Daily Briefing

The Daily Briefing Thursday, September 13, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  NFC NORTH   DETROIT Could Matt Patricia already be on the hot seat in Detroit?  It seems inconceivable, but so too does taking a backwards lurch from a Jim Caldwell coached team.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   Patricia was hired to replace Jim Caldwell, the…

The Daily Briefing Wednesday, September 12, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  Mark Maske of the Washington Post on the lack of hoopla over the new helmet rule in Week 1:   In truth, those who designed the rule never had intended for incidental contact to result in a penalty. The sport’s rulemakers all along had envisioned a…

The Daily Briefing Tuesday, September 11, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  The new head coaches went 0-7 in Week 1.  Five lost at home.   Particularly galling had to be the losses of Matt Patricia of the Lions, Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Frank Reich of the Colts.  Close games at the half turned when they…

The Daily Briefing Monday, September 10, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  The thought in the DB’s circle of acquaintances has been that NFL Sunday ratings will be okay, but the primetime packages might suffer.  So far, spot on per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   The NFL’s closely watched television ratings were a mixed bag on the…

The Daily Briefing Friday, September 7, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  The start was delayed, the first half was choppy and touchdown free and it was a B level team hosting a squad that can’t do better than a C not matter how they try.  The DB went to sleep at halftime and a substantial part of…

The Daily Briefing Thursday, September 6, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  As the NFL season opens tonight, the New York Times has an unsigned article about helmet tackling:   Football season is starting on Thursday with a not-so-small problem. The players don’t know what to do with their helmets.   Alarmed by rising concussion rates and the…

The Daily Briefing Wednesday, September 5, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  NFC EAST   DALLAS The Seahawks and Cowboys are in a staredown over compensation for S EARL THOMAS according to Jori Epstein of the Dallas Morning News:   The Seattle Seahawks may open the 2018 NFL season against the Denver Broncos this weekend without star safety…

The Daily Briefing Tuesday, September 4, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  52 weeks ago, few were picking the Saints, Vikings, Rams and especially the Eagles to dominate the 2017 NFC.  Try to find the predictor that chose the Jaguars to go to the AFC Championship Game.    But now, Peter King is picking all four of the…

The Daily Briefing Monday, September 3, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  The DB’s first thought is that the KHALIL MACK trade won’t make either team happy in the end, but we’ll see.   Peter King of NBCSports.com in his Football Morning in America column comes down as bad for Oakland, okay for Chicago:   I was talking…

The Daily Briefing Friday, August 31, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com is quick to process the full preseason data on the new helmet rule and it seems manageable at this point.   Penalties for the NFL’s new helmet rule remained at a lower level in Week 4 of the preseason, signifying that a…

The Daily Briefing Thursday, August 30, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  Big day Wednesday for the quarterback position in GREEN BAY and NEW ORLEANS as AARON RODGERS becomes the highest paid player in NFL history and the Saints send out a signal for the future by trading for TEDDY BRIDGEWATER. – – – An update on the…

The Daily Briefing Wednesday, August 29, 2018 AROUND THE NFL  Former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez is not a fan of DeMaurice Smith, the lawyer who heads the NFLPA.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   Future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez does not believe today’s NFL players are getting good representation from their union.…