The documentary “Bye Bye Barry,” recently released on Amazon, delves into the illustrious career of Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, covering his ten seasons with the team leading up to his retirement. While Lions fans are likely to relish the film, one former player, quarterback Scott Mitchell, has expressed dissatisfaction with his portrayal, particularly concerning the narrative attributing the team’s failure to reach the Super Bowl during Sanders’ era to the quarterbacks.
Taking to Facebook, Mitchell didn’t mince words: “I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl. I’m so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F–K YOU ALL!!!!! That includes Eminem [and] Jeff Daniels.” Mitchell, who played for the Lions from 1994 to 1998, took issue with the documentary’s suggestion that Sanders could have secured a championship if not for the quarterbacks hindering his progress.
In the documentary, various individuals, including former Lions head coach Wayne Fontes, asserted that Sanders might have led the team to a championship if they had better quarterback support. Fontes mentioned the possibility of signing star quarterbacks late in their careers for a different outcome. Mitchell strongly objected to this narrative, expressing disappointment in Fontes for not supporting him and implying that Sanders shares blame for the team’s lack of a Super Bowl victory.
Mitchell went on to argue, “Bottom line, Barry Sanders had everything in Detroit. Everyone loved him. Everything was built for Barry to succeed. In his 10-year career, he won one playoff game, and the only reason he didn’t win more was everyone else was the problem? How many yards did Barry have in the playoffs in ’94, ’95, ’97? I’ll give you a hint not very many. We all are to blame for not winning a [Super Bowl] in Detroit even Barry Sanders.”
Backing up his perspective, Mitchell highlighted his own playoff performance, going 0-2 with a 42.6 completion percentage, one touchdown, and five interceptions, resulting in a meager 23.1 quarterback rating, according to Pro Football Reference. In contrast, Sanders, a Hall of Famer, participated in six playoff games, surpassing 100 yards once (169) in a wild card loss to the Packers in 1993. Over his career, Sanders accumulated 3,062 carries for 15,269 yards, 352 receptions for 2,921 yards, and 109 touchdowns, earning six first-team All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowl appearances. The debate over the Lions’ Super Bowl shortcomings continues, with Mitchell adamant about sharing the responsibility, even implicating Sanders in the process.