How did I miss this? Pete Prisco wrote his annual Overrated/Underrated article, and it took me five days to finally read it. Per usual, Prisco makes some stupid judgments, like calling Adam Vinatieri overrated. Even Eddie over at Big Blue View thought that was dumb. Prisco tries to save face with his description, but it makes little sense:
Overrated: K Adam Vinatieri. He wasn't his usual self last season, missing six field goals and having two extra points blocked. He's still pretty good, but he wasn't as good as in the past last season.
I mean, for the first time in his entire career, Vinatieri has a sub par year by his standards: He didn't make every big game kick and he was a reason why the Colts lost the game at San Diego. But looking at the season, if Vinatieri had been his usual self, the Colts likely would have been the second seed in the AFC heading into the playoffs (which is what they were in 2007). Adam still converted 79% of his FGs and had 9 touchbacks. The two blocked kicks were because Russ Purnell can't friggin' coach his special teams unit's front line.
Vinatieri is fine, and Prisco needs to go back and actually WATCH the Colts play before he makes another "overrated" assessment.
Now, the Colts aside, Prisco does make good observations for other teams. I can only assume it is because he actually watched them play, unlike the Colts. Prisco is now officially calling Reggie Bush overrated. I said that two years ago and got blasted on this site for it. Sometimes, being right is not always being popular:
Is two years in the NFL enough to earn somebody overrated honors? It is for Reggie Bush.
Bush came into the league as a player many expected to be a Marshall Faulk-type of runner, a home-run threat every time he touched the ball, a star in the passing game. Two seasons into his career with the New Orleans Saints, Bush is a runner who tiptoes into the hole, a player who is far more hype than production. >
When the Saints used the second pick in the 2006 NFL Draft to take Bush, some speculated he could be a 2,000-yard rusher. They meant in a season. He's just over halfway to that number in two. Bush, who has 1,146 rushing yards in two seasons, gets the nod this year as my most overrated NFL player. In 28 NFL games, Bush has one 100-yard rushing effort. His 3.7 career average per rush is not impressive at all. He does have 161 catches in two seasons, but the Saints expected a lot more with him running with the football when they selected him.
So, Reggie bush is the most overrated player in the NFL. Guess who is the second most overrated?
Overrated: QB Vince Young. He's young and still learning, but you'd think he's a superstar the way the media talks him up. He's far from it.
Ouch! Prisco goes so far to say that Vince young should "thank" Reggie Bush for sucking, because if Bush wasn't the most useless RB in football, all the attention would get focused squarely on Vince and his crappy QB play.
A few other interesting overrated players: CB Asante Samuel, CB Antonio Cromartie,CB DeAngelo Hall, and CB Rashean Mathis. That's pretty much the who's who of corners in the NFL. I guess Pete doesn't think these guys live up to their hype.
My favorite overrated player, Dallas's Roy Williams, got his usual you suck and it's obvious treatment:
They should retire this spot for him. He has been overrated for years -- he won my overall honor a few years ago -- but he still goes to Pro Bowls. How?
Back to the Colts, Prisco says Gary Brackett is the most underrated Colt. I gotta agree with that. Most overrated? No offense, but my suggestion is Joseph Addai. It's not because he sucks or anything (far from it), but the Colts tried to use his as a "feature" back last year, and he broke down. Addai is not a 25 carry-a-game back. He can do 20-25 touches, but not 25 carries, plus 5 receptions a game. Addai's reputation is that he is a 25 carry RB, and I don't think that' true. I think Addai works best when he is splitting carries.
What's your choice for most overrated Colt?