Criticism Against Vince Young Unfair

His team is preparing for its first playoff game in nearly five years. His record as a starting quarterback is 17-12. Last year he was voted as the NFL rookie of the year. Despite all of these accomplishments, quarterback Vince Young has faced a lot of criticism from both media and fans. Whether they are discussing his performance on the field, or his attitude off of it, fans and media have given Vince a tough time. This is not only unfair but quite discouraging.

One of the biggest complaints people have about Vince is his passing ability. I will be the first to admit that Vince is not Joe Montana or Dan Marino. He is still learning the NFL game and he is growing as a passer. He should be though! Vince is only in his second year as a player. Many quarterbacks don't even begin playing until their second year. Just look at this year's number one draft pick JaMarcus Russell. Russell was the number one overall pick and he did not start a game until the final regular season game. Sure he held out of training camp for a while, but the Raiders could have thrown him to the wolves early if they wanted to. Many critics are quick to point out Vince's throwing numbers such as his completion percentage or interceptions. What these people fail to realize is that few quarterbacks have good numbers this early in their career. Troy Aikman had a completion percentage of 52.6% and threw 18 interceptions in his second year as a pro. Peyton Manning had a combined 43 interceptions during his first two years in the league. Brett Farve threw 24 interception during his third year in the league. We all know what great quarterbacks they've all become.

A lot of local fans and media around Nashville, have complained about Vince's attitude. They've complained that Vince often appears to pout when he makes a bad play or when the team losses. A number of fans have noticed that Vince has run off the field quickly after a loss or a bad game. My response to this? So what! The bottom line is that Vince is a winner. The guy is in his early twenties. Had he not entered the draft a year early he would be in his rookie season. He's not going to always act like a mature older guy. I think for the most part he handles himself well. Most of his so called 'attitude' and 'pouting' are the result of losing. He has been a winner his whole life. He doesn't like to lose. While I think he will mature and grow out of this, is wanting to be a winner that bad? As a Titans fan it seems like just yesterday we were surviving through a 4-12 dismal season. I think we can put up with a little pouting for right now.

When all is said and done Vince Young deserves a little slack. He is improving as a quarterback and is leading his team into the playoffs for the first time in years. He will eventually be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. His other issues in terms of maturity will eventually go away. Fans need to lighten up. Analysts need find someone else to critique.