Week 4 Faceoff: Prisco vs. Judge
SportsLine.com's Pete Prisco and Clark Judge provide analysis on three weekly topics.
| Start a club and pick any QB. Who do you choose? | |
| Pete Prisco | Clark Judge |
This might be an easier answer than who's my favorite NFL writer.
Peyton Manning is not only the best quarterback in the league, but
he's also the best player. Tom Brady fans will claim his rings
should make him the choice, but Manning is a better player. Here's
how we know: Ask the scouts. Manning or Brady? Most would say
Manning. He's an accurate passer who understands the passing game.
I still think Dan Marino is the greatest passer of all time, but
Manning is someday going to be right up there with him.
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Tom Brady. My priority is not someone who leads the league in
passer rating, touchdowns, yardage or pretty spirals. I want
someone who wins, and no one wins as often as Brady. In three
years as the starter in New England the Patriots won the Super
Bowl twice -- with Brady the game's MVP both times. I like that. I
like this even more: He wins when it counts. He's 7-0 in
overtimes, 28-4 in games played after Nov. 1 and 6-0 in the
playoffs. Oh yeah, he's also indestructible, working on a string
of 48 consecutive starts.
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| Is it too soon to push the panic button in Tennessee? | |
| Pete Prisco | Clark Judge |
|
Jeff Fisher is too good of a coach for this to be a panic
situation. The Titans have been hit hard by attrition over the
past few years, which would test any coach and any organization.
The cap can be a cruel reality, and the Titans are living that
now. That said, there are still too many good football players on
this roster, starting with quarterback Steve McNair. As long as
he's on the field, this is a playoff-caliber team. It might take a
few more weeks until the young players adapt, but the Titans will
push for a playoff spot in December.
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Way too soon. People wanted to send them to the corner two years
ago when they lost four of their first five, but then they wound
up in the AFC Championship Game. I never count out Jeff Fisher. He
knows how to win and will turn this around. It won't be easy,
especially with injuries handicapping the club, but Fisher has
been here before. Yeah, I know about Steve McNair's bruised
sternum, but that's not new. The club devotes a page of its media
guide to his injuries. The Titans need to shore up their passing
attack, and the return this week of Tyrone Calico helps. So does
the appearance of San Diego on the schedule.
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| How long do the Chargers keep Philip Rivers on the bench? | |
| Pete Prisco | Clark Judge |
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Today isn't soon enough for Rivers to go into the lineup. Drew
Brees isn't the long-term answer and, please, don't even talk
about Doug Flutie. His time was up years ago. The Chargers loved
Rivers coming out of North Carolina State in large part because he
understood the passing game. A son of a coach, he should be ready
to step in now, even though he missed much of training camp as a
holdout. Rivers is going to be a very good quarterback, but it
takes time. The longer he sits on the bench, the longer it will
take for him to grow. The Chargers can't wait. Marty
Schottenheimer has to prepare the next coach's quarterback now.
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A month, tops, or only until he feels confident running the
offense. Drew Brees is doing nothing more than keeping the
position warm for Rivers, who this week moved up to the backup
position. Brees is not in there because he wins. Heck, he has lost
all but five of his past 23 starts. No, he's in there because the
Chargers don't want to sacrifice their franchise quarterback
before he's ready. The Chargers are smart here. Winning this
season takes a back seat to Rivers' future. Let Brees go another
month, then introduce Rivers -- much as Philadelphia did with
then-rookie Donovan McNabb in 1999. That way the club gets a read
on its quarterback, and its quarterback gains experience for the
following year.
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