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So.Mn.Fan -> RE: RE:NFL News (9/7/2008 2:15:15 AM)
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QBs, old and new, among hot topics for Week 1
[image]http://static.nfl.com/static/content//catch_all/nfl_image/kirwansmall.jpg[/image]
By Pat Kirwan | NFL.com
Senior Analyst
10 hot topics for Week 1
Every season has a life of its own in the NFL, and when you break it down, every week has a number of hot topics that dominate the storylines.
It's Week 1 in the NFL, and there are so many unknowns that 10 topics will not do the week justice. However, I will limit the first week to 10 issues that will drive the league.
[image]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/nfl_image_19635.jpg[/image]
Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images
For the first time since 1991, Brett Favre will sport a jersey besides that of the Green Bay Packers.
1. Favre vs. Pennington
Brett Favre holds so many NFL passing records that there's no point in mentioning them. After retiring this offseason, he woke up one day and wanted to play again but the Packers didn't want him anymore. Even in his wildest dreams, he never thought he would be in the Big Apple with the Jets. The Packers understandably never wanted Favre in their division as a Viking or Bear. The Jets wound up with their former quarterback, Chad Pennington, still in their division as a Dolphin. If Favre wins the opener and continues to build passing records, the pressure shifts to Green Bay. If Pennington leads the Dolphins to victory, it puts a bull's eye on the Jets. There will not be one football fan in the country who isn't keeping an eye on this game.
2. Two rookie QBs start Week 1
There are a number of points of entry for young quarterbacks. Start right away like Peyton Manning did his rookie season and throw more interceptions than touchdowns, battle through the losing and hopefully be upright at the end of the year. Keep in mind, for every Manning there are many more David Carr scenarios. The second choice is to get some playing time late in your rookie season like Donovan McNabb did, and come back for the second season with a taste of what the NFL is all about. The third entry point for first-round signal callers is wait the whole rookie season like Carson Palmer did and hit the ground running in your second year. Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco enter play right away, and their supporting casts aren't great, to say the least. The offensive lines in both situations are average at best. There is no marquee receiver such as Daunte Culpepper had in Minnesota with Randy Moss. Both should struggle early. Hopefully, they both get a good long honeymoon period to develop and learn from their mistakes.
3. Is any player facing more pressure than Rodgers?
There is pressure on every player in the NFL, but I can't imagine a guy with more pressure on his shoulders than Aaron Rodgers. He will sit around a hotel room all day Sunday watching football, and probably watching Favre against the Dolphins more than any other game. Then, he has to get through the long boring Monday waiting for a game that night against the Vikings with Jared Allen coming off the edge, play after play. The Vikes have a great run defense, and sooner or later Rodgers has to throw to win. This will be one tough weekend for the young quarterback.
4. How healthy are Brady, Manning and McNabb?
The NFL got a real scare as three of the biggest names in the league had medical issues surrounding their ability to start the season. This preseason, McNabb looked like he's ready to return, but he hasn't completed a 16-game season since 2003. Tom Brady has a foot injury and hasn't thrown a pass, or played a down all summer. However, with the Chiefs coming to town he should get through unscathed. Peyton Manning is coming off an injury for the first time in his career, but his return looks good and his timing with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark can be sharpened quickly. What will be interesting to see in all three situations is how much pressure packages the opponents use in order to get physical with these quarterbacks. Quarterback hits can be almost as effective as sacks in these situations.
5. Is the Martz offense in San Francisco too much of a risk?
Mike Nolan is a fine football coach, but he enters the 2008 season probably having to win in order to save his job. Bringing Mike Martz in to overhaul the offense is a questionable move in such tough times, and I'm not sure the 49ers' talent sets up well for the makeover. The starting quarterback is journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan rather than former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. Pay close attention to how effective their best player, running back Frank Gore, is in the new offense, and how well the offensive line pass blocks.
[image]http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/jeremy-shockey-200x230.jpg[/image]
Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press
Jeremy Shockey could help give the Saints one of the NFL's most potent offenses.
6. Does the addition of Shockey make the Saints' offense impossible to defend?
Since Sean Payton took over as coach and acquired Drew Brees to lead the offense, the Saints have always been able to score points. Jeremy Shockey gives them a dimension they have never had, but he hasn't played all summer so no one knows if he can really go and make a difference. With Marques Colston, an improving Robert Meacham, Reggie Bush and the return of Deuce McAllister, to go along with Shockey, this team could regularly put up 30-plus points. They open with the Buccaneers, who swept them last year and were No. 1 against the pass. It should be a good test for the high-powered Saints offense.
7. Will injuries to Cowboys receivers take Owens out of the offense?
The Cowboys skipped the wide receiver position in the draft and free agency. Then they incurred a number of injuries at wideout and now appear undermanned for a balanced passing attack as they open the season. The question is can Cleveland double Terrell Owens and Jason Witten, and stymie the Dallas attack?
8. How will the new out-of-bounds rule impact the passing game?
The NFL changed the rule on a reception when a defender knocks the receiver out of bounds before he gets his feet down. It used to be that if the referee determined the pass catcher was going to come down in bounds, then it would be a catch. Now it's black and white, if the defender knocks you out of bounds before two feet come down it is an incompletion. As former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and I discussed, the effect of the rule last week made it clear receivers have to work a bit further from the sidelines to withstand the knockout. The defenders, especially the safeties coming over the top, will look to knock receivers out of bounds rather than play the ball. In the end, this rule narrows the width of the field the receivers can work with by at least four yards.
9. Can the Lions run their way back to respectability?
Coach Rob Marinelli has told me on a number of occasions this year that the Lions are a running football team. After watching them practice this summer, I believe the commitment is in place to pound the run. The true test is what they do when down seven points. What will they do when the safety is way down in the box before the ball is snapped? I look forward to watching the "new" Lions work their offense.
10. Are the Texans for real?
I remember when I knew we were a better team at the New York Jets, but the presence of Dan Marino and Jim Kelly made it close to impossible for the improvement to show up in our record. I feel for the Houston Texans, who have Peyton Manning in their division, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. They open up against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, which is about as tough an opener as a team could have when they are trying to make a statement. Without Dunta Robinson in the secondary, the Steelers' passing game will be a challenge, but even a loss with solid all-around play will be a sign they may be for real.
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