Faine On Health, Rookies And “Best In The NFC”
November 6th, 2010
Yesterday, Joe gave you Jeff Faine’s take on the demotion of Jeremy Zuttah and the release of Keydrick Vincent. Interesting stuff, for sure.
But Faine had much more to say on The Jeff Faine Show yesterday evening on 1010 AM.
On his health: Faine said it “looks like next week” for his return. “We’re going to hold off one more week. …It’s going along real well. We hit the sleds this week. Ran on the treadmill [Friday]. …Coming back this week would have been three weeks early.
On media predictions: “Peter King is a fantastic journalist. At the end of the day you can’t take stuff personal. Personalities make predictions. It’s like shopping a business plan to someone and they don’t buy, you don’t take it personal.”
On Raheem calling the Bucs the “best in the NFC:” Faine said he learned of the bold comment via text from a former teammate. He didn’t say the guy played for the Saints, but that was the strong implication. It was clear Faine is certain the comment ruffled players around the NFL.
“I think it’s a great play for us to believe we can be in the conversation, believe we can be the best in the NFC. Really, a lot of guys on this team don’t know any better. …For him to put himself out there is very courageous, and guys are buying in. It’s definitely helped the orgainization. Put a spotlight on it.
On the heels of blackouts, him saying that re-energized the team. Especially some of these younger guys that might be hitting their rookie walls.
On what evidence there is of a “rookie wall”: “I was talking to Mike Williams in the training room [Friday]. He was saying, ‘Man, we’ve got nine games left.’ Like it’s an eternity (laughing). Versus me saying we only got nine games left.
November 6th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Dang Mike, you better not wear out on me now boy!
November 6th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Faine is a funny guy, and says some if the strangest stuff! Lol. A really good center, also. But it’s funny, Zuttah looks like a really good center too! And As well as Ted Larsen has played at LG, I bet he would be a good backup at center( for now !) . If I were Faine, and saw the Bucs best day rushing from the sidelines, I’d be in a hurry ta get my butt back on the field!
November 6th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Bill Simmons slurping freeman, despite relating him to Alex Smith?
THE MEGA-SLEEPER
14. Tampa Bay
And why? BECAUSE JOSH FREEMAN WINS FOOTBALL GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Six comeback wins for him in less than a season and a half?!?!?!?!? Six! The Bucs spring to life any time they’re trailing in the fourth quarter and need to quicken the pace, which makes sense because (A) they have the worst running game in football, and (B) Freeman thrives on those desperation drives. That leads to the question, “Um, why don’t they just play that style all the time?” I don’t know. I don’t know.
Back to Freeman: He’s the most exciting QB in the league, a Dr. Moreau-like cross between Ben Roethlisberger (his fearlessness, his ability to throw frozen ropes on target in big moments, his remarkable talent for buying extra time because pass-rushers can’t bring him down, and fortunately, nothing else) and Alex Smith (his sneaky breakaway scrambling). You’re damned right I just made a cross-racial comparison threesome. Last Sunday, when Arizona erased a three-score deficit and took a 35-31 lead at home with eight minutes to play, instead of thinking, “What a comeback, I’m gonna win this Cards pick!” I was thinking, “Come on, don’t let Josh Freeman make a play!” And he did: A 50-yard bomb to Arrelious Benn that swayed the game and was immediately forgotten because every viewer was stunned by Chris Myers out-deadpanning Joe Buck’s call of the Helmet Catch and staking claim to the “Worst Call of An Exciting NFL Play Ever” title.