THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9408280239
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: R2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Football Preview: Pro Football '94
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Does it really matter if a team wins or loses its opening game?
Believe it or not, since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, and excluding the strike-abbreviated season of '82, teams that win on opening day are more than twice as likely to make the playoffs.
Who holds the record for most yards gained rushing on opening day?
O.J. Simpson, then playing for the Buffalo Bills. Simpson carried 29 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns on Sept. 16, 1973 against the Patriots. Of course, had Al Cowlings been running interference for him that day, Simpson might have run to the Buffalo airport and back.
Many feel Bernie Kosar, Warren Moon and Boomer Esiason are 3 of the best quarterbacks in modern NFL history. What are their won/loss records?
Kosar is 53-52-1. Moon is 70-69. Esiason is 66-68. Who says the quarterback gets too much of the blame when a team loses?
What are the rules changes for this season?
Offensive linemen can line up deeper off the ball, supposedly affording the quarterback more protection because the guards and tackles now can see the snap of the ball. . . . If a defensive lineman enters the neutral zone and causes the offense to move, a penalty now will be called on the defense. Before, the penalty was on the offense. . . . Kickoffs have been moved from the 35- to the 30-yard line and a tee no higher than one inch is allowed. . . back to the spot of the ball, not the line of scrimmage. . . . Coaches can send in plays directly to their quarterbacks through radio transmission (more on that later). . . . Teams now have the option to run or pass for two points or kick for one point from the 2-yard line following a touchdown.
Now that the coach and the quarterback can talk by radio, can't coaches change plays at the line of scrimmage, tell QBs what receivers are open, let them know there's someone approaching hard from the blind side?
No. Here's how coach-to-quarterback communication works.
1. The sideline coach calls an offensive play into a microphone on a headset that the quarterback will hear through a small speaker mounted inside his helmet.
2. When the play clock reaches 15 seconds, or when the ball is snapped, whichever happens first, the coach-to-quarterback transmission will be shut off by a league employee stationed in the press box.
By the way, so teams can't steal signals, the coach's message will be scrambled. The receiving device will instantaneously unscramble the message for the quarterback. Each team has its own code, indecipherable by another team. And, if one team's communication system isn't working, the other team will be prohibited from using theirs.
Is Emmitt Smith shooting for anything special this season?
Not unless you consider becoming just the second player in NFL history to win four consecutive rushing titles special. If he can pull it off, he'll join Jim Brown.
Who holds the record for most consecutive seasons catching at least 50 passes?
That would be Gary Clark of Arizona, who is one 50-catch season shy of tying Steve Largent for the career record in that category. If you had asked who holds the record for most temper tantrums in a 50-catch season, it's still Clark.
How many players have played center for the Raiders?
Just three. Jim Otto played from 1960-74. Dave Dalby snapped from '75-83 and Don Mosebar has filled the spot from '84 to the present.
How many head coaches have gone from college to the pros? How many of them had winning records their first season?
Barry Switzer is the 15th head coach to move from college to the pros, following Dennis Green and Bobby Ross in '92. Three had winning records - Tommy Prothro, who went 8-5-1 with the Rams in '71; Green (11-5 with the Vikings) and Ross (11-5 with the Chargers).
Anybody ever play the game without a helmet?
Lots of them, many of whom went on to become officials and network executives. The last documented case is Bears end Dick Plasman, nicknamed ``Plasma'' for his favorite postgame fluid. He played bareheaded in the 1940 championship game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars. Exactly how many jaguars have been discovered in this Florida city?
So far, just one, and it's parked in the owner's space.
How were the 49ers able to fit big-money marquee players like Richard Dent, Ricky Jackson and Toi Cook under the new salary cap?
They hired Al Capone's accountant?
What coach is under the most pressure this season?
Jerry Jones.
How will Joe Gibbs spend his Sundays this season?
Thanking God he doesn't still coach the Redskins. by CNB