We’ve always known NFL quarterbacks, like their head coaches, generally get too much credit when they win and more than their share of blame after a loss. But even ultra-talented QBs such as the pair in the Super Bowl next week — Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts — need lots of help from their skill […]
NFL Championship Sunday Proves Not All GMs Created Equally
The NFL’s last four general managers standing in this postseason are quite the eclectic mix. They all have different backgrounds and followed different paths as they climbed into their current roles as GMs of successful NFL teams. These men started their NFL careers as a player (John Lynch, 49ers), a capologist (Howie Roseman, Eagles), a […]
Losing in Conference Championship More Painful Than Super Bowl Defeat
As I look ahead to Sunday’s conference championship games, it brings back the best and worst memories from my NFL front office career in what I considered the most pressure-filled game of the NFL season. I’ve always believed NFL conference title games rise above the Super Bowl in magnitude from a team executive’s perspective because […]
How NFL Teams Missed on Some of 2023 Playoffs’ Biggest Stars
It’s always been a truism that the NFL draft is an inexact science. That was proven once again in last weekend’s Wild Card Round and likely will carry forward through the postseason as many players who were under-drafted are making a big impact in helping their teams to victory. Tom Brady, of course, is the […]
No. 1 Seed Comes With No Guarantee of Super Bowl Glory
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles join the playoffs this weekend after battling all season to earn No. 1 seeds with their impressive 14-3 records. Based on the past four years of NFL postseason results, however, their top seeds in each conference are not an indicator of a Super Bowl victory forthcoming on Feb. […]
Up for Debate: Should Epic Collapse Open Door for Brandon Staley’s Firing?
On Saturday night, in an AFC Wild Card matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Chargers had a 27-point lead late in the first half. They ended up losing, 31-30, on a walk-off field goal. It was the third-largest collapse in NFL playoff history. “This is the toughest way that you can lose in the […]
Grading NFL’s Biggest 2022 Trade Deadline Deals Entering Playoffs
The Rams’ acquisition of edge rusher extraordinaire Von Miller at the 2021 trade deadline was a major factor in the team’s eventual winning of the Super Bowl. There were many trades at the mid-season deadline this year that helped teams reach the playoffs. Will any of these recent additions do for their teams what Miller […]
Five NFL Teams With Long To-Do Lists to Get Back on Track in 2023
Every NFL season, there are teams that are pleasant surprises and glaring disappointments. The Jaguars and Giants rose up from 2021 bottom feeders to make the playoffs, while the defending Super Bowl champion Rams top the list of failed teams with a lot of work to do in 2023 to return to the top. Here’s […]
Grading NFL’s Biggest Trades of 2022 After One Season
Hindsight is 20-20, which applies to second-guessing major moves of NFL teams. The 2022 offseason saw many huge trades, with team execs taking major risks as they sought immediate reward. The hope going into trades is that they work out well for both teams. As we’ve seen, that was not the case so far in […]
Who’s to Blame for Washington Commanders’ Train Wreck?
Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera’s ill-advised decision to start Carson Wentz at quarterback in the loss to the Cleveland Browns last Sunday — with the playoffs on the line and when Wentz had played two series in the previous 11 weeks — was symptomatic of a once-proud organization that has turned into a train wreck. […]
