Larry Gude
Strung Out
That question is all the rage in Redskin land and lots of people are asking the obvious; Why has this guy been a back up for so long? If he's doing so well, why wasn't he starting from the get go? Is he just a career back up who is just as likely to fall apart as do well?
Well, lets give this a once over.
He was drafted by Buffalo to replace the legend, Jim Kelly, backing him up for the last two years of his illustrious career. No qualms there, right? His year three stats with 14 starts look alot like Jason Campbells; 55%, about the same number of TD's as interceptions.
Then, Buffalo kinda blew the team up and he moved on to KC for his fourth season. There, he sat behind Rich Gannon for a year, with Warren Moon as back up, then Elvis Grbac for two years who became a hot property and went to Baltimore.
In 2001, Al Saunders went back to KC and they picked up Trent Green who then became a star and entrenched through 2005 when Collins and Saunders went to the Skins.
He certainly isn't going to get a chance over Joe's chosen one, Brunell or the hand picked replacement, Jason Campbell. That took care of '06 and the start of '07.
So, all in all, it's not like the guy just stunk. He lost three years in Buffalo, was not going to dislodge elders Gannon or Grbac and then comes Saunders and Green. They all stayed pretty healthy and he never got the chance.
Don't forget that Saunders wanted him to come along.
So, a career goes pretty fast if you look into it a bit. He was never a big name stud qb, so getting a fat FA contract as an unproven vet wasn't going to happen.
When you read between the lines about player comments, like Portis, they give off the sense that their is some happy receivers. CP talked about how JC would check down to him late and with three guys around him vs. Todd is getting to the check down QUICK and giving Clinton some time and room to run. Randl El and Moss give the distinct impression that they know the ball is going to be where it is supposed to be. Reading the same thing as the QB has gotta give these guys a charge vs. reading one thing and the inexperienced Campbell reading another.
In any event, Todd is not some fluke whose carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin at midnight. He's a solid pro and this all just happens to have worked out right time and right place and he is in a system, timing patterns, well suited to his strengths, read and throw it.
There is every reason to expect qb play to be a strength of this team however much longer it lasts. If that proves out, they guy has earned #1 next year.
Well, lets give this a once over.
He was drafted by Buffalo to replace the legend, Jim Kelly, backing him up for the last two years of his illustrious career. No qualms there, right? His year three stats with 14 starts look alot like Jason Campbells; 55%, about the same number of TD's as interceptions.
Then, Buffalo kinda blew the team up and he moved on to KC for his fourth season. There, he sat behind Rich Gannon for a year, with Warren Moon as back up, then Elvis Grbac for two years who became a hot property and went to Baltimore.
In 2001, Al Saunders went back to KC and they picked up Trent Green who then became a star and entrenched through 2005 when Collins and Saunders went to the Skins.
He certainly isn't going to get a chance over Joe's chosen one, Brunell or the hand picked replacement, Jason Campbell. That took care of '06 and the start of '07.
So, all in all, it's not like the guy just stunk. He lost three years in Buffalo, was not going to dislodge elders Gannon or Grbac and then comes Saunders and Green. They all stayed pretty healthy and he never got the chance.
Don't forget that Saunders wanted him to come along.
So, a career goes pretty fast if you look into it a bit. He was never a big name stud qb, so getting a fat FA contract as an unproven vet wasn't going to happen.
When you read between the lines about player comments, like Portis, they give off the sense that their is some happy receivers. CP talked about how JC would check down to him late and with three guys around him vs. Todd is getting to the check down QUICK and giving Clinton some time and room to run. Randl El and Moss give the distinct impression that they know the ball is going to be where it is supposed to be. Reading the same thing as the QB has gotta give these guys a charge vs. reading one thing and the inexperienced Campbell reading another.
In any event, Todd is not some fluke whose carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin at midnight. He's a solid pro and this all just happens to have worked out right time and right place and he is in a system, timing patterns, well suited to his strengths, read and throw it.
There is every reason to expect qb play to be a strength of this team however much longer it lasts. If that proves out, they guy has earned #1 next year.
