Ex-NFL star Sebastian Vollmer on the pitfalls of the playoffs

NFL

The NFL season heats up on Saturday night with Divisional Round games. Only eight teams have a chance to be on the field in Phoenix on February 13th.

Sebastian Vollmer has never missed the playoffs in his NFL career. In addition, the German has won the Super Bowl twice alongside superstar Tom Brady.

Speaking to watson, today’s ambassador for the New England Patriots and the NFL explains how the playoffs are affecting personal lives, why it can be a waste of time, and picks which team will win the finals this year.

Watson: The Buffalo Bills meet the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Two weeks ago, Bills defenseman Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a tackle in that very game of the regular season. Can you now hide such a situation in the game?

Sebastian Vollmer: Of course it’s extremely difficult to hide that, but they are full professionals and have shown that they can perform at their best despite such a strain. But that always depends on the personal relationship with your fellow players. There are 80 players in a team, plus coaches, plus physiotherapists, plus doctors. That’s quickly over 150 people. But if they lose, they won’t blame Damar.

In the play-offs, a game decides the weal and woe of the season. What is different as a player compared to the regular season?

As a player, you try to keep your routines the same. The only thing that will increase are the enemy’s film studies. Even in the regular season, every game is crucial for the course of the season. That’s why you don’t just say in the playoffs: now I’ll train properly or don’t fall asleep during the video sessions.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are considered one of the top favorites to win the Super Bowl. Image: AP / David Becker

How does personal life change during the play-offs?

I just turned off my phone at some point because someone always wanted tickets or an interview. My girlfriend at the time and now my wife took over these requests for me. Even when my family called, I just wasn’t there. The bills are sometimes not paid or the dentist appointment is cancelled.

Do you get a break during the playoffs?

When you turn on the TV or the radio, your face is everywhere. Everyone is talking about you, wearing shirts and you have nowhere to go. You won’t get out of this cosmos during this time, but that’s how you want it. The world is now watching even more internationally and the players want to entertain and show what they can do on the big stage.

And what if it doesn’t work?

For me, an early play-off exit was always a waste of time.

Why?

Because you didn’t win the Super Bowl in the end. During this period you could have regenerated, undergone an operation or simply gone on vacation. But everything is delayed by the play-offs, just not the starting point of the new season. Then there are quickly only five or four months left to prepare.

And little time to recover from a serious injury.

I agree. This is dramatic if you need shoulder surgery, for example. It just takes six months and you’re already lagging behind in the new season. In addition, there are losses in terms of the personnel situation of the team if you get far in the play-offs.

Can you explain that?

Your team has a worse starting position in the draft and if you need new coaches, they’ve already signed elsewhere. The further you go, the harder the crash landing.

Can a certain amount of experience in dealing with such situations help in this context?

People say that all the time, but I don’t think so. The game remains the same, only the attention is higher.

The eight starting quarterbacks of the remaining teams have little experience with playoff games. Their average age is just 25.8 years. Are we currently experiencing a generational change in the NFL?

Absolutely. The question is how long these quarterbacks can play. Is the era of 20 or 25 years in the position over now and is the new average just ten years?

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are Sebastian Vollmer’s pick for the NFL title. Image: FR171450 AP / Jeffrey T Barnes

Tom Brady is 45, retired with Tampa Bay in the first round. MVP Aaron Rodgers is 39 and didn’t even make the playoffs with Green Bay. A few years ago, star quarterbacks like Drew Brees at 42 and Philip Rivers at 39 ended their careers. They’ve all been in the league for 20 years or more.

That’s really outstanding, but you have to do it physically and mentally first. Of course they get tons of money, but at some point they wonder if it’s worth the risk. Tom Brady was or is the face of the NFL for 25 years, but now a new generation is coming and that’s good too.

And who of the new generation will end up winning the Super Bowl?

I said before the season that the Buffalo Bills around quarterback Josh Allen would win the Super Bowl and I stand by that. Even if the game against Cincinnati on Sunday is extremely tight. It will come down to who makes fewer mistakes.