The Harrington Family Foundation

Thursday, September 11, 2003

By Tom Kowalski

ALLEN PARK -- For the first time since Charlie Batch did it in 1998, a Detroit Lions quarterback has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Joey Harrington, who threw four touchdown passes in Detroit's 42-24 win against the Arizona Cardinals last week, earned the honor on Wednesday.

"It was well deserved," said Lions head coach Steve Mariucci. "I think he's taken a step and I think he's evolving. He's taken some real good strides right now."

Harrington said the award is a reflection of the players around him.

"This sounds cliche, but I didn't get sacked, I didn't get pressured and guys were making plays. It was a team thing," he said. "We did some very good things last week, especially for the first week of the season."

-- Tom Kowalski