Upon the pedastals of honor in my own personal hallowed halls of the Lions Hall of Fame, there is a high place of honor for a quarterback that was fondly known by both his teammates and his fans as "Brass."
I remember reading in the back pages of the Detroit Free Press sports section one early Summer morning in 1991--in those days, that was pretty much the only time you got Lions news was in the tiny "transactions" blurb buried in the back of the paper-- that the Lions had signed a quarterback named Erik Kramer. Personally, I never thought about it again until training camp, afterall the Lions had just drafted Andre Ware and had gotten the depressingly injury prone Rodney Peete just two years before. Kramer was camp fodder in my mind.
But Erik Kramer turned out to be special.
He beat out the #1 draft bust, Andre Ware, for the backup job that summer and then...as was per usual, Peete got injured, Kramer had to step in.
1991 was an incredible year and Kramer's role in it cannot go unheralded...
Which brings me to Shaun Hill. Kramer was an unheralded, undrafted nobody QB out of an ACC school (North Carolina St.). Hill is an unheralded, undrafted nobody QB out of an ACC School (Maryland).
Hill managed to beat out Alex Smith, another highly touted draft bust in San Francisco building a 10-6 starting record while with the Niners.
In other words, he has found ways to win, despite otherworldly talents. He doesn't possess a massive "throw it through the moon" arm. He doesn't run like a gazelle. He isn't "strong like moose." He's just a quarterback...a football player...who has found ways to win despite his shortcomings.
Jahvid Best will not be so excited this week...
Word on the street, after days of film review, is that Best played like a rookie against the Bears last Sunday. The going theory is that he was too excited and too eager, not letting running plays develop like he could have. He left yards on the field, by not allowing an extra beat or two before plunging head first into the holes provided.
I don't know how much I buy that, but I'm not a professional football coach and I don't have game film to watch...so, if Schwartz says so...
This should not be the case come Sunday. This week the Lions will need Best to break a few and return to the promising young running back stud everybody thought he was in training camp.
We're due...
Calvin Johnson made that catch against Chicago and the Lions were robbed of a victory. I'm looking for a slue of "make up calls" this week. If there is any justice there will be more than a couple "questionable" calls that will amazingly be called for Detroit...perhaps a few holding calls that the refs will miss, an offensive pass interference that is blatantly ignored.
I think it is very possible the Lions win this week, because for every reason on Earth but a faulty, vague and despicable rule the Lions DID win last week.
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