A certain MSU linebacker’s performance against Oregon was graded as one of the worst in the country by PFF:
First of all, let me say this. I don’t like to write posts like this very often. These are student-athletes, and even more, at MSU, these players have gone through so much frustration and adversity these last few years. That being said, I think it’s time to have an honest and respectful conversation about Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay.
In Michigan State’s loss to Oregon this past weekend, it was astonishing how easy it was for the Ducks to run the ball. Oregon had 213 rushing yards, nearly as many as their passing total (264). One thing that became obvious to a lot of people watching was the play of Haladay, a player who has the reputation of a run-stopper, but it felt like he was always in the wrong place at the wrong time, missing gaps and tackles all night. Not ideal for the linebacker who wears the green dot on his helmet.
If the eye test wasn’t bad enough, Pro Football Focus (PFF) put out their weekly grades on Monday, and Haladay was graded at 36.9, the lowest grade of his career. This put him at 272 of 279 linebackers graded, nearly the worst in the entire country.
I have been trying to be patient and respectful of Haladay, but to be honest, I started to notice his flaws a few years ago, but mostly on the pass defense side. After MSU’s loss to Boston College, I politely suggested that Jordan Hall should start getting more snaps, but didn’t directly say that should come at Haladay’s expense. I’m ready to say that now. Jordan Hall and Wayne Matthews should start getting Cal Haladay’s snaps, in my opinion.
To add onto this… The Oregon game wasn’t just some blip or abnormality. Haladay has often struggled against dynamic teams, for his entire career. Check out some more of his career grades below:
I appreciate what Haladay has done for this team, and it’s honestly probably not entirely his fault, as his time at MSU was so tumultuous and chaotic, it is a difficult environment to learn a difficult position. But the time has come to let some other players have that opportunity, before the season is completely over.
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