BY GREG PICKEL | gpickel@pennlive.com
Memphis Express quarterback Christian Hackenberg. AL.com photo
A fixed throwing motion, fresh opportunity, and chance to start appeared to be just what Christian Hackenberg needed to rid himself of past failures and start the road back to the NFL.
Then, Sunday's Alliance of American Football game between his Memphis Express and the Birmingham Iron started, and suddenly, many were reminded of why the onetime five-star recruit struggled late in his career at Penn State before washing out in the NFL.
Hackenberg finished 10 of 23 for just 87 yards. He missed at least two wide open receivers, struggled to get into any sort of rhythm, and had a 39-yard touchdown toss called back by penalty. He was also victimized by bad drops and poor blocking, too, as the Express offense struggled to get going in a 26-0 defeat.
"I thought the team played hard," Memphis coach Mike Singletary said after the game, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
"But we did not play complementary football. Our plan was to come in and mix it up. Be able to run and get our quarterback comfortable, throw some underneath passes. Didn't really work like that. We missed some of those."
Memphis returns to action for its home opener on Saturday against the Arizona Hotshots, who won their Week 1 matchup.
Will Hackenberg start against them? And what are they saying about his first start?
Here's a look.
SI: Hackenberg 'fizzles in profanity-laden AAF debut
"The 23-year-old Hackenberg also forgot he was mic'd up during the game, offering a selection of profanities," SI writes.
Check out one of the clips below. Warning: There is graphic language involved.
USA Today: 'Hackenberg may be out of options'
"But Hackenberg, who was traded to the Raiders last May and released by Oakland less than a month later, did nothing to prove that he was ready for the NFL when he was actually in it, which made the Alliance of American Football a marginally interesting option," Doug Farrar writes. "Perhaps Hackenberg could turn things around in a league with less imposing defensive competition and at least start to show a workable NFL skill set.
"That was the hope, anyway. But based on his AAF debut, Hackenberg may be at the end of the road."
How did Hackenberg grade out?
Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg practices during training camp in San Antonio, Tex. for his new team, the Memphis Express of the expansion Alliance of American Football. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Accuracy: D
When Hackenberg wasn't dropping curse bombs on live television, he was watching his receivers drop passes.
He also was missing them more often than not.
Hackenberg's longest completion was 21 yards, and the clearest miss that comes to mind was a third-down curl route that sailed way over the intended receiver's head, even though he was open for a first down.
The interception was poor, too. Hackenberg's pass bounced off a lineman, was tipped up in the air, and then picked.
Dealing with pressure: C
We give Hackenberg a slightly higher mark here, if only because he was endlessly under duress.
The first-year AAF passer was only sacked twice, but he was hurried often as Birmingham's defense strongly exploited the rule that allows for just five rushers or less with delayed blitzes that kept Memphis' front confused and off-balance.
Overall grade: D-
The called-back touchdown pass was a slight ray of sunshine on an otherwise miserable day for Hackenberg, and it saves him from an outright F from the brutal performance. No, it didn't count, but it at least offered him some hope for the days ahead, and the poor performance overall must be taken into account.
"There's three or four plays early I would love to have back," Hackenberg told the Commercial Appeal.
"We just never were able to string enough good things together. It's a good learning experience for us, and we're going to keep fighting."
Will he start next week?
Memphis Express head coach Mike Singletary during training camp in San Antonio, Tex. for his new team in the expansion Alliance of American Football. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
The good news for Hackenberg? Backup Brandon Silvers threw an interception on his first pass attempt after replacing No. 14 late in the fourth quarter?
The bad news? Express coach Mike Singletary did not commit to starting him when asked directly following the loss.
"The biggest thing you want to do is find the right people and put them in the right places," Singletary told the Commercial Appeal. "Sometimes you think you see something and you've got to go with a hunch. Other times you feel like maybe there's not enough time. We'll learn a lot from this week.
"Failure is a great teacher."
Former Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg on the Memphis Express sidelines during Sunday's opener in Birmingham. AL.com photo
He later added to the Appeal:
"Right now, we're going to get the heck out of here," Singletary said when asked who will start at quarterback next week. "We're going to go back and watch film and lick our wounds. We'll figure that out as the week goes by."
Hardly a strong endorsement.
That said, Silvers' interception makes one think that Hackenberg is safe for now, but he must play better next week against Arizona.
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