Football Digest articles from November 2005

Football Digest archives from November 2005

The ins and outs of defense.(Kickoff)
November 1, 2005... THERE'S AN OLD SAYING THAT defense wins championships. With that in mind, we have a special section this issue--"Defense Rules"--that is devoted to the men whose job it is to stop ball carriers. The section kicks off with a story on the...

Still the man.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... I've watched a lot of football over the years and seen a lot of players come and go, but I've never seen one with more class than Dan Marino. He proved that during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer. Standing up on the...

Rising star?(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... I hope Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones have gotten things right with the Dallas Cowboys this year. In 2003, it seemed like they were going in the right direction. Then came last year, which was a disaster. The key is Drew Bledsoe. If he has...

No more T.O.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... Whatever happened to players like Walter Payton, who did their jobs with class? Now we have people like Terrell Owens, who do situps in their driveway and complain about everything. Whenever Payton used to score a touchdown, he'd quietly hand...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2005... IN FOOTBALL DIGESTS COLLEGE PREVIEW in its September 2005 issue, it mistakenly said that Ohio State banned itself from the postseason this year. FOOTBALL DIGESTS regrets the error.

The man they call "Game Day".(Rising Star: Terrence McGee)
November 1, 2005... WHEN TERRENCE MCGEE gets his hands on the ball, he's a dynamic threat to score points. Not bad for a guy who doesn't play offense. The Buffalo Bills cornerback and kick-return specialist is one of the NFL's brightest young stars. Last...

X's and O's: the Indianapolis quarterback draws up what is involved in becoming a passing machine.(Interview: Peyton Manning)(Interview)
November 1, 2005... INDIANAPOLIS COLTS QUARTERBACK Peyton Manning set an NFL record in 2004 with 49 touchdown passes, but he isn't particularly interested in duplicating the feat this season. Instead, the eighth-year veteran has something else in mind: winning his...

Hollywood football: the dirty dozen. we highlight the greatest movies ever made about America's passion.
November 1, 2005... HOLLYWOOD AND FOOTBALL. They've made a winning team for nearly a century. More than 200 motion pictures have been made using the gridiron as a backdrop. What makes the sport so conducive to the silver screen? "Football lends itself to...

All the rage: more and more teams--like Jason Taylor and company in Miami--are turning to the 3-4 scheme.(DEFENSE RULES)
November 1, 2005... DALLAS COWBOYS COACH BILL Parcells loves the 3-4 defense--so much, in fact, that there were years he played it even when he didn't have the correct personnel. San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan is a big fan of the 3-4, even though he's...

A blast from the past: remember Chicago's 46 defense? It's back again--this time in Baltimore, where Ray Lewis is trying to make it hum.(DEFENSE RULES!)
November 1, 2005... WHEN REX RYAN PHONED HIS father, Buddy, to let him know that the Baltimore Ravens were wiping the dust off his famed 46 defense, the retired coach got so excited he nearly jumped through the phone. But nobody was more pumped than Ravens...

Versatility counts: a select few defensive ends--most notably Michael Strahan--have learned that there is more to the position than accumulating sacks.(DEFENSE RULES!)
November 1, 2005... THEY MAKE HEADLINES WITH their ability to manhandle quarterbacks. They tend to be measured by the number of times they trap a passer and make him eat the ball, and some turf. It's so unfair. Defensive ends who can't do much more than be a...

When the game in on the line ... who are the NFL's best performers in the clutch? We have the list, which includes Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme.
November 1, 2005... YOU'RE TRAILING. TIME IS RUNNING out. The game, perhaps even the season, hangs in the balance. Jake Delhomme wants the ball. In the past two seasons, the Carolina Panthers quarterback has proven that he knows what to do with it in...

The all-bash brigade: we examine the likes of Dwight Freeney, who earn their livings by playing a particularly punishing brand of football.
November 1, 2005... SOME WISE GUYS SUGGEST THE easiest place to find the NFL's hardest hitters is on the league's list of fines. There's some validity to that. For sure, John Lynch, Kenoy Kennedy, Donovin Darius, and Rodney Harrison--safeties all--deservedly...

Reflections of a legend: Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary talks about his life as a player, a family man and a coach.
November 1, 2005... ANYONE WHO EVER DOUBTED middle linebacker Mike Singletary on a football field paid for that mistake. In 1983, offensive lineman Dave Huffman paid in gold. Shortly before Christmas that year, Singletary's Chicago Bears took their 6-8 record...

Chris Hinton: on Halloween night in 1988, the offensive lineman's Colts scared the dickens out of John Elway's Broncos.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
November 1, 2005... WHEN WE PLAYED THE DENVER Broncos on Monday night--Halloween, as it were--in 1988, it was one of those games where everything went right for us. It was funny--I think Dan Dierdorf was one of the announcers for that game. They had given out...

Year-by-year NFL leaders.(Names and Numbers)
November 1, 2005... Year-by-Year NFL Leaders PASSING LEADERS (based on efficiency rating) Year Player, team Rating 1932 Arnie Herber, Green Bay 51.5 1933 Harry...

Remaining 2005 NFL weekly schedule.(Names and Numbers)
November 1, 2005... Remaining 2005 NFL Weekly Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 3 Open date: Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Washington ...

NFL directory.(Names and Numbers)(Directory)
November 1, 2005... 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.
November 1, 2005... 1. Who is the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator this season: Brian Daboll, Ivan Fears, or Josh McDaniels? 2. Bart Starr became a Green Bay Packers legend when he played quarterback for the team. True or false: He also went on to...