The Harrington Family Foundation

Monday, September 8, 2003

By Tom Kowalski

DETROIT -- Joey Harrington talked a good game during the preseason and he backed it up in the Detroit Lions' regular-season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Harrington threw a career-high four touchdown passes in Detroit's 42-24 victory, but it wasn't how many he got in the end zone, it's how he got them there.

After completing a league-low 50 percent of his passes last year, Harrington vowed that he'd be a much-improved player this season because he had a better understanding of the offense. Instead of just focusing on his primary receivers, Harrington could now find his secondary receivers -- the third, fourth and fifth options on each pass route.

"I felt really good. The biggest thing is that I felt comfortable," Harrington said. "I stood back there at times and hit my fourth or fifth receiver.

Two of Harrington's second-half touchdown passes were the result of his scanning the field. With the game tied at 21 late in the third quarter, the Lions had a first-and-goal at the 8-yard line. Detroit was in a three-receiver, two-back set and the pass was intended to go across the middle of the field. All those routes were covered, though, and Harrington found fullback Cory Schlesinger wide open in the corner of the end zone.

After the Cardinals had cut it to 28-24, the Lions were in the red zone again. This time, they had a third-and-goal at the 5-yard line and were in a two-tight end formation. Receiver Bill Schroeder, lined up to the right, was Harrington's second option and he looked at him, but Schroeder was covered. Harrington looked off to No. 3, but came back to Schroeder, who had worked his way open in the back of the end zone.

"I'm getting more comfortable with Bill on that play. I know what he's going to do in those situations now," Harrington said.

Harrington completed 17 of 30 passes for 195 yards. With the four touchdown passes and no interceptions, he had a passer rating of 116.0.

Head coach Steve Mariucci likes Harrington's decision-making ability and is confident to let the second-year player make his own adjustments.

"He had Charles (Rogers) one time and he thought it was a little bit too tight. That's for him to decide, not for me or for the (coaches) upstairs," Mariucci said. "He's got to see it and he's got to like it and he's got to pull the trigger or dump it off. I thought he did a good job of that."