The Lavar Arrington Rant

Bill Barnwell — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:18:56 -0500

As requested by several people today, here's a link to the Lavar Arrington rant on his DC radio show yesterday. Conveniently, he did it right after the final TWIQ of the season was filed.

FORUM: Invent Your Favorite Poison Pill

Bill Barnwell — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:41:51 -0500

Our J.I. Halsell suggested in January that the vaunted "poison pill" used by the Vikings and Seahawks in the Steve Hutchinson and Bernard Berrian deals a couple of years ago could return this offseason.

FO Awards Voting Extended Another Week!

Aaron Schatz — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:42:43 -0500

Because we got the awards voting up a little later than usual this year, we're going to extend the voting period for another week. If you have not voted in the awards, this is your chance to do so. You still have a chance to win a prize: One of the three free DVDs of the movie BIG FAN will be given to someone who votes in this second week of balloting. Please do not vote a second time if you voted already last week.

The Week in Quotes: February 9, 2010

Rory Hickey — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:23:05 -0500

The Week in Quotes wraps up with a look at the good, the bad, and the weird from the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XLIV Quick Reads

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:24:49 -0500

Before running down DYAR numbers from Super Bowl XLIV, Bill Barnwell gives his thoughts on Sean Payton's aggressive and intelligent play calls.

Browns Cut Stallworth

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:25:01 -0500

The first prominent cut of the season is in; as expected, the Browns released wide receiver Donte' Stallworth.

Goodell Proposes Ban On Three-Point Stances

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:31:48 -0500

Buried in a manipulation-of-economics AP piece on Roger Goodell predicting players' salaries will rise in the future is this on line play...

FORUM: Who Will Be Cut?

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:26:08 -0500

With the offseason upon us, I'll be getting back to posting a forum topic of the day while we start producing Four Downs and get in the swing of things.

Opening 2011 Super Bowl Odds

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:11:22 -0500

Here are the opening lines for teams to win Super Bowl XLV, per Bodog...

MMQB: Who Dat, Indeed

Doug Farrar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:36:55 -0500

In this week's MMQB, PK reveals how an "ambush" made heroes out of a couple of no-names, insists that Drew Brees is now in the Pantheon (once again, we're going to go ahead and insist that he already was there), and reviews the Hall of Fame selection process. A humble suggestion for next season, sir: Stop complaining about your travels. Really.

NFL Standings, 2000-2009

Vince Verhei — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:36:15 -0500

With the last year of the first decade of this century now complete, Vince Verhei put together the final results for that decade. (Click to read more.)

Audibles at the Line: Super Bowl XLIV

Bill Barnwell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:47:48 -0500

The Saints are champions. FO breaks down the game with analysis of the gutsy calls, the big mistakes, and the interception that broke Twitter.

Why Are The Saints Five-Point Underdogs?

Bill Barnwell — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:48:30 -0500

Neil Paine at pro-football-reference.com uses their retrodictive SRS system to try and figure out why the Saints are a five-point dog today.

Super Bowl Pre-Audibles Special

Doug Farrar — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:07:35 -0500

Check out our open Super Bowl discussion thread, plus special early pre-game Audibles. Also the place to discuss the Saints' victory until our regular Audibles get posted later tonight.

The Worst Piece of Journalism from Super Bowl XLIV, Indianapolis Edition

Aaron Schatz — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:51:55 -0500

Actually, Deadspin's right. Bob Kravitz's article saying that the Saints are evil because Sean Payton was a replacement player in 1987 may be worse than the Albert Breer pro-Colts preview I just posted in the previous XP. At least Breer is trying to do actual analysis.

One Thing Not Up for Debate: Colts Will Win

Aaron Schatz — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:38:05 -0500

Want an example of what really bad Super Bowl analysis looks like? Albert Breer of the Boston Globe has you covered. (Click to read more.)

HOF Class of 2010 Announced

Aaron Schatz — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:38:55 -0500

This year's HOF class will include Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, Rickey Jackson, John Randle, and Russ Grimm. Appropriate for the first Saints player to make the HOF the same year the franchise makes its first Super Bowl. It looks like Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little, the two veterans committee nominees, also made it.

Patriots to Go Without Coordinators in 2010

Aaron Schatz — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:08:46 -0500

The Patriots today announced that they will not hire a defensive coordinator to replace the outgoing Dean Pees. Bill Belichick will be de facto coordinator. Of course, Bill Belichick is also the de facto offensive coordinator. The Patriots will be the first team since... well, since anybody can remember to have no official coordinators. Belichick can't possibly run things on both sides of the ball, so this probably turns QB coach Bill O'Brien into the new de facto OC, the same path Josh McDaniels traveled.

NPR Interview With Brian Billick

Bill Barnwell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:48:37 -0500

Thanks to Pete for passing along this interesting interview with Brian Billick from NPR. He's also hyping his book from Scribner, More Than A Game, which features some data from FO.

Were The Texans Really Elite After Week 3?

Bill Barnwell — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:42:11 -0500

We have a quick chat with our friend Steph Stradley at the Houston Chronicle about the Texans defense after Bernard Pollard showed up, and whether they were really a very good defense after that happened.