Remember The 90's?: Re-Living Greatness

[young2rice]

Bo Jackson looks so good in that Oilers uni.

Glad to see this running Y2R.

Yeah the second I saw the CPU AI had the Oilers sign Bo Jackson in free agency last season I was like....really? .. you just let that offense..add Bo Jackson? And I was right as they ended up 15-1 that year. (granted choked in the playoffs) But it's just gaudy to have Moon with that run game.

Also nice to see *knocks on wood* despite his low injury rating he's been healthy in madden so far, so he's already played 2 more seasons than he did in real life so it'll be interesting to see him actually finish his career/see what happens when he gets more time to play.

[young2rice]

wtf my article i typed up earlier today wasn't posted....lameeeee

[young2rice]

New Runningbacks Need To Produce

AP - This weeks game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos will be an interesting matchup. Both teams already have well established quarterbacks that have proven they can win in Jim Everett, and John Elway respectively. However their run games have recently been changed in the hopes of finding a player that can make an impact.

The Los Angeles Rams have struggled with their run game for years as they have had a hard time finding a consistent starter since Eric Dickerson left the team in 1986. Since then they have had 5 different leading rushers, but that 5th one may be the one who breaks the trend and becomes the team's new top runningback. In the 1991 NFL draft the Los Angeles Rams managed to draft Ricky Watters from Notre Dame with the hopes he would be a decent NFL running back. That gamble seemingly paid off since Ricky Watters supplanted Cleveland Gary as the Rams starting runningback by week 3 of the regular season. Ricky Watters then proceeded to rush for 718 yards on 203 attempts for 8 touchdowns. He also proved his versatility in the passing game by catching 50 passes for 351 yards and 2 more touchdowns. If Ricky Watters can continue off of his rookie year success and progress he will undoubtedly become a solid starting runningback in this league for years to come.

The Denver Broncos have been relying on the rushing attack of Bobby Humphrey for three years now, and felt it was time for a change. Last season for the Broncos Humphrey played well with 1,027 yards on 265 carries for 4 touchdowns on the ground meanwhile picking up 40 catches for 316 yards and another touchdown. He was good enough to help the Broncos but at the same time didn't show much progression from the previous seasons. Humphrey's contract was up at the end of the year and the Broncos had a tough decision to make. Humphrey was demanding a much larger contract during the off-season and the Broncos didn't feel he was worth the money. As a result the Broncos let Humphrey enter free agency where he ended up signing with the Indianapolis Colts to replace Eric Dickerson. With Humphrey as a Colt Denver fans were eager to see how the Broncos would remedy their running game in the off-season. As free agency ended the Broncos hadn't picked up a player and it was believed they would make an attempt in the draft. The 1992 NFL Draft went by and the Broncos did pick up Robert Green (72 Ovr) but it was late in the draft and obvious he was selected for depth rather than stardom. This left Eric Pegram and Leroy Thompson as the choices to start. Last season Eric Pegram and Leroy Thompson were drafted and rode the pine behind Humphrey, but Pegram managed to squeeze some playtime out of the Broncos. As a rookie Eric Pegram had 103 attempts for 311 yards and 1 touchdown. He proved he could run in the league and did what he could in his limited playing time. This off-season has rolled around and Pegram has straight up played better than Leroy Thompson in training camp and the pre-season. The youngster is looking like he'll be the clear cut starter for the Broncos as they enter into their first regular season game.

Both the Broncos and Rams have had some trouble establishing an efficient and reliable run game over the past few years. However through the draft they have managed to pick up players that they believe may give their teams a competitive chance in the future. With the Rams utilizing Ricky Watters abilities and the Broncos taking a chance on Eric Pegram, it'll be interesting to see if the two are able to produce and live up to expectations.

[young2rice]

1992 Regular Season - Week 1 Games
==========================================

Los Angeles Rams(0-0)
vs.

Denver Broncos (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 5 mph
Temp: 67 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Los Angeles Rams
------------------------
C - Bern Brostek (70) - Dislocated Elbow - Will Not Play (8 Wks)

Denver Broncos
------------------------
No Injuries


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (9:03)
Drive 2-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (7:52)
Drive 3-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (6:34)
Drive 4-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (2:11)
Drive 5-Broncos - J.Elway to S.Sharpe - 2 Yd TD Rec - Score: 7-0 Den - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (3:06)
Drive 2-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (1:33)
Drive 3-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (0:56)
Drive 4-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (0:43)
Drive 5-Rams - Mike Lansford - 48 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 7-3 Den - (0:00)

3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (9:09)
Drive 2-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (6:56)
Drive 3-Rams - Michael Bates - FUMBLE (FF: S.Jackson, FR: B.McGee, 0yd rtrn) - Lar 12yd ln - (6:47)
Drive 4-Broncos - J.Elway to E.Pegram - 10 Yd TD Rec - Score: 14-3 Den - (6:12)
Drive 5-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (2:52)
Drive 6-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (0:00)


4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Rams - Keith English - Punt - (9:59)
Drive 2-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (8:47)
Drive 3-Rams - J.Everett to A.Cox - 12 Yd TD Rec - Score: 14-11 Den - (4:27) - 2PT Conv: Good
Drive 4-Broncos - Mike Horan - Punt - (0:45)
Drive 5-Rams - End Game - Den 49 Yd Ln - (0:00)



Game Summary: The players that got the biggest work out in this game were the punters as they combined for 15 total punts on the night, leading to a defensive battle with only a few offensive highlights.

The first quarter was uneventful as the Rams defense stepped up making it impossible for the Broncos to run, and the Broncos defense was making it tough for Jim Everett to pass, putting constant pressure on him. However on the final drive of the quarter the Broncos did manage to break up the monotony of punting with a 2 yard touchdown pass from John Elway, to newly converted from WR to TE, Shannon Sharpe in the back of the end zone.

The second quarter was more of the same, nothing but defense and punts from Keith English and Mike Horan. It wasn't, once again, until the final drive of the quarter that something happened offensively. The Rams managed to just get enough yardage on offense to get within Mike Lansford's kicking range, allowing him to knock in a 48 yard field goal as time expired off the clock to make it 7 to 3, Broncos.

The third quarter was beginning with more of the same but things finally changed on the 3rd drive of the quarter when Rams rookie kick returner, MIchael Bates ended up taking a rough hit from Broncos corner, Steve Jackson. Jackson's hit forced the football out of his hands and newly acquired Bronco fullback, Buford McGee scooped up the football giving the Broncos the ball deep in Rams territory at their 12 yard line. The following drive was a no brainer as John Elway ended up hitting Eric Pegram in the flats for a 10 yard touchdown catch that would pull the Broncos ahead 10 to 3. A couple of punts back and forth followed these drives, ending the third quarter.

The final quarter of play began with multiple punts before the Rams offense finally showed signs of life on the 3rd drive of the quarter. Finally, Jim Everett managed to hit Aaron Cox for a 12 yard touchdown catch to make it 14-9, Rams. Making a quick decision with only 4:27 left in the game the Rams decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Luckily for them the hand-off to Ricky Watters let him walk into the end zone and make it 14 to 11, down by only 3. The Rams kicked it away to the Broncos who did their best to eat up as much clock as possible. The Broncos accomplished their mission as there were only 45 seconds left in the game by the time Mike Horan was forced to punt it back to the Rams. However Jim Everett did his best to attempt a comeback, to at least get the Rams in field goal range to go into over time. Everett managed to get the ball into Denver territory at the 49 but couldn't get the last handful of yards to bring it inside Lansford's kicking range.


Game Box Score
------------------------------------------------------

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Rams                0    3    0    8    0         11
Broncos             0    7    7    0    0         14

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Rams
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Jim Everett                     24   43  200   55   4.6    1    1    0   13   75.7

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Ricky Watters                   21   81   3.8   15    0    0
John L. Williams                 1    1   1.0    1    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Willie Anderson                  7   66   9.4   13    0    2   14
Henry Ellard                     5   49   9.7   13    0    1    1
Andrew Glover                    4   26   6.5   12    0    2   -1
John L. Williams                 3   23   7.6   12    0    0   12
Keenan McCardell                 3   22   7.3   11    0    1    0
Aaron Cox                        1   12  12.0   12    1    0    0
Ricky Watters                    1    2   2.0    2    0    0    3

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Mike Lansford                    1    1  100          0    0    0    0          0        3          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Keith English                    7  282  40.2   51      0    3          2

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Michael Bates                    2   30  15.0    0   17

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Michael Bates                    2    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Paul Butcher                     7    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Kevin Greene                     7    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Dino Hackett                     6    1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Anthony Newman                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jay Taylor                       5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Darryl Henley                    4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Cris Dishman                     3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
David Grant                      3    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Mike Piel                        1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Alvin Wright                     1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Bobby Humphrey                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Larry Kelm                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Stanley Richard                  0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Joel Patten                          5             0
Trevor Matich                        4             0
John Rienstra                        3             0
Andrew Glover                        2             0
Tom Newberry                         2             0
Willie Anderson                      1             0
Doug Smith                           1             1
John L. Williams                     1             0
Ricky Watters                        1             0
Keenan McCardell                     1

Denver Broncos
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
John Elway                      16   30  151   53   5.0    1    2    0   18   89.7

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Eric Pegram                     22   42   1.9    9    0    0
Leroy Thompson                   1   10  10.0   10    0    0
Buford McGee                     3    9   3.0    5    0    0
John Elway                       2   -9  -4.5    0    0    1

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Shannon Sharpe                   4   33   8.2   13    1    1    7
Mark Jackson                     4   32   8.0   14    0    3    3
Eric Pegram                      2   28  14.0   18    1    1    3
Michael Young                    2   26  13.0   17    0    0    2
Vance Johnson                    2   21  10.5   17    0    2    0
Johnny Mitchell                  1   11  11.0   11    0    0    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Mike Horan                       0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        3          1
David Treadwell                  0    0    0          0    2    2  100          0        0          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Mike Horan                       8  356  44.5   57      0    2          2

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Tyrone Braxton                   2   40  20.0    0   21

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Tyrone Braxton                   1    7   7.0    7    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Steve Atwater                    7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Tyrone Braxton                   7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Simon Fletcher                   6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
Karl Mecklenburg                 6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Wymon Henderson                  4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Steve Jackson                    3    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ron Holmes                       3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Greg Kragen                      2    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Chester McGlockton               2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Le-Lo Lang                       2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jacob Green                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tim Lucas                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Kurt Schulz                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Harry Colon                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Michael Young                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Michael Brooks                   1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Buford McGee                     0    0    0    0    1    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Dave Widell                          4             0
Ken Lanier                           4             0
Doug Widell                          2             0
Buford McGee                         2             0
Jim Juriga                           2             1
Mike Baab                            1             0

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Broncos - QB - John Elway - 16 of 30 Att - 53% - 151 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int - 89.7 Rat


Game Pictures
--------------------------------------------

Left: John Elway was able to have posture in the pocket all night long as the Rams were unable to get significant pressure on him thanks the play of the Broncos offensive linemen.
Right: Here tight end Shannon Sharpe reaches up and snags this touchdown catch near the back of the endzone for the first score of the game.


Left: Until the final 5 minutes of the game Mike Lansford was the only Ram to score any points as he hits this 48 yard field goal.
Right: Steve Jackson comes flying from the side to bat the ball out of Rams kick returner, Michael Bates hands. The Broncos would recover as fullback Buford McGee fell ontop of the football giving the Broncos the ball at the Rams 12 yard line.


Left: Eric Pegram takes the catch on the outside from John Elway, shakes off a tackler, and manages to jog into the end zone on this 10 yard touchdown. The score would make it 14 to 3 Broncos.
Right: This was an all-too common site for Jim Everett all day as he gets sacked here by Greg Kragan and company.


Left: Jim Everett finally got the plays and protection he needed in the 4th quarter of the game as the Rams offense finally showed life. Everett tossed this ball out to Aaron Cox.
Right: Aaron Cox managed to snag this ball for the touchdown with only 4:27 left in the game. The 2 point conversion by Ricky Watters would help make the score 14 to 11 Broncos, but it was too little too late as the Rams couldn't hit a field goal to tie it up before the game ended.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-Good defensive battle up until the end.
-Eric Pegram struggled with only a 1.9 yard per carry average, however Ricky Watters did just fine with 3.8.
-The quarterbacks did well considering neither of them threw an interception.

[young2rice]

Chris Warren Out, Two New HB's Need to Step Up

AP - Earlier this week during the final pre-season game the Seattle Seahawks took an offensive blow by loosing their bone-crushing halfback, Chris Warren. Chris Warren suffered a back injury that would keep him out for at least 5 weeks of the regular season. With Warren out the Seahawks are going to get the chance to put their new blood in the waters in an attempt to find the right chemistry on offense.

During the off-season with the loss of Dave Krieg it became obvious that the Seahawks were going to now focus on their run game instead of their passing game when they picked up Marc Wilson. Wilson is a solid quarterback but is known more for being a dink-and-dunk short effecient passer then a bombing air assaulter. Not to mention the Seahawks also went out and signed two solid runningbacks to the squad despite having youngster Chris Warren emerging as a top back. Ickey Woods exploded onto the NFL scene as a rookie in 1988 with the Cincinnati Bengals where he had 1,088 yards and 15 touchdowns as their fullback. He also introduced a new endzone dance to the NFL annals with the Ickey shuffle. Then in 1989 an injury only let him play in two games but he still got the dance twice with two touchdowns that season. In 1990 he had 679 yards and 3 touchdowns behind James Brooks and in Brooks final season in 1991 he backed him up with a 444 yard 4 touchdown season. Ickey Woods has proven he can help share the load in the league, but hasn't been given the opportunity to play as much as he did as the full-time starting fullback in 1988. Once he converted to a halfback he unfortunately had to sit behind James Brooks, and with the addition of Herschel Walker this season, would've had to have done the same to him if he remained with the Bengals.

Rueben Mayes is a very similar story to Ickey Woods in that he hasn't really lived up to his rookie season production. In 1986 he was picked by the New Orleans Saints and became their starter and scampered his way to 1,353 yards and 8 touchdowns. The following year an injury cut his season short to 12 games where he managed to garner 917 yards and 5 touchdowns. The following year the Saints went with Dalton Hillard as their starter and Mayes only got to share carries. He still picked up 628 yards and 3 touchdowns but was certainly no longer the main man in New Orleans. However his luck, albeit bittersweet, changed for him in 1990 when Dalton HIllard got hurt in pre-season and he was allowed to once again be the Saints starting runningback. Although he was a little rusty from the years of sharing carries and injury he did manage to get 1,022 yards and 4 touchdowns on the season. Then he decided to skip out of town. In free agency the only team that showed true interest in Mayes was the Detroit Lions, so he signed with them. However it was obvious that with Barry Sanders running the show in Detroit he would not be the starter, and would get very few carries in comparison. The 1 year deal ended with Mayes having a 435 yards 3 touchdown year behind Sanders and then leaving down for greener pastures in Seattle. Mayes signed with Seattle before Ickey Woods did under the premise that he would battle it out in training camp with Chris Warren for the starting job. Little did he know another opponent would enter the starting-battle game when Ickey Woods signed.

Training camp and pre-season has helped sort out the depth chart for the Seahawks and it's no surprise that Chris Warren held off the hoards of wannabe starters with his talent and youth. However the bigger surprise was Ickey Woods probably getting the starting nod over Reuben Mayes. Mayes may have had a backup role last year but had a 1,000+ yard season two years ago, which Woods hasn't done since his rookie season 4 years ago. However on-field actions don't lie and Woods will likely get the bulk of the carries over the next 5-6 games or so for the Seahawks. Mayes may be given a chance to shine here or there but Woods will be the main star. There's no doubt the Seahawks offense is already vastly different with the loss of Dave Krieg to free agency, but now with Chris Warren out as well instead of it being a Krieg/Warren run offense it is now a fresh-faced Wilson/Woods combo that will have to pull out the victory.

[young2rice]

1992 Regular Season - Week 1 Games
==========================================

Phoenix Cardinals (0-0)
vs.

Seattle Seahawks (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 1 mph
Temp: 54 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Phoenix Cardinals
------------------------
C - Guy Bingham (72) - High Ankle Sprain - Will Play (Probable)

Seattle Seahawks
------------------------
HB - Chris Warren (84) - Strained Back - Will Not Play (5 Wks)
RG - Bryan Millard (87) - Broken Jaw - Will Not Play (2 Wks)
ROLB - Terry Wooden (78) - Abdominal Tear - Will Not Play (2 Wks)
SS - Eugene Robinson (98) - Dislocated Hip - Will Not Play (Season)


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Seahawks - Marc Wilson - INTERCEPTED (E.Hill, 10yd rtrn) - Sea 28yd ln - (7:54)
Drive 2-Cardinals - Greg Davis - 38 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 3-0 Pho - (6:04)
Drive 3-Seahawks - Darren Perry - FUMBLE (FF: M.Zordich, FR: T.Eaton, 16yd TD rtrn) - Score: 10-0 Pho - (5:57)
Drive 4-Seahawks - Marc Wilson - FUMBLE (FF: W.Moss, FR: F.J.Nunn, 0yd rtrn) - Pho 24yd ln - (0:31)
Drive 5-Cardinals - Rich Carmarillo - Punt - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Seahawks - Rick Donnelly - Punt - (4:21)
Drive 2-Cardinals - T.Rosenbach to A.Harper - 60 Yd TD Rec - Score: 17-0 Pho - (2:55)
Drive 3-Seahawks - Rick Donnelly - Punt - (2:02)
Drive 4-Cardinals - T.Rosenbach to E.Jones - 60 Yd TD Rec - Score: 24-0 Pho - (0:51)
Drive 5-Seahawks - Rick Donnelly - Punt - (0:40)
Drive 6-Cardinals - End Half - Sea 42yd ln - (0:00)


3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Cardinals - Rich Carmarillo - Punt - (8:30)
Drive 2-Seahawks - M.Wilson to B.Blades - 80 Yd TD Rec - Score: 24-7 Pho - (8:10)
Drive 3-Cardinals - Rich Carmarillo - Punt - (6:21)
Drive 4-Seahawks - Rick Donnelly - Punt - (4:26)
Drive 5-Cardinals - Johnny Johnson - 70 Yd TD Run - Score: 31-7 Pho - (4:10)
Drive 6-Seahawks - Rick Donnelly - Punt - (3:25)
Drive 7-Cardinals - Greg Davis - 45 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 34-7 Pho - (0:00)


4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Seahawks - M.Wilson to T.Kane - 16 Yd TD Rec - Score: 34-14 Pho - (5:11)
Drive 2-Cardinals - Greg Davis - 18 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 37-14 Pho - (2:32)
Drive 3-Seahawks - Turnover On DOwns - Pho 19yd ln - (0:51)
Drive 4-Cardinals - End Game - (0:00)


Game Summary: There was no doubt from the start of this game that it would be an offensive score-fest, but it wasn't expected to be so one sided. All day long the Phoenix Cardinals set the tone for the game just dominating the Seahawks defense. Timm Rosenbach had his way with the defense tossing big-play touchdowns to multiple receivers. The Seahawks continually dropped off turnover after turnover of which the Cardinals did their best at capitalizing on. Greg Davis kicked in field goals when he was called up, and Johnny Johnson managed to surprise with a 70 yard break away touchdown run. The Cardinals had a commanding 24 to 0 lead at half time, and the Seahawks did not score until 8:10 left in the 3rd quarter when Marc Wilson hit Brian Blades for an 80 yadr touchdown. The Seahawks did their best in the end but it was just too little too late as the Cardinals never took their foot off the gas pedal and crushed the Seahawks 37 to 14 in their season opener.


Game Box Score
------------------------------------------------------

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Cardinals          10   14    7    6    0         37
Seahawks            0    0    7    7    0         14

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix Cardinals
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Timm Rosenbach                  12   20  247   60  12.3    1    2    0   60  136.8

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Johnny Johnson                  23  151   6.5   70    1    0
Timm Rosenbach                   4   26   6.5    8    0    0
Larry Centers                    1    6   6.0    6    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Alvin Harper                     4  101  25.2   60    1    0   58
Ernie Jones                      1   60  60.0   60    1    0   34
Brett Perriman                   3   39  13.0   18    0    0    3
Walter Reeves                    2   26  13.0   18    0    1    0
Ricky Proehl                     1   21  21.0   21    0    0    0
Johnny Johnson                   1    0   0.0    0    0    0    3

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Greg Davis                       3    3  100          0    4    4  100          0        0          0
Rich Carmarillo                  0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        8          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Rich Carmarillo                  3  107  35.6   43      0    1          2

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Ernie Jones                      2   35  17.5    0   19
Garth Jax                        1    1   1.0    0    1
Tim McDonald                     0    0   0.0    0    0

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Tim McDonald                     3    2   0.6    2    0
Garth Jax                        0    0   0.0    0    0
Ernie Jones                      0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Garth Jax                        7    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Ken Harvey                       6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Tim McDonald                     5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Manny Hendrix                    5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Lorenzo Lynch                    3    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Freddie Joe Nunn                 3    0    1    0    1    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jim Skow                         3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Winston Moss                     3    1    1    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Eric Hill                        3    1    0    0    0    0    0    1    8   8.0           0        0
Robert Massey                    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
Tracy Scroggins                  2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ashley Ambrose                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ernie Jones                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tim Newton                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Leonard Smith                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
Michael Zordich                  1    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Bill Lewis                       0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tracey Eaton                     0    0    0    0    1   16    1    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Larry Centers                        5             0
Walter Reeves                        5             0
Lance Smith                          4             1
Luis Sharpe                          3             0
Joe Valerio                          2             0
Derrick Deese                        1             0
Brett Perriman                       1             0
Alvin Harper                         1             0

Seattle Seahawks
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Marc Wilson                     21   40  297   52   7.4    4    2    1   80   83.0

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Ickey Woods                     18   43   2.3   11    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Brian Blades                     6  148  24.6   80    1    0   60
Mark Ingram                      6   79  13.1   18    0    1    3
Tommy Kane                       2   25  12.5   16    1    0    0
Travis McNeal                    3   21   7.0   14    0    0    3
Sam Gash                         2   18   9.0   11    0    0    5
Ickey Woods                      1    6   6.0    6    0    0    0
Ron Heller                       1    0   0.0    0    0    0    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Al Del Greco                     0    0    0          0    2    2  100          0        3          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Rick Donnelly                    5  195  39.0   42      0    2          0

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Darren Perry                     7  152  21.7    0   27

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Darren Perry                     0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Johnny Rembert                  12    2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
William Frizzell                 5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
David Wyman                      4    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Rufus Porter                     3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Cortez Kennedy                   3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Darryl Pollard                   3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Patrick Hunter                   3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Nesby Glasglow                   2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Rod Stephens                     2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Dwayne Harper                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
James Jefferson                  1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jeff Bryant                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Joe Nash                         1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Louis Clark                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Darren Comeaux                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Sam Gash                         1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Danny Villa                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Grant Feasel                         5             0
Andy Heck                            4             1
Sam Gash                             3             0
Carl Bax                             2             0
Travis McNeal                        1             0
Mark Ingram                          1             0
Edwin Bailey                         1             0
Tommy Kane                           0             1

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Cardinals - QB - Timm Rosenbach - 12 of 20 - 60% - 247 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int - 136.8 QB Rat - 4 RAtt - 6.5 Avg - 26 Yds


Game Pictures
--------------------------------------------

Left: The opening drive fo the game started off rocky for the Seattle Seahawks as new Seahawk quarterback Marc Wilson ended up throwing his first interception of the season to Cardinals middle linebacker, Eric Hill.
Right: On the very next Seahawks drive Darren Perry was back to receive a Rich Carmarillo punt, started to put on the gas but was nailed by Cardinals safety MIchael Zordich. Zordich caused the fumble that was eventually recovered by Eaton.


Left: Eaton celebrates in the end zone after picking up this Darren Perry fumble and returning it 16 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Cardinals.
Right: Winston Moss uses his strenght to just throw Marc Wilson around like a rag doll. A hurt Wilson would end up dropping the football and it was recovered by Freddie Joe Nunn.


Left: Alvin Harper manages to shake past a defender and is left with nothing but open field as he scampers his way 60 yards for the touchdown.
Right: Timm Rosenbach follows up with a case of deja vu on the very next drive but this time he hits Ernie Jones on the play, who goes 60 yard for another touchdown, making it 24 to nothing, Cardinals with 51 seconds left in the first half.


Left: Marc Wilson gets his first Seahawk touchdown as he hits their number one target, Brian Blades short. Blades jukes the corner and then manages to race his way all the way to paydirt, 80 yards.
Right: Johnny Johnson blew through defenders and was left with open field as he bulldozed 70 yards to the end zone to make it 31-7 Cardinals.


Left: Greg Davis had a solid night scoring 13 points for the Cardinals with 3 field goals, including this 45 yarder to end the 3rd quarter, and 4 extra points on the night.
Right: With time no longer on their side the Seahawks started to show signs of movement on offense. However this 16 yard touchdown pass to Tommy Kane would make it 34 to 14, and with only 5:11 left in the game it was simply a case of too little too late for the Seahawks.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-None

[young2rice]

Rookie Quarterback Gets Starting Nod

AP - First year San Diego Chargers head coach, Bobby Ross had to make his first major team-changing decision earlier this week for the Chargers when he named their starting quarterback. In a heated battle in pre-season and training camp rookie Brad Johnson pulled out the starting role.

Last year the Chargers under achieved in comparison to thier 1990 season as they only went 8-8 and missed out on the playoffs. As a result numerous changes were made to the team in the off-season from the loss of their safties, Marc Wilson heading to Seattle, and Sam Seale's departure as well. In 1991 Marc Wilson had 2,363 yards and 19 touchdowns but 20 interceptions on the season leaving much to be desired in the turnover department. Because of his lack of effeciency the Chargers had no qualms over letting him go in free agency and signing ex-Bear backup, Jim Harbaugh to a contract. Harbaugh had some pedigree coming out of college and was going to be groomed as the Bears eventually starter to replace Mark Vlasic but Harbaugh became expendable when the Bears saw his mediocre 665 yard 4 touchdown 8 interception performance during his limited play time in 1991. With Harbaugh questionable and free agency arriving Chicago decided to let him go much to the pleasure of San Diego. The Chargers were set on having Jim Harbaugh be their starting quarterback until they entered the draft.

Brad Johnson had some success at Florida State as a collegiate quarterback and was ranked as the top quarterback prospect entering into the draft. He was predicted to go early in the top 10 to either the Chiefs at #3 to replace Steve Pelleur or the Vikings at #7 to replace Rich Gannon, but for some reason Johnson dropped in the draft as the Chiefs went with safety Darren Woodson and the Vikings also nabbed a safety in Willie Clay. When the Chargers were up to make a pick with the 10th overall selection and Brad Johnson was still on the board they had to take the best player available. So after the draft it was apparent that the Chargers had just unexpectedly added another variable into their success equation and now a three-headed battle would take place.

John Friesz has spent the past two seasons as a backup in San Diego just itching for his opportunity to take the reigns. In 1990 he was surpassed by Mark Vlasic who had a solid year with the Chargers but went to the Patriots in free agency, capitalizing on the year with a big contract from New England. Then in 1991 he was playing 2nd fiddle to Marc Wilson who came over from, ironically enough, New England, to replace Vlasic. Last season Wilson struggled but was never bad enough to get benched for Friesz. Friesz has patiently waited and joined Harbaugh and Johnson on the battle for the top spot.

Through training camp it was hard to differentiate which quarterback was starting material, but pre-season made that more apparent. In pre-season rookie Brad Johnson was the one who stepped up and his efficiency and 4 more offensive touchdowns clearly made him the correct choice, which is what Bobby Ross ended up deciding on. Jim Harbaugh did average but the Chargers weren't settling for average but he will certainly make a great number two, meanwhile unfortunately for him John Friesz will continue to ride the pine with a lackluster pre-season production.

Johnson has a very conservative but efficient pass attack that may benefit the Chargers who outside of Anthony Miller are currently looking for a solid #2 wide receiver to step up. Marion Butts should be helpful as he's running at the top of his game and that will alleviate some pressure from the quarterback situation. However, Johnson is in a very turmoil situation with two quarterbacks itching to take his spot and breathing down his neck. If Johnson starts to falter mid-way through the season there's no question that the Chargers could easily see Harbaugh or Friesz gaining control of this team.

[young2rice]

1992 Regular Season - Week 1 Games
==========================================

Miami Dolphins (0-0)
vs.

San Diego Chargers (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 3 mph
Temp: 67 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Miami Dolphins
------------------------
No Injuries

San Diego Chargers
------------------------
RT - Bubba Paris (90) - Dislocated Elbow - Will Not Play (4 Wks)


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (9:08)
Drive 2-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (7:50)
Drive 3-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (6:36)
Drive 4-Chargers - Marion Butts - 61 Yd TD Run - Score: 7-0 SD - (6:18)
Drive 5-Dolphins - D.Marino to T.Paige - 1 Yd TD Rec - Score: 7-7 Tie - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (8:04)
Drive 2-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (5:37)
Drive 3-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (4:14)
Drive 4-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (3:00)
Drive 5-Chargers - B.Johnson to N.Lewis - 5 Yd TD Rec - Score: 14-7 SD - (1:09)
Drive 6-Dolphins - Dan Marino - INTERCEPTED (M.Jenkins, 0yd rtrn) - SD 35yd ln - (0:29)
Drive 7-Chargers - End Half - SD 44yd ln - (0:00)


3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (4:39)
Drive 2-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (2:20)
Drive 3-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (0:00)

4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (10:20)
Drive 2-Chargers - Nate Lewis - FUMBLE (FF: J.B.Brown, FR: T.Buckley, 33yd TD rtrn) - Score: 14-14 tie - (10:08)
Drive 3-Chargers - John Kidd - Punt - (7:13)
Drive 4-Dolphins - Reggie Roby - Punt - (5:56)
Drive 5-Chargers - Brad Johnson - FUMBLE (FF: H.Green, FR: H.Green, 0yd rtrn) - SD 40yd ln - (5:13)
Drive 6-Dolphins - Dan Marino - INTERCEPTED (J.Seau, 8yd rtrn) - SD 26yd ln - (3:55)
Drive 7-Chargers - Raul Allegre - 45 Yd FG Att - Score: 17-14 SD - (1:24)
Drive 8-Dolphins - D.Marino to F.Edmunds - 16 Yd TD Rec - Score: 21-17 Mia - (0:56)
Drive 9-Chargers - Turnover On Downs - SD 37 Yd Ln - (0:34)
Drive 10-Dolphins - End Game - (0:00)


Game Summary: This game was a back and forth defensive fest. Both teams were giving up turnovers, but the offense still made big plays. The Chargers started with a breakout run by Marion Butts for 61 yards, his only relatively decent run of the night. The Dolphins answered right back on a play where the ball was deflected out off of a wide receiver, then off a defender, and into the awaiting hands of fullback Tony Paige in the endzone. The rookie Brad Johnson scored his first NFL touchdown on a 5 yard touchdown pass to Chargers wide receiver Nate Lewis. Marino ended up tossing a couple interceptions, and Johnson fumbled, as did Nate Lewis who got his returned by Dolphins rookie Terrell Buckley for a 33 yard touchdown. The Chargers biggest mistake came with 1:24 left in the game when the offense couldn't continue to drive and get into the endzone, instead they had to settle for a 45 yard Raul Allegre field goal, which he easily made. However that left plenty of time for Dan the man to drive the Dolphins downfield methodically, and capped the game off with a 16 yard touchdown to tight end Ferrell Edmunds to give the Dolphins the lead for hte first tim ein the game, 21 to 17 with only 56 seconds left.


Game Box Score
------------------------------------------------------

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Dolphins            0    7    0   14    0         21
Chargers            7    7    0    3    0         17

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Miami Dolphins
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Dan Marino                      17   33  170   51   5.1    0    2    2   20   61.4

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Eric Dickerson                  25   75   3.0   10    0    0
Tony Martin                      1    4   4.0    4    0    0
Tony Paige                       2    3   1.5    3    0    0
Dan Marino                       2    0   0.0    1    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Mark Duper                       7   86  12.2   19    0    1   21
Tony Martin                      3   22   7.3    9    0    0    2
Mark Clayton                     3   22   7.3   12    0    1    3
Fred Banks                       1   20  20.0   20    0    0   10
Ferrell Edmunds                  1   16  16.0   16    1    0    4
Tony Paige                       2    4   2.0    4    1    0    2

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Pete Stoyanovich                 0    0    0          0    3    3  100          0        4          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Reggie Roby                      7  260  37.1   45      0    1          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Terrell Buckley                  3   66  22.0    0   27

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Terrell Buckley                  3    4   1.3    3    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
John Offerdahl                   8    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Louis Oliver                     7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Jarvis Williams                  7    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Liffort Hobley                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
David Griggs                     4    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Hugh Green                       3    0    0    0    1    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Jeff Cross                       3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Fred Banks                       2    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ted Washington                   2    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
J.B. Brown                       2    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Leon Seals                       2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ferrell Edmunds                  1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Moe Gardner                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Terrell Buckley                  1    0    0    0    1   33    1    0    0   0.0           0        0
Karl Wilson                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Milton Mack                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Mark Clayton                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Richmond Webb                        5             0
Ferrell Edmunds                      4             0
Tony Paige                           3             0
Jeff Dellenbach                      2             0
Mark Dennis                          1             0
Harry Galbreath                      1             0

San Diego Chargers
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Brad Johnson                    19   35  200   54   5.7    0    1    0   48   80.6

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Marion Butts                    16   87   5.4   61    1    0
Ronnie Harmon                   10   13   1.2    4    0    0
Tim Spencer                      2   12   6.0    7    0    0
Bernie Parmalee                  1   -2  -2.0    0    0    0
Brad Johnson                     1   -6  -6.0    0    0    1

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Nate Lewis                       7  116  16.5   48    1    3    4
Derrick Walker                   1   21  21.0   21    0    0    2
Craig McEwen                     4   21   5.2    9    0    0    7
Anthony Miller                   2   19   9.5   10    0    1    0
Ronnie Harmon                    1   14  14.0   14    0    0    2
Floyd Dixon                      2    8   4.0    5    0    1    0
Marion Butts                     1    3   3.0    3    0    0    1
Tim Spencer                      1   -2  -2.0    0    0    0    1

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Raul Allegre                     1    1  100          0    2    2  100          0        4          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
John Kidd                        6  219  36.5   40      0    1          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Nate Lewis                       3   35  11.6    0   18

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Nate Lewis                       2    2   1.0    2    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Junior Seau                      8    1    0    0    0    0    0    1    7   7.0           2        0
Joe Phillips                     5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Billy Ray Smith Jr.              4    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Donald Frank                     4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Odie Harris                      3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Felix Wright                     3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Melvin Jenkins                   3    0    0    0    0    0    0    1    1   1.0           1        0
Gary Plummer                     3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Burt Grossman                    3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Gill Byrd                        3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
Leslie O'Neal                    3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           3        0
Thane Gash                       2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Joe Mott                         2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Don Davey                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
David Richards                       5             0
Eric Floyd                           4             0
Tim Spencer                          4             0
Courtney Hall                        4             0
Derrick Walker                       1             0
Broderick Thompson                   1             0

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Dolphins - QB - Dan Marino - 17 of 33 Att - 51% - 170 Yds - 2 TD - 2 Int - 61.4 QB Rat


Game Pictures
--------------------------------------------

Left: Marion Butts blasts through the focal point of the Dolphins defense and then raced his way 61 yards for a touchdown to get the first score of the game for the Chargers.
Right: Eric Dickerson struggled all day in his first game as a Dolphins. However if it's any consolation it was against the Chargers defense who consists of one of the fastest most aggressive linebacker corps in the league.


Left: Under pressure Dan Marino still manages to keep his composure. He threw this ball directly at Mark Clayton but Clayton knocked the ball upwards. The football then collided with a Charger defender and was deflected into the hands of Dolphin fullback Tony Paige, for one of the most surprising touchdown passes of Marino's career.
Right: Chargers rookie quarterback showed promise as he stepped up and threw his first NFL touchdown to #2 wide receiver, Nate Lewis from 5 yards out.


Left: Nate Lewis catches this nicely placed ball from Brad Johnson, Johnson's first NFL touchdown.
Right: M.Jenkins manages to rip this Dan Marino pass out of the air and give the ball back to the Chargers with 29 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.


Left: Nate Lewis was nailed hard by Dolphins cornerback J.B. Brown on a punt return. As a result Lewis fumbled the football and it was recovered by rookie Dolphin, Terrell Buckley. Buckley then sped down the field for a 33 yard touchdown and collapsed in celebration onto his knees. The touchdown would tie the game at 14 each with 10:08 left in the 4th quarter.
Right: Ted Washington brought the pressure as he hit Brad Johnson while he was attempting to throw a screen pass. The screen pass was intended for Nate Lewis but Lewis bobbled it (his 3rd drop of the game). In the meantime Dolphin linebacker Hugh Green grabbed the football. Lewis didn't realize that Brad Johnson had actually thrown it behind him, so instead of just an incomplete pass it was actually a fumble, giving the Dolphins the ball.


Left: The Dolphins tried to end the game immediately after that big fumble turnover by Nate Lewis, however, despite the short field, starting at San Diego's 40, Junior Seau had different ideas. Seau stepped into the passing lane of Marino and snagged the football for an interception, giving the Chargers hope.
Right: However it wasn't too long before Dan Marino pulled out his comeback on the very next Dolphin drive tossing this 16 yard touchdown pass to tight end Ferrell Edmunds. Edmunds stretched as far as he could and barely managed to get the ball across the goaline giving the Dolphins the lead 21 to 17 with only 56 seconds left.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-Great solid game that came down to the wire.
-Eric Dickerson had a meh game, barely got to a 3.0 yard per carry average. But I have to consider it was the Chargers defense.
-Marion Butts sucked it up outside of his 61 yard touchdown run, if you take that away he had 15 carries for 26 yards.
-Brad Johnson should've been a teensy bit more accurate imo, but the Dolphins DB's aren't too shabby.

[Archer]

This is epic .... how it hasn't been WFF at least once is beyond me

Keep it up

[young2rice]

Brett Favre on the giants...i'm following

Haha yeah I thought that was pretty damn interesting. Spent his first year in Atlanta, which also surprised me that the real team that drafted him just happened to draft him as well in 1991. And in-game Jeff Hostetler didn't do as well as real-life Jeff Hostetler in replacing Phil Simms so the Giants were quick to snag Favre. Shall be interesting, thanks for reading!

This is epic .... how it hasn't been WFF at least once is beyond me

Keep it up

Thanks :horse: but what's WFF? If it's an award or something, my lack of consistency about a year ago with all the PC problems I had causing re-formats, games being unable to install, girls, band stuff, my last year of college all sort of slowed it down but now it's picking back up heh.

[young2rice]

Bengals Two Ex-Cowboys Trying To Make A Difference

AP - The Cincinnati Bengals have been a great team lately but have struggled when it comes to winning the big game. With the Super Bowl loss to the San Francisco 49ers in 1988, the Bengals faltered to an 8-8 1989 campaign. But they were quick to bounce back with a 10-6 playoff year in 1990, and a 12-4 season last year in 1991 that saw them win their division, but both times they lost in the playoffs. A change needed to be made, and the Bengals did just that in free agency.

The Bengals made two of the biggest signings in free agency. Along with Eric Dickerson, Herschel Walker was arguably the best offensive free agent available. After spending a few years in Dallas he was involved in a humongous trade with the Vikings where he played for two years. Walker had a solid year last season where he had 1,228 yards on 304 carries for 7 touchdowns as well as 38 catches for 388 yards and another score. He was one of the few bright spots in Minnesota, and that was his problem. Walker stated that he would not re-sign with Minnesota because he didn't feel they would be a contending team. Despite finishing 7-9 last year with hope of improving, the Vikings were originally 1-6 until their bye week when the quarterback switch from Rich Gannon to Walter Wilson as the starter was made. The Vikings finished strong with a 6-3 record but Walker didn't feel that was enough to warrant him re-singing with the team and dipped into free agency. The Bengals were quick to grab him and sign him to a 3 year deal. Walker has never had the pleasure of playing on a team with a solid passing game and with Boomer Esiason and Eddie Brown constantly air raiding defenses it will be nice to see Walker have that compliment. It'll take the pressure off Herschel and that may result in him playing even better as defenses don't have to only focus on him on offense like they did in Minnesota. The Bengals are certainly looking forward to seeing how Herschel Walker will amalgamate their offense and give them that extra push that they've been missing to get back to the big game.

On the defensive side the Bengals felt that they also needed to make another big cannonball splash in the free agent pool, and they did just that. One of the top defensive free agents available was Cowboy linebacker, Jack Del Rio. The 29 year old linebacker is just entering into his prime, and will be leaving Dallas for Cincinnati. The Bengals were quick to lock him up to a 4 year deal with the hopes of him becoming the new face of their defense. The Bengals linebacker corps just became one of the better ones in the entire league with Del Rio's signing. Alongside him will be middle linebacker Kevin Walker (91 Ovr) and ex-Bill, Ray Dennison (83 Ovr) who the Bengals also took the opportunity to sign. Then they have the young upstart linebacker James Francis (88) and ex-Packer Scott Stephen (88 Ovr) as well signing a contract to the Bengals. With all three additions the Bengals now have a presence on the 2nd level of defense that they had been lacking behind Tim Krumrie and Daniel Stubbs on the first. The Bengals hope that Del Rio produces as well as he did in Dallas where last season he was 1 tackle away from leading the team with 114 on the year.

The Bengals made some big changes on both offense and defense this off-season, and for the most part they are for the better. If Herschel Walker can produce offensively it will bring a new dynamic to the Bengals team that will help them improve their win-loss record. Meanwhile if Jack Del Rio produces on defense the Bengals may have what they need to not just make the playoffs but get back to the Super Bowl. The Bengals are putting a lot of faith in their players to produce on the field, and they'll get their first test this week when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener at home.

[young2rice]

1992 Regular Season - Week 1 Games
==========================================

Tampa Bay Buccaneers(0-0)
vs.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 6 mph
Temp: 65 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
------------------------
No Injuries

Cincinnati Bengals
------------------------
MLB - Kevin Walker (91) - Mild Concussion - Will Not Play (1 Wk)


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (8:04)
Drive 2-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (4:55)
Drive 3-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (2:02)
Drive 4-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (0:45)
Drive 5-Bengals - Steve Christie - 39 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 3-0 Cin - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (5:17)
Drive 2-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (3:22)
Drive 3-Buccaneers - Roger Craig - SAFETY (Carl Carter) - Score: 5-0 Cin - (2:14)
Drive 4-Bengals - Steve Christie - 50 Yd FG Att - No Good - (1:40)
Drive 5-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (1:07)
Drive 6-Bengals - B.Esiason to H.Walker - 80 Yd TD Rec - Score: 12-0 Cin - (0:53)
Drive 7-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (0:39)
Drive 8-Bengals - End Half - (0:00)


3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (10:18)
Drive 2-Bengals - Steve Christie - 50 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 15-0 Cin - (7:39)
Drive 3-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (4:10)
Drive 4-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (2:25)
Drive 5-Buccaneers - V.Testeverde to R.Hall - 5 Yd TD Rec - Score: 15-6 Cin (2PT: Fail) - (0:00)

4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (7:00)
Drive 2-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (6:36)
Drive 3-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (5:15)
Drive 4-Buccaneers - Mark Royals - Punt - (3:43)
Drive 5-Bengals - Lee Johnson - Punt - (1:55)
Drive 6-Buccaneers - Turnover On Downs - Cin 26yd ln - (0:11)
Drive 7-Bengals - End Game - (0:00)



Game Summary: What was supposed to be a great showing of running back capabilities between Herschel Walker on the Bengals and Roger Craig on the Buccaneers, ended up being exactly the opposite in a defensive battle that the Bengals barely pulled out.

The Bengals made the first strike with a field goal on their final drive of the first quarter, but then on the 6th punt of the game, the Buccaneers got pinned at their own 1 yard line. On 3rd down they attempted to give the ball to Roger Craig so he could give some room for the punter, but he ended up getting got by a blitzing corner, Carl Carter, in the end zone for a safety to make the game 5-0 Bengals. Then Herschel Walker made an unexpected impact, not on the ground game, but the pass game as Boomer Esiason aired it out to him and he scored on an 80 yard touchdown catch to continue with their unorthodox score of 12 to 0. Another field goal by Steve Christie continued the Bengals domination 15 to 0, but the Buccaneers finally answered back on the final drive of the 3rd quarter. Testaverde managed to hit tight end Ron Hall on a 5 yard touchdown. However the Buccaneers wanted to cut the scoreboard down to a 1 posession game by going for a 2 point conversion, unfortunately it failed, and the score was 15-6 at the start of the 4th. Numerous defensive stops by both teams eventually led to the Buccaneers having the ball with 1:55 left in the game, trying to drive, score, and drive again. The Buccaneers managed to get all the way down to the Bengals 26 yard line but on 4th and inches they couldn't make it. They turned the ball over with 11 seconds left and the Bengals kneeled down for the victory.


Game Box Score
------------------------------------------------------

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Buccaneers          0    0    0    6    0          6
Bengals             0   12    3    0    0         15

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Vinny Testaverde                20   45  200   44   4.4    1    1    0   21   65.0

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Roger Craig                     24   81   3.3   29    0    0
Reggie Cobb                      1    0   0.0    0    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Mark Carrier                    11  120  10.9   21    0    0    4
Bruce Hill                       4   43  10.7   19    0    0    2
Roger Craig                      1    9   9.0    9    0    0    5
Reggie Cobb                      1    8   8.0    8    0    1    0
Eric Blount                      1    8   8.0    8    0    0    0
Willie Drewrey                   1    7   7.0    7    0    1    0
Ron Hall                         1    5   5.0    5    1    1    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Mark Royals                      0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        2          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Mark Royals                      9  366  40.6   49      0    1          5

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Vince Workman                    3   46  15.3    0   22

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Vince Workman                    0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
John Grimsley                   10    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ray Bentley                      6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Harry Hamilton                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Robb White                       5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Michael Bankston                 3    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tim McKyer                       3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Tim Harris                       2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ricky Reynolds                   2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Mark Robinson                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Willie Drewrey                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ray Seals                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Broderick Thomas                 1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Rodney Rice                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jerome Henderson                 1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Reggie Cobb                          6             1
Tom McHale                           4             0
Rob Taylor                           3             0
Paul Gruber                          3             0
Randy Grimes                         2             0
Derek Kennard                        1             0

Cincinnati Bengals
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Boomer Esiason                  10   22  187   45   8.5    0    1    0   80   90.5

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Herschel Walker                 26   70   2.6   11    0    0
Harold Green                     1   11  11.0   11    0    0
Ron Wolfley                      3    8   2.6    4    0    0
Boomer Esiason                   1   -1  -1.0    0    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Herschel Walker                  3  108  36.0   80    1    1   49
Eddie Brown                      3   35  11.6   19    0    0    2
Clarence Weathers                2   18   9.0   14    0    1    8
Tim McGee                        1   16  16.0   16    0    1    0
Rodney Holman                    1   10  10.0   10    0    1    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Steve Christie                   2    3   66          0    1    1  100          0        4          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Lee Johnson                      7  298  42.5   62      0    2          3

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Jimmy Spencer                    2   39  19.5    0   27

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Jimmy Spencer                    1    2   2.0    2    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Jimmy Spencer                   10    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           8        0
David Fulcher                    7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
James Francis                    7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Rick Dennison                    7    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Mark Lee                         4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Aeneas Williams                  4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Keith Willis                     2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jack Del Rio                     2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Carl Carter                      2    1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        1
Daniel Stubbs                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Clarence Weathers                1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Donnie Eldar                     0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Ken Walter                           5             0
Bruce Reimers                        4             0
Tim McGee                            3             0
Rodney Holman                        3             0
Ron Wolfley                          3             0
Ron Solt                             2             0
Anthony Munoz                        2             0
Bruce Kozerski                       1             0
Jim Riggs                            1             0

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Bengals - HB - Herschel Walker - 26 Att - 2.6 Avg - 70 Yds - 3 Rec - 36.0 Avg - 108 Yds - 1 TD - 1 Drop


Game Pictures
--------------------------------------------

Left: Herschel Walker's first carry as a Bengal was a solid 10 yarder that started off with him stiff arming Buccaneers safety Harry Hamilton. You only get one chance to make a first impression
Right: Steve Christie put the first points up on the board for the Bengals on this 39 yard field goal at the end of the first quarter.


Left: Roger Craig was caught in the endzone by Bengals nickle-corner, Carl Carter. Carter's safety would give the Bengals a 5 to 0 lead and the ball.
Right: Boomer Esiason shook off the off-season rust on this drive as he bombs this ball out to Herschel Walker.


Left: Herschel Walker used his speed on this streak route and was unexpectedly left uncovered. Esiason threw a perfect pass over Walker's shoulder that he caught and ran all the way to the endzone for an 80 yard touchdown to make it 12 to 0 Bengals.
Right: Steve Christie lines up and nails this 50 yard field goal to give the Bengals a commanding 15 to 0 lead.


Left: Vinny Testaverde uses his vision to find tight end Ron Hall open in the back of the endzone. This 5 yard touchdown pass would be the first, and only score for the Buccaneers all game at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Buccaneers followed it up with a failed 2 point conversion, 15-6 Bengals.
Right: Any hope of a comeback ended when Roger Craig was cut short on this 4th down play from behind. He thought he had a clear way to the end zone that would seal a touchdown but was caught from behind, ending the game as the ball was turned over to the Bengals with 11 seconds left.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-Roger Craig didn't have a very good average against the Bengals defense.
-Both quarterbacks were a little low on the completion percentage, I upped QB accuracy a bit.
-Was nice to see a safety and a defensive battle for the most part instead of a score-fest.

[PNovak]

Good stuff man, keep it up.

[Aso]

I said it before, this is the best franchise ever. Glad to see it'll be picking up a little more.


btw WFF is Weekly Featured Franchise and this franchise definitely should've been on it by now.

[young2rice]

nice win for the bengals boomer had a great game

Yeah outside of the fact that he completed less than 1/2 the passes it was still a good game for him and he managed to get a 90+ qb rating without it.

Good stuff man, keep it up.

Thanks, trying my best too!

I said it before, this is the best franchise ever. Glad to see it'll be picking up a little more.

btw WFF is Weekly Featured Franchise and this franchise definitely should've been on it by now.

Ahhh okay yeah I remember seeing that thread wasn't sure what you meant at first. Thanks :beer:

can't wait for more

Gonna try to get a report and another game up today, maybe two. There's only 2 more games of the week 1 games left and then it'll move to the weekly reports. I've already gone through a few of the weeks and am sort of reporting 'in the past' right now based on where I really am, but a few interesting things have happened so far this season that I think you guys will enjoy