- Definition Of Tackle
- Out of Sync
- Trust
- 173
- Under His Wing
- Fullback Production
- WTF?!?
- Happy Belated Birthday
Antoine Winfield is a whole bunch of awesomeness. He was everywhere with his patented sneak-under-the-350-pound guy shoestring tackles. He started the game with one by stuffing the Cowboys on third down of their first drive.
Winfield was there throughout the game for open field tackles, to sniff out a screen or break up a pass. The guy is amazing.
OUT OF SYNC
If anything has been the overarching theme of the season thus far, it’s that the offense has been out of sync, and mostly that’s in reference to Brett Favre and his receivers. That’s changing but it’s still clear that Favre and Bernard Berrian have yet to get on the same page.
If it didn’t happen last year and it has yet to happen this year then maybe it will never happen but the fact that Favre is not anticipating where Berrian will be was never more clearly illustrated than on the slant route on Sunday that Troy Aikman correctly pointed out could have gone for a touchdown had Favre hit Berrian in stride.
TRUST
Conversely, though Randy Moss only caught five passes, that throw to him on third and twelve amidst double-coverage in the front corner of the end zone near the end of the game demonstrated just how much trust Brett Favre has for his new teammate.
173
The number of yards Percy Harvin accumulated on Sunday. Harvin caught three balls for 21 yards, rushed twice for 18 yards, and returned three kickoffs for 134 yards and one electrifying touchdown.
Harvin gave all the credit for his kickoff return to the special teams unit’s blocking and well he should have. The reason Percy had such a great lane to run through was due to the fantastic seal blocking of Madieu Williams, Erin Henderson, Heath Farwell, Ryan Cook, and Jimmy Kleinsasser who’s final block sprung Harvin.
Harvin had to elude the arm tackles of Barry Church and Gerald Sensabaugh but aside from that, the heavy lifting was done by his teammates. Of course, having Harvin’s explosive speed doesn’t hurt.
UNDER HIS WING
Percy Harvin has raved about how much he’s learning from Randy Moss and it appears that Moss has taken the second-year receiver under his wing.
Someone, I can’t remember who, pointed out that while Harvin can learn a little from fellow veteran receivers Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian and Greg Camarillo, he can learn infinitely more from Randy Moss.
If Moss’ return to Minnesota turns out to be a one-year deal, his tutelage of Percy Harvin may turn out to be his lasting legacy during his second stint.
It’s easy to see why Moss might take an interest in Percy. There are a lot of similarities between the two: Both are uniquely talented, game-breaking athletes and both had off-the-field “character” issues that caused them to fall in the draft. When you’re tagged with the “character issues” label, you’re bound to sport a chip on your shoulder.
Moss mentoring of Harvin may very well be the influence of Cris Carter coming home to roost, in a delightful way, as Carter took Moss under his wing when Randy entered the league in 1998.
Whatever the deal is, I’m happy Moss has taken the interest; Harvin couldn’t have a better teacher.
Now, if we could only get Brett Favre to take an interest in Joe Webb…but it appears that Favre doesn’t do mentoring.
FULLBACK PRODUCTION
With Nafahu Tahi warming the bench Sunday, the team actually got production out of the fullback position using a combination of Jimmy Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan.
The glaring difference you saw when either of them were in was that when they blocked a guy, they locked on and drove their man back. When Tahi blocks, he either gets blown up or he bounces off his man.
And I don’t even know what to do about blitz pickups. Tahi’s horrible, we know that. But Albert Young was no better. And if you put Kleinsasser in a fullback full time, where he’s awesome, then you take away his excellent seal blocking on the edge.
Maybe try Tahi at tight end and put Dugan in at fullback? Perhaps filling the role of a blocking tight end would better suit Tahi?
And by the way, wasn’t that a fantastic play by Kleinsasser on the botched snap that Favre managed to toss to Jimmy for a long gain? It wasn’t so much the long gain that impressed me but Kleinsasser’s awareness of the situation and finding an open spot to provide an outlet for Favre.
WTF?!?
Meant to mention this yesterday, but as Fox’s Terry Bradshaw was running through the post-game league highlights, during E.J. Henderson‘s second interception of Tony Romo, Bradshaw proclaimed that the pick wasn’t Romo’s fault.
How the hell was it anyone but Romo’s fault, he threw it directly to E.J.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY
It was Madieu Williams‘ birthday yesterday (29): Hope he had a happy one.