Quietly

Having just finished this week's Giants article for the paper, I wanted to relay this to both NFL and college football fans alike:

We were mesmerized by how potent the USC Trojans had been throughout the decade. Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart were outstanding quarterbacks in what was a program loaded with other NFL-caliber talents... or so we thought. For Mike Williams, there was Keary Colbert. For John David Booty, there was Matt Cassel.

Certainly many of the players that thrived under Pete Carroll still have chances to shine in the NFL as they haven't exactly been disappointments or even busts. Yet, the running backs have had varying levels of success so far (Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Justin Fargas, Chauncey Washington) and even solid offensive tackle Winston Justice was made to be a pinata and pariah in the (in)famous 12-sack performance by the New York Giants back in October 2007 (Osi Umenyiora told the media afterwards that "it was like a video game out there", but the Kool-Aid grin he had was priceless).

In this somewhat-long winded post, is it crazy to think that the best offensive player of all that have been drafted since Palmer could end up being... Steve Smith?

No, not this one, despite going by the same name.

This one.

Smith led the Giants in receptions last season with 57, even though he only started in four games. Of those catches, 35 went for first downs as the organization envisioned he could do when he was drafted in 2006. Essentially, he's the heir apparent to Amani Toomer (now in Kansas City after becoming the Giants' franchise-leading wideout); a possession receiver who can make things happen within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage. His 574 receiving yards aren't bad either for a part-time player and as an expected starter this season, those totals should increase significantly.

When he was drafted, I wrote for the Beacon that the G-men were going to greatly benefit from his production, provided they worked him in within his first couple of seasons. The writing was on the wall for Toomer with his arrival and the kind of receiver that Manning works best with are the ones that move the chains incrementally. Smith certainly got his props while in USC, but much of this was because he quietly put up numbers alongside some of the flashier talents on his team. Maybe he'll get a bit more attention this season as slot receiver from day one, but unless another player emerges as the deep play threat, he may somewhat toil in anominity... unless he's on your fantasy team.

Say What?!?!: Thursday night, the most anticipated stadium video will be delivered to all of you lovely people. Until then, go back and whet the appetite with some of the others I have done over the past two years.

Aftermath

Every year in every sport, a prominent star gets injured and if that player is injured in a team sport, his or her mates have to find the best means to replace the missing production. Yet, for better or worse, it’s different when a future Hall-of-Famer (first ballot in this case, but that’s up for debate if desired) goes down.

So while New England Patriots fans are finding ways to remain upbeat in the aftermath of Tom Brady’s season-ending ACL tear, the organization moves forward despite that its greatest nightmare has come to life. Though a game has not been played just yet, the immediate reactions have been intriguing to say the least.

There are fans that are level-headed and subscribe to the ‘no one’s above the game’ theory of sports. Beyond the good looks and famous girlfriend, Brady is a football player first and one of the few players that can garner a national audience no matter who is the opponent. However, just as he was an unheralded Michigan quarterback who seemingly fell into stardom seven years ago when he replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe, these fans are always looking for the next out-of-nowhere star to emerge. Brady is arguably the very best quarterback of this generation, but these fans do not stop watching football because he won’t play under center this season.

There are the fans that do feel bad that Brady was hurt, but look at how his injury actually improves the chance for other teams to shine. Some Jets, Bills and even Dolphins (they looked halfway decent on Sunday, you have to admit) fans are excited about the possibilities now that Brady won’t try to break more records against their defenses. It’s still far too early to count New England out of the playoff hunt as there is enough offensive talent and faith in the Patriot Way to keep them in the conversation. With that said, there should be even more pressure on the remainder of the AFC East to stop the Patriots’ seven-year dominance over the division.

There are the ‘fans’ that are popping corks about Brady’s injury in the most morbid of fashions. These are the people who admittedly celebrated as the replay showed Bernard Pollard’s attempt to tackle Brady go awry. These are the people who proudly hail their hatred for everything Patriots based on their success in the 2000s, the Spygate allegations that ensued one year ago and their location; the current center of the American sporting universe that is the Boston metropolitan area.

There are the advertisers and network executives who are prognosticating ratings dips without New England’s leading man. Bill Gorman of TV by the Numbers analyzed the potential freak-out surrounding the four remaining nationally-televised games that feature the Pats this season. Just as ESPN and the broadcast networks are accused of star-hunting for Nielsen numbers, advertisers push that agenda because they want to be attached to the most ‘it’ celebrity, athlete or trend of the moment. Will advertisers suddenly try to pull out of their deals with the nets – or better yet, the NFL, itself – because of Brady’s injury? That is not only highly unlikely, but any credence given to that idea is phenomenally short-sighted and beyond stupid. After all, there are too few opportunities to be a sponsor or advertiser in NFL-affiliate content as is.

Of course, the Patriots players, coaches and management, notably the ‘HC’ Bill Belichick, have a completely different set of emotions and thoughts to deal with. Brady is far more than a guy wearing #12 and far more than last year’s MVP. The franchise may have revitalized itself with him as their quarterback, but it’s the system that will be tested in the coming weeks. Belichick and company, with owner Robert Kraft’s blessing, re-imaged the organization to be one that can survive any shock to the system. All-Pro defenders such as Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison who were seemingly past their prime were brought into New England to execute in a system that demands more of the mental than physical prowess. The offense may have added the deep threat in Randy Moss and the underneath killer in Wes Welker last season, but it’s all about adjusting to the defensive scheme in front of them rather than overwhelming the opponent with sheer talent.

As much as some fans, media and advertisers want it to be, the story of the 2008 season does not center on the new Jets’ quarterback nor will it feature how these Patriots try to rebound from the historic disappointments of last winter. By year’s end, we’ll understand more if it’s the players or the system that made the Patriots the team of the decade.

Matt Cassel, the stage is to your left.