NFL NUGGETS : Time to cut out the cut blocks
Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2006
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/47364/
Something happened
at the end of Sunday
night’s Denver-San Diego game that absolutely infuriated me. I’ve been dieting and I’m cranky, so bear with me. Let me start by saying that I’ve never liked the way Mike Shanahan coaches, especially on the offensive line. The Broncos’ front has always been infamous for cut-blocking an opponent’s legs, a practice that has ended more careers than high hits on quarterbacks ever has. Let me say it again: I hate cut blocking. Man, my stomach’s rumbling. Anyway, it was the end of the game and Denver was making a futile attempt to drive the length of the field in the final seconds. Following a completion, Denver QB Jake Plummer moved his team to the line to kill the clock. On the spike, Broncos center Tom Nalen inexplicably dove into the legs of Chargers defensive lineman Igor Olshansky, who responded with a forearm club to Nalen’s head. Olshansky drew a personal foul penalty, an ejection and a tongue-lashing from coach Marty Schottenheimer. Let me say this: If some jerk dives at my knees on a spike play, I’m going to give him a shot, too. I might give him an Albert Haynesworth stomp for good measure. OK, Joe, relax and step away from the hamloaf. I know Olshansky could have really hurt his team with the penalty, but I think he was in the right. Nalen deserves a fine as much Olshansky does, but that won’t happen because cut-blocking is still legal in the NFL. Green Bay, New England and other teams use the cut in their zone blocking techniques, which in my book is the coward’s way. Cut blocking should be outlawed, plain and simple. What did make me happy was seeing the Broncos go on to lose the game. Now where’s my Whopper ?
• • • Sunday was a good day for former Hog defenders, as both Caleb Miller and Ken Hamlin were in the top seven tacklers on the day. Miller had 14 stops in the Bengals’ big win in New Orleans and Hamlin chewed up ballcarriers 12 times in the Seahawks’ loss at San Francisco. Miller’s teammate and former Hog offensive lineman Bobby Williams didn’t play against the Saints due to an emergency appendectomy. Ouch. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for the big man.
• • • Week 11 Golden Nugget: Lee Evans, WR, Buffalo. Despite Buffalo’s spotty quarterback play, Evans has been pretty steady this season. But he served up a special on Sunday at Houston, absolutely devouring the Texans’ secondary with 11 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Wowsers. Other Big Macs: Bengals WR Chad Johnson (6 catches, 190 yards, 3 TD ), Chiefs RB Larry Johnson (154 rushing yards, 3 TD ), Patriots QB Tom Brady (244 passing yards, 4 TD ). Week 11 Chicken Nugget: Jerramy Stevens, TE, Seattle. I’ll bet Stevens wasn’t talking too much trash on Sunday after his Seahawks fell 20-14 to the 49 ers. Stevens had just one catch on the day, and he fumbled that one away. Maybe he was still feeling the effects of the, ahem, knee shot he took against the Raiders. Other McNuggets: Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown (12 carries, 2 yards, fumble ), Jets QB Chad Pennington (162 passing yards, 2 INT ), Packers RB Ahman Green (13 carries, 28 yards ). Joe West is the assistant sports editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.