TwentyTwo said:
Someone please educate me here...what is a "pollyanna"??
In addition to the reference to the optimistic CF poster, the word "pollyanna" has its root in a 1913 children's literature book by the same title. It's about an incredibly optimistic orphan. The word now is defined as "an excessively or blindly optimistic person".
Now on to more Danny Woodhead news!
Here is an article from the Providence Journal entitled "Patriots notebook". It looks like that crafty Belichick guy is going to be using more and more Woodhead:
<H2 =vitstoryline>Patriots notebook: Belichick likes what he has seen with Woodhead</H2>
<H5 =vitstorydate>12:06 AM EDT on Tuesday, October 12, 2010</H5>
By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer
FOXBORO â€" It appears that recently signed running back Danny Woodhead's role in the Patriots offense is about to expand.
Woodhead has been impressive nearly every time he's touched the ball in a Patriots uniform.
The Patriots signed Woodhead on Sept. 18, one day before they were to face the New York Jets.
At the time, most believed that the signing was to grab some insight into the Jets offense. Woodhead had been released by the Jets earlier that week, so he knew their plays and tendencies.
But then versatile running back
Kevin Faulk went down in that game with a torn ACL, and suddenly the Patriots were in desperate need of another running back.
Enter Woodhead, who made his debut the following week against the Buffalo Bills, carrying the ball three times for 42 yards and a touchdown.
He opened some eyes in the second quarter against the Bills when he took a handoff from
Tom Brady on a draw play up the middle, broke through a huge hole and sprinted 22 yards for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 14-13 lead.
The following week against Miami, Woodhead gained 36 yards on eight carries. Listed at a generous 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, Woodhead is averaging 7.1 yards per carry (11 carries, 78 yards).
"He's really learned quickly in terms of all the different things we've asked him to do: different pass routes, route adjustments, pass protections, formations, the running plays, the ball handling, all that stuff,"Â said head coach Bill Belichick. "For a running back, those guys are pretty much in the middle of every play. They're doing something that's important to the play. He's done a good job of learning all those things and working extra to not only know his assignment, but also execute it well.
"I think that's probably the biggest thing. Skill-wise, he looks pretty much like the player that we signed as far as his speed and his quickness and his hands and things like that. He's certainly learned the system quickly. He's helped us not only on offense, but in the kicking game. When you just throw all that on one guy in a short period of time, it's great really that he's been able to pick up everything as quickly as he has and contribute as much as he has the last few weeks. Hopefully that'll get better."Â