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Head Gase

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Adam Gase still has a job, which might be one of the more messed up things to happen in 2020. The Jets are the worst team in the NFL, which makes Gase the de facto worst coach in the NFL, so why is this happening?
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why:

Woody Johnson

Ambassador Johnson is a busy man. The Jets owner is not only an Ambassador to the UK, but also the scion to the Johnson & Johnson empire. Johnson has been busy working as a British interpreter to Donal Trump, as well as helping the US navigate the upcoming Brexit.
Johnson was supposed to devolve all Jets activities, but you have to wonder if his touch is missing on the team.
It’s like having your neighbours train your puppy. It might be convenient now, but what kind of dog are you going to get?
In the case of the Jets, a bad dog. A very bad dog.

Sam Darnold

Gase chose a solid rookie QB in Sam Darnold, now we can all watch as Gase slowly crumbles the young mans career. Darnold is getting absolutely smoked with no O-line to protect him, and he is aging far too fast in NFL years. Giving Darnold to Gase was like giving a Fabrege Egg to a toddler. He’s just going to smash it up, then ask for a new one.

Player Vacation

The Jets are jettisoning players like someone threw a grenade in their fuselage. They have lost talent on every side of the ball, and it will take years to recover the amount of guys who had fled the sinking Jet. In doesn’t instils much confidence in fans when no one wants to play for your team, as well as thinking that you have the worst playable field in the league. Until Gase leaves, this haemorrhaging will continue to bleed New York of talent.

Play Calling

Someone needs to take Gase off the play calling role. He has too many fingers in too many pockets, which ultimately leads to step in and take the reigns away from him. The Jets plain old suck across everything, so it might make sense for him to take a step back and let someone else tank the team.

Adam Gase will probably make it until the end of the NFL season. The Jets are unlikely to fire the idiot, which means that they will be looking to destroy a new QB next year. Stay in school Trevor Lawrence.

 

The Picks Six

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Okay… well… let’s call that an inauspicious start. In the debut week of this column, my week 6 picks were… largely disappointing. My overall week predictions (9-5) salvaged my tips which did not have a particularly impressive showing. Largely, the blame for this falls squarely at the feet of two teams: The New England Patriots, who inexplicably made the beaten up Denver Broncos look like the ‘85 Bears, and the Cleveland Browns who… ugh… Browns-d it right up against the Steelers. Should I have seen that coming? Probably. Anyway, new week, new me! Let’s go again. Redemption starts here. Same concept: Six sections, including sure things, longshot punts and a prediction for every game. 

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The 1st and Goal from the 1. (Season Record: 1-1)

So somehow went 1-1 last week on this. Shoutout the Dolphins for doing what they were supposed to, even when Cam was too incompetent to do his job… 

Okay. Simple things. That’s what we’re looking for here. So… Who is the worst team in the NFL? Gang Green: The 0-6 New York Jets. And who are said Jets playing this week? Oh, the Bills of Buffalo? With one Joshua Allen at Quarterback? He who has a rocket arm and legs that carry his big sturdy frame forward at alarming speed and momentum? I like him. He wasn’t good against the Chiefs – but we’ll blame the conditions a bit – so I expect Josh to bounce back big here. The Jets are firmly planted in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. The Bills win this game. ZERO doubt.

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The 45yd Field Goal (Season Record: 0-1)

This line should be posted all over the Cowboys’ locker room walls. The UTTER disrespect… Dallas are ONE POINT favourites against the 1-4, very average, lacking in any real talent beyond Terry McLaurin and Chase Young Washington Football Team. Yeah, I get it: The Cowboys were awful on Monday. Dalton didn’t sling it like we were expecting (see, my over losing), Zeke’s hands have been replaced with sticks of butter, and their defense couldn’t stop a team of referees from picking up a first down. BUT this is still the Dallas Cowboys offense. Zeke will not keep putting the ball on the ground. The Cowboys should run (and throw) all over this team. Dallas Cowboys -1.0. Yes please.

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The Hail Mary (Season Record: 0-1)

So we need a long shot, or at least big odds for this one. There aren’t many underdogs I like on the board this week, so I’m sticking to heavily backing a favourite I love. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this yet, but the Jets are AWFUL. Even with Sam Darnold back, they’re not good enough to put a fight up against the Bills. The Bills defense held up quite respectably against the Chiefs passing attack, and Frank Gore is not going to run through the Bills like Clyde Edwards-Helaire did. Josh Allen will sling it, the Bills will score points. I like the Bills to win every quarter at 7/1. 

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The Over (Season Record: 0-1)

Oooooooh there could be some points scored this weekend… lots of tasty matchups which I can see disintegrating into shootouts and garbage time touchdowns. So I’m gonna rattle off a few here:

Browns vs Bengals – Over 50.5

Well, Baker HAS to bounce back. The Browns really need this game, but a scrappy Cincinnati team (who pushed the Colts close last week) can put up some resistance. The Browns have been quietly very good on offense aside from in their two lopsided losses. I don’t think they lose this game; I think they score 30+ on a below-par Bengals defense. Joe Burrow is good enough and determined enough to keep himself in the game – despite the absence of Joe Mixon. Points. 

Lions vs Falcons – Over 55.0

Yep, the line is high, but Stafford and Ryan could very legitimately shred each other’s DBs all afternoon long. D’Andre Swift has started to break out a little bit, and Gurley and Hurst are providing a nice compliment to Atlanta’s stacked WR room. It’s high, but I think it’ll get there. 

Seahawks vs Cardinals – Over 56.0

Another high line, but the newly-flexed Sunday Night Football matchup is one of the most electric of the weekend. Russ gets back in the kitchen, ready to cook after his bye week. Kyler is fast becoming the one rival to Lamar’s title of biggest dual threat Quarterback. Hopkins, Kirk and Fitz vs Lockett, Moore and Metcalf. Carson vs Drake. Carroll vs Kingsbury. Nobody on the field will want to defend. 28 points each has been almost a guarantee for these two teams so far. Let’s keep that run going. 

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The Parlay (Winning Parlays: 0/1, Winning Legs: 3/5) 

Browns -3.0

I know. I know. I know. We took Cleveland last week, and they burned us. I know. BUT this is a new week, and much less formidable defense for Baker to throw against. The Browns torched the Bengals earlier this season and I think a Cleveland win by a TD or more is likely. 

Panthers +7.0

Now, I do think the Saints win this game, but Teddy Bridge is good enough to keep it close. 7 points feels like a lot for a Saints team who – whilst coming off a bye – are missing their top two WRs to injury and the COVID-list. I expect a heavy dose of Alvin Kamara and Mike Davis respectively. Tight game, Saints win, Panthers cover the 7 points. 

Cowboys -1.0

See above… this line feels fraudulent. The Cowboys comeback story arc starts here. 

Bills -10.0

Yuuuuuuup, it’s a lot of points. How many did the Jets lose by last week? 24!? 24 to 0!? Against the Dolphins!? Okay, ha, yeah, definitely Bills -10.0.

Patriots -2.0

Bill is angry. Cam is angry. Stephon is angry. The whole of Boston is angry. The Patriots conspired to lose a game where their opposition didn’t score a Touchdown… HUUUUUH!? Yup. Somehow, that’s what happened. But this is the perfect bounce back game. Bill gets to shut down the guy he traded away. I don’t believe Jimmy G is good enough to beat the team who had earmarked him as the heir to TB12. They traded him for a reason. Shanahan will have some plans cooked up, but I think the Niners are still too injury ravaged to hand the Patriots another loss. 

£10 on this parlay pays about £235 depending on your bookmaker.

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The Full English (Season Record: 9-5)

Bills vs Jets – Bills

Panthers vs Saints – Saints

Browns vs Bengals – Browns

Washington vs Cowboys – Cowboys

Lions vs Falcons – Falcons

Packers vs Texans – Packers

Steelers vs Titans – Steelers (But this is such a toss up, won’t be at all surprised if Tennessee win)

Buccaneers vs Raiders – Buccaneers (piss off please Covid… I want to watch this game)

Jaguars vs Chargers – Chargers

Chiefs vs Broncos – Chiefs

49ers vs Patriots – Patriots

Seahawks vs Cardinals – Seahawks

Bears vs Rams – Rams 

Enjoy your week 7! As ever, I’m @callumjdsquires on Twitter & Instagram. Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see me discuss or suggest picks for… Come chat and tell me why I’m wrong and your team is going to win this week. Jets fans need not contact me. Cheers.

All lines accurate as of 11pm Friday.

-Callum Squires is a British writer and former college athlete in America

Week 7 Preview

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Fire up those ears, it’s time for another burning NFL podcast! Wade & Ryan are back on the mike, breaking down all of the week 6 games, as well as making their top picks for week 7 in the NFL. Are you ready for some football?

Week 6 was an emotional week. Ryan watched his Bills get absolutely man-handled by the Chiefs, Aaron Rodgers threw a hissy fit, and Wade’s Bears moved up the ladder to first place in the NFC North.
Week 7 brings with it some potential drama, as some of the top teams could see more losses, while some of the losers look to sink further into the duvet of the season.

Here are some of the top takes from the podcast. Of course, just listen to the whole thing to get the best tips.

Browns (4-2) vs Bengals (1-4-1)
Browns -3.5  +51

The Browns showed up strong, now they are starting to look like a growing stain on the khakis of the league. Baker is regressing week on week, while OBJ continues to chase the skeletons in his personal closet.
Joe Burrow on the other hand has shown some streaks of goodness, despite blowing a big lead last week.
Ryan thinks that the Browns will right the ship, but Wade sees the locker room drama spilling over to this week.
Ryan- Browns 27 Bengals 24
Wade- Bengals 28 Browns 26

Cowboys (2-4) vs Washington (1-5)
Cowboys -2  +47

The crack heard round the league has caught up with Dallas, as Andy Dalton can barely fill the shoes and legs of his predecessor. Dallas has a horrible O-line, and there won’t be any way of plugging it up this season. How can they be this bad with so many offensive weapons.
Washington might suck, but their fast front D has been keeping them in some games. Kyle Allen has looked unsteady, especially with only McLaurin as his only real target.
Ryan figures that this is the game where the ‘Boys can turn it around, but Wade thinks this slide isn’t over.
Ryan- Cowboys 27 Washington 20
Wade- Washington 24 Dallas 20

Steelers (5-0) vs Titans (5-0)
Steelers -1  +52

One of these teams will have their first loss of the season after this game, but who is it going to be? The Titans lost Taylor Lewan for the season, which means Henry and Tannehill have lost one of the best blockers in the league. The Steelers defence continues to punish, tossing aside the poor Browns last week in easy fashion.
Ryan and Wade both like the Steelers here, although you can never count out the Titans, who have made easy work out of some of the top teams this year.
Ryan- Steelers 24 Titans 20
Wade- Steelers 30 Titans 28

Chiefs (5-1) vs Broncos (2-3)
Chiefs -9.5  +48

Kansas City is hot off a win over the Bills in week 6, while the Broncos are smiling after an easy win over Cam & the Patriots. The Chiefs have had a few tough games in a row, so they will be looking for a solid win in week 7. The Broncos must be exhausted after that messy win against Bill Belichick last week, throwing everything that they had at the Patriots, although most of it was field goals.
Ryan & Wade both see the Chiefs winning this one, with Ryan calling a bit of a blow-out, and Wade thinking that the Broncos overing once KC takes its foot off of the gas.
Ryan- Chiefs 34 Broncos 24
Wade- Chiefs 28 Broncos 21

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DraftKings Week 6

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Who had Claypool in Week 5 in DraftKings? The Canadian sensation celebrated Canuck Thanksgiving with a bounty of 4 exceptional touchdowns. Did you have him in your fantasy? Neither did I.
Here are some of the picks I have in store for week 6 in the NFL.

QBs

Ryan Fitzpatrick $5900

Are you mad Wade? Taking Fitzmagic as a DK starter? Well, he is playing the Jets, and after the points he dumped on San Fran last week, I like his momentum at home. Fitzpatrick has been having fun this season, and you can see it in the way Flores makes his plays. The Jets are trash, and the Dolphins should have some fun here.

Kirk Cousins $6100

You like that? Not so much, I mean the Vikings have really struggled this year, but their ship will come in this week as they host the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has been a defensive mess this season, allowing more points than a drunken fencer. I like matching Cousins with the Thielen for maximum points.

RBs

David Montgomery $5800

Montgomery hasn’t really had much of a break out this season, as the Bears haven’t really racked up too many points. That could change Sunday, as the Bears visit the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have allowed 133 rushing yards per game, which will only get worse this week. Hopefully they use him more in the slot option, rather than trying to bum rush Patterson for short gains.

Alexander Mattison $7200

He’s pretty pricey considering that it’s his first start as RB1, but the Vikings are facing the Falcons who struggle to contain the rush all season. Mattison will see loads of carries, and should gash the Falcons worse than 2020 has devastated the sports bar industry. I like him for at least 2 TDs.

DeVante Parker $6300

Miami is playing New York Jets, this game is going to be score-ific. Parker is the fave target of Fitzpatrick and he will easily find open holes in the Jets D. Loads of yards and maybe a few TDs to boot. Can’t go wrong for $6300.

WRs

Adam Thielen $7300

Stealin’ Thielen will look for loads of yards today as Hot-Lanta will be a steaming dump of hot on Sunday to control him. Atlanta sucks, and his pairing with Cousins will give you plenty o’points in this contest. ‘Contest’ is a funny word, since this game looks to be anything but.

Kenny Golladay $6200

Jacksonville has been falling apart as of late, as Minshew struggles anytime he doesn’t have a healthy Chark Jr. at his disposal. Gollday is Stafford’s favourite man, an he will see plenty of passes against a Jacksonville secondary who gushes zone coverage. He’s a good value for the number 1 receiver in this game.

DeVante Parker $6300

Miami is playing New York Jets, this game is going to be score-ific. Parker is the fave target of Fitzpatrick and he will easily find open holes in the Jets D. Loads of yards and maybe a few TDs to boot. Can’t go wrong for $6300.

TEs

Evan Engram $4900

Pretty much the only guy that Daniel Jones can hit on the field since he barely goes further than 8 yards a play. Engram is also the only player that can actually catch, so he is useful in short yardage. The Giants have proven they can score, they just can’t win.

Robert Tonyan $5100

Tonyan exploded 2 weeks ago for 3 touchdowns, so it’s unlikely he will match those highs, but he should be able to snag at least a TD. Rodgers will target RT often, which will also add to your point tally on the day.

DEF

Dolphins $2900

They’re playing the Jets. Last week the Miami D picked off Jimmy G so much, they pulled him from the game. Joe Flacco won’t have much success against this squad who are pumped up from recent victories, including the beat down from last week.

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Kevin Cadle

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It’s been 3 years since we lost ‘Ma Man’ Kevin Cadle, and the UK sports broadcasting scene still has a gaping hole in talent from his passing. We really miss you dude.

I first saw Kev hosting sports on Sky, and I thought ‘wow, this guy is actually really good.’
Having moved to London from North America, I was struck at generally how bereft the UK scene was for quality sportscasters. Flipping through Channel 5, BBC and Sky Sports the presenters not only seemed like that they had no experience or personality or presence, but they also seemed to be responsible for their own wardrobe.
One pundit on C5 was so bad, my friends and I would tune in just to watch the train wreck unfold. He was a pretty obese guy with a penchant for wearing tight purple sweaters, we nicknamed ‘Grimace’.
Kevin Cadle stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Literally.
Kevin was always well dressed, dapper, and could helm a show as a proper presenter.

The more I got to know Kev, the more I was drawn into his aura. He epitomised cool, and his relaxed demeanour on screen was just as chill when you were having a drink with him.
This made him a ‘star’ in the UK, as fans genuinely gravitated towards him, because he was the man who helped them not only learn about North American sports, but love them.

One would think that this ‘fame’ would feed his ego as it did to several Sky Sports presenters, but it did quite the opposite. It made him appreciate the love from the UK, and he would spend hours talking to everyone who approached them, giving them his full attention and flashing that wonderful smile that charmed us all.
His laugh was something that could rip across a room, and as a comedian it gave me great pleasure in unleashing it in public. When he laughed, people looked (and usually laughed as well).

Few Sky Sports viewers knew just how famous Kevin Cadle was. Not only was he the most successful UK basketball coach in the history of the sport here, he is also recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for his time coaching the Kingston Kings in the late 80s, early 90s.
Basketball might have been his jam, but he certainly knew how to butter up every other sport with a thoughtful and balanced voice of a true journalist.

Like many UK sports fans I was shocked when his role on Sky Sports was continually relegated. From watching him as the main host to being shuttered to the sidelines, or even worse reporting from empty bars under the auspices that he was the man on the street.
Several times Kevin would text me asking if I could send some fans down to the bar in focus that week as it was ‘dead-ass’. Of course I did, as I couldn’t stand the thought of such a respectable man being disrespected.
I wasn’t alone in this feeling, as all you had to do was pop onto social media to see a flurry of hashtags wondering where Kevin was.

When Kev was eventually replaced by different flavours willing to trek out to Osterley, fans across the UK felt like a family member was missing from the dinner table.
I pushed the Hippodrome to bring him down for appearances during Sunday nights, convincing them that his presence would spur on the fans that came down to watch the games.
Boy was I right!
Upon entering the theatre in the casino, all eyes turned to the big man, as did the whispers. Then the chants came ‘Kev! Kev! Kev’, he waved to the fans and happily acknowledged the genuine love in the room.
Not only that Kevin took a picture with everyone who asked. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
He would sit and talk with fans for hours about everything and anything.
Occasionally he would look up to the scores, but never took his focus off the most important person in the room, the person talking with him.

Once Kevin was eventually led out to pasture by Sky, I made it my mission to get him back on the telly.
Not only was Kev a British sporting icon, but sports fans really missed him on their screens.
UK television commissioners were less enthused however, citing a lack of ‘passion for American sports’ Kevin’s age, and alternatively suggesting younger, female presenters whose only media experience came from reality TV.
Undeterred, I continued pitching the show until we got some solid interest to develop a program in September 2017.
Sadly Kevin Cadle passed on October 16, 2017.

In November 2017 we hosted ‘Kev-Giving’ at the casino, honouring Kevin and giving thanks to him for all that he gave to us as British sports fans.
His family said a few words, some fans shed tears, and the casino raised money for his family in this time of need.

It’s been three years since his passing, and every year as the NFL season starts I think about him and what life would like here if we still had him in our lives.
He brought smiles to all UK sports fans, and enriched our viewing experiences with class, dignity and a huge beaming smile.

I miss my friend, and I’m angry with the way he was treated by the British entertainment industry.
But I also know that Kevin wouldn’t want me to be angry, he would want us all to remember the joy he brought us every time the camera light flicked on.
He will always be ‘Ma Man’, and we will always be his.

‘Never accept good over best’-Kevin Michael Cadle

-Wade McElwain is a comedian, TV producer and host of NFL in London live.