Big Ben calls out his receivers, Hackett gets raw deal from Jags

Big Ben’s big mouth

“James (Washington) needs to run through that and it’s a touchdown.  He’s got to make that play. He needs to have more confidence in himself.  . . . You have to know how to motivate different guys in different ways. That’s part of being a leader, being a captain.”

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers QB, trying to boost the confidence in a rookie receiver

“There’s not another quarterback who would have taken that approach.  Ben Roethlisberger is underrated as a quarterback because a lot of people think he’s a jerk.  . . . I will say this: That was a pitiful play by James Washington, a second-round draft pick.  They need another receiver to emerge behind Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.”

Chris Simms, former NFL QB, on NBCS Pro Football Talk

Jags’ offensive coordinator should not have been fired

“Nathaniel Hackett formulated a game plan around a quarterback who doesn’t throw very well.  He made the Jacksonville Jaguars the 6th-rated offense in football last year.  OK, what happens this year? Injuries on the O-line, Leonard Fournette gets hurt, and now they have to depend on the right arm of Blake Bortles. So Hackett’s offense is ‘too predictable.’  It’s predictable because the quarterback could do only a few things.  The NFL has a 4-year inventory on all the routes the Jaguars couldn’t run.”

Chris Simms, NBCS Pro Football Talk

“Doing this now, when the season is over, is a bad look.  Why do you put the scarlet letter on this guy and send him out into the wilderness?  It’s clearly something that was done to boost the chances of the head coach (Doug Marrone) hanging onto his job.”

Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

Gruden studied all NFL teams as Monday Night broadcaster

“He’s a phenomenal football coach, passionate about it when he was broadcasting.  He studied the game like he was still coaching. He got to visit and see how things were done at different places.  The way he’s going about it, he’s not going to change overnight. But he’s going to build something that lasts for a long time.”

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs head coach, on Oakland Raiers coach Jon Gruden

Signing Reuben Foster, Redskins politically incorrect as usual

“They’re the most tone-deaf organization in professional sports; everyone knows that already.  Why is the NFL even allowing Reuben Foster to be claimed on waivers? They should say, ‘You can’t pick this guy up.  He’s toxic.’ Three days after he allegedly hits a woman with his hand, he’s on an NFL team.”

Bill Plaschke, on ESPN Around the Horn