Football Outsiders

20 Dec 2004, 04:50pm by Aaron Schatz

Snap Judgment: Eli in Trouble

I'm setting new records for mean e-mail with today's Snap Judgment QB ratings at ESPN.com, thanks to a look at quarterbacks whose rookie years were similar to Eli Manning. Let's get the angry e-mails out of the way now. Yes, I know there are a number of reasons why Manning has struggled this season that have nothing to do with him personally. Yes, he had a very good game on Saturday and his numbers could look very different in two weeks. But the list of similar rookies is, shall we say, unpleasant, even after taking Saturday into account.

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20 Dec 2004, 02:26pm by Aaron Schatz

MMQB: The Kid Stays in the Picture

This week Peter King sings the praises of Eli Manning, criticizes Jake Delhomme for his play-faking ability, calls out Shaun Alexander for being a wuss (!), and tells an odd story about a woman at a bar with some really strange ideas about the NFL.

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18 Dec 2004, 05:07pm by Aaron Schatz

Jacksonville -- an NFL Town?

If Jacksonville loves its Jaguars so much, why can't the team sell out the stadium? The Jaguars have put a tarp over 10,000 seats so they can broadcast locally. Did the NFL make a mistake putting a team in such a small market -- and is a Jaguar move likely down the road? The Sports Economist comments, based on this (free registration required) Orlando Sentinel article by David Whitley.

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1 comment, Last at 22 Dec 2006, 7:09pm by Baccarat

17 Dec 2004, 06:35pm by Michael David Smith

Dr. Z: Commissioner for a Day

The Doc is in fine form today, as he tells us what he'd do if he had Paul Tagliabue's job:

"I'd get rid of all artificial surfaces. I'd make sure all NFL sponsored products were made in the USA. For all the phony flag waving the league does, all the NFL-sponsored clothing I've come across is made in places like Honduras or the Philippines, none in the U.S. To paraphrase the slogan of the British firm of Marks & Spencer ("British Goods mean British Jobs"), American goods mean American jobs."

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16 Dec 2004, 01:30pm by P. Ryan Wilson

The Knock On Urlacher? Here It Is

I hesitate to even mention this, but the Sporting News has named Brian Urlacher the most overrated player in the NFL...again (CBS Sportsline crowned Urlacher with the same title back in August). Of course Lovie Smith feels differently, and the Chicago Tribune has a story in today's paper that gives mixed reviews on Urlacher's status based on discussions with more than a dozen NFL scouts.

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14 Dec 2004, 03:47pm by Aaron Schatz

TMQ: A Lesson Learned

This week our man TMQ discusses how Pittsburg of Kansas has been punished by the football gods, plus sweet plays, sour plays, good blocking, stupid punts, Christmas albums, and the approaching mediocrity of the NFC playoffs.

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1 comment, Last at 10 Dec 2006, 5:23pm by College Cheerleaders

14 Dec 2004, 10:00am by P. Ryan Wilson

Pinkston: "I Lost it in the Lights"

Anyone watching the Eagles-Redskins game Sunday night might've wondered why WR Todd Pinkston pulled up short on a long pass over the middle from Donovan McNabb. Apparently he lost it in the lights. I was watching the play in question, and unless "I lost it in the lights" is a euphemism for "I stopped running because I didn't want to get the stuffing knocked out of me by the safety," then I'm not convinced. To make matters worse, Joe Theismann spent the next few minutes accusing Pinkston of having "alligator body." Nice. (free registration/bugmenot required)

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13 Dec 2004, 10:42pm by Russell Levine

EA Corners NFL Video Game Market

Proving that there's no end to the revenue streams it can develop, the NFL has sold its exclusive video game license to EA Sports, maker of the market-leading Madden series, for an undisclosed sum. That means while ESPN and others can continue to make football games, they can't use NFL players, stadiums, uniforms or logos in the game.

I'm not a video game player, so I'm interested to hear what gamers have to say about this development.

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4 comments, Last at 27 Jul 2005, 5:15am by 2k6

13 Dec 2004, 02:54pm by Aaron Schatz

Snap Judgment: The Franchise Tag

Here's the latest Snap Judgment column at ESPN.com, featuring the Football Outsiders QB ratings for a really, really bad week of quarterbacking. In fact, while nobody has noticed, passing has tumbled all around the NFL over the past five weeks. Plus: If you could pick any NFL quarterback for your expansion team, who would you select?

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13 Dec 2004, 02:00pm by Michael David Smith

MMQB: Edge Will Be Gone

Have you ever noticed how Peter King writes his most newsworthy items as if they were merely asides? Here's his comment on Indianapolis this week: "Enjoy having Edgerrin James on this team while you can, Colts fans. He's a Raider or Dolphin or Buc or Cardinal next year."

I trust King's opinion on these matters as much as I trust any football writer, but I think if the Colts let James go, they'll only do it if they're getting major draft-pick compensation. And this does look like it'll be a good year to draft a running back.

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