NEWSLETTER
You must-read of the day is GQ’s oral history of Verzuz, the Instagram music battle show that happens to be the best thing to happen in 2020.
• Alright, so this is where we are at this point of the bye week:
The @suntimes_sports cover, featuring #DaBears QB Mitch Trubisky, who belongs back under center, writes @MarkPotash – https://t.co/VjStRQJYOz pic.twitter.com/x5AHeKYrvj
— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) November 20, 2020
• The push for Mitchell Trubisky to return as QB1 in Week 12 is underway. And to be fair, I understand why. Nick Foles has been a disappointment. His strengths have not consistently shown up in game situations, and it shows in the box scores and stat sheets. Extrapolate Foles’ stats over a full 16-game schedule, and it comes out to 3,704 yards, 20 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a whopping 36 sacks. That ain’t it.
• This statistical snapshot has me wanting to check out what QB2 is made of down the stretch. But there’s one hang up for me. Foles’ inconsistency doesn’t make Trubisky a good quarterback. Maybe going back to Trubisky provides a spark, much like the turn to Foles did in Week 3. But even if Trubisky is just a little bit better than Foles, it doesn’t solve the big-picture problems facing the offense (let alone the ones looming on the horizon). And I’m not sure it changes anything in the near-term either.
• In December 2019, I wrote: “It has become painfully clear that Mitch Trubisky isn’t the guy.” Nine months later, I wrote: “Alright, so Nick Foles isn’t a magic bullet.” I’m 99 percent sure there’s nothing either can do to change their respective assessments, but I suppose I’ll allow for a 1 percent chance of being proven wrong. After all, one of the reasons we watch football in the first place is to see the impossible happen on any given Sunday.
• It’s Taysom Hill — and *NOT* Jameis Winston — starting for the saints at quarterback in place of Drew Brees against the Falcons on Sunday. Hill, the widely renowned gadget player, gets the first crack at showing he can be a long-term quarterback solution while Brees is out with injuries that made me go ouch.
• Of course this move has fantasy implications:
A note: Taysom Hill is eligible to be utilized at your TE spot on @ESPNFantasy for this week.
We will reassess that for Week 12, but for those looking to add a TE (or QB), Hill is a great start for this week at TE.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 20, 2020
• As for the real football connection, the Saints gave Hill a two-year deal worth $18 million guaranteed last. So if he wants to stake his claim to be Brees’ heir apparent, this is it. Hill has carved a role as a niche player who runs QB power, catches passes, plays special teams, and makes fans of other teams think their mobile quarterback can do what he does. But if he performs admirably in Brees’ place against the Falcons, Hill could start down a new path.
• Not only does the decision to start Hill have major implications for him, it also impacts Winston. The 26-year-old was presumed to be Brees’ heir apparent. Winston was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2015, led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards in 2019, and figured to use this year to soak it all in as Teddy Bridgewater did previously. This was assumed to be a pit stop before returning as a starter elsewhere (if not as Brees’ replacement). It still might be. But I’m not sure what it says about Winston that he’s taking a back seat to Hill. But I don’t imagine talent evaluators see a gadget player leap-frogging the 2015 NFL Draft’s top pick as a good thing.
• Maybe Winston will still get his chance if Hill doesn’t pass the sniff test. If not, then I’m not sure what Winston’s future looks like. Starting against a bad defense could have done wonders for Winston’s free agency case.
• In other quarterbacking news around the league:
Andy Dalton, who is now ready to start Sunday vs. the Vikings, said the coronavirus hit him hard:https://t.co/3ZgsJNxEbj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 20, 2020
• The combination of COVID-19 and a concussion feels like a lot to overcome. So I’m glad Andy Dalton is in a place where he is healthy enough to play. Here’s hoping this serves as a reminder of how serious the coronavirus pandemic is for all people around the country.
• For your listening pleasure:
Lots of good questions and opinions on orange pants in today’s ep. get it ⬇️ https://t.co/pne0NWj1Z4
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) November 20, 2020
• Jordan Howard is re-joining his former team, but it’s not the one you’re thinking about:
The #Eagles are expected to sign FA RB Jordan Howard to the practice squad after he clears COVID-19 protocols, source said. A very familiar face.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 19, 2020
• This is the potential showcase game in which I want to see Zach Wilson:
Cincinnati and BYU now both have Dec. 5 open. Just sayin' https://t.co/COhDvofkRj
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) November 20, 2020
