Vince Young

[Beta]

The stars of yore would be no match for today's players. And yes, I'm talking about Jim Brown, Gale Sayers, and all the other sanctified stars of the past. They were all great in their time against their contemporaries but if you were to put them in a Delorean and bring them to the present, they would look like skinny kids next to today's behemoths. Ah, you say, but what if the stars of the past were given all the advantages of present day training and "supplements"? Well then, that is a fun one to speculate on but that situation is so hypothetical that it makes any practical comparison virtually impossible.

Stryker, the makers of Rocky(6?): Rocky Balboa disagree!

[StrykerFSU]

I'm just posting this to toot my own horn and because I neglected to mention segregation in my argument. I will let Whitlock the Wise elaborate.

10. It’s OK to suggest that LaDanian Tomlinson might be a better running back than Jim Brown.

For years NFL experts have pretended that it’s sacrilege to put any running back on the same pedestal as the great Jim Brown. If you suggest that Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Earl Campbell or even OJ Simpson were just as good – if not better – the people who saw Jim Brown play would label you as a young fool.

Out of respect to Brown and fear of being pegged an idiot, I’ve always pretty much abided by the unspoken rule that no running back compares to Brown.

Well, I’m now ready to break free and say what I really think.

Jim Brown was the greatest running back/football player of the segregation era. Payton, Campbell, Sanders and Tomlinson were/are as dominant as Brown. They might even all be better than Brown. They’ve certainly all faced much stiffer competition.

When I was a kid, I read a book about Jim Brown. In the book Brown stated that one of the things that bothered him about playing for the Browns is that he knew the team (and the league) had a quota system for the number of black players.

Brown said that when he played for the Browns (1957-65), he knew the team would keep six, eight or 10 black players – an even number so every black player had a roommate for road trips. This week I found a couple of Cleveland team photos from Jim Brown’s playing days. Sure enough, the Browns kept eight (of 36) and 12 (of 40) black players on their roster.

Jim Brown’s point was that the NFL at that time wasn’t about employing the most talented players.

In my mind, this segregated/quota system gave Brown, one of history’s most supremely gifted athletes, a huge advantage over modern-era running backs.

When LaDanian Tomlinson lines up on Sundays, he looks across the line of scrimmage and sees Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, Jason Taylor, Champ Bailey, Dwight Freeney and an assortment of other equally freakish athletes trying to stop the LT express.

I mentioned Urlacher specifically to convey that I’m not stating that black athletes have a lock on freakish athleticism. What I’m trying to convey is that it’s impossible to deny that today’s NFL caters to America’s most gifted athletes regardless of color. That was not the case when Jim Brown played.

When I look at footage of Brown’s exploits, I’m always impressed with Brown’s speed and brute strength. But Brown didn’t set up his blocks as well as Tomlinson does. Brown’s moves weren’t near as nifty as Barry Sanders’ cuts and turns. Brown was no more relentless than Payton and no more powerful than Campbell.

Brown looked like a man among overmatched boys. He looked like a guy who was playing against guys who had never seen anything like Jim Brown. And for the most part, Brown’s competitors hadn’t seen anything like Brown. Brown’s competitors played in segregated high schools and on all-white or token-blacks college teams.

You stick Brown in today’s NFL, and he wouldn’t be near as intimidating. Oh, he’d still be a great player, a Hall of Famer. But he wouldn’t be regarded as head and shoulders above Payton, Campbell, Sanders and Tomlinson. Brown would be on their level or maybe even a cut below.

If Tomlinson remains healthy and keeps scoring touchdowns, he might have a legitimate claim to the throne that was given to Brown.

Consider this: Marty Schottenheimer, LT’s coach and a former linebacker for the Bills, entered professional football during Brown’s final season. Ask Marty how many yards LT would roll up if Tomlinson could face Marty in his prime.

8. Vince Young is having a far better rookie season than I anticipated. But I’m not ready to hail him as the league’s next big thing.

What I must admit is that Young has far more "presence" than I expected. He carries himself like a confident leader. He has a nice chip on his shoulder. He never looks rattled, confused or frustrated. He’s patient and mature enough to take what the defense gives him.

When Young entered the NFL I was concerned about the hard-to-define intangibles that make a quarterback a winner. He clearly has the intangibles. His awkward throwing motion is going to be the issue that determines how high he’ll ascend.

Matt Leinart vs. Vince Young?

My money is still on Leinart. But I’m not raising the stakes.

http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/nfl/_a/tomlinson-tops-brown-on-level-playing/20061207111409990001

[laxfan25]

So much for the Texans proving they made the right decision by not drafting Vince Young.
Young ran for a 39-yard touchdown in overtime Sunday to give Tennessee a 26-20 win over the Houston Texans for a third straight comeback victory and fourth win in a row.
He dashed into the end zone virtually untouched and then jumped into the stands to the open arms of a throng of burnt orange-clad fans. He then blew kisses and waved to a crowd that had cheered the Texans most of the game, but went wild when he scored.

I think a QB that can run some is a very valuable commodity in the NFL. It can really dishearten a defense when they put on a great 3rd and long rush, and the little barstad scrambles for a 12 yard pickup.

Young's winning score came on third-and-14...

Well done, Mr. Young!

[Kyle Berggren]

What if they don't rush & they force him to pass? He's got a passer rating of 64.8 this season, completing 50% of his passes... for an average of under 6 yards per attempt... with zero passes over 40 yards... 10 TD 10 INTs..

On the ground he averages 6 ypc with only 2 runs over 20 yards, 4 for TD's.

If things go wrong, he can improvise. In my eyes, he's a bandaid to a hurting line/receiver core. A QB with a passer rating of 65 & a losing record needs to improve. I know he's a rookie, but how do you build around him? Recruit a porous O line? Receivers that aren't a deep threat?

[laxfan25]

What if they don't rush & they force him to pass? He's got a passer rating of 64.8 this season, completing 50% of his passes... for an average of under 6 yards per attempt... with zero passes over 40 yards... 10 TD 10 INTs..

On the ground he averages 6 ypc with only 2 runs over 20 yards, 4 for TD's.

If things go wrong, he can improvise. In my eyes, he's a bandaid to a hurting line/receiver core. A QB with a passer rating of 65 & a losing record needs to improve. I know he's a rookie, but how do you build around him? Recruit a porous O line? Receivers that aren't a deep threat?

Well duh! You recruit BETTER O-linemen and receivers - maybe that will help improve his QB rating. He has given the Titans a huge lift this year - kind of taken the team on his back, much as he did with the 'Horns against USC. Yeah, he is only a rookie, but he has far exceeded the general expectations. Stats are great - but it isw how you perform under pressure that really builds your reputation, and he is obviously coming through strong in the clutch.
While not a QB, how electric is Reggie Bush?? With the way Drew Brees has been playing, and given that many were touting Dallas as a likely NFC Super Bowl contender - we COULD have an interesting matchup of New Orleans and San Diego in the finals. Wouldn't THAT be fun!?

[Beta]

Reggie Bush is getting better and better with every game. He's adjusting to the NFL game very well as a slot receiver.

[Kyle Berggren]

I've been a Bush supporter, but was surprised at his slow start. Maybe it was partly do to the RB by committee (fewer touches), who knows, but he wasn't dominant.

As far as recruiting lineman & WRs, I'm really unsure if that helps Young. He's better improvising & getting rushed, than standing in the pocket reading defenses (you might have to convince me he can read anything first). That's the kind of questions I have with a QB with limited passing skills, that's better outside of the pocket. Do we draft focusing on TE's? Run split backs to have outlets for him & to spread the LB's?

If the Titans had a top 5 line in football, the running game would be better, but would the passing? Young hasn't proven he can throw the ball anywhere... I'll agree a QB with running ability is great, but his first responsibility is to pass well, getting the ball in the hands of who will hopefully be his play makers. I don't think there are many people outside of Texas that wouldn't take passer with running ability over a running QB with a lesser passing ability. BTW, his running ability is not proven to be up to snuff with other running QB's. Even Seneca Wallace averaged more per carry than young in his first starts in Seattle (granted not a rookie, just a first year player).