Will Bradford play? Only if his blockers and receivers do
Published: 9/30/2009 3:15 PM
Last Modified: 9/30/2009 3:15 PM
Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson kept getting the question — or variations of it.
Sam or Landry? Landry or Sam? Who's getting more snaps? Is Sam making all the throws? Who lines up at quarterback for the first snap of Wednesday's practice? When will you need to know? How much input will Sam have? How much input will Josh Heupel have? Can you run your offense if Sam can't throw the deep ball? Do you need to see Sam make every throw in the playbook? Or do you let him rest as much as possible? Who decides whether Sam Bradford or Landry Jones is the quarterback against Miami? Is it Bob Stoops? Is it Sam Bradford? Is it Josh Heupel? Dr. James Andrews? Dr. Brock Schnebel? Dr. Seuss?
Wilson handled it all pretty smoothly. But he kept going back to something that only piqued my interest.
"We're really more concerned what the line can do and what our receivers can do," Wilson said.
"We're more worried about the other 10 than who's taking snaps," Wilson added.
"We were more concerned with double-teaming the right guys and understanding that we've got blitzes or route adjustments or, 'Who am I blocking in run support?' " Wilson continued.
"We were more trying to tune our receivers and tight ends and our line as much as continuing to make improvement," Wilson repeated.
"The deal is just continue to improve those other guys," Wilson concluded.
I had already decided to ask, but with each reply, Wilson only made my next question more pertinent.
Could the play of the offensive line, tight ends and receivers dictate whether Bradford or Jones starts?
Wilson hesitated. It seemed he hadn't comprehended the question.
Because, I added, you don't want to put a Heisman-winning quarterback with a fragile shoulder out there against a fast and fierce Miami defense if nobody's blocking or nobody's getting open? That puts at risk not just the Miami game, but the rest of the season.
"Yeah," Wilson began, "but, I mean, the other guy's got shoulders, too."
That's actually pretty funny. Wilson's like that. I knew he would eventually get around to answering the question.
"No one's gonna play if they're not healthy and ready to go. No matter who's blocking or who's catching," Wilson said. "The bottom line, in time, will be, is the guy healthy and do the guys playing give you a chance to win?"
I think putting Bradford on the new sod at Land Shark Stadium could be a catastrophic mistake if he's still experiencing soreness come Friday or even Saturday.
I'm no doctor, but last spring I had shoulder surgery and have spent literally hours in the examination room staring at the giant shoulder cross sections on the wall and asking questions about the shoulder joint and my own case. During the summer, I heard from a half-dozen physical therapists, a handful of doctors and scores of one-time shoulder injury sufferers how the shoulder is unlike knees, ankles, elbows and wrists, and how it just takes longer to get back to 100 percent because of the movement and the stress involved.
(Ever tried sleeping after shoulder surgery? Don't bother.)
I didn't have an AC sprain like Bradford, but I know that shoulders joints are unique in how they move rotationally, and how one tiny injury can mean a summer's full of setbacks. And that, dear reader, is coming from a 40-something sports writer whose most physical challenge is running a weed eater. Imagine how it would feel to be a major college quarterback, having to throw footballs with high velocity in the face of 270-pound defensive ends with pain in your shoulder.
Will Bradford play Saturday? I don't see it. Not yet. Not as long as Jones is playing like he is.
And, more importantly, not as long as the Sooners' offensive line and wide receiver corps is playing like they are.
— John E. Hoover
Written by
John E. Hoover
Sports Columnist
