DAUNTE’S INFERNO

The buzz in Detroit regarding the arrival of Matthew Stafford has left Daunte Culpepper trying to prove himself, yet again. In 2003 Daunte signed a ten year 100 million dollar contract with the Vikings. Two years later, he tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee and was traded. Since the injury, Daunte’s career has been nothing but missed opportunities. He has played in sixteen games for three different teams since leaving Minnesota. Detroit, who called him out of retirement in November, gave Daunte only three days practice before starting him. With a year under his belt and a knee finally healthy, will Daunte show a glimpse of the greatness that he had in Minnesota? If Detroit decides not to rush Stafford into the line up, this might be a possibility. To get a better perspective on this, let’s see how the Lions of 2009 and the Vikings of 2004 match up in terms of talent.

Let’s start with Detroit’s offensive line. Detroit got criticized for not taking a lineman in the draft until the seventh round, drafting Lydon Murtha from Nebraska. He is not going to be the answer for this year but he could possibly develop into a decent player. He did score well at the combine. Detroit decided to go the free agency route, getting a few veterans with a year or two left in the tank. Jon Jansen would be the biggest name out of the bunch. This years line is going to have a competitive group of guys, with every position up for grabs. Coach Schwartz bought in George Yarno to be in charge. His approach is to bring it back to the basics by focusing on technique, footwork and hand position. This just may be what the lions need to prevent another fifty two-sack season. The offensive line is definitely going to be a point of interest this year to see if they can step up to help protect the quarterback (who ever it may be) allowing him to make plays. The Lions line of 2008, were not that far off from the Vikings in 2004. Daunte Culpepper got sacked forty-six times in Minnesota in 2004. This years line will be improved and the sack totals will show that. Detroit still has to prove their worth, so I am not yet convinced. I do like what Detroit has done in the off-season so far though. Advantage- Minnesota.

Now, let’s move on to the running back position. The Viking in 2004 had Onterrio Smith at running back. Wait, who? Well anyway, Smith rushed for 544 yards on 124 carries with only two touchdowns. Culpepper was the second leading rusher that year for Minnesota (406 yards on 88 carries). Minnesota’s struggle in the running game was probably why they gave up so many sacks. Because of this more pressure was put on Culpepper to perform, which he had his best year. For the Lion’s, Kevin Smith rushed for 976 yards on 238 carries and eight touchdowns. Kevin Smith was a rookie last year and is expected to increase his numbers. Having a back that will help the offense be two-dimensional will allow the passing game to develop. This will be a boast for Culpepper to get back into form. Advantage- Detroit.

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Which takes us to the tight end position: In 2004 the Vikings had Jermaine Wiggins at tight end. Wiggins was Culpepper’s favorite target catching 71 balls that year for 705 yards and four touchdowns. Detroit’s decision not to draft an offensive lineman, taking Brandon Pettigrew at the twenty spot might help Culpepper’s comeback. Pettigrew, in his senior year at Oklahoma State, caught forty-two balls for 472 yards and four touchdowns. Pettigrew was the top ranked tight end in the draft. His blocking ability along with his soft hands should give Detroit, a considerable upgrade. Advantage-Detroit.

The wide receivers are probably the biggest decision in getting Culpepper back to pro bowl form. In 2004 the Vikings had Randy Moss who we all know will go down as one of the greatest to play the position. Matching up with him is Calvin Johnson, who had a break out year in 2008 catching the ball 78 times for 1331 yards and twelve touchdowns. Johnson was an alternate for last year’s pro bowl. He should have been playing in Hawaii but due to the Lions winless season he was given the shaft. This is the closest Daunte is going to get to playing with Randy Moss again. Nate Burleson had 68 receptions for 1003 and nine touchdowns that year. He had more catches and yards then Moss. Moss did how ever put up thirteen touchdowns and drew a lot of double coverage. Detroit’s match up for Nate Burleson would have to be Bryant Johnson who was picked up in free agency this year. Johnson had forty-five receptions for 546 and three touchdowns for the 49ers, which also had their share of Quarterback troubles. Johnson has not really had a chance to show his talent, being drafted by the Cardinals in the first round. He had to play behind two great receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. This may help Calvin with the double coverage he is going to draw and hopefully Bryant will have an opportunity to showcase himself as a legitimate starter. Finally, there is Marcus Robertson for the Vikings and Ronald Curry for the Lions. Robertson caught forty-seven passes for 657 yards and eight touchdowns. Curry was picked up this year from the Raider’s. He probably will not be more than a third option for the Lions. Curry had nineteen receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Oakland’s offense did not do much last year and Jamarcus Russell is still developing as an NFL quarterback. This might give Curry an opportunity to establish his career, finally. I think the Viking’s receivers of 2004 have a small advantage, just based on the numbers. One thing to remember is Culpepper was the reason the Vikings receivers had success. This is a close group of guys to compare but Culpepper just might have the weapons in Detroit to make it happen. Advantage- Even.

With the voting done I would have to say that Detroit with Culpepper at the helm, could go 8-8 this year. I feel that Culpepper has an immense opportunity to redeem his career in Detroit, if given the chance. The deciding factor in this situation is Daunte himself. Either he is ready to put forth the effort in the film room and on the practice field, or he is going to have another missed opportunity to lead a team. This is all based on the fact that Daunte has to be the starter. We might not ever find out if Culpepper has one more pro bowl year left in him.

By: Patrick Stone
ProFootball-fans.com Detroit Lions Correspondent