Football Digest articles from October 2001

Football Digest archives from October 2001

A Fabulous Finale in the Wild West.
October 1, 2001... THE WINDS OF CHANGE have swept through the AFC West and--among other things--blown Doug Flutie onto the cover of this issue of FOOTBALL DIGEST. Flutie is at the forefront of a massive rebuilding effort in San Diego. He's a gamer and a winner,...

The Fans Speak Out.
October 1, 2001... NFL 2001 I can't believe you fell into the trap of picking the Denver Broncos to win the Super Bowl this season [September 2001]. There's no question they look great on paper, with a bunch of big-name free-agent signings. But you can't buy...

Making Noise in Music City.
October 1, 2001... IF NOT FOR A CRUEL TWIST OF fate, Derrick Mason may have been a central figure in one of the most famous plays in NFL history. On the celebrated Home Run Throwback that beat the Buffalo Bills in the so-called Music City Miracle in the 1999...

Franchise Snapshot: Minnesota Vikings.
October 1, 2001... * The Vikings traded six players and 12 draft picks to the Dallas Cowboys for running back Herschel Walker on October 12, 1989. Minnesota released him on May 29, 1992. * In 1975, running back Chuck Foreman led the league in receiving (73...

The Stat Sheet: The QB Class of '99.
October 1, 2001... 53.8 The career passer rating of Akili Smith of the Cincinnati Bengals, the lowest of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the '99 draft. The other QBs are Cade McNown of the Chicago Bears (67.7), Donovan McNabb of the...

King of the Hill.
October 1, 2001... Love him or hate him, you can't deny that the Ravens coach stands at the top of his profession JUST THREE YEARS AGO, BRIAN Billick was an obscure assistant coach on the Minnesota Vikings with an uncertain future. Since the Vikings were...

Chemical Reaction.
October 1, 2001... Last year the Ravens were synonymous with hits like this one--but have they messed with that winning formula by shifting some of the focus away from their menacing defense? BALTIMORE RAVENS COACH BRIAN BILLICK isn't one to bask in past...

WE'VE SEEN THE FUTURE ...
October 1, 2001... Who will dictate what happens this season? We pinpoint the most important people on each team CONTROVERSY NEARLY ALWAYS follows the most valuable player balloting. Who is more valuable, a quarterback with a bazooka for an arm or a...

"THIS IS JESSIE'S TEAM".
October 1, 2001... No doubt about it--the Giants wouldn't be among the NFL's elite without linebacker Jessie Armstead's swagger, leadership, and playmaking ability AS JUBILANT NEW YORK GIANTS coach Jim Fassel stood on the podium after last season's NFC...

Rising From the Ashes.
October 1, 2001... With a rebuilt roster and a positive buzz surrounding the entire franchise, the Chargers are hoping to leave their recent troubles behind THE OFFSEASON MAKEOVER OF the San Diego Chargers was rooted in the solitude of a meeting room in a Las...

Control Freak.
October 1, 2001... The secret to Jeff Fisher's success as a coach? He doesn't let his emotions get the better of him TENNESSEE TITANS DEFENSIVE back Blaine Bishop calls Jeff Fisher "the coach of the new millennium." Youthful by coaching standards (43) and...

Boot Camp.
October 1, 2001... Jerry Rice, preparing for his much-anticipated debut on the Raiders, is on a mission: He wants to prove that he can still be a valuable weapon AFTER 16 HALL OF FAME-CALIBER SEASONS WITH the San Francisco 49ers, Jerry Rice became just...

The Heisman Forecast: Continued Sunshine.
October 1, 2001... The prediction from FD headquarters? Yet another quarterback from the state of Florida will win college's biggest award, this time Miami's Ken Dorsey MINUTES AFTER OKLAHOMA'S national-title win over Florida State last January 3, we here at...

2001 NFL Rosters.
October 1, 2001... 2001 NFL Rosters ARIZONA CARDINALS Coach: Dave McGinnis No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. College 4 Poole, Nathan WR 6'1" 198 Marshall 5 Payne, Gerald WR 6'2" ...

Quick Quiz.
October 1, 2001... 1. The Baltimore Ravens made a concerted effort to improve their offense by signing quarterback Elvis Grbac this offseason. Who is Baltimore's offensive coordinator? 2. The Denver Broncos are moving into a new stadium this year. What is...