Jean Fugett’s Week 9 NFL Recap
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.
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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 general manager Bruce Allen and senior vice president/executive producer of media Larry Michael for connecting us to Fugett. Now, let’s let Jean take over.
Week 10 NFL Picks
Redskins at Vikings (Vikings +2) The Redskins keep rolling.
Jags at Titans (Titans -12) The Titans win but no cover.
Eagles at Packers (Packers -1.5) The Eagles fly.
Bills at Steelers (Steelers -3) The Steelers cover at home.
Raiders at Giants (Raiders +7) The Giants cover.
Rams at Colts (Rams +9.5) The Colts win in a close one.
Seahawks at Falcons (Falcons +6) The Seahawks easily cover.
Bengals at Ravens (Ravens +1.5) The Ravens in a must win.
Lions at Bears (no line) Lions
Panthers at 49ers (49ers -6) The Panthers surprise here.
Texans at Cardinals (Cardinals -3) The Texans win one for Phillips.
Broncos at Chargers (Broncos -7) The Chargers cover and could win division battle.
Cowboys at Saints (Saints -7) The Cowboys in an upset.
Dolphins at Buccaneers (Buc +3) Bucs win Bucs win Bucs win!
Week 9 NFL Recap
This season in the NFL is going to be known as the season of parity. We talked about it in weeks before that it was an NFL schedule-maker’s dream to have most of the teams still in contention at the halfway point in the season. We are witnessing that with one undefeated team in Kansas City and two teams with one loss, Seattle and Denver. After that you have New Orleans, Indianapolis and New England as two-loss teams. That yields a total of six teams with less than three losses, and everybody else is pretty muddled.
So many teams are in contention with each other, and will be playing each other in many cases, that we will wind down the year with competitive games.
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Also, we are seeing offensive football change where teams that have quarterbacks who can score touchdowns with their feet will always have an advantage over teams with quarterbacks who can not. A team like Denver that has one of the greatest passing quarterbacks of all time may very well be a dinosaur given his style of play. Even Nick Foles tying the NFL record was done from a read-option style of offensive set. Aside from New Orleans, Denver, Green Bay and New England, the explosive teams have a read-option element. I think the read-option teams will have an edge over the pocket-passing teams. The running ability of the quarterback could end up being a great neutralizer that lets teams that aren’t as good stay competitive, such as Buffalo and the New York Jets. As the season continues, the experienced players and coaches will have an edge. Look at teams with quarterbacks who can run the ball and look at teams with a good history of closing, like the Redskins, to do well in the final half. |
Former Redskin and Cowboy tight end Jean Fugett was a Pro Bowler in 1977 and a starter in Super Bowl X. |
The Dolphins’ situation with Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito is terrible to see. We don’t know yet how this was manifested and who really knew. To the casual observer, it could be teasing, but if you are there everyday, you know it is much more.
Back in 1972 when I played, we didn’t have cell phones. There was hazing, but it would end at the borderline of the team facility. However in this electronic age, there are no borderlines; parents have to be mindful of their kids’ internet activities and where they are posting and who is posting to them – on Facebook, Twitter, etc. The always-on electronic age provides more opportunities for bullies.
It used to be that bullies had to catch you in the alley or catch you away from a group or parents. In terms of NFL bullies, it was catch you in the confines of the locker room, where they are a superstar and can rule over you. I have seen that in an NFL locker room, but because of today’s modern communication techniques, it is unfortunate that it can continue beyond those confines. People have to be aware of their cyber lives, especially parents with their kids.
It took a lot of courage for Martin to expose this. A football player is not to show any weakness and is not supposed to be looking for help; A football player is supposed to be able to solve everything on his own. You’re expected to do your job and not let other things distract you. I will never forget my rookie year when a teammate came to a meeting late and Tom Landry asked where he was. He said he was home taking care of his wife who was sick. Tom Landry quickly asked him, “Are you a doctor?”
That was 1972 and gives you an idea of what was expected of an NFL player. You are expected to show up and perform. At the same time, we can’t have an NFL workplace where a bully can be protected with this kind of behavior can be accepted by teammates or management. I’m hoping this is not going on to excess around the league. I know there has been and I’ve been witness to some in the past. I’m hoping that all hazing, including in the college level, will be addressed.
AFC
The Patriots have the best shot of winning the AFC East. The Jets and Buffalo, even though the Bills have lost some games, always find a way to hang around.
Who would have ever thought that Jason Campbell would beat the Ravens? In Baltimore, there is a lot of criticism about Joe Flacco; not so much how he is playing, but how much he is getting paid and people saying they don’t have money for other players, which is not true by the way. In the AFC North, every team still has a shot to win the division.
That is not true in the AFC South. I believe both Houston and Jacksonville have been eliminated. Tennessee still has the opportunity to catch up to the Colts. We can see why Andrew Luck was the first pick in the draft a year ago and he is the future.
Kansas City and Denver are battling to see who will win the division, but both teams will make the playoffs. One team will come away with critical home-field advantage. I think Kansas City has an interesting advantage in the mobility of Alex Smith. He can beat a team in more ways than Peyton Manning can, even though Manning can kill you with the pass, he can’t run. NFL teams are so evenly matched that the edge in many games down the stretch is from quarterbacks who can make plays with their feet and can get into the end zone.
NFC
Anyone can win the NFC East. The Redskins had great expectations, but who would have thought that Griffin would be the quarterback we saw a year ago, even though he was all in.
Anyone except Minnesota could win the NFC North.
New Orleans looks like the favorite in the NFC South, but with eight games to go, Carolina still has a chance. Cam Newton, indeed, has evolved with the Panthers’ offense. As we stated above, his running ability gives Carolina an edge.
In the NFC West, Seattle and San Francisco will both make the playoffs. The Seahawks didn’t dominate St. Louis or Tampa Bay, but that’s okay. I played in the 1970s for two Hall of Fame coaches, so I have a unique perspective. In most of the games, I played we were favored going into the game and expected to win. As my teammate, and great player who belongs in the Hall of Fame, Cornell Green, a corner and safety, used to say, “When the game is over, one point is worth a million.” Players don’t really worry about the spread and how much they win by. Each NFL victory is so difficult and precious. When the season is over and the record is reviewed, each game isn’t reviewed by how much a team won by.
Every game there is a lot of pressure from a variety of places. Is the coach in a contract year? Did he make bad decisions the week before? What has the media been saying and has the coverage been critical of him? How has the quarterback playing? Those are distractions that players can deal with, but a win is a win, which is all that matters in a playoff race.
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