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| Thursday, September 5 Updated: September 11, 5:19 PM ET Hall replaces Kearse in a big way By James C. Black ESPN.com |
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Even with two Pro Bowlers ahead of him on the depth chart, Tennessee Titans rookie defensive end Carlos Hall was projected to get some snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. However, a few plays turned into nearly a whole game as Hall registered perhaps the most impressive rookie performance during Week 1.
"If he didn't know what's going to be expected of him before, he knows now," said fellow Titans defensive end Kevin Carter. "He's got speed, power and even though he didn't put up big numbers in college, you can see he's got talent." Just ask Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. With Philly trying to get in position for a game-tying field goal on its final possession, Hall sacked McNabb and forced a fumble that was recovered by Carter with 1:19 remaining. According to The Tennessean, Hall joined the old Cleveland Browns' Chip Banks (against Seattle on Sept. 12, 1982) as the only rookies to record three sacks in their first games. "He had a good preseason (four sacks), but people wanted to know what he'd do when the real games started," Carter said. "I think he answered some questions." Hall will get plenty of opportunities to increase his sack totals. Kearse had a screw inserted into his broken left foot on Monday, and could miss at least the next five games. However, Hall cautioned against any comparisons between him and Kearse, who set a rookie record with 14½ sacks in 1999. "No one can be Jevon, he's the fastest defensive lineman in the league," said Hall, who led the Titans with seven tackles in the contest. "Those are huge shoes to fill. All I'm going to do is keep trying to make plays." Each Tuesday from now until the end of the regular season, ESPN.com will review rookie performances. Here are some other rookies who had a significant impact or were projected to play a major role in their teams' season openers:
The Patriots acquired a handful of receivers and tight ends this past offseason. The most impressive of the bunch could turn out to be second-round draft pick Branch. Not only did he lead the Patriots with six catches for 83 yards during the 30-14 win over Pittsburgh, but he also made two incredible plays that led to touchdowns. Early in the third quarter, he blind-sided Lee Flowers to help pave the way for Donald Hayes' 40-yard touchdown reception. Later in the period, he shook a couple of Steelers out of their pants on his way to the end zone.
What will Carr and the Texans do for an encore? Not only did he throw a touchdown pass during his first career drive, but he helped engineer just the second win by an expansion team in its debut. "I tried to stay pretty relaxed," said Carr, the top pick in this year's draft. "I tried to stay on an even keel, but when you score on your first drive, it's hard not to get a little excited out there." Carr did take his share of lumps during the outing, completing just 10 of 22 passes for 145 yards and getting sacked six times. But he kept his composure and threw a pair of scoring passes.
Talk about getting put on the spot in your first career game. The Raiders were so impressed with Harris in the preseason that they released veteran Greg Biekert, their leading tackler last year, a week before the opener against Seattle. Harris responded against the Seahawks with seven tackles and half a sack in the 31-17 victory. "I definitely feel comfortable," Harris said. "Chuck Bresnahan, our defensive coordinator, really did a good job of mixing and matching defenses."
Just as the Dolphins had struggled in recent years with consistency in the running game, there was also a void at tight end. But fourth-round pick McMichael has quickly made the Dolphins forget about their past woes. McMichael, who's not shy about hurdling foes to reach the end zone or first down marker, led the Dolphins with four catches for 73 yards and had a touchdown in the lopsided win over Detroit. Because of his speed and size, McMichael will definitely command attention in the receiving game alongside Chris Chambers and Oronde Gadsden.
Shockey caught three receptions and made a few plays away from the ball, but wasn't involved enough in the offense. He had a 20-yard reception during the drive that culminated in Tiki Barber's game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. However, he only had one other reception after intermission. "We wanted to get him the ball," Giants Coach Jim Fassel said, "but a couple times it looked like he was double-covered."
The Saints' first-round pick didn't lead the team in receiving (four catches, 63 yards), but he made one of the team's biggest plays on Sunday against Tampa Bay. Stallworth got free on the sideline, caught the ball, made a couple of fancy moves and then just ran past a couple of defenders for a 20-10 lead midway in the third quarter. James C. Black is the assistant NFL editor for ESPN.com. |
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