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"I think Sidney is kind of having a breakout year in the first quarter of theseason. I think him and Brett are comfortable with each other and are on thesame page and it showed in the last game. I think that Sidney is healthy and heis kind of getting to the point to what we thought he could be when we draftedhim."
Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell on WR Sidney Rice
Flashback: NFL draft weekend 2007. After the euphoria created by the Vikings for the selection of RB Adrian Peterson started to wear off, the second round was fast approaching. The Vikings, with pick No. 41, were in desperate need of a wide receiver. Their 2006 receiving corp was comprised of Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson, Billy McMullen, and Martin Nance. They wisely swapped the No. 41 pick for the No. 44 pick and later round choice. The obvious pick at No. 44: USC WR Dwayne Jarrett, who shockingly fell out of the first round. The Vikings' choice: unfairly thought of at the time, another South Carolina WR (see Williamson), Sidney Rice.
My instant thought: not a bad pick, but my college football obsessed mind, which didn't see the big picture, thought former VP Fran Foley was back making the pick. Jarrett, a flat-out stud who was often on TV, had star written all over him.
Jarrett's career stats with the Carolina Panthers: 18 catches for 211 yards and no touchdowns. This year he has two catches for 19 yards. He has been demoted to the No. 4 WR and appears to be the byproduct of former USC QB Matt Leinart.
As for Rice, a case can be made that he is the Vikings' best overall WR. Their best downfield threat is Bernard Berrian, who averaged over 20 yards per catch in 2008. Their most dangerous receiver is rookie Percy Harvin, who has world-class speed. But their best overall WR -- red zone threat, blocking, route running, and Wildcat throwing option -- might very well be Rice.
Rice is in year No. 3. It may be a myth, but there is enough evidence to suggest wide receivers oftentimes fully flourish in their third year. The 2008 season saw a number of third year men put up big numbers. Thelist includes Greg Jennings, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and BrandonMarshall. Historically, a number of Pro Bowl receivers have broken out in theirthird year including Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Examples this year include New York's Steve Smith and Jacksonville's Mike Sims-Walker. This is not to propose that Rice is on the verge of becoming a superstar, or even a Pro Bowler, but it lends perspective to his quarter season success.
His four-game run isn't by accident. I've grown to appreciate Rice's work ethic after watching him everyday in Mankato for two straight weeks. Reporters at Winter Park only get a few minutes to view practice, then are allowed back afterwards to do interviews. Many days one of the last players to leave the field is Rice.
He already is one catch shy (14) of his total from a year ago. He did miss two games in '08, and played through a knee injury many other weeks, which explains some of his failures. He admits he now is fully healthy and that much of his success is due to QB Brett Favre. Rice is on pace to have 56 catches for 688 yards and eight touchdowns. To fully realize his blocking brillance, just watch this Peterson TD run. He also, as demonstrated on Monday night, is the best option on the hands team. Special teams coordinator Brian Murphy: "He did an outstanding job of going up strong at the point andsnatching both of those kicks. That's a tough thing and we went up there.The guys in front of him did a good job of protecting him, but he went upstrong. Those were two outstanding plays by him."
Rice recently wrote in his blog on his website that he doesn't think it gets any better than this because of the team's 4-0 start. He easily could've been describing himself.