Krasovic: Will Mathews ever justify draft hype?
By Tom Krasovic
Monday, December 17, 2012
Say this for Ryan Mathews. He’s keeping good company on the NFL injury list.
Charles Woodson, eight times a Pro Bowler at cornerback, is the only
other NFL player I could find who's suffered two broken collarbones.
There probably are others.
Mathews has broken his right and left clavicle in a span of four months,
most recently against the Panthers on Sunday. Diving for passes, Woodson
cracked his right collarbone twice in a span of 20 months.
Busting collarbones isn’t the “special” knack the Chargers had in mind,
of course, when they gave up precious draft picks to grab Mathews 12th
overall in 2010.
Special is sportspeak for star or star potential. The Chargers were
convinced Mathews had it.
“I think he’s special,” A.J. Smith said after drafting the Fresno State
junior.
Smith expected him to become a "championship-level back."
Jimmy Raye, the personnel man who is in line to succeed Smith as general
manger, said at the time that Mathews should become an “every down” back
as a rookie.
Norv Turner, describing Mathews as “extremely special,” said he was as
excited when the Chargers drafted Mathews as he was when LaDainian
Tomlinson went fifth to San Diego in 2001.
The Chargers weren't alone. Bill Polian, then the Colts’ GM, described
Mathews as a “complete back.” A consensus first-round talent, Mathews
was coming off a smashing junior year – 6.6 yards per carry, 1,808 yards
and 19 touchdowns. He tested out well, running 40 yards in 4.43 seconds.
Yes, running backs are often dicey bets in the first round because
productive backs can be found in the lower rounds.
Had Mathews become a special performer, though, the investment would've
been worth it. The evaluation was off, not the actual trade.
It’s no easy task, figuring out what even a dominant college runner will
do in the NFL. No doubt Chargers scouts tried to account for the
difference between Western Athletic Conference defenders whom Mathews
ran over and past with those in the NFL (for what it’s worth, Mathews
also went for 107 yards on 19 carries against Wisconsin in his junior year.)
It’s called imagination. It’s not science.
Once Mathews began running against NFL defenses, it became evident that
his upright style was a hazard. To him, not defenders.
Mathews acknowledged it, saying during his first preseason that he
needed to run lower. The coaches worked with him on it, and he made some
progress.
“Low man wins” is a popular saying among football players. Mathews, 5-11
½ and 217 pounds, absorbed direct jarring hits from the start,
increasing his risk of injuries and fumbles.
It's not an unusual challenge for young running backs, and Mathews
responded with productive if inconsistent results.
Of the nine backs drafted in 2010, he ranked first in yards per carry,
total yards and touchdowns despite an ankle sprain suffered in Week Two
that he said left him at 80 percent capacity through season’s end.
He said Jaguars defenders wrenched the ankle when they "just pulled me
over the pile" and he "heard a few pops."
He had a good season in 2011, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and topping
1,000 yards, although he had five fumbles, matching his rookie total.
Turner had big plans for him this year, even mentioning him as a
potential league leader in rushing yardage. Everyone at Chargers Park
agreed that he began the football year in excellent condition. He had
gained about five pounds of muscle.
I’m not sure bulking up was beneficial. His thickly muscled upper arms
and shoulders may have made him a bit top heavy.
Both injuries came when a linebacker slammed into Mathews from the side
after he had already begun to fall to the turf.
Taking his first carry in the first preseason game, he ran a sweep right
and then clipped the foot of Chargers tackle Jeromey Clarey, who had
pulled wide and thrown a block. As Mathews stumbled and lurched forward,
Packers linebacker A.J. Hawks knocked him into the ground.
Sunday it was Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly finishing him off after
Panthers defensive back Josh Thomas had barreled into his legs.
And that was that. Mathews, who ended his season with just one
touchdown, never really got going this year. To my eyes, his best
running performance came in Week 3, the same game against Atlanta that
he lost a critical fumble. He broke no fewer than six tackles in that game.
For inspiration, Mathews can consult Ricky Williams.
The Saints mortgaged their future to get the draft rights to Williams,
the former Patrick Henry High and University of Texas star.
Injuries and inconsistency marred Williams’ first three seasons in New
Orleans. In his fourth year, running the ball for the Dolphins, he led
the NFL in rushing. The offensive coordinator in Miami who helped lift
him? Norv Turner.
Monday Morning Handoffs
Walk through Gate H at Qualcomm Stadium and you'll see a Chargers
customer service booth displaying a life-sized photo of Philip Rivers.
In the same photogrpah the background is a sellout crowd at the Q. Next
to an earnest-looking Rivers are these words: “Homefield advantage
starts here.”
It hasn’t played out that way in 2012. On the road, Rivers has 13
touchdowns, six interceptions and a 92.1 passer rating. At home, it’s
nine TDs, nine picks and a 79.6 rating.
The Chargers are 0-4 in the games that were blacked out at home. They
got trounced in two of those (Falcons and Panthers), failed to score an
offensive touchdown in another (Bengals) and allowed the infamous
fourth-and-29 conversion in the other one (Ravens). Maybe the fans who
didn't buy tickets for those games knew something.
Danario Alexander got a taste of a marked-man’s life on Sunday. Panthers
coach Ron Rivera said his defense mixed in more press coverage than it
usually shows and focused on the 6-foot-5 receiver. Alexander, targeted
three times, had no catches.
Rivers lost two fumbles, giving him seven this season, tied with the
Chiefs’ Matt Cassel for most in the NFL. Both the Chargers and Chiefs
have below-average pass protection. Aaron Rodgers, the league’s
most-sacked quarterback, has lost three fumbles.
Talking to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper last week, I resisted the urge
to ask him about hair products. I did ask about offensive tackles. Kiper
said the Chargers probably wouldn't be reaching if they targeted a
tackle in the first round. His favorite one is Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel.
“Conceivably, he could go first in the draft,” Kiper said. Two other
left tackles he rates as top-20 talents are Eric Fisher (Central
Michigan) and Taylor Lewan (Michigan).
