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: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Defensive Players of the Week: Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams and Preston Brown, LB, Buffalo Bills

Goat of the Week: Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins

Coach of the Week: Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals

I think it was Vince Lombardi who was quoted as saying, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” I would be remiss if I didn’t start this week by talking about all the injuries that occurred again last week. Many people writing are asking: Will teams be able to overcome their injuries? In the old days, most injuries occurred when players got tired. I believe that was the reason for Lombardi’s quote because in the second half of games, players start to get tired, they become a step slow and end up out of position. They don’t get in the proper hitting position. Offensive linemen get tired and defensive linemen blow through and hurt quarterbacks. The breakdown starts with fatigue. I think that leads to the question: Are the NFL players of today really in good condition? I wonder that looking at how many players come out of the game looking fatigued. Many will ask if the CBA arrangement where there is no hitting during the week and the hitting in pads has been reduced dramatically in training camp. What effect does that have on the overall condition of the team? Also, flying to London to play games does not help, and I think the NFL is ridiculous for implementing these games. It won’t help the Miami team to be on a plane that long with a coach who nobody likes. Let’s look at what happened last week. We see serious injuries really biting some teams. The Steelers now have Michael Vick at quarterback as a result. Who knows who the Browns will start at quarterback? They say the players want Johnny Manziel, but the head coach wants Josh McCown. Other injuries include Sammy Watkins and Darrelle Revis, but the one that really stood out to me this week is the left tackle, the left guard and the center all went out for the San Diego Chargers and all will probably not play this week. How do you replace three-fifths of your offensive line in one week? I’m telling you, that is really serious. Let’s look at some great individual quarterback performances last week. I was happy to see Andy Dalton at the top of the list. Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota was excellent. Many thought he was overrated, but I wasn’t one of those. In the running game last week, we had some breakout performances by some young backs with Alfred Blue in Houston and Devonta Freeman in Atlanta. We didn’t see as many teams feeding the running back. Is it coincidence that both the Texans and Falcons won their games? I think not. It will be interesting to see who wins the ground game this week when those two teams go head-to-head. It is great to see Adrian Peterson back running the ball. He had 126 yards on only 20 carries. As a result, Minnesota is going to be better going forward. So keep an eye on your team, and see if they can run the ball. In this league, teams have to be able to pass also. You need a true No. 1 receiver like A.J. Green, Larry Fitzgerald, Julio Jones or Steve Smith Jr., who had two touchdowns last week. Amari Cooper didn’t get two touchdowns, but he is pretty darn good for a rookie. You need a receiver who can do that and a running back who can carry the ball close to 30 times a game. That is the recipe to get into the Super Bowl this year. I know it is not fair in Week 4 to begin our elimination list, but at 0-3, the odds are so far against those teams. Right now, I have to say the Saints, Lions, Bears, and Ravens will not make the playoffs. Elimination List Chicago Bears Detroit Lions New Orleans Saints Baltimore Ravens

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

AFC

The Ravens and Bengals really compete when they play. In the NFL, we call that a division game. Last week’s game was billed as a playoff game for Baltimore, yet the Ravens came up short at home. Who thought three weeks into the season that the Ravens would be desperate with a 0-3 record and the Steelers at 2-1 would be without their starting quarterback squaring off on Thursday night football against each other?

Pittsburgh was set to compete, but with the injury to Big Ben, the team is in a real predicament. Everybody sells the Bengals short, but they have maybe the best defensive front seven in the league and are now 3-0. They have a great rotation, and it seemed like the Ravens were facing fresh pass-rushers all day.

It is crystal clear that Tom Brady is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Not that he didn’t have one to begin with. He has outperformed the rest of the league, and the Patriots will be very hard to beat in that division.

Miami is beset with problems. Now flying to London, who knows how the players will feel when they get back on the plane. The Bills and Jets will be competitive all year because of their defenses. Both teams are well-coached and play great defense.



In the AFC West, the Broncos are in good shape, but you still wonder if Peyton Manning can go 16 games. The Raiders are a surprise and are looking to supplant the Chargers, who are heading in the other direction. The Chiefs? How far can they go without a deep passing attack? The Chiefs have a great running back, and you don’t see many teams handing the ball off in the 2-minute drill, yet Kansas City does because they can’t throw it vertically.

In the AFC South, the Colts have a quarterback who has probably taken more shots through three weeks than any other quarterback in the league. It is shame that he has to get behind that line. How can Luck pass effectively when he can’t stand in the pocket? The Jaguars are improving. The Texans are improving, too, and have to be able to run the ball to win. The Titans are being led by a rookie quarterback; they will be good some weeks but will be limited in others.



NFC

In the NFC, Cam Newton is the MVP right now. He has been a one-man band, leading the Panthers to 3-0. The Bucs have won a game, and surprisingly, the Saints have not. We’re seeing a changing of the guard in this division. I think the Buccaneers will play a lot better in the second half of the season. The Panthers have to avoid injuries, while the Falcons have to show that this is not a fluke so far.

In the North, who can compare with the Packers? With the way Aaron Rodgers is playing, nobody can. The Vikings are well-coached and pretty much have a rookie quarterback. At this point, the Bears and Lions are eliminated.

The Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys all are dealing with the injury bug. If the Eagles can’t run the ball consistently, they’ll have trouble competing. The Giants could be the dark horse because of Eli Manning and the talent they have on the offensive side of the ball. The Cowboys will need a quarterback other than Weeden. Cousins with the Redskins, I don’t know; I just wish that he would not throw interceptions. Now in the news, they say that Robert Griffin is coming back into the picture. That division is really up in the air.

In the West, oh my God, the Cardinals are so good. I got a chance to really watch them last week, and there is no mistake about that 3-0 record. Scoring 126 points in the three games, that is ridiculous. Think about it, the Rams have scored only 50 points, the 49ers have scored 45, and the Seahawks have scored 74. The Cardinals’ defense has only allowed 49 points and leads the league in many defensive categories.

The Cardinals, Panthers, Jets and Broncos are the only teams to have allowed less than 50 points thus far, yet the Cardinals have scored more than any team in the league. If that doesn’t tell you how much they are dominating right now, I don’t know what does.





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Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 8 Recap - 11/5
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 7 Recap - 10/29
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 5 Recap - 10/15
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 4 Recap - 10/8
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 3 Recap - 9/30
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 2 Recap - 9/23
Jean Fugett: Jean Fugett's Around the NFL Week 1 Recap - 9/16
Jean Fugett's 2015 NFL Season Preview - 9/10






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