Stafford's Injury Could Lead to Mitchell's Disease
by footstock on Dec 9, 2009 3:09 PM EST
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PrintMitchell's Disease def---A debilitating psychological disease occurring in a quarterback caused by consistent and repetitive pocket trauma, sacks, and protective reflex to avoid further physical injury. The most common symptoms are rushing passes, abandoning a clean pocket, side arm quick throws, and throwing off of the back foot on a repeated basis.
It always cracks me up when I hear the NFL network label Scott Mitchell as being one of the biggest free agent busts ever.
The fact is, he only had one full year where he threw more picks than TD's, he threw for 4,300+ yards-32 TD's-12 int's in 1995. He was only sacked 12 times that year. Then in 1996, he got the crap beat out of him after Lomas Brown went down for several weeks with a high ankle sprain. Lomas' injury, along with Mike Utley's absence, created a porous offensive line that struggled in pass protection. He got sacked 36 times in 96 and 41 times in 97. As a result, Mitchell got "happy feet" aka "shell-shocked" and was never the same again. He was throwing off the back foot trying to get the ball out too quickly and floated alot of balls, which resulted in 17 picks and 17 td's in 1996. He only played 2 games in 98 before being replaced. We can call this condition "Mitchell's Disease".
I am really concerned about Staff's injury and the long term effects of it; not from a physical stance, but from a psychological perspective. Ever since the ac joint separation, he seems to be making throws too quickly and off of his back even when he doesn't have to. I am not talking about when he IS hurried due to protection breakdowns, but rather when he has the time to throw---the time to step up in a legitamite pocket---and instead he is bailing out on the play and rushing the throw without stepping into it and off of his back foot.
My hypothesis is that Staff is really concerned about taking the hit, and is doing anything he can to avoid it. I have had an AC joint separation years ago (still there---doesn't really fix itself without surgery in my case), and it is nagging still to this day when not being hit, and can be quite painful when it takes a decent pop (or even sleeping on it - man, I am getting old). In Staff's case, I know that the brain trust assures us that it can't get any worse, and I believe that to be the case. The problem is that Staff knows that every time he takes a hit he is going to have a sharp---sometimes arm numbing---pain and who can blame him for wanting to avoid it.
That's why I think the management has to think about the psychological effects of him playing with it as is. He is getting into bad habits, and every hit is doing long term damage---not physically, but mentally to him and his career. The last thing we want is to build a head case with Staff that results in Mitchell's disease. It would ruin a very good thing.
Let the Schwartz be with you.
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Could you see Mitchell pushing trainers off to go back in like in the Clevaland game?
I couldn’t. I think Staff has a much bigger passion to learn, develope and win than Mitchell. Yea, he knows its going to hurt when he takes a hit and I am sure he is trying to avoid as much contact as he can. Like you said, who wouldn’t.
I believe what we see when he makes a pass off his back foot, or a pass that is off mark, its a little of 2 things. A rookie QB making mistakes, and a QB doing what he can for the team while dealing with an injury. I think he will be fine mentally, even after the injury has healed.
Maybe Mitchell would if he was wired...
but the fact is that bad habits are hard to break, and he is already starting to show consistent bad habits. It’s sort of like Charles Barkley trying to fix his golf swing. It’s so deep in his head, that even the best teacher in the world can’t get rid of his hitch. I sure hope it doesn’t get that deep for Staff, but it is a danger that we should take precautions to prevent against.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
Scott Mitchell was defintily not a bust IMO
He had some great years – OK like 2 maybe 3. As Lead states I think Staff has a much stronger mental makeup than Mitchell, Kramer, or certainly Harrington. If he’s half the gamer that Charlie Batch was I will take him. That guy was a warrior!!
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
Completely Different
Wanna know why he is throwing of his back foot? Because his f’n shoulder hurts. When he is healthy he will be fine.
Back foot throws caused by a sore left shoulder?
Are you saying that the sore left shoulder is effecting his ability to throw with his right shoulder? In other words, if he throws off of his back foot, he has less pain in the hurt shoulder? I have to respectfully disagree with that analysis. I tested the throwing motion, and there are no muscles left of the sternum effected by a right handed throw.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
He is getting...
…his left shoulder out of the way. He isn’t standing in there and driving the ball like he was doing when he got hurt. Against the Browns that is how the injury occured, he drove the with complete disregard and got planted.
We are both saying the same thing...
His mechanics are bad because psychologically it would jeopardize contact to the non-throwing shoulder. It’s not that he can’t step into the throw, it’s that his subconscious is telling him that could risk pain if he does.
That’s where Mitchell’s disease starts. Mitchell got hit over 70 times in two seasons, and his mind wouldn’t let his body stand in there as an NFL qb needs to in order to make the throws. Glad to see that they are sitting him for Baltimore at least.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
No we are not.
He is not standing in there because he is hurt!! When Mitchell was healthy, or David Carr, or Joey, they would not stand in there. John Matthew Stafford is not a guy who will get happy feet. When he is healthy he will be fine. (As I have said before.)
No he wasn't a bust. He was probably the best QB we have had since the 80s
Stafford can and should be better than him, but Scott was hardly “Bad”
http://cmufootball.blogspot.com/
Mitchell #1 Free Agent Bust of All Time
According to NFL Total Access…He’s the worst FA bust of all time. Here’s the clip:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-free-agency/09000d5d806ed12d/NFLTA-Top-10-free-agent-busts
Solomon Wilcots said, “We haven’t seen Mitchell since he took that money”.
How do these people get paid as “experts”? Show me other free agent QB acquisitions in the last 20 years (not trades, so don’t say Steve Young) that have thrown for 4,000 plus and 40+ td’s.
There is such a bias in the NFL regarding the Lions that they don’t even think to do their research first.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
oops...30+ td's. Sorry for the misinformation
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
Totally agree
by far not a bust at all.
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
7 starts???
What are they talking about??
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
7 Starts...
I had the same thought when I heard it. She meant that the Lions signed him when he only had 7 career starts before the FA signing.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
finally!
I never knew why Mitchell caught so much heat……..I remember some huge numbers he put up w/ Herman and the boys…….nice to see some people actually agree w/ me. Screw the NFL network and ESPN too………..I’m so damn SICK of Tre Wingo and everyone on NFL Live laughing about the Lions. Makes me sick.
+1
I;d like to punch Tre Wingo right in the face. He’s such a douche
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
+1,000,000
…….“I’d like to puch Tre Wingo right in the face. He’s such a douche”
My favorite expression ever on this site!
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
No - go for the shoulder
Rodney Crowell
by LionFanInChiefsLand on Dec 10, 2009 7:25 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not worried....yet
He has been injured and the protection at times have been terrible, that’ll make most QB’s jumpy.
2009 = The start of the Lions Golden Age (We hope).
Zack Follett: he will hurt your mind.
I'm not worried either
Staff is a tough, tough kid. Give him some protection, and he’ll thrive.
GO LIONS! RESTORE THE ROAR!
re:Mitchell
He had a few great seasons with the Lions,for sure.My cousin worked for the NFL,covering the playoff game vs. the Eagles years ago,and he talked to members of the Eagles d-line after the game(58-37 Eagles,if I recall correctly),and they told him Mitchell was psychologically defeated after the first set of downs.I don’t remember him ever bouncing back from that game either,so perhaps this is true.Staff’s a trooper though,he’ll be fine.
Mitchell against Philly
That’s just philly arrogance…but I expect no less from them. If a guy puts up 37 points on you, and you have the stones to say he was beaten after the first series, then you deserve to be beaten 30 – 11 by the Cowboys like they did the next week.
We went into that game waaay too over confident. We had won the previous two games by a combined score of 87-10…and weren’t prepared for playoff warfare.
Since we gave up 56, it sounds like Spielman and the boys were more likely defeated after the first series.
Those were the days….can’t wait to get back to that level.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
+1
I remember that game………..how disappointing that was. I liked reading what the Philly D-Line thought about Scott Mitchell. Hey – rememer when he dressed up like Wayne Fontes and was smoking a cigar??
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
Good point.
But they benched Mitchell in the third for Don Majkowski,who threw three tds after the game was out of reach.Also remember who qb’ed the Eagles to victory that day…Rodney Peete.Ugh….but yeah,we’ll return to the playoffs,and win some for sure.
screw that...
Mitchell got fat and lazy. plain and simple. The Lions gave him a shit load of money(at the time), he had a couple good years…
Then the lack of conditioning set in… its hard to move in the pocket with a flabby belly slowing you down.
Fat, drunk, and stupid… is no way to be a NFL quarterback.
Scott Mitchell’s advice to Cassel…. “Don’t get fat and lazy, just because you hit the jackpot”
CLF
Was that an Animal House reference??? Very cool.
Signed,
Douglas C. Niedermayer
I spray paint my dog Honolulu Blue and Silver
Pic - me vs. Bears fans
He looks a little like Bluto!
just put a 5 day beard on him and a toga and there you have it. I hope he saved some of his jing, as I still think he is getting a really bad rap.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
Yeah... here's another famous scott mitchell trait...
“Duck and Cover”… pop up and throw it to where you last saw the receiver.
Hilarious
He had to duck and cover with that OL in 96-97…that’s for sure. Lomas got his fat contract, had a high ankle sprain for most of 96, and then never really returned to form.
Sort of like our OL today. Only Staff protects them by throwing it away before he gets hit so the sack totals don’t look as bad. Staff is gonna have to learn to eat some of these balls instead of risking the pick so much.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
Losing Woody and Hartings is the reason...
we are where we are on the OL today. When you get a good one, you have to pay them.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
Mitchell was labeled a bust because...
of the contract he received. When you pay a player like that, you are putting all of your eggs in that basket, expecting that quarterback to take you to the promised land. In that respect… he didn’t really deliver. Was he one of the greatest FA busts ever? No… not in my opinion.
As for Stafford…. not a chance. He’s much more talented than Mitchell ever was. He’s got a much better arm and more importantly, a much better head on his shoulders. Can you imagine what Stafford could do with Herman Moore, Brett Perriman, Barry Sanders, etc.. in their prime with 2-3 years under his belt? That’s what gets me excited. We have CJ, Pettigrew and Kevin Smith already. By the time the Lions have 2-3 more drafts under their belt, Stafford will be unstoppable, with (hopefully) an unstoppable supporting cast around him.
You have to remember, for as talented as Stafford is… he’s still a rookie. You talk as if he’s got all this experience under his belt and this multitude of thorough beatings he’s taken (all 10 of them) have created this shell-shocked Scott Mitchell syndrome. Wouldn’t the simpler explanation be… he’s on a horrible team and he’s a 21-year old rookie still taking his lumps and learning how to play at the pro level? He hasn’t been starting long enough to form any unbreakable habits… good or bad. If he’s still making horrible decisions and throwing balls with no touch and not stepping up in the pocket to throw in like 3 years… THEN you might have a point with this “Mitchell Syndrome”. Right now… he’s just a typical rookie going through his growing pains, nothing more.
Isn’t the simplest answer usually the right one? I think you’re over-analyzing this.
Occam's Razor
The simplest answer is usually the right one.
What? He can’t block a dead gopher? Humph, details.
Amen.
This is one case where I don’t want to be right.
Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win a pennant every year....Sparky Anderson
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