The Snyder Cut | Bringing Function To The Dysfunctional | A M20 Alternate Universe

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Week 13, 2020

Perfection Ruined, Steelers Fall In OT

Pittsburgh, PA - The undefeated Steelers bid for perfection ended this past Sunday at the hands of the lowly Football Team. Early miscommunications and poor special teams play gave Washington a quick 13 - 0 lead in the 1st. The Steelers in the 2nd but gave up two more scores and trailed 27-17 at the break. Pittsburgh would eventually tie the game late and have a chance to take the lead with 30 seconds to play, but Boswell's 54-yard attempt went wide left. Washington one the toss in OT and three plays into the extra quarter Peyton Barber found a hole and hosed it from 67-yards out for the walk-off win.

Speaking of Barber, his breakout season continues with another big performance. Him and rookie Zack Moss had 107 and 103 yards after four quarters of play. Barber's winning run pushed him to 174 yards on the day and two scores. Moss finished with a score himself. Rookie QB Tyler Huntley had a forgettable outing, going 12/20 for 84 yards with a touchdown and pick. He didn't do much on the day, but did enough not lose it for Washington.

After back-to-back wins the Washington Football Team fans will have to move on from dreams of drafting Trevor Lawrence, as that race has now come down to the Jets and Jaguars. Quarterback is still on the table for the team, but with the likelihood of picking 3rd, at best, in next year's draft, is there a signal caller worth that price?

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Week 14, 2020

Stiff Defends Keeps Washington Streak Alive

Santa Clara, CA - The Washington Football team extends its win streak to 3 games following a 20-10 victory over the 49ers. Mullens out-dueled Huntley, but in a match up of uninspired QB play, that's not saying much. The Football Team QB threw for just 87 yards, with a touchdown strike to McLaurin and also an interception. He did add a rushing touchdown early in the first half to give Washington its first lead. Zack Moss led the way on the ground, rushing for 100 yards on the dot.

However, for the first time in what feels like forever, the Washington defense took center stage in this contest. Mullens was sucked 5 times, hurried endlessly, and picked off in the end zone late to sniff out any comeback attempt. The special teams also joined the fun, blocking a punt in the 3rd, the units second block in consecutive weeks.

With just three games left, the Football Team looks to be finally finding its rhythm. The Cowboys lead the division at 7-6, giving some fans hope that the Football Team can still make the playoffs in a down year in the NFC East.

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Week 15, 2020

Washington Stays Hot, Upsets Seahawks

Landover, MD - Washington wins its 4th-straight game to move to 5-9 on the season with an upset win over the playoff-bound Seahawks. Tyler Huntley, who's struggled to break 100 yards passing the past couple of games, was benched after tossing two 1st-quarter interceptions. Alex Smith took over and went 7 for 10 with 134 yards passing and a touchdown. He didn't light it up, but he protected the ball and showed great deep ball touch with a 75-yard TD strike to McLaurin.

The duo of Moss and Barber continued to pound away on opposing defenses, this week with Moss collecting 111 yards and Barber 93 yards and a score. The two have become the most dangerous 1-2 punch in the league.

The biggest play of the game came at the start of the 2nd half when Greg Stroman housed the kickoff for a 100-yard return score. This put Washington ahead for the first time and the Football Team would not relinquish its lead.

Hopes remain high in Washington as the Cowboys sit at 7-7, keeping the NFC East race open for at least one more week.

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December 2020

Cuban Splits Majority Ownership With McNair

Houston, TX - In a stunning turn of events, Janice McNair will not sell off her majority ownership stake in the Texans to Anderson Financial Management, but instead will bring on billionaire invester/Mavericks owner Mark Cuban as a partner. McNair sold off 40% of her stake to Cuban, given them both joint majority ownership of the team. Much like his exploits on 'Shark Tank', Cuban swooped in at the last minute with a better offer.

What this move does is it keeps the franchise in the McNair family, but gives Cuban day-to-day control over the team. Cuban said he has ''big plans'' for the team and that it starts with a ''total change of culture and brand image.'' He also went on to add that ''I've got a lot to offer the NFL and I have a pending deal that will take this league to the next level.''

Could the Texans be the second team in two offseasons to undergo a name change? If so, what is the AFC equivalent of the Football Team? The Houston Forward Passes?

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Week 16, 2020

McCaffrey, Panthers Snap The Win Streak

Landover, MD - Christian McCaffrey could not and would not be stopped on a rainy day in Maryland that saw him rush for 175 yards with both a rushing and receiving touchdown to boot. Washington's revitalized defense, which also saw the return of Jonathan Allen, had a poor outing this time around. Alex Smith attempted a season high of 35 passes but his 236 yards and 2 interceptions didn't amount for much offensively.

Moss and Barber were held in check for most of the day, with the two accounting for only 123 yards and two scores between the two. Not a terrible day, with Barber averaging 4.5 yards per touch, but Moss' 2.2 average on 17 carries saw the rookie struggling to get back to the LOS.

The loss means that Washington is officially eliminated from the playoffs and, with just 5 wins, is still in play for a top-15 pick. Coach Penn already stated that Alex Smith's season is likely over as the team will start ''looking towards the future'' with both Huntley and Cole McDonald expected to share snaps under center next week against an Eagles squad that also has questions marks at QB.

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December 2020

Commissioner Announces New Anti-Tanking Measures

New York, NY - The final week of the NFL season is nearly upon us, and, with the top of the draft already set, Commissioner Rodger Goddell made a huge announcement Sunday morning that felt aimed directly at the Jaguars and Jets organizations, in regards to accusations of the teams tanking their seasons in order to secure the top pick in the draft. Almost a year after the league forced Dan Snyder out, the league has taken another step in the pursuit of 'righting the wrongs' with adoption of a draft lottery system, similar to what the NBA has used for years.

Details have yet to emerge about the exact details of how the lottery will work, but the aim is clear. Tanking will not be tolerated in the NFL. The league wants teams to field the best, most competitive squads it can week in and week out. For now, it looks like the Jaguars will be the last team in the common era to fully control its draft destiny.

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Week 17, 2020

Washington Trio Tops Eagles Duo

Philedelphia, PA - Alex Smith, Tyler Huntley, and Colt McDonald teamed up to go 15-19 for 171 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a pick, outplaying the combined efforts of Jalen Hurts (13-20 147 YARDS 1 TD 1 INT) and Nate Sudfeld (15-20 141 YARDS 1 TD 2 INT). The Washington quarterbacks didn’t put up the yardage, but their efficiency won out. Smith finishes the season, and perhaps his time in Washington, with a perfect passing rating in today’s game, posting a 158.3 with his 87% completions (7-8) and score.

Moss and Barber got 13 carries each with the vet outproducing the rookie by 13 yards with 64 to Moss’ 41. Both were kept out of the end zone this week. The star of today’s game was on defense, cornerback Fabian Moreau made a 102-yard pick six of Hurts to kick off the scoring. The defense would gather two more picks, and 7 sacks, to help guide the team to its 6th win of the season.

The Eagles and Football Team may have had no playoff implications, but will have huge draft ones. With the win, Washington will need to trade up if it wants to land one of the draft’s top QBs. Unfortunately, with the team slated to pick at towards the back of the top-10, the team would likely have to give up a hefty price to move up the required spots to land either the 3rd- or 4th-ranked prospect, something we’re sure Coach Penn would not be pleased about.

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Playoffs 2020-21

Siefert Tabbed As Next GM

Houston, TX - The Houston Texans have hired Larry Siefert, a highly-regarded member of the Miami front office, as the team's next GM. Siefert helped GM Chris Grier in the Dolphins rebuild, which involved trading for the very picks his new team lacks from the infamous Laremy Tunsil trade. Siefert has a long road ahead of him as his new team has a lot of wholes to fill and not many assets to work with.

Weaver Named DC

Landover, MD - Anthony Weaver, who took over as defensive coordinator for Houston when Romeo Crennel was promoted to interim head coach, has agreed to terms to be the Football Team's next DC. The former player turned linebackers coach has worked with future HOF'er JJ Watt and helped develop Jadeveon Clowney. Washington hopes that Weaver can do the same magic to help Defensive ROTY Chase Young take his play to an even higher level.

2021 Coaching Carousel Update: January

JAX (1-15) Urban Meyer (former Ohio State/Florida HC)

NYJ (2-14) Robert Saleh (SF DC)

ATL (4-12) Arthur Smith (TEN OC)

PHI (4-11-1) Nick Sirianni (IND OC)

DET (5-11) Dan Campbell (NO TE)

LAC (7-9) Brandon Staley (LAR DC)

- - - - -

HOU (4-12) Undecided

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Super Bowl Week

2021 NFL Honors Award Winners


MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers (GB)
Coach Of The Year: Kevin Stefanski (CLE)
OPOY: RB Derrick Henry (TEN)
DPOY: DT Aaron Donald (LAR)
ROTY: QB Justin Herbert (LAC)
DROY: DE Chase Young (WAS)
Comeback Player Of The Year: QB Alex Smith (WAS)







Brady Does It Again

Tampa Bay, FL - If there was any argument that Tom Brady wasn't the best to ever play the game, it's become null and void following the latest championship by the ageless quarterback. Brady not only switched teams this past offseason, he took a team that had not won a playoff game since the 2003 Super Bowl, and went on the road to win three games, then became the first team ever to win a Super Bowl on its home field. To make this run even more impressive, he defeated the Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, then beat two future hall of fame quarterbacks in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers (the 2020 league MVP), and finally capped the run off by beating the best of the younger QB generation in Patrick Mahomes.

Tampa Bay's 31-9 also proved once again that defense wins championships. But Chiefs fans shouldn't be too down after seeing their team fail to win back-to-back titles, as early odds predict a return to the Super Bowl next season, and strongs odds that they'll have a rematch with Tampa Bay in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

And Then There Were Two

Houston, TX - Houston is reportedly down to two final candidates for its next head coach, both of them offensive-minded hires. Eric Bieniemy of Kansas City and Brian Daboll of Buffalo. Both of them led explosive offenses last season and finished inside the top-5 rankings. Bieniemy seems like the likely hire if the team wants to appease Deshaun Watson, whereas going with Daboll brings familiarity as GM Larry Siefert got a front row seat to the Buffalo offensive prowess during his time in Miami.

2021 Draft Order

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February 2021

Watt Released, Watson Wants Out

Houston, TX - Things are turning bizarre in Houston, and the offseason has only just begun. The dominoes began to fall when the head coaching search was put on hold after the announcement of the ownership restructuring. Many of the players, including QB Deshaun Watson, pushed for the team to hire Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy. Instead, the team hasn't made the decision as Free Agency looms closer and closer each day.

To make matters worse for the Texans, JJ Watt asked for his release from the team. A hero in Houston, his departure will be a major blow to the team. And, to make things even more complicated for the team, franchise QB Deshaun Watson has made it clear he also wants to part ways with the team as well. The 2021 league year hasn't even officially started yet and Houston fans losing their minds.

Smith, Washington Part Ways

Landover, MD - Washington and Alex Smith came to an end today withe the release of the veteran QB. Smith brought a lot of guts with him to Washington several years ago and his return from injury last season was extremely heroic. However, with the team ready to look to the future, Smith requested his release in order to look for a starting job in Free Agency.

With the release of Smith, the Washington Football team now has roughly $40M of cap space available for the upcoming Free Agency period and Draft. After the decrease in cap space this offseason, and some additional dead money on the books, it is vital for the team to make smart moves in the coming weeks. Quarterback will be one of the big focuses for the team, with only Tyler Huntley and Cole McDonald on the roster, the team will need may to add an experienced veteran (such as Fitzpatrick or Dalton) and likely attempt to go after a top rookie.

The team holds the 10th-overall selection in the draft, but may have to pay heavily to move up and get the guy they want. Will the team risk being burned twice in three years after the Haskins failure?

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Cuban Shakes Up NFL

Houston Shocks League During HC Introduction

Houston, TX - Houston has a new head coach, and a new team name following a blockbuster press conference this afternoon. Fans may be disappointed by the hiring of Peter Berg, who was brought over from Miami as GM Larry Siefert decided to go with a familiar face and not with the highly regarded choices of Eric Bieniemy or Brian Daboll, but the the hire is somewhat overshadowed by the announcement of a new team name, the Roughnecks.

Fans of the NFL, and XFL, are well aware of the Roughnecks, which was a member of the 2020 shortened XFL return. With the league currently being restructure and set to resume play in 2022, Mark Cuban's bold plan came through with a partnership with the XFL. In exchange for the rights to the Houston Roughnecks franchise, Cuban will relocate the team to Dallas as the Stallions, to keep its branding on par with his NBA's Mavericks.

This move is the first step in bridging the two leagues together. Cuban envisions the XFL not as a competitor, but instead as a partner, with hopes of using the league as a way to improve rawer players and increase the competitive nature of both leagues.

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Free Agency Preview 2021

Watt/Weaver Reunion In Washington?

Landover, MD - With JJ Watt available to sign ahead of the official start of Free Agency, could the star defensive end reunite with Washington DC Anthony Weaver, his former coach in Houston? Adding Watt would instantly jump-start a defense that had a disappointing 2020 campaign.

QBs Changing Teams


LA Rams send QB Jared Goff, 2022 1st, 2023 1st, and 2021 3rd to Detroit in exchange for QB Matt Stafford





Carson Wentz traded to Colts for a 2021 3rd and conditional 2022 pick





Free Agency Preview: 2021

QB
Dak Prescott, Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mitchell Trubisky, Andy Dalton

RB
Chris Carson, Aaron Jones, Kenyan Drake, Le'Veon Bell, James Conner, Leonard Fournette, Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson

WR
Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kenny Golladay, Will Fuller, Antonio Brown, TY Hilton

TE
Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Delanie Walker, Gerald Everett

OL
Trent Williams, Alejandro Villanueva, Riley Reiff, Russell Okung, Rick Wagner

DL
JJ Watt, Leonard Williams, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Olivier Vernon, Carlos Dunlap, Justin Houston

LB
Lavonte David, Shaquil Barrett, KJ Wright, Kyle Van Noy, Matt Milano

DB
Anthony Harris, Marcus Williams, Richard Sherman, William Jackson, Desmond King






WFT Tags Scherff

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Free Agency Preview 2 2021

Free Agency Preview: WFT

Team Needs: QB / WR / OL / LB / DB
Salary Free: $40M

Dolphins Shake Up Draft Order

Miami, FL - Miami GM Chris Grier is a legend in the making after pulling off back-to-back trades that net his team draft capital at nearly no loss. First, he struck a deal with the 49ers that would send his team's 3rd-overall selection (from Houston) to the 49ers in exchange for the #12, 2022 and 2023 1sts, and a 2022 3rd. Then, Miami and the Eagles made a deal involving the #5 pick that sees Miami send the #12 and #113 to the Eagles in exchange for the #5, #138, and a 2022 1st.

After all the picks change hands the Dolphins net an extra 1st-round pick in 2023 and a 2022 3rd to move back two spots and presumably grab, at worst, the #2 prospect on their board. With QBs set to go 1-2-3, and Atlanta possibly trading the #4 to a QB-needy team, the Dolphins might even get the team's #1 prospect.

Life Without Watson

Houston, TX - That's what the Houston Roughnecks and new co-owner Mark Cuban are anticipating after volunteering they're controversial franchise QB to the Commissioner's Exempt List. Watson has been hit with a waive of allegations and Cuban and company are wanting to jump ahead of the situation and have a clear plan for the 2021 as Free Agency is set to begin.

For Houston, the loss of potential trade partners is huge with Watson originally wanting out. Now, with Watson officially out for the 2021 season, the team can at least focus on building a roster without him in mind. This all begins at quarterback and the first domino fell when the team traded a 6th-round pick to Carolina to acquire PJ Walker and a 7th. Walker's fame grew last year when he guided the then XFL branded Roughnecks to a hot start before the league suspended. Walker instantly becomes the top dog on the roster, but the team may continue to look for a QB in Free Agency as it is without its first two picks in this year's draft.

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March 2021

Clowney and Samuel Headline WFT Free Agent Class

Landover, MD - Two big additions this year come in the form of edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and receiver Curtis Samuel. As a result of the salary cap lowering this offseason, Clowney reunited with DC Anthony Weaver at a discount of $10M, fully guaranteed. Samuel joins his former Ohio State teammate, and roommate, McLaurin on a 3-year deal worth up to $34.5M.

Other signings include former XFL star QB Cardale Jones, DT Marcell Dareus (resigned), and S HaHa Clinton-Dix (resigned). With over $22M going to Clowney and Samuel alone in 2021, the team opted to go with the discounted Jones at QB, and resign two of its key defenders from a season ago.

Patriots Go On Frenzy

Foxborough, MA - The normally quiet Patriots have been big spenders early in Free Agency with the signings of LB Kyle Van Noy, TEs Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, WRs Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, and more. The team also brought back Cam Newton on an incentive-loaded contract as the team looks to rebound from a disappointing 7-9 season.

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April 2021

Minshew Mania Heads To DC

Landover, MD - On the eve of WrestleMania 37, Minshew Mania is back in full force after the Football Team acquires the 3rd-year pro from Jacksonville. The pending drafting of Trevor Lawrence, signings of Alex Smith and CJ Beathard, and the presence of Jake Luton all played a factor in the deal. But, the Jaguars didn't give up Minshew for nothing.

Washington sends a 3rd-round pick (#76) to Jacksonville in exchange for Minshew and the Jaguars 5th-rounder (#129). Jacksonville will also receive a 5th-round pick next season if Minshew is still on the team. Its a win-win for both teams as Coach Penn, who hates rookies QBs and hates trading up even more, gets a young game-manager at the cost of moving back 53 spots in the draft. For Jacksonville, the team gets a valuable day two pick that it can use either to draft a lineman for Lawrence or try to fill a hole on the defense.