Nomadic Blake doesn't care what people say
Nomadic Blake doesn't care what people say
Nick Piecoro
azcentral.com
Aug. 8, 2002
Jeff Blake knows what his NFL career looks like on paper.
Five different teams, including four in the past five years.
Only twice in 11 years has he held the starting job for a full 16 games.
Never has he taken a snap in the playoffs.
Blake knows what people say. He just doesn't care.
"It doesn't matter to me," he said. "They don't determine my destiny, I determine my destiny."
Blake, 32, is the new quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, and although a glance at his resume may reveal flaws, there are reasons to believe that he will be an upgrade over the inconsistent and enigmatic Jake Plummer, who left for Denver as a free agent.
Blake has proven to be capable of producing. In the two seasons he started all 16 games, 1995 and 1996, Blake ranked among the top 10 in NFL quarterbacks in yards and touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nomination in 1995.
The Cardinals are his sixth NFL team, injuries being the biggest reason why he has bounced around.
He was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round in 1992, but never got a shot at the starting job. The Bengals claimed him off waivers in 1994 and, two years later, he became the full-time starter and one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
He lost his job, however, in 1997, started just two games in 1998 and moved on to New Orleans by 2000.
Blake believes he might still be the Saints¹ quarterback today had he stayed healthy that season. He helped turn the Saints around in 2000, leading them to a 7-3 record in games he started and finished. But a broken foot opened the door for Aaron Brooks, who played well in Blake's absence to win the job outright. Brooks has been the Saints' starter since.
Last year, Blake moved to Baltimore, where he started 10 games after Chris Redman went down. The Ravens wanted to retain him but the two sides couldn't agree on a deal.
That brought him to Arizona, where he signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract to replace Plummer, who left for Denver after six turbulent seasons in the desert.
A quick glance at Blake and Plummer's career statistics reveals one stark difference between the two. Only once in six years did Plummer throw more touchdowns than interceptions; Blake, however, has never thrown more interceptions than TDs in a full season. Plummer has a career minus-24 touchdown/interception differential (90 TDs, 114 interceptions). Blake has a plus-36 (119, 83).
"He's a good leader out there," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said. "He doesn't panic. He's going to make good decisions. He's going to be a good leader on this team."
If nothing else, Blake is terrific at throwing the deep ball.
"The deep ball is something that I'm proud that God has blessed me with it," he said. "I just try to harness it and be good at it every time I do it. I believe in it, I believe that I'm good at it, and that's what entails me to do what I can do."
Blake is surrounded by question marks on the offensive line (health), backfield (age) and receiving corps (experience), but he likes the position he's in. As for the receivers, Blake is quick to point out that no one had heard of Carl Pickens or Darnay Scott in Cincinnati or Joe Horn in New Orleans before he came along.
"I have my big dudes up there in front of me," Blake said. "I've got (tight end) Freddie Jones over there, I've got E. Smith in the backfield. It's looking kind of pretty for me.
"We're on a mission. When I was in New Orleans, we started out 1-3 and then we won six straight. It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish."