Jean Fugett: Around the NFL

Jean Fugett: Around the NFL

By Jean Fugett; thanks to Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

WalterFootball.com is proud to partner with former Redskins and Cowboys tight end Jean Fugett, Jr. Esq. Fugett grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Amherst College. He was the last pick of the 13th round in the 1972 NFL Draft. Fugett made the Cowboys as a backup to future Hall of Famer Mike Ditka. Fugett eventually became a starter for Tom Landry’s Cowboys and started in Super Bowl X. He made the Pro Bowl in 1977.

As a free agent, Fugett went from being the lowest-paid starting tight end to the highest-paid with the Washington Redskins. While playing for legendary Redskins coach George Allen, Fugett attended law school at George Washington University at night.

During and after his playing days, Fugett worked with CBS, the Washington Post and other media. He went on to serve as Director and Vice-Chair of the McCall Pattern Company Management Committee, founded a Baltimore law firm and partnered with Fanfone in Europe. After the death of his brother Reginald F. Lewis in 1993, Fugett took over TLC Beatrice International Foods, the largest black-owned and black-managed business in the world at the time. Fugett has served on committees with the NFL Players Association and on the Leadership Council for the American Diabetes Association Maryland Chapter.

WalterFootball.com would like to thank Redskins president Bruce Allen and senior vice president/executive producer of media Larry Michael for connecting us to Fugett. Now, let’s let Jean take over.

Offensive Player of the Week: Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland Browns

Defensive Players of the Week: Tony Jefferson, S, Arizona Cardinals, Rashad Johnson, S, Arizona Cardinals, Robert Alford, CB, Atlanta Falcons

Goat of the Week: Pete Carroll, head coach, Seattle Seahawks

Coach of the Week: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

There were two teams last week that really stood out to me; one in college football and one NFL team. Let’s face it, how many weeks do we see our favorite teams going all out for their coaches? Last week, both the Texas Longhorns and the Pittsburgh Steelers did just that. Nobody gave Texas a chance, but this is the Red River Shoot out, where anything can happen. And it did, Texas upset Oklahoma. The embattled head coach, Charlie Strong, leads his downtrodden team to a win over their top-10 ranked arch rivals. And the Steelers? What a team effort last week. Everybody watching the game saw the team efforts on the sideline, if I wasn’t mistaken I could swear that Ben Roethlisberger was actually coaching and calling plays at times. The way the Steelers played, as a team, without at least two of their best players shows they have one of the best teams and best coaches in the league. The way the Steelers went with a wildcat play to get into the end zone on the last play of the game was gutsy and incredible. Pittsburgh said this is what we are running and you can’t stop it. To see coach Tomlin running down the sideline on that play and how the players played for him all day reminded me of Charlie Strong with Texas on Saturday. The Steeler win may prove pivotal later this season in the AFC North. There are so many factors that go into the psyche of a team, how the coach prepares a team, and how the team plays on Sunday. Mike Tomlin clearly knows how to work within the psyche of his team to produce wins, and that is the kind of win that gives you a lot of momentum for weeks to come. There is a so much parity in the NFL this season. With the exception of the undefeated teams, most of the rest have serious flaws. A win or a loss depends on how the flaws match up against each opponent. Can win with it or whether it gets exploited. This formula produces close games often decided in the fourth quarter and last week in overtime in several games. Can’t get more competitive than that. The best teams usually have the best quarterbacks, and it’s that simple. Maybe we have to start looking at Andy Dalton as an elite quarterback. The quarterbacks of the other undefeated teams are all great quarterbacks who can make calls on the line and throw as a pocket passer. Consider Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. Bar major injuries, I don’t see any of the undefeated teams suffering a collapse as the season goes forward. Elimination List Chicago Bears Detroit Lions New Orleans Saints Baltimore Ravens Miami Dolphins Tennessee Titans Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs San Francisco 49ers

Former Redskin and Cowboy tight end Jean Fugett was a Pro Bowler in 1977 and a starter in Super Bowl X.

AFC

In the AFC North, if Andy Dalton continues this level of play, this will be the Bengals’ year to get over the hump in the playoffs and win some games in January. Pittsburgh is in second place and will be better when Big Ben comes back. Cleveland may not make a playoff run, but that is a team that no one wants to play. Under John Harbaugh, the Ravens have never been in this position as a last-place team and out of it before mid-season. There is a lot of talk in Baltimore that all of their locker room leaders have been let go and they don’t have captains to replace them. We will see what happens.

The Colts have showed some tenacity. You can see the players are playing for Chuck Pagano, losing Andrew Luck for multiple games and still finding a way to win with a 40-year-old quarterback. The other teams in the division are pretty much in development mode, lacking players or experience or both. Bortles, practically a rookie, already has an injured shoulder, Mariota is a rookie, and who knows who the quarterback is in Houston. Even a quarterback guru like Bill O’Brien can’t win when he has only backup quality players to pick from at starting quarterback.



The AFC East will be interesting with some teams that play good defense. Buffalo doesn’t have a lot of offense with their injuries, but they still have a great defense. As do the Jets, with a great running game. But neither has a great quarterback which is why New England with Tom Brady will continue to reign supreme in the East. Miami could play better under a new coach, but we’ll have to wait and see what the wild card does.

In the AFC West, Denver is in firm control. Certain injuries can be overcome, but I don’t think Kansas City can overcome the injury to Jamaal Charles. He accounts for so much of their offense. They are going to have to rethink how they score points. Having a star running back is great, but they can’t be totally dependent on him. Not with the injury risk at that position. San Diego has a good quarterback and will be competitive with Oakland. You had to feel for the Chargers; they played so well with all the injuries on their offensive front. Nobody wants to lose on the last play of the game on national TV.



NFC

When the season started out, the odds makers had Philadelphia and Dallas fighting it out for the NFC East. Both teams stumbled, and Washington fans got excited with better play. But now, the New York football Giants are the team the odds makers are talking about. Are the Giants now the top team in the NFC East? Just when you thought Tom Coughlin was out of tricks and Eli Manning was running out of gas, they rip off three in a row and look like the best team in the division.

Let’s look at Dallas. They haven’t won since Tony Romo was injured. Perhaps getting Bryant back sooner and getting something out of Matt Cassel can get the Cowboys back into the playoff race. The Eagles finally got something out of Sam Bradford, but Philadelphia is flawed, but so is Dallas without Romo and Dez Bryant. The Redskins play tough, but now with injuries mounting, may continue to come up short in games.

In the North, Green Bay is great. Minnesota was on a bye. In Chicago, Jay Cutler showed that he still has life. Detroit is 0-5. Ouch! I don’t think you can blame the play of Matthew Stafford on Jim Caldwell. Caldwell has been a good coach for Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco and Stafford – last year. Caldwell didn’t forget how to coach. Stafford is having a really tough year and may be injured.

The Falcons are making people flock back to see them again, pardon the pun. Tampa Bay was removed from the elimination list because they’re only one game below .500 heading into their bye and showed they have a running attack. The Buccaneers have a rookie quarterback still learning, so I think they will go back to the elimination list before too long. But in that division, who knows? New Orleans has some very good players, but as a team, they have yet to put it together. How can they while the head coach is linked to coaching other NFL teams next year? Carolina was on a bye and are sitting pretty in the NFC South.

Arizona remains strong in the NFC West as Carson Palmer manages the game extremely well. St. Louis is a tough team, but which needs better quarterback play. San Francisco at 1-4 will have a long season with a lot of questions. Seattle looks like something is missing and now a flawed team with a shaky offensive line. The way they gave up that lead against Cincinnati ahead by 17 in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks are trending more in the direction of the elimination list rather than heading toward a rematch with Green Bay in the NFC title game.





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