So we are clear, contending is specific to a championship. It's about contending for championships, nothing else matters to me.
For owners, it's probably different and really has nothing to do with championships. If they get one, that's fine but it's really about market share, TV ratings etc.
I don't count one play away or whatever else. Wins and losses are rarely just one play. You lose games on more then just one play or series. That, to me, is just excuses because you have opportunities throughout games to win games. It's almost never just one thing. It's always a lot of little things then turn into big things.
Paying QBs is fine but as I said previously, overpaying them is the problem. Also, paying guys like they are the best in the league, when in reality, they are not, is bad business. Dak is not one of the 5 best QBs in the League and yet, we are offering him a contract that suggests he is. Hell, he is apparently asking for the top contract and he's certainly not that. Now, I realize that there are those who do believe that he is among the top 5 but he's simply not. This is not my opinion, this is just the truth, it's not personal or anything else. So yeah, teams who have truly top QBs do compete consistently but that's because they judged the talent right, they structured the deal right and they are managing their teams responsibly.
I think every QB is a little different and each QB needs very specific circumstances to succeed. I think the difference between a Franchise QB and a failed QB is based on how you bring them along, how you manage the talent required for that QB to be successful. It's the Coaching you bring in, the scheme you devise, the drafting of talent and the way you use him. I don't think it's as simple as paying a guy record money simply because the owner sees him as good for the bottom line or throwing for lots of yards etc. I think there is more too it then that. Dak could easily be a Franchise QB but in order to do that, he needs more help then the contract he's asking for will allow.
That's how I see it.