Mark Schlereth: 5 Players on the Hot Seat

[Vintage]

Every year there are guys who have to turn it around for the good of their teams or their own careers. Here are five guys who need to have big seasons or their reputations and their teams could be ruined.

1. Daunte Culpepper: He has to prove he can still play quarterback and fully recover from this knee injury. He also has to show he still has the confidence that is necessary to be a player in this league.
2. Donovan McNabb: He's missed 25 percent of the offensive snaps over the past two seasons and that simply must end this season. This team needs him on the field to be successful and make long playoff runs.
3. Terrell Owens: It's time for Owens to prove he can get it done on the field without all the distractions and dropped passes.
4. Randy Moss: Simply put, is this the Minnesota Moss who was a first ballot Hall of Famer or is the apathetic Oakland Moss who has almost completely destroyed his career?
5. Cedric Benson: It's time for Benson to prove he's a guy who can carry the ball 20-25 times a game. Thomas Jones is gone, so the Bears need Benson out there getting the job done.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=schlereth_mark&id=2915748

 

[WoodysGirl]

Culpepper won't be able to prove anything, no matter team he goes to. As a backup, he likely wont' hit the field.

I would agree with McNabb assessment. He's gotta finish the season.

TO's actually been cool this offseason, so I would worry more about the drops than the "distractions"

I agree with the Moss and Benson assessment. Especially Benson. He couldn't stay healthy and couldn't beat out Thomas Jones. This is his time to shine.

 

[Rocky]

I predicted right here when Benson was drafted that he would be a huge bust. This will be the year when he fulfills my expectations, and the Bears will be looking to pick up Julius Jones in 2008.

 

[Vintage]

Culpepper won't be able to prove anything, no matter team he goes to. As a backup, he likely wont' hit the field.

I would agree with McNabb assessment. He's gotta finish the season.

TO's actually been cool this offseason, so I would worry more about the drops than the "distractions"

I agree with the Moss and Benson assessment. Especially Benson. He couldn't stay healthy and couldn't beat out Thomas Jones. This is his time to shine.

Benson couldn't beat out Jones at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the season, Benson was the better runner.

@NYJ
Benson- 10 carries 51 Yards
Jones- 23 carries 121 Yards

@NE
Benson- 10 Carries 46 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 23 carries 99 Yards

Minn
Benson- 9 Carries 60 yards 1 TD
Jones- 12 Carries 32 Yards

@StL
Benson- 16 Carries 64 Yards
Jones- 11 Carries 76 Yards 1 TD

TB
Benson- 15 Carries 53 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 17 Carries 68 Yards 1 TD

@Det
Benson- 15 Carries 49 Yards
Jones- 12 Carries 62 Yards

GB
Benson- 13 Carries 109 Yards
Jones- 9 Carries 27 Yards

Totals:
Jones- 107 Carries 485 Yards (4.53 YPC) 2 TD
Benson- 88 Carries 432 Yards (4.91 YPC) 3 TD

 

[THUMPER]

With Parcells gone, I don't expect Owens to be much of a distraction this season. Wade won't rub him the wrong way and Owens will have a tough time finding things to be upset about.

I'm sure, once the season starts and he doesn't get a bunch of passes thrown his way early on then he will gripe about it but I'm hopeful that Garrett will utilize his strengths more and throw more slants and outs to him than we did under Parcells last year.

As for the drops, Owens has had problems with dropped passes his entire career so unless he is willing to change how he catches the ball we will continue to see a lot from him.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Benson couldn't beat out Jones at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the season, Benson was the better runner.

@NYJ
Benson- 10 carries 51 Yards
Jones- 23 carries 121 Yards

@NE
Benson- 10 Carries 46 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 23 carries 99 Yards

Minn
Benson- 9 Carries 60 yards 1 TD
Jones- 12 Carries 32 Yards

@StL
Benson- 16 Carries 64 Yards
Jones- 11 Carries 76 Yards 1 TD

TB
Benson- 15 Carries 53 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 17 Carries 68 Yards 1 TD

@Det
Benson- 15 Carries 49 Yards
Jones- 12 Carries 62 Yards

GB
Benson- 13 Carries 109 Yards
Jones- 9 Carries 27 Yards

Totals:
Jones- 107 Carries 485 Yards (4.53 YPC) 2 TD
Benson- 88 Carries 432 Yards (4.91 YPC) 3 TD

All that tells me is that as a backup, he was very effective. He produced. They were virtually equal at the end of the year in YPC. What I always found interesting is that in crunch time, they went to Thomas Jones.

 

[Vintage]

All that tells me is that as a backup, he was very effective. He produced. They were virtually equal at the end of the year in YPC. What I always found interesting is that in crunch time, they went to Thomas Jones.

It was more of a split carry system than a backup system down the stretch (last 7 games).

And Jones was a better blocker, more experienced, etc...so it made sense to go to him in crunch time.

But Benson really turned it on down the stretch.

If he continues to improve as a blocker and a receiver out of the backfield, the Bears won't miss a beat.

 

[Yeagermeister]

With Parcells gone, I don't expect Owens to be much of a distraction this season. Wade won't rub him the wrong way and Owens will have a tough time finding things to be upset about.

I'm sure, once the season starts and he doesn't get a bunch of passes thrown his way early on then he will gripe about it but I'm hopeful that Garrett will utilize his strengths more and throw more slants and outs to him than we did under Parcells last year.

As for the drops, Owens has had problems with dropped passes his entire career so unless he is willing to change how he catches the ball we will continue to see a lot from him.

In other words as long as we stroke his ego everything is cool.

 

[superpunk]

With Parcells gone, I don't expect Owens to be much of a distraction this season. Wade won't rub him the wrong way and Owens will have a tough time finding things to be upset about.

Kind of a bizarre opinion. By all accounts Owens was hardly a distraction at all last year, even if he was being rubbed the wrong way. His history with easy-going coaches (Mooch, Reid) is not good.

 

[adamknite]

Benson couldn't beat out Jones at the beginning of the season, but by the end of the season, Benson was the better runner.

@NYJ
Benson- 10 carries 51 Yards
Jones- 23 carries 121 Yards

@NE
Benson- 10 Carries 46 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 23 carries 99 Yards

Minn
Benson- 9 Carries 60 yards 1 TD
Jones- 12 Carries 32 Yards

@StL
Benson- 16 Carries 64 Yards
Jones- 11 Carries 76 Yards 1 TD

TB
Benson- 15 Carries 53 Yards 1 TD
Jones- 17 Carries 68 Yards 1 TD

@Det
Benson- 15 Carries 49 Yards
Jones- 12 Carries 62 Yards

GB
Benson- 13 Carries 109 Yards
Jones- 9 Carries 27 Yards

Totals:
Jones- 107 Carries 485 Yards (4.53 YPC) 2 TD
Benson- 88 Carries 432 Yards (4.91 YPC) 3 TD

no offence but the last game of the season when the Bears were resting their starters was the only game where Benson signifigently beat Jones. Infact there are only two games on that list where Benson out rushed Jones.

Until that last game he was only averaging 53.8 yards per game. Where Jones was Averaging 76.3. Also before the last game Benson had 75 carries and 323 yards which comes to a 4.3 average where Jones had 98/458 which comes out to a 4.67 average. You can't say because of one game that Benson was better towards the end of the season.

 

[THUMPER]

In other words as long as we stroke his ego everything is cool.

Exactly, which is why I never wanted, and still don't want, this guy on my team.

 

[WoodysGirl]

It was more of a split carry system than a backup system down the stretch (last 7 games).

And Jones was a better blocker, more experienced, etc...so it made sense to go to him in crunch time.

But Benson really turned it on down the stretch.

If he continues to improve as a blocker and a receiver out of the backfield, the Bears won't miss a beat.

And that's why he's a player with something to prove. Without a doubt, he has to show he can do it. He's the guy now and if Grossman remains so inconsistent, they're going to need to be able to pound it with him as the main guy.

I'm pretty sure they'll be able to manufacture a running game, though. They've got another runner behind him that I think is pretty solid, too. They're own Adrian Peterson. But Benson has to be able to be the lead dog.

 

[Vintage]

no offence but the last game of the season when the Bears were resting their starters was the only game where Benson signifigently beat Jones. Infact there are only two games on that list where Benson out rushed Jones.

Until that last game he was only averaging 53.8 yards per game. Where Jones was Averaging 76.3. You can't say because of one game where the Bears were resting the starters that Benson was better towards the end of the season.

Hard to out rush Jones when he is getting more carries per game.

If we ignore the GB game, Benson had 2 games where he had more carries....and instead of there being a 19 carry difference between the 2, Jones now has 23 more carries....so how is Benson really supposed to outrush Jones?

And the last game when the Bears weren't playing their starters....Benson got 13 carries to Jones 9. But Benson got 82 more yards on 4 extra carries while playing with his backups; not starters. If anything, you are just helping my argument.

And even if the Packer game is excluded, Benson was still running good down the stretch.....which is why Chicago was confident enough to make the move.

 

[Hostile]

Maybe it's just me but I think the Cowboy with the most to prove is Tony Romo.

1. We passed on Brady to Quinn and said "he's our guy." If he falters and Quinn develops, there will be no end of the speculation.

2. The late season come back to earth after his meteoric start made people question if he deserved the Pro Bowl. He has to justify that with a full season. Otherwise he'll be labeled a flash in the pan or a fluke.

3. The bobbled snap. He has to prove he can overcome that faux pas.

4. The media spotlight on his personal life is going to get hotter if he makes more headlines for that than he does for his play.

 

[adamknite]

Hard to out rush Jones when he is getting more carries per game.

If we ignore the GB game, Benson had 2 games where he had more carries....and instead of there being a 19 carry difference between the 2, Jones now has 23 more carries....so how is Benson really supposed to outrush Jones?

And the last game when the Bears weren't playing their starters....Benson got 13 carries to Jones 9. But Benson got 82 more yards on 4 extra carries while playing with his backups; not starters. If anything, you are just helping my argument.

And even if the Packer game is excluded, Benson was still running good down the stretch.....which is why Chicago was confident enough to make the move.

he soundly beat Jones in one game on your list, which boosted his average for those six games. you included the annomily the other five games except for 1 did not follow that. You're making the stats fit your argument instead of making an argument around the stats. If you exclude the greenbay game Benson was averaging 4.3 yards per carry where Jones was averaging 4.67.

This is similier to what happened with Hambrick when he was backing up Emmitt. I believe he had one long run which boosted his yards per carry average and everybody thought he was going to be a great back. What happened there. You can't make judgment about a player because of one game it doesn't work.

 

[Vintage]

he soundly beat Jones in one game on your list, which boosted his average for those six games. you included the annomily the other five games except for 1 did not follow that. You're making the stats fit your argument instead of making an argument around the stats. If you exclude the greenbay game Benson was averaging 4.3 yards per carry where Jones was averaging 4.67.

This is similier to what happened with Hambrick when he was backing up Emmitt. I believe he had one long run which boosted his yards per carry average and everybody thought he was going to be a great back. What happened there. You can't make judgment about a player because of one game it doesn't work.

LOL.....I am making the stats fit my argument?

You excluded Benson's best game but didn't exclude Jones? Laughable. Exclude Jones 11 carries for 76 yards game then....and his average dips to 4.26 ypc.

And even if you exclude the Green Bay and count the other 6 games, how is Benson supposed to outrush Jones when on average he is getting 4 carries LESS per game?

 

[adamknite]

LOL.....I am making the stats fit my argument?

You excluded Benson's best game but didn't exclude Jones? Laughable. Exclude Jones 11 carries for 76 yards game then....and his average dips to 4.26 ypc.

And even if you exclude the Green Bay and count the other 6 games, how is Benson supposed to outrush Jones when on average he is getting 4 carries LESS per game?

you excluded ten games of the season....

Your original statement was "better down the stretch" not "better for one game" The stats say Jones was better down the stretch anyway even with that one game.

I excluded the green bay game because it shoots Benson's Yards per average way up, because you said better down the stretch and I was showing you that until that one game, Jones was better, and that the Green bay game wasn't the trend.

I took out the Green bay game and showed that Jones was better those five games, but agreed with the fact that Benson was better that one game. So, there for Jones was better for those five games on average. Which is my argument. And if Jones is better 4 out of 6 games, that means he was "better" down the stretch.

So unless "down the stretch" means one game and one game only then your making the stats fit your argument.

 

[Vintage]

you excluded ten games of the season....

Your original statement was "better down the stretch" not "better for one game" The stats say Jones was better down the stretch anyway even with that one game. I excluded the green bay game because it shoots Benson's Yards per average way up, because you said better down the stretch, so I took out the Green bay game and showed that Jones was better those five games, but agreed with the fact that Benson was better that one game. So, there for Jones was better for those five games on average. Which is my argument. And if Jones is better 4 out of 6 games, that means he was "better" down the stretch.

So unless "down the stretch" means one game and one game only then your making the stats fit your argument.

And again, how is Jones supposed to out be outrushed by Benson when Jones is getting more carries?

And you excluded the GB game because it was an anomoly. Fine. So was Jones' game against StL. And then if you take the rest of the games...Benson had 1 more TD despite less carries and had a higher YPC.

And duh. Of course I excluded 10 games. Did I say the whole season? No. I said down the stretch. I honestly didn't think that needed to be explained....but I guess it did.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Mark Schlereth has a huge grudge against Dallas so don't expect him to ever say anything positive... T.O. has been a good teammate so that stinky sucker doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[adamknite]

And again, how is Jones supposed to out be outrushed by Benson when Jones is getting more carries?

And you excluded the GB game because it was an anomoly. Fine. So was Jones' game against StL. And then if you take the rest of the games...Benson had 1 more TD despite less carries and had a higher YPC.

And duh. Of course I excluded 10 games. Did I say the whole season? No. I said down the stretch. I honestly didn't think that needed to be explained....but I guess it did.

Do you not understand anything about statistics? You excluded ten games to make the arguement that Benson was better down the stretch, that's fine.

yous hould know that when I said "you excluded ten games of the season" I was telling you, you did the same thing I did when I excluded the one game at the end, which was excluding games to make a point. I was showing that until that one game Jones was actually the better runner that's why I excluded it, it was an annomily. Maybe this concept is too hard for you to grasp?

The trend says Jones was the better rushed until the last game of the season.