T-Hawk":3msn378u said:
Not being a smart ass, I'm genuinely curious because I've seen you say this a few times. What games did Richardson win for us last year and how?
I say it in the context of, "A lot of little things add up to a victory and removing any one of them from a close victory can and usually does change the outcome."
A pick of Jared Goff on the road, a forced fumble-and-touchback averting an imminent touchdown by the (eventual SB champion) Eagles, a recovered fumble in Arizona, and a crucial run stop to slam the door shut on Houston's last drive. Those are four enormous plays in a year where turnovers were scarce. It's not hard to believe that the season could have been very different without him.
Sheldon is another Jimmy Graham. They were brought in to provide a thing (Jimmy touchdowns, Sheldon defensive stops). They didn't consistently do the in-between and supporting stuff that usually lead to those things, but they provided the things themselves and made a difference. Yet a bunch of fans insist on missing the forest for the trees and slamming those trades because they think abstract value judgments make them look smarter.
If you want a scapegoat for 2017 and aren't satisfied with Tom Cable, look at the free-agent acquisitions we trusted that year. Blair Walsh. Eddie Lacy. Luke Joeckel. Those guys helped drain the bank and provided far, far less combined than either one of Jimmy or Sheldon. Even if moving on from those two guys was the right move, we owe them a little more appreciation.
