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      Joe Flacco to start for Ravens

      September 2, 2008 /

      The Baltimore Sun is reporting that rookie Joe Flacco will start for the Ravens this Sunday in their season opener.

      Medical issues to the Ravens’ other quarterbacks — Troy Smith (tonsil infection) and Kyle Boller (shoulder) — vaulted Flacco from last in the quarterback race to the uncontested winner.

      “If anyone wrote this in a movie script, no one would believe it,” John Harbaugh said. “The thing that is kind of exciting is that you couldn’t envision this scenario. It wasn’t one that we planned.”

      That forced the Ravens to scrap any plans of bringing their first-round pick along slowly. When the Ravens play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Flacco will join Atlanta’s Matt Ryan as the NFL’s only rookie starting quarterbacks to open this season.

      “This is what I wanted all along,” Flacco said. “Things happen funny. I’ve gotten my opportunity, and now it’s up to me to go out there and play.”

      Just like Matt Ryan’s situation in Atlanta, the Ravens know this is a risk. Rookie quarterbacks who start in the NFL don’t have a high success rate, but the team will see right away what the young man can and cannot handle.

      It’ll be interesting to see how both Flacco and Ryan do in their respective openers.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Nick Saban has Alabama fans smiling

      September 2, 2008 /

      Was anyone really surprised when Clemson folded like a house of cards against Alabama on Saturday night? Did anyone really think Tommy Bowden wouldn’t find a way to blow it against Nick Saban? From the first series, it was clear that Alabama meant business, and Clemson just didn’t have the fire to compete.

      We already knew Saban was a great college coach, but now we know he also has some real talent.

      Stewart Mandel explains that Terrence Cody will likely be a star.

      That Alabama may have the next Glenn Dorsey on its hands. Tide fans spent the offseason drooling in anticipation over the arrival of freshman WR Julio Jones, and while Jones did not disappoint in his debut, the truly astonishing newcomer was defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Clemson’s offensive line had no answer for the freakish 6-foot-5, 365-pound junior college transfer, who could be seen storming into the Tigers’ backfield over and over. Clemson’s vaunted rushing attack netted zero — yes, zero — total yards.

      With such a rare combination of size and speed, Cody — who, as legend has it, began the year nearly 30 pounds heavier yet could be seen on the basketball court “dunking and doing 360s with the ball,” Tide center Antoine Caldwell said this summer — looks like the same kind of one-man wrecking crew as the former LSU star. Foes will have no choice to double or triple-team him, which, in ‘Bama’s 3-4 scheme, frees up all kinds of gaps for the linebackers.

      We knew it was just a matter of time before Saban had Alabama back on track. We’ll see how much damage they can do this year.

      College Football

      UCLA opens the Rick Neuheisel era with a big win over Tennessee

      September 1, 2008 /

      The Rick Neuheisel era is off to a dramatic start with a 27-24 victory in OT over 18th-ranked Tennessee. Quarterback Kevin Craft rebounded from four first half interceptions to lead a comeback in the second half.

      Craft has a nice arm and he showed some character with his performance tonight. If he keeps improving, UCLA can do some serious damage in the Pac-10. USC fans have to be a little nervous. Their days of being the only show in town might be coming to an end.

      College Football

      Detroit Lions sign Rudi Johnson

      September 1, 2008 /

      The Detroit Lions improved their backfield situation by signing former Bengal Rudi Johnson to a one-year contract. Tatum Bell is expected to be released.

      After practice on Monday, Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said, “I just had a chance to watch him in some drills (during a workout) and he’s impressive. He’s a big, thick guy who has great feet. I played against him over the years so I know he’s a very physical back. He’s a guy with a lot of talent and a lot of experience.”

      I can’t believe the Cincinnati Bengals let Johnson go without getting anything in return. He had a bad hamstring last year and again this year in training camp, but he came to camp in shape and he’s a proven back. Frankly, it looks like the Bengals are returning to their penny-pinching ways. Mike Brown is proving once again that he’s one of the worst owners in professional sports.

      From a fantasy football perspective, anyone who drafted Kevin Smith has to be a little disappointed, as Rudi Johnson might steal plenty of carries as the year goes on.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Young QBs will determine success for NFL teams this season

      September 1, 2008 /

      With Week 1 of the NFL season looming, nine teams will start a quarterback with less than a full season under center.

      Teams are giving young quarterbacks less and less time to develop their skills. The NFL’s win-now environment has put pressure on inexperienced quarterbacks to play well immediately, with a short and steep learning curve to develop into a good starter. Large signing bonuses have caused owners to demand that their coaching staffs play the youngsters as soon as possible.

      The Minnesota Vikings are a potential Super Bowl contender, but their success will hinge on the quarterback play of Tarvaris Jackson, who has a total of 14 career starts in the NFL. The chances of him making a leap in production are slim – few young quarterbacks play consistently well week in and week out.

      One quarterback that will be under the league’s microscope this season is Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers held a clipboard for three seasons as the backup to Brett Favre. And after continuous reps in the offseason program, endless time in film sessions with the coaching staff, and simply watching one of the best to ever play the quarterback position, it is time for Rodgers to take the field. Save for Favre’s offseason antics, this is the right way for a young QB to develop.

      The opposite can be said for Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, as management wants the future to begin as soon as possible. After the circus that was the 2007 season, starting with the Michael Vick arrest and culminating with Bobby Petrino’s midnight exit, the Falcons needed a new face of the franchise on the field as soon as possible. But Ryan’s entire professional career consists of training camp and two weeks of mini-camp, which means we are likely to see miscommunication and missed assignments from the QB position.

      It’s not often that young quarterbacks play Super Bowl-caliber ball. Dan Marino has the distinction of leading his team to a Super Bowl berth with the fewest starts (26) at the quarterback position, and Ben Roethlisberger is the youngest quarterback to actually win a Super Bowl (at the age of 23). But they are the exceptions and not the rule.

      Typically, a young quarterback is no longer allowed to develop, and if success isn’t immediate, he will be written off as a disappointment.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Football, General Sports, NFL, Television

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