Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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If that's all you do, Chinn has made a compelling case.
He leads all rookies with 100 tackles, has two defensive touchdowns, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, along with an interception.
He's also a second-round pick from Southern Illinois playing off the ball on a 4-10 team that hasn't gotten (or deserved) that much national attention, and he has more chances to make tackles because the Panthers' defense hasn't been great at getting off the field this year (30th in the league in third-down percentage).
Washington defensive end Chase Young, on the other hand, was the second-overall pick from Ohio State, playing on a top-five defense for a major-market team that could clinch the NFC East title Sunday.
And it's not that Young is some slappie, as he's proven to be the kind of impact rusher you can build a team around.
He had a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble returned for a touchdown in Week 14 win over the 49ers, the kind of dramatic statement Chinn made in a loss to the Vikings.
For the year, Young has 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, which led to a Pro Bowl selection. He's also playing with a better grade of defensive talent around him, which makes it harder to stand out individually.
Young's coach, Ron Rivera, was more than diplomatic when asked about Chinn, letting loose an "Oh, wow," when his name was brought up.
"I think Jeremy Chinn is right up there," Rivera said. "I know people are pushing him for defensive rookie of the year, and I don't disagree with it. He has an opportunity to be it."
Rivera's nice to say that, even if it's unlikely to happen. That doesn't mean Chinn doesn't deserve notice, but even he seems to know that Young probably started with a big lead by virtue of draft status, geography, and name recognition, and has played well enough not to give that advantage away.
LAST CALL FOR TD?
It's customary for coaches to bring known commodities with them to new jobs, to help implement their plans and set the tone for a new cast of characters.
So it was unsurprising when Rivera brought veteran linebacker Thomas Davis to Washington. The surprising part is that Davis has barely played.
He's only been on the field for 137 snaps in seven games, and has just six tackles for the year.
Davis, who's already been ruled out for Sunday, is 37 years old now, and can't run like he could during his days with the Panthers. But he was more than serviceable last year for the Chargers, starting all 16 games and registering 112 tackles.
It's a shame if he goes out on this note, as he had a brilliant career even if you don't consider the fact he came back from three torn ACLs. But he did COME BACK FROM THREE TORN ACLs, and was arguably a better all-around player after than before.
When he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2005, he was a barely-guided missile, a player who ran fast and hit hard, even if the target wasn't always obvious. He learned to play football, however, and eventually earned Pro Bowl recognition (which isn't easy for 4-3 outside linebackers since they don't have giant sack numbers like their 3-4 counterparts who tend to take up all those spots).
Davis also won the 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his off-field contributions.
His resume and what he had to overcome remains the stuff of stories. Unfortunately, not every story has a happy ending.