Lions Mastery In Florida Continues

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

JACKSONVILLE, FL-----The Detroit Lions did more than improve to 4-4 with their 31-14 win over the Jaguars at EverBankField.

They have created an interesting streak that began on December 19, 2010, continued on December 26, 2010, added to it on September 11, 2011 and built on it Sunday.

Detroit has a four-game winning streak in the State of Florida.

Game One saw Detroit end it's NFL record 26-game road losing streak with a 23-20 overtime triumph over the Tampa Bay Bucs.

A week later, the Lions faced the Miami Dolphins and won for the first time ever in South Florida.

Detroit returned to Tampa and defeated the Bucs 27-20 to begin their 10-6 playoff run.

In these four wins, the Lions won with three different quarterbacks.

Stanton defeated the Bucs the first time, Shaun Hill took out the Dolphins while Matthew Stafford defeated the Bucs and the Jaguars to complete the Florida Tri-fecta.

Going into this game, Stafford needed 52-yards to reach the 10,000 yard passing total. He added 285 and is at 10,233. He accomplished this in his 37th career game and reached this goal in the second fewest games.

The fastest was Kurt Warner, who did it in 36.

Warner was 30 years and 142 days while Stafford did it at 24 years and 271 days.

Only Drew Bledsoe, Dan Marino and Peyton Manning reached 10,000 yards at a younger age.

Here is some more history.

The last time the Detroit Lions defeated Jacksonville was at home crushing the Jaguars 44-0 at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1995. This was the largest margin of victory in Lions history. I can just imagine the age of most of the players on this roster.

The only thing this game showed me was why the Lions are 4-4 and the Jaguars are 1-7.

The Lions cruised from start to finish. Detroit took a 21-0 lead at halftime and used a balance offensive attack to close out an opponent that played without it's best running back. Jacksonville could have used Maurice Jones-Drew.

Detroit out gained Jacksonville in total yards 434-279.

To see Stafford rise up the Lions quarterback passing totals means only two things. The kid has uncapped potential or that position has been that bad.

To think that Bobby Layne has 15,710 yards is Number One is just amazing.

In the Lions next game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, Stafford will pass Joey Harrington (10,242) to move to sixth on the all-time list.

Eric Hipple is currently fifth with 10,711 while Gary Danielson is fourth with 11,885.

We might as well finish the ladder as Greg Landry stands third with 12,451 and Scott Mitchell is second with 12,647. This distance between Mitchell and Stafford is 2,414 yards. Stafford could be second by the end of the season or by the first four games of 2013.

That's remarkable. This is just for passing yardage.

As long as he stays healthy, he'll shatter career touchdown passes and career pass completions. He's already the team leader with 13, 300-yard passing games.

Against the Jaguars, Stafford didn't have to be the gunslinger. Running backs Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell helped him. Bell had 13 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown while Leshoure had 16 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson had his usual fine outing with seven receptions for 129 yards while rookie Ryan Broyles had six catches for 52 yards.

When the game was over, Stafford downplayed his milestone.

It's cool, but other than that, I don't really care," Stafford said. "The lucky thing for me is that I'm surrounded by a lot of great talent. That makes a quarterback in a lot of instances. It's fun to be able to play in this offense with these guys."

Lions Coach Jim Schwartz said the team came to Jacksonville for one reason, "The biggest thing we were able to accomplish was getting the win and certainly that's the only thing that we're concentrating on.

"So obviously, our future is bright with Matt Stafford. Whether it's a game like this where he's handing it off a lot, again he's got to go and play with a lead, or a game where he has to catch us up. He's able to do anything on the football field."

Kyle Vanden Bosch didn't know about the Lions four-game Florida winning streak until I told him. But he said the teams attitude has definitely changed when they board an airplane.

"This team when I got here had a lot of road problems historically," Vanden Bosch said. "It feels good, but it's not easy to win on the road in the NFL. It's a difficult thing to win on the road. We practice in 40 degree weather so to come down here in hot and humid weather and be able to execute and put a good game together was important. It's part of the process."

Now the Lions can take another stadium off the list that they've never won as they are 1-2 in Jacksonville and 2-3 overall in the all-time series. The Lions have now won in the Tampa Bay Area, North and South Florida.

It's too bad that they don't receive their paychecks in Florida because there is no state income tax.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

NFL Draft Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What makes practical sense or what makes common sense?

These are the decisions I'm glad I don't have to make as the NFL Draft will find new homes for this years crop of collegiate players.

For the Detroit Lions, at least they selected their quarterback last year when they landed Matthew Stafford with their top pick. Thus, far, the former Georgia Bulldog is showing excellent potential and has a strong upside providing he gets a good supporting cast.

Past experiences indicate the Lions won't be taking a wide receiver in the opening round anytime soon. The selections of Charles Rogers and Mike Williams were just a couple of the major reasons Matt Millen has returned to the broadcasting booth and is unlikely to return to an NFL front office anytime soon.

Last year, Stafford received over $40 Million in guaranteed money.

Will the St. Louis Rams pay a defensive player over $40 Million or will they take the plunge into the signal caller market and draft Oklahoma's Sam Bradford with the top pick? Is a player who is coming off major shoulder surgery, worth over $50 Million in guaranteed money? They might not have any choice since they released former starting quarterback Marc Bulger.

But if this makes the Rams feel any better, past Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winners have done well in the pros.

Former Sooners & Detroit Lions running backs Steve Owens and Billy Sims, both Heisman Trophy winners, had short and sweet careers before knee injuries ended them prematurely. In today's modern medicine, they would have played longer.

Owens was the Lions No.1 draft choice in the 1970 draft, 19 overall and was the first running back in franchise history, to ever rush for over 1,000 yards. He played four seasons for Detroit and participated in one Pro Bowl.

Sims was the top player selected in the 1980 draft by the Lions, rushed for 5,106 yards and played in three Pro Bowls.

If the Lions want to take another Oklahoma play maker, then Gerald McCoy would be a great choice.

But Detroit has also had good luck with past Nebraska Cornhuskers as well. If the Lions select Ndamukong Suh, then fans should remember linebacker Jimmy Williams and fullback Cory Schlesinger, who had good careers wearing the Honolulu Blue & Silver.

Williams played in Detroit from 1982-1990 and the Lions drafted him in the first round, No.15 overall. It's guys like Schlesinger, who will give you a reason to watch the draft in the later rounds. This three time Pro Bowl alternate was drafted in the sixth round, 192 overall and played for the Lions from 1995-2006.

Speaking of Owens and Schlesinger, if the Lions are looking to upgrade the running back position, Stanford's Toby Gerhart is a rare white runner with an abundance of talent that if he's not taken in the first round, will be on a mission to prove his critics wrong that passed on him. The 6-0, 231 pounder had 343 carries for 1,871 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Cardinal in 2009.

How can I forget about Florida's Tim Tebow? This guy has won two national championships and is a Heisman Trophy. Yet his draft status is in question because of his throwing mechanics.

It's any one's guess where he'll wind up or whether he plays quarterback in the NFL. In a league where there is a need for good quarterbacks, my best bets for him are Jacksonville, Buffalo or New England.

He'd sell tickets in Jacksonville and Buffalo and could eventually start in both places. I'd say he'll start quicker in Buffalo because there is a bigger need. The hiring of new Head Coach Chan Gailey, a noted offensive coach, could speed up his learning curve.

In 2003, the Buffalo Bills gambled on injured Miami Hurricanes running back Willis McGahee, by drafting him in the first round with the 23 overall pick, then waited until 2004 until he made his NFL debut. He went on and played three seasons for the Bills before moving on to the Baltimore Ravens. Tebow is also from the State of Florida so I see no reason why history won't repeat itself.

Back in 1975, the Lions drafted former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Dennis Franklin, who was known as "Michigan's First Black Quarterback" in the sixth round and converted him into a wide receiver. A 30-2-1 record at Michigan wasn't good enough to unseat Lions quarterbacks Greg Landry and Bill Munson. I'll bet that the Lions wish they could make that decision again especially with the quarterbacks that would follow after Landry and Munson's departure. We all know that was a bad move and the Lions fans know it.

Those that think that moving the left-handed Tebow to the wide receiver position without giving him a chance to develop and compete for a starting quarterback spot down the line would be making a huge mistake.

In New England, Tebow could develop under former former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady and wouldn't be rushed into action. As I mentioned before, Tebow would be a good fit in Buffalo and you can rest assure that Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly would love to help Tebow refine his skills. As for Jacksonville, David Garrard is the starter but if Owner Wayne Weaver has his way, he'd be the mentor until Tebow develops.

In 1981, the Miami Dolphins drafted Jim "Crash" Jensen in the 11 round, 291 overall out of Boston University. He played for the Dolphins from 1981-1992 as a wide receiver, running back and was the third string emergency signal caller behind Hall of Famer Dan Marino. He made the team because he impressed Dolphins Coach Don Shula with his hard-nosed play on special teams.

If a team drafts Tebow, they're getting a player with a great work ethic, excellent character, who is the last player you'd see that would have off the field problems. He's a proven winner in every sense of the word.

In the wake of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's problems, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made an example out of him by suspending him 4-6 games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Tebow is a white quarterback, who won't embarrass himself representing the shield. How ironic would it be if he landed in Pittsburgh.

But the Jensen/Tebow comparison could be a valid one not only because of skin color but they both could be viewed as versatile performers or hybrid players.

In this draft, I'll also be curious to see where Texas & Notre Dame quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen land.

Will this be the year where the Florida Atlantic University Owls finally have a player drafted? Their best prospects include quarterback Rusty Smith, who threw for over 10,000 career yards and tight end Jason Harmon (6-2, 216), who bounced back from a severe knee injury and had a productive senior season in 2009. Harmon's a good blocker but also has fine hands and can gain yards after the catch.

But with all the offensive moves Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew is making, he can only hope that either Suh & McCoy can become the latest version of Mario Williams (Houston Texans), who was the defensive end selected ahead of New Orleans running back Reggie Bush.

Bush may have his championship ring but he earned it with a great team.

Williams, who played at North Carolina State, and wasn't a glamour pick, has been to two Pro Bowls since he was the No.1 pick in the 2006 draft. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in another year. Williams has been a good anchor for the Houston defense.

We all know that Lions Coach Jim Schwartz built a good defense as the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Now he's looking to duplicate that success in Detroit.

Is there another Lee Roy Selmon, the defensive end, who was the first pick in the 1976 draft by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also out of Oklahoma out here? All Selmon did was play eight seasons and in six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

As the Lions look for sleepers later in the draft and collect late round selections, are there any Jensen's and Schlesinger's available? On Saturday, Mayhew & Schwartz will have a chance to find these pieces of the puzzle in rounds 4-7.

This figures to be one of the most interesting drafts in recent history with all of the story lines out there.

Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

College Football Week 5

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

As we draw closer to the BCS Computer Rankings coming out, there were certain teams which bolstered their chances to get a premium bowl bid. This week, it's time to examine the ones that are getting closer to mega paydays.

1. There is no better place to start off than the Miami Hurricanes. On September 8, 2007, the Oklahoma Sooners handed the Hurricanes a 51-13 loss in Norman. Miami finished the year 5-7. But things changed this time as Miami sophomore Jacory Harris passed for 202 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 17 Miami (3-1) to a 21-20 triumph while senior running back Javarris James amassed 150 yards rushing. Despite playing without Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford, this game was close in a couple major offensive categories. Miami out gained No. 8 Oklahoma (2-2) 342-341 in total yards and in time of possession, 30:43-29:17. Bradford's replacement Landry Jones did throw for 188 yards and a touchdown. Even though Jones was named after former Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry, his name defines his position. Former Detroit Lions quarterback Greg Landry and former Baltimore Colts signal caller Bert Jones had good careers in the professional ranks.

2. Which team needed to win it's in state rivalry worse, No. 22 Michigan or Michigan State? Depending on who you talk to, you'll get different answers. For a young Michigan (4-1, 1-1) team to win in East Lansing, this would be a huge triumph as the Wolverines aim to get back into the national spotlight. For Michigan State (2-3 1-1) , a win over the Wolverines could save the season. Michigan State jumped out to a 20-6 lead but the Wolverines rallied to tie the the game 20-20 before the Spartans emerged in overtime thanks to a 23-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Larry Caper. The Spartans defense held Michigan's offense to 251 yards and limited Michigan's running attack to 28 yards. Michigan freshman quarterback Tate Forcier threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns. This was the first time Michigan State has defeated Michigan in successive seasons in 42 years. Michigan still leads the all-time series 67-30-5.

3. The http://www.scottsports33.com/ jinx bit the No. 12 Houston Cougars. As we gave them some publicity and respect, Houston was hammered by the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) 58-41 at the Sun Bowl. These two teams were tied 17-17 at halftime before the Miners pulled away in the second half. Miners junior running back Donald Buckram rushed for a career high 262 yards and four touchdowns to overshadow the performance of Houston junior quarterback Case Keenum, who had a career night by completing 51 of 76 passes for 536 yards and five touchdowns. Houston (3-1) out gained UTEP (2-3) 664-581, but lost two fumbles and had to settle for two field goals. Keenum's 76 passing attempts were seven shy of the FBS record set by former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees, who is now putting up record numbers with the New Orleans Saints.

4. On paper, the No. 13 Iowa Hawkeyes versus the Sun Belt Conference Arkansas State Red Wolves looked like a mismatch. When the game it was over, Arkansas State earned respect while Iowa was thankful it came away with a 24-21 win, has the nation's second longest winning streak at nine games and left the game with a 5-0 record thanks to junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi's 296 yards and three touchdowns performance. This was the first time Iowa has started 5-0 under coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have a huge challenge at home against the upstart Michigan Wolverines in a prime time affair in week six. Arkansas State (1-3) outscored Iowa 14-3 in the fourth quarter. The Red Wolves fell to 0-9 against Top 25 teams.

5. Very few college football followers would classify this game as a major in-state rivalry because these schools play in totally different divisions. The South Carolina State Bulldogs most notable NFL player is former Detroit Lion Robert Porcher, but he couldn't help his Alma mater defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks this week. South Carolina (4-1) rolled to a 38-14 victory in Columbia as sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another against his Football Championship Subdivision opponent. South Carolina State (3-1) fell to 0-5 against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.

6. There is no better way for a new quarterback to start his career than by winning on the road in two successive weeks. That's what the University of South Florida Bulls (5-0) freshman signal caller B.J. Daniels did as he led USF to a 34-20 win over Syracuse (2-3) in the Carrier Dome. Daniels threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns. In week four, USF defeated Florida State 17-7. But in this contest, Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus, a former Duke point guard, found out that if you turn the ball over too many times in football or it will cost you. He threw five interceptions and was sacked three times. Paulus equaled the school mark for interceptions set by Todd Norley in a 28-7 loss at Penn State in 1982. Anyone who thought USF would let down and lose after a monumental win against the Seminoles was proven wrong.

7. Two years after Coach Dennis Erickson departed for Arizona State after a 4-8 record with The Idaho Vandals (U-I) in 2006, it looks like things are going well for U-I. The Vandals, who play in the Western Athletic Conference have rebounded to a 4-1 record with their latest win against the Colorado State Rams (3-2). Erickson did serve as Idaho's head coach from 1982-85 where he posted a 32-15 record when the Vandals were playing in the Big Sky Conference. He returned for the one season at Idaho then bolted for the warm dry climate of Tempe, AZ.

8. Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin's ride to Rocky Top has hit a bumpy road in the Southeastern Conference. The Volunteers are now 0-2 in the SEC with their latest defeat coming at the hands to the Auburn Tigers 26-22 in Knoxville in front of 102, 941 fans at Neyland Stadium. Tigers senior quarterback Chris Todd threw for 218 yards and a touchdown, and senior running back Ben Tate rushed for 128 yards and a score to give Auburn its first 5-0 start since 2006. The Tigers have now defeated Tennessee for the fifth consecutive time. The Volunteers are now 2-3 overall.

9. Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Ryan Mallett is alive and well in Arkansas. The sophomore transfer threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks (2-2) to a 47-19 win over the Texas A&M Aggies (3-1) in a battle of former Southwestern Conference rivals at Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington. A crowd of 71,872 fans attended this "Southwest Classic" the beginning of a 10-year series in hopes of cashing in on recruiting and alumni riches in the Dallas area. Thus far in 2009, Mallett has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 1,148 yards. He has a passer rating of 159.13 for Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Alma-mater.

10. This week's blog started out with one of Howard Schnellenberger's transformation projects the University of Miami Hurricanes and will end with another one. Former Miami Dolphins Coach Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh Panthers (4-1) clobbered the Louisville Cardinals 35-10 in the house the Howard built Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in front of 39,948. Louisville (1-3) took an early 10-7 lead at halftime but the Panthers scored 28 unanswered points thanks to the passing of senior quarterback Bill Stull, who threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at Scottsports33@aol.com