QB MATTHEW STAFFORD (95) - A young Elway, bazooka arm and quick feet, still learning
HB MICHAEL BENNETT (89) - Superlative speed and strength, perfect fit for the offense
FB REUBEN DROUGHNS (76) - Picked off the scrapheap, has great speed, improving
WR1 MARTY BOOKER (89) - Strong and with great hands
WR2 CHARLES ROGERS (99) - The sky is the limit for this fabulously gifted youngster
WR3 JARRETT DILLARD (90) - Hulking and super-fast, hands a bit of a question mark
TE TEYO JOHNSON (74) - Great speed, still a bit raw
LT JEFF BACKUS (94) - Not dominating, but technically accomplished
LG KRAIG URBIK (81) - Behemoth is beginning to really improve
C ALEX MACK (89) - Mighty youngster has HOF potential
RG DALLAS REYNOLDS (84) - Super-strong road-grader is also technically adept
RT STOCKAR McDOUGLE (90) - Very strong, lot of potential, emerging
LE MICHAEL STRAHAN (91) - Incredible pass-rushing talent, plays the run well too
RE ROBERT PORCHER (89) - Great strength and an accomplished pass-rusher
DT SHAUN ROGERS (94) - Good agility and leaping skills
DT AARON BAKER (91) - Amazing agility and great strength
LOLB BOSS BAILEY (92) - Accomplished veteran is very fast with superlative acceleration
MLB NAPOLEON HARRIS (97) - Very fast and very strong, great leader
ROLB SCOTT McKILLOP (90) - Young, fast, strong and mean, what's not to like?
CB1 CHARLES WOODSON (94) - At last, a true shutdown corner
CB2 PATRICK SURTAIN (95) - And another true shutdown guy to pair with him
CB3 DRE' BLY (85) - Accomplished cover guy
FS VONTAE DAVIS (83) - Great agility and acceleration, still pretty green
SS MIKE CARTER (96) - Fabulous speed, hits like a truck
K SAM SWANK (93) - Big legged youngster walks the walk
P KEVIN HUBER (95) - Brilliant youth with enormous kicking power
0-7 Johnson 80 yard TD reception
3-7 Swank 23 yard FG
10-7 Rogers 15 yard TD reception
10-14 Johnson 27 yard TD reception
10-21 Gibson 63 yard INT return
10-23 Safety
10-30 Lankford 5 yard TD run
17-30 Rogers 38 yard TD reception
24-30 Surtain 16 yard INT return
24-36 Johnson 21 yard TD reception
(2 point conversion failed)
31-36 Rogers 6 yard TD reception
39-36 Bennett 3 yard TD run
(2 point conversion run)
Our undefeated hopes hung by the thinnest of threads in the second half trailing 30-10 to the upstart CARDS but somehow MATTHEW STAFFORD and CHARLES ROGERS willed the LIONS to victory.
It wasn't though until MICHAEL BENNETT burst round left end for the go ahead TD with seconds remaining that we had the lead. The previous play STAFFORD had hit MARTY BOOKER on 4th and LONG with seconds remaining with the deep ball all the way to the 3 in a play that will live forever in the hearts of LIONS fans.
VONTAE DAVIS iced it with an INT in the closing seconds.
BRYANT JOHNSON had set the tone for a dominating day (he finished with 6 catches for 216 yards and 3 TDs, regularly toasting CHARLES WOODSON) with an 80 yard score early on but the LIONS hung in there and took the lead.
It all began to get a bit nasty though when, trailing by only 4 and with seconds remaining in the first half, STAFFORD's pass was returned for a score to give ARIZONA a 21-10 lead.
The second half then started with a safety and another ARIZONA TD and it looked all over at 30-10.
But a swift ROGERS TD - he would go on to finish with 9 catches for 134 yards and 3 TDs then a SURTAIN INT TD brought DETROIT right back into it.
It wasn't until the very final seconds though that this one was decided.
STAFFORD finished 21 of 36 for 325 yards, 4 TDs and 3 INTs in a somewhat erratic but ultimately effective day.
BENNETT added 17 carries for 93 yards.
CARDS QB ED ALDERMAN completed 17 of 30 for 313 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs.
Giddy with relief after the miraculous escape last week, DETROIT steamrollered NEW ORLEANS en route to a dominating victory.
STAFFORD was gunning early and often and ended up 20 of 29 for 391 yards, 4 TDs and an INT.
ROGERS had 4 catches for 114 yards and 2 TDs and DILLARD added 5 grabs for 135 yards and a score.
STAFFORD had 342 yards passing and all 4 TDs by halftime. He could have probably finished with 600 if he had wanted to. In the second half the LIONS just handed it off relentlessly to BENNETT who pounded it out to the tune of 18 carries for 147 yards and 3 TDs.
The LIONS ended up putting up 66 points with ease.
McKILLOP, BAILEY and DAVIS added interceptions in a fabulous all-round performance. DRE' BLY knocked AARON BROOKS out of the game with a vicious hit to complete the agony for the SAINTS.
DETROIT made history as the first ever 19-0 team in a victory crowned by STAFFORD winning MVP for his 14 of 21 for 335 yards and 3 TDs performance.
The final scoreline makes this one look close, but the truth is DETROIT were blowing out BUFFALO before getting a little lazy and taking their foot off the gas. BUFFALO responded with three quick scores and would actually have had the opportunity to tie it up had JOSH NORMAN not recovered a final onside kick.
MARTY BOOKER was the hero at WR with 4 catches for 121 yards and a TD although CHARLES ROGERS added 3 for 123 yards and 2 TDs to complete a superb post-season.
BAILEY and STRAHAN enjoyed sacks while SURTAIN added an INT.
BLEDSOE finished 23 of 39 for 297 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, although nearly all his yards came against the prevent defense.
So now amid the glory and accolades of our undefeated season, it seems as good a time as any to stop this little exercise in historical revisionism. We have mapped out an alternative history in which DETROIT, rather than finishing a possible 0-16, could instead have gone 19-0.
All it took was some great draft choices and some inspired FA signings
We will do the final off-season and then call it a day.
Thanks everyone for their interest, it's been fun!
Robert Porcher
Plaxico Burress
Shawn Springs
Terry Fair
PORCHER had a superb career, concluding with 901 tackles, 138 sacks and 2 PRO BOWLS.
Insert a joke of your choice about BURRESS.
FAIR had a nice career too, particularly given we picked him up off the scrapheap at the beginning of this, he concludes it with 442 tackles and 21 INTs, and regular readers will recall some crucial INTs in playoff games.
We take a big DT ranked 77 and with strength 89 in the first. There wasn't much else available in terms of talent and he fills a need for our 3rd DT/DE.
Also we have renamed our HB from last year CHRIS WELLS.
Not only was your 2008 season dramatically different from the Lions' feeble efforts this year, your star receiver is also having a much worse time of it in real life:
http://www.freep.com/article/20081209/SPORTS01/812090377/1048/sports
Toricda, thanks for bringing all of those days from 1985-1990 back, when my entire life after school would be consumed by imaginary teams who would be undefeated for years, imaginary players who were the greatest Hall of Famers of all-time, and the small fire of pride that would burn low but hot after each victory.
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