SITE SEARCH
Detroit thought it had something in the early 1980s. They had Gary Danielson, Billy Sims, Dexter Bussey, Amherst College?s Freddie Scott, David Hill, Homer Elias, Amos Fowler, Keith Dorney, Al ?Bubba? Baker, Stan White, James Hunter, Jimmy ?Spiderman? Allen, Luther Bradley, and a hit song which was a takeoff on ?Another One Bites The Dust?. They also had a rookie kicker named Eddie Murray, who would never be confused with the Hall of Fame baseball player of the same name. Murray began his career in 1980 with this Lion team many Detroiters thought had a decent chance to eventually go all the way to Super Bowl XVI (which was held the next year in Pontiac, the home of the Lions back then). The Lions never got there, but Murray embarked on a 19-year NFL career, the first twelve in Motown. For most of those years he was the mark of consistency, one of the finest NFL kickers of the 1980s. He made it to the Pro Bowl in his rookie year and was the game MVP. He kicks one deep, and it sails out of the end zone for a touchback.
You have to wonder about the coaching future of Tom Coughlin. It could be that he is better suited for college. His disciplined style does not work in the NFL.
Think about it. Did you wonder if the Giants coughed up that game against Tennessee with their head coach in mind?
Talk about an upward turn in fortunes. Tony Romo is now the big guy in Big D and is reportedly dating Jessica Simpson. He might want to watch out for too much too soon, as it could all come crashing down as fast as it went up.
If this is it for Junior Seau, how nice it was for the Patriots to have had him for at least the little time they did.
Forget Denver. Now it?s San Diego and Baltimore that the Patriots have to worry about, and they don?t play either team this year.
The battle of Ohio was just plain ugly. Romeo Crennel needs a lot more to work with.
Geek of the week: Take what the paying customers give you, Michael Vick, and no more flipping them off. If you lose, they have a right to say what they think.
The Lions need a lot more than Roy Williams.
Meanwhile, it was a nice homecoming indeed for Joey Harrington on Turkey Day, and for once he didn?t play like one at Ford Field.
The new turf looks great. All Bill Belichick and Bob Kraft care about, however, is 1-0. That?s the Patriot record on that stuff at Gillette.
It won?t be long before San Francisco wins games like the one they lost Sunday at St. Louis. The defenders simply need to learn to be more clutch.
You almost have to pity the Steelers after getting blanked in Baltimore. Yikes.
Betcha didn?t know that New Orleans, and not Indianapolis, had the top NFL passing attack going into this weekend.
And the Saints, back home at the Dome, lead their division. Nice to see Drew Brees land on his feet in a very appreciative city.
Look for lots of ?hang on to the football? drills in Foxborough this week.
DeAngelo Hall could have used Tom ?Knock it down!? Jackson as his defensive coordinator this week.
Vince Young is starting to get it.
So is Matt Leinart, but a little differently. Ain?t much winning if you wear Cardinal red.
Back to school: A win over UCLA ought to cinch a date with Ohio State in Arizona for Pete Carroll and his Trojan gang.
If Carroll ever leaves USC and returns to the NFL, he is insane. He could retire a bigger Trojan coaching figure than either Howard Jones or John McKay.
Is Chad Jackson the next Bethel Johnson?
The losing continues in Houston. It seems that not even D?Brickashaw Ferguson (who we insist Houston should have taken as their first pick) could have made a difference. Well, actually he did, he was on the team that beat the Texans.
Everyone won in the AFC East this weekend. Good thing the Patriots did overcome all those turnovers.
The Jason Campbell Era is well underway in the nation?s capital.
Much as you would like to have seen Oakland upset San Diego, come on. Really.
Every time Eli Manning louses up, you can hear the giggling in San Diego all the way across the nation.
It?s hard enough to stop the Colt passing attack. But when you see the Colts put away the Eagles with a rookie running back who winds up scoring four touchdowns, you shake your head in disbelief.
Or maybe the Eagles can?t play defense like they used to.
We?ve yet to see Jake Delhomme get back to his Super Bowl form, or at least advance the progress he made that year.
Remember him: He came out of UMass and was a fixture at quarterback for the Detroit Lions for eleven of his fifteen NFL seasons. Greg Landry broke into the NFL in 1968 and, except for injury stretches, was the head gunslinger for the Lions during a time period where they made the playoffs only once, 1970. That playoff year of 1970 was Landry?s finest from a passer-rating standpoint, as his 92.5 rating was the best of his career. He made the Pro Bowl the following year, the only time in his career he did so. He was also known as a scrambler; twice he topped the 500-yard mark in rushing yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. But sports fans in this area remember only one thing, and that is that he is a Minuteman first and last. He was twice selected all-Yankee Conference for coach Vic Fusia?s charges from Amherst, and helped UMass to back-to-back Yankee Conference titles in 1966-67.
You wonder about Brett Favre sometimes. Matt Hasselbeck throws four picks, then he gives it right back with three reckless picks of his own. Maybe Michael Felger was right about Favre, condemning him for this kind of play since Mike Holmgren left Cheeseheadville.
By the way, that was one heckuva snowstorm in Seattle. Nothing like the white stuff to keep the local coffee factory rolling in dough.
In 1986, Matt Millen punched Patrick Sullivan in the face after the Raiders lost a playoff game to the Patriots, and many fans thought that Sullivan came out of it looking like a total and complete fool.
Twenty years later, the two most popular words in the NFL are ?Fire Millen!? Who?s the bigger fool now? Rest easy, Patrick.
SITE SEARCH