Winner might be the last QB standing
And, yes, old Tom Brady is in last eight
There are two solitudes in the NFL, and they are not inside and outside the mystical blue sideline medical tent. That tent is a world of wonders, and who knows what could happen in there? Is it bigger than it appears, containing multitudes and couches? Does time slow down within its walls? That would explain how Carolina’s Cam Newton could get smashed in the face, fall to one knee on the way off the field, and be cleared for any concussion symptoms in the medical tent in under seven minutes, in time for Carolina’s next drive.
He then threw a touchdown pass — more of a catch-and-run than a bomb, not too hard — and then got Carolina to the Saints’ 21 before the New Orleans pass rush overwhelmed him again, like rhinos on stampede. Newton said he had an eye injury; the Panthers said they told him to drop to one knee to give backup Derek Anderson time to warm up. If true, this means Newton is a pretty good actor because he didn’t just drop, he tumbled, one hand unsteady, before planting it to the turf.
But he still should have gone to the locker room for evaluation, and he didn’t, and as a result he nearly brought Carolina back to win the game! The system works.
It’s not like it’s the first time it’s happened this year. Remember Houston putting Tom Savage back on the field after he experienced a clear concussion, complete with fencing response? Remember Seattle getting fined $100,000 (U.S.) for letting quarterback Russell Wilson go back on the field after he was hit in the chin, but without a proper evaluation?
This season showed the gap between having a quarterback and not having one, and those are the true solitudes in football. It should be no surprise that the league’s already malleable policy — independent neurologists paid by the league is quite an idea — can be further moved around. Without a quarterback you’re dead. He knows it, and you know it. How many teams would pay $100,000 to keep their quarterback in the game, no matter what? If they have a quarterback, all of them.
Anyway, we are now down to the final eight, who were propelled by the following quarterbacks: Atlanta’s Matt Ryan (last year’s MVP), Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz (11-2 and maybe this year’s MVP before he blew his knee), New Orleans’s Drew Brees (second in QB rating this year, still a killer), Minnesota’s Case Keenum (strangely effective!), Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota (not good, but the AFC is awful), New England’s Tom Brady (Tom Brady), Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger (two Super Bowls). Also, Blake Bortles. Eh.
So who’s this year’s Tom Brady? Maybe Brady. Who’s this year’s Ben Roethlisberger? Maybe Big Ben. Who’s this year’s Joe Flacco, or Eli Manning? Could be anybody but Bortles or Mariota.
By the way, in his last five games, against Buffalo, Miami, Pittsburgh, Buffalo again, and the Jets — ranked sixth, 28th, 12th, sixth and 19th in passer defence, respectively — Brady was 106-for-173 (61.3 per cent), 241yards per game, 6.96 yards per attempt, six touchdowns, five interceptions, and an 81.6 QB rating. In the 11 games before that: 279for-408 (68.4 per cent), 306 yards per game, 8.27 yards per attempt, 26 touchdowns, three interceptions, 111.7 rating.
What did Seth Wickersham’s story last week say? “Atypically, he has missed a lot of practices and, in the team’s private evaluations, is showing the slippage of a 40-year-old quarterback even as he is contending for MVP and is as deadly as ever with the game on the line.” Huh.
So maybe the question is, who is this year’s Giants D?
Last week this space went 2-2. As always, all lines could change.