Yardbarker

Sam Robinson

Writer

Sam Robinson is a sportswriter from Kansas City, Missouri. He primarily covers the NFL for Yardbarker. Moving from wildly injury-prone sprinter in the aughts to reporter in the 2010s, Sam set up camp in three time zones covering everything from high school water polo to Division II national championship games. He has since settled in as the husband of a track and field coach, concentrating on the NFL. Boasting an unhealthy interest in the league’s history and fashion trends, Sam is the lead writer for Pro Football Rumors and has written about the sport for Yardbarker since 2018. In addition to working as a writer/editor for a few newspapers – the Cleveland Plain Dealer and St. Joseph (Missouri) News-Press, to name two – in a former life that included some awkward awards-show hosting gigs thankfully inaccessible online, Sam has written about the Olympics for The Athletic.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, track and field, boxing

Has the Saints' Super Bowl window officially closed?

A strong Saints core is due back next season, but will the team really have a better opportunity to win a Super Bowl than this year’s edition possessed?

The 'Most career receptions in NFL conference championship games' quiz

In NFL history, 29 players have totaled 16 or more career receptions in the conference championship round. How many of the 29 can you name in five minutes?

Chiefs deserve more credit for overcoming shaky offseason to reach AFC title game

With Peyton Manning retired and Ben Roethlisberger's team reeling, Tom Brady represents the old guard's last stand. The Chiefs have an excellent chance to close this chapter.

The 'Most career receiving TDs in the postseason' quiz

In the post-merger era of the NFL (1970-present), a total of 24 players have scored seven or more receiving touchdowns in the postseason over the course of their careers. How many can you name in five minutes?

The '125+ rushing yards in the NFL Divisional Round' quiz

In the post-merger era of the NFL (1970 to present), players have rushed for 125 or more yards in the divisional round of the postseason 43 times. How many of the 43 can you name in five minutes?

Why the Colts are uniquely positioned to change the long-term landscape in the AFC

The AFC power structure entering recent seasons did not leave new contenders much room for optimism. But come September 2019, the landscape that may be as foreign as anything the AFC has seen this century.

The 'Most field goals made in the postseason' quiz

In the post-merger era of the NFL (1970-present), 25 kickers have made 16 or more field goals in the postseason over the course of their careers. How many of the 25 can you name in five minutes?

The 25 best wild-card teams of all time, ranked

The NFL has four more wild-card teams preparing to upset their respective conferences' seeding hierarchies this week. These are the best wild-card teams since the AFL-NFL merger.

The 25 worst NFL teams who still made it to the postseason

The NFL's best teams are obviously frequent talking points, but what about the worst ones to be granted playoff access? Here is a look at the worst teams to qualify for the postseason since the NFL expanded to five-team brackets in 1978.

The 'Most games coached by NFL franchise' quiz

How many of the coaches with the most games coached for every NFL franchise can you name in five minutes?

Giants' quarterback situation now brings timeline dilemma

With Eli Manning aging and struggling, what are the Giants' option at quarterback?

Most improved player on every NFL team

Many players have used the 2018 season as a springboard to either join the ranks of the NFL's upper echelon or put themselves in position for potential lucrative contracts.

NFL players who we could see playing their last games

Sunday will mark the end of the season for 20 teams, and that will mean the final games of some standouts' careers. While it's uncertain whose NFL tenures will conclude after 2018, here are the players who may be on the verge of shutting it down.

Are NFL teams about to leave defensive coordinators out in the cold?

Three teams that used their top 2018 draft pick on a quarterback have a head coaching vacancy or soon will. Given the Browns' and Jets’ recent histories,

The greatest NFL teams that somehow missed the playoffs

The NFL has closed the book on its longtime playoff format. Here are the best teams to fall short of postseason play from both the 12-team bracket era (1990-2019) and the 10-team period (1978-89).

Eight NFL teams that need to start over

With three weeks remaining in the NFL's 99th season, a handful of teams are either preparing for next year or fighting a losing battle for playoff qualification.

The 'NFL rookies to total 1,500 yards from scrimmage' quiz

In NFL history, 30 players totaled 1,500 or more yards from scrimmage in their rookie seasons. How many of the 30 can you name in five minutes?

Seahawks skipping rebuilding phase opens up big-picture possibilities

The Seahawks’ 2012 ascent to the NFL’s contender ranks involved a third-round rookie piloting a playoff return. Bruce Arians received NFL Coach of the Year acclaim for his work replacing a cancer-stricken Chuck Pagano in Indianapolis.