Big Lead Sports Bar

10/02/2006

Update on a few stories

Last Thursday I wrote a piece on the lack of respect Big Ben was getting from SI.com's Phil Taylor. Well, today we can add ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd to the list of Ben Haters. While interviewing former DB Eric Allen on his daily talk show, Cowherd brought up the play of Bears QB Rex Grossman. To gauge the level of play Grossman was at, Cowherd asked Allen who he would rather have instead of Grossman, and together they went through 15 quarterbacks...15!!...without even mentioning Roethlisberger. OK, he's had two bad games. I guess that immediately erases the start to his career and his Super Bowl win.
The list went something like this (although not in order): Brady, Manning, Palmer, Brees, McNabb, Hasselbeck, Delhomme, Favre, Leftwich, Vick, Brad Johnson, Eli Manning, Plummer, McNair, and Grossman. What, no Alex Smith or Andrew Walter? Of course, this is the same clown that still refuses to recognize the Steelers as Super Bowl champs.
Also, on my Monday Morning Wrapup, I called the Chargers the best 2-1 team in the league. Right on cue, ESPN2's Cold Pizza "analyst" Skip Bayless called them the team to beat in the AFC. You'd think that a team that has continued to find ways to lose close games the last two seasons would eventually have some bandwagoneers jump off, but no, that's not the case.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you that Grossman isn't that great. I am waiting for him implode. I also think Big Ben isn't a top 15 QB right now. I understand that he did win a super bowl, but he had a great team around him last year. A team that lost a few key ingridents. Big Ben also was on a favorable team with the style of offense we had here with him passing about 20 times a game. I said that this year if Ben has to throw the ball more then 25 times a game we are in trouble. I am in noway giving up on Ben, but I don't think he is a top 15 QB.

Here are QB better...

Pyeton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Matt Hasselbeck, Kurt Warner, Steve McNair, Trent Green, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Drew Bledsoe, Bryon Leftwich, Jake Delhomme, Jake Plummer.

The QB rating may be better, but put Ben in there offense where they throw more and he will have more mistake, but like I said give him a few more years and then we will compare again. I don't think he will be near the top of that list, but he will def break it.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, that list of better QBs was a joke, right?

Anonymous said...

Kurt Warner hasn't had a decent season since 2001.
Brett Favre is finished. Steve McNair is one hit away from being finished.
Jake Plummer is one interception away from the Jay Cutler Era.
Drew Bledsoe is a human tackling dummy.
Trent Green has never won anything of any meaning in 7 years as a starter.
Eli Manning has a career passer rating of 73 (Ben is 91).
Delhomme is awful without Steve Smith.
Leftwich has 0 playoff wins. Palmer has 0 playoff wins.
Brees has 0 playoff wins.
Peyton implodes in the playoffs.

But other than that, your list is awesome.

Anonymous said...

Put it this way.

The Ben of the last two games IS NOT the Ben of his first two years. Whether he returns to that form, we'll see.

But, based on his first two years, I never got the whole "Ben just let's the team win the games for him" idea...

Umm... how many times did we see Ben do the "About to get sacked, somehow gets out of it, turns and leaves the pocket, fires a ball downfield, no way this thing is complete... HOLY SHIT HE COMPLETED THAT FOR 45 YARDS!" routine?

Don't let the last two games fool you, the Big Ben of his first two years was good for at least one "Holy shit I can't believe he pulled that off!" play per game. Even had one in his subpar Super Bowl. "Game managers" don't do those types of things.

And anyone who thinks Ben was simply a game manager his first two years obviously never saw these plays, or the 4th quarter come-from-behind wins (there were several), or isn't aware that Cowher, regardless of who the QB is, will run the ball almost EXCLUSIVELY in the 2nd half of a game if we're up by 10, thus taking away the garbage time stats from his QB that Manning thrives on.

Those that have seen everyone of Big Ben's starts know what kind of player this guy is. The media guys and fans of other teams that maybe caught a small handfull of games over the last 2 seasons didn't see all these things I guess.

Now if he ever returns to that form of his first two years remains to be seen. We all know how fast they can be forgotten by the media if he doesn't. They'll waste little time moving onto their new Golden Boy QB.

Anonymous said...

I might add, last year during the playoffs the genius national media finally "figured out" that Ben is an effective passer and passes a lot in the first half to get the lead for us and that we run in the 2nd half to protect that lead.

The fact that it took them almost 2 full seasons of Big Ben playing to figure that out doesn't say much for the national media...

But yeah, all it took was two bad games so far this season for the national media types to immediately forget what they learned about Ben last year.

GUARANTEED that if Ben returns to form they magically will all at once remember how good he can be... then tell everyone about it constantly.

Anonymous said...

Raise your hand if you thought that Big Ben would be entirely right after smashing his face a few months ago?

Now, raise your hand if you thought that he'd be his old self after smashing his face AND having an emergency appendectomy.

Come on people, this guy is not Jesus H. Christ we're talking about, he's a man who is not an "unbreakable".

Now, put this same guy in an NFL game and expect there to be no falloff.

"Helloooo, McFly, Helllooo".

It's a long season and remember, as the Steelers learned all too well last year, it's all about how you FINISH, not just about how you start.

Oh, and don't worry, Big Ben and the Steelers will finish in the Superbowl, winning a second consecutive title. Ben and his receivers have to get it together though for this to happen.

As we've seen already, most of the team (other than the punt return team) is practically to last year's form. Rest assured, they'll have their true "coming out" party Sunday night. I wouldn't want to have a lightning bolt on my hat, because chances are you're going to feel like you got hit by it.

mai wen said...

I grabbed Grossman off the waiver wire in my fantasy league to use him as trade bait for Ben, that's how much I believe in Ben. I think Grossman will eventually bust, especially considering that Chicago hasn't necessarily played tough competition other than Maybe Seattle (although they've been looking spotty as well this year). I think Ben will only get better, come on, he's coming off of the off-season from hell. This bye week will get him healthy and I think he'll bounce back.

Fine, underate the Steelers again critics, that's just what we need to get us the motivation to make it to the Super Bowl again!

E Buzz said...

That Seattle Seacocks ass kisser is the same as an internet troll...that also includes the uncredited theft of intellectual property that this asshole perpetrated.

He is such a douche...

Anonymous said...

All I know is that I want to get into the fantasy league that Mai Wen is in. If people make moves like that, it may be the easiest couple of hundred bucks out there.

Anonymous said...

Big Ben is not a top 15 QB. He just fits the offense well. Seriously, look at his stats from last year. I can name 15 QB last year that had better stats.

Also don't give me this pass rating crap either. He threw the ball 268 times last year. Lowest in the league. In fact there were a handful of QB that threw double what he did. Let Big Ben throw the ball one year 500 times and I guarantee you his rating would stink.

I know Steeler fan are loyal, but come on.

If you are talking about playoffs, lets talk about Big Ben having the lowest pass rating ever in the history of a super bowl winner. Steeler fans are pretty tight lip when that is brought up.

mai wen said...

The Super Bowl was one game, Ben threw the ball great and often in teh Play Offs. Many of you may Not have followed Ben throughout college, but surprise, the boy Can Throw and did a lot in college. Had he been in a better division in college he would have easily been one of the top three picks. Get your facts straight, even the great QBs have horrible game, for Ben it was the Super Bowl (though he didn't Lose the game for us, so you can't reall complain especially since he Brought us to the Super Bowl), for Peyton it was the Play Off game against us. Just because Ben had a bad Super Bowl game doesn't discredit his amazing Play Off play.

Anonymous said...

The College theme is overrated.. He threw the ball against the MAC.

Not all that great of defenses there..

In the palyoffs Ben averged 23 passes a game.. Thats not throwing the ball alot, like the other poster said. He throws the ball 30 times a game, they are in trouble..

EDIT: In college, his last year. He played against the Following passing defenses.

Akron (115th), Ohio U (109TH), Marshal (108th)