| 12 August 2010
Things are only going to get crazier with some of the media and sports talk radio speculation between now and the regular season opener. Four weeks of pre-season football evaluating backups and and roster road kill will do that to you. However there is very useful insight we'll be able to draw from the pre-season games.
The first absurd thought I've heard out of the radio talking heads hit me today square in the face and made me laugh. The scenario in question is the one on one battle between Chris Williams and Julius Peppers and how Williams is apparently struggling to control the $40-million-dollar man.
There is logic sprinkled into the conversation, but then someone over thinks the situation and make this over thought statement "Is there a point where the battle between Peppers and Williams starts to hurt Williams more than it helps him? By which I mean does it hurt Williams mentally, does it hurt his confidence, does it begin to hurt ability to learn because he is constantly losing." I'm pretty much paraphrasing this quote I heard yesterday on the radio, but that is the gist of what was said. Then there was some thought and discussion and a little analysis and then the thought was sort of left floating. Everyone was left to ponder and draw their own conclusions on this topic.
Then today I see a tweet essentially in the same line of thought....
To say I'm a bit flabbergasted by this line of thought is an understatement; this one fits under the REALLY!!!???? category that's become famous in comedy.
Let me give you a simple break down of why it doesn't make Williams worse, nor hurt his confidence IT'S FREAKING PRACTICE!
Nothing is at stake for Chris Williams, Peppers getting a "sack" on Jay Cutler in training camp (Cutler isn't allowed to be tackled) doesn't hurt the team in anyway. No wins, playoffs or even injuries are really at stake if Williams gets beat by Peppers in a one on one scenario. Williams simply has to learn and get better in blocking an elite defensive end in one on one situations.
Williams learns time and time again over and over and he gets better and then he in turn does better against not only Peppers but other elite pass rushers he'll have to face. Jared Allen is the most notable pass rusher that Williams will face, in addition to DeMarcus Ware and Brian Orakpo.
So it's pretty simple really, losing to Peppers now doesn't hurt a thing, but losing to another pass rusher when it counts WILL matter. It boils down to practice making players better and the team as a whole better. This is one of the simple fundamental truths of football, and it should be common knowledge amongst anyone talking about the Bears.
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