Remember The 90's?: Re-Living Greatness

[young2rice]

Great stuff Y2R.

Thanks! Just edited my posts to put the Oilers in alphabetical order and moved the Packers/Patriots down a post each so their up there if you were looking for them. (See the titans avatar).


So guys I'm hoping to at least put up 2 teams every 2-3 days here to quickly finish the team reports and get going onto the juicy part of this.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Los Angeles Raiders
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Billy Joe Tolliver (87)
HB: Marcus Allen (89)
FB: Steve Smith (83)
WR: Tim Brown (91)
WR: Willie Gault (89)
WR: Meryven Fernandez (87)
TE: Ethan Horton (85)
LT: Ralph Graves (91)
LG: Max Montoya (90)
C: Dan Mosebar (90)
RG: Steve Wisnkiweski (86)
RT: Bruce Wilkerson (87)
LE: Howie Long (91)
RE: Greg Townsend (97)
DT: Scott Davis (87)
DT: Danny Noonan (83)
LOLB: Jerry Robinson (85)
MLB: Ervin Randle (94)
MLB: Tom Benson (84)
ROLB: Ricky Hunley (85)
CB: Terry McDaniel (90)
CB: Lionel Washington (90)
CB: Anthony Blaylock (84)
FS: Ronnie Lott (99)
SS: Henry Jones (82)
K: Jeff Jaeger (85)
P: Dave Zastudil (90)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 9-7, AFC Champions, Super Bowl Loss.

Projected 1992 Outcome: Easily the biggest surprise of 1991 was the play late in the season by the Los Angeles Raiders. It started with them winning 3 of the last 4 of the regular season to barely beat out the 8-8 Chargers for the division lead. The Raiders then suffered as Jay Schroeder, the teams starting QB went down with an injury. But in game Billy Joe Tolliver and he lit it up.

Tolliver led the Raiders all the way through a gauntlet of good teams, but unfortunately they came short in the Super Bowl. However Tolliver managed to earn himself the starting job and with him at the helm the entire season for the Raiders it will be interesting to see how they do.

The biggest addition the Raiders made in the off-season was Ronnie Lott, he will bring an unprecedented ability to the backfield that the Raiders had been lacking with Solomon Wilcots who they let go. The Raiders also addressed their issue at defensive tackle by signing both free agent Danny Noonan and drafting rookie Santana Dotson in an attempt to take care of the line. Howie Long continues to age and at 32 it's not known how long he can be the tandem in the dominant force at DE with Greg Townsend. The Raiders defense unfortunately struggled late last year and didn't develop as much as the organization would like but with some decent additions and the swapping of Garry Lewis for Anthony Blaylock, there might be some hop.e

The Raiders are in a tough division and will have to make the most of this upcoming season, but if last years late play was any indication of how they plan on coming out of the starting gate this year then the Raiders should have a solid season.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Los Angeles Rams
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Jim Everett (97)
HB: Ricky Watters (85)
FB: John L. Williams (87)
WR: Henry Ellard (92)
WR: Willie Anderson (90)
WR: Keenan McCardell (79)
TE: Aaron Glover (71)
LT: Trevor Matich (86)
LG: Tom Newberry (94)
C: Doug Smith (93)
RG: John Rienstra (86)
RT: Joel Patten (85)
LE: Doug Reed (87)
RE: David Grant (88)
DT: Mike Piel (82)
DT: Alexander Wright (79)
LOLB: Kevin Greene (99)
MLB: Dino Hackett (93)
MLB: Quentin Coryatt (78)
ROLB: Paul Butcher (82)
CB: Jay Taylor (90)
CB: Cris Dishman (90)
CB: Darryl Henley (85)
FS: Stanley Richard (81)
SS: Anthony Newman (83)
K: Mike Lansford (84)
P: Keith English (89)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 11-5, Divisional Playoff Round Loss

Projected 1992 Outcome: One of the league's up and coming teams that continue to impress are the Los Angeles Rams, and they may have lost some key players but this next season could prove that they can get even better.

The Rams lost some key players in Darrell Fullington (92 Ovr) and Jerry Gray (90 Ovr) in their backfield. But bolstered it beyond what they were capable of before with the additions of Jay Taylor (90 Ovr) and Cris Dishman (90 Ovr) at corner, and faith that last years rookie, Stanley Richard, can overtake Fullington's spot. Another big loss was the retirement of a great offensive lineman in Jackie Slater (88 Ovr). Fortunately for the Rams they had a solid replacement in Joel Patten (85 Ovr) waiting in the wings to replace him. Last year Patten started at left tackle for the Rams and now will switch to his rightful spot at right tackle. The signing of both Trevor Matich (86 Ovr) allowed Patten to return, and the Rams improved even more by signing John Rienstra (86 Ovr) to help the offensive line.

This upcoming year Ricky Watters will be the undoubted full-time starter at half back for the Rams, and with the offensive line additions and the improvements in the passing game with rookie Keenan McCardell at the 3rd wide receiver spot the Rams offense might even be more dangerous. The Rams also added ex-49er/Seahawk, John L. Williams to their team, but not to clutter up their runningback depth as he actually decided to switch to fullback. He will be replacing Pro Bowl fullback, Buford McGee in the Rams lineup. However the teams offense still has a glaring hole at tight end as Andrew Glover (71 Ovr) continues to be the team's only answer.

The Rams defensively really changed it up. With the additions of David Grant, Jay Taylor, Cris Dishman, and the absolute revamp of middle linebacker with ex-Chief Dino Hackett and rookie Quentin Coryatt the Rams only real weakness on defense is defensive tackle.

This year should be a make or break season for the Rams as they just went through lots of changes. On paper it seems like the positives outweigh the negatives but that will have to be determined on the field. This season will be fun to see whether or not the Rams vast changes lead to success, or failure.

[LopaKa]

damn the effort you put in this is incredible! how long do you plan on doing this?

[young2rice]

Well..... my original idea was that I'd catch up eventually to the current time. But it's proven to take far longer than that...as i'm still just about starting the 3rd season.

I'll pretty much stick to it until I don't find it fun anymore, which I can't see happening for awhile. However as real life responsibilities start growing it is getting less and less of my attention which is a problem, but I'll probably do it as long as I can.

I'm pretty sure when I start running out of time and it starts to become more of a burden then fun, i'll end up just simplifying a lot of what takes up the time (analysis/articles/accuracy of in-game characters like what they wear their jersey #'s, etc.) and would just blitz through the final seasons that it would take to get up to current times.

[Aso]

This is amazing and i hope it goes on goes on as long as possible. Can't wait for your next update.


btw, the Raiders are Superbowl bound.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Washington Redskins
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Mark Rypien (90)
HB: Ernest Byner (84)
FB: Gerald Riggs (90)
WR: Gary Clark (86)
WR: Desmond Howard (76)
WR: Ricky Sanders (74)
TE: Jimmie Johnson (88)
LT: Joe Jacoby (89)
LG: Raleigh McKenzie (85)
C: Jeff Bostic (84)
RG: Russ Grimm (90)
RT: Jim Lachey (92)
LE: Charles Mann (90)
RE: Fred Stokes (91)
DT: Leon Lett (82)
DT: George Hinkle (80)
LOLB: Wilbur Marshall (98)
MLB: Eugene Lockhart (99)
MLB: Sam Anno (83)
ROLB: Ravin Cladwell (85)
CB: Darrell Green (92)
CB: Martin Mayhew (88)
CB: A.J. Johnson (83)
FS: Darrell Fullington (93)
SS: Todd Bowles (90)
K: Chip Lohmiller (97)
P: Don Bracken (83)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 6-10, No Playoffs

Projected 1992 Outcome: Last year was an off year for the Washington Redskins. The Redskins usually challenge in the tough NFC East for the top spot but this year they were at the bottom with a 6-10 record.

The Redskins suffered some key losses in the off-season with the surprise early retirement of Art Monk at wide receiver, leaving them without a number one option. The departure of Vencie Glenn at free saftey as well as his backup Brad Edwards.

Luckily for the Redskins they addressed the safety issue with the signing of ex-Ram Darrell Fullington and drafting rookie Jason Belser to back him up. However they did not address the wide receiver issue. While the Redskins did draft Desmond Howard, he is more a speedy kick returning type of receiver than the sure hands playability of Art Monk. Right now it appears that Gary Clark will be the teams top target with Jimmie Johnson at tight end being the team's number two probably option. With Desmond Howard and Ricky Sanders fighting for the #2 spot it appears the Redskins passing game might take a big blow.

Despite the changes in the off-season and the added depth the Redskins still have a glaring hole at wide receiver. I'm not confident that Desmond Howard can fill the void left by Art Monk and fear that the Redskins may barely improve next season to around a 7-9 record. They underachieved last year in going 6-10 but this year that would be an expected outcome based on the competition in the division, and the off-season moves made.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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New Orleans Saints
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Bobby Herbert (82)
HB: Dalton Hillard (84) / Jon Vaughn (79)
FB: Craig Heyward (94)
WR: Eric Martin (90)
WR: Jimmy Smith (79)
WR: Emile Harry (78)
TE: Mark Chmura (79)
LT: Richard Cooper (78)
LG: Jim Dombrowski (92)
C: Joel Hilgenberg (89)
RG: Scott Trapilo (88)
RT: Stan Brock (87)
LE: Russell Maryland (82)
RE: Michael Simmons (83)
DT: Wayne Martin (81)
DT: Chris Pike (77)
LOLB: Ricky Jackson (93)
MLB: Sam Mills (95)
MLB: Vaughan Johnson (91)
ROLB: Pat Swilling (89)
CB: Jerry Gray (89)
CB: Toi Cook (82)
CB: Todd Lyght (76)
FS: Brett Maxie (87)
SS: Gene Atkins (84)
K: Morten Anderson (94)
P: Tommy Barnhardt (91)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 6-10, No Playoffs

Projected 1992 Outcome: The Saints had a bad year in 1991 and hope to change that in 1992. They finished at the bottom of their division at 6-10 with even the Falcons and Buccaneers doing better. However the Saints may want to do better, but the changes they made are raising question as to whether or not it is improving the team.

The Saints biggest change up was the complete flushing of their wide receiver corps not named Eric Martin. With Quinn Early, Floyd Turner, Walter Stanley, and Gerald Alphin all finding other homes this off-season they had to go out and nab a few. The Saints settled with drafting Jimmy Smith, Darryl Hobbs, and Q.Vinson, meanwhile picking up ex-Chief Emile Harry for the 3rd spot. So the Saints addressed that issue but failed to address the cornerback situation.

With Robert Massey and Milton Mack both leaving the Saints only signed one equal corner to replace them in ex-Ram Jerry Gray. This will bring Toi Cook up and require him to pick up his game in order to be the team's #2 meanwhile Todd Lyght will be the nickle. The Saints also didn't address any major additions to their defensive line who has struggled as youngster Russell Maryland isn't fully developed yet, Renaldo Turnbull has been said to be out of position at end, and Wayne Martin (81 Ovr) is their top defensive tackle. The only addition the Saints made was sign a true defensive end in Michael Simmons (83 Ovr) to start over Turnbull who they may switch to linebacker at some point soon. But as an overall unit the defensive line of the Saints isn't ranked very much, but of course their outstanding linebacker corps certainly makes up for it.

The biggest two additions in the off-season for the Saints aren't front-page news as free safety Martin Bayless was signed. He is a solid player but many question why the Saints bothered pursuing him as right now all he'll do is sit behind Brett Maxie on the bench. Meanwhile the 2nd was the addition of a new starting tight end in rookie Mark Chmura. Chmura has the raw talent to be a solid receiving tight end in the league and that's something the Saints have not had that'll help open up the field offensively. Hoby Brenner was the team's starter last year and had only 15 catches for 93 yards and 1 touchdown. Needless to say the Saints game plan change will hopefully allow Chmura to shine and he'll definitely catch more than that.

This upcoming season might end up being more of the same for the Saints as they struggle to supplant themselves. They are either filled with veterans that are great at their positions (linebackers) or young players that need time to develop before they can become dominant (d.linemen). This is the limbo period for the Saints and how they play these next few years can have a huge impact on the future of this franchise.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Seattle Seahawks
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Marc Wilson (83)/Jeff Blake (77)
HB: Chris Warren (84)
FB: Sam Gash (78)
WR: Brian Blades (91)
WR: Mark Ingram (83)
WR: Tommy Kane (83)
TE: Travis McNeal (88)
LT: Andy Heck (82)
LG: Eric Bailey (84)
C: Grant Feasel (86)
RG: Brad Millard (87)
RT: Danny Villa (83)
LE: Jeff Bryant (83)
RE: Tony Woods (86)
DT: Joe Nash (85)
DT: Cortez Kennedy (80)
LOLB: Rufus Porter (86)
MLB: Johnny Rembert (93)
MLB: Darren Comeaux (86)
ROLB: Dave Wyman (84)
CB: Patrick Hunter (92)
CB: Darryl Pollard (88)
CB: Dwayne Harper (81)
FS: Nick Glasglow (88)
SS: Eugene Robinson (98)
K: Al Del Greco (84)
P: Rick Donnelly (90)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 9-7, No Playoffs

Projected 1992 Outcome: The Seahawks suffered from playing in a tough division last year as they went 9-7 and still came short of the playoffs. With the 11-5 Rams and the 10-6 49ers on top of them Seattle needed to make some changes to get back into the playoffs. However, it appears they may have gone in the other direction.

The Seahawks made humongous changes this off-season that will dictate the next few seasons for the team. Firstly they released their star quarterback in Dave Krieg. Krieg was one of the league's top quarterbacks for a couple of seasons so far and now he will play in Detroit. To remedy this situation though the Seahawks signed Marc Wilson to a contract to be the team's starter. He brings a different style of qb-play to the team but is serviceable as a starter as the stop-gap. In the meantime the Seahawks also thought about the future by drafting Jeff Blake and Kent Graham this season. Blake is said to be impressing people at training camp so don't be surprised to see him eventually getting the starting nod over Marc Wilson as the season progresses.

They also showed a lack of confidence in youngster HB, Chris Warren by signing both Ickey Woods and Rueben Mayes, who could be competing for starting jobs here as well as numerous other teams. Warren is still the starter for the Seahawks but it seems necessary that the they had to pay for both HB's when they could've settled on one to backup and a less talented player to play 3rd string. It also seems to be a rough situation for journeyman Rueben Mayes who continues to try to solidify a starting job. The Seahawks also let go their star fullback, Derrick Fenner into free agency. To replace him the Seahawks continued to develop for the future by drafting young fullback, Sam Gash.

The Seahawks also nabbed Mark Ingram, who was the Giants top receiver to play second-fiddle to Brian Blades. Ingram will definately open up the passing game but the question remains whether or not Wilson or Blake can even begin to compare to the passing attack that Krieg brought to Seattle.

The Seahawks aren't troubled by the absence of their best defensive lineman, Jacob Green because they have plenty of depth. Jeff Bryant switched from defensive tackle to become the starting left defensive end over rookie Chuck Smith, who also shows promise. Tony Woods returns and Joe Nash as well, meanwhile Cortez Kennedy will get a chance to shine at the #2 DT position as he tries to keep another solid rookie, Sean Gilbert at bay. Meanwhile the biggest defensive addition was ex-Patriot holdout, Johnny Rembert at the middle linebacker spot. He will force Darren Comeaux into the #2 spot and the two veterans will make a great tandem. The Seahawks also nabbed the 49ers top cornerback, Darryl Pollard who will play behind Patrick Hunter and give depth to the cornerback position.

The Seahawks defense, despite loosing Jacob Green, has actually improved greatly this off-season with the additions of Johnny Rembert, Darryl Pollard, William Frizzell, Sean Gilbert, and Chuck Smith. The offense seemingly got better with Ickey Woods, Rueben Mayes, Mark Ingram, and Sam Gash being added to the team. But with Dave Krieg gone, and Marc Wilson/Jeff Blake now starting it will be interesting to see how the team changes, and if they can adapt.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Pittsburgh Steelers
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Bubby Brister (93)
HB: Merril Hoge (86)
FB: Derrick Fenner (92)
WR: Derek Hill (85)
WR: Torrance Small (76)
WR: Arthur Marshall (72)
TE: Eric Green (90)
LT: Tunch Ilkin (89)
LG: Terry Long (87)
C: Dermontti Dawson (90)
RG: Brian Bollinger (69)
RT: Tony Mandarich (83)
LE: Aaron Jones (84)
RE: Charles Haley (99)
DT: Gerald Williams (89)
DT: Michael Pitts (78)
LOLB: Brian Hinkle (83)
MLB: Hardy Nickerson (91)
MLB: David Little (84)
ROLB: Greg Lloyd (92)
CB: Rod Woodson (99)
CB: D.J. Johnson (85)
CB: Eric Everett (83)
FS: Larry Griffin (89)
SS: Carnell Lake (93)
K: Gary Anderson (99)
P: Brian Hansen (95)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 11-5, Wild Card Playoff Loss

Projected 1992 Outcome: Despite some struggles the Steelers put it together and ended with an 11-5 season last year that saw them entire the wild card playoff round. However they were done early as the Raiders beat them 34-31 in a battle of the backups. Bubby Brister injured himself in week 16 of the regular season and as a result the Steelers hoped Stan Humphries could lead them in the playoffs, but they faltered and lost.

This year the Steelers have made numerous changes that will hopefully keep them afloat in their tough division as they fight against division leading Bengals and 10-6 Browns to bust into the playoffs.

There were numerous hard hits the Steelers took this off-season with the departures of Louis Lipps, John Rienstra, Tom Ricketts, Keith Willis, and Dwayne Woodruff, all starters. Lipps was a solid number two for the team and Rienstra and Ricketts solidified the right side of the Steelers line. Willis decided to retire and Dwayne Woodruff went to greener pastures as well.

To address these holes the Steelers went out and signed Tony Mandarich to replace Ricketts, drafted Torrance Small to replace Louis Lipps, signed Eric Everett to replace Dwayne Woodruff, and made their biggest signing to replace Keith Willis, Charles Haley. Charles Haley is arguably the best at his position and he was one of the big free agent losses the 49ers suffered, but it's the Steelers gain. Haley will bring even more power to an already powerful defense and combine with Hardy Nickerson and Greg Lloyd to make a dominant force. The Steelers flushed out their wide receiver corps and are hoping that one of their rookies in Torrance Small, Arthur Marshall, and Cedric Tillman, will turn out to be a diamond in the rough and be able to fill in where Louis Lipps left off.

The only major weakness the Steelers have is at offensive line. With the departure of two of their better guys and the signing of big names like Charles Haley the Steelers could only afford to sign one replacement, Tony Mandarich. Unfortunately in the draft they ended up addressing other issues and when the off-season ended it appears the Steelers have nobody for their right guard spot. It will be a battle of the bad as Brian Bollinger (69 Ovr), Dave Moore (67 Ovr), and Maurice Morris (70 Ovr) are all competing to become the starting right guard. Eitherway that will be a big issue that might end up costing the Steelers as they'll have an obvious weak spot on the most overlooked set of players on the field.

[young2rice]

1992 Season In Preview
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Minnesota Vikings
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Rich Gannon (82)/Mike Tomczak (78)
HB: Terry Allen (82)/Derek Loville (78)
FB: Rick Fenney (83)
WR: Hassan Jones (90)
WR: Cris Carter (84)
WR: Anthony Carter (84)
TE: Steve Jordan (93)
LT: Gary Zimmerman (90)
LG: Randall McDaniel (93)
C: Kirk Lowdermilk (86)
RG: Tom Kalis (89)
RT: Trevor Irwin (83)
LE: Al Noga (91)
RE: Chris Doleman (99)
DT: Henry Thomas (99)
DT: Ken Clarke (81)
LOLB: Mike Merriweather (90)
MLB: Bryan Cox (79)
MLB: Henry Rolling (84)
ROLB: Ray Berry (90)
CB: Carl Lee (92)
CB: Reggie Rutland (86)
CB: Phillippi Sparks (77)
FS: Ken Stills (86)
SS: Willie Clay (78)
K: Donald Igwebuike (91)
P: Harry Newsome (94)


Additions (* = Rookie)
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
Previous Season Outcome: 7-9, No Playoffs

Projected 1992 Outcome: Last year was a tough year for the Vikings. They thought Herschel Walker and company would help push them into an above .500 record, but it didn't happen. After initially starting 1-6 the Vikings switched starting QB Rich Gannon with Wade Wilson, and the Vikings continued to go 6-3 and finish the year 7-9, giving them hope. But any hope they had was dashed when players started leaving the sinking ship.

Many of the Vikings big-time players went away this off-season and it's hard to be optimistic about this upcoming season for the vikings. Herschel Walker was the most important departure. Which will mean Terry Allen will become the new starter, if he can't fill in the role recently acquired Derek Loville may end up starting. Starting qb Rich Gannon will fight with Mike Tomczak for the starting position as Wade Wilson left after his late season heroics in Minnesota. Fan hatred for Gannon is brewing and many simply want Tomczak to start because "he's not Gannon."

The retirement of Scott Studwell and the release of Walker Lee Ashley finally cleared up a cluttered MLB position. Bryan Cox was giving the go-ahead start over Henry Rollings for the top spot. Meanwhile Michael Brim left Minnesota as well denting the Vikings secondary as rookie Phillippi Sparks will try to replace him. However the largest hit to the Vikings team this off-season outside of Herschel Walker didn't just dent the secondary like Brim did, it demolished their secondary. Former starting strong safety Joey Browner leaves the team after his 84 tackle, 4 sack, 1 int, 11 deflection season, taking his skills elsewhere. The Vikings are looking towards the future as they feel rookie Willie Clay (78 Ovr) will eventually progress well enough to be a decent replacement for Browner.

The Vikings are now a very young team that is going to have to go through rebuilding seasons before it can think about being competitive. Terry Allen is the team's new runningback, Tomczak may be the team's new quarterback, Cris Carter is slowly improving, Bryan Cox is now taking over as the middle linebacker, Phillippi Sparks will hope to bring cohesiveness to the Vikings secondary, and Willie Clay wants to replace a former star. The Vikings are young but that doesn't mean they have the talent. It's naive to think all of these youngsters will pan out and become the players they expect but there's a good chance they will become solid players.

The Vikings have gone through a huge evolution this off-season, and some may say it's not for the better. With star players on both offense and defense departing or retiring, as well as continued confusion as to who the true starting quarterback is, who the true new starting runningback is, and a new defensive leader, the Vikings are going to go through struggles. How quickly these young players develop will determine just how long Minnesota will be in rebuilding hell.

[young2rice]

1992 Pre-Season Results
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1992 NFL Standings

LEAGUE STANDINGS
====================================================================

                                       AFC North                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Bengals             2    1      1    0.625  82  58   1-0  1-1   1-0  1-1   1-0  Won 2  
 Steelers            2    2      0    0.500  65  90   2-0  0-2   2-2  0-0   1-0  Lost 2 
 Browns              1    2      1    0.375  81  77   1-0  0-2   0-2  1-0   0-1  Won 0  
 Ravens              1    3      0    0.250  38  81   1-1  0-2   1-2  0-1   0-1  Lost 3 

                                       AFC South                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Titans              3    1      0    0.750  74  53   2-0  1-1   1-0  2-1   0-0  Won 3  
 Colts               1    2      1    0.375  87  103  0-1  1-1   0-1  1-1   0-0  Won 1  
 Texans              1    3      0    0.250  56  125  1-1  0-2   1-0  0-3   1-0  Lost 1 
 Jaguars             0    4      0    0.000  43  96   0-2  0-2   0-3  0-1   0-1  Lost 4 

                                       AFC East                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Patriots            2    1      1    0.625  61  49   1-1  1-0   2-0  0-1   0-0  Lost 1 
 Jets                2    2      0    0.500  75  84   1-1  1-1   2-1  0-1   0-1  Won 2  
 Bills               2    2      0    0.500  72  70   1-1  1-1   1-0  1-2   0-0  Won 1  
 Dolphins            1    2      1    0.375  79  68   1-1  0-1   1-0  0-2   1-0  Won 0  

                                       AFC West                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Raiders             3    1      0    0.750  80  41   2-0  1-1   2-0  1-1   1-0  Won 2  
 Chargers            2    2      0    0.500  64  63   1-1  1-1   1-1  1-1   0-1  Won 1  
 Chiefs              1    3      0    0.250  67  73   1-1  0-2   0-3  1-0   0-0  Lost 2 
 Broncos             1    3      0    0.250  86  92   0-2  1-1   1-1  0-2   0-0  Lost 1 

                                       NFC North                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Lions               3    1      0    0.750  116 57   2-0  1-1   1-0  2-1   1-0  Won 3  
 Vikings             3    1      0    0.750  100 50   2-0  1-1   2-1  1-0   0-0  Lost 1 
 Packers             1    3      0    0.250  90  109  1-1  0-2   0-1  1-2   0-1  Lost 3 
 Bears               1    3      0    0.250  62  81   1-1  0-2   1-0  0-3   0-0  Lost 3 

                                       NFC South                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Saints              3    1      0    0.750  69  68   1-1  2-0   2-0  1-1   1-0  Lost 1 
 Buccaneers          2    2      0    0.500  71  77   1-1  1-1   1-1  1-1   1-1  Won 1  
 Falcons             1    3      0    0.250  64  97   0-2  1-1   0-1  1-2   0-1  Won 1  
 Panthers            0    4      0    0.000  39  135  0-2  0-2   0-1  0-3   0-0  Lost 4 

                                       NFC East                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Redskins            3    0      1    0.875  91  52   2-0  1-0   1-0  2-0   0-0  Won 3  
 Eagles              3    1      0    0.750  69  47   1-1  2-0   2-1  1-0   1-0  Lost 1 
 Cowboys             2    2      0    0.500  81  89   2-0  0-2   1-1  1-1   0-0  Lost 1 
 Giants              1    3      0    0.250  61  69   0-2  1-1   1-1  0-2   0-1  Lost 3 

                                       NFC West                                       
 TEAM                WINS LOSSES TIES PCT    PF  PA   HOME ROAD  AFC  NFC   DIV  STREAK 
 Seahawks            4    0      0    1.000  100 79   2-0  2-0   1-0  3-0   1-0  Won 4  
 Rams                4    0      0    1.000  121 39   2-0  2-0   2-0  2-0   0-0  Won 4  
 49ers               3    1      0    0.750  113 68   2-0  1-1   1-0  2-1   0-0  Won 2  
 Cardinals           2    2      0    0.500  54  71   1-1  1-1   2-1  0-1   0-1  Won 1  

    x=Clinched playoff birth
    y=Clinched divisional title
    z=Clinched home-field advantage

Pre-Season Player Progression
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills
Denver Broncos
Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Phoenix Cardinals
San Diego Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons
San Francisco 49ers
New York Giants
New York Jets
Detroit Lions
Houston Oilers
Green Bay Packers
New England Patriots
Los Angeles Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints
Seattle Seahawks
Pittsburgh Steelers
Minnesota Vikings



Pre-Season Player Injuries
===============================================


Injury Thoughts - Some big injuries will make for some interesting outcomes during the first couple of weeks. Thurman Thomas will be out for pretty much the first 1/2 of the season for the Bills which could have an impact on that team. Harvey Williams proved himself last year filling in though so the drop-off may not be too bad.

Super Bowl winning 49ers linebacker, Bill Romanowski's injury is not good for an already ailing 49er defense, but it will allow the multitude of rookie outside linebackers the 49ers selected in the draft to have an opportunity to prove themselves in his absence.

The other Super Bowl team, the Raiders, also suffered a key defensive injury with Greg Townsend straining his knee. The injury will keep him out 9 weeks, and he is one of the top players on the Raiders defense. Townsend is one of the team leaders and without him it will be interesting how it changes the dynamic of the Raiders defense.

Jimmy Smith getting hurt will hurt his development early on his career, and really hurt the Saints passing attack as he was their #2 option. Without him Emile Harry will be the team's #2 and it'll drop from there in terms of talent. The Saints might have to focus more on the run game as a result.

The Seahawks are perhaps the team most affect as Chris Warren was injured. The Seahawks almost predicted it though with their off-season acquisitions of Ickey Woods and Rueben Mayes. As of right now Woods will be the starter for the first few weeks of the season until Warren is healthy to come back into the lineup. But the biggest injury was the season-ending injury to safety Eugen Robinson. Robinson is one of the best safeties in the league and his absence will greatly diminish the skill of the Seahawks defense against the pass.

[bhurst99]

Glad you're keeping this alive. I remember seeing this at MaddenMania before it closed.

[young2rice]

Thanks bhurst and hulk!

Yeah trying to keep it alive despite my lack of free time anymore.

Anyway I've "watched" the first 7 games of week 1 so far. I'll be trying to throw those updates sometime this week up. Couple neat things happened, so be sure to check it out.

[young2rice]

How Important Is Thurman Thomas To The Bills?

AP - Entering into his 5th season as a Buffalo Bill since being drafted in the 2nd round of the 1988 NFL Draft, Thurman Thomas was ready to continue being a top back in the NFL. However, unfortunately that was quickly cut short in pre-season when a torn tricep injury decided to keep him sidelined for the first half of the regular season. This begs the question, just how important is Thurman Thomas to the Bills? Will they be able to play well as a team without him?

Despite his short career so far Thomas is already one of the most versatile backs to play the game. His solid ground game combined with his pass catching abilities have greatly helped in the recent success of the Bills franchise. Ever since 1988 the Bills have a 46-18 win loss record which comes out to a 71.9% win percentage. But to get to the bottom of Thomas' success and how it correlates to the Bills we need to analyze each year.

1988, Thomas' rookie season. He manages to earn the starting job early in the season and ends up rushing for 881 yards and 2 touchdowns. With his pass catching yards he earns over 1,000 yards on the season but even this early his pivotal nature shows. The Bills went 12-4 in 1988 only loosing in week 5, 13, 14, and 16 to the Bears, Bengals, Bucs, and Colts respectively. What do all of those games have in common? Thurman Thomas had 10 or less carries in every one. With the lack of usage of the run game the Bills passing game was unable to compensate and the Bills lost. Coincidence?

1989 was a tougher year for the Bills as they dipped from 12-4 to 9-7 on their team record. However it wasn't an off year for Thurman Thomas as in his sophomore season he improved greatly and had 1,913 combined yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. However in 4 of the 7 losses for the Bills Thurman Thomas ended up with 12 or less carries on the game and as a result the Bills lost. Meanwhile in the 3 other losses Thomas didn't produce as well and was underneath the 100-yard mark.

In 1990 the Bills managed to return to form and go 12-4 once again on the season. Thomas' progression continued as he had 2,315 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season becoming an unstoppable force and runningback of the year. The Bills only 4 games they lost this season were week 4 against the Patriots, week 11 against the Rams, week 13 against the Dolphins, and week 16 against the 49ers. In each of this games Thurman Thomas had under 15 carries, and under 75 combined total yards.

Finally, in 1991 the Bills somehow found room to improve and went 13-3 on the season. Not to mention Thurman Thomas found some way to even improve himself over his gaudy numbers in 1990 with 2,359 yards and 20 total touchdowns crushing his previous high of 15 and surpassing his yardage total as well. This years team only lost in week 2 to the Chargers, week 11 to the Patriots, and week 15 to the Bengals. In all three games Thomas once again had under 15 carries, and under 75 combined total yards.

With four years of evidence under their belt it is quite obvious that the Buffalo Bills success seems to entirely depend on Thurman Thomas' ability to get the run game going. If Thomas' is unable to run then the Bills are unable to win. Which is not what the Bills want to hear right now. With Thomas suffering his first major injury of his career the Bills are now entering into murky waters. They are going to have to do their best to find a way to win without Thomas' or else they'll end up victory-less before his return. Luckily for the Bills they seem to have a capable young backup that was a rookie last year in Harvey Williams. Williams had limited play as Thomas took the bulk of the load, but when he was in he made the most of it in 1991. As a rookie Williams had 381 yards for 2 touchdowns, adding another 34 yards and another touchdown through the air. Harvey Williams will now step into the Buffalo Bills starting lineup in an attempt to replace Thurman Thomas and keep the Bills team rolling.

Williams will get a true test as he will become the Bills starter for the next 7 to 8 weeks. History has proven that the run game is the key to success for the Buffalo Bills and Williams will have that weight on his shoulders. If Williams can play as well as even a fraction of Thomas' abilities then the Bills might have a chance to come out of this gauntlet of games over .500. But if not then they may be in for a rough ride.