People have talked for years about the fact the Super Bowl is sort of an extra national holiday in the United States. But if that were really the case, we could indulge just a little bit more at our roman numeraled parties on the first Sunday of February each year. Instead, Americans cost their companies […]

This year's Pro Bowl will be the most influential all-star event in recent history. Virtually every pro series in the United States incorporates an all-star event into their schedule, but the NFL's is unique in that it comes at the end of the season. It's always been an afterthought, but if nothing changes this year, […]

Those who choose to hate on Super Bowl XLVII will surely point swiftly to the unsexy quarterback matchup. After years of being spoiled in the Super Bowl by guys like Brady, Manning, Manning, Brees, Rodgers and Roethlisberger, we're left with a matchup between Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick. Both are young and have superb skill […]

Sean Payton is back in the New Orleans Saints' fold. The NFL announced today that Sean Payton has been reinstated by the NFL, effective immediately. "We had a very productive discussion," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a released statement. "Sean fully complied with all the requirements imposed on him during his suspension. More important, it […]

Maybe Tony Gonzalez will change his mind. Maybe he'll get bored in a few months' time. Maybe he'll pull a Brett Favre and return to the game of football only after he's dodged the physical pain and stress of training camp and the preseason. But one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history insists […]

The most confusing team in the NFL continues to be the New York Jets. The current saga of complete confusion began last year when the Jets traded for a backup quarterback, Tim Tebow. At the time, it seemed as if owner Woody Johnson was adamant about bringing in Tebow, but now, Johnson is saying Tebow […]

Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, who both defeated higher-seeded opponents on the road to punch tickets to the Super Bowl. Here's our initial preview of the biggest matchup on the planet, which kicks off 332 hours from now. Two storylines you're going to be sick of by Wednesday: 1. Jim Harbaugh […]

On a third down play late in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta Falcons seemingly completed a pass to move the chains. The ball seemed to touch the ground, and it was challenged by Jim Harbaugh. The call was upheld, and Harbaugh treated us to one of the best reactions to a call in recent memory. […]

Now that the eight open coaching positions have all been filled, we can begin to evaluate the selections and the likelihood those new coaches will succeed. For our purposes today, we'll simply start with the coach I feel has the best chance to succeed and work our way to the coach I believe has very […]

With Chip Kelly moving his option-based offense from Oregon to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, and with option-oriented Colin Kaepernick coming off the most prolific rushing game a quarterback's ever had, and with option star Robert Griffin III likely to win the offensive rookie of the year award, and with option stud Russell Wilson […]

The Jacksonville Jaguars have ended their coaching search, selecting Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as their next head coach, the team announced today. Bradley had been the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator since 2009. The hire is somewhat surprising considering a trend towards hiring offensive coaches to lead teams. It's also surprising considering the Jaguars […]

We now know that two of four teams will play in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3 on CBS. Before the conference championship games take place this weekend, let's rank each of the four possible Super Bowl matchups. 1. Baltimore vs. San Francisco While New England would be a bigger audience draw because of […]

While it features a prominent football player, the jaw-dropping story of what happened to Manti Te'o — documented here by Deadspin — isn't really a sports story. It goes well beyond that world.  Still, there is an important NFL angle to consider, and that pertains to the Heisman runner-up's stock for this April's draft. There's […]

Before Russell Wilson came out of nowhere, Matt Flynn was supposed to be the Seahawks' starting quarterback. Before the season started, however, it was Wilson, not Flynn that was named the Seahawks' starting quarterback, and it was without question the right move. Now, however, the Seahawks have a very expensive backup quarterback that could be […]