Up and Coming in the NFL

[giantfan121262]

I was watching the Jets/Jags game this afternoon and, although most of the game stunk, it was the last two (or three minutes that really moved me. Chad Pennington is well on his way to becoming the next Joe Montana of the current era. The way he rallied his team after surrendering the lead really inpressed me. He had the ball on their own 5 yeard line with no time outs. He adeptly drove the team 95 yards while using most of the remaining time off the clock, for a game winning TD. He seems to have a knack for doing this time after time. Once he did it when I didn't want him to (vs. the Giants, but I was still impressed). It is no accident that the Jets are playing better with Pennington in there. The QB rating is like 120 over the last three games. He will only get better because he has the right attitude. He is in the locker room studying plays when he is not out on the practice field.

Don't get me wrong, I am not about to switch my alligence after almost 35 years of Big Blue (although it may add a few more years to my life, LOL). However, if the Jets get Winslow in the draft, WATCH OUT!!! Rumor also has it that Randy Moss may be coming over because he played with Penningtom at Marshall, and wants to play with him. That is a scary thought. If that becomes true, thank God the Jets are in the AFC (being a Giant fan).

The purpose of this thread is to discuss some of the young talent, which has the potential to develop into something very special in the next few years.

Bring it on!!!

 

[BigBrownEyes]

I'm a Steeler fan and my team's hopes for having life beyond this regular season are slim. But quite of bit of younf talen has surfaced around the NFL.

The Cinderella team this year could be the Bengals. They've done nothing but lose for quite a few years, but it looks like they've finally turned the corner. I knew they were due to improve. Odds are that you can't pick in the top 10 every year and NOT improve. I'm not a Bengals fan by any means, but I'm expecting them to win the division and they might even make some noise in the playoffs. I'm rooting against that scenario, but it's likely.

I've also noticed some of the young no-name QBs are coming into their own this year. Most notably, Mark Bulger, Tim Rattay, and Quincy Morgan.

Rattay and Bulger were QBs that were they available in the mid to later rounds in the draft that my team, in their infinite draft wisdon, passed on.

Another good young QB in the NFL, who just a chase somewhere is Mike McMahon. Right now, he's rotting on the Lions behind Harrington. As for your Jets, I like that young QB from Wisconsin. I saw him play quite a bit for the Badgers. He's kind of a comeback guy. The knock on him is that he's short for an NFL QB. But I think he's going to prove to be a late round sleeper.

 

[Dave2112]

I agree with Mimi that this year's Cinderella team is Cinncinati...screw the Cowboys. The Bengals have won five of thier last six, knocked KC from the undefeated hunt, and are playing very well lately. If Baltimore stumbles, this division could easily go to Cincy. There's been a surprise team each year for the last five or so, why not the Bengals? Man, would that shock the crap out of the NFL...

It's too bad that Chad wasn't in for the whole season. He lights that team up, and he is very similar to a young Montana. Maybe New York is a good fit for Randy Moss...if so, watch out. However, this is prime example of why the preseason whould be shortened. When I was a kid, you never saw preseason games on TV. Now it's a huge market, and the TV bucks are coming in. You don't really need more than two preseason games to decide who to keep...there was draft scouting, training camp...all kinds of shit to give you a pretty good idea before late August. Too many good players are getting hurt for nothing. And I noticed this year that a lot of coaches left starters in almost up to the half and in some cases into the third quarter. (Not to mention a Colts game where Indy called a fake end-around and Peyton Manning threw a lead block with his throwing shoulder. What the hell kind of coach calls that play in preseason?)

There are some huge games with playoff implications this week (Vikings/Rams, Eagles/Panthers, Pats/Colts, Dolphins/Cowboys) so it should be some great football in the closing weeks.