tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49589970614374620032024-11-26T07:30:16.216-07:00Pro Football JournalDedicated to reporting mainstream and esoteric aspects of professional football.
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John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.comBlogger2272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-15918756970439613062024-11-24T18:26:00.001-07:002024-11-24T23:49:12.032-07:00Lambeau Field at 400<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQISw_l_F2o1vBqoTYi-t4y6Ez8iLSNEOMQEgf82ZvNTT0x7SSYbDQFRmGbM8fjpozH8x3nJ5Q5fUfvMdHLUj2SgCYXATD2c6Ab4pVCjn6SHuAGlECR6WI0wScR9ciyOzHPWI1ZBpSYJ5eeB3HKqie5gMD84EEv5xLywr1rMsTKsXdhKqvWRN-kw2hhfh/s5472/Lambeau%20Field%20400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQISw_l_F2o1vBqoTYi-t4y6Ez8iLSNEOMQEgf82ZvNTT0x7SSYbDQFRmGbM8fjpozH8x3nJ5Q5fUfvMdHLUj2SgCYXATD2c6Ab4pVCjn6SHuAGlECR6WI0wScR9ciyOzHPWI1ZBpSYJ5eeB3HKqie5gMD84EEv5xLywr1rMsTKsXdhKqvWRN-kw2hhfh/w400-h266/Lambeau%20Field%20400.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lambeau Field has been going strong since 1957.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Four hundred.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s how many regular-season games the Packers have played
at Lambeau Field.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The 49ers were the latest outsiders to compete at the
storied structure. And like so many who preceded them, they left on the short
end of the scoreboard. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay routed a banged-up San Francisco squad 38-10
Sunday. The Green and Gold converted three 49ers turnovers into three
touchdowns as they outscored their guests 21-3 in the second half.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">San Francisco, minus starting quarterback Brock Purdy and
left tackle Trent Williams, failed to mount much of a running attack. Christian
McCaffrey led the 49ers with 31 yards on 11 carries as the 49ers managed just
44 yards rushing on 16 attempts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At halftime, San Francisco had three yards on four totes.
That’s the fewest by any opponent in the first half of a regular-season game in
Lambeau Field history.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No NFL team is more closely associated with its stadium than
the Packers. Green Bay is synonymous with the Frozen Tundra.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No NFL team has played longer at one venue. This is the 68th
season in which the Green and Gold have operated out of 1265 Lombardi Avenue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, in honor of this 400th regular-season game, we will touch upon some of the regular-season numbers
associated with the iconic landmark about which former Raiders coach turned
broadcaster John Madden said: “If they ever build a shrine to pro football, it
ought to be Lambeau Field in Green Bay.”</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iz_N5E2GiL3iS_yUmnU6scFuKTm5-c7H4fjzvGGAtBWu_uXm31rLpLUst-uimgG0kg7pXOIOeB0P4qwRbYZlO6o_CIrEgKtQX8JHivgNu-H0Vz6IfKPNn_rdRAI3h-st9Rov7-U6MkjvIV2-qyylbkUEXRoPJv5eDJ8j3dFm9seBO0hUO6xyORxaIVCU/s4265/SF%20Fans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3591" data-original-width="4265" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iz_N5E2GiL3iS_yUmnU6scFuKTm5-c7H4fjzvGGAtBWu_uXm31rLpLUst-uimgG0kg7pXOIOeB0P4qwRbYZlO6o_CIrEgKtQX8JHivgNu-H0Vz6IfKPNn_rdRAI3h-st9Rov7-U6MkjvIV2-qyylbkUEXRoPJv5eDJ8j3dFm9seBO0hUO6xyORxaIVCU/s320/SF%20Fans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First game:</b> Bart
Starr started at quarterback in the 1957 season opener against the Bears but
gave way to Babe Parilli in the second quarter. Parilli fired two TD passes including
a 6-yarder to Gary Knafelc with eight minutes, 21 seconds left as the Packers
downed Chicago 21-17.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The opposition:</b>
Green Bay has defeated each of the other 31 NFL teams at least twice. It has a
winning record against all its NFC North rivals: 41-24 vs. the Bears, 35-16-3 vs.
the Lions and 25-21-3 vs. the Vikings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">San Francisco:</b> With
Sunday’s win, Green Bay is 12-4 against the 49ers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Winless:</b> Denver is
the only team yet to win at Lambeau Field. The Broncos came up short in 1993
(27-30), 1996 (6-41), 2003 (3-31), 2011 (23-49) and 2019 (16-27).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Average score:</b> Green
Bay 23.8, Opponents 18.3.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Largest margin of
victory:</b> 49 points in a 49-0 shutout of the Bears in 1962 and in a 52-3 drubbing of
the Saints in 2005.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Largest margin of
defeat:</b> 40 points in a 0-40 shellacking administered by the Lions to open
the 1970 campaign.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KOpUm8fIx6kcFDf8aJrOt1OWACkwloRe1SMtbxlvlcvy4WEs-q8dTIaT0kJrVHLzpGO0TXLou2KJwgw6Ep3OsgQo6Q7Xa8vE0zBGQGkvsLA-vTq6NUvH18IPNBBl3xhTd6H7S6HEKXpS2i78kkoaFBFG2Fey6CnKAq9P18KtC5Vdymq-jRQIQQ4gTaRN/s2253/SF%20400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="1897" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KOpUm8fIx6kcFDf8aJrOt1OWACkwloRe1SMtbxlvlcvy4WEs-q8dTIaT0kJrVHLzpGO0TXLou2KJwgw6Ep3OsgQo6Q7Xa8vE0zBGQGkvsLA-vTq6NUvH18IPNBBl3xhTd6H7S6HEKXpS2i78kkoaFBFG2Fey6CnKAq9P18KtC5Vdymq-jRQIQQ4gTaRN/s320/SF%20400.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shutouts:</b> The
Packers have pitched 14 shutouts blanking Chicago (3 times), Buffalo (2) and
Washington (2) more than once. Green Bay has failed to score 9 times, most
often against the Bears (3) and Lions (2).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lambeau mystique?:</b>
Don’t ask quarterback Randy Wright. Wright finished 1-11 at the stadium beating
the Vikings 18-6 in the 1988 season finale to avoid going winless in Green Bay.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Inflection Point:</b>
Sept. 20, 1992. The Packers are 72-72-4 at Lambeau Field as they host the Bengals.
A loss means the team will own a losing record at the stadium for the first
time since early 1959, coach Vince Lombardi’s first season in Green Bay. Brett
Favre refuses to go quietly, dialing up victory (24-23) with a 35-yard TD pass
to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining. In the time since, no team has won
more home games than the Packers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>GB QBs:</b> Four
Packers quarterbacks have won 10 or more times: Favre (89-28-0), Aaron Rodgers
(88-21-1), Bart Starr (28-14-2) and Lynn Dickey (16-13-0). Jordan Love (8-5)
needs two more victories to join that select group.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Record in December/January:</b>
The Green and Gold has a better winning percentage (.753) in games played in
December or January (73-24-0) than it does in games at Lambeau Field overall
(.663). That’s welcome news for a franchise seeking to enter the
postseason fray for the 24th time in the last 32 season.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrqz6lvbKd5XK8coPjySkb4ccPmuRcPY6M7b-1j0Z5xXWcBKcdGzVLP6Cr7uWzBgo5QU1CfPABvXrHIu5sRBkw37Iir6_j5DCccQ0yH1hXduaYgfleXvYip_7xoNnMtJo7cwkKl49MGRoVGvoCH75soaJbZKT-pCgWP7huUZAibdMOTtUxws-bifaGIr1/s4671/GB%20Fans%20400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3233" data-original-width="4671" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrqz6lvbKd5XK8coPjySkb4ccPmuRcPY6M7b-1j0Z5xXWcBKcdGzVLP6Cr7uWzBgo5QU1CfPABvXrHIu5sRBkw37Iir6_j5DCccQ0yH1hXduaYgfleXvYip_7xoNnMtJo7cwkKl49MGRoVGvoCH75soaJbZKT-pCgWP7huUZAibdMOTtUxws-bifaGIr1/s320/GB%20Fans%20400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Home Sweet Home<br /></b>200+ regular-season wins by an NFL team at a single stadium</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Team Record Stadium Years Played<br /></b>Packers 262-132-6 Lambeau Field 1957-2024<br />Chiefs 249-160-1 Arrowhead Stadium 1972-2024<br />Bills<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>237-161-0<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Highmark Stadium<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1973-2024<br />Bears<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>237-179-2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soldier Field<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1971-2024<br />Bears<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>224-91-22<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wrigley Field<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1922-1970<br />Chargers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>209-172-3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Qualcomm
Stadium<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1967-2016<br />49ers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>205-124-2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Candlestick Park<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1971-2024<br />Browns<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>201-117-5<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cleveland Municipal Stadium<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1950-1995</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>Info not related to the Packers obtained at Pro Football ReferenceEric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-61828268252252632502024-11-22T11:56:00.003-07:002024-11-24T14:39:54.388-07:00RIP—The 49ers' Tommy Hart<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>By John Turney <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUrEU5v40-miiFkZxXzNdFaJrod1p0BRfjCjGzXDVUt-UQH5RsQr-QazCKXmFB3YdU-P-k-JYNnx0oZ72qxa11uTNcsbE7GZISjbDRlag9RqznJ7Rv519bII-lGmfWd-o8OmVF3kAAIFf2vIvetUhb0yzKqHPQYOXzKIEmQRmVCxgdU0KL5JIiK9p1Zlp/s412/2024-11-22_11-54-23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="293" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUrEU5v40-miiFkZxXzNdFaJrod1p0BRfjCjGzXDVUt-UQH5RsQr-QazCKXmFB3YdU-P-k-JYNnx0oZ72qxa11uTNcsbE7GZISjbDRlag9RqznJ7Rv519bII-lGmfWd-o8OmVF3kAAIFf2vIvetUhb0yzKqHPQYOXzKIEmQRmVCxgdU0KL5JIiK9p1Zlp/s320/2024-11-22_11-54-23.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Art credit: David Grove</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the late Mike Giddings, founder of Proscout, Inc., would speak about former San Francisco 49ers' defensive end <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HartTo00.htm">Tommy Hart</a>, a player he once coached, he was always straight forward with his praise.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>"Tommy," he said, "was a favorite."</div><div><br /></div><div>Sadly, Hart passed away Thursday at the age of 80. His death was announced by the 49ers, with no cause revealed.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Our thoughts and condolences are with his family," the team said in a prepared statement.</div><div><br /></div><div>A 207-pound defensive end, linebacker and offensive tackle who played at Morris Brown College a historically black college, Hart was a three-time All-Conference selection, second-team NAIA All-American and a multi-sport athlete who earned four letters in football and three in track as a sprinter and shot putter. </div><div><br /></div><div>"One of our best players for three years," said Robert Slocum, his football coach at Morris Brown.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 49ers noticed.</div><div><br /></div><div>They made him their tenth-round draft pick 1968 and put him at linebacker, where he was coached by Giddings. But he didn't stay there long. He soon moved to defensive end and became a starter by his third season. By that time, he'd built himself up to 245-250 pounds yet retained his 4.7 speed ... and it was a winning combination.</div><div><br /></div><div>Starting in 1970, Hart went on a nine-year run (eight with the 49ers and one with the Chicago Bears) where he started 128 straight games and unofficially recorded 80 sacks -- including 17 in 1972 and 16 in 1976 when he was a first-team All-Pro.</div><div><br /></div><div>That was when he was part of the 49ers' fabled "Gold Rush" - a nickname given a defensive line that led the NFL with 61 sacks, a franchise record that still stands. In fact, in October, 1976, Hart produced six by himself in a Monday Night game vs. the Los Angeles Rams.</div><div><br /></div><div>"That was the greatest game of my career,," he said afterward. "They have the greatest running game in the conference ... we stopped them, and that's the difference."</div><div><br /></div><div>Hart thrived that season under new defensive line coach Floyd Peters, who implemented an aggressive pass-rushing scheme — a stark contrast to the Dallas Cowboys'-inspired "Flex" defense Hart had played his first six seasons as a defensive lineman.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, the magic didn’t last.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1978, Hart sought a raise, and 49ers' General Manager Joe Thomas refused -- instead trading him to the Chicago Bears. Two years later, he move on to New Orleans where he was reunited with his former coach, Dick Nolan, who hired him to play the Saints' version of the "Flex" defense. </div><div><br /></div><div>As always, Hart performed.</div><div><br /></div><div>"(Tommy) came up 6-4 and 207 pounds with a 4.65 40," said Giddins. "We kept him on as an outside linebacker, and defensive line coach Paul Wiggin -- we didn't have a strength coach -- bulked him up to 245 in the off-season. (He was) an unsung, solid, smart, hardworking 4-3 defensive who developed top pass-rush moves. (There was) no more solid first-and-10 defensive end."</div><div><br /></div><div>Hart not only was a favorite of Giddings; he was a favorite of his teammates, too, twice named recipient of the Len Eshmont Memorial Award (1972 and 1976), the 49ers' most prestigious honor given annually to the player who best exemplifies the inspirational and courageous spirit of Eshmont.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1993, Hart was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and this past year was included in the third class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame for his athletic exploits at Ballard High School in Macon, Ga.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hart played 177 NFL regular-season games with 140 starts, eight fumble recoveries (including two returned for touchdowns) and two interceptions. According to official NFL play-by-plays, he finished with 558 tackles, nine forced fumbles, 22 passes defensed and 83 sacks.</div><div><br /></div><div>He also played in six playoff games, starting five and recording a half-sack in 1970 and a fumble recovery in 1972.</div><div><br /></div><div>From 1983-91, he served as an assistant defensive line coach for San Francisco. Then, after a three-year break from football, he joined the Dallas Cowboys, working as a defensive ends' coach from 1996-1997 and the team's West-area scout from 1998 through 2005.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-83452579825406353732024-11-20T00:06:00.001-07:002024-11-20T15:42:39.736-07:00The Rams' Dan Towler Had a Relatively Short Career, But Was It Was Worthy of Hall-of-Fame Attention.<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i>By John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIvz8RwkMjgf7-eDkFMAy72TWWsVFD2h4y9kUG-XVJm3RxXTOip6s6EKdqzuRLBcpNNdFkTwEZvope4cdD_8YveJvLkzzL0QPQ6rZEc4TJmzxexpMGiSkCE_f0h0vMFJ9KlOwpsF9tVHSbnm3zCOXUc8cCniUWt1x4RLObkNQLbWxftjb0XH3kqKebDL9/s384/2024-11-19_19-48-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIvz8RwkMjgf7-eDkFMAy72TWWsVFD2h4y9kUG-XVJm3RxXTOip6s6EKdqzuRLBcpNNdFkTwEZvope4cdD_8YveJvLkzzL0QPQ6rZEc4TJmzxexpMGiSkCE_f0h0vMFJ9KlOwpsF9tVHSbnm3zCOXUc8cCniUWt1x4RLObkNQLbWxftjb0XH3kqKebDL9/s320/2024-11-19_19-48-10.jpg" width="239" /></a></div></i></b></div><div>Do great things come in pairs? When it comes to the Los Angeles Rams' legendary backfield of the 1950s, they did.</div><div><br /></div><div>On this site a day ago, I made a case for "Tank" Younger's inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, highlighting his contributions as part of the Rams' iconic "Bull Elephant" backfield. But today I want to shine the spotlight on another star of that era.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TowlDa00.htm">"Deacon" Dan Towler</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>From 1951-54, Towler established himself as one of the league's premier running backs. In fact, during that stretch, only Hall-of-Famer Joe Perry ran for more yards, and no one ran for more touchdowns. Furthermore, in 1951, he averaged 6.8 yards rushing on 126 attempts, the most-ever for running backs with 125 or more carries in a season and fourth all-time when you include all positions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Only quarterbacks Justin Fields, Bobby Douglass and Lamar Jackson had seasons where they averaged 6.9 yards a rush, numbers at least partially inflated by long-distance scrambles. The Bears' Beattie Feathers averaged 8.4 yards in 1933. but he carried the ball 119 times to set the single-season record for those with 100 or more carries</div><div><br /></div><div>Towler's accolades speak loudly as well. He was All-Pro in 1951 (<i>UPI</i>), 1952 (<i>AP</i>, <i>UPI</i>) and 1953 (<i>UPI</i>) and in 1954 was second-team All-Pro (<i>AP</i>, <i>NEA</i>). He also was named to the Pro Bowl all four seasons and was the game's MVP in 1951.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1952 he led the NFL in rushing yards (894) and rushing touchdowns (10). Two years later, he led it again in rushing TDs with 11. And though he didn't lead the league in rushing in 1951 or 1953, he ran for nearly as many yards then -- 854 and 879, respectively -- as he did when he won the rushing title. Additionally, those totals were good for third and second in the NFL.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clearly, he was one of the elite runners of his time, and isn't that what the Hall of Fame is about ... recognizing the best players in a given era? Yet, for some reason, Towler's contributions seem to have faded from the memories of football historians and Hall-of-Fame voters alike.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's be honest: His name doesn't exactly ring bells for the casual football fan. But it should. He was one of the most electrifying players in the history of Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.), a second-team <i>AP</i> Little All-American, who in 1946 ranked third in the nation in scoring </div><div><br /></div><div>Nice, huh? It gets better. He racked up those points in just eight games, an average of 16.6 points a contest -- the most by anyone collegiately in any division that year. And that followed a sophomore season where he was honorable mention on <i>AP's</i> Little All-American team.</div><div><br /></div><div>At W&J, he was part of a nimble quartet known as the "Four Gazelles" backfield. So, he wasn't just powerful; he was graceful, too. And he was fast, as in VERY fast. Despite his large frame (6-2 and 225 pounds), he clocked in at 9.9 seconds in the 100-yard dash. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Rams took a chance on him in the 25th round of the 1950 draft and were patient with him, waiting to ease him into the starting lineup while he recovered from a knee injury. But even when he played, it was more as a short-yardage specialist. As a rookie, he scored six touchdowns on just 46 carries — or 13 percent of his carries! That's what I call efficiency.</div><div><br /></div><div>By 1951, however, he was ready to show the pro football world that he was, indeed, part gazelle and part elephant. And did he ever deliver.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granted, his career numbers may pale in comparison to the gaudy numbers of today's players, but let’s be fair: Measuring stats across eras is tricky. In today's game, there are more games and, often, only one primary back who may have 300 or more carries a season. The Rams never called Towler's number more than 156 times in any season. </div><div><br /></div><div>But that's because they had a productive "Fly-T" offense that spread the ball around, meaning Towler had to share carries with a stable of talented backs. In each of his four Pro Bowl seasons, the Rams had at least four running backs with 40 or more carries. </div><div><br /></div><div>"If you got 15 carries a game," Towler said, "that was a lot."</div><div><br /></div><div>He's right. In his career, he only had 13 games with 15 or more carries. When he gained a career-high 205 yards vs. Baltimore in 1953, he did it on just 14 carries. In his nine other 100-yard games, he never had more than 19 rushing attempts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine, then, what might have happened had he been given the ball, say, 250 or more times a year. Just do the math. He would've had four 1,000-yard seasons.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc7TMZmQbqVUuKe97WnLThHNhXC4XiTeqE9IYjoZwvyXkdoAW8K5MlHJOCXkYya5fC0dt3WQQU8tzg8WIhQ8dva2pytA6tJ-hvYieVXxz37AG9VfZBmcdMUGC4a4QX_iDq5N7tk9rC3FUyn5VvdWKd0bQczz7iycltgrb01n4Zy4v7S_4LeSTIznibTP2/s422/2024-11-19_19-48-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="422" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc7TMZmQbqVUuKe97WnLThHNhXC4XiTeqE9IYjoZwvyXkdoAW8K5MlHJOCXkYya5fC0dt3WQQU8tzg8WIhQ8dva2pytA6tJ-hvYieVXxz37AG9VfZBmcdMUGC4a4QX_iDq5N7tk9rC3FUyn5VvdWKd0bQczz7iycltgrb01n4Zy4v7S_4LeSTIznibTP2/s320/2024-11-19_19-48-45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>Still, he made the most of every touch. His impact wasn't just about yards and touchdowns; it was about setting a tone and serving as a reliable workhorse in one of the most potent offenses of the early 1950s. Moreover, it was also playing a critical role in a running game that aided the Rams' dominant passing attack.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Linebackers couldn't move into coverage against us," Towler said. "They were frozen. They had to watch for the running game, and that opened things up for the quarterbacks."</div><div><br /></div><div>But it wasn't only as a runner that he delivered big gains; it was as a pass receiver, too. When he averaged 6.8 yards rushing in 1951, he also averaged 16.1 yards per reception. Additionally, he had two other seasons where he averaged 11 or more yards a reception. </div><div><br /></div><div>In all, Towler ran for 3,493 yards and 43 touchdowns on 672 carries. That works out to a per-carry average of 5.2 yards that's tied for fourth all-time among running backs with 500 or more attempts. </div><div><br /></div><div>But he retired after just six seasons, choosing a different path as a Methodist minister. Having graduated cum laude from W&J, he went on to earn a master's degree in theology from USC. As it turns out, "Deacon" was more than a nickname; it was a reflection of his calling.</div><div><br /></div><div>Towler claimed the 1950 Rams were the first team to pray before NFL games, telling the Los Angeles Times in 2001 that "now, it's a common thing. I think it helped camaraderie and fellowship, bringing us closer together." It was those prayer sessions that earned "Deacon" his nickname -- one that a young defensive end named David Jones would appropriate a decade later.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sure, Towler could've played longer were his career just about being a football player. He walked away from a $16,000 salary in the NFL to $6,000 as a man of the cloth, but he always played football as a means to finance his religious education. He said he was a student who played football; not a football player who was a student.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some NFL careers are relatively short, but meaningful ones deserve recognition -- as Hall-of-Fame voters now recognize. Towler played just six seasons, or the same number as Hall-of-Famer Doak Walker, who made five Pro Bowls to Towler’s four. Then there's Terrell Davis, another Hall of Famer, who played only seven seasons but went to one fewer Pro Bowl than Towler.</div><div><br /></div><div>Towler's rushing numbers don't measure up to Davis' peak year, but comparing statistics over eras is tricky. Nevertheless, it's fair to say that, during his peak, "Deacon" Dan Towler was one of the top two running backs of his time -- just as Davis was in the late-1990s. That alone should warrant him at least a look-see by seniors' voters.</div><div><br /></div><div>But he hasn't gotten one. Why? Unlike Younger, his backfield teammate who is a seniors' semifinalist for the Hall's Class of 2025, Towler never made it to that stage ... and that’s a glaring oversight.</div><div><br /></div><div>"This gentleman," said Hall-of-Famer defensive back Dick LeBeau, "belongs in the Hall of Fame and should be recognized as one of the greatest running backs to ever play in the National Football League." </div><div><br /></div><div>Hall-of-Fame receiver Raymond Berry agreed.</div><div><br /></div><div>"(Dan Towler was) a man whom our Colts’ defensive players thought the world of," he said. "They said he was one of the toughest guys to tackle they ever had to face."</div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully, his Hall-of-Fame case will make believers of the Hall's new seniors' screening committee and in the near future advance him in the process. Until then, let's remember that "Deacon" Dan Towler not only as a great running back but as a trailblazer who brought size, speed, skill and a touch of spirituality to the game.</div></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-48288402680195316532024-11-19T12:06:00.001-07:002024-11-20T00:06:53.365-07:00Perhaps There Should Be a Place in Canton for 'Tank' Younger<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>by John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt9G8e4XatVKs0UfqME7_sVoyNrIClhRY88NKInJ8oPxouim6RBA1pidmUh_P6We5kYGysOydk0_dfcNDvqvpSVrmYddtUkzGKKPCnWnY2ojiORqXMlBjyxTEUq835SaPq5fe421Y979lrUDdVvIPy0FXzg-3OoRjcgc3r8FhvHo0sV2xp-0w2qCJ91rz/s576/2024-11-18_11-39-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt9G8e4XatVKs0UfqME7_sVoyNrIClhRY88NKInJ8oPxouim6RBA1pidmUh_P6We5kYGysOydk0_dfcNDvqvpSVrmYddtUkzGKKPCnWnY2ojiORqXMlBjyxTEUq835SaPq5fe421Y979lrUDdVvIPy0FXzg-3OoRjcgc3r8FhvHo0sV2xp-0w2qCJ91rz/s320/2024-11-18_11-39-32.jpg" width="238" /></a></div></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was a surprise when the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's new seniors screening committee passed on the name of <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/YounTa00.htm">Paul "Tank" Younger</a> to its seniors committee for the Class of 2025. But it was a bigger surprise when that body voted him as one of its 31 semifinalists. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>It shouldn't be.</div><div><br /></div><div>Younger had a trailblazing career as a fullback and linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and, later, the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he was never a modern-era candidate for Canton, making the preliminary list only once. Nominated often as a senior, he never broke through to any finalist list there, either. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, this year is the first time he's advanced beyond the nomination stage ... and it's about time.</div><div><br /></div><div>His name rarely comes up in discussions among Hall-of-Fame enthusiasts on "X" or on-line forums, but it should. Because Younger not only was a top two-way player in the NFL; he was a pioneer who broke down racial barriers and opened doors for players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).</div><div><br /></div><div>Younger played collegiately at Grambling State (then Grambling College) under legendary coach Eddie Robinson, and he left an indelible mark on that program -- essentially, putting it on the map. In 1948, he was voted the Black College Football's Player of the Year, made the Pittsburgh Courier's All-America team and set a slew of records.</div><div><br /></div><div>"He was the fastest man on our team," recalled Robinson. "Most of the time in high school, whenever he got the ball he’d score a touchdown. On end-arounds, he was knocking people down. In college, he scored a helluva lot of touchdowns, 25 of them as a tackle on end-arounds. His junior year we moved him to running back and defensive halfback."</div><div><br /></div><div>Knocking people around and running over them earned him the nickname "Tank," and in his first year he ran like one -- rushing for for 1,207 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns. He had 60 TDs for his career which, at that time, was a collegiate record, and he completed 43 of 73 passes for 11 touchdowns.</div><div><br /></div><div>But even with all that, he wasn't selected when the NFL draft came around. Fortunately, that didn't end his football career, with "Tank" getting a chance to play in the NFL thanks to Eddie Kotal, the legendary scout for the Los Angeles Rams.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kotal signed Younger to a $6,000 contract, making him the first player from an HBCU to sign with an NFL team (several HBCU players played in the AAFC). That meant all eyes were on him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Years later, he recounted what Robinson advised him as he embarked on his NFL career.</div><div><br /></div><div>"In dummy drills," he told him, "run out the play 25 to 30 yards. Don’t turn and come back after 10 like the others do. The longer you have the ball under your arm, the longer the man is watching ..."</div><div><br /></div><div>Robinson also reminded him of the significance of this change. </div><div><br /></div><div>"He told me, 'You have to remember, if you fail,' " he said, " 'there's no telling when another black athlete from a black college will get a chance to play pro football. You were voted (B)lack College Player of the Year. If you go up there, and you don't make it, they'll say we took the best you have, and he didn't make it. You have to concentrate and be dedicated and make it.' "</div><div><br /></div><div>It was clear to Younger he couldn't fail. He didn't. </div><div><br /></div><div>Initially, he played both ways, with more time spent on defense. But by his third season, he joined the Rams' "Bull Elephant" backfield that featured three 225-pound fullbacks: Younger, "Deacon'' Dan Towler and Dick Hoerner ... and that changed the trajectory of his career. </div><div><br /></div><div>Though he carried the ball, he mostly did the blocking for Towler, thei Rams' Pro Bowl back. No longer was Younger primarily a defensive guy; he was a full-time guy, on the field 85 percent of the time that year. But, as a threat to run, opponents had to respect him as back, and that opened up things downfield.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enter the Rams' "Point a Minute" offense.</div><div><br /></div><div>It set records left and right in 1951, leading the club to that season's league championship and contending for titles in 1950 and 1955. Nevertheless, though Younger was getting more and more snaps on offense, he remained one of the best -- if not the best -- linebacker in the NFL. </div><div><br /></div><div>He not only was the first African-American to make All-NFL as a linebacker; no black linebacker surpassed his two Pro Bowls until 1969 when Dave Robinson and George Webster each made their thrid Pro Bowl/AFL All-Star games. But that doesn't count Younger's 1953 selection, when he was as much a linebacker as a running back -- though he's listed as the latter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back then, linebackers had a lot of duties. In a 5-3 defense, which was the Rams' predominant front, a linebacker had to stop runs to his side. But he had to cover running backs out of the backfield, too. Plus, he had another duty: If an offense flanked a running back or end wide, the outside linebacker had to play him outside the numbers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Younger's quickness allowed for it. He was a great tackler and an aggressive one, as the rules allowed in that era. There was one game, for instance, when Younger had to "necktie" Bears' quarterback Johnny Lujack near the Chicago Bears' bench -- right in front of George Halas.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Tank!" Halas yelled to Younger, "You SOB! We're going to kill you!."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bears tried, throwing everything at Younger -- cheap shots, late hits, you name it. Unfazed, Younger weathered the storm. Afterward, "Papa Bear" came up to him and muttered, "Tank you are the greatest, dirtiest, best football player in this league. I just wish we had you."</div><div><br /></div><div>By 1954, Younger's role changed. Though occasionally playing linebacker, he was primarily a running back -- rushing for 610 yards and a league-leading 6.7 yards a carry. According to historian and author T.J. Troup, aside from Chuck Bednarik and George Connor, Younger played more two-way snaps in that era than anyone. </div><div><br /></div><div>With the Rams' offense under the guidance of Hall-of-Fame coach Sid Gillman in 1955, Younger led the NFL in rushing yards per game, ran for a career-high 644 yards, earned second-team All-NFL honors and was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl. He also participated in the NFL championship game for the fourth time in his first seven seasons.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdTPezSIcC5GZQ-cbCbPxKJSYP3uEheRL-tHq-lrXSr4TemUvVZ0ij6-pGEV-0KzXcOCjVE3UdDnBvoWo-rDgiTC0u_NCaeb213aJ76pnxVav4TYCqiCzqnUkmT_NbEcM8k8jQolfC8fPB5tHJItrvF0gixYsA-6gxTYbfgS6H96swulCWgp5CmwbFFlY/s447/2024-11-18_11-40-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="447" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdTPezSIcC5GZQ-cbCbPxKJSYP3uEheRL-tHq-lrXSr4TemUvVZ0ij6-pGEV-0KzXcOCjVE3UdDnBvoWo-rDgiTC0u_NCaeb213aJ76pnxVav4TYCqiCzqnUkmT_NbEcM8k8jQolfC8fPB5tHJItrvF0gixYsA-6gxTYbfgS6H96swulCWgp5CmwbFFlY/s320/2024-11-18_11-40-40.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>But his time in Los Angeles was winding down, and two years later Steelers' coach Buddy Pakler sent a fourth-round pick to the Rams for Younger, whom Parker needed to block for Pro Bowl halfback Tom Tracy. After that, he retired and transitioned to working for the Rams, first as a first-time scout from 1958-64. then as a full-time scout from 1964-75.</div><div><br /></div><div>That experience led him to become the NFL's first African-American executive when the San Diego Chargers named him their assistant general manager.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though playing both ways, Younger scored 35 touchdowns and rolled up nearly 5,000 yards in nine pro seasons – 3,640 rushing on 770 attempts and 1,167 yards on 100 receptions. He was one of the few players to win All-Pro honors on both offense and defense, and he played in four Pro Bowls.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Younger's significance to the sport goes beyond just the numbers. He paved the way for other African-American players from historically black colleges to enter the NFL, opening doors for future stars like Walter Payton, Jerry Rice and Michael Strahan.</div><div><br /></div><div>When asked about all the Grambling players who made NFL and AFL rosters over the years, Collie James Nicholson, the sports information director for Grambling State University, said, "We will forever be grateful to 'Tank' Younger. He gave Negro colleges the momentum to make it big in professional football."</div><div><br /></div><div>Player. Adminstrator. Pioneer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe there is a place for Younger in the Hall of Fame.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-65847155344689871102024-11-17T20:41:00.006-07:002024-11-18T00:04:45.607-07:00Breaking Down Green Bay's Win in Chicago<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2Pfm2TviHmQLOMcyLYSD8Prfuxi97DU4D-hFWzyvd8uEfgc0DXD1WakuEz6-aHi3zXkKMnBwmFH_8rRY2ultDeGdDCqGFOU-kwI0CLwhm0MwF2SjKZ82c4OKi8O-NvYMVy2RXpE7S4TluPgphhyRCjXszOgk5BCMmfdmLb6O3ZgMQvb6eXx4DbJxYlUI/s1129/Watson%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="997" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2Pfm2TviHmQLOMcyLYSD8Prfuxi97DU4D-hFWzyvd8uEfgc0DXD1WakuEz6-aHi3zXkKMnBwmFH_8rRY2ultDeGdDCqGFOU-kwI0CLwhm0MwF2SjKZ82c4OKi8O-NvYMVy2RXpE7S4TluPgphhyRCjXszOgk5BCMmfdmLb6O3ZgMQvb6eXx4DbJxYlUI/w354-h400/Watson%202.jpg" width="354" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Receiver Christian Watson was the only Packer to<br />convert a third-down in Chicago.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Who needs third down?</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not the Packers who might be better off without it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In squeaking past Chicago 20-19 at Soldier Field, Green Bay mounted
three touchdown drives without once bumping up against third down. That the
team failed to score on any advance when it did only served to highlight its
continuing struggles when the down marker hits three.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Credit the Packers for all but avoiding third down. They got
there just five times as Jordan Love and Co. made hay on early downs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay gained 191 yards on 23 first-down plays (8.3
average). It produced 148 yards on 14 second-down snaps (10.6).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First and second were all the Packers required as they rolled
to scores on advances of 70, 70 and 78 yards. Eighteen plays produced 213
yards, 11 first downs and TDs by Jayden Reed, Josh Jacobs and Love.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On those possessions, second down functioned as a surrogate third
down. Green Bay went 6-for-6 in those instances, gaining 119 yards when 35 was
needed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If only the real third down could be dealt with as expeditiously.
Sustained success there might eliminate the need for a Karl Brooks to block to Cairo
Santos’ 46-yard field goal attempt as time expired in order to win.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE1NGKSN_sQnkYVUMzZtUkIN_iuKGDfkfPQI8ffRAcwoQBYYXb6hlVHnrHQe0sWSB9EPZ9GtCIufc-mT3W0UsjPkS5iq3FSZrlpIHyiiQNerfTgOv4gvUEFqnU8z_xBZM1KIifFCvWZkbthvQFZHPd0W1PFIJu1Qh-6ynSFsZFcJ5UOT6zGNIQkIjqmft/s5472/K%20Brooks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE1NGKSN_sQnkYVUMzZtUkIN_iuKGDfkfPQI8ffRAcwoQBYYXb6hlVHnrHQe0sWSB9EPZ9GtCIufc-mT3W0UsjPkS5iq3FSZrlpIHyiiQNerfTgOv4gvUEFqnU8z_xBZM1KIifFCvWZkbthvQFZHPd0W1PFIJu1Qh-6ynSFsZFcJ5UOT6zGNIQkIjqmft/s320/K%20Brooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos' last-second<br />field goal attempt which allowed Green Bay to win<br />its 11th straight against the Bears.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In Chicago, the Packers gained all of 22 yards on five
third-down plays. They earned a first down just once, that on a 17-yard pass
from Love to Christian Watson in the second quarter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Watson’s conversion kept alive an advance that was Green Bay’s
longest in terms of plays run (12). But the drive ended on third down when cornerback
Terell Smith waylaid a pass intended for Tucker Kraft near the Bears’ end zone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Talk about a momentum shift. Rookie Caleb Williams then
directed a 13-play, 76-yard TD march that put Chicago up 10-7 at the half.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Love’s interception underscored Green Bay’s difficulty on
third down, particularly in the passing game. The second-year starter’s numbers
are down this season, with one metric having fallen so low it should give the
coaching staff pause.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To date, Love has completed 27 of 59 passes (45.8
percent) for 311 yards, six TDs and four interceptions on third down. His passer
rating (67.8) is the lowest on that down by a Packers quarterback (minimum 50
attempts) since Brett Hundley’s 62.8 in 2017.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since 1992, just two Packers quarterbacks have finished with
a rating below 70: Hundley and Brett Favre (68.0) in 1999. Green Bay finished
7-9 in 2017 and 8-8 in 1999.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More disconcerting is Love’s inability to produce first
downs. Just 15 of his 59 throws (25.4 percent) have moved the chains.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That rate is the third lowest by a Packers passer over the
last 70 years. Only David Whitehurst (18.3) in 1978 and Randy Wright (24.6) in
1987 have been lower since 1954 (minimum 50 attempts).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Love can improve. He did in 2023.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In starting out 3-6 last season, Love compiled a third-down
passer rating of 83.7. He completed 52 of 90 passes for 602 yards, four TDs and
four interceptions. Thirty-eight of his 90 passes (42.2 percent) resulted in
first downs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In finishing 6-2, Love compiled a third-down passer rating
of 122.2. He completed 45 of 72 passes for 491 yards, 10 TDs and nary an
interception. Thirty-eight of his 72 attempts (52.7 percent) brought first
downs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Love’s lack of production has meant the Packers have gone
seven straight games with fewer than 50 yards passing on third down. It is the
team’s longest such streak in at least a dozen years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Only twice this season has Love converted more than two
third downs into firsts with his passing. He came up with four in a 34-13 win
over the Cardinals and three in a 24-22 victory over the Texans.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b>The Low Down on Third
Down<br /></b>Since 1954, Packers whose third-down throws produced
the fewest first downs on a percentage basis. (minimum 50 attempts)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> <b> </b><b>Rate<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Passer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Year<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Attempts-FDs</b><br /> 18.3 David
Whitehurst 1978 93-17<br /> 24.6 Randy
Wright 1987 69-17<br /> 25.4 Jordan
Love 2024 59-15<br /> 25.7 John
Hadl 1975 113-29<br /> 25.7 Lynn
Dickey 1977 74-19<br /> 27.5 Anthony
Dilweg 1990 51-14<br /> 28.4 Scott
Hunter 1972 74-21<br /> 29.3 Tobin
Rote 1955 92-27</div><p></p>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-9162774969611812302024-11-16T16:52:00.002-07:002024-11-16T16:52:14.739-07:00Russell Wilson is Back—Could This Be A Step Forward to a Gold Jacket?<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i>By John Turney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3tWepf1P2r6_UnH4X3ey5oUdo-RaCRgfmnQ0bYppIEsE7Gk2tc4hXo5hkti-zXunMrcH57oGennTQNSQ2-qvN1TKAWgMyk0SQ-AG2TMCaegitxPC2OrBo0uKAb7ATI3Vxq5aniAXqXKgCRnnwHbFX7rWX-p8c2eH9gbcsBLzTW500SeOv6RNv63DU8fN/s434/2024-11-16_16-50-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3tWepf1P2r6_UnH4X3ey5oUdo-RaCRgfmnQ0bYppIEsE7Gk2tc4hXo5hkti-zXunMrcH57oGennTQNSQ2-qvN1TKAWgMyk0SQ-AG2TMCaegitxPC2OrBo0uKAb7ATI3Vxq5aniAXqXKgCRnnwHbFX7rWX-p8c2eH9gbcsBLzTW500SeOv6RNv63DU8fN/s320/2024-11-16_16-50-40.jpg" width="269" /></a></div></i></b></div><div><a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WilsRu00.htm">Russell Wilson</a> is back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback Russell three weeks ago made his first start of the season, he's been impressive -- delivering strong back-to-back performances, with a passer rating of 111.9 and a 2-0 record. Equally impressive is that his trademark deep throws -- or "moon balls," as Cris Collinsworth calls them -- . are back, as new teammates Pat Freiermuth and George Pickens can attest.</div><div><br /></div><div>For a decade with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson was known for his efficiency (101.8 passer rating), success (a 104-53-1 in 158 starts), and ability to connect on deep passes (200 completions of 35 yards or more). But now that he looks like Russell Wilson 2.0, some fans are asking: Could he be back on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory?</div><div><br /></div><div>Once that seemed not only possible, but probable. But then there was a rough stay in Denver, and Wilson's stock declined. But now? Well, now former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III is pushing Wilson for Canton again.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Russell Wilson," he said on X (formerly Twitter), "is a Hall of Famer and has earned more respect than he’s been getting."</div><div><br /></div><div>Griffin pointed to Wilson's performance in Denver, citing respectable numbers (26 TDs, 8 INTs, a 66.4 percent completion rate and a 98.0 passer rating in 2023) and arguing that criticism of Wilson's leadership and ability to play in the NFL was unfair. Furthermore, he pointed out that, while his 2022 season was subpar, his 2023 performance was not.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's one man's opinion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Prior to 2023, a handful of Hall-of-Fame voters were asked on this site (Judge & Jury: Is Russell Wilson a Hall-of Famer Waiting to Happen? - Talk of Fame) if Wilson was Canton material.. As you might expect, their responses varied -- ranging from he has a "solid case to be strongly considered" ... to he's "a Hall-of-Very- Good type of player" ... to he "should eventually get in" but won't right away.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's an intriguing debate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike many elite quarterbacks, Wilson isn’t a physical giant with a cannon arm. He thrived on skill, hustle, and sharp football instincts, with the emphasis on thrived. While in Seattle, he made nine Pro Bowls, though he was never a first-team All-Pro or serious MVP candidate. But his numbers were excellent.</div><div><br /></div><div>The question is: Are they special? And is he elite? Take a look.</div><div><br /></div><div>In his 12-plus seasons, he’s thrown for 44,195 yards (19th all-time), 337 touchdowns (13th all-time) and 106 interceptions, with an interception percentage of 1.9 (seventh lowest) and a career passer rating of 100.1 -- the fourth-best ever. He also led the NFL in passer rating in 2014 and passing touchdowns in 2017. Plus, as a dual threat, his case is boosted by his 46,025 combined rushing and passing yards (14th all-time). </div><div><br /></div><div>For what it's worth, standing under six feet, he’s the all-time leading passer among quarterbacks 5-11 and under. Of course, that's if Drew Brees is not actually as tall as his listed height. But that's another discussion for another time!</div><div><br /></div><div>But there's more. Consider his performances when the stakes were highest: In the playoffs, Wilson is 9-7, throwing for 3,786 yards, 25 touchdowns and a 95.3 passer rating in 16 playoff games -- Pro Bowl-caliber numbers achieved on the game’s biggest stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>In his second NFL season, he led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl XLVIII blowout over the Denver Broncos and, one year later, was a single yard from back-to-back titles. But his interception on the Seahawks' final play of Super Bowl XLIX ended that conversation. Had then-coach Pete Carroll called for a Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch run, a comeback victory would've been assured. Instead, the Seahawks walked off the field as 28-24 losers.</div><div><br /></div><div>We also need to consider "the eye test" -- namely, what did you think when you saw him play? His knack for fourth-quarter comebacks is undeniable. Wilson ranks 10th all-time with 39 of them, proof that his team rarely was out of a game -- a mark of an elite quarterback.</div><div><br /></div><div>If Wilson retired today, his Hall-of-Fame case would not have changed much between now and September, 2023, the date of the "Judge and Jury" piece. All that happened was that Wilson had a solid season -- as Robert Griffin described. But to move the needle, more probably needs to be done. More numbers, more wins, more playoff success and more signature plays. </div><div><br /></div><div>A deep playoff run with the Steelers in the next few years and a late-career renaissance where he performs at a Pro Bowl level would strengthen his case. So stay tuned. He's just starting the new chapter of his career ... and so far, so good. </div><div><br /></div></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-21401067007053950352024-11-12T10:24:00.010-07:002024-11-12T13:13:48.966-07:00TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Notes on a Scorecard"<div><b><i>By TJ Troup <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TAJ5hD_StOtQTQbIWTfq5IfwTr_o0LBI1gv5hWKQKr8yqJvI5_LdbtN7RxtRBFZLo6a-7T-MAfWKQTsPAGhHe5vcbmMyo_G9Lcv75cMUlDceAQhJzEHngbrtpGBXXG3rk7nDYXsT-xhgim97ll85OoLtLfXa_B_ULnC6EBQvalO0HbZc8NxVk_bYnwCH/s507/2024-11-12_13-04-32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="507" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TAJ5hD_StOtQTQbIWTfq5IfwTr_o0LBI1gv5hWKQKr8yqJvI5_LdbtN7RxtRBFZLo6a-7T-MAfWKQTsPAGhHe5vcbmMyo_G9Lcv75cMUlDceAQhJzEHngbrtpGBXXG3rk7nDYXsT-xhgim97ll85OoLtLfXa_B_ULnC6EBQvalO0HbZc8NxVk_bYnwCH/s320/2024-11-12_13-04-32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Lance Alworth</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div>Years ago frequently read a column by Alan Malamud in the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> called "Notes on a Scorecard". Since today am going to cover more than one topic, sounds like a title that works. There are eight teams with seven or more wins at this point in the season. </div><div><br /></div><div>How many of those eight teams will make the playoffs? </div><div><br /></div><div>Probably all of them, which begs the question for all of you, and as always sure enjoy your answers—which team catches fire and earns a playoff berth? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARnfr_47kcfpS0XJkVhCv0quwnU0V8iWIfOdxj0-xIj3rP6I7uJRq94cH0U0nipDloRzUhXKU1YLchP8BhKhpxrXf4ZbU8obzTlK9CjGMsEWZeh0q8G3CkFHjfsdU64sqyrNqmwjQngtdgKmRLhQ21-UmFzcWf3QYwd3O5qbcGrvG-ZIvM0C_kaLRBgTd/s184/2024-11-12_13-05-57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="184" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARnfr_47kcfpS0XJkVhCv0quwnU0V8iWIfOdxj0-xIj3rP6I7uJRq94cH0U0nipDloRzUhXKU1YLchP8BhKhpxrXf4ZbU8obzTlK9CjGMsEWZeh0q8G3CkFHjfsdU64sqyrNqmwjQngtdgKmRLhQ21-UmFzcWf3QYwd3O5qbcGrvG-ZIvM0C_kaLRBgTd/s1600/2024-11-12_13-05-57.jpg" width="184" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matt Eberflus</span></b> </td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>When I go online and read the so-called power rankings, there are teams ranked 25-32. Will the cuddly little leaderless Chicago Bears continue their spiral to the bottom? Abe Gibron was an absolute joke as a head coach. Never thought he would be joined by someone as lost and clueless as Matt Eberflus yet here we are. </div><div><br /></div><div>Please share the Bears' final record? Is it possible they could go from 4-2 to 5-12? </div><div><br /></div><div>The Detroit Lions have proven they can win even when their very accurate quarterback throws five interceptions in a game, and they are behind. During the '70 season Johnny Hightops threw five interceptions and his contending team was down 17-0, and the Colts—THE BALTIMORE Colts rallied and won 21-20. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF44i79z3KzN-b1PRicP3sEkGYqe2_Ikis2fcKMpvPFOXhFwwQzeWH8UTq6PCM7uTBQvzpgDXoqlqj77jHu9V_TC4eIvn9cLMNNOAmnN1OQ-w-nFm9Hv4A7T0-evrCTayzgdGpGI4Pe1t_QKfjzBQ-H3MBARxkDKFtYUJ9gMpZrOMIPzz_UjHq6Ww3qHru/s208/2024-11-12_13-08-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="172" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF44i79z3KzN-b1PRicP3sEkGYqe2_Ikis2fcKMpvPFOXhFwwQzeWH8UTq6PCM7uTBQvzpgDXoqlqj77jHu9V_TC4eIvn9cLMNNOAmnN1OQ-w-nFm9Hv4A7T0-evrCTayzgdGpGI4Pe1t_QKfjzBQ-H3MBARxkDKFtYUJ9gMpZrOMIPzz_UjHq6Ww3qHru/s1600/2024-11-12_13-08-39.jpg" width="172" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Johnny Unitas</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Who were the victims in this classic confrontation you ask? </div><div><br /></div><div>Why the Chicago Bears of course. No, youngsters am not trying to imply that Mr. Goff is Unitas, but would be interesting if this year's Lions team wins the Silver Trophy just like the Colts did. </div><div><br /></div><div> Turnovers are a part of the game, and eventually <i>Pro Football Reference</i> will have a listing of every player that intercepted a pass and recovered an opponent's fumble in the same game; which I call the double take-away. </div><div><br /></div><div>When a player achieves the double take-away what are the chances his team wins? Which team historically has achieved the double takeaway the most? Down the road will attempt to entertain, and enlighten all of you on the impact of the double take-away. In August of 1971 went to the Coliseum for the Los Angeles Times Charity game between the Rams and Cowboys in hopes of seeing Lance Alworth play. He remains one of the best/greatest receivers of all time and since this past Sunday was the anniversary of one of his best games.....will end my column today by discussing him, and his performance on November 10th, 1963. </div><div><br /></div><div>Quoting Don Schiffer in his book <b>Pro Football 1963</b> he states "An injured thigh held back the development of Lance Alworth in his freshmen year of '62. The 23-year-old terror has such enormous talent that it's difficult how he'll miss carving out a career of near brilliance."</div><div><br /></div><div>Quoting Sam Blair in <i>Street and Smiths</i>, "fFeet flanker Lance Alworth appeared destined for rookie of the year in '62 unit short-circulated by injuries". His first game one catch for 17 yards, then his next three 9 catches for 209 yards. Then injury. He began the '63 campaign with 33 receptions for 757 yards and had caught a touchdown pass in five straight games when the Chargers took on the red-dogging Boston Patriots. </div><div><br /></div><div>Alworth scores the only touchdown in the game and San Diego holds on to win 7-6. This is the game that established him as a premier receiver as he latched onto 13 passes for 210 yards. He exploded out of his cuts, his ability to time his leap to snatch the ball away from defenders is still a highlight reel to watch. </div><div><br /></div><div>Could he play in today's game? Will the sun come up tomorrow?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0_fwrOwZPK-boaO0K-zFClqoMe5ydZzls9x97wLah0YE_OiR-wIjCpHowHtfFu_FWc377qg1f6jIgP_1mbDRwKj5EEI7okBfznQgKp4iOjAiGqVIezv7wiKnlAPF4SL6tyz1BrDdGheVCRT4rIwqrNa2e1tjZRWMVKhhledPL23A6bN6i8M4Ld2g-jr7/s581/2024-11-12_13-12-56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="581" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0_fwrOwZPK-boaO0K-zFClqoMe5ydZzls9x97wLah0YE_OiR-wIjCpHowHtfFu_FWc377qg1f6jIgP_1mbDRwKj5EEI7okBfznQgKp4iOjAiGqVIezv7wiKnlAPF4SL6tyz1BrDdGheVCRT4rIwqrNa2e1tjZRWMVKhhledPL23A6bN6i8M4Ld2g-jr7/w381-h314/2024-11-12_13-12-56.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lance Alworth</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>TJ Trouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304023579676096733noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-58262188821763037152024-11-08T09:21:00.003-07:002024-11-08T09:21:25.866-07:00Book Review: Free Spirit at Free Safety: The Incredible (but True!) Football Journey of Bill Bradley<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> By John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfQJUJIP-pgK-8OU8DdpGgrV_ZEm87BHV84avIAV987EK70BVQvbvKcn2ymIbos0HsFSi1kFTMxB6dci2OVvdu04G1OhoG-r6gxlkHG2nqMDfxHEWaByOU6Cgh8R6WKHqJnJa994ja_pWwMVrk3GTkuWwO-TIN0ci3OnSm_8_2QgGn-PQsLUDICGhcLzu/s413/2024-11-04_14-41-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfQJUJIP-pgK-8OU8DdpGgrV_ZEm87BHV84avIAV987EK70BVQvbvKcn2ymIbos0HsFSi1kFTMxB6dci2OVvdu04G1OhoG-r6gxlkHG2nqMDfxHEWaByOU6Cgh8R6WKHqJnJa994ja_pWwMVrk3GTkuWwO-TIN0ci3OnSm_8_2QgGn-PQsLUDICGhcLzu/s320/2024-11-04_14-41-02.jpg" width="212" /></a></div></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Joe Zagorski's newest book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Free-Spirit-Safety-Incredible-Football/dp/1956442359/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1E6DKT0QHP2F3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WU2iRWBhkXTwEPZwUTDojeJ8CdQTi_l9X73x9O5XE4p0tBLuRWsRmUY_CWMkDOR4j-0i_NCqoGLRc7B8dmykk2kVbpdyPKKH6vxZxFcOhaA.x47VhZDLBlBcrgdW6O2GwisWFOtwT138E1nLlKn2bfc&dib_tag=se&keywords=joe+zagorski&qid=1730756432&sprefix=joe+zagursk%2Caps%2C291&sr=8-1">Free Spirit at Free Safety: The Incredible (but True!) Football Journey of Bill Bradley</a> is a wild story.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>When you think of Bill Bradley, you probably think of the former New York Knicks' star ... and rightly so. He not only was a Hall-of-Fame player; he was an accomplished U.S. Senator. But there was another Bill Bradley ... also accomplished ... who deserves to be recognized.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, he has been.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joe Zagorski's newest book. "Free Spirit at Free Safety: The Incredible (but True!) Football Journey of Bill Bradley," chronicles the wild story of a football legend best remembered for his accomplishments on the field, his larger-than-life personality and a unique path in the sport.</div><div><br /></div><div>A wishbone quarterback at the University of Texas, Bradley became an All-Pro free safety for the Philadelphia Eagles, leading the league in interceptions for two straight seasons while also serving as the team's punter and holder for placekicks -- basically, a do-it-all kind of player.</div><div><br /></div><div>But he was much more than that.</div><div><br /></div><div>His career unfolded in 1969 in an era when the NFL still resisted players who dared to break the mold. But it couldn't resist Bill Bradley. He was among the first players to grow long hair and a bushy mustache and who, as a Texas high-school player, stood up for civil rights and fair treatment of his black teammates.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later, after joining the Eagles, he was one of the first NFL players to hold out for more money. Plus, in an age where drug usage was more and more commonplace, he refused to give in -- vowing that he was "never taking any kind of drug."</div><div><br /></div><div>And so he didn't.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book is a character study into the makeup of a truly iconoclastic athlete. Beyond statistics, it delves into the emotional rollercoaster of Bradley's career ... the ups and downs of injuries ... and his path from a winning collegiate team to a second-division NFL club.</div><div><br /></div><div>Drawing from extensive interviews, Zagorski brings his story to life with enthusiasm, capturing Bradley's quirks and rebellious spirit -- both of which are evident in some of the book's most entertaining moments. The narrative also covers the evolving dynamics of professional sports, highlighting the team politics and personal sacrifices that come with such a high-stakes career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mostly, however, the book sheds light on the harsh realities players faced in Bradley's era (1969-77), from the lack of guaranteed contracts to the uncertainty of injuries that often left them without support.</div><div><br /></div><div>With an engaging writing style, Zagorski presents a human story, one that is both a product of its time and a timeless tale of a man who refused to fit the mold, choosing instead to forge his own path. At 304 pages, including 34 pages of notes, bibliography, and an index, "Free Spirit at Free Safety" is a compelling tribute to a true football maverick.</div><div><br /></div><div>About the author:</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Joe Zagorski is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Pro Football Researchers Association. His biography of former Philadelphia Eagles free safety Bill Bradley is his fifth book. It is published by Highlander Press out of Baltimore, Maryland. His sixth book, a biography of former Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame offensive guard Larry Little, will be released later in 2025.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i> Zagorski is also the coordinator of the Facebook page The NFL in the 1970s.</i></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div>All of Zagorski’s pro football books are available on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites</div><div><div><b>The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade</b></div><div><b>Free Spirit at Free Safety: The Incredible (but True!) Football Journey of Bill Bradley</b></div><div><b>The 2,003-Yard Odyssey: The Juice, The Electric Company, and an Epic Run for a Record</b></div><div><b>The Year the Packers Came Back: Green Bay's 1972 Resurgence</b></div><div><b>America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier</b></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-56612095490384250112024-11-08T08:16:00.006-07:002024-11-10T19:15:45.499-07:00Midseason All-Pro Team<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>By John Turney<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUrIKjpdZkXK3ArYWzyzCM-nAwX9epSQ-F5PiN0YRihSDXxjUazkVofbfYCGuW-RLBkvkJyM0OnHdjRn_QNjND19-YbYAu5Nn4jtHXcUIpZaU19RL9Wb9TRJccSeS1WYLtr9WfuFabwzo3LC0XaREFQ7opx1Ks_EuHMd8-jxE-LSnMQhyIFhjMB0yomZK/s418/2024-11-08_8-14-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="418" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUrIKjpdZkXK3ArYWzyzCM-nAwX9epSQ-F5PiN0YRihSDXxjUazkVofbfYCGuW-RLBkvkJyM0OnHdjRn_QNjND19-YbYAu5Nn4jtHXcUIpZaU19RL9Wb9TRJccSeS1WYLtr9WfuFabwzo3LC0XaREFQ7opx1Ks_EuHMd8-jxE-LSnMQhyIFhjMB0yomZK/w400-h146/2024-11-08_8-14-24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lamar Jackson (L) and Fred Warner (R)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://talkoffametwo.com/nfl/2024-midseason-all-pro-team">Originally posted on Talk of Fame Two</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>The NFL's 17-game schedule makes it difficult to decide where to divide the first and second halves of the season. Is it after Week 8? Week 9? Last year, I picked my midseason All-Pro after eight weeks. This year, it's after Week 9. Either way, here's my 2024 iteration of the top players for the first two months of the season.</div><div><br /></div><div>FIRST TEAM</div><div>Offense</div><div>C—Tyler Biadasz, Commanders.</div><div>LG—Joe Thuney, Chiefs.</div><div>RG—Ben Powers, Broncos.</div><div>LT—Christian Darrisaw, Vikings.</div><div>RT—Lane Johnson, Eagles.</div><div>TE—Brock Bowers, Raiders.</div><div>QB—Lamar Jackson, Ravens.</div><div>FB—Patrick Ricard, Ravens.</div><div>RB—Derrick Henry, Ravens.</div><div>WR—Justin Jefferson, Vikings.</div><div>WR—Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Defense</div><div><br /></div><div>4-3 Edge—Aidan Hutchinson, Lions.</div><div>3-4 Edge—T.J. Watt, Steelers.</div><div>DI—Dexter Lawrence, Giants.</div><div>DI—Chris Jones, Chiefs.</div><div>LB—Fred Warner, 49ers.</div><div>LB—Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Browns.</div><div>CB—Pat Surtain II, Broncos.</div><div>CB—Marlon Humphrey, Ravens.</div><div>Slot—Deommodore Lenoir, 49ers.</div><div>S—Brian Branch, Lions.</div><div>S—Xavier McKinney, Packers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Special Teams</div><div>K—Brandon Aubrey, Cowboys.</div><div>P—Jack Fox, Lions.</div><div>PR—Kalif Raymond, Lions.</div><div>KR—Kavontae Turpin, Cowboys.</div><div>ST—J.T. Gray, Saints</div><div><br /></div><div>SECOND TEAM</div><div>Offense</div><div>C—Creed Humphrey, Chiefs.</div><div>G—Chris Lindstrom, Falcons.</div><div>G—Zach Martin, Cowboys.</div><div>LT—Tristan Wifts, Buccaneers.</div><div>RT—Penei Sewell, Lions.</div><div>TE—George Kittle, 49ers.</div><div>QB—Jared Goff, Lions.</div><div>FB—Alec Ingold, Dolphins.</div><div>RB—Saquon Barkley, Eagles.</div><div>WR—Nico Collins, Texans.</div><div>WR—Garrett Wilson, Jets.</div><div><br /></div><div>Defense</div><div>4-3 Edge—Trey Hendrickson, Bengals</div><div>3-4 Edge—Jared Verse, Rams.</div><div>DI—Cameron Heyward, Steelers.</div><div>DI—Grover Stewart, Colts.</div><div>LB—Bobby Wagner, Commanders.</div><div>LB—Zack Baun, Eagles.</div><div>CB—Jalen Ramsey, Dolphins.</div><div>CB—D.J. Reed, Jets.</div><div>Slot—Mike Hilton, Bengals.</div><div>S—Kirby Joseph, Lions.</div><div>S—Elijah Molden, Chargers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Special Teams</div><div>K—Chris Boswell, Steelers.</div><div>P—Logan Cooke, Jaguars.</div><div>PR—Calvin Austin, Steelers.</div><div>KR—Laviska Shenault, Seahawks.</div><div>ST—Brenden Schooler, Patriots.</div><div><br /></div><div>Offense Notes</div><div>OL -- Center Tyler Biadasz has been good for a while, but he's stepped it up this year as the leader of a resurgent Commanders' line. He's a big part of why their offensive is rolling. The Chiefs' Joe Thuney is a master technician, and Ben Powers is what is name suggests -- powerful.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I know Christian Darrishaw went down with a knee injury a couple of weeks ago. but he was the league's best left tackle up to then. Plus, the 49ers' Trent Williams got off to a slow start after a holdout. Darrishaw won't make the Pro Bowl, and he won't be All-Pro, but he deserves attention for the start he's had. Tristan Wifts of the Buccaneers is my second-team pick over Williams. On the right side, Lane Johnson is probably the best tackle in football, regardless of which side he plays on. The next-best option is the Lions' Penei Sewell.</div><div><br /></div><div>TE -- Maybe it's a bit premature, but I chose rookie Brock Bowers at tight end. He's not the complete player that George Kittle is, but he's off to a terrific start to his career.</div><div><br /></div><div>QB/RB -- All three players in my All-Pro backfield are from Baltimore: Quarterback Lamar Jackson, fullback Patrick Ricard and running back Derrick Henry. Now, before you ask ... no, I am not a Ravens' fan. But those three show up every game, and. at this point, comprise the best trio in the NFL, with Jackson my first-half MVP. Jared Goff, Alec Ingold and Saquon Barkley are the runners-up. </div><div><br /></div><div>WR -- This was pretty easy. Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase stand out, while backups Nico Collins and Garrett Wilson have been held back by their own offenses. Texans' quarterback C.J. Stroud hasn't had the time to pass that he had last year, and the Jets' offense ... as well as quarterback Aaron Rodgers ... has been sputtering. </div><div><br /></div><div>Defense Notes</div><div>EDGE -- Like Darrisaw, Lions' defensive end Aiden Hutchinson is lost for the season. He won't be on my season-ending All-Pro team, but he makes this one for all the right reasons. When he was healthy, he not only was dominant; he was the best of the 40 ends. Hutchinson edges (no pun intended) Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby and Will Anderson Jr. -- all of whom are outstanding. It's a golden age for edge rushers</div><div><br /></div><div>For my 3-4 edge, it's yet another terrific season for T.J. Watt. He was an easy choice, with Jared Verse, the Rams' stud rookie, next-best. Verse was known to be strong, but that was against college players. In the NFL, he's playing as powerfully as any edge in recent memory -- pushing around NFL players as he did with SEC players.</div><div><br /></div><div>DT -- Dexter Lawrence is remarkable He led the NFL in sacks after eight weeks -- unheard of for a 340-plus man. The Chiefs' Chris Jones is always a problem. Though his numbers are down a little, he seems to take over games when it matters. On the second team, I put Cam Hayward, along with run-stuffing shade tackle Grover Stewart.</div><div><br /></div><div>LB -- Fred Warner is my first-half defensive MVP. Even though the 49ers aren't as good defensively as they've been in the past, Warner is playing as well as ever. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is playing as he did last year -- stuffing runs behind the line of scrimmage and being a general menace -- and, so, he joins Warner on the first team.</div><div><br /></div><div>DB -- Denver's Pat Surtain II and Marlon Humphrey of the Ravens are the corners. with the 49ers' Deommodore Lenoir in the slot. The Lions have a fine pair of safeties, and either could have been chosen first. As it was, I chose Brian Branch to the first-team and Kerby Joseph as the backup. Joining Branch on the first-team is the ball-hawking Xavier McKinney, who came to Green Bay as a free agent and is already worth the money.</div><div><br /></div><div>SPECIAL TEAMS -- The Cowboys aren't much good, but their long-range kicker, Brandon Aubrey, is.</div><div><br /></div><div>That does it for the mid-terms. I'll be back with my season-ending team in January ... or after I grade the final exams.</div></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-79479844000803312392024-11-05T16:15:00.000-07:002024-11-05T16:15:23.997-07:00State Your Case: Does Lester Hayes Have What 'It' Takes to Reach Canton?<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i>By John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAu9NK1z0Ita-EUA-NfC0Hdfm1jlEwTcSlY4sgMxHKW7t8cal3_mKr-F_OEG7GWGCV1aotmiD3xK61SU3OvLLNKP1MWDeiKjC_yqZqkPMQBtMkQMSSb7uUtIsWzsp796xUxgFbERDOrcrdADgRS1o-HIKA5fcpB_cs_XQ97DZdQSATbRj8JNA0G0h7Icb/s390/2024-11-04_14-39-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAu9NK1z0Ita-EUA-NfC0Hdfm1jlEwTcSlY4sgMxHKW7t8cal3_mKr-F_OEG7GWGCV1aotmiD3xK61SU3OvLLNKP1MWDeiKjC_yqZqkPMQBtMkQMSSb7uUtIsWzsp796xUxgFbERDOrcrdADgRS1o-HIKA5fcpB_cs_XQ97DZdQSATbRj8JNA0G0h7Icb/s320/2024-11-04_14-39-22.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Lester doesn’t have it."</div></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>That’s what a Hall-of-Fame voter told me around 20 years ago when former Raiders' cornerback <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HayeLe00.htm">Lester Hayes</a> was a finalist for Canton, and the rest of the committee must have agreed. In four years as one of 15 candidates under consideration (2001-04), Hayes was never elected.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that was then, and this is now. Then he was a modern-era aspirant. Now he's one of 31 seniors eligible for the Hall's Class of 2025, which begs the question ...</div><div><br /></div><div>Does Lester Hayes, a.k.a., "the Judge " and self-proclaimed only true "Jedi Knight" in the NFL, have "it?" In other words, is he worthy of Canton?</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's talk about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over his career with the Raiders (1977-86), he had 39 interceptions, 572 return yards, and four touchdowns -- numbers the anonymous voter cited as deficient. Yet, he led the league with 13 interceptions in 1980, just one shy of Dick "Night Train" Lane’s all-time single-season record. </div><div><br /></div><div>After that year, opponents avoided him, cementing his reputation as a "shutdown corner" -- even though that term was not yet part of the NFL's lexicon. Only after Mike Haynes joined the Raiders in 1983 did they start challenging Hayes again, simply because they had no other option. But Hayes was still a top-tier bump-and-run corner, and he remained such for the rest of his career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, there’s the "Stickum" issue. Hayes coated his hands and arms with the yellow goop. When Stickum was banned in 1981, some claimed it hindered his interceptions. Hayes countered, saying it helped him "stick" to receivers slightly longer during bump-and-run coverage. He admitted it looked excessive, but he had his reasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can find material that suggests Stickum may be a reason that Hall voters never came around to him; that he was somehow tainted because of it. But if that's true, it's silly. It was Hall-of-Famer and teammate Fred Biletnikoff who introduced Lester to it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hopefully, that's not a reason voters voted him down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Beyond personal stats, Hayes played a key role in the Raiders' Super Bowl XV and XVIII victories. His 1980 playoff performance, with five interceptions in four games, was instrumental in Oakland's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. In 13 playoff games, Hayes had eight interceptions, five of them in 1980 when teams dared to test him.</div><div><br /></div><div>In total, Hayes played 10 seasons before a foot injury ended his career. His 1980 season earned him <i>AP</i> Defensive Player of the Year, making him one of only six cornerbacks to win that award. Four are in the Hall of Fame; one is still active, and then there’s Lester, on the outside of the Hall, looking in.</div><div><br /></div><div>But 1980 wasn’t his only standout season. In 1979, with two pick-sixes, he earned second-team All-AFC honors from <i>UPI</i>. In 1981, <i>The Sporting News </i>named him All-NFL, and in 1982, he was second-team All-Pro by the <i>NEA</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Continuing in 1983, <i>Pro Football Weekly</i> named him All-Pro, and he was second-team All-Pro on the <i>AP</i> and <i>NEA</i> squads. Finally, in 1984 the <i>PFWA </i>voted him All-Pro. Hayes was also part of the NFL’s 1980s all-decade team, a recognition awarded by the Hall-of-Fame selection committee.</div><div><br /></div><div>But there's more. </div><div><br /></div><div>Proscout, Inc., an independent scouting company that began grading NFL players in the mid-1970s, had Lester pegged as elite from the outset. In the 6-foot, 200-pound Hayes' first season as a starter (1978), he was ranked 13th-best in the NFL. The following season he wasn't chosen for the Pro Bowl, but he didn't go unnoticed by Proscout. It ranked him fourth. He was in the top six in 1983 and 10th in 1984. </div><div><br /></div><div>When he recorded those 13 interceptions in 1980, Proscout ranked him as one of the game's top cornerbacks. And when he had seasons with two or three interceptions, it put him among the best. That wasn't a grade based on stats; it was based on how well a player does his job.</div><div><br /></div><div>"The Judge" did his job.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was quite a journey to the pros for Hayes, a defensive end in high school who moved to linebacker in college, later switched to safety and then became a cornerback in the NFL. And while he initially questioned Al Davis’ decision to put him there, the move was a wise one. Hayes excelled as a cornerback.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Lester was one of the best at intimidation," said fellow Raiders' cornerback Mike Haynes. “As a cover man and tackler, he was phenomenal.” </div><div><br /></div><div>Hayes rarely played zone coverage, staying in man-to-man coverage most of the time. If he read a play and knew the ball wasn’t coming his way, he would go "hunting" -- the forerunner to the modern “match” coverage where defenders help nearby teammates if their receiver isn’t targeted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hayes was a throwback to the Raiders' bump-and-run glory days, but he was more physical. He'd butt his helmet into the chests of opposing receivers so hard that, according to Hall-of-Fame receiver James Lofton, "It would knock the wind out of you."</div><div><br /></div><div>But his ability extended far beyond physical play -- so much so that Burgess Owens, another Raiders' safety, extolled Hayes when asked about him.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Lester," he said, "plays the position better than anyone in the game. He may become the best of all time."</div><div><br /></div><div>While he may not be the "best of all time," a closer look could reveal that our voter was wrong ... and that Lester Hayes does indeed have "it."</div></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-52927743054254012082024-11-04T09:03:00.002-07:002024-11-04T14:33:28.047-07:00Packers Gain Yards, Not Victory, Against Lions<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18gJWrFzcU_DGp_42QvyjH-kr-rsK00t6eASh7UgbweSs4Rg8mfjoqVuQf-oqpj7g5KN1xm-YEoFmMduhUV1_KW0X4J_N8S6MqBcd4xtxz_Wa2J-oso0csjIvPBYuvGWMBeyKK7649e07d0lbobHZTj8t5kXvk3S6bqxJAl-2p61x__inrb2e8hejQDJ7/s3047/Double%20Jordan%20Love.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3047" data-original-width="3009" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18gJWrFzcU_DGp_42QvyjH-kr-rsK00t6eASh7UgbweSs4Rg8mfjoqVuQf-oqpj7g5KN1xm-YEoFmMduhUV1_KW0X4J_N8S6MqBcd4xtxz_Wa2J-oso0csjIvPBYuvGWMBeyKK7649e07d0lbobHZTj8t5kXvk3S6bqxJAl-2p61x__inrb2e8hejQDJ7/w395-h400/Double%20Jordan%20Love.jpg" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Jordan Love was in attendance at Lambeau Field Sunday.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Come away with 400 yards and the Packers had always been golden
against the Lions at Lambeau Field.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Alas, like any streak, this one was bound to end.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Detroit – a team that plays its home games in a dome – had little
trouble adjusting to the elements Sunday. The Lions shrugged off the wind and rain
to dispatch Green Bay 24-14 in a much anticipated battle for supremacy in the
NFC North Division.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Had the outcome been determined by the stat sheet, Green Bay
would have won. The Packers produced more first downs (20 to 17) and manufactured
more yards (411 to 261) en route to engineering a more robust average gain per
offensive play (6.6 to 4.7).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Josh Jacobs led all runners with 95 yards rushing, 22 better
than Detroit’s David Montgomery. Jayden Reed paced all receivers with 113
yards, more than double the output of the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But, like empty calories, the Green and Gold’s
abundance provided little nutritional value. Besting the Lions in a
host of statistical categories did little to effect the scoreboard.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXRmll-ANjbObTy7T7E-kX2KUE3Gceb-nS15xafwUhlbW6uOfG2UbGVxvGf1XZsuWvzh1igTa5ffyfNig6-C0ZfstH0imbCxA4gGj65ZmDTr5TS2_daPITdJXOAzL6_9Dp2FiEaX5WsYUYLYfu3i-D_KpWKXEhC_tdUl5SsJwuvVIdl6Dh7zN-JGsPa8p/s3601/Double%20Lions%20Fans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="3601" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXRmll-ANjbObTy7T7E-kX2KUE3Gceb-nS15xafwUhlbW6uOfG2UbGVxvGf1XZsuWvzh1igTa5ffyfNig6-C0ZfstH0imbCxA4gGj65ZmDTr5TS2_daPITdJXOAzL6_9Dp2FiEaX5WsYUYLYfu3i-D_KpWKXEhC_tdUl5SsJwuvVIdl6Dh7zN-JGsPa8p/s320/Double%20Lions%20Fans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">Coach Matt LaFleur’s outfit can’t even brag about having outgained
Detroit by 150 yards. The Titans (+191) did so by a wider margin (on Oct. 27) and lost 52-14.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where it mattered most, Green Bay floundered. It had twice
as many penalties (10 to 5), far more dropped passes (6 to zero by one count)
and three botched snaps.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And while Jordan Love passed for more yards (273) than his counterpart Jared Goff (145), he also threw an inexcusable
pick-six just before the half to put the Lions up 17-3 at the break.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yards gained can get a team only so far.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKxkEIl9AsomhazIrO1OPA96FVzqalfE3JxyXRjZUSKAGY58kBNyAlllJb4xbITc35YJg4vj9K2gkhc879BDUx1ctF-2V1EKxf1WlDties0E5YVi5Dbd2SqJP8eRKCCjgtoyUXdSu-xZbkoTjwLtNzrKy7EPYLSYf2LXSFYjpJPioDybhdQHzEgpBGzW6/s2749/WI%20Marching%20Band.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2749" data-original-width="2109" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKxkEIl9AsomhazIrO1OPA96FVzqalfE3JxyXRjZUSKAGY58kBNyAlllJb4xbITc35YJg4vj9K2gkhc879BDUx1ctF-2V1EKxf1WlDties0E5YVi5Dbd2SqJP8eRKCCjgtoyUXdSu-xZbkoTjwLtNzrKy7EPYLSYf2LXSFYjpJPioDybhdQHzEgpBGzW6/s320/WI%20Marching%20Band.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Years ago, gaining 400 or more yards was usually followed by
a win. Green Bay went 16-0-1 in such games from 1923 to 1945.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even this century, getting to 400 often pays dividends. Since
2000, the Packers are 88-28-1 when doing so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay has attained 400 yards a total of 233 times during
the regular season since 1923, going 175-55-3 in those games. It struck for the first time against the Racine Tornadoes in 1926. It struck most often against – you guessed
it – the Detroit Lions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Motor City Eleven have often served as a punching bag for
the Packers. Sunday was the 40th time Green Bay nicked the Lions for 400 or
more yards in the regular season. The team is 32-8 when doing so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And while the Packers could get there and still lose when playing in Detroit, hitting the benchmark at Lambeau Field had always come coupled with victory.
From 407 yards in a game in November 1964 to 488 yards in an early-season matchup
in 2020, Green Bay had gone 12-0 against the Lions in the stadium named for its
first head coach.</p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQfqJAVtUEMx6xcBCN1b97YMNkOmgoQAYFWoIqonT7tdVmJmkQDpt9euCF5Glq6CvTg-PSZvxE3LuGSwtSaWdVP2bHWTuYESUQL8-ihpaVWFV_CihFGxsdfO_PZh0NaI5biesau5s-ru2olD7KklcFwzIT39ei3bPXF7tVrtlg1VfoW445PX-q9Iaff6K/s4301/107-5%20The%20Fan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3105" data-original-width="4301" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQfqJAVtUEMx6xcBCN1b97YMNkOmgoQAYFWoIqonT7tdVmJmkQDpt9euCF5Glq6CvTg-PSZvxE3LuGSwtSaWdVP2bHWTuYESUQL8-ihpaVWFV_CihFGxsdfO_PZh0NaI5biesau5s-ru2olD7KklcFwzIT39ei3bPXF7tVrtlg1VfoW445PX-q9Iaff6K/w400-h289/107-5%20The%20Fan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(L-R): Marques Eversoll, Bill Rabeor and Chris Havel.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay hadn’t been perfect against the Bears (9-2). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hadn’t been without blemish against the Vikings
(5-3-1).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But against the Lions, it had been spot on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over a 32-year span from 1992 – the season Green Bay again
began to win with regularity – through last season, the Packers gained more
yards and scored more points against the Lions than they did against any other
team. While the differences between what they inflicted on the Bears and
Vikings were small, one fact remained: Detroit was on the bottom.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not anymore. As the division-leading Lions (7-1) have
shown, they can win when outgained. LeFleur and his Packers (6-3) had better marry
points to yards when the two teams tangle on the first Thursday in
December.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stepping Off 400 at Lambeau<br /></b>Green Bay’s regular-season record (73-15-1) when it gains
400-plus yards at Lambeau Field.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Record<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Team<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Streak<br /></b><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>12-1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lions<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lost 1<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>9-2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bears<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Won 6<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>6-0<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cowboys<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Won 6<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>5-1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eagles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Won 1<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>5-3-1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lost 1<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4-0<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Buccaneers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Won 4<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4-0<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>49ers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Won 4</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><u>Rest
of the league</u>: Falcons (3-1); Raiders (3-0), Cardinals (3-0); Titans (2-1);
Giants (2-0), Rams (2-0), Patriots (2-0), Redskins (2-0), Saints (2-0); Chargers
(1-1), Chiefs (1-1), Colts (1-1); Bengals (1-0), Bills (1-0), Broncos (1-0), Seahawks
(1-0); Browns (0-1), Jaguars (0-1) and Panthers (0-1).</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><br /></div>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-29127794707800696042024-11-02T00:32:00.003-06:002024-11-02T00:32:47.607-06:00 What Giants' Lawrence Is Doing Is More Than Unusual. It's Unprecedented<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>By John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb35oQQuXULuvwqcmZYwApH0hj3fskRbgCXLAHHwyeLgN1ygVs1_oJ9bH6q4M_aJqUp5l1phWrDb0rFu8f4aeFVbqEYA4RM-IxVuz48rvZHFkANA86LekgjPyQuEQA6GXtZ6Z1EZdWlI5VWypZ_CFexEmAF19a8K5NPtm8nZ4e_8GXryyzntIQn7HPEyBq/s254/2024-11-02_0-32-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="184" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb35oQQuXULuvwqcmZYwApH0hj3fskRbgCXLAHHwyeLgN1ygVs1_oJ9bH6q4M_aJqUp5l1phWrDb0rFu8f4aeFVbqEYA4RM-IxVuz48rvZHFkANA86LekgjPyQuEQA6GXtZ6Z1EZdWlI5VWypZ_CFexEmAF19a8K5NPtm8nZ4e_8GXryyzntIQn7HPEyBq/s1600/2024-11-02_0-32-22.jpg" width="184" /></a></div></i></b></div><div>Nine sacks.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's how many the NFL leader has at this point, and we're not even halfway through the season. So who is it? Not edge rushers Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby or J.J. Watt and not a quick, elusive defensive tackle like Aaron Donald, either. In fact, it's someone you may not have expected.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's defensive interior <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/L/LawrDe03.htm">Dexter Lawrence</a> of the New York Giants ... or, "Sexy" Dexy, as he calls himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granted, there have been defensive tackles with a lot of sacks before, but not like this. Lawrence is ... well, different ... and let me explain. It's not that he's a big defensive tackle; it's that he's a huge defensive tackle. Not 300 or 325 pounds. But 342 ... maybe more.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that's significant.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to <i>Pro Football Reference</i>, the leading statistical internet website, his nine sacks are the most for any player in NFL history listed at 340 pounds or more. The previous big, big man single-season sack mark (I don't call it a record) was set by 6-foot-2, 345-pound defensive tackle Grady Jackson. who had eight sacks for the Raiders in 2000.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that was in 16 games. This is through eight. So, what Lawrence has done in a season not yet halfway complete is more than unusual. It's unprecedented.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Pro Football Reference</i> also lists former defensive tackle Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson with two seasons of eight sacks each. But it has him at 340 pounds, where his teams' media guides put him at 313 in those years. It's possible that he weighed more -- he certainly did in later seasons -- but probably not 340. Nevertheless, in his top years he still had one fewer sack than "Sexy Dexy" has through eight games.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, there's one detail that should be clarified, and it has to do with former Detroit nose tackle Jerry Ball. In 1989, he had nine sacks. Though <i>Pro Football Reference</i> put his final weight at 330 pounds, he was listed at 298 in 1989, or well below Lawrence. Of course, anyone who saw Ball play in the mid-1990s knows that 330-or-so pounds is low. By a lot. Ball was probably 350 or 360 when he left Detroit and never close to Lawrence's mark when he was beyond 340 pounds.</div><div><br /></div><div>That leaves Dexter Lawrence standing alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nine sacks. At 342 pounds.</div><div><br /></div><div>If he were to continue at this pace, he'd wind up with 19 sacks for the season, or 1-1/2 short of the bar for a defensive tackle, set by -- who else? -- Aaron Donald. Nevertheless, every sack Lawrence produces over the next nine games pushes him farther ahead of the game's mammoth defensive linemen and separates him from those 340-pound nose tackles who had to be removed from the field on passing downs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dexter Lawrence plays all three downs, and that's what makes him remarkable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, there is more to pass rushing than just sacks, and, yes, there is more to Lawrence than just sacks. Over the last several years, he was among the NFL leaders in pressures among interior defensive linemen. Per <i>Pro Football Focus</i>, he ranked 14th in pressures in 2021, second in 2022, tied for fourth in 2023 and third so far this year. That means he creates as many sacks for linemates as they do for him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Somewhere John Madden must be smiling. He loved big linemen, but he loved HUGE linemen even more. Can you imagine what he'd say about one of his so-called B.U.B.B.A.s (Brotherhood United of Bad Bodies of America) topping the league in sacks this far into a season?</div><div><br /></div><div>He'd be going bonkers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Were Madden still with us, "Sexy Dexy" would be an All-Madden regular every year. Plus, every time Madden was involved with the broadcast of a Giants' game, he'd marvel at what Lawrence is doing this season.</div><div><br /></div><div>As we all should. </div><div><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-24834620434161929332024-10-29T14:21:00.004-06:002024-10-29T16:43:16.651-06:00Billy Shaw, Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer<div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">by Jeffrey J. Miller</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Long-time Buffalo Bills fans (and pro
football fans across the league) were saddened with the news that Billy Shaw,
one of the greatest players in team history, passed away on October 4 at the
age of 85.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For anyone unfamiliar with
Shaw’s career, he was a member of the Bills’ American Football League
championship teams of 1964 and ’65 and considered by many to be the finest
guard in that league’s ten-year existence.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To Buffalo fans, he was the very embodiment of the Bills’ blue-collar spirit,
the perfect representation of the team and city that has always prided themselves as underdogs and an afterthought in the world of pro football.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkLg3QnT6gND0_ohyphenhyphen1Fk0sO1HUf7ch-t4Z5rHf1IkgQkD9R3gashJ1Dt7SeDh8cCRzW6zm2PDK5V0OHFJ2ZQY7QOgzcRUm_7i-5krqyEFQljFehgZAZNSyouwZ9bGnjYurTu1YlOnWp-5hdr26jsiwAb-pzpOGoi6qQobDJfgcNrGiQ0mWg30aqXh9kR2/s350/a%20-%201969%20Shaw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkLg3QnT6gND0_ohyphenhyphen1Fk0sO1HUf7ch-t4Z5rHf1IkgQkD9R3gashJ1Dt7SeDh8cCRzW6zm2PDK5V0OHFJ2ZQY7QOgzcRUm_7i-5krqyEFQljFehgZAZNSyouwZ9bGnjYurTu1YlOnWp-5hdr26jsiwAb-pzpOGoi6qQobDJfgcNrGiQ0mWg30aqXh9kR2/s320/a%20-%201969%20Shaw.jpg" width="229" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Shaw’s
accomplishments are well-known to Bills fans and observers of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a five-time All-AFL selection,
appeared in eight AFL All Star games, and won two AFL championships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1970, he was selected as one of the
first-team guards on the AFL all-time team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
and received the ultimate laurel when he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in
1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this very day, Shaw remains the
only HOF enshrinee who never played a down in the National Football League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(He is also one of only two Bills players in
the Hall of Fame who played his entire career with the team, the other being
Jim Kelly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccCQ4Mi7_Lpi6amYS5dhzzJy_3BXS8BDbHGAh9KeTh0tuy0ztDfmGAW0UHxvrxkI1h8mNR6EjLVV7nV66ysfnCvPQi1OmTrYuE-_z57pdIh9hhuuwudKBMez_jxb8CikwfM62VOpQdl9HibrBu1hiviHT_N8D6pNjONGfTL7MPVInpcgXAMl9yoxXsOmC/s3838/1000001888.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3838" data-original-width="2699" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccCQ4Mi7_Lpi6amYS5dhzzJy_3BXS8BDbHGAh9KeTh0tuy0ztDfmGAW0UHxvrxkI1h8mNR6EjLVV7nV66ysfnCvPQi1OmTrYuE-_z57pdIh9hhuuwudKBMez_jxb8CikwfM62VOpQdl9HibrBu1hiviHT_N8D6pNjONGfTL7MPVInpcgXAMl9yoxXsOmC/s320/1000001888.jpg" width="225" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>When
I was writing ROCKIN’ THE ROCKPILE back in the early 2000s, I had the good
fortune to interview more than 60 players and staff from the Bills’ AFL era,
including Jack Kemp, Lou Saban, Ralph Wilson, Pete Gogolak, Booker Edgerson, Ed
Rutkowski, Ernie Warlick and many others, including Billy Shaw. </span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Even in the day before the proliferation of
the cell phone, I was shocked that I found Billy’s number in the regular white
pages of the phone book, which I suppose was emblematic of the man’s “regular
guy” essence.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Billy was very open and
forthcoming during our interview sessions, providing deep insight into his
decision to go with the Buffalo Bills of the upstart American Football League
rather than the established NFL after a standout career at Georgia Tech.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“I
went to (Bobby Dodd, head coach at Georgia Tech),” Shaw recalled, “and said,
‘Coach, here are my options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help
me.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, ‘There is a place in
football for a new league, and you have a chance to be part of history, because
if done correctly, it won’t fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
will enhance football.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he was
exactly on cue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually signed with
Buffalo before the NFL draft, and the reason that I did that was that Dallas
had made contact with me before the draft and they wanted to play me at
linebacker, and I had never played linebacker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Coach Dodd recommended I go to Buffalo because they wanted me to play on
either side of the </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">On behalf of Bills fans everywhere, I say, “thank you, Bobby Dodd!” </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Shaw
went on to anchor one of the most formidable offensive lines in AFL history,
beginning with paving the way for Cookie Gilchrist as he became the first AFL
running back to top the 1,000-yard mark (1,096) in 1962, protecting quarterback
Jack Kemp en route to the back-to-back championships in ‘64 and ’65, and eight
straight AFL All- Star games. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Shaw was
so well respected that he was selected to play in the All-Star Game after the
1967 season despite missing five games that year to a severe knee injury.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Halfback Bobby
Burnett attributed a great amount of responsibility for his Rookie-of-the-Year
campaign of 1966 to Shaw.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">“Billy Shaw,
in one of the very first practices, told me, ‘You want to be All-Pro?’</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I said, ‘Yeah.’</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">He said, ‘ You get on my butt and follow me
where I go.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I’ll make you All Pro.’”</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our interviews covered a range of subjects,
including the early days of the team and the American Football League, the
dominant years from 1964 to 1966 when the team made it to three straight AFL
title games, the down year of 1967 that saw Billy miss a large chunk of the
schedule due to a knee injury, 1968 when the team won just one game, the AFL
All Star game in January 1965 when the black players took a stand against
racial discrimination and mistreatment, his assessment of many of the players
he played against, memories of old War Memorial Stadium, Bills fans and much
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Once
the project was near completion, I had to make a decision about who I wanted to
write the foreword for the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
many great options from which to choose, and I know that anyone of them would
have been willing and done a great job. But when it came down to it, Billy was
the best choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my delight, he was
more than happy to accept the invitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And he did an outstanding job!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM3RJYEAS42xpeT47BOd63WE9ezndyFKl2cfHw1tO5Nwbpbr_GlmCJSEUicP6xCaLsMjlp5e8VEOU6M2h2eoKUvnUWGkKGeh2D5f5dz9U4AD_mh7233R_liDp0jWGv5yrK3xJtx63NRjdGPJdKuSu103_zMcyKsK4ycsJ0Aldfb1jn7jKbbT1q0fmUsJB/s3976/1000001890.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="3039" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwM3RJYEAS42xpeT47BOd63WE9ezndyFKl2cfHw1tO5Nwbpbr_GlmCJSEUicP6xCaLsMjlp5e8VEOU6M2h2eoKUvnUWGkKGeh2D5f5dz9U4AD_mh7233R_liDp0jWGv5yrK3xJtx63NRjdGPJdKuSu103_zMcyKsK4ycsJ0Aldfb1jn7jKbbT1q0fmUsJB/s320/1000001890.jpg" width="245" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Billy’s passing
stands as a reminder of a time when the Bills stood at the forefront of
professional football (even if it was the AFL), and that the number of
surviving members of that exclusive AFL fraternity is sadly dwindling.</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">A recent reunion of the 1964 AFL championship
team held at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park (the current home of the Buffalo
Bills) was attended by all of five alumni (Butch Byrd, Wray Carlton, Booker
Edgerson, Paul Maguire, and Ed Rutkowski).</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">There are a handful of others still among us, but they were unable to
attend due to health issues.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I didn’t want to
make this article one of those typical listings of the man’s accomplishments
(though it appears I did do some of that) with a year-by-year account of his
career.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">That approach gets tiresome after
a while.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Just wanted to pay tribute and
say “thank you” to Billy for being so generous with his time and memories, and
for writing such a wonderful foreword for my book. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And as I am thinking about it now, that book
would most likely not have been possible, or at least necessary, without Billy Shaw.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>Jeffrey J. Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00551237416018364311noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-29167648846520207922024-10-28T11:21:00.002-06:002024-10-28T16:47:42.711-06:00Packers Overcome Jacksonville's Lengthy Drives<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwMCgBLWF5622iStuWB1GcbE2mvWlxKSZbNnRA3wYtSj5W8RdHkDkvrfBB2TRkB97JtZoPYcPWc4i_KYh57AxtDpJmQRRsP-xAFNfL2BW7ZY3gOAv9zbo4CY7QVtfHeTNIghcLv4rh2Snt8YhzIvdBn_jX2kHQhozAakzd6fTXvpKuctn-Vc5ccOiJzAo/s2721/Haffley%20Bubble.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="2201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwMCgBLWF5622iStuWB1GcbE2mvWlxKSZbNnRA3wYtSj5W8RdHkDkvrfBB2TRkB97JtZoPYcPWc4i_KYh57AxtDpJmQRRsP-xAFNfL2BW7ZY3gOAv9zbo4CY7QVtfHeTNIghcLv4rh2Snt8YhzIvdBn_jX2kHQhozAakzd6fTXvpKuctn-Vc5ccOiJzAo/w324-h400/Haffley%20Bubble.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Jeff Hafley's defense did more than blow bubbles<br />at Jacksonville Sunday.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Jaguars unleashed a rare one-two punch against the
Packers Sunday.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But for all its effort, Jacksonville’s once-in-a-blue-moon double-dip earned it nothing more than a dubious footnote in Green and Gold history.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trevor Lawrence and his offensive teammates twice mounted far-reaching drives while hosting Green Bay at EverBank Stadium. That the
outsized quarterback capped both with touchdown passes did not deter the
Packers who rallied after each to post a 30-27 win.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Early on, Jacksonville displayed a distinct inability to roam the field. Three
of its four initial possessions ended with a punt. The other was halted by an
interception. None of the four advances yielded a first down or consisted of
more than three plays.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So when Green Bay went ahead 10-0 on a 31-yard Brandon
McManus field goal with six minutes, three seconds remaining in the first half,
the Jaguars had all of 23 yards on 11 plays.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Reining in an opponent to that extent has always spelled
victory under head coach Matt LaFleur. Six times had his Packers afforded the
competition 23 or fewer yards on their first 11 snaps, and six times Green Bay
prevailed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Surely this was a cakewalk in the making?</p><p class="MsoNormal">Not even close.
Jacksonville was not about to wave the white flag.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0mtBL6RnURManiwN8iEm10s_RKAzMPPRUs2zWZRXh2GqlFK1Igv01xNf0lAG9RNWPFIPY0WfN0TNiSgKLux86TRgF1QhV8ruh8SwMwrkeDu8us8DMRAaaqMaKGzQaVTZTyP2iTQoD_Y6ROxxnLbxt-j-ULUC8Pr8tiGq0h_22CmOqEgLrltwj0MTwmTU/s3359/Edge2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3359" data-original-width="2297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0mtBL6RnURManiwN8iEm10s_RKAzMPPRUs2zWZRXh2GqlFK1Igv01xNf0lAG9RNWPFIPY0WfN0TNiSgKLux86TRgF1QhV8ruh8SwMwrkeDu8us8DMRAaaqMaKGzQaVTZTyP2iTQoD_Y6ROxxnLbxt-j-ULUC8Pr8tiGq0h_22CmOqEgLrltwj0MTwmTU/s320/Edge2.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper forced<br />a fumble when he sacked Jaguars<br />quarterback Trevor Lawrence.</b></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Down 13-10 at the break, the Jaguars twice dialed long
distance. They moved 93 yards in 10 plays to go ahead 17-10 on their second
possession of the third quarter. They then zipped 87 yards on 8 plays to tie
the score at 27 with 1:48 remaining in the game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The home team made it look easy. Especially Lawrence who compiled
a perfect passer rating on the two advances by completing 10 of 12 passes for
151 yards and two touchdowns.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The six-foot-six signal caller doled out passes to seven different
receivers: Evan Engram (3-34), Brenton Strange (2-26), Christian Kirk (1-26), D’Ernest
Johnson (1-20), Tim Jones (1-15), Parker Washington (1-15) and Brian Thomas
(1-14). Thomas and Engram each reached the end zone, both from 14 yards out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More than half (10) of Jacksonville’s 19 first downs were
produced on the two forays. Nearly half (185) of the Jaguars’ 390 yards were
produced while running rampant.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lawrence’s plunge for two on fourth down kept the first advance
alive. His pass to Strange for 21 on third down ensured the second continued.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS53R_TqOD9jO2t7o3g1RGfnbXME_YPJVI_Aonn-AOhKFaXnZRI1QlsneZ4fStOCde2vQnm_qg1qb9XvOxMLyiTReoVChzc-xl5phND3NmESRxQ88DCv8NpmDUOgn4cuEkPZgAEAwM5kJUd-IKaidZYHGnUIoJ2Wb3w7vP5Qz-TlXlqjQ9qcpCj8QQrNee/s4001/Wyatt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3639" data-original-width="4001" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS53R_TqOD9jO2t7o3g1RGfnbXME_YPJVI_Aonn-AOhKFaXnZRI1QlsneZ4fStOCde2vQnm_qg1qb9XvOxMLyiTReoVChzc-xl5phND3NmESRxQ88DCv8NpmDUOgn4cuEkPZgAEAwM5kJUd-IKaidZYHGnUIoJ2Wb3w7vP5Qz-TlXlqjQ9qcpCj8QQrNee/s320/Wyatt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Devonte Wyatt recovered a fumble that led to<br />a Packers touchdown.</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Yielding touchdowns after an opponent has traveled more than 85 yards twice
in one game is virtually unheard of in Packerland. It had happened just four times previously
since 1921, a span of 1,442 regular-season games.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each of the four teams that did it – Giants in 2022, Falcons in
2017, Rams in 1956 and Lions in 1951 – defeated Green Bay. Jacksonville becomes
the first to go to such lengths and lose.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though the Packers prevailed, concerns ought to be raised regarding
their defense or lack thereof. Even in a sport with the scales tipped in favor
of the offense, giving up two touchdowns in the same game on drives of more
than 85 yards is alarming.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Prior to Sunday, the league’s 32 teams had combined to
produce 2,333 drives in 2024 with 287 of those originating inside a team’s
15-yard line. Just 43 of those 287 (15 percent) resulted in touchdowns.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At EverBank Stadium, four of Jacksonville’s 12 possessions started
within 14 yards of its goal. That half of those wound up with the Jaguars in
the end zone is two too many.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thus, Green Bay became the third team to allow two touchdowns on drives of more than 85 yards in one game this season. Minnesota gave up two to
the Packers in its 31-29 win on Sept. 29, and Washington surrendered two in
falling 30-23 to the Ravens on Oct. 13.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Area Code 86+6<br /></b>Since 1921, only five teams have staged two touchdown drives
of more than 85 yards in a regular-season game against the Packers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Date<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Team<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Drive 1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Drive 2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Result<br /></b><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oct. 27, 2024<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jaguars<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>10-93<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>8-87<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB won, 30-27<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oct. 9, 2022<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Giants<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>11-86<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>15-91<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
lost, 22-27<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sept. 17, 2017<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Falcons<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>9-86<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>10-87<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 23-34<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dec. 16, 1956<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rams<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>6-97<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>11-86<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
lost, 21-49<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nov. 22, 1951<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lions<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>10-86<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2-90<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
lost, 35-52 </div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><br />Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-29870998311916733322024-10-22T05:08:00.006-06:002024-10-22T08:46:58.434-06:00TUESDAY TIDBITS: "How Can I Be Sure"<div><b><i>By TJ Troup<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN9PjOdOnu2vtfKrPkNAqM-hIn-YO3dobkcIP9GR2fya7Lmjzvv_I18jWPZDJjJD8PifwMZbqNX6BYpwizGkv4Im2yRCZ5EtTI58HuhrBFMQaNL06KsGrW-0Uw2HCjucR_Efli7xbgGUKCvZYmntsiCuUk3bNWIVIVEoWrnjSrkPcr21mlySxjaZygqRU/s297/2024-10-22_8-43-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="297" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN9PjOdOnu2vtfKrPkNAqM-hIn-YO3dobkcIP9GR2fya7Lmjzvv_I18jWPZDJjJD8PifwMZbqNX6BYpwizGkv4Im2yRCZ5EtTI58HuhrBFMQaNL06KsGrW-0Uw2HCjucR_Efli7xbgGUKCvZYmntsiCuUk3bNWIVIVEoWrnjSrkPcr21mlySxjaZygqRU/s1600/2024-10-22_8-43-07.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Lions running back Billy Sims</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div>We all have influences, and am still influenced by songs and the folks that compose, play, and sing those songs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today is Eddie Brigati's birthday, and in '67 with the Young Rascals, one his signature songs and thus the title for today's column.<div><br /></div><div> This past Sunday afternoon the Lions and Vikings had one helluva game! </div><div><br /></div><div>Filled with twists & turns; outstanding plays, and plenty of drama. These two teams have met many times, but has never really been much of a rivalry since the Vikings have won so often when these two teams play. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have researched every 100-yard rushing performance in league history, and when one team has a 100-yard rusher, and the opponent does not—the team with the 100-yard rusher wins 77% of the time. Gibbs of the Lions gained 116 luggin' the leather in the Detroit victory. </div><div><br /></div><div>What is the Lions record when they have had a 100-yard rusher against Minnesota you ask? Detroit has won 11 lost 7 and tied once; not near 77%, yet what is the Lions record historically in the games against the Vikings when they don't have a 100-yard rusher? </div><div><br /></div><div>Since October 27th, 1963 the Vikings have won 73 lost just 33 and tied once. Most of those Lion 100-yard rushing performances against Minnesota were accomplished by Sims and Sanders. When James Stewart of the Lions gained over 100 rushing on October 14th, 2001 would be the last time a Detroit runner would pound out 100 yards on the ground against the Vikings till this past Sunday! </div><div><br /></div><div>How many teams have had such failure in running the ball against a division opponent that twenty-three years must pass before a runner could go over the century mark? We all know the league now is a quarterback-driven league, but a few old former coaches (that are also dinosaurs) still enjoy the run game. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QL-vTKjrqjNmEhYi3xsklH1Q7yrMDB5PYUM5m2mSa5gzL3JwRybBFmc8gvvtCfjcotDFFSw00RfHoV7PMy7S4ibw-O7L5I-jiViJbI_dENqEX5R4F_a1Q1QWAJtk5fmlIw5IQ-lAzduP0_AFiiPjTxi2D1mZZwYM1XR6Kpz34qidVaj91haNG6UyCR9v/s282/2024-10-22_8-45-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="282" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5QL-vTKjrqjNmEhYi3xsklH1Q7yrMDB5PYUM5m2mSa5gzL3JwRybBFmc8gvvtCfjcotDFFSw00RfHoV7PMy7S4ibw-O7L5I-jiViJbI_dENqEX5R4F_a1Q1QWAJtk5fmlIw5IQ-lAzduP0_AFiiPjTxi2D1mZZwYM1XR6Kpz34qidVaj91haNG6UyCR9v/s1600/2024-10-22_8-45-25.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Derrick Henry (l) and Sanquon Barkley (r)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Speaking of the men who can lug the leather, am sure looking forward to the December 1st match-up between the Eagles and Ravens, and possibly that day the focus will be on Barkley and Henry? Those two workhorses still might be ranked at the top of the rushing leaders of the league then?</div></div>TJ Trouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304023579676096733noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-74890251741511367952024-10-20T19:05:00.003-06:002024-10-21T17:01:02.450-06:00Love Hits Fifty in Win Over Texans<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gDvJYpIhXDbVnfGId4h3QL3uJ8QNPw2JDZYOo1aPBQwwUHuVXRZl8AwNDy8bkbR66rSsudV3Vj49CRPwV7js3xs75uNOgLNGLUlWb_X-6FHsRSb0V1hFPsmlC-JeYaGQQVEZmEMZPTg5XK7H3UyUZNfTuISbr0UUmhXliIq_8DHNWm7ZHJeoNN7IY9hR/s624/Love%20Deep%20Light.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="624" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gDvJYpIhXDbVnfGId4h3QL3uJ8QNPw2JDZYOo1aPBQwwUHuVXRZl8AwNDy8bkbR66rSsudV3Vj49CRPwV7js3xs75uNOgLNGLUlWb_X-6FHsRSb0V1hFPsmlC-JeYaGQQVEZmEMZPTg5XK7H3UyUZNfTuISbr0UUmhXliIq_8DHNWm7ZHJeoNN7IY9hR/w400-h339/Love%20Deep%20Light.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Jordan Love (shown here during training camp) threw the<br />50th regular-season TD pass of his career Sunday.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">In a fast-paced world of bigger-better-bolder, Jordan Love
delivers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Love threw his 50th regular-season touchdown pass Sunday.
The scoring throw was one of three he launched as the Packers nipped the Texans
24-22 at Lambeau Field.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In getting his hat trick, Love connected with Tucker Kraft
and Dontayvion Wicks in the second quarter and Josh Jacobs in the third. Each
score put Green Bay ahead in a game in which the lead changed hands seven
times. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Considerable bandwidth has been afforded Love and his
penchant for finding the end zone. Whether it be the Dope Sheet put out by the
Packers ahead of the game or play-by-play man Jim Nantz of CBS during the broadcast, Love is getting his due. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One can expect the Dope Sheet, the team’s weekly media
information packet, to be in Love’s corner. Here are a couple of nuggets put to
paper before Green Bay and Houston tangled for the sixth time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Love now has posted 15 straight games with
200-plus passing yards and at least one passing TD, which is the second-longest
streak in franchise history behind only QB Aaron Rodgers’ 19-game streak from
2010-12.</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Love has thrown multiple TD passes in each of
his last eight games, the second-longest streak in team history behind only
Rodgers’ 13-game streak in 2011.</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTv3d4EalbLad2qm3PsTJMCnAHoyRGcA6TjRq_ywvgEISWiQuUT1JMZpxekmiHOW1MR3M1QUeVFzkWIy0f2CWkfYUxFFcUwbForb_unh2GAL66hWBRJd-274mFUfSStii66mP7HkX70fCmB0lOs5oxT5vaojwwNsSHyGX2hlgfT9-dRJTDo5MIDHCeliIX/s4253/Texans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3537" data-original-width="4253" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTv3d4EalbLad2qm3PsTJMCnAHoyRGcA6TjRq_ywvgEISWiQuUT1JMZpxekmiHOW1MR3M1QUeVFzkWIy0f2CWkfYUxFFcUwbForb_unh2GAL66hWBRJd-274mFUfSStii66mP7HkX70fCmB0lOs5oxT5vaojwwNsSHyGX2hlgfT9-dRJTDo5MIDHCeliIX/w400-h333/Texans.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">After Love struck gold with Kraft on the fourth play of the
second quarter, Nantz reported that Love had thrown a touchdown pass in 17
consecutive games. After No. 10 did the same with Wicks, Nantz let the viewing audience
know that Love had thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine straight games.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With just over four minutes remaining until halftime, CBS
put up a graphic that showed how many TD passes Love (45), Aaron Rodgers (39),
Brett Favre (28) and Bart Starr (15) had thrown in their first 22 starts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Said Nantz: “And now, look, Jordan Love has more than all of
those three legends.”<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__UeOwMrvUg30fyrAJPHZCSeUnBpMgUo2C_Eanyl1YJOb9z4nsiltE74gYj-rM34ewkIy3efGY2wpiGd_00356wSq2-jxNPD2HZyZB-nxnhLZ6Y5fewpzuK3g6rIrHqgAkzL6ZN_mEhs-dLiN-vR-gESpNHmCk4nWUCfOGJQOCy9VuokOmELrMRINLSkE/s3631/Jolly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3631" data-original-width="3497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__UeOwMrvUg30fyrAJPHZCSeUnBpMgUo2C_Eanyl1YJOb9z4nsiltE74gYj-rM34ewkIy3efGY2wpiGd_00356wSq2-jxNPD2HZyZB-nxnhLZ6Y5fewpzuK3g6rIrHqgAkzL6ZN_mEhs-dLiN-vR-gESpNHmCk4nWUCfOGJQOCy9VuokOmELrMRINLSkE/s320/Jolly.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnny Jolly (2006-09, 2013) signed autographs.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Games started is one way to look at how quickly and often a player
rings the bell. Examining the number of attempts needed to reach a particular milestone
is another.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nine passers have thrown 50 or more TD passes for the Packers
during the regular season. Four, including Love, needed fewer than 1,000
attempts to get there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Love secured No. 50 on a safety-valve pass to Jacobs from
the Houston 8 midway through the third quarter. After securing the ball at the
11, the running back did the rest, eluding linebacker Jake Hanson on his way to
the end zone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nantz noted that the score was the first receiving TD by
Jacobs in his 6-year career. He did not mention Love having hit 50.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For Love, the throw was the 829th of his regular-season
career. Only Cecil Isbell (666) and Arnie Herber (768) – two-way players from a
bygone era – required fewer attempts to get there.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Of course, Love had help in reaching this latest benchmark. Five
of his teammates have caught two or more TD passes thrown by him: Jayden Reed
(11), Romeo Doubs (10), Christian Watson (8), Wicks (7) and Kraft (6). Eight others have grabbed one each.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Next up for the Packers is Jacksonville where Love could add
to his haul. No team has surrendered more touchdowns through the air than have the
Jaguars (16).<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Getting Up To Speed</b><br />Packers passers and the attempt on which they threw their 50th
regular-season TD pass.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b> Att. Passer Stat
Line at 50 TD Passes<br /></b> 666 Cecil
Isbell 666-330-5032-50-45<br /> 768 Arnie
Herber* 768-309-5003-50-73<br /> 829 Jordan
Love 829-524-6055-50-22<br /> 969 Aaron
Rodgers 969-620-7448-50-19<br /> 1,016 Tobin
Rote 1016-431-6178-50-76<br /> 1,270 Bart
Starr 1270-721-9670-50-65<br /> 1,307 Brett
Favre 1307-809-8507-50-44<br /> 1,310 Don
Majkowski 1310-724-9074-50-45<br /> 1,431 Lynn
Dickey 1431-781-9823-50-74</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>Numbers used for Arnie Herber's first two seasons (1930-31) are those of historian David Neff.</p>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-21437840486082290572024-10-18T15:42:00.014-06:002024-10-18T15:58:10.744-06:00Pat Fischer—'Mighty Mouse' Played Like a Giant<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>By John Turney <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpvJRJEWzhcTAMHsrjhzINv6WzFo3ANUR1Ce-5Yg38fWwGI0HOHNby_xfNvL-k-Iswn3SsEppUOm6s-XKlWORBlkY3JcuN2_KC7ZeHuCqg2HwxK22rutIFuLEwmijlTL0MwEctdZYB1A4Qxqbj00TBVDlD59DyI9fD_JXiCSQB7pEwC4p9eYC8ilGCe1P/s363/2024-10-18_15-31-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpvJRJEWzhcTAMHsrjhzINv6WzFo3ANUR1Ce-5Yg38fWwGI0HOHNby_xfNvL-k-Iswn3SsEppUOm6s-XKlWORBlkY3JcuN2_KC7ZeHuCqg2HwxK22rutIFuLEwmijlTL0MwEctdZYB1A4Qxqbj00TBVDlD59DyI9fD_JXiCSQB7pEwC4p9eYC8ilGCe1P/s320/2024-10-18_15-31-21.jpg" width="230" /></a></div></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last week longtime NFL starting cornerback <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FiscPa00.htm">Pat Fisher</a> passed away. The prior week he'd passed the Pro Football Hall of Fame's screening phase to be named on the the sixty players to be presented to the Hall's senior blue ribbon committee.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that is a good thing because he deserves to have the BRC committee take a look at his career. That didn't happen when he was a modern-era player -- he was never a finalist, always stuck in the preliminary phase of the process.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, at least he has a chance.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You know they are considering Fisher, let's talk about why they should. One man who thinks Fischer deserves to be in the Hall is former coach and now author T.J. Troup. Troup's latest book <b>1961: A Sensational Seaso</b>n is <a href="mailto:zeuglodon446@gmail.com">available through contacting him</a> and his previous book <b>The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL</b> is available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Footballs-Modern-4-3-Defense/dp/1442237953">Amazon</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Troup has studied films of Fischer as well as seen him play in the 1960s and 1970s and thinks that Fischer's career is worthy of a Bust in Canton noting how long he played and how well he played.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Troup also said that Fisher, "Was always around the ball and had no problem coming up and helping in the run game. And that with the blitzes Chuck Drulis threw at teams it left Fischer on an island and he held up well."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Most football fans of a certain age remember him in NFL Films highlights running stride for stride with his 5-foot-9, 170-pound body with that of 6-foot-8, 225-pound Hall of Fame receiver Harold Carmichael. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Or they may remember him upending Packers Macarthur Lane, a 225-pound running back in the 1972 Playoffs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He was the ultimate underdog -- him versus the world and all the critics found therein. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In 1961 the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in the 17th round. They signed him and made the team but didn't know what to do with him at first, playing him on offense but he played mostly on special teams.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a kick returner he averaged 25.1 per return and on offense he only caught one pass. But it was significant. It was described like this by one St. Louis scribe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrwCVvbQWAuIywmm7v-HjNjcsUxVRHYOAoJNL4nRvWB5AA1sqt4LPd8RXqOs50Ldf8KDdeS_e7emXqU9u-ODDKxYbEFt8hMhP-g4CLpzWysuuyJY_Mk6p-A3tb81B1ucHPqGuS4P-W2XFqk1bTJffjG_gh2l_Qq7wtaey90wmoeA9QBViPyngetFSKoLV/s437/2024-10-15_15-26-32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="437" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrwCVvbQWAuIywmm7v-HjNjcsUxVRHYOAoJNL4nRvWB5AA1sqt4LPd8RXqOs50Ldf8KDdeS_e7emXqU9u-ODDKxYbEFt8hMhP-g4CLpzWysuuyJY_Mk6p-A3tb81B1ucHPqGuS4P-W2XFqk1bTJffjG_gh2l_Qq7wtaey90wmoeA9QBViPyngetFSKoLV/s320/2024-10-15_15-26-32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It was in 38-24 win over Washington and it opened some eyes in St. Louis.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But he didn't stay at receiver. In his second year, he got a shot at playing cornerback and represented well and started more than half the games. He was a starter then got injured and then started later in the year -- splitting time with Bill Stacy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But perhaps the most telling game and the deciding factor in the future of the left cornerback position was decided in the final game of 1962. Philadelphia Eagles flanker Tommy McDonald caught 4 passes for 162 years and three touchdowns -- in the first half. Guess who was the left cornerback in the first half? It was Bill Stacy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">McDonald caught four passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the game --- meaning he was shut out in the second half. Guess who played left cornerback in the second half. Correct, according to Troup's film study, it was Fischer pitching the shutout.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By his third year, he was the starting left cornerback and he was on his way -- he intercepted eight passes and returned them 169 yards while playing in a secondary that ranked fifth in the NFL in defensive passer rating. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The next season was even better. In 1964 he was one of the top two corners in the league. He was a consensus All-Pro, picked off ten passes, took two the house and also had a scoop and score ... three defensive touchdowns.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The secondary as a whole was fourth the NFL in defensive passer rating and intercepted 25 passes, the second most in the NFL. It may not have been the best secondary in pro football but it wasn't far behind. Jerry Stoval and Larr Ywilson were the safeties and Jimmy Hill played the opposite corner as Fischer but that year -- Fisher probably has the best year, including that of future Hall of farmer larry Wilson.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As would be expected teams avoid Fisher after that. In 1965 he was just as good, just as tight but only had three picks. He was still a Pro Bowl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And remember he was having these years often facing some mighty tall receivers. Two of note were the Packers' Boyd Dowler (6-foot-5) and Gary Collins (also 6-foot-5) of the Browns. Both were Pro Bowlers and both were on the NFL's 1960s All-Decade team. But Troup explained that Fischer would use good positioning and timing to thwart passes to those flankers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Later, in the 1970s when teams would move their receivers to relate to the tight end it meant that Fisher would have to deal with split ends like Bob Hayes (when the Cowboys put their tight end on the left) and that was also a challenge. Fisher admitted that Hayes was the toughest receiver he ever had to cover. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Then came a couple of rocky seasons. He was hurt in 1966 and according to Troup didn't have a great year and in 1967 the secondary didn't play well. They allowed 26 touchdown passes and they were near the bottom of the league in defensive passer rating.<br /><br />Fischer still made some big plays, he stole four passes, one went for a touchdown and fell on three loose balls for a total of seven takeaways. He played out his option that year but intended to stay in St. Louis but there was something wrong Troup, "I don't know what happened with him and Charlie Winner but they didn't seem to mesh well."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fischer ultimately signed with Washington and it was reported that he was not happy with the Cardisnal owners bad-mouthing the secondary, blaming them for the team's poor year after being a winning team in 1966. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for Winner after the loss of Fischer, he told the St. Louis media, "We're losing a first-class player ... Pat Fischer is one of the finest defensive backs in the National Football League."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>How</u> he ended up in the Nation's Capital is also worth noting. He was one of the first free agents in the NFL. The Cardinals didn't sign him for the 1968 season, so he took Washington coach Otto Graham's offer. However, in those days NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle felt that if a lean lost a player to free agency that team should get compensation -- and he was the one to decide what it would be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>In Fisher's case, it was a second-round pick and a third-round pick -- draft capital well worth it giving his new team a decade of service. </div><div><br /></div><div>For Might Mouse he would play for four head coaches the next four years. The first two years he got some all-star notice. He was All-Conference in 1968 and a Pro Bowler in 1969, even though he only had two ints each of those years. It is safe to say teams were trying their luck on the other side.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fisher had always said for him football was about winning and when George Allen because the head coach in 1971, all Fisher would know for the rest of his career would be winning. Fischer played a pivotal role in Washington’s resurgence when coach George Allen arrived and was part of the "Over-the-Hill Gang"</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The redskins went to the playoffs in 1971 and the Super Bowl in 1972 and also made the playoffs in the two seasons following the Super Bowl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They were a great team and a great defense. In 1971 they were 2nd in the NFL in defensive passer rating and the over-the-hill gang (one that featured a pile of older players that had come from other teams or were previously on the squad but also advancing in age, like Fischer).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fisher would draw tough matchups throughout the year. One example is Otis Taylor in 1971 in a classic matchup between Kansas City and Washington. Another was with Gene Washington in the 1971 NFC Playoff game. They'd make good catches but as Troup said, "He was right there."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the Super Bowl year, Fischer was second-team All-Pro on the player-voted <i>NEA</i> squad, and in Super Bowl VII they faced the Miami Dolphins in a hard-fought game, but losing 14-7 untimately.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NZiOW857Zs0KKXhOLiLd3_Xx0gCsCXfAG1QhyiCjxoaULAA6bn0Xj-G4SNw_iDDyw3vkMBkcPbooeE3tDGnmWLCyWXBsbQ7EbG8CNWq9rFqn5-tbMdEA8hDpmGbhva8_WpVP1Q0ihlQ8maSBUXgtZOyX9ExeTK6iJUzqIEHHZ_a4ZJLyaMhanDl5Qfz8/s342/2024-10-18_15-30-50.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="245" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NZiOW857Zs0KKXhOLiLd3_Xx0gCsCXfAG1QhyiCjxoaULAA6bn0Xj-G4SNw_iDDyw3vkMBkcPbooeE3tDGnmWLCyWXBsbQ7EbG8CNWq9rFqn5-tbMdEA8hDpmGbhva8_WpVP1Q0ihlQ8maSBUXgtZOyX9ExeTK6iJUzqIEHHZ_a4ZJLyaMhanDl5Qfz8/s320/2024-10-18_15-30-50.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At 35 years of age, Fisher was All-NFC in 1975 and was terrific all year. The following year he didn't get the accolades but he was a solid corner on a great pass defense. They were first in the NFL in defensive passer rating and after a year out of the playoffs, Washington met the Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoffs game, but fell short, losing 35-20 in Bloomington.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fisher hurt his lower back in training camp of 1977 but worked his way back into the lineup and played three games until the disc gave way and he missed the rest of the season. Fisher had very intention fo returning in 1978 and new coach jack Pardee said he'd be welcome, but he wasn't able to answer the bell.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In all Fischer’s career spanned 17 seasons, an extraordinary feat for a cornerback, especially during an era when the game was much more physically demanding. Few players in NFL history have demonstrated the same level of durability and longevity, especially considering Fischer's small size.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fischer was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (1964, 1965, 1969) and received All-Pro honors in 1964. But there were other seasons in which he was recognized as one of the best. Additionally, in three other years -- 1968, 1972 and 1975 he was there second-team All-Pro or All-Conference.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When you look at what people said about him there is a running theme: And even though he was small -- he would snack you. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"I've never been hit so hard as when Pat Fischer tackled me," said Hall-of-Famer Frank Gifford, who'd moved from halfback to flanker by the time Fischer entered the league.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And it continued, "Pat Fischer intimidated me," said Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff. </div><div>"Pat was tough as nails," added Hall-of-Fame safety Ken Houston, one of Fischer's teammates in Washington. "He was a special breed."</div><div><br /></div><div>Coaches knew his worth, Hall-of-Fame coach Weeb Ewbank, "Pound for pound as tough as ANY defender ... an intimidator, working over receivers who enter his domain. At St. Louis, little Pat hit the great Jim Brown on one and stopped Brown cold."</div><div><br /></div><div>"One of the most amazing athletes I've never seen is Pat Fischer, expounded George Allen, "He was short by could really leap and was somehow able to cover the tallest receivers and the highest passes. He tore into the biggest guy on tackles. Pat was a tough cookie a real bump-and-run ... he'd bump them so they couldn't run. I don't care how big they were he'd put the ax to them ... and he'd fight them for the ball."</div><div><br /></div><div>Fischer brought more than just toughness to the field—he had remarkable results as well. He was a takeaway machine. </div><div><br /></div><div>He intercepted a total of 56 passes during his career, including an impressive 10 in 1964. His 56 interceptions are tied for ninth pure cornerbacks and five of the corners ahead of him are in the Hall as is the one (Lem Barney) tied with him.</div><div><br /></div><div> Additionally, his 16 fumble recoveries are tied with Aeneas Williams, a Gold Jacket owner, for third all-time among cornerbacks -- trailing only James Hasty (24) and Hall-of-Famer Ken Riley (18).</div><div><br /></div><div>His 72 takeaways trail only Ken Riley among our cornerbacks. Think about that and ask why he's never been a topic of discussion among voters.</div><div><br />Per Troup's research five times in his career the intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in the same game, the old two-fer. There is just no denying he had a nose for the football. Call it smarts, call it altertness or instinct -- the man found the football and took it from opponents as well as any cornerback, ever.</div><div><br /></div><div>There really isn't a real explanation for his career. He was a college quarterback and halfback, moved to the secondary in the NFL and he just lasted forever and ever. And did it as an elite corner facing bigger men in almost every game. It's one of the best examples of how a giant heart can make up for a small size. Or that toughness and attitude can make a small player as good a tackle as a bigger man.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fischer once said, "To be able to play cornerback properly is basically being able to run and react backward ... it's a duel." It was a duel Fischer won more often than not.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pat Fischer certainly should have been discussed for the Hall of Fame. And if T.J.Troup had his way, he'd be in. By Troup's account, the former Nebraska star did all he was asked, and more, "He played bump and run, played zone, was excellent in run support, tackled well and took the ball away. He IS a Hall of Famer." </div><div><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-22659918745414907322024-10-18T15:27:00.014-06:002024-10-21T17:18:13.346-06:00The Steep Learning Curve for This Shula and His L.A. Rams' Defense<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> By John Turney <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHE4MCx1NAZpDVf4H3o4s0-7WFLxtNJHVxuuH_C7Ecsqn7BZ67XVVv06P4N7z1aYEfhRR7Hcspf0p4hOyAu2l5MLtQrUp4m9ffkxjujW6XGNG_huezeSeAgaEp5z9JE1-5EbeDtQrH0MtvhmdskSFNx6_Qkg8WdOy4Da2ZJ1RSbpFDidyYgCqkeMFPYK9/s404/2024-10-18_15-20-25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="404" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipHE4MCx1NAZpDVf4H3o4s0-7WFLxtNJHVxuuH_C7Ecsqn7BZ67XVVv06P4N7z1aYEfhRR7Hcspf0p4hOyAu2l5MLtQrUp4m9ffkxjujW6XGNG_huezeSeAgaEp5z9JE1-5EbeDtQrH0MtvhmdskSFNx6_Qkg8WdOy4Da2ZJ1RSbpFDidyYgCqkeMFPYK9/s320/2024-10-18_15-20-25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Chris Shula</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #333333;"><b style="background-color: #f9f5e3;">Analytics reveal how tough the young season has been on the grandson of Don Shula and his ravaged Rams' defense.</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Chris Shula is more than the grandson of Hall-of-Fame coach Don Shula. He's also the Los Angeles Rams' new defensive coordinator, and neither he ... nor his defense ... is off to a great start this season.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">And that's an understatement.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The Rams rank 28th in overall defense and are below the fold in nearly every defensive category, including dead last vs. the run and 29th in points allowed. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">To be fair, Shula - who last year was the team's linebackers coach and headed the secondary in 2022 -- took over a defense without future Hall-of-Fame tackle and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, and that can't be understated. Also, right before the season, the Rams traded starting linebacker Earnest Jones to Tennessee for nearly nothing (future late-round draft picks).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So he was behind the eight ball from jump street. But things have gotten worse since. So, how bad is it? Let's break it down using some of the available analytic data. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">RUN DEFENSE</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The Rams allow 157.6 yards rushing a game, which is 77th in 87 seasons of franchise history for the opening five games (the Rams had a bye last weekend). They also allow 4.81 yards per rush, which is 81st of 87 seasons. Granted, some seasons were worse. But only six.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">What should concern Rams' fans most, however, is how this has happened. According to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NextGen Stats (NGS)</em>, the Rams have gotten there by playing with more players in the box than in recent seasons ... and the envelope, please:</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">-- Shula this season has deployed "light boxes" (six or fewer defenders) 39.3 percent of the time, down from 49.2 percent last year (including the playoffs) and 55.8 percent in 2022.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">-- In 2021, the year the Rams won the Super Bowl, they used a "light box" 57.3 percent of the time.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">-- In 2020, it was up to 69.0 percent. That was the season first-time defensive coordinator Brandon Staley installed the Vic Fangio-based defense that the Rams still use, though Shula's predecessor, Raheem Morris, and Shula himself put their own stamps on it.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">One of the theories of the Rams' scheme is to employ a "light box," a 5-1 defense which employs Fangio's match quarters coverages but might have to change. Too many teams are gashing it with long runs. And, per <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em>, this is on plays that were runs -- it does not include the Rams' 4-2-5 nickel defense used in probable passing downs..</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">But there's more.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">This year the Rams use stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) 20.9 percent of the time. That's up 2.3 percent from last year and 8.2, 7.9 and 13.1 percent from the previous three seasons.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">That means they're doing less with more.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">They can't use "light boxes" to allow an extra defender in coverages, moving him forward to help defend the run. But even with additional help in the box, the Rams still haven't been effective vs. the run. Run stuff percentage (stopping a run for a loss or no gain) this season is 11.0 percent, which ranks 30th. That's down appreciably from the last six years when it ranged from 13.6 in 2020 to 18.1 percent in 2021).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The past two seasons it was right around 14.5 percent.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So what gives? Too often, ballcarriers have gotten outside the tackles and produced big gains -- especially on quarterback scrambles. This year 59.5 percent of opponents' runs have been from the tackle out -- the highest figure for the Rams in the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NextGen</em>-era, which began in 2018.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Not only that, but much of that yardage comes after contact. Again, as per <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em>, 3.20 yards per rush occur after first contact -- the Rams' highest number since <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em> began tracking that statistic. By comparison, the figure was 2.50 yards last year and 2.99, 2.76 and 2.58 in each of the previous three seasons.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Translation: Tacklers aren't tackling, which other metrics confirm. Analytics site <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Pro Football Focus (PFF</em>) has the Rams ranked 29th in their exclusive tackling grade. A year ago, they were 23rd (including the playoffs) and second in 2022. In 2021, the Rams' Super Bowl year, their tacklers ranked 10th, while in 2020, Staley's first year, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">PFF</em> had them second.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Put it all together, and you have the Rams' defense doing less with more in terms of player positioning, losing the edge and failing to tackle properly. In short, it's a recipe for disaster.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">A popular and insightful metric created by <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Football Outsiders (FO)</em>, another analytics site with data now found on <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">FTN</em>, is called DVOA (defensive value above average), and that also reflects the Rams' poor performance vs the run. In that analytic, Shula's defense this year ranks 30th, 10 slots below 2023 and 17 down from 2022.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The 2020 and 2021 seasons, however, aren't even in the same universe. In both seasons, the Rams ranked third.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">PASS RUSH</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">It doesn't get any better here.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The Rams' defensive passer rating is 117.2, the worst in the club's history after five games. Yep, 87th out of 87 seasons in franchise history ... as in dead last. Granted it's not fair to compare the 1970s to now, but the 117.2 rating is worse than all recent seasons, and that is fair.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Much of that is based on yards allowed per pass play, which is 7.9 yards, which is also last in the NFL. To address that the past two games, Shula has blitzed more than the first three contests -- but it's a blitz rate of 24 percent, lower than any season since 2018. However, if the recent trend continues, it will probably end up being on par with those of past defensive coordinators Wade Phillips, Staley and Morris.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">In any case, it's an indication that Shula knows that improvement ... and a lot of it ... is needed to slow opponents' passing attacks, and the results have been mixed.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The good news is that the pressure percentage is better than the last couple of years -- meaning that, while they're blitzing a little less (including games four and five), they're getting more pressures. It's more or less the inverse of the running game: They're doing slightly better with slightly fewer resources.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">But as <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em> stated on its website, while the Rams have applied good pressure, their sack-to-pressure ratio is fifth worst in the NFL -- meaning they're getting close but not finishing the deal. While it's accurate to say pressures matter more than sacks, at some point those pressures must be a factor. Nothing wrecks game plans like hitting and sacking quarterbacks, some of which force turnovers.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The sack percentage is six percent so far this year -- slightly lower than the past two seasons -- despite public criticism of the pass rush. So the Rams are forcing quarterbacks to move, but too often they're not putting them on the ground -- some of which is due to poor tackling.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Sound similar to what's wrong with the run defense? It should. Rookie edge defender Jared Verse is among the best at applying pressure, but he's missed the second-most tackles in the NFL (<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">PFF</em>) this season with 11, including several would-be sacks.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Now for the bad news.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The pressure percentages (which are good on the surface) are a little skewed, and I'll tell you why: Though pressures are up, the time it takes to pressure the quarterback (TTP) is actually <u style="box-sizing: border-box;">longer</u> than in past years. According to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em>, it takes the Rams 2.94 seconds to pressure per pass.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Good? Hardly. Only the other L.A. team ranks lower at 3.01 seconds. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">That's a drop from last season when the Rams' number was 2.66, according to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em>, but a far cry from 2.67 in 2022, 2.54 in 2021 and 2.62 in 2020 when the Rams rsnked anywhere from eighth best to 19th ... or far superior to what's happening now.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">All this translates to a longer "Time to Throw" (TTT), with opposing quarterbacks having more time this season than any since <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS </em>got into the analytics business. The TTT this year is 2.93 seconds where a year ago it was 2.85 and anywhere from a league-best 2.58 to 2.70 in 2018-22.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The bottom line is that this year passers have more time to throw than in the past when the Rams (thanks, Aaron Donald) were among the NFL's top teams to hurry quarterbacks. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So here's the summary in English: Through five games this season, the Rams' defense applies a higher percentage of pressures but takes more time to reach quarterbacks, creating more time for its secondary to be victimized. I know, it seems counterintuitive. But it's technology-based, so it's hard to argue with the data.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Many Rams' media sites tout the number of pressures the defense is collecting, especially the top rookies, but they're not digging deep. If they did, they'd realize that an ineffective pass rush is part of the defense's problem. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The next metric may offer an explanation.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Let's move to the average "get off" time of Rams' pass rushers, or the average time it takes for a defender to get across the line of scrimmage when rushing/blitzing. The lower the time, the better ... and, according to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS,</em> this season's average "get-off" time for the Rams' pass rushers is .87 seconds. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Once again, it falls short of its predecessors.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">In fact, it's the highest (worst) of previous Rams' defenses led by Phillips, Morris and Staley. Last year, it was .83 ... the year before, .85 ... and then it goes .83, .80. .80 and .81. It also ranks 26th, where a year ago the Rams were 16th and 18th in 2022.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">What makes that perplexing is that Verse has one of the best "get-off" times this season (.77). In fact, only seven players in the NFL are better. If not for him, the Rams' time would be the worst in the NFL -- with much of the problem coming from the interior where, again, the loss of Donald is an enormous factor. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Defensive tackle Kobie Turner's "get-off" is off almost a tenth of a second (from .93 to 1.01) this year. Nose tackle Bobby Brown III is down, too, though not as much. And rookie defensive interior Braden Fiske, who's taking some of Donald's snaps, is at 1.01 seconds -- not what you'd expect, given his purported quickness. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Big men Neville Gallimore and Tyler Davis are also not as quick as their counterparts last year, but they've gotten more snaps than expected because they're needed to stop the run. With the Rams using more base defenses and stacked boxes, big linemen are called on more often -- meaning "get-offs" will be slower.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The results speak for themselves.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">COVERAGE</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So how does this affect pass coverage?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The number of explosive plays is up, but, oddly, the distance between defenders and players in routes is not. In fact, it's as good this year as it's been in the past. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">NGS</em> data shows the Rams' defense averages 3.3 yards of separation between a defender and receiver, which is the same as last year 2018-19 and 2021 and better than 2022 (3.7) and 2020 (3.6).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">For context, dating to 2018, the league's best is always around 3.0 yards, while the worst is just over 4.0. So the Rams are doing well here, except ... well, except their defenders aren't making plays, with too many opponents making big ones instead.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The first career touchdown scored by Cardinals' rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., for example, was caught over Tre'Davious White, whom the Rams signed this year to shore up the cornerback position. White's coverage was tight, but the rookie still made the catch and scored.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">On other plays, there were instances where defensive backs were out of position, suffered from miscommunications or were flat-out beaten. Like the run defense, the pass defense DVOA doesn't paint a pretty picture, ranking 30th, where the past four season were better: 20th in 2023; 25th in 2022, fifth in 2021 and fourth in 2020.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Meaning? The Rams' third level of defense is no better off than the defensive line and linebackers.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">OVERALL DEFENSE</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Starting with DVOA Shula's defense ranks 30th overall in a 32-team league -- and that's not good. In 2023 it was 22nd and third in both 2020 and 2021.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Bill Belichick is fond of saying that "stats are for losers" and that the measuring stick for all defenses is points allowed because "finals scores are for winners." The website, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Team Rankings,</em> offers the proof.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The Rams allow opponents (they exclude points allowed by offense and special teams) 26.6 points a game -- or 29th of 32 teams. That's 5.5 more points a game than in 2023 and just under six points a game higher than in 2022. The Rams were fifth in 2021 when they allowed offenses to score 19.5 points a game and second the year before, allowing 17.9 net points. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Stats may be for losers, but allowing that many points is for losers, too. The Rams are 1-4.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Just so you know: All these analytics figures and mumbo jumbo may not be familiar to many, but they're pretty much mainstream these days. Additionally, these featured metrics are similar in rankings as traditional NFL stats, such as rushing yards per game, yards per pass allowed, total yards allowed, etc.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">WHAT NEXT?</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So now that was have the numbers, metrics, analytics, whatever you want to label them, what about "the eye test?"</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">When you sit through Rams' games, you see edge players too often losing containment on running plays or getting gashed up the middle. The missed tackles are glaring. Big plays surrendered in the passing game are evident. The linebacker play seems subpar. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, the eye test tells you what the numbers reveal -- namely, that the Los Angeles Rams' defense is bad. Really bad.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">The upside is that things can change. It's early, with a lot of football yet to be played. And with young rookies like Verse and Fiske and super sophomores Turner and Byron Young up front, there's hope. Those four have the talent to one day be Pro Bowlers.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Plus, there's the possibility that the Rams make a change at linebacker this week. They're down, and I mean DOWN, on Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom and have Omar Speights, a rookie UDFA, and third-year UDFA Jake Hummel waiting in the wings -- with impatient fans hoping they step in.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">In the secondary, Darious Williams -- a UFA signing from Jacksonville -- is back from injury, so he could also help. This is his second stint with the Rams (he's now played for all defensive coordinators of the McVay era), and his experience, leadership and skills should make a difference. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Sean McVay indicated there will be changes this week when the Rams face the Las Vegas Raiders, but a few new starters won't magically fix the defense.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">So what can?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Maybe it's just fundamentals, like setting the edge and tackling better. That would help. So would sacking the quarterback or applying faster pressures. I don't know if three-hundredths of a second makes a difference, but I do know that good players and good defenses have better analytics.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">Chris Shula is clearly someone McVay trusts, and that counts for a lot. The question is: How much does Shula trust his defense to improve from the first five weeks?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">"I think there are a lot of things where you look at the tape and you think [we] played some good ball," he said. "(But) it's got to be more consistent, got to be cleaner and [we have] got to execute better. I think there are a lot of times where we've done that. We've just got to do it consistently for 60 minutes."</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 30px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #f9f5e3; font-family: inherit;">That's the hope. The reality is that if they don't, Don Shula's grandson may not last long in his new job.</span></p></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-47704223955430658622024-10-13T20:47:00.003-06:002024-10-13T21:14:13.540-06:00Packers Run Out the Clock on Cardinals<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi5RtHxLQVCqBLMKnVb8WEXvyVQWXKx2ZM3E_Q1WRV4cykb1iMR_3DSYJhflpQ2RAcgvMRhENyUNR9pw0qm5AN_Kv60Ed3MGSClLL_uEloeanbxK_Z4YEvRXmcMzOtgyLn-omOFjOkiXDlbHmEVSCnPiX4cPk9pQ5Pld4MpH_5JM6fAh42J9CbtEJHF_k/s5472/SignPainter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi5RtHxLQVCqBLMKnVb8WEXvyVQWXKx2ZM3E_Q1WRV4cykb1iMR_3DSYJhflpQ2RAcgvMRhENyUNR9pw0qm5AN_Kv60Ed3MGSClLL_uEloeanbxK_Z4YEvRXmcMzOtgyLn-omOFjOkiXDlbHmEVSCnPiX4cPk9pQ5Pld4MpH_5JM6fAh42J9CbtEJHF_k/w400-h266/SignPainter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Packers have been running circles around the competition.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But until hosting Arizona, they hadn’t run a team out of town
the way they did the Cardinals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay’s ground game came alive in the fourth quarter as
it dispatched Arizona 34-13 at Lambeau Field. In closing out victory, the
Packers ran the football as they seldom do in the final 15 minutes of play.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jordan Love and his bevy of talented pass catchers gave Green
Bay a lead it could not afford to lose. Love matched his career best with four TD passes – two to Romeo
Doubs and one each to Jayden Reed and Christian Watson – as the Packers went up
31-13 late in the third quarter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Emanuel Wilson and his running mates then protected that cushion, ensuring the
Cardinals did not rally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second-year
back paved the way as Green Bay controlled the clock for 11 minutes, nine
seconds in the fourth quarter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Packers coach Matt LaFleur has stressed running the football
more than usual this season. This emphasis may have been borne out of necessity
as newcomer Malik Willis scarcely had time to unpack before twice starting in
place of Love earlier this season, but this focus continues to pay dividends.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not only is LaFleur doling out more opportunities, he’s
getting more bodies involved. Seven players carried Sunday for only the third
time since LeFleur arrived in 2019.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Through three quarters, Green Bay’s ground game did little
to excite. Josh Jacobs led the way with 53 yards on 15 trips as the team amassed
85 yards (20 attempts), three first downs and two runs of 10 or more yards.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cue the fourth quarter. Paced by Emanuel Wilson (47 yards on
six totes), the Packers amassed 94 yards on 18 attempts. Wilson (2), Bo
Melton and Chris Brooks authored gains of 10 or more yards. First
downs were turned in by Wilson (2), Brooks, Tucker Kraft, Love and Melton.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And not a holding penalty to be found anywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXwW4D8FNUXJZgMAa40HpUxpVbJp0UntVdJXrLt-mpakdnA5WUN9MseK-djgmuEVT7RmCENCYobCDOge0brJS30g3bB0G8DQHY1Dq1CVaWY3GaRML3-k9sxDzvPzJ-mx1E8dr-ZAYfruLTDApHkXMv0AKtaPwb6pkgoYekuSOzEMvI9Bll0zxe0hA7gqT/s3351/Buffalo%20Man.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3351" data-original-width="2897" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXwW4D8FNUXJZgMAa40HpUxpVbJp0UntVdJXrLt-mpakdnA5WUN9MseK-djgmuEVT7RmCENCYobCDOge0brJS30g3bB0G8DQHY1Dq1CVaWY3GaRML3-k9sxDzvPzJ-mx1E8dr-ZAYfruLTDApHkXMv0AKtaPwb6pkgoYekuSOzEMvI9Bll0zxe0hA7gqT/s320/Buffalo%20Man.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Packers’ final drive consisted of 10 offensive plays – all
runs – that erased the final 5:37 from the clock. Even with Arizona knowing what
to expect, Green Bay ripped off 61 yards on the advance, a total that included
two kneel-downs by Love inside the Cardinals’ red zone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not since powering to 12 straight while blanking the Lions 26-0
in 2009 had the Green and Gold closed out a game with more consecutive runs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lugging the leather with such frequency and effectiveness
doesn’t happen often. But when it does, victory follows suit.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Packers have run 18 or more times in a fourth quarter 14
times since 1950. The team is undefeated in those games.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay’s previous busiest fourth quarter under LaFleur
occurred last year against the Rams. The Packers ran 16 times and gained 72
yards in knocking off Los Angeles 20-3.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sunday was the 31st time LaFleur’s charges have run 10 or
more times in the fourth quarter of a regular-season game. Green Bay is 31-0 in
those contests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Extra Point</b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Packers have rushed for 1,003 yards in their first six
games of 2024. The last time the team broke the 1,000-yard barrier so quickly
happened in 1963 when Vince Lombardi’s club gained 1,037 yards in going 5-1.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p3vHOeLZi4vThuBlo0lX9fypYMLVYiQF5Ikp-EvlgChwuqSymKKPQeACbxXJoMC2CFx8E4d_TOuXuIsGg10lwC6b0O_GDxmopFsrcmPM-WHNf_-y9zQsRsKQhm9GTmVg7Khwr7Y2gxTy8tBIPLWWv1L12BxeQfnjoTnmnLnLIaAnIBmIV1Qy5c2cSZMc/s3925/Lynn%20Dickey.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="3925" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3p3vHOeLZi4vThuBlo0lX9fypYMLVYiQF5Ikp-EvlgChwuqSymKKPQeACbxXJoMC2CFx8E4d_TOuXuIsGg10lwC6b0O_GDxmopFsrcmPM-WHNf_-y9zQsRsKQhm9GTmVg7Khwr7Y2gxTy8tBIPLWWv1L12BxeQfnjoTnmnLnLIaAnIBmIV1Qy5c2cSZMc/s320/Lynn%20Dickey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Former Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey signed<br />autographs before the Packers played the Cardinals.</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Running Out the Clock</b><br />Regular-season games in which Matt LaFleur’s Packers closed</div><div style="text-align: left;">with seven or more consecutive running plays.<br /><b>No.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Date<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Opponent<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Result</b><br />10<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oct. 13, 2024<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cardinals<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 34-13<br /> 9<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oct. 17, 2021<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bears<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 24-14<br /> 7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dec. 23, 2019<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 23-10<br /> 7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nov. 5, 2020<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>49ers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 34-17<br /> 7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dec. 25, 2022<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dolphins<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 26-20</div><p></p>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-30784236633729068662024-10-11T00:06:00.005-06:002024-10-11T00:08:25.074-06:00 State Your Case: Why Dolphins' Bill Stanfill Was More Than a 'No Name'<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b style="font-style: italic;">By John Turney </b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSH5fqq5rB-jZ3l6kQ9BgrrEkeArEgk3cd7AfH5zPbkaN0DVfbKnbhIWujAzh9paS24KL4l8kcbxXcUXAjXB9MOAnah1yNeYX3gq3myrjssAIYAXJ5MgjxlbujznLs380E91HAvsNe1hSHATtKbuE_zqj6sOHdAWUTeuUpun8kByEJOxiiooVbkCOIm1TY/s350/2024-10-11_0-03-07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSH5fqq5rB-jZ3l6kQ9BgrrEkeArEgk3cd7AfH5zPbkaN0DVfbKnbhIWujAzh9paS24KL4l8kcbxXcUXAjXB9MOAnah1yNeYX3gq3myrjssAIYAXJ5MgjxlbujznLs380E91HAvsNe1hSHATtKbuE_zqj6sOHdAWUTeuUpun8kByEJOxiiooVbkCOIm1TY/s320/2024-10-11_0-03-07.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's screening committee last week released its list of 60 seniors for the Class of 2025, there were a few surprises, including former Miami defensive end Bill Stanfill. But the screeners got this one right.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Because <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StanBi00.htm">Bill Stanfill</a> should not have been a surprise.</div><div><br /></div><div>In his prime, he was the best player on one of the NFL's best defenses. A five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Stanfill deserves to be among the seniors' candidates for the Hall's next enshrinement --partly because he was so accomplished and partly because the Miami defense of the 1970s was, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>In an era when great defenses earned nicknames -- with Steel Curtain, Doomsday, Purple People Eaters, Fearsome Foursome among the most famous -- there was one that perfectly characterized a bunch of unknowns: The Dolphins' "No Name " defense. There were no Mean Joe Greenes, Carl Ellers, Deacon Joneses; just a group of accomplished players who bordered on the anonymous.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet it was one of the league's best. During Don Shula's first five years in Miami, only one team allowed fewer points per game (the Minnesota Vikings) and only four allowed fewer yards.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, to this day, one only player -- linebacker Nick Buoniconti -- is in the Pro Hall of Fame. He's the "Name" of the No-Names, so to speak. No one else made it past the Hall's preliminary phase for consideration, and that should change -- not because most of the other defenses have multiple players with Gold Jackets; but because, at his peak, Bill Stanfill was the best member of that defense.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even so, most fans today couldn't name many of those players, including Stanfill. But they're not alone. Still overlooking the "No-Names" are Hall-of-Fame voters. At one time, they valued longevity in careers, and that penalized Stanfill and teammate Dick Anderson (also on the list of 60 seniors) when they were modern-era candidates. Injuries forced Stanfill to retire after eight seasons, which wasn't long enough to attract the attention of voters a generation ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>But he should attract it now. Why? Let's get started:</div><div><br /></div><div>-- For openers, he was a five-time Pro Bowler, and was first-team All-Pro in 1972 (<i>AP</i>) and 1973 (<i>PFWA</i> and <i>NEA</i>). Plus, former Hall-of-Fame voter Paul Zimmerman, then writing for the New York Post, named him to his personal All-Pro team in 1974, noting his pass-rush ability and success at stuffing running plays.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- He was All-AFC every year from 1971 through 1974.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- The 6-foot-5, 252-pounder was the Dolphins' pass rush. Consider that in 1969 the Dolphins had 25 sacks, with Stanfill producing eight of them, or 32.1 percent of the team's total. One year later, the Dolphins' pass rush was anemic, recording just 18 sacks. Except Stanfill did his job by bagging six (33.3 percent) of them. In 1971, he had 19.1 percent of the Dolphins' 34 sacks.</div><div><br /></div><div>-- The year the Dolphins had the NFL's No. 1 defense, they sacked the quarterback 33 times, and Stanfill's share was 30.3 percent (ten individual sacks). In 1973, the Dolphins had 45 sacks, with Stanfill producing a career-high 18-1/2 (41.1 percent). According to Pro Football Reference, no one in the league had more. Stanfill had similar production the next season, totaling 10 of the club's 31 sacks -- 32.2 percent. That's five of six years with over 30 percent of the "No Name" sacks. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- From 1969-74, Stanfill had 59 sacks. For those six years, only four players had more, and three are in the Hall -- Elvin Bethea, Claude Humphrey and Carl Eller. </div><div><br /></div><div>-- In his prime, he was responsible for almost one-third of the club's sacks and who knows how many hurries.</div><div><br /></div><div>But that's what the Dolphins envisioned when they chose Stanfill with the 11th overall pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL draft. At the University of Georgia, he'd been a star, (All-American, Academic All-American, Outland Trophy winner, three-time All-SEC and SEC Lineman of the Year) on a team that won or tied for the conference championship twice. </div><div><br /></div><div>He'd been a defensive tackle in college, but the Dolphins wanted to move him to defensive end ... and it was a wise decision. As a rookie, Stanfill not only produced eight sacks; he intercepted two passes and returned both for touchdowns. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl, chosen as much for his versatility as his intensity.</div><div><br /></div><div>In defensive coach Bill Arsnparger's famed "53 defense," Stanfill spent considerable time at his collegiate position because the unit's namesake, linebacker Bob Matheson (No. 53), would rush from Stanfill's side of the line much of the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arguably the highlight of Stanfill’s career occurred in 1972 when the Dolphins achieved the only perfect season in NFL history (17-0). In addition to his 10 regular-season sacks that season, he had 3-1/2 more in the playoffs as the Miam defense led the league in points allowed (171) and yards allowed (3,680).</div><div><br /></div><div>While the next year was challenge, with Stanfill playing the first part of the season 10 pounds underweight because of a viral illness, he had a career year -- recording nearly 20 sacks (including the playoffs). The following season he was the <i>AP</i> Defensive Player of the Week in Week 5 when he sacked Jets' quarterbacks five times. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2is9ryZmdsgFQWlMzprYXxxcExm4Hqd973dpIDLs-BeHE_-dc7YweMYnyOSBYiY9u_5Taja3X507KrFvTKH6g-ob0cphU1h513ipkqTH3-yp-prJfKj5aYh1T6nKpB2LI1X655ArAc0G7_TmUTwqEiGKDUECIJQzY8eBAxAd32uotcXCfuAOc1lqWD-f/s394/2019-01-22_2-21-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2is9ryZmdsgFQWlMzprYXxxcExm4Hqd973dpIDLs-BeHE_-dc7YweMYnyOSBYiY9u_5Taja3X507KrFvTKH6g-ob0cphU1h513ipkqTH3-yp-prJfKj5aYh1T6nKpB2LI1X655ArAc0G7_TmUTwqEiGKDUECIJQzY8eBAxAd32uotcXCfuAOc1lqWD-f/s320/2019-01-22_2-21-02.jpg" width="228" /></a></div></div><div>The year ended with a 24-7 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl VIII, making the "No-Names" back-to-back champions and the Dolphins one of the best teams of all time.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1974, Stanfill had another five-sack game, this time against Buffalo, but that would be his last season as a star. Neck injuries affected him so seriously his last two years that he twice was sent to a hospital and forced to retire after the 1976 season.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, that would not be the last we heard of Bill Stanfill. After the Dolphins tried to renege on the last two years of his contract, alleging that Stanfill had been deemed healthy by their team physicial, he filed a grievance with the NFLPA. He won the case and collected the money he was owed. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I wanted to play," he said then, "but when my doctors (some from the Mayo Clinic) are talking about the possibility of death or paralysis, it makes you stop and think."</div><div><br /></div><div>Which is what the Hall's voters should do with Stanfill's candidacy -- stop and think. When they do, they will see someone who gave everything to a game ... and a team ... he loved. Stanfill had to use a walker before turning 45 because of multiple complications from injuries his last two seasons, and he passed away at the age of 69.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cGvm5sk5zknut1RsdoFnAJf25hv_dGTD3uqwcgCr0ICZGyfFKEZmehw9g5Ni5TtwliAIBtvuzmGDS5oMVolf3y6vSKWeFMrw_cXzDp4uWiqi14TJYGqAnHRnj6TwT-vjzliV1-Z9Ay0tPnwwzR2ibwwYOq3yq-YRY4DKMip7_FjePoNBoKqqsrewgWpd/s350/8890-850643Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cGvm5sk5zknut1RsdoFnAJf25hv_dGTD3uqwcgCr0ICZGyfFKEZmehw9g5Ni5TtwliAIBtvuzmGDS5oMVolf3y6vSKWeFMrw_cXzDp4uWiqi14TJYGqAnHRnj6TwT-vjzliV1-Z9Ay0tPnwwzR2ibwwYOq3yq-YRY4DKMip7_FjePoNBoKqqsrewgWpd/s320/8890-850643Fr.jpg" width="226" /></a></div></div><div>Stanfill was named to the All-Time Miami Dolphins' team in 2007 and is part of the team's Honor Roll. He's also in the University Georgia Hall of Fame and was voted to the College Football Hall of Fame. Perhaps it's time for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to hear his case because its screening committee just did.</div><div><br /></div><div>And it thought he's worthy of Canton. </div></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-32346594218344178982024-10-07T16:51:00.002-06:002024-10-07T17:26:44.752-06:00Packers Overcome Third Downers to Beat Rams<b><i>By Eric Goska
</i></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixb5kubBliCq3ES2ZciPyNcsJn_zgj7kAvrIcK4FOM7ulxu71oCXxHMziaRU8QVp91X_szlUXIY83sh0s5nXFYAIghS65gymCoAOImsL_4-wqpR7KgZkbTCLiOKjyQOlKyuSLG_wdYShHt1fqBrcWZMca_vIMGc0wP4KzrJbvGv1KKhw7Q68UdOO2yWjeO/s2455/Jordan%20Love.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2455" data-original-width="1905" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixb5kubBliCq3ES2ZciPyNcsJn_zgj7kAvrIcK4FOM7ulxu71oCXxHMziaRU8QVp91X_szlUXIY83sh0s5nXFYAIghS65gymCoAOImsL_4-wqpR7KgZkbTCLiOKjyQOlKyuSLG_wdYShHt1fqBrcWZMca_vIMGc0wP4KzrJbvGv1KKhw7Q68UdOO2yWjeO/s400/Jordan%20Love.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Jordan Love's 12-yard run was Green Bay's only<br />third-down conversion against the Rams Sunday.<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div><br /><div>
Attaining a high score in certain arcade games can extend play.</div><div><br /></div><div>Achieving
success on third down in football can extend drives.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Packers were no pinball
wizards on third down Sunday at SoFi Stadium. In notching a 24-19 victory over Los Angeles,
Green Bay had to overcome its lack of production on third-down before the clock
signaled game over.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRIuKyUmmx3RUiLFmQ2V8-EL-Wc_3I-JN345OKaAW11VC3DZ-JBFwm4vev0A7hBWswoE63U2uniRUEWVp_71OSM_OobeLtf8Iy-K_62xvxJ3d9G47doAAKvBECnk8C8RRjUw493i1Ylf3m9gFQutwSgHd7kgzp_H8uXugRaf3VFYg57UEjrka8HToVpJM/s3455/LaFleur%202024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="1705" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRIuKyUmmx3RUiLFmQ2V8-EL-Wc_3I-JN345OKaAW11VC3DZ-JBFwm4vev0A7hBWswoE63U2uniRUEWVp_71OSM_OobeLtf8Iy-K_62xvxJ3d9G47doAAKvBECnk8C8RRjUw493i1Ylf3m9gFQutwSgHd7kgzp_H8uXugRaf3VFYg57UEjrka8HToVpJM/s320/LaFleur%202024.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>While third-down conversion rates might not correlate with
winning as closely as other statistics do (average yards per pass play or
turnover differential), teams with higher conversion rates tend to fare better
than teams on the lower end of the spectrum. The two winningest teams during the
regular-season from 2019 through 2023 – the Chiefs at 63-20 and the Bills at
58-24 – also boasted the highest third-down conversion rates – 48.1 and 46.3
percent, respectively.
</div><div><br /></div><div>Matt LaFleur’s Packers ranked seventh at 43.1 percent over
that five-year span. The team’s record of 56-27 is tied with Baltimore for third-best during
that stretch.</div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So when LaFleur’s team lays an egg on third down as they did
against the Rams – converting just one of eight – that’s cause for concern.
More often than not, a rate that low leads to defeat.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay has converted one or fewer third downs in a
regular-season game 47 times since 1954. Its record in those games is 11-36.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some of the worst outings in Packers history can be found
among the losses. </p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>G<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">reen Bay (0-10 on third down) was throttled 26-14
by the Lions on Thanksgiving Day 1962.<br /></span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Green Bay (1-10) was thrashed 61-7 by the Bears
in December 1980.</span></li><li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Green Bay (0-8) was hammered 31-10 at Denver as
the Packers mustered just 35 offensive plays in October 1999.</span></li></ul></div><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing that extreme awaited the Green and Gold in California.
That they scored three touchdowns on drives devoid of third downs helped immensely.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During those three advances – one in the first quarter and
two in the third – Green Bay piled up 220 of its 323 yards while earning 10 of
its 19 first downs. A windfall of 119 yards came on two receptions alone – a 53-yarder
by Jayden Reed in the first quarter and a 66-yarder by Tucker Kraft in the third that put the Packers up 17-13.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That prosperity made Green Bay’s struggles on third down
less obvious. But labor they did. Jordan Love completed three of six passes for
six yards. He was sacked once for a loss of eight. And he threw a pick-six – to
Rams safety Jaylen McCollough – while attempting to avoid a safety in the end
zone late in the second quarter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s seven pass plays for a net of minus-2 yards. Green
Bay has finished in the red just four times in the passing game in the regular season on third down under LaFleur, regardless of how often they
converted. The team is 2-2 in those games.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Packers’ sole third-down conversion occurred in the
fourth quarter. Love scrambled for 12 to secure a fresh set of downs at the Green
Bay 42. His dash helped sustain a 14-play, 43-yard, clock-eating advance that consumed
eight minutes, 13 seconds, leaving the Rams with not enough time (6:02) in
which to erase an 11-point deficit (13-24).<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aversion to
Conversion<br /></b>Since 1954, the five regular-season victories in which the
Packers converted no more than one-third down and gained zero or fewer passing
yards on that down.<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Date<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3D<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3D Pass<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Opponent<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Result<br /></b>Dec.
15, 1985<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1-10<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-20<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lions<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 26-23<br />Dec.
5, 1965<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0-9<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-13<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 24-19<br />Oct.
6, 2024<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1-8<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rams<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 24-19<br />Oct.
8, 1978<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0-12<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bears<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 24-14<br />Oct.
4, 1970<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1-13<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB
won, 13-10</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><br /></div>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-73820972166500881042024-10-02T19:13:00.004-06:002024-10-02T21:12:33.246-06:00A Century Apart: Xavier McKinney and Ojay Larson<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdEljs_9b0yTsnY4VyxUCxY2vgaRRUxo-D6akYPwqlABGkqSYAV7x8AhzRElaMjLwIGZjsOuEzue9n5fKyeDFhVDzagslYizSBlQauZd6TWXWpiUuG2b2O94XsBpwMut56HuhapQ2opijXaBFG2t8abNxCX19QoFlFbTwNMAUNxi8_NmzENcxpvBNi6Cv/s5472/DSC01307.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdEljs_9b0yTsnY4VyxUCxY2vgaRRUxo-D6akYPwqlABGkqSYAV7x8AhzRElaMjLwIGZjsOuEzue9n5fKyeDFhVDzagslYizSBlQauZd6TWXWpiUuG2b2O94XsBpwMut56HuhapQ2opijXaBFG2t8abNxCX19QoFlFbTwNMAUNxi8_NmzENcxpvBNi6Cv/w400-h266/DSC01307.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Xavier McKinney (29) during training camp in August.<br />(photo by Eric Goska)</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Xavier McKinney has intercepted a pass in each of Green
Bay’s four games this season.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is impressive to be sure, but not without precedent. Over
the years, 10 other Packers stole at least one pass in four or more
consecutive contests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The question then: whose record is McKinney chasing?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">McKinney, whom the Packers signed during the first few days
of free agency in March, has exceeded expectations. No fewer than four
quarterbacks can vouch for that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">McKinney picked off the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts in the first
quarter in Brazil. Nine days later, he snagged a pass from the Colts’ Anthony
Richardson in the same period in Green Bay’s home opener.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Demonstrating he can strike at any time, McKinney poached
Will Levis of the Titans in the fourth quarter and Sam Darnold of the Vikings in
the third.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All but the first interception occurred within 20 yards of
the Packers’ end zone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In pilfering the pigskin, McKinney became the first player
in team history to intercept a pass in each of his first four games with the
team. He went one further than linebacker John Anderson who had one or more in each
of his first three games as a rookie in 1978.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But McKinney is not the first to come away with one in four
straight games. He shares that honor with Charlie Mathys (1923), Johnny Blood
(1929), Don Hutson (1942), Bobby Dillon (1957), John Symank (twice in 1957 and
once in 1961) and Nick Collins (2009).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Three players – Eddie Kotal (1928), Lavvie Dilweg (1928-29)
and Irv Comp (1943) had streaks of five. And one player, the all-but-forgotten Ojay
Larson, waylaid at least one pass six games running.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Packers say Comp is the record holder. His run of five
straight helped him to a club record 10 picks as a rookie.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That said, the team either does not recognize or is unaware of the exploits of those men who toiled during the game’s early years. But we here at Pro Football Journal believe all players, regardless of when they played, should be recognized for their exploits. And Larson, a center who played 13 games for Green Bay during his only season with the team (1925) belongs at the top of the heap.</p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexJPe_VYW8mZi0xSk1NRQmaG5Bb-mkAgivg6xh34R-0XG8mJPPH_F3plS0-Q4eNuuqhcBXH_cd9mHhWnWKF-49Yt5dQ0Tt9Hdq8r1sT9pADIefSRlMjKWmRViC7ksPNaxDgncgY0QDqlNciwrXXAT8kmXgaUYcBtNhi3xlB84aRqJrixqS-XenEysfhbo/s347/1925sflarson.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="249" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexJPe_VYW8mZi0xSk1NRQmaG5Bb-mkAgivg6xh34R-0XG8mJPPH_F3plS0-Q4eNuuqhcBXH_cd9mHhWnWKF-49Yt5dQ0Tt9Hdq8r1sT9pADIefSRlMjKWmRViC7ksPNaxDgncgY0QDqlNciwrXXAT8kmXgaUYcBtNhi3xlB84aRqJrixqS-XenEysfhbo/w288-h400/1925sflarson.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Colorized photo courtesy of John Maxymuk<br />and Packers Past Perfect</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Larson, who played collegiately at Notre Dame, was a Bear
(1922) and a Milwaukee Badger (1923-24) before signing with the Packers. The
Green Bay Press-Gazette had this to say about him shortly after he autographed
his contract.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The new Packer has always been considered a great center.
He was not pleased with his berth on the Milwaukee club and jumped at the
chance to get a ‘change of pasture.’”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Larson swiped his first pass for Green Bay in Week 4 against
his old team, the Badgers. The 6-foot-1, 199-pounder redirected Shorty Barr’s
third throw of the game. Five plays later, Curly Lambeau connected with Marty
Norton from 28 yards out as the Packers recorded their first touchdown in a
31-0 rout of their southern neighbor.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A week later, Larson did the same to Roddy Lamb. The
turnover sparked a 6-play, 25-yard drive capped by Myrt Basing’s 1-yard plunge –
the first of his two rushing touchdowns – as Green Bay blanked Rock Island 20-0.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over the next four weeks, Larson gave the Jeffersons, Badgers,
Cardinals and Triangles the same treatment. He doubled-dipped against
Rochester.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Green Bay went 5-1 during Larson’s 6-game spree. The team’s
only loss occurred in Chicago where Paddy Driscoll booted a 27-yard field goal
with less than a minute left to lift the Cardinals to a 9-6 victory.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Larson’s run ended after the Packers handed Dayton a 7-0
loss. Green Bay (7-2) then dropped three of its last four to finish 8-5 winding
up ninth among the 20 teams in the league that year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the penultimate game of the season, Larson injured his knee.
As a result, his string of 12 straight starts ended a week later in Providence where
he played only sparingly against the Steam Roller in the finale.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In August 1926, the Press-Gazette speculated that: “… it is
not probable that Ojay Larson, the Packers’ 1925 center, will play any football
on account of an injured knee that gave him considerable trouble last fall.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Larson did return in 1929 where he played 17 games with both
the Bears and Cardinals before hanging up his cleats for good. He died in May
1977 at the age of 79.</p><p></p>Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-56649571123677460852024-10-01T18:24:00.004-06:002024-10-01T20:39:01.406-06:00TUESDAY TIDBITS: "Every Decision That We Made, We Made With Our Hearts"<div><b><i>By TJ Troup <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3yCTq15_XsyP112BexabNhcb_RUTNK07d87oxR5b6I11nJP25k2GkMNaBIND7zMIB9LNI2xiWpv-rWsBhFbfM0qv3D9MEiRJBRB_KU8nXj5hUdMSiw3oxzhg1KTY6tvCOe4Vm9rYH6TY8HRm-Zj_2iJf32YSFifw1PxYe_w9ii_1eGMwfBfSG8DiLiou/s206/2024-10-01_20-31-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="206" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3yCTq15_XsyP112BexabNhcb_RUTNK07d87oxR5b6I11nJP25k2GkMNaBIND7zMIB9LNI2xiWpv-rWsBhFbfM0qv3D9MEiRJBRB_KU8nXj5hUdMSiw3oxzhg1KTY6tvCOe4Vm9rYH6TY8HRm-Zj_2iJf32YSFifw1PxYe_w9ii_1eGMwfBfSG8DiLiou/s1600/2024-10-01_20-31-08.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Hall of Fame Steve Sabol</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div><br /></div>Tomorrow October 2nd would have been Steve Sabol's 82nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Steve, and hope you are enjoying football heaven where you play fullback, and make films. <div><br /></div><div>This is a special time of year for me with Senior Softball playoffs, selling my book, and relishing watching the games this season. </div><div><br /></div><div> As always would enjoy hearing opinions from all of you, and as such you need a question so I can get those opinions. <div><br /></div><div>Which teams looks strong enough to go the distance to earn a spot in the final four? </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan Campbell sure has his Lions on the prowl, and with the schedule the next few weeks with so many road games. Can Detroit position themselves to again win the division? Detroit against Minnesota has never been much of a rivalry, yet this year the games are gonna be key. <div><br /></div><div>During my visits to NFL Films when Steve and I would have coffee, always was asked the same question,"Coach what are you working on"? </div><div><br /></div><div>Since I had determined that returning an interception for a touchdown means an 80% chance of victory, and when one team has a 100-yard rusher, and their opponent does not equate to a 77% chance of victory. </div><div><br /></div><div>I bet you can surmise where I am going with this—what happens when a team has both. <div><br /></div><div>Felt that this stat needed a "catchy" nickname, and to this day call it "Apocalyptic Horsemen". This past Sunday in San Francisco Fred Warner returned an interception for a touchdown, and Jordan Mason gained over 100 yards in the Niner victory. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wG6qwrLYFd9oe76Xuyo7-jew9OPuHontnVXP25kkafP2tnJtkj_E6KmczswKnA3UjrF_WOv61tjYi4oQJVr_8agvZU5UF0Fefu4_0D_8qnytI6mozq0mVpm13pMTbVDyxjLcssiR12TPkuDYi1RfCxdrnHJ3wapYimxgZzfasmCEdJp6zuJxzDYI7VKR/s319/2024-10-01_20-36-44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="319" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wG6qwrLYFd9oe76Xuyo7-jew9OPuHontnVXP25kkafP2tnJtkj_E6KmczswKnA3UjrF_WOv61tjYi4oQJVr_8agvZU5UF0Fefu4_0D_8qnytI6mozq0mVpm13pMTbVDyxjLcssiR12TPkuDYi1RfCxdrnHJ3wapYimxgZzfasmCEdJp6zuJxzDYI7VKR/s1600/2024-10-01_20-36-44.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WarnFr00.htm">Fred Warner</a> and <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MasoJo00.htm">Jordan Mason</a></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>San Francisco has won 18 of the 21 times they have accomplished this feat (85.7%), and the league average historically is 91%. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>In the last four years the 49ers have achieved the Apocalyptic Horsemen stat! Only four other teams have accomplished this stat at least four years in a row. Buffalo with six consecutive seasons holds the record. One of my projects years ago was compiling a list of long runs from scrimmage of at least 50 yards and called it "Elusive". </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDUPaIzDFCyS05aTxlvgz6mWWty8TcQDyaI9l29Ij6nLyndQ3dTGL9P_oJoXU4Dyi07pYf9nykfeWSGjAjxc3K8QAy5utJ2KjS0aiTpC46_KbEF4lObjC7ydBlJM9xEcFBy5NQ9Zm-uWzQCKdg271Ve2IVVTlY3dClYsTo9VW8BFM2ASC-B4wXP_A_tsK/s203/2024-10-01_20-33-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="203" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDUPaIzDFCyS05aTxlvgz6mWWty8TcQDyaI9l29Ij6nLyndQ3dTGL9P_oJoXU4Dyi07pYf9nykfeWSGjAjxc3K8QAy5utJ2KjS0aiTpC46_KbEF4lObjC7ydBlJM9xEcFBy5NQ9Zm-uWzQCKdg271Ve2IVVTlY3dClYsTo9VW8BFM2ASC-B4wXP_A_tsK/s1600/2024-10-01_20-33-22.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HenrDe00.htm">Derrick Henry</a></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Derrick Henry with his long touchdown run against Buffalo now is tied with Jim Brown with 15!</div></div></div></div></div>TJ Trouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09304023579676096733noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-78403718483542343742024-09-30T17:07:00.002-06:002024-09-30T22:02:27.575-06:00Sam Darnold: A Quick Study at Lambeau Field<p><b><i> By Eric Goska</i></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Qb_Lgz5Yep5AF5NZIeyJaOieM7j4Hek2Bk3NF6FDAngDNrkTK3Hpm2ftx7wzlwndb-m5kAhtpOud6EARFEHhtM06pQLw9umkH_OwabdwEBX68ebKrvSpuqYNKcpLe_irtONNHE6KNAn2TcgWTLTC9TmHqI8lVVdHA9YoChC42MLuvkWSBqFGRaFsJ90/s3901/Vikes%2001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2789" data-original-width="3901" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Qb_Lgz5Yep5AF5NZIeyJaOieM7j4Hek2Bk3NF6FDAngDNrkTK3Hpm2ftx7wzlwndb-m5kAhtpOud6EARFEHhtM06pQLw9umkH_OwabdwEBX68ebKrvSpuqYNKcpLe_irtONNHE6KNAn2TcgWTLTC9TmHqI8lVVdHA9YoChC42MLuvkWSBqFGRaFsJ90/w400-h286/Vikes%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Purple prevailed at Lambeau Field Sunday<br />(photos by Eric Goska)</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sam Darnold lit up Lambeau Field.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Darnold fired three touchdown passes in leading the Vikings
to a 31-29 victory over the Packers Sunday. The seven-year veteran required fewer
passing attempts to snag his hat trick than any opposing player in the 68-year
history of the stadium.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Quick draw, quick study, Darnold directed the early fusillade.
In firing scoring strikes to Jordan Addison, Josh Oliver and Justin Jefferson, the
27-year-old quarterback staked Minnesota to an imposing 28-0 lead in the game’s
first 25 minutes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Only once have the Vikings mounted a larger lead at Lambeau.
Head coach Bud Grant’s charges jumped in front by 31 in a 31-7 in trouncing of
the Pack in 1973.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Darnold tossed his first TD pass on his fourth throw of the
game, a 29-yarder to Addison. He counted No. 2 on his seventh attempt, a
2-yarder to tight end Oliver. He capped off his assault with a 14-yarder to
Justin Jefferson, a third TD on just his 13th<sup> </sup>aerial of the
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No opposing passer had gotten there quicker in a regular-season game at
Lambeau. Darnold broke the previous record of 16 that had been shared by
Fran Tarkenton (1971) and Randall Cunningham (1998).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scores of opposing quarterbacks have plied their trade at the venue the Packers have called home since 1957. Darnold became the 37th to throw three
or more TD passes in a regular-season game there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sunday was Darnold’s 70th game as a pro. It
marked just the sixth time he passed for three or more touchdowns in a game and
the second time against the Packers.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a rookie in 2018, Darnold got three in a 38-44 overtime loss
to Green Bay. In that matchup, he needed 23 attempts to come away with his hat trick.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">One, Two, Three – Hat Trick<br /></b>The six opposing quarterbacks who required fewer than 20 pass attempts
to fire three touchdown passes in a regular-season game at Lambeau Field<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Passer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Date<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Team<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Result<br /></b><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>13<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sam
Darnold<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sept. 29, 2024<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 29-31<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>16<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fran
Tarkenton<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sept. 19, 1971<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Giants<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 40-42<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>16<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Randall
Cunningham<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oct. 5, 1998<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Vikings<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 24-37<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>17<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nick
Foles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nov. 10, 2013<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eagles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 13-27<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>18<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ron
Jaworski<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nov. 25, 1979<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eagles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 10-21<br /><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>19<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carson
Wentz<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sept. 26, 2019<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eagles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GB lost, 27-34</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64pJae59N4iVw7uCyM_YuTDvKf48k4xDgib8bjAxzz6Dq0jva_wA8PuNt0z9uawI89I2ialDdlcJ2SUM1S-HZG4YiyAHyHnU9G-9zm0zyYb8O6Ze2LPA7RIwQ-_1d7pBgDAtonohWKWWSDO4rhKLuzqtf5oV3VmGuspjh_uIQiPNq5e3SmP5MBVrtDkv2/s3393/WCCO.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2081" data-original-width="3393" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64pJae59N4iVw7uCyM_YuTDvKf48k4xDgib8bjAxzz6Dq0jva_wA8PuNt0z9uawI89I2ialDdlcJ2SUM1S-HZG4YiyAHyHnU9G-9zm0zyYb8O6Ze2LPA7RIwQ-_1d7pBgDAtonohWKWWSDO4rhKLuzqtf5oV3VmGuspjh_uIQiPNq5e3SmP5MBVrtDkv2/w400-h245/WCCO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>WCCO-TV CBS Minnesota had much to talk about Sunday.</i></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Welcome back, Aaron Jones!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On Sunday, Jones took to Lambeau Field for the first time
since becoming a Viking and enjoyed a productive afternoon. No. 33 led the
Vikings with 93 yards rushing on 22 carries, and while not a 100-yard effort, his
output is notable for how well it stacks up with performances turned in by other
former Packers against their old team.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Backs who once played for Green Bay have returned to face their
former employer ever since Eddie Usher donned a Kansas City Blues uniform in
1924. Some –Harry Mattos, Cy Casper and Mike Meade – have been all but
forgotten. Others – Mule Wilson, Bobby Jack Floyd and Bill Butler – scarcely made
a ripple.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In all, just over 50 backs have fallen into this category
over the last 100 years. Just five – Dave Hampton, Jamaal Williams, Edgar
Bennett, Vince Workman and Jones – gained more than 75 yards on the ground in a return engagement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq_pYKMLWqfPwuk58ueeofpT-MqjRGbi-1O-MT3dWWzpoidizGD2W8AOdKJLbJAPhduXiNrcl8rHSBpcUJKaIkdNuCjrezpvNDvfdSTQKib1nBkGzbvBhEAtanJtrcHS4y-KRMTA9QryWBWyg2u-dlZQZvhYu1djMKiRB03ja99Ym83x-nQeWSChHeB3g/s2757/Eddie%20Lacy.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="2757" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq_pYKMLWqfPwuk58ueeofpT-MqjRGbi-1O-MT3dWWzpoidizGD2W8AOdKJLbJAPhduXiNrcl8rHSBpcUJKaIkdNuCjrezpvNDvfdSTQKib1nBkGzbvBhEAtanJtrcHS4y-KRMTA9QryWBWyg2u-dlZQZvhYu1djMKiRB03ja99Ym83x-nQeWSChHeB3g/s320/Eddie%20Lacy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Eddie Lacy signed autographs before the game</b></span>.</td></tr></tbody></table>Only one – Hampton – put up numbers comparable to those of
Jones. Hampton, who played for Green Bay from 1969-1971, gained 93 yards on 30
carries as a Falcon in 1972 against his old team and he amassed 94 on 23 totes two
years later.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jones, with a long of 17, had three carries of more
than 10 yards. He came away with five of the Vikings’ eight first downs
rushing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;">Almost a third of
Jones’ attempts (7) came in the second half of the fourth quarter as Minnesota
sought to run out the clock. Not one of those tries brought more than five
yards or a first down.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;">Five players have
gained 100 or more yards rushing against Green Bay in the years after they left the team. Hampton leads the list with 260 yards in four games followed by Williams
(221-4), Junior Coffey (174-5), Jug Girard (155-6) and Tobin Rote (100-5).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;">Jones could join
that list when the Vikings host the Packers in December.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in left 45.0pt 2.0in 3.25in 4.0in;"><b>Return Engagements</b></p><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: center .25in .75in left 81.0pt 2.75in 4.0in;">Former Packers
who gained more than 75 yards rushing in a regular-season game against their
old team.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p><b> Yds Atts Player Team Date<br /></b> 94 23 Dave Hampton Falcons Dec.
15, 1974<br /> 93 30 Dave Hampton Falcons Oct.
22, 1972<br /> 93 22 Aaron Jones Vikings Sept.
29, 2024<br /> 81 24 Jamaal Williams Lions Nov.
6, 2022<br /> 78 15 Edgar Bennett Bears Dec.
13, 1998<br /> 77 18 Vince Workman Buccaneers Nov.
28, 1993</div><br />Eric Goskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03572607660403933246noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958997061437462003.post-22259357744173863932024-09-26T22:01:00.008-06:002024-09-27T12:33:22.366-06:00New York Giants Running Game -- One of Their Worst Efforts Ever<div style="text-align: left;"><b><i> By John Turney <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRjmQPS76aH3cSCjwvnLK2_87WvLBMk1zuLZt4g3NSp4hpOpsSCTjKFC17CyHF79mK-zxy0KspawQb_L8JOXCSdQqySFaCpBJAI3IYS6QC5GubL9La-8MTO7_vH0dbY1yqgrvl3kQ5yuXKoVq4s319V7nwPpzNGRTKAmuTeTvJGRVcdeppy0KDvqtJg2_/s441/2024-09-26_21-39-49.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="441" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRjmQPS76aH3cSCjwvnLK2_87WvLBMk1zuLZt4g3NSp4hpOpsSCTjKFC17CyHF79mK-zxy0KspawQb_L8JOXCSdQqySFaCpBJAI3IYS6QC5GubL9La-8MTO7_vH0dbY1yqgrvl3kQ5yuXKoVq4s319V7nwPpzNGRTKAmuTeTvJGRVcdeppy0KDvqtJg2_/s320/2024-09-26_21-39-49.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SingDe00.htm">Devin Singletary</a> ran for 24 yards on 14 carries against the Cowboys tonight</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tonight in the Thursday Night Game featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the New York Giants, Gotham's team wanted to establish the run. But they didn't. Or couldn't.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">How bad was it?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They ran for 26 yards on 24 rushes -- an average of 1.1 yards a carry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One. Point. One.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's tied for the tenth-worst ever<a href="https://stathead.com/tiny/behv2"> per Pro Football Reference</a> (PFR)—<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbpsU36Fc78nudtT_ZvQWwBWK_jLoZ1WAIh6hd7LFLb2L3pW-9MXkQcOPYgHnUFZMeBsEYZK53skVZK8gN-IF5PKnFyBCnJVsMGNPUIWJfVjPq6VgaWhyDlnn4mGi0Xe4jba0fEIevBbsUujXt1lUV8DfnW-bHBt0bZDDlzTC8zSTnWwpNnRqif-pP0hM/s477/2024-09-26_21-24-21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbpsU36Fc78nudtT_ZvQWwBWK_jLoZ1WAIh6hd7LFLb2L3pW-9MXkQcOPYgHnUFZMeBsEYZK53skVZK8gN-IF5PKnFyBCnJVsMGNPUIWJfVjPq6VgaWhyDlnn4mGi0Xe4jba0fEIevBbsUujXt1lUV8DfnW-bHBt0bZDDlzTC8zSTnWwpNnRqif-pP0hM/s16000/2024-09-26_21-24-21.jpg" /></a></div>But what makes it worse is that many of the games listed by PFR are when yards lost attempting to pass were lumped in with rushing yards the separated of which was made permanent post-1952. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Though a little complex, it's fair to say pre-1952 at least some of the negative rushing players were what would be called sacks today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, you can throw out #2 on the list, #4, #6, #7, #8 and two of the games tied at #10.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A post-1952 chart would look like this—<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0lu40cokFOtcSZWlKY7aF4IhdQueSZD7rYTkAeXvDuPjpv4uLa_ssL9N_Okup5GeLoI816fy99g9J1Fdmg9irT8a9-7gkJFzw1iFyEpD4EFkVtVi6Zpozv70lnmLER87Nmd5nzBPeGhId3JloVCXowvZy6ZynezvMNuVT4z64FhVxNdifIgW_M62SCFf/s365/2024-09-26_22-44-25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0lu40cokFOtcSZWlKY7aF4IhdQueSZD7rYTkAeXvDuPjpv4uLa_ssL9N_Okup5GeLoI816fy99g9J1Fdmg9irT8a9-7gkJFzw1iFyEpD4EFkVtVi6Zpozv70lnmLER87Nmd5nzBPeGhId3JloVCXowvZy6ZynezvMNuVT4z64FhVxNdifIgW_M62SCFf/s16000/2024-09-26_22-44-25.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eliminating the earlier games that were scored differently tonight's performance was the fourth-worst ever.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One. Point. One.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, let's look at the other side of the coin. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Over the decades the Cowboys have had some great defenses that prided themselves on stopping the run. Going into the game the Pokes ranked last in the NFL versus the run and last in yards allowed per carry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However last night's performance took the Dallas defense from allowing an average of 185.7 yards a game down to 145.8 yards and from 5.4 yards an attempt to 4.6 --they will still rank pretty low but will no longer be last.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But there is more. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tonight was the top performance ever for a Dallas defense in terms of stopping the run. The Giants' 1.1 yards an attempt is lower than the previous record of the 1.2 yards the Chargers averaged in 1983. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are the top ten performances in Cowboys history for games an opponent ran the ball 20 or more times.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0D5tpy-wdY77Y2rPIBumRMf-DSYRo5_EpGhyphenhyphenCSHlCwmAeMJjPtq3fsHQlJksDzgZ8nE4-0uSE-0UfEaB7iAeJLT03iJs92z_xF3Xo0AB56K-hgCgLM5AAt27pFea89gro79GBbkjJYcIiSPDo64S-LYMwCtQc5TrHzxeZo_Oq4-enSZgfySg_RSI4wdh/s392/2024-09-26_21-58-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0D5tpy-wdY77Y2rPIBumRMf-DSYRo5_EpGhyphenhyphenCSHlCwmAeMJjPtq3fsHQlJksDzgZ8nE4-0uSE-0UfEaB7iAeJLT03iJs92z_xF3Xo0AB56K-hgCgLM5AAt27pFea89gro79GBbkjJYcIiSPDo64S-LYMwCtQc5TrHzxeZo_Oq4-enSZgfySg_RSI4wdh/s16000/2024-09-26_21-58-04.jpg" /></a></div>The Giants were awful running the ball. The Cowboys have never had a better night stopping the run.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">History. It's always interesting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>John Turneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06612706488776938253noreply@blogger.com3
