AP: 1st-round QBs find NFL life a learning experience
DoctorElefant
<<Posted on Sat, Sep. 04, 2004
NFL 2004: First-round QBs find NFL life a learning experience
DAVE GOLDBERG
Associated Press
For a while, it seemed Eli Manning was precocious enough to disprove the notion
that rookie quarterbacks should listen and learn, not start in the NFL.
Then the Jets blitzed the No. 1 pick in the draft out of the New York Giants'
starting job and onto the sidelines, where he'll hold a clipboard and watch
two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner start the season.
So unless coach Marty Schottenheimer defies logic and starts newly signed
Philip Rivers in San Diego's opener, once again, no rookie will begin the
season as a starting quarterback.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin made Manning's second-string status official last
Sunday, two days after the rookie went 4-of-14 for 20 yards with two
interceptions, two sacks and a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. For
Coughlin, the bright spot was that the decision didn't seem to discourage his
prodigy.
"Eli is the future of this franchise. He carries himself extremely well,"
Coughlin said. "He came back ready to go and ready to dive back into work.
That's basically what I wanted to see."
As for the others:
_ J.P. Losman of Buffalo, taken 22nd overall, already is out for at least two
months with a broken leg. He was being groomed as Drew Bledsoe's successor, but
was unlikely in any case to get a chance this season unless something happened
to Bledsoe. He remains on the active roster, so he'll be able to practice and
learn when he returns.
_ Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, chosen 11th overall, has been impressive,
but will begin the season as a backup to Tommy Maddox. Roethlisberger probably
would have been No. 3 for the Steelers, but Charlie Batch is out for the season
after knee surgery.
_ Schottenheimer says he still hasn't made a decision on Rivers, obtained from
the Giants in a draft day trade for Manning, whom San Diego chose with the
first pick even though he said he didn't want to go there. But Rivers signed
only last week, had a shaky debut against Seattle and will likely begin his
career behind four-year veteran Drew Brees, who has started 27 of the team's 32
games the past two seasons.
That's standard. Rookie QBs rarely start. In fact, no quarterback has been
voted offensive rookie of the year in the 47-year history of the award.
Eli's brother Peyton started as a rookie in 1998 - he didn't have a Kurt Warner
on the Colts, who went 3-13 as Peyton threw 28 interceptions. That's the only
season he's had more INTs than touchdowns.
But Carson Palmer, the first pick in the 2003 draft, never got into a game with
Cincinnati last year, sitting behind Jon Kitna. The Bengals improved to 8-8 and
Kitna was the Comeback Player of the Year, yet coach Marvin Lewis anointed
Palmer in March as his starter for this season, with Kitna tutoring him as a
backup.
Thus it was a surprise even to the Giants that Manning was on equal footing
with Warner through camp and for the first two weeks of the exhibition season.
"He was not only changing plays out there, he was changing protections,"
general manager Ernie Accorsi said after watching Manning call an audible that
resulted in a 24-yard completion in his first exhibition game. "I knew he had
poise, but his composure is more than I expected."
Manning started the second game, against Carolina, and went 9-of-15 for 117
yards against one of the NFL's best defenses. But in both games, he was facing
vanilla looks.
Then came the Jets, who blitzed from all angles, just what teams do when the
games are for real. It was almost as if Coughlin had called opposing coach
Herman Edwards and said: "Mix it up a bit, Herm. I want to see Eli under
pressure."
So after Warner started and went 9-of-11 for 104 yards, Manning entered in the
second quarter, rolled out and threw the ball right to the Jets' Donnie
Abraham. His night went downhill from there.
"I tried to force it in when I should have thrown it away," he said,
emphasizing exactly why rookies don't start right away in the NFL.
Roethlisberger has had a decent start, going 23-of-38 for 290 yards with one
touchdown and two interceptions in three exhibition games, playing mostly with
backups against backups.
"He's just got to continue to see his reads and get his throws out a little bit
quicker in certain situations, but overall he's really progressing well,"
offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt says.
Still, unless something happens to Maddox, the rookie will sit.
Rivers learned quickly against Seattle just days after he finally reported to
the Chargers. He completed his first three passes for 72 yards, then was
0-for-7 with two interceptions.
"Certainly, I figured out that you can't make too many things happen too
quickly," he said. "I'm not necessarily pleased with how I performed, but I'm
glad I put it behind me and got in to play."
That's why when it comes down to a final decision, Rivers almost surely will
start the season behind Brees.
"What Philip is finding is that it is a lot faster out here than what he is
accustomed to," Schottenheimer said.
Most veterans know that.
"When we went into it, everybody assumed that Kurt was going to start, with Eli
getting an opportunity later on," said the Giants' Michael Strahan, who has
made life miserable for quarterbacks in 11 NFL seasons. "I think with Kurt, his
veteran influence has picked up in him and he has played well."
Unsaid: Eli may be a Manning, but he remains a rookie.>>
DocE
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"The future ain't what it used to be." -Yogi Berra