Pre-Season Week 2 Recap: NFC

Added on Aug 24, 2010 by Eric Galko in

NFL

The Vikings continue to steal the headlines in the NFC, but this time only 1/4 of the attention is paid to Brett Favre.

Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice go down, Joe Webb steps up in Minnesota, Leinart and Derek Anderson in near dead-heat in Arizona, and we could be seeing more Sam Bradford early than we and the Rams expected.

Percy Harvin Collapses in Practice
Aside from the Brett Favre saga, the real story, and the most important one, in Minnesota is the health and overall well-being off 2009 rookie of the year receiver Percy Harvin.

Harvin suffered migraines over his entire life, and that was one of the factors of his fall on draft day. He walked onto the field after not feeling well-enough to practice with the team, and then passed out and required immediate medical attention. Word isn’t in yet of what exactly happened or if he’ll make a speedy recovery, but we hope the best for Harvin.

Shoe-In No Longer in Arizona, Leinart in Trouble
Coming into this season, it seemed as though Leinart would have a tough time not having a Top 15 quarterback season. With Larry Fitzgerald, Early Doucet, Steve Breaston, Chris Wells, Tim Hightower and one of the best offensive minds in the NFL now in Ken Whisenhunt, I felt that Leinart could lead his team back to the playoffs.

But I didn’t mention one other addition this off-season: Derek Anderson. The former Browns’s Pro Bowl quarterback turned scapegoat has played well in camp, and while Leinart is still atop the depth chart for now, it’s no guarentee that he’ll be there by Week One.

Brett Favre’s Back, In Case You Didn’t Hear, But His Receiver is Gone
I couldn’t go through a pre-season recap without at least mentioning the “lead” story for the NFL and the Vikings this off-season. Brett Favre’s back, and if you bet against that, then you probably didn’t do much research. Or any research.

Favre is and was always going to be the top guy in Minnesota, but because of his ankle injury and the offensive line not playing great by the end of last year, look for Peterson and Gerhart to get alot of touches. Also, news today is that Sidney Rice, Favre’s top receiver last year, will undergo hip surgery that will keep him out until mid-season. That’s a huge blow.

AJ Feely Hurt, Bradford Starting Ahead of Schedule?
The 2010 Season was going to be a definite rebuilding season for the St. Louis Rams, but with their putrid offensive line, they didn’t plan on feeding rookie and 50 million dollar guaranteed quarterback Sam Bradford to the dogs.

However, with projected starter AJ Feeley out with a thumb injury, Bradford will have to start the pre-season game, and maybe longer. While they weren’t planning on using him this early in the season, if he’s their best quarterback, they might feel they need to play him.

Joe Webb Showcasing His Skills
If you haven’t heard of Joe Webb, you’re not alone. But, unlike Victor Cruz from the Giants, Webb wasn’t a complete shock to stick in the NFL. A former above average quarterback at UAB, his athletic ability made him an intriguing receiver option in the pros.

However, his arm strength and mid-range accuracy was definitely good enough to warrant NFL consideration, and that’s exactly what it’s doing right now. With Favre, Tavaris Jackson, and Sage Rosenfelds, he’s probably not going to get many drop-back snaps. But the team and coaching staff loves the kids desire and potential, and I could see him on the field as much if not more than the significantly more hyped Tim Tebow this year.