Category Archives: 1980s

Yet another Dynamic Debut by a Redskins QB

The Redskins haven’t exactly been synonymous with quality quarterbacking in the past two decades. Oh, some guys have had their moments — Gus Frerotte, Trent Green, Brad Johnson, Mark Brunell and, most recently, Robert Griffin III, to name a handful — but they never seem to last very long on the job.

For some reason, though, the Redskins have had quite a few quarterbacks — an amazing number, really — who’ve played exceptionally well their first time out of the box, either as a starter or in long relief. (Note the word “long,” as opposed to late-game mop-up duty.) It happened again Sunday, when Colt McCoy came off the bench in the second half to replace struggling Kirk Cousins and rallied Washington to a 19-17 win over Tennessee.

Actually, the trend goes back even farther – to the mid-’80s, with Jay Schroeder, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. It’s a phenomenon that’s hard to explain, but it’s definitely real. Is there another NFL team that can boast a dozen QB debuts like these in recent decades?

12 TERRIFIC DEBUTS BY REDSKINS QUARTERBACKS IN THE LAST 30 YEARS

[table]

Date,Quarterback,Opponent,Att,Comp,Yds,TD,Int,Rating,Result

11-18-85,Jay Schroeder*,Giants,20,13,221,1,0,119.0,W\, 23-21

9-13-87,Doug Williams*,Eagles,27,17,272,2,0,121.2,W\, 34-24

9-25-88,Mark Rypien,Cardinals,41,26,303,3,1,99.9,L\, 30-21

10-23-94,Gus Frerotte,Colts,32,17,226,2,0,96.6,W\, 41-27

9-6-98,Trent Green*,Giants,25,17,208,2,0,120.1,L\, 31-24

9-12-99,Brad Johnson,Cowboys,33,20,382,2,0,121.0,L\, 41-35

10-6-02,Patrick Ramsey*,Titans,34,20,268,2,0,103.6,W\, 31-14

12-6-07,Todd Collins*,Bears,20,15,224,2,0,144.6,W\, 24-16

12-19-10,Rex Grossman,Cowboys,43,25,322,4,2,93.4,L\, 33-30

9-9-12,Robert Griffin III,Saints,26,19,320,2,0,139.9,W\, 40-32

12-16-12,Kirk Cousins,Browns,37,26,329,2,1,104.4,W\, 38-21

10-19-14,Colt McCoy*,Titans,12,11,128,1,0,138.9,W\, 19-17

Totals,,,350,226,3203,25,4,113.1,Won 8\, Lost 4

[/table]

*Came off the bench.

Note: Seven of the quarterbacks (Rypien, Frerotte, Johnson, Ramsey, Collins, Griffin, McCoy) had never thrown a pass for the Redskins before, and two others (Williams, Green) had thrown only one. The remaining three (Schroeder 8, Grossman 7, Cousins 11) had thrown a few more, but not many. In other words, there’s no fudging here. It was the first significant playing time for all 12.

And yet they pulled five games out of the fire in relief appearances, posted a group passer rating of 113.1 and had all sorts of other fine-looking stats. If the Redskins had had quarterbacking anywhere near this good in this period, they’d probably have more than three Lombardi Trophies on display.

Not all of their quarterbacks, of course, have made first impressions like these. For every Schroeder, there’s been a John Beck, for every McCoy a Jeff George. But still . . . .

Maybe the answer for the Redskins is to just sign a bunch of journeyman QBs every year, plug each of them in for a game, then throw ’em away and sign a bunch more. There never seems to be any shortage of them.

Wait, I just had another idea. Maybe the Redskins could get that guy in Office Space to hypnotize their quarterbacks into believing it’s their First Game as a Redskin every week.

Just a thought. Like they say, desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Russell Wilson, making some history

In today’s 28-26 loss to the Rams, the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game. Pretty cool (except for the defeat, of course).

You know what’s almost as cool? The QB who came closest before Wilson was Browns Hall of Famer Otto Graham, and the game Graham nearly did it in was the 1950 title game. Check out the box score for yourself. Otto had 298 yards passing and 99 rushing, which left him just 3 yards short.

This is from Harry Jones’ story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer the next day:

At a locker nearby, Graham was stripping off his jersey. It was plain to see that he had taken a physical beating from the huge Los Angeles linemen who had knocked him down repeatedly. His face displayed cuts and bruises, and he limped on a twisted knee.

“Somebody hit me in the back toward the end of the first half,” Otto said. “I thought I was going to fold up right there. My knee buckled, but luckily it didn’t stiffen up. It’s just getting stiff now. It’ll probably be plenty sore tomorrow.”

If you’re interested in a visual, here’s Graham scrambling for a 22-yard gain to the Rams 31:

Just a tremendous player — as is Wilson.

QBS WHO CAME CLOSEST TO 300 YARDS PASSING, 100 RUSHING IN SAME GAME

[table]

Date,Quarterback\, Team,Opponent,Pass,Rush,Missed By

12-24-50,Otto Graham\, Browns,Rams,298,99,3

12-18-89,Randall Cunningham\, Eagles*,Saints,306,92,8

10-9-11,Michael Vick\, Eagles*,Bills,315,90,10

12-9-12,Cam Newton\, Panthers,Falcons,287,116,13

10-8-00,Rich Gannon\, Raiders,49ers,310,85,15

10-12-14,Cam Newton\, Panthers,Bengals,284,107,16

10-20-13,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,Bears,298,84,18

11-3-13,Terrell Pryor\, Raiders*,Eagles,288,94,18

11-15-10,Michael Vick\, Eagles,Redskins,333,80,20

[/table]

*Lost game.

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The eternal John Riggins

Thirty years ago today, at the age of 35, John Riggins carried 32 times for 165 yards as the Redskins whipped the Cowboys, 34-14. Three decades later, his yardage total is still the highest for a 35-or-older back — by 21. Indeed, it’s reasonable to wonder whether his age-group records will ever be broken.

After all, it’s been a decade since a back that old rushed for even 100 yards in a game (the Cardinals’ Emmitt Smith, 106 vs. the Seahawks in 2004). In fact, since Riggins retired after the 1985 season, only Smith (twice) and Marcus Allen (also twice) have topped 100 after turning 35.

It’s so rare for a back to last that long — that is, and still be in decent working order. Tony Richardson played fullback for the Jets until he was 39, but he was a blocker, not a runner. Riggins at 35 was still a franchise back, spry enough to rush for 1,239 yards — almost all of them between the tackles — and to carry 20 times a game (327 in all).

Maybe it was the sabbatical year he took in 1980, when he held out for money and didn’t get it. Maybe that’s why Riggo was so good at such an advanced age. Or maybe it was just genes, an innate Kansas Farm Boy Indestructibility. Whatever the reason, we may never see his like again. So I thought I’d give him a shout-out on the 30th anniversary of one of his greatest games.

Since 1960, there have been only 14 100-yard rushing games by backs 35 or older. Riggins has eight of them. Nobody else has more than two. He was amazing then, and he’s amazing now.

MOST RUSHING YARDS IN A GAME BY A BACK 35 OR OLDER SINCE 1960

[table]

Date,Running Back (Age)\,Team,Opponent,Att,Yds,TD

10-14-84,John Riggins (35)\, Redskins,Cowboys,32,165,0

10-1-78,McArthur Lane (36)\, Chiefs, Bills,17,144,0

9-23-84,John Riggins (35)\, Redskins,Patriots,33,140,1

10-3-04,Emmitt Smith (35)\, Cardinals,Saints,21,127,1

12-3-95,Marcus Allen (35)\, Chiefs,Raiders,21,124,1

10-22-95,Marcus Allen (35)\, Chiefs,Broncos,21,121,1

10-13-85,John Riggins (36)\, Redskins,Lions, 21,114,3

10-27-85,John Riggins (36)\, Redskins,Browns,30,112,1

12-9-84,John Riggins (35)\, Redskins,Cowboys,24,111,1

10-24-04,Emmitt Smith (35)\, Cardinals,Seahawks,26,106,1

[/table]

FYI: Riggins’ 1,239 rushing yards in ’84 are the most by a 35-or-older back by 302. (Next: Smith, ’04 Cardinals, 937.) And his 327 carries that season are the most by a 35-or-older back by 60. (Next: Smith, ’04 Cardinals, 267.)

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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DeMarco Murray and the Triple Crown

Every NFL season seems to produce a Statistical Phenomenon or two. So far in 2014, the Cowboys’ DeMarco Murray is That Guy. Let’s pray to the grid god that Murray gets to finish what he’s started, because what he’s started is pretty impressive.

Two weeks ago, when I first wrote about him, it was because he’d rushed for 100 yards in each of his first four games — something that had been done only six other times since 1960. Well, now he’s rushed for 100 yards in each of his first six games. No other back has done that since ’60.

Murray also is continuing to shoulder a heavy load. Through Week 4, he was on pace for 396 rushing attempts, which would be the seventh-highest total all time. But his 29 carries Sunday in Dallas’ 30-23 road shocker over the Seahawks put him on a 424 pace. That’s eight more the record of 416, set by the Chiefs’ Larry Johnson in 2006.

In addition, Murray has had 180 touches (rushing attempts plus receptions) in his first six games. Only three backs since ’60 have had more. The Top 5:

MOST TOUCHES BY A RUNNING BACK IN THE FIRST 6 GAMES SINCE 1960

[table width=”425px”]

Year,Running Back\, Team,Rush,Rec,Total

2000,Eddie George\, Titans,165,20,185

2000,Ricky Williams\, Dolphins,155,27,182

2002,Priest Holmes\, Chiefs,143,38,181

2014,DeMarco Murray\, Cowboys,159,21,180

1985,James Wilder\, Bucs,144,35,179

[/table]

Wilder, by the way, holds the mark for touches in a season: a superhuman 492 in 1984. Murray projects to 480 (an average of 30 a game). That would be the second-best total in NFL history. As I’ve said before, though, high-volume seasons like that aren’t usually conducive to long-term productivity. Dallas coach Jason Garrett needs to be mindful of the Burnout Factor.

Still, it would nice to see Murray take a run at the Triple Crown — leading the league (or tying for the lead) in rushing yards, per-carry average and rushing touchdowns. It’s a feat that’s been accomplished by just six modern backs, five of whom are in the Hall of Fame. The short list:

RUNNING BACK TRIPLE CROWNS SINCE WORLD WAR II

[table width=”425px”]

Year,Running Back\, Team,Rush Yds, Avg,TD

1998,Terrell Davis\, Broncos,    2\,008,5.1,21

1980,Earl Campbell*\, Houston Oilers,    1\,934,5.2,13

1977,Walter Payton*\, Bears,    1\,852,5.5,14

1975,O.J. Simpson*\, Bills,    1\,817,5.5,16

1967,Leroy Kelly*\, Browns,    1\,205,5.1,11

1963,Jim Brown*\, Browns,    1\,863,6.4,12

[/table]

(Brown led by a comfortable margin in each category – in rushing by 845 yards, in average by 1.4 and in TDs by 3.)

* Hall of Famer

Murray leads NFL rushers with 785 yards and six TDs, but he has some work to do on his 4.9-yard average. The No. 1 guy in that department through six games, the Ravens’ Justin Forsett, is averaging 6.4 on 64 carries.

A Triple Crown is just incredibly hard to pull off. Consider: Seven backs have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season, but only one of them – Davis – won the Triple Crown. LaDainian Tomlinson couldn’t do it in a year (2006) he led the league in rushing (1,815) and scored a record 32 touchdowns, 28 on the ground (2006). Brown couldn’t do it in a year (1958) he broke the season rushing mark by 381 yards (with 1,527), ran for nearly twice as many scores as anybody else in the league (17 to the runner-up’s 9) and had a per-carry average of 5.9 (which ranked a mere fourth).

What makes it even more difficult is that quarterbacks have led the league in rushing average three of the past four seasons (Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III) and seven times in the 2000s. Let’s face it, quarterback yards are different from running back yards. For one thing, QBs have more room to roam.

Still, some running back someday will have a monster year and become the seventh member of the Triple Crown Club. And if it doesn’t happen to be Murray, he’ll have plenty of illustrious backs to keep him company.

Note: The Chargers’ Paul Lowe also had a Triple Crown in the pre-Super Bowl AFL: 1,121 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns (tie) and a 5-yard average (edging the Chiefs’ Mack Lee Hill by .03) in 1965. If you want to count that, too, be my guest. I’m inclined to exclude those years, even though the NFL record book doesn’t. The two leagues just weren’t comparable — yet.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Gronk vs. the greats

Rob Gronkowski scored another touchdown Sunday night in the Patriots’ 43-16 pasting of the previously unbeaten Bengals. That’s what Gronkowski does — at a rate never seen before by a tight end (and by few other receivers in NFL history). His latest, a 16-yarder over the middle from Tom Brady, was his 46th scoring catch in 56 games. Do the math, and it comes out to .82 TDs per game. Wow.

Only four receivers — all wideouts — have had more scoring receptions in their first 56 games. Their names should be pretty recognizable. Three are in the Hall of Fame, and the other, I’ve got to believe, will make it when he’s eligible.

MOST TOUCHDOWNS CATCHES, FIRST 56 GAMES

[table width=“250px”]

Years, Receiver\,Team,TD

1962-66,Lance Alworth*\, Chargers (AFL),53

1985-88,Jerry Rice*\, 49ers,50

1965-69,Bob Hayes*\, Cowboys,47

1998-01,Randy Moss\, Vikings,47

2010-14,Rob Gronkowski\, Patriots,46

1957-61,Tommy McDonald*\, Eagles,42

[/table]

*Hall of Famer

It’s impressive enough that a tight end is keeping company with some of the greatest deep threats of all time. You get an even greater sense of the Magnitude of Gronk, though, when you compare him to Hall of Famers who played his position. (I threw in a few more who figure to reach Canton eventually — plus Jerry Smith, who held the TD record for tight ends for years and should never be left out of these conversations.)

TD CATCHES BY NOTABLE TIGHT ENDS, FIRST 56 GAMES

[table width= “250px”]

Years,Tight End\, Team,TD

2010-14,Rob Gronkowski\, Patriots,46

2010-13,Jimmy Graham\, Saints,35

1961-64,Mike Ditka*\, Bears,30

2003-06,Antonio Gates\, Chargers,30

1979-83,Kellen Winslow*\, Chargers,29

1965-69,Jerry Smith\, Redskins,27

1963-66,John Mackey*\, Colts,25

1974-78,Dave Casper*\, Raiders,20

1978-81,Ozzie Newsome*\, Browns,19

1997-00,Tony Gonzalez\, Chiefs,19

1968-72,Charlie Sanders*\, Lions,15

2003-06,Jason Witten\, Cowboys,14

1963-66,Jackie Smith*\, Cardinals,11

1990-93,Shannon Sharpe*\, Broncos,   7

[/table]

*Hall of Famer

Sharpe, who finished with 62 touchdown receptions (a record since broken), is a reminder that some players, even future stars, take a while to establish themselves. That wasn’t the case with Gronkowski, of course. In just his ninth game he caught three TD passes against the Steelers and was off to immortality.

That is, if he can stay out of the operating room for a spell. He’s had a rough go if it of late with injuries, but he looked like the Gronk of Old on Sunday night. The Gronk of Old was a wonder to behold.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Coaching hires in the 2000s: the sequel

Fear of Information Overload yesterday caused me to hold back some of the data I’d gathered for my post on NFL coaching hires in the 2000s. Believe it or not, there are a few other things I’d like to share — if I haven’t worn you out on the subject.

The first one I’ve already touched on, but I want to go into it in greater depth: the increasing number of coaches who never played in the NFL or AFL. More and more, it’s becoming a game of Career Coaches, guys who might have been college players but, as soon as they were done, focused on climbing the coaching ladder.

The most extreme example is Todd Haley, the son of a former NFL cornerback and personnel man, who played golf in college before his father, then with the Jets, brought him into the family business as a scouting-department assistant. Todd, of course, later served as the Chiefs’ coach for nearly three seasons (2009-2011) and is now the Steelers’ offensive coordinator.

In the old days, there were no erstwhile college golfers holding down NFL head-coaching jobs. There were only ex-pro players and, occasionally, men who had coached on the college level. As late as the ’50s and even into the ’60s, it wasn’t unheard of for an active player to also be an assistant coach (e.g. Tom Landry with the Giants). Heck, in 1961, just months after he’d led the Eagles to their last championship, Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin was pacing the sideline as the coach of the expansion Vikings.

You don’t see that sort of thing anymore. Maybe it’s because the coach’s life, with its long hours and year-to-year uncertainty, has limited appeal to today’s players. Or maybe it’s because players, if they play six, eight, 10 years or longer in the league, feel they’re too far behind the Career Coaches, have too much ground to make up, to have a realistic shot at landing good coaching jobs. So they go into business, where their name recognition can help them, or perhaps they end up in the media, talking about the game instead of teaching it.

There are all kinds of reasons, no doubt, why the situation has developed the way it has. But the numbers are inescapable: In 1970, the first season after the AFL-NFL merger, 16 of the 26 coaches in the league were former players; this season, only six of 32 are (not counting the Saints’ Sean Payton, whose three NFL games during the 1987 strike were of the replacement variety).

The circle of life — or what used to be the circle of life in pro football — has been broken. It’s no longer, for those who might desire it: playing career, coaching career, possibly head coaching career (either pro or college). It’s now playing career (coached mostly by Career Coaches) followed Something Else (because the Career Coaches have gotten too much of a jump). The 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh, the Rams’ Jeff Fisher, the Titans’ Ken Whisenhunt, the Panthers’ Ron Rivera, the Cowboys’ Jason Garrett — erstwhile NFLers all — are rare exceptions these days. And in the years to come, the exceptions figure to be even rarer. That, at least, has been the pattern over the last 40-odd years.

Check out the difference between the first 24 Super Bowls (1966-89 seasons) and the second 24 (1990-2013). After Super Bowl I, which featured Career Coaches Vince Lombardi (Packers) and Hank Stram (Chiefs), the next 23 had at least one coach, and sometimes two, who were former NFL or AFL players. The rundown:

Former NFL/AFL Players Who Coached a Team to the Super Bowl, 1966-89

[table width=”450px”]

SB,Coach\, Team,Opponent,Result

II,John Rauch\, Raiders,Packers,L\, 33-14

III,Don Shula\, Colts,Jets,L\, 16-7

IV,Bud Grant\, Vikings,Chiefs,L\, 24-7

V,Don McCaffrey\, Colts,Cowboys,W\, 16-13

V,Tom Landry\, Cowboys, Colts,L\, 16-13

VI,Tom Landry\, Cowboys,Dolphins,W\, 24-3

VI,Don Shula\, Dolphins,Cowboys,L\, 24-3

VII,Don Shula\, Dolphins,Redskins,W\, 14-7

VIII,Don Shula\, Dolphins,Vikings,W\, 24-7

VIII,Bud Grant\, Vikings,Dolphins,L\, 24-7

IX,Chuck Noll\, Steelers,Vikings,W\, 16-6

IX,Bud Grant\, Vikings, Steelers,L\, 16-6

X,Chuck Noll\, Steelers,Cowboys,W\, 21-17

X,Tom Landry\, Cowboys,Steelers,L\, 21-17

XI,Bud Grant\, Vikings,Raiders,L\, 32-14

XII,Tom Landry\, Cowboys,Broncos,W\, 27-10

XIII,Chuck Noll\, Steelers,Cowboys,W\, 35-31

XIII,Tom Landry\, Cowboys,Steelers,L\, 35-31

XIV,Chuck Noll\, Steelers,Rams,W\, 31-19

XV,Tom Flores\, Raiders,Eagles,W\, 27-10

XVI,Forrest Gregg\, Bengals,49ers,L\, 26-21

XVII,Don Shula\, Dolphins,Redskins,L\, 27-17

XVIII,Tom Flores\, Raiders,Redskins,W\, 38-9

XIX,Don Shula\, Dolphins,49ers,L\, 38-16

XX,Mike Ditka\, Bears,Patriots,W\, 46-10

XX,Raymond Berry\, Patriots,Bears,L\, 46-10

XXI,Dan Reeves\, Broncos,Giants,L\, 39-20

XXII,Dan Reeves\, Broncos,Redskins,L\, 42-10

XXIII,Sam Wyche\, Bengals,49ers,L\, 20-16

XIV,Dan Reeves\, Broncos,49ers,L\, 55-10

[/table]

Summary of the first 24 Super Bowls:

● 23 had at least one coach who was a former NFL/AFL player (95.8%).

● 7 had two coaches who were former players (29.2%).

● Super Bowl XX (Ditka-Berry) is the last one that had two coaches who were former players.

● 12 former players coached teams to the Super Bowl:

[table width=”150px”]

Coach,W-L

Noll,4-0

Shula,2-4

Landry,2-3

Grant,0-4

Reeves*,0-3

Flores,2-0

McCafferty,1-0

Ditka,1-0

Rauch,0-1

Gregg,0-1

Berry,0-1

Wyche,0-1

[/table]

*Had a fourth appearance (and loss) with the 1998 Falcons.

● 12-18 combined record (.400), 30 of 48 berths (62.5%).

● 6 former players won (Noll, Shula, Landry, Flores, McCafferty, Ditka).

On to the second half of Super Bowl history . . .

Former NFL/AFL Players Who Coached a Team to the Super Bowl, 1990-2013

[table width=”450px”]

SB,Coach\, Team,Opponent,Result

XXX,Bill Cowher\, Steelers,Cowboys,L\, 27-17

XXXIII,Dan Reeves\, Falcons,Broncos,L\, 34-19

XXXIV,Jeff Fisher\, Titans,Rams,L\, 23-16

XL,Bill Cowher\, Steelers,Seahawks,W\, 21-10

XLI,Tony Dungy\, Colts,Bears,W\, 29-17

XLIII,Ken Whisenhunt\, Cardinals,Steelers,L\, 27-23

XLVII,Jim Harbaugh\, 49ers,Ravens,L\, 34-31

[/table]

Summary of the last 24 Super Bowls:

● 7 had a coach who was a former player (29.2%).

● 0 had two coaches who were former players (0%).

● 6 former players coached teams to the Super Bowl:

[table width=”150px”]

Coach,W-L

Cowher,1-1

Dungy,1-0

Reeves,0-1

Fisher,0-1

Whisenhunt,0-1

Harbaugh,0-1

[/table]

● 2-5 combined record (.286); 7 of 48 berths (14.6%).

● 2 former players won (Cowher, Dungy).

Total for the 48 Super Bowls:

● 37 of 96 berths (38.5%).

● 14-23 combined record (.378).

● 6 former players won one of the first 20 Super Bowls (McCafferty, Landry, Shula, Noll, Flores, Ditka).

● 2 former players have won one of the last 28 Super Bowls (Cowher, Dungy).

You can see the trend, too, in the following list:

Former NFL/AFL Players Hired as Head Coaches in the 2000s

● 2000 (1 of 7 vacancies) — Jim Haslett/Saints.

● 2001 (3 of 8) — Marty Schottenheimer/Redskins, Dick LeBeau/Bengals, Herman Edwards/Jets.

● 2002 (4 of 8) — Steve Spurrier/Redskins, Tony Dungy/Colts, Marty Schottenheimer/Chargers, Mike Tice/Vikings.

● 2003 (1 of 5) — Jack Del Rio/Jaguars.

● 2004 (1 of 7) — Mike Mularkey/Bills.

● 2005 (0 of 3) — None.

● 2006 (4 of 10) — Herman Edwards/Chiefs, Art Shell/Raiders, Gary Kubiak/Texans, Jauron/Bills.

● 2007 (1 of 7) — Ken Whisenhunt/Cardinals.

● 2008 (1 of 4) — Jim Zorn/Redskins.

● 2009 (1 of 11) — Mike Singletary/49ers.

● 2010 (0 of 3) — None.

● 2011 (5 of 8) — Jim Harbaugh/49ers, Leslie Frazier/Vikings, Jason Garrett/Cowboys, Mike Munchak/Titans, Ron Rivera/Panthers.

● 2012 (2 of 7) — Jeff Fisher/Rams, Mike Mularkey/Jaguars.

● 2013 (1 of 8) — Doug Marrone/Bills.

● 2014 (1 of 7) — Ken Whisenhunt/Titans.

Note: Interim coaches not included.

● Total: 26 of 103 hires (25.2%).

● 1 has won the Super Bowl (Dungy).

● 3 have taken a team to the Super Bowl (Dungy, Whisenhunt, Harbaugh). Record: 1-2, .333.

● That’s 3 Super Bowl berths out of 28 (10.7%).

Where does this leave us? Well, I’m not convinced the NFL would be radically different if there were more former players serving as head coaches. But I am convinced the game would be better. Why? Because there are undoubtedly some very good football minds that aren’t going into coaching, many more than before. And just as there are never enough good quarterbacks, there are never enough good coaches. Remember: 12 of the first 20 Super Bowls were won by teams coached by ex-players.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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The joy of stats, Week 4

The Vikings’ 41-28 win over the Falcons on Sunday produced not one but two intriguing statistics.

1. In his first NFL start, the Vikes’ Teddy Bridgewater completed 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards and . . . that’s it. No touchdowns, no interceptions. You might say it’s unusual to throw for 300 yards, average 10 per attempt (league norm: 7.1), avoid getting picked off and not have any TD passes. In fact, Bridgewater is just the third quarterback since 1960 to have such a game.

300 PASSING YARDS, 10 YARDS PER ATTEMPT, 0 TD, 0 INT IN A GAME

[table]

Date,Quarterback\, Team,Opponent,Yds,YPA,TD,Int,Result

9-28-14,Teddy Bridgewater\,Vikings,Falcons,317,10.6,0,0,W\, 41-28

11-4-12,Matt Ryan\, Falcons,Cowboys,342,10.1,0,0,W\, 19-13

12-10-00,Kurt Warner\, Rams,Vikings,346,10.8,0,0,W\, 40-29

[/table]

A big reason Bridgewater didn’t throw for any scores — except for a two-point conversion, that is — is that Minnesota ran the ball well when it got near the goal line. Matt Asiata pounded it in from 1, 3 and 6 yards out, and Teddy scrambled 13 for another touchdown. The four rushing TDs equaled the franchise record, first set in 1965.

Anyway, that’s how Bridgewater wound up with his unusual 30-19-317-0-0 line. (And it’ll probably never happen again.)

2. In defeat, the Falcons’ Devin Hester caught a 36-yard scoring pass from Matt Ryan. That gave Hester touchdowns rushing, receiving and punt returning in the first four games. Only five players have done that since ’60. The list:

RUSHING, RECEIVING AND PUNT-RETURN TD IN FIRST 4 GAMES

[table width=“350 px”]

Year,Player\, Team,Rush TD,Rec TD,PR TD

2014,Devin Hester\, Falcons,1,1,1

2011,Darren Sproles\, Saints,1,1,1

2008,Reggie Bush\, Saints,1,2,1

1966,Mike Garrett\, Chiefs,1,1,1

1961,Bobby Mitchell\, Browns,1,2,1

[/table]

Finally, one other performance popped out at me in Week 4. Frank Gore, at the tender age of 31, racked up 119 yards rushing and 55 receiving against the Eagles in the 49ers’ 26-21 victory. Since 1960, just nine backs 31 or older have had a 100/50 game. Five are in the Hall of Fame, so the feat must mean something, right?

100 YARDS RUSHING, 50 RECEIVING BY A BACK 31 OR OLDER

[table]

Date,Running back (Age)\, Team,Opponent,Rush,Rec,Result

9-28-14,Frank Gore (31)\, 49ers,Eagles,119,55,W\, 26-21

9-10-06,Tiki Barber (31)\, Giants,Colts,110,61,L\, 26-21

10-31-04,Priest Holmes (31)\, Chiefs,Colts,143,82,W\, 45-35

11-9-86,Tony Dorsett* (32)\, Cowboys,Raiders,101,64,L\, 17-13

11-9-86,Walter Payton* (33)\, Bears,Bucs,139,69,W\, 23-3

11-10-85,Walter Payton* (32)\, Bears,Lions,107,69,W\, 24-3

10-13-85,Tony Dorsett* (31)\, Cowboys,Steelers,113,82,W\, 27-13

9-25-83,Franco Harris* (33)\, Steelers,Patriots,106,83,L\, 28-23

9-10-78,O.J. Simpson* (31)\, 49ers,Bears,108,56,L\, 16-13

11-11-73,Floyd Little* (31)\, Broncos,Chargers,109,76,W\, 30-19

12-10-72,Wendell Hayes (32)\, Chiefs,Colts,104,55,W\, 24-10

[/table]

*Hall of Fame

By the way, that was the last 100-yard rushing performance of Simpson’s career. He outrushed Young Sweetness that day, 108-62, and outgained him from scrimmage, 164-65. Think he might have been up for the game?

Gore, though, looks like he might still have a little mileage in him. So we might need to update this chart at some point in the future.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Murray in a hurry

How unusual are DeMarco Murray’s four 100-yard rushing days in the first four games of the NFL season? This unusual: No other active running back has done it.

Indeed, only one other back has done it in the 2000s. The short list of runners who have accomplished the feat since 1960:

BACKS WITH 4 100-YARD RUSHING DAYS IN FIRST 4 GAMES (SINCE 1960)

[table]

Year,Running back\, Team,Att,Yards,Avg,TD, Proj. Yds,Final Total*

2014,DeMarco Murray\, Cowboys,99,534,5.4,5,2\,136,?????

2003,Stephen Davis\, Panthers,106,565,5.3,2,2\,260,1\,444

1997,Terrell Davis\, Broncos,95,526,5.5,3,2\,104,1\,750

1995,Emmitt Smith\, Cowboys,88,543,6.2,9,2\,172,1\,773*

1985,James Wilder\, Bucs,102,497,4.9,2,1\,988,1\,300

1975,O.J. Simpson\, Bills,118,697,5.9,5,2\,788,1\,817*

1973,O.J. Simpson\, Bills,102,647,6.3,4,2\,588,2\,003*

[/table]

*led league

As you can see, there are two Hall of Famers here (Smith and Simpson) and two 2,000-yard rushers (Davis in 1998 and Simpson in 14 games in ’73). So Murray is in pretty good company. As you also can see, none of the backs came within 300 yards of their projected total (based on their four-game figure). So DeMarco likely will fall considerably short of 2,136.

(FYI: Davis’ streak came in his first four games with the Panthers after signing with them as a free agent. Carolina went all the way to the Super Bowl that season — and nearly upset the Patriots.)

What Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has to be careful of is playing too much with his New Favorite Toy. After all, Murray is on pace for 396 carries, which would be the seventh-highest total of all time — and nearly twice as many as he’s ever had in a season (217). The group he would join:

MOST RUSHING ATTEMPTS IN A SEASON

[table width=”300px”]

Year,Running back\, Team,Carries

2006,Larry Johnson\, Chiefs,416

1998,Jamal Anderson\, Falcons,410

1984,James Wilder\, Bucs,407

1986,Eric Dickerson\, Rams,404

2000,Eddie George\, Titans,403

1985,Gerald Riggs\, Falcons,397

2014,DeMarco Murray\, Cowboys,396*

[/table]

*projected

Seasons like these aren’t usually conducive to long-term productivity. Johnson, for instance, never had another 1,000-yard year, and Anderson, Wilder and Riggs had only one. As for George, he was a diminished back after that, averaging just 3.2 yards a carry in his remaining four seasons. Dickerson is the outlier, topping 1,000 yards three more times and winning the rushing title in 1988. Not coincidentally, he’s the only one in Canton (or likely to get there).

At any rate, it’s something for the Cowboys to think about. Murray is just 26, and he’s been used humanely up to now. He could be capable of a few more seasons like this if they don’t run him into the ground.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Steve Smith makes the Panthers miss him

For the second straight NFL Sunday, a well-known wide receiver topped 100 yards in his first game against his former team. Last week it was the Redskins’ DeSean Jackson renewing acquaintances with the Eagles; this week it was Steve Smith exchanging pleasantries with the Panthers.

In the free-agent era, such made-for-TV reunions have become commonplace. They didn’t happen nearly so often in the old days. Consider: Don Hutson played for only one club his entire career: the Packers. The same goes for Raymond Berry (Colts), Charley Taylor (Redskins) and Steve Largent (Seahawks). Don Maynard had all but six of his 633 catches for the Jets, Art Monk all but 52 of his 940 for the Redskins. And each of them, I’ll just remind you, held the all-time receptions record at some point.

Now you have wideouts — in their later years, particularly — bouncing from team to team and basically playing as long as they’ve got two legs to run routes with. What was Jerry Rice’s last known address again? Oh, yes, the Broncos (though he had second thoughts and retired before playing for them).

So expect to see plenty more of these scenes in the seasons ahead — a celebrated wideout crossing paths with his old club. It’s kind of the football equivalent of bumping into your ex-wife, and, as we’ve seen, can make for very good theater. Smith, with touchdowns of 61 and 21 yards vs. Carolina, and Jackson, with an 81-yarder vs. Philadelphia, had two of the best Revenge Games (if you want to call them that) in modern times. One man’s Top 10:

BEST “REVENGE GAMES” BY WIDE RECEIVERS SINCE 1960

[table]

Date,Receiver\, Team,Former Team,Rec,Yds,TD,Result

10-30-11,Anquan Boldin\, Ravens,Cardinals,7,145,0,W\, 30-27

9-18-05,Terrell Owens\, Eagles,49ers,5,143,2,W\, 42-3

9-28-14,Steve Smith\, Ravens,Panthers,7,139,2,W\, 38-10

9-21-14,DeSean Jackson\, Redskins,Eagles,5,117,1,L\, 37-34

10-18-09,Torry Holt\, Jaguars,Rams,5,101,0,W\, 23-20

11-15-64,Tommy McDonald\, Cowboys,Eagles,7,99,0,L\, 17-14

11-21-93,Irving Fryar\, Dolphins,Patriots,4,97,1,W\, 17-13

9-23-62,Bobby Mitchell\, Redskins,Browns,3,94,1,W\, 17-16

9-12-93,Gary Clark\, Cardinals,Redskins,6,93,0, W\, 17-10

12-24-94,Henry Ellard\, Redskins,Rams,5,81,0,W\, 24-21

[/table]

Note: Mitchell caught the winning touchdown pass in the final two minutes, a 50-yarder. . . . Ellard’s game was the last one the Rams played in Los Angeles before moving to St. Louis.

OTHERS WORTHY OF MENTION

[table]

Date,Wide Receiver\, Team,Former Team,Rec,Yds,TD, Result

11-3-02,Jerry Rice\, Raiders,49ers,6,74,0,L\, 23-20

9-23-12,Randy Moss\, 49ers,Vikings,3,27,0,L\, 24-13

9-13-87,James Lofton\, Raiders,Packers,2,32,0,W\, 20-0

11-5-72,Lance Alworth\, Cowboys,Chargers,1,8,0,W\, 34-28

11-24-13,Wes Welker\, Broncos,Patriots,4,31,0,L\, 34-31

9-24-00,Keyshawn Johnson\, Bucs,Jets,1,1,0,L\, 21-17

[/table]

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Friday Night Fights IV: Fridge Perry vs. Manute Bol, 2002

For sheer grotesqueness, it’s hard to top the celebrity bout between William “The Refrigerator” Perry, the former hole-clogger for the Chicago Bears, and Manute Bol, the erstwhile three-point shooting machine for the Golden State Warriors. Perry weighed over 400 pounds — at least 50 above his playing weight — when he climbed through the ropes at Atlantic City’s Emerald Queen Casino on May 22, 2002. As for Bol, he was still the 7-foot-7 stick figure of his basketball days when he climbed over — yes, over — the ropes:

In a pre-fight interview, Fridge seemed undaunted by Manute’s 102-inch reach (as well as his reputation, as a youth in his native Sudan, for killing a lion with a spear). “He’s seven-foot-something,” he said. “I’m 6-3 or whatever. But, you know, you don’t fight standing up. You got to bend down, you got to bend your knees and everything. So he’s got to come down to size.”

Ring analyst Ray Mancini, the onetime WBA lightweight champ, wasn’t sure how Perry could attack Bol — legally, at least. “This guy is so tall,” he said, “I don’t know where [Perry]’d hit him without it being below the belt.” And indeed, watching the two paw each other was like watching a giraffe tangle with a water buffalo.

Both men had retired in 1994. They also were the same age: 39. In his sports afterlife, Perry goofed around in wrestling and Toughman boxing, while Bol engaged in various publicity stunts to raise money for relief efforts in his war-ravaged country. He even tried to play hockey with the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League, “but his arthritic feet swelled in his custom-made skates before he could take the ice,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

The bout was scheduled for three rounds of about 90 seconds (by my watch). Looks like Michael Buffer is ready to introduce the fighters. . . .

Thankfully, there was no rematch.

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