Peyton Manning | Kurt Warner | Brian Urlacher | Marshall Faulk
Turf Wars
by
Rudy J. KlancnikOLD SCHOOL BEST
Rookies are great, especially when they're tied to the
practice-field goal posts with athletic tape. But here are five
vets who deserve to have at least two rookies carry their
luggage.
Marshall Faulk - What do you get by mixing the
stop-on-a-dime footwork of
Barry Sanders, the full-throttle power
of
Emmitt Smith, the route running of
Jerry Rice, and the breakaway
speed of Deion Sanders? Well, don't ask the Colts. They traded
Marshall to St. Louis three seasons ago. Simply put, Faulk is
without peer.
Kurt Warner - Warner's lightning-quick decisions and
release, combined with his uncanny accuracy, make him football's
premier quarterback.
Peyton Manning - Not too far behind Mr. Warner is the Colts'
signal caller. Manning tried to take on the world by himself last
season after his Pro Bowl backfield mate, Edgerrin James, was lost
for the year and his defense decided to take an early vacation. The
results were often ugly as Manning forced too many passes. With
Tony Dungy straightening out the D in Indy, Manning can relax and
excel as the AFC's best quarterback.
Michael Strahan - First of all, Strahan's record-setting
sack against
Brett Favre in the Giants' season finale was a setup.
Duh. But does that take anything away from the greatest
pass-rushing season in
NFL history? Of course not.
Brian Urlacher - Urlacher has sparked a
football revival not
seen since the mid-1980s. He's a sideline-to-sideline hitter who
possesses the speed and instincts to both cover running backs and
crumple them into a heap if they dare enter his turf. - K.
SUDDEN IMPACT
These five rookie sensations are sure to make an immediate impact
on game day.
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