data-mm-id=”_jldhwg4go”>The NFL is considering a new rule allowing teams to elect to try and convert a fourth-and-15 play from their own 25-yard-line instead of kicking off. It's an interesting idea that, in theory, could keep trailing teams in the game for a longer period of time, allowing them to score and then try and retain possession with a higher probability of success than an onside kick. The only issue is, it could also be used against those trailing teams. This rule was previously discussed and included a clause that only trailing teams could utilize this opportunity. However, the new rule doesn't have that language in it. Here’s the updated language of the proposed rule change on an alternative to the onside kick – and it *doesn’t* specify that a team must be …

data-mm-id=”_7923kx1ec”>Ding Dong, the witch is dead, sang the AFC East as the clock hit 00:00 in Miami on Sunday. The New England Patriots, after falling to the Dolphins by the score of 22-12, are officially eliminated from the playoffs. It will be the first NFL postseason without Bill Belichick and his team since 2008. New England will finish with a .500 record or worse for the first time in 19 years. And for the first time since Belichick decided Tom Brady would start for the team, the Patriots are rudderless and have no clear path forward to winning again. The Patriots badly need to replenish their talent level at just about every position. They're currently slated to pick No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft, which will likely be just out of reach for any high-level QB prospect barri…

data-mm-id=”_4rxxf766f”>The Dallas Cowboys had quite an adventure on Sunday, fumbling four times in the opening frame of their early-afternoon matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and going down 20 points before mounting a truly wild comeback. On the legs and tattoo choices of Ezekiel Elliott and a drive by Dak Prescott (aided by one of the worst onside kick blunders in recent memory), Dallas managed to squeak out a 40-39 victory in a game they had no business winning. It was, if anything, quite an exciting game. Such games lead to strong emotions after the fact, as demonstrated below by Dan Orlovsky stating he believes the Cowboys saved their season through their comeback against Atlanta. Let us suppose, in an alternate universe, that Dallas lost this game. That Atlanta became the 441s…

data-mm-id=”_p8dr9wcl5″>Rob Manfred made some news on Friday during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show. Major League Baseball's commissioner talked about potential rule changes in the game during the segment. One section that stood out was Manfred's discussion on shifts, saying they could be limited in the future. Here's the pull quote that stood out:Rob Manfred says on the @dpshow that shifts could be limited in future: "A lot of people feel that the extreme shifting that you’re talking about has changed the game in ways that are not positive and it remains a really hot topic in terms of conversation within that committee.”— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 23, 2020The full interview with Dan Patrick below:While I may not love shifts, they should be …

data-mm-id=”_5cvwskfzu”>If you follow college basketball or made a bracket this year, odds are you've heard of Ken Pom Dot Com. It's a popular site that ranks college basketball teams based on a bunch of advanced metrics I won't try to explain because, well, I'm no advanced metrics expert here. What I am an expert at is seeing something spicy on social media and turning it into a blog. This one is about Ken Pomeroy, the creator, owner, facilitator, etc., of the famous kenpom.com, calling out CBS/Turner on Twitter for not mentioning his website by name despite referencing his stats throughout the tournament. And don't just take Pomeroy's word for it. I also noticed this too. If you listened to the broadcasts and think back on the times announcers said thing…

data-mm-id=”_4rwogy0kk”>Three days ago, The Big Lead published an op-ed proclaiming that Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers had completely fallen apart. In the time since he has been to the plate nine times and hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs. He is now second in the National League with five round-trippers and tied for first with 14 RBIs. We are carefully monitoring the situation. For two reasons. One, it is important that we be accountable for our takes. Two, each and every bomb is an opportunity to bring up the post in our internal Slack and have a laugh about the helplessness that comes with publishing something about someone who is underachieving only to have them turn into someone from a Matt Christoper chapter book overnight and make it age like spoiled milk. Now, to b…