July 20th- This week is the start of 2009 NFL training camps around the league, with the first one opening up this Saturday in Buffalo. As the sweat of two-a-days begin to pour from those expected to bring in big rewards for their employers and some simply trying to make the cut and retain employment, TPFSports examines the ins and outs going on in the NFL.
In Favre we trust….sort of..
Voicing their opinions on the Brett Favre soap opera taking siege in Minnesota, Viking Defensive End Jared Allen and Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Jerry Rice made clear their thoughts surrounding the future Hall of Fame Quarterback’s “is he with us or is he not” decision to join the team.
The Viking 2008 sack leader called the news swirling around the former Packer quarterback “annoying” and wants to see a decision sooner rather than later. Jerry Rice took it a step further, stating that he is unconvinced that Brett could play at a high level for an entire season after #4 faded down the stretch last season. History seems to be on Jerry’s side:
Brett Favre’s last five games:
2005: 1167 yards 1 TD 10 Ints 56.7% completion, 54.4 QB rating
2006: 1251 yards 4 TDs 8 Ints 53.8% completion, 70.1 QB rating
2007: 799 yards 6 TD’s 7 Ints 59% completion, 73.2 QB rating
2008: 1011 yards 2 TD’s 8 Ints 56% completion, 57.5 QB rating
Ironically, the combination of Ferrotte (one and a half games) and Jackson (four and a half games) put up better numbers down the stretch last season.
Viking QB’s last five games:
2008: 1012 yards 9 TD’s 4 Ints 64.5% completion, 100.6 QB rating
Not only has the current core of Viking quarterbacks (Jackson being the only one remaining with the addition of Sage Rosenfels) given better production during the final stretch of the all-important December games, the 40 year-old quarterback is coming off an off-season where he needed surgery to repair a torn bicep on his throwing arm.
While we expect to see a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson to protect Brett during the last half of the season if he decides to join the Vikings, what we have seen is the addition of Allen and Rice’s names alongside Kerry Rhodes, Thomas Jones, and Fran Tarkenton who have raised questions about Favre’s decision to return.
One wonders why there isn’t more traction behind the legitimate questioning of these “named” sources than there is around the “unnamed” sources following behind other prominent glory hounds. Oh well. There’s always a Joe Buck around to fawn over the grizzled quarterback to offset their questioning.
How much will Brian help?
Much has been made about the addition of Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos secondary. The former Eagle and 10-time pro bowl safety will be playing in back of perennial all-pro Champ Bailey and newcomer Andre Goodman, revitalizing a secondary that had all sorts of problems last season.
While the upgrades in the secondary are obvious, we wonder how much help will get from a defensive-line expected to force quarterbacks into errant throws and finished near the basement in sacks last season. The key for the Broncos will be how much production they’ll get from rookie hybrid DE/LB Robert Ayers.
The Mike Vick Show has a new beginning…
The Mike Vick show will enter a new phase today, as his the disgraced former Falcons quarterback sees an end to his home confinement after being convicted on dogfighting charges in 2007. A decision on Vick’s future and what type of additional punishment he may receive from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell looms in the near horizon
Outside of Mike Vick himself, the biggest beneficiary of Vick’s release will be the following:
- Sports writers and the litany of opinions Vick’s presence will provide to their occupation, as they weigh in on the amount of visual contrition coming from the disgraced quarterback. They’ll be no shortage of journalists donning their psychologist hats as every facial gesture, shoulder shrug and hand movement coming from the newly freed quarterback will be examined and scrutinized.
- PETA and animal rights organizations seeking to push their message of animal cruelty (that’s not particularly a bad thing until you’re told that fish should be considered “sea kittens”)
- Roger Goodell as he plays commander and chief.
……….Speaking of the NFL commissioner….
…..Roger Goodell, along with Seattle Seahawks Head Coach, Jim Mora Jr., just finished scaling Mt. Rainer in the State of Washington. In a recent sit-down with the NFL Network, the commissioner, clad in workout attire while seated in an empty gym, chronicled his latest conquest as camera crews followed him running up flights of stairs, and doing push-ups in preparation of his climb.
It was a side of the commissioner the public has rarely seen outside of his black robe and white wig image he typically carries as the league’s ultimate “decider” and judge.
Maybe he was still recovering from his trek up that mountain, as he missed the meeting between the NFL owners and players last Tuesday in Washington, as they negotiated for a second round of collective bargaining discussions.
While fans may have to brace themselves for a potential NFL lockout in 2011, it seems that nothing will get in the way of the Goodell PR campaign, as he makes the rest of America comfortable with him. We wouldn’t be surprised if we see the head of the NFL Players Union, DeMaurice Smith, preparing himself for the New York City Marathon in November, as the two will battle it out in the court of public opinion in the near future.
Grin and Bear with it…..
As the Chicago Bears continue in their search to put pieces around their newly acquired franchise turner, Jay Cutler, one of the league’s most prolific return men in history has opted to shelve his cleats in an effort to stay on the field as a receiver and help his new quarterback.
Kick and Punt returner extraordinaire, Devin Hester, has stated that he’s willing to surrender his kickoff and punt return duties to dedicate himself into becoming a full-time Wide Receiver. The former Miami Hurricane star made great strides last season, catching 51 passes for 665 yards and three touchdowns, while starting in only eight games.
He will help out a Bears receiving corp that ranked 21st in passing last season and a roster that features Brandon Rideau, Eric Peterman, Johnny Knox, Derek Kinder, Juaquin Iglesias, Rashied Davis, John Broussard, Earl Bennett, and Devin Aromashodu, names that forced Packers receiver, Donald Driver, to say that the Bears don’t have any true receivers to take their team to where they want to go in a recent ESPN interview. He also stated that while he’s a big fan of Devin Hester, he’s primarily a defensive back and not a solid receiver as of yet.
While Driver may have ruffled a few feathers in Bears-land by playing Captain Obvious, he’s wrong about Devin’s primary position. The Bears receiver has rarely played defensive back since coming into the league and has shown flashes of panning out into becoming a solid, if not better, receiver. For now, we expect Greg Olson to be Cutler’s favorite target early in the season, but look out for Hester turning it on as the season develops.
Andre is still raising hell…..
That’s not smoke you’re smelling…it’s Andre Rison searing comments about him being the best receiver ever, ahead of Jerry Rice and other greats. In a “Stats don’t always count” frame of mind, the former five-time pro-bowl receiver who compiled over 10,000 receiving yard and 80 touchdowns in a 13-year career, recently told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was ahead of the NFL’s all-time leading receiver and coming out with his own hall of fame list.
Never short on confidence, the former Falcon receiver said that he could still suit today and play in the NFL at the age of 42, if only he was cut a Brett Favre-like situation.
Andre….while you’ve been out of the game for several years, you still have tons of game.
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