Carr keeps standing despite pounding
Of all of the Christmas wishes I could offer this year, perhaps the one I'd most like to offer is to David Carr. May the Texans' young QB emerge from his rookie season intact. Having already set an NFL record for most sacks (i.e.- legalized muggings) absorbed in a season, Carr is simply trying to survive- no small task when you're the marquee player on a 4-11 expansion team.
Carr, the first choice in the 2002 NFL draft, has been sacked 73 times through the first 15 games. The individual single-season record belonged to Randall Cunningham, who was decked 72 times when he was a rookie in 1986. This means Carr has absorbed punishment at an unprecedented level. In a season of spectacular assaults on cherished records -- from Marvin Harrison's smashing of Herman Moore's reception mark to Rich Gannon's pursuit of Dan Marino's single-season passing yards to Priest Holmes' run at Marshall Faulk's touchdown standard -- this is a record no one wants.
"That's all they ask me about every day," said center Steve McKinney. "They're making such a big production about it, but they've got to write about something around here."....
So, who does Carr feel sorriest for -- himself or the linemen that are also enduring their share of hits for their performance?
"I feel bad for them sometimes, because they get a bad rap," Carr said. "I've got to get the ball out of my hands quicker, the receivers have to get open, the play has to be right … sometimes it's not all their fault."
No, it may not be their fault, but the pounding continues unabated. Carr has taken every single offensive snap this season, which is even more incredible when you consider the beating he has taken. Considering the investment that the Texans have made in young Mr. Carr, one has to wonder how many more seasons of this he can take, even at the tender age of 23. One body can only handle so much abuse. Let's hope he lives to see 25.
