Sucker Punched

Let's start with the good news, football is back, actual NFL football, albeit preseason games played mainly by players struggling to flesh out the bottom end of NFL rosters throughly the league, but NFL football nevertheless.

Against this backdrop of games we have the ongoing Tom Brady saga, as they used to say in Seinfeld - Yada, Yada, Yada! But this week we had the additional story of Geno Smith!  Who has had to have his jaw wired shut after apparently being sucker punched by a teammate over $600.

Two things stand out here, apart from the now departed Jet is probably set to be the team MVP for this season.  There is obviously a whole lot more to this story, as $600 to starting QB salaried players is a drop in the ocean.  The second takeaway from this is quite simply, what the hell!

The story of this incident goes that it happened in the locker room and the offending player walked up to Smith and punched him.  Now a sucker punch would (correct me if I am wrong here) be one you don’t see coming.  Are we believing that a starting QB whose livelihood depends on being able to operate in a spirt where people are paid big money to hit you and hit you hard, did not notice someone walking up to him and punching him?

Are the reactions of this supposed NFL starter so bad that he couldn’t have avoided or blocked him? What about Smith’s teammates who are supposed to have the QB’s back regardless, did none of them not notice this happening?  You think anyone gets near Drew Brees in this manner, or the aforementioned Tom Brady? Not a chance. 

I am not condoning the violence involved here of course, but as unappetising a prospect as Ryan Fitzpatrick may be, I think this may actually work out in the Jets favour and we probably see that team rally round Fitzpatrick in a way they never did with Smith.  Don’t forget Fitzpatrick has previous experience and arguably the best years of his career with the new offensive coordinator.

On the field things were little better for the Jets, going down to the Lions whilst only scoring 3 points, things will improve on the field whilst the Lions could be a sneaky pick this year.  They had big plays from Golden Tate and rookie Ameer Abdullah and didn’t even need Megatron in this one.

Around the rest of the league the offseason from hell ended in defeat for the 49ers at the JJ Watt-less Houston Texans but at least it signalled actual on field action, and for all they have been through there were signs that this Niners team may yet have some life.  Meanwhile those of you watching Hard Knocks will have noticed two things, Bill O’Brien is not afraid to drop a F bomb or two, and you can not fail to appreciate the work ethic and character of Watt.  Vince Wilfork can play hoops too.  I can just see a play in red zone where Wilfork and Watt are both on the field and one of throws a TD to the other.

Now one preseason game does not a football season make, is what Shakespeare might have said if he had seen this wonderful game we all live so much, so whoever is your team, regardless of if you won or lost, remember the proper season is just a few weeks away.  All our teams have that short space of time to figure out their depth charts etc…just enjoy the next few weeks as a chance to see your team, hope no one gets injured and maybe that rookie you were unsure of turns into a star.

 

Have fun, guys!