Week 15 Quick Reads
by Vince Verhei
With 7:47 to go in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked and fumbled. Oakland Raiders linebacker Aaron Curry recovered the ball for a touchdown, putting his team up 27-14 and seemingly knocking the Lions out of the playoff picture. With his team's season on the line, Stafford stepped up to save the day, throwing for 143 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the next two Lions drives to lead Detroit to a 28-27 victory. It was the third time this season Stafford has overcome a double-digit deficit to win. Has Stafford established himself as an elite quarterback? How does he stack up next to his NFC playoff peers?
For the season, Stafford now ranks ninth among quarterbacks in DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement). That's the good news. The bad news is that five of the quarterbacks ranked above him are guys he'll likely have to beat to get to the Super Bowl. How does Stafford compare to those other quarterbacks in specific situations? We can answer that question using DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), which measures value per play. More information on DYAR and DVOA can be found here, but in a nutshell: yardage matters, first downs matter, consistency matters, and avoiding turnovers matters a lot.
In alphabetical order, here are the six quarterbacks to whom we're comparing Stafford today:
- Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
- Eli Manning, New York Giants
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
- Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
- Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
While Tarvaris Jackson and the Seahawks or Caleb Hanie and the Bears still have mathematical hopes at reaching the playoffs, the NFC field will likely come from those seven teams (including Stafford and the Lions).
Stafford ranks sixth among that field in DVOA over the course of the season, but the beauty of DVOA is that we can separate it into a number of different categories. For starters, we can measure each passer's performance by quarter. Stafford is last among this group in first-quarter passing DVOA, fourth in the second quarter, and third in the third quarter. However, despite his late-game heroics, he ranks just six in the fourth quarters and overtime. Stafford's big finishes are not guaranteed, and the NFC's other top quarterbacks are also capable of clutch end-of-game play.
We can further break DVOA down by, er, down. Stafford ranks second among this group (behind Rodgers) in first down passing DVOA, but slips to sixth place on second downs and a distant seventh place on third downs. The lesson here is that the Lions are better off passing early in drives, rather than running to set up makeable third downs. (DVOA accounts for yards needed for a new set of downs, so Stafford's bad showing here doesn't mean that he was left in third-and-long situations.)
What about field position? At Football Outsiders, we break the field down into five 20-yard segments, starting with the red zone (you're probably familiar with this one), and then moving back to the front, mid, back, and deep zones. Stafford is first in this group in the front zone, which keeps Detroit from kicking too many long field goals or short punts. However, he's no better than fifth in any other zone. Stafford needs to play better by the goal-line, but also on his own side of the field.
And then there's the length of the passes. Stafford is third in DVOA on passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage. However, he's a distant seventh in passes thrown up to 15 yards downfield, and just fifth on passes thrown 16 yards or deeper. The Lions have a dangerous screen game, but Stafford falls short of his peers on medium and deep throws.
It's been a breakout year for Stafford, and a great year for Detroit. If the Lions are counting on their quarterback outplaying his opposition in the postseason, though, they're in for a rude awakening.
| Quarterbacks | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
1. |
Drew Brees | NO | 32/40 |
412 |
5 |
0 |
295 |
294 |
1 |
| Brees' game against the Vikings was the best game for any quarterback this season. Before opponent adjustments, it worked out to 346 YAR, but Brees is penalized for playing a flimsy Vikings defense that has now given up the most touchdown passes in the league (26) while tying for the fewest interceptions (six). Brees now leads the league with 2,159 passing DYAR on the season, ahead of both Tom Brady (2,022) and Aaron Rodgers (1,999). However, Brees also has more than 50 pass plays more than Brady, and nearly 100 more than Rodgers, and Rodgers is still the league's top quarterback in DVOA. | |||||||||
2. |
Philip Rivers | SD | 17/23 |
270 |
1 |
0 |
224 |
224 |
0 |
| At halftime, San Diego was ahead 17-7 and the game was still in doubt. Rivers then did this in the third quarter: 5-of-7, 89 yards, with every completion gaining at least 11 yards and a first down, including a 28-yard touchdown. At the end of the third San Diego was ahead 31-7, and Rivers threw only one more pass after that. | |||||||||
3. |
Matt Stafford | DET | 29/52 |
391 |
4 |
0 |
198 |
192 |
5 |
| Stafford won the game with two late touchdown drives, but his "clutch" performance (fourth quarter, within one score) wasn't as good as you'd expect: 7-of-12 for 96 yards, six first downs, one touchdown, plus a 17-yard DPI. | |||||||||
4. |
Carson Palmer | OAK | 32/38 |
367 |
1 |
0 |
195 |
195 |
0 |
| Palmer's passing wasn't quite as great as his raw numbers look. He had 11 failed completions, tied with Matt Hasselbeck for most in the league. His third-down passing was particularly deceptive: he went 6-of-7 for 38 yards, but none of those completions actually picked up a first down. He also had one failed fourth-down pass. On fourth-and-1 from the Detroit 24 in the first quarter, Palmer threw incomplete to Denarius Moore into the end zone. Given the game's final margin, the Raiders probably regret that playcall. | |||||||||
5. |
Kyle Orton | KC | 23/31 |
299 |
0 |
0 |
189 |
189 |
0 |
| Orton threw seven passes in the fourth quarter, each while protecting a one-score lead. He went 5-for-7 for 86 yards and four first downs. Of course, he may have been ahead by more than one score if he hadn't gone 1-of-6 for 8 yards and no first downs in the red zone. | |||||||||
6. |
Matt Ryan | ATL | 19/26 |
224 |
3 |
0 |
161 |
161 |
0 |
| Atlanta defeated Jacksonville 41-14, and it easily could have been worse. Ryan threw six red zone passes. One was a 6-yard touchdown to Roddy White. Two were completed passes that failed to convert third downs, and three were incomplete. | |||||||||
7. |
Tony Romo | DAL | 23/30 |
249 |
3 |
0 |
159 |
151 |
9 |
| Romo completed each of his first four passes. Then he threw one incompletion, then hit five in a row. He had some more muddled success, then hit seven in a row. This was all before halftime. | |||||||||
8. |
Michael Vick | PHI | 15/20 |
274 |
1 |
1 |
156 |
136 |
21 |
| Vick on deep passes (more than 15 yards past the line of scrimmage): 5-of-7, 178 yards, one Hail Mary interception. | |||||||||
9. |
Tom Brady | NE | 23/33 |
320 |
2 |
0 |
115 |
127 |
-12 |
| New stat idea: In basketball, point guards get an assist for getting the ball into teammates' hands and putting them in position to make plays. So let's give quarterbacks an assist for any completion with at least 10 YAC. Brady had nine assists against Denver, and has 80 on the season. Nobody else has more than 67 (Matthew Stafford and Philip Rivers). | |||||||||
10. |
Alex Smith | SF | 18/31 |
187 |
1 |
0 |
113 |
106 |
7 |
11. |
Tarvaris Jackson | SEA | 19/31 |
227 |
1 |
0 |
96 |
105 |
-9 |
| Second-half numbers: 15-of-19 for 176 yards, nine first downs (including a touchdown), no sacks, no interceptions. At one point in the third quarter he completed four passes in a row for 33, 43, 21, and 10 yards. | |||||||||
12. |
Cam Newton | CAR | 13/23 |
149 |
2 |
0 |
94 |
75 |
19 |
| Newton had six carries for 56 yards against Houston. Three of them were third-down conversions (with 10, 8, and 2 yards to go). One was a 13-yard gain on second-and-8. And one was an 11-yard gain on second-and-12. Third-quarter passing: 3-for-9, 6 yards, no successful plays. Fourth-quarter passing: 3-for-3, 57 yards, three first downs. | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
13. |
Aaron Rodgers | GB | 17/34 |
235 |
1 |
0 |
50 |
27 |
23 |
| Not counting the Packers' bye week, Rodgers had ranked in the top 10 in quarterbacks every week of the year, and ten times in the top four. He finished 12th in Week 15, in perhaps the season's most surprising defeat. He gets a small boost over his raw numbers for playing the Chiefs' defense, which has been tougher than most against opposing quarterbacks. He gets a bigger boost from his rushing value -- his three carries resulted in a 5-yard gain on second-and-7, a 19-yard gain on second-and-4, and an 8-yard touchdown on third-and-3. | |||||||||
14. |
Matt Moore | MIA | 10/20 |
217 |
2 |
0 |
47 |
47 |
0 |
| The entirety of Moore's value basically came on one three-play stretch over the first and second quarters: 30-yard completion to Charles Clay; 22-yard touchdown to Anthony Fasano; 31-yard completion to Brian Hartline. He actually had negative DYAR over the rest of the day. | |||||||||
15. |
Rex Grossman | WAS | 15/24 |
185 |
1 |
2 |
43 |
43 |
0 |
| First quarter: 6-of-9 passing, 57 yards, but only three first downs, with two interceptions and a sack. His last pass of the quarter was a 7-yard gain on fourth-and-1, and it was more or less smooth sailing from there. | |||||||||
16. |
Jake Locker | TEN | 11/16 |
108 |
1 |
0 |
42 |
39 |
4 |
|
Hat tip to Tom Gower for pointing this out: At one point, Locker went 9-yard completion, 9-yard completion, 9-yard run, 9-yard completion. Then he was sacked for a loss of ... (wait for it) ... 9 yards. |
|||||||||
17. |
John Skelton | ARI | 28/46 |
313 |
1 |
1 |
15 |
13 |
2 |
| Skelton's last eight passes of regulation: 3-of-8, 26 yards, no first downs. He still got credit for a fourth-quarter rally and an overtime win. Clutch, baby. | |||||||||
18. |
Tim Tebow | DEN | 11/22 |
194 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
3 |
11 |
| Facing a fourth-and-17 down 18 points in the fourth quarter, Tebow was sacked for a 28-yard loss. That is, by far, the biggest mega-sack of the year, easily surpassing Cam Newton's 20-yard sack against Indianapolis. | |||||||||
19. |
Andy Dalton | CIN | 15/26 |
179 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
| Dalton failed on his first three third-down plays. He then converted four in a row before failing on his final try. | |||||||||
20. |
Seneca Wallace | CLE | 18/31 |
226 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
1 |
12 |
| What? He's still in the league? Well, yes. At the start of the fourth quarter, Wallace and the Browns were ahead 17-7. From that point on, Wallace went 4-of-10 for 38 yards, only one first down, plus two sacks and a fumble, and Cleveland lost in overtime. Earth to Mike Holmgren: Seneca Wallace is 31 years old and a 9-year pro. He's not going to get any better. Give up and move on. | |||||||||
21. |
Dan Orlovsky | IND | 11/17 |
82 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
12 |
0 |
| You've got to actually see Orlovsky's play-by-play in its entirety to appreciate the pure nothingness of it all. It's fantasy football in the mind of Sartre. In the first half he went 8-of-14 for 48 yards with no sacks, no interceptions, and no first downs. His last play of the half would have gone for a first down, but Pierre Garcon fumbled the ball away. (Failed dreams of completion, indeed.) In the third quarter, he had three plays: a 7-yard gain on third-and-6; a 9-yard gain on first-and-10; and an 18-yard touchdown to Reggie Wayne. And then, perhaps having achieved fulfillment, he would pass no more. Keep in mind, the Colts won. | |||||||||
22. |
Kellen Clemens | STL | 26/36 |
229 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
9 |
-3 |
| Third downs: 5-of-7, 28 yards, two first downs, plus three sacks and a fumble. | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
CP/AT |
Yds |
TD |
INT |
Total DYAR |
Pass DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
23. |
Josh Freeman | TB | 18/27 |
148 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
-2 |
| First half: Two completions for 14 yards, two incompletions, two sacks, no first downs. And then, on his first play of the third quarter, he was sacked again. From that point he started picking up first downs and stuff, but by then Tampa Bay was down multiple touchdowns. | |||||||||
24. |
Ryan Fitzpatrick | BUF | 31/47 |
316 |
2 |
3 |
-6 |
-11 |
5 |
| Fitzpatrick in his "back" zone (between his own 20 and his own 40): 11-of-17 for 84 yards, only two first downs, six failed completions, two sacks, and two interceptions. | |||||||||
25. |
Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 25/44 |
330 |
0 |
3 |
-25 |
-25 |
0 |
26. |
Eli Manning | NYG | 23/40 |
257 |
0 |
3 |
-26 |
-26 |
0 |
| For the season, Eli has 689 DYAR on deep passes, fifth behind Rodgers, Brees, Rivers, and Romo. Against Washington, though, he went 3-of-8 for 72 yards with three interceptions (and a 43-yard DPI) for -73 DYAR on deep balls. | |||||||||
27. |
Christian Ponder | MIN | 15/31 |
120 |
2 |
1 |
-46 |
-60 |
14 |
| My God, there were some miserable quarterback performances this week. Ponder started 2-of-6 for 8 yards with no first downs and a sack. Then he threw a 10-yard touchdown to Toby Gerhart. His next 12 dropbacks produced three completions for 23 yards, five incompletions, three sacks, one intentional grounding call, and no first downs. That is one first down produced in 21 plays. And we haven't even gotten to Blaine Gabbert yet! | |||||||||
28. |
T.J. Yates | HOU | 19/30 |
212 |
0 |
2 |
-69 |
-75 |
7 |
| Third down passing: 4-of-9 for 22 yards, two first downs, two interceptions. | |||||||||
29. |
Joe Flacco | BAL | 23/34 |
226 |
2 |
2 |
-95 |
-100 |
5 |
| The Ravens were only down 17-7 at halftime. Flacco's first two passes of the third quarter were first downs to Torrey Smith and Ed Dickson. His next 15 dropbacks produced one first down (a 10-yard gain on second-and-5), three sacks, two interceptions, and one fumbled completion (which isn't Flacco's fault, but still). | |||||||||
30. |
Matt Hasselbeck | TEN | 27/40 |
223 |
0 |
2 |
-98 |
-94 |
-4 |
| First half: 8-of-16 for 78 yards, but only three first downs. The Titans were actually ahead 6-3 at halftime because, well, it's the Colts. Hasselbeck made a lot more big plays after that, but also had all three turnovers in the second half. | |||||||||
31. |
Blaine Gabbert | JAC | 12/22 |
141 |
1 |
1 |
-104 |
-106 |
1 |
| Gabbert's first pass of the fourth quarter was an incompletion. To that point in the game, he had dropped back 13 times. One of those plays was a 21-yard gain on second-and-16. He had three other completions for a total of 1 yard. Meanwhile, he was sacked five times, fumbling twice. To repeat some mind-boggling info: In 13 dropbacks, Gabbert had one successful play, negative net yards, five sacks, and two fumbles. That's -152 DYAR. He then engaged in some major league stat-padding in the fourth quarter, when he was down by five touchdowns (and even then, he threw an interception). Gabbert now has -686 DYAR on the year. That would be among the bottom 10 seasons of all time, but David Carr's record of -1,113 with the expansion Texans in 2002 is safe. | |||||||||
32. |
Mark Sanchez | NYJ | 15/26 |
150 |
2 |
2 |
-107 |
-82 |
-25 |
| It probably wouldn't have given the Jets the win, but the final margin against the Eagles would have been a lot closer if Sanchez had played better in the red zone: 5-of-7 passing, 29 yards, two first downs, one touchdown, one sack, one interception. That touchdown came in the fourth quarter, and cut the lead to 26 points. | |||||||||
33. |
Caleb Hanie | CHI | 10/22 |
113 |
1 |
3 |
-135 |
-149 |
14 |
| In 26 dropbacks against Seattle, Hanie had only six first downs. Meanwhile, he was sacked four times and threw three interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes. His first-down performance was remarkably impotent: 1-of-6 passing with an interception, with his only completion going for -4 (that's minus-four) yards. | |||||||||
| Five most valuable running backs | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
1. |
C.J. Spiller | BUF | 91 |
1 |
78 |
1 |
89 |
45 |
43 |
| In the first seven months of his career, Spiller was a backup, and a consistently bad one. The former first-round draft pick posted a rushing DVOA of -10.5% in his rookie year, and precisely matched that figure in the first 14 weeks of 2011. He was a model of efficiency against Miami, though, with nine of his 12 carries gaining 5 yards or more. He finished with 12 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown. He was also thrown 11 passes, catching nine of them for 78 yards, including gains of 11, 14, and 19 yards. | |||||||||
2. |
Darren Sproles | NO | 33 |
0 |
79 |
1 |
57 |
8 |
49 |
3. |
Pierre Thomas | NO | 44 |
1 |
41 |
0 |
56 |
31 |
25 |
| If you could combine Thomas and Sproles into one player — Pierren Sprolesmas, perhaps -- he would have been the most valuable running back of Week 15. As it was, Thomas and Sproles finished second and third in the weekly rankings. Thomas had just eight runs and only two pass targets, but six of those runs gained 5 or more yards, another was a 1-yard touchdown, and his two receptions gained 25 and 16 yards. Sproles wasn't nearly as steady on the ground -- six of his eight runs gained 3 yards or fewer, with the other two going for 6 and 14 yards -- but he caught five of the six passes thrown his way, and four of those receptions gained 9, 13, 18, and 39 yards. Their combined statline: 16 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown, with seven catches in eight targets for 120 yards. | |||||||||
4. |
Steven Jackson | STL | 71 |
0 |
72 |
0 |
46 |
4 |
43 |
| Virtually all of Jackson's value came as a receiver. He caught nine-of-ten passes, including seven successful catches, five first downs, and four receptions of 10 or more yards. | |||||||||
5. |
Arian Foster | HOU | 109 |
1 |
58 |
0 |
42 |
28 |
14 |
| Eleven of Foster's carries against Carolina were successful. He was stuffed for no gain or a loss just once, had five first downs (including a touchdown), and three runs of 15 yards or more. He also caught five of the six passes thrown his way, including gains of 22 and 25 yards. | |||||||||
| Least valuable running back | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rush Yds |
Rush TD |
Rec Yds |
Rec TD |
Total DYAR |
Rush DYAR |
Rec DYAR |
1. |
Cedric Benson | CIN | 74 |
1 |
11 |
0 |
-55 |
-58 |
3 |
| Benson's raw numbers (22 carries for 74 yards) may not earn him an invitation to Canton, but they hardly sound like the worst runner of the week, either. So why is Benson at the bottom of our rankings? Benson was stuffed for no gain or a loss nine times, but more importantly, he fumbled three times. The Bengals recovered all three of his fumbles, but our research has shown fumble recovery is more about luck than skill and so Benson is punished for putting the ball on the ground regardless of who eventually fell on it. Two of those fumbles came after Benson gained at least 10 yards, turning big-time positive plays into big-time negatives. He was also thrown two passes, catching one for 11 yards. | |||||||||
| Five most valuable wide receivers and tight ends | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rec |
Att |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Total DYAR |
|
1. |
Calvin Johnson | DET | 9 |
14 |
214 |
23.8 |
2 |
113 |
|
| In addition to the numbers listed above, Johnson drew two defensive pass interference penalties for 14 and 17 yards. Seven of his receptions gained 17 or more yards. The other two gained only six yards apiece, but one was a touchdown and the other was a first down on third-and-4. The Lions threw him seven balls in the fourth quarter, and he caught four of them (plus the two DPIs) for 130 total yards. | |||||||||
2. |
Malcom Floyd | SD | 5 |
6 |
96 |
19.2 |
1 |
60 |
|
| Five of Floyd's targets came on second down, one on third down. Each of his catches went for a first down, and each gained 12 or more yards, including a 28-yard touchdown. | |||||||||
3. |
Darrius Heyward-Bey | OAK | 8 |
9 |
155 |
19.4 |
1 |
57 |
|
| Has the 2009 first-round draft pick finally shed the bust label? Heyward-Bey set career highs with eight catches and 155 yards against Detroit. Six of those catches gained first downs, and a seventh would have as well if Heyward-Bey had not fumbled at the end of a 29-yard gain. | |||||||||
4. |
Brent Celek | PHI | 5 |
6 |
156 |
31.2 |
1 |
57 |
|
| Celek's final catch was a 6-yard gain on third-and-9. His first four catches went for 38 yards, 26 yards (and a touchdown), 13 yards, and then 73 yards. | |||||||||
5. |
Aaron Hernandez | NE | 9 |
11 |
129 |
14.3 |
1 |
57 |
|
| Hernandez' big catches included gains of 16, 22, 25, and 46 yards. His short catches included two 8-yard gains on first-and-10 and a 1-yard touchdown. | |||||||||
| Least valuable wide receiver or tight end | |||||||||
Rk |
Player |
Team |
Rec |
Att |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Total DYAR |
|
1. |
Damian Williams | TEN | 2 |
6 |
15 |
7.5 |
0 |
-41 |
|
| Dedicated readers may remember Williams' name from Week 11, when he was also the least valuable receiver in the league. Though he wasn't quite as bad against the Colts on Sunday as he was a month ago against Atlanta (one catch for 16 yards in 11 targets!), he was still virtually useless against one of the softest defenses in the league. Tennessee threw him six passes on Sunday. Two were caught, one for a 9-yard gain on first-and-10, the other for 6 yards on third-and-13. The other four fell incomplete. | |||||||||
Comments
224 comments, Last at 22 Dec 2011, 8:17pm
#1 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:16am
Weighted opponent adjustments may be something worth looking at. The Vikings defense has had problems all year, but right now they are playing with at least 4 defensive backs who are more vocationally suited to delivering packages for UPS or FedEx this holiday season, compared to playing a competent, or even incompetent, NFL qb, to say nothing of Drew Brees. I sincerely believe that Caleb Hanie might have a good day against them in two weeks.
#2 by Athelas // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:22am
Will-
I haven't watched much of the Vikings this year but could their secondary possibly be worse than that of the Patriots?
#9 by Birdman84 (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:42am
Right now, yes. The Vikings' top four cornerbacks (Winfield, Griffin, Cook, Allen) have been injured or suspended. The safeties have also been injured and weren't good to start with. In fact, they're making Vikings fans nostalgic for Madieu Williams.
#14 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:53am
If you had seen Tebow versus the Vikings secondary, compared to Tebow versus the Patriots seondary, you'd have your answer. Absent a sack in less than 2 seconds, they are completely helpless when facing the forward pass.
#158 by akn // Dec 20, 2011 - 5:28pm
Don't worry, Caleb Hanie won't be playing by the time Chicago rolls in to town. You might instead have to face the wrath of Josh McCown or Nathen Enderle.
#3 by Mikey // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:22am
Fitzpatrick seemed to rally a bit in not-quite-garbage-time. The game was in reach, but everyone in the stadium knew it wasn't going to happen. I'm guessing those plays really buoyed an awful performance.
#4 by Vasilii // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:23am
I'm not usually curious on specific things like these, but how did Reggie Bush not make it to the top-5 RBs? Stuffs? Short of 1sts? I'm curious.
#8 by Mikey // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:38am
Sounds like opponent adjustments. The Bills are not great run-stoppers, but even so, that seemed like a hell of a game.
#27 by Eddo // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:30am
Didn't Bush also fumble?
#32 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:42am
Yes, he lost a fumble. Probably fairly costly for him.
#5 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:29am
All anyone wants for Christmas is a Pierren Sprolesmas on their fantasy teams for Championship week.
#37 by White Rose Duelist // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:51am
Merry Sprolesmas!
#130 by Kevin from Philly // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:53pm
Well, if they both have bad games, would the combination be Derrier Troles?
#6 by IsraelP (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:34am
Roethlisberger > Flacco. There is some consolation there.
#12 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:49am
A Roethlisberger with playing with a high ankle sprain is better than Flacco playing fully healthy, no less...
I do feel sort of sorry for the Ravens. Flacco isn't terrible enough to just dump him, but he really can barely even play the part of a competent game manager at times, and he hardly ever rises much above that.
#34 by GlennW // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:47am
Strangely, over his short career Flacco has played some of his better games against the Steelers (considering the quality of the Steelers' defense). I suppose this is just a coincidence resulting from his inconsistency, but as such I don't quite look at Flacco as some easy pushover. He can be dangerous or he can hand the game over; you just don't know.
#71 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:39pm
Either Mike Kurtz or Tom Gower referred to Flacco as a Jekyll/Hyde.
#42 by tgt2 (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:55am
This sounds like the description of a player ranking 14th in DVOA and 12th in DYAR, right? Granted, he's going to fall to maybe 16th this week, but that's not Trent Dilfer territory.
#84 by DGL // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:15pm
Not much.
#7 by Julio (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:35am
How does a QB with fewer yards,
fewer TD's and more int's (Vick)
than Brady end up rated higher?
Please don't tell me the Jets
defense is so much better than
the Broncos. This is like Gronkowsi
last week being ranked 5th instead
of 1st or 2nd.
#10 by navin // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:43am
The Jets defense is so much better than the Broncos defense.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef
#68 by Julio (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:33pm
And that's what happens when you use a
flawed rating system to calculate another
flawed rating.
Here are the numbers versus common opponents:
denver gave up 10 to KC Jets gave up 10
denver gave up 41 to NE Jets gave up 30 and 37
denver gave up 13 to SD Jets gave up 21
denver gave up 15 to Mi Jets gave up 6
denver gave up 23 to oak Jets gave up 34
and in the game they played each other, Denver
gave up fewer points than the Jets!
Obviously the Denver defense is about the same
or better than the Jets defense.
#69 by Eddo // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:36pm
Actually, when they played each other, the Jets' offense gave up seven of those points.
#73 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:41pm
The Patriots and Chargers also both scored on turnover returns, but obviously this rating is not flawed.
#104 by RickD // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:06pm
Obviously it's not flawed?
I don't think even Aaron would go that far.
My vague impression is that over the past month and a half, the Broncos defense has been comparable to the Jets. (Certainly their record has been better!)
#116 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:20pm
I meant Julio's points allowed rating.
#103 by zlionsfan // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:06pm
If points allowed is the metric you use to determine defensive performance, I doubt there's any reason for you to read these articles.
#107 by RickD // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:10pm
Points allowed is a fairly important statistic. I wouldn't be so dismissive of it.
You guys might do better than simply asserting that DVOA is better. The question is reasonable. Why does FO think Vick passed better than Brady did on Sunday? Is the answer entirely due to opponent adjustments or is there more to it than that?
For example, you could say that Brady is being penalized for being sacked. The hit by Dumervil was pretty convincing. Now you'd be hard pressed to blame Brady personally for the fact that Dumervil came in completely unblocked. But it's the kind of fact that would add something to the discussion.
#120 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:23pm
Aren't a lot of QBs at least somewhat responsible for calling out protections? Aren't QBs supposed to read the defense and if a defender is unblocked hit a hot route?
#11 by MPavao (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:44am
I'm pretty sure that's exactly why Vick is higher. The Jets secondary is very, very good. The Broncos secondary is not.
#13 by Birdman84 (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:50am
Well, a quick look at the numbers shows that Vick had a higher completion percentage (75% versus 70%) and much higher yards per attempt (13.7 versus 9.7). Vick only had 9 more passing DYAR than Brady. I see no reason to be surprised by this.
#16 by UConnymous (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:54am
Vick had fewer incompletions and was 32 rushing DYAR better. Or maybe it's just this site's obvious bias against the Pats! ;-)
#50 by Led // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:01pm
Vick's INT was a hail mary on the last play of the 1st half. It was the equivalent of an incompletion where the baseline must be very low. I doubt DVOA attributes much negative value to it.
#142 by chemical burn // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:14pm
I feel like this is a case where it was a such a stupid, pointless, poorly executed hail mary that he SHOULD have been penalized. For a second, I thought "god, that was such a terrible under-thrown ball, the Jets are going to return it for a TD!"
#15 by Illmatic74 // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:54am
I am just wondering what the similarity scores would be for Matthew Stafford?
#105 by zlionsfan // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:08pm
I'd be interested to know for 2011. For 2010 (or 2009-10), there is no best-case scenario among the players listed.
#17 by andrew // Dec 20, 2011 - 10:57am
Jake goes for 9, 9, 9, 9, -9?
I would point out who Jake Locker must be a fan of but that would violate rule#1.
#43 by White Rose Duelist // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:56am
Nine, nine, nine
That crazy number nine
It's perfectly consistent
It works oute very time
#109 by RickD // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:11pm
Jack Locker is a fan of Fight Club?
#133 by Kevin from Philly // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:56pm
No, the Beatles white album.
#135 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:58pm
Nope. Magic Hat Brewery.
#18 by Anon (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:13am
It's a shame that for a second time Drew Brees will finish the season with a record-breaking performance, a spot in the playoffs, and no MVP award. In 2009 he broke the completion percentage record (70.6%, held since 1982 by Ken Anderson), had 30+ TD and 4500+ yds and yet he was snubbed in favour of Manning, who trailed him in both cathegories, but was crowned for his suppossed comeback performances earlier in the year.
This season he's on pace to break his own record for completion percentage, obliterate Marino's passing yards record, and yet it's almost a given the press is going to crown Rodgers as MVP.
I'm not saying Rodgers doesn't deserve it like Manning, I'm just pointing out how unlucky Brees has been, and how unfair it is to compare QBs starting with awards and All-Pro votes. If I had to pick the best QB in the last 5 years, it's most definetly Brees, by a landslide. And yet, all he has to show for it are Pro Bowl berths. I wonder how he's going to be remembered in the future, given his lack of big trophies compared to his contemporaries (Rodgers, Brady, Manning, Rivers, etc.)
#19 by Anon (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:15am
Correction, in 2009 he had 4300+ yds passing. Manning had more passing yards than him, though also more INTs and a bigger INT%, smaller YPA and TD%.
#21 by AnonymousA (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:22am
I think you're looking for ESPN. This is not the sort of site where a QB with 100 extra attempts gets a lot of credit for having more yards.
#178 by Anon (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 9:46pm
I used yards as an example of the kind of stats used by the people that vote for the MVP, following their logic. Besides, that year Manning passed more than Brees (591 passes against 538). If I were to argue with the FO commentariat, I'd point at Brees' DVOA was better than Manning's (true, Manning was the No.1 QB that year in DYAR and YAR, but he also led the league on passes attempted).
#22 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:22am
"If I had to pick the best QB in the last 5 years, it's most definetly Brees, by a landslide"
If you say so. I would say Peyton in landslide, followed by Brady, and then Brees.
#30 by BSR // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:39am
The last five years I would say Brady although it would be close. The five years prior to that definitely Manning.
#64 by JIPanick // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:28pm
I would say Brady and not close. Manning is second, Brees a somewhat distant third, Rivers fourth.
Just my opinion, of course.
#74 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:42pm
What thread would be complete without a Manning/Brady debate?!
#106 by zlionsfan // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:09pm
all of them. There's a special thread for it for a reason.
#75 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:44pm
My opinion mirrors yours, with Roethlisberger clearly 5th and then......Eli? Romo? Three years of Kurt Warner? The list seems to fall quickly into the "not elite, but good enough to win with" category. From 2007 to 2011, it's hard to form a coherent argument for anybody except Brady...unless you want to ding him on 2008.
#78 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:52pm
"it's hard to form a coherent argument for anybody except Brady"
Must not reply, must not reply... shit, can't help myself.
I think Peyton has done more with less than any QB in recent memory. I'm sure Will Allen would say that Tarkenton is the all time king in this category, but Peyton has to come in 2nd. Dragging that 2010 team into the playoff should basically be seen as a super human feat.
Was that coherent?
#81 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:06pm
Well, Brady's 2007, 2010, and 2011 seasons are far better than anything that Manning's done since then....so no?
I mean, not to be argumentative, but I think Brees-backers might have the better argument. I think the gap from Manning to Brees is fairly slight.
I'm not sure what this "Doing more with less" myth comes from. Manning has had Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark for the entire stretch. The Patriots have never had a RB as good as Addai in that time. The Colts defense is built to perform with a lead, and the Colts OL is suited for Manning. Manning goes down and Coltersky replaces him and the whole team looks much worse, obviously. The defense never gets to play with the lead. Coltersky doesn't know how to handle a pass rush or hit the open man. The running game has to deal with an 8th man in the box. It doesn't mean the surrounding talent sucks...it means they were constructed to complement QB1 and can't perform as well with the quarterback equivalent of Ishtar at the helm.
A guy like Kyle Orton has this team at ~5-9. Manning has them at ~8-6.
#89 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:27pm
I guess we have different definitions of coherence then.
#96 by GlennW // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:44pm
Unfortunately using similar logic, the Matt Cassel 11-5 season where the Patriots still put up 25+ points/game (yeah, I know, weak schedule) doesn't work in Brady's favor. It doesn't badly hurt him, but it certainly doesn't help his case.
#108 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:10pm
Why not? The team went from 16-0 to 11-5. I mean, the sample size couldn't be smaller, but the Patriots won 5 fewer games with Matt Cassell with the same supporting cast (in addition to a weaker schedule).
Brady worth 5 wins (and however many more PPG) more than Cassel passes the sniff test.
#123 by GlennW // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:33pm
And then in 2009 Brady returned and the Patriots finished 10-6 while scoring all of 17 more points than they did with Cassel. The delta argument works on both sides of the lost season.
But regardless, even from the historic 16-0 to 11-5 the impact wasn't close to what the Colts are experiencing. And yes, I fully understand that Cassel is better than Painter/Orlovsky, but we're still talking about a massive performance delta, even as Cassel was posting a passer rating of 89.4 in spite of having NO prior NFL or collegiate experience. Pretty obviously that's indicative of a nice little offensive system in its own right, which is taking nothing away from Brady (who makes the system better-- much better even). It just highlights the problem with looking at straight DYAR and attributing all of it to the QB as if in a vacuum, and then declaring him "hands down" the best QB of the era or whatnot.
#131 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:54pm
Yes, yes...understood. Cassel had no starting experience, but it was his fourth year as primary backup to Brady, and he must have been showing something in practices and preseasons, because Belichick was comfortable not having a #3 QB on the roster for much of that time. Still, I agree with everything you say here, except I'd say the Patriots scaled back the offense to accomodate him and played to his strengths, rather than they use a system that you can plug average QBs in and have them perform like great QBs.
The only anointing I'm doing is of Brady being, by a significant margin, the best QB in the NFL from 2007 to 2011, which was the time frame the initial poster used in support of Brees. I think that is borne out by pretty much any reasonable measure that one would like to use, unless one of the criteria is "games played" or "playoff wins". If the question was who was the best QB in the NFL from 2003-2008, 2001-2004, or 2009-2011, the answer might be different.
#137 by GlennW // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:02pm
I *think* you're saying that Brady was the best QB over that period based solely on his statistics, absent any further analysis of context within a team game. I wouldn't disagree with that. But if you're saying that Brady was observably and demonstrably the best QB ("by a significant margin") independent of context or circumstances, yeah, I'd take issue with that. I'd have a hard time separating Brady from Manning or even Brees in that regard. (Seriously, I've always been an agnostic on the Brady/Manning debate-- it's a tough call.)
#139 by BSR // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:03pm
Its not really indicative of much as you have to take each year on its own. There are far too many factors that change from year to year to really make rhyme or reason from these types of delta arguments. Players come, players go, players improve, players regress, players get injured, players get healthy, injures, schedules, weather, etc.. Its an exercise in futility trying to put all the different factors together.
The real ironic thing about this argument, is that the irrational thread is littered with the supporting cast argument but in favor to Brady. I think that was the number one argument of Brady supporters, at least that and not playing in a dome. But at the end of the day, you can really only measure a player based on what he accomplished, not what he might have done if he had better players around him. Both have accomplished a hell of a lot. Trying to look at it objectively, its hard to say that Manning never had good players around him. Same is true for Brady, although 2006 was incredibly low on talent. This is why I say the comparison is pretty close. I give it to Brady because overall his numbers were better during the time.
#147 by milo // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:40pm
It's the dome, it's the dome.
Brees 2011: 370 ypg outside. 326 ypg inside.
Oh, wait..
#156 by GlennW // Dec 20, 2011 - 5:22pm
> Its not really indicative of much as you have to take each year on its own.
True, but there's at least enough evidence there that no one should ever say "you know, those were pretty average Patriots teams if it weren't for Brady". I'm less sure of the Colts' situation minus Manning, and only partly because of their abject collapse this season. Admittedly some of this is subjective-- Peyton Manning more consistently made throws down the field that I don't see from anybody else, not from Brady, not from Brees. On the hand Brady (or Brees) may be more adept at making percentage calculations from his reads, and delivering the ball to the right receiver with a minimum of risk. I don't which is more valuable on the final balance sheet-- I'm not that smart.
#160 by BSR // Dec 20, 2011 - 5:56pm
I don't know if I've seen and compared enough film from each to say definitively who throws what better. As you said it is subjective, and I think much of those are anecdotal rather than a real comparative study. Plus I think the differences at that level are small.
And I think there are a few teams that were fairly average without Brady. The 2005 and 2006 teams were mediocre, especially the 2006 team. If you put Painter et al on this current Patriots team and had Caldwell coach they might lose every game by 50 points. This Patriots team probably has the least depth of any that I can think of in the Belichick era. They have less than average quality players starting in several positions, particularly on D. They are less then pretty average without Brady.
#140 by Nathan // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:04pm
And then in 2009 Brady returned and the Patriots finished 10-6 while scoring all of 17 more points than they did with Cassel.
With a freshly rehabbed knee. I don't know if you're a Pats fan, but in 2009 it was obvious to anyone who watches all his snaps that Brady had some serious trepidation about stepping into throws. This observation is substantiated by the NFL Films "Football Life" doc on Belichick BTW, Belichick mentions it to Brady a couple times.
#112 by RickD // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:14pm
The problem with picking "the last 5 years" is that both Brady and Manning missed entire seasons over that period.
I think it's ridiculous to pick any of the three in "a landslide."
#25 by Danish Denver-Fan // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:29am
The last five years? Counting 2011...
Brady total DYAR (four seasons): 8937
Brees total DYAR (five seasons): 8301
Not. Even. Close.
#26 by Mr Shush // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:30am
Production's not everything either. I'd rank QB performance over the last five years (when healthy) Manning-Brees-Brady-Rivers (let's leave Rodgers on one side because he's obviously playing at a very different level now to three years ago). This is because I think over that time frame Manning has had a significantly weaker offensive supporting cast than the other three (earlier and his and Brady's careers is of course a different story).
But I absolutely regard Brees as a truly great quarterback and first ballot Hall of Famer, and agree that it's a bit fluky he's never been league MVP.
#59 by Otis Taylor89 // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:25pm
I love me some Drew, but he's has had the total package working for him over that time span: a great line, pretty darn good receivers and TE's, a very good coach who's a great OC and plays in a dome.
The other power QB's have had some of that, but not all.
#33 by BSR // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:42am
I don't think the MVP should be a forgone conclusion this year either. I could definitely see a case made for Brees and much should depend on these last couple of weeks especially since home field advantage isn't locked up between the two teams.
#36 by Eddo // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:51am
The Packers haven't locked up home field advantage, but they have locked it up over the Saints (thanks to their week one head-to-head victory). The 49ers are the only team that can pass the Packers as of now.
#41 by BSR // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:55am
True. The point is that at least for another week, all teams are continuing to play to win.
#39 by The Powers That Be // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:54am
Yes it is. GB has the tiebreaker and is guaranteed a higher seed than NO.
#47 by tgt2 (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:00pm
Does GB or SF have the 3-way tiebreaker over NO?
#86 by Supadome (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:17pm
Hat tip to ESPN Playoff Machine:
"1st Seed - San Francisco
Wins tie break over Green Bay based on best win percentage in common games. Wins tie break over New Orleans based on best win percentage in conference games."
#46 by Supadome (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:58am
Well, in 2009 he could console himself with a SBMVP award, so maybe that'll happen again
#121 by Joseph // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:24pm
You beat me to it, Supadome.
Not only that, but he will forever be revered in NOLA. If he decided to run for any political office in Louisiana, he might get elected unopposed--as it would probably be futile for anyone to run against him.
#193 by Supadome (not verified) // Dec 21, 2011 - 12:22pm
I dunno, I hear there are C*wb*ys fans way up north in Shreveport and Monroe. Whole 'nother country up there.
Also: http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/drew-brees-casually-wonders-aloud-if-he-really-cou,18103/
#166 by LionInAZ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 7:00pm
I tend to agree. Drew Brees deserves as much consideration for MVP as Rodgers does.
The season's not over yet, so I wouldn't count him out yet.
#179 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 9:52pm
Well, the biggest thing Rodgers had going for him was being the quarterback of an undefeated team. I think the vote is going to be very very close.
#188 by Arkaein // Dec 21, 2011 - 9:11am
He also has more passing TDs, fewer INTs, and gains a full extra yard per passing attempt. Rodgers holds the same advantage over Brady in these same categories, with a small edge in YPA, but a higher completion percentage. And of course, Rodgers offers much more with his running ability than either of these other QBs.
Brees has essentially played 3 extra games with all of the passing attempts he has. Rodgers could play all of the last two games and would not have as many passing attempts as Brees has now. Brees has the higher completion percentage, but his lower YPA demonstrates that he is not throwing nearly as deep as Rodgers this season.
Barring a collapse in the last few games, there is no good reason why Brees would deserve the MVP over Rodgers. Though considering that Brees made the Pro Bowl over Rodgers last year despite 20 INTs, anything is possible, I suppose.
#200 by Supadome (not verified) // Dec 21, 2011 - 2:13pm
Not seeing what makes Rodgers such a clear choice. Rodgers leads by 3 TD and 5 INT (more than a few of which were dropped passes into opponent's hands). Brees is leading by 40 yards per game. So Brees is more productive, Rodgers is more efficient, and Brady is between the two.
This is going to be a 3 man race, with the difference probably being Brees breaking multiple records this year.
#201 by Arkaein // Dec 21, 2011 - 2:39pm
Ah yes, defenders drop Rodgers passes to keep his INT total low, while I'm sure every Brees INT was a phenomenal play.
Please, every QB has a few potential INTs dropped. Can Brees say that fully half of his actual INTs first touched his own players' hands before a defender was able to get a hold of the ball? Rodgers can, this season. Of 6 INTs, 3 either deflected off of his receivers hands or were pulled away from his receiver.
All in all, Rodgers has been every bit as good at avoiding INTs this season as his numbers say he has.
#210 by Supadome // Dec 21, 2011 - 4:34pm
I'll give you the INT argument. I know there have been a few, but I can't recall exactly, since it's been 6 weeks since the last one.
But my point is that we're looking hard into the microscope to separate these two QBs, who are both having phenomenal seasons.
#203 by dryheat // Dec 21, 2011 - 3:08pm
I think you're seriously over-estimating the thought that voters put into their vote. Do you think a guy like Peter King considers things like YPA or scrambling ability or passing attempts when casting their ballot?
It's a two-man race right now, with Brees trending up and Rodgers trending down. Considering Brees is probably going to shatter Marino's record, I'd put my money on him. If this commentariat each had votes, maybe I'd feel differently.
#209 by GlennW // Dec 21, 2011 - 4:23pm
Yeah, from MMQB Peter King's latest on the MVP race:
"I'd still give it to Rodgers this morning. The MVP should be his to lose at this point. But let's see how it plays out the next two weeks. If Brees sets records for accuracy and passing yards this year, and the Saints finish the year on an eight-game winning streak, it should be a contest."
Methinks PK is just itching to throw over to Brees once these records are broken. Undoubtedly he wouldn't do this if the Packers were to have finished 16-0.
#212 by Arkaein // Dec 21, 2011 - 4:56pm
You make some good points about the minds of the voters, but I would be seriously upset if Rodgers loses the MVP to Brees for the reasons you mention.
Looking at how two QBs are trending at the end of a season, when the QB trending down already has a first round bye locked up and is all but guaranteed to have the #1 seed for his team, vs. a QB whose team is fighting for a first round bye would be shameful. Peyton wasn't hurt in MVP voting when his team took the last few games off, so I'd hope the voters keep that in mind.
With regards to scrambling ability I think you're wrong, this gets plenty of coverage for Rodgers, and every coach and announcer knows that he's an above average runner for a QB. I doubt the voters ignore it.
As far as the yardage record, I don't know. Voters might weight it heavily, but the fact that there are four QBs with an outside chance at 5000 yards this season (Brees, Brady, Rogers, Eli Manning are all over 4300 yards at this point) makes it a bit less impressive. In any case, I'm not sure the voters put much weight on total yards. Brees' near record total in 2008 wasn't enough to push him past Peyton Manning, and in that year the only stat Brees significantly trailed Manning in was INTs.
#20 by huston720 // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:18am
Picking on Holmgren for having Seneca Wallace as a backup QB is a little strange, even for a Seattle fan with a grudge. Wallace isn't that old, he is very familiar with the offense, he is cheap, and he basically performs at replacement level. Isn't that pretty much what you want in a backup QB, especially when your starter is a young QB in only his second year? It's not like Holmgren decided to start him because he thinks he is the future or anything. Plus the Browns do have a developmental 3rd string QB.
At least the Browns were smart enough to have a decent backup that isn't going to be among the leagure worst at theposition if forced to play like some teams. How is that working out for the Bears, Chiefs, Colts, Seahawks, Rams, etc.
#31 by Anonymous1 (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:41am
Agreed. I'd even contend that Cleveland would have beaten Pitt if Wallace stayed in and finished the game last week.
There is no reason to chide Holmgren about having Seneca as his backup.
#53 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:15pm
Thirded...I was going to call out that comment. He's a solid backup, and you can bet that Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, and maybe another team or two wishes they employed Mr. Wallace as a backup.
Give up on him because he's 31 and unlikely to improve? That's just non-sensical logic for a back-up quarterback....especially for a team that has a ~23 year old starter who was talked about as a franchise quarterback two months ago.
#114 by RickD // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:16pm
Agree completely with this comment. Wallace was the QB who led the Browns into position to get a go-ahead TD. Then the Browns put in a QB who was suffering from a concussion, who promptly lost the game.
#23 by jfsh // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:22am
Personally, I prefer "Darriere"
#24 by Nathan // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:25am
Earth to Mike Holmgren: Seneca Wallace is 31 years old and a 9-year pro. He's not going to get any better. Give up and move on.
Seneca Wallace is a backup forced into service because the starting QB had a concussion. It's not like Holmgren is trying to develop him to be the QB of the future. Plus, there are way worse backups in the league. I really don't get this comment.
#38 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:53am
I think a great research project for next year might be an investigation of how the rules changes and changes to interpretation of rules, has had a huge impact on on putting greater emphasis on qb performance, which has had made starting caliber qbs ever more valuable. This, in turn, has had, due to the salary cap, perhaps had a real impact on how rosters are constructed, in terms of offensive line, total defense, and back up qbs, etc.. So much of the available money is devoted to the starting qb, necessarily so, given the importance of the forward pass, compared to previous eras, that the margin of error on the rest of the roster tends to become razor-thin.
I might be wrong, but it just seems to me that when the game increasingly revolves around the performance of the starting qb, teams are forced to take greater chances eleswhere. I don't think we are likley to ever see a team, for instance, with two high quality veteran qbs, like Unitas/Morrall, Griese/Morrall, Jurgensen/Kilmer. A Young can succeed a Montana, but Montana has to go, like Favre had to go. Or a team with a great qb has to take chances on the offensive line, like the Colts have done recently. The Packers this year are one of the great passing teams ever, but they certainly are not a great pass blocking team, even before recent injuries.
#40 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:54am
I've been having similar thoughts. I think there has been an unintended consequence to the NFL's policy of changing rules to increase passing. Which is that they've magnified the difference between good and bad QBs rather than elevating all QBs.
The Bears in the 80s were able to keep winning with Steve Fuller in at QB. The Rams, in the same division with the 49ers, were able to make the playoffs 4 times in a row with 4 different QBs. Including someone named Deiter Brock. I don't think things like that can happen anymore.
#51 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:02pm
Again, I try to avoid nostalgia, but I think I liked the game better when superior offensive line play, running and blocking, was a more viable path to a championship. Home team aside, my favorite NFL team since I was a kid was the Gibbs I era for the Redskins; a team whose first principal, for more than a decade, was that they would receive superlative offensive line play as a unit, and the quarterback would be protected, and the running game would be extremely good.
#52 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:14pm
Yes, I am rooting hard for the 49ers in the playoffs.
#58 by Mr Shush // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:24pm
There's a team in the playoffs with a superb offensive line and running backs and a bad quarterback, but it's not the 49ers . . .
#66 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:32pm
Them too, but I've always been more of an NFC guy, and it gives me indigestion to think about two of the offensive linemen on that team.
(edit) As for the other possibility, I haven't seen them much this year.
#175 by Mr Shush // Dec 20, 2011 - 9:17pm
Yeah, I was talking about the other possibility, but the Ravens too, I suppose.
#77 by bravehoptoad // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:52pm
I'm all excited about the 49ers breaking the single-season streak for not allowing a rushing touchdown. Marino's single-season yardage record has only stood for 27 years. Hah! That's nothing! The Chicago Bears (nee Decatur Staleys) have held this record for 91 years. How often do you see 91-year-old records being broken in the NFL?
Shoot, it might even be a new record for longest-held record broken.
#80 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:55pm
Considering that was the 2nd year of the league, the only way it isn't the longest held record is if there was a record set in the first year.
#85 by DGL // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:16pm
I'm sure there were a lot of records set in the first year. All of them, in fact. But I don't know if any of them remain unbroken :-).
#82 by Aaron Brooks G… // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:08pm
They can break the Staley's consecutive games within a season streak. The single-season streak is different. The 1921 Akron Pros also allowed no rushing TDs in 1921 (and two fewer passing TDs). They only played 11 games, though.
#95 by Karl Cuba // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:41pm
I'm all excited about Aldon Smith, he was outstanding yesterday. Chaos in the backfield.
#101 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:00pm
Anybody who saw last night's game, and claims the 49ers would not have a decent chance to beat the Packers, as the Packer's o-line is currently constructed, is partaking too much cheese.
#127 by Aaron Brooks G… // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:48pm
Not every QB is as immobile as Roethlisberger With A Sprained Ankle.
Indeed, there are statues in Canton that are more mobile than that.
#138 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:03pm
Never said they were. The 49ers still have a decent shance to beat the Packers, if they meet. Mobility didn't help Rodgers that much against the Chiefs, as an analogy.
#189 by MCS // Dec 21, 2011 - 10:04am
The Chiefs just proved that a team built like the 49ers can beat the Packers.
#190 by MCS // Dec 21, 2011 - 10:05am
Double Post
#55 by Aaron Brooks G… // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:22pm
Rex Grossman, Superbowl QB.
#61 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:27pm
Yeah, the 05/06 Bears came close to what the Rams in the mid 80s did. However, 1) they couldn't keep it up, 2) Grossman is better than Deiter Brock, Jeff Kemp and possibly Vince Ferragamo.
#62 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:27pm
Yeah, it's obviously possible to string together a couple playoff wins, but trying to win, year in, year out, without devoting a large chunk of your roster's salaries to the starting qb, compared to previous eras, seems to be increasingly problematic.
#67 by bigtencrazy (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:32pm
As a mild defense of the Packers offensive line, the issue all season has centered on Newhouse.
Belaga has played really well.
The center Scott Wells has been very good
Sitton has not played to his 2010 level but he has been playing hurt.
TJ Lang has been solid.
If the Packers line were at 90% health the pass-blocking would be regarded among the best in the league
#102 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:05pm
Yeah, I don't mean to dog them unfairly, but you are correct in implying that unit performance tends to track the weakest link in the chain, and obviously, with what happened Sunday, some links just got weaker.
#167 by LionInAZ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 7:06pm
It's hard to say. A lot of Packer fans say that Colledge was the weak link on the O-line last year, but Colledge has played better with the Cards this year than he did for the Packers. Bulaga has obviously improved. It's not so clear that having Clifton and Lang together would have been that much of an improvement over last year, though.
#111 by dmstorm22 // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:13pm
Depending on your view of Sanchez and Flacco, the Jets and Ravens have won consistently (Baltimore for years with a number of QBs, with Dilfer, Grbac, Wright, McNair and Flacco all starting playoff games since 2000).
I agree with you though. There is too much importance on passing, because with all the rules passing is just easily the most effective way to play offense. Sadly, I don't think this will ever change, because there is no indication that this is a worse version of football. But it could become like basketball where the teams with the stars (the best QBs) are the only teams that can legitimately win a title.
#136 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:59pm
Yeah, I'm not trying to make a subjective good vs. bad argument either, and obviously the NFL has spent a lot of time and money to determine what attracts eyeballs best. More than anything, I just miss a greater emphasis on really good offensive line play. It may be that the size and speed of defensive players precludes that type of play being so prominent again.
#151 by dmstorm22 // Dec 20, 2011 - 4:19pm
It also comes down to how much importance are you going to put on the postseason. Many teams can make the playoffs with mediocre quarterback play and great o-line play. Hell, the Texans are going to do it, and yes, they were great with Schaub, but even after he's gone, the running game's been doing just fine.
Great defense, great running, great anything really, can get you to the playoffs. I think we have reached a state where only great QB play can really win a title, but then again, Roethlisberger wasn't great in 2008.
If you are like me, and think that the postseason is way overvalued, and that there should be a lot more time spent enjoying the regular season (MLB does this really well), then you can see that these things can still work. The 2008 Panthers got a bye because they played solid defense and had one of the best running seasons I've ever seen, especially with that group of lineman (I've only watched football since 1999, and other than the 2005 Seahawks and 2002-2004 Cheifs, those Panthers were the best o-line unit I've seen). I think it is sad that it will be really hard for these teams to actually win a Super Bowl, but they can still bring a lot of happy Sundays from Sept-Dec. January is really just about having luck and a QB able to capitalize on that luck.
#176 by Mr Shush // Dec 20, 2011 - 9:23pm
I thought the 2008 Broncos were on that level. Sadly, we never got to see if they'd be able to maintain it.
Well, as a Texans fan I'm not that sad. Rick Dennison would still be in Colorado if we had.
#177 by dmstorm22 // Dec 20, 2011 - 9:26pm
I think they would have been waxed by Indy in round 1. I guess you never saw if they could maintain it in 2009, but at least for that year, I think they would've been one and done.
#191 by Mr Shush // Dec 21, 2011 - 10:06am
I was really just talking about the offensive line. I agree that the team wasn't that special (though the offense was - they were a bit like the 2010 Texans). But Clady et al., coached by Dennison in that system . . . they were awesome.
#28 by nat // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:34am
Brady's rushing DYAR is interesting. Checking the play-by-play, he had a first down, a TD, and two fourth quarter stuffs from one yard out. I don't think the aborted snap counts as a run in DYAR.
So a success, a maximum-possible success, and two plays one yard short of maximum possible success = -12 DYAR. Hmmmmm.....
#44 by Tom Gower // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:56am
Right now he's getting punished for the aborted snap, which is listed in the Gamebook as a rushing attempt and a fumble for him.
#60 by nat // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:26pm
Ah, that explains some of it. I thought aborted snaps were supposed to be treated differently. My bad.
#99 by Tom Gower // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:49pm
Ah, see Vince's comments below, he knows this stuff better than I do.
#49 by White Rose Duelist // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:01pm
Well, when "one yard short of maximum success" is zero yards, it can't really be considered a positive play. Remember, Brady is being compared to all goal to go from the 1 plays in silimar situations, and a lot of those are punched in.
One of the almanancs (IIRC) had a piece comparing players' gola-to-go TDs to the number an average player would score from the same distance, giving players a sort of plus/minus for these runs. Brady would definitely be minus for 1 TD on three rushes from the 1.
#65 by Otis Taylor89 // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:28pm
Brady's rushing attempts at the goal line should count as kneel downs as he has said on a radio show that they weren't trying to score, but take time off the clock.
#70 by dryheat // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:38pm
Yet I was pretty sure he scored on the second attempt. Didn't make sense to challenge though.
#29 by Anonymouse (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:37am
I'm not really a fan, but I think Tebow was far better than stats show this week. Because of the game situation, the 28-yard sack was no worse an outcome than a 17-yard gain would have been, so risking a big sack was worth it if there was any chance of escaping for a big gain/completion; it's the equivalent of an interception on an end-of-half/game hail Mary pass.
Similarly, an earlier play only goes as an incomplete (and possibly a fumble), when he actually escaped being tackled for a safety (average QB would have gone down), then had the presence of mind to not fall on a loose ball, but pick it up and make a credible attempt at a completion (semi-intentional grounding is probably the best description). At a minimum he saved 2 points and a turnover right there.
I know it's hard to adjust for 'should have been sacked but escaped', but surely a good stat can control for end-of-game desperate attempts that don't succeed (but don't really leave a team worse off, winning-wise)? If nothing else by manually dropping desperation plays? (Otherwise, we're particularly punishing QBs with bad teammates, who are more often in desperate situations at the ends of games).
#35 by Eddo // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:49am
Two things:
1. You're trying to spin a very negative play (he fumbled in his own end zone!) into a positive play. It was great that he turned that bad situation into a slightly better one (a incompletion is still a negative play), but he wouldn't have had to do so had he not fumbled the ball in the first place.
2. I agree that the long sack should be treated as any other failed fourth-down play in that situation. I'm not sure it isn't, though; that's a good question for Aaron.
#185 by Jerry // Dec 21, 2011 - 6:51am
I'm reminded of Roethlisberger taking sacks late in the game against New England rather than throwing clock-stopping incompletions. It hurt Pittsburgh's DVOA, but was the right thing to do. Tebow's fourth down sack is the same thing - one play where DVOA isn't designed to understand all the context, and which will be a tiny part of the final totals.
#45 by lester bangs (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 11:57am
Stop trying to be funny, Vince. Know who you are.
#143 by Anon (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:17pm
Come on! Orlovski is the existential qb. That's priceless.
#48 by lester bangs (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:00pm
Re: Brees - The Vikings defense had allowed 26 TD passes before Sunday. It's now 31, obviously.
#54 by jimm (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:15pm
given the state of the Vikings defence I would say Brees had a slightly above average game. Over the past nine games the vikings have not intercepted a pass. Have given up about 73% completion rate.
Brees 80% - not ints...
see just slightly above average
#57 by Will Allen // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:24pm
It's really a frightening spectacle to watch the Vikings defensive backs. I don't mean to hold the head coach responsible for a roster he had very little control over, but it is concerning that a head coach with a background in the defensive secondary would be coaching a group that looks so pathetic.
#93 by jimm (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:34pm
It really is mind boggling how open receivers are - if a db is within 3 yards of a receiver it's a surprise.
The last time the Vikings had strong secondary was the 1987-88 team with Browner, Lee, and Holt. Since that time the Vikings haven't been good against the pass. Even the recent teams with the amazing run defence weren't particularly good against the pass.
I would really like to see them change from the Tampa 2 - for no other reason than I'm tired of watching the same thing over and over every year done so poorly.
Towards that end...I get the sense Everson Griffen might be a real star as the rush linebacker in the 3-4 defence...not sure how Allen would do, but my sense is he's a good enough athlete to do that as well.
#115 by dmstorm22 // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:16pm
It still stuns me how well the Vikings defense played Brees in the 2009 Title Game. As someone who watches the Vikings all the time, what has been the drop-off the last two years? Interior pass rush is the only noticeable difference, as it is no longer great. I guess the secondary is worse too, but it is amazing how much this defense has fallen.
#119 by Thomas_beardown // Dec 20, 2011 - 2:22pm
I don't think a single starter in the secondary from that game has played for the Vikings in weeks.
#153 by LionInAz (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 4:59pm
Jamarca Sanford has been there at safety, but otherwise, you're right -- Abdullah and Winfield are hurt, Cedric Griffin hasn't played up to his pre-injury level, and Chris Cook got himself arrested. It's been 2nd stringers for weeks.
#149 by milo // Dec 20, 2011 - 3:54pm
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, with all the banged up secondaries that ever existed....Brees is the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 80+ percent of his passes and throw for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions in a game.
just. slightly. above. average. .....sure
#164 by Aaron Brooks G… // Dec 20, 2011 - 6:35pm
The average QB completes 70% against the Vikings.
In NFL history, only 7 starters have accomplished this, and only 4 who played the majority of the season.
Granted, two of those are Drew Brees. But basically, the 2011 Vikings make the average NFL start look like 2009 or 2011 Drew Brees.
#172 by milo // Dec 20, 2011 - 7:40pm
Carson Palmer and Josh Freeman completed over 70% against Minny, with a touchdown apiece.
Matt Flynn completed over 70% against Minny, with three touchdowns. All of them for less than 8 yards/attempt.
Aaron Rodgers completed over 70% twice and scored 3 and 4 touchdowns with over 8 yards/attempt. One game was at 80%.
So 4 other QBs completed 70%. One other completed 80%.
8 other QBs did not complete 70% of their passes. 11 other QBs did not complete 80%.
So the 2011 Vikings do not make the average NFL start look like Brees. Aaron Rodgers does, but I am not about to say that he plays like a slightly above average QB. I will leave a statement like that to someone with just slightly above average intelligence, more or less.
#56 by Keir (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:23pm
The Cedric Benson comment spurred a question in my mind. Do players get the benefit of the play before the fumble? Clearly running 80 yds forward and fumbling is better for your team then 10 yds back and fumbling. If so, is there some 0 value play where the yardage gain pre-fumble negates the negative value of a fumble?
#72 by Eddo // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:39pm
There would indeed be.
The outcome value of a play is basically derived from The Hidden Game of Football, which assigns an expected points value to each yardline on the field.
So if you started from a situation where you were expected to score +2 points, and rushed for a big enough gain to where the fumble resulted in your opponent having the ball at a point where they were expected to score -2 points, it would be a net neutral play.
#63 by bigtencrazy (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:28pm
I think Jermichael Finley just dropped another pass. Kind of thought he might be in the running for worst receiver even with the other things he DID accomplish.
The guy has real talent and at times makes some incredible catches. But he has been dropping catchable balls now for what seems like the last six games or so while also insinuating in the press that he isn't getting the ball enough.
Be nice if he backed up the talk with a big game against the Bears.
#76 by MJ (not verified) // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:47pm
No, no, I'm fine with him dropping passes for another week! (yes, my opponent in the championships has him)
#152 by Arkaein // Dec 20, 2011 - 4:57pm
Well, the Bears are the one team he's actually lived up to his hype for this season.
But his hands this year are so strange. After his late season 2009 through 2010 before he was injured I would have said he had the best hands on the Pack, bar none. This year he has the worst. It's like James Jones stole his gloves.
#79 by Vincent Verhei // Dec 20, 2011 - 12:53pm
How does a QB with fewer yards,
fewer TD's and more int's (Vick)
than Brady end up rated higher?
Please don't tell me the Jets
defense is so much better than
the Broncos. This is like Gronkowsi
last week being ranked 5th instead
of 1st or 2nd.
Others have pretty much answered this, but A) rushing value had a lot to do with it, and B) yes, the Jets passing defense is that much better than the Broncos passing defense. Without opponent adjustments, Brady would have ranked higher than Vick.
On Brady's rushing day: He had four carries, all needing exactly one yard for a first down or touchdown. The baseline for those carries is very high, and thus failure is severly punished while success is lightly rewarded. His two-yard gain on second-and-1 was worth essentially zero DYAR. (It was actually a negative YAR play before we add in adjustments for playing the Broncos, whose run defense has been OK.) Each of his two stuffs at the goal-line was worth more negative DYAR than the positive DYAR he gained for the one time he crossed the goal-line.
On Seneca Wallace: You know what? All of you are right. I was wrong. Wallace has been a much better player in Cleveland than I realized. In my defense, his 18.2% DVOA in 101 attempts last season was much better than anything he ever did in Seattle, when I actually had the misfortune of watching him play.
I agree 100% with the point Will Allen and others have raised about how the soft passing rules harshly punish those teams without good quarterbacks. There's really only one way to build a team now, and if you don't have one of the top 5 or 10 passers in the league, you're going to have trouble winning year to year. It's kind of like the NBA, where you can't win without a superstar player, but only one or two superstar players enter the league each year.
I'm not really a fan, but I think Tebow was far better than stats show this week. Because of the game situation, the 28-yard sack was no worse an outcome than a 17-yard gain would have been, so risking a big sack was worth it if there was any chance of escaping for a big gain/completion; it's the equivalent of an interception on an end-of-half/game hail Mary pass.
You're reading too much into my comment. My point wasn't to rake Tebow over the coals or taking a megasack. It was just an interesting trivia note. By DYAR, that sack was essentially the same as his other three sacks on the day. Each was worth -14 to -17 DYAR. His 10-yard sack on third-and-8 in the third quarter was a worse play.
Stop trying to be funny, Vince. Know who you are.
Aww. Anyone agree/disagree with this? I liked it.
Re: Brees - The Vikings defense had allowed 26 TD passes before Sunday. It's now 31, obviously.
My God, you're right.
I think Jermichael Finley just dropped another pass. Kind of thought he might be in the running for worst receiver even with the other things he DID accomplish.
-1 DYAR. Only caught three of ten passes, but those three receptions went for 83 yards.
#83 by Aaron Brooks G… // Dec 20, 2011 - 1:13pm
The NBA is dire. The number of NBA Champs without at least one confirmed or probable HoF member: 1.
The number of NBA Finalists without at least one confirmed or probable HoF member: 5.