I didn't think that was a question. Simms was good as gone the moment the Quinn deal was made.

Rex Grossman signs with Redskins.

My Cardinals sign Derek Anderson. Presumably this is to put pressure on Leinart to take the off-season serious. I like Whiz's m.o. of no just giving the next guy in line the starting job. Hopefully it pushes Leinart.

favre is so fucking awesome i'd love nothing more for him to come back and win the bowl. you could easily argue the vikes were the best team in the playoffs last year, i'm not even a vikes fan and that playoff loss was excruciating. if it happened to the steelers it would easily be the worst playoff loss i'd been involved in.

Tebow invited to the draft. I'm not sure what I'm hoping for more - that he gets drafted in the 1st round and bombs, or that he sits there until day 3.

NFL approves changes to postseason OT rules
March 23, 2010 4:04 PM
Tribune News Services

The NFL changed its overtime rules for playoff games.

Starting next season, if a team wins the coin toss and then kicks a field goal, the other team gets the ball. If the game becomes tied again after that next series, play will continue under the current sudden-death rules. If the team winning the toss immediately scores a touchdown, the game is over.

Team owners voted 28-4 on Tuesday in favor of the proposal at the NFL meetings. Minnesota, Buffalo, Cincinnati and Baltimore opposed the change.

Minnesota lost last season's NFL championship game in overtime to New Orleans. The Saints won the toss, drove downfield and kicked a field goal to win.

As we argued at length in the 2009 NFL thread, I was very pro-rule change, and I think this is a good compromise. I like that it only applies to playoff games, thereby minimizing the injury risk.

I also don't think it's going to change strategy too much. I think most coaches will still be conservative and go for the fg, and then let the defense take over. That said, I do think field and weather conditions for outdoor games will be a much bigger consideration in ot.

What if you drive down to the 9 yard line and miss on 3rd and goal. If you go for it and fail again, does the opponent get the ball at the 9 or is there a kickoff?

I would assume normal rules apply, i.e. opponent gets ball at the 9.

Your question is kind of confusing, but if I'm reading it right, the team misses the field goal on on the 3rd and goal, in which case the ball is turned over on downs. You can't have two field goal attempts during the same possession (absent a penalty call). The only reason some teams attempt a fg on 3rd down is in case there's a botched snap.

As for the kickoff portion of your question, the only time there is a kickoff is after a score or safety, so I'm also confused by that question.

Anyway, the new ot rule only impacts the first two possessions:

If there's a fg on the first possession, opposing team gets a chance to tie or win.

If a fg is scored, and then a tying fg is scored, sudden death rules apply.

If there's a td on the first possession, game over.

If there's no score during the first possesssion, sudden death rules apply.

Seems pretty simple (and while I haven't seen any articles about a first possession safety, I have to assume that's game over since a safety is essentially a turnover).

I also haven't seen any articles comment about what happens when, during a single play, the first possesion team fumbles, the opposing team recovers and then fumbles, the first possession team recovers, and then goes on to kick a field goal. I imagine that since the opposing team technically had possession, the fg would win it pursuant to sudden death....but I'm not too worried about that scenario.

nobodies, I meant failed as in didn't get a touchdown, therefore it's 4th and goal from the 9. So this issue is whether or not to risk the turnover on downs.

If you kick a field goal, you're kicking back to the opponent but they need a TD to win, but probably giving better field position away. However if you go for it and miss, the ball is presumably at the 9, however all the other team has to do is hit a field goal to win.

Ok, I understand now. But I still think you're mistaken (or I might still be misreading it, which is entirely possible).

You said, "If you kick a field goal, you're kicking back to the opponent but they need a TD to win[.]" This isn't entirely accurate. If you get the field goal and kick off, they can also tie it up with another field goal, and then win it with another field goal. The fact that the first team gets a fg, doesn't automatically force the other team into td mode.

That said, If I'm the coach of the first team, I still probably kick the fg. If you turn it over on downs, they could march down and win with a single field goal.

If you make the field the goal, yes they'll take over with better field position, but the best they can do with a field goal is tie it up...and if they fail to make a field goal on the second possession, then game over.

Obvioulsy this scenario omits a number of factors (i.e. weather, the frequency of scores in the game, how your defense has been holding up, etc.)...but I think that would be the conservative/good strategy.

With JaMarcus coming into training weighing 290 lbs (!) I'd say the Raiders are the most likely landing spot for McNabb. Though I really wish my Cardinals (who's newest FA acquisition OLB Joey Porter is likely to face a suspension for a DUI and assault) would make a serious play for McNabb.

There are reports that the Raiders are talking to the Vikes about Sage too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5055346

Trading McNabb to the Redskins, for a 2nd rounder this year and only a 3rd or 4th rounder next year, is probably the ballsiest and dumbest trade I've seen since the Herschel Walker deal.

It's amazing how overvalued draft picks are to NFL execs. I mean you trade a probable hall of famer, who still has 2 or 3 good years left, to your 2nd most hated rival for 2 possible* starters?

I'd like to see the percentage of 2nd round and 3rd rounders who start in the NFL within 2 years.

I understand McNabb has been injury prone, but still WTF? It makes the Bears look they overpaid by giving up two 1st rounders for Cutler. Granted Cutlers about 6 years younger.

Wow!

Ok, first off, I had no clue the Skins were going to try and get McNabb. That came completely out of nowhere. Secondly, is that really all the Eagles could get for McNabb?!? That just seems insane to me. Third, in light of this new deal, isn't it kinda strange that the Skins brought in Rex Grossman a few weeks earlier?

The Eagles just fucked themselves in the ass. Can't wait to see McNabb and the Skins light them up this fall.

Do other people think this too? If so I think I've found my repeat of my 2008 Aaron Rodgers fantasy sleeper in Kolb. Sweet thanks!

See you up north in 2011 Donnie!

Rodgers wasn't much of a sleeper pick that year, people already suspected that he had a ton of potential as a future quarterback in the NFL and that is why the Packers agreed to dealing off Favre.

I don't know if the same can be said about Kolb.

Kolb will be a good but not great QB, but it won't come full circle for him in 2010. The Eagles will be lucky to go 8-8. McNabb will do very well in Washington and Philly fans will get what they deserve. He's the best QB the team has ever had and these ingrates have been booing him since draft day. There must be something in the water in the City of Brotherly Loathe.

I think the Eagles will do OK next year. Kolb looked really, really good in the two starts he had last year when McNabb was injured. I just can't believe they gave up McNabb for so little... and I can't believe the Raiders or Cardinals or another team with QB questions wasn't willing to give just a tad more for McNabb.

According to Sal Palontonio, this started in the last week and apparently the skins were just as surprised that the Eagles pulled the trigger on this. Now the skins don't have to take a QB with the 4th pick, they can draft an O-lineman or Su if he drops.

Not sure about the Cards, but McNabb refused to be traded to Al Davis tradition of excellence.

Reports are coming out that the Jets have traded a fifth round pick in this year's draft for WR Santonio Holmes. Holmes will start the year off with a four game suspension because of an altercation he had with a women at a nightclub. Rumors also said that Leon Washington was a part of the deal, but these are likely untrue.

The Jets have had an active off seasons, especially considering they are one of the 'elite 8' who have restrictions on how many FAs they can sign. They've landed Holmes, LT, Cromartie, and PK Folk.

while active i think the only one who will have any impact is cromartie

and now holmes gets a 4 game suspension!
classic

Seriously doubt it - he wasn't going to "retire" and leave that kind of money on the table.

I would gladly take 12 games of Holmes to help my young QB for a 5th round draft pick.

I said that in my original post about the trade. Apparently the Jets new that before they pulled the trigger. But as Matt points out, its still a great deal for them. If all they gave up was a fifth round pick, I think they got the better end of the deal for sure.

Schedules for 2010 season are out: http://www.nfl.com/schedules/release

Not liking this for the Vikes, but it could be worse. The New Orleans season opener was a very poorly kept secret, and I'm not loving the tough road game to start. I like that the December game against Bears is in Minnesota, but that's a bit offset by the December game in Philly. Also, the fact that a Detroit game isn't till week 17 puts the Vikings at a relative disadvantage if the division race is tight.

I'm happy to see the Packers also have Philly and the Jets on the road as well.

Is Favre's potential return to play in the Jets' house a marketable event for MNF Week 5? That's got to be the thinking there, but it seems a bit silly. It's just a completely different organization now than it was 2 years ago.

Packers last three games could be brutal if a playoff spot is on the line. @NE, NYG, @CHI

my lions have 3 chances to not go 0-16 again this season

The Week Three bye would be on my mind if I were a Viking fan. 13 straight weeks of football leading into the playoffs is gonna be tough on Father Time.

Who knows, if Sean Payton instructs his front 7 to hit late like he did in the NFC Championship* he may not even make it to the bye.


*Not that I'm complaining, that was good gamesmanship right there.

Looking like the Steelers could be w/o Big Ben for 4-6 weeks.

If you're a Super Bowl winning QB and you have to force girls into having sex you are clearly doing something wrong...

This is the first year I honestly feel great about the offseason. We added a couple starters on the D-line, a starting CB, a starting LG, a WR to take the double and triple teams off Megatron, and soon we'll have Suh or McCoy and another first round level talent.

tebow time for the vikes

Yeah, pretty much everything about this whole sordid business is sad and wrong.

Are you seeing something I'm not or are you just talking shit?

I'm really happy with their offseason; but divisional games will be really tough in the North, and the schedule makers didn't do them any favors. The Pats on thanksgiving? yuck

i have to say that if STL keeps the #1 pick and doesnt take Suh - they need to revoke their NFL membership right now

I don't follow college football enough to care all that much about the draft. But I am anxious if there will be any big trades leading up to the draft. Is Big Ben getting shipped?

Get the farm for Cutler and give up an even bigger one for...Tebow. Have fun with that Tebow, Quinn, Orton QB competition Bronco fans, Acne Neck strikes again!

No one is more relieved about Tebow being off the board than me. Why so early?

Nick, which side is Bulaga playing in 2010?

Vikes just traded down, with the Lions no less. Couple that with filling the CB need today with Sheppard, I have to assume they're picking a QB when they pick #34. I'd imagine that would be McCoy.

Lions doing well in the draft. Just grab an O lineman in the third.

I reckon that Bulaga will play right tackle next season. I think they'll keep Tauscher on the left side. That's if this Bulaga guy can make the starting line up...

Good move on the Vikes part trading down. I would rate McCoy as second best QB in the draft after Bradford.

TBH, I'm surprised the Vikes didn't shop Adrian Peterson in the off-season. His propensity to fumble is