Brandon Jacobs Helmet: Is This Latest Meltdown End for Giants RB?
New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs' helmet toss made what was a laugher of a Sunday night game infinitely more interesting.
Jacobs was pulled from the game in the third quarter, and flung his helmet into the stands. The hulking back's helmet didn't injure anyone, but, naturally, the fan who caught it caused quite a stir when he refused to turn the equipment over.
While the NFL is still investigating, and has termed the incident an accident, here are 5 reasons that this could be the beginning of the end for Jacobs.
5. His Temper Has Flared Up Before.
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Jacobs has a history of violent outbursts when things aren't going his way. Remember the Monday night game last year, when he got into it with several members of the Redskins defense? He wound up punching one of them, a shot which cost him $7,500.
Expect this punishment to be a bit more severe.
4. He Put Fans In Danger
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For those of you who don't know, helmets are big and hard. They weigh between six and eight pounds. So, essentially, Jacobs whipped a 6-8 pound bowling ball towards fans who paid an exorbitant amount of money to sit close to the field.
The last thing the NFL wants is for rich fans who can afford to sit close to the action, to deem those seats unsafe, and stop buying them. So expect them to come down pretty harshly on this "Accident".
After all, when it comes right down to it, the one thing the NFL cares about more than anything else is how effectively it can get into your wallet. If they think you'll be afraid to sit close to the field because you might get hit with a helmet, don't think for a second they won't come down harshly on Jacobs to send a message.
3. He Didn't Play After That
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After Jacobs fired his helmet like a cannonball, Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin benched him for the rest of the game. Why is this significant? Jacobs is a hulking, bruising, power running back. He feasts on blowing up defenses by running over and through them, rather than around.
The Colts defense is most vulnerable to power running backs. So for Coughlin to bench a guy who plays perfectly into the Colts' biggest weakness, should tell you all you need to know about whether we'll see him again this season.
2. His Production Was Awful To That Point
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Despite Jacobs' strengths as a back playing into the Colts' weaknesses as a defense, Jacobs was not playing all that well to begin with when he was benched. Four carries for 9 yards is what most NFL offenses expect from their fullbacks, not the running back who's making $11,506,110 in 2010.
Given that that performance came against a team who Jacobs should have eviscerated, this could be the end of the road for him in New York.
1. His Decline
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The most damning piece of evidence about Jacobs' future in New York: his production is slipping significantly.
In 2007 and 2008, Jacobs topped 1,000 rushing yards, and in 2008, he also scored 15 touchdowns. Last year, though, injuries saw his production slip to just 835 yards, despite his carry count jumping from 219 to 224.
2010 hadn't been much better. He'd racked up 52 yards on 16 carries, good for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, the lowest of his career.
This incident drops Jacobs' standing with the team to an all-time low. With talented, dynamic runner Ahmad Bradshaw already splitting carries, don't be surprised to see Jacobs riding the pine for the rest of the season. When a player can't control his emotions and doesn't produce on the field, the team has no reason to play him on a week to week basis. In Jacobs' case, if the NFL doesn't suspend him, Tom Coughlin might do the next best thing: benching him for good.
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