THE GRID VOL. VIII

Bryan Palmese, 4th & Goal Columnist

For all of those fans out there that were curious as to who is going to win Rookie of the Year for this season, look no further then this weeks' installment of The Grid. In last week's column, we shook up the normal voting style for this award and tossed the thirty-two first round picks in the 2007 draft into brackets, March Madness style. This week, we pick up the tournament at the Sweet Sixteen and a winner will be crowned shortly. There were some blowouts and some nailbiters as well in the first round. Upsets sprung up too, including the number one seed JaMarcus Russell bowing out to the number thirty-one ranked Anthony Gonzalez. Russell was a holdout and missed all of training camp which meant that he was behind the eight-ball before the season even started. Gonzalez has been a solid addition to the Colts offense this season, thus the former Ohio State receiver moved on to the prestigious Sweet Sixteen.

Sixteen players will compete in this second round, with hopes of dancing on to the Elite Eight.

In our opening game, the upset story from Indianapolis, Anthony Gonzalez runs into another receiver in former Yellow Jacket Calvin Johnson. Johnson ousts Gonzalez with little trouble. The 6'5" Georgia Tech stud has 3 touchdowns on the season and is averaging 17.6 yards per reception. Gonzalez hasn't broken the two-hundred yard mark nor has he found the endzone. In the 2 o'clock game today, we see an offensive lineman and linebacker face off. Joe Thomas, ranked number three, is a franchise offensive tackle and he has failed to disappoint management and fans in Cleveland thus far. His opponent in this round is former University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason. Beason is a package of excitement bottled up and ready to explode every Sunday. In six games this year, the linebacker has notched forty-five tackles with a few assists as well. The twenty-fifth seed will be the shotcaller for this defense for the next decade and moves on to the Elite Eight after pulling away late in the game against the ex-Wisconsin Badger. The number four seed is defensive end Gaines Adams. The former Clemson Tiger is confident on moving onto the next round, but draws a difficult opponent in wideout Dwayne Bowe. The latter was JaMarcus Russell's favorite target at LSU and has assumed the same role this year in Kansas City. With just under five hundred yards receiving and three touchdowns, Bowe cuts through Adams with ease. Adams is an amazing specimen and will command double teams in the near future as he is tough in pursuit and at stuffing the run. As this game concludes we have our second upset in three games after Bowe defeats Adams. In the 9 o'clock late game, Levi Brown is trying to represent for the offensive linemen as he takes on cornerback Aaron Ross. Ross has been a delight for Giants fans and coaches this year. The former Longhorn defensive back has the skillset to be one of the top corners in this league for years to come. Twenty-one tackles and three interceptions are pretty dazzling numbers for only seven games under his belt. Brown has been as good as most rookie offensive linemen are and lacks the highlight status that Ross has shown. This game is over quickly as Ross defeats the former Penn State lineman with ease.

In our early game on the second day of the Sweet Sixteen, LaRon Landry tangles with Leon Hall in a battle of defensive backs. This match-up is a battle from the start and keeps the fans excited throughout. Landry is a hard hitter with a nose for the ball. He has notched thirty-five tackles and half a sack roaming the Redskins' secondary. The ex-LSU Tiger hits like a tank and is extremely athletic. Leon Hall has been a ray of sunshine in a Bengals defense that is overcast and dreary. Hall combines speed and poise at the corner position and has recorded a forced fumble and two interceptions on this young season. This game is decided at the buzzer as Hall bounces Landry and moves into the third round. Adrian Peterson has made top play after top play all season long. An injury to Chester Taylor enabled the former Oklahoma Sooner to put his talent on the primetime stage. He is one of the most complete backs to come out in the last five years. Peterson can catch out of the backfield, block, run north and south, as well as east and west by utilizing the cutback. He is a threat to take the rock the distance on any touch and is an phenomenal athlete too. The seventh ranked running back takes on the seventeenth ranked Jarvis Moss and has no problems with the defensive end. Moss is lanky and very athletic. He could be a down lineman just as easily as a stand-up linebacker for the Broncos. Moss' time is not here yet though and Peterson slam dunks this match and advances to the next round.

Two more slots are left to fill, which also means that two players are going home empty-handed. Ted Ginn, Jr puts his number nine ranking on the line against the fourteen seeded cornerback, Darrelle Revis. Ginn has only been a blip on the radar at wide receiver this year notching six catches in seven games. He will turn heads on special teams until he grasps the Dolphins offense better. Revis has already turned heads in the Jets secondary. Often matched against the opposing teams' top receiver, Revis has faired well and he has taken his lumps. Overall though, the ex- Pitt Panther has forty-eight tackles and an interception through his freshman campaign in New York. Ginn keeps it close early on, but Revis comes out in the second half and punches his ticket to the Elite Eight. In the final match of the weekend, the eleventh seeded Patrick Willis takes on the twelve seed, Marshawn Lynch. Willis embodies everything you look for in a linebacker. When watching a 49ers game, you see number fifty-two all over the field making plays. Willis uses his speed in coverage as well as going sideline-to-sideline against the run. Through six games, the former Mississippi linebacker has tallied sixty-three tackles and has forced a fumble. Marshawn Lynch has been the sparkplug to an anemic Bills offense. Lynch has put up 457 yards on the ground including four touchdowns during his rookie campaign. The University of California back is elusive, explosive and is a dual threat both running and receiving. He and Peterson will be compared together for years to come as the great running backs of the 2007 class. This battle between Willis and Lynch is too close to call. Just when Lynch appears to pull away, Willis goes on a run to tie it up. A last second turnover by Lynch gives Willis the breathing room he needs to conjure up one last play for the win. Willis squeaks into the Elite Eight with a tight victory over Marshawn Lynch. Two rounds down and three to go.

The first game of the Great Eight involves the number two seed Calvin Johnson versus Jon Beason and his number twenty-five seed. There isn't anything Calvin Johnson can't do for the Lions. In time, he will take over games and wreak havoc for opposing defensive coordinators. Jon Beason has already shown a knack for changing games on the defensive side of the ball for the Carolina Panthers. His motor never stops and the standout linebacker has filled in beautifully for another ex-Hurricane, Dan Morgan. This match is a dogfight and there are several lead changes as these two competitors both want to make it to the final four. After this slugfest is over and the dust clears, Beason comes out on top in a narrow win. In the marquee matchup of this round, running back sensation Adrian Peterson hooks up with flanker, Dwayne Bowe and fireworks ensue. These two competitors are the cream of the offensive crop this year and have added another dimension to their respective teams. This is another classic hardwood battle and though Bowe put up a great fight, Peterson outduels Bowe in a double overtime instant classic. In a defensive grudge match, linebacker Patrick Willis meets up with cornerback Aaron Ross. Ross looks for the upset here but Willis doesn't give an inch. Final four thoughts are abound in both of these players heads, but only one will come out on top. Once again Willis finds a way to move on as he beats the Giants cornerback with grit and determination and awaits his next competition in the Final Four. In the last game of this round, two shutdown cornerbacks duke it out. Darrelle Revis of the Jets versus the Bengals' Leon Hall. These two corners were the first off the board in the 2007 draft and bring similar skills to the board. Similar heights of 5'11'' and style of play make this a tight battle that characterizes Elite Eight games. Hall has more interceptions but Revis has forty-eight tackles and a forced fumble this year compared to Hall's eighteen tackles and forced fumble. The Elite Eight concludes with the Jets sending their first round gem to the next round.

Ahhhh, take a breath. The Final Four is upon us with four stellar athletes set to take off the gloves and go toe-to-toe. In the early game, fans get a great show when seventh ranked, Adrian Peterson steps onto the field against fourteenth seeded Darrelle Revis. Revis opens the game with a quick run and forces Peterson to grab a timeout to re-group. Revis is physical at the line of scrimmage and likes to jam players to let them know he's there. His hips are fluid and he is never out of position which helps against the shifty Vikings running back. That being said, Peterson is no slouch of an athlete either. His frame allows him to break away from the initial hit or three, yet is athletic enough to run counter and cutback plays east and west. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield along with returning kicks is turning this Oklahoma product into one of the most exciting players in the league. Flashes of Eric Dickerson, Emmitt Smith and Jim Brown come to mind when watching this bolt of lightning running back. Revis tries to hang in there, but as the game wears on, we see that Peterson is just in another class of players. Adrian Peterson, congratulations on being the first player in the championship game. In the second of our two Final Four games, we see a battle of linebackers. The eleven seed, Patrick Willis of the University of Mississippi against the twenty-five seed cinderella story Jon Beason. Willis is everything Beason is and more. The former is a little faster, a little stronger, a little more of an agitator to opposing offenses and just a shade better all around. Beason will be calling the shots for the Panthers defense for the next decade and adds more speed to an already swift Carolina defense. If Dan Morgan does come back to play next year, the trio of he, Beason and third-year backer, Thomas Davis will give Carolina an amazing corps of linebackers. Willis has already assumed the responsibility as vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball in San Francisco with his sixty-two tackles. This game is equally as entertaining as the first match as Willis beats out Beason to punch his ticket to the championship game against Adrian Peterson.

Championship Monday is here and it's offense versus defense for all the marbles. The well-rounded running back selected seventh overall out of the University of Oklahoma against the gifted linebacker taken eleventh overall out of Ole Miss. Willis has gameplanned as well as he does for any other game against the fireball tailback. Peterson sees what lies ahead of him when viewing the cannonball linebacker. Both players explode in this game and fans get quite a show. It's a grind-it-out classic game that is won in the trenches. Peterson knows he's going to have to touch the ball at least twenty times both on the ground and through the air. Willis can't overpursue and must use his extreme athleticism and strength to overpower the back. Plays and counter-plays are drawn up trying to give one of these athletes the edge they need to break the game open. It's a deadlock tie at halftime and no player is showing any signs of weakness or vulnerablity in this championship game. Midway through the second half, the ex-Sooner blazes out of the backfield, finds a window of opportunity, and seizes it. This proves to be the turning point of the match and Willis is stunned. The former Rebel standout tries to gain some momentum and shift the game back to his favor, but the Vikings star won't give in. It's been a long run and Peterson knows what it takes to win it all. He holds his ground, digs in and stages off one last gasp effort by the stud linebacker. Both players are drained and meet at midfield to congratulate one another on an exciting championship game. The winner of The Grids Rookie of the Year is Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

Thirty-two players started out with a dream of being the Rookie of the Year and after the battlefield was reduced to rubble, one man was left standing. He came, he saw, he conquered. Congratulations Adrian Peterson for putting on quite a show for this October Madness.