Jeff Garcia has the fans pulling for him, but for now, Joey
Harrington is still Detroit’s starting quarterback
Detroit – With nearly 27,000 Detroit Lions fans watching and critiquing their every move, quarterbacks Jeff Garcia and Joey Harrington went about their business as usual at Saturday’s Black and Blue Practice at Ford Field in Detroit.
But the competition between Harrington, the returning starter, and Garcia, a first-year Lion, has already split fans into two camps. While Harrington heard boos from Saturday’s crowd after incomplete passes, Garcia was cheered following most of his completions.
“Joey and I know the situation here. We’re just trying to get better, trying to help this team win football games, and be as prepared as possible,” said Garcia, a product of Gilroy High School who also played at Gavilan College, San Jose State and was a three-time Pro Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers.
Since the day Garcia signed a contract with the Lions on March 14, which reunited him with former 49ers coach and current Lions head coach Steve Mariucci, he has said all the right things and conceded that the starting job is Harrington’s to lose.
“He’s handled everything very professionally,” Mariucci said. “He and (Harrington) have a great rapport, a professional relationship. They make each other better.”
Although none of the players or coaches have said it publicly, the expectations for Harrington and Garcia are very different. Lions fans made that clear on Saturday.
Garcia, who started 10 games for the Cleveland Browns last year before injuring his left knee, comes in with little pressure. Harrington, on the other hand, must succeed this season after compiling a 14-30 record as a starter the last three years.
“Jeff is obviously competing for a job just like everybody else out here, and I wouldn’t expect anything less,” said Harrington, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft. “It’s been great for me to have a guy that’s pushing me.”
Garcia added: “I’m excited about this situation, this opportunity. Of course, I’d like to be the starter, but I’m going to compete, I’m going to prepare and I’m going to do everything within my own power to be the best that I can be. I’ll be ready for it when that time comes.”
Even with their competition receiving a lot of media attention, Garcia and Harrington have managed to keep the Lions on the same page during practices and team meetings. Second-year receiver Roy Williams hasn’t noticed any tension between the two quarterbacks.
“I don’t know if they’re good friends or not, but they act like they’re friends and they compete every day,” Williams said. “Jeff brings a lot of veteran leadership, so he knows what to expect.”
Along with trying to earn the starting job, Garcia is also looking to prove that he can bounce back from last year, in which he had a 3-7 record as the Browns’ starter. In 11 total games, he finished with a 76.7 passer rating, the lowest in his six seasons as an NFL quarterback.
“I didn’t watch every snap that he played last year and I can’t comment much on his experience in Cleveland,” Mariucci said. “It wasn’t the kind of year he was hoping for, I know that.”
If Garcia is going to resurrect his career, playing for the Lions appears to be a perfect fit. In San Francisco, he nearly perfected the West Coast offense under Mariucci, putting up huge numbers and earning three consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 2000-02. Garcia led the 49ers to a 12-4 record and a playoff appearance in 2001 and a 10-6 record and a thrilling, come-from-behind postseason victory against the New York Giants in 2002.
Along with Mariucci, Garcia was also reunited with Lions quarterbacks coach Greg Olson and offensive coordinator Ted Tollner, who served as position coaches with the 49ers.
“There’s a real comfort zone for me; just being around familiar faces, being in an offensive scheme that I’ve worked with for five years prior to coming here,” Garcia said. “All that makes it very comfortable for me.”
Another factor working in Garcia’s favor is that the Lions have the most talent entering a season in years. Detroit hosts NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 11 in the regular-season opener.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions have three young and talented receivers in Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams, the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft. Add second-year running back Kevin Jones, and the Lions appear poised to make a run at an NFC North title and their first playoff berth since the 1999-2000 season.
“I th ink we need to (win), we want to, and we’re going to make it happen,” Roy Williams said. “If we win 10 or 11 games, we’re in the playoffs. It will make us happy and it will make the fans happy.”
No matter which quarterback is leading the team this season, Detroit fans will not be satisfied with anything less than a winning record. But knowing Garcia is waiting if Harrington falters makes some Lions’ faithful feel better about the team’s margin for error.
“It’s good for Harrington to have some competition; it’s the first time he’s ever had any competition like that,” said Eric Keidel, 36, a lifelong Detroit fan. “I think it’s going to be good for him and good for the team.
“I feel comfortable with Garcia because he’s a Pro Bowl quarterback and he took San Francisco to the playoffs. I think he’s got that experience and that’s going to help him either way. If he doesn’t go in, and Harrington is doing a good job, then he’ll offer good advice.”
By Chris Nelsen Special to the Dispatch
