GRIDIRON GRUMBLINGS: VOL VI

IMPACT PLAYERS
By Marc Jimenez, NFL Draft Bible

With the NFL season kicking off on Thursday, there are certain aspects of the game that fans can expect to happen during the course of the year. For instance, you can count on Peyton Manning leading the league in QB Rating, LaDainian Tomlinson leading the league in rushing and Chad Johnson leading the league in unique touchdown celebrations. But the one thing fans cannot expect are the players who defy expectations, while having a profound impact in their team’s play. Every season there are multiple players who go against conventional wisdom and turn the league upside down.

Let’s look at a few of those players.


Is Jon Kitna this year’s Drew Brees? (A once cast aside QB who has a breakout season.)

In his first year in the Big Easy, Brees led the league in passing (4,418) and guided a New Orleans squad, who was still tormented by the effects of Hurricane Katrina, into the NFC Championship Game. All the right pieces were in place for Brees to have his breakout season and the same might be true for Kitna this season. The soon-to-be 35-year-old QB led the league in completions (372), was second in attempts (596) and fourth in passing (4,208 yards). Look for those numbers to improve now that the Lions have a trio of talented wide receivers in Roy Williams, Mike Furrey and Calvin Johnson. If Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz can get anything out of the running game (which was ranked last in 2006) and limit Kitna’s interceptions (22) and sacks (league-high 63), it’s not hard to imagine Kitna throwing for over 4,000 yards, 25 TDs and making good on his 10-win guarantee.

Is James Jones this year’s Marques Colston? (A late-round draft pick who becomes a star.)

No one could have predicted that Colston, a seventh-round draft pick, would lead all rookie wideouts in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but that’s exactly what he did for the Saints on his way in becoming the most exciting rookie wideout since Randy Moss. Jones, who caught 70 passes for 893 yards and 10 TDs during his final season at San Jose State, was a third-round draft pick and will likely be the Packer’s No. 3 receiver. Now, given his ability to go deep and Brett Favre’s fondness for throwing the ball (he led the league with 613 attempts), Jones has the potential to thrive while lining up alongside Donald Driver.

Is Michael Bush this year’s Maurice Jones-Drew? (A rookie running back who surpassed expectations.)

Just like the commercial says, Jones-Drew was considered too small to play and was buried on Jacksonville’s depth charts. But the 5-foot- wreaking ball worked his way into the lineup, relieving an oft-injured Fred Taylor, and his impact paid off huge dividends. Jones-Drew totaled 941 yards and 13 TDs on the ground and another 436 yards and two TDs in the air. Plus he added one kickoff return and averaged 5.7 yards per carry, which was better than anyone in with the league with at least 150 carries. Oakland’s situation with an underachieving LaMont Jordon, who missed the final nine games due to a knee injury, and Dominic Rhodes, who was suspended for the first four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, could allow Bush to steal carries if he has fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered in the 2006 opener against Kentucky. Bush is a big and elusive back who has the ability, like Jones-Drew, to reach the end zone. In 2005 Bush had 205 carries for 1,143 yards and an NCAA-best 23 rushing TDs. The Louisville product also caught 21 passes for 253 yards. Bush may be under the radar right now, but he has the potential to lift a Raider squad that ranked last in offense.


Is Jake Delhomme this year’s Drew Bledsoe? (A starting QB who loses his job to a backup.)

Bledsoe has endured some highs and lows during his 14-year career. The good: he was the No. 1 pick in 1993, led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI, selected to four pro bowls, and ranks seventh in NFL history in passing yards (44,611) and 13th in touchdown passes (251). The bad: he was replaced in New England by Tom Brady, in Buffalo by J.P. Losman an in Dallas by Tony Romo. The ugly: He took too many sacks and threw too many costly interceptions. Bledsoe’s benching in Dallas should be a warning to Delhomme. Carolina was expected to be a Super Bowl contender last season, but went just 8-8. Despite having Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson last season, Carolina’s passing ranked 15th in the league. John Fox cannot afford to have Delhomme struggle this season with his coaching job possibly in jeopardy. If so, David Carr (yes, that David Carr) might take away Delhomme's job and try to show what he can do behind a real NFL line.

Is Trent Green this year’s Daunte Culpepper? (A former Pro-Bowl QB who was injured last season.)

Clearly, Miami hasn’t learned its lesson on signing quarterbacks with prior injuries, but come this season, they will. Green, who suffered a severe concussion last season, has been a serviceable quarterback for many years, but it’s hard to imagine he has anything left in his 37-year-old tank. Remember, in his last meaningful game he was terrible in Kansas City’s playoff loss at Indianapolis last season (14 of 24 for 107 yards with a touchdown, two interceptions, two fumbles and four sacks), plus he doesn’t have the safety net of handing the ball over to Larry Johnson or throwing to Tony Gonzalez.

Is Ted Ginn, Jr. is this year’s Mario Williams? (An overrated draft pick who has no chance of reversing public sentiment.)

Williams surprised everyone last season when he was selected No. 1, above such names as Reegie Bush, Vince Young, and Matt Leinart. Williams recorded just 47 tackles and 4 ½ sacks for a Houston team that finished 24th in defense. Miami’s decision to select Ginn ninth overall was questionable for two reasons: 1. the former Buckeye was coming off an injury and 2. Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn was still available. Since the draft, Ginn hasn’t made a great impression on the coaching staff and is not projected to be a starter. On the other hand, if Ginn doesn’t make it on the field perhaps he can find his way into a commercial with buddy LeBron James.

Will Joey Porter be this year’s Albert Haynesworth? (A guy who turns into a cheapshot artist in the heat of battle.)

Who can forget the startling image of 6-foot-6, 320-pound Haynesworth stomping on Dallas center Andrew Gurode’s face then later kicking him for good measure? The NFL is a rough game with a rich history of guys taking cheap shots at one another. Although it is impossible to condone such behavior, it is likely we will see another ugly incident this season, perhaps with Porter. The 250-pond linebacker is no stranger to aggressive play. Three seasons ago, Porter was ejected for getting into a pre-game fight with Cleveland running back William Green and just this past offseason, he punched Cincinnati tackle Levi Jones in the face at a Las Vegas blackjack table and took the phrase “hit me” to a new level. Look for Porter to be unusually rowdy when his new team, Miami, plays his old team, Pittsburg, on November 26 at Heinz Field.


Is Tom Coughlin this year’s Dennis Green? (A coach who goes on an unintentionally funny rant.)

Green had the most memorable meltdown since Jim Mora’s infamous “Playoff” rant. After giving up a 20-point lead at home against the Bears, the Arizona coach lost his cool at a postgame news conference. When asked about Chicago, Green shouted, “The Bears are who were thought they were. That’s why we took the damn field. Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass. But they are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook." A special rant like that only comes around once every few years but Coughlin has a good chance at breaking that trend this season. If New York underperforms and Tiki Barber continues to rip his former coach on national television, the tightly wound Coughlin could delight fans with an outrageous tirade.