QB KERRY COLLINS (89) - Big-armed, slow-footed veteran gets the start for the playoffs
HB JAMES STEWART (84) - Veteran grinder has power but not a lot of speed
FB CORY SCHLESINGER (86) - Ancient battler starts in the playoffs before retiring
WR1 CHARLES ROGERS (94) - The sky is the limit for this fabulously gifted youngster
WR2 DENNIS NORTHCUTT (80) - Nimble, speedy, smurf-like
WR3 AZ-ZAHIR HAKIM (79) - The diminutive speedster will line up in the slot
TE MIKHAEL RICKS (75) - Adequate receiver, not much of a blocker
LT JEFF BACKUS (87) - Not dominating, but technically accomplished
LG WALLY WILLIAMS (80) - Solid veteran starts on the left this year
C DOMINIC RAIOLA (83) - Skilled without being overpowering
RG LEON SEARCY (78) - Ancient smashmouth mauler
RT STOCKAR McDOUGLE (81) - Very strong, lot of potential, but still pretty green
LE MICHAEL STRAHAN (98) - Incredible pass-rushing talent, plays the run well too
RE ROBERT PORCHER (90) - Great strength and an accomplished pass-rusher
DT LUTHER ELLISS (90) - Solid, strong, run-stopper
DT SHAUN ROGERS (89) - Good agility and leaping skills
LOLB BOSS BAILEY (80) - Very raw but very fast with superlative acceleration
MLB EARL HOLMES (90) - Not the fastest, but a big hitter
ROLB BARRETT GREEN (76) - Solid but not great speed
CB1 DRE' BLY (84) - Accomplished cover guy
CB2 TERRY FAIR (75) - The fastest of our CBs starts opposite BLY
CB3 JURAN BOLDEN (77) - Physical nickelback without top-notch speed
FS RONNIE BRADFORD (81) - Has good speed, smart
SS DONOVAN DARIUS (91) - Distinguished veteran adds touch of class to the secondary
K JASON HANSON (89) - Respected veteran K
P JOHN JETT (85) - Doesn't have the biggest leg
Although the future clearly belongs to bazooka-armed young MATTHEW STAFFORD, we will go with the veteran KERRY COLLINS for the playoff run, he offers us the best chance to win now.
This is a team that has some smashmouth in it with JAMES STEWART grinding out the tough yards, elderly CORY SCHLESINGER starting at FB for the playoffs before retiring (REUBEN DROUGHNS is the future), and ancient roadgraders WALLY WILLIAMS and LEON SEARCY at G.
It also has some real speed at WR with ROGERs, NORTHCUTT and HAKIM, so it'll be interesting to see how these two styles combine.
The D should be pretty good, STRAHAN adds a huge dimension, and BOSS BAILEY is really emerging. Although the right side of the secondary (FS RONNIE BRADFORD and CB TERRY FAIR) are not highly-rated, they are feisty.
JASON HANSON starts one last run at K, young SAM SWANK will take over next year.
Trust me, D-Kev, thinking that Mike Bradley is a good player is truly original.
Bah.. me and his dad.. We should take this discussion elsewhere..
I should show you posts I made on other message boards during the Gold Cup ('07)and U-20 where I was bashing young Bradley- and I was insulted by how he 'earned' his first senior cap (remember he was training with the team- then Bruce put him into a friendly before other players who earned the right to be there, etc.). I never liked Bradley and always preferred Szetela for the U-17, U-20 and others for the senior team. But a 17 goal season clouded my vision and my judgment- is it too late to go back?
All along Heerenveen is just the Run and Gun of the Dutch league- Bradley was just David Klingler for a season.
A thrilling come from behind victory for the LIONS. The EAGLES were leading 31-28 with goal to go with time running out, and a TD would surely have put the game out of DETROIT's reach. But a TD was called back on a penalty, the LIONS D held, and a FG made the EAGLES lead six points. KERRY COLLINS took the LIONS straight down the field for the go-ahead score and EARL HOLMES iced it with a fumble recovery. A CHRIS CASH INT concluded the game.
Earlier, the LIONS had raced to a 14-0 lead. COLLINS got hurt on the first drive and HARRINGTON came in to throw a score, and the EAGLES then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and TERRENCE HOLT recovered it. When STEWART bowled over it was 14-0 and the LIONS were in wonderland.
But McNABB was able to bring the EAGLES back and put them in a position to win it. He finished 15-17 for 195 yards, 3 TDs and an INT. He also had 51 yards rushing on 8 carries and a score.
COLLINS finished 16 of 26 for 291 yards, 3 TDs and 3 INTs. At one point he threw consecutive INTs but kept battling!
NORTHCUTT had 4 catches for 110 yards and a score, ROGERS had 4 catches for 94 yards and a TD, and RICKS had 4 catches for 55 yards and two scores.
0-7 Driver 76 yard TD reception
7-7 Ricks 4 yard TD reception
7-14 Green 4 yard TD reception
14-14 Northcutt 13 yard TD reception
17-14 Hanson 48 yard FG
24-14 Stewart 3 yard TD run
24-21 Green 1 yard TD run
31-21 Stewart 19 yard TD run
38-28 Walker 9 yard TD reception
31-35 Luchey 3 yard TD reception
38-35 Rogers 74 yard TD reception
A stellar, glorious victory for the suddenly surging LIONS. Early on they had trouble with GREEN BAY's high-octane attack but hung in there and a brutal surging 19 yard score from rejuvenated workhorse JAMES STEWART saw them take a ten point lead.
The PACK however came right back with two quick scores and the affair was not settled until CHARLES ROGERS burst free and sped 74 yards for the game-winning score.
KERRY COLLINS was MVP for the contest finishing 20 of 34 for 315 yards and 3 TDs.
JAMES STEWART had 13 rushes for 73 yards and 2 TDs.
ROGERS had 4 catches for 103 yards and a score, while HAKIM added 3 for 77 and NORTHCUTT had 3 for 54.
BRETT FAVRE completed 28 of 45 for 477 yards, 4 TDs and a single INT, from RONNIE BRADFORD.
GREEN and ROGERS contributed sacks for the LIONS D.
So the LIONS will now travel to sunny TAMPA, FLORIDA, for the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME against the 12-4 TAMPA BAY BUCS, and the way DETROIT had been playing of late, they might even be favourites!
More enormous drama as the BUCS came flying back from two scores down to tie it in the closing seconds, but KERRY COLLINS wasn't done! With 20 seconds left in the ballgame, he got the LIONS into position for a long FG and HANSON nailed the 50 yarder to get DETROIT to the SUPER BOWL!
The LIONS beat the two-time reigning SUPER BOWL champs to get to the big game!
COLLINS concluded the contest MVP, completing 21 of 30 for 358 yards, 2 TDs and an INT.
ROGERS had 7 catches for 156 yards, while RICKS had 4 for 44 yards, HAKIM had 3 for 54 yards and a score, and DIXON had 3 for 72 yards and a score.
RONNIE BRADFORD had an incredible outing at his FS slot, he finished with 10 tackles, and seemed to make countless fingertip tackles to save potential TDs. ELLISS and ROGERS added sacks.
BRAD JOHNSON was 32 of 40 for 349 yards and 4 TDs.
JAMES STEWART made a fabulous play early in the game, brutally ploughing into SIMEON RICE and knocking him out of the contest.
0-7 Johnson 61 yard TD reception
3-7 Hanson 32 yard FG
3-10 Vinatieri 24 yard FG
6-10 Hanson 44 yard FG
6-17 Johnson 16 yard TD reception
12-17 Stewart 8 yard TD run
(2 point conversion run failed)
12-20 Vinatieri 50 yard FG
18-20 Northcutt 35 yard TD reception
(2 point conversion run failed)
Pure agony for the LIONS as they lose in the cruellest of circumstances. Despite being behind the whole game with BRADY hitting speedster BETHEL JOHNSON twice for scores, JAMES STEWART brought the LIONS within 5 on his fourth down TD run, although the subsequent two point conversion run failed.
An onside kick then failed and VINATIERI nailed a 50 yarder make the gap eight, but COLLINS hit NORTHCUTT for the TD and a two point conversion would have tied it! But STEWART was again stopped, leaving the LIONS down by two. With time running out, the LIONS attempted another onside kick... and miraculously got it! HAKIM recovered it! But they couldn't get the 20 yards or so they needed and COLLINS was sacked on fourth down to end the contest!
A desperately cruel end in a desperately cruel game, in another example of horror RONNIE BRADFORD made a superb interception in the fourth quarter that could have swung the game, but was hit and fumbled it!
COLLINS hit 18 of 31 for 246 yards, a TD and an INT. STEWART hammered 12 times for 41 yards and a score. NORTHCUTT had 5 grabs for 91 yards and a score.
BRADY was 14 of 24 for 259 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs (FAIR and BRADFORD). JOHNSON was MVP for his 4 catches for 121 yards and 2 TDs.
Troy Andrew
Ron Dixon
Wali Rainer
Eric Beverly
Jason Hanson
Barrett Green
Wally Williams
John Owens
Cory Redding
Victor Rogers
Curtis Keaton
Michael Thompson
Eric Kelly
Darren Hambrick
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