Week 17 Edition
Brees Topping Brees Topping Marino
Dec. 31, 2011
The New Orleans Saints defeated their division rival Atlanta Falcons 45-16 on Monday Night Football and clinched the NFC South Division for the second time in three years. This is also fourth time in six seasons, since quarterback Drew Brees arrived in the Crescent City in 2006, that the Saints have marched their way into the postseason.
One week still remains in the 2011 National Football League regular season but Brees has already stamped his name in the league’s record book. Last week he surpassed Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino’s single season passing yardage mark with a total of 5,087 yards when he connected on a 9-yard TD pass to Darren Sproles in the fourth quarter. That pass also put him over 300 yards passing for the game, his 12th 300-yard passing game of the season, which is now two better than the NFL record of 10 he tied in 2008. Brees’ Monday night passing yardage total also tied a league mark with Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young and former quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Rich Gannon with his sixth consecutive 300-yard passing game. This has been quite a year for the 11th-year passer out of Purdue who has not cemented his place among in NFL history.
Do you remember when Brees put together one of the league’s best passing seasons in the 2008?
That year the Saints quarterback came within 16 yards of Marino’s record and finished with 5,069 passing yards. He was only the second player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season and it looked like he was in “The Zone” for much of the year. There didn’t seem to be much room for improvement and many people believed that his quarterback play was the most efficient and effective they had ever been seen in the NFL.
Then came his nearly flawless 2011 season and he now owns two of the three 5,000-yard passing seasons in NFL history. Here’s a look at how Brees’ 2011 and 2008 seasons compare to Marino’s 1984 sophomore season.
| 1 |
Sept. 8 |
at Green Bay Packers |
L 34-42 |
32 |
49 |
65.3 |
419 |
3 |
0 |
112.5 |
| 2 |
Sept. 18 |
vs. Chicago Bears |
W 30-13 |
26 |
37 |
70.3 |
270 |
3 |
0 |
118.1 |
| 3 |
Sept. 25 |
vs. Houston Texans |
W 40-33 |
31 |
44 |
70.5 |
370 |
3 |
2 |
99.6 |
| 4 |
Oct. 2 |
at Jacksonville Jaguars |
W 23-10 |
31 |
44 |
70.5 |
351 |
1 |
2 |
82.7 |
| 5 |
Oct. 9 |
at Carolina Panthers |
W 30-27 |
32 |
45 |
71.1 |
359 |
2 |
1 |
100.1 |
| 6 |
Oct. 16 |
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
L 20-26 |
29 |
45 |
64.4 |
383 |
1 |
3 |
70.9 |
| 7 |
Oct. 23 |
vs. Indianapolis Colts |
W 62-7 |
31 |
35 |
88.6 |
325 |
5 |
0 |
144.9 |
| 8 |
Oct. 30 |
at St. Louis Rams |
L 21-31 |
30 |
44 |
68.2 |
269 |
1 |
2 |
73.0 |
| 9 |
Nov. 6 |
vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
W 27-16 |
27 |
36 |
75.0 |
258 |
2 |
1 |
101.4 |
| 10 |
Nov. 13 |
at Atlanta Falcons |
W 26-23 |
30 |
43 |
69.8 |
322 |
2 |
0 |
106.9 |
| 12 |
Nov. 28 |
vs. New York Giants |
W 49-24 |
24 |
38 |
63.2 |
363 |
4 |
0 |
129.6 |
| 13 |
Dec. 4 |
vs. Detroit Lions |
W 31-17 |
26 |
36 |
72.2 |
342 |
3 |
0 |
129.6 |
| 14 |
Dec. 11 |
at Tennessee Titans |
W 22-17 |
36 |
47 |
76.6 |
337 |
2 |
0 |
110.0 |
| 15 |
Dec. 18 |
at Minnesota Vikings |
W 42-20 |
32 |
40 |
80 |
412 |
5 |
0 |
149.2 |
| 16 |
Dec. 26 |
vs. Atlanta Falcons |
W 45-16 |
23 |
39 |
59 |
307 |
4 |
2 |
96.8 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Sept. 14 |
at Washington Redskins |
L 24-29 |
22 |
33 |
66.7 |
216 |
1 |
2 |
69.8 |
| 3 |
Sept. 21 |
at Denver Broncos |
L 32-34 |
39 |
48 |
81.3 |
421 |
1 |
0 |
110.2 |
| 4 |
Sept. 28 |
vs. San Francisco 49ers |
W 31-17 |
23 |
35 |
65.7 |
363 |
3 |
1 |
116.7 |
| 5 |
Oct. 6 |
vs. Minnesota Vikings |
L 27-30 |
26 |
46 |
56.5 |
330 |
1 |
2 |
68.2 |
| 6 |
Oct. 12 |
vs. Oakland Raiders |
W 34-3 |
26 |
30 |
86.7 |
320 |
3 |
0 |
144.4 |
| 7 |
Oct. 19 |
at Carolina Panthers |
L 7-30 |
21 |
39 |
53.8 |
231 |
0 |
1 |
61.0 |
| 8 |
Oct. 26 |
vs. San Diego Chargers |
W 37-32 |
30 |
41 |
73.2 |
339 |
3 |
0 |
121.9 |
| 10 |
Nov. 9 |
at Atlanta Falcons |
L 20-34 |
31 |
58 |
53.4 |
422 |
2 |
3 |
66.9 |
| 11 |
Nov. 16 |
at Kansas City Chiefs |
W 30-20 |
25 |
36 |
69.4 |
266 |
1 |
1 |
88.4 |
| 12 |
Nov. 24 |
vs. Green Bay Packers |
W 51-29 |
20 |
26 |
76.9 |
323 |
4 |
0 |
157.5 |
| 13 |
Nov. 30 |
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
L 20-23 |
25 |
47 |
53.2 |
296 |
2 |
3 |
60.2 |
| 14 |
Dec. 7 |
vs. Atlanta Falcons |
W 29-25 |
18 |
32 |
56.3 |
230 |
2 |
0 |
99.7 |
| 15 |
Dec. 11 |
at Chicago Bears |
L 24-27 |
24 |
43 |
55.8 |
232 |
2 |
2 |
67.2 |
| 16 |
Dec. 21 |
at Detroit Lions |
W 42-7 |
30 |
40 |
75.0 |
351 |
2 |
0 |
117.8 |
| 17 |
Dec. 28 |
vs. Carolina Panthers |
L 31-33 |
30 |
49 |
61.2 |
386 |
4 |
1 |
104.6 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Sept. 2 |
at Washington Redskins |
W 35-17 |
21 |
28 |
75.0 |
311 |
5 |
0 |
150.4 |
| 2 |
Sept. 9 |
vs New England Patriots |
W 28-7 |
16 |
27 |
59.3 |
234 |
2 |
2 |
81.4 |
| 3 |
Sept. 17 |
at Buffalo Bills |
W 21-17 |
26 |
35 |
74.3 |
296 |
3 |
1 |
115.9 |
| 4 |
Sept. 23 |
vs. Indianapolis Colts |
W 44-7 |
14 |
29 |
48.3 |
257 |
2 |
0 |
102.2 |
| 5 |
Sept. 30 |
at St. Louis Cardinals |
W 36-28 |
24 |
36 |
66.7 |
429 |
3 |
0 |
135.1 |
| 6 |
Oct. 7 |
at Pittsburgh Steelers |
W 31-7 |
16 |
24 |
66.7 |
226 |
2 |
1 |
107.3 |
| 7 |
Oct. 14 |
vs. Houston Oilers |
W 28-10 |
25 |
32 |
78.1 |
321 |
3 |
0 |
139.7 |
| 8 |
Oct. 21 |
at New England Patriots |
W 44-24 |
24 |
39 |
61.5 |
316 |
4 |
1 |
110.6 |
| 9 |
Oct. 28 |
vs. Buffalo Bills |
W 38-7 |
19 |
28 |
67.9 |
282 |
3 |
3 |
96.7 |
| 10 |
Nov. 4 |
at New York Jets |
W 31-17 |
23 |
42 |
54.8 |
422 |
2 |
2 |
85.6 |
| 11 |
Nov. 11 |
vs. Philadelphia Eagles |
W 24-23 |
20 |
34 |
58.8 |
246 |
1 |
1 |
78.8 |
| 12 |
Nov. 18 |
at San Diego Chargers |
L 28-34 |
28 |
41 |
68.3 |
338 |
2 |
1 |
99.4 |
| 13 |
Nov. 26 |
vs. New York Jets |
W 28-17 |
19 |
31 |
61.3 |
192 |
4 |
0 |
118.5 |
| 14 |
Dec. 2, |
vs. Los Angeles Raiders |
L 34-45 |
35 |
57 |
61.4 |
470 |
4 |
2 |
96.4 |
| 15 |
Dec. 9 |
at Indianapolis Colts |
W 35-17 |
29 |
41 |
70.7 |
404 |
4 |
1 |
124.4 |
| 16 |
Dec. 17 |
vs. Dallas Cowboys |
W 28-21 |
23 |
40 |
57.5 |
340 |
4 |
2 |
97.9 |
| |
|
|
Week 16 Edition
Highs and Lows
Dec. 24, 2011
Week 15 of the 2011 National Football League season was the high point for the Indianapolis Colts and a low point for the Green Bay Packers. The Colts avoided a winless season with their 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Meanwhile the Packers ended a 19-game (regular and postseason) winning streak with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14, which ended their bid for an undefeated season.
Last Sunday marked just the third time in the NFL's 91-year history that a team without a loss was defeated on the same day a team without a win was victorious at least 11 games into a season. The most recent time this occurred was on Nov. 18, 1984 when the 0-11 Buffalo Bills defeated the Dallas Cowboys 14-3 and the 11-0 Miami Dolphins fell 34-28 to the San Diego Chargers. Interestingly, this anomaly first took place on the final day of the 1953 regular season when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Chicago Bears 24-17 at Wrigley Field, and the Cleveland Browns fell at home to the Philadelphia Eagles 42-27.
Do you remember when, on Dec. 13, 1953 the Cardinals avoided a winless season and the Browns let a 12-0 season slip away?
For the Cardinals the glory days were a distant memory. They had won their last NFL championship in 1947 and were in the midst of their fourth consecutive losing season. The winless Cardinals entered the season finale against the Bears with a 0-10-1 record under first year head coach Joe Stydahar. The former Bears' tackle desperately wanted a victory over his mentor George Halas and the Cardinals responded with an inspired performance. After falling behind early 10-0 the Cardinals capitalized on three Bears mistakes (a fumble, an interception, and a muffed punt) and scored 24 unanswered points.
The Browns were looking to become just the third team in NFL history to finish a regular season unbeaten and untied, but instead their hopes were smothered by the Eagles. Cleveland jumped ahead early with 10-0 lead with an Otto Graham touchdown pass and a Lou Groza field goal. Philadelphia answered with two long touchdown drives in the second quarter and took a 14-13 lead into halftime.
Cleveland grabbed the lead for the last time early in the third quarter on Graham's second and final touchdown pass of the day. Staring at a 20-14 deficit the Eagles offense went to work and scored the next 28 points and took a commanding 42-20 lead. The Philadelphia defense sealed Cleveland's fate in the fourth quarter as they repeatedly dumped Graham for losses. Browns' backup quarterback George Ratterman came in and finished the game adding a late touchdown to the final score.
Unfortunately for the Browns the damage was done and their unblemished season was no more. Cleveland still won the NFL Eastern Conference and a berth to play in the NFL title game against the Detroit Lions but the chance for perfection had eluded them. Throughout the years whether the NFL schedule has been 12, 14 or 16 games one thing is certain, perfection is always the goal and it is very tough to achieve.
Week 15 Edition
First Time to the Dance
Dec. 17, 2011
The Houston Texans, in only their 10th year of play, are the youngest franchise in the National Football League. Until this year they were the only NFL club not to have appeared in the postseason. That changed this past Sunday when the Texans, led by rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-19 at Paul Brown Stadium. Yates led the Texans to a remarkable comeback victory when he tossed the game-winning touchdown to receiver Kevin Walter with two seconds remaining in regulation. Houston's victory not only clinched the team's first division title but subsequently their first playoff berth.
The Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans (who later moved to Detroit and became the Lions) played in the league's first postseason game in 1932. The two clubs finished the regular season tied for first and the NFL instituted a one-game playoff which would count toward the standings and determined the NFL champion.
Do you remember when your favorite team made its first postseason appearance?
| Arizona Cardinals |
1947 |
28 |
9-3-0 |
(W) 28-21 over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship game |
| Atlanta Falcons |
1978 |
13 |
9-7-0 |
(W) 14-13 over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card game |
| Baltimore Ravens |
2000 |
5 |
12-4 |
(W) 21-3 over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card playoff game |
| Buffalo Bills |
1963 |
4 |
7-6-1 |
(L) 26-8 to the Boston Patriots in an AFL Eastern Division playoff game |
| Carolina Panthers |
1996 |
2 |
12-4 |
(W) 26-17 over the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional playoff game |
| Chicago Bears |
1932 |
13 |
7-1-6 |
(W) 9-0 over the Portsmouth Spartans (Detroit Lions) in the NFL's first playoff game |
| Cincinnati Bengals |
1970 |
3 |
8-6-0 |
(L) 17-0 to the Baltimore Colts in the AFC Divisional playoff game |
| Cleveland Browns* |
1950 |
1 |
10-2-0 |
(W) 8-3 over the New York Giants in the American Conference playoff game |
| Dallas Cowboys |
1966 |
7 |
10-3-1 |
(L) 34-27 to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship game |
| Denver Broncos |
1977 |
18 |
12-2-0 |
(W) 34-21 over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game |
| Detroit Lions |
1932 |
3 |
6-2-4 |
(L) 9-0 to the Chicago Bears in the NFL's first playoff game |
| Green Bay Packers |
1936 |
16 |
10-1-1 |
(W) 21-6 over the Boston Redskins in the NFL Championship game |
| Houston Texans |
2011 |
10 |
TBD |
? |
| Indianapolis Colts |
1958 |
6 |
9-3-0 |
(W) 23-17 in overtime over the New York Giants in the 1958 NFL Championship game |
| Jacksonville Jaguars |
1996 |
2 |
9-7-0 |
(W) 30-27 over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card playoff game |
| Kansas City Chiefs |
1962 |
3 |
11-3 |
(W) 20-17 in double-overtime over the Houston Oilers for the AFL Championship game |
| Miami Dolphins |
1970 |
5 |
10-4-0 |
(L) 21-14 to the Oakland Raiders in the 1970 AFC playoff game |
| Minnesota Vikings |
1968 |
8 |
8-6-0 |
(L) 24-14 to the Baltimore Colts in the Western Conference playoff game |
| New England Patriots |
1963 |
4 |
7-6-1 |
(W) 26-8 over the Buffalo Bills in the AFL's Eastern Division Championship game |
| New Orleans Saints |
1987 |
21 |
12-3-0 |
(L) 44-10 to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card playoff game |
| New York Giants |
1933 |
9 |
11-3-0 |
(L) 23-21 to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship game |
| New York Jets |
1968 |
9 |
11-3 |
(W) 27-23 over the Oakland Raiders in the AFL Championship game |
| Oakland Raiders |
1967 |
8 |
13-1-0 |
(W) 40-7 over the Houston Oilers in the AFL Championship game |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
1947 |
15 |
8-4-0 |
(W) 21-0 over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Eastern Divisional playoff game |
| Pittsburgh Steelers |
1947 |
15 |
8-4-0 |
(L) 21-0 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Eastern Division Playoff game |
| St. Louis Rams |
1945 |
9 |
8-2-0 |
(W) 15-14 over the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship game |
| San Diego Chargers |
1960 |
1 |
10-4-0 |
(L) 24-16 to the Houston Oilers in the AFL Championship game |
| San Francisco 49ers** |
1957 |
8 |
8-4-0 |
(L) 31-27 to the Detroit Lions in the Western Conference playoff game |
| Seattle Seahawks |
1983 |
8 |
9-7-0 |
(W) 31-7 over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card game |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
1979 |
4 |
10-6-0 |
(W) 24-17 over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional playoff game |
| Tennessee Titans |
1960 |
1 |
10-4-0 |
(W) 24-16 over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFL Championship game |
| Washington Redskins |
1936 |
5 |
7-5-0 |
(L) 21-6 to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship game |
| |
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|
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| * First Playoff Appearance in the AAFC: A 14-9 victory over the New York Yankees in the 1946 AAFC Championship Game |
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| ** First Playoff Appearance in the AAFC: A 17-7 victory over the New York Yankees in the 1949 AAFC Playoff Game |
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Week 14 Edition
Superman Cam…
Dec. 10, 2011
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton has been the team's superman all season long. This past Sunday was no exception when the first overall selection of the 2011 National Football League Draft led the Panthers to a 38-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Newton torched Tampa Bay's defense as he threw for 204 yards and one touchdown, rushed the ball 14 times for 54 yards and three TDs. He even recorded a 27-yard reception in the first quarter to set up another Carolina touchdown.
Cam's performance during the Week 13 matchup with the Bucs was not only impressive but record-breaking as well. Newton's trio of 1-yard touchdown runs gave him 13 rushing touchdowns on the season and set a new all-time NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season. Surprisingly, the player Newton passed in the NFL record book was not necessarily known for his running ability.
Do you remember when former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan (right) scored his 12th and final rushing touchdown of the 1976 season?
The Week 14 matchup was played on Dec. 12, 1976 and also happened to be against the Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium. The season finale pitted the (10-3) Patriots, who were fighting for a playoff spot, against the (0-13) expansion Bucs, still looking for their first victory in franchise history.
Grogan had his toughest day of the season as he completed just 4 of 14 passes for 40 yards and an interception to go along with three carries for two yards. Although the second-year QB's statistics for the game left much to be desired, it was his 1-yard fourth quarter touchdown run that concluded the scoring for the day and helped propel New England over Tampa Bay 31-14 and into the playoffs.
The young quarterback's play throughout the '76 season helped the Patriots go from a 3-11 record in 1975 to 11-3 the very next season. Check out how Newton and Grogan's season rushing statistics compare to one another.
| 1 |
Sept. 12 |
Baltimore Colts |
L 13-27 |
2 |
14 |
7.0 |
0 |
| 2 |
Sept. 19 |
Miami Dolphins |
W 30-14 |
9 |
76 |
8.4 |
1 |
| 3 |
Sept. 26 |
at Pittsburgh Steelers |
W 30-27 |
4 |
33 |
8.3 |
1 |
| 4 |
Oct. 3 |
Oakland Raiders |
W 48-17 |
5 |
56 |
11.2 |
2 |
| 5 |
Oct. 10 |
at Detroit Lions |
L 10-30 |
1 |
3 |
3.0 |
0 |
| 6 |
Oct. 18 |
New York Jets |
W 41-7 |
7 |
103 |
14.7 |
1 |
| 7 |
Oct. 24 |
at Buffalo Bills |
W 26-22 |
6 |
29 |
4.8 |
1 |
| 8 |
Oct. 31 |
at Miami Dolphins |
L 3-10 |
6 |
15 |
2.5 |
0 |
| 9 |
Nov. 7 |
Buffalo Bills |
W 20-10 |
3 |
19 |
6.3 |
0 |
| 10 |
Nov. 14 |
at Baltimore Colts |
W 21-14 |
4 |
3 |
0.8 |
2 |
| 11 |
Nov. 21 |
at New York Jets |
W 38-24 |
2 |
-2 |
-1.0 |
0 |
| 12 |
Nov. 28 |
Denver Broncos |
W 38-14 |
4 |
19 |
4.8 |
1 |
| 13 |
Dec. 5 |
New Orleans Saints |
W 27-6 |
4 |
27 |
6.8 |
2 |
| 14 |
Dec. 12 |
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
W 31-14 |
3 |
2 |
0.7 |
1 |
| |
TOTAL |
|
|
60 |
397 |
6.6 |
12 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Sept. 11 |
at Arizona Cardinals |
L 21-28 |
8 |
18 |
2.3 |
1 |
| 2 |
Sept. 18 |
Green Bay Packers |
L 23-30 |
10 |
53 |
5.3 |
1 |
| 3 |
Sept. 25 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
W 16-10 |
7 |
27 |
3.9 |
0 |
| 4 |
Oct. 2 |
at Chicago Bears |
L 29-34 |
8 |
35 |
4.4 |
2 |
| 5 |
Oct. 9 |
New Orleans Saints |
L 27-30 |
7 |
27 |
3.9 |
1 |
| 6 |
Oct. 16 |
at Atlanta Falcons |
L 17-31 |
7 |
47 |
6.7 |
1 |
| 7 |
Oct. 23 |
Washington Redskins |
W 33-20 |
10 |
59 |
5.9 |
1 |
| 8 |
Oct. 30 |
Minnesota Vikings |
L 21-24 |
6 |
53 |
8.8 |
0 |
| 10 |
Nov. 13 |
Tennessee Titans |
L 3-30 |
7 |
55 |
7.9 |
0 |
| 11 |
Nov. 20 |
at Detroit Lions |
L 35-49 |
7 |
37 |
5.3 |
2 |
| 12 |
Nov. 27 |
at Indianapolis Colts |
W 27-19 |
9 |
53 |
5.9 |
1 |
| 13 |
Dec. 4 |
atTampa Bay Buccaneers |
W 38-19 |
14 |
54 |
3.9 |
3 |
| |
TOTAL |
|
|
100 |
518 |
5.2 |
13 |
Grogan had five rushing TDs the following season but never produced more than two for the remainder of his lengthy NFL career that ended following the 1990 season.
Week 13 Edition
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Dec. 3, 2011
The 2011 National Football League season has been filled with tight games, exciting punt returns for touchdowns and record-breaking performances. Week 12 provided more of the same when the Arizona Cardinals faced their NFC West Division rival St. Louis Rams. The matchup ended as the first game in NFL history in which both teams scored touchdowns of 80-plus yards on punt returns. St. Louis opened the scoring in the first quarter with receiver Nick Miller's 88-yard punt return touchdown. But, not to be outdone, Arizona's Patrick Peterson recorded an 80-yard punt return touchdown of his own in the third quarter as the Cardinals topped the Rams 23-20 in St. Louis.
This is not the first time Peterson registered an 80-yard punt-return touchdown. The Cardinals' dynamic rookie cornerback is the first player in NFL history to record four punt return touchdowns of at least 80 yards in a single season (89, 82, 99 and 80 yards).
Also, his four punt return TDs are tied for the most in a single season with Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Christiansen (1951), Rick Upchurch (1976) and Devin Hester (2007) with five games still to play in 2011. Peterson and Christiansen, however, are the only rookies to accomplish the feat and the only players in NFL history to score four punt return touchdowns in their first 11 career games.
Do you remember when the Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame safety returned four of his eight career punt returns during his first season in the NFL?
Amazingly, the 6'1", 180 pound Christiansen returned all four of his punt return touchdowns in 1951 in just two games. The first two touchdowns of Christiansen's career came during a 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 14, 1951. The previously unbeaten (2-0) Lions struggled most of the day against the (1-1) Rams, but their lone bright spot was Christiansen's play in the return game.
His first TD came with the Lions trailing 10-7 in the second quarter. Christiansen took a Glenn Davis punt 67 yards to put Detroit up 14-10. The second came as the Lions tried to battle back from a 27-14 deficit in the fourth quarter. Jack once again streaked into the end zone this time on a 48-yard punt return, which gave Detroit life.
Christiansen then established his mark against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 22, 1951. The Lions at 5-2-1 were fighting to keep pace with the Chicago Bears and the Rams in the NFL's National Conference. The Packers took advantage early and jumped out to a 21-10 lead on Thanksgiving Day. Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne then threw Detroit back into the ballgame with three of his four touchdown passes in the second quarter, to give the Lions a 31-21 halftime lead.
The third period opened up with a long touchdown run by Bob Hoernschemeyer. Then a few minutes later Christiansen put the proverbial nail in the coffin when he took a Green Bay punt and raced 71 yards to the end zone. The stunned Packers tried to regroup, but Jack finished Detroit's scoring with an amazing 89-yard punt return TD, weaving around and through the Green Bay defense and sealed the 52-35 Lions victory.
Archived "Remember When"
Weeks 1-4:
Weeks 5-8:
Rice's big day | QB rushing record | Marino and Shula's first victory | Smith breaks Cowboys rushing records
Weeks 9-12:
Staubach wins 75 | Robert Bailey's bizarre return | Fouts passes for 300 | Woodson's final TD return