tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189564362024-03-08T08:56:43.087+00:00New to the NFL, watching a game on TV? Not sure what's going on or who's who? Need some chat to make yourself sound knowledgable? Just bored by the stats and want to know the real stories behind the game? NFL Briefing comes to the rescue.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1160293488717791842006-10-08T08:40:00.000+01:002006-10-08T08:44:48.726+01:00

NFL Briefing is no longer being updated but there is similar NFL-related discussion on the BBC's new 606 website

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1139322798857724962006-02-07T14:32:00.000+00:002006-02-07T14:33:18.916+00:00

Just because this wasn't the highest-quality of the 40 Super Bowls doesn't mean it won't be one of the most memorable in the years ahead. That is not only because one of the NFL's most storied teams ended a 26-year drought to win that ring for the thumb, having ridden a way of emotion through the playoffs and becoming the first team to win four games on the road (although Ford Field looked like

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1138984321044244052006-02-03T16:30:00.000+00:002006-02-03T16:57:55.103+00:00

Star playersShaun Alexander #37, RB, SeahawksThe NFL's Most Valuable Player, Alexander rushed for a league-leading 1,880 yards during the regular season. Critics say he can't run over defenders but he boasts speed and sharp moves too, and it is significant that Seattle did not lose a regular season game when he ran for 100 yards or more. Teams are unable to adjust their defensive schemes to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1138887158354396982006-02-02T13:31:00.000+00:002006-02-05T07:40:00.696+00:00

This is Pittsburgh's sixth Super Bowl appearance, a record that is matched by Denver and bettered only by the Dallas Cowboys, whose eighth big game saw them beat the Steelers in Arizona in 1996. The teams compete for the Lombardi Trophy, named after Vince Lombardi, coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two AFL-NFL titles, and progenitor of the maxim "Winning isn't everything: It's the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1138749928298295352006-01-31T23:23:00.000+00:002006-02-01T10:59:36.283+00:00

The Steelers and Seahawks are teams with vastly different backgrounds, but on the field they are very similar.Pittsburgh is in the heart of blue-collar Pennsylvania and its team personifies that perfectly. After a big day at the racetrack, Art Rooney bought a franchise from the NFL for $2,500 (£1,400) in 1933, the year the Pennsylvania Blue Laws banning Sunday play were repealed. His team were

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1138745524396365872006-01-30T22:10:00.000+00:002006-01-31T22:12:04.410+00:00

Super Bowl XLPittsburgh Steelers v Seattle SeahawksFord Field, DetriotSunday, 5 February1830 EST on ABC / 2330 GMT on Sky Sports 1 and ITV 1No game of football matters more but the Super Bowl is not only the high-profile finale of the NFL season. It is an unofficial American holiday, with the whole country grinding to a halt for Super Sunday. No other major sport has a one-off final - basketball,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1138017958454753572006-01-23T12:04:00.000+00:002006-01-26T10:03:45.866+00:00

Seahawks 34-14 PanthersNFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander gained the plaudits for a 132-yard game with two touchdowns, but it was quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle defense who deserved them after ensuring the Seahawks make their first ever trip to the last game of the season, while Carolina are denied their second visit in three years.Hasselbeck was perfect in the first two drives

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137710392058870042006-01-20T22:39:00.000+00:002006-01-20T14:07:12.546+00:00

Don't look for what has been happening on offense all year, because it is too predictable and two of the league's best defenses will be up to the task. Carolina may continue to try and get the ball to receiver Steve Smith as often as possible, especially with running back DeShaun Foster out, but if QB Jake Delhomme tries to throw quick passes to him in the flat, he is likely to be picked off

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137708938608233672006-01-19T22:11:00.000+00:002006-01-19T22:15:38.610+00:00

This will be a toe-to-toe battle in the trenches with rushing offense pitted against aggressive defense, but the quarterbacks may hold the key. Both sides will look to establish the run early and if Mike Anderson or Tatum Bell of Denver, Willie Parker or Jerome Bettis of Pittsburgh gets on a roll his team will stick with him all the way. More likely, though, there will be a quaggy stalemate, with

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137708679046341232006-01-18T22:10:00.000+00:002006-01-23T11:39:39.053+00:00

NFC Championship GameCarolina Panthers at Seattle SeahawksQwest FieldSunday, 22 January1830 EST on Fox / 2330 GMT on Sky Sports XtraTwo unfashionable teams from this year's unfashionable conference line up to fight for a place in the 50th NFL fashion show in Detroit. This game is likely to be just as close as the one that precedes it, if lacking a little of the glamour."Do You Know His Name?"

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137496861618349412006-01-17T11:18:00.000+00:002006-01-17T11:21:01.633+00:00

AFC Championship Game Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver BroncosInvesco Field at Mile HighSunday, 22 January1500 EST on Fox / 2000 GMT on Sky Sports XtraBefore this season, the last playoff game the Broncos had won was the 1998 Super Bowl, the last game of legendary quarterback John Elway's career. Coach Mike Shanahan, whose arrival in Denver sparked an Indian summer for Elway, was beginning to grow

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137410631989382992006-01-16T11:22:00.000+00:002006-01-16T19:47:36.126+00:00

Panthers 29-21 BearsHow do you stop Steve Smith? Normally a star receiver with little support can be taken out of the game by double-coverage. Smith caught a pass in double coverage, wrestling the ball of Charles Tillman at the one-yard line to set up the second score. The first score was his, a 58-yard-duking dash of the second play from scrimmage, and there was more as he beat a stumbling

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137102779017639902006-01-13T21:51:00.000+00:002006-01-16T10:58:43.006+00:00

Carolina Panthers at Chicago BearsSoldier FieldSunday, 15 January1630 EST on Fox / 2130 GMT on Sky Sports XtraThere hasn't been a scoreless tie in the NFL since 1943 but this game has to be one of the best candidates in years.It is considered heresy to compare any defense to that of the 1985 Chicago Bears, but the Super Bowl Shufflers might just concede that this year's Bears D is up there with

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137096896904691812006-01-12T20:13:00.000+00:002006-01-12T20:14:56.916+00:00

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis ColtsRCA DomeSunday, 15 January1300 EST on CBS / 1800 GMT on Sky Sports XtraRemember the Indianapolis Colts? They're the team who won 13 consecutive games, sweeping all before them on their way to the AFC South title, before a few niggling injuries, nothing else to play for and the tragic death of coach Tony Dungy's son combined for two defeats to finish the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1137017936693537192006-01-11T22:15:00.000+00:002006-01-11T22:18:56.730+00:00

New England Patriots at Denver BroncosInvesco Field at Mile HighSaturday, 14 January2000 EST on CBS / 0100 GMT on Sky Sports XtraAs with every game in thie divisional round, the Broncos and Patriots have faced each other already this season, with Denver coming out on top 28-20 at home in week six. What you make of that result is your choice. Do you look at Denver taking a 25-point lead or

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136909890545856062006-01-10T16:16:00.000+00:002006-01-10T18:01:49.583+00:00

Washington Redskins at Seattle SeahawksQwest FieldSaturday, 14 January1630 EST on Fox / 2130 GMT on Sky Sports XtraSeattle looked like another promising season was going down the pan on 2 October, when they lost 20-17 in Washington to leave their record at 2-2, but after that game everything just came right as they won 11 successive games in posting a team-best 13-3 record. That victory saw

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136753496018197662006-01-09T20:49:00.000+00:002006-01-10T17:52:27.973+00:00

Bengals 17-31 PittsburghPlenty of teams have their seasons ruined by injuries but none quite so publicly as the Bengals did when Carson Palmer was carried from the field with less than four minutes gone in the game. Replacement Jon Kitna took his place admirably, doing the sort of thing that back-up quarterbacks are usually unable to do, running the no-huddle offense and finding his rhythm in a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136481551129638202006-01-06T17:18:00.000+00:002006-01-06T19:27:45.920+00:00

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati BengalsPaul Brown StadiumSunday, 8 January1630 EST on ABC / 2130 GMT on Sky Sports XtraIt's best-of-three between these AFC North rivals as they look to determine which of the two games they played during the regular season has the most significance. The Steelers inflicted Cincinnati's first home defeat of the season in week seven when Pittsburgh rang up 221

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136477623452512282006-01-05T16:11:00.000+00:002006-01-05T16:13:43.463+00:00

Carolina Panthers at New York GiantsGiants StadiumSunday, 8 January1300 EST on Fox / 1800 GMT on Sky Sports XtraJohn Fox, Giants defensive coordinator from 1997-2001, returns to the Meadowlands as head coach of the Panthers in what is the most difficult game of the weekend to predict. Carolina, Super Bowl losers just two seasons ago, are forced to make the visit to the frozen north-east because

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136387318188699542006-01-04T15:07:00.000+00:002006-01-05T19:52:27.636+00:00

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England PatriotsGillette StadiumSaturday, 7 January2000 EST on ABC / 0100 GMT on Sky Sports XtraThe warm-weather Jaguars travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the temperature is not expects to rise above freezing even with the sun out earlier in the day but the Patriots are hot and everybody's dark horse to reach the Super Bowl. The last time these sides met in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136322515126285062006-01-03T21:07:00.000+00:002006-01-03T21:09:55.540+00:00

Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay BuccaneersRaymond James StadiumSaturday, 7 January1630 EST on ABC / 2130 GMT on Sky Sports XtraIn arguably the weakest game of the playoff schedule, Washington travel to Florida after barely scraping past Philadelphia in the final weekend to take their streak to five games. They take on a Buccaneers side that has been running hot and cold all season. The Redskins

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1136320505730179272006-01-02T20:34:00.000+00:002006-01-06T19:28:57.906+00:00

Cincinnati decided the AFC seeding meant nothing in comparison to resting their top players, and in the event it made no difference anyway because rivals New England lost to Miami. Instead of a hard-fought match we got Carson Palmer playing just two drives before being pulled and little offense from there on.Kansas City tried their best to provide Dick Vermeil with the ideal retirement present -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1135803385799994672005-12-30T20:55:00.000+00:002006-01-03T20:16:40.623+00:00

The sort of passion the Chiefs have shown at home over the last 18 late-season games could easily be on display, backed up by a screaming Arrowhead crowd, clad in bright red. If Cincinnati want to, they could match KC's offensive firepower, and score at a higher rate, but two massive variables are how seriously they take the seeding issue, and how serious the groin strain Carson Palmer suffered

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1135803349798075942005-12-29T20:55:00.000+00:002005-12-29T10:34:56.636+00:00

Chad Johnson #85, WR, BengalsIn his fifth season in the league, Johnson was last week named to the AFC Pro Bowl squad for the third time, only in part because he is third in the league with 1,377 receiving yards. Johnson is one of the biggest characters in the league and his touchdown celebrations have become legend. Two years ago he guaranteed victory over unbeaten Kansas City, and helped to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18956436.post-1135711045449379872005-12-28T07:06:00.000+00:002005-12-28T10:12:42.673+00:00

If you haven't already read that stat about Kansas City having won their last 18 games at home in December then you haven't been reading hard enough. Once winter comes to Missouri, the Chiefs are a terrifying prospect and they have been even more terrifying in the last few weeks with the arrival of Larry Johnson in the starting line-up. The season could have been ruined when Priest Holmes went on

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0