1972 vs. 2004: A tough call
A popular viewpoint is that even if the Patriots break the NFL record for consecutive victories (18) by winning their next two games, what the Miami Dolphins did in 1972 would still be considered a superior feat.
Agreed, but it's not a slam dunk.
The '72 Dolphins won all 17 of their regular-season and playoff games (they also won their first game of '73) and certainly faced tough teams in the
postseason (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Washington), but Miami was the only team in the AFC East with a winning record and beat only two teams with winning records (the Giants and Chiefs, who were 8-6) in the regular season. Last week's Patriots opponent, Arizona, might be the worst team in the league, but there are six other winless teams in the league entering today's action that aren't the doormats that existed in '72, when there seemed to be more of a delineation between good teams and bad-to-mediocre teams.
In their 17-game winning streak, the Patriots have won six regular-season games against teams that finished with a winning record. The parity of the league should be considered in this argument. Consider the current 0-2 teams. How bad are they?
There are the defense-oriented teams -- Tampa Bay, Miami, Buffalo, and Arizona -- that can't score to save their lives, and the offense-oriented ones -- Houston, Kansas City, and San Francisco -- that can't seem to stop anyone from marching down the field. But all of them are very much "on any given Sunday" teams, which could turn their fortunes around in a snap.
The Chiefs can still score. Granted, former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson might be getting the last laugh somewhere because Gunther Cunningham hasn't yet upgraded with his new schemes. Dick Vermeil had it wrong when he said running back Larry Johnson had to "take the diapers off." It's his defense that needs to at least reach puberty.
Jon Gruden is getting tomatoes thrown at him in Tampa Bay by holdout Keenan McCardell, whose case for a big contract gets better each day. Offense is supposed to be Gruden's strength, but his offense has yet to score a touchdown. The defense has allowed only 26 points.
If there's a turnaround ahead for the Bucs, it could happen as early as today when Gruden returns to Oakland. "I'm sure I'll get booed like hell," Gruden said. "I don't worry about it. I've got a lot of friends who will be sitting in the stands -- the Terminator and the Axe-Grinder, whatever those guys' names were. Those are guys I had a relationship with. Hopefully they don't forget that, but I'm not going to get caught up in it. I look forward to going there and competing, because we need to find a way to win a game."
The Texans, who were a popular preseason sleeper pick, can score but can't protect. In Buffalo (where the Patriots play next week), the Bills have been doing some self-scouting. Their failure is music to the ears of Drew Bledsoe bashers in these parts. The Bills' two losses, to Jacksonville and Oakland, have come by a total of 6 points.
"We have no choice but to turn it around and find a way," said Bills president/general manager Tom Donahoe. "Our problems have to do with the inconsistency of the offense. That's what we're trying to get solved. It's not just on Drew. Everyone's got to do a little bit better job on offense."
Asked whether running back Willis McGahee will get a bigger role, Donahoe said, "He's coming along, getting closer and closer to 100 percent. I'm sure as the season goes on the coaches will find a bigger role for him. He's not where he wants to be yet, but he's getting there. We're pleased with his play when he's had his opportunities to play."
The Dolphins got good news when they won their arbitration case against Ricky Williams, who has to pay back $8.6 million. Could it be he comes back to the game just for a paycheck or will he declare bankruptcy, as he threatened to do if he lost the case? Short of Williams returning, Miami's offensive woes start at quarterback. Coach Dave Wannstedt went with A.J. Feeley in the second game, a 16-13 loss to Cincinnati. The players appear to want Jay Fiedler, and until either Feeley emerges or the change is made back to Fiedler, the Dolphins won't have their house in order on offense.
The 49ers lost a 2-point game to Atlanta and a 3-point game to New Orleans. It'll be tough to break out against Seattle.
The Cardinals' defense gave the Rams all they could handle in a 17-10 loss and hung in against the Patriots in a 23-12 loss. They're not going to beat elite defensive teams, but they'll win their share of games.
In 2004, even the bad NFL teams aren't that bad. So if the Patriots tie or break the record, it may be a more significant achievement than some are giving them credit for.
Steelers put it in Roethlisberger's hands
With the Patriots having set the trend of young quarterbacks replacing older ones, one wonders whether Steelers rookie Ben Roethlisberger will take the reins for good from Tommy Maddox, who is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with torn tendons in his right elbow. Maddox, of course, has been through far worse -- the temporary paralysis and concussion he suffered two years ago being the topper.
Roethlisberger makes $9 million as a No. 1 draft pick, but Maddox insisted, "I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about this team going down and beating Miami."
Of course, guard Alan Faneca didn't help the situation when he responded to a question at midweek about whether he was excited about Roethlisberger's first start. "Do you want to go work with a young kid that just got out of college?" he said.
Faneca didn't like the way that looked in print, so he spoke to the rookie and all seemed well.
"It was just made a bigger deal than it was," Roethlisberger said. "Obviously, no one really wants to go out there with a rookie quarterback. Especially someone like Alan, who's great friends with Tommy. They room together."
Lining up a new experience for Fontenot
A great example of longevity and perseverance is Steve DeBerg, who played quarterback in the NFL until he was 45 and was considered a player-coach in Tampa Bay and Atlanta. The Bengals have a similar situation with 37-year-old center Jerry Fontenot, who started last Sunday vs. Miami.
Fontenot, who was released by the Saints Sept. 5 after starting every game for them from 1999-2003, got a call last Tuesday from Cincinnati offensive line coach Paul Alexander, whose line has been hit hard by injuries.
Fontenot first had to skirt Hurricane Ivan by driving his family from New Orleans to Lafayette, La., out of harm's way, then took a Wednesday flight to Cincinnati, signed a contract Thursday, and was starting against the Dolphins Sunday.
"I was rushed out to practice after signing my deal and I think some of the guys thought I was a coach because I was in street clothes," said Fontenot, who has already earned the nickname "Gramps" from left guard Eric Steinbach.
"We were wondering," Steinbach told reporters, "Is he an assistant coach or a player? We were giving him some grief about that. But not many people in the league can do what he did. It's a whole new system, and he learned it in three days. Hats off to him.
"It's great to have a guy with that experience and knowledge to come in and play like that. He's a seasoned veteran."
Fast starters
If Rams quarterback Marc Bulger beats the Packers today, he'll be 20-5 in his first 25 starts in the NFL, tied for the third-best start in NFL history with former teammate Kurt Warner. The best 25-game record belongs to Miami's Dan Marino, 21-4. That's followed by Pat Haden at 20-4-1, Warner at 20-5, and Ken Stabler at 19-5-1.
The numbers didn't lie
It evidently was not a pleasant week at Packers practice after their 21-10 loss to the Bears. Coach Mike Sherman had emphasized to his team that if you give up a defensive touchdown, there's a strong chance you will lose. Mike Eayrs, the Packers' director of research and development, compiled data that showed that teams that scored a defensive touchdown went 62-19 last season, a 76.5 winning percentage. In the first two weeks of this season, teams that scored a defensive touchdown were 8-1. Sure enough, Chicago's Mike Brown picked up Ahman Green's fumble and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown last Sunday, and the Packers lost. In Sherman's five years as the Packers head man, his teams are 10-0 when they score a defensive touchdown, 3-6 when when they give one up.
Marquee matchup
A superb quarterback matchup today: Green Bay's Brett Favre vs. Indianapolis's Peyton Manning. "Both of these guys show up for every game," said Colts coach Tony Dungy. "They're both extremely smart. You're not going to rattle them. They are both franchise quarterbacks."
Fortunate son
You've got to love Saints defensive end Charles Grant's honesty in referring to three "lucky" plays that helped New Orleans in a 30-27 win over the 49ers last Sunday. When a reporter asked about luck, Grant said, "That's a part of football. You didn't get lucky to get this job, did you? Luck happens. I wish I could get a lottery ticket and win $475 million. I'll take it, and I ain't giving it back. We're 1-1, baby, and that's all that counts."
Brown is down -- again
Talk about a bad-luck career. The Browns' Courtney Brown, the first overall pick in 2000, has gone on injured reserve for the fourth straight season. His latest problem is a torn ligament in his left foot that required surgery. He's out for the season, but he told coach Butch Davis, "I'll be back. I'll be back in there in a couple of days rehabbing." Said Davis, "He's a remarkable kid."
Shockey treatment
The worst choice of words had to come from Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey, who described his role of "move man," which requires a lot of blocking assignments, as "tomfoolery." Shockey claims he didn't mean it as a shot at coach Tom Coughlin, but he did express concerns, considering that he fancies himself a pass catcher. "The idea of moving and trying to trick people, tomfoolery, that's not me," said Shockey. "I don't want to fool people by motioning and backing up. I want to line up and take people on. It's a different offense. I'll get comfortable with it. I'm not comfortable with it now. I'm not playing full speed. It seems like I'm playing not to make a mistake."
Book reviewing
"Patriots Reign" is a tremendous effort by former colleague Michael Holley, whose year-plus behind-the-scenes access to the Patriots provides insights on why they, and Bill Belichick in particular, have been so successful. Looks like a movie in the making to this reporter. Puzzling, however, is why the Patriots would provide Holley with Bill Parcells's phone records from New Orleans during the 1996 Super Bowl, a sign that the "border wars" didn't end when everyone claimed they had. Puzzling, too, why Belichick would pile on by blasting his former mentor for causing a distraction at that game and calling Parcells's conversations with potential suitors "inappropriate." Belichick must have gotten over it quickly, because he tagged along when Parcells joined the Jets just a few weeks later. The book certainly shows the cutthroat nature of the sport. Patriots coaches lambaste their own players (poor Patrick Pass) and the emotional hammer that Belichick hits his team with by releasing Lawyer Milloy at the start of the '03 season. One wonders now whether the Patriots could have gone 16-0 if the team had not been rattled by the Milloy incident. Holley deserves credit. Usually these all-access projects are glorified puff pieces steered by the team. Holley gave us a truthful picture -- good, bad, and ugly -- of what building a champion team entailed.
Charging ahead
Remember "Targeting September"? Well, Jets coach Herm Edwards targeted a 2-0 start and got it. "I said, `We're going to put it all in those two games,' " Edwards said. "We've got two games in the bank. We've never done that around here. We're always using a credit card, trying to get out of debt."
Light show
The Globe Magazine and Matt Light's "Casino Night" to benefit the Light Foundation is Oct. 4 at Barmakian Jewelers in Framingham. For tickets, call 617-423-6000 or go to www.nextticketing.com/mlight. The night features special guest Phil Gordon of TV's "
Material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.
