Is it Really the Time?

Even today wasn’t too ugly, not when you consider the situation this time last year. Vince Young is still well on track to revive his career. Just when it looked like the NFL had seen the end of VY he proves everyone wrong. But where did this revival come from? It has come from the one entity there isn’t enough of these days. It’s an old fashioned value that is now very unpopular. It came from Old Mother Time. Long ago in a distant time, kids were given time to become men. They developed, took their lumps and watched older guys. Most importantly these young men learned their craft. It’s easy to forget exactly how different the NFL is compared to college. College quarterbacks play 12 games a year facing maybe 5 or 6 elite linemen or linebackers maximum, especially in these times of cupcake games. They then switch to the pro’s, walk out in their first game and face 8 elite linemen and linebackers. They have maybe a quarter of the time they have at college level, and they have less open receivers. Vince Young’s decline in his second and third years show the difference in the games, as soon as teams have film you have to adjust, Vince never did. So he sat, for a long year he sat. And he watched, he watched the gnarled veteran Kerry Collins lead the Titans to 13-3 regular season. He then lead the Titans to an 0-6 start this year, an opportunity introduced itself. November became the month of Young, a different Young, a mature Young. We know why Young was rushed into the NFL, we know why all these young QB’s are rushed to start. The amount of money that is invested in these young men that teams become tied to them, they need returns on their investments. But for those investments we get seasons like this 2009 vintage. Three first year quarterbacks and two high-profile sophomores, none of them playing well. What do they all have in common? They don’t fully understand the National Football League craft. They are all throwing interceptions, making bad decisions and looking inexperienced, at this level talent doesn’t get you too far on it’s own. The two aforementioned sophomore QB’s, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, are experiencing exactly what happened to Vince Young first hand. Both blew peoples doors off last year, they looked poised, relaxed and mature beyond their years. This year everybody has tape on these guys and they are struggling. Maybe Mike Smith and John Harbaugh should maybe be brave and take the plunge, sit both these two future stars and let them learn what they need to from veteran guys. You only have to watch Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez and Josh Freeman for a short time to realise how far they have to come. All three make plays, they also make plenty of mistakes, more than they should be making. The Lions had the best chance to get the best out of their number one pick. there is no doubting the amount of talent that Matt Stafford has, he just has no experience and very little knowledge. Detroit had Daunte Culpepper, a perfect stop gap to let Stafford just study NFL defences, let him understand what he has to beat.

So what about this years draft class. Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen and Tim Tebow. It’s safe to rule Tebow out of this discussion, he will never play quarterback at the pro level. That leaves McCoy, Bradford and Clausen. None of these three young men are anywhere near NFL ready. They all have big arms, are football clever and two of them seem somewhat sensible. They are the best of the 2010 draft and none of them have anything close to a pro skill set…yet. It’s just one or two years at a maximum, two years in which you can build a young team, let them grow together and learn the league. Building however takes time and money. NFL owners only have one of those two qualities.

The Other Legacy

There is a quarterback in Texas who implodes at crucial points of his season. Now there is also one that does the exact opposite. After the Texas-Oklahoma game on October 17th Colt McCoy looked over hyped, over stressed and over awed. It was by far his worst game in the last 2, maybe 3, years. Just in case you’ve forgotten, lets recap; McCoy completed 21 passes from 38 attempts, he had 1 touchdown and 1 pick and, worst of all, Colt McCoy the potential Heisman winner passed for 127 yards. And only 33 yards rushing, at an average of 2.4. This was a painful degeneration of a great player, McCoy looked a shadow of the player who took his team to within 10 seconds of a perfect season. Whilst the numbers were awful it was the play that was the worst aspect. He was making bad throws, failing to make any plays outside the pocket and making the Sooners defensive job easy. Just as the well looked empty, McCoy and the entire Texas team looked wildly overestimated at National Championship contenders.

Then came Missouri and the Colt McCoy everyone knows, and loves to watch, walked out of the locker room with the rest of his team. It wasn’t vintage, more classical, but the touch was back, the fire in the eye returned and so did the performance level. There was no great statement, nothing to thrust him back into the forefront of Heisman voting, just a nice game. These nice games continued, three in total between Oklahoma and now; Missouri, Oklahoma State and Baylor. If there were other nice games there would be nothing special or significant about the season that Colt McCoy has had. These three games were however highlighted by three outstanding efforts. The one’s where McCoy puts the Burnt Orange on his back and carries them, like he did all last year. Central Florida became the first team this year to play against the real McCoy. 470 yards later and the doubts had begun to seep away, slowly though, tempered by only throwing 2 touchdowns and still giving up a pick. Then came the last two games of the year, Kansas and Texas A&M. This was when the intangibles as well as the measurable were both on display. The toughness that is bred in most young men in Tuscola, Texas shone through, the leadership qualities of the fourth year senior, the accuracy and the mobility all came together again to form a new Colt McCoy. 700 yards passing and 204 yards rushing over the last two games combined showed the statistical prowess but there was more. It was the leadership against Kansas, on paper not a tough game, but in practicality a big banana skin. This was when the passing game came back to him, the incredible accuracy, the touchdown passes and finally zero interceptions. Did anyone ever honestly believe that last years version of the Texas quarterback could be bettered? Well over the last two weeks we have found out the answer to that question. Emphatically yes. This was highlighted in a glorious pyrotechnic display in the tightest spot of his, and Texas’, year. Whilst his usual accuracy deserted him he found a way. A way to contribute 479 yards to the Texas offence and again showed the leadership that was required at the crucial time.

The nation has seen the Tebow moments; the jump passes, the rushing touchdowns, the charging down the touchline. Thanksgiving night in College Station, Texas was the first genuine McCoy moment. It is different to that of Tebow’s, he is a different person, a different player, a different entity to that of the Gator. He is just as good a person, like Tebow he provides missionary work to South America, he is Tebow’s equal in leadership and his superior in quality of play. He is just quieter and from a different programme, a different state. He has maybe taken on more in leading the Texas Longhorns than Tebow has in leading the Gators. Consider coming into that team after Vince Young, the National Championship and handling, handling it well enough to become the winningest QB in college football history. Regardless of these outstanding features to McCoy and his legacy he will always be measured against Tebow. Can he surpass the Florida QB and all he has achieved? Can he establish himself as the best player of his class? There are two accolades that McCoy needs to do this, one will be won in New York and the other in Pasadena. If he achieves this, the legacy is complete. If not 2009 is still turning into a year of McCoy.