Archives for August 2002

‘A pair of fourth-quarter stands by the defense, and a victory for the Lions, 20-13, against the winless Buffalo Bills before an announced crowd of 56,969 at Ford Field.’

‘Ignore the scoreboard (a rare victory) and the stats sheet (a ridiculous 12 penalties for 111 yards). A successful final exhibition game is one in which the projected key contributors survive with nothing more troublesome than the customary aches. The worst sight imaginable a week before the start of the season is that of a starter getting carted off the field.’

‘Jeff Allison of Chesterfield Township wasn’t pleased with the parking. He found a spot across I-94 near Wayne State and walked. "I’m not paying $30 to park for a football game," he said.’

‘"It doesn’t count, it really doesn’t. It’s practice against another team. That’s what it really is. I’ll take that every time, if we can get out of this game with everybody healthy, no more injuries, I’ll take that 10 out of 10 times."’

‘Each team played as though it couldn’t wait for the season to start. The game was ragged from the beginning, with penalties and misplays.’

‘The Bills took the first punt Thursday and turned it into a touchdown. “It was a horrible, horrible way to start,” Lions Coach Marty Mornhinweg said.’

‘With one modification, the starting five for the regular season will be the same unit that opened Thursday night’s final exhibition game against Buffalo at Ford Field.’

‘The sad reality is, many are waiting for McMahon to stumble.’

‘"We’ve got the No. 1 stadium and the worst tailgating situation in the country," groused John Basile, complaining about inconvenient shuttle rides and long walks necessary to get from Eastern Market to Ford Field several blocks away.’

‘There must have been some anxious Lions when Charlie Rogers returned the Lions’ first punt 71 yards for a touchdown. Four Lions appeared to have Rogers contained, but he broke free and was not touched once he reached midfield.’

‘The Lions avoided going 0-4 in the preseason for the first time since the 1989 season. The Bills, meanwhile, did finish the preseason 0-4.’

‘One of the biggest questions from Thursday’s preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills centered around a player not in uniform.’

‘They had a chance to tie it with about 6 minutes left, but Corey Harris hit Morris as he tried to reach over a pile for a score and Brian Walker recovered the fumble. Buffalo had another opportunity with just under 2 minutes to play, but rookie Chris Cash intercepted Travis Browns’ pass at Detroit’s 8.’

‘McMahon hit on 5-of-5 passes for 81 yards in limited play while Harrington, drafted No. 3 overall, was 21-of-35 for 187 yards with a touchdown and an interception.’

‘The Buffalo Bills, under the leadership of new quarterback Bledsoe, expect significant improvement. This is the second year in Buffalo for Gregg Williams, a coach who has Bills management – and fans – excited for a turnaround.’