It was supposed to be a matchup of the last two No. 1 picks — the NFL’s newest and most expensive young arms squaring off in Detroit.
Rams quarterback Sam Bradford will be in uniform when the Lions host the Rams at Ford Field at 1 p.m. Sunday. Unfortunately, the right shoulder of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford isn't cooperating and will keep the second-year player out of his fourth-straight game.
So it'll be the Bradford show. And what a show it could be.
Bradford, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, has the Rams tied atop the NFC West at 2-2 after engineering two straight victories against the Redskins and Seahawks the last two weeks. This is the same team that finished 1-15 last year.
“He's a big tall strong guy and is very balanced in the pocket,”
said Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo of Bradford. “He's got a very strong arm, we saw that when we evaluated him at Oklahoma. The one thing everyone to a man — scouts and coach — throughout the NFL said he was a very accurate quarterback and he is that.”
Bradford's completing 58 percent of his passes (92-158) and ranks 11th among league quarterbacks with 944 yards through the first four games (236 yards per game). He's thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions.
“I think I've improved each week,”
Bradford said. “I think I've gotten better just as far as my overall comfort level. I think at times I've been inconsistent and I made some good throws. But I've also missed some easy throws at times. I think I'm striving to be more consistent.”
To some Lions, though, Bradford is still just a rookie, and if they can get to him they might be able to rattle him.
“Obviously, him being a rookie, more or less he may get rattled a little quicker than a veteran, but you never know,”
said Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who played against Bradford in college when he was at Nebraska and Bradford was at Oklahoma.
Bradford has to be excited to face the 26th-ranked pass defense of the Lions this week. But also a little wary of a defensive front that's recorded 13 sacks.
“I think it's one of the better defenses we've seen,”
Bradford said of the Lions. “They are very good up front. I think they cause a lot of problems with what they do up front with some of the pressures they bring.”
Stars return
The NFL is finally at 100-percent capacity of stars with the return of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Jets receiver Santonio Holmes and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing off four-game suspensions.
Cushing, the 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year, was suspended for breaking the league’s substance abuse policy for performance enhancing drugs while Roethlisberger and Holmes earned their suspensions for violations to the personal conduct policy.
“I have no fingernails left,”
Roethlisberger told the Associated Press. “It was hard, it really was, to watch them at home. I was on the edge of my chair, trying to keep busy. It was tough, but it was fun watching them win.”
Cushing is sure to help the Texans firm up a defense that’s allowing 25.5 points per game. He could be the piece that finally gets the Texans their first playoff berth.
Holmes, who was the Super Bowl MVP two years ago, will team up with receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Dustin Keller to form one of the best receiving corps in the league for the Jets.
By the numbers
23 — Teams either in first place or within a game of the top spot in the division.
124 — Rushing yards needed by Vikings RB Adrian Peterson Monday against Jets to become the fifth player in NFL history to reach 5,000 rushing yards in his first 50 games.
87 — Teams since 1990 (36.3 percent), when the current 12-team playoff format was adopted, that have advanced to the postseason after starting the season 2-2 or worse.
He said it
Lions coach Jim Schwartz on the Vikings' acquisition of receiver Randy Moss: “It's a little bit of an arms race in the NFC North right now.”
Never say die
Since 1990, teams that started 1-3 or worse and made the playoffs:1990, New Orleans, 1-31990, Philadelphia, 1-31991, NY Jets, 1-3 1992, San Diego, 0-4 1993, Green Bay, 1-3 1993, Houston, 1-3 1995, Detroit, 1-3 1995, Philadelphia, 1-3 1996, Dallas, 1-3 1996, Jacksonville, 1-3 1997, NY Giants, 1-3 1998, Buffalo, 1-3 2000, New Orleans, 1-3 2001, New England, 1-3 (won Super Bowl)2002, Atlanta, 1-3 2002, Tennessee, 1-32002, NY Jets, 1-3 2002, Pittsburgh, 1-3 2004, Green Bay, 1-3 2005, Chicago, 1-3 2007, San Diego, 1-3 2008, Minnesota, 1-3
Impressive trio
Three quarterbacks — Kyle Orton, Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning — are averaging over 300 passing yards per game through four games, marking only the sixth time in league history that three QBs have passed for more than 1,200 yards in their first four games to open a season. Dallas’ Tony Romo, who had a bye in Week 4, has totaled 940 passing yards in three games.
Kyle Orton, Broncos — 4 games, 354.8 average, 1,419 totalPeyton Manning, Colts — 4 games, 341.3 average, 1,365 totalPhilip Rivers, Chargers — 4 games, 332.0 average, 1,328 totalTony Romo, Cowboys — 3 games, 313.3 average, 940 total
