05-05-2016, 10:24 AM
(05-04-2016, 10:32 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Then why did you post a link to an interview with Mathis where PFF says he is one of the beat in the league and Mathis Gives ALEXANDER the credit?
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2009/11/27/interview-evan-mathis/
The 2009 Pro-Bowl fan voting has been underway for a while now,At ProFootballFocus we’d like to bring attention to players who are enjoying excellent seasons and genuinely deserve consideration but may be flying under the radar of many, who instead choose to concentrate on the same few ‘names’ that are always focused on. One of those players is Cincinnati Bengals Left Guard Evan Mathis, who has been sitting amongst the leaders in our Offensive Guard rankings all through the season.
PFF: In your opinion (or your coaches’) is one facet of your play better than the other at the moment? Are you a better pass protector than run blocker etc.?
EM: I believe that both my run and pass blocking has made a tremendous amount of progress this year. If there have been any weaknesses in my game, Paul Alexander has told me exactly what I needed to do to fix those things. Any time something comes up, he tells me, I fix it, the end. It takes this faith in your coach knowing what he’s talking about to be able to carry it to the field successfully. . . Coach Alexander can be a very strict grader and he gave me a few pressures on my grade sheet for getting close to the QB when I was popping behind the LT to pick up a bull rushing James Harrison. I made the block, he just wants it done better so he grades me down. He grades me down, I correct it, and I’ll be more effective the next time that type of situation comes around.
Did you expect Mathis to thank Coach Mudd two seasons before he coached Mathis? I know Coach Mudd is good, but he isn't so good players travel backwards through time to thank him before he has had a chance to coach them.
If Alexander is a good as you claim, why did Mathis have years of bad tape as you also claim? Why did he go from backing up Nate Livings (who was out of the league one season after leaving the Bengals) to a starter after one preseason with the Eagles? Why did he go from getting a vet minimum contract based upon years of bad tape under Alexander to a 5yr/$25M contract after a single season under Mudd? Why did he go from having zero Pro Bowls/All Pro selections under Alexander to multiple Pro Bowl/All Pro selections under lesser Oline coaches?
Alexander admittedly prefers "big" (read: fat ass) offensive linemen like Lutui. Mudd preferred athletic offensive linemen. That explains why Mathis was fat under Alexander's leadership and why he wasn't when he left to go play for Mudd.
