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.
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Offensive Player of the Week: Joe Flacco, quarterback, Baltimore Ravens
Defensive Players of the Week: Eric Berry, safety, Kansas City Chiefs and Vontaze Burfict, linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals Coach of the Week: Bruce Arians, head coach, Arizona Cardinals Goat of the Week: Adam Gase, head coach, Miami Dolphins Last week was interesting viewing in the perspective of three good NFL quarterbacks in different stages of their careers. We salute Tom Brady for his record-setting 201st win, but maybe he has to share some of those victories with Bill Belichick, the head coach surely headed to the HOF. They have been a great team. Brady, at 39, is near the end of his great career, and like Peyton Manning, continues to win and lead his team into Super Bowl contention. Then, we had Joe Flacco, handcuffed all year by his offensive coaches with poor schemes and play calling. A quarterback in the middle of his career, Flacco should be peaking in his prime. Despite the promise, the performance and the team results have not been there this season for Baltimore and for Flacco. Last Sunday, faced with possible playoff elimination facing the red-hot Dolphins, a team on a winning streak with a great defense led by the imposing quarterback slayer Ndamukong Suh, Flacco was turned loose and turned in an epic pummeling of Miami. The Ravens ran a no-huddle tempo offense the entire game with Flacco, in full command, calling the plays and executing. Now, the Ravens are very dangerous. This week, Flacco and Brady go head-to-head in new England this Sunday, and rumor has it Ray Lewis wants to suit up. This season, we have many blossoming young quarterbacks, Krik Cousins, Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz and Derek Carr, but how about the season Jameis Winston is having in Tampa Bay? The second-year pro, before our eyes, is fulfilling the promise touted from his earliest days at Florida State. Now in his second season, he already has to be considered one of the top team-leaders in the league. He rallies his teammates on the sidelines, with hand-written letters, and in the huddle. Wow! Winston could join Brady and Flacco as quarterbacks who will play in January, 2017. 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
How did the Ravens become explosive?
The Ravens turned Joe Flacco loose last week and let him play no-huddle tempo despite plenty of time at the clock. There are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league with that capability, and Flacco is certainly one of them. Maybe it took Marty Mornhinweg, the new offensive coordinator in Baltimore a few weeks to understand what Baltimore has in Joe Flacco. When you have a quarterback who has won a Super Bowl and can read the field well enough to call plays at the line, that is a huge advantage, which Flacco exploited in the rout of the Dolphins.
The Steelers also have such a quarterback in Ben Rothlisberger. Now, Pittsburgh has to be wary with Baltimore getting hot in December. The Ravens have a tough road game in New England this week. The AFC North’s championship is probably coming down to the Christmas Day game when the Ravens go to Pittsburgh. Still, the Steelers beat a good Giants team last week and maintained their position right in the AFC North.
The Bengals looked a lot better last week at home playing against Carson Wentz and the Eagles, but Cincinnati is done. Cleveland was eliminated many weeks ago, yet the Browns, rested from their bye week, are trying to figure out how to avoid going 0-16 this season.
AFC South
Who are the favorites in this three-team race?
Houston has the tie-breaker over the Colts and the Titans, but this division will come down to the head-to-head games each team has against the others in the final month of the season. It is business as usual in Jacksonville with the Jaguars already eliminated from the playoffs. The Texans need Jadeveon Clowney to come back with a pass rush to have a shot at beating the Colts this week and the Titans in their season finale.
AFC East
Are the Patriots vulnerable?
At this time of the year, momentum is everything. The past few weeks have presented New England with a number of challenges, the biggest being the loss of All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski for the season. The Patriots benefited from a fast start without Tom Brady for the first four games of the season, and now they can run out the clock as they have a three-game lead over Miami. The Patriots can clinch the division with a win and a Miami loss, so even though the Patriots have not played well of late, they will win the AFC East division and are projected to have a first-round bye.
Miami was fully exposed last week in Baltimore. It is going to be very hard for the Dolphins to get up off the canvas after the pummeling they took from the Ravens. There are some that say the Dolphins quit in the second half of that game after all the positive press and expectations from their win streak; fans expected more effort. The Bills, under the radar, are playing well, but at 6-6. they are well behind in the AFC wild-card race.
AFC West
Three teams are holding pace, but Oakland has the lead.
After storming back against the Bills, the Raiders came into this week within striking distance of clinching a playoff berth, but lost to Kansas City. The Chiefs won on Thursday and came through with a huge win at Atlanta last week thanks to some terrific plays by safety Eric Berry. Denver had a virtual bye with a game in Jacksonville. The Broncos won despite rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch struggling. The Chargers are a quality team, but they ran into Tampa Bay at the wrong time, and that game became the death blow to the Chargers’ season.
NFC East
Dallas all the way?
Dallas is the only team that has clinched a playoff spot in the NFC. The Giants and Redskins both stumbled with losses that really hurt them in the wild-card race as the Jameis Winston-led Buccaneers have jumped ahead of Washington for a wild-card spot. The Eagles are good at home, 4-1, but they are 1-6 on the road, and that spells rookie-quarterback problems unless your rookie is named “the miracle named Dak Prescott” as proclaimed by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Unbelievable as it is, the rookie signal-caller is undefeated on the road at 6-0. The Cowboys have locked up the NFC East. With the loss to the Bengals, the Eagles are now on our Elimination List. The Redskins and Giants have to win for wild-card spots.
NFC North
Are the Vikings on the edge of being eliminated?
The Lions finally learned how to get ahead and win a game after coming behind so many times. Detroit has won four in a row and appears to have this NFC North division in hand. The Vikings are really struggling after leading and are now two games back. The Packers, at 6-6, are clinging to a slim playoff shot with the NFC East teams starting to lose games, which gives the Packers some hope they can get back into the postseason.
NFC South
Are the Buccaneers going to roll through Atlanta to win the South?
The Bucs certainly have the momentum, but not the experience, so we will see. The Falcons have been in some tough games lately, and things will not get any easier in the final month. New Orleans is in serious trouble, despite playing tough football, as teh team is two games back with four games to go. Carolina has to look to next year.
NFC West
Is it too late for the Cardinals?
The Cardinals got a critical win over the Redskins to keep their very slim playoff hopes alive. Head Coach Bruce Arians made a gamble, and it paid off with a successful fourth-down conversion in his own territory late in the fourth quarter. Yikes, what a big gamble, but I guess not if you make it like the Cardinals. The Seahawks are still strong favorites and can clinch the NFC West with a win and another Arizona loss.
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