My Ryan Grant Blog

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions needed a lot to go right for them to have success this season.

So far, everything has gone wrong.

The winless Lions have been hit hard by injuries to Matthew Stafford, Nate Burleson and Jahvid Best — three key players on offense — and their best shot at a victory in Week 1 at Chicago was foiled when officials ruled Calvin Johnson didn't catch a potential game-winning touchdown.

"It's been like a domino effect," banged-up running back Aaron Brown said. "We started off with the dumb call and Matt getting hurt, then Nate, and (Best) and me. We keep churning for that break."

Stafford will miss a third straight game — Sunday in Green Bay — with an injured right shoulder that makes Shaun Hill a starter. Stafford didn't practice Wednesday and had plenty of teammates to watch practice with because Best (toe), Burleson (ankle) Brown (hand) and linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin) were among the players not healthy enough to participate.

Detroit didn't have a big margin for error this season after winning just twice in two years and injuries to several players have led to an 0-3 record, sinking the franchise to another low.

The Lions are 3-40 since midway through the 2007 season, giving them the worst 43-game record in NFL history, and they're 2-33 since 2008 for the lowest winning percentage over 35 games according to STATS LLC.

"The worse is over because we bottomed out somewhere in that span," kicker Jason Hanson said. "Everyone can see and feel that we're a better team and there's a reason to have expectations. But it wasn't good to go 0-3 in our situation because the longer you go without getting it done, the more you start to doubt."

Seeds of doubt were planted when the Lions gave Super Bowl-winning linebacker and TV analyst Matt Millen his first job in an NFL front office in 2001, when he drafted current center Dominic Raiola, and they've bloomed into a 33-114 record over the past nine-plus seasons.

Millen was fired two years ago, but his many misses in the draft and free agency left a mess behind for a franchise that already had problems with only one playoff victory since winning the 1957 NFL title.

"You can't get caught up in thinking we're cursed," Raiola said. "I don't even believe in witches."

Stafford didn't throw any passes Wednesday during the part of practice open to the media, then flashed a thumbs-up when a reporter asked him if he threw with his right arm when reporters didn't have access. The No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft then declined comment and wasn't in the locker room when it was open for the media.

Detroit coach Jim Schwartz was only slightly more forthcoming.

"Matt's making good progress and is doing a good job in his rehab," Schwartz said. "He won't be ready this week. I'm not going to get into his daily rehab, but he's doing more and more every day as you would expect. ... Matt is continuing in his rehab and throwing is in that rehab."

The Lions are left to hope Hill can help them end an 18-game, regular-season losing streak on the road against the Packers.

"I've never won in Green Bay — that's mind-boggling," Hanson, whom Detroit drafted in 1992. "I used to joke about it, but it's not funny anymore. The streak started the year I came in the league. It seems impossible."

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the No. 2 pick overall this season, insists it is possible for the Lions to turn it around this season and it's easy for him to stay optimistic.

"For me, it's simple," Suh said. "I know how great we are when we're playing as a unit, and I don't think we've played our best game. Until we play our best game and we're still losing, then it becomes a problem."

Whether you're a die-hard Packer fan from the days of Vince Lombardi or a newcomer learning about the current team, the latest book from Rob Reischel offers must-know facts and must-do suggestions to refresh or enhance your knowledge. What follows is an excerpt highlighting the incredible 1962 team.

Sept. 29, 2010 |(1) Comments

more photos

Rob Reischel has covered the Green Bay Packers for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Packer Plus magazine since 2001. Reischel has received 12 awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association for his writing and editing at News Publishing Co.

Reischel's book can be found at all major retailers or triumphbooks.com. Those interested in purchasing a signed copy can contact Reischel at robreischel@gmail.com.

Norm Masters still has the letter.

The one where Vince Lombardi expressed tremendous gratitude to his 1962 Green Bay Packers. Where the legendary coach thanked his team for their mental toughness, applauded their character and reminded them that there is no substitute for winning.

Then, in conclusion, Lombardi wrote that he was sending every player a color television.

"A color TV was big time back in those days," said Masters, an offensive tackle. "But really, that letter has meant a lot to me. I've used it many times in my life and I used so much of what coach Lombardi taught us."

Those 1962 Packers taught Lombardi a thing or two, as well. And of the 12 World Championships that have been won in Green Bay, those '62 Packers are widely regarded as the finest team in franchise history.

"That probably was the best year we had during the Glory Years," quarterback Bart Starr said. "Everything just kind of aligned right that season.

"We avoided injuries that season. It was our fourth year with Vince, so we all knew just what he wanted. And a lot of our core guys were in their prime. It was an incredible season."

Boy, was it ever.

The Packers went 13-1 during the regular season that year, the second-best winning percentage in team history. They defeated the New York Giants, 16-7, to win their second straight NFL Championship. And Green Bay outscored its opponents, 415-148, a margin of nearly 3-to-1.

Only a loss to Detroit on Thanksgiving stopped the Packers from achieving perfection.

"That was a great football team, probably the best of any we had there," safety Willie Wood said. "I look back now and it's incredible how close we were to going unbeaten. That was an incredible football team. There won't be many like that one again."

That's for sure.

Green Bay raced to a 10-0 start, and just two of those games were decided by single digits. After the Packers' loss in Detroit, they won their final three games - including road contests at San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams - and won the Western Conference by two games over Detroit.

That set up a repeat of the 1961 NFL Championship, where the Packers defeated the New York Giants, 37-0. The game was played in brutal conditions at Yankee Stadium, with winds gusting to 40 miles per hour and a game-time temperature of 13 degrees.

But Green Bay beat both the Giants and the elements, 16-7. Ray Nitschke, the game's eventual MVP, had an interception and recovered two fumbles. Jim Taylor set a playoff record with 31 carries and a touchdown. And Jerry Kramer banged home three field goals. The Giants' only score came when they blocked a Max McGee punt for a touchdown.

"That team was incredible," said former tight Ron Kramer, who spent seven years in Green Bay "Everybody was in their prime, everybody had a great year."

And how.

Taylor bulldozed for 1,474 yards and 19 touchdowns that year, two marks that stood for 41 years before Ahman Green broke them in 2003. Starr had his best season yet, completing 62.5% of his throws and finishing with a 90.7 passer rating.

The dynamic pass catching duo of McGee and Boyd Dowler combined for 98 receptions, more than any pair of receivers in the Lombardi-era. And the offensive line of left tackle Bob Skoronski, left guard Fuzzy Thurston, center Jim Ringo, right guard Jerry Kramer and right tackle Forrest Gregg was unparalleled.

Individual defensive statistics from that time weren't kept. But the Packers' unit included future Hall of Famers in Nitschke, Wood, defensive end Willie Davis and cornerback Herb Adderley. That group allowed just 10.2 points per game and forced a remarkable 59 turnovers.

It's easy to see why Lombardi took the time to write a letter to everyone that played on that team.

"I'm one of the few guys who saved that letter," said Masters, who played with the Packers from 1957-'64 and lives in Detroit today. "Even Vince Lombardi Jr. asked me once where I got it and I said, 'Your Dad sent it out to the team.' It's really special to me."

Just like that 1962 team remains special to Green Bay's fans.

View the original article here

The Green Bay Packers' offensive tackles, Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, each got called for three penalties in Monday night's loss to the Bears. Packers coach Mike McCarthy says that doesn't mean they need to be replaced.

"I believe in Mark Tauscher," McCarthy said, per the Wisconsin State Journal. "He's played a lot of football. Now, there are some things fundamentally that he did not do to his standard and I believe he'll get that corrected, because Mark's a pro's pro."I don't think it's a lack of anything. It's not a he-doesn't-have-it-anymore (situation)."

It might not be a he-doesn't-have-it-anymore situation, but the 33-year-old Tauscher certainly doesn't look like he's the same player he was a few years ago. McCarthy's comments seem less like a candid assessment of Tauscher's abilities than like an attempt to boost his confidence.

As for Clifton, who has been struggling with a knee injury, McCarthy acknowledges that he's going to be limited in practice and just trying to make it through games.

"I think Chad Clifton is doing the best he can with his health situation," McCarthy said. "I think we have a very good plan in place."

McCarthy might have a very good plan, and the Packers might turn to be OK at offensive tackle. But that wasn't apparent on Monday night.

Week No. 4 of the NFL season is here, and that means the first week of byes. Dallas, Kansas City, Minnesota and Tampa Bay all have the week off.

In the early games Sunday, Oct. 3, the Denver Broncos visit Tennessee. The Titans are coming off a nice win over the New York Giants, and the Broncos are coming off a home loss against the Colts. I like the Titans to continue their winning ways and drop the Broncos to 1-3.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 without their starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. They host the Ravens this week. The Steelers should hold serve and advance to 4-0. Can you say “Ben who?”

In the battle for supremacy in the state of Ohio, the Bengals travel to Cleveland. Cincinnati is 9-2 in their last 11 games against the Browns. I think they’ll make it 10 out of 12. The Lions will remain winless in 2010 when they drop to 0-4 against Green Bay.

The defending champion New Orleans Saints lost in overtime last week. I look for them to bounce back big against the Carolina Panthers. The Falcons were the team to beat the Saints in week three. The Falcons host the 49ers this week. I like Atlanta at home.

The Seahawks fly into St. Louis. Seattle is 10-0 in their last 10 games against the Rams. They won’t have any problem making it 11 straight. The New York Jets have to shuffle off to Buffalo this week. I like the Jets on the road.

The Colts are on the road for the second consecutive week. This week, they are in Florida to face off against the Jaguars. Jacksonville is 4-14 in the last 18 games against Indy. Look for the trend to continue. The Colts will improve to 3-1.

The Raiders are at home against the Texans. Last week, Oakland won and Houston lost. I’ll say the same thing will happen this week. I like Oakland by the bay. In the same state, but a little farther south, the Chargers welcome the Arizona Cardinals to town. They won’t be such welcome visitors when this one is over. I look for the Cardinals to win big in San Diego.

In Philadelphia, it’s a game that has been circled on the calendar for some time. Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and his new team, the Redskins, come to the “City of Brotherly Love” for the first time since Philly let him go. Thanks to Michael Vick, the Eagles haven’t missed McNabb. I think Vick and the Eagles won’t show any love to their rivals from the East. I’m figuring the Eagles by at least 10.

The Sunday-night game features the Bears in the Big Apple against the Giants. That’s not good news for Eli Manning and his Giants. The road team has won the last seven straight meetings. I look for the Bears to add another win to their record and make it eight in a row for the road team.

In the Monday-night game, the Dolphins host the Patriots. This one could go either way, but I’m taking the Patriots to pull the mild upset on the road.

At press time, the only game undecided from week three was the Bears and Packers’ Monday-night contest in Chicago. Since I picked the Bears, I’m hoping I went 10-6 instead of 9-7. It’s hard to type this column with my fingers crossed.

There's a belief in some league circles that Jim Mora (the son) has an evil twin.  (Of course, there's also an even stronger belief that the elder Mora has an evil twin, too.)  If that's the case, the younger Mora's evil twin made a cameo appearance on ESPN Radio earlier today with Doug Gottlieb.

We'd heard about the segment from a reader, and we'd been trying to track down the audio. 

The folks at The Big Lead have obliged.

Mora, as you'll hear, didn't like being asked about Mike Vick's stunning improvement.  Gottlieb asked Mora, "Does it bum you out at all thought that he wasn't that bought in to be what it took to be a great quarterback when you coached him in Atlanta?"  (Yes, those are the specific words Gottlieb uttered.)

I've met Jim, and I like Jim.  But he probably was too hard on Gottlieb, even though Gottlieb asked for it a little bit by at one point suggesting that Mora "might still be the coach of the Falcons" if Vick listened to coaching and committed himself to preparation earlier in his career.  (Mora previously has sung Vick's praises when it comes to preparation.)

By the time the the topic finally changed to Donovan McNabb's return to Philly, Mora had enough.  Asked a clumsy question by Gottlieb about how Philly fans should feel about McNabb's return, Mora went off.

"I don't know, how do you feel?" Mora said.  "Is this your first interview?  Jesus Christ, what kind of questions are these?  How should they feel?  I don't know how people should feel."

The interview wrapped up not long after that, and when it wrapped up, Mora said to Gottlieb, "You are a real joy, thanks."

Gottlieb responded by saying, "That has never happened before," in a manner that strangely reminded us of a certain news anchor who once famously told us, "That is not the right video."