Andy Reid isn’t necessarily a fan of the NFL’s proposed rule that would allow teams to retain possession after a score by converting a fourth-and-15 instead of recovering an onside kick, but the Kansas City Chiefs coach wouldn’t be afraid to use the new option if it passes because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“We’ve got a guy that can do fourth-and-15s,” Reid said Friday. “He’d give us an opportunity to do that.”
Under the proposed rule, put forth by the Philadelphia Eagles, a team would have the option for one offensive play from its 25-yard line rather than kicking off after a score. The team would need to gain at least 15 yards to retain possession.
Team owners will be asked to vote on rule proposals during a virtual meeting May 28. Owners rejected a similar proposal to this last year from the Denver Broncos, but the league did try it out during the 2019 Pro Bowl.
Eli Manning creatively announced that he is joining Twitter by paying homage to the movie “Hoosiers” on Saturday, and Tom Brady chimed in with a humorous touch.
To paraphrase Jimmy Chitwood, “I don’t know if it’ll make any change, but I figure it’s time for me to start playing social media.” pic.twitter.com/Af8IFMOiEQ
— Eli Manning (@EliManning) May 23, 2020
Welcome @EliManning, In typical fashion, you never showed up until the 4th quarter anyway ?
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 23, 2020
Brady’s reference to the fourth quarter brings back painful memories for fans of his former team, the New England Patriots. Manning’s fourth-quarter heroics in Super Bowl XLII helped the New York Giants defeat the Patriots 17-14, dashing their hopes for a perfect season.
And then Manning did it again four years later in Super Bowl XLVI, leading the Giants past the Patriots 21-17.
Rewatch Eli come alive in the fourth quarter against Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI on ESPN+.
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Brady, of course, has experienced more jubilation than heartbreak in Super Bowls. He has played in nine, and is the only player in NFL history to win six.
So the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback can joke about it now, but at the time, they were two of the most devastating losses of his career.
Manning retired this offseason after spending his entire 16-year career with the Giants.
For all those times Cleveland Browns fans have complained that they could call better plays than the coach, now’s your chance.
As part of the All In Challenge, the Browns are offering the opportunity for two people to help script the first 15 offensive plays of a preseason game.
One winner will be determined via auction and the other from a raffle. Proceeds raise money for Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America’s Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tom Brady’s journey to each of his nine Super Bowls with the New England Patriots will be the subject of an ESPN series released next year.
Titled “The Man in the Arena: Tom Brady,” the nine-episode series will include a look from Brady’s perspective at the six NFL titles and three Super Bowl defeats he was a part of. It should be a rare opportunity for revelations from the usually private quarterback, who left New England this year after 20 seasons and now is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The series will be produced by ESPN, 199 Productions (Brady’s production company) and Gotham Chopra of Religion of Sports.
“Through the series, we’re defining the key moments and challenges that were seemingly insurmountable, but through hard work and perseverance, became career-defining triumphs, in both victory and defeat,” Brady said.
Brady has won more Super Bowls than anyone else and remains an NFL star at age 42. Unlike Peyton Manning, his contemporary for much of his career and the quarterback he is most often compared to, Brady normally has been reticent to provide behind-the-scenes information.
Connor Schell, ESPN’s executive vice president for content and one of the creators of the network’s 30 for 30 series, thinks Brady has a fountain of memories worth telling.
“To have personal firsthand accounts and an athlete at Tom’s level who doesn’t often give firsthand accounts can add up to a remarkable series,” Schell said.
Schell points to Chopra’s storytelling skill as a key factor in making Brady’s experiences compelling to fans — even to the legions outside of the New England area who have generally despised the team.
“It is really a tribute to Gotham that he was able to earn that level of trust so Tom is willing to share his stories,” Schell said, noting that Chopra brought the project to ESPN. “We love these projects where these elements come together, and we’re able to give fans not just a good story but something they haven’t seen before.”
The episodes are expected to be grounded in Brady’s reflections and will include voices and outlooks other than his.
Schell added that ESPN is “thinking about how to evolve the genre and new ways to tell these stories and new hooks. And the access to Tom Brady is unique.”