Bright Future

Courtesy of Bigleadsports.com

NFL staples Peyton Manning and Terrell Owens seem to be on their way out, so who can we count on to replace them? From a statistical perspective, we have two young guns who are more than ready to fill the pending void sooner rather than later.
The Lions have been building a franchise up from the ground (0-16 in 2008), and the future is now. Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh are seen as the faces of the reformation, but it is Matthew Stafford who is ready to make that next step. The injury prone Georgia product is the signal caller behind Calvin Johnson’s record start. He has only played 20 games in his NFL career, and he is well ahead the pace set by the game’s elite. With a 22:5 touchdown to interception ratio (ranging from his 11th career start to his 20th) he has been more efficient that Rodgers, Brady, and Manning at similar points at the beginning of their storied careers. Rodgers threw two scores for every pick during that same time period, leading the trio mentioned. At 23 years of age, Stafford is playing well beyond his years. His has 12 more TD’s than INT’s this year, a number that tops everyone but Rodgers. His 95.5 season QB rating ranks as sixth best in the league, and that is with an inconsistent running game and only one WR who makes his own plays. He is growing and maturing with Calvin Johnson, and the best has yet to be seen from Stafford. Critics will point to his checkered health, but he has taken more snaps at this point in his career than Aaron Rodgers. I am looking through the windshield not the review mirror when it comes to Stafford, and all I see is victories and touchdowns. The decline of Manning is sad to see, but his disciple is more than ready.
Terrell Owens tried to revive his career, but his Tuesday workout proved what most thought; his hall of fame career doesn’t have another high producing season left. Luckily, the next dominate receiver is waiting in the wings. The Pittsburgh Steelers, home of the Steel Curtain and the “ground and pound” philosophy, have bred Mike Wallace into that player. Early in the 25 year olds career he was a limited to the big play, and was considered a receiver with limited potential. But as Hines Ward aged, and Wallace became the teams go-to pass catcher, he has developed into the games most consistent receiver. Over his last 16 games, he has been the most productive WR in the league, catching 79 passes for 1,590 yards and 11 scores. During that span, the now all purpose WR has racked up 10 games of at least 100 yards. He still has the speed to make the game breaking play, we caught a franchise record 95 yard TD last week, but has evolved into a receiver willing to go across the middle and move the chains. Wallace has picked up 27 first downs, placing him ahead of household names Vincent Jackson and Larry Fitzgerald. His Steelers continue to pound the football, averaging the sixth most rushing attempts per game, which keep defenses honest. Big Ben is a gutty QB who will hang in the pocket as long as it takes for Wallace to exploit the opponents secondary. He is the unquestioned leader on this team, and has proven willing to adapt his style to fit the personal on the Steelers roster. As the NFL becomes a passing oriented league, this Steeler wide out figures to be posting 1,300 yard and 10 TD seasons on a regular basis. It’s time to view Wallace as an elite receiver, and being part of an ideal situation, he is ready to join the top class of receivers in the game.