Football Digest articles from November 2004

Football Digest archives from November 2004

Some faces of the future.(Kickoff)
November 1, 2004... THERE HAS BEEN A LOT MADE OF Deion Sanders' return to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. It's a curious story, this idea of a 37-year-old former superstar trying to see if he still has what it takes to play a young man's game. Well, no matter...

Favre talk.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I was glad to see Brett Favre on the cover of your October 2004 issue. I also loved the article ["Not Done Yet"]. After all these years, Favre still seems to have the same fire as always. That's what has made him such a great competitor, and a...

So long, Ricky.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I've been a fan of the Miami Dolphins for most of my life, and I was stunned when running back Ricky Williams quit just before training camp started. If he didn't want to play anymore, that's fine. No one can make him do something he doesn't...

Vick musings.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I know Michael Vick is a great physical talent, but I think he's overrated. He really hasn't done anything yet to warrant the praise he always gets. He's a great runner, but just an OK passer. If he gets the Falcons to the playoffs this year...

Some challenge.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I disagree with your article on Joe Gibbs and the Washington Redskins ["His Biggest Challenge Yet," October 2004]. How can you say Gibbs has his work cut out for him on the Redskins? Yes, Daniel Snyder is a demanding owner, but he's given Gibbs...

On the rise.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Thank you for picking the New York Jets as one of your surprise teams for 2004 ["Ready to Soar," October 2004]. With Chad Pennington healthy, there is no telling what these Jets could do. He's a rare field general, a true leader. The Jets are a...

Philly's new wideout.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I thought your article on Terrell Owens was really interesting ["Philadelphia's Big Gamble," October 2004]. Owens is one of the league's most controversial players, but he's also has good a wide receiver as there is. I think you're fight. He...

Making big plays in the Big Apple.(Rising Star: Justin McCareins)
November 1, 2004... JUSTIN MCCAREINS MIGHT HAVE developed into a star on the Tennessee Titans, with whom he spent the past three seasons working his way toward the starting lineup and returning punts. Instead, the New York Jets felt strongly enough about his...

Franchise snapshot: Atlanta Falcons.
November 1, 2004... * The Georgia Dome, where the Falcons play, took 859 days to build. It covers 8.6 acres and is 275 feet tall. * Linebacker Keith Brooking named his 180-pound mastiff dog Butkus after Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus. * Running back...

From afterthought to superstar: life has changed dramatically in the past year for Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme--but he hasn't.
November 1, 2004... JAKE DELHOMME LIKES TO tease. So when the Carolina Panthers quarterback stood in front of a packed hotel ballroom recently in Charlotte--a ballroom filled with 500 fans who wanted to ask him about the 2004 season--he couldn't resist a few jabs....

Double duty: Carl Hairston, Ricky Hunley, and Mike Singletary are three men whose careers as players helped prepare them for their current work as assistant coaches.
November 1, 2004... THE NFL IS NOW A PLACE WHERE a team that finished a combined 8-24 the previous two years can come within seconds of winning the Super Bowl, as the Carolina Panthers demonstrated this past season. The St. Louis Rams finished 4-12 in 1998 and won...

1991 Heisman Trophy Collection set.
November 1, 2004... This limited edition and numbered 21-card collection in its own illustrated box entitled "The Heisman Collection." This is the first year this set was done, thus it is entitled "Series I." The players in this set are Jay Berwanger, Tom Harmon,...

True grit: offensive linemen are the toughest players on the football field--and we pinpoint the NFL's best ones.
November 1, 2004... THERE IS LITTLE GLORY IN BEING an offensive lineman in the NFL. The behemoths who play in the trenches recognize that, understand it, and accept it. So when Bob Brown, the ferocious blocker for three teams in the 1960s and '70s, entered...

Growing pains: Jack Del Rio's transition into the head-coaching ranks hasn't been easy, but he has learned from his mistakes.
November 1, 2004... DON'T CALL JACK DEL RIO A players' coach. "I'm a former player who coaches," he says. That might seem like a small distinction, but Del Rio has tried to emphasize it since he was hired as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in January 2003,...

Invaluable: we pick the one person each of the 32 NFL franchises could least afford to lose.
November 1, 2004... WHAT MAKES SOMEONE MORE valuable to a team than anyone else? Well, that depends on the team, doesn't it? The key figure in one might city might be an owner, while it could be a player or a coach in the next. Regardless of whom it is, every...

The forgotten: quarterbacks are supposed to get all the glory--but not all do. We have the list of the ones whose accomplishments have been overlooked.
November 1, 2004... THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT QUARterback is pro football's glamour position. Quarterbacks get the most attention, earn the most money, receive the most endorsement opportunities, and often become household names. But judging just how good a...

The dependable dozen: Tom Brady headlines our list of the NFL's 12 greatest players in the clutch.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS' GAMEwinning drive in last February's Super Bowl was a lesson in clutch play. Need a key completion on third down to get into field goal range? Tom Brady is ready, willing, and more than able. Looking for the...

The anti-Shockey: unlike his tight end counterpart on the Giants, Todd Heap prefers to let his play on the field do the talking.
November 1, 2004... ANY DISCUSSION OF BALITIMOrE Ravens tight end Todd Heap has to start with this clean-cut life away from the football field. He's a devout Mormon who doesn't drink or smoke. Even such minor vices such as swearing are off-limits for him. "I...

Jessie Tuggle: the linebacker's Falcons shocked the world by beating the Vikings in the 1998 NFC Championship Game.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
November 1, 2004... AFTER OUR FALCONS BEAT THE Vikings in Minnesota in the 1998 NFC Championship Game and we went back to Atlanta, everybody was out on the streets, cheering and screaming. For that whole week, it was like we couldn't pay for anything in that city....

Year-by-year NFL leaders.(Names and Numbers)
November 1, 2004... PASSING LEADERS (based on efficiency rating) Year Player, team Rating 1932 Arnie Herber, Green Bay 51.5 1933 Harry Newman, N.Y. Giants ...

Remaining 2004 NFL schedule.(Names and Numbers)
November 1, 2004... YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 3 Open dates: Buffalo, Carolina, New England, N.Y. Jets Sunday, September 26 Arizona at Atlanta ...

Quick quiz.
November 1, 2004... 1. How old was running back Ricky Williams when he decided to retire from the NFL last July? 2. True or false: Peyton Manning played his college football at Ole Miss. 3. Wide receiver Tim Brown, a future Hall-of-Famer, was released by...