NFL 100 All-Time Team: Defensive Line and Linebackers

The reveal of the NFL 100 All-Time Team continued last night with the defensive line and linebackers. 14 defensive linemen and 12 linebackers made the team. 

Defensive Line

1.   Doug Atkins

2.   Buck Buchanan

3.   John Randle

4.   Bruce Smith

5.   Reggie White

6.   Bill Hewitt

7.   Gino Marchetti

8.   Joe Greene

9.   Deacon Jones

10. Merlin Olsen

11. Bob Lilly

12. Randy White

13. LeRoy Selmon

14. Alan Page

There's equal representation of ends and tackles. It should be noted that there's no significance in the order in which the players are revealed. That's clear here as Doug Atkins is perhaps the biggest surprise of the group. I was expecting that J.J. Watt would be one of the seven defensive ends. Howie Long? Michael Strahan? I'd have Carl Eller over Atkins but that's probably showing too much Vikings bias. Atkins is a Hall of Famer and was a disruptive player for most of his career. His 6'8" size was unique for that time. Actually, it's unique for any time. I remember Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton speaking to the difficulties of playing against him. I just don't see Atkins as one of the seven best defensive ends of the NFL's 100 seasons. 

Rumor has it that Gino Marchetti and Deacon Jones were the only unanimous choices. It's stunning that Reggie White and/or Bruce Smith weren't as well. 

Speaking of stunning, the clip shown during the program of Reggie White lifting and throwing Larry Allen was stunning. 

My biggest concern for this group heading into the reveal and during the program was Alan Page's presence on it. I felt that he was no-brainer. I hoped that John Randle would make it and knew that Page would. How could anyone keep the first defensive player to take home the league's MVP award off of such a list? Well, I was nervous when 13 defensive linemen had been revealed and no Page. I felt like the NFL Network, NFL Films, and everyone involved were pointing their bony, pointy fingers at me and saying "not today Viking-boy!" All was right when Alan Page was revealed. 

I always think of my father when players from the great University of San Francisco football teams are mentioned. So it was great to see Gino Marchetti take his much deserved place on this All-Time Team. My father was a USF student in the early 1950s when the Dons fielded one of the most talented football teams in college football history. Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, Bob St. Clair, and Dick Stanfel have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Burl Toler might've joined them in Canton if an injury in a college all-star game had ended his playing career. He did make a mark on the NFL as an official. Pete Rozelle worked as a student publicist in the USF Athletic Department. My father had classes and spoken often with Matson. Some of my best times with my father were spent talking about those wonderful Dons football teams. 

Linebackers

1.   Ray Lewis

2.   Derrick Brooks

3.   Junio Seau

4.   Dick Butkus

5.   Bobby Bell

6.   Willie Lanier

7.   Lawrence Taylor

8.   Joe Schmidt

9.   Chuck Bednarik

10. Ted Hendricks

11. Jack Ham 

12. Jack Lambert

The late 1960s Kansas City Chiefs sure had a fun defense. Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier, and Bobby Bell made this All-Time Team. Curley Culp, Jim Lynch, Johnny Robinson, Emmitt Thomas. Those Chiefs teams were as loaded as any of the great defenses that get most of the attention. As a Vikings fan, Bell is the player that got away in the NFL-AFL signing wars. I've often thought about how nicely Bobby Bell would've fit behind Jim Marshall, Alan Page, Gary Larsen, and Carl Eller. The Vikings had decent linebackers backing up that line. Bell was a great linebacker. 

I've often felt that Joe Schmidt was an overlooked and underrated player. It's silly to think of a Hall of Famer in that way but he's often a middle linebacker afterthought behind Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Bill George, etc. It's great to see him take his much-deserved place on this team. 

The banter between Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor during the program was fun. Actually, the banter between Taylor and everyone (especially Joe Greene) was hilarious. 

Chuck Noll was added to the list that will be ten coaches that will lead this team. 

1. Paul Brown

2. Bill Belichick

3. Chuck Noll

It looks like the defensive position groups don't warrant their own show like the offensive skill positions do. That's no surprise. Next week, the defensive backs will share the hour with the special teamers. Last week, the running backs had their own show. I'm certain that the receivers will get their own show. Each of the 10 quarterbacks will probably get an hour. 20 quarterbacks that didn't make the cut will probably get their own half hour shows. Last night, there was an hour to jam in 26 defensive players. It felt rushed. The last two Steelers linebackers were tossed out at the very end. Jack Ham and Jack Lambert deserved more attention than that. Especially with Joe Greene on the set. This is wonderful football programming but the rushed nature of last night's show was a problem. Especially compared to last week's more leisurely reveal of the running backs. 

Minnesota Vikings Mount Rushmore

This is another swing at a Minnesota Vikings Mount Rushmore. Typically, Mount Rushmores are used to separate the four best players, coaches, etc. from the rest. One of the cool things about Mount Rushmores is that you can mold them to your needs. I think often about the history of the Vikings. I think of my history with the team as well as the team's history in general. While in the midst of those thoughts recently, I was thinking about the most important, most influential people in the nearly 60 year history of the team. Those thoughts inevitably led to the narrowing of all those influential people to an easy four. A Mount Rushmore. So here's a Mount Rushmore of the Most Influential People in the History of the Minnesota Vikings.

1. Zygi Wilf-Wilf Family
2. Bud Grant
3. Max Winter
4. Fran Tarkenton

1. Zygi Wilf-Wilf Family. This is an easy one. The Vikings might not be playing their football games in Minnesota if it wasn't for the Wilf family. Red McCombs, the man who thankfully sold the team to the Wilfs, tried to bully a stadium out of the people of Minnesota. The Wilfs felt that a partnership with state and local governments was a better method. It was. Once a stadium financing partnership was achieved they could've whipped up a piece-o-shit stadium on the cheap like the Metrodome. Instead, they sought to build the best stadium in sports. It is. US Bank Stadium is a work of art. During stadium construction, the Wilfs started construction on a new training facility for their team. Winter Park might've been sparkling in 1981. It's been trash for decades. If the Vikings attracted free agents it was never for the amenities. The Vikings' TCO Performance Center might be the best team facility in the league. More important than appearances, the Wilfs have made the Minnesota Vikings a team and a business built on openness and inclusion. I've always been proud to be a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. I've never been more proud as I've been since the Wilf Family purchased the team in 2005.

2. Bud Grant. He's a Minnesota icon. As a kid, I always felt like the world was a better and safer place when I saw the coach on the sideline. There's no other person that screams "Minnesota Vikings" more than Grant.

3. Max Winter. He was the front person of the following five-member ownership group that brought the Vikings to Minnesota.

Max Winter
E. William Boyer
H.P. Skoglund
Ole Haugsrud
Bernard H. Ridder, Jr.

It's fairly safe to say that the Vikings became the Vikings because of these men, especially Winter. He'd been trying to get an NFL expansion team but the league wasn't interested in expanding. The league suddenly became interested in expanding when the AFL popped onto the professional football scene. Winter's group was originally aligned with the new league. They were so much aligned that the team was officially announced as one of the original eight teams and even took part in the first AFL draft. George Halas couldn't have an AFL threat in his own backyard so the NFL swooped in and stole the Vikings. Winter's desire for a professional football team and his preference for the NFL over the AFL made the Vikings the team that we know today. If he'd held to his commitment to the new league there'd still be a Minnesota Vikings but Fran Tarkenton would never have played for them.

4. Fran Tarkenton. Quarterback is the most important position in football. And Fran Tarkenton is the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. When I was an itty bitty Vikings fan I thought that Tarkenton would lead the team for eternity. I didn't really grasp the concept of football players aging out of the game. My team had a franchise quarterback then. They're still looking for the next one. There's been some contenders. Tommy Kramer was the first one that was supposed to be the next one. He had some great and thrilling moments but he could never stay on the field long enough. For most of the best years since the 1970s the Vikings have trotted out quarterbacks that were at the end of their careers. Warren Moon was fun for a couple years. Randall Cunningham was brilliant for a year. So was Brett Favre. Jeff George threw a beautiful ball. Daunte Culpepper and Teddy Bridgewater had something but injuries took it away. I don't what Christian Ponder was supposed to be. The Vikings had a franchise quarterback over 40 years ago. They're still looking for the next one.

Throwback Thursday: Thanksgiving 1962

This Flicker was originally posted May 22, 2014.

The Detroit Lions have struggled for most of the past fifty years. Those struggles have made it difficult to imagine a time when the team was great. And there really was a time when they were pretty great. The Lions were one of the dominant teams of the 1950s. They played in four NFL Championship games in the decade, winning three of them in 1952, '53, and '57. The Lions nearly carried the success of the 1950s into the 1960s.

In the 1960s, Vince Lombardi built the Green Bay Packers into one of the greatest teams in NFL history. From 1961-67, the Packers won five NFL titles. The Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960 NFL Championship game. In the locker room after the game, Lombardi promised his team that they would never again lose a postseason game. They never did. This was a great football team. Thirteen Hall of Fame players. One Hall of Fame coach. The Packers of the 1960s were so great that it's easy to forget about the other teams in the league. The Packers greatest challenge in the first three years of their dynasty came from within their own conference. In particular, it came from the Detroit Lions. In 1960, the Packers won the Western Conference with an 8-4 record. The Lions were second at 7-5. In 1961, the Packers won the Western Conference with an 11-3-1 record. The Lions were second at 8-5-1. In 1962, the Packers won the Western Conference with a 13-1 record. The Lions were second at 11-3. In each of the seasons, the Packers and Lions split their season series. The 1962 Green Bay Packers are considered by many the greatest teams of the great Lombardi teams. On October 7, the Packers defeated the Lions 9-7 in Green Bay. This was a game that the Lions strongly felt should have been theirs. So much so that the team was about to explode when the Packers came to Detroit for the Thanksgiving Day rematch. The Packers entered that game with an 18-game winning streak. They had won 11 straight league games, a championship game, and six exhibition games. The Packers were 10-0 on the season. The Lions were 8-2. The Lions defense swarmed all over the Packers runners, passers, and blockers on that Thanksgiving Day. 23-0 at the half with the defense scoring a touchdown and a safety. The 26-14 final score made the game seem much closer than it was. Packers quarterback Bart Starr was sacked 11 times in the game. The Packers offense was physically beaten in this game. It was a beating so thorough that receiver Max McGee asked of Starr in the Packers huddle, "Why don't you throw an incomplete pass and nobody will get hurt." His battered teammates were left laughing in the huddle. It was all that they could do. This was one of the few times during the Lombardi years that the Packers failed to match the intensity of their opponent. The beatdown by the Lions didn't keep the Packers down for long. They won the rest of their regular season games and defeated the New York Giants for their second straight championship. The Lions had to settle for another second place finish in the conference.

The Detroit Lions of the early 1960s were a very good team that happened to play in the long shadow of a truly great team. From 1960-62, they might have been the only team to give Lombardi's team a tough time on a consistent basis. The two teams split their games during that time. If not for those Packers teams, the Detroit Lions might have followed their great 1950s with an excellent start to the 1960s.

Pro Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Semifinalists

The Semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 were announced yesterday. The 25 modern-era semifinalists include three players in their first year of eligibility-safety Troy Polamalu, receiver Reggie Wayne, and linebacker Patrick Willis. The list also include four players that have been eligible for a while but are semifinalists for the first time-linebacker Carl Banks, running backs Fred Taylor and Ricky Watters, and defensive tackle Bryant Young. The remaining 18 semifinalists have reached this stage of the process as many as nine previous years.

Modern-era Semifinalists Breakdown:

Defense-14
-3 defensive linemen
-5 linebackers
-6 defensive backs

Offense-10
-3 running backs
-4 receivers
-4 offensive linemen

Special Teams-1

Class of 2020 Modern-era Player Semifinalists:

Steve Atwater, S – 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets | (Times as a Semifinalist: 9 – 2012-2020)

Carl Banks, LB – 1984-1992 New York Giants, 1993 Washington Redskins, 1994-95 Cleveland Browns | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2018-2020)

Tony Boselli, T – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve) | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2016-2020)

Isaac Bruce, WR – 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2015-2020)

LeRoy Butler, S – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2018-2020)

Alan Faneca, G – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals | (Times as a Semifinalist: 5 – 2016-2020)

Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2015-2020)

Steve Hutchinson, G – 2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2018-2020)

Edgerrin James, RB – 1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks | (Times as a Semifinalist: 6 – 2015-2020)

John Lynch, FS – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos | (Times as a Semifinalist: 8 – 2013-2020)

Clay Matthews, LB – 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2012, 2017, 2019-2020)

Sam Mills, LB – 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2016, 2019-2020)

Troy Polamalu, S – 2003-2014 Pittsburgh Steelers (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Simeon Rice, DE – 1996-2000 Arizona Cardinals, 2001-06 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2007 Denver Broncos, 2007 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2018, 2020)

Richard Seymour, DE/DT – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders | (Times as a Semifinalist: 3 – 2018-2020)

Steve Tasker, ST/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills | (Times as a Semifinalist: 7 – 2004, 2008-2010, 2012-13, 2020)

Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Zach Thomas, LB – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2019-2020)

Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2017-2020)

Ricky Watters, RB – 1992-94 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-97 Philadelphia Eagles, 1998-2001 Seattle Seahawks | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Patrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys | (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2020)

Bryant Young, DT – 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers | (Times as a Semifinalist: 1 – 2020)

***

The Modern-era players list will be reduced to 15 Finalists on Jan. 2, 2020.  The finalists will then be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting on “Selection Saturday,” on Feb. 1, 2020, the day before Super Bowl LIV. The Selection Committee will elect five Modern-Era players for the Class of 2020.

The Modern-era Class will be joined by the special Centennial Class to form a giant 2020 Hall of Fame Class of 2020 that could include as many as 20 players, coaches, and contributors. It's been my understanding that the Modern-era players will be inducted on the usual induction weekend in early August and the 15-member Centennial Class will be inducted during a special Centennial Celebration during the weekend of the league's September 17th birthday.

An early guess at the Modern-era Class looks something like this.

Troy Polamalu
Patrick Willis
Steve Hutchinson
Tony Boselli
Alan Faneca

That's very offensive line heavy but those are the five that most strike me as Hall of Famers. I felt that when they were playing. I feel that now. There's been a lot of debate about the safeties, especially Steve Atwater, John Lynch, and LeRoy Butler. Their candidacy has been a puzzle for me. That's probably because they've apparently been a puzzle for the voters. Atwater has now been a semifinalist for nine straight years. If he was such a strong candidate why did it take the voters eight years to finally nudge him into the semifinalist stage? Lynch had to only wait one year to be a semifinalist but that's nothing compared to the 12 years that Butler waited. The voters repeatedly passing on deserving Hall of Fame players is really no reason to push those players aside. If it were there'd be no need for a Senior selection process. There definitely wouldn't be a need for a Centennial Class. Players routinely slip past the voters. For now, I see the above offensive line heavy Class as the most deserving Class.

Speaking of players getting passed over, I'm glad that Carl Banks, Bryant Young, and Fred Taylor are finally getting their first shots at some real Hall of Fame consideration.

Congratulations to the 25 Semifinalists.

Flea Flicker Week 12 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the twelfth week of the season.

1.   Baltimore Ravens (9-2)
2.   New England Patriots (10-1)
3.   San Francisco 49ers (10-1)
4.   New Orleans Saints (9-2)
5.   Seattle Seahawks (9-2)
6.   Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
7.   Green Bay Packers (8-3)
8.   Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
9.   Houston Texans (7-4)
10. Buffalo Bills (8-3)
11. Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
12. Oakland Raiders (6-5)
13. Los Angeles Rams (6-5)
14. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)
15. Tennessee Titans (6-5)
16. Carolina Panthers (5-6)
17. Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
19  Cleveland Browns (5-6)
20. Chicago Bears (5-6)
21. New York Jets (4-7)
22. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7)
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
25. Atlanta Falcons (3-8)
26. Denver Broncos (3-8)
27. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)
28. Miami Dolphins (2-9)
29. Detroit Lions (3-7-1)
30. New York Giants (2-9)
31. Washington Redskins (2-9)
32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-11)

Until next week.

When The Vikings Return From Their Bye

The Minnesota Vikings are wrapping up their 12th week bye. It's a late bye but late is good in a long season. They travel next week to Seattle for a Monday night Week 13 date with the Seahawks. The NFL forced bye weeks on the teams and a football-watching nation in 1990. Here's how the Vikings have fared in their return from a bye.

1990: L: @ Green Bay 10-24
1991: W: @ Tampa Bay 26-24
1992: W: Detroit 31-14
1993: W: Green Bay 15-13
          W: @ Chicago 19-12
1994: W: Green Bay 13-10
1995: W: Houston 23-17
1996: L: Chicago 13-15
1997: W: @ Tampa Bay 13-6
1998: W: Washington 41-7
1999: W: San Diego 35-27
2000: W: @ Detroit 31-24
2001: L: @ Philadelphia 17-48
2002: W: Detroit 31-24
2003: W: Denver 28-20
2004: W: @ Houston 34-28
2005: L: @ Chicago 3-28
2006: W: @ Seattle 31-13
2007: W: @ Chicago 34-31
2008: W: Houston 28-21
2009: W: Detroit 27-10
2010: L: @ New York Jets 20-29
2011: L: @ Green Bay 7-45
2012: L: @ Chicago 10-28
2013: L: Carolina 10-35
2014: L: @ Chicago 13-21
2015: W: Kansas City 16-10
2016: L: @ Philadelphia 10-21
2017: W: @ Washington 38-30
2018: L: @ Chicago 20-25

Two byes in 1993. What kind of hell was that?

Overall:
19-11
Home:
11-2
Away:
8-9

Longest winning streak:
6 games (1991-95)
Longest losing streak:
5 games (2010-14)

By Coaches:
Jerry Burns (1990-91)
1-1
Dennis Green (1992-2001)
9-2
Mike Tice (2002-05)
3-1
Brad Childress (2006-10)
4-1
Leslie Frazier (2011-13)
0-3
Mike Zimmer (2014- )
2-3

The number of division games (17) is no surprise. Simple odds would predict that any single game in a 16-game season would be against a division foe a significant number of times. What is a surprise is that three games out of 30 being against a team from Houston.

The Vikings have been a competitive team for most of the past 29 years. A solid 19-11 is reflective of that.

Here's hoping that the Vikings' Monday night game in Seattle next week is similar to their bye return in 2006.

Flea Flicker Week 12 Predictions

The Minnesota Vikings are on their much-needed bye. I'm not sure that the NFL can survive a game day without the Vikings. Here are some guesses on this week's games.

Byes: Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Falcons
The Falcons have taken apart the top two teams in the NFC South the past two weeks. Why wouldn't they do the same to the Buccaneers?

Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills
Pick: Broncos
This Bills team usually finds a way to win games. I'm just feeling the Broncos after watching them throw a real scare into the Vikings last week.

New York Giants @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Bears
Who knows with these two teams?

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Steelers
I want to pick the Bengals. They have to win at some point. Don't they?

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Browns
If the Browns behave themselves they should win with ease.

Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
It feels like the Panthers are starting to fade. The Saints have to keep winning in a very competitive NFC playoff race.

Oakland Raiders @ New York Jets
Pick: Raiders
The Raiders are fast becoming one of the most fun teams in the league. Their pretty good too.

Seattle Seahawks @ Philadelphia Eagles
Pick: Eagles
The Eagles finally put a decent game together. Maybe.

Detroit Lions @ Washington Redskins
Pick: Lions
Gary Danielson could lead the Lions past the Redskins.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Titans
Just going with the home team.

Dallas Cowboys @ New England Patriots
Pick: Patriots
This game will be at it's most interesting when the Cowboys offense and the Patriots defense are on the field. If that's a push, I like the Patriots offense to do just enough against the Cowboys defense to win the game.

Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: 49ers
If both teams are at their best I like the 49ers better.

Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Rams
Pick: Ravens
The Ravens are starting to soar and the Rams are struggling. That's not a good combination for the Rams.

NFL 100 All-Time Team-The Running Backs

In celebration of the National Football League's 100th season, NFL Network has filled it's Friday night programming this season with a series of wonderful lists. Best Plays, Biggest Characters, Best Teams. The Player Roundtable Discussions were outstanding. Last night kicked off the reveal of the 100 greatest players and 10 greatest coaches in NFL history. Rich Eisen hosted the show, Bill Belichick and Cris Collinsworth provided analysis. NFL Films provided the site and their film library. It was and will be fantastic football fun.

The Running Backs were up first.

1.   Jim Brown
2.   Emmitt Smith
3.   Eric Dickerson
4.   Barry Sanders
5.   O.J. Simpson
6.   Gale Sayers
7.   Dutch Clark
8.   Steve Van Buren
9.   Lenny Moore
10. Walter Payton
11. Marion Motley
12. Earl Campbell

Other than the top back the order doesn't matter. The 12 great running backs come as a group. I like that. There's just no way that Walter Payton is tenth on any reasonable list of the 12 greatest running backs.

Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, and Barry Sanders were on hand to take part in the discussion. It's always fun to hear the players talk football. Just football.

What I like best about the chosen 12 is the inclusion of the players that played before 1950. Dutch Clark, Steve Van Buren, and Marion Motley are so rarely included in today's discussions of the best backs that it's safe to say that they are never included. Clark isn't just one of my favorite football players of all time he's one of the best football players of all time. The majority of football fans, even serious football fans, don't know a thing about him. That's why intelligent, serious, thorough, non-biased, well-publicized football lists like this are so important. Keep Dutch Clark alive! Long live Dutch Clark!

Bill Belichick was hesitant to call Lenny Moore underrated. After all, how can someone call a player underrated if that player is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and deserving of mention as one of the best running backs of all time? Despite that puzzle, Moore is underrated. He's honored in Canton as a running back. He could've made it as a receiver. His versatility would fit nicely in today's offenses. He was way ahead of his time in the 1950s and 1960s. For the football fans and media talking heads that see Super Bowl I as the start of the league's history, this might be their first introduction to Lenny Moore.

I was disappointed that Adrian Peterson didn't make the list. My passion and appreciation for the league's history erases personal biases but I still think that Peterson is one of the best running back to ever play. I understand why he isn't on this list mostly because this list includes Clark, Van Buren, and Motley. If I were to force Peterson's inclusion it'd probably be at the expense of Earl Campbell. That's a tough decision to make because Campbell was so damn fun to watch. Maybe I boot Simpson instead.

Everything touched by NFL Films is the best. I highly recommend all of the NFL 100 programming. Listening to Bill Belichick talk football (and smile) is reason enough to watch.

RIP Fred Cox

Fred Cox, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Minnesota Vikings, passed away Wednesday night at the age of 80.

Cox was the kicker of my youth. The entirety of my youth. NFL rosters didn't change near as much in the 1960s and 1970s as they do today. And those Vikings teams seemed to change even less than other teams. As an itty bitty fan of the team, I thought that those Vikings players would play forever and those Vikings teams would be in the Super Bowl routinely. And they'd eventually win one, and hopefully more. Those winning days were wonderful and those Vikings teams were beautiful. It was crushing in the late 1970s when Cox and his teammates started to retire. Days like these are harder.

Cox was more automatic than most on extra points. At a time when field goals were a bit better than a 50-50 proposition across the league, he was much better than that. He started his kicking career at a time when the position was just starting to be specialized. Many position players still did the kicking for their teams and Cox entered the league in 1961 with the Cleveland Browns as a fullback. An injury allowed him the time to try his hand (or foot) at kicking. It didn't hurt that he had Hall of Famer Lou "the Toe" Groza as a mentor. Cox was a quick study and just needed an opportunity. He got that opportunity with the Vikings in 1963. He remained the team's kicker until his retirement in 1977. His straight-ahead kicking style was the norm when he started. It wasn't when he retired.

And he invented the Nerf football.

I think often of those great Minnesota Vikings teams. They were great, fun teams. The only thing missing from those teams was a damn Super Bowl title. I miss those Vikings teams. I miss Fred Cox. RIP.

Throwback Thursday: Dungy-Moore

This Flicker was originally posted on 3/12/15. 

Tony Dungy and Tom Moore coached together for the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08. Dungy was the head coach. Moore was the offensive coordinator. With Peyton Manning throwing the football they won a lot of football games. They had a lot of fun. They won a Super Bowl. Tony Dungy and Tom Moore had known each other for thirty years when they got together in Indianapolis in 2002.

Tom Moore was the running backs coach for the University of Minnesota when he recruited Tony Dungy to be the quarterback of the Golden Gophers. After the 1973 season Moore made the questionable move to become the offensive coordinator of the New York Stars of the World Football League. He quickly returned to the University of Minnesota in 1975. As offensive coordinator he worked closely with Dungy for the 1975-76 seasons. Dungy went undrafted in the 1977 NFL Draft. The Canadian Football League was very interested and wanted to negotiate with him. Instead he chose to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was Moore again as the Steelers receivers coach that recommended team and player unite. Dungy was moved to defense and played in the secondary for the Steelers from 1977-78 learning the Bud Carson zone defense that most would come to be called Dungy's own. Dungy played a final NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979. He was in the New York Giants training camp in 1980 but that was it for his playing career. Coaching was next. He joined the Steelers coaching staff as the defensive backs coach working with Moore once again. Moore and Dungy spent the 1980s as Pittsburgh Steelers coaches. By 1984 Moore was the offensive coordinator and Dungy was the defensive coordinator.

From 1989-91 Tom Moore and Tony Dungy spent their first significant time apart since their football lives merged in 1973. Dungy joined the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff in 1989. Moore became the assistant head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1990. They reunited once again in Minnesota in 1992 when Dungy was hired as the Vikings defensive coordinator. That union lasted only two years when Moore became the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions in 1994. Dungy became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996. He was fired after the 2001 season because the owners wanted a hot, new offensive coach. He was quickly hired by the Colts. Moore was already in Indianapolis. The two remained together until Dungy retired in 2008. Winning Super Bowl XLI.

The football careers of Tony Dungy and Tom Moore are incredibly, improbably linked. Wherever Moore was it wasn't long before Dungy was there as well. Moore recruited Dungy to Minnesota as a high school football player. Moore recruited him to the Steelers as an undrafted free agent. After his playing career, Dungy joined the Steelers coaching staff that already included Moore. Dungy joined the Vikings coaching staff that already included Moore. When Dungy was hired as head coach of the Colts his likely first choice as offensive coordinator was already there.

Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Nominees

Last week, the NFL announced the 32 nominees for the sixth annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. Each team nominated one of it's players for the award, which recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.

About the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award (from NFL.com):

The award was created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney, Sr. A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community -- Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler -- will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Friday, Dec. 13. The winner of the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award is determined by a vote of current NFL players. From the eight finalists, each team's players will submit a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. As in Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player. The award is presented each year to an NFL player who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.

2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Nominees:

Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter

Arizona Cardinals C A.Q. Shipley

Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Buffalo Bills LB Lorenzo Alexander

Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey

Chicago Bears CB Kyle Fuller

Cincinnati Bengals DE Sam Hubbard

Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb

Dallas Cowboys CB Byron Jones

Denver Broncos LB Von Miller

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford

Green Bay Packers CB Tramon Williams

Houston Texans QB DeShaun Watson

Indianapolis Colts WR TY Hilton

Jacksonville Jaguars DL Calais Campbell

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Los Angeles Chargers LB Thomas Davis Sr.

Los Angeles Rams S Eric Weddle

Miami Dolphins C Daniel Kilgore

New England Patriots ST Matthew Slater

New Orleans Saints T Terron Armstead

New York Giants DL Dalvin Tomlinson

New York Jets DL Steve McLendon

Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr

Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz

Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner

San Francisco 49ers T Joe Staley

Seattle Seahawks LB K.J. Wright

Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Lavonte David

Tennessee Titans C Ben Jones

Washington Redskins RB Adrian Peterson

Previous Winners:

2018: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

2017: Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers

2016: Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts

2015: Charles Woodson, CB, Oakland Raiders

2014: Larry Fritzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Flea Flicker Week 11 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the eleventh week of the season.

1.   Baltimore Ravens (8-2)
2.   New England Patriots (9-1)
3.   San Francisco 49ers (9-1)
4.   Green Bay Packers (8-2)
5.   Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
6.   New Orleans Saints (8-2)
7.   Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
8.   Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
9.   Dallas Cowboys (6-4)
10. Oakland Raiders (6-4)
11. Houston Texans (6-4)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)
13. Los Angeles Rams (6-4)
14. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
15. Buffalo Bills (7-3)
16. Carolina Panthers (5-5)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5)
18. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
19  Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
20. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6)
22. Denver Broncos (3-7)
23. Chicago Bears (4-6)
24. Cleveland Browns (4-6)
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7)
26. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)
27. Denver Broncos (3-7)
28. Miami Dolphins (2-8)
29. New York Jets (3-7)
30. New York Giants (2-8)
31. Washington Redskins (1-9)
32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)

Until next week.

Broncos-Vikings

Well, this game hacked a few years off of my life.

The Denver Broncos entered their Week 11 game at Minnesota with a 3-6 record. Having won five of their last six games and sporting a spiffy 7-3 record, the Vikings were heavy favorites. This game was supposed to be an easy cruise into the bye week. It didn't play out that way. This Broncos-Vikings game was a game of two very different halves. The Vikings did nothing right in the first half. The Broncos did nearly everything right. In Mike Zimmer's five-plus years as head coach, the Vikings always seem to have one game in which they simply don't show up. I've been hoping that game for this season was the Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears. I've been hoping that was the game for the simple reason that it's already in the books. For the first thirty minutes against the Broncos, it looked as if this was the game. It looked like the Vikings had moved up their bye week. This game was 20-0 at the half.

The Vikings were in a very deep hole.

Always on the hunt for pertinent stats, CBS flashed this little NFL nugget for it's viewers.

Teams are 0-99 when trailing by 20+ points at halftime.  

Well, that little nugget is now 1-99.

The Vikings outscored the Broncos 27-3 in the second half. This game of two very different halves played out to a 27-23 Vikings win.

The Vikings offense that did just about nothing in the first half scored on all four of their possessions in the second half. They flopped around in the first half. They were all business in the second half.

Vikings first half possessions:
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Fumble
Fumble
Punt
-calling the second fumble a possession is a stretch as it came on a kick return

Vikings second half possessions:
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown
Touchdown

Kirk Cousins, every talking head's target of criticism, did what most say that he can't do. He led his team back from a deficit, a very big deficit.

Cousins by the numbers:
For the game: 29/35, 319 yards, 3 TDs, 133.2 rating
2nd half: 18/23, 261 yards, 3 TDs
4th quarter: 9/10, 149 yards, 2 TDs

Cousins has now thrown 177 passes without an interception. The longest current streak in the NFL. His last interception was a throw that went through the hands and off the helmet of Stefon Diggs.

For nearly all of his years as a starting quarterback critics have pigeon-holed Cousins as a quarterback that can't win big games, can't win games against good teams, can't win games in prime time, can't lead his team back from deficits. First off all, every game in an NFL season is a big game for the simple reason that there are only 16 of them. Last week Cousins helped guide his team to a prime time win over a very good Dallas Cowboys team. This week he helped guide his team from a 20-0 second half deficit to a 27-23 win. In the last two weeks he's done things that his legion of critics have repeatedly said that he could not do.

The Vikings scored their go-ahead score with 6:01 to play. It wasn't over. These pesky, 3-6, Broncos would not go away. In the final 6:01, they ran 19 plays. Every damn one of them was excruciating.
On the drive, the Broncos converted the following:
3rd & 13
4th & 6
4th & 6
4th & 1
Those conversions enabled the Broncos to have three shots from Vikings 4-yard line. Those three shots started with 10 seconds to play. Each shot could've resulted in a Broncos win. Fortunately, for the Vikings, each pass that Brandon Allen threw fell incomplete.

Mike Zimmer tried to stress it all week and they certainly showed yesterday, the Broncos aren't the typical 3-6 slappy. Their defense is one of the best in the league. All three levels are stout. Head coach Vic Fangio is one of the game's best defensive coaches. The offense has had some issues. Most of those issues involve a very suspect offensive line. Most offensive issues do. But, the Broncos have some offensive players that can be a problem for any defense. The biggest problem is receiver Courtland Sutton. He hurt the Vikings all game and in a variety of ways. He caught five passes for 113 yards, two runs for 10 yards, and even threw a pass for a field-turning, game-tilting 38-yard gain. Sutton has emerged this season as one of the best receivers in the game. Rookie tight end Noah Fant is already a defensive headache. Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman are a nice running back duo. At quarterback, Brandon Allen started his second game in place of the injured Joe Flacco. Against the Vikings, Allen completed less than 50% of his throws but when he needed conversions on 3rd and 4th downs he was on target. When he threw deep he put the ball where his receivers could get it. Drew Lock was drafted in April to possibly be the Broncos quarterback of the future. Who knows what the Broncos do down the road at quarterback? All I know is that Allen was a pain-in-the-ass yesterday. It wasn't always pretty but Allen had his team in a position to win. Fortunately, he didn't win.

It's often been said that there are no pictures in the standings. No matter how pretty a win, no matter how ugly a win, a win is a win. They all count the same. Some might call this 27-23 win an ugly win because of the horrible first half that the Vikings played against a supposedly suspect Broncos team. It takes a lot of fight to come back from a large deficit. The Vikings showed that this team has that sort of fight. They just set out to erase that 20-0 deficit and it took them 24 minutes to do it. The last six minutes of the game were hell but the defense kept a feisty Broncos offense out of the end zone.

Now, the Vikings hit their bye week with an 8-3 record. They can use the break. So, can I.

The final five games of the season will be a challenge. It starts with a Week 13 trip to Seattle for a Monday night game against the Seahawks. That feels like a bad deal for the Seahawks.

Flea Flicker Week 10 Predictions

The weather's getting colder and the games are getting hotter. Here's a guess at those hot games.

Byes: Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks

Denver Broncos @ Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings cannot look past the Broncos and toward their Week 12 bye. 

Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions

Pick: Cowboys

The Cowboys rebound from the beating that the Vikings gave them. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

Pick: Jaguars
With or without Jacoby Brissett in the lineup the Colts offense just isn't the same without TY Hilton. 

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins

Pick: Bills

The Dolphins have been feisty. The Bills have franchise-wide support. 

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: Saints

The Saints can't lose to a second sub-.500 division foe. 

New York Jets @ Washington Redskins

Pick: Jets

The much anticipated Darnold-Haskins showdown. 

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Panthers

Can the Falcons stun another division foe at home?

Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Ravens

This game should be a blast. 

Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers

Pick: 49ers

Didn't these two teams just play?

Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders

Pick: Raiders

The Bengals aren't good. 

New England Patriots @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Patriots

Super Bowl rematch. I'm going with the Patriots.

Chicago Bears @ Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Rams

This Rams team doesn't look anything like the one that went to the Super Bowl a year ago. I'll still go with Jared Goff over Mitchell Trubisky. 

Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes starts doing Patrick Mahomes things. 

Some Football Thoughts

Football is often on my mind and the NFL gave us a lot to think about this week.

1. The Myles Garrett meltdown. The most astonishing thing about Garrett's attack on Mason Rudolph is that it happened at all. But, is it really all that astonishing? The NFL has received tons of criticism over the years for doing little to make the game safer. At the same time, the players have always been viewed as the innocent victims. They aren't. Football is a violent game. It will always be a violent game. That's part of what makes football so damn fun to play and to watch. It's when the players take it beyond simply getting the opponent to the ground that it truly becomes dangerous. It's when players intentionally try to hurt other players. That's on them. It's not the owners. It's not the big, bad NFL. It's the players. When Garrett tried to crack the head of Rudolph with Rudolph's own helmet, it's on Garrett. The second most astonishing thing about the attack is that there are many people defending Garrett's actions. I'm not getting into that nonsense. The Cleveland Browns defense appeared to have an agenda other than getting Pittsburgh Steelers offensive players on the ground. I turned off that game thinking that Gregg Williams was still on the Browns sideline. Receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, the only real threats in the Steelers' passing game, were sent to the sidelines with concussions. Browns safety Damarious Randall was ejected for his vicious hit to Johnson. That wasn't enough for a Browns defense looking to weed out Steelers threats as running back James Conner left the game with a shoulder injury. So, with 14 seconds left in a game in which the Browns led 21-7 and a preseason-level Steelers offense on the field, Myles Garrett hits Mason Rudolph a few beats after he's thrown the ball. Not only does he hit Rudolph late, he puts in a little extra oomph in the take-down. Rudolph doesn't take kindly to that and little a wrestling ensues: push, shove, knee there, jab here, yank, pull, and everyone knows the rest. This is all on the players. They have to respect their peers. They need to play a violent game in a physical manner but they need to do it without intentions to injure. This game is nothing without the great players that populate it at every level.

2. The Colin Kaepernick kerfuffle. This one is all on the NFL. What the hell are they doing? Nearly everyone with an opinion, and everyone has one of those, says that it looks like a PR stunt. It looks like a PR stunt because it is a PR stunt. Some in the media knew that some "news" was coming a week before Kaepernick knew. That's a PR stunt. The good thing for Kaepernick is that he's been working toward and physically ready for a workout since his banishment from the league. He hoped that an opportunity could come at any minute and he had to be ready for it. So he's ready for this one. Even if it is a PR stunt. The best thing that can come from it is that he gets the opportunity that he should've had three years ago.

I found former Green Bay Packers executive Andrew Brandt's thoughts on this PR stunt interesting:

-NFL passing buck to teams, putting it on them
-dangerous precedent of NFL staging this, other players/agents will want same
-there is no way this goes the way the NFL wants it to go

3. So, the supposed MVP through 10 weeks had a fourth quarter fumble returned for a TD, threw an OT interception, commanded an OT three-and-out, and only won in OT because he lucked into a third possession that lead to the game-winning field goal. Many talking heads trumpeted Russell Wilson's case for the MVP after his Monday night performance against the 49ers. That's a puzzle. Other than a couple MVP-like throws, that was probably the worst game I've seen Wilson play in some time. I figured that it would hurt his MVP case rather than enhance it. Especially after the ridiculous performance Lamar Jackson had the day before.

4. Whenever the Minnesota Vikings approach a game in which they are overwhelming favorites I hope that everyone in the organization remembers last year's Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings can not look toward next week's bye and forget that they are playing the Denver Broncos.

5. Tomorrow's Houston Texans-Baltimore Ravens game should be a blast. I wish that it wasn't at the same time as the Broncos-Vikings game.

5. Speaking of fun, it sure is fun to watch Dalvin Cook play football.

6. Eric Kendricks too.

7. Here's hoping next week is an NFL week of only good, on-field football thoughts.

8. Skol Vikings!

Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced it's Class of 2020 yesterday. The six-member class, the Hall's 11th class, will be honored at the Black College Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 22, 2020. The ceremony will be presented by the Atlanta Falcons at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The inductees will also be recognized at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on December 21st.

The Black College Hall of Fame Class of 2020:
(Bios from the BCHOF website)

Earl “Air” Harvey (Player)
Quarterback … North Carolina Central University (1985-1988) … Four-time All CIAA performer … First freshman quarterback to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season … Set school, conference and Division II records for career passing completions (690), career passing yards (10,621), career total offense (10,667) consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass (22) and most touchdowns responsible for (106) career touchdown passes (86) … He broke 15 NCAA Division II career records and held eight NCAA Division II single-season records … Born in June 6, 1967 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

James “Hound Dog” Hunter (Player)
Defensive Back … Grambling State University (1972-1975) … A three-time All-American … A three-time All-SWAC performer … Finished his career ranked number two all-time at Grambling and in the SWAC with 26 interceptions … Selected by the Detroit Lions with the 10th overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft … Detroit Lions (1976-1982) … 1976 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up … Led Lions in interceptions 1976, 1977, 1980 ... Finished his NFL career with 27 career picks … Born March 8, 1954 in Silsbee, Texas.

Robert Mathis (Player)
Defensive End … Alabama A&M University (1999 - 2002) … A four-year starter for the Bulldogs … He set an NCAA I-AA record with 20 sacks during his senior season … Drafted in 2003 by the Indianapolis Colts … A five-time Pro Bowl selection … Super Bowl XLI Champion … Led the league in sacks in 2013 with 19.5 … 2013 AFC Defensive Player of the Year … Finished his NFL career with 527 tackles, 52 forced fumbles and 123 sacks … Born Feb 26, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Erik Williams (Player)
Offensive Lineman … Central State University (1987-1990) … Helped Central State win the NAIA National Championship in 1990 … All-American lineman … Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd Round of the 1991 NFL Draft … Cowboys (1991-2000) … Baltimore Ravens (2001) … Four-time Pro Bowl selection … Three-time All-Pro … Three-time Super Bowl Champion XXVII, XXVIII, XXX … Born September 7, 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Joe Taylor (Coach)
Coach … Howard University (1983), Virginia Union (1984-1991), Hampton University (1992-2007), Florida A&M University (2008-2012) … Taylor compiled a career record of 232-97-4 and won four black college football national championships (1995, 2004, 2005 and 2006) … He also won six MEAC titles (1997-1998, 2004-2006, and 2010) and four CIAA titles 1986, 1992-1994) … He was a four-time MEAC Coach of the Year (1997) and (2004-2006).

Dennis Thomas (Contributor)
Commissioner … Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (2002-Present) … Hampton University Athletic Director (1990-2002) … As Director of Athletics at Hampton University, was awarded the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Athletics Director-of-the-Year Award for the Southeast Region in 2002 … Under his leadership, Hampton won 17 CIAA Division II championships between 1990 and 1995 and 11 MEAC championships between 1996 and 2002 ... As MEAC commissioner, negotiated a multi-million dollar TV contract with ESPN and negotiated a multi-million dollar contract with NIKE for the MEAC-member institutions … Instrumental in the creation of the Celebration Bowl.

***

About the Black College Football Hall of Fame

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was established in October 2009 to honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Its trustees are football legends Mel Blount, James Harris, Willie Lanier, Art Shell and Doug Williams. The Black College Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

Throwback Thursday: 1951 USF Dons

This Flicker was originally posted on 1/23/14

The 1951 University of San Francisco Dons football team has always been of great interest to me. My father was a student at the small Jesuit college when they played their final season of intercollegiate football. The beginning of my passion for football history can be found in my father's stories of the USF Dons football team of 1951. Having just finished Kristine Setting Clark's Undefeated, Untied, and Uninvited, I visit this great team once again. Clark's title says it all. The Dons won all nine of their games in 1951. Only Fordham tossed anything close to a scare into the Dons. That was a one score game, 32-26. Of the other eight games, only a tough College of Pacific team scored more than ten points against the Dons defense. That game was 47-14 and pushed USF to 13th in the AP top 20 poll. The national media was slow to give USF any props. Fullback Ollie Matson led the nation in rushing and scoring yet made the All-America team as an afterthought. At defensive back. The props fell to a trickle when it came time for bowl bids. There were nowhere near as many bowl games in 1951 as there are today. There was only a handful and pretty much all were located in the South. That proved to be a problem as two of USF's best players, Matson and Burl Toler, were black. The Orange Bowl wanted a west coast team to match up against Georgia Tech and there were early assumptions that USF would be that team. USF might have been that team if they would come to Miami without Matson and Toler. Nice policy. That wasn't even a consideration for the very close-knit Dons football team. Halfback Joe Scudero even threw out the option of sending only Matson and Toler, seeing as those two could defeat any other team's best 22. The University of San Francisco Dons might have been one of the greatest college football teams to step on a college football field. They couldn't step on one final college football field to face one of the top teams in the nation because racist bowl selectors didn't want two of their players on that field. The undefeated, untied Dons were uninvited. Even the Pacific team that lost to USF by 33 points was invited to the Sun Bowl.

Clark's book, an NFL Films video, and a Clark-inspired push by Bay Area politicians to have the team honored at the White House has brought the team more attention in the last decade than the previous five decades. They'll probably never get the respect that they deserve. Despite that, there's no doubt about the talent on that roster. I can remember flipping through my father's yearbook in awe. The Dons were building a pretty terrific basketball team at the time with Bill Russell and K.C. Jones but I was mostly interested in that football team. It was incredible.

3 players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Fullback Ollie Matson
Lineman Gino Marchetti
End Bob St. Clair
Matson and Marchetti, both inducted in their first year of eligibility-1972, were the first college teammates inducted together. Matson also won a silver and bronze at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.
Pete Rozelle graduated from USF in 1950 and became the Dons Athletic Publicist in 1951. Rozelle puts the 1951 USF representation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at four.

No college team has ever had three college teammates, or four with Rozelle, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Many on the Dons football team, as well as my father, have said that linebacker Burl Toler was the best player on the team. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. He never got a chance to play in the NFL after he injured his knee in the 1952 College All-Star Game. Toler did take part in NFL games for 25 years as an official. In 1965 he became the first African-American official in the NFL. He worked three Super Bowls, including Super Bowl I.

Six other 1951 Dons played in the NFL
Quarterback Ed Brown
Tackle Mike Mergen
End Merrill Peacock
Halfback Joe Scudero
Guard Lou "Red" Stephens
End Ralph Thomas

Brown and Scudero joined Matson, Marchetti, and St. Clair as Pro Bowl selections.

Two players from the 1950 Dons team had NFL careers.
Halfback Roy Barni
Guard Dick Stanfel

Stanfel earned five Pro Bowl selections and finally got his deserved Hall of Fame recognition in 2016.

If you had this kind of talent on Notre Dame or Oklahoma from that era of football, there would be no end to the attention.

Quarterback Comparisons

As the NFL ramps up toward a new week's set of games, how about a pause to take a look at some of the best quarterbacks that could be part of the 2020 NFL Draft? Comparisons to quarterbacks that we already know is often the best way to get an idea of the talents of quarterbacks that we don't know. So here are some quarterback comparisons made by one of the best of an emerging group of new draft analysts, Jordan Reid of the Draft Network.

1. Joe Burrow, LSU (6-4, 216, Sr.)

NFL Comparison: Tony Romo
No matter the side of the ball, there isn't a prospect that's helped themselves more this season than Burrow. Labeled as an "early Day 3 selection" coming into the year, he has arguably entrenched himself atop the quarterback rankings and there's a clear leader in the clubhouse for the Heisman Trophy. After a standout performance in a 46-41 win against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Burrow showed to be unfazed by the moment and remained poised throughout the entire game.

The most impressive aspect overall for him this season has been the extreme uptick in his development. The perfect mixture with passing game coordinator Joe Brady, the two have reformed the identity of a team that's historically been a laughing stock in the passing department into one of the best attacks in the country. Burrow's ability to work and maneuver in the pocket and fearlessness with climbing into the eye of the storm have helped him surge to the top of many draft boards and deemed him worthy of being compared to former Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo. His magical run has already helped him run away with the LSU single-season passing touchdowns record and he has the program off to a 9-0 start.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (6-0, 219, Jr.)

NFL Comparison: Steve Young / Russell Wilson
Coming into the season, Tagovailoa was labeled as a "can't miss" prospect and one that teams seemed to be blatantly positioning themselves for. Already the programs career leader in passing touchdowns with 85, he has already surpassed many all-time greats. The first asset that's always brought up about the Tide leader is his accuracy. To all three levels of the field, he is supremely accurate. Tagovailoa isn't often required to throw in the deeper portions of the field because the scheme is so effective in the underneath areas.

With his pinpoint accuracy, the way he's able to improvise while also still being able to maintain his levels of accuracy, he is a perfect fit for today's NFL. A comparison that seems fit is his similarities to Steve Young. Tua isn't nearly the athlete that Young or Russell Wilson are, but they all won in comparable ways. Beating defenses from inside the pocket and also out on the exterior, the Alabama star is destined to become a top pick next April. The biggest question remains with his durability. Now, having had an operation on both ankles during his career, the question marks surrounding that issue remain valid.

3. Justin Herbert, Oregon (6-6, 240, Sr.)

NFL Comparison: TBD
However you felt about Herbert coming into this season is probably the exact same way that you feel about him presently. Even though he's thrown for 24 touchdowns and only two interceptions, the same question marks still there with him. That involves raising his playing levels against upper tier opponents, poise against pressure, and throws within a collapsing pocket. We're still waiting on Herbert's "big moment" and there doesn't seem to be many possibilities left on the schedule. Still, the positives remain with his overall arm talent, off the charts character, and high valleys of peak plays that will have you drooling over his potential in another system.

Ryan Tannehill and Carson Wentz have been the two most common comparisons and while I do see a mixture of both in his game, there's no need to force a comparison if there isn't one that's deemed worthy. The potential of Herbert, his high football intelligence, and character will always keep evaluators intrigued with what he could eventually become down the road outside of Eugene.

4. Jordan Love, Utah State (6-4, 225, Jr.)

NFL Comparison: Jimmy Garoppolo
Exiting the 2018 season, Love generated plenty of buzz entering this season. Entering the final portions of his junior year, the Aggies QB has put his believers to the ultimate test. A microcosm of his season to date, he's a walking roller coaster of highs and lows, but the peaks are what makes some remain a believer. Love will make a jaw dropping throw, but he will quickly follow it up with a head scratching decision. Love is in a similar situation that Josh Allen was faced with during his final season at Wyoming. Fighting through the battles of losing his top five targets from a season ago. the new members have battled drops all year.

As prospects, he compares favorably to Jimmy Garoppolo. While Love's arm is stronger than the 49ers thrower, the ingredients outside of that are eerily similar. The lightning quick release, ability to work the pocket, and making off platform throws look routine are what makes the two similar. Like Garoppolo, landing spot, proper coaching, and surrounding personnel could make or break his career as a whole.

5. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (6-2, 225, Sr.)

NFL Comparison: Dak Prescott
There aren't enough positive things to mention about Hurts to this point. From accepting his reduced role at Alabama to being the next in line for the Sooners, he has firmly thrust himself into the early Day 2 discussions and possibly becoming a first-round selection. Like Prescott, even though he was involved in a run heavy offense (Alabama), a common misconception was formed about him in that they were attempting to hide his deficiencies when in fact that was one of his biggest assets.

Under the tutelage of Lincoln Riley, his passing potential has been on full display. Hurts has shown accuracy, touch down the field, but also how much of a threat he can as a runner to help him become incorporated into games. Similar to the Cowboys QB, he will need an offense tailor made to his skill set that enables him to be a thrower and a runner when necessary. Hurts natural leadership abilities will be a welcome addition to any huddle, but his ability to continue to progress as a thrower will be the ultimate litmus test.

6. Jacob Eason, Washington (6-6, 227, Jr.)

NFL Comparison: Matthew Stafford
After being on the outs at Georgia, there was plenty of hype surrounding Eason entering this season. While there are arguments for both sides on if he's lived up to it, one thing is apparent, he has a very lively arm. Possessing that true gunslinger mentality, he's unafraid to test tight windows no matter how timely the throw may be. Having the confidence of being able to fit a football through a coin slot has been a gift and a curse for him.

The matchup against Oregon was one of his better games of the season, but he followed that up with an inconsistent performance against Utah, which has been the story in Eason's first season with the Huskies. A valid comparison to Stafford as he isn't the most nimble athlete, but the near elite levels of arm strength, funky arm angle throws and upside help make him an intriguing option.

7. Jake Fromm, Georgia (6-2, 221, Jr.)

NFL Comparison: Kirk Cousins / Andy Dalton
Game manager is a popular label that will be pegged beside Fromm's name and that is okay because he fits perfectly with what he's asked to do at Georgia. Crunched directly in the middle of a solid rushing attack as well as endless weapons on the perimeter, he simply has to keep the luxury car in between the lane on the highway. Periodically asked to switch lanes of gears can cause problems and that's what we've seen from Fromm throughout his career, but there's plenty to like. His combination of accuracy, smarts, and poise help him becoming one of the safer options in this class.

Comparing favorably to Kirk Cousins and Andy Dalton, he's a signal-caller that will be the sum of his parts and not one that can uplift the supporting cast that surrounds him. When forced to take action or place things on his shoulders, we witness Fromm get out of character due to him being in a foreign position.

***

One of the most interesting things about this group of quarterbacks is that all but Tua Tagovailoa have a first name that begins with "J".

Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of Jake Fromm's college career is that he won quarterback competitions against Jacob Eason and Justin Fields. Despite sending both of those quarterbacks to other schools, Fromm will probably be viewed as the lesser quarterback by NFL people.

As a Minnesota Vikings fan, Jalen Hurts, Jacob Eason, and Jake Fromm intrigue me the most. That's mostly due to the likelihood that the team will be picking towards the end of the first round. Hurts and Fromm are the most likely of the above to be available. Eason probably has too much intriguing natural size and talent to drop to the bottom third of the first round. While other position groups could use the addition of first round talent, I wouldn't be disappointed, or surprised, if the Vikings selected a quarterback early in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Flea Flicker Week 10 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the tenth week of the season.

1.   New England Patriots (8-1)
2.   San Francisco 49ers (8-1)
3.   Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
4.   Green Bay Packers (8-2)
5.   Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
6.   New Orleans Saints (7-2)
7.   Minnesota Vikings (7-3)
8.   Houston Texans (6-3)
9.   Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
11. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
12. Oakland Raiders (5-4)
13. Carolina Panthers (5-4)
14. Los Angeles Rams (5-4)
15. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)
16. Buffalo Bills (6-3)
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)
18. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
19  Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)
21. Chicago Bears (4-5)
22. Detroit Lions (3-5-1)
23. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
25. Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1)
26. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)
27. Denver Broncos (3-6)
28. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
29. New York Jets (2-7)
30. New York Giants (2-8)
31. Washington Redskins (1-8)
32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-9)

Until next week.

Vikings-Cowboys

As a fan of the team, it's always been very satisfying to see the Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys. Who's to know if that's due to the push-off in 1975, the fierce rivalry during the 1970s, or the Cowboys' sad claim to be "America's Team?" Beating the Cowboys isn't as great as beating a division foe but it's probably as close as a non-division win can get. The Vikings went down to Dallas and left with a 28-24 win. It was so satisfying.

In the days leading up to the Sunday game, the Cowboys declared that their defense was going to take "the wheels off the Vikings' running game." They didn't. The Vikings rushed for 153 yards. They gained 111 time-grinding yards in the second half. Dalvin Cook led the way with 97 yards on 26 carries. With 7:01 to go in the third quarter, the Vikings started the drive that turned the game. After Kirk Cousins tossed a 15-yard pass to Olabisi Johnson to convert a 3rd-and-6, the Vikings started their new set of downs on their own 44-yard line. From there, they ran the ball on 10 consecutive plays. The final two yards were covered by Cook for a touchdown on fourth down. The two-point conversion made it 28-24. It was a soul-taking, game-turning, 10-play sequence. The wheels of the Vikings running game remained in place. If any team took the wheels off the other's running game, it was the Vikings that took those wheels away. And they did so without the giant presence of Linval Joseph in the middle of the defensive line. Somehow, a steady rotation of Everson Griffen, Danielle Hunter, Jaleel Johnson, Shamar Stephen, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Stephen Weatherly, and Armon Watts repeatedly bottled up the run. The Cowboys totaled 50 yards on 22 carries. All-everything running back Ezekiel Elliott gained 47 yards on 20 carries. It was his lowest total of his career in any game with at least 20 carries.

The Vikings took the run out of the Cowboys but they sure didn't take out the pass. The Vikings corners had a difficult time sticking to the Cowboys receivers throughout the game. Mike Hughes was forced into the starting lineup when a balky ankle put Trae Waynes on the sideline. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott repeatedly targeted Hughes.

Prescott's night:
28/46, 397 yards, 3 TDs, 101.4 rating.
Prescott did throw an interception but it was on the Hail Mary that ended the game.

Cowboys receivers:
Amari Cooper: 11 catches, 147 yards, TD
Randall Cobb: 6 catches, 106 yards, TD
Michael Gallup: 4 catches, 76 yards, TD
Impressive

It was a rough night for Hughes but I'm not too concerned with his play. His coverage was good. It just has to get better. A few of Cooper's catches were of the out of bounds, toe-tapping variety. Completions that when seen live looked impossible to complete. On replay, Cooper had his toes down and the ball secure. There was really nothing that Hughes could do. It was just great execution by Prescott and Cooper.

The pass defense is the biggest Vikings concern to come from this game. The corners did struggle but the best thing that can be done to help those corners moving forward is getting more pressure on the quarterback. Too often, Prescott had too long to find his receiver. Credit has to be given to the Cowboys' great offensive line. They kept Prescott safe and patient. The view of the Vikings corners would probably be a whole lot different if Hughes and Mackensie Alexander had managed to hold on to the Prescott passes that were in their hands. Each should've been intercepted and each probably would've been returned for touchdowns. The Vikings were two pairs of bad hands away from a 42-24 blow out of the Cowboys.

This was a very satisfying win.

Game Balls:
Dalvin Cook:
26 carries, 97 yards, TD
7 catches, 86 yards
183 yards from scrimmage

Kirk Cousins:
22/32, 222 yards, 2 TDs, 111.5 rating

Eric Kendricks:
6 tackles, 1 pass defensed
Kendricks gets the nod mostly for his fourth down deflection of the pass intended for Elliott that, at the time, seemed to seal the game. Thanks to some poor plays by the offense the defense ended up having a little more work to do.
Actually, about 7-9 game balls should go to the front 7-9 that took the wheels off the Cowboys run game.

The Vikings move to 7-3 and host the Denver Broncos next week.

Flea Flicker Week 10 Predictions

This is the second week of games in November. We are starting to know who most of the NFL's 32 teams are. It still doesn't help in picking games. Here's a guess at the Week 10 games.

Byes: Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings have some challenging, prime time games over the coming weeks. They can't lose any of them.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Bears
The Bears entered the season with Super Bowl dreams. The season hasn't been dreamy. The Lions have been playing well but they don't have their quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: Ravens
About the only hope the Bengals have is if the Ravens spend the whole game thinking about their win over the Patriots and their next game against the Texans.

Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Bills
Can all those stars that fill the Browns roster finally play a football game together? I've seen no evidence that they can.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tennessee Titans
Pick: Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is back.

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Saints
This rivalry has been one of the league's most entertaining over the past several years. This season, the two teams are headed in very different directions.

New York Giants @ New York Jets
Pick: Giants
How is this a home game, or a road game, for one of the teams? About the only thing interesting with this game is a possible reappearance of that little, black kitty.

Arizona Cardinals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: Buccaneers
Just picking the home team.

Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Colts
The Dolphins have been feisty but it shouldn't matter.

Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers
Pick: Panthers
Just a hopeful hunch.

Los Angeles Rams @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Rams
It's always a challenge for a team to keep pace with the Rams. I think that the Steelers offense is too depleted to do so.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Pick: Seahawks
The 49ers finally lose?

Minnesota Vikings Roster

The Minnesota Vikings have recently made some of the usual roster tweaks that dot an NFL season. The most eye-opening tweak was the return of safety Andrew Sendejo. The Philadelphia Eagles released him this week. The Vikings put in a waiver claim and got him. To make room for Sendejo, the Vikings released rookie safety Marcus Epps. The Eagles quickly grabbed Epps. So, the Vikings and Eagles basically swapped safeties. Rookie linebacker Cameron Smith has done the yo-yo thing between the practice squad and the active roster this season. The most recent back-and-forth came last week. He was released when cornerback Holton Hill was activated following his 8-game suspension. Smith was re-signed to the practice squad this week.

It's expected that the Vikings will activate receiver Josh Doctson from the injured list some time between now and the Sunday night game against the Dallas Cowboys. With Adam Thielen out with a balky hamstring, the Vikings could use an experienced pass catcher. Doctson has been out pretty much since he was signed just before the season with his own hamstring injury. He's healthy now and eligible to return. His 6-3, 206 lb size and familiarity with Kirk Cousins from their days with the Washington Redskins could provide a nice boost to the offense. If Doctson is activated it's likely at the expense of rookie receiver Davion Davis. Unless one of the 31 teams does what the Eagles did with Epps, Davis would likely be re-signed to the practice squad.

The Minnesota Vikings roster in advance of the Week 10 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Offense (25 Players)

Quarterbacks (2)
 8 Kirk Cousins
 4 Sean Mannion

Running Backs (5)
33 Dalvin Cook
25 Alexander Mattison
31 Ameer Abdullah
23 Mike Boone
30 C.J. Ham

Receivers (5)
14 Stefon Diggs
19 Adam Thielen
81 Olabisi Johnson
11 Laquon Treadwell
16 Davion Davis

Tight Ends (3)
82 Kyle Rudolph
84 Irv Smith Jr.
83 Tyler Conklin

Offensive Line (10)
71 Riley Reiff
65 Pat Elflein
56 Garrett Bradbury
64 Josh Kline
75 Brian O'Neill
69 Rashod Hill
78 Dakota Dozier
73 Dru Samia
61 Brett Jones
74 Oli Udoh

Defense (25 Players)

Defensive Line (10)
97 Everson Griffen
93 Shamar Stephen
98 Linval Joseph
99 Danielle Hunter
91 Stephen Weatherly
92 Jalyn Holmes
94 Jaleel Johnson
96 Ifeadi Odenigbo
51 Hercules Mata'afa
96 Armon Watts

Linebackers (5)
55 Anthony Barr
54 Eric Kendricks
42 Ben Gedeon
50 Eric Wilson
40 Kentrell Brothers

Cornerbacks (6)
29 Xavier Rhodes
26 Trae Waynes
20 Mackensie Alexander
21 Mike Hughes
24 Holton Hill
38 Kris Boyd

Safeties (4)
22 Harrison Smith
41 Anthony Harris
27 Jayron Kearse
34 Andrew Sendejo

Special Teams (3 Players)

Kicker
 5 Dan Bailey

Punter
 2 Britton Colquitt

Long Snapper
58 Austin Cutting

***

Practice Squad (10)
48 Khari Blasingame, FB
  3 Jake Browning, QB
76 Aviante Collins, OT
85 Brandon Dillon, TE
32 Mark Fields, CB
15 Alexander Hollins, WR
74 Stacy Keely, DE
44 Nate Meadors, CB
17 Dillon Mitchell, WR
59 Cameron Smith, LB

Reserved/Injured
12 Chad Beebe, WR
13 Josh Doctson, WR

Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
89 David Morgan, TE

***

It's nice to no longer have to list a player on the suspended list. It's Holton Hill's time to finally play some football. Stay on the field, Mr. Hill.

Talking Earl Campbell

I just started reading Asher Price's book Earl Campbell: Yards After Contact. I discovered and fell for football in the 1970s. The Minnesota Vikings grabbed me first. Then came all of the fantastic football players scattered across the NFL. I was hooked. There may have been no other player (non-Vikings player) that I enjoyed watching more than Earl Campbell. So strong, so powerful, so violent, so fast. To this young football fan, Campbell was football. I felt like I was being treated to the sort of player that fans of an earlier day saw in Bronko Nagurski or Clarke Hinkle. As with many great football players, hearing what those that played with Campbell, against him, or just knew him can be the most telling thing of all.

"We make four sizes of thigh pads: small, medium, large, and Earl Campbell."
     -a Houston equipment manufacturer

"What we've seen tonight, ladies and gentlemen is a truly great football player in the late moments take total control of a game."
     -Howard Cosell after Campbell put the Miami Dolphins away on Monday Night Football

"Every time Earl carried the football, we'd have to run a stretcher onto the field to carry one or more of our guys off. He's a physical, brutal runner, Very hard to stop. I know our defensive unit hurt for three days after the Texas game."
     -Rice head coach Homer Rice

"didn't hit tacklers, he splattered them"

"He won the respect of every defensive player who ever had the misfortune to be introduced to his patented stiff arm. He played the game with the subtlety of a sledgehammer."

"It's me first, Earl second, and everybody else, get in line."
     -Jim Brown

"I always thought that Superman was white and wore an S, but now I know he's black and wears number 20."
   
"Earl Campbell is the greatest player who ever suited up. He's the greatest football player I've ever seen. Billy Sims is human. Campbell isn't."
     -Barry Switzer when asked to compare Campbell to Sims

"Every time you hit him you lower your own IQ."
     -linebacker Pete Wysocki

“Watching Earl Campbell play football was almost as good as coaching to heaven.”
     -Thorndyke Lewis, Campbell’s 5th-grade flag football coach

“I was playing in football in junior high and I tried to tackle him (Campbell) one day and right then and there I decided to take up golf.”
     -pro golfer Andy Dillard when asked how Campbell impacted his career choice

"I hit him square. I mean I popped him face-to-face. After I hit him, I couldn't see anything. All I could see was black. I thought I was blind. Then I opened my eyes, and I was lying on my back in the end zone, and I could make out the lights on the ceiling, They were all fuzzy and blurry and spinning. I thought I was in heaven. Then I turned my head, and Earl was lying next to me. He reached his hand over to help me up, and I said, "Earl, I've go to lie here awhile, I think you knocked out my eyes."
     -safety Bo Eason
It turned out that Campbell had hit Eason so hard that his contacts flew out

"You want to know what it was like blocking for Earl Campbell? Go down to the railroad track at night where the freight train comes through every evening at 9 pm. Close your eyes and get within ten feet: That's what it was like blocking for Campbell. You hear the train coming and you better get the hell out of the way."
     -Oilers offensive lineman Carl Mauck

And my favorite quote from Campbell himself when college recruiters came around offering bribes:

"My people were bought and sold when they didn't have a choice: Earl Campbell is not for sale."

Throwback Thursday: NFL Titles

Counting only Super Bowl trophies as a way of tallying titles is what most in the media and nearly all fans do these days. They skip over the 46 NFL titles that came before the first Super Bowl. That's just lazy. It's as if the league started with that first Super Bowl but the first Super Bowl wasn't even called the Super Bowl when it was played. Neither was the second. But that's beside the point. All titles count. Despite what comedian Bill Burr seems to think, the NFL does count all titles. The teams that won titles that don't include Roman numerals sure count them. You can bet that the Arizona Cardinals count the two titles that they won while they in Chicago. Here's the tally of which team has won each of the 99 NFL titles.

1.   Green Bay Packers: 13: 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966(I),
       1967(II), 1996(XXXI), 2010(XLV)
2.   Chicago Bears: 9: 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985(XX)
3.   New York Giants: 8: 1927, 1934. 1938, 1956, 1986(XXI), 1990(XXV), 2007(XXXII), 
       2011(XLVI)
4.   New England Patriots: 6: 2001(XXXVI), 2003(XXXVIII), 2004(XXXIX), 2014(XLIX),
       2016(LI), 2018(LIII).
4.   Pittsburgh Steelers: 6: 1974(IX), 1975(X), 1978(XIII), 1979(XIV), 2005(XL), 2008(XLIII)
6.   Washington Redskins: 5: 1937, 1942, 1982(XVII), 1987(XXII), 1991(XXVI)
6.   Dallas Cowboys: 5: 1971(VI), 1977(XII), 1992(XXVII), 1993(XXVIII), 1995(XXX)
6.   San Francisco 49ers: 5: 1981(XVI), 1984(XIX), 1988(XXIII), 1989(XXIV), 1994(XXIX)
9.   Detroit Lions: 4: 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957
9.   Philadelphia Eagles: 4: 1948, 1949, 1960, 2017(LII)
9.   Cleveland Browns: 4: 1950. 1954, 1955, 1964
9.   Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts: 4: 1958, 1959, 1970(V), 2006(XXXI)
13. Cleveland/LA/St. Louis Rams: 3: 1945, 1951, 1999(XXXIV)
13. Oakland/LA Raiders: 3: 1976(XI), 1980(XV), 1983(XVIII)
13. Denver Broncos: 3: 1997(XXXII), 1998(XXXIII), 2015(L)
16. Canton Bulldogs: 2: 1922, 1923
16. Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals: 2: 1925, 1947
16. Miami Dolphins: 2: 1972(VII), 1973(VIII)
16. Baltimore Ravens: 2: 2000(XXXV), 2012(XLVII)
20. Akron Pros: 1: 1920
20. Cleveland Bulldogs: 1: 1924
20. Frankford Yellow Jackets: 1: 1926
20. Providence Steam Roller: 1: 1928
20. New York Jets: 1: 1968(III)
20. Kansas City Chiefs: 1: 1969(IV)
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1: 2002(XXXVII)
20. New Orleans Saints: 1: 2009(XLIV)
20. Seattle Seahawks: 1: 2013(XLVIII)

Other Leagues:

All-America Football Conference
1. Cleveland Browns: 4: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949

American Football League
1. Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs: 3: 1962, 1966, 1969
2. Houston Oilers: 2: 1960, 1961
2. Buffalo Bills: 2: 1964, 1965
4. San Diego Chargers: 1: 1963
4. Oakland Raider: 1: 1967
4. New York Jets: 1: 1968

Technically, the Minnesota Vikings have won an NFL title (1969) but they went on to lose to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. So, it doesn't really count for much and it's easily forgotten. Although, they will forever have claim to the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy. If anyone can find the damn thing.

As the Vikings did in 1969, the Colts won an NFL title in 1968 but went on to lose to the Jets in Super Bowl III.

2019 Class of the Hall of Very Good

Since 2002, the Professional Football Researchers Association has been recognizing outstanding players and coaches that are not in Pro Football Hall of Fame. They recognize those players and coaches with induction into the Hall of Very Good. The 2019 Class of the Hall of Very Good was announced yesterday.

Roger Craig
Joe Jacoby
Art Powell
Deron Cherry
Joey Browner
Everson Walls
Ed White
Abner Haynes

It's a terrific class. Roger Craig, Joe Jacoby, and Everson Walls have often generated significant Hall of Fame debate. Art Powell and Abner Haynes were among the best offensive players in the American Football League. As with many safeties, Deron Cherry has unfairly flown under the radar of the Hall of Fame voters. He was one of the best of his era. Every class is better with Minnesota Vikings in it. Joey Browner and Ed White were two of the best players in Vikings franchise history.

All eight players should have their Hall of Fame case heard by the voters. Until then, they can celebrate their induction into the PFRA's Hall of Very Good. It's a significant honor as the PFRA voters have a better grasp of football's history than most of the Hall of Fame voters ever will.

17 players have propelled Hall of Very Good recognition to an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Robert Brazile
Jack Butler
Curley Culp
Kenny Easley
Carl Eller
Benny Friedman
Chris Hanburger
Bob Hayes
Gene Hickerson
Claude Humphrey
Jerry Kramer
Floyd Little
Dave Robinson
Johnny Robinson
Ken Stabler
Dick Stanfel
Mick Tingelhoff

This list will get longer with next year's Centennial Class.

Flea Flicker Week 9 Power Rankings

Here's one look at how the 32 NFL teams rank after the ninth week of the season.

1.   San Francisco 49ers (8-0)
2.   New England Patriots (8-1)
3.   New Orleans Saints (7-1)
4.   Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
5.   Green Bay Packers (7-2)
6.   Kansas City Chiefs (6-3)
7.   Minnesota Vikings (6-3)
8.   Houston Texans (6-3)
9.   Seattle Seahawks (7-2)
10. Indianapolis Colts (5-3)
11. Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-3)
13. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
14. Carolina Panthers (5-3)
15. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
16. Oakland Raiders (4-4)
17. Detroit Lions (3-4-1)
18. Los Angeles Chargers (4-5)
19  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)
21. Chicago Bears (3-5)
22. Tennessee Titans (4-5)
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-5-1)
24. New York Giants (2-7)
25. Cleveland Browns (2-6)
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6)
27. Denver Broncos (2-6)
28. Atlanta Falcons (1-7)
29. Washington Redskins (1-8)
30. Miami Dolphins (1-7)
31. New York Jets (1-7)
32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)

Until next week.

Vikings-Chiefs

Well, that game didn't end well. The Minnesota Vikings simply made too many mistakes to put away the Kansas City Chiefs. Harrison Butker hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired and the Vikings head back to Minnesota after the 26-23 loss at Arrowhead.

Vikings defensive end got a finger on Butker's game-winning kick. It wasn't enough. It was that sort of game for the Vikings.

It's been said that good teams find a way to win games even when they don't play well. I guess that the Vikings are almost there. They didn't play well but they still had opportunities to put the Chiefs away. The offense wasted too many possessions, the defense allowed too many big plays, and there was a missed an extra point and a shanked put that set the Chiefs up nicely for their final possession.

Offensive failings:
4 three-and-outs in the first half
2 three-and-outs in the second half

The worst thing about those two second half three-and-outs was that they were the last two possessions of the game. Either needed to be the game-winning drive but the offense kept the ball for less than two minutes and gained a combined -7 yards. -7 yards. -7 yards. -7 yards on their final two possessions of the game.

Kirk Cousins had accuracy issues. If he'd had the accuracy in this game that he'd had in the previous four games the Vikings might've won by three touchdowns. The most glaring miss was to a wide open Sefon Diggs that likely would've been a 57-yard touchdown. The Vikings ended up kicking a field goal on that possession but that's a loss of four points. That's big in a game decided by three points.

For the game, Cousins posted the following stat line:
19/38, 220 yards, 3 touchdowns, 94.2 rating.

Cousins typically completes passes at a 70% clip. This game was an outlier. He wasn't at his best but he didn't play poorly. Despite wrestling with his accuracy throughout the game he didn't throw any interceptions. That's a good thing. What wasn't a good thing was his third down slide about two yards short of the chains in the first half. He had plenty of room to gain the yards that he needed but obviously lost track of where he was on the field. It wasn't a pretty game for Cousins but it was a gritty game. It was a game that he could've won if he'd been just slightly closer to his usual accuracy. Hell, it was a game that he could've won if it weren't for some other failings....

Defensive failings:
The Vikings defense simply gave up too many big plays.

The biggest came early in the second half when it felt like the Vikings were on the verge of taking control of the game. The special teams had recovered a fumble on the second half kickoff. The offense had scored a touchdown to take a 16-10 lead. The Chiefs were pinned inside their own five-yard line. Everything was right there for the Vikings to take control. What happened? Chiefs running back Damien Williams burst through a giant hole and wide-open field for a 91-yard touchdown. Just like that, the game gets flipped and the Chiefs are smiling with momentum and a 17-16 lead.

Then there's big-play-waiting-to-happen Tyreek Hill. The Vikings allowed him to catch three passes of at least 30 yards. The first was a 40-yard touchdown. The second was a 30-yarder that set up a field goal. The third was a 41-yarder that set up the field goal that tied the game at 23-23. It was only on the third big play that there was a Vikings defender within the same zip code of Hill. Those three big plays to Hill resulted in or led to half of the points that the Chiefs scored.

The four big plays represented 202 of the 377 yards that the Chiefs offense gained.

Special teams failings:
Missed extra point
Late shanked punt:
With 1:47 to play, the Vikings needed a decent Britton Colquitt punt to put the Chiefs in a position in which they had to, at least, do a little work to get into position to kick a potential game-winning field goal. What happened? Colguitt shanks it out-of-bounds for 27 yards. The Chiefs get a gift starting position at the Vikings 45-yard line. Earlier in the fourth quarter big-play-waiting-to-happen Tyreek Hill was inserted as the Chiefs punt returner. It looked like the Vikings and Colquitt became way too concerned about the menace that was at the end of the punt. Credit the Chiefs for putting Hill back there. It impacted the game.

This shows the odd nature of this game for the Vikings

Laquon Treadwell: 3 catches, 58 yards

Treadwell was targeted five times and was the team's leading receiver. Treadwell! Treadwell was the team's leading receiver. Treadwell!

Actually, Treadwell making an impact could be a good thing. The Vikings started the season as a two-receiver team. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Rookie Olabisi Johnson has emerged as a receiving threat (he had a touchdown in this game). Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. have been making an increasing impact in recent weeks. In a game in which Thielen left early with hamstring concerns and Diggs did little, the Vikings got some production from receivers not named Diggs and Thielen. That's a good thing but the Vikings offense is one of the most explosive in the league when Diggs and Thielen are making an impact. They need those two. Cousins needs those two.

Without coaches' film it's tough to tell what their secondary was doing but it looked like the Chiefs' defense emphasized bottling up Dalvin Cook and taking away Diggs. The latter became much easier after Thielen left the game. The Chiefs routinely had eight, or more, players near the line of scrimmage and Cook was hit within a yard of that line on 15 of his 21 carries. On four occasions he was hit before he could get to the line of scrimmage. It was actually remarkable that he was still able to grind out 71 yards. That sort of emphasis on the Vikings' running game should've opened things up in the passing game. Diggs had one catch for four yards. Treadwell was the only receiver with more than one catch. I'm guessing that the Chiefs focused coverage on Diggs and Cousins' game-long wrestle with accuracy took care of the rest. The offensive line, especially the middle of the offensive line, didn't do Cousins any favors. He often had Chiefs in front of him but it wasn't enough to chop 20% off his completion rate. The Vikings won every game in October with a very balanced, big play offense. Cousins played comfortable and confident last month. He didn't look either yesterday.

This loss to the Chiefs isn't as concerning as the two losses earlier in the season (against the Packers and Bears). The Vikings played a rough game against the Chiefs in all phases. Despite playing a rough game in all phases they really could've won this game. Maybe they win this game if the ball hadn't bounced (or not bounced) so fortuitously for the Chiefs on their last two possessions of the game. On each occasion, the Vikings defense sacked Matt Moore and forced a fumble. On the first, the ball just hit the ground and didn't bounce. It stayed where it landed and Moore simply fell on it. On the second, the ball bounced right into the hands of Damien Williams. Each possession ended in a Chiefs field goal. There's the game. If the ball had bounced in a manner that went the Vikings way on either occasion, the game ends so much differently. But that's the way the ball bounces. So, the Vikings played a rough game. They lost it but they had plenty of opportunities to win it. Good teams do that. Better teams find ways to win even when they play. The Vikings have to get there.

Nest week, the Vikings travel to Dallas. They can't let any more games slip from their grasp.