The NFL Has A Been Hardknock Life For Jadeveon Clowney So Far

Jadeveon Clowney has had a tough start to his NFL career.  2 years ago people were asking should he be allowed to enter the draft as a sophomore.  He looked like a man amongst boys in the SEC and was ready to compete at the highest level.  He probably was.  But NFL fortunes can change like the wind.  Fast forward to today!  His toughness has been questioned. He’s got Hall of Famers calling him out.   His judgement has been shaky and the start to his career has be hexed by injury and illness as of this past Sunday.  The Houston Texans seem to be getting frustrated not with him but at the situation.  This is very understandable.  You have a player in Clowney who has the potential to be just as devastating as his teammate J.J. Watt, and that type of talent can be a game changer.  Especial for a team sitting at 4-4 and looking for a spark to finish the season.  I understand what Jadeveon is going through.  I know he wants to play and there is pressure to do well, but when you feel like you are not at your best while competing in league full of wolves that are trained to sniff out your weakness;  thats feeling can take your mind and body to some strange places.  Make strange things happen like getting mentioned for being on Instagram while your team is playing.  (that's strictly a rumor).    Think about it.  A small town kid from a college town gets dropped in on of the biggest cities in the world and the entire city wants you to get healthy right now and play well.  Thats a lot of pressure.  Enough pressure to make you sick.  Especially if you're not accustomed to surgery and playing hurt.  Would you want to jump into a pool full of sharks with your leg bleeding your first time in the pool.  I think not.  For a rookie the NFL can be a pressure cooker that starts at training camp of their last season in college until the end of their rookie year NFL.  It can wear on you mentally and physically.  Especially if you’ve been fighting through injuries the whole time.  Texans fans have to realize the adjustment period for all of these guys is going to be different.  I remember Mario WIlliams getting slammed on his neck his first camp practice.  Now he is one of the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL.  Hopefully having a bye week gives him a chance to reset his mind and catch his breathe.  He needs to get the confidence back in his body.  90 percent of being a professional athlete is believing you're better than the guy across from you.  That belief can waver when you don’t trust that your body can respond the way you want it to.  The bye week should give him a chance to regroup.  I expect to see the number 1 pick in the draft prove to the world what the hype was all about in the second half of his rookie season.   

Denver Broncos: No Rush No Ring!

The Denver Mannings, I mean Denver Broncos will fall short of winning the SuperBowl again this season if they can't develop a running game.  Against elite pass rushers or well executed blitz schemes Payton Manning will get rattled and when he needs to make the plays to win the game he won't be able to execute.  The Seahawks destroyed the Broncos in the SuperBowl because they made it a REAL football game for Peyton and hit him early and often.  It is hard to be precise as a Quarterback in the NFL when your head is in jeopardy of being ripped from your body.  Standing in the pocket in the in an NFL game is one of the most dangerous, pressure filled places on the planet for a man to stand.  A legit running game can relieve that pressure and give Peyton the time to do what he does best, Shred Defenses!  The Broncos need to keep Peyton in 7 on 7 mode.  7 on 7 mode being The Mind of Peyton Manning vs. the coverage down field.  His ability to decipher coverages down field and throw the ball in open windows with accuracy and touch is what makes him epic.  A wicked pass rush destroys everything that makes him great but an effective running game would taper down the pass rush;  force defensive lineman to scale down their initial get-off which is the foundation of a fierce pass rush.  Notice I said effective running game not physical running game.  Being physical is a mind set you develop in training camp through multiple days of creating a physical atmosphere in practice.  The play calling in practice dictates the mindset of the unit.  The staple of this offense is Peyton.  Every acquisition they have made supports Peyton being the Bell Cow, the go to guy.  The Broncos are well beyond developing a nastiness in their offensive line at this point.  What they can do is focus on designing an effective running game based on the formations the defense gives them and the ability of their lineman.  Is this a line than can zone block, combo block, pull, angle block? We don't know.    Evaluate the strengths of your line in the run game and design runs that fit their skill set.  This is a tough task; but thats why NFL coaches get paid the big bucks.  They should be able to get elite athletes to develop the necessary skill sets in short time frame.  The Broncos have to get this done or the first team that can get to Peyton Manning in the playoffs will end their season.  The great teams can beat you in different ways.  The team he won with in Indy had a decent running game.   They better find a rushing attack in the second half of the season or we will see The Sheriff riding off into the sunset without the Lombardi Trophy once again.