NFL team schedule release videos draw myriad reactions

NFL teams dropped their schedule release videos on social media and the Titans’ man-on-the-street approach was praised as one of the best releases, according to Bardahl & Yousuf of THE ATHLETIC. Tennessee’s approach, “if not done right, can look like a low-effort approach,” but the Titans “nailed every part of it.” They have plenty of individuals who “sort of resemble the opposing team characters.” They also had a few “hilarious contrarian finds, such as someone who is simply wearing a Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett jersey but has no resemblance.” For the Seahawks, their cologne-advertisement theme is “perfectly mysterious and weird, just like my favorite fragrance commercial.” The Ravens and Cardinals were ranked as the two worst releases. For Baltimore, what does an NFL player “crashing a wedding have to do with the release of a team’s regular season schedule?” It is “not just that this was a bad attempt at the assignment,” it felt like this was not “even an attempt at the correct assignment.” The Cardinals used AI to bring together a Zoom meeting of the mascots. It was “hard to keep up with the chat while also watching the mascots interact on camera” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/15).

KEEP IT SIMPLE: In Philadelphia, Mia Messina wrote sometimes “less is more, and the Eagles showed that with their simple concept schedule release.” Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, LB Jihaad Campbell, DT Jordan Davis, OT Jordan Mailata and RB Saquon Barkley all starred in the video, sitting around a table. They then “opened envelopes for each week with their opponents revealed inside, giving their raw and unfiltered reaction for each.” No video this year was “buzzier than the Jaguars’ schedule release featuring its quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.” Lawrence, known for his long hair, “sat down in a barber’s chair for the release video, and over the course of two minutes, his hair was snipped away while the schedule was revealed.” The Giants having QB Jameis Winston, or “Winston Van Gogh, play Pictionary to reveal the schedule is pretty ingenious” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/14).

SPREADING THE WEALTH: SPORTSNET.ca’s Evan Davidson wrote the Broncos “did a great job spoofing infomercials and TV shows.” The Bears went the “artistic route,” having WR Rome Odunze “do his best Bob Ross impression.” The Dolphins had rapper Rick Ross “taking the job of” owner Stephen Ross. Winston attempted to “speak French and draw logos” in the Giants’ video (SPORTSNET.ca, 5/14). YAHOO SPORTS’ Jack Baer wrote his winner is the Colts who were “a loser in last year’s schedule release” after they posted a Minecraft-inspired video and then deleted it “because A) the Los Angeles Chargers did the exact same thing, B) unlike L.A., Indianapolis didn’t get permission from Microsoft and C) a joke about then-Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was found to be in bad taste.” The Colts “found redemption this year with a pitch-perfect Simpsons-themed video,” which includes Bart Simpson writing “We will not include Tyreek Hill in these videos.” The losers are the Lions, who “decided they’re too cool for the schedule release race, so theirs is just head coach Dan Campbell pinning the schedule to a corkboard” (YAHOO SPORTS, 5/14).

REACTIONS: Several sports figures weighed in on social media to the schedule releases:

• NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on the Panthers’ video: “Not sure I’ve seen this take before.”
• Rapoport on the Titans’ video: “Crushing it.”
• Rapoport on the Jets’ video: “Would love to be in the meeting where this was concocted. Pretty good.”
• Awful Announcing’s Ben Koo on the Cardinals’ video: “The Cardinals emailed me asking if I wanted advanced details on this schedule release video. I said sure. First time ever a team has proactively reached out. The premise sounded awful. Did they know it was going to bomb and wanted to sell it? Or did the actually think this was good and worth people writing favorable things about it? This is by FAR the video getting the most amount of hate.”