Football Digest articles from September 2003

Football Digest archives from September 2003

A new year brings new questions. (Kickoff).
September 1, 2003... EVERY SEASON BRINGS A SERIES of compelling plot lines--especially in the era of free agency--and 2003 has plenty. From Tampa to Denver, there is enough intrigue to stoke the interest of even the most casual football fan. Here's a sampling:...

Hall omissions. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... Regarding your Hall of Fame induction preview in the August 2003 issue ["The Gang That Waited Too Long"], you listed five players who should be in the Hall. As a longtime Minnesota Vikings fan, I have three more players who get overlooked year...

Chalk talk. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... I have to question why you named Mike Shanahan the best coach in the NFL in your ratings of all the coaches ["From the Top Dogs to the Real Dogs," August 2003]. True, Shanahan won two Super Bowl titles in the late 1990s. But since John Elway...

Where's Iowa? (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... For Joe Donatelli not to include the Iowa Hawkeyes in his preseason college football top 25 ["A Year Too Soon for the Sooners," August 2003]--never mind the first 50--is not only laughable, but it's absolutely ludicrous. I can understand his...

A true role model. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... "The Game I'll Never Forget" with Tom Dempsey [August 2003] was nothing short of inspirational. It's amazing that he even made it to the NFL, let alone set a record that has stood for years. Dempsey is one player whom kids can really look up...

NFL rosters. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... I wanted to mention that I've been a Football Digest subscriber since November 1995. I really love these books. Just when I think Football Digest couldn't improve, it does. The August 2003 issue was just excellent. I had to read everything. ...

Emmitt in Arizona. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... This is for everyone who thinks Emmitt Smith is washed up: He's going to have a great year on the Arizona Cardinals in 2003. Emmitt said he plans to rush for 1,200 yards, and I see no reason why he can't do it. True, the Cardinals aren't a very...

The big apples. (The Fans Speak Out).
September 1, 2003... I thoroughly enjoyed your article on Chad Pennington and Jeremy Shockey ["New York Stories," August 2003]. Pennington, in particular, is a player on the rise. The fact that he led the league in passer rating in just his first season as a...

San Diego's next Seau? (Rising star: Ben Leber).
September 1, 2003... THINK LINEBACKER WITH THE San Diego Chargers and one name has come to mind for more than a decade: Junior Seau. For the next decade, that name could be Ben Leber. With Seau now on the Miami Dolphins, Leber has a chance to become the...

The road to recovery? (Uncovering the Past).
September 1, 2003... OUR NFL PREVIEW ISSUE IN 1998 had John Elway on the cover, with the following words: "One for the Road." It did indeed turn out to be glorious finale for the Denver Broncos quarterback, who captured his second straight Super Bowl championship...

More than just a kicker: since his heroics during New England's Super Bowl season, the man with the golden foot has achieved uncommon fame. (Interview: Adam Vinatieri).
September 1, 2003... ADAM VINATIERI WENT FROM obscurity to the best-known kicker in the history of the NFL with just two smooth swings of his foot. The South Dakota native, now preparing to enter his eighth season with the New England Patriots, nailed a 45-yarder...

Super Bowl 36 vs. Super Bowl 37. (NFL 2003).
September 1, 2003... WE PLACED THE SEATTLE Seahawks on the cover of this issue because they look to be one of the 2003 season's most intriguing teams. With playmakers like quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, running back Shaun Alexander, wide receiver Koren Robinson, and...

Still standing ... barely: a tumultuous offseason took a toll on Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, but they remain strong enough to win the division title. (NFC East).
September 1, 2003... AFTER THE EAGLES' HUMBLING loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC title game, team president Joe Banner promised Philadelphia fans "the most exciting offseason plan we've had in a number of years." It was an interesting and highly...

A super sequel: there is no reason why Derrick Brooks and the Buccaneers can't compete for a second consecutive NFL championship. (NFC South).
September 1, 2003... KNOWN TO SOME AS THE NASCAR division, the NFC South was supposed to be one of the NFL's weakest links last season. Instead, it ended up producing the Super Bowl champion (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), along with another playoff team (the Atlanta...

At home at the top: although Brett Favre is getting long in the tooth, he still has what it takes to lead the Packers to yet another title in this weak division. (NFC North).
September 1, 2003... IN THE NFC NORTH, YOU CAN indeed go home again. Like Steve Mariucci, who after seven years in San Francisco returns to his native Michigan to rebuild the Detroit Lions. And the Bears, who come back to a new den, Chicago's reconstructed Soldier...

We have liftoff: explosive young players like Koren Robinson will take Seattle all the way to the top of the standings. (NFC West).
September 1, 2003... ON THE SURFACE, IT WAS A SEASON finale between two teams that were headed nowhere. But to the Seattle Seahawks, their 31-28 overtime win against the Chargers at San Diego last December 29 was one more sign of the emergence of a hungry, skilled...

Talk about parity: this is the most competitive division in football, and we're picking Tom Brady and the Patriots to win by an eyelash. (AFC East).
September 1, 2003... IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A DIVISION that could end in a deadlock--a four-way deadlock--here it is. Choosing the best among the four AFC East teams never has been easy. This year, it's nearly impossible. The Buffalo Bills were a tailender the...

Looming large: after their miraculous turnaround in 2002, Steve McNair and the Titans have even bigger things planned for this season. (AFC South).
September 1, 2003... THE TIME FOR DRASTIC CHANGE could have occurred after the Tennessee Titans started 1-4 last year, but owner Bud Adams wanted to put a new spin on an old line: The more things stay the same, the more they will change. Adams stuck by his man of...

A call to arms: as the only team with stability at quarterback--in the form of the reborn Tommy Maddox--the Steelers should be able to roll to another division crown. (AFC North).
September 1, 2003... "WHO'S STARTING AT QUARTERBACK this week?" That is bound to be the most overused question of the 2003 season in the AFC North. All but one team is unsettled at that position, and that team is, surprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have...

Back for more: Rich Gannon and the Raiders are aging quickly, but they still have enough left to make another run at the Super Bowl. (AFC West).
September 1, 2003... THE RAIDERS WERE BACKWHERE they say they belong--no, not in Los Angeles--when they won their first AFC title in 19 years and reached the Super Bowl. That was supposed to be their last good shot at a title for a while, considering their...

Tony Casillas: when the Cowboys beat the Niners in the 1992 NFC title game, the defensive tackle got the chance to live out his Super Bowl dreams. (The Game I'll Never Forget).
September 1, 2003... WE GOT KILLED BY THE DETROIT Lions, 38-6, in the 1991 NFC divisional playoffs. We made their quarterback, Erik Kramer, look like he was an All-Pro. But what I remember most is the end of the game, when Barry Sanders was playing and we were...

NFL directory. (Names and Numbers).
September 1, 2003... 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: Dave McGinnis Sun Devil Stadium 72,273 capacity,...

2003 NFL team-by-team schedules. (Names and Numbers).
September 1, 2003... 2003 NFL Team-by-Team Schedules ARIZONA CARDINALS Sept. 7 at Detroit Sept. 14 Seattle Sept. 21 Green Bay Sept. 28 at St. Louis Oct. 5 at Dallas Oct. 12 Baltimore Oct. 26...

2003 NFL weekly schedule. (Names and Numbers).
September 1, 2003... 2003 NFL Weekly Schedule YOUR FINAL GAME TIME GUESS SCORE WEEK 1 Thursday, September 4 N.Y. Jets at Washington 9:00 p.m. -- -- ...

Quick quiz.
September 1, 2003... 1. Who led the league in touchdown passes in 2002: Rich Gannon, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Trent Green? 2. The Buccaneers won the NFL rifle last season with Jon Gruden as their coach. Who was the first coach in Tampa Bay history? 3....