BMitch vehemently disagrees with Joe Theismann about Jayden Daniels playing in preseason
You either heard it live on the Hoffman Show on the Team 980 last week or have heard any one of our hosts discuss it: Joe Theismann thinks Jayden Daniels should NOT play in the preseason.
We’ve got one former NFL player on our air full-time air staff, his name is Brian Mitchell, he’s back from vacation – and he echoes what the other former NFL player on our roster, Doc Walker, has said while filling in for Kevin Sheehan on 980 the last week plus: that’s bunk!
“I totally disagree, and I’ll tell that to Joe to his face,” Brian said. “I've said it forever: Tom Brady played in every damn preseason that he was in the NFL, and this is the problem when we say don’t let him play: how do you evaluate your team at all, then? Because what you do is put him on the field, give him easy things to just get him in and out, and when the starting offensive line leaves, he leaves.”
Joint practices aren’t quite enough of facing defenses at ‘game speed’ since that’s all controlled and not really ‘heat of the moment’ as much, and besides – there’s no guarantee he stays healthy beyond that anyway, which was one of Theismann’s big points.
“There are things that you get used to in the preseason that you don't want to just try to get used to in a regular season game,” Brian said, “and what if he gets hurt the first game of the damn regular season, the first play, first series? What does that do for you? Does that help your team or hurt your team?”
Ask Aaron Rodgers and the Jets there?
“The lines, especially, but I think there are positions of physicality that need the game reps, and the quarterback position, you can look at a little bit different,” JP said, “but I think the notion of injuries, the fluctuation, flukes can happen at any moment.”
“Speed of the game, the quarterback making quick decisions, him getting a chemistry with his players…you don't learn that completely in practice,” Brian replied.
So how much does Brian think Daniels will play?
“He should play the first series of the first game, but I don't care what he plays – he needs to play something,” B said. “All these guys need to play something. This is the thing about football right now: to me, we've gotten to a point where everybody kisses the quarterback’s ass so much that you don't allow your team to get even ready to play. Pat Mahomes plays preseason.
You still want your guy to grow, and you can orchestrate a game plan in preseason with your starting QB. These other teams that got veteran quarterbacks and veteran defenses, if they are resting completely and then they play you in the first game, you automatically are a step behind.”
And yeah, the injury excuse is BS to Brian, even after seeing what happened with Chase Young last year.
“I don’t know where the notion comes from that you are playing tackle football, but you don't want anybody to do nothing tackling until the regular season starts,” B said. “Like, if they get hurt in the first series that doesn't hurt your team? It hurts the team even damn more, because he's not ready, the rest of the team’s not ready, and now they gotta make an adjustment because he's out. You need to let people play; don’t put him out there and just let people come in and crazy, but coaches try to protect each others’ quarterbacks in the preseason. That thing Joe said, how are you gonna play well and build chemistry, and he said, ‘well, you shouldn't play well?’ You're contradicting yourself right there.”
Listen to BMitch’s entire rant above!
