Football Digest articles from October 2004

Football Digest archives from October 2004

The one that got away.(Kickoff)
October 1, 2004... COACHES ARE CONTROL FREAKS. As they prepare for an upcoming season, they account for everything--everything. The entire season is carefully choreographed, from the first meeting of training camp to the last huddle break of the last practice of...

NFL preview.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... I agree with your prediction that the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl this season [September 2004]. As you said, they've been really close the past three years. This year, though, they're better than ever. The addition of Terrell...

Denver's main man.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... It's amazing how much better Jake Plummer got once he joined the Denver Broncos last year. All of a sudden, he wasn't throwing as many interceptions. If he stays healthy this year, I think Denver could go all the way. It's true that running...

Novacek revisited.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Nice job with "The Game I'll Never Forget" on Jay Novacek in your September 2004 issue. I always felt he was the unsung hero in the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl run in the 1990s. He was Troy Aikman's favorite target, the type of player who always...

Where's the college?(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... How come you guys didn't do a college preview in your September issue? I know you don't do a lot with college, but you always have a season preview, which helps me figure out which teams will be the best. Benjamin Andrews Via e-mail...

Poor LaDainian.(The Fans Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... I feel bad for LaDainian Tomlinson. If he played for any team other than the San Diego Chargers, he would be recognized as one of the best, if not the best, running backs in the league. This guy can do it all. He can run, he can catch, he can...

You ain't seen nothing yet.(Rising star: Charles Grant)
October 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS SAINTS COACH Jim Haslett was disappointed in Charles Grant's production as a pass-rusher last season. And Grant was the best pass-rusher the team had. Grant could be one of the premier sackmasters in the NFL this year,...

His biggest challenge yet: Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls in his first tour of duty with the Redskins, but the franchise has changed drastically since then.
October 1, 2004... JOE GIBBS IS SO FOCUSED ON the twin passions of his life--football and auto racing--that he doesn't pay much attention to what's going on in the rest of the world. He was living in Washington D.C. in 1986 at the height of the Iran-Contra...

Throwbacks in the here and now: old-time jerseys are all the rage, thanks to the loving work of the Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co.
October 1, 2004... SIXTY-YEAR-OLD PETER CAPOLINO HAS A BIG night planned, and he's like a giddy little kid. In a few hours, the man dubbed "P. Chatty," and later "P City" by E Diddy, will see nearly 40 NFL stars, including Marvin Harrison, Donovan McNabb, Eddie...

Second to none: head coaches get all the glory, but the coordinators are the ones who do the heavy lifting. What follows are our picks for the best offensive and defensive coordinators in the business.
October 1, 2004... SO MANY NFL COORDINATORS are geniuses... until they become head coaches and flop. Remember what happened to Gregg Williams and Dick Jauron? Other coordinators take awhile, maybe even a couple of head-coaching jobs, before they prosper. Place...

Philadelphia's big gamble: in signing Terrell Owens, the Eagles got one of the best--and most controversial--wideouts in football. Will he be a help or a hindrance to the team?
October 1, 2004... THE FIRST T.O. MOMENT FOR the Philadelphia Eagles arrived only minutes into the wideout's introductory news conference. Head coach Andy Reid innocuously mispronounced the first name of his prized addition, prompting the outspoken Terrell Owens...

Not done yet: Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who already is a legend, wants to take care of unfinished business before he rides off into the sunset.(Cover Story)
October 1, 2004... HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT Brett Favre: He's indestructible. He's prolific. He's resourceful. He's a winner. And he isn't going anywhere. At least not this year. Sure, the Green Bay Packers signed Tim Couch to...

Ready to soar: the Falcons with Michael Vick and the Jets with Chad Pennington could be two of the most surprising teams of the 2004 season.
October 1, 2004... NOT LONG AGO, THE NFL WAS DOMINATED by a handful of teams that enjoyed long runs. From 1981 through 1995, just four teams won 13 of the 15 Super Bowl titles, including the San Francisco 49ers (five), Washington Redskins (three), Dallas Cowboys...

Pat Swilling: the 1991 season--the best of the linebacker's career--culminated with the first division title in the history of the Saints.(The Game I'll Never Forget)
October 1, 2004... THE 1991 SEASON TURNED OUT to be probably the best one of my career. I led the league in sacks with 17 and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Its kind of funny because I remember a year or two before, my position coach on the New Orleans...

The Trojan horses: led by quarterback Matt Leinart, USC has the potential to gallop all the way to the national championship.(2004 College Preview)
October 1, 2004... NOW THAT WE KNOW THE BCS doesn't work any better than the other college football systems not involving a true playoff, maybe we should just project two teams at the top of the rankings. Or three. Or four. Until the sport's head honchos figure...

2004 division 1-A college schedules.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2004... AIR FORCE Sept. 4 CALIFORNIA Sept. 11 EASTERN WASHINGTON Sept. 18 at UNLV Sept. 25 ...

2004 NFL team-by-team schedules.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2004... 2004 NFL Team-by-Team Schedules Date Opponent Time ARIZONA CARDINALS September 12 at St. Louis 1:00 p.m. September 19 New England 4:15 p.m. September 26 at Atlanta ...

2004 NFL schedule.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2004... 2004 NFL Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 1 Thursday, September 9 Indianapolis at New England 9:00 p.m. -- ...

NFL directory.(Names and Numbers)
October 1, 2004... 280 Park Avenue New York, NY 10017 (212) 459-2000 ARIZONA CARDINAL PO Box 888 Phoenix, AZ 85001 (602) 379-0101 Coach; Dennis Green Sun Devil Stadium 72,273 capacity, grass ATLANTA FAILCNS 4400 Falcon...

Quick quiz.
October 1, 2004... The Chicago Bears hosted the 1963 NFL championship game, beating the New York Giants 14-10. Name the stadium in which that game took place. 2. Dennis Erickson has a total of five seasons as an NFL head coach under his belt, four with the...