Without a job on Sunday; claimed on Monday; arrives in New York on Tuesday; flew to London on Thursday; made plays on Sunday. No, that’s not a remix of Craig David’s ‘7 Days’ but rather the “whirlwind week” in the life of safety Dion Bailey. In Week 1 the second-year undrafted defensive back out of USC got his first NFL start …
We’re calling it the Gridiron International Issue. We’ve travelled far and wide to bring you these 64 pages, from Odessa, Texas all the way to New York. The international theme, though, begins on these shores as we offer up some cracking features on the two teams heading across the pond for the opening International Series game. The first of those takes us to …
Week 3 is in the books and standings are beginning to take shape in the NFL. A Baltimore Ravens team that were many experts’ pre-season darlings are 0-3 and a Carolina Panthers team few believed in are 3-0. Gridiron editor Matthew Sherry attempts to make sense of it all in this week’s Tuesday Morning Touchdown. Puttin’ Six On The Board Jittery Joe …
If last weekend was Christmas for those of immersed in the NFL, other oval-ball enthusiasts get their New Year’s Eve party started on Friday. That’s when the 2015 Rugby World Cup begins at Twickenham as New Zealand bid to regain the trophy they won on home soil four years ago. Those All Black jerseys are iconic – as iconic as …
Week 1 is in the books and, as expected, there is plenty for Matthew Sherry to chew over. The Gridiron editor discusses everything from contracts to clock management in this week’s Tuesday Morning Touchdown. Puttin’ Six On The Board Sleepless In Seattle Could the Seattle Seahawks have lost in a more miserable way? With star safety Kam Chancellor holding out as …
It’s finally here. After months upon months of off-field controversies highlighted by the tiresome Deflategate saga, finally we’re at gameweek! Or, more pertinently, time-to-discuss-what-will-actually-happen-on-the-field week. Gridiron editor Matthew Sherry does just that in the first of a brand-new weekly column analysing the biggest talking points right now. Puttin’ Six On The Board Will Peyton Bounce Back? There was no sight more …
Who will be the defining figures of the 2015? That’s the question we attempt to answer in the Gridiron Bumper Season Preview. Our panel of experts – including the Sky Sports’ delightful duo of Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold – have chosen their figures of fascination, and they’ve been put together over 31 stunningly-designed pages. Our list, though, is one with …
What now for Robert Griffin III? Does he even have a future in Washington? Will he ever start an NFL game again? Simon Clancy looks back on the play that changed it all and finds eerie similarities between Griffin’s story and that of the franchise’s most famous quarterback. Sport is defined by moments, when the game and the players become one, when the complexities …
Peyton Manning will be back under centre for the Denver Broncos in 2015. Will he prove the end of last season was just a blip? Gridiron isn’t convinced, so much so that editor Matthew Sherry felt compelled to pen this open letter following the Broncos’ playoff heartache in January. We know what you’re thinking Peyton… that this cannot be the …
With Jordy Nelson’s season-ending ACL tear adding to the ever-growing tally of players seeing their campaigns end before they’ve even begun, Mike Carlson has a simple answer: change the exhibition season. As you’re probably aware, the NFL seems to be moving inexorably towards a longer season. The figure most often suggested is 18 games, and this being America more is presumed …
Entering his second season in the NFL, Johnny Manziel is sitting behind journeyman Josh McCown, vying to win back the trust of coaches and a beleaguered Cleveland Browns fanbase. Gridiron’s Richard Gatenby scratches beneath the surface to get the real lowdown on football’s embattled star. It is a warm, humid Friday night in Kerrville, Texas and the Tivy High Antlers are …
A fine first pre-season with the Philadelphia Eagles reminded NFL fans just why Sam Bradford was once selected first overall. Gridiron takes a look at the quarterback’s story so far ahead of his defining campaign. Born Winner Even as a teenager Bradford had an enviable amount of natural talent and, when the Oklahoma native combined these gifts with his athletic …
Tim Tebow is the NFL’s most polarising figure. Ridiculed by purists that scoff at his ability – or inability in their eyes – to throw or play quarterback in the NFL, the deeply religious, soon-to-be 28-year-old is revered by millions of supporters who would love nothing more than to see him prove the doubters wrong. Regardless of what he does, …
While the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers can make the task of playing quarterback in the NFL appear relatively simple, the reality is very different. To better understand what an NFL quarterback goes through in a game – and to help aspiring young passers become better players in the UK – Gridiron have called on some of …
There are few figures that have transcended football quite like former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. Alex Cassidy remembers a man whose legend has continued to live on long since his retirement. “We’re going to win the game, I guarantee it.” All football historians know the legendary, perhaps apocryphal, story of Joe Namath’s prediction. Three days before the New …
