Gus Bradley Sacked After Collapse Against Texans

With two games left in the season the Jacksonville Jaguars organization decided that they wanted to get a jump start on finding a head coach for next season. Unfortunately he will more than likely go down as the worst head coach in NFL history. He will at the very least have the worst record for any coach that has been in 50 games or more. This is the worst in the Super Bowl era.

My favorite part through all of this was the owners statement after he fired Bradley.

I thanked Gus Bradley today for his commitment to the Jacksonville Jaguars over the past four seasons. As anyone close to our team knows, Gus gave his staff and players literally everything he had. Our players competed for Gus and I know they have great respect for him, as do I.

Gus also represented the Jaguars, the Jacksonville community and the NFL in nothing less than a first-class manner as our head coach. That counts for a lot. It is unfortunately evident that we must make a change. I thought it would be best to do it immediately after today’s result so Gus can step away, relax and regroup with his family during the Christmas and holiday season.

Dave Caldwell agreed and will now be charged with exploring all options to hire the best head coach possible to lead what I feel is an extremely talented team and reward a very loyal and patient fan base in Jacksonville.

Fired the guy so he could “enjoy” the holidays with his family. I can take this a couple of ways. Maybe he is right and just maybe his family was worried about him losing his job and somehow this makes it easier for them over the holidays…or, this could have just ruined Christmas/New Years for his entire family.

So…what’s next for Bradley? Well the team owes him a bunch of money so he could theoretically take the next season off and come back after a bit. My guess is he ends up becoming a defensive coordinator somewhere. To me, he is like a Rex Ryan, Rod Marinelli, Dick LaBeau, in that he makes for a better coach when he is just focused on defense.

2008 Detroit Lions vs. 2016 Cleveland Browns – Worse Team?

Regarded as the worst team in NFL history the 2008 Detroit Lions went 0-16 which is today considered the worst record in NFL history. Right now the Cleveland Browns are 0-13 with the last three games being against tough opponents. One interesting tidbit of information is that the Detroit Lions won all of their preseason games while the Browns lost all of theirs. Check out the next 3 games on the Browns’ schedule:

Week 15 – @ Buffalo Bills (6-7)
Week 16 – San Diego Chargers (5-8)
Week 17 – @ Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5)

The home game against the Chargers will probably be their best opportunity to win. Early in last weeks game against the Panthers they lost Melvin Gordon for an undetermined amount of time. It will be interesting to see if he is back by the time they play the Browns. Playing at Buffalo and Pittsburgh in the middle of December/January is probably not going to be a good situation for the Browns. Anyways, let’s just assume that the Browns will lose their last three games by their average scores and compare them to the Detroit Lions. We will begin with points per game.

Team	Points Per Game	Opponent PPG
2008 Detroit Lions	16.75	32.31
2016 Cleveland Browns	15.92	28.84

These results just tell me that the NFL is much harder to win all of your games. You almost never see undefeated teams at the end of the season. The NFL takes pride in the fact that there is not one single dominating team out there. Every season you see different teams in the playoffs. The same cannot be said for the other major sports leagues in America. In the NBA you have the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Browns, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder…and that’s about it. In baseball its the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, plus maybe a handful of other teams. Hockey is the same way. None of this has anything to do with the original question which was, “Which team is worse?” Well the Detroit Lions have definitely lost by a larger margin I would almost say this goes as a tie for the most part with a slight edge being given to the 2008 Lions squad. Maybe it’s the strength of schedule that could help us determine a clear winner:

Team	Avg Record of Opp	Total Record of Opp
2008 Detroit Lions	8.94 – 7. 06 (.79)	143-113
2016 Cleveland Browns	7.2 – 5.54 (.769)*	94 – 72*

* denotes only 13 games have been played this season so far
This would lend the advantage to the Cleveland Browns right now by around 5 games over an entire season. We will revisit this question at the end of the season but I think it’s safe to say that this is going to be a close race to the finish. How sad is it that the worst two teams in history both will have happened in the past 10 years. To think that the NFL wonders why their ratings are taking such a hit this season. Duh.

AutoNation Cure Bowl

The AutoNation Cure Bowl is one of the newest college football bowl games. All proceeds go to help fund the research or breast cancer at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The bowl game features a match-up of teams from the AAC and Sun Belt Conferences. It is televised on CBS Sports Network which will probably not get the kind of ratings that one might see with same game on ESPN, ABC, or even FS1. While this game might not be the most popular of bowl games, you have to respect the cause it stands for and represents.

Key Players – For UCF it would have to be Linebacker Shaquem Griffin. He is only playing with one hand and is still top 10 nationwide in sacks and tackles for loss. He also has a twin brother who leads the team in pass breakups. For Arkansas State the best players would have to be between Warren Wand (Running Back) and Justice Hansen (Quarterback).

Team	Arkansas State	UCF
Points Per Game	27	30
Yards Per Game	391	362
Total Turnovers	16	22
Passing Yards	2943	2515
Rushing Yards	1755	1827

Who – UCF Knights and Arkansas State Red Wolves

What – AutoNation Cure Bowl

When – 5:30PM ET on December 17th on CBS Sports Network

Where – Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida

Why – This is only the second Cure Bowl to happen as this was added this past season. San Jose State beat Georgia State in the first one 27-16.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

The New Orleans Bowl actually has a little bit of history to it. It started back in 2001 with Colorado State and North Texas. Colorado State ended up winning the inaugural game 45-20. Southern Miss has actually has the most appearances and has won this game the most out of any school and have a 3-1 record but have not played in it since they lost to Middle Tennessee 42-32 back in 2009. I can’t really say much about this game because I don’t even really plan on watching it. This game basically means that December 17th is going to be a big day of football games. Most of them are pointless but it’s college football extended through the end of the year so can you really complain? This has been especially true for me the past few years because the Dallas Cowboys have not really been “Good” since the mid-90’s. College football bowl games have always been a nice retreat from an otherwise mediocre part of the year.

Date	Winner (Score)	Loser	Attendance
December 14th, 2004	Southern Miss (31)	North Texas (10)	27,253
December 20th, 2005	Southern Miss (31)	Arkansas State (19)	28,338
December 21st, 2008	Southern Miss (30) OT	Troy (27) OT	30,197
December 20th, 2009	Middle Tennessee (42)	Southern Miss (32)	30,228

Key Players – For Southern Miss it has to be either Nick Mullens (Quarterback) or Ito Smith (Running Back). Mullens has thrown for nearly 3000 yards while Smith has over 1300 yards rushing. Mullens has been battling a thumb injury for the past couple of months with a thumb injury but should be good to go by the time this game starts.

Team	Southern Miss	Louisiana-Lafayette
Passing Yards	3521	2213
Passing Touchdowns	24	12
Passing Yards Per Game	294	184
Rushing Yards	2129	2169
Rushing Touchdowns	24	18
Rushing Yards Per Game	177	180

Who – Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

What – R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

When – 9:00PM ET, December 17th, 2016

Where – Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana

Why – Southern Miss is tied for 5th in Conference USA while Louisiana finished in 5th place in the Sun Belt. So the answer to this question is basically that bowl games need to be filled.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

This might be one of those bowl games that not many people are watching or really going to but it should end up being a pretty decent match up. Appalachian State was extremely close to taking down Tennessee earlier this season. They have gone up against top talent and Toledo is no different with Logan Woodside at the helm. The question I will get answers to is whether or not Toledo is ready to step their game up when they play a hungry and talented team like App State. If I lived closer to Alabama I would more than likely be going to this game.

Key Players – For Toledo it’s undoubtedly Logan Woodside who has nearly 4,000 yards passing and 43 touchdowns while throwing single digit interception numbers. Appalachian State has a running back in Jalin Moore who has averaged over 10 yards per carry twice this season and averages over 6 yards per carry over the entire season. This will be another game of time of possession. If the Mountaineers can hold the ball for most of the game it will more than likely mean a win for them.

Team	App State	Toledo
Passing Yards	2208	3949
Passing Touchdowns	3018	44
Rushing Yards	3018	2408
Rushing Touchdowns	27	15
Yards Per Game	292	530

Who – Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Toledo Rockets

What – Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

When – December 17th, 2016 | 5:30PM ET | ESPN

Where – Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama

Why – The easy answer for Appalachian State is that they won it last year and have 9 wins this season. Their fan base has expanded and their fans should travel pretty well to Alabama. Last season there were barely 20,000 people at the game but the stadium holds barely above that so it should be a great game this year. Last year they beat an ailing Ohio team 31-29. It ended up being a very close and great game to watch on TV. December 17th is a full day of football but I suggest you take the time out of your Saturday to watch part of this game.

Las Vegas Bowl

This bowl game promises to be an interesting one. No doubt much of the talk before this game starts will be about how Tom Herman left Houston for Texas even before they figured out what bowl they would be getting into. My gut tells me that this will make it just that much harder for Houston to get going but then I am reminded that they have Greg Ward Jr. This will be the 25th anniversary Las Vegas Bowl with the first one being back in 1992. Back in the early 1990’s this game was played between the winners of the Big West and Mid-American Conferences. These days it seems like most committees that host bowl games are looking for the best ratings possible rather than the traditional roles that are expected. This is why the 6th place AAC team is playing the winner of the MWC. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great choice and believe it or not I find this game to be one of the best ones to watch.

Key Players: Greg Ward Jr. is obviously going to be the key player for both teams. If he gets going he is much like Lamar Jackson in that you cannot stop him. Another intriguing story line is Donnel Pumphrey is coming home to Las Vegas and has over 2,000 yards rushing this season alone.

Team	Houston	San Diego State
Points For Per Game	37.5	35.5
Points Against Per Game	22.6	21.0
Passing Touchdowns Per Game	2	1.58
Passing Yards Per Game	302	145.8
Rushing Touchdowns Per Game	2.33	2.66
Rushing Yards Per Game	157	273.3

Who – San Diego State Aztecs and Houston Cougars

What – Geico Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas Bowl Presented by Geico)

When – 3:30PM ET on December 17th, 2016

Where – Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the stadium used for UNLV’s football team and it holds up to 40,000 people. This bowl being in Las Vegas makes it somewhat appealing because of all of the entertainment in the area. This game will be televised on ABC.

Why – San Diego State won the Mountain West Conference and Houston was more than likely a grab for ratings. They finished 6th in the American Athletic Conference (4th in their own division). Don’t let their finish fool you as they can score the ball at will on good days. It really just all depends on which Houston team shows up to play.

My Pick: I give Houston the edge assuming Greg Ward Jr. decides to show up to the game. If the Houston defense can stop Pumphrey and control the time of possession they will be golden.

Rams Fire Jeff Fisher

So the coach who helped the Rams transition from St. Louis to Los Angeles has been fired. I guess they got what they needed out of him. A lot of people have been bringing up the fact that they should have gotten rid of him a while ago. Since 2009 he has gone 45-63 and since becoming the head coach of the Rams he has gone 31-45-1. The question had been when they were going to fire him until December 4th when the Rams announced that they had already signed him to a two-year contract extension before the season started. Now, normally I would tell you that’s a sure sign that someone is about to be fired but this felt different for some reason. I felt like the Rams organization had bought into the Fisher system. I am pretty sure they stunned the entire world when they announced they would be getting rid of Jeff Fisher. I think it’s in their best interest that they move on to someone else. There are a bevy of college coaches that would be perfect for the Rams head coaching position. The Rams organization really had no choice if you think about it. They have a new stadium that is opening up in 2019 and their team has to be putting fans in the seats by then. Since the franchise just moved there the only feasible reason is to start winning. It didn’t help that the first game of the season against rival California team the San Francisco 49ers they ended up laying a goose egg and getting shut out 28-0. It’s been a while since Fisher had success in the NFL. He was at one time, having 4 seasons in 5 years with at least 11 wins with the Titans after they moved from Houston. Here is his coaching record since becoming a head coach:

Team	Year	Wins	Losses	Ties
Houston	1994	1	5	0
Houston	1995	7	9	0
Houston	1996	8	8	0
Tennessee	1997	8	8	0
Tennessee	1998	8	8	0
Tennessee	1999	16	4	0
Tennessee	2000	13	4	0
Tennessee	2001	7	9	0
Tennessee	2002	12	6	0
Tennessee	2003	13	5	0
Tennessee	2004	5	11	0
Tennessee	2005	4	12	0
Tennessee	2006	8	8	0
Tennessee	2007	10	7	0
Tennessee	2008	13	4	0
Tennessee	2009	8	8	0
Tennessee	2010	6	10	0
St. Louis	2012	7	8	1
St. Louis	2013	7	9	0
St. Louis	2014	6	10	0
St. Louis	2015	7	9	0
Los Angeles	2016	4	9	0

If you look at his record since 2008 you can really start to see why it’s unusual that he was able to keep his job. The best explanation that I can come up with is that St. Louis was planning a transition and wanted him around to make things go a little smoother. Outside of that there has been a lot of controversy as to why he has kept his job while others have been fired. Just two weeks ago the Rams made headlines when Eric Dickerson (Hall of Fame ex-Los Angeles Rams player with number retired) announced that he was no longer allowed on the sidelines at games. Fisher of course denied these claims as he was already on the hot seat having started the season so poorly and being unable to get his rookie quarterback (Jared Goff who has 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 4 games) off to a productive start to his career.

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

December 17th – It’s the 11th annual New Mexico Bowl which is held each year in Albuquerque, New Mexico at University Stadium. The field turf stadium holds around 40,000 people so if there is high turnout it could end up being a great game to go to. The New Mexico Lobos will no doubt have the overwhelming advantage playing at home but are 1-2 in their brief history with this bowl game. The only one they have is from 2007 which was the second year of the New Mexico Bowl. They have appeared in this game more than any other team and lost last year by 8 points to the University of Arizona.

I am not sure how well UTSA fans will travel but one can hope that this will be a huge game for fans as this will be the first Bowl game the program has every been invited to. I hope they really get into the celebrations because New Mexico does it right every year. Luncheon’s, Dinners, a Gift Suite, and even a Battle of the Bands competition at the Pep Rally. All while staying at the beautiful Isleta Resort and Casino.

Key Players: UTSA really has 3 key players in Dalton Sturm, Jarveon Williams and Jalen Rhodes. Sturm has thrown for 18 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions over the course of the season. The combination of Jalen Rhodes and Jarveon Williams who both receive balanced carries should pose issues for the New Mexico defense towards the end of the game. New Mexico has an even stronger duo at running back which will no doubt give the UTSA defense issues throughout the game. Tyrone Owens and Teriyon Gipson both have over 1000 yards rushing this season and the New Mexico rushing attack has led to 45 touchdowns.

Team	New Mexico	UTSA
Points Per Game For	37.8	29.3
Points Per Game Against	32.4	28.3
Passing Touchdowns	11	24
Passing Yards Per Game	109.3	221.6
Rushing Yards Per Game	360.9	154.8
Rushing Touchdowns	45	22

Who – New Mexico Lobos vs. Texas San Antonio Roadrunners

What – Gildan New Mexico Bowl

When – December 17th, 2:00PM ET on ESPN

Where – University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why – Texas San Antonio finished the season 6-6 and qualified for their school’s very first college football bowl game. New Mexico gets a chance at redemption after last years New Mexico Bowl loss to Arizona.

My Pick – UTSA 21-17

Not sure how long this will stay up on YouTube but here is a video of last years New Mexico Bowl:

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl

December 17th – The first bowl game of the 2016-17 season is here! That moment when you realize you have like 40+ playoff worthy games in less than a month. It truly is one of the best feelings ever. The first bowl game is the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia and you can watch it on ABC. This is a Noon game on a Saturday and indoors so weather will not be a factor. It pits the MEAC (North Carolina Central) and SWAC (Grambling State) champions against each other.

Key Players: Malcolm Bell for N.C. Central has 16 passing touchdowns and 9 rushing touchdowns. Devante Kincade has 29 touchdowns passing while still rushing for 6. This looks to be a great game between two stars.

Key Wins: Grambling State has two real key wins in beating Southern 52-30 and Alcorn State 27-20 in the SWAC Championship. North Carolina Central is coming off the biggest win of their season in beating North Carolina A&T for the MEAC Championship.

Team	Grambling State	North Carolina Central
Points Per Game	41.45	30.73
Passing Yards	3233	2434
Rushing Yards	2272	1879
Passing TD’s	31	18
Rushing TD’s	26	23
Turnovers	19	24
Total Yards	5505	4313
Yards Per Game	500.5	392.1
Yards Per Play	7	6.2

Who – North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Grambling State Tigers

What – Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl

When – December 17th, Noon ET

Where – Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia

Why – North Carolina Central won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Grambling State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

My Pick: Grambling State 42-24

Sports Dude