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NOTES, QUOTES &
SLANTS
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Pirate Notebook No. 261
Monday, December 12, 2005
By Denny O'Brien |
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Winning will determine
Garrard's fate
©2005 Bonesville.net
Everybody loves the backup. That's the
emotional luxury David Garrard has enjoyed throughout most of his four-year
NFL career.
Every time Jacksonville Jaguars starter
Byron Leftwich misses an open target, the ring within Alltel Stadium demands
a call to the bullpen ace. Each time Mr. First Round is immersed under a
heavy rush the buzz grows louder.
Bring on the Master of Mop-up. All hail the
King of the Clipboard.
It is the fond battle cry our beloved
backups often hear — that plea from the stands to shed that perfectly formed
baseball cap in favor of scuff-free headgear.
Exit Leftwich and his bum ankle three weeks
ago. Enter the more mobile fan favorite.
The shoe now is on the other foot for
Garrard.
With Jacksonville firmly entrenched in a
playoff run, you couldn't ask for a bigger stage for the former East
Carolina star. It's a spotlight nearly as a bright as the one in which Frank
Reich hurled Buffalo from a 35-3 halftime deficit to an overtime victory
over Houston in the 1993 playoffs.
Three games into his own dress rehearsal,
Garrard sits atop a solid 2-1 record with a loss only to the Indianapolis
Perfectionists. And were it not for a fumble as he approached the end zone,
his performance in that crucial AFC South showdown would have graded as
flawless.
Garrard's final tally against one of the
league's top defenses — 26 for 35, 250 yards and two touchdowns (one
rushing) — hardly resembled the production of an understudy. That's
especially impressive when you consider the Colts spent much of the second
half focused on defending the pass.
Often praised for his athletic ability and
rocket arm, Garrard adeptly displayed the skill for which he has been most
criticized throughout both his college and pro career. His firm grasp of the
Jags' intermediate passing game and accuracy within it should be enough to
quiet those critics.
That Sunday's menu didn't include larger
portions of that phase of the Jax attack was enough to prompt a chorus of
Boo Birds inside Alltel Stadium.
At least three weeks remain in what amounts
to the biggest job interview of Garrard's blossoming career. Each pass, run,
and decision made down the stretch will be dissected, analyzed and
scrutinized by general managers around the league who are in the market for
a new field general.
Garrard will be evaluated by his propensity
for the big play and the ability to hoist a team on his shoulders and win a
game. Both are the mark of a breed of quarterback whose existence has become
endangered in the NFL.
Equally important is how he will measure as
a manager of the game. With little disparity within much of the league's
mediocre quarterback pool, the emphasis on game management has increased
significantly over the past decade.
Protecting the football for today's NFL QB
is just as important as his ability to razzle and dazzle. Those supremely
proficient at both are considered elite.
Odds are that Garrard won't retire from the
game as a member of that category. But that doesn't mean he can't lead a
productive career in a starting role.
You won't find an NFL GM, coach, or scout
who will question Garrard's talent. For lack of a better analogy, he is the
perfect compromise to Leftwich and Michael Vick.
What remains unanswered is Garrard's
ability to guide a team into the postseason. Ultimately that is the bottom
line by which a quarterback is judged.
The answer to that question will be known
in three weeks.
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02/23/2007 02:00:40 AM |
