Football Digest articles from February 2004

Football Digest archives from February 2004

Seventh heaven.(Kickoff)
February 1, 2004... WHERE WOULD THE CINCINNATI Bengals be without Jon Kitna? Or the New England Patriots without Richard Seymour? Or the Kansas City Chiefs without Ryan Sims? Each season delivers several breakout players--and this one is no different. Here's...

From the Publisher.
February 1, 2004... DUE TO ADVERSE ECONOMIC conditions in the publishing industry, FOOTBALL DIGEST is reducing its frequency from 10 to eight issues. Nonetheless, you will continue to receive all issues due on your current subscription. The new frequency starts...

Good riddance.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Great article on Los Angeles ["Surf's Up," January 2004]. I live in San Francisco but was in L.A. on and off from 1983 to 1996, and I was able to see the Raiders move to and from L.A. and the the Rams go to St. Louis. As a fan, how can you be...

K.C.'s game-breaker.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I really enjoyed the article "Games Breakers" in the December 2003 issue of FOOTBALL DIGEST. I think the part on Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes was very well represented. He has demonstrated that he means business in the NFL. I...

True grit.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I love football, but why must we have the Pro Bowl? Football is the best game in the world because it takes the whole team to make every player great. No running back would gain 100 yards in a game without an offensive line, and a receiver...

Dynamic duo.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Nice job on your article in the January 2004 issue on the game's best duos ["The 1-2 Punch"]. I particularly enjoyed the part on the best receiving combo, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. No tandem does its job better than Bruce and Holt. I think...

The boys are back.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I'm glad you saw fit to do an article on Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys ["Attitude Adjustment," January 2004]. I'm a lifelong fan of the Cowboys, and I didn't think they would do as well as they have this year. I thought it would take...

Ooops!(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Hey, I just wanted to remind you guys that you selected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to capture Super Bowl 38. It doesn't look like that's going to happen, does it? The Buccaneers are a classic example of a team that got too full of itself. They...

Go fullbacks.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I've been a subscriber to your magazine for several years, and I read every issue from cover to cover. In your November 2003 issue, you had an article on fullbacks called "Football's Forgotten Position." I've always been a die-hard fan of...

A real turkey.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I have been reading your magazine since 1978, and I really do enjoy it. In your December 2003 issue, you listed 10 suggestions that would make the NFL better ["Change Is Good"]. How about 11? Instead of the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions...

Miami's newest playmaker.(Rising star: Adewale Ogunleye)
February 1, 2004... WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE Miami Dolphins' star-studded defense, names like Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Sam Madison, and Pat Surtain come to mind. Well, you now can add another player to that list: Adewale Ogunleye. Ogunleye, a 6'4" and...

The stat sheet: Dick Vermeil.
February 1, 2004... (3) The number of different NFL teams Dick Vermeil has coached to a 60 start. Vermeil--who led the 1981 Philadelphia Eagles, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, and this year's Kansas City Chiefs to 6-0 marks--is the only coach ever to do that with...

They're all grown up.(Uncovering the Past)
February 1, 2004... THE 1999 SEASON MARKED THE end of the 20th century, but when we put together our cover for our annual All-Pro issue, we decided to look to the future rather than reflect on the past. With a number of young players rising to prominence that...

Making his stand: after a tumultuous start to his NFL career, the quarterback has demonstrated that he just might have what it takes to lead America's Team into the future.(Interview: Quincy Carter)
February 1, 2004... DALLAS COWBOYS QUARTER-back Quincy Carter has heard it all. The list of criticisms directed at him in his three years in the NFL has included the following lowlights: * He wasn't good enough to be drafted in the second round, which is...

More special than you think: as Kansas City's Dante Hall has demonstrated, special teams aren't an afterthought--rather, they can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
February 1, 2004... OFFENSES GET THE GLORY AND defenses get the nicknames. Special teams? They just fill in the empty spaces. Well, not exactly. And certainly not this year, when Dante Hall of the Kansas City Chiefs has torn up the NFL with his kick returns...

The road to Houston: we know this much after surveying the field of Super Bowl contenders: this season's champion is almost certain to come from the AFC.(2003 Postseason Preview)
February 1, 2004... LOOKING FOR THE TEAM WITH the best shot at winning Super Bowl 38? Here's a clue: You'll find it in the AFC. The AFC clearly has become the NFL's power conference, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, and...

Playoff trends? What playoff trends? The only common element among Super Bowl contenders in recent years is that there isn't one.(2003 Postseason Preview)
February 1, 2004... HOW EXACTLY DOES A make it to the Super Bowl? What s the common element, the defining factor, in the chase for championships? Well, nowadays there isn't one. If you're looking for Super Bowl trends, you won't find them. They don't exist....

Putting the air in McNair: the fate of Tennessee's offense now rests squarely on Steve McNair's right arm--and that's just how he likes it.
February 1, 2004... THE TENNESSEE TITANS OFfense used to be solidly structured around the cloud-of-dust bursts of Eddie George. But gradually, every runner's nemeses--creeping age and constant pounding--exact their toll, and George became a step too slow and a...

Waiting in the wings: there are sure to be a number of head-coaching vacancies this offseason--and we have the prime candidates to fill the jobs.
February 1, 2004... BILL PARCELLS' RETURN TO THE head-coaching ranks this season was good news for the Dallas Cowboys, but not for some of his peers. Parcells' ability to instantly transform a team that had gone 5-11 for three consecutive seasons into a...

What a difference a year makes: the Raiders' fall from grace has been both swift and stunning.
February 1, 2004... WITH THE FINAL SECONDS ticking away and the Oakland Raiders closing in on a game-tying touchdown, backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo completed a pass to Tim Brown just in front of the goal fine. But before the wideout could turn around and...

Anthony Munoz: the Hall of Fame left tackle's Bengals overcame the elements to beat the Chargers in the 1981 season's AFC Championship Game.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
February 1, 2004... BEFORE WE CAME OUT FOR THE AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers in January 1982, we decided that we weren't going to wear long sleeves. The first-stringers didn't want any material for the defenders to grab onto--that's why all...

Postseason standings.(Names and Numbers)
February 1, 2004... Postseason Standings Team W L Pct. Pts. OP Baltimore Ravens 5 1 .833 125 53 Green Bay Packers 23 12 .657 821 645 Dallas Cowboys 32 21...

Individual postseason records.(Names and Numbers)
February 1, 2004... Individual Postseason Records SERVICE Most Games, Career 28 Jerry Rice, San Francisco-Oakland (SB 4, NFC 6, NFC-D 11, AFC-D 2, NFC-FR 3, AFC-FR 2) 27 D.D. Lewis, Dallas (SB 5, NFC 9, NFC-D 12, NFC-FR 1) 26...

Team postseason records.
February 1, 2004... GAMES, VICTORIES, DEFEATS Most Seasons Participating in Postseason Games 26 Dallas, 1966-1973, 1975-1983, 1985, 1991-96, 1998-99 N.Y. Giants, 1933-35, 1938-39, 1941, 1943-44, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1958-59, 1961-63, 1981,...

Quick quiz.
February 1, 2004... 1. The Denver Broncos' inaugural season was 1960. Who was their first head coach: Lou Saban, Frank Filchock, Mac Speedie, or Dan Reeves? 2. True or false: Keyshawn Johnson was the last wide receiver to be the No. 1 selection overall in the...