Let Us Now Praise The Patriots' Super Bowl Defense
Much of the blame for the Falcons’ monumental choke job in Super Bowl 51 fell on Kyle Shanahan for his aggressive play-calling, and that’s fair. It’s screamingly obvious Atlanta should have run the ball more or milked the clock to keep Tom Brady and the Patriots from even having a chance to storm al...
The Falcons' Defense Is Basically Fucked
Patriots-Falcons in Super Bowl 51 is being billed as a showcase of the NFL’s two most prolific offenses, at the height of their powers. The Patriots, of course, are the known entity: Tom Brady and [insert name here] on offense, along with a defense that frequently schemes its way into being greater ...
Tom Brady Owns The Steelers
There are no alternative facts. Even dead-ender Steelers fans, the ones who kept insisting he’s just some pretty boy cheating cheater, can no longer hide from this reality: The Steelers belong to Tom Brady....
The Steelers Are The First Real Test For An Underrated Patriots Defense
We’ve arrived at another conference championship weekend featuring the Patriots. They still have Bill Belichick, and they still have Tawmmy Whatshisnuts, same as it ever was. And this year they’re packing the NFL’s best defense in terms of points per game allowed. As they prepare to host the Steeler...
No Team Has A Ground Game Quite Like The Falcons'
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are the household names powering the NFL’s highest-scoring and most efficient offense. But the Falcons wouldn’t be hosting the Packers with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line without equally significant contributions from running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. A...
The Cowboys' Defense Will Be Holding On For Dear Life
The Cowboys’ charge to the NFC’s No. 1 seed has been powered mostly by their offense, which ranked third in DVOA during the regular season. You know all about the new triplets, Dak Prescott’s rookie surge, Ezekiel Elliott’s budding superstardom, and Dez Bryant’s constant big-play potential. But with...
Which Ben Roethlisberger Will The Steelers Get This Week?
The Steelers have arguably the most dynamic offense in the NFL. They also have one of the league’s uniquely talented quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger. Yet Pittsburgh has won eight in a row, including Sunday’s thumping of the Dolphins, despite some remarkably inconsistent play from Roethlisberger. ...
Rex Ryan Was Too Human To Be A Great NFL Coach
Rex and Rob Ryan surprised absolutely no one when they swung by the Hooters in downtown Indianapolis. It was at the NFL combine three years ago, and the Brothers Ryan—Rex beginning his final year with the Jets, Rob having finished his first season in New Orleans—posed for a photograph with the wait ...
Tom Brady Is A Marvel
Let’s leave the MVP discussion for Skippy and Goatface and All Takes Matter and that Sunday morning show featuring Mike Lupica that nobody watches anymore. The conversation worth having right now is the one about Tom Brady. Because Tom Brady is incredible....
Ty Montgomery Should Have Been A Running Back From The Start
The Packers aren’t bad anymore—they’re on the cusp of a wild card—and it’s in large part because they’ve finally figured out how best to use Ty Montgomery, a notional wide receiver who’s really been a running back all along....
The Cardinals Are Garbage, But David Johnson May Be The Best Player In The NFL<em></em>
The Arizona Cardinals are jammed deep in a trashcan this season, but it’s still worth sifting through all that muck to take a closer look at running back David Johnson. Amidst all the other crap, Johnson is somehow having an MVP-caliber season....
The Bucs' Defense Finally Figured Things Out, And Now It's Scary
Wait. How are the Buccaneers 8-5 and currently in line for the NFC’s second wild-card spot? Weren’t they once 1-3 and giving up more points than any team in the NFL? Was that really this season? And wasn’t it just six weeks ago that Matt Ryan and the Falcons did this to the Bucs in prime time, which...
Johnny Hekker Is The Punter Every Punter Wants To Be
The best thing about the Los Angeles Rams isn’t Aaron Donald and the defensive line, or laughing at Jeff Fisher and his endless quest to perfect mediocrity. Nope. The best thing about the Rams is their punter....
This Isn't Even Rock Bottom Yet For The Jets
It was right about when Lachlan Edwards shanked a punt that traveled 36 yards before bouncing out of bounds that Jon Gruden, perpetually optimistic Monday Night Football analyst, had finally seen enough....
Khalil Mack Is A One-Man Wrecking Crew
The Raiders have one of the NFL’s worst defenses, but they might have the league’s best defensive player. No one carries a unit singlehandedly, but defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack comes the closest in the league....
What Does The Future Hold For Kirk Cousins In Washington?
Kirk Cousins is a flawed quarterback having a good season. He’s also due for a new contract next year, and he has Washington by the balls....
The Giants' Defense Has Made A Historic Turnaround
OK, so they just beat the Browns, and everyone has beaten the Browns. OK, their offense and their special teams remain frustratingly inconsistent. And, OK, this is probably not a defense that’s going to make anyone forget what they did in Super Bowls 42 and 46. But the Giants have won six in a row a...
The Chiefs Have Real Problems
Late last week I pitched an article about the Chiefs. Heading into Week 11, they had won five straight and were in line for the AFC’s No. 2 seed. But, I proposed to question, are the Chiefs actually any good? The response I got from an editor was to wait to see how the Chiefs did during Sunday’s hom...
How The Titans Went Retro And Unleashed Marcus Mariota
Last year, the Tennessee Titans drafted quarterback Marcus Mariota No. 2 overall. This year, they opted to keep Mike Mularkey as their head coach, and Mularkey loudly and proudly signaled his intention to install a ground-and-pound offense that didn’t seem suited to Mariota’s spread-system skill set...
Terrelle Pryor Is The Only Good Thing About The Browns
The Cleveland Browns are improbably awful, and they’re careening face-first toward a winless season. Tonight, the Browns face the Ravens in Baltimore, their one national television appearance of the year. Ordinarily, this would be an invitation to do literally anything else with your time. But the B...