Super Bowl Teams & The NFL Quarterback Fallacy

[pancakeman]

[SWG9]

Yes, it is a team game. Period.

Yet it is also true that no single player has a bigger effect on the outcome of the game (or a team's fortunes) than the QB.

We need look no further than our own Dallas Cowboys' performance from 2001-mid 2006 when we fielded some pretty good defences and managed to suck every year because we got piss poor play from the QB.

Even in the 2006 season we were mired in mediocrity until Romo relieved Bledsoe.

So yes, it's a team game, but we're kidding ourselves if we're pretending that the QB is just another guy.

[Ntegrase96]

Originally Posted by egn22

immediately made me think of the Giants that year when they beat the patriots in the Superbowl. That defense made all of the difference. Great post.

Right and to me that's better evidence that defense is still very, very important in winning a title than this article.

The Giants defense carried Eli.
The Colts defense (in the playoffs) carried Peyton the year before
The Saints ability to force turnovers enabled Brees to get there and win it all
The Packers defense coming to life in 2010 got Rodgers there

There isn't a recent superbowl winner, elite QB or not, that didn't need a huge contribution from their defense.

However, it is still misguided to use this article or the reasons I've stated above for defending Romo. Although those QBs benefited from their defenses, those QBs had to make plays also and could not make the type of mistakes that Romo infamously makes.

[Clove]

Originally Posted by DandyDon1722

I think Romo wouldn't taken us down the field and scored. He had the Redskinns defense on the ropes but one missed assignment on one crucial play resulted in Romo not doing his job and THAT is why it's the ultimate team game.

It's funny how it's the ULTIMATE team game when Romo's screwing up, but it's the QB when he's doing good.

The Romo lovers, they simply deserve 17 years of misery. Unfortunately, the Romo haters have to deal with 17 years of misery as well because of my next most hated person on the Cowboys, Jerry Fraud.

[TheCoolFan]

Maybe Kaepernick and Flacco are just becoming superstar QBs. Can't hate on them for raising their game

[MissouriCowboy]

I just think off season needs need to be upgrade the offensive line. Not too worried about the defense with health return by time season starts. Point of this article I found is not all is Romo fault. So for you Romo bashers just think how bad this team would of been with Orton playing all year.

[iceberg]

Originally Posted by Clove

It's funny how it's the ULTIMATE team game when Romo's screwing up, but it's the QB when he's doing good.

The Romo lovers, they simply deserve 17 years of misery. Unfortunately, the Romo haters have to deal with 17 years of misery as well because of my next most hated person on the Cowboys, Jerry Fraud.

trust me. as long as you're here, we've got the misery.

[Coy]

Originally Posted by Ntegrase96

The article is a bit contradictory. The wins are not all about the QB, sure, but the teams that are in the superbowl are still getting outstanding performances from their QBs...

This:

Flacco - 8 td´s no int´s, 853 passing yds with a rating of 114.

Kaepernick - 3 td´s and 1 int, 496 passing yards with a rating of 106 plus 202 rushing yards and 2 td´s.

You need great QB play to win in this league, and both this QB´s are doing just that.

[Coy]

Originally Posted by egn22

immediately made me think of the Giants that year when they beat the patriots in the Superbowl. That defense made all of the difference. Great post.

Of course, without that D they don´t win the super bowl but it´s not like Eli played bad, he was actually pretty good and not to mention clutch.

Here are his numbers in the playoffs both years they won the SB

2007 – 6 td´s and 1 int, 854 yards with a rating of 96.
2011 – 9 td´s and 1 int, 1219 yards with a rating of 103.


Unless you are the 85 Bears or the 2000 Ravens, you better have good and consistent QB play in order to win the SB

[MissouriCowboy]

Brady is a great QB (puke). Brady is missing one of his more important pieces (Gronk). Brady suffers.

Does this = Brady sucks?

Of course not. So why is it when the Rams run through a carousel of receivers and linemen, that it equates to Bradford sucking? That's not an indictment of anyone here, because I'm proud to say we've assembled the class of the internet when it comes to rational thinking and football acumen. But back to the point. If Bradford's best weapon is Amendola, and Amendola gets injured, and Bradford suffers, why does it mean Bradford sucks? And if Bradford's best linemen are essentially all injured, and Bradford suffers, why does it mean Bradford sucks?

Help me connect the dots. Just using the Rams team as a example fellas work with me.

[Ntegrase96]

Originally Posted by MissouriCowboy

Brady is a great QB (puke). Brady is missing one of his more important pieces (Gronk). Brady suffers.

Does this = Brady sucks?

Of course not. So why is it when the Rams run through a carousel of receivers and linemen, that it equates to Bradford sucking? That's not an indictment of anyone here, because I'm proud to say we've assembled the class of the internet when it comes to rational thinking and football acumen. But back to the point. If Bradford's best weapon is Amendola, and Amendola gets injured, and Bradford suffers, why does it mean Bradford sucks? And if Bradford's best linemen are essentially all injured, and Bradford suffers, why does it mean Bradford sucks?

Help me connect the dots. Just using the Rams team as a example fellas work with me.

Are we using actually using Bradford as an example in this case? Or is this a hypothetical situation that applies to any QB in Bradford's situation vs Brady's? (hope this makes sense)

[Future]

Originally Posted by Clove

It's funny how it's the ULTIMATE team game when Romo's screwing up, but it's the QB when he's doing good.

A QB is one of like 3 positions in all of sports that can win a game all by himself. That's why it is so important. I don't understand how people don't get this idea.

It happens all the time...how else do you explain all of the games where Tony plays lights out and we still manage to lose. I think 4 times in the last 2 years, we have missed a FG that would have tied or won a game in the last seconds. Twice, the Cowboys have had a punt blocked and returned for a TD in the last 3 years in either the 4th quarter or OT when the Cowboys lost by one score. Tony played the greatest game for any QB, ever, in a loss to the Gints last year. How can you possibly blame Tony for things like that? Is Tony perfect, no, but winning QBs benefit from teams that can win even when a QB does not play lights out. That is the only way to explain how guys like Johnson, Dilfer, and Eli win Super Bowls.

There is not another QB in the league who deals with all of that, Jerry, and just the general lack of organization on game days and still gets his team - which is amongst the league leaders in penalties - in position to go to the playoffs. Perhaps you can so Romo is not a leader b/c he doesn't get guys to stay onsides, but at some point, you have to hold other players accountable. Romo bashers want a scapegoat, but the reality is that, by blaming him, you excuse every other player (Ware, Witten, DeMarco, Dez and whoever else) of their mistakes. That is the reason we are 8-8, not Tony.

[Ntegrase96]

Originally Posted by Future

A QB is one of like 3 positions in all of sports that can win a game all by himself. That's why it is so important. I don't understand how people don't get this idea.

It happens all the time...how else do you explain all of the games where Tony plays lights out and we still manage to lose. I think 4 times in the last 2 years, we have missed a FG that would have tied or won a game in the last seconds. Twice, the Cowboys have had a punt blocked and returned for a TD in the last 3 years in either the 4th quarter or OT when the Cowboys lost by one score. Tony played the greatest game for any QB, ever, in a loss to the Gints last year. How can you possibly blame Tony for things like that? Is Tony perfect, no, but winning QBs benefit from teams that can win even when a QB does not play lights out. That is the only way to explain how guys like Johnson, Dilfer, and Eli win Super Bowls.

[View Full Quote]There is not another QB in the league who deals with all of that, Jerry, and just the general lack of organization on game days and still gets his team - which is amongst the league leaders in penalties - in position to go to the playoffs. Perhaps you can so Romo is not a leader b/c he doesn't get guys to stay onsides, but at some point, you have to hold other players accountable. Romo bashers want a scapegoat, but the reality is that, by blaming him, you excuse every other player (Ware, Witten, DeMarco, Dez and whoever else) of their mistakes. That is the reason we are 8-8, not Tony.

I don't think you understand what most 'Romo bashers' gripe with Romo is... or maybe I don't, I'm not sure.

I would consider myself to be part of that 'Romo bashing' group, but I'm not someone that unrealistically thinks that Romo can win games in spite of the team around him.

I don't blame Romo for the Cowboys inability to win, there is plenty of blame go 'round. I hold Romo accountable for his poor situational awareness and his stunning knack for folding when it matters most. And IMO, the latter of which is seemingly why other 'Romo-bashers' have issues with number 9.

[Future]

Originally Posted by Ntegrase96

I don't think you understand what most 'Romo bashers' gripe with Romo is... or maybe I don't, I'm not sure.

I would consider myself to be part of that 'Romo bashing' group, but I'm not someone that unrealistically thinks that Romo can win games in spite of the team around him.

I don't blame Romo for the Cowboys inability to win, there is plenty of blame go 'round. I hold Romo accountable for his poor situational awareness and his stunning knack for folding when it matters most. And IMO, the latter of which is seemingly why other 'Romo-bashers' have issues with number 9.

That's the difference, and I think he does it all the time.

Like I said, I don't think he's perfect, but no QB in this environment could be. And, because of the ineptitude of the team around him, every mistake he makes becomes more significant because nobody ever picks up any slack.

[burmafrd]

just how often do we have people take up the slack?

Not very