In the previous article, I have presented the offensive Starting XI of the SFL 2005 season opener. Here I will put forward the Starting XI for the defense. Let's check them out!
DEFENSE
LE Richard Seymour (NE)Even though the Patriots lost to the Raiders, Seymour still did some damage in the game. He recorded 5 tackles (1 for loss), 1 forced fumble and 1 sack. The 4-year veteran defensive end will still be a vital part of the Patriots defense moving forward.
DT Seth Payne (KC)If not because of the presence of Payne on the Chiefs front seven, the Jets could have scored many more points. Payne was quite disruptive by piling up 7 total tackles (1 for loss), 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 sack in the game. However those numbers were not enough to avoid GM Riley's first loss in his debut game.
DT Willie Whitehead (NO)Saints put up a good fight against their division rival Panthers and that was probably part of the contribution from Whitehead. The veteran tackle recorded 7 tackles and 1 sack in that game. Even though that was not enough to beat the Panthers, his performance is worth to make the list.
RE Calvin Pace (DET)Pace became a nightmare for Brett Favre in their divisional match-up throughout the game. He sacked Favre twice which could be the cause of Favre's injury. Pace also recorded 4 tackles (1 for loss) in the game.
LOLB Karlos Dansby (CHI)Guarding the Bears strong side of the field, Dansby successfully put up quite amazing numbers in the first game of his sophomore year in professional league. He recorded 9 tackles (1 for loss) and 1 sack. Even though playing with a rookie QB, the Bears are still a contender this season with lots of talents on both sides of the field, and Dansby is definitely one of them.
MLB Keith Brooking (ATL)The Falcons did lose to the Eagles but Brooking had a career tackling day. He compiled 16 total tackles (2 for loss), 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass defended. His leadership on the Falcons defense is unquestionable. Expect a peak season for him this year.
ROLB Chad Brown (TB)Brown may not be young anymore, but his performance on week 1 proves that he still can do a lot of damage for the opposing team. He recorded 8 total tackles (1 for loss), 1 sack and 1 safety in the game against the Vikings. He could be an entertaining element from the defense for the Bucs with little spark from their offense this year.
FS Sean Jones (ATL)As a fifth rounder, Jones has shown quite interesting performance last year. It looks like he will continue that trend this season with his 9 tackles and 1 forced fumble performance against the Eagles. He still needs to improve his coverage ability though because he looked out of position several times on the field.
SS Michael Green (CHI)Another bear making the team shows how talented their roster this year. Green was disruptive against the Redskins, recording 7 tackles (2 for loss), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Bears even got another SS as good as him in Justin Berault. So better watch 'em out!
CB Brian Williams (TEN)Williams waited no time to prove he's worth the price the Titans paid to get him from the Vikings in the offseason. He successfully locked down his coverage area by allowing no catch while also recording 8 tackles (1 for loss) and 2 passes defended in their win against the Steelers.
CB Brian Kelly (NO)Kelly may not be the fastest or the tallest guy on the Saints secondary but he surely is the smartest. He compensated his lack on those areas by understanding the plays and what he must do to counter. He recorded 2 interceptions and 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. He also recorded 6 tackles and 3 pass breakups against the Panthers ultra offensive team.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Sebastian Janikowski (OAK)Janikowski recorded 6 field goals made from 6 attempts and 3 extra points made from 3 attempts on week 1 in a 39-10 win against the Patriots. He scored 21 of those 39 points. That speaks volume on how his contribution in that game was.
P Mike Scifres (GB)Scifres punted 5 times in a loss to the Lions. He averaged 50.40 per punt and managed to place 3 of those 5 inside Lions' 20-yard area and one touchback.
KR Artose Pinner (ATL)Pinner returned 5 kickoffs for 174 total yards (34.8 yards per return) with the longest one being a 59-yarder.
PR Brian Westbrook (SD)Beside being the primary running back in San Diego, Westbrook also does the kick and punt return duties. He returned 4 punts for a total of 35 yards (8.75 yards per punt) in the game against the Cowboys.
That's all the Starting XI for the SFL 2005 season opener. Should you have any thoughts, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to leave those below. All input will be much appreciated. Thanks for stopping by!
