Under the Umbrella

It Was Worth The Wait!

13 minutes and 20 seconds into the first quarter on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the loudest sigh of relief in the University of Oregon’s recent history was heard around the state.

Ed Dickson caught his first TD of the season.

 

Instantly every armchair coach felt validated. The TD and subsequent victory legitimized every single demand by fans and the media to get Ed the ball.

Did the Ducks catch lightning in a bottle, or did a sleeping giant finally awake?

 

Oregon put up offensive numbers that the world has come to expect. 524 total yards of offense in a balanced attack, throwing for 288 and rushing for 236. The offense lived up to the hype, and reputation that preceded them.

 

Chip Kelly got his first top notch win, even though his team had already defeated a top 25 team in the 18^th ranked Utah Utes. But this was special, not only was Cal ranked 6^th in the country, they were the popular pick to punch a ticket to the Rose Bowl.

 

The offense may have been shocked back into life, but the defensive performance was the most shocking event of the day. They allowed only a single score, a field goal to start the game when a Walter Thurmond III kickoff return fumble gave the ball to the Golden Bears on the Ducks 22 yard line. Instead of sulking over the terrible field position the Ducks D rallied and pushed Cal back 8 yards.

 

The total numbers are impressive too. Oregon allowed only 207 yards to an offense that was averaging over twice that. Heisman hopeful and front runner Javhid Best carried the ball 16 times for a pedestrian 55 yards.

 

Former Beaverton QB Kevin Riley didn’t fair much better completing 12 of 31 for 123 yards. The pressure that was applied on him by Kenny Rowe and Will Tukuafu was masterful, relentless and more than Riley could handle.

 

The secondary was nothing short of perfect and that was without having the unit’s two best players. Thurmond went out on the opening kickoff and T.J. Ward hasn’t seen action since the teams “Meltdown in Boise”. Talmadge Jackson and John Boyett both filled in admirably.

 

ESPN is reporting that Thurmond will likely miss a few games with an ACL strain. The Ducks hope to have Ward back for the game against the Washington State Cougars this Saturday.

 

Jeremiah Masoli had one of his best games ever. He was 21 of 25 for 253 yards and 3 TD’s. The 3 TD’s all went to the big fella, Dickson. The numbers though aren’t what made for an impressive day behind the helm. Masoli, was making the right read. In fact the cameramen where lost out there on Saturday and it made Duck fans think about 2007 when Dennis Dixon made professional cameramen look like a parent with a camcorder at a Pop Warner game.

 

There are a lot of detractors out there wondering if this was a fluke, but anyone who watched the Ducks play last year knows that this was just the beginning for our offense and just another great game in a string of many for our defense.

 

The Coaches that vote in the USA today poll need to review the game film. If Oregon is only the 25^th ranked team in the country, than how can you explain that Cal is 19? The AP may have Oregon overrated at 16 but at least they have them ahead of Cal at 24. But my argument with the pollsters is best saved for another time. This is an article of triumph, for the team and the fans.

 

The uniforms may have been from the 1993/94 season but the performance was more like the team from 2007.

 

The Ducks take on WSU Saturday with a 6:15 kickoff where Oregon looks to turn Freshman QB Jeff Tuel’s encore performance into a nightmare.

-Kurt Valentine

Who Dat? Oh Dat Just Drew!

If you haven’t seen the Saints play this year, you haven’t watched the most exciting offense in the NFL!

Not only are they working as one unit with one goal in mind; scoring points, but they are being led by a great quarterback at the top of his game. Last year Drew led the NFL with 34 TD’s. This year, he is on pace to throw for 72 TD’s. Yes, I know it is early to be making assumptions, but he is completing a mind boggling  75% of his passes.

 

Last year, Brees threw the ball about 40 times a game with an average of about two TD’s. This year, he has thrown the ball 34 times in each of his two games played for 4.5 TD’s a game.

 

With Mike Bell running the ball for 229 yards in the first two games for an average of 5.1 a carry and Reggie Bush averaging of 48 yards receiving per game, the backfield is making life easier via dumpoffs and play-action.

 

This offense is built for Brees and Brees is delivering. He is making the right reads and hitting his receivers either in stride or where only they can make the catch.

 

The Saints are averaging 46.5 points, 468 yards of total offense, 323 passing yards, and 145 rushing yards a game. Those numbers are incredible. That puts them 1^st, 1^st, 2^nd, and 8^th in the league respectively.

 

Now I know Brady put up crazy figures in 08, but keep in mind Brady was throwing the ball to Moss and Welker for crying out loud. Can you name one Saints receiver?

 

Anyone?

 

Come on…

 

No… Shockey doesn’t count, but he is having a great season.

 

Brees’ main targets are Devery Henderson and Marquis Colston. Don’t get me wrong, these guys can play! Colston already has three TD receptions in two games. Neither of these guys is Randy Moss though! Not only is Brees tearing it up, but he is making the most with what he’s got. He is elevating every player on his offense and maximizing talent level.

 

So just remember, if the Saints are playing, you should be watching!

 

Zach vW

Two games into the season and the Ducks are still a mystery

120 minutes played and a perennially prolific offense is still spinning its wheels trying to get on track.

 

The University of Oregon football team’s season has started off with nothing short of a bang. This time the bang though has not been record setting offensive onslaughts but rather media scrutiny and fan

despair.

 

The win over Purdue was a small step in the right direction, but don’t be fooled Duck fan, that game was decided by 2 inches on a two point conversion and frankly the game was more about Purdue’s missed opportunities than it was about Oregon’s effort.

 

The Close:

 

The defense was opportunistic and scored twice on a interception return for a touchdown by Walter Thurmond III and a fumble return by Javes Lewis. But they allowed a mediocre Boilermaker squad to put up 36 points on 451 yards of offense.

 

The Offensive Line seems to be coming around and looks to have instilled in them the nastyness required to bring Duck fans to their feet in celebration for the foreseeable future, but they definitely have much work to do.

 

Oh and it seems that Oregon has a pair of young, extremely talented RB’s in Kenyon Barner and LaMichael James. Both showed flashes of brilliance with a combination of speed, talent and grit. Andre Crenshaw will have his work cut out for him this season if he wants to continue to get the ball.

 

The Correctable:

 

Even though the final numbers for TE Kyle Smith will seem as though Oregon has shored up the glaring weakness at TE pass coverage that is not the case. Smith was seemingly open on every play, fortunately for Nick Alloiti, the kid just couldn’t catch the ball.

 

Jeremiah Masoli once again showed that he is one of the best running QB’s in the country. He also showed that he has a good touch on the ball and can make any throw. The problem is his ability to read the defense.

 

He kept it when he should have handed it off, he handed it off when the running back was headed for a gap that was being blitzed and he was inept at checking his receiver progressions. Too many times was the other option a likely 15 yard gain.

 

The defensive line gets very little if any push on the ball. I know the big ugly’s in the Big 10 are as big and ugly as they come, but we need to be able to get pressure on QB when we are dropping 7 into coverage. Everyone knew the Ducks were going to miss Nick Reed, but the extent wasn’t supposed be to this effect.

 

The Unacceptable:

 

Special Team’s penalties were nothing short of disgusting. Walter Thurmond III does not need you to block in the back for him. Special teams took the ducks from great field position to the shadow of their own endzone too many times.

 

Masoli has developed this mechanical body contortion in the place of a pump fake or play action. This is a very disturbing motion and takes way to long to complete, you get the feeling that this is going to get him injured in the pocket.

 

Worst of all is for the second straight game Ed Dickson caught 1 pass and was thrown to only 1 time. That is the most offensive of all the shortcomings. How can you not get the ball to Ed? He is one of the best Tight Ends in the entire nation. Masoli, get him the ball before it is too late. He will make you look good and maybe even get you into that Heisman ceremony.

 

Several questions remain for this young Duck squad, the loudest of them all is, “What happened?”

 

- Kurt Valentine

He Could Play Today! He Could Play Today!!

 

I’m not going to lie; I am unbelievably excited to see my man, Michael Vick play tonight!

 

Now I know he has a bankruptcy hearing tonight that could prevent him from playing, but being the optimist I am, I know he will make it to the field, suited up in an Eagles uniform, throwing bombs and running like a maniac.

 

In the three seasons since Vick last played, the league has changed. Defenses have dealt with multiple Vick wannabees since then and learned how to contain them, but we all know that nobody has the wheels and moves of Michael at QB.

 

Is he going to get snaps tonight and if so how many?

 

I don’t know and quite frankly I don’t care! Just give him enough time on the field for me to see he’s still got it. Give him enough time for me to decide I am going to watch every Eagles game this season.

 

Most of all, I just want a preview of the Vick, McNabb show.

 

How is Andy Reid going to use both of them?

 

Zach vW

The Best Football Player Ever!

 

Well, maybe not, but Michael Vick is sure fun to watch.

 

Quick question: Tom Brady’s return or Michael Vicks?

 

What are you more excited to watch?

 

Come on.. That’s a no brainer. I’m obviously watching Vick. Easily the most unique player in the league from 2001 to 2006; you never knew what excitement was going to happen on any given down.

 

You press up and blitz with all you have and get burned by the left arm, or you sit back and d-up and get burned by his wheels. Stacking up an impressive 2474 passing and 1039 rushing in 2006! More stats at http://www.rototimes.com/nfl/stats/2006/QB/ruyds/1/NFL

 

Now I know that he has not shown dominance with his passing, but you can’t argue with his last season, 20^th in the league in attempts and 10^th in the league in TD’s. That means he is throwing the ball less often for more TD’s. You couple that with his rushing average of 8.4 over 123 attempts, and he is unbelievably dangerous.

 

So what’s the point?

 

The point is, let the stud play! He is obviously going to bring publicity to your organization. He is more than likely going to help you on the field. Even Super Bowl Champion Head Coach Tony Dungy is backing him.

 

The real question is, where does he fit?

 

Let’s look at the Broncos first. They are a historically great franchise that is self imploding and already shipped away Pro-Bowl QB Jay Cutler. Hmmm, he obviously won’t be headed there because that makes too much sense, which seems to be the Achilles heal of Josh Mcdaniels.

 

Next stop is the Minnesota Vikings. After having been the latest victim of the “Farve”, you could use a star QB. I know they have Tavaris Jackson, but we all know he is a Vick wannabe. Why not upgrade to the real deal? How amazing would a backfield of Michael Vick, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and young Ian Johnson be? You literally could run an option offense, in the NFL, and succeed. 

 

Lastly there has been talk of Vick in a Patriot uniform. This would be another home run. He is unbelievably versatile and could take pressure off Brady. The possibilities are endless.

 

The other teams would use him as the potential starter, which could be too risky for a sane GM. But the Pats have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Lawrence Maroney. They would not have to rely on Vick. They could bring Vick in the way that the Steelers used Kordell Stewart. Imagine Michael Vick, the new “Slash”.  We all know Bilichek could make it work!

 

Now I could go on for ten more pages about his legal issues or his character, but it is well known that there are a lot of questionable characters in sports. He served his sentence, one handed down by a Federal Court Judge. He satisfied his debt to society as ruled on and according to him and Dungy, he has changed. I’m all about second chances.

 

All I’m asking is to see Vick on the field.

 

Please, entertain me!

 

-Zach vW