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The dream matchup: Alex Smith vs. Vince Young
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Vince Young gets his first start in over a year against
the Jaguars last Sunday.
(AP Photo/John Russell)
I can’t believe that the dream matchup between Alex Smith and Vince Young this Sunday would be like this. It’s hard to imagine how these two highly talented quarterbacks have fallen so low and now are rising back up to the top of their game.
Smith was someone that the San Francisco 49ers had hoped to help the team get out of their ugly fall from grace. He faired well in his rookie year, but in his sophomore year of 2006, Smith led the 49ers to a strong finish of a 7-9 record with 16 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. (*as pointed out, I should clarify that my praise for Smith in his first two years isn't because of his low stats, but because he exceeded my low expectations. Statistically, he was not that good. But he did provide a lot of optimism for the team.)
Young went 8-5 in his rookie year in 2006; and in 2007 he led the Tennessee Titans to a playoff berth. Young didn’t have the pretty numbers, but he was able to find ways to win.
The hope for these two quarterbacks both went sour in 2008. Smith attempted to come back after shoulder surgery but was beat out by J.T. O’Sullivan in the beginning of the season. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz had favored O’Sullivan and Smith would not play during the entire 2008 season. Smith had not fully healed from off-season surgery and remnants of a broken bone in his throwing shoulder ended his season.
Alex Smith's lost 2008 season has given him a better
preparation for his plays in 2009.
(AP Photo/Paul Skuma)
Young also had an injury derail his 2008 season. Suffering a knee injury in Week 1, Young would watch the veteran Kerry Collins take over the team and lead the Titans to a 13-3 record. Young contemplated about his future with the team, hinting that the best move for him was a change of scenary.
A new start was something that Smith anticipated during the off-season, fearing that the team would release him. But rather than try to find a new job elsewhere, Smith stuck around in hopes that his opportunity would come again. He restructured his contract and stuck with the team that drafted him.
That opportunity came for Smith when starting quarterback Shaun Hill struggled with his passing in a Week 7 matchup against Houston. Smith came in the second half and threw three touchdown passes. In nearly completing a comeback, Smith had made his way back to the top. He was named the starter the following day.
Young saw his opportunity return after the Titans started the season 0-6. Pressured to change up the team, head coach Jeff Fisher inserted Young into the starting lineup last Sunday and Young (along with the running of Chris Johnson) achieved their first victory of the year.
And these two will meet this Sunday. Both Smith and Young were the faces of their franchise. When drafted, both were asked to lead their teams back to the top. And for a while, we saw that from come to near fruitiion. Success from both players led fans to hope for a bigger picture in the future.
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The dream matchup for Young and Smith isn't against
each other, but against the struggles that brought them
together onto the same field.
(AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Instead, these two great potentials would get hurt, falter and look irrelevant in their team’s future plans. Now, they are the most important part of the team’s quest.
The 49ers turned to Smith help save a lost offense. The Titans turn to Young help save a lost season. Both are now generals of their army once again. And on Sunday, they both will battle on the field. A game with more importance than anticipated.
This is the dream matchup that I had hoped for since their drafts. Two great quarterbacks meet on the same field to do battle. They both aren’t the same quarterback they were back then. Both have suffered, matured and now elevated to a new level.
A few years ago, a matchup like this would be headline worthy. The scenario has changed and both quarterbacks are different. It’s not the heavily-anticipated battle between two quarterbacks with potential; it’s a battle of two quarterbacks that have fought their way back to the top. A battle of a hope for franchises looking to return to the Promised Land.
This isn’t just a battle of two former first round quarterbacks; it’s something bigger. It’s a battle of two hopes relived. Two dreams realized again. It’s the real “dream” matchup.
Follow me on Twitter for updates. Check me out here @SLam49ers
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