If you don’t play- you can’t talk- so Shut Up Freddie Mitchell

By Sean Quinn

Freddie Mitchell remained silent Sunday night because his play had done all of his talking for him.  Number 84 caught one ball for 11 yards, which came during a desperate drive, against a prevent defense, in the closing minutes of a game, in which the outcome had already been decided.  So if Freddie Mitchell doesn’t understand what his Super Bowl XXXIX performance is trying to say, we will shout it to him, shut up Freddie!It’s a wonder why we even heard from Freddie Mitchell at all this past month, considering that most of us have never heard of him.  We have heard of Terrell Owens, probably more than we would have like to.  And we sure as hell should hear more from the humble Deion Branch.  But we shouldn’t hear anymore from Freddie Mitchell, he didn’t earn the right to run his mouth before the Super Bowl and the Patriots wired his jaw shut during the Super Bowl.

Owens and Branch have earned the right to run their mouths for the entire off-season.  Heck, they’ve earned the right to run for Governor.  Owens did something Sunday on one good ankle that Mitchell could never do on two good ankles.  Owens did what he does in big games, he performs.  He caught nine passes for 122 yards, while drawing double or triple coverage on just about every play.  Mitchell caught one stinking ball and all he could draw was a caricature of himself before the game.

Branch also did something Mitchell will never do.  Forget the fact that if you doubled Branch’s 11 catches in his MVP performance it would equal Mitchell’s season total.  Or that Branch has caught just about as many passes, 21, in the last two Super Bowls than Mitchell had this season.  Freddie Mitchell shouldn’t feel too bad about not competing with Branch because not even Jerry Rice can stack up to those postseason numbers.  The thing that Branch did that Mitchell will never do is be humble.

While Branch buckled up his chin strap before the Pats first drive, Mitchell had the trainers assist him in putting on his helmet because his head was so big.  So big from what?  If you look at his numbers, skills, and productivity, his head and pride should be deflated.  He had five receptions for 65 yards in a divisional game against the Vikings.  He should have that much in one quarter.  The only thing more penetrable than the Minnesota secondary is a frontline of the French army.  Then he follows that magnificent game by a two catch, 20 yard performance in the NFC Championship game?  Are you serious?  No one could add hype to Freddie Mitchell with those numbers, not even the media.  The networks would have an easier time hyping up an Ashlee Simpson live television concert special.

It’s no wonder the Patriots shrugged off his comments earlier when he said he only knew the New England secondary by their numbers, not by their names.  Bruschi and Harrison were probably more rattled by kicker Mike Vanderjagt’s stupid comments than by Mitchell’s weak verbal assaults.  You’d think that with such a huge head, Mitchell would have some minuscule of sense clanking around up there not to entice a team like New England, that has proved they can dominate without any extra incentives.  But then again, you’d think a guy who runs his mouth as much as Freddie Mitchell would step up in the biggest game of his life, especially with Todd Pinkston on the bench and a construction worker as your tight end.  

Mitchell talks, though, he doesn’t play.  It’s kind of a tease, like that girl in high school who was talked up and had a wild reputation but never performed.  Number 84 didn’t perform on Sunday, he didn’t even come out from behind the curtain on the biggest stage of his life.  But that’s what Mitchell does.  He does not, has not, and probably never will perform.  Terrell Owens had almost as many catches in his shortened regular season than Mitchell has had his entire career.  The Eagles second tight end, L.J. Smith had just as many touchdowns this season, five, as Mitchell has had in his career.  Freddie Mitchell may talk the talk, but he walks the walk about as well as Forrest Gump’s war buddy Lieutenant Dan.  Lieutenant Dan had no legs, Mitchell may just have no heart.

The heart of the Eagles was in their defense and in Donovan McNabb.  That’s who got the Eagles to the Super Bowl without T.O.  McNabb was the one who increased his completion percentage from last year by a mere seven points.  McNabb was the one who threw just about four touchdowns for every one interception.  And despite Mitchell’s career game of six catches against the Bengals in a week 17 loss, McNabb was the one who stepped up for Philadelphia, not Mitchell.

Freddie Mitchell will eventually talk again.  He shouldn’t, he hasn’t earned that right, but he will.  Because he is a talker, not a player.  Maybe he will talk when he has his first multi-touchdown game.  Maybe it will come when he becomes a go to target, like a Branch or an Owens.  It will probably come after he makes a play that an NFL receiver is supposed to make and he’ll let all of us know just how great he is.  And in turn, we will let him know that he hasn’t joined the likes of his teammate Owens or the company of Rice or even Branch, but he has joined the likes of Ashlee Simpson because no one ever wants to hear from him again.