The Observer, January 28, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 15
NFL Guru: Williams and Manning highlight NFL's storylines
This week I'm going to use my space to write about important storylines of the 2004 NFL season, as the Super Bowl is still more than a week away. Next week will feature the blowout on the big game.
The first big NFL news came before the season even started, when Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams suddenly retired. The announcement sent shock waves through the league, and the revelation that a pending drug suspension contributed to Williams' decision to quit only added to the media frenzy that lasted well into the season. Somewhat forgotten by the focus on Williams' drug use was how much his loss (and the loss of wide receiver David Boston to injury) crippled the Dolphins. Miami went from being considered a wildcard contender to one of the worst teams in the NFL, only winning four games this year (tied for the second-worst record in the league with, you guessed it, the Cleveland Browns). The Dolphins' poor showing also contributed to the success of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets; both teams swept Miami en route to winning seasons.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning also commanded a lot of attention for his assault on Dan Marino's 20-year-old record for most touchdown passes in a season. Manning finished with 49 TD's, only one more than Marino had in '84, but at the midpoint of the season he was on pace to throw for 64 scores, including an astounding 24 in one five-game stretch. It is also important to note that Manning was held out for most of the last regular season game (he only threw two passes) because the Colts had already made the playoffs, so he really broke the record in only 15 games. Even though we are currently in a pro-offense era, this record is a huge accomplishment. The previous single-season record for TD passes by a man not named Dan Marino is 41, set by Kurt Warner in 1999. Warner, in the year of The Greatest Show on Turf, could not even seriously challenge the record. Of course, Manning was also helped by a brilliant supporting cast, including talented WR's Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokely. Each of these three receivers collected more than 1000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, which is unusual to say the least. I don't foresee anyone breaking this record in the near future, unless of course Manning does it again next year.
Sticking to quarterback news, another big story this year was the emergence of Pittsburgh rookie Ben Roethlisberger. The third passer taken in the draft, Roethlisberger immediately paid dividends for the Steelers. Taking over for an injured Tommy Maddox in the second game of the regular season, Big Ben demonstrated poise and command in the pocket, rattling off 14 straight wins as a starter and leading the Steelers to the top playoff seed in the AFC. While his passing stats are by no means outstanding (he threw for 2621 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions), he did control the ball well and did just about everything he was asked to do. However, his youth showed in the playoffs, where he looked like a regular rookie and played poorly against both the Jets and the Patriots. Roethlisberger, now with some NFL experience under his belt, looks to be an even better player next season.
On the opposite side of the rookie spectrum is Giants QB Eli Manning. Taken with the very first pick in the draft, Eli was expected to produce at the level of his older brother as soon as he was named the starting QB after Week Nine. In sharp (but predictable) contrast to Roethlisberger's immediate success, the younger Manning lost his first six games, throwing for 833 yards, three TD's, and a whopping eight interceptions. Many were surprised by the decision to start Manning, since Kurt Warner was doing a perfectly fine job going 5-4 as a starter. Even though the Giants lost to both the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears in Warner's last two starts, pulling the QB was not the thing to do. Warner was playing well; it was the rest of the team's poor play that lead to the losses. Coach Tom Coughlin wanted to give Eli some NFL exposure and got his wish. Hopefully Manning isn't too shell-shocked from the beating he took to rebound next year.
One of the less-publicized stories this year was Jets RB Curtis Martin winning the rushing title. This is more significant than it appears because Martin set the record for being the oldest player to win the title at the ripe age of 31. At that age, most NFL running backs are contemplating retirement, not having the best season of their career. Martin rushed for 1697 yards and 12 TD's, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He also caught 41 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns, giving him almost 2000 total yards. He credits his phenomenal season to being healthy all year and getting more reps in the preseason, which helped to break his habit of starting the season slowly. Martin is one of a rare breed of rushers who are productive into their 30s, a group with prestigious members such as Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.
Many teams had surprising years this season, for better and for worse. A few examples:
The Tennessee Titans went 5-11 and finished last in their division, a year after going 12-4 and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. The offense was bad for most of the season, and the defense broke down for the five games when the offense showed some signs of life. QB Steve McNair finally showed signs of aging, but second-year RB Chris Brown was a big bright spot until midway through the season.
When rookie head coach Jim Mora took over the Atlanta Falcons prior to the season, many people wrote the team off, thinking that a new coach had no chance to turn around a 5-11 team. Mora's critics were forced to eat their words as the Falcons started the season 4-0 and never looked back. Atlanta ended up with 11 wins, reversing their record from last year and earning the second seed in the NFC. Unfortunately for Falcons fans, the team was sent packing by the Philadelphia Eagles last week in the NFC championship game, and I'm skeptical as to whether or not the Falcons will duplicate this success next season.
The San Diego Chargers surprised everyone, and I mean everyone, with their success this season. The Chargers flipped their record from 4-12 to 12-4, winning the AFC West for the first time in 10 years. The key to their resurgence was the stellar play of QB Drew Brees, who went from keeping the position warm for rookie Philip Rivers to being the quarterback of the future for the team. Now the Chargers have both the rushing machine (LaDainian Tomlinson) and passer necessary to keep defenses from stacking eight men in the box to stop the run. San Diego could be an AFC powerhouse for several years if the core of this young team can stay together.
