Putting together our picks for Week 2 when we came across this amazing little story of futility beyond all odds. Naturally, it involves the Lions. We had to publish it separately. You'll dig it. The rest of our picks will be out soon.
Minnesota (-9.5) at Detroit
Wow! A colossal battle of statistical jugger-
nots!!! We haven't been this excited since free beer night at the
Pleasure Dome.
On one hand, you have the all-time interception leader in Brett Favre, fresh off another year in which he led the league in picks. This year, Old Yeller attempts to become the first player in history to lead the league in INTs with three different clubs. And believe you us, we're rooting for him.
But on the other hand, you have a team so bad when it comes to picking off passes that we're about to unleash upon you a nut-chilling Cold, Hard Football Fact for the ages. Protect your package, men.
We're not talking the St. Louis Cardinals or the St. Louis Rams.
We're talking the famous St. Louis Gunners.
The famous 1934 St. Louis Gunners.
The famous 1934 St. Louis Gunners who picked off just three passes.
The famous 1934 St. Louis Gunners who picked off just three passes in THREE league games!!
The famous 1934 St. Louis Gunners who picked off just three passes in THREE league games, and faced just 52 pass attempts all year!! (Source: the ESPN Pro Football Encylopedia)
The famous 1934 St. Louis Gunners who picked off just three passes in THREE league games and faced just 52 pass attempts all year and never played another NFL game before or since!!
That's right, folks. The 1934 St. Louis Gunners, who hauled in three INTs in three games and a mere 52 pass attempts against them, is the last team to pick off fewer passers in an NFL season than the 2008 Lions. They posted a 1-2 mark that year. And then they disappeared into history, never to be heard from again.
(The 1934 Gunners did have one moment of glory, one short-lived taste of pro football success – a 6-0 win over the Steelers.)
The Lions did get off to a better start in 2009, making up for the six TD tosses they surrendered to Drew Brees with one INT. So things are looking up for the Lions.
But not on this day. Even the all-time INT leader will find it hard to throw game-losing picks against these guys.
Our pick: Minnesota 31, Detroit 16
