Stray thoughts while wondering how the pathetic, coach-less, quarterback-less Washington Redskins are a 5-point favorite to anyone this week.

If Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens knew his team was down 28-3 to San Francisco in the third quarter Monday night, why was Baker Mayfield huddling up and killing clock?

Let me say this one more time, loudly and clearly. Any NFL coach that is down three scores in the third or two scores in the fourth and either huddles up with the clock running or punts on any fourth down outside his own 25 deserves to be fired.

Might as well just say, “I quit” and go home.

Speaking of that ugly word, where has the “fight” gone in the National Football League?

Fans and football gurus are lauding the amazing adjustments by the New England Patriots at halftime at Washington.

The Patriots’ second-half dominance was a product of the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense saying at 19-7, “There’s no flipping way Colt McCoy is scoring 19 against these guys, time to call it a day.”

To that point, Sony Michel had a less than robust 8 carries for 31 yards. Washington quit. They rolled over, curled up in the fetal position and thanked Josh McDaniels for not making it too painful on them.

The 0-5 Redskins are by no means the only team to tank or simply run for cover when things get a little sticky.

Look at the Browns on Monday night. This is a team that was 2-2 and will still likely make the playoffs due to the decrepit nature of the AFC in 2019.

Those guys were into their second beer on the plane home before the fourth quarter even started.

That speaks to coaching, folks. I know it was the Super Bowl, but does anyone remember 28-3?

A Bill Belichick-led bunch never cashed it in. The Patriots weren’t making tee times with those tablets on the sidelines.

They fought. Or as they said about the great Emilio Zapata in Oceans 13, “They lucharon! They lucharon!”

Look, pro sports all have their problems.

The NHL is faceless and remains basically a regional game.

The NBA is laden with Kyries.

Baseball has no pulse.

And football now has a tanking issue. If I’m the NFL, I’m taking it

seriously.

Score one

for Bruins

Can you believe the scheduling people in the NHL forcing out Boston Bruins to, gulp, start the regular season on the road out West?

Talk about barbaric. These are the Stanley Cup finalists. To send them on the road out of the gate is simply cruel and unusual punishment.

And how about the Bruins pouting about it with good reason?

Of course, the previous 60 words are indeed fictional. Yes, the Bruins are starting the year out West with games at Dallas, Arizona, Vegas and Colorado. But they haven’t stumbled out of the gate and there is no whining, a la your 2019 Boston Red Sox.

You remember those guys, who handed away the division before Easter Sunday with 3-8 trip to Oakland, Seattle and Arizona.

It was unfair, ruthless and flat-out mean to make the Sox start like that.

And you wonder why I root against the Red Sox, their archaic ballyard and that $240 gazillion payroll.

Here are the Bruins, dealt the same or at least extremely similar hand, grinding out two wins headed into last night’s game in my favorite city. Charlie McAvoy actually spoke about how happy he was to start on a trip. Get this, it was great for team-bonding.

Somebody point the Sox players to dictionary.com to figure out what that means.

And now John Henry is raising Fenway ticket prices again. Terrific. I’ll stay home or watch the Spinners, Fisher Cats or Silver Knights.

Did you know?

I went to search out Boston College home mens basketbsll tickets against Syracuse this season.

Any idea how much?

Keep in mind that the Eagles are 18-72 in ACC play over the last five years.

Tickets were between $20 for nose bleeds to $40 for lower level baseline seats.

No thanks.

Quote of the Week

How about Tom Brady’s ringing endorsement of his current offensive cast, namely his tight ends on Tuesday:

“Whoever’s out there, that’s who I’ve got to play with.”

Ouch.

Hector Longo can be reached at 594-1253 or via email: hlongo@nashuatelegraph.com

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