The Big Story – Thanksgiving: It’s Turkey Day, which means we’ll be thankful for things that happened during the sports year, which we’ll get to in Final Thoughts. It also means this was written before the Patriots were in Cincinnati Sunday afternoon. My biggest prediction for that was that the Pats win and, despite the denials, I’m betting Joe Burrows started his first game since Week 2. On to face the dastardly G-Men Sunday.
Sports 101: Name the only two quarterbacks to lead two different professional football leagues in passing.
News Item – 2025 Patriots After 10 Games:
Key Stat – Drake Maye: He is completing 72% of his passes and led all quarterbacks who’ve played 10 games in QB rating.
Improvement – Defense: It allowed the fewest rushing yards per game after 10 weeks. And no one has gotten even 60 yards.
Backslide – O-Line: Going into the Bengals game the 38 sacks allowed were the second most in the NFL.
Game Ball – The T-E-A-M: They don’t have close to the talent the 2007 team had, but incredibly they were not far off from being undefeated.
News Item – Most Young QB’s Need Time to Develop: One of the more interesting stories is how some who were once thought to be “highly drafted bust QB’s,” from Baker Mayfield to Sam Darnold to Mac Jones, have un-busted in their new homes, reminding all it usually takes time for young QB’s to develop. In particular is the vaunted 2021 draft class where five QB’s were taken in the first 15 picks, with mixed results.
A Little Recent History – 2020 Draft Update – The QB Class: It was supposed to be one of the best in history. But now it’s in the running for one of the worst ever. Five years in, here’s where it stands.
Trevor Lawrence – First Overall: Still in Jacksonville, but with a 28-42 record and one playoff appearance he’s been completely underwhelming in all but one year. Though he did make it to his second contract and the really big money.
Brett Wilson – Second Overall: A complete disaster in Jetland on the heels of the Darnold and Mark Sanchez disasters. Now on his third team, this time with Miami.
Trey Lance – Third Overall: Missed most of Year 1 with an injury and didn’t even make it to the end of his second training camp before being traded. Now in Dallas competing for the backup spot with Joe Milton after the Patriots stupidly traded him.
Justin Fields – 11th: A very good athlete and runner. But he’s on the outs with his third team, where he just got benched as the Jets continue searching for Joe Namath’s replacement.
Mac Jones – 15th: Dumped by NE after one good year and two bad ones. Now on his third team, and in going 5-3 while completing 69.6% of his passes filling in for Brock Purdy in 2025, is he just better, or finally playing with the right coach/system? I think the latter.
The Numbers:
4 – NFL punters averaging over the unheard-of 50 yards per kick, led by Cincy’s Ryan Rehkow’s astonishing 53.7. And three more are over 49.0.
15 – thanks to the five he got on Maye and the Pats, the league-leading sack total by Cleveland behemoth Myles Garrett.
15.7 – third best in the league punt return average by Pats DB Marcus Jones.
Sports 101 Answer: The only two QB’s to lead two different pro leagues in passing were John Hadl, who did it for San Diego in the AFL and the Rams in the NFL, and Otto Graham, who did it with the Browns in both the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) and after they joined the NFL in 1950.
Final Thought – 5 Biggest Sports Things To Be Most Thankful for in 2025
Mike Vrabel: Not sure exactly how he’s doing it. But the difference is night and day from the Jerod Mayo era.
Drake Maye: It’s a good thing Coach B and the guys he made OC his last two years completely screwed up Jones. Otherwise they probably wouldn’t have drafted a guy whose stats in his first two years are better than you-know-who’s were in his.
Roman Anthony – A Star is Born: The Sox were 32-36 when he first entered the line-up. When he went out on Sept. 2 they were 76-62. He was the difference in that 44-26 mark.
Sox Front Office Came to Life: Complain all you want about John Henry since 2019. But he traded four prospects for a Top 5 starter in Garrett Crochet and has spent half a billion dollars on players since March.For him to be totally forgiven he has to re-invest the $250 million saved in the Devers trade and more to get a real No. 2 starter and Pete Alonso to bat fourth.
Wyc Grousbeck: I know he’s out as owner, but he was an excellent one who was willing to spend when needed and cared about the Celtics’ place in the city.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.
