With the 2022 NFL owners meetings wrapped up, take a look at what we learned from the NFL and head coach Brandon Staley during the league's annual meetings in Palm Beach, Florida.
1) Both teams now guaranteed possession in overtime during playoffs
With the abundance of high-powered offenses in the NFL, many overtime games during the 2021 season were decided by the team that received the ball first. The NFL now hopes to even the playing field with a new overtime rule change that was approved at the NFL's annual owner's meetings earlier this week.
The new rule allows both offenses to get a chance to take the field during overtime during in the playoffs. According to the NFL, if the game is still tied after each team posses the ball then the next score wins the game.
Here's what NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell had to say during his press conference regarding the postseason overtime rule changes:
"We're always looking to improve and I think what really drove the decision was the database, ultimately, and looking at the facts and what's happened. Where we saw that most having an influence, I think, was 12 games in the postseason that have been in overtime, seven of which were won on the first possession. When you see that, that's the type of thing that I think our coaches and everyone looked at."
2) Focus remains on building a "complete team" for the future
On Monday, head coach Brandon Staley spoke to members of the media at the owner's meetings in Palm Beach, Florida about the Bolts plans for 2022. Staley touched on a number of topics including his growing relationship with quarterback Justin Herbert, what the Bolts are looking for the in the upcoming draft and constructing a complete team on both sides of the ball.
"You've got to win in a lot of different ways in this league," Staley said. "It's not just surrounding [Justin Herbert] with offensive weapons, it's surrounding him with a complete team where the pressure isn't on him every single game to score 35, to throw for 350 [yards] you know to bring you back, and I think that's what we're trying to do is surround Justin and all of our players with a complete team."
2) Brandon Staley joins "The Dan Patrick Show"
Staley also joined "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday to discuss his time at the annual league meetings. Here's what Staley had to say regarding the new overtime rules.
"I think it is going to change things, when you don't have that sudden death element I do think there's going to be some different calculation as you head into the game. I think that now when you are guaranteeing both possessions, you know which side of the field you're on, wind, that sort of thing knowing that you are going to get an op. It's just that information advantage that you have by possibly deferring because you don't have that sudden death advantage."
Staley also talked about how much he's improved as a head coach and how his experience as a quarterback "uniquely prepares you" for being a head coach in the NFL.
Full interview below:
4) Staley spoke with PFF's Doug Kyed about what lies ahead for the Bolts in 2022
take a look at excerpts from the article and the full piece below:
5) Arming the Bolts defense with weapons
"Derwin means so much to us and a lot of people talk about arming quarterbacks but we wanted to arm Derwin with some weapons that would really bring out the best in him," Staley said. "I think that when you have Khalil up front and Derwin James in your secondary, that's a good place to start. And then we were able to get JC, and now you feel like you're a lot closer to what you want to be. Then Joey Bosa, we all know Joey's one of the top players in the game and for him to team up with Khalil, man, what could that look like?"
6) Staley's excitement for what J.C. Jackson brings to the Bolts secondary
"He's got that rare instinct, rare ball judgment, ball skills, where he can catch the ball. There's only two other guys in NFL history who have had more interceptions through four years and I think you see that on the tape. You see those instincts of when to turn, how to turn, the hands to catch the football in a lot of different positions. We're really excited about what he's going to bring to our defense."
7) Sebastian Joseph-Day brings "rare toughness" to the Bolts
"He's a guy that can keep up with AD. He's been a part of a championship front. We were the number one defense in the NFL in 2020. He's won a Super Bowl. He's got rare toughness. He's got size, length, versatility. Self-made man. He's got a lot of intangibles that I think are going to contribute to a championship culture. I really believe in the guy and he's still a young player. He's at a really cool point in his career where he can really impact our team."
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