Welcome to the Around The NFL End Around, a weekly look back at the world of the National Football League. Dan Hanzus serves as your guide.
It was a good week for ...
1. Robert Griffin III: The Redskins quarterback is "ready to go" on Sunday after a long absence. The Redskins should put his legs in bubble wrap.
2. Michael Vick: The veteran quarterback called his opportunity to start for the Jets a "dream come true." We'd hate to know what's going on in his nightmares.
3. Football fans: Manning-Brady XVI? Fun to watch and always, always, always relevant.
It was a bad week for ...
1. Cam Newton That's two losses over four days for Cam, who seemed to be under the mistaken belief his receivers were 9-feet tall on Thursday night.
2. DeAngelo Hall:Nate Burleson broke his arm trying to pick up a pizza. Now DeAngelo Hall has re-torn his Achilles tendon while making pizza in his kitchen. Does Papa John have an alibi in these incidents?
3. John Idzik: The Jets general manager has become Public Enemy No. 1 among the fans and media in New York. A 1-7 start coupled with a deeply shaky news conference will do that. Rex Ryan won't survive this lost season. Will the GM?
Now that's a great NFL-inspired Halloween costume
CringeTV
Michael Scott couldn't touch the sublime awkwardness that marked the close of ESPN's Monday Night Football telecast this week. First, we had the botched handshake/hug maneuver between Colt McCoy and Jay Gruden (see above), a moment that awkwardly engineered by ESPN's Lisa Salters, who Gruden awkwardly called a clown before embarking on said failed man embrace.
Almost incredibly, that was just the appetizer for the main course. Seconds later, a Redskins PR guy was all worked up about McCoy not speaking with ESPN's Spanish telecast team. Like, really, really worked up.
What The What?
We've long since stopped trying to make sense of Marcus Vick, who was once a moderately successful college quarterback, but is now pretty much known as the Cousin Eddie of the Vick family.
Marcus has used Twitter to defend his big brother on many occassions, including that one time Marcus ripped the Eagles' offensive line and said his brother should be traded, prompting Michael to publicly address it. (To extend the Vacation analogy further, that incident is like when Cousin Eddie kidnapped Clark's boss on Christmas Eve.)
Thanks for the constructive criticism, brother.
Tweet of the week
Anthony Davis is an offensive tackle for the 49ers. There's a more well-known Anthony Davis, who piles up double-doubles for the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. NFL Anthony Davis is tired of getting your tweets meant for NBA Anthony Davis.
Kiko In The Kitchen
This is just so great. Here's injured Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso, in full uniform, offering up food preparation advice from what appears to be the kitchen set of a TBS sitcom. Alonso is a charisma machine who exudes easy-going natural charm in front of the camera. Aside: Given the choice, I would cook my Chunky No-Cook Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Your weekly reminder that Bruce Arians is fire
Quote of the Week, Part I
"If it's going like it's been going, there's nothing to be excited about or look forward to. I don't know what's really going to change."
-- Jets running back Chris Johnson, on what he's looking forward to in the season's second half
Quote of the Week, Part II
"I like scoring touchdowns for sure."
-- Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, thoughtfully entering the discourse on the great "Touchdowns: Friend or Foe?" debate.
Hero of the Week: Colt McCoy
How could you not root for the guy on Monday night? From the shoulder injury in the national title game at Texas, to those lost years in Cleveland, the ugly fallout after that vicious James Harrison hit, then the journeyman stops in Washington and San Francisco.
McCoy extended his career indefinitely with his performance against the Cowboys. I wasn't even bothered by the 14 cutaways to the McCoy family during the game. A great moment for a college star turned pro underdog.
Until next time ...
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 9 game and recaps the Saints' one-sided *TNF win over the Panthers. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.*
