Gasp! You mean it's not all about the quarterback?
01/31/2007
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Peyton Manning took the snap from shotgun and immediately looked 30 degrees to his right.
It is a rare occurrence when the Colts quarterback locks onto one receiver, but in this instance, he did. He rocked his predominantly accurate arm back and slung a frozen rope in Marvin Harrison’s direction.
The ball never made it to Harrison, however.
Patriots’ cornerback Asante Samuel read Manning like a book and stepped in front of Harrison to snag the ball. Samuel took the interception 39 yards for a New England touchdown. Manning, one game away from the NFL’s largest stage, was once again blowing his opportunity.
he couldn't have done it without
teammates like Marvin Harrison.
It was the second quarter of the AFC Championship Game and Manning’s Colts were already down 21-3 to a Patriots team that was steamrolling toward another Super Bowl. Football fans had seen this scenario before, and the same familiar thoughts started to creep into their heads: Manning will never win the big game; he’ll always be a regular season champion; he’s not a Super Bowl quarterback.
Then something happened.
Manning started leading Indy back from postseason hell, thanks in large part to a balanced offensive attack and a rejuvenated defense. Drafted talent like tight end Dallas Clark, receivers Harrison and Reggie Wayne, and rookie tailback Joseph Addai began elevating their games.
When the dust settled, the Colts topped New England 38-34. Indy did it as a team, a unit, as a whole.
It’s been more than a week since the Colts won the AFC title game and for once, Manning’s past failures aren’t on full display. Those same people who said he wasn’t a Super Bowl quarterback are now turning their attention to another target.
This time, it’s Chicago’s Rex Grossman who doesn’t look the part. In the time leading up to the big game, most members of the media are riding Grossman like a thoroughbred. Here’s an idea: let’s compare Grossman to past Super Bowl quarterbacks like Joe Montana, Tom Brady and John Elway. Let’s evaluate his stats against Manning’s or watch film of his mechanics compared to those of Brett Favre.
Grossman could cure cancer in the week leading up to Super Bowl XLI and it still wouldn’t quiet the mass of critics who think he’s a poor man’s Trent Dilfer.
Why so much focus on the quarterback? Why ride Manning’s ass for years and then as soon as he books a trip to a Super Bowl, hop off in search of another victim?
The notion that the quarterback plays the most important role on a football team has merit. They often command lucrative contracts, have the largest playbook to learn and are supposed to be the field generals. They also are required to read defenses, check to an audible if necessary and keep the offense focused.
Everything starts with the quarterback, right?
Well, how accurate is it to say that (insert any QB’s last name here) is not a “Super Bowl quarterback”? Before the victory over New England, Manning wasn’t a “Super Bowl quarterback.” Grossman – lord help this kid if Chicago loses – wasn’t a “Super Bowl quarterback,” remember?
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard these names slighted for not being SBQB: Jake Plummer, Eli Manning, Jon Kitna, Michael Vick and Drew Brees (prior to ’06).
Oh, and Dilfer, Brad Johnson and Jake Delhomme are?
Think about how foolish it is – especially in the age of free agency – to say Eli, Vick and Brees aren’t Super Bowl-capable, but Dilfer, Johnson and Delhomme are…or, more accurately, were. Dilfer was absolutely brutal the year Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV. Johnson, if anything, should be considered a “game manager” before a Super Bowl quarterback. And Delhomme has been downright crybaby-atrocious since guiding the Panthers to the big game in the ’03 season.
quarterback to help his team win it all .
Yet, those three have each appeared in a Super Bowl, with Dilfer and Johnson winning one. Chris Chandler, Drew Bledsoe and Matt Hasselbeck all defied the so-called odds and led their teams to the big game too. But Manning and Grossman before this year were not Super Bowl quarterbacks? Why so much emphasis on only the play of the signal caller? Seriously, every morning there is a new article ripping Grossman for not being an A, B, or C quarterback. And Manning was the proverbial president of the ‘Quarterbacks That Will Never Go to a Super Bowl’ club before his big win over New England.
This, by no means, is a ringing endorsement for Grossman, by the way. He has earned his fair share of blame for his erratic play this season. But this idea that a quarterback has to fit into a certain make and model to be considered Super Bowl-caliber is ridiculous.
There are so many ways a team can advance to the Super Bowl, so many factors that can and will come into play, and the performance of the quarterback is just one. The right blend of players, a balanced offense and a stingy defense are all arguably more important than the quarterback’s play. An intelligent coaching staff and a general manager with a knack for player scouting are also vital. There is a reason 31 teams are considered failures once an NFL season wraps up. And it’s not all because of the play of 31 different quarterbacks.
Let’s take a look at a recent example. Think Seattle’s faithful blame Hasselbeck for the Seahawks losing to the Steelers? The refs, Jerramy Stevens and the penchant for giving up the big play factor well ahead of Hasselbeck in the blame game. How about the Steelers? Think Pittsburgh fans are boasting about the play of Ben Roethlisberger? Hell no. Big Ben was terrible, but the franchise now has five titles because of the team effort they gave in Super Bowl XL.
As exciting as it has been over the years to talk about the great ones, long ago are the days when having a franchise quarterback was the end-all-be-all in the NFL. If anything, there’s more truth in the phrase “defenses win championships” than “he is not a Super Bowl quarterback.” The Ravens’ defense in 2000 was one of the best units the NFL has ever seen, and they overcame the fact that the offense was only going to produce 10 to 13 points a game. Tampa Bay won in ’02 with the league’s top-rated defense and an aging Brad Johnson effectively managing the game.
So put away the stats, pie charts and whatever other tools you have explaining why Manning or Grossman won’t win on Sunday. Whichever QB hoists the Lombardi Trophy will do so because of the combined effort of the organization. One man can’t win or lose a game on his own, even though it does make for a more compelling story.
What makes football so great is that it is the consummate team sport. Leave it that way, folks.
Questions or comments? Send them to astalter@bullz-eye.com.