeping a mediocre veteran under center when you’ve got the potential savior of the franchise warming up the bench? So, at this point… let the kid play. Let him learn and let him lead. Because truly, Miami has nothing to lose in doing so and who knows? Maybe Tua will be as good as advertised and salvage the season for the Dolphins.

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