Not the Jets, but this TGG Jets forum. Now that Kendall is gone, we are down to just ONE topic that every thread turns into. So let's get started. Here are the four choices for QB arm attributes...who has them? Weak arm, no touch/accuracy: Weak arm, great touch/accuracy: Pennington, Montana, Thiesman Strong arm, no touch/accuracy: VT, Eli Manning, Farve, Dog Killer Strong arm, great touch/accurcy: Brady, Manning, Elway Where would you put Joe Namath?
I only got to watch Namath after the knees went and he still belonged in the strong arm/great touch and accuracy column. The interceptions started coming when the Jets defense collapsed and the offense was digging itself out of a hole every game. This of course lead to short fields for the defense which collapsed again. It was ugly.
Namath had among the top three of all time great releases in the game. Strong arm, accurate, was not a touch passer, and had a few terrible games where he'd throw 5 Ints for various reasons.
I saw JWN from his rookie year & here is MHO of his abilitiies Strong arm, great touch/accurcy: Brady, Manning, Elway
Yes he also had Sauer, Lammons, Boozer & Snell who in MHO do not get enough pub from todays media. You know Sauer caught like almost 140 yds of passes in that SB3 win?
joe was the man. he owned new york back in the day. strong arm, good touch and the intangables. plus he got all the great looking broads!!!!:smile: :smile: :smile:
That's true but Maynard was double teamed all game even though he was injured. I ain't going to doubt you though, these guys are all heros to me.
Yes that is one of the most interesting aspects of that game that the Colts never/ever changed there D even though JWN was throwing to GS & not DM. That shows you that once you get a reputation as a game breaker (DM) you can determine how others things can be done while you are the decoy drawing away the other sides Ds players. Sadly today there is NOBODY on the NYJs that commands that type of respect
I watched Namath from his first start. He always had the strong arm, had good touch and was very accurate. He had a cockiness bordering on arrogance. It isn't fair to blame the interceptions on the defense collapsing or loss of offensive tools; he always seemed to feel that he could force the ball in anywhere and that made interceptions an issue for him. But it's also important to understand that, at his peak, the game was dominated by downfield passers. Completion percentages weren't what they are today in the wake of Stram's offense of the 70's or the West Coast Offense. I can't swear to it, but in the 68 championship game (bitter cold, very windy at Shea) which is considered a great game by Joe, he was something like 19-49. His running backs were for carrying the ball, not for check-off passes. With all that, he had an amazing ability, even when they had lousy teams, to strap a team to his back and single-handedly challenge a far superior team.
One of the great things about the Pittsburgh Steeler-Raider rivalry's was you had one of the strongest armed QB's against what I think in his prime was the most deadly accurate, touch passer in NFL history Ken Stabler. Those playoff games were absolute wars.
I saw the end of Joe's career, from 1974 on. Those of you that remember Dan Marino, that's who he looked like to me. He dropped straight back, didn't turn his body, and he got rid of the ball real snap-quick, like Marino did. Also lacked mobility like Marino but managed to step a little bit one way or the other to avoid the rush and get rid of the ball. His accuracy waned a bit in the years I saw him, he was really hit or miss.
namath had a strong arm good touch and really good accuracy, and had the greatest release in his time, a quick sharp throw.
