Young seen through Rose-colored glasses

Watching Vince Young scramble and improvise is one of the more exciting spectacles in the… Watching Vince Young scramble and improvise is one of the more exciting spectacles in the NFL.

Uncanny speed and a laser-rocket arm make Young a rare specimen, capable of plays that most of us can only dream about.

But capability does not translate into instant greatness, and those who want to crown Young one of the best quarterbacks in the league need to step back for a moment and actually consider the stats.

What the Titans did at the end of last season was pretty incredible. However, awarding Young the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year seemed a bit ludicrous to me.

Keep in mind that while an 8-5 record as a starter with the lowly Titans is a considerable feat, it required an entire team effort. Often big days from running back Travis Henry or the entire defense overshadowed Young’s performances.

And those contributions from other players were usually necessary. While Young ran for a rookie-quarterback-record 552 yards, he also threw for more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (12), and posted a horrendous 66.7 passer rating. His 51.5 completion percentage was the lowest among all NFL starting quarterbacks.

Young was rewarded for his mediocre season with not only Rookie of the Year honors but was named alternate on the AFC Pro Bowl roster (where he threw for one interception and no touchdowns) and selected to be on the cover of the Madden 08 videogame.

In contrast, Eli Manning, another young quarterback with tremendous expectations, threw for 24 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions, posted a 77.0 quarterback rating and led the controversy-laden Giants (see: Tom Coughlin, Tiki Barber) to the playoffs.

Manning, however, was rewarded with the New York media and fan base questioning if he would remain the starter of the future and fuming over the team’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

So why the apparent discrepancy in fan support?

Perhaps we have to go back to Young’s days at Texas, most notably the Rose Bowl victory over USC in 2005. Many commentators hyped the game as the deciding factor in who would be chosen first in April’s NFL draft, Vince or USC’s Reggie Bush (Mario Williams was ultimately selected first overall by the Texans). Young turned in a dazzling performance in the come-from-behind win for the underdog Longhorns.

Then, there was all the hype over Young’s measurable qualities during the months leading up to the draft. A blazing 4.28-second 40-yard dash was even faster than expected, and is almost unheard of at the quarterback position. He could also rifle the football, and he served to possibly become the player that Michael Vick never did.

While speculation is fun and exciting, and certainly makes the game more interesting, players still need to prove themselves on the field each Sunday. It is a shame that more deserving players such as Joseph Addai and Marques Colston were overlooked for Offensive Rookie of the Year because voters and fans seem to see Young through rose-colored glasses.

Yes, Young is exciting and may eventually become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But he’s not there yet and has a long way to ago, as evidenced by his 3-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season, further proof that hype does not equate to greatness.