Pro Football Articles Opinion & Fantasy – Football Diner

The Football Diner Big Interview:
Neil Reynolds
interviewed by Brian Davis
September 14th 2010
 
BD: Hi Neil, great to have you visit the Diner again! First of all, we understand that you will be the new face of the NFL live on our Television screens for the 2011 season, you must be very excited? Will there be a new format and what sort of guest lineup, if any, can we expect to see through the season and does this mean youll be getting Nicks Superbowl gig?
 
NR: I am very excited to be on Sky Sports every week during the 2011 season. I love this sport with a passion and to get paid to sit around and talk about it each weekend and to see the games unfold before my eyes each Sunday evening will be pretty special. I used to watch people like Nicky Horne and Gary Imlach as a kid back in the day and it’s cool to add my name to the list of British presenters.
 
The format will be pretty much the same although I would like to bring more of that ‘Soccer Saturday’ feel to Sunday nights, keeping up to speed with everything going on around the league. That could well happen this season as we have NFL Red Zone for the early part of the year, meaning we have access to footage of every single touchdown scored each weekend. That could work out to be really cool.
 
You’ll have to ask the producer on the guest line-up as I think he’s still working on that but some old favourites will be back. It was fun to work with Cecil Martin on opening night, Shaun Gayle will be back over for Wembley and some other big names could be thrown into the mix. Watch this space.
 
BD: With Tampa Bay being the home team at Wembley, who might we expect to see as the guests at the Buccaneers fan rally this season?
 
NR: I was chatting with Brad Johnson the other day – see how I dropped that name in there? – and he seems very keen to come to London again. That would be cool as he was a fan favourite with the London Monarchs and you can’t knock having a genuine Super Bowl winner in town.
 
In terms of other NFL guests, I know the league office is working hard to go for A-listers who can match the excitement created by Jerry Rice and Roger Craig being involved last time around.
 
BD: If you havent already, will you be giving Jay Cutler a copy of your Pain Gang book when he arrives?
 
NR: I met Jay in August but forgot to take a copy with me. I also sat down with Brian Urlacher who insisted Jay was as tough as they come. Now, I wasn’t about to argue with Urlacher in person because I quite like my nose being in the middle of my face, but I don’t really agree with him on that one.
 
I still think Cutler would have been better served going back out for one more series in that NFC Championship Game, even if just to show he was trying to fight through the pain. But that would have been counter-productive to his team so there is an element of sympathy there.
 
Mind you, I spoke to Martin Johnson a few days after the NFC Championship Game – damn, I’ve dropped another name on the floor!! – and he was pretty sickened by Cutler’s lack of effort in that contest. With Cutler, I think it’s more of a body language issue – he just looks like he couldn’t care less.
 
BD: As a 49ers fan, fill me with envy and tell me what its like to sit down and chat with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice
 
NR: I had heard Montana was not much of a talker but he was really interesting, to me. And he was a really cool and down to earth guy. Before our interview, he gave me a tour of his apartment building in San Francisco and was just chatting like we were a couple of mates hanging out. Those are the pinch-yourself moments, in my opinion. Here is a guy I grew up watching on TV and we’re wandering around his house talking footbal. Just surreal.
 
Jerry Rice was another great guy and I was pleased to see him get a TV gig because he has worked so hard to reach that level. My favourite moment of Wembley week, of course, was throwing a pass to Jerry at Wembley. It was a bit wobbly but needless to say he caught it.
 
BD: How do you feel the lockout has affected the preparation for teams this season?
 
NR: It didn’t hurt the Packers did it? We might see some sloppier tackling and also some mistakes among those who struggle offensively anyway. But I think, for the most part, the good teams will still be good and the bad teams will be bad.
 
From the preseason games I saw in the United States this summer, there didn’t seem to be a discernible drop from previous years. I expect some of the bigger guys to be a bit more out of shape but most NFL players are disciplined enough to have worked out in the off-season. I say most because it was certainly not all of them – Giants left tackle Will Beatty put on 29 pounds. That’s some good eatin’!
 
BD: Which team from those with new Coaches/Coordinators/Quarterbacks, tipped to struggle, do you tip to fair the best?
 
NR: You want me to say San Francisco, don’t you? I love Alex Smith to death and he is such a nice guy, but I fear he is running out of time – and excuses. I really hope he proves me wrong but I cannot see it.
 
John Fox should install some toughness in the Denver Broncos and it helps they hung on to Kyle Orton. I also think the Cleveland Browns will surprise a few people and I like Colt McCoy at quarterback.
 
BD: And how about the mad dash Free Agency, a good thing for the league or do you prefer the Pre-Draft format?
 
NR: I loved the madness of that free agency signing period, although I was trying to enjoy a family camping holiday in Dorset at the time. The order of each day went beach, pool, BBQ then me on Twitter for hours on end catching up on the news of the day.
 
I genuinely think the NFL could make something of a compacted free agency signing period. They are all about creating this year-round calendar so how about something like that every season? I’m sure it would create a lot of interest and add anothe date to the diary alongside the NFL combine and the Draft. I don’t think it should be in July, but it should be considered.
 
BD: How do you see Peyton Mannings injury affecting the Colts season? Is Kerry Collins really good enough to steer the team to a playoff berth in a tough division?
 
NR:I think the Colts are done without Manning at the helm. Collins can hold the fort for a while but this team needs more than that and often had number 18 drag them to victory. I can see Manning being out for much if not all of the 2011 campaign and that could mean just six wins for the Colts.
 
Collins was poor when I saw him play in Miami last year with the Titans and he will take time to master the offensive system. If he fails? Number 4 is currently mowing his lawn in Mississippi. I’m sure he can be tempted back for the right price!
 
BD: Detroit appear to be the sexy pick for this year (I was on the bandwagon before it became sexy by the way!) but how do YOU see them doing this season?
 
NR: I have the Lions down for a wild card spot at best in the NFC but it depends on keeping Matthew Stafford healthy – and as we all know, that is a big ‘if.’ Stafford has a big-time arm and can be a true star, but he has missed roughly half of all games during his career.
 
Calvin Johnson remains an elite wideout and what can you say about one of the best defensive lines in football? Ndamukong Suh is an absolute beast who plays borderline illegal and totally dominating football. When Nick Fairley is healthy and added to the mix, look out.
 
Depth is an issue and the secondary remains a concern. That’s why I see nothing more than a wild card for the Lions. But they are on their way and are heading in the right direction.
 
BD: Tim Tebow.. Where did it all go wrong? From Starter to possible 4th best QB on the roster
 
NR: It’s not really his fault – he is what he is but more was made of him and his transition into the NFL because the Broncos over-paid for him massively by getting back into the first round to grab him.
 
You know this Brian from your work around the draft, there are many guys who do not transition to the NFL all that well, but scouts fall in love with their physical skills. But what Tebow did at college on a consistent basis is not how the quarterback position is played in the NFL – yet! Give Michael Vick and Cam Newton a few years to revolutionise the position and Tim may be back in fashion.
 
But, for now, he just cannot get back, set and throw downfield like Orton can. Montana warned me that would happen when we met last summer. He told me to look out for Tebow’s footwork because he had never needed 5 and 7-step drops working out of the shotgun in college. He was spot on with that one.
 
BD: Weve seen a larger number of UDFAs make roster spots this year, having a starter who was a UDFA appears to be the new sexy. What do you make of that number increasing, given the shorter amount of time Coaches have had with their players?
 
NR: That did surprise me because I thought rookies would struggle to catch up. But I do know this – a rookie who can run downfield and hit people on special teams is a lot cheaper than a five-year veteran doing the exact same thing.
 
BD: The Philadelphia Eagles Dream Team Are you buying it?
 
NR: No and I bet Andy Reid could swing for Vince Young for putting that moniker on his new team. The Eagles loaded up but it will still come down to number seven and two things – keeping him healthy and having hiim make good decisions with the football at the end of the year. The latter of those did not happen in 2010 as defenses kind of caught up with how to play Vick.
 
I do have concerns about the offensive line because rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins are tabbed to start and have been overwhelmed at times in the preseason. Vick could take a lot of hits again and Young would be a significant downgrade if called upon for an extended period of time.
 
BD: With the #1 pick of the 2012 draft the…
 
NR: San Francisco 49ers
 
BD: select…
 
NR: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.
 
BD: Your Super Bowl teams are?
 
NR: Until I see otherwise, I’m riding the established favourites. So the Packers will beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl and prove that it is possible to repeat in the level playing field that is today’s NFL.
 
The fun thing is that by the time the Super Bowl rolls around, we’ll be thinking ‘What was I doing picking those two teams’ and two completely diffferent clubs will have come up on the rails. That’s the beauty of the NFL – you just never know how a season is going to pan out. But we’re off to a great start.
 
BD: Thanks for taking the time out to talk to us, enjoy the new season and we will see you on Sky Sports Thursday Night/Friday morning and again on Sunday.