Ask Sports Sturm: NFL Franchise Rankings, 9.0

The 9th annual NFL Franchise Rankings are ready for your viewing pleasure. We have tabulated the latest figures after the 2009 Playoffs and Super Bowl 44. This year, the biggest gain was the gigantic leap of the New Orleans Saints, which jumped from #31 to #23 all-time with 1 big year. Also, the Colts jumped into the Top 10, by passing the Vikings, Rams, and Giants in '09.

The Top 9 teams remain unchanged, as the Cowboys increased their small lead over the Steelers to 6 points, 108-102. Then, there is a giant gap before #3 San Francisco at 85 points, Oakland at 77, and then another large gap to #5 New England.

At the very bottom remains the Houston Texans who have never made the playoffs - therefore they have 0 points. But, since they are an expansion team, we should point out that the worst teams in the franchise rankings are actually the Lions with 11 points, and the Cardinals with 10.

So, what are these rankings all about? Here is what I wrote last year:

To recap, a few years ago, a good strong listener asked me to rank the franchises from #32 to #1 based on their accomplishments from Super Bowl I to present.

So I did. I wanted it to be objective, not subjective. I wanted it to be a formula and you would just enter the numbers and it would spit out the rankings with no favoritism or prejudice. We have been doing this since 2001. Since then, it has been imitated a time or two , but I don’t mind. It is pretty obvious idea for any sports nerd to come up with.

Here is how it works. Each Franchise gets 1 point for each season it makes the playoffs. Then, if it reaches the Conference Championship Game it gets a total of 3 points. If it makes the Super Bowl it gets 5, and if it wins the Super Bowl it wins the maximum total of points in a given year of 11. It used to be 10 for the Super Bowl, but I have adjusted it this year because I didn’t like the idea that 2 Super Bowl losses equaled a Super Bowl win. So, Now 11 points for a win and 5 for a loss in the Super Bowl.

I have been asked why no points are given for wins in the Wildcard round, but I decided that would not make sense with the idea that the playoffs have grown over the years and there is no way to equalize a smaller field to a larger one. Also, a Wildcard win is not that big a deal anymore with 6 teams in the playoffs, so unless you reach the Conference Title game, no additional points beyond the 1 for making the post-season.

I also have been asked how come I don’t go by average points per season (since many teams have joined the league since Super Bowl 1. My answer is simple: I don’t want to penalize teams who have been in the league all of the years. If you go by average points per year rather than total points, it is possible that the Baltimore Ravens would have been #1 if they had won the Super Bowl this year. No chance I would believe that premise, given that they didn’t exist prior to 1996. But, if a team has been established since the season of Super Bowl 1 (1966), it is notated.
Just add up the points for all the years, and that is the entire formula.

Otherwise, I break ties based on the team with more Super Bowl wins, then Super Bowl losses, then Championship Game wins, etc. There are no ties. I will settle it somehow.

I have decided to add the category this year in version 9.0 that many have requested - average pts per year - so that we may determine results based on years in the league. 24 of the 32 teams have been here the entire span of the 44 years of Super Bowl football, but this metric will help put the other 8 teams: Saints '67, Bengals '68, Seahawks '76, Buccaneers '76, Jaguars '95, Panthers '95, Ravens '96, and Texans '02. Also, the Browns missed 96-98, so they only have 41 seasons to work with.

So, let's check the Feb 2010 update:



#1 - Dallas Cowboys (Last Year, #1)

Total Points: 108
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 67C, 68, 69, 70SL, 71S, 72C, 73C, 75SL, 76, 77S, 78SL, 79, 80C, 81C, 82C, 83, 85, 91, 92S, 93S, 94C, 95S, 96, 98, 99, 03, 06, 07, 09

P: 30
4: 8
2: 3
1: 5

Average: 2.45 points per season



#2 - Pittburgh Steelers (#2)

Total Points: 102
Total Playoff Years: 72C, 73, 74S, 75S, 76C, 77, 78S, 79S, 82, 83, 84C, 89, 92, 93, 94C, 95SL, 96, 97C, 01C, 02, 04C, 05S, 07, 08S

P: 24
4: 7
2: 1
1: 6

Average: 2.31 per season
















#3 - San Francisco 49ers (#3)

Total Points: 85
Total Playoff Years: 70C, 71C, 72, 81S, 83C, 84S, 85, 86, 87, 88S, 89S, 90C, 92C, 93C, 94S, 95, 96, 97C, 98, 01, 02

P: 21
4: 7
2: 0
1: 5

Average: 1.93



#4 - Oakland Raiders (#4)

Total Points: 77
Total Playoff Years: 67SL, 68C, 69C, 70C, 72, 73C, 74C, 75C, 76S, 77C, 80S, 82, 83S, 84, 85, 90C, 91, 93, 00C, 01, 02SL

P: 21
4: 9
2: 2
1: 3

Average: 1.75



#5 - New England Patriots (#5)

Total Points: 60
Total Playoff Years: 76, 78, 82, 85SL, 86, 94, 96SL, 97, 98, 01S, 03S, 04S, 05, 06C, 07SL, 09

P: 16
4: 1
2: 3
1: 3

Average: 1.36



#6 - Miami Dolphins (#6)

Total Points: 58
Total Playoff Years: 70, 71SL, 72S, 73S, 74, 78, 79, 81, 82SL, 83, 84SL, 85C, 90, 92C, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 08

P: 22
4: 2
2: 3
1: 2

Average: 1.32



# 7 - Denver Broncos (#7)

Total Points: 57
Total Playoff Years: 77SL, 78, 79, 83, 84, 86SL, 87SL, 89SL, 91C, 93, 96, 97S, 98S, 00, 03, 04, 05C

P: 17
4: 2
2: 4
1: 2

Average: 1.29



#8 - Washington Redskins (#8)

Total Points: 56
Total Playoff Years: 71, 72SL, 73, 74, 76, 82S, 83SL, 84, 86C, 87S, 90, 91S, 92, 99, 05, 07

P: 16
4: 1
2: 2
1: 3

Average: 1.27



#9 - Green Bay Packers (#9)

Total Points: 54
Total Playoff Years: 66S, 67S, 72, 82, 93, 94, 95C, 96S, 97SL, 98, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07C, 09

P: 16
4: 2
2: 1
1: 3

Average: 1.23



#10 - Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts (#13)

Total Points: 53
Total Playoff Years: 68SL, 70S, 71C, 75, 76, 77, 87, 95C, 96, 99, 00, 02, 03C, 04, 05, 06S, 07, 08, 09SL

P: 19
4: 3
2: 2
1: 2

Average: 1.20
















#11 - Minnesota Vikings (#11)

Total Points: 52
Total Playoff Years: 68, 69SL, 70, 71, 73SL, 74SL, 75, 76SL, 77C, 78, 80, 82, 87C, 88, 89, 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98C, 99, 00C, 04, 08, 09C

P: 26
4: 5
2: 4
1: 0

Average: 1.18



#12 - St Louis/Los Angeles Rams (#10)

Total Points: 51
Total Playoff Years: 67, 69, 73, 74C, 75C, 76C, 77, 78C, 79SL, 80, 83, 84, 85C, 86, 88, 89C, 99S, 00, 01SL, 03, 04

P: 21
4: 6
2: 2
1: 1

Average: 1.16



#13 - New York Giants (#12)

Total Points: 48
Total Playoff Years: 81, 84, 85, 86S, 89, 90S, 93, 97, 00SL, 02, 05, 06, 07S, 08

P: 14
4: 0
2: 1
1: 3

Average: 1.09



#14 - Buffalo Bills (#14)

Total Points: 34
Total Playoff Years: 66C, 74, 80, 81, 88C, 89, 90SL, 91SL, 92SL, 93SL, 95, 96, 98, 99

P: 14
4: 2
2: 4
1: 0

Average: 0.77

Note: Bills have Super Bowl tie breaker on Eagles, 4-2.



#15 - Philadelphia Eagles (#15)

Total Points: 34
Total Playoff Years: 78, 79, 80SL, 81, 88, 89, 90, 92, 95, 96, 00, 01C, 02C, 03C, 04SL, 06, 08C, 09

P: 18
4: 4
2: 2
1: 0

Average: 0.77



#16 - Chicago Bears (#16)

Total Points: 31
Total Playoff Years: 77, 79, 84C, 85S, 86, 87, 88C, 90, 91, 94, 01, 05, 06SL

P: 13
4: 2
2: 1
1: 1

Average: 0.70



#17 - Kansas City Chiefs (#17)

Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 66SL, 68, 69S, 71, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93C, 94, 95, 97, 03, 06

P: 14
4: 1
2: 1
1: 1

Average: 0.68

Note: Chiefs have tie-breaker on Titans with the Lombardi Trophy edge, 1-0.



#18 - Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers (#18)

Total Points: 30
Total Playoff Years: 67C, 69, 78C, 79C, 80, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 99SL, 00, 02C, 03, 07, 08

P: 18
4: 4
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.68



#19 - New York Jets (#19)

Total Points: 29
Total Playoff Years: 68S, 69, 81, 82C, 85, 86, 91, 98C, 01, 02, 04, 06, 09C

P: 13
4: 3
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.66



#20 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (#20)

Established 1976

Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 79C, 81, 82, 97, 99C, 00, 01, 02S, 05, 07

P: 10
4: 2
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.70

Note: Bucs win tiebreak on Browns with Lombardi Trophy, 1-0.



#21 - Cleveland Browns (#21)

Total Points: 24
Total Playoff Years: 67, 68C, 69C, 71, 72, 80, 82, 85, 86C, 87C, 88, 89C, 94, 02

P: 14
4: 5
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.54
















#22 - San Diego Chargers (#22)

Total Points: 22
Total Playoff Years: 79, 80C, 81C, 82, 92, 94SL, 95, 04, 06, 07C, 08, 09

P: 12
4: 3
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.50



#23 – New Orleans Saints (#31)

Established 1967

Total Points: 19
Total Playoff Years: 87, 90, 91, 92, 00, 06C, 09S

P: 7
4: 1
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 0.44



#24 – Baltimore Ravens (#23)

Established 1996

Total Points: 18
Total Playoff Years: 00S, 01, 03, 06, 08C, 09

P: 6
4: 1
2: 0
1: 1

Average: 1.29



#25 - Cincinnati Bengals (#24)

Established 1968

Total Points: 17
Total Playoff Years: 70, 73, 75, 81SL, 82, 88SL, 90, 05, 09

P: 9
4: 0
2: 2
1: 0

Average: 0.40



#26 - Seattle Seahawks (#25)

Established 1976

Total Points: 16
Total Playoff Years: 83C, 84, 87, 88, 99, 03, 04, 05SL, 06, 07

P: 10
4: 1
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.47



#27 – Atlanta Falcons (#26)

Total Points: 15
Total Playoff Years: 78, 80, 82, 91, 95, 98SL, 02, 04C, 08

P: 9
4: 1
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.34



#28 - Carolina Panthers (#27)

Established 1995

Total Points: 12
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 03SL, 05C, 08

P: 4
4: 2
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.80
















#29 - Detroit Lions (#28)

Total Points: 11
Total Playoff Years: 70, 82, 83, 91C, 93, 94, 95, 97, 99

P: 9
4: 1
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.25

















#30 – Arizona/St Louis Cardinals (#30)

Total Points: 10
Total Playoff Years: 74, 75, 82, 98, 08SL, 09

P: 6
4: 0
2: 1
1: 0

Average: 0.23



#31 – Jacksonville Jaguars (#29)

Established 1995

Total Points: 10
Total Playoff Years: 96C, 97, 98, 99C, 05, 07

P: 6
4: 2
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.66



#32 – Houston Texans (32)

Established 2002

Total Points: 0
Total Playoff Years: None

P: 0
4: 0
2: 0
1: 0

Average: 0.00

Explanation of Years:
Just the year means they made the playoffs (1 point). Year followed by “C” means they lost in the Conference Championship Game (3 points), Year followed by “SL” means they lost the Super Bowl (5 points), and Year followed by “S” means they won the Super Bowl (11 points).

Version 8.0

Version 7.0 …

Version 6.0 …

Greatness Determined Here

This Super Bowl week gives me a great opportunity to see Super Bowl History come to life. It is the ultimate football museum on radio row. Whether it be the players from those famous games or artifacts from those moments we all scream for, it is quite obvious that these historic games determine the future perception of these men.

Watching Joe Montana walk the room is absolutely a stop down event no matter how many times you have seen him. Everyone treats him differently than pretty much anyone else that walks through. He is at the top level of this museum.

Amazing, really. As it pertains to the Colts and Saints, they are determining their future. All these athletes have done to get to this point - and it is a lifetime of dedication and hard work - may not matter. Instead, it shall be based on the results and events of Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Think about a guy like Drew Brees career. Success in High School, fame at Purdue, achievements in San Diego, and then the revival of a franchise in New Orleans. But, if he tanks on Sunday, he could be walking around the media center at Super Bowl 57 in a similar way that Dan Fouts and Boomer Esiason do, but not the way Montana and Troy Aikman do.

Because Montana and Aikman represent the victors. They were the Champions of this ultimate game. They had the opportunity and seized the moment. Esiason? He tried, but then Montana took his football immortality away. Fouts? Never even had the chance to play here. Jim Kelly? He had a Super Bowl moment - or 4 - but how was his legacy changed by Scott Norwood? And how did Norwood help cement Bill Parcells as a guy who shouldn't be 2nd guessed?

Funny thing, if you think about it. Eli Manning is in a group that Dan Marino will never be in. And what makes that discussion so odd to me is that Archie Manning must understand this better than anyone. Does he really think that both of his sons are not just a little better than he was - but WAY better than he was? Does Archie really believe that they figured out QB so much more effectively than he did? Archie has tons of class, so I doubt he would ever speak 100% honestly about his feelings, but somewhere deep inside he has to wonder about his legacy - not his family's. And his legacy was based largely on the fact that he never had a chance to be immortal in our football terms. He was on a team that never had a chance.

Did that make him less of a QB? Or Kelly? Or Marino? Or Peyton Manning before 2006? Now we speak of Archie's son as if he belongs on a pedestal right next to Joe Montana if he finds success in Super Bowl 44. And I don't think this is a wrong viewpoint as he has been revealed as an absolute football genius - but, when did we finally realize it? I will tell you. It was realized only when he had a ring to back up what our eyes were telling us.

And that is what I am conflicted about. We all know very well that statistics are the best way to measure a man's individual performance in a team-game climate. We use it to judge one player against another on a routine basis in all of our team sports that we love. And yet, when we need to measure a man's entire life's accomplishments, we use rings and championships which are fully dependent on those who joined that man in his quest for immortality.

Football is the oddest of all of these sports, because unlike basketball where we determine whose team it is based on who the best player is (Celtics - Bird-SF, Bulls - Jordan-SG, Lakers - Shaquille-C). In basketball, regardless of position, the best player gets the credit. But in football we seem to always attach historical significance to a team based on who their QB is. Sometimes there is no difference - their best player is their QB - but other times, it is clear that the QB is simply part of an ensemble cast. And yet, when they win, even if Eli Manning contributes 20% or 25% of his team's load, he is the one who gets to join other QBs who have won the game - even if they contributed 50% of their team's workload.

Consider the case of Kurt Warner. Something I wrote about earlier in the week seemed weird even to me when comparing Kurt Warner to Troy Aikman. How dare somebody do that? Aikman, in many of our minds, is incomparable. He has 3 rings in 4 years. That puts him in a class that has almost no equal. In fact, in the Super Bowl era, only Tom Brady can say the same. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw cannot even say that. But, what separates Kurt Warner and Troy Aikman in terms of career World Titles? This amazing kick and This amazing catch . If those two historic moments don't occur the way they did, Kurt Warner is in the 3 Lombardi club - And Tom Brady is not.

And the crazy thing about it all? When the kick that Adam Vinatieri made in Super Bowl 36 went through the uprights, neither Tom Brady nor Kurt Warner were standing on the field of play! Both of their careers would always be impacted by that 1 single play. They would be introduced differently at luncheons. They would be more interesting to corporations who were looking for a pitchman. In some ways, almost everything would change - and yet, they did not participate in the play that would either make or break them.

This isn't golf or tennis - where you take all of your own putts. This is a sport that is based on every last member of your roster doing their job. And yet, we reward the victorious QB and sneer at the defeated QB forever. Is it really Drew Bledsoe's fault that his special teams couldn't tackle Desmond Howard? Well, there is a decent chance Bledsoe will not be remembered more than Jim Zorn in 20 years because he lost 1 game in which a kick returner was the Most Valuable Player. Should Eli Manning really be placed above Donovan McNabb in the historical pyramid of greatness? David Tyree makes it so.

I love this sport above all others. I love every portion of football, and I really don't like dealing with another looming off-season where I must settle for other sports that are fine, but not my beloved NFL.

But, I have a hard time understanding this game properly. Why do we ignore circumstances and luck? Why do we not factor in Archie Manning's lot in life when we consider his work? Why is Dan Fouts not considered as good a QB as Doug Williams? How does that make any sense? What separates Ben Roethlisberger from Phil Rivers? Why do we ignore stats when looking at Bart Starr or Aikman? Because. All that matters is victory.

We still don't know how to properly assign credit for those victories, but we do know that a 67% completion percentage only goes so far if you never perform at your best in one of the 43 Super Bowls in our memory banks.

And that is why we cannot wait for Sunday. Some body's legacy will change forever.

Super Bowl 44 - Day 1

Here we are live in Miami (for some reason, this year it is actually Fort Lauderdale) for Super Bowl XLIV.

My interests during Super Bowl week are everywhere. But, there is no question that one of the main things on my sports brain is the annual Hall of Fame tug of war .

Here is who we have this year:

HALL OF FAME FINALISTS

Player Pos. Team(s) Years
Tim Brown WR LA/Oak., TB 1988-04
Cris Carter WR Phil., Min., Mia 1987-02
Don Coryell Coach StL Cards, SD 1973-86
Roger Craig RB SF, LA Rai., Min. 1983-93
Dermonti Dawson C Pitt. 1988-00
Richard Dent DE Chi, SF, Ind., Phi 1983-97
Russ Grimm G Wash. 1981-91
Charles Haley DE-LB SF, Dallas 1986-99*
Rickey Jackson LB New Orl., SF 1981-95
Cortez Kennedy DT Seattle 1990-00
Dick LeBeau CB Detroit 1959-72
Floyd Little RB Denver 1967-75
John Randle DT Minn., Sea. 1990-03
Andre Reed WR Buff., Wash. 1985-00
Jerry Rice WR SF, Oak., Sea. 1985-04
Shannon Sharpe TE Den., Bal. 1990-03
Emmitt Smith RB Dallas, Ari. 1990-04

I am pretty sure that Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are in. So, we have 2-4 more spots to roll with.

Lebeau and Little are Veteran committee selections so I think they generally have an excellent chance. So that leaves Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Andre Reed, Shannon Sharpe, Charles Haley, Richard Dent, and Don Coryell as the front runners to battle for the final 2 or 3 spots.

===========================================



Meanwhile, plenty of questions about Kurt Warner and his Hall of Fame bid. I have him in, but let's bring you up to speed on the situation.

First, we should establish what QB's are in the Hall of Fame:

Troy Aikman 1989-2000
George Blanda (Also PK) 1949-1958, 1960-1975
Terry Bradshaw 1970-1983
Len Dawson 1957-1975
John Elway 1983-1998
Dan Fouts 1973-1987
Otto Graham 1946-1955
Bob Griese 1967-1980
Sonny Jurgensen 1957-1974
Jim Kelly 1986-1996
Bobby Layne 1948-1962
Dan Marino 1983-1999
Joe Montana 1979-1994
Warren Moon 1984-2000
Joe Namath 1965-1977
Bart Starr 1956-1971
Roger Staubach 1969-1979
Fran Tarkenton 1961-1978
Y.A. Tittle 1948-1964
Johnny Unitas 1956-1973
Norm Van Brocklin 1949-1960
Bob Waterfield 1945-1952
Steve Young 1985-1999

Then, Jamie, a P1, gets the credit for pointing out the similarities in certain stats, and not in others for Kurt Warner vs our own Troy Aikman:

Player	GS	CMP	ATT	PCT	YDS	TDS	INT	Rating
Aikman	165	2898	4715	61.5%	32942	165	141	81.6
Warner	101	2666	4070	65.5%	32344	208	128	93.7

HTML Tables

But, before you tell me about the playoffs, check out their playoff comparison:

Playoffs	Record	TDs	INTs	Rating
Warner	9-4	31	14	102.8
Aikman	11-5	23	17	88.3

HTML Tables

And Super Bowls? They were both in 3. Aikman went 3-0. Warner 1-2, but with the three most prolific passing yardage days in the history of the game.

414 Kurt Warner, St. Louis vs. Tennessee, XXXIV
377 Kurt Warner, Arizona vs. Pittsburgh, XLIII
365 Kurt Warner, St. Louis vs. New England, XXXVI

Here is an email from my buddy, Shawn:

Bob,

What 2 time league MVP is not in the Hall of Fame?

He took the Cardinals and Rams to the Super Bowl. That's not the Steelers or Cowboys.

5 year Hall of Fame career? Gale Sayers

You can't take away his greatness, regardless of the length. He was left for dead twice (Giants and Cardinals) and he took the silly Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

McNabb is going into the Hall of Fame and I would put Warner in before McNabb.

Shawn

Arizona Republic on his credentials

ESPN Blog looks at the same topic :

An updated look at his Canton credentials:

1. Longevity.

The great quarterbacks had staying power. Warner has played in 124 regular-season games, about 60 fewer than the average for the 14 quarterbacks enshrined over the last 25 years. This is one of the few categories where Warner doesn't measure up.

On the other hand, Roger Staubach played only seven more games. Like Warner, he was an elite big-game quarterback. No one questions Staubach's Hall of Fame credentials. And Warner, playing in a pass-happy era he helped christen, certainly has better stats.

2. Production.

Here is where Warner's relatively short game log works to his advantage. He has put up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers in less time than players already enshrined. His offenses in St. Louis scored 526, 540 and 503 points in consecutive seasons, setting a standard that holds up well across any era.

Of those 14 quarterbacks enshrined since 1985, none could match Warner in completion percentage, yards per attempt or yards per game. Steve Young is the only one with a higher passer rating than Warner. Dan Marino is the only one with more 300-yard games (Warner has 52, twice as many as Jim Kelly, who played in 36 additional games).

3. Postseason success.

Only Bart Starr (104.8) has a higher postseason passer rating than Warner (104.6) among NFL quarterbacks all time. Warner closed the gap to within a couple tenths of a rating point with his five-touchdown, zero-interception performance against the Packers in the wild-card round.

Warner has averaged 312.3 yards per postseason game, most in league history. And unlike the other four players in the top five on that list, Warner has won a Super Bowl. He has played in three of them, posting the three highest yardage totals in the game's history.

Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Brett Favre, Troy Aikman and Staubach are the only quarterbacks with more postseason victories than Warner.

Warner, with a 9-3 record in postseason, needs two more victories to match Aikman and Staubach on the all-time list. Beating the Saints in the divisional round Saturday would move Warner out of a tie with Starr (9-1), Donovan McNabb (9-7) and Kelly (9-8) for sole possession of eighth place on the list.

Warner has passed for at least 365 yards in half his 12 playoff starts. No other quarterback has hit that mark more than three times in postseason (Peyton Manning). Warner owns three of the 23 postseason performances in which a quarterback threw at least four touchdown passes (Montana, Manning and Daryle Lamonica each did it twice).

4. Unique legacy.

Warner's rise from supermarket shelf stocker to Super Bowl hero gives his legacy another dimension. Leading two previously dormant franchises to the Super Bowl also separates Warner from the typical Hall of Fame candidate.

Not many Hall of Famers would lose jobs to Marc Bulger and a young Eli Manning before working feverishly to beat out Leinart. A thumb injury doomed Warner in St. Louis. The Giants and Cardinals weren't going to leave a first-round choices on the bench (Warner's passer rating with New York, by the way, was higher than any Manning posted until this season).

It's been a strange career for Warner, no question.

Interesting case, but he has to be in.

Ralph Strangis on the Vikings

Ralphie is many things, not the least of which is a die-hard Vikings fan. I cannot tell you how many times we have debated Brett Favre. And now, that he has become a part of Vikings lore, he wrote about the NFC Championship Game that will live forever.

Enjoy:

Favre and Vikings Classically Heroic
Ralph Strangis – January 25, 2010

So often it is the outcome that consumes us, that validates our performances and supports our claims and beliefs. We use the scoreboard to tell us if we’re winners and trophies of every kind to proclaim to the world that we are who we say we are.

The problem is – that outcomes are the end product of complex equations. No single factor or person can control an outcome, despite our egocentric notions and grandiose beliefs to the contrary. In a football game the outcome is determined by combining all elements; your team’s players, their team’s players, subjective officiating, booth reviews, opportunities and mistakes, plays made and missed at all junctures, the toss of a coin, and the haphazard bounce of an oblong ball on a synthetic surface. It follows that looking at the scoreboard as the only means to evaluate success or failure is at least simplistic and often off the mark entirely.

In Sunday’s NFC Championship game the outcome, the final score said: New Orleans 31, Minnesota 28. Some will say then that simply the Saints won and the Vikings lost. They will posit that the Vikings are cursed, that Brett Favre choked, that the legacy of Minnesota late-season failures is secure and that New Orleans has finally shed its losing ways and are “AINTS” no more. Yes it is a hard-fought and important victory for New Orleans, and they are more than a deserving team to represent the conference in the big game.

As a lifelong Vikings fan I saw something else too. I saw a classic and epic tale of a group of players that would not shut down or quit. I watched as mistakes that would completely destroy a weaker group embolden them and solidify their intent. I watched as injured players pushed on through unrelenting pain. And I saw a 40 year-old quarterback defiant in the face of one bone-rattling hit after another willing himself and his team to keep battling no matter how many times he or they hit the canvas. Playing it safe, pushing the game down the tracks and hoping for something good to just happen for them is not a part of this group’s DNA.

Twelve months earlier the Vikings limped through a playoff game against the Eagles with all the purpose of a rudderless craft. They had players, but they were hardly a team. That group slipped into the pile with all those other Vikings teams which had teased their fans a bit, only to leave them hollow and waiting for next year.

The franchise is replete with heartbreaking losses and characterized by teams who either would not or could not show up when they were counted on most. Not this group. Not on that Sunday. This team is unlike any Vikings team before it, and it was because of one guy.

Vikings coach Brad Childress knew exactly what he was doing when he pursued Brett Favre and got him to leave his cozy quasi-retirement. And he also knew when to get out of the way after a late-season battle over whose team this would be. Favre’s message at the time - that Childress signed off on and the team took complete ownership of was – this is Brett Favre’s team – and Brett Favre’s team will not quit playing. Not ever. No matter what. In the second half of the Monday night game in Chicago the dye was cast. The Vikings smacked around a disinterested Giants team in the regular season finale and then hammered the Cowboys in the Divisional playoff game that put Dallas on an airplane home crying foul; that the Vikings had the audacity to keep playing – no matter what.

Saints Coach Sean Payton had been paying attention. His game plan was to go after the head of the snake, and that’s what his team did. But Favre and his team would not surrender or succumb, they would not, as many previous editions of the Vikings had, go quietly into the night. Despite Favre and his team’s own transgressions, despite sustaining a torrent of unwelcomed body belts, and despite a solid counter-punching opponent, this Vikings team did anything but go quietly into the night.

It may seem a stretch, but to watch the game I couldn’t help but think that Favre and his teammates more than once said “this game may do me permanent harm, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to keep getting up.” No – this is not your father’s Vikings team.

The most important lesson then is this; how will you acquit yourself at life’s most critical moments? How will you respond when things get “too hard”? Will you continue to battle with every last ounce you have – or will you just – slip quietly away…?

Brett Favre may be the classic literary tragic hero; his greatest strengths will also be his undoing. But he doesn’t know anything else. He is at all times trying to win a game, not trying not to lose it.

To a starving fan base he brought hope and promise and delivered more heroic moments in weeks than they’d seen in years. To a mid-pack team he brought a swagger and confidence and will to fight than they had never known, and those things will stay with this group going forward. And to an audience of millions he showed what true character and real heroism really is, if they were paying attention. That the scoreboard did not validate his actions is hardly the point.

You may find it odd that I think it selfish of me that I want him to retire. I’m a Vikings fan, yet I want to remember Sunday as his finest hour and can’t imagine anything ahead that will match this season or his performance against New Orleans. At 40 years old - he took their best shots and kept coming back at them. This was his opus, his master work. Favre put everything together for one day – all of it – every representation of his body of work. His young warriors alongside him followed his lead. And he and his team just flat out refused to stop playing.

I think about the interception; the decision and the throw. Is there any doubt that they would have been in that spot in the first place without him? And at the end of the day, it’s just one play in a game that had many that conspired to form the outcome.

But honestly - that’s the Brett Favre I saw in Green Bay, that’s the Brett Favre I saw all season, and that’s the Brett Favre I want. And Sunday gave us every indication that as long as his body is able to do what his spirit commands, he’ll stay with it. Someday, and perhaps sooner rather than later, the body will fade, even though the fire still burns, and he’ll know it, and that will be that.

I know, if you’re a Vikings fan you really wanted the Super Bowl champion sweatshirt. But on Sunday, Favre and the Vikings gave you a much more valuable souvenir.


Ralph Strangis is a Minnesota native, lifelong Vikings fan, and is the play-by-play broadcaster for the Dallas Stars hockey team, currently in his 20th season with the club.

Final Playoff Seeding Numbers

- Home Field Advantage -

This table simply tracks the success or lack thereof of higher seeds and home teams in the NFL Playoffs. The AFC and NFC Seeds columns show which teams advanced to the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Then the "*" shows who made the Super Bowl from each conference.

Lots of trends in here, including the #1 seed in the NFC has advanced to the Championship game in 18 of 20 years since the playoffs expanded. The only 2 teams not to get there were the 2007 Dallas Cowboys and the 2008 New York Giants.

Year	Home Record	AFC Seeds	NFC Seeds
1990	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
1991	8-2	1* vs 2	1* vs 2
1992	5-5	2 vs 4*	1 vs 2*
1993	8-2	1* vs 3	1* vs 2
1994	8-2	1 vs 2*	1* vs 2
1995	7-3	2* vs 5	1* vs 3
1996	8-2	2* vs 5	1* vs 2
1997	6-4	2 vs 4*	1 vs 2*
1998	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
1999	7-3	1 vs 4*	1* vs 2
2000	8-2	2 vs 4*	1* vs 2
2001	7-3	1 vs 2*	1* vs 3
2002	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
2003	6-4	1* vs 3	1 vs 3*
2004	6-4	1 vs 2*	1* vs 2
2005	4-6	2 vs 6*	1* vs 5
2006	8-2	3* vs 4	1* vs 2
2007	5-5	1* vs 3	2 vs 5*
2008	5-5	2* vs 6	4* vs 6
2009	7-3	1* vs 5	1* vs 2

Table Tutorial

(* = Super Bowl Team)

Most compelling piece of information I found here? 14 of 20 years (70%), in the NFC, the championship game has been the #1 seed vs the #2 seed - proving the bye week and home field mean something.

Also, the NFC went 5-0 this season in home games. Repeat. Every single home team won their game in the NFC playoffs.

In the AFC, 1 vs 2 it has happened only 7 times (35%). Not sure what that means other than the fact that maybe the NFC has had better top seeds that make it less likely to have upsets - like the Cowboys and 49ers. On the other hand, maybe the AFC has had many playoffs where top to bottom the margin is very close. No clue, but this year, the home teams in the AFC were 2-3, with the Colts being the only home team to win a home game - and they did it twice.

Now, with our Super Bowl, we finally have another match-up of #1 v #1. #1 NFC has played #1 AFC only twice before, way back in 1991 (Washington vs Buffalo) and 1993 (Dallas vs Buffalo).

The Morning After: Championship Sunday

Super Bowl XLIV is all set and what a day of high drama football we had in the NFL. I think most of us were watching as detached fans who merely wanted to see awesome football and the prospect of a great Super Bowl match-up.

And in the end, I feel great about two #1 seeds seeing each other in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993. That was the #1 Bills against the #1 Cowboys (the following day was the first every broadcast day of the Ticket - this sports station in Dallas that turned 16 years old yesterday), and this will be the #1 Colts facing off against the #1 Saints.

The subplots are everywhere, as they were yesterday. Since we have 13 days to look ahead, let's spend this morning looking back at the genius of Championship Sunday, and now the sadness of knowing our dear friend, the NFL, is about to go away for 8 months of other things. Yuck.

Nothing comes close to the NFL and the moments of hysteria that go with it. Truly the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat is shown for all to see every weekend, and yesterday was no exception.

Where do we start?

Here we go with the AFC game first:

* This game was riveting in the sense that the Jets actually had a game plan that did about as well as it could do. They wanted to pound the rock to pull the Colts safeties up, and then when the corners relaxed, they would ask their rookie QB to try to hit a home run to Braylon Edwards of play action - and it worked for 80 yards and a TD. Then, they wanted to sucker the Colts into thinking there was no way Brad Smith would throw a pass out of the Wildcat, only to have him crank a long pass to Jerricho Cotchery that set up the Jets' 2nd Touchdown. They did everything right in taking a 17-6 lead, and yet you knew, right?

* You knew that this game was all about Peyton Manning. This is what makes Peyton Manning an absolute genius. His drive right before half surely was as demoralizing to the Jets as it was brilliant to see. Four plays, which started with an incomplete pass, but then the next three plays were all completions to Austin Collie - for 18 yards, 46 yards, and 16 yards and a Touchdown. It was simple, it was lethal, and it put the Colts right back where they wanted to be going to the intermission. Meanwhile, the Jets' knew that everything worked perfectly in the 1st half for them, and yet the Colts were just 1 drive from taking the lead.

* Here is the thing about Peyton Manning - and it is something that has worked against Brett Favre for 19 years - he has 1 ring. People have a hard time appreciating the work at the very pinnacle of a sport if they only have climbed the mountain 1 time. If Manning is so great, they will say, then why is he only 8-8 in the playoffs (before yesterday)? In both Manning's and Favre's cases (and Mickelson, Barkley, Malone, and how many more greats) they might have had more had they not peaked during another's dynasty. Favre had the 1990's Cowboys to deal with (and lose to) and Manning had the 2000's Patriots who beat him down during his prime. He is now almost 34, and finally the Pats have stepped aside in their dominance, and we are seeing that Manning may be the best that there ever was. But, football doesn't award titles to the team with the best QB. That isn't how Super Bowls are often won. Now, he can win his 2nd, and then I would think even his biggest critics (and I was one until I saw the light in the 2006 AFC Championship Game) will concede his shocking level of excellence. Anyway, back to yesterday, once he got going, it didn't matter that Darrell Revis had essentially taken Reggie Wayne off the menu for Manning. He went to Pierre Garcon 15 times for 11 catches and 151 yards, Austin Collie 9 times for 7 catches and 123 yards, and threw for 377 yards despite the Jets giving him all sorts of trouble. Like making Jordan work for his 50, the Jets did all they could do - he is just that good.

* As we would see in the 2nd game, some QBs never learn to stop making rookie throws, but Mark Sanchez will need to be more careful with some of his throws. All things considered, though, he had a real solid run and if things might have bounced a different way, he might have been the first ever rookie QB to get to the Super Bowl. I liked him plenty back in April over Matthew Stafford , but whether he really is better remains to be seen. But, they asked him to stand tall and deliver a few times to make crucial throws, and they must be delighted with where he is as a rookie with his whole career in front of him. I think to get Sanchez and Shonn Greene in the 2009 draft and then to see them yesterday indicates how key getting the draft right can be for a team in the short and long term.

* Bob Sanders, a man who has made many, many big plays from the safety position on previous Colts teams has only played in 47 of the 96 possible games in his NFL career. During the game I started thinking about his usual absence and how the Colts have basically treated his presence as a bonus, not an expectation. It reminds me of Troy Polamalu and his special play at safety, because both guys are unreal ball hawks who can turn a game, and yet they both have a hard time playing that physical style and staying on the field. Although, in fairness to Troy, he has played in 16 games in 4 of his 7 seasons - Sanders has never played 17 games in a season.

* The Jets, who had their opponents miss all 5 FG attempts in their previous 2 playoff games, had no luck with Matt Stover. Stover, now the oldest person to ever play in a Super Bowl at age 42, made all 3 of his attempts on Sunday as he stands in for Adam Vinatieri.

* There was one play with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter that will haunt the Jets, I would think. A deep pass down the left sideline to David Clowney would have been a huge gain down inside the Colts 20, but the pass was a full yard or two out of bounds. A real chance for Sanchez and the Jets wasted, but the only reason for this note was that Phil Simms actually described it as an "excellent throw". Just curious how that is even possible.

And to the main event, the NFC Title game in New Orleans:

* What a game. Instant classic. What we always hope for, and we got it last night.

* 12 men in the huddle. Such Vikings folk lore. You cannot write this stuff. Without that penalty, I am pretty sure we all knew they were running it on 3rd Down and kicking a 50-yarder to try to go to the Super Bowl. But, the penalty happened, and the Vikings faced 3rd and 15 from the 38 yard line. Then, the Favre decision happened. If he would have run, I think it is fair to say - even on a gimpy ankle - that he runs to the 32 or 31 yard line. And there you are back to a 50 yarder for the win.

* The Vikings first two drives were Touchdowns with great and relative ease. The final 7 drives of those same Minnesota Vikings: Fumble, Touchdown, Interception, Fumble, Fumble, Touchdown, Interception. Here is the simple equation for those of us who follow the turnover game, You never, ever, ever, go -4 on the road in the NFC Playoffs and win. The fact that it was still even close is phenomenal. -4 is roughly a 100% loss rate. And you can still list a dozen ways the Vikings might have won that game.

* How about the Saints ability to deal with the Vikings Defensive Line versus what the Cowboys were able to accomplish a week earlier. The fear of the screen slowed them down, and so did the ability to block them far better than the Cowboys did. But, to see Edwards-Williams-Williams-Allen look good, but far from great was the real difference in this game to me. While Brett Favre is getting beat up, Drew Brees almost doesn't get touched the entire game. It was an impressive display up front from a Saints OL that most people cannot name one member.

* Seeing the Saints win is good for football and good for sports. I think there are occasionally stories where all of us put down our agendas and decades of love and hate and simply admit that this is a story that should happen. The city of New Orleans deserved this for enduring what it has dealt with. Not saying football pays for the mortgage or rebuilds your house, but you cannot tell me that football doesn't build morale. This city banded around those guys, and as a 3rd party, I think the only thing cooler would be if the Super Bowl was actually at their stadium. Good for you, Saints.

* If you listen to my show or read my blog (I assume you do that much) then you know where I stand on Brett Favre. No athlete in my life has left a bigger fingerprint on my sports obsession that this guy. I type to you in my office, where I am surrounded with pictures of moments that he played a role in. Love the guy, and despite this odd turn of events that has him playing QB for my life-long enemy, I still felt myself pulling for him to accomplish his final mission in glory. For years, he has had people go on rants on how he is no longer worthy of playing QB in the NFL and that they are sick and tired of him. How they want him to go away and stop making this league all about him. How they think it is outrageous that he won't retire and just walk away. He may have brought a lot of this outrage on himself by the way he conducted his last several off seasons, but nevertheless, the story was there for all to see.

I looked at this game as perhaps his finest effort ever for about 59 minutes of the game. I thought, win or lose, that this was to him what the 1994 NFC Championship game was to Troy Aikman. A game, that while the result did not go his way, only showed his courage and fire and perhaps in defeat, defined him best. It was like watching Rocky take a beating, but he wouldn't stay on the mat. I am sure another QB in NFL history was hit that hard that many times, but it seems like the number of times he was hit and the number of big throws he made combined to show what he, at the age of 40, is still all about. Running down that dream of ending with a 2nd Lombardi Trophy.

But, fairy tales and sports hardly ever go together. In tragic fashion, he made one throw too many. Took one chance that he shouldn't have, but those chances defined his career as much as the record breaking TD throws. I started saying a decade ago that "You live by the Favre and die by the Favre" because he defines both. He is no Aikman or Montana. They don't make that throw. He is one of a kind. He seems to be Phil Mickelson - amazing talent, combined with circuitry that allows for a meltdown when you most expect it. And then the courage (or lack of judgement) to try that same throw in that same spot again.

So, while you may have celebrated wildly yesterday because of what might be his ultimate demise, honestly, it just made the legend grow for me. Like William H. Bonney, it ended the only way it could end - shot down in a blaze of glory. Sorry, it may be seem hokey, but it has been in my head since the throw left his hand.

Which Game is Which?

Game Plan Friday is being prepared, but how about a little game of which is which?

Here we go where each game in the NFC Semi-Finals has a QB who has been here quite a few times versus a QB who is a bit wet behind the ears.

GAME A	Record	TDs	INTs	Rating
QB 1	12-10	39	28	85.2
QB 2	1-2	4	1	86.0

HTML Tables

OR

GAME B	Record	TDs	INTs	Rating
QB 1	9-3	31	13	104.6
QB 2	1-2	5	2	92.7

HTML Tables

So, which game is which?

Hit the Jump to reveal the exciting answers!

NFL Playoff Fun

This morning, I wanted to update you on a few things that have appeared on the blog in the past, but we lead off with some new territory:

Item #1 - The 4,000 Yard Club.

Those of us who love the NFL and dabble in stats could not help take note of the new trend in the NFL that has been slowly moving like an iceberg for years, but has taken to a new extreme: Prolific Passing is at an all-time high. In fact, the guys at the NFL office tweeted this yesterday:

NFL QBs set record for most 4,000-yard passing seasons (10) & most 25 TD pass seasons (12). Previous bests were 7 & 10 in '07.

A decade or two ago, when someone would have a silly yardage season (and 4,000 yards used to be silly) it was always justified as that QB played on a team that was coming from behind and passing the ball because his team was lousy. Put another way, the only teams with gaudy passing stats were not good teams.

Times have changed. I wonder if the NFL has gone too far with its further evolution of the passing rules that now make it almost impossible for the defense to have a fair chance.

Regardless, football coaches and strategists figure out how to use the new rules to their advantage, and the sport has evolved to a point where passing for huge numbers is no longer a means to come from behind - rather it has become almost the exclusive way to win in this era.

As you saw above, there have never been as many 4,000 yard passers. And, 7 of those 10 made the playoffs, with 2 more (Schaub and Roethlisberger) in the mix until the final day, and the 10th was Eli Manning, who was part of an amazing collapse in the last 2 weeks of the season by the Giants.

All of the top 6 seeds in the NFL playoffs had 4,000/25 TD QBs, and Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb would both be added to this stack if they had been healthy for the entire season.

Only 3 teams made the playoffs with out a member of this 4,000/25 TD club, really. And they were all in the AFC. The Bengals with Carson Palmer, the Ravens with Joe Flacco, and the Jets with the rookie Mark Sanchez. None of these 3 are any more than a longshot to win multiple playoff games this year. And, if rated in a power poll, these might be teams #10, #11, and #12 in the tournament.

Quarterback	Team	Yards	TDs	Record
Schaub	Hou	4770	29	9-7
Manning	Ind	4500	33	14-2*
Romo	Dal	4483	26	11-5*
Rodgers	GB	4434	30	11-5*
Brady	NE	4398	28	10-6*
Brees	NO	4388	34	13-3*
Roethlisberger	Pit	4328	26	9-7
Rivers	SD	4254	28	13-3*
Favre	Min	4202	33	12-4*
Manning	NY	4021	27	8-8

HTML Tables

(* = playoff team)

Item #2 - 6 New teams in the playoffs in 2009.

This chart below shows you that predicting the playoffs is next to impossible every year. My picks in preseason?

Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Saints, Seahawks, and Falcons would make the NFC Playoffs, and the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, Steelers, Chargers, and Titans would make the AFC Playoffs. I had the Saints-Chargers in the Super Bowl, with the Saints winning it all.

Anyway, the chart below demonstrates that picking the teams requires that you insert about 6 teams in this year's playoffs who were not in last year's edition. For whatever reason, the NFL features 50% turnover in the tournament every year. Below is proof:

Year	# New	New Teams making Playoffs
1992	6	Min, SF, Phi, Mia, Pit, KC
1993	5	Det, GB, NYG, Oak, Den
1994	5	Chi, Mia, Clev, NE, SD
1995	4	Phi, Atl, Ind, Buf
1996	5	Min, Car, Jac, Den, NE
1997	5	NYG, Det, TB, KC, Mia
1998	5	Arz, Dal, Atl, NYJ, Buf
1999	7	Det, TB, StL, Was, Sea, Ten, Ind
2000	6	Phi, NYG, NO, Den, Bal, Oak
2001	6	SF, GB, Chi, Pit, NE, NYJ
2002	5	NYG, Atl, Ten, Cle, Ind
2003	8	Stl, Car, Dal, Sea, NE, KC, Bal, Den
2004	5	Min, Atl, SD, Pit, NYJ
2005	7	Was, Car, TB, NYG, Chi, Cin, Jac
2006	7	Phi. Dal, NO, SD, Bal, NYJ, KC
2007	6	Was, TB, GB, Pit, Ten, Jac
2008	7	Phi, Atl, Car, Min, Arz, Mia, Bal
2009	6	GB, Dal, NO, NE, NYJ, Cin

Table Tutorial

And, Item #3 - Home Field Advantage?

This table simply tracks the success or lack thereof of higher seeds and home teams in the NFL Playoffs. Note that in the last 2 seasons, the home teams are 10-10. The AFC and NFC Seeds columns show which teams advanced to the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Then the "*" shows who made the Super Bowl from each conference.

Year	Home Record	AFC Seeds	NFC Seeds
1990	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
1991	8-2	1* vs 2	1* vs 2
1992	5-5	2 vs 4*	1 vs 2*
1993	8-2	1* vs 3	1* vs 2
1994	8-2	1 vs 2*	1* vs 2
1995	7-3	2* vs 5	1* vs 3
1996	8-2	2* vs 5	1* vs 2
1997	6-4	2 vs 4*	1 vs 2*
1998	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
1999	7-3	1 vs 4*	1* vs 2
2000	8-2	2 vs 4*	1* vs 2
2001	7-3	1 vs 2*	1* vs 3
2002	8-2	1* vs 2	1 vs 2*
2003	6-4	1* vs 3	1 vs 3*
2004	6-4	1 vs 2*	1* vs 2
2005	4-6	2 vs 6*	1* vs 5
2006	8-2	3* vs 4	1* vs 2
2007	5-5	1* vs 3	2 vs 5*
2008	5-5	2* vs 6	4* vs 6
2009		vs	vs

Table Tutorial

(* = Super Bowl Team)

Most compelling piece of information I found here? 13 of 19 years (68%), in the NFC, the championship game has been the #1 seed vs the #2 seed - proving the bye week and home field mean something.

In the AFC, it has happened only 7 times (37%). Not sure what that means other than the fact that maybe the NFC has had better top seeds that make it less likely to have upsets - like the Cowboys and 49ers. On the other hand, maybe the AFC has had many playoffs where top to bottom the margin is very close.

And, in 19 years, #1 NFC has played #1 AFC only twice. 1991 and 1993.

Stat Project Update

Turnover Battles for the Week - End of Season

Winner	+/-	Loser
SF	+5	Det
GB	+4	Sea
Car	+4	NYG
ATL	+3	Buf
Arz	+3	STL
SD	+2	Ten
Cle	+2	Oak
NYJ	+2	Ind
Cin	+1	KC
NE	+1	Jac
Pit	+1	Bal
Chi	+1	Min
Hou	E	Mia
Dal	E	Was
TB	-1	NO
Phi	-2	Den
Totals for Week	12-2-2
Totals for Season	153-46, 77%

Table Tutorial

Wednesday NFL Stuff...And Baylor?

Wednesdays are a bit of a reset day on the NFL beat, so let me show you something we did over at the old blog and update those numbers.

There are some standards that NFL broadcasters are always saying that I always like to challenge just to see if they are telling the truth. One in particular started back in the 1990s when the talking heads used to tell us that if Emmitt Smith had 20 carries then the Cowboys always won. I could never appreciate that stat (even if it was true) because I thought there was no correlation between that and winning. If you want to say when Emmitt gets 100 yards, I would believe it. Getting 100 yards has all sorts of winning attributes, but merely calling running plays would not lead to winning unless they were effective. The number of carries is obviously not as important as what he does with them. Otherwise, couldn't they hand him the ball on the first 20 plays, he takes a knee, loses 40 yards in the process, and the Cowboys win? It just didn't compute to me.

Am I crazy?

Chatting NFL with Albert Breer

Albert Breer spent a couple of years at the Dallas Morning News recently writing a number of Dallas Cowboys items I found interesting and fresh. A lot of it was based on tracking closely various elements of Cowboys performance - and I don't mind telling you that I patterned some of what I do today off of his ideas from the 2007 season. I think it was needed, and to the best of my knowledge, he broke the barrier for stat heads here in Dallas to that extent.

Now, he has left and has joined the Sporting News and writes for them on a regular basis. Access his archive here ...

I wanted to chat with him about not only the Cowboys, but the NFC East in general, and here is how it went:

Priority #1: Keep QB Healthy

I am often asked who I read when it comes to football coverage. So, without even having to think about it, here are the guys I read every chance I get for my NFL stuff:

Peter King - Sports Illustrated
Michael Lombardi - National Football Post
Football Outsiders.com
Pat Kirwan, NFL.com
Rick Gosselin, DMN

Obviously, I include others for Cowboys-specific reading, but mostly, those are the 5 sources of my daily football reading. They are all geniuses in their own way. I highly recommend them all, as in pretty much every case, I have been following their writing for years and years.

With that in mind, I wanted to draw your attention to a conversation Pat Kirwan was having yesterday on Sirius NFL Radio when I rolled by his show with Tim Ryan.

Eli Manning's New Deal

I cant believe the news today
Oh, I cant close my eyes and make it go away

- Bono, Sunday Bloody Sunday

Certainly by now, you have joined me in not believing the news today that Eli Manning is indeed a richer man than he already was as the New York Times reports:

The Giants are poised to make quarterback Eli Manning the highest-paid player in the National Football League, agreeing to a six-year contract extension worth $97.5 million, $35 million of it guaranteed, according to a person involved in the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made.

Eli Manning, at training camp in Albany on Monday, will reportedly become the highest-paid player in the N.F.L. The person said Wednesday that the final details should be finished later in the day and that the contract would soon be signed.