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Harrington looks incapable of developing fully

Sporting News, The, Oct 14, 2005 by Dan Pompei

My eyes always have seen a Joey Harrington who can be good enough. A Harrington who, at the least, won't screw it up if everyone else around him is pitching in. A Harrington who is athletic. A Harrington who avoids pressure. A Harrington who makes all the throws. A Harrington who plays piano like Thelonious Monk.

But my vision of Harrington is starting to blur. I'm too young for cataracts and too old to keep believing in heartwarming lies.

In Tampa on Sunday, I saw a quarterback give up on his receivers too quickly and pull the ball in or check down to the running back. Bucs corner Ronde Barber saw the same thing. "I thought he was a little reserved," Barber said. "I thought he played it a little close to the vest. He was trying not to make mistakes, scrambling out, not forcing throws."

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Harrington performed poorly until the Lions took over with 5:14 remaining, facing a four-point deficit. He then led his team on an impressive 81-yard drive, passing for an apparent touchdown to tight end Marcus Pollard on an all-out blitz. But the score was overturned by replay because Pollard's left knee was out of bounds. Harrington had two more throws. First, receiver Mike Williams couldn't get his feet down in the end zone after a nice pass. Then Harrington overthrew Roy Williams and the Lions were beaten, 17-13.

The problem I'm having with Harrington is he should be beyond some of the mistakes he continues to make in his fourth season. He has thrown 1,564 passes, but if the light bulb has gone on, it isn't burning brightly. "I thought I really liked him coming out," says Ron Jaworski, cohost of ESPN's EA Sports NFL Matchup. "I saw an upside. But I don't see the growth you like to see in a young quarterback, decision-making wise and throwing wise."

Harrington reads the field inconsistently--he's not processing information quickly or correctly. He can be flustered into throwing into coverage, as he was on an interception by Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher in the fourth quarter of the Lions' Week 2 loss. Against the blitz this season, Harrington has completed eight of 28 passes for 68 yards, with one touchdown and four interceptions. That's a completion percentage of 28.6 and a passer rating of 11.9.

"He has a difficult time extending the play when the receivers are covered, and then he makes bad decisions," says Jaworski, one of the premier quarterback authorities. "When Joey moves, he isn't seeing the field with clarity."

Even when Harrington makes the right read, he often isn't getting the ball where it needs to be. The National Enquirer is more accurate. Of course it doesn't help that, aside from Pollard, his receivers don't get open very well. But accuracy is Harrington's biggest problem.

Lions quarterbacks coach Greg Olson acknowledges the accuracy is a concern. He has been working with Harrington to get him to stay true to his techniques, particularly stressing keeping his left hand on the ball and stepping into the throw.

Accuracy generally doesn't improve a lot over time. Either a passer has it or he doesn't. And Harrington's decision making also has not improved as it should have.

In fairness to him, he hasn't had much help, even though the Lions have surrounded him with riches as if he were a mummified Egyptian king.

The immensely gifted running back Kevin Jones has gone nowhere. We're still waiting on receivers Charles Rogers and Mike Williams. I thought Roy Williams was the best prospect in the great receiver class of 2004, and I still might make the argument he is the most talented receiver in the league. But he has caught only 37 percent of the 27 passes Harrington has thrown his way this season, and Williams is to blame for a good portion of the incompletions.

Harrington's most reliable target has been Pollard, and to show his gratitude, Harrington introduced him to a couple of his safety friends. Against the Packers in the season opener, Harrington led Pollard with a pass over the middle into the end zone--straight into Mark Roman. The brick wall effect forced Pollard to drop the ball. Then, against the Bears, Harrington's high pass over the middle got to Pollard at about the same time as Mike Brown's helmet. Luckily for Pollard, he has no memory of the collision.

"They have all the talent in the world on offense; they just need someone to be a catalyst, a leader," Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan said. "How patient are they? I think the Lions want to win now, to be honest with you."

To be honest with you, my eyes are telling me the Lions have a quarterback who might be incapable of taking the next step in his development.

When it comes to Harrington, I have seen enough.

speed reads

Even though Jamie Winborn is an above-average linebacker who will be a good starter in the league, 49ers coach Mike Nolan did the right thing by putting Winborn on the trading block. If Nolan believed Winborn was challenging his authority by not following assignments--which has been the implication--the 49ers are better off without him. As a first-year head coach, Nolan must establish his program and also his leadership. Furthermore, it's almost always better to have a less skilled player who's more committed to the cause than to have a superstar who goes his own way.

Harrington looks incapable of developing fully

Sporting News, The, Oct 14, 2005 by Dan Pompei

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