“Upon further review” is a recurring segment in which This Given Sunday analyzes quirks and fascinating tidbits from the NFL’s history books. The Super Bowl halftime show has become such a staple that the NFL is now asking potential A-list performers to essentially bid for the right to star in it. But that wasn’t always […]

Now that’s it’s been confirmed that Johnny Manziel won’t start Week 1 in Cleveland, the odds are significantly better that we’ll have our first full regular-season NFL week without a rookie starting quarterback since 2007. There’s still a chance Blake Bortles gets the Week 1 nod in Jacksonville, but the Jaguars have said they want […]

I have just one question: How can Johnny Manziel think this is OK? How can Manziel, knowing he was on national television for the first time in his NFL career, essentially interviewing for one of the most prized jobs in America, and knowing, too, that he’s already on thin ice for saying and doing silly […]

Rarely do rookies shine this early as bright as Jadeveon Clowney has two weeks into the Houston Texans’ 2014 preseason slate. The guy has simply been a beast, and it has us thinking that if he can continue to make plays like the two he made on back-to-back downs this weekend against Atlanta, he could be […]

Naturally, because the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season, and because the Seahawks had never won a championship prior to that, many of us are asking whether this young Seattle team has a chance to become a dynasty in the years to come. While dynasties seem to no longer exist in this parity-plagued […]

Every time former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Donovan McNabb is critical of active quarterbacks or the systems they play in, we inevitably think of stones and glass houses. But McNabb was spot-on in his recent criticism of the mere notion that the New York Jets might use the Wildcat offense with Michael Vick […]

In 2013, the Carolina Panthers became only the third team this century to record 60 team sacks in a season. Now, defensive tackle Colin Cole is thinking that they can make a run at the all-time record of 72, which is held by the 1984 Chicago Bears. “The goal is to surpass that and get […]

Weird Al Yankovic’s latest album, “Mandatory Fun,” continues to be a top-three seller on the Billboard 200. As a result, he’s experienced one hell of a rejuvenation in the media and among a whole new fan base. Now, more than 50,000 fans have signed a petition urging the NFL to have Yankovic perform at the Super Bowl halftime […]

Now that the confetti has been cleared following Hall of Fame Weekend in Canton, it’s time to look ahead at the class of 2015. And with apologies to Will Shields, Jerome Bettis and Marvin Harrison, here’s who we think should be enshrined next August… Junior Seau: A posthumous induction seems like a lock here in […]

The MLB trade deadline took place last week, and it was intense. The NHL trade deadline? Just as wack on an annual basis. Which always has us thinking that the trade deadline is one area in which the NFL gets its ass kicked by all of its counterparts in the North American sports spectrum. And […]

The best thing about the Pro Football Hall of Fame is it truly is an exclusive club. No more than seven legends are inducted on an annual basis, and there’s no wiggle room there. There are 287 total members, which blows away the overpopulated Hockey Hall of Fame (375) and edges out the Baseball Hall […]