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Last Updated: Sunday, 11-23-08 5:34 am PST

Henson looking at last chance to salvage career (AP) - (08/25)

If quarterback Drew Henson's long-shot bid with the Detroit Lions ends up as his last shot at professional sports, he's glad it's happening close to home. The former Michigan star who turned down a chance at the Heisman Trophy for failed careers in pro baseball and football signed with Detroit last week after third-stringer Drew Stanton sprained his thumb.

Lions' running game still needs work - (08/25)

DETROIT -- It takes time, this zone-blocking scheme the Lions are deploying as they try to build the brickwork for a running game that right now is more like wet plaster.

Lions Team Report (Yahoo! Sports) - (08/25)

Coach Rod Marinelli wanted to sign free agent Takeo Spikes to play strong-side linebacker. Spikes visited Detroit, the Lions put an offer on the table and Spikes signed with San Francisco. So now what? The Lions have been trying to upgrade linebacker for months. They tried to trade for Jonathan Vilma, but the Jets traded him to the Saints instead. They kicked the tires on free agents Al Wilson and Dan Morgan, but didn't sign them. They targeted Jerod Mayo in the draft, but New England nabbed him first and they settled for Jordon Dizon. Now the Lions have some decisions to make. Ernie Sims is established on the weak side. But who is going to play the middle? And will anyone move from the middle to the strong side? Defensive coordinator Joe Barry said the Lions have no...

Monday Notes: Kitna, Others Likely Won't Dress for Preseason Finale - (08/25)

• First, a couple of reminders: If you're in the official Pride of Detroit Fantasy Football League, don't forget that your draft is at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.  If you're in the overflow league, your draft is at the same time on Wednesday.
• Although it would be nice to see the Lions go undefeated this preseason, the coaches are more worried about keeping everyone healthy.  With only one game left in the preseason it would be devastating for any player to suffer an injury, and that especially can be said about the starters.  Jon Kitna isn't expected to even be in uniform as he already has had a couple mishaps that involved him being kicked.  How he managed to get kicked on two separate occasions is beyond me, but it shows that accidents can happen, so I don't want Kitna anywhere but the bench on Thursday.
• Assuming Kitna won't play at all against Buffalo, we should expect to see Dan Orlovsky for most of the first half.  The Lions need to be careful with him as well considering their depth at QB is already thin, so the hope is that Drew Henson will play quite a bit.  Just how long Orlovsky and Henson will play depends on how much of the offense Henson can learn in the coming days.  He only knows six plays right now, so he'll have to study up.  My hope is that Henson plays most of the game as Orlovsky really shouldn't be in there more than he has to.  An injury to him could really screw the Lions if Kitna were to go down during the first part of the regular season.
• Kitna won't be the only starter that doesn't dress for Thursday's game.  I wouldn't expect players like Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson to be in uniform at all, and then there are many other starters that will probably see little to no playing time.
• All of this talk of not playing the starters is because allowing injuries to potentially happen at this point in the preseason is simply irresponsible.  Injuries do happen, and to take that risk in the final preseason game is just dumb. 
• The Giants know firsthand how bad it feels to watch a star player get injured in the preseason as Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora is out for the season due to a torn lateral meniscus.  I bet Michael Strahan's phone is exploding right now with calls about him coming out of retirement.  Lord knows the Giants need him now more than ever.
• Detroit's first opponent of the regular season, the Atlanta Falcons, have named rookie Matt Ryan their starting quarterback.
• A select group of Lions fans got to watch part of the Browns game on the sideline.

Agenda vs. Bills is to stay healthy - (08/24)

DETROIT -- The Lions made it to Week 4 of the exhibition season with most of their projected 53-man roster reasonably intact. The trick Thursday at Buffalo will be to keep it that way.

Falcons pick Ryan as QB - (08/24)

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Rather than give quarterback Matt Ryan a few games to watch from the sideline, the Falcons decided Sunday to throw the rookie into the fire as their starter.

Lions Beat Browns - (08/24)

The Lions defeated the Browns 26-6 in the Great Lakes Classic to remain undefeated in the preseason.  However, Cleveland was without seven key players for the contest.  The Lions were missing three.  Regardless of who the teams were missing, the Lions took care of business, in dominating fashion. While the Lions will be more committed to running the ball [...]

Lions Add Insult to Injured Browns in 26-6 Victory - (08/23)

It should come as no surprise that the Lions defeated the Browns on Saturday as Cleveland was missing many of its top players.  What may be surprising to some is just how one-sided this Lions victory was as Detroit dominated Cleveland en route to a 26-6 win. To open the game, the Lions came out running a 2-minute drill.  Yes, the game had just started, but preseason games are used as a way to prepare for various scenarios that will come about in the regular season, so that is why Detroit elected to start the game in their 2-minute offense. Jon Kitna played very well out of the shotgun as he was able to hit many different targets to move the ball down the field.  The best target for picking up yards was Roy Williams.  Roy started the game with an 11-yard catch and then really propelled the drive forward by making an amazing catch that got the Lions 29 yards.  Kitna was forced to scramble away from a pass rush and threw the ball in Williams' direction.  Williams came back to the ball as it was underthrown and somehow managed to make the catch. The Lions' promising drive would stall eventually, but Dave Rayner nailed a 30-yard field goal to put Detroit on top 3-0 early on.  Cleveland probably would have killed for a drive that good as nothing came easy for the Browns during this game.  That was evident from the get-go as Brady Quinn really struggled, partly because of the Lions' great pass rush.  The Browns' opening drive went nowhere and they gave the ball back to the Lions.  Detroit again moved the ball pretty easily, but their drive again stalled.  Rayner came back in and kicked a 38-yard field goal, so at least the Lions got another 3 points on the board. Following back-to-back-to-back three and outs by both teams, the Lions' running game finally produced an exciting play.  Kevin Smith got the handoff and tried to run up the middle.  The key word there is "tried."  Smith had nowhere to go so he bounced off the pile and started to cut back to the left side.  There he was met by a Browns defender, but that defender was no match for Smith, who just ran right by him.  With lots of open field in front of him, Smith started running north-south and then quickly cut back to the left again.  He then started charging down the field straight ahead and picked up a key block from quarterback Dan Orlovsky.  Orlovsky opened up just enough room for Smith with the block and by getting in the way of Cleveland defenders to allow Smith to do a stutter step before diving into the end zone for a touchdown.  Smith showed his great speed, moves, and field vision on this play.  Again it was a play that could have gone nowhere, but Smith created his own room to work with and then got an assist from Orlovsky to get into the end zone.  All in all the play went for a gain of 35 yards and put Detroit ahead 13-0. The Browns were able to answer back from the Smith TD run by putting some points on the board.  It wasn't what they were hoping for as they only got a 39-yard Phil Dawson field goal, but it was better than nothing.  Then again, the Browns did manage to go from 1st and goal on the 8 to 4th and goal on the 21 thanks to a few mistakes, so maybe it wasn't better than nothing. Either way, Cleveland did get 3 points and actually got within a touchdown after Orlovsky threw an interception on the proceeding drive.  Orlovsky was under pressure and had to get rid of the ball, and unfortunately for him his attempted pass to Shaun McDonald was overthrown and got picked off.  The Browns moved into field goal range and Dawson again kicked the ball through the uprights (this time from 53 yards out) for 3 points.  That made the score 13-6. Before the first half came to a close, Dan Orlovsky was able to manufacture another scoring drive.  This scoring drive only produced another Dave Rayner field goal, but the Lions were very close to finding the end zone instead.  Orlovsky threw a pass down the sideline and John Standeford almost made a jaw-dropping catch.  Standeford was able to haul in the ball with only a single hand and would have put the Lions on the 1-yard line.  Unfortunately for Standeford and the Lions, he only got one foot down, meaning the amazing catch didn't count.  What did count, though, was Rayner's 47-yard field goal, putting the Lions on top 16-6 heading into halftime. In Brady Quinn's final drive of the game, he came out of the locker room and got the ball moving.  At first Cleveland had little trouble picking up yards as the Lions' defensive backups came into the game as a group for the first time.  Quinn was hitting his receivers and Jason Wright picked up 15 yards on a solid run.  As good as the Browns were playing, just as we had seen before, their offense came out of sync and their drive came to a screeching halt.  Cleveland was faced with a 4th and 2 and decided to go for it, and Quinn threw a pass over the head of his intended receiver, giving the ball back to the Lions. Detroit came out after the defensive stop with a combination of Brian Calhoun and John Standeford.  Calhoun finally had some success running the ball, and Standeford continued his outstanding play this preseason by catching 3 passes on this drive that totaled 41 yards.  The solid play of Calhoun and Standeford didn't get Detroit into the end zone, but once again, Dave Rayner nailed a field goal, this time from 26 yards out. After an abysmal Browns drive where Cleveland actually had 2nd and 31 at one point, the Lions put away the game when they got the ball back.  Calhoun again showed how great he sometimes can be as he broke a tackle and took off for a gain of 40 yards.  I don't want to be too negative as that was a great play, but Calhoun did get caught from behind by a Cleveland defender.  I figured he would easily take the ball to the house, but he put the Lions inside the Browns' 10-yard line instead, so it still was a great play. Two plays after Calhoun's big run Dan Orlovsky found Brandon Middleton in traffic for a 7-yard touchdown.  Middleton seemed to sneak by defenders and by the time they got to him he already was in the end zone.  The Middleton TD gave the Lions a 26-6 advantage, and that is what the game's final score would read.  Cleveland did put together a great drive toward the end of the game, but they just couldn't get into the end zone.  The Lions' defense rose to the occasion and stopped the Browns on 4th down, allowing Dan Orlovsky to hand the ball off to Artose Pinner and throw a short pass to Casey FitzSimmons to run out the clock. With the impressive victory the Lions improved their preseason record to 3-0.  It is only the preseason and that record will mean nothing come September, but it's still nice to see the Lions win because who knows how often it'll happen during the regular season.  Detroit has a chance to finish the preseason undefeated on Thursday when they head to Buffalo to battle the Bills.  That game will likely feature very few starters as the Lions don't want to risk an injury at this point.  It is more about giving the guys on the bubble a shot at earning a spot on the roster. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, and as I have already said, don't expect any live updates.  I will be moving to Ann Arbor that day, so I probably will be too busy getting everything in order.  Regardless, look for a recap of the game to be up by Friday morning as we start to prepare for the final round of cuts on Saturday.

Sunday Notes: Browns Game Observations - (08/23)

• Before getting to my observations from yesterday's game, I first want to mention that there is a good chance Drew Henson will be signed to the Lions' practice squad when the final round of cuts are made next Saturday.  Henson will not be on the 53-man roster, but the Lions are likely going to keep Henson around just in case an injury happens to Dan Orlovsky while Drew Stanton is out with his own injury.  After all, the Lions are planning on carrying only two healthy QBs for the first five weeks of the season, so it's a good idea to have another QB ready just in case he needs to be added to the active roster.
• The running game didn't look great, but it wasn't horrible, either.  The Lions seemed to struggle against Cleveland's 3-4 defense at times, but there were many positives to take out of this game.  The biggest positive was Kevin Smith's 35-yard touchdown run that included a block from Dan Orlovsky right before Smith scored.  Smith cut to the left side after having no room to the right and simply ran by defenders.  When he got inside the 5-yard line Orlovsky blocked one Browns defender and then got in the way of another, allowing Smith to fall into the endzone.
• It is clear at this point that Kevin Smith will be this team's starting running back.  He has looked better than any other Lions running back so far this preseason and is clearly the most talented RB on the roster.  Smith doesn't just run forward and go down.  Instead, he makes plays out of nothing.  We saw that quite a few times against Cleveland.  Smith would run outside after having no room to run in the middle and would gain yards when he should have been tackled for a loss.
• As far as the other running backs go, other than Smith I would say it is unclear who else will make the team at this point.  Tatum Bell still hasn't shown anything that sets himself apart from the other running backs, meaning his spot on the roster is very much in jeopardy.  Brian Calhoun had his best preseason game yesterday.  He broke a tackle and went down the field for a 40-yard run that put the Lions in position to score a touchdown.  The only bad thing about the play is that he was run down by a couple Browns defenders (I thought he was faster than that). Aveion Cason only got 1 carry, so there's not much I can say about him.  Artose Pinner didn't look as good as he has in the past, but it's not like he did anything that erases his performance the last two weeks.  I still believe Pinner deserves a spot on the roster, but I suppose we'll get a better idea if that'll happen after Thursday's preseason finale.
• Jon Kitna looked much younger than he actually is against Cleveland.  On three or so separate occasions Kitna scrambled away from a Cleveland pass rush that should have resulted in a few sacks.  Instead, it resulted in 0 as Kitna managed to escape the blitz every single time.  That is something all Lions fans have to love to see as Kitna not getting sacked is always a good thing.  I wish the offensive line was doing a better job of protecting him, but if he can continue to avoid pressure by using his feet then the Lions should be able to live with the poor blocking.
• Roy Williams had his best game of the preseason as he caught 3 passes for 61 yards.  His best catch came when Kitna avoided a sack and threw the ball downfield to Williams.  Roy had to come back for the ball and made an outstanding catch that resulted in a gain of 29 yards.
• Dave Rayner filled in for the injured Jason Hanson very well, making all 4 of his attempted field goals.  Rayner's accuracy looked better yesterday compared to last week and his leg continued to look powerful.  I hope Hanson is able to return soon, but if something does happen where the Lions need a replacement going into the regular season, Rayner would be more than qualified.  The only thing is that as soon as Rayner becomes a free agent he'll probably find another job quickly after being released as he has played well in Detroit.
• Perhaps the best thing to come out of the preseason is the play of the Lions' defensive line.  In all three games this preseason the Lions have done an amazing job of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  The pass rush has forced bad throws, which in turn is helping out the Lions secondary.  That was especially evident when Brady Quinn was in the game yesterday as he rarely had enough time to make the throws he wanted.
• I mentioned that the Lions secondary was getting help from the pass rush, but they have been playing much, much better in the preseason compared to 2007.  Leigh Bodden and Dwight Smith played well on Saturday, and although Brian Kelly didn't play, he looked great against Cincinnati.  Gerald Alexander, who is in his second season in the NFL, had a tremendous game against Cleveland as well.  He was all over the field making play after play.
• That last sentence also sums up Ernie Sims' play against the Browns.  Sims was in the game longer than I expected and made the most of his time on the field.  On one drive it seemed like he was in on every single play.  And on the other drives he was usually near the play all the time as well.
• Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers played well against his former team.  The fans actually booed him a couple of times after he made a play, which isn't a big surprise.  Rogers seemed to feed off of the crowd at times, though, especially after he put a big hit on Kevin Smith.
• Running back Aveion Cason and fullback/tight end Sean McHugh both suffered ankle injuries.  Defensive end Cliff Avril also hurt his back.  The severity of all three players' injuries is unknown at this time, but nothing sounds serious.
• As already mentioned, cornerback Brian Kelly didn't dress against Cleveland.  Rod Marinelli didn't elaborate on why he wasn't in uniform.  However, I got the impression that Kelly didn't play just so he could get a break.  After all, he has been in this league for quite some time.

With Stanton out, Henson in - (08/23)

There was one Drew down and another Drew in Friday as the Lions did some emergency revamping at quarterback. Drew Stanton's right hand likely will be in a cast for four weeks after he sprained the thumb on his throwing hand during Thursday's practice.

Ford Field boos rain down on new Brown Rogers - (08/23)

DETROIT -- He smashed up the interior of the line as if he were a rodeo bull. But then, Shaun Rogers always had that ability, and often, that kind of presence in a game during his seven seasons with the Lions.

Lions vs. Browns - Tape Delay Game Thread - (08/23)

If you didn't get a chance to watch the Lions live, meaning you were in the black out zone, you can talk about today's game in the comments section of this post.  If you don't want to know the score, avoid going to the game thread posted earlier today as that has live updates in the comments section.

Programming Note - (08/23)

It appears WWJTV won't be showing the Lions-Browns game until 8 p.m. ET (coverage begins at 7).  Although the game starts at 4 p.m., there is a delay on when it is being shown.  I don't know if that is because the game is blacked out or if WWJTV didn't want to interrupt CBS' golf coverage, but either way, the game won't be on until tonight. UPDATE: The game is being broadcast live on the NFL Network in some places, so if you don't want to wait until tonight you may be able to watch it right now.

Preseason Game #3 - Lions vs. Browns - Game Thread - (08/23)

Note: This game thread is for people that want live updates or are able to watch the game live.  If you don't want to know what is happening then wait to talk about the game until tonight.  I'll put up a separate game thread for those watching the game tape-delayed.

DETROIT LIONS (2-0)	GAME #3	CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-2)
	VS.

Date:	August 23, 2008	Location:	Detroit, MI
Time:	4:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Ford Field
TV:	WWJTV (CBS Detroit)	Favorite:	Lions by 3.0
Radio:	97.1 FM The Ticket	Over/Under:	40.5
Weather:	Domed Stadium	Injury Report:	Not Available
SBN Coverage:	Dawgs By Nature	My Prediction:	None (It's preseason)
Final Score:	Detroit Lions - 26 :: Cleveland Browns - 6

Saturday Notes: Four Players Ruled Out for Today's Game - (08/23)

• Drew Stanton, Jason Hanson, Dan Campbell, and Cory Redding will not play against the Browns this afternoon.  There's no point to risk bringing Hanson back too soon, so that move makes perfect sense.  Campbell hasn't even practiced yet I believe, so obviously he's not going to play.  And as far as Redding's status goes, he's still nursing a ribs injury.
• Expect Lions starters to play more than they have in the first two preseason games against Cleveland today.  20-25 plays is the estimate for "key players."
• Tom Kowalski analyzed the Lions' roster situation.  On Tuesday the roster will be trimmed down to 75 players, but that probably won't make predicting the 53-man roster any easier.  Tuesday's round of cuts will just get rid of players that we knew had no shot of making the team, so not much clarity will be provided.
• Jordon Dizon will not be a starter when the regular season begins.  He surprisingly hasn't been moved to strong side linebacker yet and apparently will stay in the middle as Paris Lenon's backup.
• Drew Stanton kept his teammates in the dark when he ran the naked bootleg that scored a TD against Cincinnati last Sunday.  Other than Artose Pinner, every other player on the field for the Lions thought it was actually going to be a handoff.  Stanton did that to really sell the play, and judging by how well he faked the handoff I'd say that decision was a good one.
• Speaking of Stanton, he reportedly will be on the active roster going into the regular season, meaning Drew Henson's Lions career will be a short one.  We won't get a look at Henson today barring an injury to Dan Orlovsky, and on Thursday he probably will just be in the game to hand the ball off.
• Lions tight end Michael Gaines is actually a good singer.
• Former Lions and current Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers basically said that today's game is no different than any other even though he has a chance to play against the team that really gave up on him.
• J.T. O'Sullivan, who was Jon Kitna's backup last season, is going to be the 49ers' starting quarterback this season.  I guess following Mike Martz to San Francisco was a smart move.

O'Sullivan earns start - (08/22)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- J.T. O'Sullivan will start at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when the NFL regular season begins next month.

Lions 2-minute drill - (08/22)

1. Sorting out the stack at running back

Rookie Smith has high hopes for himself and the Lions - (08/22)

For a rookie, running back Kevin Smith has some pretty big goals. Smith, the Lions' third-round draft pick from Central Florida, wants to take them where they've never been. Smith led the nation in rushing in 2007 at Central Florida. At 21, the Miami native is the youngest player the Lions have on their roster but said he isn't fazed by it.

Bob Wojnowski: Wojo: Kitna's Lions actually have shot at up-for-grabs NFC North - (08/22)

DETROIT -- No, the preseason doesn't mean much. No, the Lions' rare 3-0 record doesn't magically vault them to playoff-contention status.

There's a lot to like as Lions improve to 3-0 in exhibitions - (08/22)

DETROIT -- In two weeks, it turns dangerous, just as hurricane season intensifies when August slips into September. The Lions will have marched to Atlanta for their 2008 season opener and suddenly that crazy month known as the NFL exhibition season will appear as irrelevant as yesterday's news.

Lions sign journeyman QB Henson (PA SportsTicker) - (08/22)

The Detroit Lions signed journeyman quarterback Drew Henson on Friday.

Lions Sign Quarterback Drew Henson - (08/22)

Former Michigan quarterback Drew Henson has been signed by the Lions to replace Drew Stanton as the team's third quarterback.  Henson will only be on the team until the 30th unless Stanton gets moved to the PUP list.  If that happens, there would still be a roster spot available for Henson, assuming that the Lions want three QBs on the active roster. Henson was an outstanding baseball and football player at Brighton High School before attending the University of Michigan.  He was actually Tom Brady's backup at Michigan in 1998 and 1999 before becoming the starter in 2000.  Had he returned for his senior season at Michigan there is a very good chance he would have been a Heisman Trophy candidate, but instead he opted to sign a baseball contract with the Yankees. That decision proved to be a bad one as he just absolutely stunk, leading him to actually give up baseball in 2004.  With his baseball career finished, Henson played for the Cowboys for a couple seasons before heading to NFL Europe for a year.  He then returned to the NFL, was released by the Cowboys, and went on to have a couple stints with the Vikings, who let him go nearly a year ago. To make room for Henson on the Lions roster, wide receiver Eric Fowler was released.  This is the second time this summer that Fowler has only been on the team for a few days as he was signed and then quickly released back in July.

Drew Stanton Out for a Month or More - (08/22)

Lions quarterback Drew Stanton will be out until the end of September with a sprained ligament in his right thumb.  Stanton hurt his thumb when he jammed it into a teammate's shoulder pad, and initially it wasn't expected to be a very serious injury.  Unfortunately for Stanton and the Lions, that's not the case as Stanton will be gone for at least a month.

"There's no fracture and no surgery is indicated,'' said Lions athletic trainer Dean Kleinschmidt. "The treatment is to immobilize it so he's in a cast for four weeks. He'll be re-evaluated in two weeks, take the cast off and re-evaluate him and in all likelihood put (the cast) back on. In four weeks it comes off, a couple days of strengthening and he should be throwing quickly after the cast comes off.'' According to that timetable, Stanton should be back in uniform by Detroit's fourth game on Oct. 5 against the Chicago Bears.

This isn't a blow to the Lions in the sense that they lost a starter or anything like that, but it hurts because Stanton's development now comes to a screeching halt.  Stanton had improved greatly since camp opened back in July, and in both preseason games he looked good.  The month of development he loses will hurt the Lions (and Stanton) in the long run this season, but if something happens to Jon Kitna then it'll hurt even more in the short term.  I'm not exactly all that confident in having Dan Orlovsky back up Kitna, and beyond that, there is no depth at QB. It'll be interesting to see how the Lions handle the quarterback situation going into the regular season.  Will they sign a third QB and put Stanton on the PUP list?  If that's the case he would be out for the first 6 weeks of the season.  Considering his projected return isn't until October 5, what's one more week?  That way the Lions could keep three healthy quarterbacks on the roster just in case Kitna gets hurt and things with Orlovsky don't work out.

Friday Notes: No Word of a Blackout Yet - (08/21)

• The Lions headed indoors on Thursday and practiced in helmets and shorts.
• So far I haven't heard anything about Saturday's preseason game against the Browns being blacked out, but we'll have to wait and see if anything comes out today.  If it was going to be blacked out I imagine we would know by now, so hopefully that means we'll get to watch the Lions live at 4:00 p.m. ET.
• Speaking of that game, I will be doing live updates once again in the comments section of the game thread.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to do live updates for the final game of the preseason on Thursday as I'll be busy moving to Ann Arbor that day, so check back next week for an update on the status of that game thread.
• Kevin Smith is positioning himself to start at running back.
• Daniel Bullocks and Shaun McDonald are expected to play tomorrow against Cleveland, whereas Dan Campbell will not.  Jason Hanson is a game-time decision.
• Game On believes Calvin Johnson will be a player to watch this season.
• Artose Pinner is making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster.
• Lions offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo helped the Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. High School band go to China to play at the Olympics.
• Tickets are still available for the Lions' kickoff luncheon on August 27.
• I was a guest on Dynasty Rogues Radio earlier this week to talk about the Lions.  You can listen to the interview here.

Matt Millen on Gene Upshaw - (08/21)

Via a Lions' press release:

"When you think about it, I can't think of anybody who's ever had as big of an impact both on and off the field in the National Football League as Gene Upshaw did. "He's had a big impact on the game and he's had a big impact on a lot of players - they (young players) don't even know. There are a lot of guys who have no idea all of the stuff, all the sacrifices, all the foundational work, all this stuff has been done that he's been behind. "We called him 'The Governor' when he was a player. That's what he was. He was one of those guys who conducted himself that way and saw himself that way and everybody else saw him that way. It was no surprise that he did what he did. He was a gifted guy, at the right time and right place and above all else, Gene Upshaw loved our game. It didn't matter about winning; it mattered about getting the thing right. "To me, that piece can't be replaced. The passion that the guy had for the game that he played for a long time, that's irreplaceable. That's going to be missed. "Just look at the body of work that he had from when he played and he's in the Hall of Fame. You look at the body of work since he's played and its Hall of Fame material too. You're going to get a fight from me for anybody who wants to dog the guy because I think the guy did a fantastic job."

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