DMN Blog: Would you rather have Tony Romo or Jay Cutler?

[theogt]

Would I be a weasel if I said Romo today and Cutler long-term?

Cutler's only 3 years younger. I'd rather have 6 years of high production than 9 years of mediocre production. By next October, Cutler will be the same age Romo was when he took over our offense.

 

[jterrell]

This article has a flawed premise that Cutler took this big step forward.

Please. The dude put up a Quincy-esque 86 QB rating.

Yes, he passed for a lot of yards but he was not overly productive on his pass attempts. And his total yardage is a lot like the Texas Tech QB yardage... i.e. raw pass attempts.

As down as this season was for Romo he was BETTER than Cutler.

BTW, the Broncs lost 3 games in a row to miss the playoffs. Cutler tossed all of 2 TD passes and had 4 picks.

Cutler is probably the most overrated QB in all football.

Cutler and Romo both make too many mistakes but the difference is Romo actually makes wayyyyy more plays. Cutler is more Bledsoe with arm strength and Romo is more Favre with his zany escapes and wild flings.

 

[Nexx]

tony has shown potential to be elite, cutler has shown potential to be very good. its close, tony by a hair at this point but next year might change my mind. tony needs a bit more discipline and an offense line that doesnt allow a defender a free run at him on just about every pass play.

 

[sonnyboy]

Cutler certainly has more physical talent and a higher ceiling. The thing is just how often is that proverbial ceiling never approached.

I'll take Tony and I don't even see it that close.

OMT - I love Cutler's arm. It's the best I've seen since Jeff George.

 

[jterrell]

tony has shown potential to be elite, cutler has shown potential to be very good. its close, tony by a hair at this point but next year might change my mind. tony needs a bit more discipline and an offense line that doesnt allow a defender a free run at him on just about every pass play.

That OL makes a big difference. Romo was quite good when he was healthy and getting solid OL play. Romo had his comp. percentage fall quite a bit after his hand and back injuries.

The difference between the two guys to me is simple. Romo is a better, more accurate QB on the move.

Then again that is exactly why I like Brady over Peyton.
Accuracy on the move is one of my biggest factors.

 

[McCordsville Cowboy]

This article has a flawed premise that Cutler took this big step forward.

Please. The dude put up a Quincy-esque 86 QB rating.

Yes, he passed for a lot of yards but he was not overly productive on his pass attempts. And his total yardage is a lot like the Texas Tech QB yardage... i.e. raw pass attempts.

As down as this season was for Romo he was BETTER than Cutler.

BTW, the Broncs lost 3 games in a row to miss the playoffs. Cutler tossed all of 2 TD passes and had 4 picks.

Cutler is probably the most overrated QB in all football.

Cutler and Romo both make too many mistakes but the difference is Romo actually makes wayyyyy more plays. Cutler is more Bledsoe with arm strength and Romo is more Favre with his zany escapes and wild flings.

Cutler is just as athletic as Romo. Money on Cutler in the 40 (not that it matters).

And how can you say Cutler is the most overrated when Tony probably has that title by more than half the players in the league.

I can't wait for one of those SI players polls asking who is overrated. Gaurentee you Romo will be on that list before Cutler ever is. Sure its the spotlight Romo has but you have to win sometime Tony.

 

[Hostile]

This article has a flawed premise that Cutler took this big step forward.

Please. The dude put up a Quincy-esque 86 QB rating.

Yes, he passed for a lot of yards but he was not overly productive on his pass attempts. And his total yardage is a lot like the Texas Tech QB yardage... i.e. raw pass attempts.

As down as this season was for Romo he was BETTER than Cutler.

BTW, the Broncs lost 3 games in a row to miss the playoffs. Cutler tossed all of 2 TD passes and had 4 picks.

Cutler is probably the most overrated QB in all football.

Cutler and Romo both make too many mistakes but the difference is Romo actually makes wayyyyy more plays. Cutler is more Bledsoe with arm strength and Romo is more Favre with his zany escapes and wild flings.

Quincy Carter put up an 86 QB Rating?

When was that?

 

[jterrell]

Cutler certainly has more physical talent and a higher ceiling. The thing is just how often is that proverbial ceiling never approached.

I'll take Tony and I don't even see it that close.

OMT - I love Cutler's arm. It's the best I've seen since Jeff George.

Yup.
And the thing is strong arms who have exceeded are a short list. Most flame out. Favre is the best example of a true cannon that was Hall of Fame worth recently and he was so good on the move he really evolved out of pocket passer into just true playmaker(both good and bad).

 

[jterrell]

Quincy Carter put up an 86 QB Rating?

When was that?

He was over 90 in his last stretch in pro football with the Jets. But my point was that 86 is nothing special. QCar was at some point in the 70's here and high as a kite with wildly varying accuracy.

I was just trying to insult Cutler's QB rating not be factual

 

[rcaldw]

Here is a stat that is often overlooked when comparing QB's.

Tony Romo's FUMBLES

2006 - fumbled 9 times lost 3 - goes with 13 picks (16 turnovers) (10 games)
2007 - fumbled 10 times lost 2 - goes with 19 picks (21 turnovers) (16 games)
2008 - fumbled 13 times lost 7 - goes with 14 picks (21 turnovers) (13 games)

Romo - 58 turnovers in 39 games started

Jay Cutler's fumbles
2006 - fumbled 8 times lost 2 - goes with 5 picks ( 7 turnovers) (5 games)
2007 - fumbled 11 times lost 4 - goes with 14 picks (18 turnovers) (16 games)
2008 - fumbled 5 times lost 2 - goes with 18 picks (20 turnovers) (16 games)

Cutler - 45 turnovers in 37 games started

Romo blows Cutler away on TD passes, but I would say 2 things about this.

1. TD passes are not necessarily an indication of the overall effectiveness of an offense. Brett Favre blew Aikman away on TD passes but Dallas had the better offensive production in the time that those teams were both at their best in the 90's. It is SOME indication of a QB's effectiveness, but it can also simply reflect a team's philosophy inside the redzone.

2. If you believe that playoff football and big games are more determined by turnovers than anything else, then it is obvious that Romo has a ball protection issue that he has to cure. 58 turnovers in 39 games equals 1 and half turnovers (roughly) for every game that Romo has started. Just for perspective, Aikman's total turnovers for his career, which includes the 1989 drubbing he had to endure, and his final year which wasn't his normal level of play, totaled LESS than the games he played in. (I think it was 163-165) Remember, that includes

1989 - 9 TD's 18 Int's
1990 - 11 TD's 18 Int's
and his last year 2000 - 7 TD's 14 Int's 2 fumbles lost

1991 - 10 total turnovers
1992 - 14 total turnovers
1993 - 9
1994 - 14
1995 - 9
1996 - 19
1997 - 16
1998 - 6
1999 - 14

THE LAST TWO YEARS BY ROMO (21 TURNOVERS) SURPASSES ANY SEASON AIKMAN HAD THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE CAREER.

Cutler is 25 years old, Romo is 28 years old. Romo plays on the team with more offensive weapons and a better defense. Romo has been on an NFL roster for 6 years, Cutler for 3 years.

I don't know who I would take, but Romo's turnovers are the only reason it is even a discussion.

 

[saphire1]

cutler was asked to do more for his team than romo. he didnt have a legit rb like barber, or a backup like jones or choice. it was an rb carousel there - whoever is healthy next week gets to play. plus cutler's defense was crap! at least romo had ware. and the defense in general significantly improved when wade took over the playcalling as well. slowik just didnt have any clue.

they both have upsides, and the negatives i see for both are the high turnover potential. cutler has the better physical skills, romo more with the intangibles. i agree cutler probably has a way better o-line, but the kid has amazing scrambling skills too and pocket presence, which was way underrated this season because he had a good o-line. ive seen games where it was jay himself who bought himself some time when the pocket collapsed and got to make a play. the cleveland comeback game is probably the best game ive seen of him yet, in terms of putting the team on his shoulders and making a comeback where it's all on him.

the one thing going for cutler tho is he doesnt have diva receivers, and he has the guts to call them out and show them who's the boss. and his main receiver marshall knows cutler is the boss. good luck doing that with owens.

the spotlight is probably more glaring for romo than cutler, but the kid also have some crap to deal with. broncos fans have been clamoring for a long time to replace Elway, and those that have played after him didnt last under Elway's shadow, still looming over there. i believe cutler is their franchise qb, just depends on how fans are going to be patient with him, or if they want to search for the "next" elway right away.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I'd have to watch coach's film to make that decision. I'm very very concerned with Romo now. He lost a lot of his accuracy and seemed to hold onto the ball too long and was careless with the ball. Although I'm not positive if the WR's stunk (I feel Owens was quite good down the stretch, but wasn't getting the ball) and/or if it was a Garrett problem or not. I haven't totally given up on Romo, but he needs to make some big improvements to his game.



YAKUZA

 

[Hostile]

He was over 90 in his last stretch in pro football with the Jets. But my point was that 86 is nothing special. QCar was at some point in the 70's here and high as a kite with wildly varying accuracy.

I was just trying to insult Cutler's QB rating not be factual

His last stretch was like 3 or 4 games. One good game and 2 average ones can inflate the stats.

Comparing Cutler to Carter isn't factual. I'm a Cutler apologist though. Said he would be better than Leinart and Young in that Draft and got called on it. Often...

 

[lonestar6]

I might get flamed for this, but right now I'd take Philip Rivers over either Romo or Cutler. He even passes the QB rating test (105 this year), which some of you seem to rate so highly (I think it can be a deceptive stat sometimes). But more importantly, while I know a lot of people think he's a loudmouth punk, to me he displays the leadership qualities and on the field passion that I wish Romo would show sometimes. He's sold me all they way from when he played on a torn ACL in the AFC championship game and all through this season. I'm also a little amazed his name rarely gets mentioned on the list of best QBs in the league, considering the stellar year he's had.

 

[TheCount]

His last stretch was like 3 or 4 games. One good game and 2 average ones can inflate the stats.

Comparing Cutler to Carter isn't factual. I'm a Cutler apologist though. Said he would be better than Leinart and Young in that Draft and got called on it. Often...

It's pretty clear he was going for hyperbole over actual analysis. He compared the guy to Qunicy Carter and Drew Bledsoe.

I might get flamed for this, but right now I'd take Philip Rivers over either Romo or Cutler.

You won't get flamed since that wasn't the question.

 

[theogt]

Here is a stat that is often overlooked when comparing QB's.

Tony's abnormaly high number of fumbles lost this year are more a function of poor offensive line play than anything. If you don't believe that look at the sacks per pass play stat that I showed above. Tony was getting hit on nearly every play.

You're right, though, Tony does blow Cutler away in terms of TDs. Who would you rather have?

Quarterback #1:
Turnovers - 1 every 22 pass plays
Touchdowns - 1 every 16 pass plays
YPA - 8.1

Quarterback #2:
Turnovers - 1 every 27 pass plays
Touchdowns - 1 every 54 pass plays
YPA - 7.4

 

[TheCount]

Tony's abnormaly high number of fumbles lost this year are more a function of poor offensive line play than anything. If you don't believe that look at the sacks per pass play stat that I showed above. Tony was getting hit on nearly every play.

True, the line didn't help him much, but he has 10 the year before and 8 the year before that. He just happened to lose a lot more of them this year than last.

 

[jterrell]

Cutler is just as athletic as Romo. Money on Cutler in the 40 (not that it matters).

And how can you say Cutler is the most overrated when Tony probably has that title by more than half the players in the league.

I can't wait for one of those SI players polls asking who is overrated. Gaurentee you Romo will be on that list before Cutler ever is. Sure its the spotlight Romo has but you have to win sometime Tony.

TR was an undrafted free agent who took years to get his first game snap. He excelled in short order and calling him overrated is comical. He has worked for every bit of accolade he has ever received. Any Dallas fan who believes that crap really needs a slap in the face with a huge dose of reality. TR is regarded now as a choker. A choker who holds a career QB rating of 94.7 which would be on the highest for a career in NFL history. He is hardly overrated.

Cutler was drafted and immediately anointed the next big thing. He has had 3 years and the benefit of home games in Denver's thin air 8 times per year but still puts up QB ratings in the 80's. The guy is woefully overrated. People are still hung up on his 40 time and arm strength but miss his high INT total and overall lack of TD production. 25 TDs when you pass 600+ times and have no running back is quite low.

 

[wileedog]

2008 - fumbled 13 times lost 7 - goes with 14 picks (21 turnovers) (13 games)

I have to think playing with a broken pinky and running for your life the 2nd half of the season contributed a lot to the fumbles. The fact that he lost so many more of them shows you just how many of the other teams guys were in our backfield over previous years too.

That said, on the flip side I'm sure the book is more than out on him now and defenders are thinking strip the ball whenever they get within 5 yards of him. And there were a lot of guys within 5 yards of him.

Fumbling is fixable. And if he can throw for 4200 yards and 35 TDs like he did in 2007 (something Aikman never came close to either, as long as we are comparing), then I can live with the 19 interceptions (to a point).

 

[rcaldw]

Tony's abnormaly high number of fumbles lost this year are more a function of poor offensive line play than anything. If you don't believe that look at the sacks per pass play stat that I showed above. Tony was getting hit on nearly every play.

You're right, though, Tony does blow Cutler away in terms of TDs. Who would you rather have?

Quarterback #1:
Turnovers - 1 every 22 pass plays
Touchdowns - 1 every 16 pass plays
YPA - 8.1

Quarterback #2:
Turnovers - 1 every 27 pass plays
Touchdowns - 1 every 54 pass plays
YPA - 7.4

As I already noted, however, TD passes need to be looked at within the overall philosophy of an offense. The Cowboys might have thrown the ball more inside the redzone than the Broncos did these last 3 years.

I think Brett Favre holds the NFL records for most TD passes thrown inside the 4 yard line.

And yes, offensive line play makes a difference, but I don't accept that Cutler wasn't pressured this year. He had a rotating set of running backs like no situation I've ever seen before. They threw the ball a TON of times, which means that the defense knew where the QB would be. The guy showed a lot of escapability.