What does Vince Young Have to do?
November 18, 2009 by Staff
Filed under All Sports
Somebody tell me what Vince Young has to do before somebody shows him some respect. I’m not saying Young’s John Elway, Terry Bradshaw or Joe Montana. Heck, he’s not even Joe Flacco right now.
But the man is a winner, and yet people don’t really want to give him credit for that.
When Vince Young came out of college and was the first quarterback of 3 highly touted quarterbacks to be drafted, there were a lot of analysts that said he wouldn’t be a factor in the NFL. Then of course, Vince Young turned a horrible Titans team into a winner, leading them to an 8-5 record in their last 13 games. During that stretch, nobody said anything, hailed his performance and voted him rookie of the year.
However, during the offseason, in explaining Vince Young’s success, everyone said he won because of the running game and the defense. While I have yet to see a quarterback in the NFL that hasn’t benefited from a good running game and a solid defense, that’s not really what the analysts were saying. What they meant by what they said was that the Titans were winning in spite of Young, and they pointed to his 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions to prove it.
Certainly, those kind of numbers are not good. And Young’s 9 touchdowns and 17 interceptions the following season weren’t good either. But his 9-6 record that same year was nothing to laugh at. Heck, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler would die for 9 wins in a single season right now, but it doesn’t look like either quarterback will broach that mark anytime soon. As for the playoff berth Young gave his team in 2007, Leinart and Cutler don’t have one of those either.
Still, people don’t want to give Young credit. Right now the man is 3-0, but Ed Thompson of Scout.com would have you believe that Young hasn’t done a darn thing and that his team’s winning can only be attributed to (tell me if you’ve heard this before) the Titans rushing attack and defense.
All I have to say to this is, “Why the hate?”
And that’s what it is. People are hating on this guy, because they had or have this preconceived notion of what his skills translate to in the NFL and they didn’t think he would be better than Cutler or Leinart back in the 2006 NFL Draft. Now that Vince Young has a record of 21-11, far better than those other 2 QBs, analysts find it impossible to believe this is by virtue of Young’s own doing…as if he were Alex Smith or something!
Look, no quarterback in the NFL has 21 wins and didn’t have something to do with it. I understand that Young has had help to overcome his unimpressive passing numbers, but it’s not as if he has ever had the best defense or the best rushing attack at his side. Heck, the Titans weren’t even the best defense last year, and yet they were far better in 2008 than they ever have been under VY’s time under center. Not to mention, has anyone realized that part of the reason the Titans run the ball better with VY in the game is because of VY?
And I’m not just talking about when VY takes off with the ball—although his 11 career rushing touchdowns are impressive—I’m talking about when Young hands the ball off and carries the fake through to the other side.
You don’t think that backside defensive end has to respect that fake? You don’t think his hesitation gives Chris Johnson or LenDale White a tiny hole for that extra yard or a big play?
Anyone who understands football, and cares to leave their preconceived notions out of their analysis, will understand that VY has a positive effect on his team far more often than he doesn’t, and when his Titans are the best team on the field, they usually come away with the win.
But no matter what I say, analysts out there will kill him over his interceptions and lack of passing yards and give all the credit to his defense and rushing game. I guess VY just has to be comfortable with being 21-11 and thus far, the best quarterback of a draft in which everyone thought he was the worst. Go figure.
