Sports – FiveThirtyEight — NFL RSS



Exactly How Much Does A Great Pass Rush Hurt An Offense?

With the exception of the quarterback, there’s no position the NFL values more than the pass rusher. Over the past few years, teams have consistently spent high draft capital on defensive linemen who can pressure and sack the quarterback. In this year’s draft, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young was taken with the second overall […]

Continue reading



We Settle The Great Steve Young-Joe Montana Quarterback Debate

On Oct. 30, 1988, in the midst of a season in which the San Francisco 49ers would win the first of back-to-back Super Bowls, an injured Joe Montana was riding the bench against the 5-3 Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota fullback Rick Fenney, who had run over the notoriously hard-hitting Ronnie Lott earlier in the game, scored […]

Continue reading




How Sports Are Reacting To The Police Killings

This week, we discuss the sports world’s reaction to the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the widespread protests that followed. We start with the NFL, which released a statement of support that was widely criticized for being empty and disingenuous. The Hot Takedown team largely agrees with that criticism: The league […]

Continue reading



Are States With Lower Income Tax Rates Better At Winning Championships?

When it became clear that the most decorated quarterback in NFL history was hitting the open market, fans of many long-suffering NFL teams allowed themselves to imagine Tom Brady leading their squad to his seventh Super Bowl championship. Bill Schuette, the former attorney general of Michigan, was one of those fans. He penned a column […]

Continue reading