Motor City Madness

Back in August, the day before Detroit was to play Dallas in an exhibition game in London, the Lions' practice, on an open field in Hyde Park, was interrupted by a huge dog careering through the players, with two children in hot pursuit. Perhaps inspired by the sheer nuttiness of that scene, coach Wayne Fontes announced that Rodney Peete would start at quarterback the next day. But when the game began. Andre Ware, not Peete, was under center. And Fontes hasn't slopped playing musical passers since.

Fontes has three quarterbacks—Erik Kramer is the other—and no one knows from week to week who will get the call from the coach. Fontes is doing the Lions a terrible disservice, and the way he has handled the quarterbacks in the past year has compromised his ability to lead the team into the future. Granted, none of the three is a Joe Montana, but no quarterback can develop into a confident, competent leader if he is forced to twist in the wind every week. Peete was given the nod for this Sunday's game against Seattle, and Fontes says, "The only way I'll take Rodney Peete out of the football game is if he gets hurt." Right. And there's a 50% chance of showers inside the Silverdome.

Here's how Detroit's three quarterbacks have been used over the team's last 16 regular-season games:

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]