4-Down Territory: COVID protocols, Giants/Panthers reboots, best AFC team?

Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling debate the NFL’s most pressing topics in this week’s edition of “4-Down Territory.”

Every week, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire, cover the NFL’s most pressing topics in their “4-Down Territory” video.

This week’s subjects of discussion which Doug and Luke debate and occasionally agree upon:

  1. After more than 150 positive tests among players and coaches last week, the NFL  relaxed its COVID standards to say that fully vaccinated, asymptomatic individuals will no longer be subject to weekly testing. There are contingencies for position groups and for team outbreaks, but is this a case of a league relaxing its standards to keep its season going over any public health concerns? And how do you think this ends for the NFL?
  2. At last week’s owners meetings, the owners approved a one-year rule in which teams that lose their head coaches in-season will be allowed to ask permission to interview potential replacements two weeks earlier than other teams. This certainly turned things in favor of Urban Meyer’s firing, as Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired Meyer after he flew home from the owner’s meetings. Now, the Raiders and Jaguars are the only teams favored under the new rule. We both know that the Bears need to get in on this right now, but which other team should take advantage of this as soon as possible?
  3. When the Colts beat the Patriots on Saturday night, it meant that no AFC team could clinch a playoff berth or division title in Week 15. In a conference where nobody seems to want to dominate from week to week, which AFC team do you most believe in at this point?
  4. Urban Meyer is out of the NFL, never to return again. Matt Rhule is making a joke of his time with the Panthers. We’ve talked before about how difficult it is for established college coaches to make their way in the NFL. But if you were a team owner, and you had to hire a head coach only from the college ranks, who would be your choice?

Watch the video right here!

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