LINEUP
DEPARTMENTS
2 Leading Off
10 Letters
13 Scorecard
DeSean Jackson's battle against bullying
20 Just My Type
Haloti Ngata on Tom Brady's complaining
BY DAN PATRICK
25 Faces in the Crowd
26 Inside ...
NFL
Run, Raiders, run
College Football
The Case for Houston
NASCAR
JJ is back in the Chase
84 Point After
What Bill Curry brings to college football
BY JOE POSNANSKI
NHL PREVIEW 2011--12
PLAYER SAFETY P. 60
Nine months after losing its most important star to a concussion, the league has rededicated itself to the protection of its players
By Michael Farber
SCOUTING REPORTS P. 68
Breakdowns on all 30 teams, plus predictions of the division winners and the playoffs—which will end with the Penguins raising the Stanley Cup
FEATURES
36 PRO FOOTBALL
DETROIT LIONS
The unbeaten team is restoring the roar
By Damon Hack
42 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
ALABAMA DEFENSE
This Crimson Tide unit could be the best of all time
By Lars Anderson
46 BASEBALL
BLOCKBUSTER TRADE
The stage for the 2011 playoffs was set in 2009
By Tom Verducci
@H00dFavorite
BRANDON JENNINGS
Where is everybody hooping today? #LA
The locked-out Bucks guard is always looking for a game
By Lee Jenkins P. 52
"He scrawls his name on the bottom of a list at the scorer's table and waits to be called. It's as if Sergio García strolled up as a single to the 1st tee of a muni course.
--Lee Jenkins on Bucks guard Brandon Jennings (left), who's playing pickup nonstop during the NBA lockout
P. 52
ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID E. KLUTHO (LIONS), BILL FRAKES (ALABAMA), DAMIAN STROHMEYER (NHL)
This week SI has three covers: the Lions, Alabama and the NHL Preview.
Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling
PHOTO
GREG NELSON (SUH)
TWO FOR SUH With tackle Ndamukong Suh (middle) drawing double teams, and a clutch passing game, the Lions—yes, the Lions—are 4--0.
PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (JENNINGS AT TOP)
FOUR PHOTOS