Bryan Knowles's Archive

Why was the Eagles' season so weird, and what does that tell us about how Nick Foles might fare in Jacksonville? How did Amari Cooper's arrival change Dak Prescott's style in Dallas? What do Ben Roethlisberger and Deshaun Watson have in common? And why must Seattle do everything different than anyone else does?

Bryan and Andrew are back for another season of Scramble for the Ball! This year, they start their trip through the league's Over/Unders out east, where they question if anyone will ever catch the Patriots, if the Jets will ever figure out what they're doing, and if the Giants are really as bad as everyone thinks they are.

The Steelers had the NFL's best defense against play-action passes in 2018, but they were dreadful against straight dropbacks. The Vikings were excellent against straight dropbacks but got strafed by play-action. And most defenses had wildly different results in 2018 than in 2017. We scratch our heads and try to make sense of it all.

Base defenses continue to be comically misnamed, as nickel remains the standard NFL defense. Will dime packages be then next big thing? Will the defensive coordinator musical chairs change much in 2019? And is base actually better than nickel, after all?

The never-ending march of 11 personnel continues, as Sean McVay ponders if a team could go an entire year without substituting.

Our annual look at YAC+ reveals an unlikely new team atop the all-time leaderboards. Plus, a good year for rookie receivers, a weakness in the Seattle passing game, and a Farewell to Gronk.

While the Broncos need linebackers, the Chargers need help on the offensive line, and the Chiefs need help in the secondary, it's fair to ask whether the Raiders should have done more to bring in competition for Derek Carr at quarterback.

The remaining needs in the division are clear coming out of the draft. Dallas and Washington need safeties. New York and Philadelphia need offensive linemen.

The annual review of the best values in free agency has harsh words for John Lynch and high praise for some Fitzmagic.

The 2013 draft has gotten a reputation as the worst in recent history. Is there anything redeemable to be found in a draft that produced Dion Jordan, Dee Milliner, and EJ Manuel?