9002060025
DETROIT FREE PRESS
900924
Monday, September 24, 1990
METRO FINAL CHASER
1D
MITCH ALBOM
Copyright (c) 1990, Detroit Free Press
FEET TELL THE UGLY TALE OF LIONS' LATEST DEFEAT
TAMPA, Fla. -- Let's talk about feet. Rodney's feet. Barry's feet. Eddie's
feet. They seemed to be a theme in the Lions' 23-20 loss to Tampa Sunday
night, a game played before a nationwide cable TV audience that must have
wondered if this was what Ted Turner paid all that money for.
Oh, don't worry. I'll get to the part about the Lions' suddenly bleaker
future, and how they said they would have to be 4-0 or 3-1 after the first
four games to have a chance at the playoffs. And how now, after three games,
they are 1-2.
But first, let me get back to this feet thing. I'll be nice. I'll start
with the good part. Rodney Peete. Or is it Rodney Feet? He was all over the
place Sunday night, Rodney left, Rodney right, Rodney up the middle. He gained
97 yards rushing -- on eight carries -- which is pretty darn good for a
running back, let alone a quarterback.
Rushin' Rodney was a real weapon. He eluded tacklers, he gulped up yardage,
he even had a touchdown. Sometimes, he ran so much, when he got back to the
huddle he called the play like this: "Red right . . . (huff-huff) . . . X slot
. . . (puff-puff) . . . on . . . (wheeze) . . . three. . . ."
Rodney's shoes might have been bronzed -- had the Lions won the game.
Unfortunately, on their final drive, trailing by three, Rodney tried to run
and got nailed. And the next play, he overthrew his receiver and the next play
he underthrew his receiver. And all that footwork was for naught. He trudged
off the field next to his running back, James Wilder.
James Wilder?
Which brings us the feet of Barry Sanders.
Don't let Sanders just fade away
I have to ask a question here. Wasn't Sanders the rookie of the year last
season? Wasn't he a whisker from the rushing title?
So what's the deal here? In the first game of the season, Sanders barely
got the ball, and in the second game he got it but in funny bunches, and
Sunday, most of the time he got it -- especially in crucial situations -- the
Tampa defense was all over him before he left the backfield. These were some
of his attempts: minus-five, minus-one, minus-three, minus-one. The Lions
tried some screen passes, which seemed to work, but, inexplicably, they
stopped.
And then, in the fourth quarter, with 10:08 left and the Lions scurrying to
win this thing, Sanders was taken out of the game -- as Wayne Fontes explained
-- for the better blocking of Wilder. "Blocking? Was that it?" Peete would
say afterward. "I thought Barry was hurt."
And that's the quarterback talking.
Now, I admit I am no match for the expert football minds of the Lions'
coaches. But it seems to me, if your offense can't find a way to make good
use of Barry Sanders, then there's something wrong with your offense. I know
the opposing teams are keying on him. But that happens to all good rushers.
You devise a way to spring him. You draw it into your plans. You don't just
surrender him to the bench.
"Were you disappointed to be taken out in the fourth quarter?" Sanders was
asked.
"It's the coaches' decisions," he said. "I'll do whatever they ask."
Well, if he's too nice to say it, I will. I don't care if it's the run 'n'
shoot or stumble 'n' flop. To misuse Sanders this way is a shame. In the
football world, it's almost criminal. The guy didn't come to the NFL to block.
And if the architects of the run 'n' shoot want to keep insisting that the
multi-pass, multi-receiver design is the only way to go, well, to be blunt,
look at the standings.
Sanders' feet are too damn good to be frustrated the way they have been in
these first three games.
And while we're talking about feet. . . .
Any way you look at it, defeat stinks
Let's talk about another pair, those belonging to Eddie Murray. While I
like Eddie a lot, and think he's a great field- goal guy, this kickoff stuff
is getting embarrassing. He does not put it in the end zone. Sometimes, he
doesn't get close.
Sunday night, in the fourth quarter, after the Lions' most spirited
touchdown drive gave them a 20-16 lead, Murray looped a floater that came
down on the Tampa 17-yard line -- where John Harvey took it on the run and
returned it to the 44. The Bucs were nearly at midfield before they even
called a play. They went on to score the winning touchdown, and they can
thank the Lions and Murray's kick for the flying start.
I know Eddie may still be hurting from his hip injury. But perhaps Fontes
might consider adding a guy whose only job is to boom it into the end zone.
After all, what's 17 free yards worth to you?
Anyhow, all of these feet walk us back to the big picture: Suddenly, a
year that began with talk of the playoffs is seeing Fontes giving his "This
is a young team and we'll get better, I promise" speech. Granted, the Lions
were playing without two top defensive players, Chris Spielman and Bennie
Blades. And let's not forget Terry Taylor, who was erased by his own failed
drug test. Considering all that, the defense did pretty well, up to that final
drive, when, for the second time in three weeks, it made Vinny Testaverde
look like Johnny Unitas.
But Spielman and Blades will be out for a few more weeks. And the teams
down the road are not all Tampa Bay. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. But my
fingers won't do as much as the Lions' feet.
If they ever get pointed in the right direction.