Supercharged
Today, Doug Flutie put the "stun" in "stunning
victory," leading the San Diego Chargers to a
rollicking steamroll over the Minnesota Vikings.
Racking up a season-high 42 points to Minnesota's
28, the Chargers scored one point less in today's
game than they did in the last three games
combined. Flutie performed like a man on fire,
throwing completion after completion and scurrying
into the end zone himself for two of the Chargers'
six touchdowns.
After each spectacular play made by Flutie, I
found myself thinking, "Why now? Why not three
games ago?" If the Chargers played like they did
last week and today under Flutie's leadership for
the entire season, this team could have gone to the
playoffs. As it stands now, the best they could end
would be 9-7, and that's only if they were to win
all of their remaining games.
The Chargers organization has said time and time
again that lackluster Drew Brees is "the
quarterback of the future." True, Flutie is 41 and
may not return next season, so Brees may be the
go-to guy in future seasons. But if the guy can't
win games, why not let Flutie win games? Who cares
about the "quarterback of the future"? What about
the present? Letting some hack play the QB position
just because he's the future is no way to make the
playoffs. If you don't even have enough money to
pay rent, does it make sense to sock away money for
the future? By the same token, if Brees can't win
games, what sense does it make to keep him in the
game?
Flutie may very well retire at the end of this
season. He played like a 21-year-old today, but
he's no spring chicken. Brees, on the other hand,
is an ugly duckling who's showing no signs of
molting. If I were the general manager during the
next off-season, I'd find out what Flutie's
intentions are. If he were staying on, I'd offer
him the starting position. If not, I'd find
whatever money I could and get a quarterback who
can win games.
Something tells me, though, that we haven't seen
the last of Drew Brees.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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