Throwback Thursday: A History of NFL Training Camps

With the NFL offseason now in full swing, this edition of 'Throwback Thursday' takes a photographic look at training camps throughout history - from humble beginnings to its current status as, in true NFL style, an 'event' worthy of thousands of hours of media coverage.

Dallas Cowboys training camp, 1960's

Denver Broncos training camp, 1960

Cleveland Browns defensive linesmen (L-R); Bill Glass, Bob Gain, Dick Modzelewski, Paul Wiggin: 1964

Miami Dolphins training camp, 1970

Joe Namath and Richard Todd, New York Jets Training Camp, 1976 

Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, 1981

Jim McMahon and Walter Payton, Chicago Bears training camp 1986

Joe Montana and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers training camp, 1990

Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers training camp, 1992

Reggie White, Green Bay Packers training camp, 1993

Michael Strahan, New York Giants training camp, 1999

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts training camp, 2000

Brock Lesnar, Minnesota Vikings training camp, 2004

Cincinnati Bengals training camp, 2013

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins training camp 2013

Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns training camp, 2014

Throwback Thursday: NFL Stars In The 'Wrong' Uniforms

Even though it has been two years since he traded the white and blue of the Colts for the Orange Crush of the Broncos, it will still be strange to see Peyton Manning playing in another Super Bowl for a team other than the Indianapolis Colts.

Of course, Manning is not the first NFL star - or even the first member of his family - to resist retirement and spend the last few years of their career in unfamiliar surroundings. Here's a collection of some of the biggest names in NFL wearing not-so-iconic uniforms.

Johnny Unitas: San Diego Chargers, 1973

Joe Namath: St Louis Rams, 1977

Brett Favre: New York Jets, 2008

Earl Campbell: New Orleans Saints, 1984-1985

Jerry Rice: Seattle Seahawks, 2004

Jerry Rice: Denver Broncos, 2005

O.J. Simpson: San Francisco 49ers, 1978-1979

Reggie White: Carolina Panthers, 2000

Deion Sanders: Baltimore Ravens, 2004-2005

LaDainian Tomlinson: New York Jets, 2010-2011

John Lynch: New England Patriots, 2008

Cris Carter: Miami Dolphins, 2002

Emmitt Smith: Arizona Cardinals, 2003-2004

Kurt Warner: New York Giants, 2004

Ronnie Lott: New York Jets, 1993-1994

Joe Montana: Kansas City Chiefs, 1993-1994

Photo Gallery: The Most Memorable NFL Postseason Games Of The Last Decade

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are all one game away from Super Bowl XLVIII, so what better time than Championship Game weekend to reflect on the most memorable postseason games of the last ten years?

As it is one of the greatest games in NFL history, I've included the 2002 Giants/49ers game as it took place in 2003.

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos, 2012 Divisional Round

The Baltimore Ravens were - on the back of Ray Lewis' retirement announcement - the 'hot wildcard team' heading into the 2012 postseason. After a solid home win against the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens travelled to Denver to face the heavily-favoured Broncos. The Broncos looked set to win the game, but blown coverage by Tony Carter and Rahim Moore allowed Flacco to complete a 70-yard touchdown pass with seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. After two periods of overtime, Justin Tucker kicked the game-winning field goal on the back of a Peyton Manning interception.

New York Giants @  San Francisco 49ers, 2011 NFC Championship Game

The 2011 New York Giants were very similar to their 2007 counterparts in that they flew under the radar on their way to the playoffs, beat heavily-favoured opposition throughout, and then overcame the Patriots in the Super Bowl. In another instalment of one of the NFL's greatest postseason rivalries, the Giants upset the 49ers after Kyle Williams fumbled a punt and Lawrence Tynes kicked his second career overtime playoff-winning field goal.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos, 2011 Wild Card Round

Tim Tebow had an incredible 2011 season. His first start was a comeback win over the Miami Dolphins in week 6, and several unlikely wins later, he made his last start against the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow had developed a habit of playing his best football when the odds were stacked against him, and this most improbable of wins came on the back of a 80-yard touchdown to Demariyus Thomas on the first play of overtime.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks 2010 Wildcard Round

Seeing that the Seahawks emerged as champions of the NFC West with a 7-9 record, it's somewhat of a miracle that the 2013 NFC Championship game will be contested by two NFC West teams. Marshawn Lynch's 69-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter capped one of the biggest postseason upsets ever, with the Seahawks defeating the defending Super Bowl champions 41-36.

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals 2009 Wild Card Round

The Arizona Cardinals didn't suffer a Super Bowl 'hangover' after their loss to Pittsburgh at the end of the 2008 season - they made the playoffs again in 2009, and their meeting with the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers turned out to be the highest-scoring playoff game in history. After the Cardinals raced to a 17-0 lead, and were up 31-10 in the second half. Rodgers was flawless in the second half, and tied the game at 45-45 with 2 minutes remaining. before having a fumble returned for a game-winning 17-yard touchdown in overtime. Kurt Warner finished the game with a record-breaking passer rating of 154.1.

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts, 2006 AFC Championship Game

The best rivalry of the 2000s came to a head in yet another AFC championship game. Peyton Manning and the Colts were 0-2 against Tom Brady's Patriots in previous postseason encounters, but overcame a 21-3 deficit to win 38-34. Three touchdowns were scored by interior linemen (Jeff Saturday and Dan Klecko for the Colts, and Dan Koppen for the Patriots), and the win arguably marked the end of the Patriots dynasty.


Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts, 2005 Divisional Round

One year prior to their triumph over the Patriots, the Colts suffered another meltdown at the hands of the Steelers in one of the most bizarre endings to a playoff game ever. The Steelers were leading 21-18 late in the fourth quarter when Jerome Bettis took the ball close to the Colts goal line. Colts linebacker Gary Brackett forced Bettis' first fumble all season, and a flailing Ben Roethlisberger inexplicably managed to tackle Nick Harper and prevent the winning touchdown. Peyton Manning drove the Colts to the 42 yard line, Mike Vanderjagt shanked the field goal attempt to tie the game, and the Steelers travelled to Denver on their way to a Super Bowl XL victory over the Seahawks.

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers, 2002 Wild Card Round

Thanks to a controversial ending, the 2002 edition of the Giants/49ers postseason rivalry is still a source of bitterness for Giants fans. Thanks to a stellar performance by Kerry Collins (342 yards, 4 TD), the Giants had a 38-14 lead late in the third quarter and advancement to the divisional round looked likely for Big Blue. Jeff Garcia then led the 49ers to 25 unanswered points, but Collins led the Giants to the 49ers 23 yard line with 6 seconds left on the clock. The snap on the ensuing field goal was bad but rather than spike the ball (giving the Giants another shot on fourth down), holder Matt Allen threw an incomplete pass. The Giants were penalised for an ineligible receiver, even though it emerged that Giants guard Rich Seubert was eligible and that the 49ers had committed a pass interference penalty against him.

Here's hoping tonight's games produce some moments as memorable as these.

Midseason Reviews - The Good, the Bad and the Broncos

Week 8 marks the halfway point in the 2013 regular season. With a whole load of teams enjoying the bye week, it is only customary that fans and pundits alike make semi-futile predictions over who will make the pro bowl and all pro teams, who will reach the playoffs and the super bowl, and who will be crowned MVP. On that note, let's take a look back at the previous eight weeks of football, and make some predictions for the future, shall we?

Success Stories:

It has been business as usual in the NFC, particularly the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks entered the season as the favourites for the NFC crown, and they've not disappointed so far - unlike the Falcons. But we'll address them later.

More NFC success stories have been found in the NFC South. Remember the rule where the worst teams had a habit of reversing their fortunes the following year and the best team the previous year did the opposite? Well, it's back. The New Orleans Saints' defence has gone from 'historically bad' to being 'rather good' and now ranks twelfth in the league. The Carolina Panthers are in a similar spot, and their defence now ranks third overall. People who recently claimed that 'defence no longer wins championships' might want to look away for the rest of the season because....

The Kansas City Chiefs' defense is also very good. A case could be made to suggest it is 'scary good'. The Chiefs are the undeniable success story of 2013, going from having the first overall draft pick in April to being the lone undefeated team as we enter November. In another case of West-division dominance, the San Diego Chargers have also been a surprise this season. Consistency is an issue, but Philip Rivers has been playing some of the best football of his career and their offence has been potent with him at the helm.

Disappointments

For every success story, there have been as many - if not more - disappointments. Every year there are playoff teams who fail to make it back the year after, but the collective falls from grace seen by the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins has been quite remarkable. They are combined for nine wins on the season. Watching frequent contenders and hotly-touted teams such as the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been an ugly experience at times.


Biggest Surprise

In a move that approximately zero people saw coming, Favrewatch 2013 happened. Ignoring the presence of Tim Tebow and Vince Young on the free agent market, the St. Louis Rams turned to Brett Favre to fix their still-horrendous quarterback situation in the wake of Sam Bradford's injury.

Predictions

So after taking a look at what's been going on for the first half of the season, it's only fair we make some more bold and not-so bold predictions.

When making predictions for the Super Bowl, it is of course important to remember how utterly terrifying the Denver Broncos have been. Yes, they recently lost to the Indianapolis Colts (contenders in their own rights) but once they bring the Kansas City Chiefs back down to earth with a thud (because, y'know, their offense), their only obstacle in their path will be themselves...and seeing as they have Peyton Manning in charge, they don't make it.

No, this is the year that the Cincinnati Bengals finally do it. A top 10 offense and a top 5 defence? Sign me up. They've been a bit inconsistent, but they have all the pieces in place to make a run - even without Geno Atkins.

For the NFC I'm going with the Seattle Seahawks. Sure, they were *almost* upset by Tampa Bay on Sunday, but they are strong on offense and defence and - barring a miracle - there's no way that the road to the Super Bowl runs through CenturyLink Field. Bad luck, San Francisco.

Despite my earlier reservations, it would be fair to say that Peyton Manning has a 'more than reasonable' chance of being named the overall MVP this season. Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy have been great in Kansas City and Philadelphia respectively, Drew Brees has - as usual - made a case for himself in New Orleans, but Manning is on another level this year. He's on course for close to 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns. It's unlikely he'll end up with those *exact* figures, but they are jaw-dropping nonetheless.

Defensively, there are a whole host of pass rushers who are putting forward some convincing cases - JJ Watt, Cameron Jordan, and Robert Quinn have all looked very impressive so far. Sean Lee has been great in Dallas and Justin Houston has been quietly brilliant in Kansas City, but my choice for defensive player of the year is also my choice for rookie of the year: Kiko Alonso. I'm still thoroughly bitter that my Giants never made a move for him in the draft, but the secound-round linebacker from Oregon has been great this season. People tend to overuse the phrase 'freakish athlete' but Alonso is unquestionably fitting of the title. Fast, elusive, smart, tireless, physical - all are appropriate, and Alonso has 81 tackles (22 against Cincinnati in week 6), 4 interceptions, a forced fumble and a sack this season.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section or on Twitter: @TomMacFootball