I get what they’re going for with the baseline comments, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, Kirk and Darnold both gave them QB play that was much better than baseline, despite how it ended for both of them. Maybe the rest of the team is going to be better and you can get away with less at QB, but they are very likely not going to get QB play on par with what they got from Kirk and Darnold.
Great article and podcast today. You call it the Purple Insider, and your access to O'Connell and Brzezinski proves your point. Thanks for your hard work.
Competition and meritocracy are the rules of the game in the NFL. Winning and making the playoffs are the only things that matter. I'm all for sitting JJ down and learning and maturing but competition comes with the pro athlete territory. He either improves enough to convince the team they can win with him or someone else beats him out of the position.
This isn't at all a Love/Team Ayahuasca situation where the kid sits for his rookie contract and then gets an opportunity. As PI has oft-noted, the history of guys being anointed, and then getting benched, is bleak. It took an actual car accident to get Bryce Young back on the field.
Leaving aside that massive issue, there is also a problem with the concept of developing without playing. JJMC has already looked great in non-game situations. We have KOC's effusive comments from camp in '24 and the joint practices from '25 (which have aged like a nice syrah, ask Herbert and Stroud how much fun it is playing the Pats' defence). Some players can throw darts but can't face a live pass rush, see: Ponder, Christian. It strains credulity to think there is a material chance JJMC could improve his in-game performance without. . .actually playing in games.
Of course, even if that unlikely improvement happened, it's moot unless JJMC can find an overseas clinic that will inject admantium into his body.
I get what they’re going for with the baseline comments, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, Kirk and Darnold both gave them QB play that was much better than baseline, despite how it ended for both of them. Maybe the rest of the team is going to be better and you can get away with less at QB, but they are very likely not going to get QB play on par with what they got from Kirk and Darnold.
Great article and podcast today. You call it the Purple Insider, and your access to O'Connell and Brzezinski proves your point. Thanks for your hard work.
Competition and meritocracy are the rules of the game in the NFL. Winning and making the playoffs are the only things that matter. I'm all for sitting JJ down and learning and maturing but competition comes with the pro athlete territory. He either improves enough to convince the team they can win with him or someone else beats him out of the position.
This isn't at all a Love/Team Ayahuasca situation where the kid sits for his rookie contract and then gets an opportunity. As PI has oft-noted, the history of guys being anointed, and then getting benched, is bleak. It took an actual car accident to get Bryce Young back on the field.
Leaving aside that massive issue, there is also a problem with the concept of developing without playing. JJMC has already looked great in non-game situations. We have KOC's effusive comments from camp in '24 and the joint practices from '25 (which have aged like a nice syrah, ask Herbert and Stroud how much fun it is playing the Pats' defence). Some players can throw darts but can't face a live pass rush, see: Ponder, Christian. It strains credulity to think there is a material chance JJMC could improve his in-game performance without. . .actually playing in games.
Of course, even if that unlikely improvement happened, it's moot unless JJMC can find an overseas clinic that will inject admantium into his body.
Regardless of JJ having the traits, with the trait of being “injury prone” he is a 2nd stringer at best.