No-huddle highlights on horizon

Find me a metro Detroit football fan who wouldn’t want Peyton Manning as the signal caller of the Detroit Lions and I’ll find you Atlantis.

Sure, Jon Kitna has, for now, provided some consistency in a position long prone to considerable questioning and criticism. And surely the Tom Brady fan club has a large following in the area.

But Manning’s ability to call and execute plays successfully from the line of scrimmage in the Indianapolis Colts’ no-huddle offense is a treat to watch, and a similar version may be making its way to the Motor City and Ford Field.

No, the Lions didn’t trade their next 40 first-round draft picks for the Colts QB.

But Team Michigan of the All American Football League, which begins its inaugural season in April, plans to implement a similar no-huddle offensive scheme to Ford Field under the direction of John Fontes.

Fontes, who was introduced as Team Michigan’s head coach Nov. 27, worked with Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore when the pair were assistants under Wayne Fontes (John’s brother) when he was at the helm of the Lions in the 1990s.

Fontes hopes to tap into his friendship with Moore in bringing an exciting offense into the AAFL.

“I have a great respect for Tom Moore,” Fontes said. “Tom’s been so gracious. He said to me, ‘Any time that you get started, and you want your offensive coordinators to come sit down with us after our season’s over with, you’re more than welcome. Because this right here can work for you.'”

Moore was the Lions’ quarterbacks coach in 1994-95 and was offensive coordinator in 1995-96 and 1996-97. Detroit led the NFL in total offense in 1995 (382.1 yards-per-game) as the Lions became the first team in league history to have two receivers catch 100 passes (Herman Moore and Brett Perriman).

“His offensive style is so unique and so simple that when we draft, we’re drafting for that style of offense — no huddle,” Fontes said. “And we’re going to call the play at the line of scrimmage, just like he does. We’re going to give the quarterback one running play and two pass plays, depending on what he sees. And we’re going to line up in a formation and let it role from there.”

Before coming to Detroit, Tom Moore helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win a pair of Super Bowls as an offensive assistant coach. Since leaving Detroit, he has directed Manning and the Colts' dynamic offense, culminating in last season’s Super Bowl win over the Chicago Bears.

The AAFL, which will begin its 10-game regular season April 12 — following a national draft Jan. 25 at a to-be-determined location — requires all players to have exhausted their collegiate eligibility and earned their undergraduate degree.

While nobody expects a player of Peyton Manning’s caliber to play in the AAFL, Team Michigan Chairman Stan Edwards guaranteed the quality of talent in the league would be more than sufficient.

“You’ll get a good brand of football,” Edwards said.