Four Downs with Stock & Doc
by Ben Stockwell and Paul Hopkins
10/5/2008
 
Signing Jared Allen will take Minnesota deep into the post-season in 2008.
 
DOC – FACT ! – They went out and acquired a player with more sacks last season than all their three joint-leaders combined. Now that's a major statement of intent. Their d-line instantly becomes one of the finest in the league and as we saw in January and February, the D-line is what gets you Championships, no matter how weak the secondary may be perceived and how potent the offence is. Only having been in the league for a few years, Allen offers great value in my mind for what the Vikings gave up for him. A great move on the back of some decent moves in free-agency. Again, the likes of Madieu Williams and Bernard Berrian have come in to deliver now. But their achilles heel will remain the guy who takes the snaps under centre. I'm not convinced by Jackson, but if he does step up consistently then they could go all the way in the NFC.
 
STOCK – FICTION ! – Last time I checked their starting quarterback was still Tarvaris Jackson. Allen certainly fills the prime need on defence with a stud pass rusher, but unless Jackson develops into a good starting quarterback the Vikings will flatter to deceive this year. What the Vikings management have done with acquiring Jared Allen, signing the likes of Bernard Berrian has ensured that this team will go as far as Jackson takes them. With these signings there are no excuses for Jackson if the team does not succeed. Their fate is on his shoulders, it's boom or bust and if I'm honest, I don't fancy Jackson to lead a team deep into the playoffs, he had a nice little four or five game stretch this year but to lead a team deep into the playoff you need to play well for 16 games and deep into the playoffs, Jackson hasn't showed that quality or consistency yet. The Vikings will go as Tarvaris Jackson goes this year, Allen's signing will not ensure they go deep into the playoffs.
 
Shaun Alexander has nothing left to give an NFL team, and should retire.
 
DOC – FACT ! – The guy has simply hit the wall, and it's sad to see. But we don't need to see him trying to cling on and recapture what will never come back. He had a momentous year in 2005, and deservedly got MVP awards, but now his time has passed. The Seahawks have moved on, and I can't see another team in football that desperate that they would consider adding Alexander as anything other than second to third string, even the Bengals. That's no way to play out your final days when you've achieved the pinnacles he did, and whilst ex-players always says play as long as you can, he should call time and walk away, looking back on a successful career.
 
STOCK – FACT ! – It's hard to believe considering that he is only two years removed from an MVP season, but Alexander is absolutely, completely done. His burst to and through the hole has gone, he doesn't have the same running power he once had and truth be told he never really had the moves in space either. With the loss of that burst and power he's just a slow plodder and in spite of his accumulated football sense, that really doesn't count for much these days. He might be able to provide some veteran leadership to a locker room and the Bengals (one team looking at him) could certainly use more leaders like Alexander than their current mess of a locker room, but at the end of the day leaders have to be able to contribute on the field as well, and there are better, younger free agent running backs available than Alexander currently.
 
The rejection of a four team playoff to close the college season shows again how out of touch the NCAA and some of its conferences are.
 
DOC – FACT ! – Just what is the problem with these guys? The fans want playoffs, the television want it and therefore, their revenue would more than compensate these suits that remain stuck in some time warp. The BCS system is complicated, far from transparent and archaic. It's time it went. To read what fools like Don Beebe came out with about it possibly then being extended to more teams beyond the proposed four is laughable. Of course it could be expanded!! And then to suggest it would detract from the 'sudden death' feel of the regular season is again, laughable. If the seedings are 1-4 how important will every game be for teams? Credit to the ACC and SEC who wanted to pursue the 'Plus One' idea but they've missed a chance to progress this quicker.
 
STOCK – FICTION ! – They're looking after the best financial interests of their conferences, maintaining the history of the Bowl games and maintaining a system that whilst much maligned still crowns the right team as national champion more often than not. Everyone is quick to line up and pillory the BCS but to be honest I think it takes some very unnecessary and unfair criticisms. From a tradition point of view you absolutely cannot mess with the Pac 10 vs Big Ten format of the Rose Bowl by making it a playoff game. In terms of financial view point yes everyone is always keen to point to other people and say they should be more altruistic and share money between everyone in a lovely communist style, but change the circumstances around and I'm not sure that you'd share your money if someone new came in and asked for a piece of the pie when they were completely unproven. I'd endorse a “Plus One” system, but if you set up a 4 team or 8 team playoff all it does is move the argument from who is second best, to who's the last playoff team. It doesn't eliminate the argument, it merely changes the argument.
 
Kicking Ryan Perriloux off the team will come back to hurt LSU and Les Miles.
 
DOC – FACT ! – It'll hurt them but it certainly won't kill them. They have a wealth of great talent but they've now lost their two quarterbacks from their national championship winning side. It will be a tough task for someone to come in and take over, and whilst the talent they'll be surrounded by will be enough to help them through as they learn the ropes, it's likely there'll be some teething problems. LSU play in the SEC and somewhere down the line, it will catch up with them, its just inevitable. I was never a huge fan of Perriloux to begin with, but in the SEC Championship game he showed toughness and spirit to be a QB. It's a shame he can't sort himself out right and fulfil his potential, but it was becoming a burden for the coach and whole team, and for that, I don't believe the Tigers will miss the distraction.
 
STOCK – FICTION ! – How many strikes does a guy have to have before he gets booted off the team? This was about strike 15 for Perriloux and Miles was absolutely right to remove him from the team. Was he a tremendously talented player? Definitely, I wouldn't say otherwise, but as a big time program LSU have depth at quarterback and Perriloux is no more proven than any of the other QBs currently on their roster. When a player makes as many “mistakes” as Perriloux (including being part of a forgery racquet) you just have to cut ties eventually and it's only taken this long because he was a former National High School player of the year, a lesser player would've been gone on strike one or strike two. Keeping around Perriloux to further embarrass the college and the program would've hurt LSU more than cutting him now and losing his on –field talent.