TUESDAY TIDBITS: So When Did We Begin Keeping Statistics?

By TJ Troup 

Tavon Diggs

After Trevon Diggs intercepted on Sunday; which he returned for a touchdown the lazy production crew at CBS listed on the screen that Diggs was just the second player since 1970 to intercept at least seven passes in the first six games of a season. 

While this is very impressive, and Trevon just might lead the league in interceptions this year, the graphic begs two questions? Who was the other player since 1970, and did the league actually record individual interception returns before 1970? My boy Rod Woodson is the other player(1993), and yes the league began listing individual interceptions in 1940. 

How do I know this, why simply because I have a listing of ALMOST every individual interception return from 1940 through 2020 (am missing just a handful). You will not get the list today of who the other interceptors are, yet how about just a few from the AFL during the decade of the '60s? Goose Gonsoulin of the Broncos pilfered 8 passes in the first five games of his career in 1960. 

Tom Morrow of the Raiders intercepted 8 passes in the first four games of 1963...which was part of his intercepting streak of eight consecutive games. Pete Jaquess of the Oilers intercepted 7 passes in the first five games of 1964, and finally, Ron Hall of the Patriots intercepted 7 passes in the first six games of 1964. 

Does CBS not have access to the game by game individual stats in league history? If they actually want to do an in-depth job possibly they could contact me? Am not holding my breath waiting by the phone, and as we all know the NFL did not begin in 1970.

Jared Goff

Next up is comedy from Conor Orr at Sports Illustrated! Not sure why he has a job; especially with the following quote "Goff of Detroit has a chance to throttle NFL defenses in 2021"? Goff ranks 23rd with a passer rating of 86.9, and he is averaging 9.5 yards a completion, he is the poster boy for dink & dunk. Goff is one of only five passers of the leading 32 to have his completions average less than 10 yards. The man he was traded for—Mr. Matthew Stafford is second at 13.2 yards a completion. 

Checked the standings this morning, and surprisingly Detroit has not won a game. In the past have railed against Lion defensive coordinators and secondary coaches for their inability to teach team pass defense, and yes folks you know where I am going with this...Detroit is dead last in the defensive passer rating category at 113.8. Jack Christiansen is rolling over in his grave.

Ready for a fun history lesson today? Sure hope so, since watching the film was captivating. We are returning to October 17th, 1954, and are in Wrigley Field to watch the contending 49ers take on an improved Chicago Bear team. San Francisco has won in Wrigley the past two seasons, can they possibly beat Papa Bear and his nasty grizzlies three in a row? 

Harlon Hill

Both Harlon Hill and Jim Dooley gain over 100 yards receiving as George Blanda is pitching the pigskin all over the lot today and keeping the Bears in the game, but it is not enough. Hugh McElhenny was so impressive as a rookie in 1952, and Joe Perry gained over 1,000 yards in 1953, but there is only one football...so who gets the ball today? For the only time in their careers together they both gain over 100 rushing! At the end of the first half McElhenny has carried five times for 71 yards, and a 46-yard touchdown scamper on a sweep right. Joe Perry has been bottled up and has gained 2 yards on six carries. 

Rookie Ed Brown entered the game in the second quarter and his errant toss was hijacked by Hardy Brown and returned 41 yards for a touchdown in the key play of the first half. Both McElhenny and Perry carry the ball five times in the second half; Hugh gained 43 and his most impressive run began as a sweep left, then he reversed his field and swept right for 32 behind some crunching downfield blocks. Perry gained 117 and is the FIRST 49er to have two runs of over 50 yards in the same half (53 & 58)! Both are over the right side as Bob St.Clair deserved a game ball for his tremendous blocking. San Francisco gained 294 yards rushing as a team on just 32 running plays. No wonder they earned the nicknames of "The King" and "The Jet". 

The 31-24 victory by the Niners has convinced everyone this is going to be their year(McElhenny's injury and poor pass defense derailed San Francisco), as the 49ers have now lost just nine games in the last 34 they have played. 

The next stop our Nations' Capitol for the match-up of the first-place Eagles and the woeful Redskins. The past two years Philadelphia has lost in Washington, but this Eagle team is even better than the '53 team that finished second in the East. During 1951 Adrian Burk was the starter at quarterback in Philadelphia, yet the front office acquired Bobby Thomason to compete with the slender Texan for the job as the triggerman. While they both have had their moments lofting the leather in the air, they both have streaks of inconsistency. 

Thomason sometimes forces passes, and the rumor is Burk is not the most confident signal-caller? During the three Eagle victories, Thomason has completed 22 for 44 for 441 yards and ranks 5th in the league in passing. Burk has completed 30 of 62 for 442 yards and is ranked 9th in the league. Burk starts the game and is dead-on in completing many short and medium-range passes to his receivers. Though a Philadelphia running back might catch a pass once in a while, the Eagle passing attack is based upon a variety of formations and passes to the ends or flanking halfback. Have watched this complete game film many times, and you see double tight end with a halfback flanked wide. You see tight slot, or tight wing, with ends split or flexed, or a mixture. 

Left end Bobby Walston will catch 6 passes in the game for 90 yards and has the longest reception in the game—30 yards. Pete Pihos is the defending league receiving champion and he is aligned tight, flexed, split, and is just so damn impressive on film. The stocky glue-fingered veteran runs routes to perfection, and though not fast he always finds the open area. He is athletic and adjusts well to the ball in flight. Pete latches onto 9 passes for 132 yards. 

Pete Pihos

Jerry Williams demanded he be moved to offense (he was a starting safety for the Rams), and though he does carry the ball, he is basically a receiver. All three men rank among the league leaders in receptions which is unheard of in that era. Williams will catch 4 passes for 40 yards in the game. Thomason spells Burk in both the second and fourth quarters, but today is Adrian's day as he continually is on target and his receivers score. He has thrown five touchdown passes, and Thomason is back in the game and completes a pass to Williams, but Bobby is hit hard, and back into the game comes Burk. 

He throws two more touchdown passes to tie Sid Luckman's league record in the 49-21 win to keep Philadelphia undefeated. The Eagles are the best red-zone passing team in the league. When the next weeks' stats are released Thomason is ranked 4th in the league, and Burk is ranked 8th. The standard in this era is average gain per pass. Using today's standards Burk had a passer rating of 64.78 after three games, and then after his record-tying performance, his rating is 86.33. How many quarterbacks improve 20 points in a week? Burk has now thrown 13 touchdown passes, and maybe, possibly he will surpass Luckman's record of touchdown passes in a season as the Eagles earn their way into the title game? 

Alas, just not meant to be as the Eagles go 3-4-1 the rest of the year, and Burk continues to share the position with Thomason. In the rematch with Washington on November 28th Thomason starts but is ineffective and Burk coming off the bench throws five touchdown passes in the 41-33 home victory. How many quarterbacks have thrown 12 touchdown passes against a division rival in a season? Baugh, Luckman, Graham, Layne, Van Brocklin, Waterfield, Rote, Unitas? Ok, let's try the '60's Unitas, Starr, Jurgensen, Tittle, Ryan, Johnson, Tarkenton? Go ahead check out all the quarterbacks since the merger and see if one of them has accomplished this feat....but don't expect CBS Production to have that info.

Guided by Road Sage, Packers Triumph in Chicago

 By Eric Goska

Under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers have won
15 of their last 20 regular-season road games.
(screenshot from NFL Game Pass)

Forget TomTom or Garmin.

Matt LaFleur may be the best option when it comes to successfully navigating the road.

The Packers head coach saw his team down the Chicago Bears 24-14 at Soldier Field in Week 6. For LeFleur, it was merely the latest in an ever-rising number of wins away from Lambeau Field.

Throughout the last half century – and likely long before that – the best teams found ways to win on the road. Only three of the 102 conference champions since 1970 had losing records away from home during the regular season: the 2008 Cardinals (3-5), the 2010 Packers (3-5) and the 2018 Patriots (3-5).

Of course, each of those three clubs had to win at least once on the road in the postseason in order to reach the Super Bowl.

Laying claim to a conference championship remains a priority for the Packers after having come up short in the last two. Winning while crisscrossing the country can’t hurt their quest to land a third straight berth.

LeFleur has enjoyed success outside Wisconsin more so than any of his predecessors in Green Bay. Sunday was his 15th regular-season road victory – against five losses – since becoming the team’s 15th head coach on Jan. 8, 2019.

No big deal? Think again.

Vince Lombardi (13-7), Mike McCarthy (13-7) and Mike Sherman (11-9) – three of the best in team history – had poorer starts than LaFleur. Another, Mike Holmgren (7-13), never reached .500 during his seven years in Green Bay.

LaFleur has taken to the road from the start. Green Bay outlasted Chicago 10-3 at Soldier Field in his coaching debut, and then tacked on victories in Dallas and Kansas City before tasting defeat at the hands of the Chargers.

The Packers fashioned 6-2 records away from Lambeau Field in both 2019 and 2020. This year, the team has reeled off three straight after laying an egg in the opener against the Saints.

That success places the Green and Gold among the best in the business. Only the Chiefs (17-2), Saints (15-4), Ravens (15-4) and Bills (14-4) have a better winning percentage on the road since 2019.

So how have LaFleur and the Packers done it? There are myriad reasons, but we’ll touch upon two: turnovers and quarterback play.

Turnovers

Green Bay did not have a turnover in Chicago while the Bears gave up one when safety Darnell Savage intercepted rookie quarterback Justin Fields in the end zone. In their 15 road wins, the Packers have turned the ball over six times while the opposition has coughed it up 22 times. Green Bay has scored 89 points as a result of those miscues; its opponents just 13.

Quarterback Play

Aaron Rodgers has posted a higher passer rating than his counterpart in 14 of those 15 wins. The exception: Drew Brees engineered a 127.8 to Rodgers’ 124.9 in Green Bay’s 37-30 triumph in New Orleans in 2020.

In Chicago, Rodgers completed 17 of 23 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers may not excite, but his rating (128.0) was more than 50 points better than that of Fields who compiled a mark of 75.2 on 16 completions in 27 attempts for 174 yards with a touchdown and interception.

In 15 road victories under LaFleur, Green Bay’s passer rating is 113.1. That’s noticeably higher than the 85.8 of the competition.

Quarterback Play in the Packers-Bears Rivalry

Superior play at quarterback has helped the Packers win 44 of the last 59 regular-season meetings with the Bears. The incredible run started in 1992 and has been orchestrated primarily with just two passers – Rodgers and Brett Favre – at the helm.

Forty-seven times Green Bay posted the better passer rating. Forty-two times it emerged victorious.

Hitting 100, as Rodgers did Sunday, has been an even better harbinger of success, one that predates 1992. The Green and Gold has won the last 26 meetings with Chicago when they hit or exceed that number.

Their last loss: Nov. 3, 1968 when Gale Sayers’ 205 rushing yards trumped Bart Starr’s 102.5 rating. Starr completed 10 of 18 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in the 13-10 loss.

On the Road Again
How Packers head coaches fared in their first 20 regular-season road games.
 
         Record         Coach                                    Years
            15-5            Matt LaFleur                      2019-2021
            13-7            Vince Lombardi                 1959-1962
            13-7            Mike McCarthy                 2006-2008
            11-9            Mike Sherman                  2000-2002
          9-10-1          Phil Bengtson                    1968-1970
          8-11-1          Dan Devine                         1971-1973
            8-12            Lindy Infante                     1988-1990
            7-13            Forrest Gregg                    1984-1986
            7-13            Mike Holmgren                 1992-1994
          6-11-3          Curly Lambeau                  1921-1925
            6-14            Lisle Blackbourn                1954-1957
            5-15            Gene Ronzani                    1950-1953
            4-16            Bart Starr                             1975-1977

Just Because You Needed to See Walter Payton Run a "Go" Route Today

 By John Turney 

Credit: Merv Corning

Early in his career Walter Payton would occasionally line up as a split end and run a go, a slant or other routes isolated as the "X" receiver—the split end.

Here are just a few examples—

Walter on a "go"

On a slant

Motioning to the split end position

Certainly, he didn't do this a ton but it is more proof that Payton was as versatile a back as there ever has been. In the 1990s and 2000s we had Marshall Faulk who was a great runner, a great receiver out of the backfield, and could also run wide receiver routes as well as pass block with the best running backs ever. 

The offenses Payton played in didn't lend itself to a lot of 4-wide or 5-wide like Faulk's so he didn't get as many opportunities to catch passes from out wide or even in slot positions but he could do it when asked.

Payton was a back for all ages. Would be huge star today, was a huge star in his own era. He had all the skills. All of them. 

TUESDAY TIDBITS: Rising to the Top

By TJ Troup 

The 2018 season for the Cardinals ended with a record of 3-13. The 2018 season for the Bills ended with a 6-10 record. Here we are in 2021 and most folks would rank these two teams at the top of the league at this point. How quickly a team can rise when they find the personnel and the coaches that actually understand the game and how to win! October 17th the Cardinals will travel to Cleveland to play a team that can run the ball and score. 

Once upon a time these two teams were in the NFL East and had some dandy contests. Monday night the 18th the Bills head to Nashville to play the Titans, and yes once upon a time these two teams battled in the AFL East. Our journey for October 10th will take us to Forbes Field on a Wednesday evening in 1934. Rookie Beattie Feathers of Chicago will gain more than 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive game on his way to becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in league history. 

John Henry Johnson

Yes, youngsters, being first is always significant. Pittsburgh and Cleveland have had a storied rivalry since 1950, and on a Saturday evening at Municipal Stadium in '64 veteran fullback John Henry Johnson hammers the Browns defense for over 200 yards, and three touchdowns to finally put a loss on Cleveland. John Henry is the first man to gain over 200 yards rushing against a future league champion. Film study also shows that the Steeler defense was innovative that night as they used a 5-man line, and nickel coverage in an attempt to limit Jim Brown, and the deep passing game of the Browns. 

Lance Alworth

Beginning on October 20th, 1963 Lance Alworth began a 26 game streak of complete dominance as a receiver. Alworth gained 2,761 yards on 131 catches and scored 27 touchdowns. The list of receivers averaging 21 yards a catch over a twenty-six game span is very short. Alworth gained over 100 yards receiving in twelve of those games, and San Diego won eleven of them. The Chargers record in the other 16 games(Lance missed two games) was 8-6-2. Talk about a difference-maker. 

When the Bills took the title away from the Chargers in December of '64—San Diego had to come to grips that there was a team that could match them. October 10th, 1965 Lance gains 168 yards on his 8 receptions. Hadl zipped a pass to Bambi for 14 yards in the second quarter to get the Chargers the lead, and later scored again-----this time on a 52-yard pass play to put San Diego ahead 24-3. Buffalo gained just 150 net yards; their fewest since October 13th, '62 when they gained just 140 again against San Diego. No doubt Sid Gillman and his team felt they made a statement at War Memorial that afternoon, but as the season wore on many people believed they would meet again for the title. That is a story for another day.

Dawson Knox Delivers the Bills from Tight End Purgatory

 By Jeffrey J. Miller 

The recent play of Dawson Knox, the Buffalo Bills somewhat unheralded tight end, has many of the team’s followers thinking they have finally found the long-sought replacement for the men who held down the position during the team’s first golden era. If his outstanding performance against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football (10/11/21) serves as an indication, they just might be right.   

The tight end position has been a historically weak one for the Bills. Sure, they have had a handful of solid men play the position over the years, most notably Pete Metzelaars during the team’s Super Bowl run of the early 1990s, but how many others can the average fan name? In fact, the Bills’ search for a viable tight end compares with the team’s recently fulfilled search for a quarterback, a journey that lasted from Jim Kelly’s retirement in 1997 until the arrival of Josh Allen in 2018. The difference is in the case of the tight end, rather than 20 years, it is more like 55! To put it in perspective, the Bills have not had a tight end voted to a Pro Bowl since 1966 and have not had one recognized as perhaps the best in the league since 1964.

Ernie Warlick goes deep against the
Jets, 1964

A little background:  Ernie Warlick was the Bills’ starting tight end during the team’s first American Football League championship run, when the team captured back-to-back titles in 1964 and ’65.  Warlick still holds the top-two best season averages for yards-per reception among Bills tight ends (minimum 20 catches) with 20.8 in 1964, and 20.0 in 1963. Paul Costa followed in Warlick’s footprints, taking over the position midway through the 1965 season. Costa still holds the club record for yards in a season by a tight end, chalking up an efficient 726 in 1967, when the leagues were still operating within a 14-game schedule. The Notre Damer also holds the distinction of being the last Bills tight end to receive a post-season accolade, being voted to the AFL All-Star game after the 1966 season.

Paul Costa hurdling a helpless Houston
defender, 1965

Since then … well, uninspiring might best describe the team’s performance at the position. Aside from Metzelaars, who enjoyed a ten-year career with the Bills that included four Super Bowl appearances, a handful of others have performed decently at the end of the line. Reuben Gant, Keith McKeller (the man for whom the famed K-Gun was named), Jay Riemersma and Scott Chandler each put in a solid year or two, but all failed to attain a level of performance that could be remotely considered elite.    

Until now?  Hopefully. Knox has shown flashes of brilliance over his first two years in the league but was prone to an off-putting propensity for dropping the easy ones. As a rookie in 2019, the Mississippi product was considered by many to be the answer to the Bills’ tight end conundrum, but a sophomore lull led to some in Bills Country to beseech the team to go out and select a hot college prospect or sign a big-name free agent. 

Dawson Knox bowls over Cincinnati defensive back Jessie Bates in 

Buffalo's 21-17 win over the Bengals, September 22, 2019.

The Bills coaching staff and, perhaps more importantly, quarterback Josh Allen never lost faith in the six-foot, four-inch, 254-pounder, and Knox was the unquestioned first stringer going into the 2021 season. Thus far, Knox has played like the tight end the team and its fan have been coveting since the mid-1960s. A man who can make clutch catches, be that reliable third-down option, and provide another deep threat for opposing defenses to stop. 

Knox’ breakout performance on the nationally televised Sunday Night Football, in which he out-shone future Hall-of-Famer Travis Kelce, had Monday morning pundits standing up and taking notice.  In the Bills convincing 38-20 upset win, Knox connected with QB Josh Allen on three catches good for 117 yards (a 39.0 average) and a 53-yard touchdown strike. Through the first five-game of 2021, Knox has 18 catches for 261 yards (a 14.5 average) and five touchdowns. If he can maintain this pace, he could end the season with 61 receptions for 887 yards and 17 scores, which would set new standards in all three categories. That just might be good enough to give the Bills their first Pro Bowl tight end in five-and-a-half decades!      

Warlick and Costa’s best single-season performances:

Paul Costa

1966: 27 receptions, 400 yds (14.8 ave).  Selected to the AFL All-Star Game.
1967: 39 receptions, 726 yds (18.6 ave)

Ernie Warlick
1962: 35 receptions, 482 yds (13.8 ave).  Selected to the AFL All-Star Game.
1963: 24 receptions, 479 yds (20.0 ave).  Selected to the AFL All-Star Game.
1964: 23 receptions, 478 yds. (20.8 ave).  Selected to the AFL All-Star Game.

Bills best tight end performances since the merger:

Ruben Gant

1977:  41 catches, 646 yds (15.8 ave)

Pete Metzelaars

1986: 49 receptions, 485 yds (9.9 ave)
1988: 33 receptions, 438 yds (13.3 ave)

Keith McKeller
1989: 20 catches, 341 yds (17.1 ave)

Jay Riemersma
2001: 53 receptions, 590 yds (11.1 ave)       

Scott Chandler

2012: 43 receptions, 571 yds (13.3 ave)

2013: 53 receptions, 655 yds (12.4 ave)

Charles Clay

2016: 57 receptions, 552 yds (9.7 ave)

Not a very impressive list.

 
The Bills’ top six season per-catch averages among tight ends, all-time (minimum 20 catches):

1.       Ernie Warlick, 1964 (20.8)

2.       Ernie Warlick, 1963 (20.0)

3.       Paul Costa, 1967 (18.6)

4.       Keith McKeller, 1989 (17.1)

5.       Reuben Gant, 1977 (15.8)

6.       Paul Costa, 1966 (14.8)

The Bills’ top six season yardage leaders among tight ends

1.       Paul Costa, 1967 (726)*

2.       Scott Chandler, 2013 (655)

3.       Reuben Gant, 1977 (646)*

4.       Jay Riemersma, 2001 (590)

5.       Scott Chandler, 2012 (571)

6.       Charles Clay, 2016 (552)

*14 game schedule.

Rob Burnett—One Tough Dude

By John Turney 

Rob Burnett fell to the fifth round in the 1990 NFL draft due to a disappointing senior season. As a sophomore he was dynamite. That year, 1987, he totaled 43 tackles and 11 sacks (including 4 on Halloween against Pitt) and honorable mention All-American honors and was Second-team All-Conference. Greatness was said to follow.

In 1988 Burnett recorded 63 tackles and 5.5 sacks and those numbers would again earn him honorable mention All-American honors and he was voted First-team All-Conference as well. Then, in 1989, he had that disappointing senior season, he had just 1.5 sacks but made 40 tackles. In his freshman year in 1986, he played in eleven games but recorded no statistics. 

Burnett would finish his Syracuse career with 146 tackles (which ranks 10th all-time at Syracuse), and 18 sacks (which still ranks ninth on the school's all-time list). In addition, he was named a member of the Syracuse All-Century team.

Looking back Burnett, was 6-3½, 245-250 pounds, and ran about a 4.9 forty pounds but said he was resting on his laurels later in his collegiate career. He did his duty, did his workouts, lifted weights but was not serious about it, and did not hit it hard. He grew, got somewhat stronger but not as he could have and his play leveled off.

So, rather than being a second-round pick in the draft, as he figured he was a mid-rounder. Some of it was unfounded rumors Burnett thought, coaches who had benched him for a few games talking to scouts that also caused the drop.

Burnett didn't light the NFL on fire as a rookie but he and fellow rookie Anthony Pleasant (a third-round pick) ended the seasons as starters but were just okay, but showing improvement

The Bud Carson (Browns head coach) defensive scheme was an up-the-field 4-3 where the linemen played the run on the way to the quarterback—the kind of scheme the Steelers and Rams enjoyed when he ran their defenses in the 1970s and early 1980s. It was fun for ends like Pleasant and Burnett to play that way just "pin their ears back and go". Had there been more success that year Burnett may have had an entirely different career in the NFL. 

It was in 1991 Burnett became truly committed to football—that he learned to truly love it and it was Bill Belichick that ignited that fire. 

Belichick had been hired by the Browns and he ran a tough football camp. "He put us through a training camp that was like no others I have ever seen". It made me ask how much I wanted to play football, how much I wanted to sacrifice to play for the Browns. You want to talk physical, that was physical". 

Belichick was famous for a 3-4 defense the Giants used that brought two Super Bowl wins to New York but with the Browns, he used a 4-3 but it kept many of the same principles of the 3-4 scheme. "He still wanted pressure but he wanted his defensive lineman to play the run and play smart—it was a real adjustment."

In his mind, Burnett wondered if he would even make the 1991 Browns roster. Nick Saban, the Browns defensive coordinator said, "I don't know if he was in danger of not making the team but there was a question of whether or not he was the kind of player we could win within our scheme. Rob has always had some ability but had some difficulty in our scheme when we first started because he was a one-gap type of player, both he and Anthony (Pleasant). 

Burnett had to also hit the weights, gain some weight, get stronger, getting up to 280 or so pounds. After that work was done Saban said, "Now they are not one-dimensional guys—they can play with power to some degree and that helps them with the pass rush because the tackles have to set on them a little differently".

In 1992 and 1993 the Belichick/Saban-coached Browns defense improved (third-fewest rushing touchdowns, sixth-fewest rushing yards, the fifth-lowest yards per rush while also the third-most sacks, and Burnett had 9.0 sacks both seasons. In those years he was the left end in the base defense and played left tackle in nickel with Browns great Clay Matthews playing left end. 

By 1994 he was a Pro Bowl alternate and replaced Bruce Smith in the game. He was also named All-Pro by Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News who wrote, "Burnett was the dominating player on the NFL's stingiest defense (league-low 204 points allowed). He had a team-leading 10 sacks and led Cleveland's down linemen in tackles."

Though generally a power player, Burnett had good quickness and 

could swim a blocker and make a tackle in the backfield

The '94 Browns made the playoffs that season and the defense was on par with 1992-93 in terms of the "numbers". But, in 1995 the Browns announced they were moving to Baltimore and the wheels came off the club.

Later Burnett recounted that "Fans were going nuts. Sponsored pulled out of the stadium. They blacked out signs. They booed us. We got death threats. Everything possible that could possibly distract a team was done." A 1994 playoff team went 5-11 in 1995 and they were off to Baltimore. 

Burnett suffered a setback in 1996 with a knee injury and missed ten games but he returned in 1997 and under Marvin Lewis, the Raven defense got better and better every year and Burnett was the cornerstone on the line playing in front of Ray Lewis and opposite Mike McCrary and next to excellent run-stuffing tackles. 

Burnett, at left end, two-gapping and allowing Ray Lewis to go untouched and make a tackle

Marvin Lewis was very creative as the Raven coordinator, using all sorts of the popular schemes and gimmicks of the time. You could see Burnett dropping into coverage when the Ravens would zone blitz. When the Ravens used the Bear front of the 46 defense Burnett would play over the nose and in nickel, he'd usually play the right three-technique with Peter Boulware the Sam 'backer played left defensive end in Burnett's spot. Also, when the Ravens used a 33 nickel Burnett was again be the zero technique. 

Clearly, Lewis thought Burnett was a mismatch for NFL centers in the 46/Bear and 33 nickel packages. In many ways, Burnett was playing the "Dan Hampton role" in the Raven defense in 1997-99 that Hampton did in 1985-87 for the Chicago Bears.

In 2000 when free-agent defensive tackle Sam Adams was signed he's play the zero-tech in the 46/Bear and Burnett's rule changed a bit. He would play the left three-tech in that front and also in the nickel with, again, Blouware as the left defensive end. 

Six years after Gosselin named Burnett All-Pro, Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman picked Burnett for his personal team, writing this, "Here's what Burnett means to the Ravens: He's the only member of their front four who can rush the passer and still stand firm at the point. Which allows the tackles, Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams, to slant away from Burnett and toward Michael McCrary, freeing him to rush upfield, a skill at which he excels. It's a terrific scheme, and Burnett, who never takes a play off and can put on a serious pass rush of his own, is the guy who makes it go."

In addition to Zimmerman, Peter King (also Sports Illustrated) and Gordon Forbes (USA Today), Dave Goldberg (AP), and Mike Sando (Tacoma News Tribune) named him to their personal All-Pro teams, and those made up more than half the votes he got for the AP All-Pro team, and it was enough for him to make Second-team.  

That year the Ravens had one of the best defenses in NFL history and won the Super Bowl simply crushing NFL-caliber offenses every week and allowing just 165 points, 970 yards rushing, a 2.7 yards per rush average, five rushing touchdowns, and took the ball away 49 times—all tops in the NFL that season. 

It was the middle season of a three-year run that was one of the top run-stopping teams of all-time—from 1999-01 the Ravens allowed just 75.3 rushing yards a game and 21 rushing touchdowns and a 3,1 yards per carry average—all NFL bests and also they allowed an NFL-fewest 707 points over that three-year span.

After the 2001 season Burnett, along with several Ravens was a cap casualty. He was making a lot of money and getting long in the tooth. The Ravens had to reload and could play 35-year-old defensive linemen a ton of cash. So, in the off-season, he signed with the Dolphins after seriously considered signing with the Patriots but the money was better in South Florida since they offered a two-year $2 million with some incentives and it was reported that the Patriots were offering a one-year deal around the veteran minimum which was around $750,000 at the time. 

Burnett spoke of his closeness to Belichick and what that relationship meant to Burnett's career but it was a matter of making the best business decision at that point. When the Dolphins played the Patriots in October that season Burnett told the media "I have nothing but love for Bill. If I hadn't have come here I'd be there right now."

Sidebar—

Anthony Pleasant, Burnett's partner in crime at defensive end in Cleveland did play for Belichick again. In New York in 1998-99 and with the Patriots in 2001-03 so had Burnett chosen the Patriots they would have been reunited with the coach who changed their style of play and making them more valuable than they might have otherwise. 

Sidebar over

With the Dolphins Burnett was a nickel rusher for the two seasons he was there. The Dolphins had Jason Taylor and Adewale Ogunleye at the ends and two very large tackles in their base four-man line—Tim Bowens and Larry Chester who were both listed at 325 and were great run stuffers, but could not rush the passer a lick. So, Burnett would play left tackle and Jay Williams would play right tackle in between Taylor and Ogunleye in likely passing situations. 

Burnett, in his prime, a 6-3 280-pound strongman would be a player today in a system that had some two-gapping or gap-and-half in it. No team plays pure two-gap all the time anymore, but there are still some elements of it that remain. Burnett's strength would always be an asset in a system that utilized those elements and he did have good quickness, he was more than just a power guy.

He wouldn't have the speed to excel on the edge in passing situations but as an inside rusher, he'd do very well in our view.  We think his role would be similar to that of a Justin Smith when he was a 49er or a Calais Campbell when he was a Jaguar—NOT as a body-type comparison but as a role comparable. Another comparable might be Trey Flowers excelled in Belichick's system in New England and who got paid big-time by the Lions in 2019, but, we might suggest that Burnett would be superior to Flowers in terms of strength and pass-rush skills.

After his career Burnett was a businessman, getting into car dealerships, nightclubs, and as well as other commercial real estate ventures, and is very successful in those fields. He also tried his hand as a Ravens radio commentator for WBAL-AM for the 2006-2009 seasons.

Burnett was a tough guy, a strong guy with enough quicks to be a good edge rusher but his ability to sink to three-technique and even nose-up on a center in Marvin Lewis' version of the 46/Bear made him special. Additionally, he was a great kick blocker—knocking down five field goals and three PATs in his career to make our list as one of the better players at that in league history so he had value in special teams as well. 

Rob Burnett—one tough dude.

Career stats—

Davante Adams Rates a 10 in Victory in Cincinnati

 By Eric Goska

Davante Adams hauls in his 10th reception, a 59-yarder,
against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
(screenshot from NFL Game Pass)

Davante Adams travels well.

It’s too bad some of his teammates can’t say the say same or Green Bay may not have needed an extra period to shake the pesky Bengals.

Adams, the Packers supremely talented wide receiver, ranks among the best ever at staging mega-catch efforts on the road. His trip to bountiful Sunday helped propel Green Bay past Cincinnati 25-22 in overtime at Paul Brown Stadium.

Adams snagged 11 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown in the nail-biter. All but one of his receptions came on scoring drives.

The lone exception was a 20-yarder that set up a potential game-winning 51-yard field goal that Mason Crosby sent wide left as regulation ended. It was one of three attempts that Crosby botched in the fourth quarter or overtime.

Rewind to 2014 and it’s doubtful anyone envisioned how indispensable Adams would become. Selected 53rd overall that year out of Fresno State, the wideout ranks third behind Donald Driver (743) and Sterling Sharpe (595) in Green Bay history with 588 catches for 7,147 yards and 64 touchdowns.

More than half of that haul has come on the road. Away from Lambeau Field, Adams has caught 329 passes for 3,984 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Driver (380 catches) is the only Packer to have caught more passes on the road.

Adams excels at catching passes in bunches. His effort against the Bengals was the 16th time he has come away with 10 or more receptions in a single game.

Ten of those performances have come on the road which places him among select company. The only other players to have matched or exceeded that feat in NFL history are Julio Jones (11), Jerry Rice (10) and Andre Johnson (10).

Adams’ first career 10-plus road effort came in Atlanta in 2016. There he led all receivers with 12 catches as Green Bay stumbled 33-32.

In the time since, the Packers have been nearly unbeatable when No. 17 comes up that big. Their only other loss was a 27-24 setback in Seattle in 2018 where Adams came away with 10 for 166.

The team has won its last seven road games when Adams latches on to 10 or more passes.

In Cincinnati, Adams stretched the field. He had five catches of 20 or more yards, a career high and the most by a Packers receiver since James Lofton had five on Nov. 27, 1983 in Atlanta.

In Cincinnati, Adams moved the chains. He secured nine first downs, one away from his personal best of 10 that he notched in a 35-20 win in Houston last season.

Adams got to 10 early in the fourth quarter on a deep throw in which he beat safety Jessie Bates III down the field.  Rodgers hit him in stride, and the 59-yard gain set up a 22-yard Crosby field goal that put Green Bay ahead 22-14.

Adams’ big road outing is his second in a row. He grabbed 12 passes for 132 yards and a score in Green Bay’s 30-28 win over the 49ers in Santa Clara on Sept. 26.

That’s back-to-back road games with 10 or more receptions. Only Adams (in 2020) and Don Hutson (in 1942) have accomplished that feat in Packers history.

Boosted by these massive hauls, Adams has 42 receptions through five games. It’s the fastest start ever by a Packer, or five more than Adams (37) had in 2018 when he established the previous best opening to a season.

Rating a 10
NFL players with the most regular-season road games in which they caught 10 or more passes.
 
    No.               Player                   Record        Years
      11                  Julio Jones                 5-6             2011-2021
      10                 Jerry Rice                    5-5             1985-2004
      10                 Andre Johnson          4-6             2003-2016
      10                 Davante Adams         8-2             2014-2021
       9                  Wes Welker                6-3             2004-2015
       9                  Calvin Johnson          2-7             2007-2015
       9                  Tony Gonzalez           2-7             1997-2013
       9                  Antonio Brown          5-4             2010-2021

Numbers obtained through a search utilizing Stathead at Pro Football Reference