Jumped the proverbial broom. And now I'm baaaaaaaaack, ready to tackle the daily Falcons-related shenanery so y'all don't have to.
Peria Jerry has drawn a good deal of criticism on this forum. Personally methinks he may surprise some folks, though I can certainly understand where the critics are coming from. George Henry of the Associated Press penned an interesting read re: The Comrade's most questioned decision in his 36 month tenure:
Coupled by his rehab and lack of experience, Jerry's self-acknowledged difficulty in understanding opponent tendencies has held him back and kept him from unseating Babineaux, who has started 48 of his 49 games with 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six passes defensed, one interception and a touchdown in three years under head coach Mike Smith.
Henry makes some solid points. Not naming names, but I think many of Jerry's critics misunderstand why he's a backup. First, Peters was a heck of a third round pick. Second, Hamilton and BVG decided to use him primarily as a 3-technique DT, likely playing to his strengths. Third, he plays behind one of the premier 3-technique DTs in the game.
Look, I'm not trying to make excuses for the kid. Admittedly, he's an expensive back up. But at the end of the day, he's a solid addition to our DT rotation. As always, curious what y'all think. What are your expectations for Jerry this Fall? Comment early and often, but for Vishnu's sake, don't bash Jerry's sack total ad nauseum. You're better than that Falcoholics.