While I am not a big fan of Steve Young’s analysis on ESPN, I do agree with his statement that the quality of quarterbacking in the NFL has gone down in recent years. Shockingly, no one knows the reason why. Could it be college offenses not having enough pro-style sets? Could it be the pressure of being the most scrutinized player on the field? Or, could it be that offenses have gotten tougher?
Maybe all of those reasons are right. Some college offenses, such as the spread option or wishbone, certainly don’t help prepare quarterbacks to succeed on the next level. The speed of the NFL can be tough for a young quarterback to handle. These offenses might fool mid-rated college level defenses and pad an average quarterback’s stats, but when it comes to Sundays, the “spread option” quarterback might falter.
Scrutiny? Well, try being told you’re the heart and soul of the franchise every time you turn on ESPN. It’s a tough burden to bear for a young kid. Just look at Vince Young. Most experts and fans alike thought that despite having sub-par accuracy, Young’s athleticism and “it” factor were enough to make him a franchise QB. Turned out they were all wrong. In fact, he’s even lost his calm swagger and is in turmoil mentally.
As for the playbook, there is only one way to explain it. I’ll use the example of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden. Gruden’s playbook puts encyclopedia volumes to shame. It also puts his quarterbacks to shame. Whenever he plugs in a young kid, it’s brutal. Chris Simms and Bruce Gradkowski would probably vouch for me on that. Then, when Gruden gets a veteran, he pulls them right after they struggle and puts in another veteran. And the cycle continues. Maybe, “Chucky” should think about shortening the playbook a bit.
Since Dan Marino retired from pro-football in 1999, the overall quality in QB play has gone down. According to ESPN reporter Len Pasquarelli, the average amount of starting quarterbacks per season since 1999 has been 55. Yikes! That is an average of about 1.7 quarterbacks a year for all 32 teams in the NFL.
Want another tidbit that will make you want to vomit? Since 1999, the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, and ever-QB-hapless Chicago Bears have gone through 12 starting quarterbacks.
Something inadvertently had to affect the way we look at quarterbacking nowadays right? Yes, there is something that distorts our view a bit. All we have to do is remember the 1980s, when the bar was set high. Remember when I said that quarterbacking went down hill when Dan Marino left? Well, Marino was involved in that decade which will forever be remembered for some of the best quarterbacks to ever set foot in the NFL.
Heck, it was Marino’s draft class in 1983 that produced three Hall of Fame quarterbacks. They were Marino, John Elway, and Jim Kelly. All three of them had profound effects on the game. Marino went on to break every passing record there was before Brett Favre returned the favor. Even though he is always remembered for not winning “the big one,” nobody doubts his status in the upper-echelon of quarterbacks.
Elway not only went out on top by winning two straight Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, but he also threw for 51,475 passing yards (3rd all-time) and 300 touchdowns (5th all-time) in his legendary career. Elway will always be remembered for his strong arm and ability to lead his team down field. “The drive” against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship will always be a staple in his legendary career.
Kelly might not have gotten a lot of notoriety, but he was definitely no slouch. Although he, like Marino, never won a Super Bowl, Kelly lead the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances. Before Peyton Manning came into the league, Kelly was the master of the no-huddle offense. In Buffalo, they called it the “K-Gun Offense,” and when Kelly ran it, the Bills’ offense was the epitome of superb execution.
One could go beyond the ’83 draft to see the great quarterbacks in the 1980s. In San Francisco, the great Joe Montana won 4 Super Bowls mastering Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. Riding the pine behind him from 1987 on was Steve Young, who would emerge as a Hall of Fame QB by the 1990s.
Want more proof? Just look to the NFC East throughout the decade. In Washington, Joe Theismann led the Redskins to two Super Bowl appearances, winning one of them in the 1982 season. Despite being an on-again, off-again starter, the New York Giants had Phil Simms at the helm for 14 seasons beginning in 1979. Despite not having all the tools, he was a winner and showed it with a historical performance in Super Bowl XXI. The original NFL iron man Ron Jaworski was at the end of his tenure during the 1980s, but in 1980, he helped bring the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl. After 1986, Randall Cunningham took the full reins at quarterback and cemented himself as one of the NFL’s best play makers.
Still not convinced? Look at the rest of the league. It seemed like every team had a franchise QB that was in for the long haul. The Cincinnati Bengals had Ken Anderson to start the decade. Not only did he lead the Bengals to a Super Bowl in the 1981 season, but Anderson also went All-Pro in both 1981 and 1982. By 1984, they turned to Boomer Esiason to cap off the decade. All he did was lead them back to a Super Bowl in 1988.
Up north in Ohio, Bernie Kosar was side arming the Browns deep into the postseason. Warren Moon began his stellar career with the Houston Oilers in 1984. Although he is more tied to the 1970s, Dan Fouts was finishing off his career with seven solid season with the San Diego Chargers. Also, Tommy Kramer, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 1986, manned the Minnesota Vikings offense from 1979-1989.
Heck, even the Chicago Bears, who are known for their quarterback woes, had “their guy” in Jim McMahon. Before there was Troy Aikman in 1989, the Dallas Cowboys had Danny White as their starter from the beginning of the decade until 1987.
Try playing the same game now with today’s league. It doesn’t have the same flair. However, I am here to tell you there is hope.
With Tom Brady out of commission and Peyton Manning still trying to “shake off rust,” younger quarterbacks are emerging to the forefront, and I’m not talking about Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, or Carson Palmer. We’ve heard enough about them. In fact, I’m thinking even younger.
Look at Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers. They are not only enemies, but they are also the two best quarterbacks in the league statistically. What about Trent Edwards? He is currently leading the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC East. Hey, don’t forget the other young quarterback in New York. I guess Eli Manning did have a revelation following his run to the Super Bowl. He too has led his team to a 3-0 start and is playing at higher level than most expected him to.
Staying in the New York state of mind, what about Brett Favre’s former team? The Packers might not have been so crazy to take Aaron Rodgers over Favre. Through three games, he has yet to turn the ball over. Even rookies Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are currently turning their teams around into winners. If they keep this up and bring their teams to the playoffs, Ryan and Flacco would be making history.
The future does look bright, but we’re still not there yet. We might never get to the boom that occurred in the 80s, but maybe the overall quality will improve soon. And improvement is always a step in the right direction.
