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I’ve never seen someone more scrutinized than Tom Brady has been in his first year in the broadcast booth.

No surprise considering who he is and what he accomplished as a player.

From day one, practically everyone from social media critics,  to ex-players in similar roles, to the average viewer, took his temperature on a week-to-week basis, analyzing and often over-analyzing how Tom did on yesterday’s Fox broadcast.

More often than not, those who voiced their opinions, particularly those who were negative, many times extremely so, carried with them an agenda.

I know this to be true.

This column is not about a defense of Brady’s first season in a new role.

He doesn’t need that.

As a matter of fact, I believe he doesn’t warrant anyone to defend him.

Tom Brady, in my view, had a remarkably successful debut in his a totally new career in 2024.

I admit I had a somewhat personal role in seeing through his development.

But before the cries emerge of my own partiality and inability to be objective, let me say that I will stake my reputation as a 50-year network broadcaster on my assessment of Tom Brady.

Did he knock it out of the park from day one as the expert-analyst with play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt on Fox’ lead NFL announce team?

No, not at all.

Did he make mistakes on occasion on facts, pronunciation and word usage?

Yes, he did.

I will say this. Tom Brady tackled his first year as a TV broadcaster in the same fashion he prepared and went about his role as the quarterback on the New England Patriots, leading them to six Super Bowl titles, then winning another with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

I know he got ready for each game the same way he did on the field with the exception of not physically executing plays.

He got better as the season progressed.  He needed the reps to become more comfortable seeing the game from a different perspective, and getting used to what it’s like to actually broadcast a game. That means standing next to a partner, watching the many TV screens or monitors on the table, using the telestrator, which is learning to use that pen that draws circles and diagrams plays, wearing a headset where you hear your partner and the producer and director in the production truck down below. It means getting a feel for what you say and when you say it.

You get the idea.

I’ve been there, of course, and fortunately no one analyzed my first season, or the others who had to go through the same evolution.

Believe me, no one ever went through the intense evaluation Brady did.

Not John Madden, not Al Michaels, not Chris Collinsworth, not Jim Nantz, not anyone.

Everyone had to find his footing. Some did better than others.

CBS’ Tony Romo was hailed as a brilliant new football voice when he started. He deserved it. I happen to like Romo as a broadcaster, but the practice of predicting plays can wear thin, and the danger of over-talking is a killer.

Brady’s chemistry with Burkhardt is exceptional, which is never guaranteed, but makes for a comfortable listen.

If you actually listen to the things Brady says, you can hear his preparation, his imaginative way of describing plays, people, and situations.

To hear him implore the Lions to call a timeout because he sees that Detroit has 12 men on the field is something I’ve never heard from anyone.

To describe Vic Fangio’s Eagles defensive effort as “death by a thousand cuts” is a novel way to describe their style. To discuss, first hand, how it feels to be in a Super Bowl, and what it’s like to lose is authentic, to say the least.

To describe one of the better running backs in the league having “small hands” as the reason for his problems fumbling the ball is brutally honest and shows how deep Brady goes in getting ready to broadcast a game.

He knows that improvement is not about game to game, but season to season.

He is already looking forward to next year, answering those cynics who never believed he would not take this on for more than one shot.

There have been those who vocally claim he cannot properly do his job without attending production meetings with coaches and players, due to his position as a part-owner with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Here’s my answer, and I’ll let you in on a secret.

Coaches and players tell you little in those production meetings. They never talk about their strategy. They never honestly assess their true feelings and size up their own players, and they certainly never talk about the weaknesses of the team they are playing and where they can take advantage. Everyone on the opposing team are superstars.

But when Tom Brady looks at the tape of the teams he will cover, he sees it all, and knows what he sees. He doesn’t need to ask anyone to learn anything.

How about conflict of interest charges with Brady calling a game?

Hogwash.

When you’re in the booth, all you think about is doing the best job you can.

You’re not thinking of any other role you have, or the thing fans think about when they’re watching a game.

The concentration factor is immense.

I expressed my thought that Tom Brady didn’t require anyone to defend his work.

But as I proceeded with my view of his maiden season as an announcer, I found it was impossible to avoid the questions that would ultimately pop up.

Most of the viewers are not aware of the naysayers who are either jealous of the man’s success in life, or enjoy putting someone down.

The great Al Michaels addressed that mentality during the season.

In our business, there is a “gotcha” mentality.  There are those who wait for an error and pounce on it.

In Tom Brady’s case it goes with the territory.  He is unfazed about the critics, and it’s understandable. He has been used to defenses trying to take his head off in a 23-year career that produced greatness.

Now, he is determined to become one of the best to do what he has started in a second career. With impeccable preparation, incredible intelligence, and the experience of simply doing the job, he has a chance to become one of the best ever, if not the very best.

I, for one, won’t be surprised if that happens.

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After a grueling 18-week regular season and three weeks of playoffs, the two teams left standing to battle it out in the Super Bowl are the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs certainly are no surprise since they will have been there five of out of the last six times when they face the Eagles in New Orleans a week from Sunday.

But there were questions about KC because they escaped with close-call victories practically every week and never looked liked a dominant force.

Yet the way they won, including the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills, is precisely what champions need to be.

As for the Eagles, they turned around a woeful beginning and steamrolled the rest of the way with a recipe that has never failed football teams of any level in the sport.

Running the ball and playing brilliant defense.

There’s a lesson here about reacting too early in a season about a team’s chances.

Philly was 2-2 before they decided on their formula for success.

Their only defeat the rest of the way was to the Washington Commanders who they vanquished by 32 points in the NFC title matchup.

A word about the losers in the NFL’s conference championship battles.

There can be no more of a sharp contrast between the Commanders and the Bills who came within one game of getting to the big show.

Washington was one of the big losers in the league a year ago. They won only 4 games and were plagued by many years of feeble ownership by Dan Snyder who had only six playoff
appearances and two playoff wins during his 24 years owning the club.

A toxic culture in the workplace and other improprieties forced Snyder to sell the team.

The new hierarchy brought in former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and they drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels of LSU with their first draft pick.

The two were magical in their first season.  The Commanders went 12-5 and earned a playoff spot. Daniels, showing a poise that went beyond reason, played like the Rookie of the Year he will easily become when the season awards are revealed.

Daniels’ playoff run was remarkable. After leading the Commanders to a road victory at division champion Tampa Bay, he shredded the defense of the top-seeded Lions who were the favorites to finally get to a Super Bowl that has eluded them forever.

In his third road start in post-season, Daniels once again performed like a seasoned veteran against the Eagles. The problem was, the team, as a whole, were not up to the challenge, turning the ball over four times and losing their composure with near fights and costly major penalties. All of that helped the Eagles score 55 points, the most ever scored in a conference title game.

But Washington has a future. They have a young franchise quarterback, and valuable playoff experience to be a force in the league.

For the Bills, who lost another playoff nail-biter to the Chiefs, it was pure heartbreak.

The look on the face of their superb QB, Josh Allen, told the story.

The teams have clashed in the playoffs four times in the past five years and KC has come out on top each time.

The Bills have been knocking at the door perennially since Allen came on the scene but they can’t push through. You would naturally wonder how many more chances they have to break through, eventually the window closes. But as long as they have a healthy Josh Allen they have that possibility. But it doesn’t look promising at this point.

The AFC final, pitting Allen and the Bills, against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs was Super Bowl worthy. Two great quarterbacks leading their teams.

Back and forth it went, with KC holding a 3-point lead with 3:33remaining and Buffalo with the ball.

The Bills quest to hang in ended a 4th down Chiefs blitz that forced Allen to scamper, then hurry his throw that fell incomplete to Dalton Kincaid, a tight end. Kincaid had a chance to make a catch inches from the ground. He didn’t. It was a rushed play created by the Kansas City defense which defined the 2024 version of the Chiefs.

Playing without super big-names on attack and coming up with the big plays at the big moments for the defense, the Chiefs were able to find a way to win throughout the season. When you continually have to scramble to come out ahead, it becomes a way of life for a team’s success. The Kansas City Chiefs mastered that art in spades.

And while the talk will go on for awhile as to whether Josh Allen or the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson as to who is the league’s Most Valuable Player, let’s not forget a man named Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of these Chiefs through these amazing years, who is the pivotal figure in the Chiefs bid to become the first team in history to capture three consecutive Super Bowl championships.

While we’re on the subject of who is Most Valuable, has anyone considered Saquon Barkley? The MVP award usually goes to a quarterback, but Barkley may be the reason the Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to win it all against the team they lost to a couple of years ago.

The first time he touched the ball last Sunday, Barkley ran 60 yards for a touchdown that put the Eagles ahead for good. He wound up with 118 yards and 3 touchdowns. It’s what the ex-Giant has done all year. He became only the ninth player in NFL history to exceed 2,000 yards rushing for a season. He needed only 101 yards to break the all-time record set by the Rams Eric Dickerson but was rested by head coach Nick Sirianni in the final game with nothing at stake for the Eagles. It was the right move. Records are nice, but Super Bowl rings are better. Had Barkley been injured in that final game, the Eagles title  chances would have gone down the drain.

The New York Giants are getting considerable heat for letting Barkley go, especially to a rival team in their own division. But they couldn’t agree on contract terms and Barkley eventually signed with Philly. The fact is, the Giants were not going to be playoff contenders even with Barkley having the season he had. That wouldn’t have been likely considering the numerous problems the team had this year.

It’s just coincidental Saquon Barkley had a monstrous campaign.

In many ways the Giants are taking an unfair rap.

Along with the running ability of QB Jalen Hurts who played one of his best games amid injury concerns to his left leg, the Eagles are always a threat because of those two, and their defense, the best in the league.

The Super Bowl matchup shapes up as a great one on paper.

There are two obvious issues that will be talked about for the next two weeks, and will not vary.

How will the Chiefs deal with Saquon Barkley and the dual threat of Jalen Hurts?

How will the Eagles solve the perplexing problem of a quarterback who seems to always have the answer: Patrick Mahomes?

More on the big one, as well as my assessment of Tom Brady’s first year in a broadcast booth, next time we meet.

The post And then there were two… appeared first on Dick Stockton.

Three days of high-level football marked the sports calendar the past week and when the dust cleared we were left with the final four in the NFL and a new champion in college football.

Let’s start with the new king of the college game which no longer is a contrast to the professionals. College football is a junior version of the pros. Millions of dollars are thrown around to players who now can transfer almost at whim and more than once as well. The rules of changing teams is a common and dizzying routine.

It used to be you needed a scorecard to determine the athletes by their numbers. Now, even a scorecard won’t help you decipher where a player came from.

Nonetheless, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the champions of the sport.

They defeated Notre Dame, 34-23 in a battle that started out brilliantly for the Irish with an 18-play opening drive for a touchdown. Then OSU went on a long roll. They led 31-7 halfway through the third quarter. But ND woke up and challenged with a pair of TD’s converting for 2 points both times. But the Buckeyes held on.

Down by 8, and forcing Ohio State into a 3d and 11 at their own 34 with 2:45 remaining,  quarterback Will Howard threw to Jeremiah Smith for a 56 yard gain and that was that.

Their hero was running back Quinshon Judkins who rushed for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Notre Dame wrapped up a banner season at 14-2, and Ohio State bounced back from an embarrassing loss to Michigan to go on a a tear and capture their first national title in 10 years.

The loss to the mediocre Wolverines was the fourth in a row for head coach Ryan Day who might have lost is job had he not taken the Buckeyes all the way.

Perhaps there might be a lesson to be learned. Don’t hang your hat on one game, one loss, as humiliating as it may seem.

Losing to Michigan was a bad game for Ohio State, but they were always a championship contender. They lost to Oregon early in the year, then crushed the #1 Ducks in the playoffs where they played their best football of the season.

Remember, Notre Dame had one of those setbacks, to Northern Illinois back in the second game of the season. Didn’t they respond nicely the rest of the way?

In the pro payoffs there was one huge shocker.

The top-seeded Detroit Lions were unceremoniously knocked out of the NFC post-season derby by the Washington Commanders who won only 4 games last season and were considered one of the hapless outfits in the league.

But if you’re bad enough, and have a shot at grabbing a quarterback in the draft who can start to turn the fortunes around, you can begin a reversal to at least become more respectable.

Well, the Commanders not only became respectable in one year, they developed into a forced to be reckoned with. That’s due to their selection of  LSU’s Jayden Daniels to hopefully become their franchise quarterback.

It’s taken him one season. The rookie did things no one imagined or expected.

It’s never an automatic thing. You have to choose the right guy, with the right skills, and the right stuff that goes beyond running an offense.

Still, it was highly unlikely, as good as he played, that they would upend a team with a purpose. The purpose of getting over the hump and finally earning a spot in the Super Bowl.

The Lions were built to do just that in 2024. They had all the ingredients.

Despite some brutal injuries to their defensive unit, they found enough ways to win 15 games, the best record in the NFC, and home field advantage throughout.

Perhaps one of their two defeats in the regular year was a possible tip-off to San ultimate issue in the post-season. With four games remaining, the Lions were beaten by the Buffalo Bills at home, 48-42. It was only their second loss since week 2, and it was against one of the powers of the league. But Buffalo tacked on 48 points against the Lions, who scored 42 of their own, but still fell short.

That wouldn’t be the case against Washington would it? Of course not. Until it was.

I predicted a Detroit victory against a team that was 12-5 in their turnaround season.

It’s rare that an upstart group not only wins one, but two road games against a division champion in the playoffs, especially one with only a Super Bowl appearance the only thing missing from their resume.

The Lions couldn’t stop the rookie quarterback and while they managed enough points on the board to win in most circumstances, they turned the ball over too many times to win. The final score was 45-31, and after it was over, the Commodores first-year head coach Dan Quinn had some rare comments about his young leader.

He said Jayden Daniels had a different poise about him than most. That he was a rare competitor, that in those special moments, if he were a basketball player, he would want the last shot in the game. A player who makes great decisions.

I can’t remember when I’ve seen something like I witnessed in that stunning surprise.

So hail to the Redskins, sorry, Commodores, as they play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship and the chance to make the jump to the Super Bowl.

You would think Washington would face the same obstacles this week against the Eagles, a team with a Super Bowl DNA, a division champion, and the home field edge.

That still might be the case, but there are questions about Philly going in.

First of all, the Eagles suffered one of their three setbacks against the Commodores. It was late in the year, game 15, when Washington won at home 36-33.

The Commodores seemed to grow up fast , winning their final 5, including that triumph over Philly.

All eyes will be on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has been fighting injuries all season and suffered one to his left leg that forced him to wear a brace from the third quarter on in the victory over the LA Rams. He finished the contest, but was hobbling, and his health, particularly as a QB who can run and elude defenders, will be critical.

The success against LA was helped by a pair of damaging turnovers, and the spectacular runs of Saquon Barkley who gained over 100 yards 11 times in 2024, including a mind-boggling 255 yards against those same Rams in week 11.

In last week’s playoff battle in the gusty winds and snow against the Rams, the boys from the west coast put up a fight but those turnovers ruined any chance they had and that Barkley fellow dashed for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards, finishing with 205 yards on the ground.

Not bad for a player who was allowed by the New York Giants to sign with a division rival.

The Commodores will have to find a way to make Barkley a mortal running back, and score points against the league’s finest defensive unit.

A tall task indeed. Maybe I’ll get burned again, but if Hurts can play and be effective, I have to like Philly. If Hurts is hampered, I’ve got that Washington bandwagon to climb aboard. If it slows down enough.

Going into last week’s NFL games, the clear gem was the collision between the Bills and the red-hot Baltimore Ravens, featuring the two favorites for MVP, quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Bills , and the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.

The final score was close, 27-25. The Bills ended up on top, and again, in virtually every game, turnovers told the tale. The Ravens committed three, the Bills none. Enough said.

I know picking games is fun for readers. The reason I have been reluctant over the years is because anyone can be right. Your next door neighbor who doesn’t follow sports can be on the money. It takes no expertise. No one, even a team’s coach, knows for sure that his team will wind up on top. He hopes. But he really doesn’t know.

The better team doesn’t necessarily win games. The team that plays better does.

If you can answer this question before a game, you are an automatic genius.

The question is, who will turn over the ball, and when will they do it?

Answer that, and you can become wealthy.

So it’s the Bills playing in Kansas City against the Chiefs, and the Washingtons facing the Birds of Philly for the third time.

The Chiefs who are trying to win a third consecutive Super Bowl have won the close games all year. They have found a way to win regardless of the circumstances.

In my view, teams that win tight games are far more dangerous than those who blow out their opponent. Big winners just pile it on against desperate foes.

Kansas City and Philadelphia victories would bring about a rematch from two years ago.

How can I go with those two?  It would end this column with a dud.

So I’ll go out on a not-so-big limb.

I’ll go with the Bills over the Chiefs. And the Eagles to end the Commodores Cinderella dream.

I have no idea if I’ll be right. But if you tell me when the turnovers will come and where?

Well, then I’m confident in going two-for-two.

The post Three Intense Days appeared first on Dick Stockton.

Is there anything I’ve never seen in an NFL game?

I’m asked that question frequently. On the field I believe I’ve seen it all.

But last weekend I witnessed something I’m sure no one has ever seen.

AJ Brown, the wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles was sitting on the bench actually READING A BOOK!

I don’t know whether he had to read it during as game to make sure he had enough time to make sure he returned it in time to the library.

Whatever, Brown was reading “Inner Excellence”, a self-help book that dealt with things you can’t control, but being fully engaged can make you enjoy the challenges in your path.

The pages had hi-lites  with a yellow marker, and phrases underlined with a blue pen.

When I saw those shots, alertly caught by Fox Sports director Rich Russo, I jumped to the conclusion that the scene represented the biggest moment of the Wild-Card weekend of the NFL playoffs.

Yes, a player sitting and reading a book was more captivating than the games that had been played to open the league’s post-season play.

On Saturday and Sunday, the four games were consistent in lacking toe-to-toe competition and thrilling finishes.

The survivors both days dominated, and the challengers who fell by the wayside never really indicated they were fighting hard enough to show they belonged in the playoffs.

The Houston Texans spoiled Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL post-season with the LA Chargers after leading Michigan to the national championship in last season’s College Football Playoffs.

The Chargers have underachieved recently, but with a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, the Chargers always seem to have an opportunity. But Herbert threw a career-high 4 interceptions and the Texans, the AFC South champs, advanced.

In a game that had the possible makings of a super matchup, the Baltimore Ravens dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had lost their last 4 regular season games after a 10-3 start, and had the Black and Gold could finally reverse their downward turn, maybe they could give the Ravens a run for their money. But it never happened. The Steelers rarely had the ball and rarely moved the ball. Baltimore won and provided a powerful exhibition of consistently gaining big chunks of yardage running the ball, tied in with the spectacular play of quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson appears headed for his second consecutive MVP award, with only Bills QB Josh Allen in his way. Jackson is amazingly quick and fast. He can beat you inside and outside, and amazingly doesn’t make mistakes throwing from in the pocket or on the run.

But what makes this tremendous attack work is that running back, Derrick Henry. He’s found a second life with the Ravens after years at Tennessee, and looks to me to be the hardest back to bring down since the fabulous Jim Brown of the 50’s and 60’s. Believe me, that is saying a mouthful, and I believe it.

The Ravens are a definite Super Bowl contender and will play the Buffalo Bills next week in Buffalo in what is unquestionably a classic on paper.

I always say on paper, because even games like this can get away from one of the teams and turn into a clunker.

But not likely.

The Bills crushed the Denver Broncos who at least found a quarterback to build with, rookie Bo Nix.

So in one of the AFC’s Divisional collisions, it’ll be that showdown between Baltimore and Buffalo.

It’s a fight between the two MVP contenders Jackson and Allen.

What more can you ask?  Remember, the Most Valuable Player Award is based on the regular season, so this game won’t have a bearing. If the votes aren’t all in, who knows?

Allen is on the brink of leading his team to the promised land.

Do I have to make a pick? You know predictions are foolish. Who knows who will play better? Okay, I’ll choose the Bills. But I’m not comfortable.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs got a first round bye, and after a much-needed week of rest for the veteran two-time Super Bowl champs, will deal with Houston.

I don’t see much of a game there.

Looking ahead to Kansas City versus the survivor of the Ravens and Bills is kind of like the way the AFC figured to be weeks ago.

An aside about the Steelers who have never had a losing season in Mike Tomlin’s 18 years as head coach. But he has been unable to lead them to any kind of playoff success in recent years. He’s dropped 9 of his last 12 post-season games and talk of Tomlin’s ouster blossomed again big-time.

The Steelers have had only 3 head coaches in the past 56 years. They’ve won six Lombardi trophies, but none since 2008.

Tomlin will be retained. That’s no surprise considering the organization that I know well. The issue may not be Tomlin, as it is veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who few figured would get to the playoffs this season.

The Steelers haven’t had a QB since Ben Roethlisberger. Until they find one, they won’t advance far.

I’m almost saving the best for last.

Not all the wild card games were a dud.

The Washington Commanders, laughing stocks not long ago, defeated the NFC South division winners Tampa Bay Bucs to move on to a meeting with top-seeded Detroit.

Rookie Jayden Daniels, who has looked like a seasoned pro practically all year guided Washington to their first playoff win since 2006.

A game-winning field goal at the buzzer decided it.

Daniels will be the league’s Rookie of the Year, but it’s unlikely he can extend his magic against the Lions who have been positioned as the #1 NFC entry all year.

Re-winding to the start of all this, with AJ Brown reading his book on the Eagles bench.

He could do it because Philly kept the Green Bay Packers at arm’s length.

Brown was out to avoid boredom.

The Eagles will face the Rams who demolished the Vikings after the game was moved to Arizona after the massive  wildfires ripped through the Los Angeles area forcing the contest to be moved. Sam Darnold who performed beyond expectations all season was turned into a pumpkin by the LA defense, sacking him nine times including a fumble returned for a touchdown and an interception.

The Rams were almost perfect in beating Minnesota, but I have a theory about this. Just as Texas, off kilter in escaping Arizona State, rebounded and played far better in falling short against Ohio State, it’s a tall order for a team to play up to the level the Rams played against the Vikes then do it again next time out.

That’s why I believe the Eagles, playing in the colder climes of Philadelphia, will oust the Rams and advance to the conference championship against the Lions.

Does that not whet the appetite? Eagles at Lions in the NFC title matchup and either the Bills or Ravens at Chiefs in the AFC.  Winners head to the big one.

Now let’s see if all that pans out.

Earlier I wrote that I was nearly saving the best for last.

That’s because a champion will be crowned when Ohio State plays Notre Dame for the national college title.

The Fighting Irish are one step from capturing their first national crown since 1988.

Once upon a time, Notre Dame was the symbol of college football excellence.

They were perennial champions or contenders.

They’ve played terrific football, but so have the Buckeyes who were banished after losing to the huge underdog and hated-rival Michigan in their annual tussle.

Ohio State avenged an earlier one-point setback to #1 Oregon to get to this game.

Notre Dame’s defense has been their backbone, but the Buckeyes will complete their comeback from that embarrassing loss to the Wolverines and wear the mantle of champs once more.

Hey, this is a great time of year if you like football of any kind.

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No one’s complaining now.

After considerable angst over who made it and who didn’t and who got to avoid a first round game and who didn’t, the College Football Playoff is looking pretty good right now. Two huge semifinal battles being played as we speak will determine the National Championship matchup.

After enlarging the tournament from 4 to 12 teams this year, the expected howls from those on the outside looking in were still making themselves heard loud and clear.

The decision to place Boise State and Arizona State among the four automatically advancing to the quarterfinals was one many observers frowned on, including this reporter.

But what the Sun Devils did was give us a game for the ages before going down to Texas in a contest they firmly held in their grasp.

That game  to date has been the best by far and it featured a controversial non-call by the officials that could have made a difference. We always say could have,  because, despite protests to the contrary, unless it’s the deciding play of a game, no one knows what would have really occurred following any call.

In this case it was what was known as a targeting foul against Texas which would have set up ASU for a potential game winning field goal with the score tied at 24 in the 4th quarter.

It was a wild game. Heavily-favored Texas led 24-8, only to see the Sun Devils miraculously claw back thanks to a touchdown pass by the amazing bulldozer running back Cam Skattebo followed by a short power run by Skattebo a minute and a half later in the final quarter.

Targeting is a helmet-to-helmet hit by a defensive player on what usually is a defenseless opponent. It looked like it was indeed exactly that, but the officials ruled otherwise. Those who agreed with the officials claim it’s a hard, physical play that is part of the game. The pros and cons roll on.

Ultimately all Arizona State had to do was stop the Longhorns on a 4th down from the 25-yard line in the 2d overtime to score an incredible comeback-from-behind upset. But Texas completed the pass into the end zone and survived 39-31 in a classic.

This week Texas faces Ohio State and Notre Dame plays Penn State. Four outstanding teams looking advance to the title game.

Having Notre Dame in the picture always makes college football look better.

Growing up, the Fighting Irish were the symbol of the sport’s excellence.

It’s been a long while since ND has been this close to a championship, and it raises its level. Penn State has had a great season and this one should be a nail-biter. I believe most observers feel Ohio State, marred by its brutal loss to arch-rival Michigan, has regrouped, especially after its payback of Oregon in the last round.

That was the real surprise.

The previously unbeaten Ducks #1 in the nation were considered the favorites to take it all.

But Texas may be a lot tougher that people think.

When a team plays below its level and still wins, which the Longhorns did against ASU, they often come back with a vengeance.

By now many of you know the two teams left standing.

Greg Gumbel

When sportscaster Greg Gumbel passed away at 78, days before the New Year, tributes poured in. They were from those who worked with him at CBS, former colleagues at other outlets, or those who just plain knew him.

They all echoed the same theme. That he was a broadcaster who as consistently good as anyone who ever spoke into a microphone, that he helped countless co-workers, that he was a gentleman filled to the brim with class, that he made those he worked with better. I knew Greg well for decades from my years at CBS.

Every word said about Greg Gumbel was totally accurate.

One time, the president of CBS Sports, Neal Pilson, called me into his office to inform me he was removing me from the number two national baseball assignment and replacing me with Greg. He said my work on the broadcast had been terrific for the three years I had partnered with former pitching great Jim Kaat. But Gumbel was going to be given the role of host for the 1994 Winter Olympics, and he wanted to give Greg a high profile post prior to the Games.

I was obviously disappointed but these are the events that occur in our business. It’s not always a bed of roses.

The next day, Greg called me and commiserated me on the change.

He didn’t have to make that call. It’s rare that it happens.

But Greg Gumbel had the respect and class to reach out.

I obviously never forgot it.

Finally, a word about “tanking”.

That’s when fans and the media hope and urge the teams they root for or cover, to purposely lose so they can get a better draft pick.

They are surprised when teams with “nothing to play for”, win and hurt their chances for a higher choice they need to improve.
Here’s the reality.

The players on these teams care nothing about draft picks.

Professional teams, and think of the term “professional”, work all week to win the upcoming game. That includes the coaches.

They all try to put their best effort into a contest because they are being judged how they perform on tape and by their record.

How does a coaching staff tell players to go out and lose?

Well, they don’t.

Only those who have never been there, those who have no clue what a TEAM goes through to prepare for battle, can talk about purposely losing to aid their future.

Those who bring the subject up, don’t get it, never will.

Even when coaches decide to rest starters, including the quarterback, they know that those players, who are not inferior by the way, are getting the chance to compete, look their best, and win.

It’s the way they’ve played the sport their entire lives.

End of story.

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It doesn’t take long for sports to make an impact in any new year, and January and February are the months for the college and NFL post-season, and championships.

The Super Bowl winner will be crowned early February, so now the fun is just beginning.

There’s plenty of weeks left for the pros, but the “collegians”, who make a ton of money and can pick up and leave for greener pastures at their whim, are in the midst of the expanded 12-team tournament.

There’s already been grumbling about how the whole thing was put together and the predictable cries of who never should gotten in and who never should have been left out.

Alright, grumbling is putting it mildly. The football community is incensed.

I say they’re on the money about one aspect of the playoffs, but off the mark on another complaint.

The first round featured four games that were hardly contested.
Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Notre Dame breezed to blowout victories to advance to the quarterfinals to face the four teams who won their conference championships and didn’t have to play in the first round.

There was no excitement in any of the games, really, and if the college playoff committee wanted to build the drama moving along, they fell flat on their faces.

College football is filled with lopsided results all season.

That’s nothing unusual.

But you don’t anticipate those kind of games when the supposed 12 most deserving teams are getting down and dirty battling for the big prize.

Still, there is never a guarantee that any matchup will be a classic nail-biter and down-to-the-wire skirmish. It’s just possible that the winners in four games will dominate.

Of course, the onus is always on the team that didn’t bring their A games, or in some of the cases, didn’t bring their B or C games either.

Could it be that the above mentioned quartet did bring their best and ultimately wiped out their opponents?

Whenever people talk about how THEIR team didn’t bring the goods, I always quote, the late, great, NBA coach and General Manager Red Auerbach.

Red, at one point, guided the Boston Celtics to 11 world titles in 13 years.

He once told me, “Remember, it’s not solitaire out there”.

It’s not solely about how your team played, your opponent had something to do with it too.

So I disregard the second-guessing of the likes of head coach Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss, one of the outsiders looking in.

Kiffin ripped the playoff committee for including Indiana, which got crushed by Notre Dame, and then SMU, which was demolished by Penn State.

Said Kiffin, “Way to keep us on the edge of our seats Committee….riveting”.

Obviously, the head coach thought his Rebels should have been in the field, not  to mention Alabama, South Carolina and Miami.

Ole Miss, ‘Bama, and South Carolina lost 3 games, while Miami dropped only two, but their last one was a brutal defeat at the hands of Syracuse.

Look, you can argue the number of losses, blowout defeats, and strength of schedule till dooms day, but decisions have to be made, and there will always be cases made for teams on the fence.

Where I believe the committee may have to go back to the drawing board is about the choice of the four teams receiving byes, or automatically advancing to the quarterfinals.

It was decided that the four major conference champions would get a pass to the second round.

I think this is where they made a mistake.

The four teams receiving byes should have been the four schools deemed the strongest in the field. Yes, that’s a committee decision, but it’s no different than March Madness. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian came out in favor of that plan.

In college hoops, conference champions are automatically in the 68-team field in the battle for the national basketball championship.

But then, the committee seeds the 16 teams in the four regions.
The other four competing are the last ones out, but still involved in a play-in to join the bracket.

There are always arguments about the seedings, but they are just that, a formula for ranking teams in each region to establish the pairings.

There is no way Arizona State and Boise State should have been amongst the four not to play an opening round game, thus becoming one of the top four seeds in the college football playoff.

As you read this, both teams will have played or are playing.

If one or both win, you’re having a huge laugh at my expense.

But that’s alright. I still believe what I say.

You had to include Ohio State among the top four. The Buckeyes lost to undefeated Oregon and then to their hated rivals, Michigan, in a huge upset to end the regular season.

Texas dropped two games to Georgia, and Penn State only lost to Oregon and Ohio State.

How does Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State and Texas sound for the schools who should have avoided first round play?

Three of them had to play.

Something’s wrong there.

How about Oregon having to face Ohio State in a quarterfinal matchup.

That’s absurd.

If that confrontation was for the National Championship few would complain.

This all may be a one-year furor.

I see changes coming to the college football playoff format next season.

On to 2025.

Happy New Year to all!

The post On to 2025 appeared first on Dick Stockton.

The Holidays are here. So, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

It’s a special time to say the least. Gatherings of friends and family.  Good cheer.

Familiar and wonderful music and decorations.

It also means receiving presents.

What will you find under the tree? Or what did you find if you’re reading this past the 25th?

If you’re an NFL team the best present you could receive would be a franchise quarterback. Some already have one, so they hope for something else.

But those who need one they long to acquire one either through the draft or by an acquisition. For those teams, their Christmas gift may be delayed a bit.

There’s no rush.

Christmas came early for the Minnesota Vikings, for instance, when their backup, Sam Darnold, came through with a sensational regular season. Unexpected perhaps, considering he was merely a journeyman who had fallen flat with his two previous teams. I was on record saying Darnold’s early success wouldn’t last.

I was wrong. He has gotten the Vikes into the playoffs.

On the flip side, the Atlanta Falcons made a huge deal picking up Kirk Cousins from the Vikings. Cousins has had a solid career, never taking his teams as far as had been hoped, but more than respectable. But Cousins has faltered and has been replaced by a rookie, first-round pick Michael Penix, who may be a sleeper.

It’s ironic that the Falcons, preseason favorites in their division are now fighting for their playoff lives, while Minnesota clearly got the better of that deal with Atlanta.

Other happy campers are the Pittsburgh Steelers who made a huge move to pick up veteran Russell Wilson to fill a major gap at quarterback.

Wilson has sparked the Steelers into the post-season.

Washington struck it rich with rookie Jayden Daniels who has taken the mediocre Commanders to the brink of the playoffs.
Then there are those teams who have no chance unless Christmas is kind to them this season.

Those are the Giants, Raiders, Browns, Titans, and Saints.

Hopeful are the teams with quarterbacks who may emerge, hopefully sooner than later. They number the Bears, and Patriots, for example.

A bunch more like what they have and won’t be looking for a QB to unwrap.

They would be the Bengals, Broncos, Chargers, Packers and Rams.

Don’t ask me about the Cowboys. Can anyone figure out their story?

Everyone has an opinion on what makes a franchise quarterback.

I’m no expert, but over the years I’ve talked with enough people who know, to have an idea what counts and what doesn’t.

For instance, if you rate a QB on how great an arm he has, or how many yards he throws for, you are missing the key essentials.

Here’s how football folks rate the most critical position on the team.

1. Winning. If a quarterback wins, he is successful.

2. The ability to guide a team down the field for a touchdown to win or a tie a game.

3. The ability to NOT turn the ball over. This may be closer to the top. Mistakes by a quarterback are fatal. Check out Jameis Winston.

4. Tie that in with touchdown-interception ratio. Would you rather have a QB with 25 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, or one with 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions? If you chose the first example, think again.

5. Accuracy. Being able to be on the mark, especially with medium throws into traffic.

6. The ability to escape pressure, buying time to find an open target, or to pick up yardage by running.

7. Not force a throw when in trouble.

8. Having the discipline to throw the ball out of bounds instead of taking a sack or forcing a pass.

9. But still knowing that taking a sack when the situation calls for no other choice. It’s okay to punt.

So you ask, what about the ability to throw deep?

The answer may be that many deep throws are set up by play-action, in other words, setting up a running play so the defense closes in instead of playing deep.

Many long passes are successful because the receiver comes back to the make the catch, or simply outruns the defender.

The fact is, winning a game is not about the deep throw exclusively over the effective use of the running game, the short pass,
screens to running backs, and slant routs to the middle, among others.

It’s the execution of the offensive game plan.

I’ve always downplayed passing yardage because if you look at the statistics after the weekend, the leading passers by yards lost the game.

They were trailing and had to throw, almost on every down.

A misleading statistic, indeed.

On the topic of quarterbacks, the best in the league are Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Bills.

They lead the best two teams in the AFC, perhaps the entire league.

Mahomes is seeking to lead K.C. to a third consecutive Super Bowl crown.

Allen is looking for his first.

Allen is having a brilliant regular season. Mahomes is now fighting an ankle injury.

The real drama of this NFL campaign is about the health of one, and the continuation of greatness by the other.

The subject in the NFL always starts with the quarterback.

I realize that digging deep in that key position may have our loyal men and women readers who are not football aficionados rolling their eyes.

My apologies to them.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

The post Visions Of Quarterbacks Danced In Their Heads appeared first on Dick Stockton.

Isn’t it amusing that the reaction of practically everyone who learned that Bill Belichick was going to coach football at North Carolina next year was one of total surprise, even shock, when those same folks have no idea what he thinks and what makes him tick.

Everyone is so certain they know what he wants to do with his life they express amazement with whatever he does.

How many really know anything about the man?

Hey, even Tom Brady was taken by aback by the move.

“It blew me away”, said the quarterback who led Belichick’s Patriots to six Super Bowl titles.

But I bet Brady was also amazed when BB jumped in with both feet with countless media outlets this year.

Bill Belichick? The man who hates the media every which way going full blast everywhere you looked?

How about his new girlfriend?

The 24-year old lady now with the 72-year old coach.

The man appears happy. He’s seen everywhere. Even decked out in a tuxedo on a runway at a formal dinner.

That’s not the Bill Belichick we know. Or think we know. That’s not the greatest NFL coach ever who didn’t get a job this season. That’s not the guy who the Atlanta Falcons decided they didn’t want.

How’s that going, by the way?

The answer is we don’t know Bill Belichick.

So when he takes the college head coaching job at North Carolina we are stunned.

When he does, all we talk about is his buyout deal so he can leave and go back to the NFL. When he says, “I didn’t come here to leave”, no one believes him.

No one has any idea what’s in a man’s heart.  No one has a clue how this man thinks.

What has been apparent is this:  we used to rarely see him with a smile on his face. Now we rarely see him without one.

We know that there is a connection with the Tar Heels. Belichick’s dad, Steve, was an assistant coach at UNC.

We also know that before he accepted the post he reached out to the two greatest athletes in North Carolina school history, Lawrence Taylor and Michael Jordan.

He probably talked with an old friend and coaching colleague, Nick Saban, as well.

I believe BB loved talking football in the media this past season, but let’s face it, a coach is a coach. That’s what’s in his blood.’

One of his sons is an assistant at the University of Washington, the other who’s been on his staff at New England will join him at UNC.

Belichick brings along Mike Lombardi, a former NFL General Manager who worked with him at Cleveland, and currently in the media. Lombardi will be a de facto GM to assist in building a personnel department to evaluate talent in the transfer portal and scout high school players.

Their plan is to establish an NFL-style program to ready players for a pro career, and conduct a program that teaches and trains a team the way it was done with the Patriots.

Many of his former players claim BB will have to “change” to be successful at Carolina. I have a hunch Belichick is well aware of the adjustments he has to make personally in dealing with college players. He is not dumb.

No one knows what’s in his head concerning the difficult task of recruiting and visiting the homes of prospects and dealing with their parents.

I’m sure he has given it thought and it just might be he relishes that part of the deal.

Already the new coach has made an impact.

A 4-star quarterback named Bryce Baker had been recruited by the Tar Heels, but had not made a final commitment. Other powers, LSU and Penn State were putting on a full-court press.

Since the announcement of Belichick’s arrival, Baker has re-affirmed his decision to come to Chapel Hill.

Does anyone not think the new world of college sports will benefit the new coach?

Will they be smart with the NIL situation that pays out millions to some athletes?

Will they have an edge with transfers coming in and those going out?

What do you think?

I had to chuckle when an “unsubstantiated report” revealed that Belichick expressed interest in becoming the new head coach of the New York Jets.

In the late 80’s, Belichick was named head coach of the Jets after Bill Parcells decided to move upstairs to General Manager.
Belichick resigned the next day in an embarrassing scenario for the coach and the team.

Soon after Belichick signed with the Patriots, and the rest his history.

Recently, on one of his media shots, Belichick criticized the Jets ownership for how they ran the club.

Why would the coach reach out and expect Woody Johnson, the Jets owner to welcome him?

It looked to me like an anonymous report trying to make the Jets look good, and the coach look bad.

Nothing in recent history has made the Jets look good.

While no one can predict how this story will all work out.

Maybe Bill Belichick will realize this move is a mistake.

Perhaps he will jump back to the NFL sooner than later.

Or the opposite will be the case.

It could be that the coach will throughly enjoy taking young kids, teaching them what they need to know, and building a strong college football team.

I find it hard to believe that going to a school where his father coached, and discussing the matter with the likes of Lawrence Taylor and Michael Jordan, and  making a commitment to others to join him in his mission, Bill Belichick will disappoint.

The only thing I can see, is that the man has had plenty of time to think about his future. He seems to know what he wants.

And yes, there is another thing I can see.

That smile that wasn’t always there.

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