Same Ol’ Ryan Mathews
Added on Aug 10, 2012 by Scott in
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It took running back Ryan Mathews one tote of the rock last night to crush the hearts of Chargers fans and fantasy football enthusiasts across the globe. On that one and only carry, Mathews suffered a broken clavicle that will cause him to miss between four to six weeks of action, meaning his availability for the start of the 2012 season is in serious jeopardy. In other words, it’s the same ol’ Ryan Mathews.
How quickly Mathews returns to the practice field isn’t the issue here. Saints wide receiver Marques Colston busted his collarbone in the opening game of 2011 and returned three weeks later, so it’s not a stretch to think Mathews will make a speedy recovery. That said, the guy is developing a reputation as being brittle.
Mathews has hardly been the picture of health during his first three seasons. He sat out four games as a rookie and missed two games last year due to injury. He was also involved in a minor car accident a couple of weeks ago, although he escaped unscathed. Now he’s sidelined again.
His talent and potential are not in question. He possesses all the necessary tools to become a legit dual threat back. However, like division rival Darren McFadden, he just can’t seem to stay away from the trainer’s room. The Chargers lost Mike Tolbert and Vincent Jackson in free agency and can ill afford to be without their best offensive player not named Philip Rivers for an extended period of time.
The team signed Jackie Battle, Le’Ron McClain and Ronnie Brown, but none of them have the skills of Mathews. Curtis Brinkley showed flashes in 2011, but he would appear to be a situational runner rather than a workhorse.
This is a crucial season in San Diego for head coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith. Both are on notice that not reaching the playoffs for a third consecutive year is unacceptable. Needless to say, the injury to Mathews just raised the temperature a few degrees under their already piping hot seats.
