endorPHINS72 said:
I've got to disagree with you on that. If you look back at the previous couple of years, teams threw more at Madison than Surtain. People use the excuse of his lack of interceptions as proof that Madison wasn't thrown at much. The truth is that Sam has dropped quite a few in the last couple of years. For a former wide receiver at Louisville, this is puzzling. He used to have great hands.
I remember Eric Moulds and Peerless Price saying in 2002 (after Madison was toasted by both of them at Buffalo) that Patrick Surtain is a Pro-Bowl player, but Madison was nothing but a punk that is a mere shadow of the player he used to be. While I don't believe that to be totally true, Madison's play has slipped.
I don't blame Madison for not having seven INTs a year any more or for occasionally get burned. I do blame him for those TWO MORONIC personal fouls in the Panthers game. In a game that was that close, those are the types of idiotic plays that can lose a game for you. He needs to play smarter and I'm sure Coach Saban would agree with me.
Madison had one real down year. Which happened to be Surtain's best year. I'm not trying to side on Madison because during the time Surtain played here, he was my favorite. Not just because of his play, but more because of his attitude.
All Corners get beat, especially by excellent Wr's, which Madison usually played against.
Teams did not throw more at Madison. Buffalo did because every Miami corner had trouble with Eric Moulds, and especially Madison. Madison was placed against Moulds almost exclusively with the occasional exception. I also recall Mould's calling Surtain the punk. Marvin Harrison was killing Miami until they exclusively placed Madison on him in the second half. Surtain could not cover him, and was beaten badly in the first half of that game.
Your right about dropped int's, but it is what it is, and they play defense for a reason. Because they don't have the best hands. Pat's hands are just better. Pat's skilz dropped dramatically last season with the new rules, while Madison played much better than him.
The penalties are what pisses me off. He needs to stop letting Wr's get under his skin. Steve Smith is a huge trash talker, and every single time he caught a pass he was posing, smack talking, and getting in Corners faces. Madison has always been into trash talk, which IMO, is his biggest downfall.
I've never said Madison has not lost a step, but he by far the best Miami has right now, and still a darn good Cb.
