The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/50790
MICHIGAN IN THE PROS with the victory, I think everybody in the locker room was pretty pleased." Brady has completed 351 of 530 passes (66.2 percent) for 4,593 yards and 35 touchdowns with 11 inter- ceptions for a passer rating of 106.7 through 14 games. He ranked second in the league in passing yards, and third in touchdowns and rating, and became the second quarterback in NFL history (Brett Favre) to throw for 35 touchdowns or more in con- secutive seasons. And, as usual, he was more con- cerned about the team goals. "We're 11-3," he said. "We're in a good place. We've got to take care of business against Miami this week. As soon as the game's finished, it's on to the next one. That's the way we approached it all year, and that's the way it's got to be." STREAK COMES TO AN END While one former Michigan offen- JAKE LONG'S IRON MAN sive lineman extended his iron man streak, another saw his come to an end Dec. 18. In Oakland, Jeff Backus made his 175th consecutive start for the Detroit Lions in their come-from-behind, 28- 27 victory over Oakland. Across the country, Miami third-year standout Jake Long's 62-game starting streak ended before the Dolphins' win at Buffalo. Long has played through shoulder and knee injuries, but he decided on the plane ride to Buffalo he wouldn't be able to go against the Bills. He had reportedly missed only 35 snaps out of a possible 4,111 in his Miami tenure before leaving a Dec. 11 game with Philadelphia after seven plays. That gave him a 99.2-percent partici- pation rate in his career. "Jake's a warrior," interim head coach Todd Bowles told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel before the Dol- phins' 30-23 win. "He wants to play, and if he can play and is healthy, he will." The three-time Pro Bowl selection decided he couldn't. "He wasn't feeling that great on the plane ride," Bowles said. "We just had to wait and see if anything would kick in and he'd start feeling better. We have great communica- tion and great faith in Jake in what he says. We just felt like this wasn't a game he needed to be in with the weather and everything, and [didn't want to] hurt him any more. So that factored into the decision also." Game-time conditions included 30-degree temperatures and snow. Long remained questionable heading into a Dec. 24 game at New England, as well. NFL Notes • More on Brady from the Boston Her- ald's Gerry Callahan following New England's victory over Denver: "Tom Brady probably won't win the MVP this year, but he is reminding us, again, that anything is possible with an elite quar- terback. The Patriots are 11-3 with a defense that allows 414 yards per game. They are two wins away from a first- round bye, and, possibly, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are, right now, the favorite to rep- resent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and last we checked, Matthew Slater still was starting at safety. "Just as a reminder of how remark- able that is: Until Brady came along, the Patriots never had won 12 games in the regular season. If they beat Miami at home Saturday, it will be the sixth time Brady has done it. And it will be the first time he has done it with a 32nd-ranked defense." NFL PLAYER UPDATES Through Dec. 19 • Adrian Arrington (Played at U-M from 2005-07), WR, New Orleans Saints: Has played in three games and caught one pass for 14 yards. • Jason Avant (2002-05), WR, Phil- adelphia Eagles: Has hauled in 46 passes for 602 yards and a touchdown in 14 games with seven starts. • David Baas (2001-04), OL, New York Giants: Has started at center in all nine games in which he's appeared, missing five with injuries. • Jeff Backus (1997-2000), OT, De- troit Lions: Has started at left tackle in all 14 games this year and has started 175 in a row overall. • Tom Brady (1997-99), QB, New England Patriots: Has started 14 games and connected on 351 of 530 passes for 4,593 yards with 35 touch- downs and 11 interceptions … Has a passer rating of 106.7, third in the NFL, and also ranks second in passing yard- age and third in touchdowns. • Alan Branch (2004-06), DT, Seattle Seahawks: Has registered 16 solo tack- les, 12 assists, three tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup in 13 starts, missing one game with an ankle injury. • Steve Breaston (2003-06), WR, Kansas City Chiefs: Has started 12 of HEADLINERS Former Michigan athletes in the news this month Mike Brown Former Wolverine Mike Brown, now a wing with the Toronto Ma- ple Leafs, was already on the injured list with a groin injury when he underwent back surgery Dec. 7. Brown is projected to miss up to six weeks while he recovers. Jake Fox The Pittsburgh Pirates signed the utility man and former Wol- verine to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, the Associated Press reported Nov. 23. Fox appeared in 27 games with Baltimore last season, batting .246 with a pair of homers and six runs batted in. He spent most of the campaign at Triple-A Norfolk. Jamal Crawford The NBA season slated to get underway on Dec. 25, the former Wolverine will start the slate with Portland. The former Sixth Man of the Year with Atlanta (2010) has averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in his career. "We've thought highly of Jamal for a long time and think he's a great fit for our team," Chad Buchanan, Portland's acting general manager, told the Associated Press. "He brings a scorer's touch and veteran lead- ership that will help us immediately." JANUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 63