Michael David Smith
@michaeldavidsmith.bsky.social
Football writer, physical fitness enthusiast, adoring husband.
The Packers getting Malik Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the best personnel moves in the NFL in recent years.
The Titans giving up Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the dumbest moves in recent years.
If you can get a talented QB, get him. If you have one, keep him.
The Titans giving up Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the dumbest moves in recent years.
If you can get a talented QB, get him. If you have one, keep him.
December 21, 2025 at 2:22 AM
The Packers getting Malik Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the best personnel moves in the NFL in recent years.
The Titans giving up Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the dumbest moves in recent years.
If you can get a talented QB, get him. If you have one, keep him.
The Titans giving up Willis for a seventh-round pick was one of the dumbest moves in recent years.
If you can get a talented QB, get him. If you have one, keep him.
Dan Campbell has turned into a different coach. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
---> DET (24) @ LA (34) <---
DET has 4th & 7 at the DET 38, Q4 14:08
Recommendation (STRONG): 👉 Go for it (+1.2 WP)
Actual play: 🏈🦵 J.Fox punts 62 yards to end zone, Center-H.Hatten, Touchback.
DET has 4th & 7 at the DET 38, Q4 14:08
Recommendation (STRONG): 👉 Go for it (+1.2 WP)
Actual play: 🏈🦵 J.Fox punts 62 yards to end zone, Center-H.Hatten, Touchback.
December 14, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Dan Campbell has turned into a different coach. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
Dan Campbell has looked gun shy the last few weeks. Kicking on a play when the analytics say you should go for it is unusual for him. The fact that they missed the field goal makes it worse for the Lions, but the issue is the decision, not the result. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
---> DET (0) @ LA (0) <---
DET has 4th & 4 at the LAR 25, Q1 11:16
Recommendation (STRONG): 👉 Go for it (+2.4 WP)
Actual play: 👟🏈 J.Bates 43 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-H.Hatten, Holder-J.Fox.
DET has 4th & 4 at the LAR 25, Q1 11:16
Recommendation (STRONG): 👉 Go for it (+2.4 WP)
Actual play: 👟🏈 J.Bates 43 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-H.Hatten, Holder-J.Fox.
December 14, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Dan Campbell has looked gun shy the last few weeks. Kicking on a play when the analytics say you should go for it is unusual for him. The fact that they missed the field goal makes it worse for the Lions, but the issue is the decision, not the result. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
I would love to be proven wrong because it would be fun to see Philip Rivers play a great game today, but I just do not believe a 44-year-old coming off a five-year layoff can walk back into the NFL and play at a high level.
December 14, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I would love to be proven wrong because it would be fun to see Philip Rivers play a great game today, but I just do not believe a 44-year-old coming off a five-year layoff can walk back into the NFL and play at a high level.
It's not just you, RedZone Channel's audio is out all over the place. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll fix it in time to show lots of commercials.
It really sucks what the NFL has done to this once-great product.
It really sucks what the NFL has done to this once-great product.
December 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
It's not just you, RedZone Channel's audio is out all over the place. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll fix it in time to show lots of commercials.
It really sucks what the NFL has done to this once-great product.
It really sucks what the NFL has done to this once-great product.
"A Mississippi man will coach Mississippi."
November 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
"A Mississippi man will coach Mississippi."
That was not an Ohio State touchdown. He lost possession for a split-second and that was the only split-second he was in the end zone. Replay process basically concluded, "We hate to overturn such a great play for such a stupid reason so we'll pretend he had possession across the goal line."
November 29, 2025 at 6:14 PM
That was not an Ohio State touchdown. He lost possession for a split-second and that was the only split-second he was in the end zone. Replay process basically concluded, "We hate to overturn such a great play for such a stupid reason so we'll pretend he had possession across the goal line."
Mike Kafka with the rare "Go for it when the analytics say to kick" call. Coaches often kick when the analytics say to go for it. They virtually never go for it when the analytics say to kick. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
---> NYG (27) @ DET (24) <---
NYG has 4th & 6 at the DET 6, Q4 02:59
Recommendation (VERY STRONG): 👟🏈 Field goal attempt (+6.5 WP)
Actual play: 👉 (Shotgun) J.Winston pass incomplete short middle to T.Johnson (R.Ya-Sin).
NYG has 4th & 6 at the DET 6, Q4 02:59
Recommendation (VERY STRONG): 👟🏈 Field goal attempt (+6.5 WP)
Actual play: 👉 (Shotgun) J.Winston pass incomplete short middle to T.Johnson (R.Ya-Sin).
November 23, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Mike Kafka with the rare "Go for it when the analytics say to kick" call. Coaches often kick when the analytics say to go for it. They virtually never go for it when the analytics say to kick. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
Football is so much more fun thanks to the nerds teaching the coaches how to coach. A team going for it on fourth-and-1 is just a fundamentally more exciting play than a punt.
November 21, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Football is so much more fun thanks to the nerds teaching the coaches how to coach. A team going for it on fourth-and-1 is just a fundamentally more exciting play than a punt.
I watch NFL games on my iPad using the apps for ESPN, Peacock, Prime Video and YouTube. ESPN is by far the worst. Constant glitches.
November 18, 2025 at 2:05 AM
I watch NFL games on my iPad using the apps for ESPN, Peacock, Prime Video and YouTube. ESPN is by far the worst. Constant glitches.
Teams with bad kickers on windy days should go for two as the default.
November 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Teams with bad kickers on windy days should go for two as the default.
The Titans gave Malik Willis to the Packers for a seventh-round pick just before last season. Since then Willis has played well every time the Packers have needed him, and the Titans' offense has been a disaster. A talented QB for a seventh-round pick is such an obvious steal of a trade.
November 16, 2025 at 6:43 PM
The Titans gave Malik Willis to the Packers for a seventh-round pick just before last season. Since then Willis has played well every time the Packers have needed him, and the Titans' offense has been a disaster. A talented QB for a seventh-round pick is such an obvious steal of a trade.
Josh Allen already has as many interceptions this year as he had in 17 games last year, as many fumbles as last year, and more sacks than last year. He's always had a lot of, "What's he doing? ... Wow it worked!" plays, but this year more of them are missing the "it worked" part.
November 16, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Josh Allen already has as many interceptions this year as he had in 17 games last year, as many fumbles as last year, and more sacks than last year. He's always had a lot of, "What's he doing? ... Wow it worked!" plays, but this year more of them are missing the "it worked" part.
So are we all agreed that Russell Wilson is the worst of the three QBs on the Giants' roster? It's far from the only reason Brian Daboll is now unemployed, but he should've just let Jaxson Dart work with the first-string offense from Day One and have Jameis Winston back him up.
November 16, 2025 at 6:11 PM
So are we all agreed that Russell Wilson is the worst of the three QBs on the Giants' roster? It's far from the only reason Brian Daboll is now unemployed, but he should've just let Jaxson Dart work with the first-string offense from Day One and have Jameis Winston back him up.
I thought the Dolphins should have kicked the field goal. The analytics says it was not a bad call to go for it, even though it didn't work. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
---> WAS (13) @ MIA (13) <---
MIA has 4th & 1 at the WSH 1, Q4 01:44
Recommendation : 🤷 Toss-up (+0.7 WP)
Actual play: 👉 D.Brunskill reported in as eligible. O.Gordon up the middle to WAS 3 for -2 yards (E.Goldman, F.Luv
MIA has 4th & 1 at the WSH 1, Q4 01:44
Recommendation : 🤷 Toss-up (+0.7 WP)
Actual play: 👉 D.Brunskill reported in as eligible. O.Gordon up the middle to WAS 3 for -2 yards (E.Goldman, F.Luv
November 16, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I thought the Dolphins should have kicked the field goal. The analytics says it was not a bad call to go for it, even though it didn't work. bsky.app/profile/nfl4...
The Packers trailed 3-0 in the fourth quarter and faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles’ 40-yard line. The analytics said the best choice was a 58-yard field goal and the next-best choice was going for it. Matt LaFleur picked the worst choice, a punt.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
Packers' punt for a touchback in the fourth quarter came back to haunt them
With the Packers trailing 3-0 in the fourth quarter on Monday night, they faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles' 40-yard line.
www.nbcsports.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The Packers trailed 3-0 in the fourth quarter and faced a fourth-and-11 at the Eagles’ 40-yard line. The analytics said the best choice was a 58-yard field goal and the next-best choice was going for it. Matt LaFleur picked the worst choice, a punt.
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
The NFL's officials have just decided to stop doing their jobs on the tush push. The Eagles false start? Don't call it. The Eagles fumble? Claim forward progress was stopped. It's unreal.
November 11, 2025 at 1:32 AM
The NFL's officials have just decided to stop doing their jobs on the tush push. The Eagles false start? Don't call it. The Eagles fumble? Claim forward progress was stopped. It's unreal.
The Panthers beat the Falcons 30-0.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
October 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
The Panthers beat the Falcons 30-0.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
The Falcons beat the Bills 24-14.
The Bills beat the Panthers 40-9.
Football is weird.
ESPN's officiating analyst Russell Yurk will tell the viewers one thing, the replay ruling is something else, and then the ESPN broadcast just acts like there’s no need to explain.
October 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
ESPN's officiating analyst Russell Yurk will tell the viewers one thing, the replay ruling is something else, and then the ESPN broadcast just acts like there’s no need to explain.
When the NFL started running commercials on RedZone Channel, the spin from the league was that they would be very minimal, just four 15-second ads over the course of seven hours. That didn't last long. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
NFL adds more commercials to RedZone Channel
When the NFL decided to add commercials to RedZone Channel — which had long been advertised as "Seven hours of commercial-free football" — the spin from the league was that these commercials would be ...
www.nbcsports.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:12 AM
When the NFL started running commercials on RedZone Channel, the spin from the league was that they would be very minimal, just four 15-second ads over the course of seven hours. That didn't last long. www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootb...
The Giants were winning 19-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and lost. Amazing.
October 19, 2025 at 11:39 PM
The Giants were winning 19-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and lost. Amazing.
Right call by Matt LaFleur to go for it on fourth down but you'd hope he wouldn't need to burn a timeout before making the right call.
October 19, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Right call by Matt LaFleur to go for it on fourth down but you'd hope he wouldn't need to burn a timeout before making the right call.
Remember when people first started complaining about commercials during RedZone and we were told, "Relax! It's only four commercials during the whole seven-hour show"? Yeah, well they've already increased it. By my count there have been six so far today. They'll keep steadily adding more and more.
October 19, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Remember when people first started complaining about commercials during RedZone and we were told, "Relax! It's only four commercials during the whole seven-hour show"? Yeah, well they've already increased it. By my count there have been six so far today. They'll keep steadily adding more and more.
There have been as many field goals longer than 60 yards in the NFL in the last five minutes as there were in the entire 20th Century.
October 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM
There have been as many field goals longer than 60 yards in the NFL in the last five minutes as there were in the entire 20th Century.
Did Shohei Ohtani just play the greatest game in the history of baseball? As a pitcher he threw six innings, gave up no runs and struck out 10. As a hitter he went 3-for-3 with three home runs. The game won the Dodgers the NL pennant. Has any player ever done that much in a game that important?
October 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Did Shohei Ohtani just play the greatest game in the history of baseball? As a pitcher he threw six innings, gave up no runs and struck out 10. As a hitter he went 3-for-3 with three home runs. The game won the Dodgers the NL pennant. Has any player ever done that much in a game that important?