Throughout the 2005 season, NFL quarterbacks – with one notable exception – have been stuck in a recurring bad dream, sort of like what “Groundhog Day” would have been like if Tim Burton was directing.
Where Sunday afternoons used to be pocket passing and long, flowing strikes to in- stride wide receivers, they’re now run for your life and let me chuck this hot potato out of bounds over the nearest sideline to avoid a blitzing linebacker. Tired and frustrated, the quarterback returns to the line of scrimmage for the next play – only to be assaulted by two linebackers and a safety.
“Oh, yeah, all the teams are doing it; that’s been pretty clear all year long,” Chiefs quarterback Trent Green said.
Quarterbacks were sacked 44 times Sunday, which actually represents something of a break. For the year, signal callers have been dumped 656 times. At the current pace, there will be more sacks than any time since the NFL expanded to 32 teams four years ago. And while speedy defensive ends such as Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis of the Colts are compiling big numbers, more often than not, linebackers, safeties – even cornerbacks – are just as likely to buzz around a QB’s brain.
In the on-going pas de deux between NFL offenses and defenses, the all-out attacks are the defensive counter to offensive-happy rules changes and superior athletes such as Terrell Owens and Randy Moss.
“It’s going to keep happening, too, if teams are going to open up their offenses,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said recently. “You can’t cover wide receivers that long nowadays, so instead, you have to hit the quarterback.”
While sacks are the desired result, QB pressures and hurries carry almost equal currency. When the Panthers beat the Patriots in Week 2, Tom Brady was sacked only twice, a number that doesn’t come close to measuring the beating he took. Similarly, while the Broncos sacked Donovan McNabb only twice in their recent rout of the Eagles, they rattled him from the moment he left the visiting locker room – blitzing as many as eight or nine players. He was forced into incompletions on his first 12 passes.
Afterward, both teams were awestruck by what happened.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team send so many people,” a befuddled McNabb said.
“We weren’t even trying to disguise what we were going to do,” a giddy John Lynch said.
Green points out some teams are better equipped than others to fight this particular fight.
“You’ve gotta have a lot of confidence in your corners, that you can play a lot of one- on-one, and you have to be a sure-tackling team,” he said. “I guess the thinking is that you can’t let quarterbacks sit back there and make their progressions with receivers, but it’s still a risk. If the quarterback gets the ball away, a 3-yard gain can become a 40-yard gain very quickly.”
Or, as was the case with McNabb and Owens vs. the Broncos, a 91-yard touchdown. However, that play was clearly the exception to the rule, which brings us, as has so often been the case in 2005, to the Colts.
Last season, the thought was to put pressure on Peyton Manning, a strategy that resulted in 49 touchdown passes among other record-breaking numbers. Sufficiently chastened, this year, defenses have been dropping seven and eight players into coverage against the Colts, taking away the deep pass.
Through the first five games of the season, Manning threw for only seven touchdowns and averaged just 225 yards passing. However, Edgerrin James became the leading candidate to win the most valuable player award. With defenses starting to key on the running back, Manning once again is taking charge. He has thrown for 10 touchdowns in Indy’s past four games.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Indianapolis at Cincinnati
Just when the pressure on Indianapolis is beginning to build, the NFL’s only undefeated team (9-0) is entering the toughest part of its schedule. The Colts face the Bengals (7-2) on Sunday in Cincinnati, followed by a Monday night home game against the Steelers (7-2). Indianapolis also has contests against Jacksonville, San Diego and Seattle remaining on the schedule. In the first half of the year, the Colts’ opponents had a record of 23-32; the opponents in their final eight games are a combined 37-33. That includes weak links Houston, Tennessee and Arizona.
STEPPING UP
There’s not much good that can be said of the 3-6 debacle that is the Oakland Raiders’ season. However, some credit should go to quarterback Kerry Collins. Almost out of the league a few years ago because of personal problems, and often under fire these days because of inconsistent play, Collins has not ducked away from the criticism, acknowledging his failures. Also to be commended is running back LaMont Jordan. Jordan has not been talking to the media of late, but made a point to do so after Sunday’s loss to the Broncos – to come to Collins’ defense.
TRENDING
Jacksonville scored 30 points Sunday against the Ravens, the first time it reached that figure in 58 games. … While it probably won’t be enough to get them into the playoffs – or save Mike Tice’s job, the Vikings have won three of their five games since the Love Boat set sail. … The Giants’ defense hasn’t given up a touchdown since the Broncos’ Kyle Johnson scored less than two minutes into the second half of their game Oct. 23.
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
