On the NFL’s 80th birthday, it’s out with the old and in with the new.
On Sept. 17, 1920, George Halas and friends sat on running boards of the cars in the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio, and formed the American Professional Football Conference, which became the NFL two years later. They elected Jim Thorpe president.
That was after Thorpe had been unceremoniously stripped of his 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon gold medals because it was discovered he had been paid to play baseball. The medals were restored posthumously. In the meantime, pro football was glad to have him.
What’s old: The original 10-team NFL included three teams in Illinois–Decatur Staleys (Bears), Racine (Chicago) Cardinals, Rock Island Independents–and one in New York (Rochester Jeffersons).
What’s new: Now there are three teams in New York and one in Illinois. And for the first time, all three New York teams are 2-0. That will be old by Sunday afternoon, after the Bills play the Jets.
What’s old: Starting quarterbacks over 30. There are only 10 of them. The Jets’ Vinny Testaverde is the oldest at 36. The Jaguars’ Mark Brunell joins the over-30 group Sunday.
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What’s new: Starting quarterbacks under 25. There are 10 of them. There were 11 until ex-Bear Moses Moreno beat out Ryan Leaf in San Diego last week. Moreno just turned 25.
Old: Deion Sanders. Against the Lions last week, the 33-year-old Sanders didn’t look nearly as good as the Redskins cornerback he beat out, 40-year-old Darrell Green. Sanders plays against his old Cowboys Monday night.
“I just had one of those days mama talked about,” Sanders said. “But I promise you, I’ll have the last laugh.”
New: Quarterback Charlie Batch threw in the direction of Sanders on 11 of his 31 passes.
“I think it kind of surprised him,” Lions receiver Johnnie Morton said. “He kind of had that look toward the end of the game like, `Wow, what’s going on?’ Because I’ve always seen him successful and have his way with people.”
Old: Last year’s Buffalo Bills defense, ranked No. 1 with Bruce Smith and Thomas Smith, now is gone.
New: Bills inside linebacker Sam Cowart, on his way toward joining if not replacing Baltimore’s Ray Lewis and San Diego’s Junior Seau as a dominant force. He had 14 tackles in each of the Bills’ first two games.
“The guys who have filled the void this season, Marcellus Wiley and Antoine Winfield, have done a tremendous job so far,” Cowart said. “Antoine got his opportunity last year when Thomas Smith got hurt. He really showed and displayed the reason why he’s the starting corner this year, the reason they didn’t re-sign Thomas Smith.”
Old: Brett Favre, the league’s eighth-oldest starting quarterback, told his Sunday opponent, Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb, to listen to coach Andy Reid, Favre’s former position coach in Green Bay.
“What I can say to any quarterback who comes in under Andy is that it won’t be Andy’s fault if the guy doesn’t become the player Andy wants him to be,” Favre said. “Because Andy will have him as prepared as he ever will be and will coach him the way he needs to be coached. Andy can cater to any personality, any style of play. He changed my mind completely.”
New: Said McNabb: “That brings a smile to my face because there’s a guy who’s a three-time MVP who struggled early. But as he continued on, Brett Favre became the best quarterback in the league.”
Old: Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary. The Denver Broncos found Davis in the sixth round and Gary in the fourth round. When Davis got hurt, Gary took over. When Gary got hurt …
New: Mike Anderson, a sixth-round rookie from Utah and a former Marine, rushed for 131 yards against Atlanta.
The Broncos are now hearing old complaints about dirty blocking tactics.
Said coach Mike Shanahan: “I don’t like people who whine. All of a sudden after a couple of games where we run the football well, the complaints are coming back. But we haven’t been fined. I kind of find it amusing.”
Old: Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry, Hall of Fame quarterback and receiver of the Baltimore Colts.
New: Steve Beuerlein and Donald Hayes, who practice long hours with the Carolina Panthers.
“It reminds me of when I was in high school watching Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry practice,” coach George Seifert said. “They came out to play the 49ers. I was at Golden Gate Park. I sat there and they kept throwing passes. Finally it was too dark. They had to go in. And you know how they turned out.
“Maybe that’s what these guys want to do. I hope so.”
Old: John Thierry and Keith McKenzie. Thierry couldn’t make it in Chicago or Cleveland, and landed in Green Bay. McKenzie couldn’t start in Green Bay, and landed in Cleveland.
New: Although he has only one sack, Thierry has been the Packers’ best pass rusher and has made four tackles for losses in the running game. He is playing despite damaged cartilage in a knee. McKenzie starts in Cleveland and leads the league with four sacks.
Old: Simeon Rice tried to embarrass the Arizona Cardinals into letting him go by referring to Phoenix as “the armpit of the NFL.”
New: After signing a one-year contract for $4.25 million, Rice said, “Personally, I feel like I’m the deodorant, the spray.”
Old: The Panthers thought they could turn back time with a big-name defensive front of Reggie White, Sean Gilbert, Eric Swann and Chuck Smith.
New: Smith and Gilbert are hurt, and Seifert believes White and Swann are already being overused.
“We’re going to have to pull in the reins a little bit,” he said.
Old: John Randle terrorizing offensive lines.
New: The Vikings are 2-0, but Randle has yet to record a single tackle. Coaches blame double-teams.
“It’s hard for him because of what people think of him,” defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas said. “Teams aren’t going to put just one guy on him. We’re not worried about it. He’ll get it going.”
Old: The myth that big running backs are good running backs. According to STATS Inc., only eight 240-pound-plus running backs in NFL history have gained 1,000 yards in a season: Pete Johnson (Cincinnati), Ironhead Heyward (Atlanta), Christian Okoye and Barry Word (Kansas City), Cookie Gilchrist (Buffalo), Jerome Bettis (St. Louis and Pittsburgh), and Natrone Means and Marion Butts (San Diego). Bettis got 1,000 yards six times in his first seven years. But the other seven rushed for 1,000 yards a total of only eight times in a combined 50 years in the league.
New: The Giants’ Tiki Barber, who leads the league in rushing now (240 yards), lost weight and is playing at closer to 190 than 200.
Old: Raiders boss Al Davis doesn’t like the Denver Broncos. He believes owner Pat Bowlen should be suspended for violating the salary cap.
New: Even the opposing kickers are at odds. The Broncos just signed Joe Nedney, released by the Raiders, who drafted Sebastian Janikowski.
“I’d love to go out there and make all my field goals and outkick my competition and show them that they could have what they have now for a lot less money and probably with a lot better mentality,” Nedney said.
Old: Randy Moss irritates opponents.
New: Randy Moss still irritates opponents. Said Miami linebacker Robert Jones: “He had a couple of plays and that’s all people are going to look at, not that we shut him down. … I think he’s overrated and not that good. I’ve been playing for a while and I’ve never seen someone so cocky. I have no respect for him.”
Old: The No Fun League. Worried that end-zone celebrations such as the Rams’ “Bob n’ Weave” ridiculed and incited other teams, the NFL outlawed it.
New: The Rams’ new “Duck-Down” was outlawed last week.
“This has become a real issue with the NFL,” coach Mike Martz said. “All the stuff our guys were doing, it was just in fun. They were never doing anything to humiliate or demean the opponent in any way. It was taken wrong, I guess. So our guys have decided that they’ll just hand the ball back to the official and move on.”
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Old: The 1993 Cowboys started 0-2 and won the Super Bowl.
New: Jerry Jones says his 0-2 Cowboys won’t panic.
“Teams are going to be knocking each other off because of parity,” he said. “I don’t see any team that doesn’t have an Achilles’ heel. They are vulnerable in any given game. Now more than ever, 0-2 doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance to be in the hunt.”
Don Pierson’s NFL rankings
1. Rams–Defense needs to tighten despite cushion.
2. Buccaneers–King hasn’t thrown an interception.
3. Bills–First road game against Jets a big test.
4. Titans–Struggling, they can use their early off week.
5. Colts–Disappointing loss to Raiders at home.
6. Ravens–Another big test Sunday night in Miami.
7. Jaguars–Brunell looking good; Bengals next.
8. Vikings–Now Daunte must take show on road.
9. Lions–Undefeated, and offense hasn’t scored.
10. Raiders–Impressive win at Indy bodes well.
11. Giants–Underdogs to Bears shows lack of respect.
12. Jets–Can validate 2-0 start against Bills.
13. Dolphins–Wannstedt defense vs. Billick offense.
14. Redskins–Brad Johnson must beat Cowboys Monday night.
15. Panthers–Beuerlein picking up where he left off.
16. Broncos–Griese leads NFL in passing efficiency.
17. Chiefs–Must beat Chargers at home to save 0-2 start.
18. Falcons–Reeves and team looked lost in Denver.
19. Eagles–Home loss to Giants ruined fast start.
20. Seahawks–Almost beat Rams, so 0-2 looks better.
21. BEARS–Desperate and playing home opener.
22. Packers–Vote makes Lambeau look good again.
23. Patriots–Couldn’t stop Jets; get Vikings at home.
24. Saints–Road win in San Diego a jump start.
25. Chargers–Moses Moreno beats out Leaf in Week 3.
26. Cardinals–Beating Cowboys isn’t what it once was.
27. Browns–They could make it two in a row this week.
28. Cowboys–Hurting with no relief in sight.
29. 49ers–Defense gets no rest in St. Louis.
30. Steelers–Bye didn’t help Bengals against Browns.
31. Bengals–Season hopes jolted with opening loss.