$.01-- The long and winding road of Josh Gordon has taken yet another dramatic fork, and this time it might be the final death blow to his star-crossed career.

The Cleveland Browns announced on Saturday they are going to release the talented but heavily troubled wideout. This came hours after they surprisingly announced Gordon was ruled out for the team’s game with the Saints with a hamstring injury, apparently suffered in a promotional photo shoot per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

I can verify reports from Saturday night that Gordon showed up late to Browns headquarters and did not acceptably explain his hamstring issue. For the Browns and GM John Dorsey, it was enough to signal the end.

There will be intense speculation about a relapse into substance abuse. I sincerely hope that’s not the case. Even so, the Browns made the right decision.

The Browns gave Gordon an incredible amount of support over the years. With very little on-field reward for their risk in keeping him on the payroll through numerous drug suspensions (far more than just marijuana, too), the Browns stayed faithful to the glimmer of hope Gordon could somehow recapture the magic that was his 2013 season. In the five seasons since, Gordon caught 43 passes of the 92 passes thrown his way while missing two full seasons and most of two others with various suspensions.

Cleveland could take no more. Their admirable trust and dedication to helping Gordon conquer his personal demons ran out. Most organizations would have cut bait long ago. His 2018 Browns season concludes with 1 catch, an incredible TD plucked over a Steelers defender in Week 1. 

This needs to be Gordon’s final strike. If the Browns, who had gone so far above and beyond what is rational in trying to help Gordon help himself, to keep the faith and offer him the incentive to get his troubled life together, if they could no longer trust in Gordon, no other team should even try. It’s a sad ending to what Gordon could have made a very good story of redemption and dedication. Here’s where the story ends on Sundays for Josh Gordon. 

$.02-- Kansas City’s controversial decision to jettison longtime quality starter Alex Smith for young upstart Patrick Mahomes at quarterback is not looking so controversial anymore. On a day where Smith couldn’t guide his new team in Washington to a single TD despite throwing 46 passes in the Skins 21-9 humbling by Indianapolis, Mahomes posted one of the most exciting games any QB will have all year.

Mahomes completed 23 of his 28 passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers, netting 328 yards and 6 TDs. That’s right, 6 touchdown passes. The Chiefs needed every one of them to hang on and beat the Steelers, 42-37, after racing out to a 21-0 lead.

Mahomes set the NFL record for the most TD passes by any QB in the first two games of any season with 10. He’s yet to throw an interception. Not bad for an unconventional gunslinger who many fans didn’t think was worthy of a third-round pick, let alone trading way up in the first in 2017.

He’s got a lot of help and potent weaponry at his disposal. Sometimes that can paralyze or overload a young QB, but not Mahomes. Coach Andy Reid does a great job of creating opportunities and playing to the strengths of his most talented players. Mahomes is already proving he can thrive in the offense after just three starts.

Pittsburgh rallied behind Ben Roethlisberger and his 452 passing yards and 3 TDs, but it was too little too late. The Steel Curtain defense is more like a jerry-rigged vertical blind made from transparent toilet paper, particularly in the red zone. While they did notch a safety on Kareem Hunt, for the second week in a row Pittsburgh couldn’t even play a speed bump at the other end of the field. Now 0-1-1 and with Le’Veon Bell still defiantly holding out, the Steelers are in real peril of falling too far behind in the AFC playoff chase if the defense doesn’t improve quickly. 

$.03--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have an interesting decision to make when starting QB Jameis Winston returns from suspension after Week 3. In his league-mandated absence, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick has emerged as the potential player of the month in leading the Bucs to a surprising 2-0 record.

Through the two games, the well-traveled journeyman has racked up the league’s best QB rating. His stat line seems like he’s playing Madden at too low of a difficulty level:

48-for-61, 819 yards, 13.5 YPA, 8 TDs, 1 INT, 2 sacks, QB Rating of 151.5 

When you play that well, you can look like this at your postgame press conference after knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 27-21...

Fitzpatrick has had these periodic hiccups of staggering greatness before, but the 35-year-old Harvard man has never sustained it this long. Should he come even close to keeping this up when Tampa Bay hosts Pittsburgh, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter cannot sit him for Jameis. It would be a nice problem for Koetter to have, of course.

$.04--We finally got an entertaining game on Thursday Night Football. The Bengals prevailed over the Ravens, 34-23. 

If you’re a Baltimore fan it might not have been so entertaining watching the host Bengals cruise out to a 21-0 lead. The Ravens had no answer for A.J. Green, who caught 3 TDs in the first half. Baltimore clawed back impressively behind Alex Collins and John Brown before Joe Flacco’s late fumble sealed the loss. 

Flacco had a lot to do with his team’s loss. Cincinnati’s defense is sharp and opportunistic, and they took full advantage of Flacco’s special brand of “elite”. The Ravens QB missed open receivers with throws from a clean pocket. He missed seeing others entirely. His 376 yards and 2 TDs look great for fantasy owners, but the 2 INTs and critical fumble told the complete story. His offensive line must do a better job, too.

Andy Dalton had no such problems. The Red Rifle launched 4 TD passes and protected the ball smartly. He took what the Ravens top-heavy defense gave him and challenged when he saw an advantageous matchup. There was no question he was the better quarterback in this one. He also got more consistent protection even with his starting center leaving early; Dalton was not sacked

It was a potentially costly loss for the Bengals. RB Joe Mixon, quietly tearing it up in his second season, got hurt and will be out for a couple of weeks. Rookie center Billy Price and veteran DE Michael Johnson also left with injuries. Cincinnati doesn’t have the breadth of depth to suffer casualties to many starters, let alone two of the most important players on the offense. That’s also why this divisional win was so critical for the 2-0 Bengals.

$.05--Week 2 was a fantastic week if you’re the agent of an out-of-work NFL kicker. There should be at least a couple job openings coming very soon, perhaps before you read this… 

One should be in Cleveland, where the Browns are 0-1-1 instead of 2-0 thanks to Zane Gonzalez. One week after having his potential game-winner blocked by Pittsburgh, Gonzalez missed two field goals and two extra points. Had any of his final three misses been on target, the Browns would have won in New Orleans. 

Meanwhile in Green Bay, Vikings kicker Andrew Carlson missed three field goals. Carlson yakked on a potential game-winner on the first drive of overtime. He missed again later, pushing a 35-yarder wide right as overtime expired. That left the NFC North rivals tied in both the game and the standings at 1-0-1.

Two of the NFL’s 10 most accurate field goal kickers are current free agents. Dan Bailey is No. 2 on the list. The Cowboys shockingly dumped him after the preseason to get cheaper at the position. His health is a question, however. No. 8 on the list is Kai Forbath, who doesn’t have great range but is money inside 45 yards. Cairo Santos and Giorgio Tavecchio are both worthy of extended tryouts, too.

$.06-- College games don’t normally infringe upon the first few cents, but the instant classic that was Ohio State vs. TCU merits an exception. The Buckeyes prevailed in AT&T Stadium, 40-28, in a captivating and exciting game.

The third quarter was one of the most entertaining back-and-forths I’ve seen in years. The teams combined for 34 points, including a pick-six by the Buckeyes and a phenomenal 51-yard TD strike from Shawn Robinson to TreVontae Hights for the Frogs. 

There were big hits to go with every big play. TCU matched Ohio State’s speed but couldn’t quite hang with the depth of Buckeye playmakers on both sides of the ball. Ohio State persevered after losing DE Nick Bosa, who departed with a groin injury. Before he left, Bosa created a TD with a strip sack and solidified his position as a potential No. 1 overall pick and likely Heisman Trophy finalist...presuming he’s able to play once B1G conference play resumes for the Buckeyes in two weeks. 

I don’t typically watch college football for entertainment value. It’s too hard to take off the draft evaluation hat. This game was a very pleasant exception. The Frogs proved a worthy foe for the Buckeyes. I’m sure I’ll get that sentiment repeated when I watch the game again for draft purposes. 

$.07-- The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed the 102 modern era nominees for the class of 2019.

The headline is always the players who are eligible for the first time, and this year is no exception. Tony Gonzalez and Ed Reed are locks for enshrinement, perhaps as first-year nominees. Gonzalez is the most prolific tight end in NFL history and was extremely well-liked by the media even before he joined our ranks. Reed is the best safety of the 2000s and, for my money, one of the 3 most impactful players ever at his position.

I expect both to make it right away in part because the rest of the nominated class is underwhelming from a historical perspective. There are some worthy players, no doubt. Steve Hutchinson and Edgerrin James should both make it this year, though there could be a great debate between Hutchinson and Alan Faneca and only one interior OL will get in. On the coaching front (they’re lumped in with the players), Dick Vermeil and Jimmy Johnson are the most intriguing candidates. Expect both to make the cut to 25 when the committee whittles down the semifinalists in November. 

Other first-year nominees who eventually belong in Canton are Champ Bailey and London Fletcher. I’m admittedly selling Bailey a little short as a viable first-year candidate. He’s infinitely more qualified than some of his nominated peers, notably Thomas Everett, Jeff Garcia and Chris Warren.

I’m going to once again lobby hard for Clay Matthews to finally join his brother, Bruce, in the Hall. His multi-decade longevity of being consistently above-average would have had him in Cooperstown long ago if Matthews had played baseball. Gil Brandt should be a shoe-in from the contributor category. Aside from building the Cowboys into America’s team in the 1960s and 70s, he’s the aptly titled Godfather of the NFL Draft.

$.08--NFL quickies

--The best part of Thursday Night Football was hearing Michael Irvin ignorantly diss Steve Smith, who was sitting right next to him on the broadcast set. Irvin declared Joe Flacco had never had a good receiver. Smith, who played for the Ravens from 2014-16, was rightly miffed and fired back at Irvin.

--How bad are the Buffalo Bills? Starting CB Vontae Davis quit at halftime of their 31-20 loss to the Chargers rather than continue to play through the misery. The Bills were down 28-6 at the half after losing 47-3 in Week 1. Davis stripped off his uniform, put on his clothes and walked out of the stadium. He tweeted out his retirement shortly thereafter. 

--Something pretty cool from the other side of the world: the NFL held open tryouts in New Zealand. The goal for the players who thrive is a full-ride trip to train at IMG in Florida and hope to latch onto the league. It’s a pipeline worth exploring; remember the influx of Samoans in the 1980s? 

--The Seahawks play Chicago on Monday night. Thanks to mass injuries and player movement, just three players who were on Seattle’s Super Bowl team of 2013 will be on the field against Chicago: Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas and J.R. Sweezy (h/t Alistair Corp) If you think this Seahawks team is still a prime contender, it’s time to ask yourself: name 10 Seahawks. Doesn’t mean they’re bad, just not at all the same team fans have come to know and expect. 

--My friend Ben makes a compelling argument here…

--Saints WR Michael Thomas has more catches in the first 33 games of a career than any other player in NFL history. After 16 in Week 1, Thomas proved his “Can’t Guard Mike” moniker is legit with 12 more catches (on 13 targets), scoring twice. He’s on pace for more than 200 receptions. As you might guess, that would be a record, too.

--My Lions are 0-2 after another subpar outing from QB Matthew Stafford and some of the worst run defense I can recall from an NFL team. Rookie head coach Matt Patricia’s team played better than they did in losing 48-17 to the Jets. But the 30-27 loss in San Francisco to an underwhelming, banged-up 49ers team is not good enough to quiet the cacophonous mob already demanding blood. 

$.09--College/draft quickies 

--Troy went into Nebraska and put a hurting on Scott Frost and the Cornhuskers. The unheralded Trojans prevailed in Lincoln 24-19. Perhaps we should have seen this coming. Last year Troy beat a better LSU team than this rebuilding Nebraska squad. Frost is now winless at his alma mater and the honeymoon appears over already. 

--I haven’t seen a single play, not even a highlight yet, but Alabama blistering Ole Miss 62-7 definitely raises an eyebrow. I thought the Rebels had a chance to keep that game interesting.

--Kansas won consecutive games against FBS opponents for the first time since 2009 by pounding Rutgers 55-14. The Jayhawks capitalized on 6 Rutgers giveaways, including two pick-sixes. It’s a great win to pound a B1G foe, though it calls to question even more how this Jayhawks team lost to Nicholls State this year. 

--In keeping with the theme of the Big Ten losing badly:

Akron stunned Northwestern, the Zips first win over a Big Ten team since 1903

BYU prevailed at Wisconsin thanks to a missed Badgers FG as time expired

Temple walloped Maryland by 21

USF pushed Lovie Smith that much closer to being fired by Illinois

Missouri kept Purdue winless 

That’s 7 B1G team losing on Saturday. Somehow those seven only represent half of the Big Ten...can we either get a rebrand or relegate Rutgers and Purdue to the MAC for football?

--The Chip Kelly era at UCLA is off to a brutal 0-3 start. The Bruins lost at home to Fresno State, 38-14. There’s a decent chance they will start 0-6 with road trips to improved Colorado and Cal squads sandwiched around a home date with No. 10 Washington.

$.10--My deepest thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by Hurricane Florence and the associated flooding. As with Harvey in Houston last year, the devastating water damage is striking friends and family with a ruthless disregard for man’s futile attempts to hold back nature.

There is no need for the media to exaggerate the damage and impact. Sensationalizing tragic events for personal exploitative purposes is as shameful of an act as there is, and both the Weather Channel and CNN were caught red-handed at doing just that. TWC’s Mike Seidel overacting to the wind looks asinine when the camera pans out wider and two dudes are taking an easy stroll some 20 feet away. Anderson Cooper jumping in a swollen ditch while his camera crew stands feet away on dry land is precisely the sort of fabricated Fake News our president accuses that network of on an hourly basis. 

It’s stupid and shameful stunt. It’s wholly unnecessary. Even worse, it takes away the credibility of those whose lives have been ruined by the very real damage. Coming home from a mandatory evacuation and finding a 60-foot tree in your living room, your walls caked in mud above the light switches and everything you couldn’t fit in your fast evac kit hopelessly destroyed is horrible. When folks won’t believe that really happened to you, as has happened to a good friend of mine in the Houston area after Harvey, because of pointless and shameful stunts like those perpetuated by The Weather Channel and CNN, there just aren’t printable words to describe how infuriating that is. It’s really not that hard to just truthfully do your job.