Remember The 90's?: Re-Living Greatness

[young2rice]

Super Bowl Rematch In Week 1

AP - The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Raiders met last season in the Super Bowl to battle it out for the Lombardi trophy. The 49ers mopped the floor with the Raiders and won the franchises' 5th Super Bowl title in a 41 to 21 victory. In the off-season both teams made some key changes that may make this matchup more even, which we will find out in week one.

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders faced off once before and now it will have different consequences as both teams have an even greater vested interest. In the off-season 49ers all-star, all-time pro safety, Ronnie Lott, lef the 49ers and entered the free agent pool. The Los Angeles Raiders couldn't pass the opportunity and ended up signing easily the best defensive player available. Lott will now go across the state and don a black uniform for the Raiders, a team that he just beat in the Super Bowl. It will be interesting to see if Lott makes any key plays that affect the games outcome, as that was what he did on a very regular basis in San Francisco.

The 49ers made some big changes in the off-season, but not necesarily for the better. They lost rookie wide receiver standout, Yancey Thigpen, hoping that ex-Viking youngster, Shawn Jefferson, can step in and fill his hole. Lineman Bubba Paris left the team for another Cali franchise in San Diego meanwhile Charles Haley also left the 49ers defense along with cornerback Darryl Pollard. The 49ers defense attempted to fix the situation in the draft by picking up linebackers Ed McDaniel, Steve Grant, Dwight Hollier, and Dwayne Sabb, but obviously none will be as good as Haley. They also signed Andy Harmon on defensive tackle to backup Michael Carter and Lewis Billups to replace Pollard. Kip Corrington is going to attempt to start the season for the 49ers at free safety, which is a huge drop off from Ronnie Lott, but he'll have to manage. The 49ers also lost their starting strong safety, Dave Waymer and will have youngster Marquez Pope take his place. Many believe Marquez Pope could be a good safety at some point but some also think that it may be too early for him to get the starting job, but it'll have to be done out of necessity. The 49ers defense has lost a lot of it's character, luckily for them a few key pieces still exsist in Bill Romanowski, Michael Carter, and Pierce Holt. But that character will certainly need to be tested on the field before a determination is truly made.

The Los Angeles Raiders obviously are better with the addition of Ronnie Lott on defense but other than that their players have earned some valuable experience last season. Nobody expected the Raiders to do as well as they did, and they wouldn't have, had it not been for the supplanting of Jay Schroeder by now starting quarterback, Billy Joe Tolliver. Tolliver surprised everybody with a solid output and a victory streak that helped put Los Angeles in the playoffs. But the naysayers still believed they wouldn't get very far against the best of the AFC. However victory after victory Tolliver managed to play well in the playoff games, outscoring the opposing team in shoot-out fashion. Eventually taking the Raiders all the way to the Super Bowl but faltering in a tough game. Tolliver is expected to now get the full start for the entire season so the Raiders can really get a feel of what it would be like for him to lead their team. Along with young players now with more experience under their belt like Tim Brown, Jake Reed, and Henry Jones the Raiders should be looking at an improved year where them getting to the playoffs won't be quite the shocker and surprise it was last season.

The 49ers have changed for the worse some say. Their defense is a shell of it's former self and the offense is starting to show its sign of age. The Raiders have changed for the better with young players showing progression in their abilities and the addition of ex-49er Ronnie Lott giving leadership to the defense. All in all this should equate to a very interesting repeat of last years Super Bowl in their season openers.

[young2rice]

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

Los Angeles Raiders (0-0)
vs.

San Francisco 49ers (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 0 mph
Temp: 56 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Los Angeles Raiders
------------------------
RE - Greg Townsend (97) - Strained Knee - Will Not Play (9 Wks)

San Francisco 49ers
------------------------
C - Chuck Thomas (72) - Pulled Groin - Will Play (Probable)
ROLB - Bill Romanowski (93) - Torn Shoulder - Will Not Play (8 Wks)


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Raiders - B.J.Tolliver to W.Gault - 22 Yd TD Rec - ScoreL 7-0 LA - (6:31)
Drive 2-49ers - Ralph Mojsiejenko - Punt - (4:17)
Drive 3-Raiders - B.J. Tolliver to W.Gault - 20 Yd TD Rec - Score: 14-0 LA - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-49ers - Ralph Mojsiejenko - Punt - (9:15)
Drive 2-Raiders - Jeff Jaeger - 51 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 17-0 LA (5:02)
Drive 3-49ers - Ralph Mojsiejenko - Punt - (3:33)
Drive 4-Raiders - B.J. Tolliver to S.Smith - 11 Yd TD Rec - Score: 24-0 LA - (1:15)
Drive 5-49ers - Joe Montana - INTERCEPTED (A.Blaylock, 1yd rtrn) - LA 36yd ln - (0:52)
Drive 6-Raiders - End Half - SF 49 Yd Ln - (0:00)


3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-49ers - Ralph Mojsiejenko - Punt - (9:43)
Drive 2-Raiders - B.J. Tolliver - INTERCEPTED (D.Griffin, 2yd rtrn) - LA 40yd ln - (9:35)
Drive 3-49ers - J.Montana to B.Fullwood - 39 Yd TD Rec - Score: 24-7 LA - (9:26)
Drive 4-Raiders - Jeff Jaeger - 29 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 27-7 LA - (4:02)
Drive 5-49ers - Joe Montana - INTERCEPTED (R.Hunley, 0yd rtrn) - SF 44yd ln - (3:56)
Drive 6-Raiders - Dave Zastudil - Punt - (3:15)
Drive 7-49ers - Ralph Mojsiejenko - Punt - (2:24)
Drive 8-Raiders - Dave Zastudil - Punt - (0:40)
Drive 9-49ers - Turnover On Downs - LA 21yd ln - (0:00)


4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Raiders - Dave Zastudil - Punt - (6:30)
Drive 2-49ers - John Taylor - FUMBLE (FF: A.Blaylock, FR: E.Randle, 5yd rtrn) - SF 39yd ln - (6:25)
Drive 3-Raiders - B.J. Tolliver to W.Gault - 8 Yd TD Rec - Score: 34-7 LA - (4:03)
Drive 4-49ers - J.Montana to J.Rice - 11 Yd TD Rec - Score: 34-14 LA - (1:38)
**SF Recovers Onside Kick**
Drive 5-49ers - Joe Montana - INTERCEPTED (R.Lott, 14yd rtrn) - LA 38yd ln - (1:08)
Drive 6-Raiders - End Game - SF 48yd ln - (0:00)


Game Summary: This game was the exact opposite of the Super Bowl matchup between these two last season. The Raiders came into the game with a chip on their shoulder and as a result dominated the 49ers early. In fact the Raiders could not be stopped, specifically the Billy Joe Tolliver to Willie Gault show that accounted for 3 touchdown plays between them. The Raiders battered the 49ers around to a 24-0 lead before the 49ers finally made their first score of the game on a Joe Montana pass to halfback Brent Fullwood. Joe Montana struggled all game long, throwing an uncharacteristic three interceptions on the night. Including the final interception to ex-49er, Ronnie Lott. The 49ers scored a garbage time touchdown late in the game as Montana hit Jerry Rice to make it look a little more respectable with 1:38 left in the game. They did also manage to get the onside kick before the Lott interception occured. Lott's pick with 1:08 remaining in the game would seal the victory, even though it was unattainable anyway for the 49ers, and allowed Los Angeles to run the clock out.


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

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Raiders             7   17    3    7    0         34
49ers               0    0    7    7    0         14

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Raiders
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Billy Joe Tolliver              30   38  276   78   7.2    1    4    1   22  121.0

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Marcus Allen                    23  111   4.8   14    0    0
Steve Smith                      2    1   0.5    1    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Willie Gault                     8  115  14.3   22    3    0   24
Tim Brown                        6   37   6.1   10    0    1    4
Steve Smith                      6   32   5.3   11    1    0   21
Marcus Allen                     3   31  10.3   18    0    0   17
Mervyn Fernandez                 2   30  15.0   21    0    0    7
Jake Reed                        4   26   6.5   13    0    0    6
Ethan Horton                     1    5   5.0    5    0    0    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Jeff Jaeger                      2    2  100          0    4    4  100          0        0          0
Dave Zastudil                    0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        7          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Dave Zastudil                    3  110  36.6   41      0    0          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Tim Brown                        2   34  17.0    0   20

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Tim Brown                        2    2   1.0    2    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Jerry Robinson                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Terry McDaniel                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           4        0
Ervin Randle                     3    1    0    0    1    2    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Henry Jones                      3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Lionel Washington                3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Aaron Wallace                    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ronnie Lott                      3    0    0    0    0    0    0    1   13  13.0           1        0
Natu Tuatagaloa                  2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ricky Hunley                     2    1    0    0    0    0    0    1    0   0.0           1        0
Anthony Blaylock                 2    0    0    1    0    0    0    1    0   0.0           0        0
Howie Long                       1    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tom Benson                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Willie Gault                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Scott Davis                      1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Terry Ray                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jake Reed                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Eddie Anderson                   0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Rory Graves                          6             0
Bruce Wilkerson                      6             0
Steve Wisniewski                     4             0
Steve Smith                          3             0
Don Mosebar                          2             0
Willie Gault                         2             0
John Hunter                          1             0
Mervyn Fernandez                     1             0
Tim Brown                            1             0
Max Montoya                          0             1

San Francisco 49ers
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Joe Montana                     18   34  224   52   6.5    1    2    3   39   56.5

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Brent Fullwood                  11   21   1.9    9    0    0

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Brent Fullwood                   6   98  16.3   39    1    0   54
Jerry Rice                       5   58  11.5   27    1    0    6
John Taylor                      2   39  19.5   26    0    1    2
Brent Jones                      3   20   6.6    8    0    0    1
Shawn Jefferson                  2    9   4.5    5    0    0    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Mike Cofer                       0    0    0          0    2    2  100          0        3          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Ralf Mojsiejenko                 5  191  38.1   48      0    0          0

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
John Taylor                      7  135  19.2    0   23

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
John Taylor                      2    1   0.5    1    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Lewis Billups                    8    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Marquez Pope                     7    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Dwight Hollier                   6    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Don Griffin                      5    0    0    0    0    0    0    1    1   1.0           0        0
Vestee Jackson                   5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Steve Grant                      5    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Kip Corrington                   4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jessie Small                     4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ed McDaniel                      3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Aundray Bruce                    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Pierce Holt                      2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Andy Harmon                      2    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Shawn Jefferson                  2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Steve Wallace                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Michael Carter                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Mike Sherrard                    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Eric Davis                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Kevin Lewis                      1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jerry Rice                       0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Steve Wallace                        5             0
Tom Rathman                          4             0
Harris Barton                        2             1
Brent Jones                          1             0
Tom Ackerman                         1             0
Jesse Sapolu                         1             0
Guy McIntyre                         1             0

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Raiders - QB - Billy Joe Tolliver - 30 of 38 Att - 78% - 276 Yds - 4 TD - 1 Int - 121 QB Rat
Raiders - WR - Willie Gault - 8 Rec - 14.3 Avg - 115 Yds - 3 TD - 0 Drop


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

Left: Willie Gault hauls in this 22 yard Billy Joe Tolliver pass. He takes a tough hit from a 49er defensiveback but manages to hold on and give the Raiders the first points of the game.
Right: Tolliver was on point early as he wanted some revenge against the team that beat him in the Super Bowl last year. Tolliver threw a 2nd touchdown, once again to Willie Gault, on this 20 yard pass to end the first quarter.


Left: Tolliver managed to arch this pass perfectly to fullback Steve Smith in the corner of the endzone. Smith caught it for an 11 yard touchdown to give the Raiders a commanding 24 to 0 lead with 1:15 left in the first half.
Right: Anthony Blaylock came out from the nickle corner spot to pick this Joe Montana pass out of the sky and prevent the 49ers from scoring any points at all in the first half of this game.


Left: The 49ers finally got on the board when Joe Montana managed to sneak one in to halfback Brent Fullwood. Fullwood would run after the catch all the way to end zone on this 39 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Los Angeles.
Right: Ricky Hunley used his hands and surprised Joe Montana with this interception late in the 3rd quarter. The pick would give the Raiders the ball at San Franciscos 44 yard line.


Left: John Taylor ended up fumbling this football after Anthony Blaylock hit him hard. The fumble was recovered by Raiders middle linebacker Ranlde and gave the Raiders a short 39 yard field to work with.
Right: Billy Joe Tolliver continued to dominate as he threw his third touchdown pass to Willie Gault, and his 4th total of the game. This score was coming right off the John Taylor fumble as the Raiders capitalized on the turnover. The score would be 34-7 with only 4:03 left in the game.


Left: In one of the crazy plays to happen Joe Montana tossed this football to the back of the endzone. The ball was tipped by a leaping Raider cornerback, only to land in the hands of a streaking Jerry Rice. The unintended pass ended up an 11 yard touchdown to Jerry Rice and made it 34-14 with 1:38 left.
Right: In an attempt at too little too late the 49ers started to drive down field late in the game at the hopes of scoring and getting the kinks out of their offensive system. However ex-49er, Ronnie Lott, had other ideas as he picked off his former teammate Joe Montana to end the game. His turnover would give the Raiders the ball with 1:08 left and they would just kneel the ball down to run out the clock.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-Tolliver went crazy on the 49ers.
-The 49ers defense, rightfully so, looks very bad in comparison to how dominant they used to be. The loss of Matt Millen, Charles Haley, Ronnie Lott, Dave Waymer, Darryl Pollard, Bubba Paris, and Yancey Thigpen were felt as Jesse Small, Aundray Bruce, Kip Corrington, Lewis Billups, Tom Ackerman, and Shawn Jefferson weren't quite an equal swap in talent.
-Kip Corrington was horrible. He is of course the free safety who is now starting where Ronnie Lott was, and at 77 overall he's struggling. The worst part is his tackling, in this game I watched him make 5 miss-tackles. Where he'd run in, plug a hole, or hit a wide receiver, and then get brushed off like nothing. It's one of the few times where a specific player was glaringly a weakness to me in a Madden game by just watching it happen.
-Willie Gault was burning everyone up but Tim Brown was pretty silent all day.
-Montana was really struggling surprisingly, the Raiders secondary is pretty good now, but 3 interceptions for him is unusual.
-Jerry Rice was un-heard from in the first half and didn't start making catches until the second.

[Aso]

Awesome, when they get Townsend back they will easily be the best team in the league and dominate every team.

[young2rice]

New Vikings Quarterback Will Attempt To Lead

AP - The Minnesota Vikings have been searching for their next starting quarterback for years, while they seemingly kept going back to the old of Wade Wilson, last season the newness of Rich Gannon tantalized them. The Vikings ended up paying for that decision until Wilson ended the year, and now another new quarterback will try to supplant the starting job.

Last season the Minnesota Vikings struggled in the passing game. They had a solid run game with Herschel Walker but Rich Gannon, the team's starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, left a lot to be desired. On the year he had 1,632 yards 5 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for a 59.4 quarterback rating. During his tenure the Vikings went 1-6 before their week 8 bye. Without a doubt he was the weakness on offense with Walker producing so they made a decision to change the starting quarterback back to Wade Wilson. The veteran quarterback came in and threw for 1,392 yards and 11 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions and an 82.2 quarterback rating during the rest of the season. Wilson did a great job of just bringing leadership that was desperately needed to their offense as he went 6-3 to finish out the year and the Vikings ended with a 7-9 record. Many fans argued and pondered about what it would've been like if Wilson had beent he starter from week 1, and whether or not the Vikings could've cracked .500 and had a shot at the playoffs. Right now it looks like that would've been a great opportunity, but with Wade Wilson leaving in the off-season, Minnesota will never find out.

To replace Wilson the Vikings went into free agency and nabbed an ex-Bear/Brown, Mike Tomczak. Tomczak had some experience as he stepped in to the 1 game that Bernie Kosar missed last season for the Browns and played well in his start. Tomczak threw 12 of 32 for 178 yards, and 3 touchdowns for an 87.7 quarterback rating. With his experience as a backup the Vikings have decided that they finally want to give him the chance that he's been waiting for for some time.

"I've never truly been given the chance to start a full season. Sure I played eleven games in Chicago in eighty-nine but that was because Jim (Harbaugh) got hurt. This is the first time since joining a team that they basically told me, hey, you're going to be our starting quarterback this year. No battles, no injuries, you're it. So now I finally get to go out there as a true starting quarterback. I'm very excited about the opportunity I have here in Minnesota, and with all the great guys I have on my team. I just hope I can live up to their expectations." ~Vikings Quarterback, Mike Tomczak

The Minnesota Vikings suffered a big loss to their offense in the off-season when Herschel Walker decided to go for greener pastures in Cincinnati where he had a much better shot at a Super Bowl ring. However the Vikings were prepared for that as they're hoping to have backup Terry Allen also step into his new role and play well. Allen showed signs of ability filling in for Walker, especially in 1990 when Walker got hurt, so he has the experience, but will now get the full-time load. The Vikings also added Derek Loville in free agency and ex-Seahawk wide receiver Jeff Chadwick. Brian Brennan made a visit to the team but was not signed despite initial rumors as he's a free agent currently.

Eitherway the Vikings are in for a very interesting season. With a new quarterback and a new runningback at the helm it will be interesting to see just how much that changes thier offensive mindset. It's going to be tough for Tomczak to not be better than Gannon who struggled to the 5 touchdown 14 pick 1/2 season, but crazier things have happened. If the Vikings have their way and Tomczak turns out to be an upcoming star then Minnesota may surprise some people this year.

[Aso]

Vikings will end 6-10 i predict

[young2rice]

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

Green Bay Packers (0-0)
vs.

Minnesota Vikings (0-0)

Game Weather
Forecast: Fair
Wind: 0 mph
Temp: 79 Degrees

Team Injuries
-------------------
Green Bay Packers
------------------------
RT - Ken Ruettgers (92) - Dislocated Elbow - Will Not Play (6 Wks)

Minnesota Vikings
------------------------
No Injuries


(Italics = Turnover, Bold = Score)
Drive Summary
------------------------------------------------------
1st Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Vikings - Mike Tomczak - INTERCEPTED (E.Allen, 0yd rtrn) - Min 26yd ln - (10:14)
Drive 2-Packers - Keith Woodside - 1 Yd TD Run - Score: 7-0 GB - (7:59)
Drive 3-Vikings - Donald Igwebuke - 54 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 7-3 GB - (2:45)
Drive 4-Packers - Bryan Wagner - Punt - (0:30)
Drive 5-Vikings - Harry Newsome - Punt - (0:00)


2nd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Packers - D.Majkowski to S.Sharpe - 22 Yd TD Rec - Score: 14-3 GB - (4:20)
Drive 2-Vikings - Harry Newsome - Punt - (3:15)
Drive 3-Packers - Don Majkowski - FUMBLE (FF: A.Noga, FR: C.Doleman, 3yd rtrn) - GB 27yd ln - (2:03)
Drive 4-Vikings - Donald Igwebuke - 36 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 14-6 GB - (1:57)
Drive 5-Packers - D.Majkowski to L.Lipps - 6 YD TD Rec - Score: 21-6 GB - (0:36)
Drive 6-Vikings - End Half - Min 43yd ln - (0:00)


3rd Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Packers - Don Majkowski - INTERCEPTED (B.Cox, 4yd rtrn) - Min 46yd ln - (7:56)
Drive 2-Vikings - Donald Igwebuke - 46 Yd FG Att - Good - Score: 21-9 GB - (5:32)
Drive 3-Packers - Leonard Russell - 3 Yd TD Run - Score: 28-9 GB - (0:00)


4th Quarter
-------------------------------
Drive 1-Vikings - Terry Allen - 8 Yd TD Run - Score: 28-16 GB - (5:28)
Drive 2-Packers - Barry Wagner - Punt - (2:00)
Drive 3-Vikings - M.Tomczak to C.Carter - 7 Yd TD Rec - Score: 28-23 GB - (0:27)
Drive 4-Packers - End Game - Min 44yd ln - (0:00)


Game Summary: The game started off exactly the way that the Packers wanted, and exactly the way the Vikings did not, and that was with the Vikings new franchise quarterback Mike Tomczak throwing an interception to newly acquired Packer star corner, Eric Allen. From then on the game was completely in the Packers favor as Green Bay was scoring touchdowns and Minnesota was trading them for field goals. Before you knew it the Packers scored 3 touchdowns, and the Vikings scored 3 field goals, and the margin started to spread 21 to 9. The Green Bay Packers pass defense was outstanding with the addition of Eric Allen really proving itself to be worthy as Tomczak struggled to simply find an open receiver. A 4th touchdown was added when Don Majkowski hit off-season pickup, Louis Lipps in the end zone for a touchdown to make it 28-9. However the Vikings, in their first drive of the 4th quarter, managed to score the team's first touchdown of the 1992 season on an 8 yard Terry Allen run. The score would cut the scoreboard down to 28-16, Packers, giving the Vikings a hard-to-reach, but still possible, comeback opportunity. A solid defensive stop caused the Packers to punt and then the Vikings once again drove down field. Mike Tomczak scored his first Viking touchdown on a 7 yard pass to Cris Carter to make it 28-23 with only 27 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for the Vikings it was, as the trend seems, to be too little too late in the 4th quarter as they were unable to recover the onside kick and the Packers just ran out the clock.

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

Team               Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   OT      FINAL
Packers             7   14    0    7    0         28
Vikings             3    3    3   14    0         23

Individual Player Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Green Bay Packers
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Don Majkowski                   16   22  204   72   9.2    1    2    1   22  112.6
Gary Kubiak                      1    2    8   50   4.0    0    0    0    8   60.4

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Leonard Russell                 25   94   3.7   13    1    0
Keith Woodside                   2    6   3.0    5    1    0
Darrell Thompson                 1    0   0.0    0    0    0
Don Majkowski                    3   -9  -3.0    0    0    1

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Sterling Sharpe                  5   82  16.3   22    1    0   12
Perry Kemp                       5   54  10.7   16    0    0    4
Louis Lipps                      2   26  13.0   20    1    0    0
Ed West                          2   23  11.5   15    0    0    5
Dwight Stone                     1   22  22.0   22    0    0   18
Keith Woodside                   2    5   2.5    5    0    0    5
Darrell Thompson                 0    0   0.0    0    0    1    0

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Bryan Wagner                     0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        5          0
Chris Jacke                      0    0    0          0    4    4  100          0        0          0

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Bryan Wagner                     2   83  41.5   43      0    0          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Dwight Stone                     4   73  18.2    0   19
Leroy Butler                     1    1   1.0    0    1

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Dwight Stone                     0    0   0.0    0    0
Leroy Butler                     0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Jerry Holmes                     9    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Brian Noble                      7    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Eddie Robinson                   6    3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Anthony Bell                     5    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Eric Allen                       5    0    0    0    0    0    0    1   -1  -1.0           3        0
Shawn Patterson                  2    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Mark Murphy                      2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Leroy Butler                     2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Tony Casillas                    2    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Chuck Cecil                      2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ron Pitts                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           2        0
Keith Woodside                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Robert Brown                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Billy Ard                        1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Johnny Holland                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Dwight Stone                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Matt Darby                       1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Matt Brock                       0    0    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Darrell Thompson                     7             0
Greg Skrepenak                       3             0
James Campen                         3             0
Leon Searcy                          3             0
Ed West                              2             1
Keith Uecker                         2             0
Leonard Russell                      2             0
Billy Ard                            2             0
Jackie Harris                        1             0

Minnesota Vikings
---------------------------

PASSING                        CMP  ATT  YDS  PCT   YPA SACK   TD  INT LONG RATING
Rich Gannon                      1    1   11  100  11.0    0    0    0   11  112.5
Mike Tomczak                    18   33  191   54   5.7    1    1    1   27   69.1

RUSHING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD  FUM
Terry Allen                     22   64   2.9   12    1    0
Derek Loville                    1    3   3.0    3    0    0
Mike Tomczak                     1   -8  -8.0    0    0    1

RECEIVING                      REC  YDS   AVG LONG   TD DROP  YAC
Cris Carter                      7   74  10.5   17    1    2   18
Hassan Jones                     5   62  12.3   27    0    0   10
Anthony Carter                   3   29   9.6   10    0    0    0
Jeff Chadwick                    1   18  18.0   18    0    0    2
Brian Brennan                    1    7   7.0    7    0    0    1
Steve Jordan                     1    7   7.0    7    0    0    0
Rick Fenney                      1    5   5.0    5    0    0    3

KICKING                        FGM  FGA  PCT FGSBLOCKED  XPA  XPM  PCT XPSBLOCKED KICKOFFS TOUCHBACKS
Donald Igwebuike                 3    3  100          0    2    2  100          0        0          0
Harry Newsome                    0    0    0          0    0    0    0          0        6          1

PUNTING                        ATT  YDS   AVG LONG BLOCKS IN20 TOUCHBACKS
Harry Newsome                    2   86  43.0   45      0    0          1

KICK RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG   TD LONG
Johnny Bailey                    5  101  20.1    0   34

PUNT RETURNS                   ATT  YDS   AVG LONG   TD
Johnny Bailey                    0    0   0.0    0    0

DEFENSE                        TOT LOSS SACK   FF FREC  YDS   TD  INT  RET   AVG DEFLECTIONS SAFETIES
Willie Clay                      6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Ray Berry                        6    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Bryan Cox                        4    0    0    0    0    0    0    1    2   2.0           1        0
Reggie Rutland                   4    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Chris Doleman                    4    1    0    0    1    2    0    0    0   0.0           1        0
Phillippi Sparks                 3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Carl Lee                         3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Brian Forde                      3    1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Tim Gordon                       3    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Al Noga                          3    1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Jeff Chadwick                    2    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Keith Hamilton                   1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Steve Israel                     1    0    1    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Henry Thomas                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0
Hassan Jones                     1    0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0   0.0           0        0

BLOCKING                      PANCAKES SACKS ALLOWED
Gary Zimmerman                      10             0
Rick Fenney                          2             0
Kirk Lowdermilk                      2             1
Tim Irwin                            1             0
Randall McDaniel                     1             0
Hassan Jones                         1             0

Player of the Game
-------------------------------------------
Packers - QB - Don Majkowski - 16 of 22 Att - 72% - 204 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Int - 112.6 QB Rat - 1 Fum


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

Left: Keith Woodside grabbed the first touchdown of the night on this 1 yard run to the outside. Woodside came in to relieve Leonard Russell who had been pounding his way through the Vikings defense on this entire drive and just happened to get gassed near the goalline.
Right: It wasn't until the first drive of the 2nd quarter that another score was made by the Packers when Don Majkowski managed to hit Sterling Sharpe on this 22 yard pass. Sharpe reached out and grabbed it and score the touchdown that would put the Packers up 14 to 3.


Left: Unfortunately for Majkowski he took one hell of a hit when Vikings defensive tackle Al Noga nailed him in the backfield. The hit would not only cause Majkowski to loose the football and have the Vikings recover it, but he was hurt and had to step out for a few plays before returning to the game.
Right: Leonard Russell continued to have a good night on the ground as he found a hole in the Vikings defensive line near the endzone and pounded in on this 3 yard bulldozing run. The Packers took a commanding 28-lead.


Left: Don Majkowski threw a touchdown pass earlier to ex-Packer wide receiver, Louis Lipps. Lipps touchdown helped the Packers pull out a 21 to 6 lead.
Right: The face of the Vikings defense, future star Bryan Cox who was vested last season with the team's franchise prospects, showed up on his first game of the season with this interception of Don Majkowski. The pick came with 7:56 left in the 3rd quarter. The Vikings would capitalize off of the turnover with a 46 yard Donald Igwebuke field goal.


Left: On the first drive of the game ex-Eagle Eric Allen picked the ball off for his first interception as a Green Bay Packer.
Right: Terry Allen did a solid job in his first real start as the no-questions-asked starter for the Vikings at runningback. This 8 yard touchdown run finally broke the Vikings inability in the redzone to punch it to paydirt, and made the score 28 to 16.


Left: Mike Tomczak was under constant pressure throughout the day as the Vikings offensive line struggled to defend against the Green Bay Packers rush. On this play the lineman were about to knock down Tomczak but he managed to get this pass off to Cris Carter.
Right: Cris Carter made the catch and turned it up to the end zone on this 7 yard touchdown pass. The score would make the scoreboard read 28 to 23 Packers with only 27 seconds left in the game with 2 timeouts for the Vikings. However, unfortunately for them they couldn't recover the onside kick and the game was lost despite a valiant effort at a comeback.


Game Notes
--------------------------------------------
-Overall was a pretty good game.
-The Vikings really struggled in the redzone early and that essentially cost them the game
-Both teams did well and the Vikings offense struggled a little bit as I believe they should've due to the improved passing defense of the Packers iwth the addition of Eric Allen.

[young2rice]

1992 - Week 1 Wrap up
==========================================


News & Notes
========================================
Career Firsts
-------------------
-Chargers QB - Brad Johnson - 1st Passing TD
-Falcons WR - Carl Pickens - 1st Receiving TD
-Redskins - WR - Desmond Howard - 1st Receiving TD
-Saints - TE - Mark Chmura - 1st Receiving TD


Complaining About Not Starting
-----------------------------------
-Bills - SS - Mark Kelso
-Broncos - DE - Rueben Davis
-Browns - HB - Barry Word
-Chargers - HB - Ronnie Harmon
-Cowboys - HB - Alonzo Highsmith
-Cowboys - SS - Terry Hoage
-Dolphins - HB - Mike Rozier
-49ers - QB - Steve Young
-Giants - FS - Myron Guyton
-Raiders - C - Dan Turk
-Rams - HB - Cleveland Gary
-Saints - MLB - Vaughn Johnson
-Seahawks - HB - Rueben Mayes
-Steelers - FS - Solomon Wilcots
-Oilers - HB - Lorenzo White
-Vikings - FS - Ken Stills


Players of the Week
---------------------------------------------------
Offensive Player of the Week
Raiders - WR - Willie Gault - 8 Rec - 14.3 Avg - 115 Yds - 3 TD - 0 Drop

Defensive Player of the Week
Jets - CB - James Hasty - 9 Tak - 1 Loss - 1 FF - 2 Int - 1 TD

Top 3 Performances
================================
QB
========
1. Cardinals - Timm Rosenbach - 12 of 20 Att - 60% - 247 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int - 136.8 Rat - 4 RAtt - 6.5 Avg - 26 Yds - 0 TD
2. Broncos - John Elway- 16 of 30 Att - 53% - 151 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int - 89.7 Rat
3. Lions - Dave Kreig- 14 of 30 Att - 46% - 249 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Int - 83.8 Rat

HB
=========
1. Bears - Neal Anderson - 29 Att - 3.8 Avg - 112 Yds - 3 TD -
2. Cardinals - Johnny Johnson - 23 Att - 6.5 Avg - 151 Yds - 1 TD - 1 Rec - 0 Yds
3. Bengals - Herschel Walker - 26 Att - 2.6 Avg - 70 Yds - 0 TD - 3 Rec - 36.0 Avg - 108 Yds - 1 TD

WR
=========
1. Lions - WR - Richard Johnson - 7 Rec - 25.2 Avg - 177 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Drop
2. Seahawks - Brian Blades - 6 Rec - 24.6 Avg - 148 Yds - 1 TD - 0 Drop
3. Colts - Bill Brooks - 11 Rec - 14.9 Avg - 164 Yds - 1 TD - 3 Drop

DL
=========
1. Oilers - Ray Childress - 6 Tak - 1 Loss - 4 Sacks
2. Patriots - Brent Williams - 8 Tak - 3 Loss - 1 Sack - 1 FF
3. Cardinals - Freddie Joe Nunn - 3 Tak - 1 Sack - 1 FR

LB
=========
1. Lions - Michael Cofer - 10 Tak - 3 Loss - 1 Int - 2 Deflect
2. Chargers - Junior Seau - 8 Tak - 1 Loss - 1 Int - 2 Deflect
3. Seahawks - Johnny Rembert - 12 Tak - 2 Loss - 1 Sack

DB
=========
1. Jets - James Hasty - 9 Tak - 1 FF - 2 Int - 1 TD
2. Bengals - Jimmy Spencer - 10 Tak - 8 Deflect
3. Redskins - Martin Mayhew - 10 Tak - 7 Deflect



Injuries
===================================

[T.Dot]

following, GREAT chise

[young2rice]

nots of injuries but that's football for ya

Yeah definately, and there's a couple big ones coming up too. Sucks for the Browns, lost Bernie Kosar then their rookie backup Ty Detmer. Down to Scott Campbell and Jeff Francis. Going to have them change that.

following, GREAT chise

Thanks!!! thrash:

[young2rice]

Raiders Sign Rookie D-Lineman

AP - Earlier this pre-season the Los Angeles Raiders suffered a key injury that is leaving their defensive line in question. Greg Townsend went down with a knee injury that would keep him out of the first 9 weeks worth of games. As a result the Raiders are down to only three defensive ends on the roster, and decided to change that earlier today.

The Los Angeles Raiders signed rookie free agent, Alonzo Spellman (77 Ovr), to a 6 year deal. The rookie was originally drafted in the 4th round of this years draft with the 24th overall pick by the Houston Oilers. The Oilers however had massive depth at all positions on their defensive line, and with the salary cap forcing them to make early cuts they had to let Spellman go without signing him to a contract. Not only did Spellman feel cheated when lesser prospects, Shane Dronett, Roy Barker, Chuck Smith, and Keith Hamilton were all taken ahead of him, but now he felt cheated out of a roster spot for the Oilers and has a chip on his shoulder. It would only take a matter of time though before a team came knocking on his door for his services, and the Raiders may have just made a very good move in picking him up.

The silver lining to Greg Townsend's injury is that this young prospect will get a chance to start in his first season in the NFL. If he can produce the way he did in college then Spellman may be able to make an impact. If he can't, either way he'll just be the stop-gap player this year until Townsend is healthy enough to return to the field. However the Raiders obviously have faith in him since they didn't sign him to a single year contract, and instead are in it for the long term with a 6 year $10.14 million dollar deal with a $1.44 million dollar signing bonus. The Raiders commitment to Spellman means that he will still see plenty of playtime even if Townsend does return from injury, and it will be up to Alonzo to commit his part of the agreement and produce on the field.

[young2rice]

Former Cardinal Returns

AP - Earlier this week the Phoenix Cardinals suffered a big injury during their 37 to 14 victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Cardinals middle linebacker Eric Hill (92 Ovr) suffered a torn hamstring injury that will most likely make him unavailable until around the 11th week of the regular season. So the Cardinals went to free agency to find a replacement, and they did in a familiar face.

The Cardinals drafted a young linebacker with their 1st round 5th overall selection in 1981 named E.J. Junior. Junior played very well for the, at the time, St. Louis Cardinals during his tenure there. He was not only a tackling machine but proved to be pretty good at rushing the quarterback as well as he had 24.5 sacks in his 8 seasons with the Cardinals, including 9.5 in 1984. He also managed to nab 5 interceptions in 1985, both years earning him a Pro Bowl visit. Then in 1989 he joined the Miami Dolphins where he was teaming up with starter John Offerdahl in a 3-4 defense as the 2nd middle linebacker. In 1989 he suffered an injury that kept him in only 12 games, but in 1990 he stepped it up. He had an 87 tackle, 5 sack, 2 interception year giving the Dolphins defense the boost they wanted from him. The following season Junior regressed to only a 72 tackle 1 sack season where he didn't show much flash that he was once capable of. With his contract expiring the Dolphins feared that at age 33 E.J. Junior had finally started to hit the invisible wall of decline in his career. So the Dolphins decided not to resign him and let him go in free agency where he sat.

It wasn't until the injury to Eric Hill that E.J. Junior finally got the call. Junior, one of the many solid linebackers still awaiting a team, ended up signing a 2 year deal with the Cardinals for $4.82 million dollars with a $600k signing bonus. The 2 year deal shows the Cardinals assurance that they are committed to giving Junior the respect that he deserves despite being 33 years old. Junior also has the rapport of being a former Cardinal as he will return to the team that made him who he is. Junior will most likely get to start as soon as possible since the Cardinals, like the Dolphins, run a 3-4 defense. Garth Jax will probably stay ahead of him but Junior will slide into that 2nd middle linebacker role he's been comfortable with for the past few years.

[young2rice]

1992 - Week 2 Wrap up
==========================================

Week 2 Games
-----------------------------------------------------
(0-1) - Vs - (1-0) = (3-17) - P.O.T.G. - HB - Christian Okoye (19 Att - 4.6 Avg - 88 Yds - 1 TD)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (17-16) - P.O.T.G. - HB - Rodney Hampton (25 Att - 3.4 Avg - 86 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Fum - 6 Rec - 11.8 Avg - 71 Yds)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (6-23) - P.O.T.G. - S - Larry Griffin (5 Tak - 1 FR - 3 Int - 2 Deflect)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (30-17) - P.O.T.G. - QB - Troy Aikman (26 of 41 Att - 63.4% - 230 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Int)
(1-0) - Vs - (0-1) = (16-27) - P.O.T.G. - HB - Ricky Watters (19 Att - 4.6 Avg - 87 Yds - 2 TD - 3 Rec - 9.3 Avg - 28 Yds)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (30-23) - P.O.T.G. - K - Chris Jacke (5 of 5 FG - 100% - 50 Lg - 1 of 1 XP - 100%)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (20-3) - P.O.T.G. - QB - Dan Marino (23 of 37 Att - 62.2% - 201 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int)
(0-1) - Vs - (0-1) = (12-28) - P.O.T.G. - WR - Andre Reed (8 Rec - 11.6 Avg - 93 Yds - 3 TD)
(1-0) - Vs - (1-0) = (26-10) - P.O.T.G. - HB - Marcus Allen (30 Att - 4.3 Avg - 128 Yds - 2 TD - 2 Rec - 9.0 Avg - 18 Yds)
(0-1) - Vs - (0-1) = (16-13 OT) - P.O.T.G. - K - Roger Ruzek (3 of 3 FG - 100% - 43 Lg - 1 of 1 XP - 100%)
(1-0) - Vs - (0-1) = (20-17 OT) - P.O.T.G. - QB - John Elway (25 of 33 Att - 75.8% - 215 Yds - 1 TD - 1 Int)
(0-1) - Vs - (0-1) = (14-33) - P.O.T.G. - QB - Marc Wilson (27 of 35 Att - 77.1% - 217 Yds - 3 TD - 2 Int - 2 R.Att - 1 Yd - 1 TD)
(1-0) - Vs - (0-1) = (17-13) - P.O.T.G. - HB - Neal Anderson (32 Att - 5.0 Avg - 161 Yds - 0 TD - 2 Rec - 4.5 Avg - 9 Yds)


Bye Weeks - Buccaneers / Browns




News & Notes
========================================
Career Firsts
-------------------
-Dolphins - DT - Brad Culpepper - 1st Sack
-Packers - ROLB - Eddie Robinson - 1st Sack
-Vikings - CB - Phillippi Sparks - 1st Interception


Complaining About Not Starting
-----------------------------------
Bears - FS - Markus Paul
Bengals - CB - Carl Carter
Browns - HB - Eric Metcalf
Cardinals - FS - Michael Zordich
Colts - DT - Sam Clancy
Oilers - G - Gregg Rakoczy
Oilers - OLB - Kevin Murphy
Patriots - CB - Rod McSwain
Redskins - CB - A.J. Johnson
Steelers - QB - Neil O'Donnell
Vikings - MLB - Henry Rolling


Players of the Week
---------------------------------------------------
Offensive Player of the Week
Bills - WR - Andre Reed - 8 Rec - 11.6 Avg - 93 Yds - 3 TD - 0 Drop

Defensive Player of the Week
Steelers - S - Larry Griffin - 5 Tak - 1 FR - 3 Int - 2 Deflect

Top 3 Performances
================================
QB
========
1. Seahawks - Marc Wilson - 27 of 35 Att - 77.1% - 217 Yds - 3 TD - 0 Int - 2 R.Att - 0.5 Avg - 1 Yd - 1 TD
2. Dolphins - Dan Marino - 23 of 37 Att - 62.2% - 201 Yds - 2 TD - 0 Int
3. Cowboys - Troy Aikman - 26 of 41 Att - 63.4% - 230 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Int

HB
=========
1. Raiders - Marcus Allen - 30 Att - 4.3 Avg - 128 Yds - 2 TD - 2 Rec - 9.0 Avg - 18 Yds
2. Rams - Ricky Watters - 19 Att - 4.6 Avg - 87 Yds - 2 TD - 3 Rec - 9.3 Avg - 28 Yds
3. Giants - Rodney Hampton - 25 Att - 3.4 Avg - 86 Yds - 2 TD - 1 Fum - 6 Rec - 11.8 Avg - 71 Yds - 0 TD

WR
=========
1. Bills - Andre Reed - 8 Rec - 11.6 Avg - 93 Yds - 3 TD - 0 Drop
2. Packers - Sterling Sharpe - 4 Rec - 26.8 Avg - 107 Yds - 1 TD - 0 Drop
3. Saints - Eric Martin - 4 Rec - 26.8 Avg - 107 Yds - 1 TD - 1 Drop

DL
=========
1. Redskins - Fred Stokes - 6 Tak - 2 Sack - 1 FR
2. Chiefs - Dan Saleaumua - 4 Tak - 2 Sacks
3. Redskins - George Hinkle - 2 Tak - 2 Sacks

LB
=========
1. Chargers - Leslie O'Neal - 12 Tak - 2 Sack - 1 FF - 1 FR - 2 Deflect
2. Bengals - Jack Del Rio - 13 Tak - 1 Sack - 1 FF - 1 FR - 1 Deflect
3. Saints - Pat Swilling - 15 Tak - 1 Sack - 1 Deflect

DB
=========
1. Steelers - Larry Griffin - 5 Tak - 1 FR - 3 Int - 2 Deflect
2. Packers - Jerry Holmes - 3 Tak - 1 Int - 3 Deflect - 1 TD
3. Vikings - Phillippi Sparks - 2 Int - 3 Deflect


Injuries
===================================

[young2rice]

Don Beebe Finds New Home

AP - Don Beebe was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 3rd round of the 1989 NFL Draft but he has struggled to make a name for himself there. Becoming a cap casualty was unfortunately on his itinerary this past off-season and he has sat in free agency, until today.

Don Beebe started off his career well with a 17 catch 317 yard 2 touchdown rookie year with limited playing time. However he followed it up with a single touchdown 100-some yard season in 1990 that left much to be desire. The following year he had only 7 catches for 54 yards with the Bills as another ookie, Jeff Graham basically started to take over his role that he was initially drafted for. With Graham's success, Steve Tasker's consistency, and the addition of Raghib Ismail and Mike Pritchard, Don Beebe was essentially bullied out of a roster spot. Without a roster spot Beebe was cut, and so ended his attempt at a legacy in Buffalo.

This off-season Beebe sat through free agency unsigned, with only minor interest from the 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints after Jimmy Smith's pre-season injury. However neither followed through, and Beebe remained unsigned. Finally the big-break happened for him though as the Los Angeles Rams came knocking on the door with a 3 year $4.23 million dollar contract with a $690,000 signing bonus. Beebe will join the Rams and become the team's 4th receiver, what he was his rookie year in Buffalo where he had his best numbers.

Beebe will be sitting behind Henry Ellard, Willie Anderson, and youngster Keenan McCardell taking his slot above Aaron Cox and hopefully putting up numbers. With Jim Everett's penchant for passing he should have a solid year and hopefully live up to his potential when he was originally drafted.

[young2rice]

Saints Trade For Steve Walsh

AP - In the wake of an injury to the Saints starting quarterback, Bobby Herbert the Saints needed to find a remedy. With Steve Walsh creating a hubbub in Tampa Bay saying that he wants his shot to start, it was only natural that the disgruntled quarterback was the first that came to mind.

Bobby Herbert went down with an injury that will keep him out for about half of the Saints season and the team needs to act quickly. Unfortunately for the Saints they only have one other quarterback on the roster in 25 year old Dan McGwire. McGwire was drafted last year by the Saints to be their backup quarterback and threw 7 passes on the season completing 4 for 77 yards and 1 touchdown during his limited play time. While McGwire did show signs of improving the Saints don't want to take the chance that the untested rookie would get injured and the Saints would be left with no other quarterbacks on the roster.

In order to appease the team the Saints ended up trading away backup tight end John Tice (74 Ovr) and their 3rd round pick of the 1992 NFL Draft to the Buccaneers for quarterback Steve Walsh (77 Ovr).

Steve Walsh was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1989 NFL Supplemental draft as the 1st overall selection. The youngster saw some play time but struggled with a 1,371 yard 5 touchdown 9 interception year. The next season he spent the entire time behind Troy Aikman who took every snap for the Cowboys in 1990 and he decided to not re-sign when his contract was up in order to go somewhere else. Walsh went to the Buccaneers where he sat behind Vinny Testaverde who actually had a decent year. This season he was poised to remain the backup but with the drafting of Dave Brown (75 Ovr) and the continued resigning of John Fourcade (72 Ovr) Walsh wasn't feeling the love. Steve Walsh wanted out of the crowded quarterback depth chart in Tampa and began to make it known to media outlets. Luckily for him his talking managed to not fall on deaf ears as the Saints were glad to pick him up.

Walsh will join the Saints and will most likely be the starter after a week or two. McGwire might have to play since he is more familiar with the system but Walsh is supposed to be more talented so he may supplant McGwire in time before Herbert returns. Either way, Walsh should get his desired starting time that he's been looking for since 1989.

Trade Summary
New Orleans Sends
Tampa Bay Sends

[Aso]

So will Walsh be a backup when Herbert comes back or is there a chance he could remain the starter?