by Trevor Fik (Staff Writer)
Email: cascade.sports@ufv.ca
Quarterback drama, a record breaking performance by a player on the road to redemption, and a potential Super Bowl preview were on display for NFL fans this week, as the eleventh week of NFL action came to a close Sunday night.
Big time whining was afoot in Tennessee, and surprisingly it did not come from newly acquired wide-receiver Randy Moss. This time the culprit was quarterback Vince Young, who after injuring his throwing thumb in the game proceeded to throw his shoulder pads and uniform into the stands. Obviously fuming, Young left the game only to come back later on and attempt to throw with his hand bandaged up. However, Coach Jeff Fischer stuck with rookie quarterback Rusty Smith, as the Titans suffered their third loss in a row, losing to the Washington Redskins 19-16 in overtime. Young may require season-ending surgery for a torn flexor tendon in his right thumb that he acquired during the game. That is the least of his worries, however, after he was overheard engaging in a shouting match with Coach Fischer, following another apparent scuffle with a teammate. As his teammates and fans continue to question Young’s potential to be a leader on the field, rumours off the field have swirled that this could be the last season for Young in Tennessee.
The Michael Vick rehabilitation experiment continues to go exceedingly well for the Philadelphia Eagles as the quarterback put together a six touchdown performance (four passing and two rushing) against the Washington Redskins on Monday night. The Eagles, who went up 28-0 after the first quarter, finished the game 59-28. The match was the first after Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb signed a five-year-contract-extension with the Redskins that is worth $70 million (potentially worth $88.5 million if he can bring the Redskins to the Super Bowl each year), with $10 million in bonuses due to McNabb in the off-season.
In a match-up that saw two future hall of fame quarterbacks extend their rivalry, the Indianapolis Colts’ and their banged up defence travelled to Foxboro Massachusetts to take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. While the Colt’s trailed early in the second quarter 21-7, a couple of masterful drives orchestrated by perennial playmaker Peyton Manning put the Colts’ within three at the end of the fourth quarter, down 31-28. With under a minute left to play at the New England 24 yard line, Manning’s pass, which was intended for wide-out Pierre Garcon, sailed into the hands of New England safety James Sanders, thereby ending the Colt’s chance at a victory.
What inevitably killed the Colts’, aside from the late game Manning interception (of which the usually-perfectionist quarterback threw three), was the rushing attack of the New England Patriots, which combined for 165 yards on 28 attempts by running-backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead. The Colts, who were missing key defensive playmakers such as Bob Sanders, Gary Brackett, and linebacker Clint Session, are 29th in the league in opposition rushing yards as a result. The win gives Tom Brady his 25th at home as a starter, tying Brett Favre’s record for consecutive home wins set over the course of three seasons in 1995-1998.
