ISSUE 03
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nd now the end is near, and so we face the final curtain...
Welcome to the final edition of Overtime brought to you around the 2018 NFL London Games. Wembley Stadium last Sunday was a sight to behold. The Tailgate Party was bathed in sunshine and filled with thousands of passionate British fans as the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans served up a compelling game on the field. And now it’s on to the Jacksonville Jaguars – finalists in last year’s AFC title game – against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. In this issue, we will hear from two key players who will be in the thick of the action at Wembley come Sunday in Jacksonville
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defensive lineman Calais Campbell and Philadelphia wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Long-time NFL defensive coordinator and Sky Sports pundit Rob Ryan continues his keys to coaching tutorial. This week, Rob reveals the role of a coach in the locker room before the game and at halftime. Spoiler alert… don’t expect too many inspirational speeches. Neil Reynolds gives you six players to watch in the big game at Wembley and Colin Hubbuck details the television programming on offer in the UK, claiming that we’ve never had it so good! Enjoy this edition of Overtime and Sunday’s final London game of the season as the Jags host the Eagles.
SKY SPORTS NFL ANCHOR NEIL REYNOLDS PRESENTS HIS SIX PLAYERS TO WATCH AT WEMBLEY STADIUM
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T.J. YELDON RUNNING BACK JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS The Jags have been without first-round 1,000yard rusher Leonard Fournette for much of the season but they have still seen signs of life in the backfield thanks to T.J. Yeldon, who has rushed for 327 yards and one touchdown at an average of 4.1 yards per carry. The fourth-year back has also added 30 catches for 263 yards and four scores.
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TELVIN SMITH LINEBACKER JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS This fast and athletic defender is not only one of the best at his position in the entire NFL, he is also a team captain for the Jaguars and the on-field leader of their defense. And it is that role which will be most vital for Smith at Wembley on Sunday afternoon. He must lift the spirits of his under-fire team.
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JALEN RAMSEY CORNERBACK JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Never shy of making a bold statement, Jalen Ramsey is an All-Pro and Pro Bowl corner who backs it up on the field. The talkative defender has the ability to shut down his entire half of the gridiron. If the Jags are to break out of their recent slump, this could be the guy to help them do just that. And if he does, you can bet he will tell you about it!
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CARSON WENTZ QUARTERBACK PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Philadelphia’s rifle-armed quarterback Carson Wentz was on pace for an NFL Most Valuable Player season in 2017 before he tore knee ligaments and missed the remainder of a Super Bowl-winning campaign. Wentz can destroy defenses with his arm and his legs and is rounding back into shape. If he plays to his true potential, he will be a joy to watch in London.
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ZACH ERTZ TIGHT END PHILADELPHIA EAGLES The athletic receiving tight end who scored Philadelphia’s winning touchdown in Super Bowl 52 has been the primary target in their passing attack this season. Ertz leads the team with 57 catches for 618 yards and two touchdowns. At his current rate, Ertz will rack up 130 catches for 1,412 yards on the season… unheard of numbers for a tight end.
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FLETCHER COX DEFENSIVE TACKLE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES It looks like Fletcher Cox’s seventh season in the NFL is shaping up to be one of his best. As we approach the halfway mark of the 2018 campaign, this powerful, offensive-busting interior force has recorded four sacks. Cox is a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. This afternoon, he has the potential to be Blake Bortles’ worst nightmare.
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WITH CALAIS CAMPBELL
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acksonville’s 6-foot-8, 300-pound man mountain defensive lineman Calais Campbell has long been firmly established as one of the very best in the business. The three-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro is almost impossible to stop on gamedays. He is a physical beast but also a respected leader in the Jacksonville locker room. Here are four questions with a defender at the very heart of Jacksonville’s chances of a fourth straight London victory on Sunday. You are in your 11th season now and look you have been right at the top of your game for a few years. Do you feel that way? At this point of time of my career, I have a lot more knowledge, and I think a lot differently. I wish I could go back to my younger years and see the game the way I do now. Physically, the biggest thing is to keep my body in condition so I can do
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things I want to do. My mind is on a different level than ever before. I understand the game and what I want to do. What are the challenges for you when facing an offense? What puts the pressure on you? Is it the offensive lineman, the quarterback or the scheme? It’s a combination of everything. When studying film, you have to figure out who is going to give you the formation or who is going to talk to you first. I’m looking at the quarterback, the running back, the formation and what they are going to show you pre-snap, to give me the advantage and to help me get to the ball faster. You have to lock into your keys and my first key is the tackle. There is a rhythm to the timing of how things happen and I know based off of that beat and that rhythm what is happening next, and that’s the part I wish I understood when I was younger.
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Do you keep a mental check list of the quarterbacks you have sacked? To a degree. There are some people I have forgotten over the years but I do have a list, especially the guys over the last few years. Last year, when I was getting a lot of sacks, the public relations team gave me a list of quarterbacks I had sacked and there were a few on there I had forgotten about. What is your partnership with Yannick Ngakoue like and can you learn from a young player like him? He does things that I think to myself I need to try out, so I can definitely learn from him. Yannick Ngakoue is a natural leader and goes about things the right way. He goes 100 miles per hour and leads as an example. I love being around him because he challenges me every single day to do my best. We have a natural, friendly competition to see who can be the best. I love that he always
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has the energy to compete and make me a better player and keep me on my toes. Overall, what makes this defense so special is that we have so many talented players. We have six or seven guys who can be defensive player of the year dependent on how our season goes. That’s the crazy part because from top to bottom we have guys who have the ability to take over games. We all feed off each other and make each other better.
IN THE FINAL PART OF AN EXCLUSIVE SERIES FOR OVERTIME, TWO-TIME SUPER BOWL-WINNER, LONG-TIME NFL DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND SKY SPORTS PUNDIT ROB RYAN PRESENTS HIS KEYS TO COACHING
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aving coached almost two decades in the NFL for six teams and with two Super Bowl rings in his trophy cabinet, Rob Ryan has a wealth of experience to call upon and has many great stories to tell. Now a pundit on Sky Sports’ coverage of the NFL, the long-time defensive coordinator continues his keys to coaching by revealing the role of a coach in a professional locker room, both before the game and during halftime.
IN THE LOCKER ROOM Pre-game in the National Football League is 1,000 per cent different than it is in college. In college, you need a Knute Rockne screaming, ‘Come on, guys. We’re going to get them. We’re going to win one for the Gipper. Go, go, go.’ In pro football, we’re like, ‘All right, guys… let’s go and whip their a**.’
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I’ve been on teams where they have the chaplain come in and say a prayer for everyone and if you’re going to do that, hire a guy who is going to pray for the win. In pro football, you’ve already had the biggest and longest meetings ever – the players know the opponent, you’re ready and you cannot wait to go out there and hit somebody because you’ve already put so much in. Can you write a few reminders up on the board? Sure. And if the players want to, they will look at them. But the less you do in pro football, the better. We tell them to kick their behinds and we send them out. This is how it was at halftime when I was up in the booth. A lot of times I was down on the sidelines as the coordinator. You may have to leave right before the half and if our offense had the ball, I might just take off –
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you don’t even watch the game. You have to get up on the board and write the five toughest plays you’ve faced and also how you’re going to stop them. And you only have 12 minutes. You have to show them what they have faced and now you can also show patterns in the game. You have every play from the first half written up and you can show your guys the patterns and how you’re going to stop them. It is very important to make adjustments. But what I like is something I just heard about Don ‘Wink’ Martindale, who is Baltimore’s defensive coordinator. We used to work together and he told me that he sought out Steve Kerr, the head coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors because they always kill everybody at halftime. They will be down by 12 and then win by 20 and it happens regularly. It’s crazy.
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Wink told me that he was going out west to ask Steve Kerr what he does. He told Wink that he knows we have 12 minutes for halftime and we have guys running to the restroom, guys who are in the training room with injuries. Kerr spoke to Wink about getting the information to the players fast, but you also want to be right on with exactly what you’re saying. So Steve Kerr recommended to Wink that he give the Ravens players three bullet points that show where the defense needs to improve in the second half. Then he turns them loose to their position coaches and those guys can just focus on positionspecific coaching. The position coaches are not looking at the big spectrum of everything. That’s all being done in those three bullet points that come from the coordinator and you don’t want to give them any more than that. Just
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OU HAVE TO SHOW Y THE PLAYERS WHAT THEY HAVE FACED AND NOW YOU CAN ALSO SHOW PATTERNS IN THE GAME”
give them three and then they can get precise with their coaches. It has certainly worked well in Baltimore because until they played the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, they hadn’t given up a touchdown in the second half the entire season. There are no great answers at halftime and I’ve had plenty of those speeches which go along the lines of, ‘You want an adjustment? How about tackle somebody. That’s an adjustment.’ Sometimes you need one of those with your guys to wake them up every now and then. But not all the time.
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SELECTING THE BEST YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE NFL FOR OUR ALL-UNDER 25s TEAM PROVED TO BE NO EASY TASK BY COLIN HUBBUCK
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ndertaking the task of choosing the finest young players in the NFL seemed like an easy gig at the start, then the reality set in. In some positions, such as quarterback and running back it was almost impossible to split several players and so it came down to personal preference. The other issue was those unhelpful players who had already hit their quartercentury, especially the group of receivers that could have formed our entire corps – Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr, Mike Evans, Jarvis Landry and Brandin Cooks. So, the criteria was being under the age of 25 in time for the NFL London games – October 14 (don’t forget!) – teamed with a look into our crystal ball based on some of the rookie performances through the opening weeks of this young season.
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QUARTERBACKS JARED GOFF, 23, LA RAMS PATRICK MAHOMES, 22, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS BAKER MAYFIELD, 23, CLEVELEND BROWNS With Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott ruled out by age, this was a straight toss-up between two young men who have been ripping up the record books already this season. Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City broke Peyton Manning’s 2013 record for most touchdowns in the first three weeks of the season with 13, all without an interception. But our starting quarterback made a mockery of the Vikings offense on Thursday night in Week 4. On his way to a perfect passer rating of 158.3, Jared Goff set multiple marks, including the most attempts by a perfect passer in NFL history, topping Ken O’Brien’s 1986 record. He added five touchdowns to the six from the first three games as he piloted the Rams to 4-0, the only undefeated NFC team. Mahomes will be our back-up and we’ll
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follow Cleveland’s example and take Baker Mayfield over Sam Darnold as our third QB despite his first start not going his way against the Raiders.
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RUNNING BACKS TODD GURLEY, 24, LA RAMS ALVIN KAMARA, 23, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS EZEKIEL ELLIOTT, 23, DALLAS COWBOYS SAQUON BARKLEY, 23, NY GIANTS What an incredible pot to choose from, just the Class of 2017 alone is enough to give you goosebumps: Fournette, McCaffrey, Cook, Mixon, Hunt, Foreman, Conner and so on. It was a third-rounders from last year’s Draft that made our cut though. There were concerns how New Orleans would cope without suspended Mark Ingram but 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara picked up where he left off and has rushed for five TDs and caught another to put the Saints atop the NFC South. Our bellcow and the heartbeat of our offense will, however, be Todd Gurley, who is a surprising 24. In his fourth NFL season (the first two in a pedestrian Jeff Fisher offense), he’s already racked up 3,634 yards rushing, almost 1,500 receiving and 41 touchdowns.
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His current form is a tribute to head coach Sean McVay, who revitalized the rusher’s career last season. Our not-unimpressive back-ups are league-leading rusher through Week 4 Zeke Elliott and the Giants’ punishing Saquon Barkley.
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WIDE RECEIVERS TYREEK HILL, 24, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS CALVIN RIDLEY, 23, ATLANTA FALCONS STEFON DIGGS, 24, MINNESOTA VIKINGS JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, 21, PITTSBURGH STEELERS AMARI COOPER, 24, OAKLAND RAIDERS After three games, with a Monday night tilt against Denver to come (at the time of submitting this team), the electric Tyreek Hill was averaging 22.1 yards a catch for Kansas, proving his worth as a receiver and the perfect foil for Mahomes’ cannon for an arm. Calvin Ridley, the second passcatcher taken in this year’s Draft, has proved a touchdown machine with an NFLleading six in the last three games, including a 75-yarder in the shootout with New Orleans. Recipient of the Minneapolis Miracle, Stefon Diggs has topped 100 yards twice this season for the Vikings. JuJu Smith-Schuster leads his more acclaimed teammate Antonio Brown in receptions, yards and average per catch
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for Pittsburgh and we’re taking Amari Cooper, banking on him returning to 2015 and 2016 form.
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TIGHT ENDS EVAN ENGRAM, 24, NY GIANTS OJ HOWARD, 23, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Eli Manning’s favourite target in 2017, Evan Engram caught a team-high 64 passes for six touchdowns and a spot in the NFL AllRookie line-up. A knee injury knocked him out of the Week 3 clash with Houston, but his upside secures him a role on our team. Backing him up is OJ Howard who, with Fitzmagic at the helm, was averaging 20.2 yards per catch for the Bucs, including snags of 35, 75 and 21 yards.
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TACKLES RONNIE STANLEY, 24, BALTIMORE RAVENS RYAN RAMCZYK, 24, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS JACK CONKLIN, 24, TENNESSEE TITANS Protecting Goff’s blind-side will be Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore’s sixth overall pick in 2016. The 6ft 6in 315lb Notre Dame product allowed just three sacks in his first two seasons and this year has helped his Ravens to fourth in total offense and 3-1. Ryan Ramczyk stepped in and started 16 games as a rookie for Sean Payton’s team and keyed a fifth-ranked rushing offense that averaged a league-best 4.7 yards a carry. All-Pro tackle as a rookie in 2016, Jack Conklin returned from injury for Week 4’s upset of the Super Bowl-champion Eagles.
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GUARDS WILL HERNANDEZ, 23, NY GIANTS DAN FEENEY, 25, LA CHARGERS QUENTON NELSON, 22, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS The Giants drafted Will Hernandez as part of Dave Gettleman’s plan to get the best of Manning for what remains of his career. The four-year UTEP starter has slipped straight into pro football, next to Nate Solder on the Giants’ line. Manning loved the fact that the rookie had already got into “about five fights” in camp and that’s good enough for us. Switching to the right for this team is Chargers’ left guard Dan Feeney, who started seven games as a third-round pick for Los Angeles last season. Nelson was the highest-ranked lineman in the 2018 Draft and has held his own early.
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CENTERS PAT ELFLEIN, 24, MINNESOTA VIKINGS RYAN KELLY, 25, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Pat Elflein was a vital part of the improvement in Minnesota’s offensive line in 2017, despite his 32nd ranking in Pro Football Focus’ center ratings. He’ll anchor our line as he did for the Vikings. We’ve had to cheat for a back-up, bringing in 25-yearold Ryan Kelly who practically redshirted in 2017, missing nine games.
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DEFENSIVE ENDS JOEY BOSA, 23, LA CHARGERS MYLES GARRETT, 22, CLEVELAND BROWNS YANNICK NGAKOUE, 23, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS LEONARD WILLIAMS, 24, NY JETS Not an enticing prospect for any quarterback, this defense is terrifying. From the end spot that’s the 2016 No3 overall pick in Joey Bosa and the 2017 No1 Myles Garrett coming at you. When they get tired, we’re going to run the all-energy Leonard Williams, himself sixth pick in 2015, and Yannick Ngakoue, who had 12 drops for Sacksonville last season.
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DEFENSIVE TACKLES DEFOREST BUCKNER, 24, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS CHRIS JONES, 24, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS SHELDON RANKINS, 24, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS In four games so far this season, the Niners’ best player DeForest Buckner already has more sacks than he had last year and is being touted as the next defensive superstar behind Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. Chris Jones was moved outside by Andy Reid to pump up the Chiefs’ pass rush and got 6.5 in seven starts. Two years ago, his rookie year, Sheldon Rankins bagged four sacks in nine games before a sophomore slump last season but he’ll provide an inside push for us.
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OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS MYLES JACK, 23, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TJ WATT, 24, PITTSBURGH STEELERS FRED WARNER, 21, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS In 2017, Myles Jack returned one fumble for a TD but it was the one that got away that he’ll be remembered for – an ill-timed whistle against New England ruling out another score that would have put the Jags in the Super Bowl. TJ Watt burst into the NFL on his debut with two sacks, five tackles and an interception last season. JJ’s too old for this team, but we’ll take the younger Watt. Talking of exploding on to the scene, third-round rookie Fred Warner, who played outside at BYU, has manned the middle for San Fran this season, notching double digit tackles in all four games to go with two pass defenses and a forced fumble.
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INSIDE LINEBACKERS DEION JONES, 23, ATLANTA FALCONS DARRON LEE, 23, NEW YORK JETS REUBEN FOSTER, 24, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS As Atlanta romped to the NFC title in 2016, their rookie linebacker Deion Jones seemed to be everywhere, racking up 75 tackles, defending 11 passes and scoring twice on interception returns (to lead the league), one a 90-yarder. His peers recognised his promise last year, voting him to his first Pro Bowl. The Jets’ Darron Lee started this season with two interceptions (one a picksix) and seven tackles as New York dominated Detroit in Week 1. Bay Area fans realize they’ve got something special brewing in the 49er defense thanks to the form of Warner and the return of the intimidating playmaker Reuben Foster from suspension.
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CORNERBACKS JALEN RAMSEY, 23, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS MARCUS PETERS, 25, LA RAMS MARSHON LATTIMORE, 22, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE, 23, BUFFALO BILLS Our chief trash-talker will be at corner as the ever-chatty Jalen Ramsey locks down one of our cover spots. Across from him will be the similarly edgy Marcus Peters. The pair combined for nine interceptions in 2017 despite teams avoiding their side of the field. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Marshon Lattimore is our third corner and Tre’Davious White, who stole four passes in his rookie year and ran a fumble back to the house completes our corners.
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SAFETIES LANDON COLLINS, 24, NY GIANTS MARCUS WILLIAMS, 21, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS JAMAL ADAMS, 22, NY JETS DERWIN JAMES, 22, LA CHARGERS Lattimore’s teammate Marcus Williams will spend the rest of his career living down the missed tackle in the Divisional Playoff against Minnesota but it’s worth remembering he’d already made five tackles an in interception that set up the Saints’ second touchdown in that game to go with his four in the regular season. Landon Collins will forever live in London fans’ hearts after the incredible return against the Rams in Twickenham. The fourth-year, two-time Pro Bowler will be our secondary’s leader. Across New Jersey, Jets safety Jamal Adams gets a spot on our depth chart thanks to a solid first year and a fast start to this one (one pick, one sack, 22 tackles). Derwin James has also got out of the blocks quickly for Chargers defensive coordinator
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Gus Bradley. The rookie bagged a third sack of the season against San Francisco in Week 4 to go with seven tackles, three hits on CJ Beathard, a tackle for loss and three passes defensed.
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SPECIALISTS KICKER – WILL LUTZ, 24, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS PUNTER – MICHAEL DICKSON, 22, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS RETURNER – JAMAL AGNEW, 23, DETROIT LIONS SPECIAL TEAMER – BUDDA BAKER, 22, ARIZONA CARDINALS Tough to overlook Harrison “Buttkicker. com” Butker for nickname alone, but biglegged Will Lutz has done it for longer, with kicks of 57 and 53 yards. Everyone loves an Aussie punter and Michael Dickson ranks third in the NFL after four weeks. Kickoff returns are covered with Hill and Kamara on the roster, so we’ve plumped for All-Pro Jamal Agnew to handle punt return duties. He led the NFL in punt return yards, touchdowns, longest and return average in 2017. Fellow 2017 All-Pro and exciting Arizona safety Budda Baker will be our coverage team leader.
WITH ALSHON JEFFERY
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all, strong and boasting speed to test the toughest of defenses, Alshon Jeffery is a key member of the Philadelphia Eagles’ attack and the scorer of his team’s first touchdown in last year’s Super Bowl win over New England. After missing the early part of 2018 with a shoulder injury, Jeffery is now up to full speed and has caught 25 passes for 306 yards and four touchdowns. Here are four quick questions with the Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion. How do you feel to be playing a game in London? It feels awesome and I cannot wait. I’m excited and it will be my first time ever – I’ve been in the league for seven years and this is going to be great. The Jaguars are a great defensive team and I’m looking forward to
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the challenge. I’m really looking forward to the whole experience of visiting London. How did it feel to win the Super Bowl and are you hungry for more success? It was awesome and it was a hell of a ride but we’ve got to keep it going. Everyone I run into in Philadelphia, they always stop me and thank me so that has been awesome. But the ultimate goal is to repeat and to do it even better. I do think the sky is the limit for us. What can you tell us about the mindset of your team? We have a lot of unselfishness and guys who believe in one another. We put in a lot of work in practice and we’re all about what we can control. We are definitely a team that works hard in practice and we go out and execute what our coach tells us to do. So we are an unselfish team that works hard.
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As a receiver, what is it like to play on a team with two quarterbacks in Carson Wentz and Nick Foles? It’s great and our quarterback situation last week showed that it has always been “next man up” with our team. That doesn’t just apply to quarterbacks but for our whole team. That’s the mentality we always have, no matter who is out there. We always pick each other up.
UK NFL FANS ARE NOW SPOILED FOR CHOICE WITH THE MOST AMAZING FOOTBALLBASED TV SHOWS WORDS: COLIN HUBBUCK
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t’s been almost 40 years since fans in the UK were first introduced to the magic of NFL football, when there were only four terrestrial channels and no satellite or cable – HD or otherwise. The game burst on to our screens on a Sunday evening as Channel 4’s big sporting offering, with an hour of highlights, bloopers and Two Tribes. First presented by DJ Nicky Horne and former basketball player Miles Aiken, it was the only way for the diehard to get their football fix. British-born Patriots kicker John Smith would eventually front the show as would fellow Brit-kicker Mick Luckhurst. Night owls could catch college football on ITV in the small hours of Saturday mornings, but if you wanted live NFL games, you were left to brave the in-and-out signal of Armed Forces Radio being broadcast for US troops across Europe to listen to. Then came the World League that saw a youthful Jeff Stelling present a Saturday lunchtime highlights package. On the increasingly popular satellite and cable
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channels, you could enjoy whole college games on Screensport and, if you didn’t mind the German commentary, NFL games and highlights on ZDF. But now, thanks to Sky, BBC and the advent of NFL Game Pass, fans in the UK have never had it so good. Neil Reynolds and co bring us more live games than we’ve ever had every Thursday, Sunday and Monday all the way to the Super Bowl. Mark Chapman, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell’s unique chemistry makes The NFL Show a must-watch, then there are archived full games, classic games, highlights, documentaries, original programming available on Sky On Demand and NFL Game Pass – frankly it’s a feast for football eyes. So if you’re a rookie fan new to the sport, you’ve arrived at the right time! And if you’re a veteran of Sunday nights by the radio, here is our guide to the best of the NFL programming out there and where to find it:
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AMERICA’S GAME RECENT SUBJECTS: Philadelphia Eagles (2017); New England Patriots (2016); Denver Broncos (2015); New England Patriots (2014) The first screening of the new America’s Game has joined the Hall of Fame Weekend and Hard Knocks as preseason traditions. Telling the story of the Super Bowl winners, it started back in 2006 as a list of the 20 greatest Super Bowl teams, before rolling out every winning team ever. Voiced by Hollywood legends such as Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Bruce Willis, Donald Sutherland and Gene Hackman, America’s Game goes behind the scenes of the drama of a Super Bowl journey with players and coaches and splices that with the usual incredible NFL Films footage. Learn about Brian Billick’s ban of the P-word in 2000, hear about The Hogs and enjoy The Bus talking about his dream departure from the game. And if you can find them, America’s
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Game: The Missing Rings are perhaps even more poignant. Five teams that didn’t win a Super Bowl get the treatment – 1981 Chargers, 1969 Vikings, 1990 Bills, 1988 Bengals and 1998 Vikings – I’m not crying, you’re crying. Where can I see it? Sky On Demand; Game Pass
HARD KNOCKS RECENT SUBJECTS: Cleveland Browns (2018); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017); LA Rams (2016); Houston Texans (2015); Atlanta Falcons (2014); Cincinnati Bengals (2013) The NFL’s first reality show. Produced by HBO and NFL Films, the show follows a team, warts-and-all, through training camp to roster cut-down day. No matter how many times you watch it, you can’t fail to root for those players on the roster bubble in every episode. We love you Nate Orchard! And you, Cajuste (hope your dad’s recovering well). There’s the occasional bombshell – Joe
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Philbin ending Chad Johnson’s career in 2012 in Miami, Jarvis Landry letting rip this summer – but there’s always entertainment. Rex Ryan’s sweary snack, Vince Wilfork playing basketball (“Too big. Big down here, Big Dawg. Big down here now. We gotta HAVE IT.”) or ‘the overalls’, Jeff Fisher’s “7-9 b******t” and Bernard Pollard’s surprising ability to twerk while doing the splits! Then there was the time this writer and TV’s Neil Reynolds sneaked into the frame. Where can I see it? Sky On Demand; Game Pass
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ALL OR NOTHING RECENT SUBJECTS: Dallas Cowboys (2017); Michigan Wolverines (2017); Los Angeles Rams (2016); Arizona Cardinals (2015) Where Hard Knocks stops, All Or Nothing keeps going. The NFL Films crew is embedded with a team for an entire season, so the games matter, the stories and the characters are very real and decisions have instant impact. The Cardinals were the perfect first subjects – Bruce Arians’ team were on the verge of the big-time and we lived every up and every down with them as they got to their first NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2008 only to fall at the final hurdle. Dallas last year saw the team deal with the uncertainty of Ezekiel Elliott’s on-off suspension and the Rams two years ago were upping sticks from St Louis to Los Angeles. 2017 also saw the incredible behind-thescenes glimpse at Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines college football programme. Where can I see it? Amazon Prime Video
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A FOOTBALL LIFE RECENT SUBJECTS: Brian Dawkins; Willie McGinest; Tony Romo; Lawrence Taylor If you want to learn all there is to know about legends from the history of the game, this is the place to do it. Whether it’s maverick owners like Al Davis or Eddie DeBartolo Jr or coaching royalty such as Tom Landry, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi or Bill Walsh. Heroes like Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Joe Namath and Pat Tillman or villains like Lyle Alzado and Dick Butkus. Friends, teammates, coaches, family members and everything in between tell the story of the subject, which might also be something as out-there as the forward pass or the Browns’ 1995 move from Cleveland. Be advised some can get a little bit emotional – tissues definitely required for the Reggie White & Jerome Brown episode. Where can I see it? Sky On Demand; Game Pass
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NFL FILM SESSION RECENT SUBJECTS: Doug Baldwin; Steve Spagnuolo; Carson Wentz; Mike Daniels; Doug Pederson; Joe Thomas If you really want to football-geek out, this NFL Films-produced show is for you. Brian Baldinger and Ron Jaworski sit in front of game film and discuss what they see with the player involved, taking fans behind the curtain of what goes into any given play. The level of detail and information is a fans’ dream – ever wanted to know where Joe Thomas places his hands when taking on a speed rusher? Answered. What’s an RPO and how do the Eagles use them? Doug Pederson will draw that up for you on the whiteboard. In short it’s 20 minutes of Xs and Os perfection and worth watching, if only for Mike Daniels telling Baldy that he likes everyone on the offensive line to “feel his punch”. Brilliant. Where can I see it? Game Pass
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