Around the NFL for Week 9

AROUND THE LEAGUE

The real deal: In most seasons, the offensive rookie of the year makes more impact than his defensive counterpart. With apologies to St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford and Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey, the front-runners for the rookie award on the offensive side according to a survey this week by The Sports Xchange, that could change in 2010.

Most scouts and personnel directors polled cited Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh as the most outstanding first-year player in the NFL.

"The guy is playing like a five-year (veteran)," one NFC offensive coordinator whose team has faced the Lions told The Sports Xchange. "He's taking over games, and you don't often see that at tackle, much less from a rookie."

The second player chosen overall in April, after only Bradford, Suh has been nonplussed so far by the jump to the pros. Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch noted that "no situation has been too big" for Suh so far.

And allowed Suh: "I'm just doing the stuff that I've always done."

So far, the former Nebraska star has 27 tackles and 6.5 sacks. There hasn't been a tackle chosen as defensive rookie of the year since Tim Bowens of Miami in 1994. Linebackers have claimed the award seven straight seasons and nine of the past 10 years. Only two other tackles in the league currently have more than three sacks.

"But this guy is special," acknowledged Washington guard Artis Hicks after Suh posted five tackles (including four solos and three for losses), two sacks, two hurries and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in last week's victory over Washington.

"When he doesn't want to be blocked ... he's a monster."

A tackle hasn't registered double-digit sacks since Warren Sapp had 10 in 2006. Suh, who has at least one sack in five of seven outings, could snap the drought.

Hue and cry: His name rarely gets mentioned as a future head coach, but it might be time to start thinking about Oakland offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who has led the Raiders to the first consecutive 500-yard outputs in franchise history. Jackson, 45, has been in the NFL since 2001, and this is his third stint as a coordinator. He has a sharp mind, is a solid communicator, and has taken a band of underachievers in Oakland and gotten big-time production from them. Jackson isn't yet a household name, but he could skyrocket up the ranks if the Raiders keep winning.

Brees' knees: There was some irony in the report by a New Orleans radio station that Saints quarterback Drew Brees is playing with meniscus damage in his left knee, and to coach Sean Payton's assertion on Thursday that it isn't true. The irony: Several defensive players in the league, including two who have faced Brees this season, felt the quarterback was actually favoring his right leg.

"Watching him on tape," one defensive end told The Sports Xchange, "he almost seems to be a little tender when he's planting with his (right) leg. I mean, word was getting around the league a little bit, you know? You look for that kind of stuff. Any kind of edge you can get, really. They say the film doesn't lie, but maybe we were all seeing something - and I compared notes with some (defensive) line buddies who agreed - we just wanted to see."

Whether the Saints' quarterback is actually hurting or not remains to be seen. But for all his problems in 2010, Brees is actually completing a higher percentage of his passes (70.7 percent) now than he did a year ago (70.6).

McMess: Last week's snafu aside, when coach Mike Shanahan lifted quarterback Donovan McNabb and replaced him with Rex Grossman for the two-minute drill, the smart money still says the Redskins will approach the veteran signal-caller about a contract extension. But after Shanahan's ham-handed explanation for the move, folks close to McNabb told The Sports Xchange this week the offer will have to be a very good one, and for at least three years, for it to be seriously considered.

Of course, there is now some question about whether Shanahan, having seen the practice habits and struggles of McNabb, really believes the 12-year veteran is the right man to lead the team into the future. One Washington front office staffer allowed that the situation between the two men is "pretty chilly."

Shanahan didn't do himself any favors by publicly questioning McNabb's conditioning and then a few days later having 286-pound former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell in for an audition. The Redskins claim they were just conducting due diligence on Russell, and kicking the tires, but the timing didn't sit well with McNabb.

The consensus among McNabb's teammates is that Shanahan didn't handle the situation well at all, but some conceded McNabb is not the great leader he is often made out to be. The same was true in segments of the Philadelphia locker room in the past, where some regarded McNabb as being a little too cozy with management.

Across the pond: For the most part, what suggestions come out of the mouth of commissioner Roger Goodell usually end up becoming reality. As we've pointed out here in the past, Goodell isn't much into floating public trial balloons, as was his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue. If the commissioner says it, the owners typically get into lockstep behind him.

But when Goodell spoke so forcefully last week about a franchise in London at some point in the future, the weight of his remarks had a lot of owners scratching their heads. For all its popularity, the NFL has some problems at home that it must deal with — principally a new collective bargaining agreement — and Goodell rightfully noted that. But there are a myriad of other issues with which the NFL must deal, as well, and some of them are pressing.

No doubt, Goodell spends plenty of time fretting over those issues, because the man seems to be on top of just about everything. But putting a team in London, and inviting all the inherent issues that would entail? It's hardly near the top of the to-do list of priorities for Goodell's constituents, and that's why so many were puzzled by his stance last week.

Secret agent men: In the NCAA's ongoing investigation into allegedly illegal agent activities, the FBI, which The Sports Xchange has reported is closely monitoring the case, is now close to making a connection between agents in Georgia and Florida, who supposedly have been securing clients from the same freelance recruiter or "runner." The Feds also are reviewing messages left on the telephone recorders of some agents by a "runner" who claimed he controlled the representation of several North Carolina draft prospects. The tapes were provided by agents who want to co-operate with the probe. Also, the NCAA has increased its efforts to educate the athletic directors at some schools. The NCAA recently flew Atlanta-based agent Pat Dye Jr. to Dallas to talk to a group of ADs there.

Color him Done-gy: There have been some rumors, including those cited here a few weeks ago, that Tony Dungy's much-celebrated sentiments for Michael Vick could eventually prompt his return to the NFL sidelines in 2011. The rationale: Dungy is Vick's mentor, speaks with him often on a variety of subjects, and might be tempted by that relationship, and by the quarterback's rare skill-set, to consider a role bigger than just personal sounding board.

There were media rumblings last month, following the Eagles' home loss to Washington on Oct. 3, that Dungy might be the one guy who could keep unrestricted-free-agent-to-be Vick in Philadelphia, if Andy Reid doesn't return for some reason in '11. Or that the Vick-Dungy axis might be an intriguing package deal for some needy team next year.

Well, forget it, Dungy told The Sports Xchange on Monday night, as he visited with some Indianapolis players, following his halftime induction into the Colts' Ring of Honor. "I'm not a coach anymore, and I don't plan to be again," Dungy said. "I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I've moved on (from coaching)."

Dungy acknowledged he still speaks with Vick, who returns Sunday from a rib cartilage injury that cost him three starts, frequently, and that he still has a "really strong affinity" with the quarterback.

"But I've got an affinity for the Indianapolis Colts," said Dungy, "and I left them. I'm done with (coaching)."

Translation: Vick will almost certainly be playing elsewhere in 2011 and Dungy will not be part of the deal.

White noise: One of the weekend's best matchups pits Atlanta wide receiver Roddy White, coming off a 201-yard performance, against the Tampa Bay cornerback duo of Ronde Barber (two interceptions) and Aqib Talib (five). Consensus is growing that White, who leads the league with 54 catches, might be the best and the most complete wideout in the league.

What will be intriguing in the key NFC South game is that White, by the estimate of three personnel directors in the league, has caught 60-65 percent of his passes this year against "single high safety" coverage.

"I love to see teams playing (the coverage)," White told The Sports Xchange. "I think we like to attack it and that's the way I want to play."

Tampa Bay, which leads the league in interceptions (14), has gone back to a basic Cover-2 philosophy after getting away some from the longtime scheme early in 2009. Coach Raheem Morris, who serves as his own defensive coordinator, is a former secondary coach, and clearly is more comfortable with the Cover-2 philosophy. He reinstituted the look last year after dismissing then-coordinator Jim Bates.

Claimed off waivers, when Tennessee released him, the former Oregon starter, who was suspended from the team for much of the 2009 season after slugging an opponent, has impressed Bucs coaches and opponents with his physical style. Listed at 241 pounds, the suspicion is that Blount is a lot closer to 270 pounds. The most surprising element of his game has been his long speed.

"I'll go through people or around 'em if I have to," Blount said. "But I don't mind contact at all." There were 13 tailbacks selected in the draft. But Blount, an undrafted college free agent, is the first rookie in 2010 to post a 100-yard outing. The Titans don't need a lot behind the workhorse Johnson, and second-year veteran Javon Ringer has done a pretty nice job as the backup, but Tennessee coaches must be kicking themselves for giving up on Blount.

Third degree: One of the frequently overlooked reasons for the Colts' current three-game winning streak, which has propelled Indianapolis to 5-2 and first place (as usual) in the AFC South is that the club's much-maligned defense has surrendered a third-down conversion rate of only 23.5 percent during that span.

"We take a lot of pride in getting off the field (on third down)," weak-side linebacker Clint Session told The Sports Xchange. "A lot of people early on, and through the last couple of years, have (controlled) the ball on us, to keep our offense off the field. So we've taken a lot of heat for that. And we've kind of made it a priority."

During the winning streak, opponents Kansas City, Washington and Houston have combined to convert only eight of 34 third-down tries. Strangely, those three teams have averaged 62.6 snaps per game. In the first four games of 2010, when Indianapolis was 2-2, opponents were converting at a 46.0-percent clip (23 of 50) yet averaged 61.8 snaps. Better yet, for the year, Indianapolis has allowed conversions on just two of the 25 third-down plays of nine yards or more against it.

Said middle linebacker Gary Brackett on Monday night: "We've been playing with a lead, so that makes a little bit of a difference. But we really have put more emphasis on it ... and we've gotten better at it. Part of it is (psychological). When you're getting off the field on third down, you just physically don't feel like you're out there as much. You don't feel like you're using as much energy."

In the three-game streak, only Washington, which was four for 13, has moved the chains on third down more than 30 percent of the time. For the year, Indianapolis is 19th in the league overall, at 36.9 percent. The NFL average is 38.1 percent. Oddly enough, the four teams with statistically the worst third-down defenses in the league - New England (47.4 percent), Jacksonville (46.7), Tampa Bay (45.5), and Atlanta (43.0) - all are .500 or better for the season.

Bookend: Former basketball player turned pass-rush terror Greg Romeus was supposed to be the top defensive end prospect for the Pitt Panthers, but he underwent back surgery and missed a good portion of the season. Romeus might return next week, but many NFL scouts feel he has been surpassed by teammate Jabaal Sheard, and he will have to demonstrate he's whole again physically to battle back into first-round consideration.

"The other guy (Sheard) isn't quite the pure upfield rusher ... but he might be the better overall player," one scout assessed this week. "When he gets it ramped up, he's very good."