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Sunday, October 28, 2001

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Charlie Batch is back! Too bad he could not bring the Detroit Lions with him. Batch, who had never thrown for more than 277 yards in a game, has consecutive 300-yard games, including 338 last week against the Tennessee Titans, who had the NFL's top-ranked defense last season.

He has at least giving the dreadful Lions a chance to win. But maybe the reason the Lions haven't won yet is because they benched Batch in the first place in favor of Ty Detmer.

Ty Detmer!

"The bottom line is, we're losing," Batch said. "It's frustrating for myself because I'm not helping this team put up the points that we need to win a game. Regardless of how many we gave up, we still need to outscore them, and we didn't do that today."

Batch, benched for two games, has lifted his passer rating to 89.4, which is sixth-best in the NFC. He threw for 345 yards against Minnesota with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Against the Titans it was three touchdowns, one interception.

It might be smart of the Lions (0-5) to stick with their young quarterback, who is only in his fourth season.

Where's the end?

J.J. Stokes is not back.

Although the 49ers are off to a good start, Stokes is not. They traded their first-round picks in 1995 and 1996 to draft the wide receiver and he has been a bust.

Stokes has been a China doll with various injuries. He missed most of training camp, recovered in time for the opener then sustained a leg injury. Later, it was a sprained knee.

He has 10 receptions for 134 yards. He caught 30 last season.

One of those draft picks the 49ers sent to Baltimore to get him? Ray Lewis.

Sign of a winner

At a basketball game in the 1990s in Cleveland, Phoenix was lambasting the Cavaliers when a fan in the stands caught the attention of a Suns ballboy. The fan, holding a basketball, pointed to Charles Barkley, sitting on the bench. He tossed the ball to the kid and he brought it to Barkley, who signed it while the game was going on. The kid then tossed the ball back up into the stands.

But that's the NBA. Things like that don't occur in the NFL. Right?

Well, Kurt Warner sent a fax this week to Jets Coach Herman Edwards, apologizing for signing autographs along the sideline late in game Sunday in Giants Stadium, won by St. Louis.

"It's a good deal on your part if your coach lets you sign autographs during the game," Edwards told New York reporters. "But they are the Rams. They do things their way. They have their deal, and they are 6-0."

Warren piece

Lee Flowers' rip job on Warren Sapp is nothing compared to the one Sapp put on ESPN's Tom Jackson this week.

Jackson's crime was saying Sapp was responsible for allowing Jerome Bettis to romp through the Buccaneers for his 46-yard touchdown. Apparently, Sapp really wasn't the victim, although he did nothing to stop Bettis or the Steelers the rest of the afternoon.

Sapp took the high road by blaming teammates, including linebacker Jamie Duncan and safety John Lynch.

"I don't owe big-lipped Tom Jackson anything," Sapp said. "He just made a good cut on Jamie and John wasn't tight to the fit. That's it. No more, no less. Lynch took a bad angle, and he'd be the first person to tell you."

Quick slants

How do you go from a 1-4 start one year to 4-1 the next? The Bears have done it by allowing 87 fewer points in their first five games, 11 fewer touchdowns and forcing five more turnovers.

If you want to get Brett Favre, get him on the fake stuff. Favre's record is 11-29 on artificial turf.

The longest touchdown reception by Randy Moss this year is 29 yards, three shorter than the one Jerame Tuman caught from Jerome Bettis.

St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner is 20-1 in the regular season indoors.

Dave Campo has started more quarterbacks (seven) than he has victories (six) in his two seasons as Dallas coach.