Season in review: Mike Sims-Walker
by Jonathan Loesche on Jan 8, 2010 8:42 AM EST
in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars
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PrintThis is an on going series of articles on key players for the Jaguars in 2009. What did they do right? What did they do wrong? Should we be happy with their performance? We'll look at that here.
Entering the 2009 season, Mike Sims-Walker looked like he would join the the Shack Harris Bust club. The 2007 third round pick had missed 26 of a possible 32 games because of various injuries. While he had flashed talent during the club's OTAs and in the Sunday Night Game against Pittsburgh in 2008, his lack of production meant he may well have been in his last training camp as a Jaguar.
This was compounded when he suffered a high ankle sprain while making a spectacular touchdown grab. The injury prompted several on BCC to refer to him as Mike "I need a" Walker. Many were surprised when Walker made the final roster on cut day, saying this was his last chance. He certainly made the most of that. After Troy Williamson was lost for the year in Week 2 in Arizona, Sims-Walker stepped up.
The Good
Mike Sims-Walker's 869 yards receiving is easily the most by any Jaguars WR since Jimmy Smith retired. He only did that while playing in the majority of 14 games. If he had played in all 16, he numbers would've been 72 receptions and 993 yards.
At times, he appeared to on the level of his AFC South mates of Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne. He was good enough that Rex Ryan had All-World corner Darrell Revis shadow him for the majority of the game against the Jets.
When he was a factor in the offense, he forced defenses to take the eight man out of the box. The Jaguars we're 6-2 in games where MSW had either 6+ receptions or a touchdown.
He gives the Jaguars a talented, young receiver that can become a very good/elite talent.
The Bad
He did have several prima-donna receiver moments. These include his transgresions in Seattle that led him to be deactivated and his "I don't know why I get the ball more" comment on his twitter.
After a fast start, Sims-Walker cooled down with the temperature. Excluding his performance against the Colts, MSW only had six receptions for 65 yards after Week 12. He did have 6 receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. His TD against the Colts was his only TD after scoring the game winner vs Buffalo.
It was either boom or bust for Walker. Just as I said the Jaguars were 6-2 if he had 6+ receptions or a touchdown, the Jags were 1-7 when that didn't happened. In those eight games, he only had more than 2 receptions twice and never accounted for more than 49 yards receiving.
Conclusion
Mike Sims-Walker showed flashes of being a true #1 wide receiver for the Jaguars. That's far more than I could've ever said about Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, and every other post Jimmy Smith WR the Jaguars have had. That being said, he extreme lack of production at times is troubling. I'll chalk up the late season drought as a symtom of the much larger problem of the team collapsing in December, but it's still a bummer.
Next year should be a breakout year for Sims-Walker. With a full year of NFL action finally under his belt, he'll look to show he can be the man.
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MSW is the perfect example why fans shouldn't play GM
I still can’t believe some people on here wanted him gone. Imagine if the Colts had signed him, that would have gone over well here.
I agree
people like results, and results now. I’m glad people like Gene actually have patience to give people like MSW a chance to show his stuff.
I also distinctly remember people calling for Thomas to get cut because he was hurt and hadn’t earned the right to a roster spot. I couldn’t believe people said that, knowing how good this guy could be. I know we definitely haven’t seen his upside yet. Pretty soon, he will be returning any kicks/punts. In other words, he will be too valuable.
Mike mus avoid injuries
and he will be fine. I hope he could repeat his 2009 season…
That twitter comment is bothers me a bit; but let’s hope he will be agood guy.
I think his Seattle trouble was his last; he learned his lesson if he is smart…
Life without knowledge is death in disguise
by Zoltan from Budapest on Jan 8, 2010 10:47 AM EST reply actions
Next Year
I want to see him get rid of some of those games where he disappeared. To be a true #1 receiver, he can’t be off and on. I’m not asking for 100 yards and a TD every game, but he can’t consistently have these 1 to 2 reception games. Like most other players on this team, the skills are there, but the consistency is not (yet).
I think people
might be forgetting that he was trying to play through injuries when his production started to fall off. He was also getting more respect in coverage later in the year. I think if someone were to step up on the other side of him he could even get more production.
And this also goes for Garrard, but for a while there Garrard and MSW weren’t able to practice together. No one even mentioned that, but I think it should be at least acknowledged; especially for a duo that hasn’t been together for years like Manning and Wayne.
I hope Gene brings another receiver in
Either that or Mike Thomas, the other 2 rookies, or Williamson or Hughes make improvements during camp, because Torry Holt isn’t getting any younger, and isn’t even close to being the big play guy he was with the Rams. That should help MSW a little bit.
Dillard was starting to come into his own before he got hurt, hopefully he'll pick up where he left off
Christian Ponder in 2011! Bring him home Wayne, he can actually play QB in the NFL
Big Cat Country Radio, Every Wednesday Night at 10 PM EST
by Jonathan Loesche on Jan 10, 2010 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
If the O-Line gets better
he will get better. Especially with Thomas most likely having a even bigger role next year and Holt still being with the team.. If Dillard, Williamson, and Underwood all make an impact next year and the line blocks then MSW will be left in more 1 on 1 situation and he will excel. All the great WR’s in this league are successful because they have the combination of pairing with other good wr’s, a decent QB, and a solid line. I think the Jags will have this next year. Add in MJD scaring defenses and the arrow is pointing up boys. Now if we could just fix that pesky defense.
the prima donna thing is way overblown
Other than the Seattle game there have been no negatives associated with msw. And had you guys read his tweets he clarified his comments. This was discussed extensively in the jaguars forum. The reason for his low production in the late part of the season is simple: David Garrard.
by Slvrgun on Jan 8, 2010 12:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I gave him a C this year...
He is far better than any of the starters last year, but he still has some progressing to do before the true #1 reciever tag can be stamped on him. He showed he can be reliable and make the big play. I’m still wary of the health issues that have plagued most of his career.
Seriously
A C? All he did was have a breakout season and begin to recognized on a national level, outplay future hall of famer Torry Holt, and became David Gs go to guy for most of the season. What kind of receiver gets an A in your book?
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I gave him a B, fyi
He had a good year, yes. However, his tendency to disappear in games is what separated him from being great.
Christian Ponder in 2011! Bring him home Wayne, he can actually play QB in the NFL
Big Cat Country Radio, Every Wednesday Night at 10 PM EST
by Jonathan Loesche on Jan 8, 2010 6:29 PM EST up reply actions
I Agree With That
I wasn’t saying Sims-Walker should have an A. I was just asking if Andre Johnson earns an A in that guys book.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
How many times was he thrown to (or overthrown) late in the season.
It was unbearable to watch balls sail 100 ft over his head.
I gave him a B
but if you consider how much of an improvement he was over the last 5 years of WR’s on this team then I would give him an A. I guess it depends on what scale you want to grade him on.
C+ - so I voted C
He started off fast – solid B+ maybe even A- early in the season. Then, as you corrrectly pointed out, his production declined as the season wore on and completely disappeared in some games. B efforts require a little more consistency than that in my book.
I look for continued improvement next season and greater consistency (funny how that word keeps popping up with this team) and look for a solid B+ / A- season.
you should be nicknamed AP
Always Pessimistic. i think his bad half of the year is o-line and david struggles more than his own. and yu have to grade him based on where hes comefrom. all the injuries and two tragic deaths last year by close ppl to him, i gave him an A for the thrat he is now.
by harveyismyboy on Jan 10, 2010 1:28 AM EST up reply actions
if he had injuries, i’ll give him that slack. absolutely. if he says he didnt play well due to the close deaths he endured, then i give him no slack. sound mean? shouldn’t. get your mind right and do your job. brett favre did it, why cant every player do it? and dont give me the “gee, that was the demi-god Brett Favre”. suck it up. you have a lifetime to grieve. i do think MSW will be a really good WR once we have another threat on the other side.
Sean Jax Beach Bum
I see what you're trying to say..
But I think that would be pretty selfish to ask someone to put a meaningless game before family. I don’t think any coach in the league would ever put their players in that kind of situation. And if I remember correctly, Farve was given the option of whether or not he wanted to play. But I do agree that anything short of a family emergency should be set aside until after the game.
I give him an F because he didn’t make the team pancakes for breakfast and didn’t caddy for Vic Ketchman on his golf tounrament.
Sean Jax Beach Bum
Your right, now Im going to change my grade for him to a fat F+.
I bet he never carried MJD’s pads for him or nothing helpful.
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