Halfway across the world from Tiger Stadium, Rohan Davey is continuing his assault on defensive secondaries.
As the starting quarterback for the NFL-Europe’s Berlin Thunder, Davey, who was the Tigers’ most valuable player in the 2002 Sugar Bowl, has put together a string of five games that ranks him among the best in the league’s 14-year history.
“I think he is doing fine,” said New England coach Bill Belichick. “He has got a lot of game experience, which is what we felt would be most beneficial to him. I think he is having a good, solid experience over there, and the team is playing well.”
Davey, who was sent to Berlin by the New England Patriots, has guided the Thunder to a franchise-best 5-0 record and leads the league in most passing categories.
The Berlin newspapers have nicknamed Davey the “Gold-Arm” and “Dynamite-Davey.” And the accolades do not end there.
Davey’s start to the 2004 season has drawn comparisons to former NFL-E players who have prospered in the NFL — like Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme and Brad Johnson.
Jack Bicknell, head coach of the Scottish Claymores, said in an NFL.com article that Davey, who has thrown for 896 yards with 11 touchdowns in just five games, is among the best quarterbacks to ever play in Europe.
“He’s certainly up there among the best quarterbacks we’ve ever seen play over here,” Bicknell said. “If he gets the opportunity to play in the NFL he’s sure to prosper.”
The Patriots sent Davey to NFL-Europe in January. Each team allocates a maximum of six players to Europe’s five NFL-E teams.
“[Europe] is a whole lot different,” Davey said. “The customs are different. The people are different. Everything is different basically. It is an adjustment that you have to make. It is not really a big deal because we are here to play football.”
This past weekend against the Amsterdam Admirals, Davey scored a career-high five touchdowns to lead the Thunder to a 33-29 victory. Davey finished the day, completing 10-of-17 passes for 149 yards with four passing touchdowns and one rushing.
The win put the Thunder atop the NFL-E standings, with a perfect 5-0 record.
But the experience in Berlin has not been all fun and games for Davey. As a member of the Patriots, Davey finds himself as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart, something he hopes he can change in Berlin.
“I guess it is kind of like an audition,” Davey said. “I guess it is kind of an audition to show the coaches [in New England] that I’m still the same person that they drafted two years ago and that I still can do the same things even though the opportunity has come for me to do it. It is definitely an opportunity for me to show that I can play the game if I’m thrown in the situation.”
Davey hopes the extra reps in Europe will help him improve his stock within the Patriots organization.
“Just getting the time on the field and getting to look at coverages,” Davey said. “I’m getting the chance to see rotations and fronts. I’m going through a game plan and getting all of that.”
Belichick said Davey’s good performance thus far in Europe does not necessarily mean the second-year quarterback will be any higher on the Patriots depth chart.
“I don’t think so because he would be in the same position for us whether he was here or there,” Belichick said. “Whereas if he was here and hadn’t completed a pass, he would have the same opportunity that he would have been going over there and throwing 200 of them or however many of them he throws. He is going to get that same opportunity. What he does with it, we will all see.”