AntiSuperstar

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TigerLionWings @ Aug 15th ) [snapback]2074431[/snapback]</div> Now that would be a stupid thing to say.

imported_Spiderman34

I thought this was interesting... I'm so glad Mariucci is gone.

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Williams thinks Harrington would have thrived under Martz


ALLEN PARK -- They are no longer teammates but Lions wide receiver Roy Williams remains loyal to former Lions quarterback Joey Harrington. He believes that Harrington would be a star in Detroit if he'd stayed and learned under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

Williams didn't like the criticism Harrington received here. He was especially chafed when fans booed a United Way commercial featuring Harrington on the scoreboard when Harrington played for Miami against the Lions on Thanksgiving. And now that Harrington is unloading to the media about his experiences in Detroit he has at least one supporter in Lions camp in Williams.

"I wish Joey could have stayed here and been in this offense and be able to refine his tools under coach Martz," Williams said.

Harrington spoke the truth last week when he told USA Today he did not feel comfortable in the West Coast offense under former Lions coach Steve Mariucci. The Lions tried to shove an offense most of the league has figured out down the throats of players who did not fit it.

Harrington wants to challenge defenses, not dump and dink. Williams is the same way, which is why he enjoys playing under Martz. Jon Kitna is the quarterback now and Williams supports him being here. But he is correct. This is a system tailor-made for a guy like Harrington.

Bad fit

Harrington was the third pick in the 2002 draft and felt overwhelmed from the beginning. He never looked comfortable because he was running an offense he did not believe in. Fans grew uncomfortable with his style and "Joey Sunshine" attitude. They were upset with a boring and predictable offense as Mariucci tried to grind yards out through short passes and an unimaginative running game.

It also did not help that some of Harrington's teammates and Mariucci did not support him. They viewed him as a major problem and that is why many kept supporting Rich Garcia even when he played poorly.

That made it easier for fans to lash out at Harrington. Harrington said it got so bad that he received death threats and he stopped his family from coming to games.

"I got to the point where I was scared to throw the ball down the field," Harrington said. "This is probably going to come off sounding poorly but it was like, '(Forget) you guys.' I know what I need to do to be a good quarterback. In order for me to play well, I need to be a bit selfish. I need to tell myself, 'You know what? I'm going to throw that post route.' And if it gets picked off (forget) it. I'm going to throw the post route again, because I know it's open."

Roy Williams wishes Harrington had done that here. But he did not have the green light. Coaches kept telling Harrington to check down when deep options were not open. He did as he was told and we saw a lot of 6-yard gains on third and 7, which infuriated Lions fans.

"To me we were not short route guys," Williams said. "We didn't want to run the short route stuff. We wanted to run deep and I think that is what Joey wanted to do and I think that is what he was talking about being handcuffed."

Blame the system

I never thought Harrington was the savior here, yet I never viewed him as the main problem. Fans could never get beyond their hatred of Harrington to see a flawed system being run in Detroit.

We all know that ever since president Matt Millen stepped in the Lions have gone 24-72. But did you know that they are 18-37 with Harrington starting -- which is not great -- but just 6-35 without him?

So how is he the main problem?

The Lions were a bit misled by Mariucci and what he'd bring to the table. They believed the West Coast offense would result in high-scoring games and fun at Ford Field. But Mariucci's main focus is to hang onto the football and win the game of field position.

They should have known that before hiring him. I spoke with former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice the summer Mariucci took over and he predicted that Lions players would be "bored" with the Mariucci offense.

The spark under Mariucci never happened here. Williams rolled with the offense and tried to support it because that is what he is paid to do. But deep down he wanted something more challenging. He called the West Coast offense "simple."

"I really didn't know any other offense," he said. "The West Coast was all I knew. We ran a little bit of it at Texas but we still called the down-the-field routes at times. When I got here that is all I knew. I had heard of the Mike Martz offense, the greatest show on turf. But I did not know the ins and outs of it. But what I know about the Mike Martz offense, I will take this offense over any offense."

Williams loves playing with Kitna. But he believes Harrington would enjoy similar success here.

"I hope for the best for him in Atlanta," Williams said. "I know what kind of quarterback he can be with the right coaching. He can be one of the best in the league in my opinion."

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Big Africa @ Jul 27th ) [snapback]2058132[/snapback]</div>

URL54MVP

Rich Garcia? I was following the article until that point.

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MN 49ers Fan

Maybe this could help bring back Harrington's career. He knew coming into Atlanta that he was going to be a backup, but now the Falcons are his team. I think he is going to shine this year and put up pro bowl type numbers. That is my bold prediction of the season.

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GOLIONS1180

im rooting for joey

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Football National Championships since 1950
Michigan State 3
Michigan 1

Judge Smails 5-4-07

FootballFanatic

That just makes me love Roy Williams more. That is not a statement to make in Detroit to make you popular, but it takes guts. I am just glad I have another season with Joey at the helm. That makes my football world alright.

MN 49ers Fan

Harrington is looking awesome right now against the Bengals. He has showed some poise in the pocket and is making smart decisions. I realize it's the Bengals defense he's picking apart, but I am still sticking with Harrington as comeback player of the year as well as a possible pro bowl.

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imported_Spiderman34

That would be awesome.

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Big Africa @ Jul 27th ) [snapback]2058132[/snapback]</div>

imported_Billy Idol

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MN 49ers Fan @ Aug 27th ) [snapback]2087897[/snapback]</div>Let's not get carried away here.. the Cincy D was equally torched by Chris Redman who hasn't played in 3 years and gave up probably 1000 yards to the Lions and Saints combined. JT O'Sullivan and Jaime Martin were calling Ticketmaster for Pro Bowl reservations too. We just haven't stopped anyone yet- and it isn't the injuries. This is a 30th+ place defense again this season. Hopefully by midseason the D Coordinator and his soft zone will be sent packing, forcing Marv to call the plays.

TigerLionWings

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Billy Idol @ Aug 27th ) [snapback]2088023[/snapback]</div>True!

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