To know how issues can really go from unhealthy to worse for the Giants and Jets over the past two video games of the season, as loopy as that sounds, it’s essential to revisit the 2018 NFL draft one final time. After all that’s when the Giants took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 total decide, and the Jets took Sam Darnold at No. 3, to nice fanfare for each. Neither certainly one of them performs right here any longer, perhaps you’ve heard.You higher consider Barkley is with the Eagles now, and will have an opportunity — look forward to it — in opposition to the Giants on the final Sunday of the common season to interrupt the all-time single season dashing document held, and for a very long time, by the good Eric Dickerson.
And to make the second even just a little extra painful for native soccer followers, if such a factor is even potential at this level, Barkley that day can be operating behind Mekhi Becton, whom the Jets took with the eleventh decide of the 2020 draft, a participant who has change into one of many higher proper guards within the league for the Eagles this season.
And Darnold? He’s not going to win the MVP award this season, as a result of Josh Allen should. If Allen one way or the other doesn’t, Lamar Jackson in all probability will win one other one. However Allen’s workforce is 12-3 proper now. Jackson’s workforce is 11-5. Darnold’s Vikings are 13-2 and nonetheless have their likelihood to complete with the most effective document within the NFC. Once you have a look at that Vikings document and what they’ve achieved, it’s truthful to ask how anyone has been extra helpful to his workforce this season than Darnold — who solely bought his likelihood as a result of rookie J.J. McCarthy bought damage — has been to the Vikings? Which means whether or not he’s nonetheless with the Vikings subsequent season or not, and it doesn’t matter what occurs in opposition to the Packers on Sunday.
It’s why you may make the case, and pretty simply, that there aren’t two higher tales in the entire league this season than the Barkley and Darnold. No. 2 and No. 3 from that ’18 draft. Each of them having change into the celebrities the lads who drafted them thought they might change into.
Simply someplace apart from right here.
So one of many dreariest and dismal soccer seasons we’ve ever had in New York does get much more painful earlier than the Giants and Jets are requested to cease taking part in soccer video games. As a result of you possibly can completely make the case that not solely are Barkley and Darnold two of the easiest tales within the league this season, however that they’re two of the 4 most dear gamers within the sport. Barkley of the Eagles. Darnold of the Vikings. Theirs, not ours.
By the way in which? You already know who was the primary total decide in that ‘18 draft? Baker Mayfield. He’s any person else who needed to depart his unique workforce — in his case the Browns, the Midwest model of the Giants and Jets — and make another stops earlier than discovering his solution to Tampa Bay.
Barkley had some occasions right here, he did, earlier than and after he damage his knee. Dave Gettleman is the one who took a operating again at No. 2, and talked on the time about with the ability to see Barkley carrying a kind of gold sports activities jackets they offer out in Canton to Corridor of Fame gamers, although numerous us gave him loads of warmth about that. A season just like the one Barkley has had with the Eagles doesn’t imply that’s nonetheless going to occur for him, even when he’s blessed with good well being the remainder of his profession. However he has regarded each inch a Corridor of Fame expertise in Philadelphia and, if Jalen Hurts hadn’t suffered a concussion final weekend, Barkley could be the largest motive the Eagles would possibly nonetheless be in play for finest document within the convention.
He has been that nice, and has often regarded that dominant. Only for the NFC East workforce lower than a few hours from MetLife Stadium, at Lincoln Monetary Area.
“I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia,” John Mara mentioned, and famously on “Hard Knocks.”
Now there’s a good likelihood that Mara’s nightmare about Barkley can play all the way in which out, in Philadelphia, with Mara maybe having the possibility, in particular person, to see Barkley break Dickerson’s document. You retain questioning what the underside is for the 2024-25 Giants. Perhaps that lastly is: The potential for Barkley doing it and doing it in opposition to the Giants. Nobody is sort of certain what the Giants have achieved to have the soccer gods activate them this fashion. However they certain should have achieved one thing.
After which there may be Darnold sticking it to the Jets this fashion. Sam Darnold: Lastly exhibiting you what he can do now that he’s with an actual coach in Kevin O’Connell (who as a younger quarterback as soon as was filmed being lower by the Jets on “Hard Knocks,” all the way in which again in 2010). Darnold began to learn to be a quarterback within the NFL when he was on Kyle Shanahan’s bench a 12 months in the past in San Francisco. Then he bought with the Vikings and McCarthy bought damage and the remainder is historical past, and what turned out to be historical past in a rush for him and for the Vikings.
Darnold, so you realize, doesn’t even flip 28 till subsequent June, at the moment when the Jets try to resolve whether or not or to not deliver again Aaron Rodgers, who will flip 42 about 49 weeks from now. The Jets gave up on Darnold after which they gave up on Zach Wilson and now, relying on what they resolve, could also be about to surrender on Rodgers.
For certain, nobody is aware of how the whole lot will go for the Vikings the remainder of the way in which. They’re within the heavyweight division of professional soccer this season with the Lions and the Packers. They get the Packers earlier than they get the Lions subsequent Sunday, and so so much can occur to them between now and their first playoff sport.
However Sudden Sam Darnold has occurred for them this season. No matter occurs from right here, he has quarterbacked 15 video games for his new workforce and received 13 of them, and has been the identical type of star for them that Saquon Barkley has been for the Eagles.
No. 2 in that draft. No. 3 in that draft. One going for a document. The opposite one nonetheless with a shot at finest document in his convention. In a season when their former groups have mixed to win six soccer video games in whole, and each appeared to have been eradicated from playoffs again across the autumn equinox.
How can the seasons worsen for the Giants and Jets? That is how. Saquon and Sam are. Nightmare. Simply not for them.
BRING HIM BACK FOR PETE’S SAKE, GUMBEL WAS A BROADCASTING GREAT & HART NEEDS TO LIGHTEN UP …
Uncle Steve must deliver again the bear.
Which means Mr. Alonso.
The Polar Bear himself.
Any individual requested me the opposite day if the Knicks have ever had 4 completely different gamers able to dropping 40 factors on the opposite workforce, on any given night time.
Effectively, as a matter of truth they’ve.
Willis had 40-plus video games in his profession, and so did Clyde.
So did Dave DeBusschere and Earl the Pearl.
The most effective Invoice Bradley ever did within the execs was 38.
However, man oh man, did he ever rating 58 one time for Princeton in a comfort sport within the NCAA Match.
I don’t know what’s going to occur with Brian Daboll.
However what I do know that not solely did he make it to the playoffs with Daniel Jones as his quarterback, the 2 of them even received that sport in opposition to the Vikings as soon as.
And that ain’t nothing, as unhealthy as issues have gotten since.
You already know who’s nonetheless keen on Aaron Rodgers’ cockeyed theories about vaccines?
He’s.
Greg Gumbel, who handed away the opposite day, was some of the gifted and versatile broadcasters within the historical past of sports activities tv, in a position to transfer effortlessly from studio work to play-by-play.
However greater than that, he was one of many nice gents within the historical past of that enterprise.
As a lot of a pleasure because it was watching him, it was way more of a pleasure to have recognized him.
Season 2 of “The Diplomat” was even higher than Season 1, and that’s saying a lot.
Not simply due to Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell within the leads, but in addition as a result of they introduced Allison Janney out of the bullpen for the late innings to arrange Season 3.
I really feel at this level as if I’m on top of things on Juan Soto’s suite scenario at Citi Area.
Gleyber Torres was as soon as a cornerstone of one other youth motion that by no means was for the Yankees.
Josh Hart is as a lot a glue man because the Knicks have ever had.
However he might take into consideration lightening up just a little bit on folks having observed that Mikal Bridges bought off to type of a gradual begin earlier than he turned issues round.
Hart acts as if folks need to run Bridges out of city.
Come on.
Wow, you realize it was a giant Christmas shot by Steph Curry on the finish of Warriors vs. Lakers when Steph bought a double “bang” out of Mike Breen.
“The Big Empty,” coming in January from my pal Robert Crais, is the most effective Elvis Cole-Joe Pike e-book he’s ever written.
And THAT is saying a lot.
There have been two nice occasions, really, within the historical past of the Jets, and Rex Ryan was the coach for certainly one of them.
With Mark Sanchez as his quarterback.
Is the Seahawks-Bears sport over but?
I feel I blacked out someday in the course of the third quarter.
Lastly right this moment:
An enormous-city shout-out to all those that nonetheless come to this place on Sundays, and nonetheless learn our paper.
We’re nonetheless right here.
And so are you.
Joyful New 12 months.
