I repeat! Matthews has been playing injured most of the time. He fought to make it through this season instead of opting out, for surgery. It takes it's toll on his game.
When you play with a bad hamstring, you don't play 100%. That's fact. When you play with a separated shoulder, you don't play 100%. That's fact. When you play with a torn bicep, you don't play 100%. That's fact.
Over the years, it's happened to him repeatedly, but he's toughed it out, and made the best of it, having some pretty decent years along the way. This year was less productive because he was hurting so bad, and back on the outside, where he needed to be more physically able than he had to be, inside. That's fact.
At no time did I state he was washed up. At no time did I say he didn't play the best he can. I simply said that he's going to be playing with injuries for pretty much the rest of his career. Why? Because he's damaged muscles, joints, and just about everything else you can damage. History repeats itself, with injuries. As an example, he's had hamstring trouble almost every year since his rookie year. It never really totally goes away, but he's played past it repeatedly. Each year, with each injury, and now the surgery, it gets tougher to get in shape, and play at the level you played, before the injury.
Sorry! His play was not that of a super star linebacker this year, like it or not. We can only hope it comes back next year, and it might, but sitting here and saying he played better than he did isn't something I'm prepared to do. You're entitled to your opinion, but don't tell me my opinion is BS, just because you happen to disagree with it.
