If you don't have Showtime, you can't watch Inside The NFL in its current iteration. You also can't watch Dexter, Penn & Teller's Bullshit, or This American Life. But that's your own loss, and not really relative to the conversation.

The last couple of years of ITNFL was more "narrative" based, with heartwarming stories and the like, and relied on fewer game highlights. That sucked, and I stopped watching.

This season, they're doing it much better. Many more NFL Films sideline catches, and it really takes you into the game much, much better. I've only been watching for the past couple of weeks, but it's really given me a fresh look at the Panthers.

The highlight package from our Monday game with Tampa Bay was a perfect example. Of course, the ESPN crew showed us that nice footage of Smitty practicing his one-handed end-zone catches, but the NFL Films crew showed us Smitty talking to Jason Baker about how he didn't want to complain, but after this late Monday night game he had to take his kids to school in the morning. And, ya know, he's not complaining or nothing, but.... man, that's gonna hurt.

The really big insight, and what prompted me to drop a fanpost, was when Jake came to the sidelines after that second interception. You remember, the one where the ball goes straight to Jermaine Phillips in the middle of the field, and he juggles it a bit but keeps it an inch off the ground, then rolls over and actually secures it? Jake's asking the other QBs and the QB coach, "Okay, so somebody explain to me how twenty-three got the ball!" The QBs say something like "he moved." Jake can't believe it. "Wait, Stewie moved?!" The coach shows him the printout of the play, and says "Stew went this way, and twenty-three came in here." Jake really, really can't believe it, and his voice goes up an octave. "But he was lookin' right at me!!" and he throws his arms up.

What a great grab.

The week before, when JStew broke that big run at Green Bay and pulled up because his hamstrings tightened up, there's a shot of Smitty talking to him on the sidelines. They don't say he talking to JStew, but you can tell. Smitty's tells him, "Look, if you're hurt, you can't go. Okay, dog? We need you. If you got a bum leg, you gotta be smart about it. Okay? This ain't high school, that stuff don't fly no more."

All I'm saying is, if you don't have Showtime, and aren't going to get it, you should at least make more friends who have better TV options.