FOLIO LINE FOLIO LINE M c C l a t c h y - Tr i b u n e

2010 NFL SEASON PREVIEW

■ Chargers RB Ryan Mathews:
Mathews led the nation in rushing (150.6
yards per game) and 19 TDs. His 1,808
yards rushing ranked fourth in WAC histo-
ry. The all-time leader? The guy he’s
replacing, LaDainian Tomlinson.
■ Bills RB C.J. Spiller: Spiller was the
ACC Player of the Year from Clemson. He
not only rushed for 1,212 yards and 12
TDs, he caught 36
passes with four TDs
and returned four
kickoffs and a punt
for TDs.
■ Cowboys WR Dez
Bryant: Bryant slid
to the 24th spot of the
draft because of char-
Bryant
acter concerns, but
there’s no denying his ability to make big
plays as a receiver and kick returner.
■ Lions DT Ndamukong Suh: Has there
ever been such a can’t-miss prospect who
failed? Well, yes, the Lions’ draft history
is filled with them. Not since Alex Karras
and Roger Brown more than 40 years ago
have the Lions had such a force in the
defensive line.
■ Chiefs S Eric
Berry: The Chiefs
ignored conventional
wisdom by taking a
safety with the fifth
pick of the draft, so
Berry needs to be the
next Ed Reed or Troy
Berry Polamalu. Berry will
provide much-needed
back-end speed to the defense, but he’ll
need a pass rush and some run stoppers in
front of him to be effective.
— Randy Covitz
■ Washington QB Donovan McNabb:
Won’t this be a strange sight: McNabb in a
Washington uniform? But if Brett Favre
can be a Jet or a
Viking and Joe
Montana can play for
the Chiefs, then
McNabb — the face
of the Philadelphia
Eagles for 11 years,
five NFC
Championship games
McNabb
and a Super Bowl —
can play for an NFC East rival. McNabb,
33, is not as elusive as in past years, so
he’d better pray left tackle Trent Williams,
the club’s first-round draft pick, gets to
camp and can play right away.
■ Raiders QB Jason Campbell: Give Al
Davis credit. He took the hit and pulled
the plug on the JaMarcus Russell debacle
— though maybe a year late — and traded
for Campbell after Washington acquired
McNabb. Campbell’s head must be burst-
ing with different formations and termi-
nologies. Campbell, Washington’s first-
round draft pick in 2005, will be playing
for his third head coach and fourth offen-
sive coordinator in six seasons.
■ Bears DE Julius Peppers: Peppers
was the plum of the unrestricted free agent
class, and the Bears shelled out $42 mil-
lion in guaranteed money for one of the
game’s most feared
pass rushers. Peppers’
81 sacks since he
entered the league as
New York Jets running back Shonn Greene, No. 23, rushed for 540 yards last season while splitting backfield duties
with Thomas Jones, who rushed for 1,402 yards.
BY RANDY COVITZ
McClatchy Newspapers
he NFL had its first 2,000-yard
running back in six years last sea-
son: Tennessee’s Chris Johnson. But
Johnson, who carried a league-most 358
times, was a rarity.
Because of the wear-and-tear of a 16-
game schedule — in addition to the differ-
ent skills required in multiple offenses —
most teams are doubling up in the back-
field and splitting the workload between
two and sometimes among three running
backs.
Take the New Orleans Saints. They
won the Super Bowl without a 1,000-yard
rusher. Pierre Thomas was the featured
back, and Reggie Bush was the change-of-
pace back.
That’s why several teams fortified their
backfields this season, starting with the
Chiefs, who signed free agent Thomas
Jones, the third-leading rusher in the NFL
for the Jets with 1,402 yards. He’ll team
with the league’s 11th-ranked rusher,
Jamaal Charles, who ran for 1,120 yards,
968 of which he gained in last season’s
final eight games.
The Jets filled the large cleats of Jones
by signing former San Diego Chargers star
LaDainian Tomlinson, the NFL’s top
active rusher. He’ll be paired with second-
year man Shonn Greene, who ran for 540
yards last season.
And what about Washington’s commit-
tee of running backs? New coach Mike
Shanahan, reunited with Clinton Portis,
also brought in Willie Parker from
Pittsburgh and Larry Johnson from Kansas
City — by way of Cincinnati — to play in
his running-back friendly offense.
We’ll see if there are enough footballs
to go around — and enough room for egos
— in that huddle.
LEADING TANDEMS
■ N.Y. Jets’ LaDainian Tomlinson and
Shonn Greene: Tomlinson did everything
but reach a Super Bowl in nine seasons at
R O B E RT G AU T H I E R / L O S A N G E L E S T I M E S / M C T
onship game, when he converted a fourth-
NFL teams using and-1 in overtime that kept the game-win-
ning drive alive. But he also produced 21
multiple running backs runs of 10 yards or more during the sea-
son. Bush’s speed keeps defenses honest.
to split workload He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and is
only the second active player to score at
least 10 TDs each by rushing and receiv-
ing in his first four NFL seasons.
■ Panthers’ Jonathan Stewart and
DeAngelo Williams: Carolina coach John
Fox loves to run the ball, and this is the
ultimate thunder and lightning combina-
tion: Stewart, a burly 235-pounder, and
Williams, who is compact but fast. Their
production was nearly identical last sea-
son: Stewart carried 221 times for 1,333
yards and 10 TDs; Williams, 1,117 yards
on 216 carries and 7 TDs. That total of
2,250 was just shy of their 2,351 yards in
M A R K C O R N E L I S O N / L E X I N G TO N H E R A L D - L E A D E R / M C T
2008, the most by a running back combi-
New Orleans Saints running back nation since 1984.
Pierre Thomas, No. 23, left,
celebrates a touchdown with ■ Cowboys’ Marion Barber and Felix
teammate Reggie Bush, No. 25, right, Jones: Barber, a battering ram; Jones, a
during Super Bowl XLIV. blazer; and Tashard Choice, perhaps the
most complete back on the roster,
upon in the red zone and on passing combine to give Dallas one of the
downs. Both will benefit from the best groups of runners in
blocking of ageless fullback Tony the league. Even though
Richardson. all three were nicked
at one point of the
■ Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles and
Thomas Jones: Once Charles got
season, the
Cowboys still
hold of the starting job last sea-
son, there was no stopping him. averaged 4.82
yards per
During the last eight games of
the season, only the Titans’ carry, second-
best to
Chris Johnson (1,047) rushed for
more yards than Charles, who Tennessee. If
Barber
capped the year with a club-record,
259-yard performance at Denver. But remains
healthy, he’ll
Charles is slightly built — 5-11, 199
pounds — and the muscular Jones — 5- still be the fea-
tured back, and
10, 212 — will help keep Charles fresh for
Jones may be
the long grind as well as extend his own
more involved as
career.
a receiver, much
■ Saints’ Pierre Thomas and Reggie like the Saints’
Bush: Thomas was the unsung hero of Bush.
the Saints’ championship season, JOHN

the second pick of the San Diego, and offensive coordinator picking up the tough yards when SLEEZER/
THE
2002 draft rank third Brian Schottenheimer, a former Chargers needed, especially in the NFC champi- KANSAS
CITY
among active players. assistant, knows how to push the right but- S TA R /

He had 14.5 sacks in tons for Tomlinson, 31. The best guess is Tennessee Titans running back MCT

2008 and 10.5 in Greene will carry between the 20s, and Chris Johnson, No. 28, led the
Peppers 2009, and no Bears Tomlinson, who ranks third on the all-time league in rushing last season with
player has had double-digit sacks in back- touchdown list with 153, will be called 2,006 yards.
to-back seasons since Rosevelt Colvin in
2001-02.
■ Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall:
There’s little question about Marshall’s
ability. But he has had many issues off the SEPT. 9 SEPT. 19 OCT. 3 OCT. 31 NOV. 21
field and in the locker room. Marshall
caught 101 passes, including 10 TDs in 15
games for Denver last season (his third
straight season of 100-plus catches) before
he was deactivated for the season-finale
against the Chiefs. Bill Parcells gambled at at at at at
two second-round picks on Marshall, who
gives the Dolphins a badly needed No. 1
receiver who can stretch the field and
draw double coverage.
■ Ravens WR Anquan Boldin: Boldin
bristled at being overshadowed by Larry Minnesota at New N.Y. Giants at Indi- Washington at Minnesota at New Indianapolis at New
Fitzgerald at Arizona and forced a trade to Orleans: What better anapolis: This will be Philadelphia: Washing- England: This England: A year ago,
Baltimore, where he way to start the season Manning Bowl II, and ton QB Donovan Halloween game will be Bill Belichick went for it
has a chance to be a than with a rematch of like the first one in 2006, McNabb will return to the first time that on fourth-and-2 deep in
true No. 1 receiver. the NFC Championship it will be a prime-time, Philadelphia in a scene Patriots wide receiver his territory in the final
Boldin’s big-play Game? Saints fans will Sunday nighter. The last that will rival Brett Randy Moss will face minute, against the
ability will be helpful celebrate the Super time the Manning broth- Favre’s return to Green his original club, the then-unbeaten Colts, a
in the development of Bowl title, the players ers met was the 2006 Bay last season. Vikings, for whom he decision that altered the
third-year QB Joe receive their champi- season opener at Gi- Considering that Eagles starred from 1998 to course of the season.
Flacco and should onship rings and Drew ants Stadium, won by fans once booed Santa 2004. It also will be the This is not a Sunday-
Boldin take the heat off 14- Brees will duel Brett older brother Peyton, Claus, imagine the re- first time since 2002 night game yet, but it’s
year pro Derrick Favre (assuming he re- 26-21. But that was be- ception McNabb will re- that Tom Brady has the first week a game
Mason, but he’ll have to remember that turns), who limped out fore Peyton or Eli had ceive. Unlike Santa, played against Favre, can be flexed into prime
the Ravens have built their offense around of the Superdome after won Super Bowls. he’s heard it for years, assuming he returns. time.
the running game, defense and then pass- taking a beating. so it shouldn’t bother (Brady was injured in
ing. McNabb. 2008 when Favre was
— Randy Covitz with the Jets.)

2010 NFL PREVIEW

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