This is my one comment on Gruden: that great Tampa Bay defense that earned Gruden his only Super Bowl ring was built by a guy named Tony Dungy. Gruden was the lucky coach who came in, tweaked the offense a little, and beat his old team, the Raiders. In my opinion, Gruden was always an arrogant and crass know-it-all, so I'm glad he's gone.

Those who regularly read my posts have read my claim that there is not a single NFL team which is out of the playoff picture. I say this not due to win-loss records — I am looking at the fact that "on a given Sunday" (the old NFL mantra) any of the 32 teams can beat any other. Long ago, that was a Pete Rozelle goal; today, it's a reality.

There are no longer any guaranteed losers or slam-dunk winners, although I certainly see teams that are more consistent. 

Speaking of inconsistency, the Jaguars have not yet won a game because all those new moving parts can't seem to come together on one Sunday. However, the Jags, led by their electric rookie QB, are reminding us weekly that they cannot be overlooked. I hear from some fans that various lagging teams are 'toast', but very few NFL players voice that opinion — if they have already faced teams like the Jaguars, the Lions, the Giants or the Jets.

Fans are mostly just fans — they don't have the insight of an NFL player, and old prejudices about teams tend to blind people to today's realities. Unless you live in Cincinnati, Denver, Charlotte or Miami, you might be forgiven for not knowing that many former cellar-dwellers are now demanding respect. If you're still convinced that the New York (city) and Pennsylvania teams are going to rise to the top as usual, you're operating under old biases.

But I am here to bring people into the year 2021! It can be an exciting time to be a football fan — if you're one of those who revel in the rise of teams like the Chargers and the Browns — even if you don't live in LA or Cleveland.

We're now in Week Six and the Super Bowl spots are wide open, not to mention the playoffs. Last week I went 9-7 (my first week without 10 or more wins), and I will be pleased if I can keep going above .500. 

Here are my picks for the upcoming weekend.

       Away               Home                 My Pick
 
1.    Bucs                  Eagles               Bucs
2.    Dolphins            Jaguars             Dolphins
3.   Chiefs                Washington      Chiefs
4.   Rams                 Giants              Rams
5.   Texans               Colts                 Colts
6.    Bengals             Lions                 Lions
7.    Packers             Bears                 Bears
8.    Chargers           Ravens              Ravens
9.    Vikings             Panthers            Panthers
10.   Cardinals        Browns              Browns
11.   Raiders           Broncos             Broncos
12.   Cowboys        Patriots              Cowboys
13.   Seahawks      Steelers              Steelers
14.   Bills               Titans                 Bills

Make the most of your time this weekend; there are "only" 14 games!