Football Digest articles from December 2004

Football Digest archives from December 2004

It's action-packed.(Kickoff)
December 1, 2004... HEY, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A terrific issue for you here at the world headquarters of FOOTBALL DIGEST. We start out with an interview with Brian Westbrook, the running back for the dominant Philadelphia Eagles. Westbrook shares his insightful...

Superhero.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Brett Favre is the best player in the world. He's my favorite player, easily. Every lime he steps onto the gridiron, his Green Bay Packers have a chance to win. And that's what they've been dong for years. Some people think he's getting old,...

Clutch players.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Good article on the best clutch players in the NFL ["The Dependable Dozen," November 2004]. I'm glad you guys put Tom Brady on the cover. When it comes to clutch players, no one beats Brady, as evidenced by his two Super Bowl championships. If...

Growing up.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I thought your article on Jack Del Rio was really interesting. ["Growing Pains," November 2004]. He definitely made some mistakes last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but I think his system finally is starting to take hold. The players...

What's up in K.C.?(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I'm so disappointed about the Chiefs. They have so much talent on offense, but their defense always blows it. Last year, they had a real good chance to get to the Super Bowl, but the defense let the team down. It looks like the same thing is...

From the hardwood to the gridiron.(Rising star: Antonio Gates)
December 1, 2004... ANTONIO GATES DIDN'T? TAKE the basic route to the NFL. He s no college phenom out of Miami like Kellen Winslow or Jeremy Shockey. He's no former wideout who was asked to add bulk and move to tight end. Nor is Gates a glorified tackle such as...

Franchise snapshot: Denver Broncos.
December 1, 2004... * The Broncos' name was selected from the 500 entries in a name-the-team contest held in January 1960. The named was suggested by Ward M. Vining of Lakewood, Colo. * The Broncos beat the Patriots in Boston, 13-10, in the American Football...

Stepping up: the running back has come to the forefront for the Eagles.(Interview: Brian Westbrook)
December 1, 2004... BRIAN WESTBROOK WAS THE only NFL player to score at least one touchdown running, receiving and returning last year. Only three players--LaDainian Tomlinson, Shaun Alexander and Ahman Green--scored more combined rushing-receiving touchdowns than...

Whose job is the toughest? We rate the hardest and easiest positions to play in the NFL.
December 1, 2004... WE HEAR IT TIME AND again: Rookies can't start at quarterback in the NFL. If they do start, the thinking goes, they are assured of struggling. Even Peyton Manning was mediocre in his first pro season. OK, so we accept that bit of expertise....

Julian Peterson: a great linebacker: the do-it-all player has been a bright spot for the 49ers.
December 1, 2004... CALL IT A JULIAN PETERSON moment. The 49ers' outside linebacker, playing in the team's season opener after missing all of training camp in a contract holdout, broke through the Atlanta Falcons' pass protection in a flash. He zeroed in on...

A run for the ages: history has been kind to the Bills of the early '90s, whose streak of four straight Super Bowl appearances may never be duplicated.
December 1, 2004... DARYL JOHNSTON'S DALLAS Cowboys were the NFL's last great dynasty, winning three Super Bowls in the early part of the 1990s. But the former fullback is as wowed by the accomplishments of the Buffalo Bills of that era as he is by his own team's....

A flick of the switch: just like that, "Neon" Deion Sanders is back in the NFL, trying to light up the Ravens.
December 1, 2004... MICHAEL JORDAN DID IT. Twice. Gordie Howe was in his 50s when he tried it. Muhammad Ali seemingly never stopped doing it. So why not Deion Sanders? Sanders is back in the NFL bringing "Prime Time" to the Baltimore Ravens...

Turning up the heat: good pass-rushers are harder to find than ever, but we've uncovered the ones who are the best in the business.
December 1, 2004... WHEN JOE NAMATH was one of the game's premier players in the 1960s, he once said, "I'm the trophy." Namath knew what every quarterback knows. Quarterbacks are the trophies for the pass-rushers. The NFL, though, doesn't want its...

A regal presence: Adewale Ogunleye was brought to Chicago for one reason: to turn the team's defensive line into something special.
December 1, 2004... HE IS THE GRANDSON OF AFRICAN royalty and he carries himself as if he were heir to a throne of his own. But not when Adewale Ogunleye is on the football field. Then he is fire and fury, nasty and tenacious. The defensive end changed his...

The cradle of coaches: from Andy Reid to Steve Mariucci, Green Bay has produced a plethora of current head coaches.
December 1, 2004... THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF LOVE going around in Green Bay when it comes to the Packers. And it seems the rest of the NFL has fallen in love with coaches who've spent time working the sideline of the Lambeau Field tundra. Six head coaches...

Bobby Hebert: the former quarterback fondly recalls the time his Panthers beat the Stars in the inaugural USFL title game.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
December 1, 2004... WHEN THE USFL'S MICHIGAN Panthers drafted me in 1983 after my senior year at Northwestern Louisiana State, they guaranteed me $150,000. I basically didn't have a pot to pee in, and I had a wife and daughter to support. I had been to some...

2004 NFL rosters.(Names and Numbers)
December 1, 2004... 2004 NFL Rosters ARIZONA CARDINALS No. Name Position Height Weight 30 Ayanbadejo, Obedient FB 6'2" 235 92 Berry, Bert DE 6'3" 250 81 Boldin,...

Remaining 2004 NFL schedule.(Names and Numbers)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... Remaining 2004 NFL Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 8 Open dates: Arizona, Baltimore, Indianapolis, N.Y. Giants Sunday, October...

NFL directory.(Names and Numbers)
December 1, 2004... NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 (212) 450-2000 ARIZONA CARDINALS PO Box 888 Phoenix, AZ 85001 (602) 379-0101 Coach: Dennis Green Sun Devil Stadium 72,273 capacity, grass...

Quick quiz.
December 1, 2004... 1. Deion Sanders came out of retirement this season to play for the Baltimore Ravens. With which team did he begin his NFL career, and which year? 2. Which wide receiver did the Arizona Cardinals pick first in the 2003 draft: Anquan Boldin...