Fancy Boys founder Matt Drufke doesn’t know anything about football. Lucky for him, Brandon Andreasen and Jack Baker do.
Each week, Matt emails Brandon and Jack NFL questions, they then immediately go and make fun of his lack of knowledge in a secret group chat. They then go and answer the questions. Here are those answers.
1. Let’s start off our Week 10 questions talking about Lamar Jackson, who I assume has to be the front-runner for Rookie Of The Year. There are two words I would use to describe Jackson, and the first is “exciting”. He’s such a dynamic player that he got Michael Vick trending on twitter because people were comparing the two players. However, my second word I would use is “terrifying”, because it’s hard to be a mobile quarterback in a league where 285-pound dudes are getting paid to try and remove your legs from your body. So, here’s my question: can Lamar Jackson be a successful long-term NFL player with this style, or is he just a countdown to a career-ending injury?
Brandon – First things first, he is in his second year in the NFL, so Rookie of the Year is off the table. Right now, him and Russell Wilson are front runners for MVP.
As for Lamar, there isn’t a long history of quarterbacks successfully doing what he is doing long term. Robert Griffin could have been a good test case, but his coaching staff, who were monsters, let him play a playoff game with a torn ACL and he never recovered.
Randall Cunningham had to change his style when injuries mounted. Steve Young, too. Eventually, Jackson needs to learn how to be a throwing quarterback that can be complimented by running, and not vice versa.
Jack – To be fair, you could say that about any NFL player.
I think the highest compliment you can give an NFL player is when you don’t allow your friends to play as their team in Madden because they are so unstoppable. Michael Vick in 2004 was one. Lamar Jackson in 2019 is another.
Who knows if he can stay healthy over the long haul, but we should just all enjoy his amazing runs now and hope that he’s able to stay on the field for a very long time.
2. Right behind Jackson and the Ravens in the AFC North are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are in the middle of what could be a pretty impressive turn-around. Since an 0-3 start, the Black & Yellow have gone 5-1 and are looking pretty tough. Why did Pittsburgh start so badly, and why do they look so good now?
Brandon – Sing it from the rooftops. SCHEDULE!! SCHEDULE!!! SCHEEEEEDUUULLLLEEE!!!!
Two of their wins are the Bengals and Dolphins. They beat the Chargers as the Chargers were bottoming out. They beat the Colts when Jacoby Brissett went down with injury. And they beat a Rams team that might have serious issues.
The crazy thing is, they will be expected to win every game until they play the Ravens to end the regular season, and that could, somehow, be for the division.
Jack – They got off to a horrible start because they lost their starting QB/#1 rapist in the first week of the season.
They look great now because Mason Rudolph has been okay and Minkah Fitzpatrick has celebrated his freedom from the Dolphins by becoming a turnover machine.
3. This was a week of big upsets, as the Browns beat the Bills, the Titans won against the Chiefs, the Dolphins took care of the Colts, and the Falcons bested the Saints. Of the bad teams who all won on Sunday, who is the best? And of the good teams who got upset, who is the worst?
Brandon-The Titans might be a playoff team which..whatever. They have a good enough defense to keep them in most games and got better the moment they benched Marcus Mariota which shouldn’t be shocking.
The Colts are in deep trouble if Jacoby Brissett is injured and they have nobody to blame but themselves for bringing in Brian Hoyer as a backup.
The correct answer though, is the Bills. That is a terrible offense that can’t bail their defense out at all. They were 6-1, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they end 8-8.
Jack – The Titans are a bad football team who plays every Thursday night and somehow ends up at 9-7 and competing for a playoff berth every season. This year will probably be no different.
The Bills are a bad football time that gets 2 games against the Dolphins, 2 more against the Jets, and games against the garbage fire that is the NFC East. They have played a bad schedule and have benefited greatly.
4. Let’s end by talking about the Bengals, something that I don’t think even people in Cincinnati want to do. What team is left that the Bengals have a chance of beating, or are they going to go winless?
Brandon – The Bengals still have the Dolphins and Jets, who are bad enough to lose every week. Cincy should thank their lucky stars that this season broke like it did. There are two franchise QBs in the upcoming draft, with both on display Saturday in Tuscaloosa. If the Bengals play their cards right, they will have their pick of either.
Jack – The only teams they should be able to beat are the Jets. I think the Dolphins are too good at this point and playing pretty good football over the last four weeks. I really think they’re going winless. They somehow found a QB worse than Andy Dalton and I don’t really see how things get better for them. Although the Falcons just took it to the Saints so the Bengals will probably blow out the Patriots in December.
Fancy Boys Club 