Breaking news from NFL.com…

FORT WORTH, Texas — Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons president and co-chair of the NFL Competition Committee, said Wednesday at the league’s owners meeting that he would like to see playoff teams re-seeded, with division winners not necessarily granted a home game.

McKay said that in the past, similar proposals have received upwards of 18 votes, but not the 24 needed by owners to pass a measure.

When asked if he believed the possibility of a .500 or worse team winning a division would lead to future consideration of altering playoff seeding, McKay said: “I hope so. I’ve brought it up twice and never had real success getting it passed. I think it is something we should consider.”

McKay said he has always supported re-seeding spots 4 through 6 based on record, but he realizes not all share his views. Several owners I’ve spoken to in the past about this issue believe there should be a significant reward for winning one’s division, with that belief grounded in the traditions of the game and a desire to keep a focus on divisional rivalries.

“I don’t disagree with that,” McKay said, “but re-seeding is something we should keep talking about.”

What do you think?  Should things stay the way they are, granting the division winners home-field throughout, or should the NFL continue to deviate from football tradition, and shake things up?

With the hard hits that took place in week 6, including two by Pittsburgh Steelers‘ linebacker James Harrison, one by New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather and one by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. All three players were fined, with Harrison receiving a $75k fine and the other two being hit with a $50k fine each. The hits prompted the NFL to meet immediately, and create rules to prevent players leading with the head, helmet to helmet contact, and other hits deemed “flagrant” or intended to cause injury to another player.

The news has fans, and some players, in an uproar. Football has always been a dangerous – and violent – contact sport. While most agree that “dirty play” should be handled on a case-by-case basis, taking the hits and hard play out of the game will only result in the decline of its popularity.

So we want to know what YOU think. Would a “Steel Curtain” defense be the same, if the players aren’t allowed to hit in the same way they have for more than 75 years? Would the game be the same if a linebacker can’t go at a running back, for fear he will be suspended?

Speak your mind, football fans!

The knock out combo for the New England Patriots was set up systematically by three of the teams’ more prominent players, namely Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Fred Taylor. For the veteran running back Fred Taylor, the game was about momentum and vision, both of which need to be realized even if they cannot be planned for. Though Randy Moss wasn’t able to rack any points onto his impressive record, his efforts and successful plays were key to the Pats’ 26-10 victory last Sunday.

The only scoring tacked on by the Atlanta Falcons happened during the first half of the game, after which point they were found out and held to a standstill by an impressive Patriots defense. It was certainly not a full-out, runaway win for New England, but they are responsible for reading, breaking up, and squashing key plays which could have kept Atlanta in the game.

According to  a statement by New England safety Brandon McGowan, the Pats did fail at one of their predetermined goals for Sunday’s game. They were to stop Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Falcons from making any catches at all. Grinning, McGowan joked that the plan was indeed a failure, as Gonzalez was afforded one catch during the game. Here’s to thinking that they may not want to beat up on themselves too badly over this one.

The running game for New England caught fire Sunday, with 115 yards rushing coming from Fred Taylor alone, who turned his momentum into a touchdown run. Brady connected with Randy Moss 10 times for a total of 116 yards, and the Pats’ defense held the Falcons at bay for the entirety of the second half. For more up to the minute updates, and for secure ticket sales, visit StubPass.com.

Get New England Patriots Tickets and Atlanta Falcons Tickets at StubPass.com!