Thursday, October 18, 2007

Memo to Falcons fans: I TOLD YOU SO

The news out of Atlanta yesterday regarding Joey Harrington's status as the Falcons' starting QB was something we in Detroit absolutely expected to hear.

Byron Leftwich is taking over under center for the Falcons, replacing Joey Blue Skies. You didn't need to be a psychic to see that coming. You just needed to be a Detroit Lions fan.

Joey Blue Skies being administered last rites by Pope Millen

Once again, I need to tell the Atlanta fans that ripped me for my claims that Joey was going to lead the Falcons nowhere, but to the bottom of the standings, one thing...

For the second time this season, I TOLD YOU SO!

Or to paraphrase the annoying as Hell Verizon guy, DO YOU BELIEVE ME NOW?

But nooooo, you Falcons followers didn't want to heed my warnings of Joey's suckitude. Despite Joey's awful track record, ignoring the anguished cries of disgusted fans in Detroit and Miami, you believed that Mr. Blue Skies would lead you to the promised land, that wonderfully happy place we in Detroit are told is known as "The NFL playoffs."

If there is one thing we Lions fans learned in watching Mr. Blue Skies over 4 long, ugly, losing seasons is that he is not a NFL quality QB. He's another in a long line of Jeff Tedford system QB's, who could do nothing in the NFL other than throw dump offs, miss wide open receivers, then deny it was their fault.

Still, some refuse to admit, or turn a blind eye, to Joey's failures.

From the AJC's Falcons' blog, The Bird Babe...

Joey is not great, but he makes good plays at times. He needs some help. He needs blockers and he needs the receivers to hang onto the ball. He needs to stick to the short throws. He can’t seem to make the long throws.

Stick to short throws? Hilarious! Joey loves "Short throws!" As we saw all too often in Detroit, his his go-to call on 3rd and long was the 3 yard check off.

I'm not sure you'll be better off with the immobile statue that is Byron Leftwich, but you sure as Hell won't be worse off.

That's 3 teams, and counting, whom benched Harrington midseason. The fact that Joey Blue Skies will be a backup on someone's roster next season is proof as to how desperately bad the quarterback position has become in the NFL.

The thought of Harrington being an injury to your team's starting QB away from starting should send shivers down your spine...

3 comments:

  1. What I don't get is how Joey can have a good- sometimes great- game, and then come back and suck ass for the next couple games, until he gets benched. I understand the idea of him having been a "system quarterback" in college, but still...

    Bill Walsh used to say that if a player can make ONE great play, then you know he has the physical talent. After that, it's a matter of teaching him to make the great play on a consistent basis.

    I think Harrington has shown he CAN play in the NFL, but I just don't get why he sucks so badly.

    For what it's worth, I saw a comment on another Lions sports site a couple weeks back lamenting that the team let McMahon go. Because apparently the ability to run around in circles and then throw a wounded duck into the ground is what makes a great NFL quarterback.

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  2. Stop using that picture. It creeps me out.

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  3. You know, being an Oregonian, I remember the exasperating thing about Joey in Detroit was game after game after game of 1-yard passes into the flat on 3rd-and-10 ... and damn, if he didn't threw a passel of 1- and 2-yard passes on 3rd-and-10 in that game against the Giants.

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