Herman Moore says the Lions found just the right way to replace Calvin Johnson
THEN: The 10th overall pick in the 1991 Draft, Herman Moore spent 11 years with the Detroit Lions during the 1990s and early 2000s and held the Lions franchise records for career receptions (670), receiving yards (9,174) and touchdown catches (62) prior to Calvin Johnson’s tenure with the team. During his career, Moore was selected to four Pro Bowls and made six playoff appearances. He last played in 2002, when he appeared in one game for the New York Giants, the Lions’ opponent this Sunday (1 p.m., FOX).
NOW: Moore and his family still live in Detroit, where Moore works in the software industry, focused particularly on RFID and sports analytics technology. In addition, Moore runs the Herman Moore Foundation and the Tackle Life 501(c)(3) for youth development and services. “Throughout my career I’ve always been very involved with the community, supporting it during the season and the offseason, taking the time to support those who support us,” Moore said. “It may sound like a cliche but it’s true. And it’s going out, not just in one particular area, but the entire state of Michigan.”
ON THE LIONS’ EIGHT FOURTH-QUARTER COMEBACK WINS THIS YEAR: “Even before this year, look at Matthew Stafford’s record and his history of late-quarter comeback wins. He’s been doing this for years. So they’ve been very lucky, in some sense, but they’ve also worked their way back to be in a position to come away with fourth-quarter victories. It’s been surprising, given the fact that they’ve faced some really good teams like the Minnesota Vikings, who you wouldn’t have expected to give up both games to the Lions. But it’s also been a combination of some good breaks that have finally gone the Lions’ way, the confidence of this offense and its ability to deal with the pressure of having to come back in the fourth quarter. And the fact that the defense, when it needs to make that strong stance to get the ball back to the offense in the second half, they’ve done that.”
ON FACING THE GIANTS: “I remember early in my career we played there and I came up with some big plays (nine catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns) and ended up winning with a last-second field goal (in overtime, in 1994), and then there was a time when Bobby Ross was the coach and we played there late in the year and came away with the victory (in 2000). But it’s always been a hard-fought battle because the Giants are always a team that’s not ever coming in under .500. They’re always coming in with an opportunity to win the NFC East, always coming in under pretty good coaching, and they’re always a tough football team.”
ON THE IMPACT OF CALVIN JOHNSON’S RETIREMENT: “When I got an inkling that (Johnson) may retire, I thought maybe he was just going to take some time off and not completely retire. But I also realized that it could be an opportunity for (Matt) Stafford to get better because he wouldn’t have the crutch of a Calvin Johnson, as long as you put the right players around him. And they ended up doing that, with guys who play to all the different things that Calvin brought. He was a physical guy, and you get that in Anquan Boldin. He was a guy that could stretch the field, and you’ve got that in Marvin Jones. And then you’ve got Golden Tate, who is a very good slot guy, who’s crafty and has the opportunity to have some breakaway plays. So you’re replacing (Johnson) with more options that (Stafford) can see across the entire field, and that, in my opinion, makes him a much more dangerous quarterback. And that’s what you’re seeing now. Because he can go anywhere with the football, and if you shut down one guy, he’s not going to panic.”
ON STAFFORD’S MVP CANDIDACY: “Has he meant more to this team than other players (have to their teams)? I think the argument could be made or not made, but he definitely should be in that conversation, if for no other reason than he has come full circle and made this offense better, made the players around him better because of his decision making. He has helped his team become not just a division leader, but given them an opportunity to go into the playoffs in a very strong position, and this is in a division where Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers, you had Teddy Bridgewater before he got hurt, and then Sam Bradford came in (for the Vikings) and he’s having a great year. But Matthew Stafford has outshined those guys. Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers, and he’s always going to have great numbers and low turnover ratios, but Matthew has now fallen into that category.”
ON DETROIT’S STRUGGLING RUN GAME: “They really have to decide if they want a true running game. Right now they have running backs-slash-H-backs-slash-flex-guys, like Theo Riddick. But these aren’t guys who you’re going to give the ball to 20 to 25 times a game and look for them to be that guy that’s constantly getting 80 to 100-plus yards rushing a week, 1,000 yards a year. If that’s not the case, then that’s not the case, but if they’re going to be a balanced attack, and if they’re going to be a much stronger football team across the board, then the running game has to pick up. And it’s going to come by finding that 6-2, 215- or 220-pound back who you’re going to give the workload to and who can make those plays. If you can find that guy, it will solidify this offense, especially if they can keep the rest of the guys in place. They’ve been ranked 25th or higher (in the running game) over the last few seasons, and that’s just not going to get it done.”
ON THE LIONS’ PLAYOFF HOPES: “They’ve put themselves in a position where they could have an opportunity to win a playoff game, something that hasn’t happened since 1991. But it’s still going to take this team going in there and playing better. This past week was a little bit of a scare against the Chicago Bears, which raised a few eyebrows — although Chicago is sneaky, and their defense is better than most people think — and it’s going to take more than an offensive effort (to win in the playoffs). They’re going to need the effort that they had against New Orleans (in Week 13), when they had the offense and defense, and special teams is going to have to set them up with good field position. … Because when it comes down to a one-game situation, you have to play well, and that could be tough with a team that’s had some very close games this year. They haven’t blown anyone out. It’s always been these late come-from-behind victories, and that won’t be enough to sustain them through the playoffs.”
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