One of the biggest mistake us average Joe make is discounting the effect of injury or sharpness on player ability at this level. For us, it's no big deal we think. My back's a little wonky, leg's a little hurt. Haven't played in weeks. No biggie. Put me in coach, I'm ready to play and all...
NFL players are world class athletes, the top 0.0001% right side of the human performance curve. You know, that part tailing waaaay off to the right so far that it almost looks like a flat line. Past us Schelps. Past the top players of the NCAA, the XFL -snicker-, the CFL. Past everybody who almost made it, or just can't cut it anymore in the NFL. But that's the mistake, and incidentally why so many people don't make it to the NFL at all. It's not a flat line at all. When you scope down to the end of the curve where NFL level players reside. It's a triangle. A wide one. Where even a minor injury or performance hit (eg. inactivity, mental focus, preparation) quickly knocks and elite player back and to the left, back and to the left, and into just good, ok, JAG, or even JAG minus (ie. adios señor, welcome to obscurity) territory.
So do we take that risk? Make that bet? In a playoff game? Playoffs?!? Playof... ahem, I say no. The odds are stacked against you. Unless he's 100% game ready, and ideally, recently game tested to make 100% sure (which is impossible and the reason for this thread), I go with the known quantity. Same would apply for Mankins all things being equal. But in that case, I think we know BB mostly kept him out for precautionary reasons. Playing Seabass, although a favorite of mine, is too dicey.
Luckily we don't have to pick Seabass or Solder. We have both hopefully -knock wood-. This week BB can test his readiness, prepare him for the playoffs, and use for depth in case injury strikes. Then when he proves he's playing back to his normal far far far far far right level, plug that monsta' SOB back in!
