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Last week I told you about some talented NFL players who made poor career choices. This week I bring you stories of hope. Here are a few NFL stars who chose bold career moves that paid off. Steve Young (From the Los Angeles Express to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the San Francisco 49ers) In the 80s, Brigham Young University was churning out QBs the way Quakers churn butter. A talented lefty named Steve Young was one of them. Young actually began his pro career in the USFL with the Los Angeles Express. His contract was for 10 years and $40 million, small by today’s standards, but huge in those days. The league ultimately went bankrupt and Young was chosen first in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his 19 starts the Bucs went a measly 3-16 while Young floundered, throwing 11 touchdowns and 21 interceptions over those starts. Tampa had enough of the Brigham Bust and he was sent to the San Francisco 49ers for the 1987 season where he would play back up to some guy named Joe Montana. To say things went well for Young is a bit of an understatement. From 1987-1995 he picked up three Super Bowl rings, a Super Bowl MVP, and two NFL MVP awards. Plus, as you can see by his USFL photo, he escaped from uniform purgatory twice. Brett Favre (Atlanta Falcons to the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets to the Minnesota Vikings) The University of Southern Mississippi wasn’t exactly a hotbed of quarterback talent. In 1991 the Atlanta Falcons drafted a USM alum in the second round. His name was Brett Favre. He was with the Falcons for all of one season, throwing four passes and completing none of them. Maybe they couldn’t get past how a guy could spell his last name one way but pronounce it another, but whatever the case, Favre was traded to Green Bay in 1992. Over his next 16 seasons in Green Bay Favre would amass 61,655 passing yards, throw 442 TDs, and help the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI. He would be named NFL MVP three consecutive times from 1995 through 1997 and was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 2007. A falling out of sorts with the Packers led Favre to be traded to the Jets for the 2008 season. The team would go 9-7 under Favre, although he threw as many INTs as he did TDs (22), possibly due to a torn bicep, which was diagnosed in late December of 2008. Favre announced his retirement that February and was released in April. His retirement lasted less than five months as Minnesota couldn't resist the temptation of giving the ultimate ‘eff you’ to the Packers. Favre would lead the Vikings to a 12-4 record, throwing 33 touchdowns and only seven picks on the season. His heroic season came up just short in the NFC title game, which the Vikings lost in overtime, 31-28. His final season in 2010 was marred by injury but Favre is the only player on this list to benefit twice from a change of scenery. Marshall Faulk (Indianapolis Colts to the St. Louis Rams) Marshall Faulk was gem from San Diego State University. The Indianapolis Colts drafted him at number two overall in 1994. Faulk won the 1994 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and in the five years he played with the Colts, rushed for 5,320 yards and 42 touchdowns. With a new contract due, the Colts decided it was time to part ways with Faulk prior to the 1999 season and sent him off to the St. Louis Rams. Over the next seven seasons Faulk would rush for 6,959 yards and 58 touchdowns. He’d win three NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards with the Rams and his lone Super Bowl ring as well. He pretty much said, “Faulk you,” to Indianapolis. Greg Olsen (Chicago Bears to the Carolina Panthers) In 2007 the Chicago Bears used the 31st pick in the draft to take a tight end out of “Da U” named Greg Olsen. He was tall and athletic and fit right in with the new breed of NFL tight ends. In four years with the Bears Olsen caught 194 passes for 1,981 yards and 20 touchdowns, which was respectable if not spectacular. In 2011 Olsen was dealt to the Carolina Panthers. The 2011 season saw him catch only 45 passes for 540 yards but from 2012 through 2016 things took off. He averaged over 76 catches and almost 969 yards per season over that span and made three Pro Bowls. While injuries have hampered his career over the past two seasons, Olsen has clearly been finer in Carolina. Curtis Martin (New England Patriots to the New York Jets) Curtis Martin was a Pittsburgh kid who attended the University of Pittsburgh. Thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles signing Patriots free agent running back, Kevin Turner, the Pats got the Eagles 1995 third round draft pick and chose Martin (How’d that work out for you, Eagles?). Martin had three solid seasons in New England averaging over 1,266 yards per season on the ground and rushing for 32 touchdowns while collecting 890 total receiving yards. As a restricted free agent after the 1997 season, Martin got an offer from the New York Jets. The Patriots did not match the offer and Martin was reunited with Bill Parcells and it felt so good. Over the next eight seasons Martin rushed for 10,302 yards and 58 touchdowns, including a league-leading 1,697 yards in 2004. He would also catch 367 passes for 2,439 yards over that same stretch. The Jets qualified for the playoffs four times during Martin’s tenure with the squad but never did win a Super Bowl. Hmm, maybe this move wasn’t all that successful for him but I digress. Well, there you have it. Five players who sought greener pastures and actually found them without stepping in cow pies. What players that made big career moves do you feel benefitted most? Hit us up in the comments and while you’re there, check out the work of my teammates, Behind the Sticks from Blitzed Barkeep and The Scouting Report from Blitzed Scout. You’ll be glad you did. Until next time, don’t drink room temperature beer, keep your balls fully inflated, and remove Tom Brady from your Christmas card list. AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter.
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Recently, Brandon Marshall signed with the New Orleans Saints, who felt, for some reason that what their #1 scoring offense was missing was a 34-year old WR on the downside of his career. And that got me thinking about players who have made moves to other teams in their careers. Many of us have been there as well in our own jobs. You feel stuck in a dead end job (see: Raiders) the boss always on your ass (see: Patriots), days seem to last forever (See: Browns stuck in a Hue Jackson-coached 2017 time loop), and sometimes you think death can’t be any worse than work. You need to make a change and get the hell out of there. But about a week into your new job, you’re pining for your old desk, your old co-workers, and even that boss who rode your ass. You’ve made a bad career move and you know it. In NFL history some great players have done the same. So here’s a list of five players that stick out in my mind. Guys that made poor choices or just plain hung onto the game too long and instead of going out with a bang, they limped out with a fizzle. Johnny Unitas (From the Baltimore Colts to the San Diego Chargers) Johnny Unitas was one of the best QBs of his era. His play was almost as sharp as his black high top spikes and flat top haircut. Unitas had 118 wins as the Baltimore Colts quarterback from 1956 through 1972 against only 60 losses and four ties (I hate wearing them and hate seeing them in statistics). After the 1972 season, Unitas headed west to the powdered blue uniforms of the San Diego Chargers. It didn’t go well for him. He played in only five games, starting in four of them. His team went 1-3 in those starts and he completed only 34 of 76 passes, garnering a QB rating of just 40.0. He should have traded those high tops in for Huarache sandals while he was ahead. Cris Carter (From the Philadelphia Eagles to the Minnesota Vikings to the Miami Dolphins) Carter started off an Eagle and was let go because, “all he does is catch touchdowns.” He landed in Minnesota and continued to catch touchdowns and pretty much everything else thrown at him. From 1992 through 2001 his lowest single-season catch total was 92. The future Hall of Famer wasn’t ready to call it a career after 2001 and ended up in Miami, wearing a new number (88) and hoping for one last year in the sun. C.C. should have done what most people who move to Miami do and retired. He played in a mere five games as a Dolphin, starting just once. He caught eight passes for 66 yards in his final season. True to form, however, he did manage to get a touchdown before he finally called it a career. Emmitt Smith (From the Dallas Cowboys to the Arizona Cardinals) Smith was a punishing runner during the heyday of the Dallas Cowboys (I hate that they even had a heyday but I digress). From 1991 through 2001 Smith never fell below 1,000 yards rushing in a season and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Still feeling he had something left in the tank, Smith became an Arizona Cardinals in 2003. Smith lasted two seasons in Arizona, rushing for just 1,193 total yards and averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, ending his career somewhere around Area 51. Eric Dickerson (From the L.A. Rams to the Indianapolis Colts to the Oakland Raiders to the Atlanta Falcons) Eric Dickerson was a marvel to watch. He combined speed and size along with a good pair of hands, making him a very dangerous man on the football field. In 1984 he ran for 2,105 yards, breaking the single-season rushing record as a Ram. He became a Colt midway through the 1987 season and continued to be a force for the next few years. His season with the Raiders was acceptable if not spectacular as he rushed for 729 yards. Dickerson bypassed calling it a career after that 1992 season and instead opted to play for the Atlanta Falcons in 1993. Dickerson managed just 26 carries that season gaining a mere 91 yards without scoring a touchdown. Instead of being seen as a dirty bird, fans were probably flipping Dickerson and Falcons’ ownership the bird. Randy Moss (From the Minnesota Vikings to the Oakland Raiders to the New England Patriots to the Minnesota Vikings to the New England Patriots to the Tennessee Titans to the San Francisco 49ers) Randy Moss didn’t run, he glided. Throw the ball anywhere near him and he pretty much caught it. He was straight cash, Homie. Moss seemed to perform well just about anywhere he landed until the very end of his career. He played for three teams in 2010 but his worst stop of all was Tennessee. The Titans got themselves a Ferrari but had no idea how to drive it. Moss only had six catches for 80 yards in his brief tenure with Tennessee and decided to call it a career...temporarily. In 2012 he made his return to football, suiting up for the San Francisco 49ers. Randy should have stayed retired. Sure he caught 28 passes for 434 yards but that was pedestrian for a future Hall of Famer. In this case a balling Moss gathered no stones. Those are my five worst career moves in NFL history. Next week I'll share Part 2, which is the five best career moves in NFL history. I'm guessing you have your own, so hit us up in the comments and read the works of my teammates, the Blitzed Barkeep and Blitzed Scout who do some mighty fine work. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving! Keep your mugs frosty, your footballs fully inflated, and Tom Brady away from your cell phones. MZE AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter. This past week’s episode of the Blitzed radio podcast talked about upsets happening around the NFL. This season alone we’ve seen the Bills go into Minnesota and knock off the Vikings (dammit), the Browns beat the Falcons without Hue Jackson’s interference, and a most glorious takedown of the Patriots by the Titans (MariGOATa?). It got me to thinking: what are some of the biggest upsets in NFL history? Fear not, Blitzers, MZE has you covered. I dug deep into the archives and came up with five games that stuck out in my mind. 1996 AFC Playoffs, Jacksonville v Denver (DEN -12.5) The Jacksonville Jaguars were in their second year of existence in 1996. After starting 3-6 they rattled off wins in six of their next seven games and squeaked into the playoffs as a wild card. They took out the Bills in the wild card round then advanced to play top-seeded Denver the following week as a 12.5 point underdog. On paper, this was a mismatch almost not worthy of viewing. When the Broncos jumped out two a 12-0 lead after one quarter, folks were grabbing remotes and looking for a rerun of, “Little Giants,” to watch. The Jags yelled, “Screw the Annexation of Puerto Rico! Stay right here!” The next two quarters saw Jacksonville outscore Denver 20-0 led by quarterback, Mark Brunell, bruising running back, Natrone Means, and kicker, Mike Hollis. Denver would cut the lead to three twice in the fourth quarter but in the end, Jacksonville held on for a 30-27 win. 1987 NFC Playoffs, Minnesota v San Francisco (SF -11) The Niners in the 80s were rock stars. Bill Walsh was at the helm and Steve Young stepped in at quarterback replacing Joe Montana without really missing a beat. The 1987 team went 13-2 in a strike-shortened season that involved games played by replacement players and faced the Vikings in the divisional round. The Vikings entered the playoffs with an 8-7 record however they were 8-4 with their regular players (oh if only Shane Falco played for them during those replacement weeks). Vegas had the Vikings as an 11-point underdog but they didn’t play like one. Wade Wilson threw two touchdown passes, Chuck Nelson hit five field goals and the Vikings stunned the 49ers at Candlestick, 36-24. The following week they came up just short in Washington, losing 17-10 to the eventual Super Bowl champions thus crushing the hopes of their fan base yet again. Super Bowl IV, Kansas City v Minnesota (MIN -12) Super Bowl IV would be the last one featuring an AFL-NFL match up. The Minnesota Vikings came into this one as a 12-point favorite over the Kansas City Chiefs and why shouldn’t they have? Led by “The Purple People Eaters” defense, this one was expected to be a laugher. It certainly was but not for the Vikings’ faithful. The Chiefs pounded their ground game to the tune of 151 yards. Len Dawson was efficient if not effective. Jan Stenerud connected on three field goals and the Vikings offense never got going. In the end, the Chiefs took home the Lombardi with a 23-7 win and Vikings fans were left hoping next year would be the year. Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants v New England (NE -12.5) The 2007 New England Patriots were a juggernaut. I mean they’ve been a dominant force since the Deflater and the Cameraman joined forces but in 2007 they were literally unbeatable, winning their first 18 games of the season to waltz to the Super Bowl. Their opponent was the New York Giants. The G-Men had a mediocre 10-6 regular season, including a 38-35 loss to the Patriots in the final game of the regular season. They entered the playoffs as a wild card team and took down the Buccaneers, Cowboys, and Packers in succession, on the road. It was expected that the regular season finale was a fluke as the Giants were 12.5 point underdogs coming into the Super Bowl. The Giants defense was stifling, holding the Patriots to 45 yards on the ground and keeping Tom Brady in check for most of the day. Despite their defensive prowess, the Giants still trailed 14-10 with 2:42 to play after a Randy Moss TD catch. Then, one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history occurred. Eli Manning spun out of a sack with a move that would make Britney Spears’ jaw drop. The heave to David Tyree and the ‘helmet catch’ set the Giants up and with 35 seconds to play, Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard TD pass sending the Patriots to an 18 and ‘oh shit’ season. Eli Manning is one of my heroes just because of his crushing of Patriots fans’ hopes in Super Bowls. Super Bowl III, New York Jets v Baltimore Colts (BAL -18) The NFL dominated the first two Super Bowls over the AFL. Most felt Super Bowl III would go the same way. The Colts entered the game with only one loss on the season. They were led by Earl Morrall at quarterback and running back, Tom Matte. The Vegas line on the game had the Colts as an 18-point favorite. The Jets had a brash quarterback from Beaver Falls, PA, by the name of Joe Namath. “Broadway” Joe was a flashy dresser with a mouth that was really bigger than his talent (come at me on this, please). Namath guaranteed a Jets Super Bowl win, causing more chuckles than a Carol Burnett Show skit (Google the reference if you must). The Jets defense was relentless intercepting three of Morrall’s 17 passes before he was lifted from the game for some kid named Johnny Unitas. The change didn’t help as Matt Snell battered his way to 121 yards on the ground and the Jets only TD of the game. Jim Turner hit three field goals, including a nine yarder (that’s right, a NINE yarder) and the Jets won Super Bowl III, 16-7. Joe Namath was named the MVP. It would be the first and only time a Super Bowl MVP got the award because of his mouth as well as a bust in the Hall of Fame because Lord knows his play isn’t why he made it (again come at me on this, please). Those are my five biggest NFL upsets in history. What do you have? Hit us up in the comments and please check out the blogs of my teammates, Blitzed Barkeep and Blitzed Scout. Until the next time, Blitzers, pour yourself a cold one, turn on the Red Zone Channel, and count down the days until Tom Brady retires. AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter.
Giants, Raiders, Bills and Browns fans are feeling the pain this year. Seems like their only good Sundays are on their bye weeks. How long will their misery last and when it’s finally over, is it really over? Talk in these fanbases is that if they just 'trust the process' their years of patience with sucking will be rewarded with an NFL dynasty - or at very least a winning football team. The Blitzed Crew talked about this on their most recent show.
That got me thinking, how often does that actually happen? So I went back over the last 30 seasons to see how teams fared when coming off of three consecutive, “this team makes me drink,” losing seasons (or in one special case, an expansion team) followed by a minimum of three consecutive non-losing seasons. And only nine teams in 30 years pulled it off. The good news, my friends, is that the average sustained success of these nine teams was about five years. But hold on to your champagne for just a bit as I give you a little breakdown.
New York Jets 1994-96
From 1994 through 1996 the Jets couldn’t get off of the ground. They had a combined record of 10-38. However thanks to the tutelage of pre-Slim Fast Bill Parcells (did he ever really drink that shit?) and a defensive coordinator you may know named Bill Belichick, the Jets produced three consecutive non-losing seasons followed by three more under Al Groh and Herm Edwards, who always played to win the game. Super Bowl appearances during these ‘up’ years: none, nada, zero, zip.
Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens 1995-98
One of the most beleaguered franchises in the NFL went through four brutal seasons from 1995 through 1998, posting a 21-42-1 record (what is it with this franchise and ties?). The first two of those years were in Cleveland before they headed east to Baltimore, where the losing came with them only with better stone crabs. Maybe that good crab meat helped as their next three seasons saw a 30-18 record and a Super Bowl ring after the 2000 season. Ah Brian Billick, how could you do that to us Vikings fans? How? Answer me, dammit!
Jacksonville Jaguars 1995
The Jaguars came into the NFL in 1995 as an expansion team and, as everyone predicted, struggled. The next season, and for four seasons after that, however, they turned it all around and “DUUUVAL!” was living the life. Then came the turn of the century and apparently Y2K hit hard as the team dropped 40 of its 64 games from 2000 to 2003. In his second season as head coach, Jack “His Name’s Del Rio and He Dances on the Sand,” got things turned around and for the next four years the team won 40 of its 64 regular season games. Despite this regular season turnaround, the Jags have yet to even play in a Super Bowl.
San Diego Chargers 1988-91
In the early 80s, “Air Coryell,” lit the skies in San Diego. In the latter stages of the decade and into the 90s, it was more like a whale’s vagina. The team had a combined record of 22-42 from 1988 to 1991, floundering at the bottom of the AFC West. They dipped into the college ranks and found Bobby Ross to become their new head coach. From 1992 through 1996, Ross led the team to a 47-33 regular season and a Super Bowl appearance. Unfortunately they sort of didn’t appear for the game and got housed by the 49ers. It’s pretty much guaranteed that the San Diego Chargers will never play in another Super Bowl.
Seattle Seahawks 2008-11
From 2008 through 2011 not even having a 12th man could help the Seahawks. They were 23-41 in those years and even Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan could find time to take a nap. Then in 2012 third year head coach and Southern California fugitive, Pete Carroll found an undersized and uber-talented quarterback in Russell Wilson. Over the next six seasons the team went 65-30-1 making two Super Bowl appearances, including winning it all in 2013, mauling the Denver Broncos 43-8 and even better, nobody had to vacate anything!
Philadelphia Eagles 1997-99
The Eagles of 1997 through 1999 were worse than a cheesesteak witout da wiz. They had a combined record of 14-33-1 and not even a hot soft pretzel or dreams of pelting Jolly St. Nick with snowballs could satisfy the fans. As the 21st century began 2nd year head coach Andy Reid, who when asked, “Gino’s or Pat’s?” probably answered, “Yes,” calmed the masses. For the next five years the Eagles won 59 of their 80 regular season games, making the playoffs in each season. They played in the Super Bowl after the 2004 season, losing to the Patriots 24-21. Welcome to the club, guys.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1988-96
Over a nine-year span from 1988 through 1996 the Buccaneers lost two thirds of their games. It was a different story from 1997 through 2002. Tony Dungy came in and led the team to four playoff appearances. When he left after the 2001 season things went Spider 2Y Bananas. Jon Gruden led the 2002 team into the Super Bowl and beat his old team, the Oakland Raiders. But he couldn't sustain that winning edge for very long and now he’s back in Oakland beating the Raiders all over again.
St. Louis Rams 1990-98
The Rams called St. Louis home from 1995 until 2015. Prior to that they were in L.A. From 1990 through 1998 it didn’t matter where they called home. They were terrible anywhere with a combined record over the two cities of 45-99. In 1999, his third and final year at the helm, Dick Vermeil, led by former stock boy, Kurt Warner, got a Super Bowl ring by a yard. Mike Martz took over and got the team to the playoffs twice more in 2000 and 2001, including another Super Bowl appearance where they lost to the damn Patriots. That’s right, I said the damn Patriots. I hate them. I really, really hate them.
The Dallas Cowboys - 1988-90
This is easily the most successful of the teams mentioned. From 1988 through 1990 they played more like cow pies than Cowboys, going 11-37 in that span, leading to the firing of legendary head coach Tom Landry. The six seasons from 1991 through 1996 were a hell of a lot different. With a level of success that would make J.R. Ewing look like a gas station attendant, the Cowboys went 60-36 in their regular season games, made the playoffs in all six seasons and won three Super Bowls led by Jimmie Johnson from 1991 through 1993 (two rings) and Barry Switzer from 1994 through 1996 (one ring). Barry Switzer has a Super Bowl ring. Let that one sink in for a minute. So, is the pain of sustained losing actually worth it? Of the nine teams listed here, there are seven Super Bowl rings among them with five of the nine actually playing in one. So keep your chins up, New York (or is it New Jersey?), Oakland (or is it Las Vegas?), Buffalo and Cleveland (but maybe they’ll move to Baltimore too). Just keep trusting the process and live life with the Lloyd Christmas approach because I’m saying there’s a chance. Until next time, raise a glass, toss a ball, and keep sticking pins in that Tom Brady voodoo doll. AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter.
Okay, before I get started I have to explain my new blog header. As many of you know, I’m a longtime Vikings fan and last week I made a bet with a Saints fan on the outcome. The loser had to change their Twitter pic for a week, and the nice folks at Blitzed NFL were good enough to change my blog header as well - even though it wasn’t part of the bet.
Also, as a part of the bet, I am required to write this too (sigh): “Who Dat? Who Dat? Who Dat think dey gonna beat dem Saints?” Okay, with that unpleasantness out of the way, on with my post.
Poor Hugo Cruz. All he was trying to do was his job. Sure he blew a big call, but maybe, just maybe he was distracted momentarily by a cute girl in the stands. Maybe he was thinking of that South Park episode where Butters…anyway you get the point. So he missed a False Start call that altered the Browns Chargers game. And for that he was the first referee let go mid season in 50 years of NFL football. The guys talked about it on the last show, where they talked about the scariest things in the NFL:
Now I’m told that Mr Cruz had a trend of poor reffing performances this year and the false start was just the straw that broke the camel's back, but let’s not let facts get in the way of a good blog post. Let MZE take you on a bad trip down memory lane of the worst reffing calls of all time.
AFC Playoffs 1972 - The Immaculate Reception
The Steelers of the 70s were a dominant force. They were the Patriots except without a cheating QB and coach. The Steelers were about to lose to the Oakland Raiders. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw dropped back and fired a pass to the waiting Frenchy Fuqua. Raiders’ Jack Tatum, a vicious hitter in his day, drilled Fuqua and the ball caromed into the waiting hands of Franco Harris. The rest was history as, “The Immaculate Reception,” would forever go down in football lore. Here’s the thing. In 1972 it was illegal for two receivers to touch the ball consecutively without a defender touching it in between. Replays don’t give any evidence of Tatum touching the ball so the “Immaculate Reception” was really, “The Illegal Reception.” Too bad there was no replay back then, huh?
Thanksgiving 1998 - The Wrong 'Flipping' Call
Nothing says Thanksgiving like turkey and Lions’ football. Well, that and Uncle Gene drinking too much wine and sharing his political views. This particular Thanksgiving gave us the Steelers visiting Detroit. It was an epic struggle that got us free football. All referee Phil Luckett had to do was flip a coin and listen. Simple, right? Apparently not. Steelers RB and now Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis, yelled loud and proud, “tails!” Maybe it was the noise that couldn’t escape the Dome. Maybe Phil was hanging out with Uncle Gene the night before. Whatever the case, Phil saw the coin come up tails and inexplicably gave the choice to the Lions. Since when does, “tails,” sound like, “heads?” The Lions took the ball, marched down the field, and kicked a field goal to win the game. This did not cost Phil his job.
AFC Wild Card Playoffs 1999 - The Music City Miracle
The Buffalo Bills are one of the most heartbroken franchises in NFL playoff history. During the AFC Wild Card playoffs in January of 2000, their collective gut wrenched on a very sour note. Late in their game with the Tennessee Titans, the Bills took a one-point lead. One kickoff and some prevent defense would have sent them on to the next round. Titans tight end, Frank Wycheck, fielded the bouncing kick and history was about to be made. Frankie Boy thought fast and threw the ball clear across the field to quick wide receiver, Kevin Dyson. The Bills’ special teams unit was at a loss as Dyson ran the ball 75 yards down the field for the game-winning touchdown. Thing is, it wasn’t a lateral. It was a forward pass by the slimmest of margins. No flag was thrown and for whatever reason there wasn’t enough on video for the officials to change the call. Had that flag come down, we don’t get one of the best Super Bowls ever and maybe Bills’ fans would have one season of true glory…or five Super Bowl losses, which seems more likely. Should have started Flutie over Johnson anyway.
Monday Night Football 2012 - The Fail Mary
In 2012 NFL officials were in a salary dispute with the league and got locked out. The season began with replacement referees and things couldn’t have gone worse in the Seahawks-Packers Monday Night clash. With a 12-7 deficit, late in the 4th quarter, Russell Wilson heaved a pass into the end zone. Packers safety M.D. Jennings intercepted the pass and the Packers had held on for the win…or so they thought. After a blatant Offensive Pass Interference shove in the back, Golden Tate managed to get his hand on the ball on the bottom of the pile. Officials awarded the Seahawks the game-winning touchdown via the dual possession rule. Apparently it really was the Golden touch. I personally applaud the officials for this call but then again, I’m a Vikings fan so…
NFC Playoffs 1975 - The Hail Mary
It was a cold and dreary day December day in Minneapolis. The Vikings were ahead of the Cowboys, 14-10 and were prepared to advance to the next round of the playoffs. That is until one of the most blatantly missed calls in NFL history was made (but I’m not bitter). Roger Staubach heaved a pass in the direction of his wide receiver, Drew Pearson. As the ball descended, Pearson took down Vikings’ defensive back, Nate Wright, with an assault that would have gotten him five years in a Minnesota correctional facility. As Wright was sprawled out on the ground, Pearson made the catch for a 50-yard touchdown and the “Hail Mary” pass was born…basically because Pearson had to say 10 of them for his penance for his blatant penalty. Curse you, Drew Pearson! Curse you and…never mind. My therapist says I’m getting better. So you see, folks, everyone makes mistakes. Next time you miss a decimal point at work or put that bottle marked, “Flammable,” next to a space heater just be glad you don’t work for the NFL or you may find yourself selling plasma to make rent. Until next time, raise your glass, toss that pigskin around with your besties, Eff Tom Brady, and Go Saints!! MZE Let us know what you think was the worst call in NFL history. AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter. Raider Nation was all a-buzz when Jon Gruden came back to run the show. “Chucky’s Back!’ was the sound ringing throughout Oakland and the Raiders were going to rule once again. His first big move? Say good bye to Khalil Mack while grabbing first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 as well as a 2019 sixth-round choice and a 2020 third. Raiders’ fans immediately began yelling, “Chucky’s whack!” This week the Raiders sent their number one receiver, Amari Cooper, to the Dallas Cowboys for yet another 2019 first-round choice as Chucky continued his now-not-so-secret-rebuild. With Chucky collecting first-round picks the way kids collect trading cards, I began to wonder if other NFL teams tried this strategy of amassing picks, like your sister used to with Halloween candy, and if so, how did it work out for them? 2000 New York Jets (4 #1’s) This team went balls to the wall grabbing four first round picks. Shaun Ellis, DE from Tennessee, was taken at 12 and had a long career with the Jets. John Abraham, LB from South Carolina, was taken immediately after Ellis at 13. He had 50.5 sacks in his six years with the team. Chad Pennington was next at 18. Chad may have had the best hair of any Jets QB ever taken (apologies to Sam Darnold) and was probably a better NFL QB than Joe Namath, but I digress. The last of the four first rounders was Anthony Becht, TE out of West Virginia. Becht never quite panned out but hey, three out of four is solid. Zero Super Bowls. 1967 Minnesota Vikings (3 #1’s) This team took Clint Jones second overall. Some scout surely lost his pension over this. They then chose Gene Washington with the 7th pick. Gene was serviceable if not spectacular. Then at number 15 the Vikings took some kid out of Notre Dame named Alan Page. The verdict on this pick is Hall of Fame choice. Zero Super Bowls. 1975 Los Angeles Rams (3 #1’s) The Rams didn’t pick until nine this season. They took Mike Fanning, a DT from Notre Dame with that pick. At 11 they chose G, Dennis Harrah, and then T Doug France out of Ohio State at 20. Not exactly household names or even household cleaners. Zero Super Bowls. 1976 New England Patriots (3 #1’s) The Patriots with three first round draft picks? The Hoodie would not approve. With the 5th pick that year they took future hall of fame CB, Mike Haynes. Pete Brock, a center out of Colorado was their pick at 12, and Tim Fox, a safety from Ohio State was taken at 21. Aside from Fox’s incredible hair and ‘stache, they could have stopped at five. Zero Super Bowls. 1983 San Diego Chargers (3 #1’s) “Air Coryell” had three picks in this draft and used two on defense, taking Billy Ray Smith, Jr., a LB out of Arkansas (of course he came out of Arkansas) at the 5th spot. They grabbed Gill Byrd, DB from San Jose State, with the 22nd pick. Gary Anderson, Arkansas RB, was their offensive player chose with pick 20. Byrd had a nice career, garnering 42 INTs. Anderson had one good season in 1998 when he gained over 1,100 yards on the ground. Billy Ray’s name was as good as the Chargers got out of him. Zero Super Bowls. 1988 Oakland Raiders (3 #1’s) So Chucky’s not the first Raider head to accumulate picks. The 1988 team took Tim Brown with the 6th pick that season. DB, Terry McDaniel, out of Tennessee, was their pick at nine. The final pick was Scott Davis, a defensive end out of Illinois, at 25. Brown is in the Hall of Fame. McDaniel and Davis may have taken a tour of the place at some point. Zero Super Bowls. 1991 Dallas Cowboys (3 #1’s) The Cowboys teams of the 90s were darn good. This draft helped them establish themselves as they chose Russell Maryland number one overall. He played five seasons with the ‘Boys and was a mainstay on the defensive line. Alvin Harper came to them at 12. Kelvin Pritchett, Tennessee DE, was drafted at 20 and immediately shipped to the Lions for picks in latter rounds that netted Dallas Dixon Edwards, James Richards and Tony Hill. Three Super Bowls. 1995 Carolina Panthers (3 #1’s) The expansion Panthers had the 5th, 22nd, and 29th pick of this draft. They chose Kerry Collins, Tyrone Poole, and Blake Brockermeyer, in that order. Collins had a decent career in the NFL and led the Panthers into the playoffs. Poole’s career ended up on the shallow end and Brockermeyer’s name was longer than his career. Zero Super Bowls. 2001 Los Angeles Rams (3 #1’s) Damione Lewis at 12, Adam Archuleta at 20, and Ryan Pickett at 29. There is really no need to go into detail here. May God have mercy on their souls. Zero Super Bowls. 2013 Minnesota Vikings (3 #1’s) The 2013 draft saw the Vikings (MY Vikings) grab three first round picks, all at the back end. Sharrif Floyd was taken 23rd but a torn meniscus cut his career short. At 25, they got a CB out of Florida State named Xavier Rhodes. So far, so good for this guy, right? They had one more pick at 29 and got return specialist, Cordarrelle Patterson from Tennessee. While explosive on kick returns, he never quite fit with Mike Zimmer and is now with the Patriots where he’ll probably get a Super Bowl ring thus shortening my life by another five years. Zero Super Bowls (so far). 2017 Cleveland Browns (3 #1’s) The Browns are the most recent team to make three first round picks. Myles Garrett was number one overall, Jabrill Peppers went 25th, and David Njoku was taken at 29. The jury is still out on these picks but expect them all to be playing elsewhere within two years because, Browns. Zero Super Bowls (so far). So you can see having a bunch of choices in the first round isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Out of 11 teams, only the Cowboys had any Super Bowl wins to show from this strategy. So accumulating #1 picks is kinda like being the first one in the doughnut shop. You have your choice of all these amazing-looking doughnuts but then you inevitably buy one with the disgusting maple filling that made the cavities in your mouth hurt, but you eat it anyway because you paid for it? When all you really needed was a warm glazed to satisfy your needs. Mmm, warm glazed. They should name that doughnut the ‘Mack’. Until next time, enjoy the games, enjoy a brew, and Eff Tom Brady. AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears is a Minnesota Vikings fan from Pennsylvania and is a #TeamBlitzed All Pro. You can follow him on Twitter. The 2018 Kansas City Chiefs are putting the Alex Smith checkdown days into their rear view mirror. Mahomes is now the man in KC. No 'Hill' is too steep to climb as they are legitimately in the 'Hunt' for a Super Bowl title (okay, I've hit my quota for puns). Obviously, offense isn’t an issue for this franchise. The other side of the ball, however, has more holes in it than a Michael Bay movie plot. The Chiefs are poised to set the dubious record of most yards allowed by any defense in a season ever - 7,491 yards of offense, or over 4.25 miles. Hell, I've never even walked that far before. It's been said time and again that defense wins championships. But fear not, Chiefs believers, because that’s only partially true. In fact there were four Super Bowl winners that had mediocre to bad defenses. Now that's out of a whopping 52 championships, but remember what the immortal Lloyd Christmas always preached: "So you're saying there's a chance." The 2006 Indianapolis Colts gave up 360 points during the regular season and over 5,300 yards of offense, ranking them in the bottom third of the NFL. Of course they were quarterbacked by a future Hall of Famer in Peyton Manning and had the second-highest scoring team in the NFL that season, so that may have helped. One season later, the New York football Giants (Why do they keep saying that? There hasn’t been a New York baseball Giants since 1958. Let it go already, fellas.) took home the Lombardi Trophy with the 17th best defense in the league, outscoring their opponents by a grand total of 22 points on the year. Basically when they were good they were very good and when they were bad, they sucked like a Flowbee on steroids. In 2009, a painful year in the NFL for yours truly, the New Orleans Saints had the 20th ranked defense for points allowed and 25th in yards allowed. Of course when you put a bounty on the opposing quarterback in the NFC title game…never mind. I can’t relive this. My final example is the 2011 New York Giants, again. This plucky squad won just nine regular season games, allowed 400 points and over 6,000 yards of offense. They had a three-game stretch where they allowed 121 points (that's over 40 a game for you 'I hate math' folks). Somehow they pulled it all together come playoff time and dumped the Falcons, Packers, 49ers, and the New England Patriots. Rejoice! So don’t fret too much about your porous defense, Chiefs fans, even though it ain't looking great at this point. There’s one statistic that should perk you up. No team has ever lost a Super Bowl by outscoring its opponents. Although I'm sure the Falcons could find a way. Until next time, be well, drink plenty of fluids, and Eff Tom Brady. MZE AuthorMike Zimmer's Ears. You can follow MZE on Twitter. |