Seahawks Get Branch, Porter Lacks Character

The Seattle Seahawks made an already good offense even better by acquiring wide receiver Deion Branch from the New England Patriots for a first round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Advantage: Seahawks.

Mike Holmgren gets another weapon to play with in his explosive arsenal, an offense that led the league in points scored in 2005. Never mind giving up the number one. There's no guarantee that a number one pick will succeed anyway. The average is about 50-50.

With Branch, a former Super Bowl MVP who led the Patriots in receiving last season, Seattle gets a legit number one receiver. The move will put Nate Burleson at the number two and either Bobby Engram or oft-injured Darrell Jackson at the slot. Throw in surprising D.J. Hackett and you have a very decent receiving corps.

Matt Hasselbeck has got to be one of the happiest guys in the world right now. All those weapons, including NFL MVP Shaun Alexander at tailback.

"It's going to be that much harder to defend our offense," said Hasselbeck. Holmgren agreed. "It's all good for us," he said.

The losers are definitely the Patriots. New England has lost both of its starting receivers from last year, David Givens is in Tennessee, and had a horrific time passing the ball against Buffalo on Sunday. This has put a damper on the team's psyche. Just listen to the comments of defensive end Richard Seymour if you don't believe me.

"I don't think any of us envisioned something like this happening. It took the air out of me. It really did," Seymour said. "When you look at Deion Branch, he embodies everything we want in a football player. Everything we talk about, the kind of guy we want on this football team, he did as good a job as anybody of embodying that.

"It's a tough day for a lot of guys on this football team, especially guys like myself who came in with Deion Branch. To not have No. 83 in a Patriots uniform definitely hurts."

Doesn't sound like happy times in New England does it.

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The three shutouts on the NFL's opening weekend marked the first time in 15 years that three teams went scoreless in a single weekend.

Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 27-0, Chicago beat Green Bay 26-0 and San Diego capped the opening weekend with a 27-0 blanking of Oakland on Monday night.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that marked the first time that had happened since Sept. 15, 1991, the third week of that season.

The Raiders beat the Colts 16-0; Philadelphia beat Dallas 24-0; and the Redskins beat the Cardinals 34-0 that year. The Raiders, then in Los Angeles, were coached by Art Shell, who returned this year to coach the team after being fired in 1994.

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The San Francisco Chronicle reported the WR Jerry Porter, who's had problems with Art Shell and Raider management, was seen laughing and pumping his fist on the sidelines when Raiders teammate Aaron Brooks was sacked for the seventh time.

Porter was inactive for Monday nights game and has been in Shell's doghouse since training camp began.

If it's true, it shows an incredible lack of character on his part. To cheer against your own team is absolutely despicable. Porter needs to grow up and learn a valuable lesson - no one can succeed alone and no one is bigger than the game.

Jerry Porter doesn't belong on any NFL team because it's obvious by his actions on Monday night that all he cares about is Jerry Porter. Playing in the NFL is about teamwork and striving for a common goal - the Super Bowl. It takes heart and character to play in the NFL - two intangibles Porter is sorely lacking in.

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Monday night roundup:
Vikings 19, Redskins 16
Brad Johnson was right on target with his passes and his leadership and Steve Hutchinson destroyed everything in his path as the Vikes opened up the season with a win on the road.

San Diego 27, Oakland 0
The Charger defense collected nine sacks, three by Shawne Merriman, and held the Raiders to just 129 total yards in a dominating win. LaDainian Tomlinson once again broke the backs of Oakland with 131 yards rushing and a touchdown.


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