Ten Thoughts on the NFL

1) Cleveland Browns’ left tackle Joe Thomas played 10,363 consecutive snaps before exiting the game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday with a torn triceps. Has there ever been a better player saddled with a bad team in the history of sports?

In Thomas’ rookie year, 2007, the Browns went 10-6, and that was the last time he was on a winning team. He’s never been in a playoff game, but he also never missed the cut for the Pro Bowl. He’s a 10 time Pro Bowler, and a six time All Pro. In my opinion, he’s a first ballot Hall Of Famer.

If you guys like watching offensive line play, I highly recommend getting some of Thomas’ stuff. He’s a great player.

2) On Monday night, another outstanding offensive lineman went down with an injury. The Philadelphia Eagles lost nine time Pro Bowler and two time All Pro, Jason Peters, to an ACL and MCL tear.

He’s been in the league since 2004, but unlike Thomas, who was the 3rd overall pick in his draft, Peters went undrafted. The former tight end from Arkansas was an undrafted free agent pick up of the Buffalo Bills, but they cut him, then ultimately brought him back to their practice squad. He eventually made their 53 man roster as a rookie, but he was a special teamer and a blocking tight end. By his fourth year he was a Pro Bowl left tackle. The Bills traded him to the Eagles in 2009 rather than pay him the monet he was looking for.

Here’s a pro tip for NFL franchises; you pay your Pro Bowl left tackles.

3) Sticking with the Eagles, Carson Wentz is a damn good quarterback. He has come a long way since taking his lumps as a rookie last season. In 2016, he had 16 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions, but so far this year, he already has 17 TD passes, but only 4 interceptions.

Here’s a neat nugget about Wentz’s college career.

4) The Jacksonville Jaguars have 33 sacks through seven games. Sacksonville indeed! All that pressure on QBs has them tied for the most interceptions (10), they are allowing the lowest passer rating in the league (62.3), and they lead the league in takeaways (16).

5) The Atlanta Falcons seem to really miss offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. That Sunday night Super Bowl rematch was boring.

6) In all my years of making NFL picks, I don’t think I’ve ever been as wrong as I was with my pick for 2017 NFC champs. The New York Giants are awful.

7) I’m not sure why, but I really enjoy the Denver Broncos sucking right now.

8) There’s a lot being made about the 7 passes that Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw in their win against the Carolina Panthers. His four completions did go for a robust 107 yards.

Further up north, at Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Hundley only threw for 87 yards on 12 of 25 passing in their 26-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

9) Worse team, the winless Browns or the winless 49ers?

How nice is it that the Bears aren’t included in this conversation?

9a) Worse team, the Aaron Rodgersless Packers or the Andrew Luckless Colts?

10) If you are on Twitter, you need to be following ex-Bear center, Olin Kreutz.