Saturday, February 12, 2000

Blake's No. 1 again - with Saints

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'Nice to be wanted'

BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jeff Blake signed a four-year deal with New Orleans. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Jeff Blake can't wear No. 8 in New Orleans. But Friday he wore the smile missing in Cincinnati the past three seasons, when the Saints did what the Bengals didn't and made him their quarterback of the future.

        “After two years, it's nice to be finally wanted again,” Blake said, after a red carpet New Orleans news conference announcing his four-year, $17.4 million deal.

        Blake can't wear No. 8 because it belongs in retirement to Saints legend Archie Manning. But that is the least of his concerns.

BLAKE'S FINALE Photos from Blake's final home game as a Bengal - 44-28 win over Browns Dec. 12, 1999. Click on "Wallpaper" image, then right click your mouse to "Set As Wallpaper."

Scott, Blake, Pickens Zoom | Wallpaper

Blake on the run Zoom | Wallpaper

Pickens, Blake Zoom | Wallpaper

        “You know how it's been for me,” he said. “These people here, they really want me. They're glad I'm here. It felt great to be the man again.”

        Blake hasn't been the man in Cincinnati since the Bengals signed Boomer Esiason to back him up in 1997, after Blake led Cincinnati to 7-9 and 8-8 seasons in 1995 and 1996, respectively.

        Remember '95? That's when Blake completed a 14-month run from the waiver wire to Waikiki, going from third-string to the Pro Bowl.

        But, beginning in '97, he has lost 17 of his 24 starts in getting demoted and promoted three times.

        “You know what I can do when I don't have anybody looking over my shoulder,” he said. “It's such a good feeling to get a fresh start. It's all new here. They've got a new coach, a new general manager, new everything.”

        Another quarterback the Saints considered was Neil O'Donnell, who knocked Blake out of the Bengals' starting job in 1998 training camp.

        Agent Ralph Cindrich got Blake a $5 million signing bonus and an average salary of $4.3 million, doubling his Bengals' average. Blake also got more money than three of the recent major quarterback deals — Trent Green, Kerry Collins and Rich Gannon.

        “We sat down and evaluated,” Saints coach Jim Haslett said. “We looked at Neil O'Donnell and we looked at Jeff George, Trent Dilfer. The best guy was obviously the guy we got. ... He can run, he can throw the deep ball, he can throw the outs. He can do everything you want in a quarterback.”

        Haslett, the former Steelers defensive coordinator, didn't need to see videotape to be convinced. Blake beat Haslett's unit once in each of the last two seasons. He threw for 367 yards in a 1998 victory, and last season directed a 27-20 victory over a pass defense ranked first in the NFL. In the latter game, he hit his first four passes for 141 yards.

        Haslett said some Steeler coaches called him Friday to thank him for taking Blake out of the AFC Central. On Friday, Blake thanked Bengals President Mike Brown for a chance and coach Bruce Coslet and offensive coordinator Ken Anderson for, “giving 110 percent in giving us a chance to win every game.”

        But Blake thinks he never had Brown's confidence and asked the Bengals not to treat new starter Akili Smith the same way.

        “Don't do Akili the way they did me,” Blake said. “After two good seasons, don't take him out when he has a bad half-season. You have to take the good with the bad when you go with a quarterback. I was lucky I was mentally strong. A lot of guys could crumble.”

        Blake followed Coslet to Cincinnati in 1994, after Blake was released by the Jets on final cutdown day. Coslet drafted Blake in the sixth round out of East Carolina in 1992 when Coslet coached the Jets, and kept Blake in mind when he came to the Bengals as offensive coordinator.

        After No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks David Klingler and Don Hollas were injured just minutes apart in Cleveland, Blake made his first NFL start Oct. 30, 1994. He nearly beat defending Super Bowl champion Dallas with long passes, which became his signature in producing the nickname “Shake-N-Blake.”

        Blake's downfall in Cincinnati was because he couldn't throw the intermediate pass as accurately as the deep ball, but on Friday he said, “I thank the fans for their support and love. I'll never forget the things they gave me like Shake-N-Blake.

        Because Blake can't wear No. 8 he will probably wear No. 2, his high school and college number.

        But now he's No. 1 again.

        “He may not believe it,” Brown said, “but we wish him well.”

       

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