1985: Reaves Leads Bandits to Win Against Gunslingers

The Tampa Bay Bandits and San Antonio Gunslingers both had 1-1 records as they met in a United States Football League game on March 10, 1985.

The Bandits, coached for the third year by Steve Spurrier, blew out Orlando in the first week but gave up 50 points in a loss to Houston in Week 2. They featured a potent offense directed by QB John Reaves, who had just turned 35, and the all-around skills of RB Gary Anderson, who was adept both as a runner from scrimmage and receiver out of the backfield. But the defense that recorded eight sacks against the Renegades fared poorly against the explosive Gamblers, not helped by the special teams giving up two kick return TDs.

San Antonio, a low-budget operation coached by Jim Bates, was defeated by the Memphis Showboats in their opening contest but narrowly prevailed over Arizona in the next contest in which QB Rick Neuheisel played well, as did the tough defense in successfully coming from behind.

There were 21,822 fans in attendance at Alamo Stadium. On John Reaves’ second pass of the game, CB Charles Armstead intercepted for San Antonio and returned it 28 yards to the Tampa Bay 34. The Gunslingers weren’t able to move on offense, with a pass deflected on first down, the next broken up, and the third falling incomplete. They settled for a 40-yard Nick Mike-Mayer field goal for the early 3-0 lead.

The Bandits came back to go ahead on a Reaves pass to WR Eric Truvillion that covered 32 yards and Zenon Andrusyshyn added the extra point. Still in the opening period, San Antonio responded with another Mike-Mayer field goal, this time from 30 yards that narrowed the margin to 7-6.

In the second quarter, Reaves, who was consistently hitting his receivers, went long to WR Steve Carter for a 54-yard TD. Andrusyshyn again converted to make the score 14-6. The Gunslingers put together a drive that concluded with RB Scott Stamper diving into the end zone from a yard out. They tried to pass for a two-point conversion but failed and the Bandits remained in front by 14-12.

Late in the perioed, Tampa Bay put together a long drive of 63 yards in 13 plays. With ten seconds remaining on the clock, Andrusyshyn booted a 22-yard field goal and the Bandits took a 17-12 lead over the tenacious Gunslingers into halftime.

San Antonio had managed to keep the game close in the first half, but the Bandits finally took control midway through the third quarter when CB Warren Hanna intercepted a Neuheisel sideline pass and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown. Andrusyshyn’s point after made the score 24-12.

Fred Mortensen relieved Neuheisel at quarterback, but with not much more success on offense. The visitors added to their lead early in the fourth quarter when Reaves again connected on a scoring pass to Truvillion, this time from three yards out, and Andrusyshyn’s extra point gave the Bandits a comfortable 31-12 advantage.

San Antonio finally got on the board again with 6:48 left in the contest as Mortensen ran 10 yards for a touchdown. Once again the home team tried for a two-point conversion, and again they failed, but it was of no consequence as the Bandits won by a final score of 31-18.

Tampa Bay had the edge in total yards (409 to 277) and first downs (21 to 14). The Bandits also had two sacks, to San Antonio’s one, but also turned the ball over four times, to three suffered by the Gunslingers.

John Reaves, who completed 12 straight passes at one point, was 25 of 31 for 298 yards and three touchdowns while giving up the one early interception. Eric Truvillion had 8 catches for 130 yards and two of the TDs. RB Gary Anderson rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries and also accumulated 5 pass receptions for 31 more yards.

For the Gunslingers, Rick Neuheisel was successful on just 8 of 22 throws for 101 yards and gave up two interceptions. Fred Mortensen had about the same level of success, completing 8 of 14 passes for 85 yards with one picked off. RB Don Roberts was the leading receiver by far with 7 receptions for 124 yards. Scott Stamper topped the rushers with a modest 24 yards on 9 attempts.  

The Bandits won four of their next five games on the way to a 10-8 record that placed fifth in the Eastern Conference and earned a spot in the playoffs. They lost a close contest to Oakland in the Quarterfinal round. San Antonio lost its next two contests and, mired in organizational problems, finished at 5-13 to rank sixth in the Western Conference.

John Reaves had a highly productive season, completing 56 percent of his passes for 4193 yards, which ranked second in the USFL, and 25 touchdowns, but he also gave up a league-leading 29 interceptions. Gary Anderson ended up leading the club both in rushing with 1207 yards but in pass receiving with 72 catches, for 678 yards, and scored a total of 20 touchdowns.

Highlighted Year: Richard Dent, 1984

Defensive End, Chicago Bears

Age: 24 (Dec. 13)

2^nd season in pro football & with Bears

College: Tennessee State

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 240

Prelude:

Dent accumulated 39 sacks in college and was chosen by the Bears in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL draft. He had an undistinguished rookie season, starting three games at right defensive end and recording three sacks.

1984 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 17.5 [3, 1^st in NFC]

Most sacks, game – 4.5 vs. LA Raiders 11/4

Multi-sack games – 5

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 4

Tackles – 39

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – 3

Most sacks, game – 3 at Washington, NFC Divisional playoff

Interceptions – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Pro Football Weekly

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Bears went 10-6 to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the NFL in sacks (a league-record 72), fewest yards allowed (3863), and fewest rushing yards allowed (1377). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (23-19). Lost NFC Championship to San Francisco 49ers (23-0).

Aftermath:

Dent followed his breakout year with a 1985 season in which he led the NFL with 17 sacks. The Bears, fueled by their outstanding defense, went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl, a game in which Dent was named MVP, capping a postseason in which he recorded six sacks. An explosive pass rusher with great speed, he compensated for lack of size against the run with great agility and quickness. Dent went on to play a total of 12 seasons with the Bears and remained a potent pass rusher, even as injuries began to hinder his performance. He received second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press in 1988 and ’90 and first-team All-NFC recognition in those seasons from UPI and Pro Football Weekly, with Pro Football Weekly naming him again in 1993. Dent was also chosen to a total of four Pro Bowls. He moved on to the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent in 1994 but was limited to two games due to a knee injury. He returned to the Bears in ’95 and then played a year apiece for the Colts and Eagles before retiring after the 1997 season. Overall, he finished with 137.5 sacks, which ranked third in NFL history at the time, as well as eight interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a TD. He added another 10.5 sacks in 12 postseason games. Dent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2005: Kurt Warner Signs with Cardinals

On March 6, 2005 QB Kurt Warner, an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year contract worth $4 million with the Arizona Cardinals. It was the latest stop in a rollercoaster career for the 33-year-old quarterback (he turned 34 prior to the season).

Warner went undrafted out of Northern Iowa in 1994, signed with the Green Bay Packers, was released, and played in the Arena Football League before getting another NFL shot with the St. Louis Rams, who assigned him first to NFL Europe. In 1999, after the team’s newly-acquired starter Trent Green was lost with a torn ACL in the preseason, Warner got his chance and had astonishing success, throwing for 4353 yards and 41 touchdowns as the Rams went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. With a quick release and excellent accuracy, from 1999 to 2001 Warner received MVP honors twice as he led the NFL in passer rating and TD passes two times and yardage once. St. Louis went to the postseason all three years, winning two NFC titles and the one NFL Championship. In his two Super Bowl appearances, he threw for 414 and 365 yards, the two highest totals in the history of the contest at the time.

However Warner, who was 6’2” and 220 pounds, lacked mobility and was vulnerable to taking hits by opposing defenses, which began to take a physical toll. A broken hand sidelined him for five games in 2000 and in ’02 his performance dropped off significantly as he suffered from multiple hand and finger injuries; in seven games, he threw just three scoring passes and gave up 11 interceptions, and the Rams got off to an 0-5 start. Following a dismal opening-week performance in 2003, Warner was relegated to the bench behind Marc Bulger. He moved on to the New York Giants in 2004 and had a lackluster performance before losing his starting job to rookie Eli Manning. He had come under criticism for holding the ball too long, thus taking too many sacks (39 in nine starts). That the offensive line was poor and the receivers unimpressive didn’t help.

Warner met with the Bears before deciding to sign with Arizona and made clear that he expected to start for his new team, and Head Coach Dennis Green indicated that he would have the opportunity.

“Even though this is a one-year deal, I really don’t want to go anywhere else and would like nothing more than to end my career by helping the Cardinals win a championship,” said Warner upon his signing.

The Cardinals had not experienced much success since moving to Phoenix from St. Louis in 1988, finishing with just one winning record in 17 years through 2004. In Coach Green’s first year, they went 6-10 with Josh McCown as the primary starting quarterback.

Warner had a rough game in his first regular season start for the Cards, ironically enough against the Giants at the Meadowlands. They lost by a 42-19 score and were 0-3 before beating the 49ers for their first win, but it was with McCown behind center due to Warner having suffered a groin injury. Warner regained the starting job and tossed three touchdown passes in his return to St. Louis to face the Rams. Durability continued to be an issue and his season came to an end in the next-to-last game, at Houston, when he suffered a knee injury after completing all ten of his passes for 105 yards. Overall, Warner appeared in ten games and completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 2713 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving up nine interceptions. Warner benefited from having the wide receiver tandem of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin as targets for his passes. Both gained over 1400 receiving yards and Fitzgerald went to the Pro Bowl for the first time. However, the team won only twice in Warner’s starts on the way to a 5-11 tally.

The Cardinals were satisfied enough to sign Warner to a three-year deal, worth $22 million, although they also chose QB Matt Leinart, the Heisman Trophy winner out of USC, in the first round of the 2006 draft with an eye to the future.

The Cards started out the 2006 season with a win over San Francisco as Warner tossed three scoring passes, but he and the team faltered thereafter. By October, Leinart was starting. The team went 1-8 before winning four of its last seven contests to end up with a 5-11 record. Coach Green was fired and replaced by Ken Whisenhunt, previously the offensive coordinator with the Steelers.

Heading into the 2007 season, it was anticipated that Warner’s role would be to provide backup to Leinart, but when the younger quarterback went down with a broken collarbone in the fifth game, Warner came on to pass for 3417 yards and 27 touchdowns as the team went 8-8. He managed to keep going despite suffering ligament damage in his non-throwing elbow and had a 484-yard passing performance in an overtime loss to the 49ers.

While Coach Whisenhunt initially indicated that Leinart, who had not been impressive prior to his injury, would return to the starting role for 2008, he chose Warner to start the season. The result was a 9-7 record that topped the NFC West, followed by an improbable playoff run that led to a NFC Championship and close loss to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. Along the way Warner set six franchise passing records as he completed 67.1 percent of his throws for 4583 yards and 30 touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time since he was with the Rams in 2001. In the postseason, he was at his best. Over the course of four games, he completed 92 of 135 passes (68.1 %) for 1147 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving up just three interceptions. That included a four-TD performance against the Eagles in the NFC Championship game and a Super Bowl showing of 31 completions out of 43 attempts for 377 yards and three TDs, with one interception, that nearly resulted in a win.

Warner received a contract extension and, successfully recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery during the offseason, was back starting in 2009 at age 38. The Cardinals again topped the division, and with an improved 10-6 tally. Warner had another strong season, still throwing primarily to Fitzgerald and Boldin, and completed 66.1 percent of his tosses for 3753 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. In the Wild Card playoff round, he was 29-of-33 for 379 yards and five touchdowns, with none intercepted, in a wild 51-45 overtime win over the Packers, but any opportunity to again reach the Super Bowl ended with a crushing 45-14 Divisional round loss to the Saints in which Warner was held to 205 passing yards and failed to throw for a touchdown. It was the last game of his career. He announced his retirement afterward and resisted efforts by the team to bring him back for the last year of his contract in 2010.

For his five seasons in Arizona, Warner completed 1371 of 2105 passes (65.1 %) for 15,043 yards and 100 TDs while giving up 59 interceptions. While the team was just 27-30 in his starts, the figure is deceiving since, following an uneven beginning with a subpar team, in his last two years the Cards won two division titles and a NFC Championship. In six postseason starts, Warner was successful on 71.1 percent of his throws for 1731 yards and 16 touchdowns against just four interceptions, for a rating of 117.4.   

Highlighted Year: John Kasay, 1996

Placekicker, Carolina Panthers

Age:  27 (Oct. 27)

6^th season in pro football, 2^nd with Panthers

College: Georgia

Height: 5’10” Weight: 198

Prelude:

The left-footed Kasay, son of a former Georgia player and long-time assistant coach of the same name, kicked 46 field goals out of 65 attempts (70.8 %) and added 79 PATs for a total of 217 points in college. He was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft and spent four seasons with them, hitting on 82 of 105 field goal attempts (78.1 %), including a high of 25 in his rookie year and making 20 of 24 in 1994, his final year with the club. He also booted 95 extra points and scored 341 points. Kasay signed as a free agent with the expansion Panthers in 1995 and was successful on 26 of 33 field goal attempts plus 27 of 28 extra point tries.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 37 [1]

Most field goals, game – 5 vs. Atlanta 9/1, at New Orleans 9/8

Field goal attempts – 45 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 vs. Atlanta 9/1, at New Orleans 9/8, vs. New Orleans 10/20, at San Francisco 12/8

Field goal percentage – 82.2 [14]

PATs – 34 [13, tied with Matt Stover & Pete Stoyanovich]

PAT attempts – 35 [12, tied with Al Del Greco & Matt Stover]

Longest field goal – 53 yards vs. Atlanta 9/1

Punting

Punts – 1

Yards – 30

Scoring

Field Goals – 37

PATs – 34

Points – 145 [1]

Postseason: 2 G

Field goals – 6

Most field goals, game – 4 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff

Field goal attempts – 6

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff

PATs – 3

Most PATs, game – 2 vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff

PAT attempts – 3

Longest field goal – 40 yards (twice) vs. Dallas, NFC Divisional playoff

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Panthers went 12-4 to finish first in the NFC West. Won NFC Divisional playoff over Dallas Cowboys (26-17). Lost NFC Championship to Green Bay Packers (30-13).   

Aftermath:

Kasay went on to spend 15 seasons with the Panthers, through 2010, and was the last remaining player from the club’s inaugural season. Although he missed all but two games due to a leg injury in 2002, he bounced back to connect on 32 of 38 field goal attempts (84.2 %) in the NFC Championship year of ’03 and remained consistent thereafter. Overall, with Carolina he kicked 351 field goals out of 424 attempts (82.8 %) and, adding 429 PATs (with a string of 157 straight that ended in 2008), scored 1482 points, all of which are franchise records. Kasay was signed by New Orleans just prior to the 2011 season due to an injury to Garrett Hartley and booted 28 field goals and 63 extra points on his way to a career-high 147 points in his last year at age 42. For his NFL career, Kasay accumulated 461 field goals, 598 PATs, and scored 1970 points, which ranked eighth in league history at the time of his retirement. His Pro Bowl selection in 1996 was the only one of his career. 

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1985: Showboats Come from Behind to Defeat Bulls

The Jacksonville Bulls and Memphis Showboats were both coming off of opening-week wins to start off the 1985 United States Football League season as they faced off on March 4.

The visiting Showboats were coached by Pepper Rodgers, who guided the club to a respectable 7-11 record in its first season. QB Walter Lewis (pictured above) augmented his passing with impressive mobility and had tossed three touchdown passes in the first-week win over San Antonio. RB Leonard Williams, who had seen scant action in his 1984 rookie year, rushed for 136 yards in that contest as well. The defense was anchored by second-year DE Reggie White.

Jacksonville, under Head Coach Lindy Infante, was coming off of a 6-12 first-year record but upset the defending-champion Baltimore Stars the previous week. However, injuries were a significant concern, especially at quarterback. Veteran Brian Sipe, obtained from New Jersey, went down with a shoulder separation against the Stars and while backup Robbie Mahfouz performed well in relief, he had suffered from a bout of the flu and missed practice during the intervening week. While ex-San Diego QB Ed Luther had just been signed, it would be Buck Belue making his first pro start. Belue had come out of the Univ. of Georgia and, after two years playing minor league baseball, spent ’84 on Jacksonville’s developmental squad.

There were 40,112 fans in attendance for the nationally-televised Monday night game at Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl. The teams traded punts to start the contest before Walter Lewis, who failed to complete a pass in the first quarter, fumbled in the process of running for first down yardage and the Bulls recovered at their 40. But after driving to the Memphis 22, Brian Franco missed a 39-yard field goal attempt.

As the game headed into the second quarter, and following another exchange of punts, the Bulls were able to pin the Showboats at their one yard line. The result was a Memphis punt that gave the home team good starting field position and the Bulls capitalized, advancing 46 yards in six plays. RB Mike Rozier broke several tackles as he spun up the middle on the way to an 11-yard touchdown. Franco added the extra point and Jacksonville had a 7-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged at the half. Alan Duncan missed a 48-yard field goal try for the Showboats on the next series after the Jacksonville score and DB Henry “Gizmo” Williams had a 47-yard punt return for the Showboats that they were unable to capitalize on.

Memphis had the ball first in the third quarter and drove 81 yards in five plays. Leonard Williams broke away for a 37-yard run and Walter Lewis capped the series with a pass to WR Greg Moser for a 22-yard touchdown on the next play. Duncan converted to tie the game at 7-7.

Another exchange of punts ensued, with an apparent return for a TD by Jacksonville WR Reggie Butts nullified by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, and while the Showboats gained ground following the reprieve, a holding penalty and sack on third down forced them to punt in return.

A 62-yard pass completion by the Bulls was called back due to another untimely penalty, this time for holding, and with the ball deep in their own territory, Belue fumbled and NT Paul Hanna recovered at the Jacksonville four. On the next play, Lewis ran around end for another Memphis TD. Duncan added the point after for a seven-point Memphis advantage.

It got worse for the Bulls on the ensuing kickoff when Butts fumbled and DB Doran Major of the Showboats fell on the loose ball at the Jacksonville 25. Five plays later, Lewis bulled to another touchdown, barely breaking the plane of the goal line. Duncan’s extra point put the visitors ahead by 21-7.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Bulls finally got on the board again when Belue tossed a two-yard scoring pass to WR Aubrey Matthews on a fourth down play. It capped a 10-play, 66-yard series highlighted by three key Belue scrambles. With Franco converting it was again a seven-point contest with 13:21 remaining in regulation.

On the next possession, Lewis, throwing on the run, completed a pass to TE Mark Raugh for a gain of 50 yards to the Jacksonville 13, and, while the Showboats were unable to reach the end zone, that set up a 24-yard Duncan field goal and a ten-point cushion.

Jacksonville had three more possessions, but the next two resulted in punts and the last ended when DB Leonard Coleman intercepted a Belue pass in the end zone with less than two minutes remaining to seal the 24-14 win for Memphis.

The Showboats had the edge in total yards (328 to 251) while each team generated 15 first downs. Jacksonville turned the ball over three times, with the two in the third quarter especially damaging, to one suffered by Memphis. The Bulls compiled four sacks, to three by the Showboats.

Walter Lewis, who completed just one pass in the first half, ended up hitting on 9 of 18 throws for 117 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. He also ran the ball 11 times for 76 yards and two TDs. Leonard Williams led the Showboats in rushing with 93 yards on 14 carries. Greg Moser had 5 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

For the Bulls, Buck Belue completed 16 of 31 passes for 118 yards and a TD while giving up one interception, and he ran for 47 yards on 6 carries. Mike Rozier led the rushers with 81 yards on 8 attempts that included a touchdown. Wide receivers Perry Kemp and Alton Alexis caught four passes apiece, for 42 and 39 yards, respectively.

Memphis won again the next week and went on to an 11-7 record that placed third in the Eastern Conference. The Showboats thrashed Denver in the Quarterfinal playoff round before falling to the Oakland Invaders in their Semifinal game. The Bulls struggled to a 9-9 tally, finally hitting stride with four straight midseason wins after having gotten off to a 2-5 start, placing sixth in the conference.

While Buck Belue performed capably in his first start, he eventually gave way to the veterans Brian Sipe and Ed Luther. For the season, he completed 37 of 68 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns as well as three interceptions.

Highlighted Year: Jairus Byrd, 2009

Safety, Buffalo Bills

Age: 23 (Oct. 7)

1^st season in pro football

College: Oregon

Height: 5’10” Weight: 200

Prelude:

Byrd, the son of former NFL cornerback Gill Byrd, was a first-team All-Pac 10 selection in 2008 and Defensive MVP of Oregon’s Holiday Bowl win over Oklahoma State. Overall, he intercepted 17 passes in college and opted to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the ’09 NFL draft. Byrd was chosen by the Bills in the second round and exceeded expectations, moving into the starting lineup at free safety. What he lacked in speed he made up for with good overall skills and keen instincts.

2009 Season Summary

Appeared in 14 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 9 [1, tied with Asante Samuel, Darren Sharper & Charles Woodson]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at NY Jets 10/18, at Carolina 10/25, vs. Houston 11/1

Int. return yards – 118 [11]

Most int. return yards, game – 67 (on 2 int.) at Carolina 10/25

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Tackles – 30

Assists – 12

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL:  Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Bills went 6-10 to finish fourth in the AFC East while leading the conference in interceptions (28).

Aftermath:

Having performed well as a rookie, Byrd had problems with consistency in 2010 and, together with the team playing poorly against the run, intercepted just one pass. His play improved in 2011 and he was credited with 75 tackles in addition to three interceptions, and in 2012 he topped the AFC with five interceptions and returned to the Pro Bowl for the first of two straight years. Byrd also received first-team All-NFL honors from Pro Football Focus in 2012 and second-team recognition from the Associated Press after both 2012 and ‘13. Having intercepted 22 passes with Buffalo, he moved on to the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2014 where he missed all but four games with a knee injury. Through 2015, Byrd has accumulated 23 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and six fumble recoveries along with over 300 tackles. He has received at least some first-team All-NFL recognition once, second-team honors after three other seasons, and been chosen to three Pro Bowls.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2009: Patriots Trade Matt Cassel to Chiefs

On February 28, 2009 the New England Patriots traded QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Cassel, an unknown backup prior to 2008, had distinguished himself when he filled in for star QB Tom Brady, who was lost for the year with a knee injury in the season-opening contest. The trade reflected the interest that Cassel had drawn as a result but also New England Head Coach Bill Belichick’s confidence that Brady, whose injury had been further complicated by an infection following surgery, would be fully recovered and ready to resume his starting role.

Prior to 2008, Cassel had not started a game since his senior year in high school in 1999, serving as a reserve during college at USC behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart before being chosen by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. He threw a total of just 39 passes in three seasons, for 253 yards and two touchdowns. With a strong arm, intelligence, and good leadership qualities (refined by quality coaching), Cassel steadily improved over the course of the 2008 season as he threw for 3693 yards and 21 touchdowns while giving up just 11 interceptions. The Patriots, a year removed from a 16-0 regular season that fell short of ultimate perfection in the Super Bowl, barely missed the playoffs with an 11-5 tally. They initially used the franchise tag on Cassel before dealing him. Upon being traded to Kansas City, who had a new general manager in Scott Pioli, formerly in charge of player personnel with the Patriots, and a new head coach, Todd Haley, Cassel was immediately named the starter over QB Tyler Thigpen.

“It’s very easy to root for guys like Matt Cassel, who everything the right way and flourish as a result,” said Belichick. “As much as we would have loved to continue working with Matt, we wish him nothing but the best as he takes this next step forward in his career.”

The Chiefs were coming off of two straight losing seasons under the previous head coach, Herman Edwards, including a miserable 2-14 record in 2008. The offense had been adjusted from one that was run-oriented to a spread that allowed Thigpen to operate exclusively out of the shotgun. While he showed talent, he also had limitations and the team won only one of the games he started.

Kansas City marginally improved to 4-12 with Cassel behind center in ’09. He took a pounding behind a mediocre line (he was sacked 42 times) and threw for 2924 yards with 16 TDs and 16 interceptions, resulting in a 69.9 passer rating. RB Jamaal Charles came on in the second half of the year to upgrade the ground game but it took the acquisition of WR Chris Chambers, who had been waived by the Chargers and appeared in the last nine games, to give Cassel a reliable target.

Things got much better for both Cassel and the Chiefs in 2010, albeit helped along by a weak schedule. Cassel showed better judgment and took fewer sacks while passing for 3116 yards and 27 touchdowns against just 7 interceptions, for a passer rating of 93.0. He was named to the Pro Bowl, as were Jamaal Charles, who rushed for 1467 yards and caught 45 passes for 468 more yards, and WR Dwayne Bowe, with 72 receptions for 1162 yards and 15 TDs. Kansas City topped the AFC West with a 10-6 record and lost decisively to the Ravens in the Wild Card playoff round.

The Chiefs started off the 2011 season by being blown out in their first two games by a combined score of 89-10 and, while they finished with three wins in the last five games, they ended up back under .500 with a 7-9 record. The team had problems with injuries and Coach Haley was gone before season’s end. Cassel was on injured reserve after suffering a broken hand in the ninth game and he ended up passing for 1713 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Charles had gone down with an ACL injury in the second week and, while Bowe was still a capable receiver, his touchdowns dropped from 15 to five with the underperforming, patchwork offense.

Cassel’s hand injury required surgery but he was back in 2012. However, he was inconsistent and turnover-prone, provoking negative fan reaction, and, following a head injury, was consigned to the bench in favor of Brady Quinn. Playing in a total of nine games, Cassel threw for 1796 yards and six touchdowns while giving up 12 interceptions. The team dropped to 2-14 and, with wholesale changes occurring afterward, Cassel was released in the offseason.

Overall, in four seasons with the Chiefs, Cassel completed 854 of 1489 passes (57.4 %) for 9549 yards and 59 TDs with 44 interceptions for an overall rating of 77.5. He was sacked 109 times and the club went 19-28 in his starts, with one winning season out of the four. An effective game manager at his best, Cassel also displayed both class and toughness with an organization that was experiencing turmoil while he was there (for instance, there was a different offensive coordinator in each of Cassel’s four seasons). He moved on to the Minnesota Vikings, where he returned to a primarily backup role.

As to the other players involved in the trade with New England, Mike Vrabel, who turned 34 prior to the 2009 season, was expected to improve the pass rush from the outside linebacker position. While he was on the downside of his career and had lost a step, he also was a savvy player with excellent instincts. He provided the leadership that was expected, although he also continued to show signs of decline and his career ended after two seasons. The second-round draft pick that the Patriots received from the Chiefs was used to take safety Patrick Chung out of Oregon, who spent four years with the club, went to Philadelphia for a year in 2013, and returned to New England in ’14.