Harrington looks incapable of developing fully

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."

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.

The Lions' defense doesn't get much attention, but it is developing into one of the better defenses in the league. The inside push the unit gets from tackles Shaun Rogers and Dan Wilkinson opens up I pass-rushing lanes for the linebackers, enables linebackers to run free and creates interception opportunities for the defensive backs.

Now that Peyton Manning is warmed up, the Colts look like the most complete team in the league. Or maybe the only complete team.

INSIDE DISH

In addition to the physical advantages DEs Dwight Freeney of the Colts and Jason Taylor of the Dolphins have over offensive tackles, they often have a mental edge. Whenever one of them is scheduled to face an offensive tackle with whom the other is familiar, they'll get on the phone and share notes. For instance, the Colts play the Patriots on November 7, six days before the Dolphins play New England. Neither Freeney norTaylor has played against Patriots rookie LT Nick Kaczur. So after the Colts and Patriots play, Taylor likely will pick Freeney's brain about Kaczur's strengths and weaknesses. * Sooner or later, the Falcons expect QB Michael Vick to start connecting on some deep strikes. The team believes Vick has improved his accuracy on long balls. In the past, Vick's deep throws often sailed because he has such a strong arm; it was especially evident when he threw long on the run. But now that Falcons coaches have been working with Vick on controlling his throws, they believe his passes will find their targets more often. * A lot of eyebrows were raised when new Seahawks president Tim Ruskell selected LB Lofa Tatupu in the second round of the draft. Six months later, Tatupu is an early candidate for defensive rookie of the year. Tatupu is making all the plays he's supposed to, but his leadership has been more impressive than his physical contributions. From his middle position, he has been the perfect quarterback for the defense. In addition to always being where he's supposed to be, Tatupu has gotten teammates lined up where they're supposed to be. And when one of them screws up, Tatupu lets them know. In addition to showing up to watch extra tape at 6 a.m., Tatupu has persuaded teammates to join him. He also has gotten players to go out to dinner together. Tatupu has been the leader the Seahawks' defense never had. * On the subject of impressive rookie middle linebackers, Odell Thurman has improved the Bengals' defense even though he still isn't completely comfortable with the playbook. Thurman hasn't always been where he's supposed to be, but he has been able to make up for it with speed and athleticism. At times, he has made a wrong read and still made the play because of his instincts. Even though Thurman is playing in the middle, veteran OLB Brian Simmons remains the leader of the Bengals' front seven. * The Cardinals are cutting back on three-receiver sets. The problem: No. 3 WR Bryant Johnson, a former first-round pick, has been dropping too many passes. Coach Dennis Green wants more power formations so the team can establish a running game and protect the quarterback better, and he wants fewer targets in the passing game so Larry Fitzgerald can get more catches. Fitzgerald, the team's first-round pick last year, has been the team's most reliable receiver. QB Kurt Warner didn't get the results the Cardinals wanted in his first three games, but Green isn't blaming Warner for the team's passing problems. Chances are decent Warner will regain his starting position when his groin injury heals. Fact: The Vikings are open to trading RB Michael Bennett. He has not performed well, and the team has depth at the position with Mewelde Moore and rookie Ciatrick Fason. What's more, Bennett is in the final year of his contract. Fiction: They're going to deal Bennett to the Cardinals. Arizona is not interested.

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