NEWSLETTER
It’s Week 17 of the NFL season. Much of the AFC remains up for grabs and there are plenty of scenarios to watch in the NFC, as well. I just love football the end of the football season. Of course, this is the first year in which Week 17 will not mark the end of the regular season, and honestly, it’s noticeable. Maybe it’s just be one extra week compared to what we’re used to watching, but I feel like this season has been a dang marathon. Either way, the pace should pick up down the stretch here and into the postseason, so buckle up; we’re likely in for a treat of a finish around the league.
Support for Jeff Dickerson Continues
We start, today, with a local Chicago story that has gone national thanks primarily to NFL insider Adam Schefter. Schefter, a colleague of the late Jeff Dickerson at ESPN, has spent much of the past 36 hours using his massive platform that included nearly nine million followers on Twitter alone to push Parker’s Fund, the GoFundMe arranged by Jeff Dickerson’s family for his son, Parker Dickerson.
Over the last 24 hours, the fund has received significant contributions from the Chicago Bears ($25,000), Jim Irsay and the Indianapolis Colts ($25,000), Dan Synder and the Washington Football Team ($25,000), Jeffrey Lurie, and the Philadelphia Eagles ($10,000), Andy Dalton ($5,000), Anthony Rizzo ($5,000), Jay Glazer ($5,000), the Chicago Blackhawks ($5,000), the Seattle Seahawks ($2,500), the Los Angeles Rams ($2,500), and over 11,000 other donors totaling $759, 459.00 at the time of publishing.
As Schefter tweeted this morning, a local Chicago company (and our friends here at Bleacher Nation), Obvious Shirts, has topped the list with a donation of $28,500 last night from the sales of their Remembering Jeff line of shirts and hooded sweatshirts.
As Parker’s Fund grows, @obvious_shirts comes in with the single largest donation to date. Thank you! It now feels like this cause can reach $1 million – 10 times its initial goal – by New Years. https://t.co/axis7JgyqT
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2021
Joe Johnson, the creator of the North Side tee shirt powerhouse, reported this morning that another large donation is coming later tonight and that their sales fundraiser is up to a total of $40,000 raised for Parker’s Fund.
Just surpassed $40,000 raised for Parker in less than 40 hours. You all are seriously the BEST. Speaks volumes to what JD meant to all of us. #CelebrateJD https://t.co/BvB6ONNpgp
— OBVIOUS SHIRTS® (@obvious_shirts) December 30, 2021
There’s a strong chance that this might reach upwards of a million dollars by the time it’s all said and done, and it is truly a beautiful example of a community coming together to take care of one of their own. More importantly, this is a testament to the person that Jeff Dickerson was and the reputation he left behind.
Cordarrelle Patterson’s Breakout Season
I miss Cordarrelle Patterson in Chicago.
A cap casualty after last season, Patterson followed former Bears passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone, with whom he had success working in Chicago, to Atlanta, where he’s having a breakout season with the Falcons.
The Athletic’s Dan Pompei did an excellent job diving into how he got there and what’s changed for him in Atlanta.
He is on his 5th team. He is working with his eighth offensive coordinator. He is 30 years old. He never was a significant offensive factor until now. Something was missing in his NFL career. It’s not missing anymore. My story on Cordarrelle Patterson. https://t.co/q6qdBUBoQh
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) December 30, 2021
Patterson, long-misused, will now be a free agent in line for a massive payday after the season. And the question is: Will he stay in Atlanta with Ragone, whom he affectionately calls “Rags” in the Pompei column, or will another team take the Atlanta blueprint and feature the veteran as a primary weapon in their offense? It’ll be pretty interesting to see where this season takes Patterson’s market this offseason. But however it plays out, I hope it’s the big payday he deserves.
Never change, Cordarrelle 🥺
(repost via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/j11kaKKCFZ
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 27, 2021
All-Madden
On Tuesday, the NFL lost one of its pioneers in John Madden, a Hall of Fame head coach and the most well-known name in football the past three decades. If you have a subscription to Peacock’s streaming service, I strongly recommend checking out All-Madden.
According to a memo sent out by the league, the NFL has requested that all home teams observe a moment of silence in Madden’s memory ahead of their Week 17 games.
In a memo sent this morning, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is asking all home teams in Week 17 to observe a moment of silence in memory of the legendary John Madden. pic.twitter.com/S0cGMHbhIY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2021
John Madden helped shape the football love for generations of NFL fans, players, coaches, and arcade simulation football junkies, and for that, his legacy will carry on long after his passing this week.
NFL Throwbacks put together this excellent compilation of some of John Madden’s greatest calls in the booth:
So many legendary moments with John Madden on the call 🎙 pic.twitter.com/l9aYSt8TQL
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) December 29, 2021
The Extra Point(s)
• Earlier today, I broke down the playoff implications, odds, and path. There’s a lot up for grabs.
Get Your Popcorn Ready: Week 17 NFL Playoff Implications and Oddshttps://t.co/KEXIKp7ryn
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) December 30, 2021
• Damiere Byrd’s game-winning two-point conversion catch is featured among the best catches of Week 16’s action across the league.
So many amazing catches from Week 16! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nm7JuDAKCr
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• With two weeks to play out, Tom Brady leads the NFL in passing yards with Justin Herbert, Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford, and Patrick Mahomes hot on his tail!
2 weeks left. Is anyone catching TB12? pic.twitter.com/unMWrMs5k7
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• Amon-Ra St. Brown has racked up 35 catches, 340 yards, and three touchdowns in his last four games for the Detroit Lions and now gets to face Seattle’s league-worst passing defense in Week 17.
.@amonra_stbrown's last 4 games:
🦁 10 catches, 86 yards, TD
🦁 8 catches, 73 yards
🦁 8 catches, 90 yards, TD
🦁 9 catches, 91 yards, TDDon't sleep on the @Lions rookie! (@FieldYates)
📺: #DETvsSEA — Sunday 4:25pm ET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/NXLD1QrYCD— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• Here are your NFC Players of the Month for December:
NFC Players of the Month! (December)@AaronRodgers12 | @AaronDonald97 | @thomasmorstead pic.twitter.com/NXSBiEGPWP
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• Here are your AFC Players of the Month for December:
AFC Players of the Month! (December)@PatrickMahomes | @Lastname_Baker | @McPherson_Evan pic.twitter.com/xXzq8ug2sn
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Month:
Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Month! (December)@amonra_stbrown | @MicahhParsons11 pic.twitter.com/86qKDMCXFn
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
• The Vikings will be without wide receiver Adam Thielen for the rest of the season after they placed the veteran wideout on IR this week.
The #Vikings have placed Adam Thielen on IR.
TE Ben Ellefson has been designated for return; returned to practice. pic.twitter.com/O5NpI0EUeE
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 29, 2021
• Which one was your favorite? Personally, 2003-2005 were peak Madden years for me.
More than a game. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/vtn6HlMj1p
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2021
