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Off-season pickups Washington, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Peppers and Jones having impacts
There are deals and there are steals.
As Leon Washington was speeding the length of the field — twice — on kickoff returns Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks had every right to wonder what the New York Jets were thinking when they traded the outstanding running back-kick returner for a fifth-round draft pick.
And when [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] was making three catches in the end zone for Baltimore, the Ravens could be excused for planning to send the Arizona Cardinals a sweet thank-you note.
Washington and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] headed across the country in the off-season, and through three weeks of the 2010 schedule they look like the best acquisitions any teams made. That includes some other wise moves, from Chicago signing Julius Peppers, to Kansas City grabbing Thomas Jones, to the Jets adding LaDainian Tomlinson, and the Dolphins bringing in Brandon Marshall.
"[link widoczny dla zalogowanych] showed today why we wanted him to be a Raven," coach John Harbaugh said Sunday after [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]'s eight-catch performance in a 24-17 win over Cleveland in which the receiver not only made his 600th NFL catch, but scored three of Baltimore's touchdowns. "He's our kind of guy. He played (how) we want to play."
[link widoczny dla zalogowanych] might be the missing ingredient on a team with a dominant, if aging, defence that needs to make a championship run now. For Joe Flacco to make the next step from competent quarterback to championship-calibre quarterback, he needs a premier receiver in his prime.
That's [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], who couldn't be the No. 1 target — nor the highest-paid wideout — as long as he was a teammate in Arizona with Larry Fitzgerald. But he's a perfect fit in Baltimore, which has a dangerous running game but lacked a consistent downfield passing threat before [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] was acquired for a third- and fourth-round pick in April's draft. [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] signed a new four-year, US$28-million contract that includes a guaranteed $10 million.
So far, he's been worth it.
"I was told to come here and be myself," [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] said. "Whatever that entails, go out and make plays."
To the tune of 20 catches for 287 yards and those three TDs. Even as Flacco struggled in the two previous games, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] was making plays.
Washington's plays were infrequent until Sunday's breakout. He hasn't caught a pass this season — he was a standout third-down back for the Jets — and has only 11 rushes for 29 yards.
But on kickoff returns, as the Chargers learned in Seattle's 27-20 victory, there's no catching Washington.
He tied an NFL record with his two TD returns, good for 99 and 101 yards, and is averaging 46.3 per runback. The highest average for a season is 41.06 by Travis Williams of Green Bay in 1967.
"My thing is not to get satisfied, don't get complacent and always give glory to God and work hard," Washington said after boosting the surprising Seahawks to 2-1 and a tie atop the NFC West with [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]'s former team. "I'm a talented enough football player to play football; I was born to play football. I just go out every week and work hard and know eventually good things are going to happen."
Good things don't always happen to players who change addresses. Detroit's Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cleveland's Jake Delhomme and San Francisco's Ted Ginn Jr. haven't won a game in their new locales, with Delhomme and Ginn sitting out the last two losses with injuries.
Vanden Bosch was supposed to team with Ndamukong Suh on the Lions' revamped defensive line. The former All-Pro end hasn't been a major factor in great part because Detroit is so weak at linebacker and in the secondary.
Delhomme took over for two quarterback flops in Cleveland, Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. He had a poor 59.2 passer rating in an opening loss at Tampa and hasn't been on the field since because of the right ankle injury.
Ginn was slated for kick return and wide receiver duties. But a knee injury in the season opener has shelved him. For what it's worth, the 49ers have the second-fewest points in the NFL and fired offensive co-ordinator Jimmy Raye on Monday.
Only Vanden Bosch was a big-money acquisition among those three, getting $26 million for four years to leave the Titans. That, of course, pales compared to what Peppers received from the Bears: six years, $91.5 million, including $42-million guaranteed.
No one in the Windy City is complaining since Peppers blew into town.
"He's a big, strong physical guy," Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga said. "He can go over you or he can go around you.
"He has a good arsenal of moves and you just have to prepare for all of them and work your fundamentals well and do everything right. You have to be on target every time to stop a guy like that."
Marshall is serving the same role in Miami that [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] has taken on in Baltimore. On Sunday night, he was the focal point of the Dolphins' offence with 10 receptions for 166 yards and a TD. Miami lost to the Jets, but Marshall's performance showed why the Dolphins parted with two second-round draft picks,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], then gave him a four-year contract extension worth an average of about $10 million a year through 2014.
"Brandon Marshall is a nightmare to cover," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "He has the great size, the body control, the speed.
"He has everything."
Or at least enough to be a difference maker in his new home.