Yardbarker: Scott Mitchell

AND NOW, AS PROMISED, A SPECIAL COMMENT...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:01:46 -0500

by Andrew, The Grand National Championships

By way of necessary preface, Derek Anderson and his horse balls, and the quarterback's mother, and the quarterback's brother, were of immeasurable support to me at the moments when these very commentaries were the focus of the most surprise, the most uncertainty, and the most anger. My gratitude to them is abiding.

Also, I am not here endorsing Brady Quinn's nomination, nor suggesting it is inevitable.

Thus I have fought with myself over whether or not to say anything. Events insist.

In fact, Sir, you are now quarterbacking as if Brady Quinn were Jay Cutler and you were Scott Mitchell. As Shakespeare wrote, senator, "that way madness lies." You have missed a critical opportunity to do what was right. Your back-up has developed the reputation of someone who rocks out to Fefe Dobson and breaks down Gossip Girl like Peyton manning breaks down game film.

You need to stop this, sir. Before the wise old coach in the sky decides to sit you down. Before another Cleveland child resigns himself to love his team like a Baltimorian loves their heroin, sir. Before a wild-eyed fantasy football player decides that he wants to go Zidane upside your concussed head.

You have one chance at redemption. Don't waste it.

Good night and good luck.

AND NOW, AS PROMISED, A SPECIAL COMMENT...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:09:22 -0500

Detroit Lions 2008 season preview: On second thought...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:26:56 -0500

If you visited SideLion Report while I was still blogging for Fan Sided (if you were wondering, there are some problems with their network redesign, but MVN is busy designing the "new" TWFE. You'll be the first to know when the move is imminent.), you may have seen the Detroit Lions season preview I wrote for Yardbarker. I did the best I could, given the restrictions in length and format.

But there was the unavoidable issue of having to write it so damn early in training camp. It went live after the first exhibition. I had to assume a few things, and guess at others. The Lions have also made a few unforeseen personnel moves. If I was writing the preview today, I might come to different conclusions. In other words, as is the right of chicks and bloggers everywhere, I reserve the right to change my mind.

So I've changed my mind about a few things I wrote in the preview. I've posted the Yardbarker original, with my new/changed/WTF commentary below each section.

Let's preview away...

Team MVP:

Quarterback Jon Kitna.

Anything the Lions will try to accomplish on offense will revolve around their bible thumping QB. He can put up the numbers, as 8000+ yards the past 2 seasons attest. But the reasons I call Kitna the Lions' MVP are due to the intangibles.

The Lions success or failure this season fully depends upon the health of Kitna. The backup QB situation is dire. With the unproven Dan Orlovsky, and the even more unproven Drew Stanton, who's yet to play a regular season game, behind Detroit's Holy Roller, Detroit's season ends if they have to take the reins for a significant amount of time.

Say what you will about Kitna, he's an average QB at best, a turnover waiting to happen, tries to do too much given his limited talent, they are all true. But something else is undeniably true. Kitna is the acknowledged leader of the Detroit locker room. Head coach Rod Marinelli backs him unconditionally. Kitna brings a swagger and confidence the team desperately needs. This team would follow him anywhere.

To put it simply, with Jon Kitna under center, the Lions have at shot at a decent season. Without him? The Lions would be in the hunt for the 1st overall pick.

Big Al: There's no change in my opinion when it comes to Jon Kitna. The Lions will go as far as he can take them. I can only hope we see more of the Good Kitna, than the Bad Kitna.

Good Kitna: Plays within himself, thus keeping turnovers to a bare minimum. A team leader who may be the toughest player, pound for pound, on the Lions. I know it's a cliche', but Kitna more effective when managing a game, rather than forcing the action.

Bad Kitna: When he forces things, really, really bad things happen. Will go for the high risk, low percentage play, when a lower Takes unnecessary risks when throwing, and running with, the ball. If he gets hurt while taking one of those risks (making like a running back, diving headfirst, rather than sliding)

Break-Out Player:

Defensive tackle Shaun Cody.

For a player whose career has been almost as disappointing as the "career" (term used loosely) of his USC classmate, Mike Williams, the Lions are expecting big things out of the 2005 2nd round pick. On a team devoid of defensive playmakers, and in desperate need of a tackle capable of giving an inside push; Cody has the talent to develop into that player.

Cody was motivated ordered by Marinelli to come into camp at the lightest weight of his career, 295 lbs, hoping the extra speed will mean extra sacks. (Not a hard feat when you have 1.5 sacks total...in 3 seasons) The playing time is there for him as well in '08, as former starter Shaun Rogers was traded to Cleveland. Everything is in place for Cody to have a big season.

There's one more reason for my picking Cody as the Lions' breakout player. He's in the walk year of his contract, and playing for a new long-term deal. Cody does not want to leave money on the table, so expect big things from a player who has only shown flashes of his considerable potential.

Then expect the Lions to vastly overpay to keep him in 2009.

Big Al: OK, I'm going to tell you guys something, but keep it on the down low. When I went with Cody, I was going for Sports Illustrated's patented "Make an outrageous, attention getting prediction in order to generate extra attention." I picked an out of the blue player for shock value. Plus there was a little voice telling me Cody just might just step up his game with it being his walk year, ala Cory Redding.

After watching 4 exhibitions, it's obvious Cody isn't stepping up anything, let alone his game. He's going to play, but will be pushed by the Lions' 2 interior d-lineman draft picks Andre Fluellen and Landon Cohen.

So the Lions' true breakout player in 2008 is going to be Megatron, Calvin Johnson. The was a man amongst boys during his limited exhibition action. CJ makes everyone around him better, especially Kitna and Roy Williams. Kitna can throw jump balls, harking back to Scott Mitchell throwing Herman Moore circa 1994-1997, knowing Johnson is going to come down with the ball 99 out of 100 times. Williams is going to get beatable single coverage as CJ gets double teamed.

If he (and for that matter, Kitna) can avoid injury, Johnson is going to have a 1300+ yard, 10+ TD, All-Pro style year. I'd definitely call that a "breakout" season.

Biggest Disappointment:

Matt Millen avoids getting fired...AGAIN.

Players and coaches come and go, the losing records don't, but there is always one constant. Matt Millen. Millen's tenure in Detroit has historically bad, legendarily bad. If there was a Hall of Fame of bad, Millen would be a charter member, in on the first ballot. He's been the sort of bad that will be talked about for generation after generation of Lions fans. When the apocalypse hits, the only things to survive will be cockroaches and Matt Millen.

Yet he does just enough to keep his job as GM and President of the Detroit Lions. What that is, I have no idea. Unfortunately, I see no reason to believe the '08 season will be any different. We fans know the drill. The Lions will struggle, but Millen will somehow convince octogenarian owner William Clay Ford he's "this close" to turning things around.

Then the never ending Detroit Lions circle of pain begins anew.

Big Al: Wouldn't change a thing. I don't care if the Lions make the playoffs, even win the Super Bowl. MILLEN. MUST. GO. He can take Stan "Not so special teams" Kwan with him.

Fantasy Stud:

Running back Kevin Smith

I know you would expect me to pick a wide receiver, either Calvin Johnson or Roy Williams, but I just can't do it. Why not? Because the turnover machine known as Jon Kitna is throwing to them, they'll split opportunities, meaning you won't get the consistent week to week production you do from a back and the Lions are committing to the run this season.

Why Kevin Smith? When the defacto number one back is Tatum Bell, you know the Lions 3rd round pick from Central Florida is being groomed to carry the load at running back, much sooner than later. With Marinelli and new offensive coordinator Jim Colletto vowing to revamp Mike Martz's pass first, last and always offense into a more ground oriented attack, expect Smith to have the best all-around season by a Lions back since Barry Sanders retired.

I'm not saying Smith is the next coming of the greatest back ever, but he's the most promising young running back the Lions have had on their roster since Barry's heyday. Trust me; Smith will be a middle round sleeper fantasy pick.

Big Al: I wasn't bullshitting anyone, I genuinely thought Smith would make for a great middle round FF pick, get you something close to 1100 yards and 8 TD's. That would be a great #3 RB or a swing W/R player. I even took my own advice, and took Smith as my 3rd running back in the one money league I'm in, The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes Blogger Invitational. (I did hedge my bets, grabbing Earnest Graham a round earlier. Hell, I went RB heavy, with Steven Jackson, Ryan Grant, Graham, Smith and Fred Taylor, as if you wanted to know...) Then the Lions had to go and sign Rudi Johnson. "Poof!" went my fantasy sleeper dreams.

Smith still should have a nice season, and I think the Lions success depends upon it. But it won't be as big, fantasy points-wise, as first expected. We all know the Lions are going to use Rudi Johnson as a co-lead RB with Smith, for better or worse, thanks to Rod Marinelli's fetish for veteran players. I'm leery of that strategy, as Johnson has been in decline for 2 seasons now.

Offensive Outlook:

The last two seasons, with Mike Martz in charge of the offense, the Lions would often have games with rushing attempts in the single digits. A dozen rushes in a game would be considered Martz's "committing"" to the run. That's going to change in 2008. With Colletto now calling plays, the days of giving up on the run before the game even started are over.

With the passing offense being scaled back, Jon Kitna may not throw for 4000 yards again, but won't throw 20 picks either. With less to do, and a more conservative mindset, he should be a much more effective QB.

The strength of the Lions offense still revolves around the wide receivers, but rather than Johnson and Williams being used as decoys (explaining why Shawn McDonald was the leading receiver in '07), the Lions plan on using the run to set up the pass. A foreign notion in Detroit, I know. They will then look to break games open by throwing to their talented wide outs, but only after softening defenses with the legs of Smith.

Big Al: Nothing I've seen so far changes my opinion...too much. The Rudi Johnson signing actually confirms it. The Lions are going to run more than last season, as Marinelli has laid down the law. Then again, if the Lions averaged 12 rushes a game, they would literally be running the ball more. If the exhibition season is any indication, 25-30 rushing attempts seems to be the Lions' goal. Sounds like a solid plan to me, especially if Johnson can find the fountains of youth and health.

Regardless of what Marinelli would prefer, the passing game, riding on the arm of Kitna, and the hands of Williams and Johnson, is what will make or break the Lions' season.

To really "make" the season, it's going to be all about the offensive line. The fact 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus is still backing up the overpaid Jeff Backus and the underwhelming George "Insert any joke referring to yellow flags, stupid penalties and/or snap counts here" Foster is not a good sign for the o-line. In fact, it's a MASSIVE FUCKING RED FLAG!

I want to buy into Marinelli's and Jim Colletto's revamped offense. But the o-line gives me pause...and a rug burn on Kitna's back.

Defensive Diagnosis:

There were big changes made in the Detroit defense this past offseason. The Lions, sick and tired of tackle Shaun Rogers and his overweight and under performing ways, traded the former Pro Bowler to Cleveland for Leigh Bodden. Bodden immediately became Detroit's best cornerback. That trade spurred the rebuilding of the defensive backfield, accomplished by the signing of 3 former Buccaneers (CB Brian Kelly, S Kalvin Pearson and S Dwight Smith) in free agency.

Linebacker Ernie Sims led the team in tackles, and is considered Pro Bowl material as an outside linebacker. He'll be joined by 2nd round pick Jordan Dizon, who is your prototypical Tampa Two middle linebacker, small and fast. Marinelli is loathe to give much responsibility to rookies though, meaning Dizon may move outside while the incumbent, the better suited to special teams Paris Lenon, remains as a weak link in the Lions defense.

The defensive line will be anchored by tackle Cory Redding and end Dewayne White, though it'll take more than one player to replace Rogers. They took 3 d-linemen in the draft, in hopes of plugging the might big hole left by the trade. In fact, the Lions may end up keeping 10 linemen, as Marinelli likes a deep line rotation, keeping his players fresh.

Going into the 3rd season of the Tampa Two, Rod Marinelli's job depends upon the defense improving. He was hired for the Lions job much thanks to his defensive guru reputation in Tampa. We've yet to see it translate on to the field in Detroit.

Big Al: From what I've seen to this point, the defensive backfield changes have been for the better. Much, much better. The defensive line is deep. 11 damn linemen deep, which is insane depth chart, and has the Lions short handed at a couple of other positions. The question I have is, if you have to keep that many linemen, how many are really any good?

Other than Ernie Sims, linebacker is, as always, a question mark. Jordon Dizon is a backup, and Paris Lenon is starting. Anyone else see something wrong this this picture? Lenon is not a starting MLB on a playoff team. I hope Marinelli realizes it sometime this season, the sooner, the better.

"Red Letter" Game:

Tennessee Titans on Thanksgiving Day

In Detroit, Thanksgiving Day is our Super Bowl, our only day to shine. It's been the only game nationally televised in recent years, a game the entire city and state points towards. With a relatively soft early schedule, with a win on Turkey Day, the Lions could be midst of a playoff run. The more likely scenario will be similar to '07, when a Thanksgiving Day loss accelerated what was becoming a massive late season collapse. But hey, it's our Super Bowl!

Big Al: Until further notice, or when we have better football team, Detroit's Turkey Day extravaganza is our Super Bowl,

But if you read the post below, I called the Lions opening day game in Atlanta a "must win." If they lose, the entire season could implode before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Atlanta is an extremely beatable team, and if the Lions want to keep what support they have with the fanbase, they need to take advantage of that fact.

Sounds like a "red letter" game to me.

Projected Record/Outlook:

Best case, 9-7. Worst case, 5-11. My projection? 7-9, and out of the playoffs.

The Lions '08 season could parallel '07 - Start fast, finish slow. Much like last season, the schedule has set up Detroit for an easy first half, with a second half full of playoff contenders. The Lions have yet to develop the depth to seriously contend, and if Kitna misses any significant time? It'll get real ugly.

If Kitna remains healthy, I think the Lions can hang around on the periphery of the wild card race, till a season ending stretch (at the Colts, home against the Saints and at Green Bay, where the Lions haven't won since the Majik-man days) ends their year on a 0-3 streak.

Big Al: The 4-0 exhibition record is meaningless. A 7-9 out of the playoffs finish still sounds about right. The Lions aren't getting much help from their draft class yet, and depth remains a major issue. The o-line, running back, linebacker and special teams are big time question marks. The Lions just don't have enough impact talent to to be considered anything more than playoff pretenders. They are getting better, but just aren't good enough to be anything more than disappointing...again.

Parting Smack:

It's tough, almost impossible in fact, to talk smack as a Lions fan, but...

Green Bay Packers: Didja hear about FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! FAVRE! I've never seen a franchise and fan base let themselves be lead on and on and on, all due to the whims of an attention whoring drama queen demigod who craves camera time more than anything else on the planet...Even winning. If the Packers think they can win without the love child of John Madden and Peter King under center, more power to them. Of one thing I'm sure. With no Mr. I Can't Make Up My Damn Mind, there's no way the Packers will get another chance to choke in the NFC title game.

Big Al: The Packers are still the best team in the NFC North, even without "Mr. Traded To The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets." Aaron Rogers is no "Mr. How In The Hell Is Favre Pronounced Far-ve?" but he's good enough to lead them to the division title.

Chicago Bears: If there is team with a worse QB situation than the Bears...Oh yeah, the Vikings! I'll get to them in a second. I only need to say 2 words about the Bears: Rex Grossman. Here are 2 more: Kyle Orton. What else is there to say? Other than the Bears expect their non-existent running game to be turned around by a Detroit reject, the gimp known as Kevin Jones, who would still find a way to suffer a season ending injury if fields were covered in pillows and the NFL made all hitting illegal. Whatever happened to Thomas Jones? I know! He was traded away because the Bears thought the bust known as Cedric Benson was a legitimate NFL running back...

Big Al: The Bears have no QB or receivers. The running game is dependent upon a rookie and a Lions reject. The Bears' defense is going to have to both shut out the opposition, and do all the scoring, to have any chance at winning. Not exactly a recipe for success.

Minnesota Vikings: The starting QB in Minnesota is Tarvaris Jackson. Let that sink in for a moment. Not Michael, Jermaine or Tito. Not Reggie, Jesse or Andrew. Tarvaris Jackson. Not even Adrian Peterson can make up for that much of a handicap. It must make Vikings fans pine for the likes of Joe Kapp. What I can't figure out is Brad Childress saw Jackson flail about up close all last season...Only to make him the starter again in '08. Even Bears fans can say, "At least our QB situation isn't as bad as the Vikings!"

Big Al: Peter King thinks Tavaris Jackson can lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship game. Uh...If you say so. The Vikings make the title game only if Jackson's on the bench, and Adrian Peterson handles the ball on every snap. Hey, if you have a better idea, I'm sure Brad Childress would love to hear from you. Too much caffeine obviously does weird things to one's mind. Lay off the Starbucks, dude. It's making you write certifiable bullshit.

I'm ready for the Lions to take the field in anger, folks! Let the ~~suffering~~ season begin!

Epic Drop: Top 10 Cursed Pro Football Positions

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:38:34 -0500

Here's today's link, which required more research than usual, and has perhaps the single best moment that I can imagine to summarize the whole of the existence of the Detroit Lions, in that Scott Mitchell is a Legendary Lion. No, I'm not kidding. Go, by all means, and wonder.

TOP 10 CURSED PRO FOOTBALL POSITIONS

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:26:43 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

Ever notice how your favorite pro football team seems to have the same weakness, year after maddening year? (This is where you nod your head vigorously. Good theoretical audience.) Well, here's a list of the Heels of Achilles. Enjoy, or wince, or both.

10. Chicago Bears Quarterback. When your best is a guy that played during the freaking Depression (Sid Luckman), and you have glorious memories of a limited game manager (Jim McMahon)... um, the franchise history really, really sucks. Don't hate on Orton and Sexy Rexy; they are just keeping up tradition.

9. Philadelphia Eagles Linebacker. For most Eagles fans, the last one we liked was Seth Joyner. (OK, William Thomas had his moments, but not like the Linebacker From A Town Called Hate.) Seth stopped playing ball for the home team, um, fifteen years ago. Thomas's last year in Eagle green was in the last millennium. We will now stop to remember the Dhani Jones Era, and kick a wall. Hard.

8. Detroit Lions Quarterback. Here's the funniest and best thing you will ever need to know about the Lions... remember Scott Mitchell? Breathtakingly awful big lefty QB who signed a big contract as Dan Marino's understudy, and stunk to nearly Bobby Hoying-esque levels? Well, he's in something called the Lions Legends, who, according to the Lions, "created special moments and added to the lore of football in the Motor City." Would those special moments include losing the job to the immortal Dave Krieg and Charlie Batch, or the 65 career INTs in 57 starts? Only in Detroit does one decent year make you a Legend.

Oh, and the rest of the Lions QBs since Bobby Layne have also stunk on ice. When your best is Rodney Peete and Jon Kitna, you are not exactly covering yourself in glory.

7. Rams Defensive Back. Going back to the start of the franchise, the Rams have been in operation in the NFL since 1936. They've had Hall of Famers all over the place, a defensive line for the ages in the early 1970s, and a pinball offense in the early part of this century. But what they've never had is a defensive back that's been a real keeper, unless Adam Archuleta is your idea of quality. Take heart, Rams Fan -- it's tradition to follow the opposing WR into the end zone.

Oh, they did have Dick "Night Train" Lane, a legendary hitter and Hall of Famer, at the start of his career, when he set a rookie record with 14 picks. They traded him to the Lions. I'm telling you, bad DB decisions is in the DNA for this laundry.

6. Saints Tight End. Let's just say that Jeremy Shockey is going to enjoy the competition, when walking wounded Eric Johnson and vagabond Billy Miller count as some of the more notable in the position's history. The best in franchise history is probably Mike Ditka, which doesn't much count, seeing as he only coached them. After that, you've got something called Henry Childs and the very best Hoby (Brenner) ever to play in the NFL. They should just put Shockey in the Saints Hall of Fame in his first game and make him feel more at home.

5. Eagles Coach. One of the great secrets of the Philly market is that the great majority of us are happy with Andy Reid, and the simple reason is that they rank very highly in our history. When your history includes Rich Kotite, Mike McCormick, Marion Campbell, Joe Kuharich and a confederacy of dunces that stagger the imagination, suddenly a guy with a .611 winning percentage looks damned good -- even if his kids are wanted in three states. Seriously, in 75 years, it's Greasey Neale, Dick Vermeil and Cap'n Andy. Not exactly a torrent of glory.

4. Cardinals Owner. How much has The Bidwell Family (yes, it's been handed down from father to son) screwed this franchise? Enough so that the gods of football karma have seen fit to stone them through three cities, innumerable quarterbacks, coaches and general managers, and a solid decade of The Cardinals Could Surprise This Year preview stories that never come to fruition. When your franchise's crowning moment of glory is a first round playoff win that starred Jake Plummer, it goes behind a particular position or draft approach. This fish rots from the head down, and in Bidwell's 45 (!) years as the owner, they have had four (yes, four) playoff appearances in that time. This is the oldest professional football team in North America, and they have not appeared in so much as a conference championship game since World War Two. Swish that around your mouth for a while and see how that tastes; it tastes like the reason why Cardinals Fan is among the rarest fan in the NFL.

3. Bengals Management. Mike Brown's legacy is nearly Bidwell-esque in its incompetence, but with the added flavor of constant arrests adding to the futility. For a team that's supposed to be led by a defensive mastermind in Marvin Lewis, and by Family Values types in top management, there's something mighty fishy going on in Porkopolis... and on some level, it's nice to know they can lose with reprobates as easily as they lost with clean cut citizens.

2. Buffalo Kicker. Is this an unfair ranking for one wide kick? No. If Scott Norwood's kick is true, Buffalo would have won its first trip to the Super Bowl, and would have made future embarrassments in the big game much less likely. They would have also spared the nation the next fifteen years of abject Bill Parcells worship, as he would have been a Billickian one-time winner, rather than a multiple unquestioned genius. Such is the power of the curse of Buffalo Kicker that the team has not won since, and that the best player in their history became a multiple murderer. Allegedly. (Ignore the fact that they didn't win before, please.)

1. Jets QB. Oh, am I going there, you Namath worshipers? Hell and yes. When your absolute best is Chad Pennington and Boomer Esiason, and your absolute worst is among the worst things that have ever sullied an NFL field... and oh, by the way, Namath may be the most overrated quarterback in NFL history when you look at the numbers... well, let's just say that Brett Favre's future flameout will be right in tune with the rest of your sorry legacy. Good night, and good luck.

The Aftermath: Freaks, beasts, drops and superior punting

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:27:21 -0500

Let's take a walk on the wild side, and see what's being said about the Lions 2nd exhibiton win. At Fan Sided sister blog Stripe Hype, they make their feelings known about the loss to Detroit. They ain't happy. Ain't happy at all… Just as well I didn't have a chance to watch this one live. A loss?

Believe in WHAT?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:58:00 -0500

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Agonizing Defeats in Jaguars History (#16 - #13)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:11:36 -0500

Today continues our five-part series where we identify the 20 most-agonizing defeats in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 heartbreaking losses per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Don't worry: we promise to cheer you up next week during the series "Amazing Victories In Jaguars History." #16 | 11/23/03 vs. New York Jets / 13-10: It was dubbed "The Battle of Marshall Quarterbacks" as former Thundering Herd quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Chad Pennington squared off against each other. The game was a huge snoozer through three quarters as each team managed only three points. The 4th quarter was a different story. After the Jets took a 6-3 lead from K Doug Brien's 35-yard field goal with 12:49 left in the game, Leftwich and the Jaguars orchestrated a drive that lasted almost eight minutes. RB Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala rumbled into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown score to give the Jaguars a 10-6 lead. After two drives died quickly for both teams, the Jets took over on their own 6-yard line with 3:00 left in the game. Pennington threw on twelve straight pass plays as he moved the Jets down the field, eventually finding WR Santana Moss for a 3-yard touchdown score with :33 left in the game. The Jaguars' ensuing drive stalled inside their own territory, and the Jets won an ugly game 13-10. #15 | 12/1/02 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 25-23: The Jaguars were trailing 22-10 with about 12 minutes left in the game, but they clawed their way back to within 5 points when QB Mark Brunell found TE Kyle Brady on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Pittsburgh would tack on another field goal with about 4:30 left in the game to go up 25-17. Brunell marched the Jaguars down the field, eventually hooking up with WR Jimmy Smith for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 1:19 left in the game. But the ensuing two-point conversion failed, and Pittsburgh held on to edge Jacksonville 25-23. #14 | 10/1/06 vs. Washington Redskins / 36-30: The Jaguars were coming off a tough road loss the week before to Indianapolis, and they were off to Washington to face their former field general: QB Mark Brunell. The thrilling game went back and forth as each team traded barbs well into the 4th quarter. With :06 left in the game, K Josh Scobee booted a 41-yard field goal to tie the game 30-30 and send it into overtime. The Jacksonville joy would be short-lived just 1:49 into the overtime period, as Brunell hit WR Santana Moss for a 68-yard touchdown pass. Washington outlasted Jacksonville 36-30, and it gave Brunell some minor satisfaction against the team that gave up on him just three years before. #13 | 12/17/95 vs. Detroit Lions / 44-0: The Jaguars' inaugural season was not a successful one in terms of wins. By the time Week 16 rolled around, the Jaguars were long since eliminated from the playoff hunt. However, nobody saw the thrashing that was coming courtesy of the Detroit Lions. Led by QB Scott Mitchell and RB Barry Sanders, they contributed four of the five Lions' touchdowns in the lopsided 44-0 win over Jacksonville. It was the first time the Jaguars were shut out, and it remains the biggest margin of defeat in Jacksonville history.