Tag: Barry Sanders

Commanders vs Lions: A look back at their NFC playoff history

A look back at the previous playoff meetings between the Commanders and Lions.

The Commanders and Lions have met three times in the NFC Playoffs during the NFL’s Super Bowl era.

First, isn’t it odd that in 58 NFL seasons since 1966, Washington and Detroit have only met in the playoffs three times? The three meetings took place in the 1982, 1991, and 1999 seasons, and interestingly enough, Washington won all three.

  • 1982: The season being cut short by the players’ strike, the owners moved to allow eight teams in each conference, rather than the usual five, to qualify for the playoffs. Washington sailed through the nine-game season at 8-1, was the top seed, and thus matched against the eighth-seeded Lions (4-6) at RFK Stadium in Washington.  Jeris White returned an interception 77 yards, and Joe Theismann threw three touchdown passes to Alvin Garrett. Washington led 24-0 at the half, winning 31-7.

  • 1991: The Lions, led by Barry Sanders, had won the NFC Central Division at 12-4 and walloped the Cowboys 38-6 in Detroit in the playoff’s first round. However, they had to travel to Washington for the NFC Championship game because that Redskins team was the best in franchise history, going 14-2. The Lions kept things close early, trailing only 17-10 at the half. However, the Redskins outscored the Lions 24-0 in the second half for a 41-10 win and a trip to Super Bowl XXVI, where they defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24.

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  • 1999: The Redskins (10-6) won the NFC East facing the last team to qualify, the Lions (8-8) at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. On this day, former Washington quarterback Gus Frerotte was the Lions quarterback going up against Brad Johnson for Washington. The Redskins defense held the Lions to 45 rushing yards, led 27-0 at the half and coasted to a 27-13 win. However, they would lose the next weekend to the Bucs in Tampa, 14-13.

Though Washington has won all three previous playoff meetings, it has absolutely no bearing on this current group of coaches and players.

The Lions enter Saturday’s game well rested, having earned a bye last week, being the NFC’s top-seeded team. Detroit is the NFL’s highest-scoring team, averaging 33 points a game.

The sixth-seed Commanders are coming off a 23-20 win over the third-seeded Tampa Bay Bucs last weekend in Tampa.

WATCH: Saquon Barkley goes 68-yards untouched for TD vs. Commanders

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley goes 68-yards untouched for TD vs. Commanders

Saquon Barkley hit a slight hiccup in Week 15, as the Eagles star running back rushed for just 65 yards on 19 carries. Barkley, who entered Sunday still leading the NFL with 1,688 yards, just amassed his yardage from last week in one explosive run.

The Eagles star went 68 yards untouched to put Philadelphia up 21-7 over Washington with Jalen Hurts in the locker room with a likely concussion.

Barkley has shattered LeSean McCoy’s single-season rushing record (1,607) set in 2013 for Philadelphia, and he’s pacing toward A 2,000-yard rushing season ahead of a deep playoff run.

Eric Dickerson made NFL history with the Rams in 1984, and despite a handful of 2,000-yard rushing seasons in the four decades that have followed, that record still stands.

To break Dickerson’s record, Barkley must average 139 rushing yards per game. To reach 2,000 yards rushing, Barkley has to average 104 rushing yards.

Barkley has seven carries for 109 yards (15.6 avg) and two touchdowns.

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Lions have drafted more Heisman Trophy winners than any other team

The Detroit Lions have drafted more Heisman winners than any other team. Can you name all 10?

Congratulations to Colorado’s Travis Hunter, the winner of the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Hunter becomes the 89th winner of college football’s most prestigious award.

Hunter now progresses to the 2025 NFL Draft, where he is expected to be a top-5 overall pick. That will preclude Hunter from joining the long history of Heisman winners who were drafted by the Detroit Lions.

No team has drafted more Heisman Trophy winners over the years than the Lions. Detroit has selected 10 Heisman winners over the years, including two of the first three. It’s been 35 years since the last one, however; Detroit hasn’t drafted a Heisman winner since selecting Barry Sanders and Andre Ware back-to-back in 1989 and 1990.

All of the Heisman Trophy winners drafted by the Lions over the years, with the year of selection:

1937 – Larry Kelly
1938 – Clint Frank
1943 – Frankie Sinkwich
1947 – Glenn Davis
1950 – Leon Hart
1956 – Howard Cassady
1970 – Steve Owens
1980 – Billy Sims
1989 – Barry Sanders
1990 – Andre Ware

The history of Heisman Trophy winners in the NFL Draft

 

WATCH: Derrick Henry passes Barry Sanders for 10th all-time on rushing touchdowns list

Derrick Henry scored the 100th rushing TD of his career, moving into No. 10 all-time on rushing TD list surpassing Barry Sanders (99).

Derrick Henry is a future Hall of Famer and made more NFL history on Sunday afternoon.  The talented running back scored rushing touchdown No. 100 of his career, moving into sole possession of No. 10 on the all-time rushing touchdown leaderboard, surpassing Barry Sanders (99).

Henry becomes the fourth player in NFL history to tally at least ten rushing TDs in seven career seasons, joining LaDainian Tomlinson (nine), Adrian Peterson (eight), and Emmitt Smith (eight). Henry would also become the third player in NFL history to reach the mark in seven consecutive seasons, joining LaDainian Tomlinson (nine from 2001-09) and Adrian Peterson (seven from 2007-13).

Henry, who leads the league in rushing yards (969) and total TDs (12 – 10 rushing & 2 receiving), is just 31 yards shy of his sixth 1,000-yard rushing season. Henry has scored at least one touchdown in all eight games this season, setting a new franchise record for the most consecutive games with a touchdown (previous best was RB Willis McGahee, seven straight, in 2007).

Since last season, Henry has scored at least one touchdown in nine consecutive games, an active streak that ranks second in the NFL, only behind Rams RB Kyren Williams (10 straight).

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Broncos want less Barry Sanders, more Jerome Bettis from Audric Estime

“I didn’t see many times where [Jerome] Bettis was leaping over people,” Broncos coach said in reference to rookie Audric Estime.

Story update: The Broncos placed Audric Estime on injured reserve with an ankle injury on Wednesday. He will now miss at least four games. See our original post below.

Denver Broncos rookie running back Audric Estime made a splash with his first career carry on Sunday, rushing for 13 yards and hurdling a defender.

On the way down, safety Julian Love punched the ball out of Estime’s arm.

One day later, Broncos coach Sean Payton downplayed the fumble by giving more credit to the defender than criticism to Estime. Payton also didn’t say he would discourage Estime from attempting hurdles, but he did make it clear that he wants the running back to be more of a bruiser than a dancer.

“I don’t coach against that,” Payton said of the hurdle. “I don’t ever want to take away from their instincts. The one thing that was interesting on that play if you go back and look at it. It’s a great play by the Seattle defender in that — we had a takeaway for instance. [Alex] Singleton had an interception yesterday. That play I put on for our staff to look at. There are some takeaways where you’d say, ‘It’s an interception. There was pressure on Geno [Smith]. He stepped up, and Singleton made a play.’ And that’s a turnover, when there are other plays like Audric’s, where that’s more of a takeaway.

“The timing of the tackle and then the deliberate punch out. I’m putting that play on as much for [the] defense, and then obviously we’ll see it offensively relative to if I’m in the open field and taking that approach. With that being said, last week in Audric’s locker there was a picture of Barry Sanders to the left and then Jerome Bettis to the right. Barry Sanders had the Ghostbusters circle and red line through it. You have to know what kind of runner you’re going to be in this league. I didn’t see many times where Bettis was leaping over people.”

Point taken.

Payton doesn’t want to coach against Estime’s instincts, but the coaching staff envisions more of a Bettis-style role for the 227-pound running back. At the end of the day, if Estime holds onto the ball, the Broncos will take a 13-yard carry with or without a hurdle. We’ll see if Estime has better ball security (and fewer hurdles) going forward.

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On this day: Barry Sanders announced retirement 25 years ago

On this day: Barry Sanders announced his retirement 25 years ago

Yesterday marked 25 years after Barry Sanders announced his retirement from the NFL. It shocked the Detroit Lions fan base and certainly football fans everywhere as Sanders was only 31-years old when he retired. I still remember being 8-years old and crying about it as I read the front page of the sports section in the Detroit News that day.

At the time of his retirement, Sanders was one season removed from being the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and had ran for over 2,000 yards. Additionally, he was ranked second all-time in career rushing yards with 15,269 rushing yards and was sixth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 99 rushing touchdowns. During his career, he set the following NFL records:

  • Most seasons with 1,500 or more rushing yards with five seasons.
  • 14 consecutive games with 100 or more rushing yards
  • 14 games with 100 or more yards rushing in a season
  • 150+ yard rushing games with 25.
  • 46 games with 150+ scrimmage yards
  • First running back in history to have two 80+ yard rushing touchdowns in a game.

https://x.com/TDISportsClips/status/1817670952970600604

When he announced his retirement, Sanders had this to say:

“My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it. I have searched my hear through and through and feel comfortable with this decision. (I leave) on good terms with everyone in the organization. I am not involved in a salary dispute of any kind. If I had played this season, I would have earned a more than satisfactory salary.”

To this day, Sanders still remains in the top-3 of all-time for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing attempts. Regardless of where he ends up on the all-time rushing records, the fact remains that he was and is the greatest running back of all-time.

 

Barry Sanders reveals scary heart-related episode over Father’s Day weekend

Barry Sanders told people on social media of a ‘heart scare’

The great former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders took to social media to let people know he had a health episode last weekend.

Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, said he head a “health scare related to his heart” and thanked the medical professionals who assisted him.

Barry Sanders reveals a recent health scare with his heart

Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders reveals a recent health scare with his heart will keep him from being so publicly available for some time

Lions legend Barry Sanders has gone public with a recent health scare, one that is forcing the Pro Football Hall of Fame running back to change up his schedule.

Sanders, 55, revealed on his social media that he suffered a heart-related problem over Father’s Day weekend. Without going into detail regarding exactly what happened, a grateful Sanders thanked the medical professionals who came to his aid. Sanders also thanked fans for their thoughts and prayers.

Based on his note, don’t expect to see Sanders making any public appearances anytime soon.

“Per my doctor’s recommendation, I am taking this opportunity to prioritize my health and well-being. I appreciate your understanding and continued support,” Sanders concluded his statement.

Sanders does many public appearances and autograph signings, but that likely has been shelved for some time for perfectly understandable reasons. Here’s hoping Sanders continues to recover and gets back to being the Barry we all know and love.

Michigan State football extends grayshirt offer to Birmingham Groves star, Barry Sanders’ son

Michigan State football has extended a grayshirt offer to the son of Barry Sanders

Michigan State football extended a grayshirt offer on Tuesday to a very notable recruit out of Wylie E. Groves High School in Birmingham, Michigan. The Spartans offered Noah Sanders, the son of Barry Sanders, who is currently the star running back for Groves.

A grayshirt means that Noah wouldn’t start classes until the winter semester, allowing him to get four years of eligibility over five years.

Sanders is a 3-star running back and is ranked as the No. 58 player in the state of Michigan for 2025.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Christian McCaffrey ended the 11-year Madden cover drought for running backs and joined these 6 RBs

Christian McCaffrey joined a very exclusive club by getting picked for the Madden cover.

As is tradition, getting picked for the annual Madden cover is the best sign an NFL player has become mainstream. That should make San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey’s selection for Madden 25 not the least bit surprising.

What is surprising is that McCaffrey’s running back position hasn’t been featured on the famed video game cover in a long time. In fact, with McCaffrey’s selection, he is the first tailback to be the official Madden athlete since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders’ joint selection for Madden NFL 25 in 2014. That is likely a statement on how runners have been de-emphasized in the NFL over the last decade, making McCaffrey’s cover boy look all the more impressive.

In other words, running backs are making their comeback! (Maybe.)

With McCaffrey officially representing Madden now, here are the six other running backs to appear on the worldwide cover in the game’s illustrious, extended history.

1. Madden 2001 — Eddie George, Tennessee Titans

The first Madden on the PlayStation 2 featured George, a four-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro for the Tennessee Titans.

2. Madden 2003 — Marshall Faulk, St Louis. Rams

Near the end of “The Greatest Show on Turf” offense in St. Louis, the Rams finally had their rightful poster boy in do-it-all running back Marshall Faulk.

3. Madden 2007 — Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks

The 2005 MVP finally got his virtual flowers with a Madden cover later that summer.

4. Madden 12 — Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

At the height of his bruising phenomenon in Cleveland, Hillis won a fan vote to notch this early 2010s cover.

5. Madden NFL 25 — Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (Xbox One and PlayStation 4)

In celebration of Madden’s 25th anniversary, the decorated Peterson debuted on the then-next-gen cover.

6. Madden NFL 2000/25 — Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)

Sanders is the rare NFL star to have technically been featured on two Madden covers. He was in the background of Madden 2000 and then won a fan vote for the 25th-anniversary edition on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.