A Former Center Recalls the Worst Stadium Field Surfaces

By Joe Zagorski 

Wayne Mulligan played seven years in the NFL as a center from 1969 to 1975, the first five in St. Louis with the Cardinals, and the final two in New York with the Jets. During his time in the league, he had seen and experienced a portion of the game’s growth in national popularity across the nation. Mulligan also got a chance to play in many of the NFL’s stadiums during that era, and he quickly realized that some were better than others.  

A particular portion of Mulligan’s attention, and indeed of the attention of many of his counterparts in pro football during the 1970s, involved the playing surfaces of the fields being used across the league at that time. The advent of artificial surfaces made their initial appearances in football and baseball in the mid-to-late 1960s. 

By the time Mulligan played the final game of his pro career, the NFL had 16 stadiums that used one of three different versions of artificial turf. Those turfs went by the names of Astroturf, Poly-Turf, and/or Tartan Turf. 

The original idea behind using artificial turf field fields was twofold.  One, it gave the sport a cleaner and more colorful appeal for the growing television audiences. Two, because many of the stadiums that employed an artificial surface were also stadiums that were multi-sports facilities, meaning that both baseball and football were played there. Having an artificial surface made the transition from a baseball to a football configuration much easier for the stadium personnel and ground crews.

But undoubtedly the main opinion regarding artificial surfaces that Mulligan and his teammates and his opponents held about the “plastic grass” involved the specter of injuries. It became quickly observed that numerous injuries increased as soon as these new turf fields proliferated the game. 

Many of the players who took their stances during the 1970s will attest that they still must deal with the effects of a wide variety of continuous injuries to their various joints and muscles, to their knees, ankles, and feet, among other body parts. There are several reasons as to why, one of the most common and obvious of which was playing the game on artificial surfaces.

“Artificial turf…Astroturf…was terrible,” expressed Mulligan in a 2022 interview. “You were playing on asphalt, and it was destroying both joints and careers…like mine.”

The basic plan for how an artificial turf field was developed was similar, regardless of the stadium that used it. The plan began with a ½-inch to a 1-inch thick pad of rubber, which covered nothing but pure cement. On top of the padding was some brand of glue, spread evenly across the rubber padding. Then came the actual green “fake grass” field surface to top things off. The glue was supposed to keep the fake grass from shifting or moving around during the normal wear and tear of a typical season of games.  

But there were a few problems with this plan. One, the constant wearing down of the field surface and its padding from thousands of footsteps and falling bodies during a year would eventually thin both the turf and the padding, often to a point to where the players were playing on little more than green cement. Two, in a multi-purpose stadium, cutouts or divots for the baseball diamonds were left stitched in overlapping of the field surface, which meant that some sections of the field were dangerously uneven. The number of injuries caused when football players got their cleats caught in those uneven sections were numerous, to say the least. 

Then came one more factor which did a fair share of damage to the players and to the fields themselves…the weather. If a stadium was not a dome stadium, hot weather during the first couple of months of the season often caused the artificial surfaces to be slick and slippery, whether it rained or not. This was especially true of the Poly-Turf field at Miami’s Orange Bowl. That South Florida humidity had an adverse effect on the lifespan of that field, and by the time Super Bowl X was played on that field in January of 1976, the Orange Bowl turf was slated to be ripped up and replaced with a natural grass field. There were more than a dozen different needle and thread sewing repairs made to that field just prior to Super Bowl X.

Then there was another stadium in the nation’s Midwest.  Wayne Mulligan’s years in St. Louis forced him to deal with another artificial field surface at Busch Memorial Stadium. That field certainly took its toll on the young offensive center.

“I was a starter in my second year at St. Louis,” Mulligan said. “Besides the actual home games, we even practiced on that turf every day.  That’s five years of practices and games.  Many injuries thanks to that, even in practice.  I injured my right ankle during that time.  I missed games because of it, and I had to have my ankle surgically repaired.  Then in Cincinnati…another stadium that had artificial turf (Riverfront Stadium)…I had a shoulder separation there, and again, I required surgery to repair it.”

Another factor that hurt the players who played on the artificial turf fields were the skin abrasions that they got from them. It often did not matter how much padding a player wore on his arms. It was hard – and often impossible -- to escape those skin grazes and cuts. Countless were the hours spent in whirlpools and on training tables by the players of that era following the games and practices.  Countless also was the number of icepacks that were distributed among the players who fell victim to the artificial surfaces during the 1970s in the NFL.

“Artificial turf certainly impacted my longevity,” admitted Mulligan. “When I was healthy and when I was playing, no one beat me out of my starting position, in St. Louis or in New York.  Shea Stadium was a natural grass and dirt field, but it was just terrible too. Combining both football and baseball together on one field did not work…at least for football.  It was lousy.  It did not seem to have its own identity.”

The growth of stadiums that used artificial surfaces in pro football were undeniable during the 1970s.  Despite the corresponding growth of player injuries during that era, the league as a whole – for whatever reason and for better or worse – was going to keep the artificial turf fields.  Outside of perhaps placekickers, you would be hard-pressed to find at least one pro player from the 1970s who played on artificial surfaces who will have anything good to say about them.  

Sources:

Author interview with Wayne Mulligan on December 22, 2022.

Bortstein, Larry.  “Pro Stars Rate the Playing Fields.”  Football Digest, November, 1976, 30-36. 

Joe Zagorski is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Pro Football Researchers Association. He has written several books about pro football and its personalities. His upcoming book The 2,003-Yard Odyssey: The Juice, The Electric Company, and an Epic Run for a Record, will be published by Austin-Macauley Publishers (New York) later in 2023.  He is currently writing a biography on former Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame offensive guard Larry Little.

Channeling John Madden for the '2022 All-Madden Team'

 By John Turney 

John Madden Thanksgiving Sticker

Last year we lost Hall of Fame head coach and broadcaster John Madden and among the many iconic things he did in his incredible career was picking his annual All-Madden teams. It was anticipated by many every season as it always unveiled surprises and funny commentary accompanied by excellent NFL Films footage.

As an homage to those classic All-Madden teams, we are picking a 2022 version narrated in his voice and chose guys we think he might have picked were we lucky enough to still have him around.

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OFFENSE

Offensive line

My guys are the offensive linemen. They get nasty, dirty, sweat, and spit. You won't see them on the cover of magazines or making commercials. They just get hard work done. 

The center I like is Jason Kelce. He's a leader and he can run, he can lead sweeps, and he gets downfield like Jim Otto used to. He's like a lot of those old centers in the 1970s who could run, Len Hauss of Washington or Rich Saul of the Rams. Kelce sets the tone for that Eagles offense no one can seem to stop.

My big nasty guards are Ben Powers of the Ravens, who looks like a phone booth, and Mike Onwenu of New England who is a road grader. Powers is 310 but looks like he's 330 and Onwwenu is listed at 350 and looks like he's 370. Both are par'ful and can be nimble, too. There are guys that I love, too, guys like Zack Martin who is an All-Pro's All-Pro and who is going to the Hall of Fame but I want Powers and Onwenu this year.

Trent Williams is like Art Shell was, a man-mountain that moves like a cat. Penei Sewell is the same. He can block the run he can pass protect, you can line him up as an extra tight end or a fullback and if you want, he can run a pass route from those spots not just lead block. Those are my tackles.

David Quessenberry

Any team needs backups, even if you have a star-studded offensive line. And when you do the guys stepping in may not be as good as your starters but they need to be versatile and tough. David Quessenberry fits that bill. He can play guard, or either tackle and he can play through pain. Even on national television, he gutted it out. 

One thing about playing left tackle is you can get embarrassed in a hurry. And that is when you are a top draft pick and healthy. If you are not both of those things the odds of embarrassment go up and you have to have the courage to face both the possibility of those odds and to me, Quessenberry did just that. He's my backup lineman this year. 

In addition, when healthy he's a pretty good player. He worked his way into being a starter last year with the Titans after being a sixth-round pick of the Texans and being on the bench for a couple of years. Welcome to the All-Madden team, David.

Tight end

George Kittle

I had a tight end named Dave Casper who was a tackle at Notre Dame. The Steelers had a tight end named Larry Brown who they converted to a tight end. Down to coast from me, in Los Angeles, the Rams had a guy named Bob Klein, who became a dentist, but there was a serious conversation about him being moved from tight end to tackle. They won't do that with George Kittle but he fits that mold of a player. 

George reminds me of All-World tight end Russ Francis who played tight end in a running offense in New England. He was a 4.5 guy, liked to surf big waves in Hawaii, and could catch anything you threw to him. The problem was the Patriots didn't throw much and when they did it was deep to guys like Standley Morgan and Harold Jackson and God rest his soul Darryl Stingley. So that made Russ more of a decoy.

Later in Big Russ's career Bill Walsh traded for him but used him more as a blocker than a receiver. But Russ did as he was told and blocked like Casper, Brown, and Klein. 

But boy, oh, boy if played today he'd be like George Kittle. He'd run wider receiver routes, he'd run the pipe and split cover-2 defenses, he'd block defensive ends, he'd be like George Kittle now.

There are tight ends with bigger numbers than Kittle. And they are great, great players who will be in the Hall of Fame with Kellen Winslow and Tony Gonzales someday but I want a throwback tight end who blocks like a tackle and catches like a receiver. That's George Kittle.

Receivers

Today's game is a passing game and you have to have the sleek fast guys that can get chunks of yards against multiple coverages the defenses throw at him. You got man and zones, shells and quarters. You have dime and nickel packages, penny fronts and every coin in your change purse and Tyreek Hill is one of those who can take all your money. His nickname is "Cheetah" and it's perfect for him. He has the speed of a Cliff Branch and the Dolphins use him in a variety of ways. Short, deep, in the slot, on the move, on sweeps. Just everything.

Justin Jefferson

The Vikings Justin Jefferson is another of my wideouts. You gotta have a glory guy, someone who can make defensive backs look bad and Justin is that guy. He can catch balls that should have been intercepted, just takes 'em away from the defender.  Some people said the Vikings were frauds. I don't know about that but Justin Jefferson sure wasn't. I know that.

If I had him I'd write myself a note to remind me to throw him the ball about four to five times a quarter.

Terry McLaurin of Washington reminds me of Gary Clark. Just a tough guy who plays wide receiver. You always have to have a third wide receiver like him. No, he does not have eye-popping statistics. But when you watch him your eyes pop.

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts is my quarterback this year. He's confident, he makes plays with his legs and arm. He's probably going to be the NFL MVP this year and gives the Eagles a chance to win a Super Bowl. He also has a great name for the All-Madden teams, "Hurts" and that is what he does to defenses. And remember if your feet hurt then you should try tough-acting Tinactin™. Nothing works better for athlete's foot.

In the NFL you need a backup quarterback and you need a pretty good one so I will go with Brock Purdy. he's the guy you need when your guy goes down. Actually, in Purdy's case, he's the guy the 49ers needed when the guy who replaced their guy went down. So he's THAT guy. And when that guy can get you to the playoffs and not lose a game along the way, that guy is purdy good, even if he hands the ball off backward in Mexico. 

Running backs

Derrick Henry has the best stiff arm in the league and he's the Titans entire offense. When someone can put a team on his back and carry it then he's an All-Madden type of back.

When Henry needs a break and we need a guy to throw to out of the backfield or who can also carry the ball I want Deebo Samuel of the 49ers. If he were a full-time running back he'd run for 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes. If he only played wide receiver he'd get close to 2,000 yards receiving. He never lets one guy tackle him to the ground. He's only 215 pounds but he looks like he's 230. Lemme tell you Deebo is a problem for defenses. He's the All-Madden all-purpose receiving back.

My team has to have a fullback. Maybe more than one. Patrick Ricard plays tight end, he's played defense in the past, he lead blocks and blocks on the edge as a wing or tight end and if you want, he can play defensive line. 

Kyle Juszczyk is not as big but he does all those little things, too I have to have both of them. Juszczyk is a Swiss Army knife. Like Ricard, he plays fullback, but he can carry the ball and catch passes better, he can motion into the quarterback position and take a snap and sneak for a first-down in short yardage. I bet he could throw a pass if he had to. 

And when a new guy like Christian McCaffrey comes to the team he can tell the new guy where to line up. And that happened. In a game against the Rams McCaffrey went to the slot then didn't seem sure, Juice-check pointed to the spot and said, "Right here". And that is where McCaffrey went. 

That's part of the Swiss Army knife-guy's job. Directing traffic.

DEFENSE

Defensive tackles

In 1985 I picked seven nose tackles for my All-Madden team. This year I am going to pick extra guys who play inside. They all are my kind of guy. Quinnen Williams and Dexter Lawrence are both tearing up Gotham City for the Jets and Giants.

Sexy Dexter is a member of B.U.B.B.A.—the Brotherhood United of Bad Bodies of America. He 6-4, 342 (so the roster says) and he's a rock in the middle of the Giants defense. He's a throwback to Michael Carter, one of the seven nose tackles I chose in 1985. An immovable object. And people forget that Carter had seven sacks that year. Big Dex also has seven so he does a pretty good job as pass rusher, too.

Quinnen is like that, too. He just messes up blocking schemes and frustrates opposing offensive coordinators by messing up their game plans.

Christian Wilkins

Another inside guy that is a classic All-Madden guy is Christian Wilkins. You gotta have a guy who makes tackles. I mean, it's tackle football, right? He made almost one hundred tackles and a bunch were in the backfield. No, not a lot were sacks but that is what your ends are for. Wilkins is for making tackles.

No, I am not done with my big guys. You gotta throw in a glory guy at tackle and no one is better at that than Chris Jones. Earlier this season, Chris had one of the best strip-sacks in the history of the game where he made a great move, got to the quarterback, stole the ball on the way down, braced himself so he didn't use his full body weight so as to not draw a flag, and he got penalized anyway. I'm all for protecting the quarterbacks. 

We should have done it more in my day, but doggone it, that was one of the best plays I have ever seen a defensive lineman ever make and it didn't count. Something's got to be done about these roughing calls. Too many flags for things that are not fouls, even under current rules.

So Chris is the "Big Daddy Lipscomb" of this year's All-Madden team—tall, rangy, quick, and when he turns it on, he's just unstoppable

Defensive ends

Yeah, I said defensive ends, not edges. Edges are for shaving. And for shaving I like Gillette™. Smooth, safe, and comfortable, that's an edge I can understand.

Maxx Crosby

As I was saying ends and I like defensive ends who can rush and play the run. Maxx Crosby is that guy. He has sacks and also has tackled the running back eleven times for losses. He's blocked a kick and gets held about 10 times a game. His nickname is "The Condor" because of his long arms or wingspan and when he gets a sack he flaps his arms like one. Hey, my team needs a little flair.

In today's game, some people think defensive linemen don't need to stop the run. Lemme tell you they still do. In these 4-2 or 5-1 or even 3-3 fronts with six guys in the box you have to have linemen who are conscientious about stopping the run and Mad Maxx is one of those kinda guys. He could be one of two guys entering Thunderdome and be the one who leaves.

Nick Bosa is like Crosby but he moves around more. He's a speed guy, he's a power guy, he's a hands guy. He's a good-looking guy. He's like Howie Long and you have to have that around, you can't just be a bunch of big uglies, you need a PR guy, someone that says, "Hey, we look good." Bosa's a classic All-Madden guy and if he keeps going he may get a Super Bowl trophy. He's a shoo-in for the Defensive Player of the Year. That's a lot of hardware for Bosa. Speaking of hardware when you have a tough job to do make sure you go to your local Ace Hardware™ store. They make your hard work a little easier with the right tools for your job.

J.J. Watt

We also have to pick J.J. Watt who is retiring after twelve NFL seasons. Someone ought to make a poster of "Mr. Football" and this guy outta be on it. If a Martian landed in my yard and asked, "What is a football player?" I'd go get J.J. Watt. The NFL will miss J.J., that is for sure and for certain.

Linebackers

As you can tell I like guys who can do more than one thing and Micah Parsons is one of them. He plays inside linebacker, outside linebacker, defensive end, heck, he could probably play defensive back. He's like Bobby Bell, the Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chiefs. We could never do anything against that guy. We'd think he's covering and he'd blitz. We'd think he's going to blitz and he drops into coverage. 

Fred Warner of San Francisco and Tremaine Edmunds of Buffalo are my inside linebackers. We didn't have guys like them in my day, not playing inside that is. There were a few guys like them playing outside, tall, rangy, fast, but Warner and Edmunds could play power forward in the NBA, they run, get their hands up so you can't throw over them, they cover so much ground you can't run around them. You can't do anything. Both are like heat-seeking missiles . . . they hone in on their targets and close fast and smack you.

Another guy I want is Isaiah Simmons. He's a linebacker, a free safety a strong safety, and slot corner. He could be a defensive end, too, if you asked him to be. 

Secondary

Talanoa Hufanga of the 49ers is a monster. Makes plays in the backfield, causes turnovers, and can give you a lick. He's special. he's a cross between Troy Polamalu and Ronnie Lott.

As my other safety, I am going with the Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu of the Saints. I love the way he plays football. He can play like a ball hawk type safety, he can play slot, linebacker, whatever you want, he can do it.

You gotta have guys who can cover. Sauce Gardner, he's going to cover you with sauce. The kind of sauce I like is the special sauce on a Big Mac®, and boy is that stuff good and remembers people, nobody can get you a great hot meal faster than McDonalds™. Anyway, Sauce is a lot like my Willie Brown was.

Jalen Ramsey

My other corner is Jalen Ramsey gave up some touchdowns this year but he was a thumper in the run game and could blitz and if you wanted to cover a big guy, like a D.K. Metcalf or DeAndre Hopkins or guys like that, Ramsey is your guy. he plays outside and also plays a "star" position, a slot corner, but I like the sound of "star". Your corner needs to be a star and Ramsey is a star. He can track a ball, pick it off, run with it after he catches it, and can rush and knock down a pass that way, he rushes from the edge on kick block units, and he also is a jammer sometimes on punt returns. He's another football player who can do a lot of things for me on my team.

Some people were offended that Jalen Ramsey gave the Seattle fans his middle finger in the season finale. Sure, it's not good for kids to see that, but you have to remember this is still the NFL and men will stand their ground sometimes. I could tell you some of the things I have seen and heard in my years in the NFL and trust me, you cannot repeat them in church. So, sure, Jalen got frustrated so he just gave the Seabird fans a bird of his own. Seems fair to me. I like his game.

All-Purpose players

Marcus Jones, Patriots. You always need a guy who can contribute in many ways and Jones is one of those. He can catch a pass and take it all the way, and he can deliver a hard hit like he did on Monday Night Football against the Cardinals. He can take a punt back on you and can run back kicks as well. heck, he is another guy who could probably throw a touchdown pass on you as well.

Taysom Hill

Another guy who can do a ton of things is Taysom Hill. He can run the ball, catch it, throw it. He plays special teams. He could probably drive the team bus if you asked him to. I woulda loved having him on my team. I would wonder, though, how can a tough guy be so nice? I mean, he probably teaches Sunday school in the off-season. Taysom can kind of makes up for Jalen and his obscene gestures so it kind of evens out, wouldn't ya say? Hill evens out your karma. 

Kickers

The Ravens kicker Justin Tucker didn't have his best year but he's still a kicker who belongs on my team any day. He can kick darn near a 70-yard field goal or sing an aria, whatever that is, I guess it is some kind of opera, but you have to have some culture and Tucker brings that to the All-Madden team to go along with his big leg.

Johnny Hekker of the Panthers is like Ray Guy was. He nails teams inside the twenty-yard line more than anyone which creates long fields, he's a good athlete, can throw a pass for you on a fake punt or even as a holder on a fake field goal and though there may be guys with a better gross average what we looked at when I was coaching was he net average and hang time. That's what matters and that is what Johnny Hekker brings you. 

Special teamer

Josh Metellus 

Josh Metellus of the Vikings didn't make as many tackles as some other special teams players but he did block a pair of punts and that matters. Blocked punts can be devastating and often lead to points either directly or on short drives. They are invaluable to a team and a guy who can get them is too.

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Well, that's my 2022 All-Madden Team. I think I can coach them to a few wins with them. We can run the ball down the opponent's throat and throw it around the field. We can rush the passer and stop the run. We can kick it, block your kicks, we got guys who can play multiple positions so you never know who is going to do what. 

We're versatile, we're smart, we're tough and ornery. We got a Cheetah and a Honey Badger plus a Condor. We have an opera singer and a "we look good guy". We've got throwbacks and keepers. We have it all. 

They're my kinda guys.

After the game, we'll sit down and have a Miller Lite©, which tastes great and is less filling than your regular beer. Everyone will enjoy that, I think. Well, except Taysom, he'll have a Fresca© or something.

TUESDAY TIDBITS: 'Come Gather 'Round People'

By TJ Troup 

Wild Card weekend is in the books, oh, Super Wild Card weekend is in the books, and there was plenty to digest. Some teams demonstrated they are healthy and strong, others not so much. 

We watched coaching decisions that made sense, and others that have been vilified, and may lead to unemployment? The Sean Payton sweepstakes continue! 

Have stated in the past that this upcoming weekend is my favorite weekend of football, and sure look forward to the four games.

Before detailing the rivalries, a quick shout out to Jack Silverstein a guest columnist, welcome Jack, and sure enjoyed the article. 

Always have an opinion; sometimes too strong an opinion on who should be voted into the Hall, but have not done very well in predicting. Understanding cornerback play is a rumor that has followed me for quite some time and having seen him play in person and many times on TV would relish hearing Albert Lewis's name announced to get a gold jacket. 

Coach of the year candidate Doug Pedersen will lead his Jaguars onto the field in a sea of red in Kansas City on Saturday, and though not a historical rivalry, an aspect that no doubt will be mentioned is the fact the two head coaches use to coach the Eagles. Twice the Bengals have beaten the Bills in the playoffs, and both years Cincinnati advanced to the SB. 

Probably won't be stated during the broadcast, but historically every team has a first victory. The first victory in Cincinnati Bengal history in 1968 came at the expense of Buffalo. The Bengals scored on defense in securing the win, Sam Hubbard are you listening? 

Two young quarterbacks that are on the verge of being listed as elite will get lots of attention, yet which team can crash the pass pocket? Philadelphia and New York have been pounding away at each other since the '30s, and no, did not attend any of those games, but beginning with the two fateful games in 1960 have paid attention to when these bitter rivals go toe to toe. NFL Films did a piece on "Greatest Rivalries" and some of the statements made by Pat Summerall still ring true. 

Four times these two teams have met in the playoffs, and the total points scored stands at Eagles 77, and Giants 78. The game in late December of '81 was the beginning of Dick Vermeil realizing maybe his Eagles time had come and gone?

Knew nothing about Parcells & Belichick then, but you might have heard both men went on to achieve plenty in their storied careers. The one play in this rivalry that stands out for me is not Concrete Charley delivering the open field hit on Mr. Gifford, it is my boy Jason Sehorn's incredible athletic interception in helping the G-Men win in the playoffs. 

Before discussing the final rivalry, want to explain the title of this narrative and its significance. Robert Allen Zimmerman will always be my favorite songwriter, and the first song by him that caught my attention was "The Times They Are a'Changing", he wrote this in 1963, and the words still ring true today. One of the final lines Dylan sings is "and the first now will later be last for the times they are a-changing". 

When we looked at the final standings in the NFC East at the close of the seasons 2019 & 2020 no one thought of these four teams as Super Bowl contenders. 

Why would we? A non-division record of 47-80-1 tells all. 

Now we have three teams from this division in the final eight still in contention for the silver trophy. 

Jeremy Renner and Sam Elliott did a superb job in the mini-documentary "A Tale of Two Cities" in 2015 on the play-off rivalry between Dallas and San Francisco, and here we are again. My question for all of you is, is this the best playoff rivalry in league history? 

If not, which one is better? 

When Dave Baker was intercepting LeBaron and Meredith passes the first time these two teams met in 1960 no one, and I mean NO ONE would ever believe these two teams would play in so many meaningful games. The last game at Kezar, the magic of Roger the Dodger's comeback in '72, Young vs. Aikman, and for me the big difference in playing surfaces...or simply put carpet vs. mud. Enjoy the games.

2023 Handicap for the Hall

By Clark Judge  

Joe Thomas (l) and Darrelle Revis (r)

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Clark Judge is one of 49 Hall-of-Famer voters)

The month of January is about more than deciding who reaches the Super Bowl. It’s about who reaches the Pro Football Hall of Fame, too.

But that’s why I’m here.

With the Hall’s 49 selectors choosing five modern-era candidates from 15 finalists for the Class of 2023, there is plenty to decipher before answering that question. So let’s get to it and start s handicapping the field. What follows is an inside look at this year’s Hall-of-Fame class and what may happen next:

Q: Who are the favorites?

A: Easy. Tackle Joe Thomas and cornerback Darrelle Revis will be first-ballot inductees, joined by defensive end/linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Ware was a probable first-ballot choice last year but lost out when linebacker Sam Mills was an upset choice, reaching Canton in his last year of modern-era eligibility. With his election, there were no first-ballot choices for the first time since 2012 … and that was not expected. In fact, in two of the prior three years there were three first-ballot inductees each year. Cornerback Ronde Barber should join Thomas, Revis and Ware, and I’d make him a virtual certainty if there weren’t a couple of mitigating factors: 1) Albert Lewis’ candidacy and 2) gridlock at wide receiver. Nevertheless, I make him a favorite, too, mostly because his resume is bullet-proof and he reached the Top 10 in 2022. Barber is the only player in league history with 45 or more interceptions and 25 or more sacks. He was an all-decade choice. He won a Super Bowl. He had nearly as many interceptions (48) as Deion Sanders (53) and over twice as many tackles. Plus, he had more than ability. He had availability. Over his last 15 seasons, he didn’t miss a game. In his last 13 seasons, he didn’t miss a start -- a streak of 215 consecutive games. Now the clincher: He scored 14 non-offensive TDs … or one more than Charles Woodson, 10 more than Brian Dawkins and 11 more than LeRoy Butler. They’re all in the Hall. The other candidate I’d insert here is linebacker Zach Thomas for the simple reason that he’s been knocking on the door the past three years. He’s been a Top 10 candidate each of those years, and this is an opportune time for him to take the last step.

Q: You mentioned mitigating factors. Can you elaborate?

A: Yes. Lewis is one of four defensive backs in this year’s class (Revis, Barber and safety Darren Woodson are the others). But, like Mills a year ago, he’s in his last year of modern-era eligibility. So he’s made an unexpected last-minute run, and there will be a push to induct him before he falls into the senior category (for players who retired more than 25 years earlier). Lewis was not all-decade, and he didn’t win a Super Bowl. But he was one of the greatest special-teams performers in NFL history (12 blocked kicks) and, according to Hall voter and former coach Tony Dungy (he was an assistant with Kansas City 1989-91), was one of the top five cornerbacks of all time. That’s a powerful statement, and, guaranteed, it will be repeated at the meeting. So how should that impact Barber? Simple: He’s a cornerback. So are Revis and Lewis. I can’t see voters choosing three of five inductees at the same position. My guess: Lewis makes an initial move into the Top 10, just as first-time finalist Clay Matthews did in 2021, but stops there. The other X factor is the logjam at wide receiver where Andre Johnson, ReggieWayne and Torry Holt are bottled up. It’s a situation that’s happened before, with Andre Reed, Tim Brown and Cris Carter canceling each other out for years before one (Carter) made the first move (2013). Then, Reed and Brown followed in each of the next two years. Wayne and Holt have been finalists the past three years, but neither made the first cut from 15 to 10. Johnson, however, did in 2022, his first year of eligibility. That tells you that he has the momentum the others do not. So, would that be enough to push him into the final five at the expense of, say, a Barber or Thomas? I’m not sure. I don’t think so, but stay tuned.

Q: Any others we should watch?

A: Several. Returner Devin Hester is one. Voters typically don’t warm up to specialists, electing three in the Hall’s 60 year history – two kickers and one punter. But Hester is different. In his first year of eligibility, he crashed the Top 10. That puts him in the on-deck circle for this year. I’d keep my eye on linebacker Patrick Willis, too. In eight NFL seasons, he was named to seven Pro Bowls, was a five-time first-team All-Pro, led the league twice in tackles and was an all-decade choice. He was a first-time finalist last year and didn’t crack the Top 10. But I’d expect that to change this time. Jared Allen is an intriguing case, mostly because he hasn’t reached the Top 10 in two years as a finalist. But he should be mentioned. He ranks 12^th in career sacks, with only three-and-a-half fewer (136) than Jason Taylor (139-1/2), who was a first-ballot choice in 2017. One potential problem: Ware. He has 138-1/2 career sacks, and my guess is that voters will feel one pass rusher is enough.

Q: So, the rest are longshots?

A: Yes, but that doesn’t mean there couldn’t be an upset. Mills was one in 2022. So was former 49ers’ star Bryant Young, who wasn’t even a finalist the prior year. Both were elected. Dwight Freeney is a candidate in his first year of eligibility, but with Ware and Allen as competition I don’t see how he makes a move. The reason: Fewer career sacks (125-1/2). I’d love to see Cincinnati tackle Willie Anderson move forward in his second year as a finalist … and he should. But I don’t see it happening. The same goes for Woodson, who finally made it as a finalist in his 15^th year as a modern-era candidate. Then, of course, there are Holt and Wayne, and we’ve been down this path. The Hall already elected Marvin Harrison and Isaac Bruce. It’ll be interesting to see how much support there is for No. 2 receivers on teams that each won one Super Bowl. If Holt were elected, he becomes the fifth starter from “The Greatest Show on Turf,” and that’s fine. Except if it was “The Greatest,” why did it win only one Super Bowl?

Q: What about the coach/contributor and senior candidates?

A: There are four, and I don’t expect much resistance. Don Coryell is the coach/contributor candidate, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t make it. First, there’s been ample support within the room for him. Prior to this year, he was a six-time finalist – more than any coach considered by the Hall – and once (2016) a Top-10 modern-era candidate.  Second, he’s the only choice in a category that was created last year and is in its first year of operation. Overlooking him would be an indictment of the committee that elected him, and that’s not likely to happen. The three seniors are Ken Riley, Chuck Howley and Joe Klecko. Of that group, Klecko might incur some resistance, but I don’t forsee enough to block his election. But I hedge because we have three candidates. When voters have more than one, they can … and have … blocked senior and/or contributor choices. It happened to Paul Tagliabue when he was one of two contributor choices in 2017. It happened to seniors Dick Stanfel (2012) and Claude Humphrey (2009), too, though both were later elected.

Q: When will we know?

A: There are bound to be leaks, but officially … officially … not before the Feb. 9 NFL Honors Show. Between now and then, inductees will be notified via The Knock, where a Gold Jacket (living Hall of Famer) stops by his home to knock on the front door while the NFL Network films. 

Memo to the HoF Committee: Start With Albert Lewis and Build From There

Guest Columnist

Jack M Silverstein

Tomorrow, the 49 voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame will meet over Zoom to discuss the 15 modern-era finalists and vote five into Canton. 

And I have one request: remember the seniors and start with Albert Lewis.

Today’s senior committee logjam is at the forefront of the minds of voters and PFHOF president Jim Porter. As I laid out last year in my study of Steve McMichael’s Hall case, the logjam includes 81 players named to All-Decade teams between the 1920s and 1990s, plus 10 Associated Press NFL MVP winners, plus four Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners, plus scores of other all-time great players, including Sterling Sharpe, who finished in the top six in the senior vote last year.

That senior pool now also includes 2023 semifinalist Henry Ellard and 1991 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Swilling, among others.

If voters aren’t careful on Tuesday, it could soon include Lewis.

Therefore I hope that voters solve the Lewis question first and build around him. Does he belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Several voters think so. On “Eye Test for Two” recently, Hall of Fame Selection Committee members Clark Judge and Ira Kaufman welcomed fellow voter Tony Dungy, who was Lewis’s DBs coach in Kansas City. Dungy said that Lewis “graded out higher than ... every single player that I ever coached. Ninety-eight percent, 96%, week in, week out. Didn’t matter who we played, who he covered.”

Judge smartly stopped Dungy in his tracks and requested clarification. After all, Dungy coached Peyton Manning and Derrick Brooks as a head coach, both first-ballot Hall of Famers. He coached Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Warren Sapp and John Lynch, as well as 2023 finalist Ronde Barber. As an assistant in Pittsburgh he coached first-ballot Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. 

After Judge’s vital clarification, Dungy confirmed his statement, adding that if he was starting a secondary from scratch, he would take Lewis as his starting left cornerback, with Mel Blount as his starting right cornerback.

“Marty Schottenheimer, who was our head coach when I was there, believed in man-to-man coverage,” Dungy said. “(Lewis) was phenomenal. He was a highly motivated guy. Practiced hard. He tackled. He did everything you could ask for as well as cover his guy man-to-man. Deion Sanders covered his guy man-to-man — he didn’t do much else. Albert Lewis covered his guy just as well, wasn’t as flashy, and got it done. A guy who would tackle, block kicks, do whatever it took to win games.”

So picture this: Vahe Gregorian presents Lewis’s case, and then Dungy steps in and repeats the above. Then Rick Gosselin, probably the preeminent special teams expert among NFL reporters, adds to what Dungy and Gregorian said, noting that Lewis is the modern-era career leader in blocked punts with 10. Then Judge adds his support. Perhaps others do too.

Voters clearly think highly of Lewis: they voted him from the preliminary list to the semis and from the semis to the finals. If they hear all of those arguments and more, and come to believe that Lewis belongs in the Hall, then I believe they have an obligation to vote him in and determine the other four members of the class from there.

The math backs it up.

By voting for Lewis now and making someone wait (namely Ronde Barber or Zach Thomas), voters prevent yet another worthy player from sinking into the depths of the senior committee where, from 2004 to last year, the average wait time to induction was 18.2 years AFTER becoming a senior.

Based on voting trends, the guys who Lewis could most realistically bump out of the Class of 2023 are all locks to eventually get in. Since the start of the semifinalist round in 2004, every first-ballot semifinalist has either reached Canton as a modern or is currently on the ballot. The longest wait for any first-ballot semifinalist is 11 years. The longest wait for any first-ballot finalist is six years. For the past decade, the longest wait for any player who reaches the top 10 in his first year of eligibility is three years.

That means that of the 15 2023 finalists, 11 are locks:

• Torry Holt (first-ballot semifinalist in 2015)

• Ronde Barber (first-ballot semifinalist in 2018)

• Patrick Willis (first-ballot semifinalist in 2020)

• Reggie Wayne (first-ballot finalist in 2020)

• Jared Allen (first-ballot finalist in 2021)

• Devin Hester, Andre Johnson and DeMarcus Ware (first-ballot finalists in 2022)

• Dwight Freeney, Darrelle Revis and Joe Thomas (first-ballot finalists this year)

That leaves three players other than Lewis: Willie Anderson, Zach Thomas and Darren Woodson. Thomas and Anderson each first made the finals within their first 10 years of modern-era eligibility, Thomas in his 7th year, Anderson in his 9th. Since 2004, every player who reached the finals in his first 10 years made Canton as a modern-era candidate. Those recent trends say Thomas is doubly safe: since 2004, no player with four finalist selections has reached the senior pool.

That leaves only Darren Woodson, who is now a seven-time semifinalist and reached the semis twice in his first decade. Only two players reached the semis two or more times in their first 10 years and then reached the senior pool: Joe Jacoby and Steve Tasker. Jacoby didn’t reach the finals until his 18th year; Woodson is in his 15th. Tasker never reached the finals. So the odds are in Woodson’s favor too based on voting trends.

Add it all up and there is only one 2023 finalist in danger of falling to the senior committee and, as a result, potentially never reaching Canton: 

Albert Lewis.

So start with Lewis. Talk him through. Listen to Gregorian, Dungy, Gosselin and others. Decide if you think he belongs in Canton. If you think he does, vote him in and build around him. Because otherwise, these are the two outcomes:

1. Albert Lewis is in the Class of 2023 and Barber or Thomas or anyone else is in the Class of 2024 or 2025, etc.

2. Barber or Thomas or whomever is in the Class of 2023 and Albert Lewis perhaps never reaches Canton at all

A common refrain in Hall talk today is wondering why a given player is getting “stuck” as a semifinalist or finalist. The reality is that once you’re a semifinalist, especially at an early year, or repeatedly, or both, you’re a mathematical lock. So evaluate Albert Lewis and build from there. Because the late-ballot modern-era candidate you let slip today is the senior you’re arguing about tomorrow.

Jack M Silverstein (@readjack) is Chicago’s sports historian, a Pro Football Hall of Fame analyst and a member of the Not In the Hall of Fame PFHOF committee. For his explanation on how the Class of 2023 might break, click here.

Playoff Judgements

 By Clark Judge 

Daniel Jones
Credit: NFL Game Pass/Fox Sports

Different times. Different players. Different coaches. Different circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Giants’ 31-24 upset of Minnesota Sunday channeled a Big Blue experience 15 years earlier when New York shocked Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. As most people know, when the Giants lost to New England in the season finale they were convinced they would win should the two meet again.

They did, and you know what happened.

Fast forward to Dec. 24, 2022 when the G-Men lost 27-24 to Minnesota on a 61-yard, last-second field goal. Afterward, these Giants felt much like those Giants way back when, with more than one starter saying this team was as confident as its predecessors in January, 2008

“We expect to play well and to win,” said quarterback Daniel Jones.

They did.

Granted, the circumstances are radically different. The 2007 Giants made history by keeping New England from completing an unbeaten run through the season. Furthermore, they did it in the most important game of the season.

This was merely a wild-card victory over a Minnesota club that, while winning 13 games, surrendered more points this season (427) than it scored (424). Plus, the Vikings limped into the playoffs – losing two of their last five and three of their last eight – and a slim 2-1/2-point favorite, with odds makers unconvinced they could survive.

But that has nothing to do with the Giants’ mindset. Their Dec. 24 defeat did.

“I think playing this team late in the season … and being familiar with them and having lost on a last-second field goal …gave the Giants a lot of confidence,” said FOX analyst Michael Strahan, a member of the 2007 Giants.

I do, too. And I think this victory has the Giants convinced that, like, 2007, anything’s possible. Those Giants were 10-6. This year’s Giants were 9-7-1. Do you believe?

“The sky’s the limit,” safety Julian Love said.

Maybe. But there are more formidable obstacles ahead, notably Philadelphia and San Francisco. For the moment, it’s kinda, sorta déjà vu all over again … and that’s worth celebrating.

 SUNDAY SCHOOL: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEKEND

1.       The Bills’ biggest concern may be the Bills. Buffalo got lucky. If it weren’t playing a third-string quarterback it would have … should have … lost.  Three Josh Allen turnovers, including a fumble return for a touchdown; seven sacks and 31 points vs. an opponent that failed to score a TD last week? Consider this an escape.

2.       Merriam-Webster already has its word of the year. It’s called “Chargering,” and if you ever sat through fourth-quarter collapses, stupid decisions, botched special teams or a blown 27-point lead, you know what I’m talking about. It’s always something with these guys, and it’s seldom good.

3.       Kirk Cousins cemented his legacy. With that loss, he’s now 1-4 in the NFL playoffs … and let’s get something straight: He wasn’t responsible for the latest defeat. A matador defense that couldn’t figure out Daniel Jones or stop Saquon Barkley was. But Cousins has a reputation for putting up big numbers, not big wins … and this only moves that conversation forward. That said, he’s the guy who threw the pass that ended the Vikings’ season. Fourth and 8. Ball at the Minnesota 48. Just under two minutes left. And … a 3-yard completion to T.J. Hockenson that’s five yards short? What’s up with that?

4.       Daniel Jones is better than anybody thought. Remember what happened before this season? The Giants declined to pick up his fifth-year option. That left it up to Jones, and all he did was respond by leading Big Blue to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That was good. Sunday was better. He threw for over 300 yards. He ran for another 78 on a career-high 17 carries. He had two TD passes and no interceptions. No fumbles, either. Surprising? Not really. He’s had only two turnovers in his last seven starts. “He’s a special player,” said teammate Saquon Barkley. He was Sunday.

5.       Baltimore deserved better. Without Lamar Jackson, the Ravens weren’t given much of a chance to upset Cincinnati. Yet they pushed the defending-AFC champions to the mat, losing only when a last-second Hail Mary barely failed. The Ravens played hard and could’ve … and maybe should have … won this game despite some curious clock management. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley frazzled the Bengals throughout the evening and had Baltimore inches from a go-ahead TD when he fumbled at the goal line, with Sam Hubbard returning the recovery 98 yards for the game clincher. Yes, it was that close. Like Buffalo, whom they meet next weekend, the Bengals were lucky to survive.

THIRD AND 20

1.       It’s called Super Wild Card Weekend, but I’m not exactly sure why. I guess it’s because the NFL has three wild cards in each conference involved now … and it has since adding a seventh entry in 2020. Except there’s nothing super about what’s happened to those seventh entries. In the three years of Super Wild Card Weekends, they’re 0-6, with Seattle and Miami the latest victims. They’ve also been outscored 196-123.

2.       That’s not a condemnation of wild cards in general. The past two years, wild cards won the Super Bowl (L.A. Rams and Tampa Bay). It’s a criticism of a playoff expansion that didn’t have to happen. Sometimes, bigger isn’t better. This is just the latest example.

3.       Let’s be honest: As impressive as the Giants were, we could cut to the NFC championship game tomorrow … and it would involve the same teams will be there in two weeks: San Francisco vs. Philadelphia. Both are at a different level than the rest of the conference.

4.       Can’t say enough about the job that Wink Martindale’s defense did on All-World wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He had 12 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown when these two teams met in Week 16. He had seven catches for 47 yards and no TDs Sunday. Worse, after producing 25 yards on Minnesota’s opening drive, he had only 22 yards the rest of the way, including 4 in the fourth quarter The Giants were determined not to let him beat them … and he didn’t.

5.       Josh Allen, we need to talk. With three more turnovers Sunday, he now has an NFL-high 22 this season, including 16 interceptions for the season and six in his last three starts. That won’t cut it vs. Cincinnati or Kansas City.

6.       First, Brock Purdy. Then, Skylar Thompson. Maybe we should start paying attention to rookie seventh-round quarterbacks.

7.       Joe Burrow gets much of the credit for the Bengals’ success, but not this time. In fact, it wasn’t the Cincinnati offense that saved the Bengals’ season Sunday. It was Lou Anarumo’s defense. Sound familiar? It should. That unit came to the rescue in last year’s playoff opener vs. Las Vegas. With 17 seconds left, and the Raiders on the Cincinnati 9, linebacker Germaine Pratt intercepted a Derek Carr pass for Zay Jones. One year later, it was defensive lineman Sam Hubbard returning a goal-line fumble 98 yards for the game-winning score; then the entire defense holding on to thwart a last-second Hail Mary. Anarumo doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he should. His defenders make key plays at key moments, and look no farther than what happened to Patrick Mahomes in last season’s conference championship game.

8.       Nice job by Miami and rookie Skylar Thompson, but is it too much to ask to get a play off on time?

9.       Nope, I didn’t know much about the Giants’ Isaiah Hodgins before Sunday … but the Vikings should have. He shredded them for a career-best eight catches, 89 yards and one touchdown when the two teams met Dec. 24. Three weeks later, he responded with eight more catches, 105 yards and a 14-yard TD. Someone tell Vikings’ defensive coordinator Ed Donatell to report to the principal’s office.

10.   I like listening to Tony Romo, too, but c’mon: Josh Allen is neither “Mr. January” nor “Michael Jordan.”

11.   Memo to Doug Pederson: Reserve a playoff share next week for Joey Bosa. He earned it.

12.   Sean Payton is a perfect fit for the Chargers, but it won’t happen. Too expensive. Too many draft picks. Too much money.

13.   The more I see the Bills, the more I see how much they miss Von Miller.

14.   Report: Raiders doing “research” into pursuit of Tom Brady. Wait. What? Their head coach spent 16 years with Brady. How much more “research” do you need?

15.   Gotta love Trevor Lawrence. He celebrated the Jaguars’ historic victory at Waffle House.

16.   Best line of the weekend goes to Ari Meirov on Twitter: “Well, Brandon Staley can finally rest his starters.” Ouch.

17.   Just a hunch, but my guess is those “expedited reviews” aren’t coming from the field at all. They’re coming from 345 Park Avenue.

18.   Consider the knee injury that forced Bengals’ left tackle Jonah Williams to exit Sunday’s game a significant setback. He missed only six snaps all season.

19.   Time to channel the late Denny Green again: THE VIKINGS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!!

20.   From what I’ve seen the past two weekends, the team to beat in the NFC North in 2023 is neither Minnesota nor Green Bay. It’s Detroit.

SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET STATS

n  The Giants won six of their last seven road playoff games.

n  Cincinnati’s Evan McPherson is 21 of 21 in playoff field-goal attempts.

n  Philadelphia won its last nine home games vs. the Giants, next week’s opponent.

n  Sam Hubbard’s 98-yard TD was the longest fumble return in playoff history.

n  Buffalo is 4-0 at home in the playoffs during the Josh Allen era.

n  According to ESPN Stats & Info, Daniel Jones is the third quarterback in playoff history to throw for 300 yards in the same game that he ran for 75 or more. Lamar Jackson and Steve Young are the others, but Jones is the first to win.

SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET QUOTES

n  “It’s the playoffs. We found a way. That’s all that matters.” – Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen.

n  “It shouldn’t have happened as much as it did.”—Miami coach Mike McDaniel on play-call delays.

n  “The guys expected to have a chance at winning a world championship. Have to give the Giants credit.” -- Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell.

n  “We got a lot of work to do, but it’s enjoyable work.” – N.Y. Giants coach Brian Daboll.

n  “We’re going to have our hands full with them, but we’ve been in these moments.” – Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow on playing Buffalo next week.