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.
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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. |
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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: Melvin Gordon, running back, San Diego Chargers
Defensive Player of the Week: Dee Ford, linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs
Coach of the Week: Jim Caldwell, head coach, Detroit Lions
Goat of the Week: Mike McCarthy, head coach, Green Bay Packers
Will the Browns go winless?
That is a very good question coming into Thursday’s game against the Ravens at Baltimore, and although the Browns in the past have played well against the Ravens, I’m not sure this will be the season. Cleveland is now at 0-9 and has scored 168 points while giving up 273, while Baltimore, after beating Pittsburgh, is finally in first place. Maybe the Browns will win a game this season, but I don’t think it’s going to be Thursday night.
What teams will make a second-half run?
It’s pretty much settled in the AFC East, while in the AFC South, I expect Indianapolis Colts to go on a run. In the AFC North, I’m looking for Baltimore to get hot and stay hot. Out in the AFC West, I think Oakland will continue to improve while Denver will go down. One of those two teams will make the playoffs out of the West this year, but the other will be Kansas City.
In the NFC East, Dallas won’t lose anytime soon, but I expect the Giants and the Redskins to start to win. In the NFC South, I think New Orleans will continue to get by, while Tampa Bay and Carolina will continue to struggle. Up in the NFC North, I see Minnesota sliding along with Green Bay, but expect Detroit to get hot in the second half. Meanwhile in the NFC West, Seattle will just hold on in what is becoming a pretty average division.
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Who else is eliminated? As a result of losses last week, Buffalo is now for the running and now goes on the elimination list along with Jacksonville. Also losing last week were the Los Angeles Rams, so they are done for this season. Elimination List |
Former Redskin and Cowboy tight end Jean Fugett was a Pro Bowler in 1977 and a starter in Super Bowl X. |
AFC North
Is Baltimore now the team to beat?
Yes, the Baltimore Ravens, after losing four games in a row, are now the team to beat in the AFC North. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was just a shell of his former self last week after rushing back from knee surgery, while Cincinnati has never really replaced Jay Gruden, now the head coach in Washington, as the offense coordinator and Marvin Lewis is having trouble fielding a balanced team. As a result, both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are playing below preseason expectations, which is providing an opportunity for the Ravens to win the division.
AFC South
Will the Titans or Colts challenge the Texans to win the division?
Houston is coming off a bye this week and will play at Jacksonville. Indianapolis is going into its bye week at a perfect time because afterward, the team could go for quite a run. I believe the Colts will certainly challenge the Texans for the division title. Tennessee will probably play .500 ball as the team was making progress before losing last week to the AFC West’s last-place Chargers.
AFC East
The Dolphins are on a winning streak. Have they played themselves off the elimination list?
Historically, the Dolphins and the Jets always play close games, and last week was no different with a four-point game. Miami is unusally knocking quarterbacks out of games, but who knows how long that can go on? There are three good teams in the AFC West, and I think any of those three, right now, would be ahead of any second-place AFC East team.
AFC West
Best division in football?
The AFC West, at this point in the season certainly, could make a claim to be the best division in all of the National Football League just because of having superior teams – two with two losses and one with three losses. That is better than any other division at the moment.
In the AFC, New England 7-1 is three games ahead of everyone else, Houston is at 5-3, and most of the North has four losses. The NFC, meanwhile, has Dallas at 7-1 ahead of the Giants and Washington with three losses each, New Orleans with four losses, Minnesota and Atlanta leading their divisions with three losses, and Seattle two games ahead with two losses.
Based on record alone, and is hard to compare to apples and oranges to oranges with bye weeks, but now the AFC West can certainly make an argument that it is the best division.
NFC East
Can the Giants or Redskins knock off the Cowboys?
With the Cowboys now having a two-game lead in the division, even if intra-division play ends at .500 among all the teams, the Cowboys would still win the division. That means that the Cowboys look to be a lock in the NFC East, though that is not to say another playoff team or two couldn’t come from the division. I expect the Redskins and the Giants to play well, though the Redskins will be challenged with the loss of their All-Pro left tackle for four games, who is suspended under league policy.
NFC North
Are the Vikings collapsing out of the playoffs?
I would say the Vikings certainly appear to be in self-destruct mode. Anytime an offense coordinator or any member of the staff resigns mid-season – we’ve seen some firings already this season when offenses were not doing well – it isn’t good. But it appears, even after coaching together for more than one season, that Norv Turner and Mike Zimmer could no longer coexist. Zimmer was almost in tears whil announcing the resignation. Here, we have two guys set in their ways, and when a lot of blame is about to come down, it is a good idea for one to leave town, which is what North Turner decided to do. He’s had a great NFL career, and I would not be surprised to see him somewhere with another NFL team that is a bit healthier than the offense of the Minnesota Vikings this season.
Are the Lions the best team in the North?
Good question! With the overtime last week, you can make a case for the Lions as the best – as well as make a case that everyone else in the NFC North is shooting themselves in the foot. Green Bay can’t get a win streak going, Chicago is dangerous, but usually a loser, and now, Minnesota is self-destructing with coaches quitting. This gives Detroit a perfect opportunity – even with four losses – to win the NFC North is season.
What is wrong with Green Bay?
For the last few weeks, most writers said that Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers was having a poor passing year and was the reason for Green Bay not playing so well. Then, the star running back was injured and had surgery, and sadly, the Packers have no running backs and have to go with Todd Montgomery. There are bunch of reasons; take your pick of reasons. But these Packers are not the Packers of old. It is hard to put your finger on it, because you will not often see Green Bay losing at home to anybody.
NFC South
Will Carolina get back in the playoff race?
As they say, I did not see a path to the playoffs for Carolina with five losses. They are only two games out of first place though, and we have seen this division play down to the worst as opposed to playing up to the best, but I expect Atlanta and New Orleans to win most of the gains for the rest of the season. that would be enough to keep Carolina out, but that’s just what I’m thinking and I put the Panthers on my elimination list early, but in this crazy year, who knows what can happen!?
NFC West
Worst division in football?
A fact thanks to the demise of the Arizona Cardinals, the relocation of the Rams – and the Rams did not bring a good tean to Los Angeles – and yet another rebuilding in San Francisco – this one with Chip Kelly as the new head coach. This NFC West is the worst and most boring division in pro football. Now, you have Seattle, which runs up to the middle and then runs play action. For not a lot of excitement, so I’m going to vote for the NFC West being the most boring division even though the likely winner, Seattle, could end up playing Dallas to see who goes to this year’s Super Bowl.
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