Long Snappers (?!) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame

I read Alex Prewitt's article in Sports Illustrated yesterday about long snappers in the NFL, and I couldn't help but think about whether the position deserves a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the piece, Prewitt details how difficult contests became for teams that lost their long snappers midgame, such as the Cincinnati Bengals' defeat to the Steelers this year stemming from their long snapper's torn biceps. If a player is that valuable to his squad that his injury leads almost directly to a loss, shouldn't one of their fraternity at least be considered for induction into the Hall? It's a highly specific job no less important than kicker or punter, so I think it's time for someone to get a spot in Canton.

How might we decide which player to cast in bronze? For starters, we need to know some of their names, as long snappers are some of the more anonymous players on the field. Zak DeOssie seems like an interesting choice following two Super Bowl victories with the New York Giants. He and his father were both mentioned by John Turney in "Top Holders and Long Snappers in NFL History" as top ten players all-time at the position. Don Muhlbach is also mentioned by Turney, and Kyle Meinke of mlive.com in this 2021 article. So while it's a little late for this year, maybe Muhlbach, one of the DeOssies, or one of the many other players mentioned by Turney is worthy of consideration in 2024. It's time the position got its due.

Now for the holders ....

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Football: Earth-838 Has Football on Summer Holidays

*Note: This is the first post in a series of fictional installments that uses the MCU's  Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a jumping off point to football "what ifs." It contains spoilers for the newest Dr. Strange.

Dr. Stephen Strange and Miss America Chavez on May 6 traveled to Earth-838's United States while fighting the Scarlet Witch. During their trip, Strange and Chavez reported a number of significant differences between 838 and Earth-616, including key variations in the way football is played.

On 838, the United States has 72 professional football teams that are all part of the same organization, according to Strange and Chavez. The NFL has 36 franchises, and each major league team has an affiliated franchise in the Minor Football League (MFL).

"All of America was excited to see football on Memorial Day weekend, too," said Chavez. Each NFL team unites with its minor league affiliate for combined spring games on both Memorial Day weekend and the 4th of July, similar to what colleges and universities do in April and May here on 616, both Chavez and Strange said.

"It's really special for the fans to be able to come out and see a little football in the offseason," said 838's Roger Goodell, who like our Goodell has been NFL commissioner since the mid-2000s. "There are some differences from the regular season. Fans have the opportunity to really get up close and personal with their favorite players, something that just isn't able to happen from September to February."

During offseason games, fans are allowed to stand in designated areas on the sidelines and chat with players. Some teams have even allowed fans to try their hand at coaching.

"We give them specific plays to choose from, but fans have run our offense during spring and summer games in the past," said 838's Bill Belichick, head coach of the five-time Super Bowl champion Cleveland Browns. "They really seem to enjoy it."

Asked if the "fans as coaches" attraction was something the NFL could go to in this universe, 616's Roger Goodell said, "it's not something that's on the table right now, but we'd never rule anything out. Our number one priority is the fans, and if calling plays in preseason games is something they might like, we'll consider it."

Washington Now in Command

The NFL's Washington, D.C. football team today revealed its new nickname that replaces the racist moniker the team employed from 1933 until 2019. The team is now the Washington Commanders.

I like the new nickname because it feels important and powerful, as if the team is a group of leaders on a critical mission. At the same time, it's not overly important or stiff. "Commanders" is a dynamic military nickname, reminding me of the San Diego Fleet in the now-defunct AAF.

The uniforms are sharp, with a new stencil-style font for the "W" on the side of the helmet. The home jerseys declare "Commanders" on the front, using a line above and below the name to make it stand out.

My initial reaction upon seeing a leaked photo of a Commanders t-shirt last night was that the nickname would jibe with the American tradition more if the team's colors were red, white, and blue. But I'm happy the team's primary colors remain the longtime burgundy and gold. Perhaps the franchise can come up with an alternate uniform and logo that includes red, white, and blue to keep the team tradition alive and simultaneously bring an important piece of America to the franchise. They are based in America's capital, after all.

Improving on the Already Terrific NFL RedZone

NFL RedZone is one of the best inventions in the history of professional football, but there are ways that it could be even better. 

One of the things I find myself doing constantly during NFL Sundays is checking my phone to see how my fantasy team is playing. Am I winning my matchup? Has my player's long TD catch been accounted for yet? How many points, exactly, do my players have?

It's because RedZone only shows total fantasy points for full PPR leagues that I end up checking on that last question. But what if RedZone included point totals for multiple types of fantasy leagues? (1) Including half PPR totals on the bottom line during the broadcast in addition to full PPR stats would give fans easier access to a more diverse array of fantasy numbers.

And why stop there? NFL Network's marketing department can go to work to find out which fantasy formats are most popular or growing and cater to their largest fan bases the most while also spending time calculating stats for even the most unique scoring formats.

Maybe in the future the NFL will even develop its programming so fans can customize the stats they see while watching RedZone. Then every fan could get exactly what they ask for, and perhaps RedZone would increase its reported weekly viewership of 1 to 1.5 million (2). The sky is the limit for NFL RedZone when it comes to fantasy football.

1- Let's be honest, I'd still be checking my fantasy team on my phone, even if RedZone added these features.

2 - According to The Athletic's Richard Deitsch in "The Future of NFL RedZone beyond episode No. 200: Media Circus": NFL RedZone

Eleven Candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

There are many good athletes in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and perhaps just as many additional candidates who could be discussed for induction. Players like Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning look like slam dunks, while cases can be made for Don Coryell, Ronde Barber, and Clay Matthews, among many others.

Below, I've listed eleven candidates I think have a great case for a bust in Canton. This isn't necessarily a list of the best candidates, or the most deserving, but it is a list of players, and others, who I think should be strongly examined.

1. Philip Rivers - Rivers has been great in his career regardless of whether you like traditional or advanced stats. He's led the league in seventeen different categories at least once, including touchdown percentage, adjusted yards per attempt, and adjusted net yards per attempt, though he's also led in areas like interceptions. He's passed for 4000 or more yards ten times in his career, helping him rank eighth all time in passing yards. He'll be 38 in December, but threw for north of 4000 yards for a sixth year in a row in 2018. Regardless of when decides to hang up his cleats, he shouldn't have to wait long before he's making a trip to Canton.

2. Ken Riley - Riley played in 207 games in his career with the Cincinnati Bengals, picking off opposing QBs 65 times. He returned five of those interceptions for touchdowns. There are only four players in history with more interceptions, and each of those four is in Canton already. He's 16th all time among CBs in Pro Football Reference's approximate value (AV).

3. Julius Peppers - In my opinion, he should be a first-ballot inductee. He's fourth all time in sacks and second in forced fumbles, though neither stat was recorded through most of pro football history, and it's possible Deacon Jones, Lawrence Taylor, and others have more sacks. Still, Peppers' stats are very impressive, and his 183 AV ranks fifth all time among DEs and OLBs, one spot ahead of LT.

4. 1972 Miami Dolphins - Football is a team game, but there are no teams in the Hall. My vote, not that it actually counts, is to change that, and the first team that should get in is the famous 17-0 squad from South Beach.

5. 1985 Chicago Bears - They were scary. They were tough. And they were good. The 1985 Chicago Bears outscored opponents by 258 points in the regular season en route to a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. They also shut the Giants and Rams out in the playoffs prior to facing New England.

6. Isaac Bruce - He's the fifth-best receiver all time in receiving yards, behind only Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss. His 91 career touchdowns lag behind some of the true legends of the game, but still put him in the company of the elites. He also won a Super Bowl with the Greatest Show on Turf, a standard for induction that will help him in the eyes of voters.

7. Frank Gore - Longevity, especially at the running back position, is difficult in the National Football League. Gore has achieved a long-lasting career and then some during his time as an NFL player, rushing for 14,748 yards over 14 seasons thanks in large part to nine seasons over 1000 yards. Gore has never had a truly bad season, and has played fewer than 14 games only once in his career.

8. Adam Vinatieri - Vinatieri has scored more points than anyone in league history, which by itself should be enough to get him in. It's hard to tell the story of a sports league without the top all-time scorer. Further boosting his case are his success in big moments and four Super Bowl rings.

9. Edgerrin James - He won an Offensive Rookie of the Year award when he led the NFL in rushing yards in 1999, and ranks 15th in career scrimmage yards. He's also tied with Bruce with exactly 91 total touchdowns for his career, short of true legend status, but also tied with Tony Dorsett, Bobby Mitchell, and Ricky Watters at 31st all time. James also led the NFL in rushing yards in his sophomore campaign with 1709.

10. Jeff Saturday - Overall, offensive lineman are underrepresented in the Hall of Fame. In general, there are five times as many linemen as quarterbacks on the field at any one time. Yet as far as Canton goes, there are 26 modern era quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame, compared to 46 modern era offensive linemen. The only offensive linemen ahead of Saturday in AV are current members of the Hall of Fame.

11. Alan Faneca - Faneca is just a few spots behind Saturday in AV, and was named to the All-Decade team for the 2000s. If I were a voter, I would have picked him for induction this year, though there were plenty of great candidates, and those who were chosen for enshrinement are more than worthy of the honor.

*All stats from the Pro Football Reference website, except for number of Hall of Famers by position, which came from the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, and Faneca's inclusion on the All-Decade team, which came from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.*

Why the Regular Season is Better than the Playoffs

It's Super Bowl season! We're just over a week away from the "Big Game," when people will be tearing open potato chip bags, laughing at commercials, and, hopefully, watching a great back-and-forth affair.

Those first few words, though, those are the ones that are almost painful. More than a week until the next truly meaningful game.

During the regular season, there are football games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. For true junkies, there are even some Tuesday and Wednesday night college games. Then the best football of the year, in my opinion, comes from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, when the race for the NFL playoffs goes full throttle and the NCAA holds most of its Division I bowl games.

Contrast that with the NFL playoffs, where there are just four games maximum each weekend.

I know some people reading this are rolling their eyes, but hear me out before you drag the mouse up to the little "x" at the top of the screen. There are up to 16 NFL games each week during the regular season. If a game isn't living up to expectations, you can turn it off and watch another one. Simple. That goes double for college football, with who knows how many games each weekend. Plus, there are additional options like NFL Network's RedZone. If the Super Bowl isn't competitive? Our next NFL game will be played in Canton, Ohio, in approximately six months. Plus, there is a 100% chance your favorite team is playing sometime between September and December. There are minor football leagues starting up, but it will still be some time until the best-played games return to TV.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Super Bowl, but there are games that don't live up to their billing. The New York Giants suffered a huge Super Bowl XXXV loss at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, and Super Bowl XLVIII was the same sort of game when the Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos 43-8.

In the regular season, the viewer has multiple options. He or she can keep watching the blowout involving their favorite team, or shut it off and watch a more competitive game tomorrow. So let's watch some football, but if we have a choice, make it a regular season game. We'll have more options that way.

The Patriots Should Name Their Field After Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick is an all-time great coach and a surefire Pro Football Hall of Famer. After leading New England to a ninth AFC Championship as the Patriots head coach on Sunday, there's certainly some argument to be made for Bill Belichick as the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. Some have advocated for naming the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the elder statesman of pro football coaching, but I'm going to suggest something different: the New England Patriots organization should name the field at Gillette Stadium after Belichick.

I love some of the other ideas I've seen about honoring Belichick for his success, such as naming a wing in the Hall of Fame after him. He's an historic figure, and what better way to pay tribute to the man than by naming part of the complex that serves as the foremost vault to the history of the game after him? The Hall of Fame, though, sees under a quarter of a million visitors each year, while tens of millions watched the AFC Championship Game this past Sunday alone. Putting Belichick's name on the field would get it in front of millions and would help give more people a sense of his greatness, though there aren't any rules that say he can't have his name on both the field and the Hall of Fame.

Then there's the renaming of the Vince Lombardi Trophy. In theory, it's a great idea. Belichick's Patriots have won the Super Bowl five times with him at the helm, more than any other coach in league history, and have a chance for number six early next month. There's just one problem: the trophy is already named after someone. The late Vince Lombardi, who is already enshrined in Canton, has had his name on the trophy for nearly 50 years. Renaming it after Belichick, while certainly an appropriate honor for the long-time New England coach, would be an insult to Lombardi's memory, not to mention those members of his family who, I'm sure, hold his achievements in the highest regard.

Imagine instead Jim Nantz on a crisp October Sunday saying, "Hello friends, and welcome to Bill Belichick Field at Gillette Stadium." Then Al Michaels could say the same thing in November, before Joe Tessitore takes us home in late December, not to mention the cries of joy from the announcers in January when the Patriots grab home-field advantage. It makes his name more accessible to casual fans, and to greater numbers of fans, and I'd advocate for it as the number one option when it comes to honoring the all-time great head coach Bill Belichick.

Notes:

1 - Idea of naming a wing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame came from a Twitter poll. I will update with the specific poll if I can find it.
2 - Statistic on number of visitors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame came from the following New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/sports/pro-football-hall-of-fame-canton-ohio.html
3 - Statistics on number of viewers for the championship games came from deadline.com: https://deadline.com/2019/01/rams-patriots-nfl-championship-game-ratings-rise-1202538653/
4 - Statistic on how long the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been named, well, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is from Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/04/who-makes-vince-lombardi-trophy-super-bowl

NFL Personalities as Marvel Characters

Last night I had the incredibly creative yet somewhat crazy idea of comparing NFL personalities to Marvel heroes. I think the 13 connections I came up with worked well for the most part. If I have another Vision, perhaps I'll turn this into a series. Enjoy!

J.J. Watt <--> Thor

Concerned about the well-being of others. Seemingly limitless strength. I bet Watt could even lift the Mjolnir.

Larry Fitzgerald <--> War Machine

Slightly underrated, yet truly a pinnacle of consistency, not to mention a surefire Hall of Famer.

Tom Brady <--> Tony Stark

Extremely wealthy with lots of shiny toys. Almost never loses in a professional setting.

James Harrison <--> Winter Soldier

Goes unwillingly over to the dark side for a time before returning to his roots and fighting for justice.

Sarah Thomas <--> Captain Marvel

Pioneers in the world of sports and superheroes.

Russell Wilson <--> Black Panther

Kindness, honor, and reason. Stay clear if angry and in full uniform.

Bill Belichick <--> Nick Fury

The mastermind behind everything. Always has a reason, even if it's a secret one. Very guarded about feelings.

Saquon Barkley <--> Vision

Inexplicable power, though perhaps Barry Sanders knows how Barkley makes people miss.

Tyreek Hill <--> Quicksilver

One word: speed.

Drew Brees <--> Hawkeye

Deadly accurate, plus superb skills as a brave leader of family and team.

Wade Wilson <--> Wade Wilson

I don't know anything about Wade Wilson the quarterback's personality, but once I found he played in the NFL ... how could I ignore this?

Baker Mayfield <--> Spider-Man

Young underdog who always finds a way to get the job done. Written off early by some only to come back and win big in the end.

Pam Oliver <--> Shuri

Impressive intelligence and vast depth of knowledge in craft.

Hoping for a New AFC Representative in Super Bowl LIII

It all started on January 14, 1996. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts by a 20-16 score to clinch a trip to Super Bowl XXX.

Nearly three-quarters of the Super Bowls since that AFC title game have featured one of three teams: the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, or the Denver Broncos. Two of those Bronco teams were represented by Peyton Manning, the same quarterback who helped take the Colts to Super Bowls XLI and XLIV.

So for the most part, we've been getting the same teams in the Super Bowl on the AFC side. In the cases of Manning, and the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady tandem, we've also been getting the same characters. I appreciate the intelligence of Belichick and the future Hall of Famer's domination over the NFL the past two decades, but I think it's time for some new blood now that Super Bowl LIII is on the horizon. My fingers are crossed that this is the year.

The Chiefs and Chargers have already clinched playoff spots, while the Texans, sixth in the AFC in pro-football-reference's Simple Rating System (SRS) entering today, are likely winners of the AFC South. The Patriots have looked beatable at times this season, and, though I won't count them out until the very end thanks to Brady and Belichick, that bodes well for teams like Kansas City and the Chargers, my personal favorites to end the reign of dominance by the AFC elite. Miami, Indianapolis, and Tennessee are still "in the hunt," and even Cleveland has a tiny itty-bitty smidge of a chance to make the playoffs (fivethirtyeight.com has the Browns at a two percent chance at the postseason after tonight's victory).

Just over 40% of the last 44 Super Bowls have featured an AFC team besides the Patriots, Steelers, or Broncos. Perhaps Super Bowl LIII is the one where the Chargers, Chiefs, or Texans break through. The Chiefs and Chargers could make deep runs, while other AFC squads are up-and-coming and could make a stab at the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

But even if not, there's always next year. After all, those Browns are definitely getting better.

*Thanks to pro-football-reference.com for providing the score and information on the Steelers-Colts AFC Championship Game, and for the Excel spreadsheets that helped me figure out the frequency of AFC Super Bowl participants. The sports-reference sites are excellent and highly recommended!*

Derrick Henry vs. Marshawn Lynch: Who Had the More Beastly Run?

Derrick Henry last night ran for 238 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 14.0 yards per carry on just 17 total rushes in a Thursday Night Football performance that helped officially knock the Jacksonville Jaguars out of the playoff hunt. His night included a 99-yard touchdown run that tied Tony Dorsett for the longest in the history of the NFL and drew a comparison by a large sports media company to former Seattle Seahawk running back Marshawn Lynch's 67-yard "Beast Mode" run in the 2011 NFL wild-card round. I don't mean to disrespect either athlete's skills and accomplishments, but I have to agree with those who thought the Lynch run was better.

Henry's rush had the edge in pure stats, with him running 99 yards compared to Lynch's 67, but that's one of the few advantages the former Heisman winner has over Beast Mode, and it's a relatively poor argument at that. As multiple others pointed out, Lynch has the advantage in game leverage, since his rush came in the first round of the playoffs. By contrast, Henry's run came on a Thursday night during the regular season between two teams fighting for their playoff lives. Not only that, but Lynch's rush came in the fourth quarter of a close playoff game, and extended his team's lead to 11 points.

Then there's the sheer physicality of Lynch's run: he broke through multiple tackles on the play, whereas it didn't really seem like anyone wanted to try bringing Henry down. By my count, Lynch broke three to seven good, legitimate tackle attempts. Henry didn't break any, though he still deserves credit for strong-arming Leon Jacobs without the benefit of proper leverage.

In the end, Lynch's run was just better. He had the benefit of situational leverage in a postseason game, and ran with more power and physicality than Henry, though both athletes certainly earned a place in the game's history in the pantheon of great NFL runners.

*Stats on Lynch's Beast Mode run courtesy pro-football-reference.com play index.*

Thursday Night Football: Can Saints vs. Cowboys Create a New TNF Scheduling Template?

Football is awesome. Saturdays with Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma. Sundays with the Patriots, Colts, and 49ers. Between Thursday and Monday nights every fall, there are thousands of games.

But Thursday night NFL games can be tough. Players aren't at their best because they played three days earlier. Coaches' and athletes' brains haven't been able to take in the game plan information that they'd usually have five to seven days to create and absorb. And, though this year seems to have been a bit of an exception, games can get sluggish, and offenses sometimes disappear. But tonight, when the Saints visit the Cowboys, there won't be any schedule-induced fatigue.

That's because New Orleans and Dallas played a full week ago.

So far this year, there have been 14 Thursday football games played, including the day games that kicked off before the Falcons and Saints played on Thanksgiving Night. With the exception of Week 1, when the Eagles and Falcons were coming off seven-month byes, each team this season playing a Thursday Night Football game also played three days prior, on the previous Sunday.

Enter tonight's Saints-Cowboys matchup.

With the Cowboys playing their traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Week 12, and the Saints kicking off just a few hours later, both teams have had the requisite six days to fully recover from last week and prepare to play again tonight. I think it would be better, and safer, to have two well-rested, well-prepared teams facing off every Thursday night.

I know this is a lot easier in theory than in practice. The NFL schedulers have a difficult job creating a perfect 16-game schedule for 32 teams, each of whom has just 17 weeks to play a specific set of 13 opponents. Imagine having to add a new wrinkle: any team playing on a Thursday needs to have either a bye or another Thursday game the week prior to kicking off on TNF. 

Without actually making up a schedule, I'm going to guess that such a thing is impossible, at least for every week. I think it would be great, though, if the schedule-makers could throw a few wrinkles into their work. Thanksgiving, for instance, is one of the most sacred and traditional of NFL holidays, when Detroit and Dallas each play a home game. Keeping that custom should be an important agenda item for the NFL. Maybe the Lions and Cowboys can have a bye week before they have their holiday matchups, or maybe they could even play each other on Thursday Night Football the week before the fourth Thursday of November, giving them a full week of rest and practice prior to their Thanksgiving games. Hey, it's an idea, one that could help solve any safety issues and keep the newest NFL tradition of Thursday Night Football going. Remember, football is awesome!