Importance of face-offs

While I do not necessarily agree with everything that has been said about the importance of face-offs, namely:

Winning a faceoff, or a "draw" in the language of the game, is like controlling the line of scrimmage and giving a quarterback another chance to survey the defensive backfield. Losing the draw is like throwing an interception or fumbling.

I do believe the Sporting News article from almost six years ago is still valid and well worth reading.