Monday Morning 2020 NFL recap - week 4

Week 4 and COVID has struck the NFL. Like in our nation's capital, positive testing didn't stop events from happening, and Monday, players and personnel from the Tennessee Titans team went down. There was talk of postponing their game against the Steelers from Sunday to Monday or Tuesday as if COVID was a muscle strain. Has Roger Goodell been asleep since March? What happened to the CDC's 14 day quarantine period for being near anyone showing a positive result? 

But what can I expect from an organization where coaches half-ass wear masks? I mean, Vikings' coach Mike Zimmer wore a face shield and still lifted it above his head after every play. The NFL referees association wants the NFL to take action against Ravens coach John Harbaugh for lowering his mask and shouting at the ref in Monday night's game against the Chiefs. 

Friday, my NFL headline shouted about how anger over TNF's game between the Broncos and the Jets so angered Broncos coach Vic Fangio, he refused to shake Jets coach Adam Gase's hand. Tell me, why are NFL coaches shaking hands? It's bad enough the players aren't wearing masks while on the sidelines! 

Each day, another Titan fell, and Goodell sent out a letter--a sternly worded letter--to all teams reminding them of COVID. The Steelers/Titans game was rescheduled and week 4 is now their bye. Not long after that news, down went Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, followed not long after by Chiefs practice reserve quarterback Jordan Ta'amu (playing Newton during practice, cue the irony), and that game will be played in a Monday night doubleheader because thus far, no one else has tested positive. Oh, okay.

Meanwhile, a player for the Saints tested positive before Sunday even began, yet on went week 4. The NFL, like so much of our nation, has ignored science and thrown down the gantlet against COVID. No one and no thing--like a deathly virus--will stop them from playing, and playing the way they've always done with a full schedule, full roster, and full contact.

Other:

• Touchdowns were happening at a rate so quickly my head was spinning. Boom, boom, boom. Before the thirty-minute mark, Cleveland, Seattle, Detroit, Dallas, the Chargers, Carolina, Minnesota, the Bucs, the Ravens, and New Orleans had scored, with the Chargers and the Lions putting twice the points on board.
• The Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans went to the locker room after a tackle that pinned his bent leg at an odd ankle and left him writhing on the sidelines. With Chris Godwin already out due to injury, Bucs fans (and fantasy owners like myself) sighed heavily. The news obviously got to Bucs quarterback Tom Brady too because he then went out and threw a pick-six.
• But, Evans returned, and then in the fourth quarter, down went Bucs tight end O.J. Howard with an Achilles injury that we learned after the game will most likely take him out for the season. Oh, boy.
• Browns Odell Beckham Jr. was finally on fire, catching, rushing, scoring, and making superhuman plays to beat the Cowboys. Too bad he wasn't humble about it. 
• Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson went on a 50-yard rushing spree. At eleven yards to go, Jackson straight-armed the ball in triumph like a nanny, nanny, boo, boo, and about lost it when Washington's Ronald Darby came whipping through on Jackson's side. 
• The best team in the first half goes to the Browns whose defense made some great plays against the Cowboys. Smartest move? Seeing that a tackle left Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliot on a Browns player instead of the ground, and popping out the ball for a fumble.
• Vikings Harrison Smith was ejected for a helmet to helmet hit on Texan Jordan Akins. Akins was tackled by another defender, spun, his body bent when Akins came alongside him, leading with his head. A big no-no now in the NFL and Smith was immediately ejected.
• Bucs running back Kenjon Barner was hit by the Chargers Kyzier White in the head but the difference was White led with his shoulder and Barner's bent body from a tackle behind made that a helmet to helmet. Unfortunately for Barner, it knocked him out of the game (and out completely in my opinion because it sure looked like he was out completely on the ground).