Timmy is a very solid running back who should only become better under the tutiledge of Mike Shannahan. First, Mike WILL see to it that Timmy gets to pack the ball for a reasonable number of carries, (not the paltry attempts to run that Whiz called here). Next, Shannahan WILL cure Timmy's fumblitis. No he won't set him on the pine after such an incident. He more than likely will put him right back into the game and give him the ball some more. Then, the next few practices, he will probably run him ragged, all the while sending tacklers to try to strip the ball away from Timmy. Eventually he will cure the problem that Whiz simply chose to punish Timmy for.
I cannot agree with any of that.
Shannahan will cure his fumbling problem ? Ok, what are the lotto numbers for tonight.
If you have a back that need 20+ carries to do anything in the NFL, then you don't have an NFL back. I don't know where this "backs need more carries" is coming from but in the modern day NFL, you have to do more with less. This league is a passing league, and there is no two ways about that. Look how many games that premeir back got 20+ carries and get back to me.
Finally, Whiz punished Hightower ? Tim Hightower is a professional football player, and on top of that he is grown man. It is HIS JOB to hold onto the football, and he was not doing HIS JOB. If Whiz sits the guy he is a tyrant, if he plays the guy he doesn't hold him to accountability. That is a no win situation, and a situation that if Hightower held onto the damn ball once and a while would not be brought up.
It is also unfair to Whiz to say he didn't stick with Hightower. For 3 years Whiz has been supporting Hightower, and tried to work through these fumbling problems. There is article after article in AZCARDINALS.COM documenting this. To say Whiz never put Hightower back in the game after a fumble is not true. Furthermore, there were always two backs in AZ while Hightower was in here. How fair is it to sit one of Hightowers competitors on the bench after he just screwed up ? Not very in my book.
This is the NFL. Professional football. Whiz's job is to discipline players who do not do theirs. If Whiz doesn't take Hightower out of the game then Whiz is not doing his job.
Plus Hightower had 1 year on his contact. Are we really going to pay a back who has a very average ypc, little to no ability to break tackles, and has fumbling issues a fat new contract ? I hope not.
Finally, not only did Hightower fumble a lot, but his turnovers were back-breaking. They killed, drives, momentum, and lost games for us.
If we are sorry sympathetic to player's feelings when they screw up, we should have never traded Kolb, and should be ragging on Whiz about how he is too much of a tyrant, and punnished Derek Anderson for his turnover problems right ?
Again, I find that statement to untrue, and unfair.
I liked Tim as a player, I really did. I suffered with the guy every time he coughed the ball up, because I was rooting for him so hard. But, he played his way out of AZ, IMO. Being one of his bigger supporters, I hit the end of my patience last year with him.
I hope him nothing but the best with the Broncos.
