This is your weekly open NFL thread. After listening to Kurt Warner opine on the NFL Network, I am convinced that there is still some hope for Donovan McNabb, his proclivity for throwing at the receivers’ shins notwithstanding. I am concerned, however, that the real problem may be the offensive coordinator. Warner said that after reviewing every single passing play, he concluded that there were only three (3!) called passing plays of more than 10 yards. One game in, the 2011 Vikings offense is making Childress’s infamous Kick Ass offense look like 1998’s Three Deep.
I also thought it was interesting that part of Cam Newton’s historic performance was credited to the brief window in the lockout when coaches were permitted to contact players. Apparently, Carolina got him a playbook and Newton used the summer to get the terminology and a large percentage of the plays down. This tends to bode very well for Newton and indicates that he is no Michael Vick/Aaron Brooks who is content to skate on talent, but is rather more in the vein of a Tavaris Jackson, albeit considerably more talent.
Don’t get me wrong, Seattle fans, the Experiment will never be more than NFL backup material. But he is a good guy who works extremely hard. If Newton combines Jackson’s work ethic with Vick’s talent, he could become the first genuine elite running quarterback since Daunte Culpepper’s glory days.