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RICH EISEN WRITES ABOUT INSTANT REPLAY & PASS INTERFERENCE AS GUEST AUTHOR OF “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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 “The new rule that allows pass interference to be reviewed by replay was birthed by one of the worst non-calls in sports history and was created in the spirit of closing a loophole.” – Eisen

 

FMIA Also Features Eisen’s Thoughts on Fumbles Through the End Zone and Predictions for the 2019 Season

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 24, 2019 – In the latest edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, Rich Eisen, host of The Rich Eisen Show and NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning, discusses the NFL’s plan to implement instant replay procedures on pass interference plays for the upcoming season.

Eisen also shares his predictions for the 2019 season and thoughts on why the NFL’s Competition Committee needs to fix the rule that awards the football to the defense when the offense fumbles the ball out of the end zone.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

 

PASS INTERFERENCE AND INSTANT REPLAY

Rich Eisen: “The ending of the NFC Championship Game between the Saints and the Rams. The mother of all blown calls, leading to the mother of all course corrections: the NFL allowing pass interference to be a reviewable penalty under the auspices of instant replay in a one-year experiment.”

Eisen: “When Riveron stepped to the mic at the NFL Network gathering last week…it not only offered a remarkable glimpse of the difficult task his officials will undertake in 2019, but also how unintended consequences of the new replay wrinkle might cause occasional confusion and frequently stoke fan anger anew.”

Eisen: “The tough part will be actually making it work week in and week out, with as few bumps in the road as possible. And doing it all in front of a viewing audience that really only wants these decisions to come into the fray when something egregious like NFC Championship Game crops up. From what I witnessed at the symposium, it is not going to be easy for anyone.”

Eisen: “If every review for DPI opens up the play for review for OPI, how many of these calls will wind up with offsetting penalties? No one knows. If the methods for opening a DPI or OPI to review require on terms like ‘clear and obvious’ and ‘significant hindrance,’ won’t replay officials in different stadiums perhaps have different interpretations of the clauses? Hopefully not.”

Eisen: “The new rule that allows pass interference to be reviewed by replay was birthed by one of the worst non-calls in sports history and was created in the spirit of closing a loophole to make sure egregious miscarriages of sports justice would never happen again. The new rule was not passed to create unintended consequences and cause yet more stoppage of a brilliant live-action sport to parse crucial late-game plays.”

Eisen: “To their credit, every single NFL executive in the room admitted they understand this change might make irate fans even more so…The amount of discussion this topic has received from coaches and executives and owners and front office officials has been intense…We are in a brave new officiating world and every football man, woman and child is entering this brave, new football world together.”

 

FUMBLES THROUGH THE END ZONE

Eisen: “I think that next up on the Competition Committee’s hit list needs to be fixing the rule that awards the football to the defense when the offense fumbles the ball into and out of the end zone.”

Eisen: “I say a ball fumbled into and out of the end zone should remain with the offense and if you’re looking to penalize a team for it, back them up to the 20-yard line. Make it a reverse touchback. Not loss of possession.”

 

PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2019 SEASON

Eisen: “I think I’m going to choose the Patriots to repeat. I know those are dirty words to a lot of NFL fans. And, as if some of you aren’t outraged enough, I’m thinking about taking them to beat the Cowboys in Super Bowl 54…this is the way I’m leaning right now.”

Eisen: “My first overall pick in a fantasy draft should I be fortunate to get one is Saquon Barkley. Everyone else at the position scares me from injury (Todd Gurley) to rust (Le’Veon Bell) to vulturing (Alvin Kamara). Maybe Ezekiel Elliott would make me think twice, but Barkley would be my pick.”

Eisen: “Sony Michel is going to have a monster season for the Patriots. As in threaten-the-single-season-team rushing-record monster season…With Rob Gronkowski swearing he’s not coming back, I’m thinking New England will lean on Michel, who had 931 rushing yards in 13 games (but just eight starts) last year.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—

TOM BRADY AT NO. 9 & DREW BREES AT NO. 10 ON CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QB COUNTDOWN

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Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz Among Those Ranked #7-14 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown This Week Unveiled on Chris Simms Unbuttoned and Pro Football Talk Live

“At the age of 42, I think the guys that I have in front of him are capable of doing things that he is not capable of doing anymore.” – Simms on ranking Tom Brady No. 9

“He’s really to me a little bit more physically gifted version of Andrew Luck.” – Simms on Carson Wentz

Top Two QBs to be Revealed on next Thursday, June 27

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 20, 2019 – Chris Simms’ top 40 quarterback countdown reaches the Top 10 on a pair of NBC Sports’ platforms — the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live” – this week, with the QBs ranked 7-14.

Among this week’s rankings are Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots at numbers 10 and 9, respectively. “What I would say of Brees and Brady, the system is doing every bit as much for them and maybe more than they are doing for the system,” Simms said. “I wouldn’t have said that four or five years ago.”

“It’s not a career achievement award or what I think your ceiling is going to be in two years,” Simms said of his rankings. “It’s right now going into this season here in the middle of June is how I have them ranked.”

Simms began his ranking of the top 40 NFL quarterbacks three weeks ago and will announce his top two quarterbacks in the league next Thursday, June 27.

Simms’ selections for the quarterbacks ranked 7-40 in the NFL:

7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta 24. Kyler Murray, Arizona
8. Cam Newton, Carolina 25. Joe Flacco, Denver
9. Tom Brady, New England 26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati
10. Drew Brees, New Orleans 27. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay
11. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia 28. Case Keenum, Washington
12. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers 29. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
13. Dak Prescott, Dallas 30. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
14. Matthew Stafford, Detroit 31. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis
15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 32. Josh Rosen, Miami
16. Nick Foles, Jacksonville 33. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee
17. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 34. Eli Manning, New York Giants
18. Derek Carr, Oakland 35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
19. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams 36. Robert Griffin III, Baltimore
20. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago 37. Drew Lock, Denver
21. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 38. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
22. Sam Darnold, New York Jets 39. Colt McCoy, Washington
23. Josh Allen, Buffalo 40. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 6 and 5 on “PFT Live” beginning Tuesday, June 25.

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

No. 14: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Simms: “The way he played last year, he had issues adjusting to the cultural and new style of play that the Detroit Lions have implemented there…Matt Stafford’s talent is Top Five-ish in the NFL. This is one of the great arms in the history of the NFL. It gets overshadowed because he plays in a division with the greatest arm in the history of the NFL (Aaron Rodgers)…I’ve heard Drew Brees and Tom Brady and Dan Marino all talk about Matthew Stafford’s arm because it is that special…He missed some throws last year that I’ve never seen the guy miss a throw like that. He would miss two or three every game last year which is ultimately why I have him at 14.”

No. 13: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Simms: “Dak Prescott changed me last year to a true believer. Early on in the year with some of his play, he showed me the ability to go above and beyond what the scheme can do for him…The size and physicality of the human being, I think that’s where it starts for me. The amount of plays where the stat book is never going to quantify, ‘Oh yeah, it was a 15-yard completion, but…nobody was open and he broke three tackles behind the line of scrimmage and then made the 15-yard completion.’…What’s so great about him is he’s an unbelievable leader, he’s tough, he can will his team to win football games…You have to lock him up. He’s selfless, franchise quarterback material. Unbelievable leader with great physical ability.”

No. 12: Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

Simms: “He’s a great quarterback. He’s done things the right way, competes, tough, fearless in the pocket. Availability, right? I mean he’s never been hurt, he’s an iron man…He’s gotten back to the Philip Rivers we saw in the beginning of his career where he’s just making unbelievable plays throughout the game and especially at the end of the game in its biggest moments…The negative is the arm, which was never special, is to me starting to lose some miles per hour…and that’s kind of where I worry about him at this stage of his career…Those lack of marquee wins or marquee moments could come back to haunt him. He’s going to be an NFL legend no matter what and I think ultimately he will get in the Hall of Fame even if he doesn’t have this playoff run.”

No. 11: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Simms: “Here’s the thing with Carson Wentz and why he’s number 11. It’s really availability is why he’s number 11. The talent is Top Five talent…I’ve made the comparison many times, he’s really to me a little bit more physically gifted version of Andrew Luck…When you hear a little bit about the leadership and how the team perceives him in the offseason and of course the injury thing has to play into the rankings here…He’s right there fringe Top Five if I got to see a year or two of just, ‘Ok he played, he’s healthy’ because he is that kind of guy…I do think he’s going to have a big-time year this year.”

No. 10: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Simms: “We know he’s a Top 10 quarterback of all-time, certainly in that conversation. Still doing great things in the NFL…Do I think the skills are declining to a degree? Yes, I definitely do. I think we saw enough evidence of that last year and that’s why I put him at 10…This is one of the best passers in the history of football…I think his mind is still at a very high level, I don’t know if his body is following it that way along with the inability to back defenses off a little bit…When the Saints wanted to throw the ball deep down the field at the end of the game, Taysom Hill came in the game to do it…He’s still awesome, but that’s why I have him at 10…When (defenses) took away some of the systematic plays that helped out the offense…that’s where I felt like I don’t know if Drew Brees can just physically get it done and make some big plays with his athleticism and his arm anymore like he could a few years ago.”

No. 9: Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Simms: “I love Tom Brady…Really I don’t know if there’s a quarterback I respect more, I don’t know if there was a quarterback I tried to model my game after early in my career more than Tom Brady…(The Patriots) have changed the way they play. They play the game through the run first. They’re telling you, ‘Hey, Tom Brady is awesome, but I don’t think we can win consistently with him throwing it 40 and 45 times a game like we could four years ago or five years ago.’ I think they’re showing you that…Brady, unlike Drew Brees, I think his arm is still pretty top-notch and he can still make plays and throws that can change the momentum of the game and that’s really where I respect Tom Brady, but I don’t think he can do it as much as he used to. I don’t think he moves around the pocket quite as well as he used to…At the age of 42, I think the guys that I have in front of him are capable of doing things that he is not capable of doing anymore…At this point in his career, that’s what I would say of Brees and Brady, the system is doing every bit as much for them and maybe more than they are doing for the system where I wouldn’t have said that four or five years ago.”

No. 8: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Simms: “You can never look at the stats and try to qualify that as that telling you the story about Cam Newton. A lot of the things Cam Newton does for a football team don’t get on the stat sheet…What he does is he makes defensive coordinators play defenses that they don’t want to play…The things he does to set up that team for success and other players on that offense for success, they all benefit because of the skillset that Cam Newton brings to the table…What he does on a game-by-game basis by stressing defenses out is as good as anybody in football…Out of these guys we’re going to talk about going further, I think there are some inconsistencies sometimes with his throwing…That takes him out of the Top Five or Top Six.”

No. 7: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Simms: “When I first wrote the list down, I was like, ‘Man, I can’t put Matt Ryan in front of Brees and Brady and Cam Newton.’…Then I got into the nuts and bolts of the situation and I think the past two seasons have been Matt Ryan’s best seasons of his career. I know three years ago was the year he won the MVP and I think he’s been better the last two years than the year he won the MVP…The plays he’s made that aren’t there systematically, to me, have gone through the roof the last few years…It might not even look cool or pretty, but he makes these movements and gets out of trouble and makes these throws down the middle of the field or finds somebody as he’s about to go down consistently…You know you’re going to see some exciting things from Atlanta when he’s playing and that’s why I have him at number seven.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS DISCUSSES THE ANALYTICS MOVEMENT IN FOOTBALL AS GUEST WRITERS OF “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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 “There is no going back now. Data has changed the game.” – PFF Majority Owner Cris Collinsworth

“The lack of data in football was one of the main reasons PFF came into existence…Football isn’t as advanced as baseball in analytics because it’s at a different point in its evolution, but it’s gaining traction.” – PFF Founder Neil Hornsby

FMIA Also Features Breakout Star Predications and How Data is Being Used in the NFL

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 17, 2019 – In the latest edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, multiple members of the popular football analytics company Pro Football Focus, including majority owner and Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth, discuss how data is impacting the game of football.

Pro Football Focus analyzes every player and every play of all National Football League games to deliver player grades, statistics and rankings. Various voices within PFF predict future stars, discuss how NFL teams should use data in the future and why Major League Baseball is ahead of the analytics game.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

THE IMPACT OF DATA

Cris Collinsworth, PFF Majority Owner: “PFF has already changed the way I think about building a team and play-calling…I think it is fair to say that now very few NFL contracts are negotiated without PFF data being at the heart of the debate. The agent pitches all the positive data about the player, and the team is loaded with all the not so positive data.”

Collinsworth: “As much as the data has changed broadcasting, it has changed the game of football even more. ‘Gut instincts’ are no longer good enough. Decisions must be made based on the data.”

Collinsworth: “The fans are now engaged in the data arms race, as well…Some fans just want to know more about their team, others want to be the smartest person at the water cooler, some want to dominate their fantasy league, and others still are writing their own gambling algorithms. Regardless, there is no going back now. Data has changed the game.”


ANALYTICS IN THE NFL

Neil Hornsby, PFF Founder: “Until very recently, you simply didn’t have a lot of data about the incredibly complex set of interactions that constitute a typical play. Baseball has always had a lot of data about its relatively simple, one-on-one encounters.”

Hornsby: “The lack of data in football was one of the main reasons PFF came into existence…PFF was initially just a hobby based on collecting something that didn’t exist. The fact we now have all 32 NFL teams as customers, and by the time the 2019 season begins, over 60 NCAA clients, is still a matter of amazement to me.”

Hornsby: “So now we have the data, so just throw a ton of data scientists at it and all the NFL’s analytical problems are immediately over, right? Not so fast. There are at least a couple of problems with that thinking.”

Hornsby: “From what I have observed, most clubs’ response to analytics has been sensibly proportional to date and I’m sure they will add to that as the need arises. Sure, there are a few clubs off the pace and it will take a few years (and unfortunately maybe a change of general manager) before they catch up. However, this does at least account for some of the discrepancies between how baseball and football have embraced analytics.”

Hornsby: “Football isn’t as advanced as baseball in analytics because it’s at a different point in its evolution, but it’s gaining traction. Let’s check back in five years and see where things are. I suspect we’ll not see anywhere near the disparity we do now.”

Eric Eager, PFF Data Scientist: “Here are some of our findings that are the most surprising and useful to football fans and teams alike:

– To predict quarterback play, look at how he performs when he’s in a clean pocket, not when he’s under pressure.

– Coverage is more important than pass rush, all else being equal.

– If you’re going to invest in a pass rusher, prioritize his pressure rate, not his sack rate.”


PREDICTING FUTURE STARS

Sam Monson, PFF Senior Analyst: “Levi Wallace, CB, Buffalo Bills…As a rookie in 2018, he earned the highest PFF grade of any first-year cornerback, along with the highest coverage grade, and wasn’t beaten for a catch longer than 29 yards all season. Though he played far fewer snaps than first-round selection Denzel Ward of Cleveland, Wallace looks like a potential star in the making if he’s given greater opportunity in year two.”

Mike Renner, PFF Lea Draft Analyst: “Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama…Tagovailoa pairs exceptional athleticism and pocket presence with one of the most accurate arms in the country. He had the highest percentage of passes charted with perfect ball placement of any Power 5 quarterback last season and had the seventh-lowest percentage of passes deemed uncatchable.”

Renner: “Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama… The Alabama offense is utterly stacked once again with Jeudy being the next big thing in the lineage of ‘Bama wide receivers, and he has a good chance to go higher than either Julio Jones (No. 6 overall in 2011) or Amari Cooper (No. 4 in 2015). That’s because there isn’t much the Biletnikoff award winner can’t do.”

“We think Jameis Winston will challenge for the passing yardage title in 2019. Last year he trailed only Josh Allen in average depth of target…New Bucs head coach Bruce Arians has a track record of succeeding with high-variance quarterbacks like Winston.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—

CHRIS SIMMS’ TOP 40 QUARTERBACK COUNTDOWN ACROSS NBC SPORTS PLATFORMS CONTINUES WITH NUMBERS 15-22 ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, and Nick Foles Among Those Ranked #15-22 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown This Week

“If you start going under-the-radar MVP picks…Jimmy Garoppolo would be one of those guys.” – Simms on the San Francisco 49ers Quarterback’s
Potential in 2019

“You can win a Super Bowl with Trubisky” – Simms

Top Two QBs to be Revealed on Thursday, June 27

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 13, 2019 – Chris Simms continues to unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on a pair of NBC Sports’ platforms — the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live” – this week, with the QBs ranked 15-22.

“I sit here and I do my best,” Simms said about his rankings. “It’s really hard when you get to numbers eight through 20 because they’re so good and you’re nitpicking.”

Simms began his ranking of the top 40 NFL quarterbacks two weeks ago and will announce his top two quarterbacks in the league on Thursday, June 27.

Among this week’s rankings is Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers, who missed most of the 2018 season with a knee injury, at No. 21. “I don’t know what the odds are, but right now to me he would be a value bet for MVP.” Simms said. “If you start going under-the-radar MVP picks…Jimmy Garoppolo would be one of those guys.”

Simms’ selections for the quarterbacks ranked 15-40 in the NFL:

15. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota 28. Case Keenum, Washington
16. Nick Foles, Jacksonville 29. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee
17. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland 30. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
18. Derek Carr, Oakland 31. Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis
19. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams 32. Josh Rosen, Miami
20. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago 33. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee
21. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 34. Eli Manning, New York Giants
22. Sam Darnold, New York Jets 35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
23. Josh Allen, Buffalo 36. Robert Griffin III, Baltimore
24. Kyler Murray, Arizona 37. Drew Lock, Denver
25. Joe Flacco, Denver 38. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
26. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati 39. Colt McCoy, Washington
27. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay 40. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

 

The rankings will continue next week with numbers 14 and 13 on “PFT Live” beginning Tuesday, June 18.

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

 

No. 22: Sam Darnold, New York Jets

Simms: “To be totally transparent, in the 2018 draft I had him as the fifth quarterback out of the five that were drafted in the first round. I was wrong…He’s got a great feel within the pocket a lot like a Tom Brady where he knows when to push up, he sees the proper lanes and while doing it, he can keep his eyes down the field…The Jets have to be pumped with what they have in Sam Darnold.”

 

No. 21: Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers

Simms: “He’s good at everything. I don’t know if there’s one glaring thing I look at to go, ‘He’s great at this’ and I don’t know if there’s one glaring thing that I look at and go, ‘He’s really horrible at this.’…This is a big year for him…I don’t know what the odds are, but right now to me he would be a value bet for MVP. If you start going under-the-radar MVP picks…Jimmy Garoppolo would be one of those guys.”

 

No. 20: Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Simms: “You can certainly talk about him as one of the best running quarterbacks in football…When he tucks it, he is a real threat to gain big-time yards…Is the throwing perfect? No, it’s not…But it’s year two, he just led a team that was 12-4 to the NFC playoffs and in the biggest drive of the year he made some big throws…I really believe a lot of the hate that’s thrown out towards him is all because Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes were drafted after him. That’s not his fault…You can win a Super Bowl with Trubisky.”

 

No. 19: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Simms: “I hold big-time quarterbacks to the standard of you have to be able to do some things outside of the system from time to time. The system can’t give you the plays…When you’re the number one pick in the draft or the franchise quarterback, I expect you to make some plays outside of that realm…Goff showed that a little bit last year, there were glimpses of that, where I didn’t see any glimpses of that in 2017…I don’t know if he can make as many game-changing plays with his physical talent as some of the quarterbacks we’ll see here that are in front of him.”

 

No. 18: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Simms: “A really fine football player. Back in 2016, this is a guy who was in the conversation for MVP…The last two years there have been less moments of Derek Carr taking over the game…He tried to be a little too perfect for the last two years where he lost some of his aggressiveness and playmaking ability…He can be a riser in a hurry. He has the talent to be in that top-ten conversation.”

 

No. 17: Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Simms: “I’ve seen enough from Baker Mayfield to say that he is better than Derek Carr or Jared Goff going into the 2019 season…I don’t really look at Baker Mayfield and look at many weaknesses in his game other than being inexperienced and not having played a full season…His physical ability is off the charts, his arm is big-time, his ability to improvise and make those plays is big-time. He has this crazy sixth sense, eyes-behind-his-head…Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen I think are the ultimate guys where I can look at and go, ‘They’re top-ten talents. They have the ability to be that guy,’ but I have to see just a little bit more.”

 

No. 16: Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars

Simms: “From what I saw the last two years combined, I’m going to put Nick Foles right in the middle of the pack of the NFL right now…He is so big and so unaffected by Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack being around him that he can throw with people around him as good as anybody in football and the game is about throwing under pressure…The clutchness, the ability to be accurate down the field throwing the football to make those few throws a game…it’s phenomenal in that way…We really haven’t seen it sustained through a season here the last two years, so that makes me knock him down a few spots…I think Jacksonville has a very similar mold to the Philadelphia Eagles. I like the fit.”

 

No. 15: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Simms: “Kirk Cousins is going to beat you within the pocket with aggressive decision making…He’s definitely smart, he’s a big-time thrower of the football…He can put the ball wherever he wants it and he can do it from different delivery points as well…A lot of the stats and yards that were accumulated in the pass game by the Minnesota Vikings (last year) were done by the pure physical ability of Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs just getting it done.”

 

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

FORMER CHARGERS LINEMAN NICK HARDWICK DISCUSSES POST-NFL CAREER HEALTH AS GUEST WRITER OF “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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 “One of those lessons that football taught me came back to me, and suddenly seemed very handy: Do everything in your power today to ensure a positive outcome in the future.”  – Hardwick on His Proactive Approach to Brain Health

“What gets lost in the conversation on the game’s health and safety issues comes down to a really simple question: Did it add more to your life or take away more? Without a doubt, it added more to my life.” – Hardwick

FMIA Also Features Hardwick’s Thoughts on Chargers QB Philip Rivers, the Positive Impact of the Game and Letting his Children Play Football

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 10, 2019 – In the latest edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, guest writer Nick Hardwick, who spent 11 seasons as a center with the Chargers, discusses his approach to post-playing brain health and chronicles the innovative treatment he’s received.

Hardwick, who retired in 2015 and now works as a radio host in San Diego, also shares his thoughts about the future of the sport, playing with Philip Rivers and why he would let his own children play football.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

 

POST-NFL BRAIN HEALTH

Hardwick: “To keep busy and stay close to the game, I went to work almost immediately on the radio in San Diego…I felt as healthy as I had ever been since my freshman year of college…I still felt I had more cognitive ability left untapped, because my brain wasn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders.”

Hardwick: “I came to realize and accept my fate that as a former football player, I had accumulated about 25,000-plus head hits over the course of my playing career…It’s easy to see the hits accumulate quickly at the position I played. I was diagnosed with six verified concussions in the NFL, but I still never missed a game due to one of them, a gut-it-out approach I would not recommend to kids or anyone else.”

Hardwick: “I knew that I had a decision to make and some sort of action to take. While there was no erasing the time I had spent banging heads and colliding with defenders—and I wouldn’t take it back if I could…because it was the time of my life with so many lessons learned—it wasn’t enough just to plow through the low ebbs in life…One of those lessons that football taught me came back to me, and suddenly seemed very handy: Do everything in your power today to ensure a positive outcome in the future.”

Hardwick: “At age 37, I didn’t want whatever neurologic decline had already occurred to continue without me becoming more proactive…my emotional highs and lows were unnatural, unwanted, and unacceptable.”

Hardwick: “That’s when I remembered my conversations with my Navy SEAL pal, Pat, and immediately googled ‘Brain Treatment Center San Diego.’ Two short weeks later, I walked in to a nondescript medical building in downtown San Diego…For five days a week over six weeks, I went back and sat in that same chair…sending magnetic stimulation into the targeted areas of my brain, at first to assemble neuronal activity, and then to mobilize it in the right pattern…The results showed there were improved physical changes in my brain activity following the treatment.”

Hardwick: “I’m two or three months past my last treatment, and I can honestly say my brain is in a better place than it was before. The emotional highs and lows I was living with have been stabilized. My cognition took off during that period and it hasn’t slowed down since. Overall, I’d definitely recommend the treatment to other former football players.”

Hardwick: “Taking charge of your situation, whatever it may be, is powerful and empowering in itself. Knowing that I didn’t quit, and will never stop seeking tools to help me repair and grow had its own positive benefits.”

 

ON THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF FOOTBALL

Hardwick: “When the worth of football is being evaluated by skeptical parents and politicians, what gets lost in the conversation on the game’s health and safety issues comes down to a really simple question: Did it add more to your life or take away more? Without a doubt, it added more to my life.”

Hardwick: “It shaped me as a man…From a maturity standpoint, with the necessary learning of how to handle both success and defeat, football players can leave the game at age 30, with the wisdom of a much older man.”

Hardwick: “We know it’s dangerous. We know there are potentially bad outcomes. That’s part of what makes it fun in the first place…Football gives football players what they want out of their life experience. Further, for even a more select few, it gives them what they NEED in life.”

 

ON LETTING HIS CHILDREN PLAY

Hardwick: “I would, 100 percent (let my kids play football). Admittedly, immediately out of the league, I would’ve given a different answer than now. But the dust has settled after my retirement due to injury.”

Hardwick: “While the negative press about the dangers of the sport has died down over the past couple of years thanks to the necessary rule changes the NFL implemented, our awareness is still heightened.”

 

ON LONGTIME TEAMMATE PHILIP RIVERS

Hardwick: “While I’m fairly sure the negative perceptions about Phil and his strong personality have lessened over the years, it bears saying here: If you ever met Rivers, you’d immediately fall in love with him as a human.”

Hardwick: “He’s pure of thought, pure of action, and pure in his passion. Go back through his 15-year NFL tenure and I can guarantee you will not find a single teammate who has spoken poorly of him.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—

NBC SPORTS’ FRED GAUDELLI DETAILS A WEEK PRODUCING “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” AS GUEST WRITER OF “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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Column Includes Inside Look at SNF Preparation and Broadcast from Executive Producer Fred Gaudelli

“One thing I appreciate about being the executive producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football team is that we’re a lot like a football team.”  – Gaudelli

FMIA Also Features Gaudelli’s Top Ranked Games, His Thoughts About Instant Replay and Reasoning to Keep Overtime Rules Unchanged

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 3, 2019 – In the latest edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, guest writer Fred Gaudelli, the executive producer of NBC’s Sunday Night Football, details a typical week’s schedule preparing for and broadcasting primetime television’s #1 show for an unprecedented eight consecutive years.

Gaudelli, who is entering his 30th season producing primetime NFL games and his 14th with NBC, also ranks the top six games he’s witnessed throughout his three decades of work.

FMIA includes Gaudelli’s thoughts on how instant replay impacts today’s game and his reasoning to keep regular-season and postseason overtime rules the same.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

 

A WEEK PRODUCING “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

Gaudelli: “I’m like a head coach. I lead a production team of about 15 talented assistant producers. Each assistant has a specialized area of responsibility…During game weeks, I meet several times with each assistant to plot the editorial/creative strategy for the upcoming game. They present their ideas and I weigh in with mine, and we get aligned with the plan coming into the game.”

Gaudelli: “Then there’s Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth (in the booth). A great production will never make up for mediocre announcers. But great announcers with ambitious, solid production makes for a terrific viewing experience. The audience plugs in to the announcers and judges their experience by how much they enjoy listening to them.”

Highlights from Gaudelli’s game week

Monday: “Watch the game we’ve just done and grade it in all areas (individual performances and team execution) for discussion and review in Wednesday’s full production staff meeting.”

Tuesday: “Review last week’s telecast with Cris and Al separately. Spoiler alert: When you have these two there’s not a lot of fixing to do. Al still has a kid-like excitement for big games. Cris and I mostly talk about how we covered the football aspect of the show.”

Wednesday: “First big all-staff meeting of the week, a 2.5-hour Sunday Night Football staff meeting…I start by presenting general business items for the week, then select one person from the team to present a review of the previous telecast.”

Thursday: “Fly to the city of the Sunday night game (usually in the afternoon)…First thing I do when I get in my hotel room is set up my “office” where I can see the TV… I use it as pre-test. As situations come up during the Thursday telecast, I execute them in my mind the way my instincts and preparation tell me. It’s good warmup for Sunday night.”

Friday: “Attend practice of the home team. This is the best part of my week and the most informative. You learn an awful lot by watching practice…Meet with (home team) coach, quarterback and two other players who we deem to have significant roles on Sunday. Another fun and productive part of the job.”

Saturday: “Meet the visiting team at its hotel. Meet with coach, quarterback and two players…Head back to my room and spend the night trying to organize everything I’ve learned about these two teams.”

Sunday: “About seven hours before the game, I head to the stadium…We start a two-hour rehearsal at our mobile unit six-and-a-half hours before the game…At about 6 p.m., the referee and replay official visit the truck…At 8:13, we are live.”

 

GAUDELLI’S BEST GAMES FROM THE PAST 30 YEARS

  • Super Bowl XLIII – Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23. James Harrison’s 100-yard interception for TD to end the half, Larry Fitzgerald’s insane fourth quarter and Santonio Holmes gets both big toes down in the corner of the end zone to win it.
  • Super Bowl XLIX – New England 28, Seattle 24. Malcolm Butler steals Seattle’s bid for back-to-back Super Bowl titles. By the way, this is still the most-watched television show in American history.
  • 1999 AFC Wild Card Game – Tennessee 22, Buffalo 16: The Music City Miracle.
  • Super Bowl LII – Philadelphia 41, New England 33. The Philly Special, and Brady throws for 505 yards and loses the game. Nick Foles magic. He deserved it.
  • 2003 MNF on ABC Green Bay 41, Oakland 7. It’s the best and most memorable performance under adversity that I have ever seen. Brett Favre, the night after father Irvin unexpectedly died, threw for four touchdowns and 399 yards, and made a couple of miracle throws.
  • 2015 Divisional Playoff Game – Arizona 26, Green Bay 20. The overtime coin toss begins with a coin that didn’t flip and the Packers yelling for Referee Clete Blakeman to flip it again, which he did. Cardinals win toss. Larry Fitzgerald finishes off the Pack in three plays.

 

INSTANT REPLAY

Gaudelli: “I have never been in favor of instant replay in any sport…I feel no matter the sport, replay just saps the drama out of games and makes them longer than they have to be. Football would be better without instant replay. Somewhere we evolved from Let’s correct the egregious mistake to Let’s examine every score and turnover frame by frame.”

Gaudelli: “Like life itself, sports were never intended to be perfect. Sometimes you have to live with an unfair result. I don’t have hard data to support what I’m about to say, but I would guesstimate that professional officials in the major sports get 95% of their calls correct.”

Gaudelli: “However, I know that I am in the minority here. Because of technology fans want every call to be right or made right. Therefore, our role in NFL officiating must be taken seriously because the league and the fans depend on it. For officiating purposes only, five years ago we added 4K cameras—with four times the pixels of regular cameras, enabling us to zoom in tight on replays and see crystal-clear views—shooting down each goal line and each sideline.”

 

OVERTIME

Gaudelli: “I think the NFL should keep the overtime rule as is for regular season and postseason games. I know everyone wanted to see Patrick Mahomes with the ball one more time in the AFC Championship Game, but football is a three-phase game. You can win or lose the game in any one of them.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

 

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—

CHRIS SIMMS RANKS HIS TOP 40 NFL QUARTERBACKS ON “CHRIS SIMMS UNBUTTONED” AND “PRO FOOTBALL TALK LIVE”

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Eli Manning, Robert Griffin III, and Rookies Drew Lock & Dwayne Haskins Among Those Ranked #33-40 in the Simms Top 40 QB Countdown, Which Kicked Off This Week

Two QBs Revealed Per Day on PFT Live; In-Depth Breakdowns for Each Ranking Weekly on Chris Simms Unbuttoned Podcast

Top Two QBs Revealed on Thursday, June 27

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 30, 2019 – Over the course of the next month, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms will unveil his list of the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast and on “PFT Live.”

Beginning earlier this week and culminating Thursday, June 27 with his top two quarterbacks in the league, Simms will release two selections per day on “PFT Live.”

Simms, a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2003 NFL Draft who played eight NFL seasons, will also offer in-depth player breakdowns and rankings explanations throughout each week on “Chris Simms Unbuttoned.”

“Ranking quarterbacks is not easy and especially right now with some of the young guys we have in the league,” Simms said. “Balancing out guys that are proven veterans to guys who have young star potential like a Baker Mayfield. Where do you throw him? It hasn’t been a full season yet, where do you put him in the list even though we saw special things?”

This week, Simms unveiled his selections for the quarterbacks ranked 33-40 in the NFL:

33. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee
34. Eli Manning, New York Giants
35. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami
36. Robert Griffin III, Baltimore
37. Drew Lock, Denver
38. Dwayne Haskins, Washington
39. Colt McCoy, Washington
40. Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

 

The rankings will continue next week as picks 23-32 will be unveiled beginning Monday, June 3 with numbers 31 and 32 on PFT Live.

The following are highlights from this week’s editions of Chris Simms Unbuttoned:

No. 40: Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers

Simms: “I think Tyrod Taylor, the reason he’s at number 40, he is a game-manager. That’s a good thing and a bad thing, but I think it’s a really good thing when you’re a backup quarterback. I don’t know if it’s necessarily a good thing when you’re a starting quarterback.”

No. 39: Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins

Simms: “I think highly of Colt McCoy…Stats and numbers and everything like that aren’t going to say the whole story about Colt McCoy…he’s a smart kid, he works hard, he understands the system…He’s one of those guys I think if he got a chance to prove himself without getting hurt a few times, he would’ve gotten a chance to maybe go to a lower-level team.”

No. 38: Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins

Simms: “He really has superstar potential. You’ve heard me compare him to guys like Ben Roethlisberger, it’s a very similar style of play…I’ve got an asterisk next to him… if I had to re-rank halfway through the year and he’s the starting quarterback and blowing me away, he can be in the top 20 because he has that type of talent.”

No. 37: Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Simms: “I see big time talent in Drew Lock, and I know there were a lot of teams in football who had Drew Lock as their number one quarterback on the board. I mean we heard that John Elway had Drew Lock at least ahead of Daniel Jones on the board, I think he had Drew Lock as the number one quarterback on their board…He kind of has that John Elway, Aaron Rodgers-type vibe, Patrick Mahomes as far as when it comes to backyard school type football, he can do that.”

No. 36: Robert Griffin III, Baltimore Ravens

Simms: “He has big-time ability. He doesn’t just have big-time backup ability. He has big-time NFL starting caliber traits about his game. His arm is a special arm. It’s a conversation for one of the ten-best arms in the NFL right now…I look at him as one of the better backups in all of football because of that talent level… Lamar Jackson better watch out.”

No. 35: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins

Simms: “Of course he’s still one of the better backups in all of football…You can count on him to come in and play football, he’s the perfect backup.”

No. 34: Eli Manning, New York Giants

Simms: “Can he still lead a team to be successful and win football games? Certainly, he can…He can still make some big-time throws. I wish he was more aggressive in his mindset in making those big-time throws. I wish he would stand in the pocket and take the hit sometimes…I think there are some higher-level backups that are more talented than him.”

No. 33: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

Simms: “He’s a fringe top-32 quarterback in football…You don’t lose games because of Ryan Tannehill…Are you going to win every game because of Ryan Tannehill? No, but he’s going to put you in a position more times than not that he doesn’t screw it up and he’s capable of making some big plays down the stretch to win football games.”

To listen to the full player breakdowns on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, click here.

-NBC SPORTS-

PETER KING REMEMBERS PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER BART STARR IN HIS “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” COLUMN EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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Column Includes Memories from King’s Last Interview with the Late Packers Quarterback

“We appreciate and remember one of the great quarterbacks of a bygone era, a five-time world champion, a man who must not be forgotten when the roll is called for the all-time great quarterbacks.”  – King

FMIA Also Features a Talk with Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden and a Look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Upcoming Tribute to Former NBC Sports Executive Dick Ebersol

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 28, 2019 – Peter King’s latest edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, remembers Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who passed away Sunday morning at the age of 85.

The column also features highlights from King’s conversation with Oakland head coach Jon Gruden on draft weekend, when the two discussed the Raiders’ offseason, their draft strategy and how the Antonio Brown trade came together.

FMIA includes praise for former NBC Sports executive Dick Ebersol as he prepares to accept the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award later this summer and King’s belief that the NFL may miss a potentially historic opportunity to play a regular-season game in Canton, Ohio in 2020.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

 

REMEMBERING HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK BART STARR

King: “In his last interview – and that is a stretch, really, because the ‘interview’ was 23 courageous and arduous words long, and it lasted well over an hour – Bart Starr tried to accomplish his goal just as hard as he tried to burrow in for the biggest touchdown in the history of the Green Bay Packers in the Ice Bowl. Two strokes, a heart attack and a brain-scrambling disease called aphasia can make uttering 23 words like climbing Kilimanjaro.”

King: “I had come to Birmingham to convey the level of the relationship between Aaron Rodgers, 34, and Starr, 84. Though they were a half-century apart in age, they had a bond…  This (interview) was for Aaron. Anything for Aaron. Bart and Cherry Starr, his wife of 64 years, loved Aaron Rodgers… he would try to say:

You are a strong leader

Cherry and I are admiring you

Because you are one of the finest men we have ever met.”

Aaron Rodgers on getting a letter of encouragement from Starr in 2008: “It meant so much, coming from a man who had been in my shoes with this team. I was a big football fan, and big Packer fan. Here was Bart Starr, writing to me. It always meant a lot to me, because I knew I had the support of one of the greatest players of all time.”

King: “Today, we appreciate and remember one of the great quarterbacks of a bygone era, a five-time world champion, a man who must not be forgotten when the roll is called for the all-time great quarterbacks… I say we should remember just as well the grace and determination and humanity of Bart Starr.”

 

A CONVERSATION WITH JON GRUDEN

Gruden on Raiders’ 2019 first-round pick, running back Josh Jacobs: “There’s a lot of untapped football in there that no one’s seen yet. We felt he was one of the top players in the draft, honestly.”

Gruden on the rumors that the Raiders wanted to draft a quarterback: “We all loved Kyler Murray. That doesn’t mean we were gonna take him… There was a lot of speculation that we were gonna take a quarterback. I kept watching a guy on NFL Network saying we’re going up to get Murray. Then he says we’re going up to get Haskins. Then he says we’re going up to get Lock. We’re trading Carr. I don’t understand it.”

Gruden on the Antonio Brown trade: “We’re at this nice event, I got my wife… They got beautiful makeup on, beautiful dresses on. But me and Mike Mayock are over there at the event, working on a trade for Antonio Brown. ‘What’s the deal, man? We getting him?’ It was great though.”

 

PRAISE FOR DICK EBERSOL

King: “Kudos are in order for Dick Ebersol, the longtime NBC Sports executive who, along with Denver owner Pat Bowlen, invented the Sunday night football package that now has been the king of prime-time TV for eight years running. (“Sunday Night Football” has been the highest-rated TV show in the country every year since 2011.)”

King: “Bowlen wanted NBC to get the package, I’ve always thought, because he knew Ebersol could deliver Al Michaels and John Madden in the booth in 2006, and Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth in the studio. It took some wrangling on a lot of levels to make that foursome the key to the NBC talent pool, but Ebersol made it happen.”

King: “I think moving the best prime-time game of the week from Monday to Sunday probably will be what people remember about Ebersol and the NFL. But I have always thought the most important thing for TV fans was flex scheduling… Ebersol was insistent that NBC and the league have the ability to be able to change the game that looked like stinkers to more competitive or more attractive affairs.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

 

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—

PETER KING ASKS 25 NFL EXPERTS HOW TO MAKE PRO FOOTBALL BETTER FOR HIS “FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA” COLUMN EXCLUSIVELY ON NBCSPORTS.COM

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Column Includes Insights from 25 People, In and Around Football, About One Thing They Would Change to Improve the Sport

“There are too few times when smart people brainstorm about improving a product.”  – King

FMIA Also Features the Lessons Two-Time Super Bowl Champ Chris Long Takes into Retirement, a Look at the Consistency of the New England Patriots Organization and Why King Feels Peyton Manning Shouldn’t Want to Become GM of the Jets

 

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 20, 2019 – Peter King’s latest edition of Football Morning in America, available now exclusively on NBCSports.com, asks some of the brightest and most experienced minds in football what they would change about the game to improve the sport of professional football.

The column also features a passage from recently retired two-time Super Bowl champion and 2018 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Chris Long about the lessons he learned from his 11-year NFL career and his social justice and charitable work.

FMIA includes a look at how the New England Patriots use organizational consistency to gain an advantage over the rest of the AFC East and why King believes the Jets’ newly-vacant front office job is not the best landing spot for Peyton Manning.

The following are highlights from this week’s edition of Football Morning in America:

 

25 SMART PEOPLE IN THE FOOTBALL WORLD SHARE IDEAS TO IMPROVE THE GAME

Dean Blandino: Make Every Play Replay-Reviewable

“I have come full circle on this since I worked in the league, but I now think coaches should be able to challenge anything they want… This would simplify the rule because you wouldn’t have to wonder what’s reviewable and what isn’t.”

Pete Carroll: Kill Instant Replay

“Get rid of – or at least decrease the use of – instant replay. I get all the reasons why we have instant replay, and technology has opened up a new world for us to get to this point. But I miss the human element of trusting the officials to make the calls in the moment and then the rest of us having to live with what they called.”

Mark Leibovich: Put Bad Ownership Up For a Public Vote

“I would put in a rule that owners need to stand for re-election every five years. Anyone who lived in the jurisdiction where the team plays, or who purchased a ticket to a home game in the last calendar year, would be eligible to vote, either ‘approve’ or ‘disapprove,’ on the owners’ performance.”

Eric Winston: Seed the Playoffs By Record, Not Division Title

“Ever since you were a small kid and you played games and they kept score, the team with the best record at the end of the season, before the playoffs, got the advantage in the playoffs. Then I get to the NFL, and it’s not that way at all. You get a massive advantage by being one of the top four seeds in each conference. You get at least one home game.”

Mike Florio: Adopt the XFL’s OT Rule

“Why not implement a truly fair solution? The XFL, inspired by soccer and hockey using penalty kicks and shots to break ties, will try a two-point conversion shootout, with both offenses and both defenses on the field at the same time, alternating attempts to score from either end of the field.”

The takes from the 25 panelists:

Ron Wolf: Cut Down On Flags
Rick Gosselin: Help Defenses By Extending The Bump Zone
Dean Blandino: Make Every Play Replay-Reviewable
Brandon Carr: Take Away Some Protection of the Quarterbacks
Scott Hanson: Make the Onside Kick a Real Play Again I
Booger McFarland: Make the Onside Kick a Real Play Again II
Pete Carroll: Kill Instant Replay
Mark Leibovich: Put Bad Ownership Up For a Public Vote
Hunter Henry: Ensure That Each Team Gets a Possession in Overtime
Lindsay Jones: Be More Progressive About Players Using Marijuana
Chris Nowinski: Eliminate Tackle Football Until High School
Richard Deitsch: Give Fans a Beckham Cam
Sam Farmer: Adios, Chain Gangs
Eric Winston: Seed the Playoffs By Record, Not Division Title
Amy Trask: Increase Roster Size
Calais Campbell: Make Every Healthy Player Active on Game Day
Sal Paolantonio: Send Replay Review Into Our Living Rooms
Les Snead: Reinvent the Preseason
Rich Eisen: Give the Ball Back to the Offense on Fumbles Through the End Zone
Terez Paylor: The NFL Must Loosen Its Vise-Grip on Highlights
Neil Hornsby: Shorten the Game
Harry Carson: Bring Pre-1993 Retirees’ Pensions In Line With Other Sports …
Joe Horrigan: … And Do The Same For Pre-1993 Player Benefits
Bart Scott: Liberalize Rules to Bring Back the Excitement of the Kickoff
Mike Florio: Adopt the XFL’s OT Rule

 

CHRIS LONG: WHAT I LEARNED

Long: “I learned to never make a decision based on just one thing. The decision to retire was complicated. It was based on health, which is still very good, and family, we have two small children, and football fit, which includes a chance to win and my role and geography.”

Long: “Tom Brady blew me away… A lot of people want to hate him for all the success, and I understand how you can dislike the Patriots, but I cannot understand how you can dislike Tom.”

Long: “NFL Man of the Year… I never felt deserving of it. I am not the best person in the NFL. I never want to get up there promoting myself as some infallible person. I was very honored. But I was also conflicted that people saw me as this community service guy, not a player… But I do appreciate the fact that people saw that I played for free for one year, that I was part of a group that built 61 wells for people to get fresh water in Africa, and that we’ve got 220,000 people drinking from our wells.”

Long: “Retirement is interesting. It is something I feared for a long time. It is an existential crisis. I’ve been doing something since high school, working toward a goal. I fantasize about crossing the threshold, but at the same time it’s something you can be deathly afraid of.”

 

NEW ENGLAND COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE AFC EAST: 44-3

King: “New England coaches/personnel chiefs since Bill Belichick was hired in 2000:

New England’s total coaches/personnel czars since 2000: 3

Coaches/personnel czars for the other 3 AFC East teams since 2000: 44

That’s 44-3 — 44-3!”

King: “Think about it: New England probably has the three biggest advantages over the teams in its division of any team in the NFL: Belichick is one, Brady is two, and 20 seasons of continuity (this is year 20 for Belichick in Foxboro) is three.”

 

PEYTON MANNING AND THE JETS

King: “I think the Jets architecture job is not the one to take if you want to run a franchise, Peyton Manning. To be charitable, the Jets are not close to contention.”

King: “Adam Gase is going to have a major say on who becomes the next GM of the Jets. Gase was 23-26 in his three-year stint coaching the Dolphins, and, though the quarterback position was plagued by injuries while he was there, he’s supposed to be a quarterback guru, and the Dolphins, again, are starting from scratch at the position after firing Gase four-and-a-half months ago.”

Read the rest of the column here.

A new “Football Morning in America” posts every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com through the NFL season. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN’s and NBC Sports Radio’s PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.

—FOOTBALL MORNING IN AMERICA—