Quick Kicks
That’s Mr. Pottymouth to you
It was a fascinating performance, certainly the most exciting thing anyone wearing black and gold had done all day.
New Orleans Saints coach Jim Mora gave the Bible belt a Sunday afternoon to remember after his team’s 19-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., uttering enough obscenities to make a dockworker blush.
Minutes after screaming at his team, Mora strode purposefully to a nearby podium and - in front of about two dozen media members - proceeded to violate every procedure taught to him by public relations guru Andrea Kirby.
Mora’s tirade began simply enough, when he said the Saints “couldn’t do diddly-pooh offensively.”
That ended the family portion.
For the next 10 minutes, Mora used all manner of bodily functions to describe the woeful second half his team had played.
One reporter with a bit too much time on his hands even totaled the outlaw verbiage, 25 no-no words - divided neatly into six different categories.
Foot soldiers
Buffalo’s Steve Christie kicked six field goals, including a 47-yarder with 10 seconds left that beat the Jets while Morten Andersen was making five in Atlanta’s loss to Dallas.
One of Anderson’s was a 54-yarder that extended his NFL record of 50-yarders to 31.
Al Del Greco made three in Houston’s victory over Pittsburgh for a club-record total of 120, three more than Tony Zendejas.
Go figure
St. Louis had eight first downs to 36 for Jacksonville, but the Rams beat the Jaguars 17-14.
Let George do it
George Seifert not only earned his 100th career victory as San Francisco 49ers coach but he is closing in on Bill Walsh’s team record for victories (102).
Seifert, in his eighth year as head coach, succeeded Walsh, who rejoined the team this season as an offensive adviser and, judging by Sunday’s telecast, designated press-box sufferer.
Streakers
Washington has won six straight games for the first time since its 11-0 start in 1991… . Pittsburgh’s Jerome Bettis was held to 65 yards, breaking his string of five straight 100-plus-yard rushing games that left him one short of the club record set in 1972 by Franco Harris.
Count on them
Thurman Thomas set a Bills record for career rushing yardage with 10,218 by gaining 97 yards against the Jets. Thomas eclipsed the Buffalo mark of 10,183 yards set by O.J. Simpson.
Jerry Rice had seven catches for San Francisco, boosting his season total to 50 and allowing him to become the first player in NFL history with 11 50-catch seasons. It could have been 12 straight. He caught 49 balls as a rookie in 1985.
John Elway surpassed Minnesota’s Warren Moon, who was idle, to take third place in NFL history in completions (3,499) and passing yards (43,418). Dan Marino and Fran Tarkenton stand one-two in both categories.
Go figure No. 2
The Jaguars will play their first game within the division in seven weeks next Sunday against Cincinnati while the Rams make their first appearance in Baltimore since 1971.