Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE
As the weeks go by, I am becoming less-and-less of a fan of Julius Peppers. The Chicago Bears paid a large sum of money to bring in the former Carolina Panther with the idea he was going to dominate offenses around the league. Based on his performance with the Bears, I just am not seeing the type of player I expected.
Last Monday night, there is plenty of blame to go around. But when I see Aldon Smith from the San Francisco 49ers with 5.5 sacks and barely notice Peppers, it leads me to think that Peppers is overrated (let’s keep in mind that being overrated doesn’t mean a player is bad, just not as great as we are led to believe). I’ve never seen Peppers with a game anywhere near this dominant. He’s now been in Chicago for three seasons, and quite frankly, we’ve seen flashes but not sustained greatness.
Peppers is tied for 22nd in the NFL with six sacks. While his teammates are also joining the party with the Bears with 28 sacks (tied for fifth in the league), Peppers needs to step up his game as well. Peppers’ sack totals with the Bears are not very impressive. Last season was his best year with 11 sacks. Again, this isn’t bad but Peppers is being paid a large sum of money to make plays. Arguably, his presence on the field certainly helps the Bears defense. But the Bears need him to make statements. And as of now, its just not there.
This is an example of a Rant My Life type moment. Hashtag #RML when there’s something on your mind. You can follow me on Twitter @ChicagoBearJew. Happy Thanksgiving!
