Here we go again.
It’s Saturday morning, and we still don’t know for certain whether or not the Broncos are playing a game against the Patriots this weekend. Sound familiar?
It wouldn’t be so ridiculous if it hadn’t been so easily avoidable in the first place.
Which brings the Grading the Week staff to…
Roger Goodell — C-
Because the NFL is the NFL, and it needs to project strength at all times, the league powers that be decided to release the 2020 schedule in early May — well before the NHL, MLB or NBA announced schedules of their own that preceded the NFL’s September start by weeks.
Commissioner Roger Goodell was given the gift of time, and instead of using it to inform his decision on how the league constructed its season played amid a global pandemic, he opted to flex his muscles.
How’s that working out, Rog?
Had Goodell simply waited until July or early August to finalize a schedule, he would’ve seen what happened with MLB’s stop-and-start season. At that point, it would’ve been abundantly clear that the most prudent thing to do was stretch out the regular season by two or three extra weeks and give teams multiple byes for added flexibility.
Thanks to the NFL’s unnecessary show of strength, however, the Broncos have already spent their lone bye week a month-and-a-half into the season. All wiggle room has been lost, and when an opponent like the Patriots has someone test positive for COVID-19 the week of a game, it puts the Broncos in an unfair position of having to bend over backwards to accommodate them.
While Goodell and the NFL deserve ample credit for an overall successful launch to its season, it must also be dinged for failing to plan for the foreseeable speed bumps the virus would lay at its feet.
Tyler Matzek — A
After a very public battle with anxiety (aka, “the yips”) prematurely ended a promising career in Colorado four years ago, the 2009 first-round pick is once again giving Rockies fans something to cheer.
In six postseason appearances for Atlanta this month, the left-handed reliever has allowed just one run while striking out 13 over 7 2/3 innings pitched. That includes a pair of scoreless stints (3.0 innings total) in Braves victories in Games 2 and 4 over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. (His first earned run came Friday night in Game 5).
Granted, it isn’t the same as the left-hander delivering Colorado some Rocktober success. But who doesn’t enjoy a little Dodger schadenfreude with their pumpkin spice latte?
Melvin Gordon — F
What not to do as the “new guy” who received a big, fat contract ahead of a popular, underpaid incumbent:
Publicly embarrass the employer who gave you all that money by (allegedly) treating Denver’s Speer Boulevard like the backstretch of the Brickyard after (allegedly) consuming an adult beverage or two (or three?).
Not going to win a lot of fans over with the one, Mr. Gordon.
Phillip Lindsay can’t get healthy fast enough.
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