NFL Roundtable: Debating the most clutch player in NFL history

Every week we sit down with BetAmerica Extra columnists Ashley Anderson, James Scully and Scott Shapiro to discuss the latest news from around the NFL. This week they weigh in on the league's most clutch player, NFL playoff reform and Mason Rudolph's murky future.

Drew Brees pulled off his 50th fourth quarter comeback on Sunday. Is he the most clutch player of all time?

Ashley: This may not come as a shock to anyone, but I consider Tom Brady the most clutch player of all time. The Patriots QB has accomplished 35 fourth-quarter comebacks and 44 game-winning drives, but factoring in his performances in the postseason, he deserves the title. Brees has only posted two fourth-quarter comebacks in the playoffs; Brady has achieved nine, plus 13 game-winning drives. Remember the time the Pats trailed 28-3 in the third quarter and came back to win Super Bowl LI, 34-28? I rest my case.

James: Drew Brees belongs in the conversation, but I rate Joe Montana as the most clutch player of all time due to his postseason success. Montana’s highlights include a dramatic comeback win in the 1989 Super Bowl and throwing “The Catch” in the 1981 NFC Championship Game.

Scott: Brees has been extremely clutch throughout his NFL career, but it is hard to claim that he is more so than Tom Brady. Brees is as good as anyone at driving his team down the field with limited time remaining to get a winning score, but Brady has won six Super Bowls at the helm for the Patriots, and has made the big game three other times. I will take Brady when the chips are down.

The NBA is considering dramatic changes to its playoff seeding to ensure the two best teams face off in the finals. Should the NFL follow suit?

Ashley: Yes. The NFC is loaded with playoff-caliber teams in 2019, yet only one can earn a spot in the final game of the season. The AFC has been much softer by comparison and makes for a much easier road to the Super Bowl. Reseeding based on record in the semifinal round, like the NBA is proposing, or even the round before, could give the actual best two teams a shot at the Super Bowl and make for a more interesting playoff. It would probably come with controversy, but I’m open to the idea.

James: No, the playoff formats are different. In the NFL, the top two seeds in each conference receive a first-round bye and the Divisional round tends to be more true to form than the NBA, which had Golden State and Houston in the Western Conference Semifinals last year.

Scott: I think the NFL should always be trying to improve its product, but the current playoff format works great and does not need to be altered. Six teams in each conference is the perfect number because it makes the regular season meaningful throughout, and gives the two best in the AFC and NFC automatic berths into the quarterfinals. Fiddling with the way the Super Bowl works would also be a mistake.

Have we seen the last of Mason Rudolph this season?

Ashley: Rudolph is marred in controversy at the moment and couldn’t hang with an atrocious Bengals defense, but Mike Tomlin will give him another shot if Devlin Hodges isn’t cutting it. The Steelers are in the playoff hunt and have road games at Baltimore, Arizona and the Jets coming up, plus home games against Buffalo and Cleveland. It’s probably smart to sit Rudolph next week against the Browns, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on the field down the stretch.

James: Most likely. Mason Rudolph cost his team any chance with four interceptions against Cleveland. After playing poorly in the first half vs. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh seemed galvanized when Devin Hodges took over. Hodges is the better option going forward.

Scott: With Devlin Hodges as the only other viable option, I think it is too early to say we have seen the last of Mason Rudolph this season. However, a combination of really poor play and the accusation that he used racial slurs during the Browns-Steelers altercation makes it likely he will be on the bench for at least the foreseeable future. I really wish Pittsburgh made a play for Ryan Fitzpatrick earlier in the season. He would have been a great fit.

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