http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ross_tucker/06/02/greg.cosell/index.html Ross Tucker> INSIDE THE NFL Ross Tucker on NFL Films guru uses coaches' tape to break down hot league topics What are the biggest areas second-year quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez need to improve upon, and did you see enough late last season to think they will ? "Stafford is a more gifted passer than Sanchez. He has a more complete skill set for the position. His issue, which was a function of his team last year, is that because of his big arm he has a tendency to too often try to make "stick" throws into tight windows. Normally, that trait is a positive in the NFL. When you are forced to do it too often because of the score of the game, it can become a negative. "Sanchez is a complementary offensive piece. He has above-average arm strength but not much more. He needs to be part of an offense whose foundation is the running game. They got guys like Santonio Holmes because Rex Ryan believes you have to create and dictate explosive plays in the pass game to become a top level offense."There are different ways to do that. You do not have to spread the field formation-wise to do that. You can do it out of base personnel. While I think the Jets will try to expand their pass game concepts, I believe they have to be careful. Sanchez is a quick rhythm timing quarterback. He needs the offense to stay on schedule." Given the NFL is a passing league, would you rather have an elite cover guy like Darrelle Revis or a stud pass rusher who demands double teams like Jared Allen? "If the players are equivalent in terms of skill set and impact, I think you always have to go with the pass rusher. The goal is to speed up the quarterback. The quarterback is the most important part of the passing game, not the receiver. Everything you do defensively is predicated on hurrying the thought process and physical reactions of the quarterback because that tends to create problems for them." Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ross_tucker/06/02/greg.cosell/index.html#ixzz0pzdR6PYe Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription
I agree. Being more gifted doesn't always relate to being more successful though. Hard work, being surrounded by a good team and a little luck with injuries goes a long way. Dan Marino was probably the most gifted passer ever - no rings.
Fuck that statement. I'm giving that title to Montana or Elway or Favre or Tarkenton or anyone else besides Marino. Fuck that cuntrag piece of shit he deserves none of the accolades of being considered the best qb ever. IMO he's not even top 5.
what does that mean? there is nothing to indicate who is the better overall QB yet after one year, so such a broad statement is meaningless .
Well I never saw Tarkenton play, but IMO Marino was easily the most gifted passer amongst the others you mentioned. To even put Montana in the conversation is silly. But that just helps prove my point.
I'm sure he means in terms of composure, intelligence, maturity, etc. But no one can really know for sure anyway at this stage. But Stafford is more talented because he has a bigger arm. Kind of like JaMarcus Russell and Kyle Boller. So there's a lot more to it than that.
Yes, Stafford has a bigger arm. That's the extent of his advantages over Sanchez. Sanchez on the other hand is quicker, more accurate and has much better mobility. I would be shocked if Stafford turned out to be the better QB, assuming both stay healthy. He really is more in the Jay Cutler mold than any of the classic great QB's playing today, and I think he's not quite as talented as Cutler.
I agree with you, Montana is hardly a "gifted" passer; he didn't have a rifle for an arm, wasn't a threat to kill you with his legs, wasn't a big & physical guy that could break tackles, and his smaller build lead to him taking a lot of punishment (2X at the hands of the Giants!). Despite the fact that the only physical talent of his that jumps out at you is his accuracy, I think he was the QB ever. He understood & played the position better than any other QB I've ever seen. I think this dichotomy relates to the Sanchez/Stafford debate here. Who is the more gifted passer? Well Stafford clearly has the stronger arm and both of them are quite mobile. Sanchez is more accurate, but I don't think the accuracy gap is larger than the gap in arm strength between the two of them. And you know what? This means nothing in terms of determining which QB will be more successful. Michael Vick has physical skills Peyton Manning can only dream of, and Vick is 1/10th the QB Manning is.
Exactly - Montana is a perfect example of a quarterback whose performance was far better than his physical attributes (Steve Young was far more gifted physically than Montana ever was), and he's the model for what the Jets hope Sanchez can become (remember, before Pennington got hurt Montana was the guy evoked when people talked about him). I agree with you about Marino being supremely gifted, but I would put Elway a touch above him (and he doesn't refute the point, either, since it was only at the end, when his gifts had deteriorated a bit but he had a great running back, that he actually won the big one). I did see Tarkenton play, and other than his great scrambling ability he was nothing special from a physical point of view.
I knew someone would argue Elway - he's actually my favorite (non Jet) QB all time, he had a monster arm and could beat you with his legs. Marino had a quicker release, was more accurate and had at least as big of an arm. That's why I'd say he was the most gifted passer. Elway was certainly no slouch though. I was happy for him when he finally got his rings.
While the arm is the most important gift a QB can have, when you do have a great arm like Elway did, the fact that he could also beat you in other ways is a terrific addition. I agree that Marino was the better pure passer (and had the second fastest release I've ever seen, after Namath's), but I think Elway was (slightly) the better all-around quarterback.
The question I had about Stafford when he left college is that he never could win the big game for UGA. Sanchez has already been in and won big games with the Jets. I think Sanchez is going to excel in reading defenses, and unless the kittens dramatically improve soon, Stafford will be damaged goods and start getting too gun shy...
Given the NFL is a passing league, would you rather have an elite cover guy like Darrelle Revis or a stud pass rusher who demands double teams like Jared Allen? "If the players are equivalent in terms of skill set and impact, I think you always have to go with the pass rusher. The goal is to speed up the quarterback. The quarterback is the most important part of the passing game, not the receiver. Everything you do defensively is predicated on hurrying the thought process and physical reactions of the quarterback because that tends to create problems for them." I rather have the likes of Revis. Not being biased but pass rushers are not hard to find. Try finding a guy like Revis....impossible
If you asked me this question before last season, I would have said the pass rusher, for sure. All things being equal, I still might agree. But the way we play man-to-man defense and allow Revis to play and to have him play as well as he plays, it has certainly gotten me to think about it. In the playoffs, give me the pass rusher. Look at a Peyton Manning. He just will throw the ball to other people and avoid Revis because he's smart and can make his reads quickly. Hopefully, Jason Taylor can be that pass rusher or at least improve our pass rush.
I'm not supporting or defending what you said, but the question wasn't between an average pass rusher or the best CB in the NFL. Cornerbacks and pass rushers are easy to find, but Darrelle Revis' and Jared Allen's aren't.
I don't agree in the least that Sanchez belongs in a run-based offense. He's a perfect fit for the West Coast offense with his accuracy.
