For the last decade or so, Michael Salfino and Scott Pianowski have been putting together an email exchange centered around (but not limited to) the NFL. You might enjoy listening to them haggle. You might prefer a swift kick into the stomach. The Table isn’t for everyone; we hope some of you enjoy it. From: Michael Salfino Date: Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 12:22 AM Subject: Breakfast of Champions To: scott pianowski That was one helluva interesting weekend of football. And now we get to do it all over again on Sunday, but just twice. Before getting to the championship games and predictions, we should close the book on Week 19. Who is the biggest goat in Denver: John Fox, Peyton Manning or the Broncos’ secondary? Who would you rather have future shares on right now, Colin Kaepernick or Russell Wilson? Is Kaepernick going to burn out like Randall Cunningham did and even Kordell Stewart to a lesser extent, or is he going to endure? Here’s a shocker — the Falcons were outplayed won anyway. Why do I hate them for spitting in the face of football sabermetrics? And is there something about them that the numbers miss? Should Pete Carroll be given grief for not passing more early given how banged up Marshawn Lynch looked? And there is the Patriots, who played like champions on Sunday. But do we just give Bill Belichick a pass on losing Rob Gronkowski? Does Gronk’s loss even matter given that no one has a clue how to stop the Patriots from doing the same stuff they’ve been doing, seemingly, forever? And why does the indoor game happen early and the outdoor game get played late? Plus they’re making the west coast team defy circadian rhythms again a week after you could almost set your clock to the minute the Seahawks would wake up and play. Rating, I know, but they’re both going to be so high anyway. I guess more people will want to see the Ravens come into Foxboro as a confident convinced they can win given they beat New England earlier this year and should have beaten them last year in the same AFC Championship spot. But I am looking forward to both games and am chastened, appropriately, after last week’s predictions gone awry. Screw the bookies and pass those martinis. Breakfast of Champions is served.
Go here to see the original:
Breakfast Table: Breakfast of Champions (Roto Arcade)
Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has agreed to a four-year contract to become the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Arians, 60, served as the Colts’ interim head coach for 12 games this season while head coach Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia. The Colts went 9-3 under Arians and finished 11-5 on the season, earning a spot in the AFC Playoffs. Despite starting rookies at quarterback (Andrew Luck), running back (Vick Ballard) and tight end (Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen), and having third-round pick T.Y. Hilton playing a large role, the Colts ranked 10th in the NFL in total offense and were seventh in third down conversions. Prior to his stint with the Colts, Arians won a pair of Super Bowls during his eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, spending the last five as the offensive coordinator. Arians was the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2001-03 and was Peyton Manning’s first quarterbacks coach with the Colts from 1998-2000.
View original post here:
Bruce Arians accepts the head coaching position with the Arizona Cardinals (Shutdown Corner)
Another NFL team hired a head coach Thursday while two recently fired head coaches landed as offensive coordinators.
The rest is here:
NFL notebook: Jaguars hire Bradley; two ex-coaches hired as OC’s (The SportsXchange)
(Reuters) – The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens renew their rivalry on Sunday in an AFC title rematch that will either end the career of Ray Lewis or deny Tom Brady another crack at the Super Bowl record book. The battle, coming on the heels of a see-saw 23-20 victory last year by New England in a game squandered by Baltimore in the last minute, marks the first AFC championship game rematch in consecutive years since 1988. …
View original post here:
Ravens seek redemption in rare AFC title game rematch (Reuters)
Jan 17 (Reuters) – The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens renew their rivalry on Sunday in an AFC title rematch that will either end the career of Ray Lewis or deny Tom Brady another crack at the Super Bowl record book. The battle, coming on the heels of a see-saw 23-20 victory last year by New England in a game squandered by Baltimore in the last minute, marks the first AFC championship game rematch in consecutive years since 1988. …
Here is the original post:
PREVIEW-NFL-Ravens seek redemption in rare AFC title game rematch (Reuters)
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie gave his end of-the-season address to media on Thursday. There wasn’t much earth-shattering news as r…
The rest is here:
McKenzie talks McFadden, cap
Mel Kiper goes back to the grades he handed out just after the 2012 NFL draft and regrades every team. Was he wrong on how much immediate value Seattle landed? You bet. Was he right about the Bucs? Absolutely.
Originally posted here:
Mel Kiper’s regrading of the 2012 NFL draft
Adam Gase, the new Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator, learned a valuable lesson in 2012 as Peyton Manning’s quarterbacks coach. Gase knows he need…
Read more from the original source:
Gase gets Manning, no question about it
COMMENTARY | It doesn’t require much effort for fans of the Indianapolis Colts to realize that the offensive line needs some help. The Baltimore Ravens turned Andrew Luck into a human pinata throughout the Colts’ playoff loss, and that wasn’t the first time the rookie quarterback took a beating.
Read this article:
Five Potential Free Agent Offensive Linemen for Indianapolis Colts to Target (Yahoo! Contributor Network)