By Brandon Simmons
Understanding the Deion Sanders Criticism
Jackson State Tiger fans are not too pleased with Deion Sanders taking the head coaching job at the University of Colorado and they have every right to feel that. They’re not just losing a coach, but a vision of what they could become. Coach Prime came to that program and injected it with an energy that hasn’t been seen by too many HBCU’s in recent years.
Sanders took the job at a time when the discussion to bring light to HBCU’s was starting and he pushed it into high gear. He was very outspoken about the biases against HBCU’s such as when he blasted the NFL for not drafting any HBCU players in the 2020 draft. It just didn’t stop there as Sanders put his money where his mouth was. He reportedly spent half of his salary to improve the playing field for the team. The Jackson State faithful did not take these actions for granted as they cut for Sanders at every turn. When him and Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson, Jr. got into it, they stood for Coach Prime when Robinson said Sanders was “not SWAC”. Those things were monumental off the field. As JSU’s coach, Sanders won 2 SWAC titles and gave the school and an undefeated season. Not to mention, he brought in cornerback Travis Hunter, the number one prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. With all of these efforts combined, Sanders’ face was thrust into numerous national platforms that many HBCU coaches are not privy to. That generated much exposure for Jackson State, something that could be a key factor in swaying recruits.
Deion Sanders was only at JSU for 3 seasons, but his presence did years’ worth of wonders. He intentionally used his influence to drum up excitement around the program and the community. There’s a lot of eccentric sports personalities but Deion Sanders just has a unique energy about him. Jackson State fans probably feel that his time was too short, and they may never capture that magic again. Plus, JSU represented the possibility of what happens when we invest in HBCU’s with money and genuine interest. It doesn’t have to be one person doing all the work, but collectively it can be done by each person studying Coach Prime’s work, whether it’s a normal fan or a high-profile public figure. Still, it’s tough to enjoy all of that spotlight and success only to see it slip away. Jackson State, and HBCU fans, will be mad for a while but it won’t last forever.
Will Baker Mayfield ever Recover?
The Carolina Panthers released quarterback Baker Mayfield, adding to the ongoing downward spiral of his career. Mayfield was traded to the Panthers from the Cleveland Browns after the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans. While his arrival to Carolina looked to be a fresh reset on his career, it turned out to be quite the opposite. He started the season as the starter over QB Sam Darnold but went 1-4 before being sidelined with an injury, which ultimately resulted in him losing his job to QB P.J. Walker. The coaches didn’t need too much convincing to make the move, considering Mayfield threw for 6 touchdowns and 6 picks in his 7 games this season. The recent move to sit him down behind Darnold and Walker, prompted him to ask for his release.
The question shouldn’t be what team Baker Mayfield ends up on, but will he get his confidence back? The former number one overall pick has had only one good season in his entire career, in 2020 when he lead the Browns to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth, where he had a career high 95.9 QB rating. However, the following season he was playing through a shoulder injury, and it showed in his play, which prompted the Browns to not be committed to him and go after Watson. It doesn’t seem like he developed his game fully and part of the reason could be the changing of coaches early on in his career, during his first 2 seasons; but by the time he got a stable coach, injuries seemed to derail him. This season in Carolina is sort of a microcosm of his career so far. The head coach he started out with has been fired and now his job is being taken away by another quarterback or two. It’s likely to take a toll on his psyche and become a mental road block in him getting better. It makes sense on paper for the San Francisco 49ers to get Mayfield under center and help their playoff run, but Baker has to make sure he has the mental toughness to take on that challenge. Even if it’s getting a spot on a non-contender or sitting out the rest of season, Baker Mayfield has to snap his confidence back in place before taking another snap.
Todd Bowles with the Coaching Move of the Year
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles pulled off one of the best coaching moves of the year. Monday night, against the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs were down 16-3 with 7:06 left in the 4th quarter and facing a 4th and 10 on offense. Bowles sent the punt team out there, much to the chagrin of Bucs QB Tom Brady. It seemed like all hope was lost until Tampa Bay got the ball back and Brady went into “Psycho Tom” mode, leading the Bucs to the first of two touchdown drives that gave them the 17-16 win.
Bowles’ decision to punt the ball at that time was the right play on all accounts. The Saints was all over Brady for most of the night. In fact, a couple of plays earlier, they got a sack on 1st and 10. The Bucs were facing a 4th and 10 on their own 25 yard line and if they failed to convert, it likely would’ve been over for them. A punt puts the ball into New Orleans territory and puts the pressure on them to close the game out, which they obviously could not do. But the one thing calling that punt did was the one thing most teams try not to do: get Tom Brady angry. Brady was visibly upset that he had to come off the field and felt like he was blowing a chance at winning the game. However, when he got another shot to go win it, he took that pent up anger and put it to use as he has done plenty of times in his career. Any other quarterback, a punt might have sent a team to the losing column, but not with Brady and Bowles knew he had a shot with TB12 on his side.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to Baltimore Ravens QB Tyler Huntley for his game winning touchdown. Sunday, against the Denver Broncos, Huntley ran up the middle on a 1st and goal to give the Ravens a 10-9 lead with 28 seconds left. Unfortunately, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury early in the game and could miss some time in the near future. Luckily, Huntley has some experience filling in for the speedy signal caller.
Shut out to Houston Texans tight end Teagan Quitoriano for tipping an interception. Sunday, against the Cleveland Browns, Quitoriano dove to catch a pass from QB Kyle Allen. While he did possess the ball initially, he rolled over and the ball popped out into the hands of Browns safety John Johnson. Unfortunate play for Quitoriano considering it was the very first play of the game and really could’ve ended up being a big play.
Week 14 is here and the playoff race is getting started. The San Francisco 49ers prepare for their season without QB Jimmy Garropolo, whose season ended with a broken foot injury, as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s no telling if San Fran brings in another QB or just stay with rookie QB Brock Purdy. Whoever, they get will have to deal with that Bucs defense and a potential “Psycho Tom” sighting. The game of the week will be the Los Angeles Chargers hosting the Miami Dolphins. There has been a lot of talk surrounding the comparison of Dolphins QB Tua Tagavoiloa and Chargers QB Justin Herbert. But it’s also going to be 2 strong offenses going head to head as L.A. fights for their playoff lives and the Dolphins try to get on top of the AFC East but until then…I’ll holla.