The Way I See It

In this The Way I See It, I expose a fake genius, conduct AB testing, and smile at a couple of surprising NFL teams.

Fake Genius

It’s not that I’m against trying new things; change is how we improve our lot in life. Change for the sake of change, with no critical evaluation of the results, however, is asinine. My sense is that the NFL is on the cusp of rejecting inexperienced or ineffective head coaches whose main attribute is “being innovative”.

People will point to Mike McDaniel in Miami and say that he’s doing a great job, leading his team to a 7-3 record. While taking nothing away from McDaniel, it’s important to keep in mind that the Dolphins were built to win now. Anything less than a deep playoff run by the Dolphins will be considered a disappointment given their talent on offense.

Then Again…

Josh McDaniels, however, is a fake genius. A supposed offensive wizard, his Raiders are off to a 2-7 start after reaching the playoffs last year. Make no mistake, the Raiders are McDaniels’ team: can’t really blame any of this on previous administrations. While owner Mike Davis has publicly expressed support for his coach, fans are left to wonder why. The team has been managed horribly, resulting in six losses by less than one score. Three of their losses have come after leading by 17 points. The prized acquisition of the off-season, WR Davante Adams, has disappeared from the game plan at times. The offensive play-calling in general has been strange– like calling a jet sweep on 4th and 1.

And it’s not as if McDaniels is some beloved coach who’s hit a bump in the road. He was 11-17 with the Broncos (and famously drafted Tim Tebow in the first round). He had an agreement to be the head coach of the Colts in 2018 but left them at the altar. Protestations to the contrary, the sense is that McDaniels has lost the locker room.

Can McDaniels turn it around? Of course he can. But one has to wonder why he keeps getting chances when so many other candidates never get theirs, especially minority candidates. McDaniels is, at best, a coordinator who should never be allowed to coach an NFL team again.

AB Testing

Do you know what AB Testing is? AB Testing is a way to compare two versions of something to figure out which performs better. It’s a proven methodology to help scientists and decision-makers decide which version of a product to use.

However, there’s another definition of AB Testing. That would be the missing testing to determine of Antonio Brown is nuts or not. Seriously, is there anyone out there that doesn’t think Brown is a walking, talking ad for mental health wellness checks?

We’re all aware of Brown’s antics that defined the unfortunate end of an otherwise brilliant NFL career. What’s disturbing is that his bizarre behavior has persisted, and no one in his circle seems to care. He even seems to have turned on former friend and supporter Tom Brady by publicly mocking his divorce.

Then there’s this tweet (since deleted) Brown posted on 10/25/22:

Three things about that tweet:

• There’s no way Brown wrote that tweet on his own
• A man can be judged by the company he keeps
• Nearly 35,000 people liked that tweet

The results of this AB Test are clear: the version of Antonio Brown prior to getting lit up by Vontaze Burfict is the one that should be loose in society, not the current one.

NFL Surprises

Some NFL surprises that have me smiling this morning:

• Vikings are 8-1 – While I’m not a fan of the Norsemen per se, I do love the fact that they are exceeding expectations by knowing how to pull out close games. Whether it’s luck, coaching, talent or any combination thereof, it’s fun watching the Vikings this season. After their win over the Bills last Sunday, they have cemented themselves as 2022’s “Team of Destiny”.
• The Worst NFL Team in New York – how many people would have pegged the Buffalo Bills as being the worst NFL team associated with New York? I know, the Jets and Giants technically play in New Jersey and the Buffalo isn’t part of New York, contrary to what the denizens there may claim. The Giants are in second place in the NFC East at 7-2, one game behind the Eagles. The Jets are in second in the AFC East at 6-3, half a game behind Miami. The Bills, everyone’s preseason pick to win the Super Bowl, are technically behind the Jets (having lost to them earlier this season). Delicious.
• Emergence in Chicago – the Bears are not going anywhere this season, but it looks as if someone decided to take the training wheels of Justin Fields. The young signal-caller may or may not evolve into a top NFL QB, but he has certainly shown that he can be one of the most exciting players in the game after rushing for 325 yards and three TDs in his previous two games. His 178 rushing yards in Week 9 set the record for a regular-season game, and his follow-up in Week 10 of 147 yards comes in at #7. Don’t know how this plays out, but it’ll be fun to watch how Fields’ career unfolds.