There are some hard feelings, more so than normal, between Buffalo & New England after the Patriots beat the Bills, 16-10, on Sunday. At issue is a late hit called against the Patriots' Jonathan Jones when he hit Buffalo QB Josh Allen, which knocked Allen from the game with a concussion. NFL Director of Officiating and Patriots apologist Al Riveron said that Jones, at least, turned his head to avoid a direct helmet-to-helmet hit on Allen, to explain why Jones wasn't ejected from the game.
However, as Buffalo's Micah Hyde points out, correctly, in fact, had he or one of his teammates delivered a similar hit on New England QB/uberdiva Tom Brady, that player would've been tossed. Yes, it's a double standard, thanks to the 6-time Super Bowl champs gaining favored nation status in the league office, despite all the drama over the last 12 years.
So what happens next? New England runs it up on Washington in their next game. That's what bullies do.
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More proof that oddsmakers don't always know what they're talking about comes in the form of Tampa Bay, a week removed from blowing a fourth quarter lead against the Giants, beating the Los Angeles Rams, 55-40. And the Bucs were at least a 10 point underdog. Defenses on both teams took the day off, as this game swelled to nearly four hours to play four quarters.
Like, people thought they were going to an NFL game, and a college game broke out?
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The Bills weren't the only team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Detroit lost to Kansas City, and Dallas fell to New Orleans, the latter a 12-10 snoozer on Sunday Night Football. Tonight's Monday Night Football matchup is an AFC North rivalry that could get ugly.
That's because Pittsburgh & Cincinnati are both still looking for their first wins on the season. Whodathunk the once mighty Steelers would be 0-3? Hasn't happened in Lord knows when.
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The Cowboys' loss, coupled with Philadelphia beating Green Bay on Thursday, creates the predictable three team race in the NFC East, as Dallas leads the Eagles & Giants by a single game, owning the tie-breaker, of course, on Big Blue, by virtue of winning their opener.
Washington? Fuhgeddaboutit. If in fact the Patriots treat the Trumpets like the Little Sisters of The Poor Northeast, Jay Gruden may be saying 'bye-'bye soon after, likely to be joined by brother Jon if Oakland doesn't string some wins together after beating Indianapolis.
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To the surprise of absolutely no one, the league invoked zero tolerance on Oakland's Vontaze Burfict, suspending the repeat offender for the rest of the season, and perhaps beyond, after a brutal hit on the Colts' Jack Doyle. A lifetime ago, the Raiders had Jack Tatum dishing out hits like that until they were outlawed, and Tatum was exiled from the league for paralyzing Darryl Stingley of the Patriots.
On Speak For Yourself, hosts Jason Whitlock and Marcellus Wiley, joined by panelists Tony Gonzalez, & LaVar Arrington, discuss whether or not Burfict could ever return after this, his 13th suspension....
Considering Fox is one of the XFL's broadcast partners in 2020, it shouldn't shock anyone that Whitlock would bring that league up. Sorry, Jason, but if history is any barometer, XFL 2.0 will be just like the original, a 1 year wonder.
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