Detroit Lions Weblog

E-Mail Interview with Author, Michael MacCambridge

Author Michael MacCambridge was gracious enough to allow me to ask him a few questions about football and his book “America’s Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation”. The book is one of the better books I have read about professional sports and is really informative about the events that lead to professional football’s incredible rise in popularity. You should all purchase the book at your favorite local bookstore or online or here

(note: LB=Lions Blog, MM= Michael MacCambridge)
LB:In the prologue to your book, you talk about the Giants/Colts 1958 championship game as being the beginning of a “seismic shift in the American sports landscape.” This “seismic shift” lead to the beginning of football becoming “America’s Game” usurping “America’s Past-Time”, baseball. What compelled you to document the development of the reign of professional football over the sports landscape? What were you hoping to discover about the process of it’s development as you re-traced it’s developmental history?

MM: So many people wrote about pro football’s rise like it was inevitable, as simple as someone pointing a TV camera at a football field. I was convinced that the reasons for pro football’s rise were more complex than that, and the meaning more profound.

LB: Taking account for the “seismic shift” that lead to football’s dominance in our culture, would it have eventually occurred without the help of television?

MM: No, television was vital. But it wasn’t so much the fact of television, going all the way back to Bert Bell’s blackout policy and up through the joint TV deals in both the AFL (1960) and NFL (1961) through the advent of Monday Night Football. At each juncture, the NFL was smarter, better organized and more aggressive than baseball. Makes a big difference.

LB: I really enjoyed reading about the events that lead to the league’s development. I think you did an excellent job of outlining different periodic events that helped to spur on the league’s expansion and popularity. One impression your book made upon me was that these events occurred through the confluence of great leaders (Pete Rozelle, Paul Brown, George Halas, Lamar Hunt) with visionary, innovative minds, technological advances and the zeitgeist of each corresponding period of time. Do you feel that these incremental changes have consistently remained true to football’s lineage of being a “localized sport based on gate receipts and played by over-sized coal miners and West Texas psychopaths”?

MM: I’m always suspicious of anyone who says everything was better in the old days. A day without electricity or central air can usually dispel those notions. I think the game was easier to comprehend in the ’50’s and ’60’s before specialization and coaching began to dominate the game. But the triumph of pro football today is that, even as the game has gotten faster, more speciallized and more complicated, it remains compelling. The league has the Competition Committee for the way the game has continued to evolve intelligently, in both look and play.

LB: You seem to favor the league’s development from 1958 forward. How do you feel about the league that emerged from the Red Grange/George Halas era? The sport has become very sophisticated and much more orchestrated. Especially when considering how far it has come from it’s roots-a game that was continually mired in a rugby-like scrum, prodigious in it’s unbridled violence but yet probably not all that entertaining for spectators to watch. Is this why the advent of television-era football is so important in the game’s success?

MM: I consciously chose to begin my book at the end of WWII because I felt the world that the NFL faced before the war was tangibly different, not just in degree but in kind. The realities of a pre-television culture beset by depression were vastly different than those of a postwar culture moving rapidly into TV while enjoying the newfound prominence and prosperity of a victorious superpower. So many good books have been written about the “rag days” of the pro game, in the ’20’s and ’30’s, that I consciously chose to make my focus on the postwar era. Which was plenty to cover anyway, as it turns out.

LB: How do you think Pete Rozelle would have addressed incidents like David Boston’s drug/perforance enhancement drug offenses, Ricky Williams controversial retiremtn, the 2004 Super Bowl’s Half-Time show’s “wardrobe malfunction”, etc?

MM:I think Rozelle would be most impressed with the job Paul Tagliabue has done in getting the labor and management to work together on issues like steroids and drug abuse. Rozelle really liked the players– he was always a fan– but his allies were hard-liners and by the time he left office, he didn’t have the personal relationship with the Players Association that Tagliabue was able to fashion. So I think Rozelle would be quite impressed with the league’s system, and would have wanted to do it pretty much the same way.

LB:How would he feel about the state of the NFC and it’s current parity? It is almost a sure thing that an 8-8 team (actually two made it!) will make the playoffs.

MM:He’d say that these things are cyclical — remember when the NFC won 13 straight Super Bowls? — and that one anomalous year does not justify rejiggering the entire playoff system. He’d also remind you that teams with losing records go to the playoffs virtually every season in the NBA and the NHL (when there are actually seasons in the NHL). So he’d say don’t panic, I think.

LB:Obviously, breaking the color barrier in the NFL would have eventually occurred. The addition of African-American player’s has had a major impact on the continued development of the league. The integration of the league rapidly improved the quality of it’s talent. Why hasn’t a parallel process also occurred in the league’s ownership, front office and coaching staff’s throughout the league?

MM: For largely the same reason that we have fewer black CEOs, Senators, and university presidents and others in high-income positions of prominence. And the success of the NFL has, if anything, made it more difficult for a black owner to come around. Remember, there’s no corporate ownership in the NFL, so virtually every team has a single owner who controls most or all of the franchise. With franchise values going up toward $1 billion, there are precious few people white, black, male, or female who are able to afford it. This becomes a real problem in the long term when you look at franchise stability across generations. I know that one of the main concerns of people like Lamar Hunt and Wellington Mara has been how to keep the team in the family without completely demolishing the kids economically after they die. I don’t know the specifics, but I take it that the inheritance tax on a billion-dollar property might be prohibitive.

LB:Throughout the book, it seems like personnel people are often quoted as believing that players who come from broken homes or socioeconomically disadvantageous backgrounds as a potentially valuable trait in the development of future NFL talent? How do you feel about this?

MM: It’s part of football, and always has been. The old TCU (Texas Christian) coach Abe Martin used to say that he always liked to have a few players from the orphanage on his team, “because they’ll hitchee.” I think Brian Billick and Bill Curry’s comments on the question on page 404 are very apt. Tony Dungy mused that his kids would never be serious football players because they were neither tough nor hungry enough, owing to the lucrative surroundings in which they were raised.

Football’s a tough sport, and pro football is a tough way to make a million bucks. I think that the league has to view the hunger and ambition of it’s players as a plus, and has to make sure that it’s doing all it can to help those players, often coming from at-risk backgrounds, to prepare for the sort of life (free time, riches, loads of temptations and hangers-on) that has often destroyed young rock stars or movie stars. Player development programs, rookie seminars, and the like are all steps in the right direction.

LB:Throughout the course of researching your book did you encounter any anecdotes, quotes or articles that fans of the Detroit Lions would find interesting?

MM:There’s an anecdote, which I’m sure you heard, that in the late ’30’s or early ’40’s, the Lions sported red-and-black uniforms because an owner ( or team executive, can’t remember which) had read some Nazi propaganda that said the color scheme was the most intimidating one in existence. Found it fascinating, but never had the time to follow up and verify.

(LB: From Detroit Lions media guide Uniform History, 1948: Alvin “Bo” McMillin joined the Lions after having success as a college coach at Indiana University. Soon after his arrival, McMillin changed the colors of the Lions uniforms with the new colors resembling those of his Hoosier teams. the organization retained Honolulu blue and silver as it’s official colors. The jersey was scarlet with white numbers and the pants white with a thin black stripe between two thin scarlet stripes. The helmets were black. All the players wore leather helmets that season due to the league’s ban on plastic helmets. The team had a second all-black uniform, which would be worn only for certain important games that McMillin particularly wished to win. The jersey was black with white numbers and the pants were black with a thin scarlet stripe between two thin white stripes. The two uniform sets ended up being worn in four different combinations (scarlet/white, black/black, scarlet/black, black/white. This is pretty heady stuff!)

LB:Gambling is professional football’s “dirty little secret”. The proliferation of fantasy football, “pick ‘em” sheets, office-pool “squares” and Las Vegas’s point spread have all influenced the sport’s popularity. does the league exploit this? Do they acknowledge it?

MM: Here’s the Catch-22. back in the ’30’s and ’40’s, when sports were a lot less honest as a whole, the result of almost any major prizefight, horse race or championship game was called into question. Following the ‘46 Filchock-Hapes scandal, Bert Bell worked very hard to make the game as transparent as possible, so that the public could have confidence in the integrity of the outcome. But those same moves toward transparency– insisting on injury reports being public and accurate , etc.– were the very same things that gives the public more confidence in the honesty of the outcome, and at the same time makes the sport easier and more interesting to bet on. I don’t know what else the NFL could or should do differently.

LB:One recurring development you documented throughout your book was multiple attempts to create leagues to attempt to compete with the NFL. NFL owners do not like the competition and have done everything within their power to stop this from happening. It appears to me that the NFL has only gotten stronger each time another league emerges. The incorporation of the AAFC and AFL improved the league. the USFL, Arena Football and to a lesser degree the WFL and XFL have all had an impact. How do you feel about this?

MM:I know they’re all start-up leagues, but I think you have to put them in different classes. The AAFC and AFL started when the NFL was a closed shop of a dozen or fewer franchises, while other markets were clamoring for more football. The WFL, USFL and XFL all started at a time when the country was blessed with between 26 and 32 franchises, and there was not an obvious need or demand for a bunch of new markets. What we have developed now, with Arena Ball and the World League is a rough minor league system that also opens the game up to minor league markets. I think it’s going to be a while before somebody tries to challenge the NFL again.

LB: Didn’t the Monday Night Football Terrell Owens/Nicollette Sheridan incident reek of the possible influence of the XFL?

MM: Only in the sense that it reeked of television’s influence, and the opportunism that the networks routinely display in trying to grab those last million viewers. But even as we decry the deteriorating standards in TV, we have to keep mindful of the larger gains. It’s significant, I think, that for all of the uproar, there was little or no mention or outrage about the interracial nature of the encounter as depicted on the lead-in. A generation ago, THAT would have been the controversy. I call that a rough kind of progress, but progress nonetheless.

Thanks Again to Michael MacCambridge for the patience and generosity he exhibited in listening to my questions and responding thoughtfully and engagingly. I really appreciate this opportunity that I have been blessed with!

Lions Offensive Redux

After yesterday’s news, it is apparent the Lions are as aware as we are that if we were to refer to their offense as futile it may be too kind. The fact that they have asked for permission to speak with 49ers Off. Coordinator Ted Tollner and some sources think that they may have an interest in Saints Off. Coordinator Mike McCarthy, shows that one of their primary off-season concerns will be shoring up their pathetic offense. Many people believe they should give Norm Chow an opportunity to assume that role.

These quotes from Steve Mariucci’s final press conference of the season may also be enlightening. “We run the West Coast offense, and I will say the West Coast offense has won more Super Bowls than any offense in the history of mankind,” he said. “However, you certainly must alter it, depending on what type of Quarterback. There’s a dozen teams in the league that run this offense, but you have to tailor it to your talent, starting with the quarterback.” It would seem that after two complete seasons, that is an awfully long time to come to that realization, especially since that realization was probably was induced from external pressure. Here are some stats that show you how ineffective the offense was:

24th. Offensive Efficiency
OFF Plays—–League AVG——+/-
949————999—————/ -50 plays
Rush Avg—–League Rush Avg–+/-
4.37———–4.13—————- +.24 yds/carry
Pass Avg—–League Pass Avg—+/-
4.95———-5.24——————/ -.29 yds/pass

Red Zone Offense
OFF POSS—-League Avg—–+/-
43———–49—————/ -6 possessions
TTL TD——League AVG—– +/-
19———-26—————–/ -7 TDS or 42 PTS
TTL FG——League AVG—–+/-
18———-14—————– +4 or 12 pts.
Score %—-League AVG—-+/-
.860 ——– .828———– +.032
TD %——-League AVG—– +/-
.442——–.517————–/ -0.075

The Lions average Time of Posession was 28:05, their opponents 31:55.

Charlie Sanders on WQTX 92.1/92.7

Charlie Sanders was a guest yesterday on the Fred Heuman show. Sanders is currently working for the Lions Front Office. His job is scouting professional personnel. What he does is look at film and evaluate players attributes. That information is archived into a library and if a player becomes available as a free agent, via trade or waiver the Lions have information they can utilize in their decision making.

Heuman asked Sanders about the “Killer” Kowalski article, and Sanders didn’t exactly refute the article but did say that every team evalauates it’s players and their contracts in the offseason, as if it were a non-issue. But he did say, that if the Lions were considering releasing Harrington it would be news to him. Heuman asked Sanders about the Lions problems on offense and wanted Sanders to comment if the dropped passes were attributable to the QB or the receivers? Sanders said that it was both, he said that as a player and coach he had always said that if the ball touches your hand you have responsibility if it drops. He reiterated what many have, that the 40 + dropped passes and 5 + dropped TD passes were major factor in the season’s outcome.

Heuman then told Sanders the reason he had called was that he had always strongly believed that Sanders belonged in the Hall of Fame. With the announcement of the Hall nominees (that list didn’t include Sanders) he wanted to talk with Sanders. Sanders said that Ron Wolf, former Packers GM, always talked about the fact that Sanders belongs in the Hall. many Hall Of Fame Tight Ends, Mike Ditka, Kellen Winslow, and John Mackey all believe that Sanders is a glaring omission. Sanders said that the decision-making process may be too fixated on career stats and may not take into account how his stats compare to others of his era. Sanders has come close as a nominee through the committee that selects players that have not played in more than 20 seasons. Heuman said that the fact that Sanders and Lem Barney played for teams that did not win often may be a factor in their difficulty in getting inducted. Sanders said that not playing in Los Angeles or New York may also be a factor. He also said that he would not trade his time in Detroit for anything.

Charlie Sanders was a seven time ALL-Pro
He had 336 receptions for 4,817 Yards and an average of 14.3 yards/catch. He had 31 TD’s in his career.

Tom “Killer” Kowalski article on MLive.com, appearance on WQTX 92.1/92.7

“Killer” Kowalski opened up a firestorm today by reporting that sources within the Lions organization told him under conditions of anonymity that the Lions are currently considering the possibility of releasing Joey Harrington before he receives a $3 M bonus from his contract.

According to Kowalski, many of the Lions offensive coaches are in favor of Harrington’s release. Matt Millen does not want to release Harrington, and it will take a lot of convincing for them to arrive at a consensus decsion to release Harrington. Kowalski also said that the Lions will publicly deny the possibilty of Harrington’s dismissal. They will say that it has been clear that they have been in the market for a veteran backup. He said that they will spin the story because they don’t want Harrington to be “damaged goods” upon his return. They want him to believe they have confidence in his abilities, although many of Steve Mariucci’s statements throughout the year have expressed otherwise. Mariucci awarded more practice reps to Mike McMahon, in lieu of replacing Harrington with McMahon. He also recently commented about the Lions receivers dropped passes that Harrington needed to be more accurate with his passes.

When Kowalski commented on the Fred Heuman show, he stated that the Lions will not be able to pay $8 M for a backup, so if their is an opportunity to upgrade the position they will. If not they will stay with Harrington. Kowalski also said that this will be a good test of Harrington’s makeup. He said that earlier in the season Bill Parcells said that a good measure for a quarterbacks makeup is when they “have thrown six interceptions in a game, their coaches and teammates are looking at them sideways and the media pressure is on and the Qb shows an ability to still lead the team.”

He also commented on the Sherm Lewis “retirement”. He said that Lewis was never in Harrington’s camp and was willing to tell others that. Reportedly, Lewis even sent a letter to the Ford’s and Millen stating his firm belief that the Lions will never being a winning team while being quarterbacked by Harrington. Kowalski said that is not currently a developing rift in Allen Park, but some disagreements are being addressed. He said that these disagreements between Millen and Mariucci are good for the team. He said that mainly Millen attributes the teams offensive woes to Mariucci’s conservatism, which factored into Greg Olson taking control of the playcalling. Mariucci, on the other hand, thinks that Harrington’s lack of leadership and accuracy as a passer are holding the team back. If the Lions decide to cut Harrington it would be an immediate cap hit of $5.5 M. Kowalski said that the Lions want to decide in the next 5 weeks, but may wait until the free agent signing period, because Harrington’s bonus is not due until July.

I was aware of this possibilty for a while, because USA Today Pro Sports Weekly’s John Czarnecki also reported that the Lions may decide to cut Harrington over the bonus several weeks ago. The Lions have no interest in re-structuring Harrington’s contract, which Harrington offered to do a couple of weeks ago. Ultimately, I agree with Mariucci about Harrington, accurate passing and team leadership are not traits or abilities that you can teach, a player either has those characteristics or they don’t, much like “plate discipline” in baseball another ability that can’t be taught. Yet, I also agree with Millen that offensive system has been too conservative, and the Lions coaches have been too inflexible in adapting the system to it’s personnel. As a Lions fan, I want Harrington to be a better player and am losing my confidence in him. Furthermore, I am getting the familiar feeling that the organization yet again can’t develop a team that will be successful.

Wayne Fontes on WQTX 92.1/92.7 01/11/05

The “Big Buck”, Wayne Fontes, made an appearance on the Fred Heuman show. They played a couple of hilarious sound bites to set up his appearance. My favorite being Fontes talking with the media about his team’s poor performance. He then tells them to look outside at the snow and starts singing “Frosty the Snowman”. Absolutely vintage Fontes.

Heuman told Fontes that as time passes, Lion fans have to look more favorably upon his record as head coach and his time in the organization as more of a success than it was regarded at the time. Fontes used to always say “Judge me when it’s over.” Heuman said that his time with the Lions looks better through the passing of time. He asked Fontes how he was doing? Fontes said okay, that he was recovery from major back surgery and that he was currently rehabilating his back. He had delayed the surgery so that he could attend Barry Sander’s Hall of Fame induction (the Detroit Free Press or News ran one of my all-time favorite pictures which showed Fontes joyously celebrating Barry’s induction) Heuman asked Fontes what it was like to coach a player like Sanders? Fontes said that Barry was a unique player, unlike any which he had been around. He ” had great temperament, he was great football player and a great role model, he was the greatest, no question in my mind.” Wayne went back to Tarpon Springs Florida after his retirement and watched a lot of the old game films and grew to really appreciate how fortunate he had been to have a player of Sander’s talent level. He said in particular, in the playoff victory over Dallas, during halftime he asked Sanders how he was doing. He said that they had been unable to hand the ball off much to Sanders because Dallas had loaded the box to try and stop the run. Sanders said that he was okay, they were ahead at halftime. In the second half, Fontes recounted, Sanders broke out one of the greatest carries in NFL history. Fontes says that he has watched those highlights many times. He also said some of Barry’s greatest runs only gained 4 yards.

Fontes talked with Heuman about the fact that he may have been ahead of his time as a coach, he did things a little differently. Fontes said that he was one of the first to run out on the field if a player was injured out of concern, that he was one of first celebrate with exuberance on the sidelines, and that he openly hugged players, etc all things which are common now that he had been criticized for during his coaching career. He also said that he attempted to take the pressure of the team and place it upon his shoulders on many occasions, trying to assume the focus of the media frenzy to help his team perform better. Heuman asked him about the current Lions, he said that all of the team’s currently in the playoffs have an outstanding quarterback and a good defense, also intimating that had been the problem during his time as coach (the lack of an outstanding QB). Fontes said that he hadn’t seen a lot of Harrington, but he liked the current Lions ability to run the ball well and play sound defense.

Heuman asked Fontes if he gains any vindication or satisfaction from the recent history of major struggles building a succesful football team in Detroit. Fontes replied that he believed that he and his coaches always accomplished a lot with the personnel they had. They had good, not great football players who always played hard. he said that throughout the ups and downs, for the most part they were able to keep the locker room together, relatively free of dissension. Heuman said that the Lions front office gave up too soon on the Lions core of personnel and that more than anything else may have been the determining factor in Sander’s decision to retire. Fontes also said that when Bobby Ross took over the team, he had called Fontes and told him that he and his coaches had done an excellent job considering the lack of personnel talent within the organization.

Then Heuman brought in a call from George Perles. Perles and Fontes played together at Michigan State under Duffy Daugherty and have remained good friends through the years. Fontes said that both he and George had learned a great deal from Duffy, that Duffy had an incredible knack for bringing players who were down back up so that they would play better. He taught both former coaches to have fun. Perles said that he always told Fontes to “Just Keep Smiling” throughout his time as coach. They also reflected on the fact that Fontes had had such a great staff of coaches (Tom Moore Off. Coord. Du jour for the Colts, Herb Patera, Henry Bullough, Woody Widenhofer, Lenny Fontes, etc.) Perles also stated that he believed that the Fords and Millen were all good people and that eventually the Lions will be successful.

Wayne Fontes Career Stats
1988-1996, 8+ years taking over for Darryl Rogers.
He coached in 138 games, 67-71, a .486 career win pctg.

Mooch, Matt Shephard interviewed on WQTX 92.1/92.7 01/05/05

Steve Mariucci appeared on the “Mad Dog” Dave DeMarco’s show on 1/5/05. They started their discussion by highlighting Mariucci’s involvement in a promotion for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. It is entitled the “Live Like A Legend” sweepstakes and you can enter it at http://www.ameriquest.com. The winner of the sweepstakes gets tickets for the Super Bowl and will have the opportunity to watch Paul McCartney’s rehearsal for the Super Bowl half-time show. The winner will also get to meet Mariucci and also get to watch the game with the likes of Marcus Allen and Jim Kelly. Mad Dog then asked Mariucci how disappointed he was with the way the Lions finished their season with a 6-10 record. Mariucci said he was very disappointed especially since they had lost close games to division opponents who ended up participating in the playoffs. He said that the Lions had to make the playoffs next season. Mad Dog asked Mariucci if he believed that Joey Harrington could lead the team to the playoffs and potentially the Super Bowl in the future? Mariucci said that Harrington performed favorably when compared to the league’s other third year Qb’s. He believed that Harrington stats held their own when compared to those of Patrick Ramsey, David Carr and Josh McCown. He did say that they would try to continue to develop Joey’s skills and intangibles and continue to build a good team around him. Mariucci also mentioned it will nice to get Charles Rogers back next season. (what a transparent grab for Spartan fans loyalty, jeez!) Mariucci also mentioned that the dropped passes had a major effect on Harrington’s and that is one area where the team would have to improve. This was an interesting recession from his recent comments about the receivers dropped balls being partially attributable to Harrington’s inaccurate passes. Mad Dog questioned Mariucci about Mike O’Hara’s recent reporting that stated that many Lions had believed the team had grown too complacent after it’s 4-2 start, he wanted to know what Mariucci view of this was. Mariucci aid that the team always fought hard, that was why their was so many close games. He said that the 6-10 record was not indicative of the effort the players exhibited in practice and in games. He said losing close games was a symptom of having a young team. He said that as the team matured they will win more of those type of games. Mad Dog then asked Mariucci if Donte Nicholson of Oklahoma of Thomas Davis of Georgia might be viable selections for the Lions at the number ten spot in this year’s draft. Mariucci said that the front office and coaching staff were currently in the process of reviewing the season and evaluating the players on the team. He said that they would rank the players and determine who they want to keep of their free agents. Then they would determine who they want to sign from other teams’s available free agents. Lastly, they collectively determine who they would like to draft. He did acknowledge a need for an upgrade at that position, though.

Earlier that same day, Fred Heuman had a discussion with Lions and University of Michigan announcer, Matt Shepherd. Shepherd had some interesting comments. He said that it was baffling that Terrence Holt did not play more than he did this season. Shepherd said that Bracey Walker said that T. Holt was the team’s hardest worker during practice and had performed the best, too. He also said that the Lion’s players wanted Brock Marion gone because he is a “locker room cancer”. He said that the Cowboys had gotten rid of him for this reason and so had Dave Wannstedt while still coaching in Miami. He also said that coaches had made a big mistake by not better utilizing Kevin Jones sooner.

Hail the Emperor Favre, as he Stands Before You Naked!

Is there any more play more revered in all of football than Brett Favre? NFL fans have to weather the incessant ass-licking of football pundits, the inundation of replay highlights of his passes as they dart into the hands of his receivers, and the near-religious adoration held by Green Bay loyalists. This is all fine and good, but by viewing his recent post-season performances and the mediocrity of his recent teams, is he really as good as we are being told he is?

I will acknowledge that Favre is one of the better QB’s in league history. He is currently one of the better QB’s in the NFL. He has won a Super Bowl. He has made an incredible (probably unmatchable) accomplishment for stamina and consistency while playing with numerous injuries in his consecutive starts record. It is well documented that he has overcome a lot of his adversity in his personal life and has continued to perform at high levels, as if unaffected. He exhibits unflappable bravado as a team leader and people can’t help but be drawn to his gunslinging persona. That being said, the guy is overrated and we have become oversaturated with his followers who continually want to sing his praises.

If any African-American Qb in the league were to chuck four interceptions in a post-season game their would be an overwhelming outcry amongst that teams fans for that player to be replaced. Yet Favre remains bulletproof in the eyes of the media and his local fans. For that matter, Vinny Testaverde and Kurt Warner are regarded as two QB’s incapable of winning big games due to their propensity for committing costly turnovers. Warner has even won the same number of Super Bowls as Favre, yet few teams regard him as a desirable player to lead their franchise. I would take it a step further, since his Favre’s Super Bowl XXXII loss in 1997 he has been inconsistent as a postseason performer. He has gone 2-5 since then:

Opp—-Date—–TD/INT—Sacks—COMP/ATT—PCT—Outcome
SF—–1/3/99—-2/1——-1———20/35——–57.0—L,30-27
SF—–1/13/02–2/1——–1——–22/29——–75.9—-W,25-5
St.L—1/20/02–2/6——–2——–26/44——–59.1—-L,45-17
ATL—1/4/03—1/2——–2——–20/42———47.6—-L,27-7
Sea–1/4/04—-1/0——–0——-26/38———-68.4—-W,33-27(OT)
Phil–1/11/04—2/1——–1——-15/28———-53.6—-L,20-17
Minn–1/9/05—2/4——–2——-22/33———-66.7—-L, 31-17

In the St. Louis game his six interceptions were mind-boggling. Last Year’s Philadelphia game his game losing interception in Overtime was inexplicable. People like to clutch dearly to their myths so his reputation will stand unaffected, and in effect upon his retirement his reputation will only stand to grow as the glint of history makes his accomplishents glow stronger and his failures get relegated to the dustbins of history.

Lions Offseason Buzz begins…

Yahoo Sport’s ran an article today written by correspondents from The Sporting News called “NFC Free Agent Buzz”. The article mentioned that the Lions would be ” in the market for a No.3 receiver. The team will take a look at the Patriot’s David Givens and David Patten, as well as Kelley Campbell (Vikings) and Corey Bradford (Texans). David Givens strikes me as a good option to consider as a possession receiver who will be willing to come across the middle of the defense. To me, Patten would be very similar to Reggie Swinton. He is very athletic and can used in a number of different ways. The downside about both of them, is that they are both small parts of the whole New England scheme and I would be unsure how ready they would be to face increased expectations, particularly if one of the Lions starting receivers should go down with injury, like it has happened in recent years. That being said, they would have more value to the Lions in my opinion than Kelley Campbell and Corey Bradford. Both Campbell and Bradford excel at making big plays in the vertical passing game. Since the Lions vertical passing game is virtually non-existent, I would question the wisdom of their acquisition.

Their are also rumors swirling that the Lions harbor an interest in the Saints offensive coordinator, Mike McCarthy. I guess during the last Head Coaching search Millen expressed an interest in talking with McCarthy. The Lions appear to like McCarthy because he has a background in the West Coast Offensive system, but yet is familiar with the utilization of a more aggressive vertical passing game, too. With that in mind, if McCarthy is named Off. Coordinator, it would make more sense that the Lions take a look at players like Corey Bradford and Kelley Campbell.

Lions Final Statistical Analysis

Here are the Lions offensive and defensive totals. As a point of comparison, I compiled the average of all 12 playoff teams for each category and compared them to the Lions totals. Since the Lions main goal is qualifying for the playoffs, this might give us a yardstick of what they might need to accomplish to do so.

24.Detroit Lions Offense

Yardage
Yards 4,693/ 5,273/ -580 Yards
YPG 293.3(24th)/ 329.5/ - 36.2 YPG
Scoring
Points 296/ 390/ -94 Points
PPG 18.5 (24th)/ 24.4/ -5.9 PPG
Passing
YPG 182.3 (23rd)/ 173.7/ +8.6 YPG
TD 19(20th)/ 29/ -10 TD’s (-0.63 TD/G or -3.78 PPG)
Sack 37(15)/ 32/ + 5 sacks (0.31 sacks/G)
INT 13(8th)/ 11/ +2 INT’s (0.13 INT/G)
Rushing
YPG 111.1 (19th)/ 130.8/ -19.7 YPG
TD’s 7(30th)/ 14/ -7 TD’s (-0.44 TD/G or -2.64 PPG)

22. Detroit Defense
Yardage
Yards 5,401/ 5205/ +196 Yards
YPG 337.6(22nd)/ 325.3/ +12.3 YPG
Scoring
Points 350/ 323/ +27 points
PPG 21.9(18th)/ 20.2/ +1.7 PPG
Passing
YPG 219.6 (20th)/ 216.1/ +3.5 YPG
TD 29(25th)/ 22/ +7 TD’s (0.44 TD’s or 2.64 PPG)
Sack 38(14th)/ 40/ -2 Sacks (-0.13 Sacks/G)
INT 14 (22nd)/ 16/ - 2 INTS (-0.13 INT/G)
Rushing
YPG 117.9 (15th)/ 109.2/ +8.7 YPG
TD”s 10 (11th)/ 13/ -3 TD’s (-0.19 TD/G or -1.13 PPG)

Playoff Preview

First, I will tender my predictions for the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl.

AFC
Chargers over J. E. T. S. Jets! Jets! Jets!
Colts over Broncos

NFC
Packers over Vikings
Rams over Seahawks

AFC
Pittsburgh over San Diego
New England over the Colts

NFC
Philly over the Packers
Falcons over the Rams

AFC
New England over Blitzburgh
Falcons over the Eagles

Super Bowl
Pats establish their dynasty, by accomplishing 2 TD victory over the Falcons.

San Diego Vs. Jets
With San Diego’s ability to limit the running game and continued effectiveness of their offense, it will very difficult for the Jets to win this game. If Chad Pennington is able to find his receivers Moss and McCareins for big plays the Jets may emerge as winners. Considering their struggles in the passing game, the Jets will lose:
Chargers 24 Jets 13

INDY Vs. Broncos
The Broncos want to avoid a shoot-out with the Peyton Manning lead Colts at all costs! One way they may be able to do so would be to successfully hand the ball off to it’s backs Reuben “I used to be a Lion” Droughns and Tatum Bell. The other contingency will be for Jake Plummer to execute a near perfect game with no turnovers to the Takeaway happy Colts defense. Their is no method to stop the Colts offense, it is just a matter of slowing down the bloodletting. Colts win:
INDY 31 Elways 17

Packers Vs. Vikes
If Brett Favre doesn’t defeat himself by throwing 3 or more Int’s I see very few scenarios in which the Vikes leave Lambeau with a victory. Favre has a ridiculous record in cold weather at Lambeau and the Vikes are a dome team. The wheels have come off at the end of the year for the Vikes culminating with last week’s debacle against Washington. The Favre’s conjure the Ghosts of Packer past for one more week:
Packers 28 Vikings 21

Rams Vs. Seahawks
Any team who has not won a playoff game since 1984 is fighting an uphill battle. With the Seahawks off-the field problems (Shaun Alexander/Koren Robinson) and their difficulties in winning games down the stretch, it is hard to for me to envision them defeating the playoff seasoned Rams. The only forces that will factor into a Rams loss will be an overabundace of Mike Martz idiocy or Marc Bulger throwing 4 INT’s. Rams roll:

Rams 38 Seahawks 14