The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the positional group most represented in the trades was running back. Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers), Jeff Wilson Jr. (Miami Dolphins), Chase Edmonds (Denver Broncos), James Robinson (New York Jets), and Nyheim Hines (Buffalo Bills) all found themselves on new teams, but there could have been far more changes considering the rumors surrounding the likes of Alvin Kamara, Cam Akers, and Kareem Hunt.

That last name is especially interesting to me. Kareem Hunt has obviously shown the NFL world that he is capable of being a feature back in an offense. After all, he led the NFL in rushing yards during his rookie season in Kansas City. He catches passes, he runs efficiently — Hunt hasn’t had a single season averaging less than four yards per carry) — and isn’t so abysmal at pass-blocking that he becomes a liability. Sure, he’s older now — 27 to be exact — but after years of working in a backup role, his legs are probably very fresh and ready to take on a massive role on a new offense. He even asked for a trade!

The only downside to trading for Hunt would’ve been that everyone knows his potential as a lead back and his price probably would’ve reflected that potential. He’s also a free agent after this season and will likely command an RB1’s salary starting next year. Also, given his value, his price tag would’ve likely been substantially higher than Edmonds, Wilson, or Hines. Perhaps giving up a moderate amount of draft capital for a potential rental isn’t worth the hassle.

That got me thinking…you know who avoids some of those downsides? Hunt’s backup, D’Ernest Johnson.

Johnson doesn’t have Hunt’s pedigree to warrant a shot at a feature role, but in his limited opportunity as a lead back, the undrafted free agent has displayed a tremendous ability to produce lead-back-type numbers. Yes, he’s working behind Cleveland’s offensive line, but so are both Chubb and Hunt and nobody complains when they succeed. In his two games started last season, Johnson recorded 245 rushing yards on 41 attempts. That’s 5.98 yards per attempt. Johnson also flashed solid pass-catching capabilities as he hauled in 7-of-8 targets for 58 yards in his second start. Despite the Cleveland offense getting absolutely manhandled by New England in that game, Johnson proved capable, meaning that even in a bad situation, the running back could potentially still thrive as an every-down halfback.

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If you think two games aren’t enough to warrant a chance as a lead back, I agree with you…to an extent. I mean, Jimmy Garoppolo only started two career games before becoming San Francisco’s starter, and running back isn’t nearly as vital a position as quarterback is. You could take a shot on Johnson and not worry about sucking if he doesn’t pan out; just rotate someone else in.

Furthermore, Johnson would come cheap. Like dirt cheap. His current contract, which unfortunately ends after this season, has him earning just over $1.2 million this year. Given his lack of experience in a major offensive role, it’s likely that even if Johnson popped off for another team, he wouldn’t have been as expensive as some of the other options going on the free agent market this coming offseason. Even if he didn’t pop off like the team who traded for him expected, they could’ve just let him walk as a UFA.

Not to mention, the price for Johnson would’ve been substantially less than any other back on the trade block. Jeff Wilson Jr. cost Miami a fifth-round pick? Johnson would maybe net a seventh. For a guy with that kind of upside, shoot, I’d take that any day of the week.

For someone playing in just their third season, Johnson is older than you’d expect. He’s 26, just a few months younger than Kareem Hunt who is playing in his sixth season. However, Hunt has 849 career rushing attempts under his belt. Johnson has 141. Hunt certainly hasn’t experienced the wear and tear you’d expect from someone of his talent, but for someone younger, cheaper, and has shown flashes of greatness given the opportunity, Johnson has so little wear and tear on his legs, he might be able to play at a high level until he’s 32.

Perhaps this is why the Browns were so close to trading Hunt. Ultimately, a deal couldn’t be reached, but maybe their confidence in Johnson as a backup persuaded them to listen to offers for the unhappy Hunt. I don’t blame them for not trading him. If a deal didn’t come along that gave the Browns the value they hold for Hunt, then they’d be stupid to make that trade. I blame other teams for channeling their focus on Hunt when a different, solid, less sure-fire (I’ll give them that) option was right under their noses.

Perhaps Johnson was never for sale and that’s why we never heard his name circling the rumor mill. We can’t be sure. All I know is that Hunt wanted a trade. He had a great market, and there was a capable backup waiting in the wings. Shame on the Browns for not trading Hunt, and shame on all 31 other NFL teams for not asking about Johnson.

 

 

 

 

 

The Green Bay Packers tried. They really did try to make a move before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they came up with, as so eloquently put by NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt, Bupkus.

Through eight games, the Packers are off to their worst start since Jerome Bettis’ final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After starting the season 3-1, they have lost four consecutive games. Even in that ugly 6-9-1 2018 season that Mike McCarthy got fired in the middle of, they didn’t lose that many games in a row.

It’s not as if the Packers’ front office is going through this season wearing rose-colored BluBlockers. They know that the defense has underperformed, and the production from their pass catchers has been even worse than expected.

Management tried to bolster the wide receiving corps by attempting to trade for Chase Claypool, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Packers offered a second pick, but the Steelers instead accepted the Chicago Bears’ second-rounder.

On top of not improving an already underachieving roster, there is allegedly dissension in the ranks, and it has nothing to do with Aaron Rodgers telling Pat McAfee that he played great and some of his teammates should ride some pine after the loss to the Washington Commanders.

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The grumblings are coming from the defensive side of the ball. The Packers’ defense is currently 20th in weighted DVOA and some of the players are placing the blame on the coaching staff. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that the defensive players are “growing frustrated” with the play calls and the scheme. Joe Barry is in his second season as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, having held that title once before with the Washington football franchise in 2015 and 2016.

As bad as the Packers’ record is, they still have an outside chance at a playoff berth. They’re in that 3-5 pile with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and Chicago Bears. That’s not far behind the 4-4 San Francisco 49ers — who currently have the final wild-card spot — and Washington Commanders.

A late-season rebound shouldn’t be out of the question. Romeo Doubs showed some improvement on Sunday with a big touchdown catch, and the Packers fought valiantly, on the road, against arguably the best team in the NFL — the Buffalo Bills.

Sunday is a chance for the Packers to get on track with a game against the Detroit Lions, but for anything to change they have to embrace their reality. No reinforcements are coming besides injured players who were on the roster at the end of the summer. For the defense, judging from Matt LaFluer’s quotes he seems to be in no rush to fire Barry. When asked about potential coaching changes on Monday he told the media, “Absolutely not.”

The Green Bay Packers today will be the Green Bay Packers come Jan. 7, 2023, outside of some minor additions that will be necessary due to the inevitable injuries that come with football. For this season to change at all, they’re going to have to stop complaining about their situation, and remember there is a reason that the overwhelming majority of experts picked them to win their division. Talent is present in that locker room.

They’re stuck with each other for the rest of this season, and had better learn how to live with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dallas Cowboys head honcho Jerry Jones can’t help himself. Constantly running his mouth, interfering with his coaches, and doing the opposite of what scouts suggest in the draft. Jones may have stepped in it again after dressing up like a blind referee for Halloween.

Jones decided it’d be funny to poke fun at officials that work for the No Fun League. The 80-year-old Jones even pointed out that he could’ve set himself up for a fine but hopes the NFL can laugh this off with everyone else. Jones went as far as to heap praise upon refs and talks about his admiration for their decision making which sounds like a load of crap. Surely, Jones respected the official’s decision-making in 2014 following the “Dez no-catch” playoff game against Green Bay. Probably not.

“I’m being very careful here because I’m getting real close to a fine. It shows how much I love them to dress up as them … how much I respect their decision-making,” Jones said about his attire on Sunday. “I had the cane and everything. And I used it on some people, too.”

The NFL does not take kindly to players, coaches, or executives defaming their referees. Jokes about blind refs go back decades and aren’t usually a term of endearment. This wasn’t the right time for Jones to do this, as Dallas is off to a hot start at 6-2. They play the Packers in Green Bay following a Week 9 bye, so it’ll be interesting to see how many close calls don’t go Dallas’ way. Officials are human too. I’m pretty sure not all of them got a kick out of Jones’ Halloween outfit.

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Over the next three games, the Cowboys will face the Packers, Vikings, and Giants. Dallas is in the NFC East title hunt and is considered by some as the second-best team in the conference. Now isn’t a good time to get on the bad side of referees, with some big games on the horizon.

For an organization that hasn’t had the best postseason fortune over the last two-plus decades, you’d think Jones would want the refs on his side. Or, at the least, he shouldn’t be poking fun at them intentionally. Especially since the league is sensitive when it comes to their officials. Refs can be wrong because there is a human element to making many of the calls on the field. Still, if team personnel publicly call out their shortcomings, they’re usually reprimanded promptly.

Jerry has risen to the level of the most powerful owner in the NFL since buying the team in 1989. But he’s also the team’s general manager, which makes this a difficult situation. Commissioner Roger Goodell can hand down whatever punishment he feels necessary, but he also works for the owners, a fraternity in which Jones plays a significant part.

I’d be shocked if anything comes of this because it’s Jones, and he wields so much power in the NFL. It’s already been reported that Jones wants Goodell out of the league, so this is another case to which Goodell will turn a blind eye. No pun intended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles continue along championship tracks in their respective seasons, the 76ers, on the other hand, seem destined to waste another precious year of Joel Embiid’s prime. After a slow start to this NBA season, the Sixers have finally crawled back to .500. Now the league has announced that it is taking draft picks away from the team for talking to free agents P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. before the free agent signing period.

This punishment for the Sixers is interesting as the allegations of Philly tampering prior to the signings of Tucker and House mostly went under the radar. These allegations weren’t nearly as publicized as those of the New York Knicks and guard Jalen Brunson. Everybody knew he was headed to New York months before it could officially happen. That investigation is still “ongoing,” and we’ve begun a new season.

Sixers President Daryl Morey is no stranger to the world of tampering. He’s been fined in the past, but those times were regarding superstars, not journeymen role players. Morey was fined in 2020 and 2021 for Tweeting about Stephen Curry and James Harden. The Curry tweet was before he signed an extension with the Golden State Warriors and Harden while he was still a member of the Rockets after Morey had departed Houston.

The NBA needs to figure out if they actually care about tampering or only want to enforce it whenever it suits them. Most teams are likely tampering in one way or another, and players themselves are constantly speaking publicly about players from other teams. Some team executives are clearly engaging in the same behavior. Fining a team for mentioning a player is silly and always has been, especially if you’re going to pick and choose when to enforce the rule.

Philly has enough issues this year as it has already headed down the same road of wasting another year with Embiid. Who knows how many years Embiid has left at his peak? Once Morey moved heaven and earth to acquire James Harden, the Sixers’ window officially closed. Like Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, having Harden doesn’t exactly equal winning championships. Irving won in Cleveland, but he was alongside LeBron James.

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While Philly only lost a couple of second-rounders, you never know when you’ll hit on one of those late picks in the draft. Losing those picks over so-called tampering is probably more irritating than anything.

Attempting to stop any unfair advantage in signing players is understandable. Still, in a players league dealing with free agency, players will move however they feel, regardless of the rules. Teams will continue to contact players via back channels for months and even years before they officially become free agents.

Commissioner Adam Silver needs to drop this charade about tampering because nobody cares. The teams bound by this rule don’t even care and will continue to conduct themselves in the same manner when it comes to attracting free agents. These organizations are trying to win (minus the OKC Thunder), and they’ll do whatever it takes to put themselves in a position to get that done.

For those who haven’t paid attention to the NBA in recent years because you’re still longing for the days of Larry Bird, the Brooklyn Nets are a mess. A pen-exploding-on-your-lunch kind of a mess.

On Tuesday, a tweet went viral that showed the Nets have a job opening for a public relations coordinator. Being that the Nets are so dysfunctional, working for them sounds like biweekly therapy sessions should be required. Enjoy this scene from a play never to be performed (or completed) titled The Brooklyn Net-wits:

INT. BARCLAY’S CENTER – DAY

An unnamed job seeker, resume in hand, meets with Nets brass to discuss the open PR coordinator role

APPLICANT: Good morning, I’m [insert applicant full name here]. Thank you so much for making the time to speak with me

NETS HIRING MANAGER: Thank you for coming by today, [insert applicant first name here]. Please have a seat. So it says here that you have been working in public relations for two years now.

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APPLICANT: Yes, I started with Kane County Cougars.

HIRING MANAGER: It really doesn’t matter. Nothing you’ve ever learned at work or in college can be applied here — unless, you’ve worked for Dan Snyder. Please tell me you’ve worked for Dan Snyder. If you can tell me how he was ever made to appear to be a warm-blooded creature I’ll let you expense coffees.

APPLICANT: I applied there once, but I got an HR out-of-office message.

HIRING MANAGER: Never mind. So here’s the thing, We’ve done nothing right as a franchise in the decade since moving to Brooklyn..

APPLICANT: Aren’t you being a little harsh?

HIRING MANAGER: Absolutely not. Remember the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade?

APPLICANT: Have you all ever had a draft pick in the first round?

HIRING MANAGER: Also, we had a Russian oligarch owner, and later questions about why Andrei Kirilenko signed with the aforementioned oligarch for $7 million fewer American dollars than he could’ve received elsewhere.

APPLICANT: I gave you all a round of applause in my room for coming out of that investigation unscathed.

HIRING MANAGER: And let’s not forget Deron Williams spontaneously combusting. Trump was still hosting “The Apprentice” when all of that went down. Things have only gotten worse here. If it wasn’t for the fact that the few season ticket holders we have only drink IPAs, we would be screwed.

APPLICANT: Brooklyn is the best! Live from Bedford-Stuyvesant the livest one.

HIRING MANAGER: You like Biggie?

APPLICANT: I haven’t gotten around to listening to an album yet, but it’s in my Spotify queue. My coffee shop plays him all the time though. … But, I digress. Kyrie appears to be the most notable problem, so I have this five-point plan on how to re-ingratiate.

HIRING MANAGER: You have a plan to get the most annoying NBA personality since Peter Vescey back in the public’s good graces?

APPLICANT: I certainly do. We start with Kyrie going…

(The hiring manager cuts off the applicant.)

HIRING MANAGER: You want to try to tell Kyrie Irving where to go?

APPLICANT: I was going to make a suggestion.

HIRING MANAGER: Here’s how things work here. In this department, we’re firefighters. You come to work, you slide down the pole, put on a fire retardant suit, and helmet, and go to work.

APPLICANT: I understand damage control, but there is also an opportunity to rebuild his image as well as that of the franchise.

HIRING MANAGER: You’ve seen a wildfire on television before right? Well, the Nets are a forest, and our players and personnel department are climate change. All you can do is dump buckets of water from a helicopter and pray for unseasonable rain, or in our case, a coach of a championship-caliber team getting swallowed by workplace misconduct scandal that serves as a reminder that even after Harvey Weinstein and Louie C.K., many people still don’t understand how faint the line is between consent and power, usurping our incompetence in newsworthiness.

APPLICANT: But that was like two months ago. Kyrie tweeted about an antisemitic movie last week. Also, isn’t Ime Udoka about to be the coach here?

HIRING MANAGER: Hey! At this point that is a credible report that has neither been confirmed nor denied by the organization, but now you’re getting my analogy. If you’re still interested in the job it pays an entry-level salary of $30,000. You’ll be expected to work 50-plus hours a week so you won’t have time for supplemental employment. The average rent for a studio in this borough is $2,900 and your shower will probably be connected to the kitchen sink. Due to inflation, and our free-thinking point guard, you will also likely have to make hard choices sometimes between aspirin for your stress-induced headaches or lunch.

APPLICANT: Thank you for your time, but I think the coffee shop is still hiring.

Do you know how easy it is to not drink and drive? Or be cognizant enough not to do it if you already have a criminal record? Guess former NFL assistant coach Britt Reid, son of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, wasn’t smart enough to follow those principles. Nearly two years after Britt drove while over the legal limit of intoxication and hit two parked cars while speeding, he was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday in a Kansas City circuit court.

Reid pleaded guilty to charges of driving while intoxicated and causing serious bodily injury in September, after his February 2021 crash left a five-year-old girl with a traumatic brain injury. The charge does carry a maximum sentence of seven years but prosecutors agreed to ask for a four-year maximum sentence instead as part of a plea agreement. The prosecution stated Reid drove around 84 mph in a 65 mph zone when his car hit the other vehicles on a highway near Arrowhead Stadium. Reid’s blood-alcohol level was 0.113 percent two hours after the crash, police stated, which is more than three percent higher than the legal limit.

Ariel Young, the five-year-old involved in the crash, Reid, and four others were injured in the accident. Young was in the courtroom for Reid’s sentencing. The girl’s mother, Felicia Miller was also on-site during the crash and read a victim impact statement before Reid was sentenced. Miller said the victims of the crash were offended Reid sought probation and her family opposed the plea deal to get a lesser sentence. Before his sentencing, Reid apologized and spoke to Young and Miller, stating he has a daughter the same age and his family prays for her nightly.

Reid was placed on administrative leave after the crash and the Chiefs declined to sign him to a new deal after the 2020 season. Before coaching in Kansas City, Reid entered a drug treatment program after running what a Pennsylvania judge described as a “drug emporium” out of the family’s home. He was also involved in a road rage incident in 2007 where he allegedly pointed a gun at another man. That was settled out of court in 2014. Last year, the Chiefs reportedly agreed to pay for Young’s medical treatment and other expenses.

Tim McGraw once again paid tribute to his father, Tug, during Game 3 of a Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series game.

The country music star got a rousing ovation from the crowd when he appeared on the big screen last night wearing a baby blue Phils jersey with his dad’s No. 45 on it.

The elder McGraw recorded the final out of the 1980 Fall Classic — striking out Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals — helping secure Philadelphia’s first-ever title. He pitched in the City of Brotherly Love from 1975-84.

In 2008, the Grammy Award winner spread his dad’s ashes on the mound before throwing out the first pitch. That year, the Phils beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to clinch the crown.

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McGraw, who is married to fellow country artist and icon Faith Hill, previously tweeted out his support for the team with a video of his pops.

Tug McGraw was also a member of the Miracle Mets, who defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series in 1969.

Tim didn’t know who his dad was until he was 11. Earlier this year the musician told NPR that they met up for lunch and Tug told him they could be friends, not family.

The Phillies currently have a 2-1 World Series advantage after a 7-0 drubbing of the Houston Astros.

The funny thing, no matter what Dusty Baker’s rep is, and will be, is that he’s gotten more looks at the postseason than many. While he’ll always wear the epic choke jobs of the Giants in 2002 and the Cubs in 2003 — fair or not — his time in D.C. and in Houston has shown a guy who has learned how playoff baseball works. He’s usually been pretty aggressive getting to his bullpen, ready to wheel back a starter if need be in relief, and treated the next out as the only out that matters. That’s how you do it.

For some reason, in this World Series, someone zapped him back nearly 20 years.

Baker was too slow to recognize in Game 1 that Justin Verlander was never going to get through the Phillies lineup a second time, and that he’d lost command of basically all his pitches. Baker had a fully rested bullpen after sweeping the New York Yankees, and only had two games to worry about before another off-day. You can basically go whole hog on your bullpen in Games 1 and 2, especially when they’ve had three full days off from the end of the last series. Dusty and the Astros may never get that win back.

He may have done it again for Game 3. Now whether Lance McCullers was tipping his pitches or not is certainly not Dusty’s fault. What is, or may be, is that with the rainout pushing the game back a day, Baker had the option of skipping over McCullers altogether. Joe Sheehan was beating this drum all day yesterday, as the Phils were a top-10 hitting team against sliders and curves all season. All McCullers throws are sliders and cutters, and clearly was a worse matchup for the Astros than Christian Javier, who thanks to the bonus off-day was available to start Game 3, with Verlander available to start Game 4, and Framber Valdez available to start Game 5, all on normal rest. The option of never offering the Phillies a look at a breaking-ball-only pitcher was on the table. Baker didn’t take it, and his team lost by a touchdown. There’s not much Baker can do about his lineup going missing, and they barely even put together competitive ABs, but this felt like a mistake.

That doesn’t mean the Phils are helpless against fastballs. They were 10th in wOBA against four-seamers all season. If you restrict that to fastballs at or over 95 MPH, they drop all the way down to 22nd with a .291 mark. Javier averages 94 MPH on his fastball, but one could say that with World Series adrenaline and a directive that he would only go through the lineup twice, at most, he could live in the range that Philly finds so difficult to deal with. We’ll see how it plays out in Game 4 tonight, obviously.

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Again, it’s hardly Baker’s fault if McCullers was signaling unintentionally to the Phillies what he was throwing all night. Without the purported tipping, maybe he twirls a gem anyway and this is all moot. But this felt like the second time in three games that Baker didn’t take advantage of the options that were open to him. Now his team is down 2-1. They’ll have to beat two of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Ranger Suarez, and maybe all three to win the Series. Trickier now as they’ve already beaten Wheeler once, and had Nola beaten, and it’s hard to fathom that given proper health (no sure thing with Wheeler reportedly) those two will back up a poor start with another one.

Once again, it felt like Baker reverted to the old version of being stuck in his ways, ways that dictated that Verlander can’t be pulled with a lead because he’s Justin Verlander, and ways that said to not deviate from how the rotation was set before the series no matter what. It’s becoming a trend for him, for sure.

Pass perfect

I want to buy this Leon Draisaitl pass an expensive cocktail and maybe some sort of arty pot sticker:

Anybody who watches the Cowboys — HELL, anyone who watches football! — knows who the best running back in Dallas is. It’s not the former No. 4 overall pick getting paid $15 million a year. It’s 2019 fourth-round selection, Tony Pollard. Even prior to last Sunday’s game, there’d been shouting from Cowboys fans across the nation for change. In between incoherent cries of “This is our year!” and “We dem boyz!” were utterances of Pollard’s greatness. Everyone knew that with Ezekiel Elliott out, Pollard wouldn’t just shine, he’d thrive. Boy, did he.

Pollard tied his career best in yards and broke into the end zone for a career-high three scores. He also added one reception for 16 yards. To put that in perspective, since the start of the 2019 season, Zeke has had only two games with that many or more rushing yards. The most recent of which came on Oct. 3, 2020, more than two years ago. It took Pollard one game to have a better game than Zeke has had in over two years.

WOW! Anyone in their right mind would certainly make Pollard the team’s starter moving forward, right? After all, the Cowboys are 6-2, just 1.5-games back of the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles. Wouldn’t they want to put their literal best foot forward for the remainder of the season?

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Well, I guess not.

Despite Pollard’s incredible performance, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems insistent on keeping Elliott as the team’s lead back. Now, you could say to yourself “He’s the owner, not the coach. Does he really have any say?” That’s a legitimate question. Perhaps Mike McCarthy and company will opt to use Pollard more frequently moving forward against Jones’ wishes. That said, Jones still has a lot of say in how the Cowboys operate and anything he says shouldn’t be disregarded.

The Cowboys are paying Elliott a lot of money, so it makes sense that they’d want to continue using him at a high rate. What about next year though?

Despite four years remaining on Zeke’s contract after 2022, Dallas has an out built in after this season. The dead cap hit would be a tad under $12 million, but that’s pennies compared to what it would’ve been had the Cowboys cut Zeke prior to the 2022 season ($30,080,000). This opt-out was created in case of an emergency, in case Elliott was no longer needed. Sure, the Cowboys would love to have a great RB duo behind quarterback Dak Prescott, but $15 million a year for an inefficient RB being outclassed by his backup? That’s not worth it.

Could the Cowboys take the out and re-negotiate a new contract befitting of his new role moving forward? Absolutely! But I doubt Zeke would take to that very kindly. If Dallas opts out of the contract, I wouldn’t be surprised if Zeke tries to find a role elsewhere and ends up in a similar situation to what happened with Le’Veon Bell in 2018 — that is, thinking a team would be willing to pay up for him, but no one biting, then being forced to play for less money than he would’ve made under his new contract with the Cowboys.

There is also a chance that the Cowboys don’t opt out at all. This would be stupid considering that Pollard’s 9.31 yards per carry this past Sunday are better than anything Elliott has done for the entirety of his career, but I wouldn’t put it past them. The argument could be made that Pollard’s legs were fresh, having not been burdened by a workhorse back’s workload for the first seven weeks, but people said the same stuff about Austin Ekeler several years ago — and now look where Ekeler is. These are NFL athletes. They know how to keep in shape (some people would say that Elliott doesn’t, but I won’t go there), and they know how to adjust to increased workloads.

Pollard is younger, cheaper, and more explosive than his backfield counterpart. He deserves the lead role. He better get that opportunity next season.