Brett Favre and ESPN’s Plan Of Global Dominance

All’s Quiet On The Buccaneer Front, For Now…

The silence is deafening.

All is so very quiet on the Tampa Bay Buccaneer front.

Seven days from now, a very short seven days, the Buccaneers will take the field under the blazing heat of a Florida August sun.

All’s quiet for most NFL teams as the waiting game gets closer to the boiling point as first round draft picks wait for their deals.

First pick Matthew Stafford is on board with the Lions, fifth pick Mark Sanchez is a Jet.

Things began to unfold a bit Saturday as the NFL Network announced that Cleveland has signed 21st pick Alex Mack and Pittsburgh got its deal done with Ziggy Hood, the 32nd selection.

That makes 28 still to sign, including the future of the Tampa Bay franchise, Josh Freeman. Freeman was picked just four spots from Mack so the mechanism has begun to roll.

Linebacker Larry English, drafted by San Diego just ahead of Freeman, is waiting. Robert Ayers, a defensive end selected by Denver, is just after Freeman at 18.

Look for contract action to come to a full boil this week.

If and when Freeman does sign, Tampa may not have to release any players to reach the 80-man training camp limit. There are strong signs that offensive lineman Arron Sears will not report for camp.

Then the Bucs have to decide what to do with him. He could possibly be destined for the non-football injury/illness list. At some point that decision will be made and it could happen next Friday when the team reports.

In the meantime, it’s so very quiet. It won’t be next Saturday night when Raymond James is the scene of a night practice with no limits on attendance by fans.

Should be quite a scene, not a quiet scene.

Fantasy Football News & Notes (7/25)

Consistently Inconsistent: Fantasy Players To Avoid In 2009

Being consistent and dependable is important in many aspects of day-to-day life.

It’s comforting to know that, for example, after waking up in the morning and taking a refreshing shower, you can retrieve the paper and read it with a nice cup of coffee. But, what if, after getting out of bed one day, your water didn’t work, the paper wasn’t out front and you come to find out you were out of coffee?

Chaos would ensue.

Without the paper, you would be uninformed about whatever your co-workers were talking about around the water cooler that day, but that’s only if you don’t get fired first for coming into work smelling like you spent the night in a dumpster.

Now, see how important consistency is?

Well, it’s equally important in fantasy football. What good are those 20-point performances if they’re followed up by three consecutive six-point outings? If you don’t want that to happen to you, here are some players you may want to avoid in your upcoming drafts.

 

QB Eli Manning (New York Giants)

Unlike his brother, this Manning is quite possibly the most overrated fantasy player in any sport, not just football. Yeah, those 21 touchdown passes are nice, but nearly two-thirds of them (13) came in five games, which is less than one-third of the contests on the season.

See the problem there?

Also, Manning threw multiple touchdown passes in consecutive games just one time all season. After every other game, he fired off one or zero scores. He was equally inconsistent with his passing yards, with a whopping 10 sub-200 yard contests, including five of fewer than 165 yards.

 

RB Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers)

Many experts thought that at some point in Stewart’s rookie season, he would easily supplant DeAngelo Williams as the starter.

Clearly, that was not the case.

Stewart had very solid overall numbers, with over 800 rushing yards and 10 scores, but couldn’t do it on a weekly basis. Six times he ran for fewer than 30 yards in a game, and he accumulated more than 10 receiving yards or scored a touchdown in just one of those contests; which means Stewart’s fantasy owners got five separate weeks of less than five fantasy points.

 

WR Chris Chambers (San Diego Chargers)

Name recognition will keep Chambers afloat in fantasy drafts this summer, but it shouldn’t. His fluky start last year, when he had four touchdowns in the season’s first three weeks despite having just six catches, won’t be repeated. What likely will be duplicated are the eight weeks last year that Chambers accumulated fewer than 50 receiving yards and no touchdowns.

Unfortunately, his worst stretch came directly before, and then during, the fantasy playoffs.

From weeks 13 through 16, here’s how many fantasy points Chambers got his owners: four. Four points!

In weeks 13 and 14, he didn’t get any points, snaring just one pass for two measly yards. Seeing as how this was done during a career year by Philip Rivers, things could only get worse for Chambers.

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Fantasy Football Notes: New York Jets

The 2008 Jets enjoyed a very productive off-season, signing left guard and former Pittsburgh Steeler, Alan Faneca, plus one of the league’s best linebackers in Calvin Pace.

Then, things got even more interesting.

In a surprise turn of events, NFL’s iron man, Brett Favre returned from retirement, albeit a very short retirement, and landed in the lap of gang green. Instantaneously, some experts were touting the Jets as an instant playoff team. And, at times during the season, it seemed the label fit.

After a series of wins and losses to start the season, the Jets appeared to have turned the corner in week eight as they began a five-game winning streak that included a victory over their long time rival, the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, the Jets (and notably an elder Favre) then fell apart, losing four of five down the stretch and missing the playoffs. Though they did improve upon their 4-12 record from the year before, 9-7 wasn’t the year the Jets envisioned upon bringing Favre into town.

After the disappointing end to the 2008 season, the Jets decided to go in a different direction for 2009.

They fired head coach, Eric Mangini, pretty much opened the door for Favre to walk out and handed the reigns to defensive minded Rex Ryan from the Baltimore Ravens. Thanks to a sizzling draft day trade, the Jets are also starting the season with rookie Mark Sanchez at quarterback. A player they hope will be the face of their franchise for years to come.

New York fans may want to temper their expectations for 2009, though.

Under Rex Ryan’s new regime, along with the recent addition of linebacker Bart Scott, there is no reason the Jets defense can’t become one of the league’s most dominant. However, questions at offense remain and with a rookie quarterback at the helm, this team may need some time to develop.

 

KEY ADDITIONS

Rex Ryan (HC)—After a series of under achieving seasons under stone-faced Eric Mangini, the Jets signed former Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan to a four-year contract to be their head coach. Ryan, a major factor in making the Ravens’ defense one of the most feared and successful in the league, should bring that physical style of play to New York. Under Ryan’s whatever it takes to win philosophy and solid experience in the NFL, the Jets have a chance to become a stellar defense and in time, a dynamic offense.

The departure from Mangini’s coaching style should have a positive effect on the Jets. Ryan’s personality is in stark contrast with the Jet’s old coach, and rumor has it, it was Mangini’s impersonal nature that kept he and his players from ever really meshing well.

Bart Scott (LB)—Not only does Scott come from one of the league’s best defenses, the talented linebacker now comes to work for Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine, two of his former defensive coaches in Baltimore. This should make for a comfortable transition, which should help him acclimate quickly to his new team. Over six seasons with Baltimore, Scott registered 433 tackles, 16 sacks and three interceptions. What the numbers don’t represent is the intensity and winning attitude he brings to the Jets. It’s those intangibles that separate the good from the great and no doubt the Jets are hoping it rubs off on the whole organization.

 

KEY DEPARTURES

Eric Mangini (HC)—Another Belichick disciple sent packing. More proof that just because you can win with a mastermind doesn’t make you one too. In his first season in New York, Mangini led the Jets to a 10-6 record and the playoffs. Blame it on the bright lights of New York or lack of respect from his players, but the Jets then followed that success with a horrendous 2007.

The last straw came in 2008 when the team fell apart at the end of the season. The Jets and New Yorkers had had enough and Mangini was promptly fired. Not that he deserves all the blame, but his departure should be the first step to getting this team back on track. Interestingly enough, in his three years in New York, Mangini may be remembered most for embarrassing the New England Patriots with the spy gate scandal.

Laveranues Coles (WR)—A third round pick in the 2000 draft, Coles has been on and off the Jets during his career. After his best statistical season in 2002, he signed with the Washington Redskins but couldn’t find the same success while playing in a Joe Gibbs offense. Ironically enough in 2005, Coles was traded back to the Jets for Santana Moss.

Since then, he has served as one of the team’s most consistent performers. In 2008, with Brett Favre hurling the ball, Coles had one of his best seasons recording 70 receptions for 850 yards and seven TDs. Despite his numbers, the Jets released the 31 year old wide out in the off season. They may have had every intention of bringing him back, but Coles found a bigger contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Even though Coles wasn’t really a stud, the 2009 Jets are in dire need of good wide receivers. Unless they add a player before the season starts, they will miss Cole’s consistency.

 

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Mark Sanchez (QB)—After the Brett Favre experiment and the resurgence of former Jets QB Chad Pennington in Miami, the organization direly needed a new face for their franchise. According to the ladies, they sure picked a pretty one. Trading up to the fifth pick to get Sanchez made a statement to Jets fans around the world – meet your new quarterback of the future.

At USC, Sanchez played on a team with some of the country’s top quarterbacks, so he only started one full year, his junior season; however, during that year he was exceptional, throwing for 3,207 yards and 34 TDs. Rated as one of the top two quarterbacks coming into the draft, Sanchez is smart, hardworking and known for being a great teammate.

He can throw the deep ball and has good accuracy. The thing Jets fans should be most excited about is that many experts who have met him say he seems to have the “it” factor, a trait which makes him a natural leader.

 

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Leon Washington (RB)—The 26 year-old Washington is one of the top kick return specialists in the league (going to a Pro Bowl for it in 2008). However, he’s also proven to be exceptionally beneficial to the Jets’ run game, recording 448 yards and six TDs, while catching the ball 47 times out of the backfield for 355 yards and two TDs this past season. Washington’s blazing speed and ability to make defenders miss is the perfect compliment to Thomas Jones’ more physical style of running.

It remains to be seen whether Jones or Washington will remain the Jets one-two punch, due to contract disputes; however, it looks like Washington is more likely to land a new contract, so expect him to be part of any running back by committee the Jets go with.

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First Round Pick “Ziggy” Hood Is Officially a Steeler

The Steelers officially reached terms with first round pick Evander “Ziggy” Hood. The reported deal includes $6.1 million of guaranteed cash for Hood. It’s essentially a five-year deal with a base salary of $8.7 million per year.

Hood, the defensive end from the University of Missouri, is only the fourth first-round draft pick to be signed to a deal and Pittsburgh is certainly very happy that they were able to get passed any holdouts with Hood, especially before the start of training camp next week.

Another interesting note: the Steel are all set with their draft picks and will also head into camp with all 80 players on the roster securely signed to contracts.

It’s always nice to be the defending champs and not have to deal with any surrounding player holdouts. It’s a rarity in the NFL these days.

Happy Birthday to a Very Special Person

I have found that in life, often times the most meaningful moments tend to occur during the most inopportune times.

While it might be easy to remember certain significant events in one’s life and value them for great memories that they have become, there are also those special moments that occur on impulse that can carry the same amount of value.

I have been a passionate sports fan for the greater portion of my life. I have also been blessed enough to have great people on my life who have shared my passion: My father, my mother, my step-father, my brothers, my fiancé, and the list goes on and on.

All of the aforementioned people have shared, to one degree or another, my passion for sports and I have been all the more fortunate to be the beneficiary of such fantastic interaction.

So over the course of my life, it would become almost a prerequisite for a family member and myself to exchange views about that particular week’s football game or wrestling contest. Without much thought, concern, or dedication, such conversations would become a staple of the Michael-family BBQ’s.

But with as much as I cherish and value the times in which I have had the opportunity to share my passion for sports with others who have shared my interest, there have also been times when certain people have gone out of their way to take an interest in my passions for no other reason than the kindness they possess in their hearts.

Enter my future mother-in-law to be.

I do not feel as if the NFL has even been an essential part of her life. As a matter of fact, I believe her greatest passion would likely reside in perhaps her greatest work of all: Raising two daughters. one of whom I have been blessed enough to have the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with.

So for a woman who has had passions that extend far beyond the reach of sports admiration, you wouldn’t expect her to have an overwhelming amount of interest in who won the football game during any given week.

But this woman is the kind of person who would reach outside of her personal realm of interest to discuss things less important, albeit, often more exciting to me, with someone whom she knows has a passion for it.

You see, it’s easy to take the time to talk about football when it’s something that you already love yourself. It’s something else to dedicate a portion of your day to reach outside your personal field of interest for someone else.

Such people might not think much of doing so, but often times they might be unaware of the positive impact their actions can have.

I cannot tell you how many days have gone by where I might have been under an inordinate amount of stress for any given reason.

My escape of course, is to vent out all of the random sports-related statistics, theories, and perspectives I have, often times upon unsuspecting victims whose first topic of discussion wouldn’t likely consist of how many touchdown passes Peyton Manning has thrown.

Yet time and time again, this special person would take her time to listen to every random, insignificant, and often times senseless sports-related comment, just to enable me the opportunity to share my passion.

Never once have I been made to feel as if I had been going a little overboard, which I do, and never had I ever been told that she wasn’t interested even though I’m fairly certain that there were topics of discussion that she might have a greater interest in.

There have been times when she would be excited to point out a Peyton Manning article that might have caught her eye on Yahoo. Little things that can mean so much when you see someone take an interest in something for you.

I’ll never forget the time when Monday Night Raw was coming to town and I would have never been able to afford good tickets at the time.

This special person, as well as another close friend of mine, were the first to volunteer to make sure that my fiancé and I got to not only got to go to the event, but got to be close enough to hit Batista with a soda bottle if we so chose (an opportunity that we unfortunately failed to take advantage of).

In any event, I would like to personally thank this special person for all of her sports-related and non-sports-related contributions to my life as well as others whom I care about a great deal.

My friend Rich would know exactly who I’m talking about.

So on this special day when there are more important things going on than sports, I would like to personally wish this special person the happiest of birthdays.

Questions Surrounding The Philadelphia Eagles Part One: The Offense

Every year there are questions surrounding not only the team as a whole, but each player individually.

These questions are the ones that will determine the player’s year, or rather, the answers will determine the year.

The offense has a ton of expectations to meet not only for themselves as a unit, but individually and to the fans, media, and coaches. The answers to the questions as individuals will shape the offense as a whole.

Jason Peters

Q: Can he prove that he’s not soft, and that last year’s season was simply an aberration?

A: I truly believe that he can. He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder, and that’s always a good thing for a player to have. The bonus incentive of protecting a future Hall of Fame guy like Donovan McNabb shouldn’t hurt, either.

Todd Herremans

Q: Can he rebound from a down year and learn to work with Jason Peters?

A: Herremans is the forgotten man along the line, which for me is a good thing. Offensive linemen are usually only remembered (while they’re playing) for the bad plays. Missing an assignment and getting your man killed, for example. Herremans doesn’t do that.

Jamaal Jackson

Q: Can he prove that he belongs as the center for this football team?

A: He was on the winning end of a position battle a few years back, but could find himself on the losing end this year if he’s not careful. Personally I think the call for Jackson’s job is premature and unwarranted. He’s a big reason why the line is so interchangeable. He puts them in place.

Stacy Andrews

Q: The obvious one is, can he rebound from that knee injury and deal with a position switch?

A: The knee injury was not good, that’s obvious. Not being a doctor, I’m not really suited to comment on the injury, but the training staff feels okay about it, so I’ll defer to them. The position switch should not be a big deal, he’ll just need to be a bit more powerful dealing with defensive tackles instead of defensive ends.

Shawn Andrews

Q: Far too many for Shawn, but my question is can he get back on the field mentally?

A: Shawn Andrews is without a doubt a top-five lineman when healthy, both mentally and physically. I think the addition of his brother and former college roommate (Peters) will help immensely. We should see that top-five Andrews, and not the sad-sack, oft-injured Andrews.

Nick Cole

Q: Can he prove that he deserves to take over Jackson’s job in the center?

A: Honestly, I don’t see Nick Cole as a starter just yet. He played very well last year at guard, but center and guard are different animals in the NFL. A center must be able to dissect a defense just as well as the quarterback, and I don’t see Cole being at that level just yet. He just doesn’t have enough experience playing the position.

Max Jean-Gilles

Q: Can he rebound from the broken ankle and show that he belongs as an eventual starter?

A: I’m a big fan of Jean-Gilles and think he could probably start on about 25 teams in this league. However, in Philly, he’s not a starter. He’s an incredible backup to have and is wonderful insurance for them at this point. I see Jean-Gilles leaving to start elsewhere in a couple years.

King Dunlap

Q: Can Dunlap show the skills and realize the potential that have kept him around this long?

A: Let’s face it, seventh-round picks usually don’t stick with a team past the first year. Dunlap was a seventh-round pick, has been injured, and is still on the roster. Why? They obviously see something in him. I thought highly of this kid coming out of college and if he can stay healthy, he may open some eyes at training camp.

Winston Justice

Q: Can he show why he was a second-round pick only a couple years ago?

A: “If they don’t bite when they’re puppies, they’re not going to bite when they’re grown dogs.” Ouch. That was Hugh Douglas’ assessment regarding Winston Justice just last year. Justice has all the talent and size in the world, but according to Douglas just does not play with the swagger necessary to play lineman in the NFL. Is he right? He usually is.

Mike Gibson/Mike McGlynn

Q: Can either of these guys step up and show that they should be the primary backups?

A: Right now, both of these guys are buried on the depth chart. Nick Cole is the backup at the center and right guard spot, Jean-Gilles is on the left, Justice is the backup right tackle, and Dunlap will probably wind up as the backup at the left tackle. They’ll need to impress in training camp, or they may find themselves on the street.

Brent Celek

Q: Can he produce for an entire year the way he did in the playoffs last season?

A: I absolutely believe that he can. Celek is obviously a very intelligent guy who is good at using his body to shield linebackers and safeties so that he can make a play on the ball. He must improve his in-line blocking, but as far as being a weapon in the passing game Celek is a guy I’d worry about as a defense.

Cornelius Ingram

Q: Can he play like the all-star he was before the knee injury?

A: Ingram is going to get some chances this season. The Eagles will probably use him as a split end in the red zone and use his size to their advantage. As a former basketball player at Florida, this guy has all the tools to be a great tight end in this league. I think he’ll take full advantage of his opportunities and the combination of him and Celek will have the Eagles set for many years.

Matt Schobel/Eugene Bright

Q: Can either of these guys separate themselves from the other for the third tight end spot?

A: Bright obviously has the highest hill to climb in his quest to knock off the incumbent, but Schobel certainly didn’t help himself with his play last year. Some key drops may have leveled the playing field for Bright. I see Bright landing on the practice squad with Schobel taking the third spot.

Kevin Curtis

Q: Was 2007 just a fluke, or can Curtis produce like a number one receiver?

A: Curtis is a very good wide receiver, however, he is not a No. 1 guy. Let’s not kid ourselves, he put up some good numbers but no one fears Curtis is the No. 1 guy split out wide. Now, in the slot it’s a different story, but don’t hold your breath on that happening.

DeSean Jackson

Q: Can he avoid the sophomore slump and get even better for his second season?

A: The “sophomore slump” usually comes from players who have a good first year, then become complacent. They think it will just fall into place so they stop working as hard. For Fraction Jackson, I don’t see that as being the case. Being drafted in the second round will be a chip he’ll wear on his shoulder for the rest of his career. Look for D-Jack to be even better than last year.

Jeremy Maclin

Q: Can he transition from the spread offense to the west coast offense?

A: Maclin still does not have a deal in place, which is not a good sign heading into training camp tomorrow. However, with full faith that a deal will get done, Maclin should be just fine. The coaches rave about how he’s a smart kid and has picked up the offense fairly well to think point. Smarts and speed win games in the NFL, and this kid has both.

Jason Avant

Q: Can he evolve from third-down savior to an every-down big play threat?

A: I’m a big fan of Jason Avant, as I believe most Philly fans are. He’s not afraid to go over the middle or go up for a ball, and he has the strongest hands on the team. However, Avant has seemingly only made his mark on third down in years past. This year I believe he will take that next step in becoming that every-down possession receiver.

Hank Baskett

Q: Can he step up his game and earn more playing time in a crowded field of receivers?

A: Baskett is a confusing guy. One game it looks like he could be a dominating force, and the next he completely disappears. This could speak to his work ethic, perhaps spending too much time with wife, Kendra, and friends, but I can’t be sure of that. One thing I can be sure of is that if he doesn’t pick his game up he’ll have plenty of time to talk to her on the sidelines.

Reggie Brown

Q: Can he take a step in becoming the receiver that the Eagles thought he would be?

A: I’m not nearly as down on Reggie Brown as most seem to be. His first couple of years were very productive, then an injury last season had him see very limited time. Being healthy and benched in favor of Greg Lewis in the NFC Championship game doesn’t help the notion that Reid will probably part ways with another perceived second-round bust.

Brandon Gibson

Q: Can this sixth-round pick show enough in camp to earn a roster spot?

A: I believe this is an unequivocal “Yes.” I don’t know who the Eagles will move in order to make room for this kid, but I believe it will happen. Talking to some people who follow Washington State, they rave about his hands and pure talent. He played on a bad team last year, which hurt his numbers and his draft stock, but with people around him he’s a real weapon.

Leonard Weaver

Q: Can he give this offense the boost that they were missing without a fullback last season?

A: Bringing in Weaver may have been the most underrated offseason move of any team in the league. If you look at the teams with great running games (Carolina, Baltimore, Tennessee), they all have a great fullback. I think Weaver will add a boost to this running game that the Eagles have never had before.

Kyle Eckel

Q: Can Eckel show that he’s not just a tweener and make a mark?

A: Eckel is a difficult guy to place. He’s built like a small fullback, but isn’t fast enough to play running back. The Eagles will undoubtedly only keep one fullback (Weaver), so he’ll have to show enough to beat out a guy the Eagles gave up a fourth-round pick for in Lorenzo Booker. Unfortunately, I don’t see Eckel making the roster.

Lorenzo Booker

Q: Can he show the talent that he displayed at Floria State to warrant a fourth-round pick?

A: Booker will probably get at least one more season to show that he can be the “mini-Westbrook” that the Eagles thought he could be. Reid and company hate giving up picks enough as it is, so they certainly won’t quit on Booker this early with only one season under his belt. He’ll have a chance for some playing time in camp with Westy out, so he needs to put on a show.

Brian Westbrook

Q: Will the injury bug haunt him again this year, or will he be able to stay healthy?

A: It’s no secret that the Eagles only expect about 14 games a year out of Westbrook because at this point—he is who he is. While we’d love to see him stay healthy for an entire year, the main objective at this point in his career should be to keep him as fresh as possible for the playoffs where he’s really needed.

LeSean McCoy

Q: He’s got huge expectations, can he live up to the billing as the next Westbrook?

A: If I were the Eagles, I’d be giving McCoy the bulk of the carries this year. I got the chance to see this kid play high school ball where he lit it up, then again in college where he made the best players in the country look like fools. He’s a great kid, and an unbelievable talent. When this draft is reviewed in three years, McCoy will be talked about as one of the biggest steals.

A.J. Feeley

Q: Does he push Kolb out of the No. 2 spot and take over the job he deserves?

A: They say that one of the most important positions on a football team in the backup quarterback. Matt Cassel has put a new spin on that phrase and teams will start looking a lot closer at who is their backup. That being said, Feeley should be the backup for this team. He’s the obvious better quarterback.

Kevin Kolb

Q: Can he prove that he has the mental and physical skills to be an NFL quarterback?

A: So far Kolb has shown nothing other than the fact that he’s not ready for the NFL. If McNabb were to go down, does anyone really want Kolb running the show, or would we rather see Feeley? I’d say I would rather see the guy who has won games for this team and shown some promise, rather than the guy who has only lost games and shown nothing.

Donovan McNabb

Q: Can he finally take the Eagles to the promised land and hoist the Lombardi trophy?

A: Putting bias aside, I believe McNabb can finally do what the Eagles brought him in to do 11 years ago. He has his guaranteed money, he has weapons around him in a new left tackle, a new running back, and a new wide receiver. If McNabb can stay healthy, and the playmakers around him stay healthy, the Eagles should finally get that elusive Lombardi trophy.

 

Also Check Out 2 Minutes to Midnight Green!

Seattle Seahawks In the Huddle: Matt Hasselbeck

In continuing my series chronicling players entering training camp, I focus this article on the captain of this team:  Matt Hasselbeck.

 

Matt Hasselbeck has been what has gelled this offense through the Mike Holmgren era.  Although his first couple of years were rocky in Seattle, this team would not be what it is today without Matt Hasselbeck.

 

He came to the Seahawks in 2001 after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round in 1998.  His reception in Seattle wasn’t the best to start out a career, as his arrival forced out fan favorite Jon Kitna and his erratic play for several years led to his benching.

 

He finally started winning fans over in the final three games of the 2002 season, when the Seahawks went 3-0 to close out the season 7-9.

 

As he entered the 2003 season, he became the starter and led the Seahawks to a 10-6 record, earning them a birth in the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers where he infamously made the proclamation “we want the ball, and were gonna score” call in the OT.

 

The Seahawks were finally gaining respect, being the team chosen by SI as the team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl

 

2004 also happened to be another good year for the quarterback as his team flew out the gate to a 3-0 record.  However, a late collapse against the St. Louis Rams in Week 4 really disrupted their season.  They went on to finish 9-7 and lose to the Rams in the NFC Wild Card game.  Hasselbeck finished with 3,382 yards and 22 touchdowns.

 

He really flourished in 2005, guiding the Seahawks to the Super Bowl and starting the 2005 Pro Bowl.  He threw for3,459 yards and 24 touchdowns.

 

His best season statistically came in 2007, where he passed for 3,966 yards and 28 TD’s.  The Seahawks again lost to the Packers in the playoffs that season, and Hasselbeck unfortunately kept his mouth shut.

 

It has been extensively covered that Matt Hasselbeck had a herniated disk last season, allowing him to only play in seven games.  For the first time in his career, Hasselbeck heads into training camp with his health in question.

 

Although we have good reason to question if Hasselbeck is healthy, (can you name one guy who came back to play QB in the NFL after blowing a disk in his back?) Hasselbeck wants to silence his doubters.

 

As we enter training camp everyone’s eyes will be on Hasselbeck.  So far he has looked good, but what will happen in the opener against St. Louis? 

 

If the Seahawks plan to play their way back into the post season they will need their leader to have another Pro Bowl caliber season.

 

 

This article can also be found at:  Seahawks Sideline

The Big On Field Battle in Denver

Finally the long hot summer is beginning to end.

The boys of summer will soon give way to the warriors of winter. The crack of the bat will be replaced by the crash of body armor against body armor.

Denver fans have been waiting since January for some glimpse of the post-Shanahan era and what it really means. The first big battle won’t be Denver versus some other team though.

An era has changed; there is a new attitude in Denver.  One clash remains, the last vestige of the excesses that doomed Mike Shanahan still remains to be washed away. The big pre-season battle to watch will be Royal versus Marshall.

Marshall was the coddled star, whose poor off-field decisions were tolerated because on the field he could make great plays. The last year of Shanahan’s tenure was marked by a reliance on two young talents with great potential, but great flaws. 

While Marshall enters his third season Royal comes in as a second year player who has quietly gone about his business well enough to have an excellent rookie campaign. The new attitude in Denver is hard working, no fuss type players.

Over the last couple of years McDaniels’ offense has featured precise disciplined routes run by receivers like Moss and Welker with the quarterback throwing to spots. A player like Royal fits that concept like a glove, but Marshall has never been a disciplined route runner.

Marshall and Cutler worked well together, with Cutler buying time with his feet while Marshall used his size to ward off smaller defenders.  Cutler was looking for him anyway so it didn’t really matter if Marshall was in exactly the right place.

Marshall caught 57 percent of the passes thrown to him, Royal caught 71 percent.

There will be a battle.

Marshall has to prove to the league that it is worth putting up with his poor off-field decisions. A bad season by Marshall could mean little to no interest in him as a free agent.

This battle is a microcosm of the Denver Bronco offseason.

Can Marshall show the kind of discipline the new system will require? He will get his chances but if he can’t stay with Royal in the preseason he may end up somewhere else before his trading value drops too far.

 

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