NFL Preview #2 – The Players Continued Share
24 Aug 2010
Last week we covered some offensive players you should
know about this year. One, Brett Favre, decided to not
retire and is playing one more year with the Minnesota
Vikings. We’ll see whether that was a good decision,
for him and the team, as the season goes on. You can
be sure he’ll stay in the spotlight. I’ll tell you
this – if three of your buddies from the office came to your
house and flew you back to town in a private jet because you
thought about retirement, then threw $25 million your way,
you’d at least consider sitting back down in your cubicle
writing TPS reports.
Defensive players generally don’t garner the headlines
offensive players do. Rarely do they make plays on
their own. Rarely do they get a chance to strut around
the end zone in front of the cameras. Rarely do they
become difference makers on a team. The irony is that
a common football saying is that “defense wins
championships.” In my time I can’t think of a National
Football League (NFL) team that won the Super Bowl with a
great offense and a mediocre defense. I can think of
one that had a pedestrian offense, but a stellar defense
(look up the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV back in
2000). I have no idea why the NFL insists on using
Roman numerals to enumerate the Super Bowls, but I do know
about a couple defensive players you will want to know about
this year.
Ray Lewis
Ray Lewis is a linebacker who plays for the aforementioned
Baltimore Ravens. As a linebacker, he plays on the
defense just behind the defensive linemen. Linebackers
generally aren’t down on all fours and primarily either drop
back after the snap to disrupt a pass or serve as the
primary tacklers on running plays. Ray Lewis is the
quintessential linebacker. Initially thought to be too
small at 6’1” and 250 lbs, he has easily been the best
linebacker to play the sport in recent memory. He has
been selected to the Pro Bowl (like an all star game) 11
times, the most for any player at his position. He has
led his team in tackles for 11 straight years, been named
NFL defensive player of the year twice, and selected as the
Super Bowl MVP as a defensive player, only the second to
ever do so.
Lewis is one of the most intimidating players at his
position and serves as the emotional and de facto leader of
the defense. He also invented one of the best dances
an NFL player has come up with. He did have one little
oopsie in 2000 at a Super Bowl Party. Lewis was
involved in an altercation with three of his friends against
another group of folks, resulting in the stabbing death of
two people. Lewis agreed to sell his buddies out in
exchange for a lesser sentence and was only sentenced to
probation. His buddies were actually acquitted.
This year, Lewis will continue to lead his defense and
could very well be pivotal in getting his team back to the
Super Bowl. The Baltimore Ravens are considered by
many to be a Super Bowl contender. They finally have
an offense that can put points on the board. Defense
wins championships, but not if you can’t get a couple points
on the board. If Baltimore is able to put together
enough games to make the play-offs, you can bet Ray Lewis
will be the guy whose picture is plastered on all the
headlines.
One Liner: “Lewis might eat half the
offense if they can’t get it together this year.”
Referring to the offensive woes the Ravens have had despite
one of the consistently best defenses in the league.
Leave a comment for Chris
login not required-
**Note that by writing
anything here you are releasing it for non-exclusive use by
NASG LLC and Echo DBA
|
Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu plays strong safety for the Pittsburgh
Steelers. A defense generally fields two safeties at a
time, a strong and a free safety. The strong safety is
generally more physical and typically serves to defend
against pass plays. Polamalu is one of the most
distinctive players on the field because of his long hair
that comes half way down his back. He is of Samoan
decent and keeps his hair long in observance of his
tradition. He’s also one of the most dynamic players
in the NFL. He is wildly popular because of his
aggressive play and his soft-spoken side. He is seen
as a beast on the field, but displays a quiet demeanor
during interviews. Polamalu is such a lynchpin on the
team that in 2007 he was given the largest contract of all
the Steelers.
This year, Pittsburgh looks to return to their winning
ways, but have a tough road ahead. Their starting
quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger (covered in NFL Preview #1)
is serving a 6 month suspension. If the Steelers are
to make it to the play-offs, it will be partially on the
back of Polamalu. Troy is a game changer like few
defensive players are today. When you watch a game, it
seems like he’s playing every position at once. He
rarely is out of position and nearly always makes the play.
One Liner: “If the Steelers had 11
Polamalus, they’d win the Super Bowl with an offense made up
of high school clarinet players.” Referring to
how good Polamalu is.
Albert Haynesworth
Leroy has already reported on Albert Haynesworth and the
drama surrounding him. You can read his article
here, so I’m just going to continue with what is
becoming ridiculous. Albert Haynesworth the gift that
just keeps on giving (if you’re Jay Leno or a sportswriter).
After finally passing the conditioning test, Haynesworth has
continued to be a problem. Redskins coach Mike
Shanahan has relegated him to the second team defense until
he shows he can play first string. Haynesworth has
responded with complaining about more owies, sitting out
practices, and complaining about not being first string.
In recent interviews after a pre-season game, the
frustration was evident on both sides. Coaches said
that big Al’s time off from practice was because of
headaches. Offended because Haynesworth thought his
injuries were more serious, he mocked the coaching staff
saying, “I guess they’ll tell you headaches again.”
Now the Washington Post is reporting that he has a condition
called rhabdomyolysis. Whatever. The Redskins
said they weren’t aware of the condition and Coach Shanahan
told the media that he’s not going to get away with not
practicing and then being able to play. In the same
vein, big Al was insulted to be playing with second
stringers, noting that he’s a ninth year pro. He also
said that he won’t show up for training camp again next
year.
This is a classic case of a new coaching regime holding a
player to a standard he isn’t used to. Coach Shanahan
has been around a long time and won’t be budging.
Haynesworth can continue to complain about his relegation to
the bench, but unless he starts to perform, he’ll be paid a
lot of money to guard the Gatorade cooler. This drama
will end in one of two ways. Either Haynesworth will
finally get over his “condition” and perform for the team,
or he’ll get traded. In the end, he really isn’t a
game changer for a defense like Ray Lewis or Troy Polamalu
are. Right now he’s only causing more problems. This should
serve as interesting drama for the next few weeks.
Personally, I think it’s great to see the over-paid,
self-absorbed football player taught a little about being a
member of a team. Way to go, Coach – I’m with ya.
One Liner: “I think rhabdomyolysis is a
condition where you just can’t stop crying.”
Referring to Albert Haynesworth’s reported condition,
preventing him from giving 100% effort.
Send comments to:
Chris@notasportsguy.com
Pro Football Basics
The National Football League (NFL) has, in many people’s
view, supplanted baseball as “America’s Pastime.” The
debate of what is more popular College versus Pro Football
shows no sign of getting any easier as both sports have a
huge fan base throughout the country.
More...
|
