Category Archives: 2010s

Buried in the year-end stats

Russell Wilson finished with 849 rushing yards this season, fifth most by a quarterback in modern pro football history (read: since 1950). Here are all the QBs who rushed for 600 or more. (Note: Joe Geri doesn’t really belong because he was single-wing tailback with the 1950 Steelers – and ran more than he threw.)

What’s been less noticed is that Wilson tied for 16th in the whole league in rushing. That’s the highest any quarterback has ranked since 1990. Indeed, only 10 times since ’50 has a QB cracked the Top 20. The list:

NFL QUARTERBACKS WHO FINISHED IN THE TOP 20 IN RUSHING (SINCE 1950)

[table]

Year,Quarterback\, Team,Att,Yds,Avg,TD,Rank

2014,Russell Wilson\, Seahawks,118,849,7.2,6,T16th

2012,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,120,815,6.8,7,20th

1990,Randall Cunningham\, Eagles,118,942,8.0,5,9th

1972,Bobby Douglass\, Bears,141,968,6.9,8,12th

1953,Bobby Layne\, Lions*,87,343,3.9,0,20th

1952,Bobby Layne\, Lions*,94,411,4.4,1,9th

1952,Charlie Trippi\, Cardinals,72,350,4.9,4,16th

1951,Tobin Rote\, Packers,76,523,6.9,3,8th

1951,Charlie Trippi\, Cardinals,78,501,6.4,4,9th

1950,Johnny Lujack\, Bears,87,397,6.3,11,19th

[/table]

*won title

In the early ’50s, as you can see, the NFL went through a phase with quarterbacks that was lot like the current one. Layne, Trippi (a former halfback), Rote and Lujack were also major running threats. In fact, Layne won two championships playing that way.

Where is Michael Vick, you ask? Surprisingly, Vick never finished higher than 21st in rushing (in 2006, when he gained a career-high — and league record — 1,039 yards for the Falcons). It’s a reflection of The Decline of the Running Game that Wilson can rush for 849 and end up tied for 16th. Just think: He would have been the leading rusher (or tied for the lead) on 17 teams.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

The Seahawks' Russell Wilson tied for 16th in the NFL in rushing, the highest a QB has ranked since this guy in 1990.

The Seahawks’ Russell Wilson tied for 16th in the NFL in rushing, the highest a QB has ranked since this guy in 1990.

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More Redskins fisticuffs

A practice-field fight between Redskins Bashaud Breeland and Andre Roberts a couple of weeks ago caused quite a stir in the nation’s capital. What else is there to talk about when a team is 3-10?

I made light of it in a blog, saying it paled in comparison to some of the more action-packed battles in the NFL’s combative history. I’ve since discovered — as if I needed any more Paul Lipscomb cardammunition — that the Breeland-Roberts bout isn’t even the most notable between two Redskins. The brawl between middle guard Jim Ricca and defensive tackle Paul Lipscomb after a game in 1952 was much better, according to accounts.

Breeland (5-11, 195) and Roberts (5-11, 192), after all, are mere cruiserweights. Ricca (6-4, 270) and Lipscomb (6-5, 246), a four-time Pro Bowler, were super heavyweights. When they walked, the ground shook. (Or at least, it did in those days, when players weren’t nearly as big as they are now.)

The two behemoths came to blows in the locker room after the Redskins had blown a 10-0 lead in the second half and lost 14-10 to the Giants at Griffith Stadium. “Blaming each other for missed assignments that led to Washington’s final-period collapse, . . . they tangled in a brief, but bloody brawl,” the International News Service reported.

“Ricca suffered a deep gash under the chin that required seven stitches to close. Eyewitnesses said he apparently fell against a trunk as the two beefy linemen wrestled to the floor.”

The Associated Press added this detail: “They were separated, before much damage was done, by several players, including 226-pound Chuck Drazenovich, who used to be the intercollegiate boxing champion.”

Redskins coach Curly Lambeau, who had seen a tiff or two between teammates in his day, told Ricca and Lipscomb to shake hands. He then sent them to neutral corners. (OK, I made the second part up.)

“I’d rather see the boys worked up than take the loss lying down,” Lambeau said — football philosophy at its finest.

Here’s what’s eerie. Both fights — Breeland-Roberts and Ricca-Lipscomb — took place after the Redskins had dropped their fifth in a row. In both instances, there were three weeks left in the season. In both instances, the Redskins lost their next game, then won the one after that to end their string of defeats at six.

The moral, I guess: Beware late-season five-game losing streaks. (And for goodness sakes, keep your gloves up.)

Source: pro-football-reference.com

INS version of fight 11-24-52

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Oh-Oh-Odell Beckham

Here’s what’s really amazing about Odell Beckham, the Giants’ fantabulous rookie receiver: He became a phenomenon even though his team lost seven of his first eight NFL games. Now that’s hard to do — though it’s probably a little less hard if you happen to play in the media capital of the world.

With his one-handed grabs, big-play ability and week-in, week-out productivity, Beckham takes your breath away. His numbers don’t just speak for themselves, their shout: 79 catches for 1,120 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 11 games. If he hadn’t missed the first month with a hamstring injury, we’d be talking about one of the greatest receiving seasons in history, not just one of the greatest by a first-year guy.

But let’s discuss that for a moment – the best seasons, that is, by rookie receivers. Earlier this week in the New York Post, Brian Lewis wrote:

No rookie receiver has ever had the kind of a start to an NFL career that Odell Beckham Jr., has, no first-year wideout has dominated defenses and back pages and highlight shows like this since Randy Moss.

I agree with the second half of that statement, but I take issue with the absolute certainty of the first half. After all, this is the league’s 95th season. Almost everything has happened before, including a rookie receiver exploding the way Beckham has

Before I go any further, check out this chart. It’ll give you an idea of where Odell’s performance falls — with a game, of course, still to play.

MOST RECEIVING YARDS PER GAME BY A ROOKIE IN NFL/AFL HISTORY

[table]Year,Receiver\, Team,G,Yards,Avg,TD

1960,Bill Groman\, Oilers (AFL),14,1\,473,105.2,12

1952,Billy Howton\, Packers,12,1\,231,102.6,13

2014,Odell Beckham\, Giants,11,1\,120,101.8,11

1954,Harlon Hill\, Bears,12,1\,124,93.7,12

2003,Anquan Boldin\, Cardinals,16,1\,377,86.1,8

1998,Randy Moss\, Vikings,16,1\,313,82.1,17

1965,Bob Hayes\, Cowboys,13,1\,003,77.2,12

1961,Mike Ditka (TE)\, Bears,14,1\,056,76.9,12

1982,Charlie Brown\, Redskins,9*,690,76.7,8

1958,Jimmy Orr\, Steelers,12,910,75.8,7

1996,Terry Glenn\, Patriots,15,1\,132,75.5,6

[/table]

*9-game strike season

(I tacked on the touchdowns at the end in case you were curious.)

One of the things I love about this chart is that just about every decade is represented. There are three receivers from the ’50s, three from the ’60s, two from the ’90s and one each from the ’80s, ’00s and ’10s. Only the ’70s, when defense had the upper hand, are missing.

Another thing I love about this chart is that it’s fair. It looks at per-game average rather than gross yardage, which would skew things toward receivers who had the benefit of longer seasons. Beckham will play in “only” 12 games this year, which is how many Billy Howton, Harlon Hill and Jimmy Orr played in in the ’50s. So you can put his stats next to theirs and decide for yourself who was better. (I’m excluding Bill Groman from this discussion because the AFL in 1960 wasn’t close to being on the NFL’s level.)

Howton had six 100-yard games that season and Hill seven. Let’s compare them to Beckham’s six (so far):

        Howton 1952                          Hill 1954                         Beckham 2014

[table]

Opponent,Rec-Yds-TD,Opponent,Rec-Yds-TD,Opponent,Rec-Yds-TD

Redskins,3-128-1,Lions,4-140-1,Colts,8-156-0,

Rams,5-156-1,Colts,3-144-1,Seahawks,7-108-0,

Lions,7-151-1,49ers,4-116-1,Cowboys,10-146-2,

Lions,7-123-2,49ers,7-224-4,Titans,11-130-1,

Rams,6-200-0,Browns,3-117-1,Redskins,12-143-3,

49ers,8-162-2,Rams,6-109-1,Rams,8-148-2,

Totals,36-920-8,Cardinals,6-117-1,Totals,56-831-8,

,,Totals,33-967-10,,,

[/table]

You can debate until you’re blue in the face the differences between eras and what all this means. But as you can see, what Beckham is doing as a rookie isn’t exactly unprecedented. Howton cardOther receivers have “had the kind of a start to an NFL career that Odell Beckham Jr., has.” They just played so long ago that hardly anybody remembers.

Howton and Hill, too, were phenomenons. Billy, for instance, had six touchdown catches of 50 yards or longer (90, 89, 78, 69, 54, 50) plus a non-scoring grab of 76. Harlon had TDs of 76, 66, 65 and 64. They were downfield threats, just like Beckham is. The NFL just didn’t get the attention then that it does now. (Never mind an NFL Channel; there was barely an NBC.)

When Howton retired after the 1963 season, he was the all-time leader in receptions (503) and receiving yards (8,459) and ranked third receiving touchdowns (61). He simply had the misfortune of playing in Green Bay when it truly was pro football’s Siberia. (Read: Before Vince Lombardi arrived and thawed things out.)

I kid you not: The day Howton broke Don Hutson’s career receptions record (488), The Dallas Morning News mentioned it in the last paragraph of its game story. (Howton spent his last four seasons with the expansion Cowboys.) And the day the Colts’ Ray Berry broke Billy’s receptions mark, The Associated Press reported: “Berry caught five passes . . . to raise his career total [to] 506,” which was three more than “the career record held by Jim Howton.”

Harlon Hill cardJim Howton?

As for Hill, he could have wound up in Canton — why Howton isn’t there, I’ll never understand — if injuries hadn’t robbed him of his specialness. Consider: He scored 32 touchdowns in his first three seasons, a total of 36 games. Only four receivers have scored more in their first 36 games: Randy Moss (43), Jerry Rice (40), Rob Gronkowski (38) and John Jefferson (36). How’s that for company?

None of this is meant to knock Beckham down a few pegs. The kid has been an absolute revelation. It’s just meant to remind everybody that he’s not alone on that peg. As I said, the NFL has been around for a long time.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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Richard Sherman: Pick of the litter

Richard Sherman, the Seahawks’ ballhawk/cornerback, intercepted another pass in Sunday night’s 35-6 win over the Cardinals. That gives him 24 in his first four seasons (with a game to go), tying him for third most since the 1970 merger. Here’s where he falls on the list:

MOST INTERCEPTIONS, FIRST FOUR SEASONS (SINCE 1970)

[table width=”300px”]Years,Defensive back\, Team,Int

1977-80,Lester Hayes\, Raiders,25

1981-84,Everson Walls\, Cowboys,25

1981-84,Kenny Easley\, Seahawks,24

2011-14,Richard Sherman\, Seahawks,24

1978-81,John Harris\, Seahawks,22

1976-79,Mike Haynes\, Patriots,22

1994-97,Keith Lyle\, Rams,22

1988-91,Erik McMillan\, Jets,22

2002-05,Ed Reed\, Ravens,22

[/table]

Sherman’s total is even more impressive when you consider how much lower interception rates are now (largely because of all the “adjustments” the NFL has made in the rules). In Lester Hayes’ first four seasons, 5.03 percent of all passes were picked off. In Sherman’s first four, 2.71 percent have been. Big difference.

When you look at it that way, Sherman has had the best first four seasons, interception-wise, of any defensive back in the last 45 years. His 24 INTs represent 1.26 percent of all picks from 2011 to 2014:

BEST INTERCEPTION PERCENTAGE, FIRST FOUR SEASONS (SINCE 1970)

[table width=”475px”]Years,Defensive back\, Team,Int,League INT,%

2011-14,Richard Sherman\, Seahawks,24,       1\,899,1.26

1981-84,Everson Walls\, Cowboys,25,       2\,162,1.16

1981-84,Kenny Easley\, Seahawks,24,       2\,162,1.11

1994-97,Keith Lyle\, Rams,22,       2\,007,1.10

1992-95,Darren Perry\, Steelers,21,       1\,974,1.06

1988-91,Erik McMillan\, Jets,22,       2\,080,1.06

2002-05,Ed Reed\, Ravens,22,       2\,096,1.05

1977-80,Lester Hayes\, Raiders,25,       2\,425,1.03

1991-94,Aeneas Williams\, Cardinals,20,       1\,950,1.03

1988-91,Eric Allen\, Eagles,21,       2\,080,1.01

1997-00,Sam Madison\, Dolphins,21,       2\,081,1.01

[/table]

It might seem like we’re splitting hairs here, but note the gap between first (Sherman) and second (Walls) — 0.1 percent — is the biggest of all. (Next biggest: .05 percent between second and third.) The gap between top and bottom, meanwhile, is .25 percent. That’s a pretty sizable separation.

In other words, receivers may not be able to separate themselves from Sherman, but Sherman sure can separate himself from other DBs.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman does this to opposing receivers, too.

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman does this to opposing receivers, too.

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At least Russell Wilson was sober

Late in Sunday night’s game, with the Seahawks on their way to 596 yards, NBC informed us it had been 56 years since the Cardinals had allowed so many. You’d have to go all the way back, the graphic on the screen said, to their 1958 season finale in Pittsburgh, when they were Chicago Cardinals and the Steelers played at Pitt Stadium.

Bobby Layne and Co. racked up 683 yards that frigid December day — 472 passing, 211 rushing. It was so ridiculous that a running back, Tom “The Bomb” Tracy, threw a 72-yard touchdown pass. But here’s the best part, the part no one remembers: Layne played with a wicked hangover. World class. On national television, no less.

“Bobby drank, no doubt about that,” Art Rooney says in Ray Didinger’s book, Pittsburgh Steelers.

“The greatest day Layne ever had with the Steelers came the last day of one season at Pitt Stadium against the Cardinals. It was snowing like crazy. There couldn’t have been more than 5,000 people at the game because you had to be an athlete to get up the hill to that park on a dry day, let alone in snow and ice.

“Well, anyway, Bob Drum [a local sportswriter] came in the press box and said, ‘Your quarterback’s not gonna make it today.’ I knew what Drum meant because he and Layne were running mates around town at night. I said, ‘Don’t worry, he’ll be here.’

“Drum said, ‘I’m telling you, I was with him last night, and there’s no way he’ll even make it to the ballpark, let alone play.’

“This was unusual for Bobby, but it was the last game of the season, and he was blowing off steam. Bobby showed up at the stadium, and he looked awful. Well, Bobby went out and had himself a day you had to see to believe. The footing on the field was so bad everybody on both sides was falling down except Bobby. He was staggering all over the field and picking up unbelievable yardage. I never saw him have another day like it.”

Layne never did have another day like it. His 409 passing yards were the high for his 15-year Hall of Fame career. Indeed, it was just the eighth time an NFL quarterback had thrown for 400. (Layne also ran 17 yards for a score. That might have been his “staggering all over the field” moment.)

“Darkness almost overtook the athletes in the longest pro game ever played here,” Jack Sell wrote in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It required 2:57 and took up 213 plays, 54 in the first period, 61 in the second, 60 in the third and 38 in the fourth.”

(The “213 plays” seems off. I count 93 snaps for the Steelers, 60 for the Cardinals, plus 15 penalties, 11 kickoffs, 6 punts and 2 sacks – a max of 187. Which raises the question: Was Sell out drinking with Layne and Drum, too?)

More from his story:

The season’s farewell ran exactly as Coach Frank (Pop) Ivy of the Cardinals predicted on Friday afternoon. He took his squad to the snow-covered Pitt practice field for a tune-up, then visited the stadium where workmen had removed the tarpaulin and were using a flame thrower to remove icy spots.

Ivy asked Horse Czarniecki to keep the tarp off the grid Friday night [the Steelers and Cardinals played on Saturday], a request which was refused.

“If it snows we will at least be able to get a bit of traction,” Ivy insisted. “But on that skating rink my team will never be able to stop Bobby Layne’s long passes.”

It turned out they couldn’t.

So take heart, Arizona Cardinals. You may have given up 596 yards Sunday night, the most you’ve allowed in nearly six decades, but at least you weren’t victimized by a hung-over quarterback. The Seahawks’ Russell Wilson seemed in complete command of his faculties in the postgame interviews. Happy? Sure. But in a non-alcoholic, I-could-pass-any-breathalyzer-test kind of way.

Steelers quarterback Bobby Layne, facemaskless as always, seen here fleeing Giants linebacker Sam Huff.

Steelers quarterback Bobby Layne, facemaskless as always, seen here fleeing Giants linebacker Sam Huff.

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Quarterbacks: To run or not to run?

It’s nice if an NFL quarterback can move around a bit, but being able to take off and run has never been a high priority. The position has always been, first and foremost, about throwing the ball.

The game evolves, though. And it’s reasonable to wonder, with the recent influx of several mobile quarterbacks, whether the definition of The Perfect QB will eventually change, too. A decade from now, will the paradigm be more of a hybrid player, a combination passer-runner who can throw darts and also operate the read-option?

The instant success of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick and the Redskins’ Robert Griffin III, all of whom made the playoffs in their first season as a starter, gave even more momentum to the 21st Century Quarterback idea. And last year Cam Newton, another dual threat, guided the Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC South title.

But in 2014 only Wilson has escaped the barbs of critics and the wrath of his fan base. Defenses have gotten better at dealing with some of the college-y stuff these quarterbacks do, and now it’s up to the QBs (and their coordinators) to adjust. Adapt or die.

The jury is very much out on whether they can . . . or even — as far as some coaches are concerned — want to. One of the problems with having a quarterback with unusual talents is that if you build a special offense for him, what happens if he gets hurt? Do you have a second QB with unusual talents who can step in, or do you have to go back to a more conventional attack? And can a team be successful switching gears like that?

You might be interested to know that the five running-est quarterbacks in modern history — I’m going by rushing yards per game — are all active, as you can see in this chart:

MOST RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY A QB (SINCE 1945)

[table width=”550px”]

Years,Quarterback,Team(s),Yds,YPG

2001-14,Michael Vick,Falcons\, Eagles\, Jets,6\,010,43.9

2011-14,Cam Newton,Panthers,2\,457,41.0

2012-14,Robert Griffin III,Redskins,1\,461,40.6

2012-14,Russell Wilson,Seahawks,1\,782,38.7

2011-14,Colin Kaepernick,49ers,1\,513,32.2

1985-01,Randall Cunningham,Eagles\, Vikings\, 2 others,4\,928,30.6

1969-78,Bobby Douglass,Bears\, Chargers\, 2 others,2\,654,29.2

1999-09,Daunte Culpepper,Vikings\, Dolphins\, 2 others,2\,652,25.3

1985-99,Steve Young,Bucs\, 49ers,4\,239,25.1

2006-11,Vince Young,Titans\, Eagles,1\,459,24.3

[/table]

(Minimum: 32 starts.)

Granted, these averages usually decline as the quarterbacks get older, but they’re worth noting nonetheless.

Still, there’s no getting around the fact that 12 of the 14 Super Bowls in the 2000s have been won by QBs who weren’t much of a running threat at all. Only Wilson (2013) and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (2010) have had wheels worth worrying about (or as I like to refer to them, WWWAs).

RUSHING YARDS PER GAME BY SUPER BOWL-WINNING QBS (2000S)

[table width=”550px”]

Years,QB (Super Bowl Wins),Team,Yds,YPG

1999-14,Peyton Manning (1),Colts\, Broncos,678,2.7

2004-14,Eli Manning (2),Giants,465,2.8

2001-14,Drew Brees (1),Chargers\, Saints,684,3.4

2000-14,Tom Brady (3),Patriots,804,3.9

1994-08,Brad Johnson (1),Vikings\, Redskins\, 2 others,657,3.7

2008-14,Joe Flacco (1),Ravens,625,5.7

1994-07,Trent Dilfer (1),Bucs\, Ravens\, 3 others,853,6.6

2004-14,Ben Roethlisberger (2),Steelers,1\,163,7.4

2005-14,Aaron Rodgers (1),Packers,1\,817,16.8

[/table]

Note: Figures don’t include today’s games.

When you scan down these charts, you can understand why some coaches look at Wilson and the other passer-runners and say, “Who needs ’em?” The ones who don’t, though, the more open-minded types like Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh, have a chance to take pro football in a new direction. This is a healthy thing, of course. Without it, offenses would still be running the single wing and punting on first down.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

Colin Kaepernick leaves the Chargers behind en route to a 151-yard rushing night Saturday.

The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick leaves the Chargers behind en route to a 151-yard rushing night Saturday.

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Slingin’ Antonio Brown

The Steelers’ Antonio Brown has done something this season that hasn’t been done in a decade — and has been accomplished by only 10 receivers in NFL history. Care to guess what it is?

Answer: He’s racked up 1,000 receiving yards and thrown a touchdown pass in the same year.

Obviously, it’s much more common for a 1,000-yard running back to throw for a TD. For one thing, backs get their hands on the ball more than wideouts do. But with the Jet Sweep so popular these days, we might begin to see more scoring passes tossed by golden-armed receivers. Let’s hope so, anyway.

Here’s the short list of wideouts Brown has joined. Note that a couple of them — Randy Moss and Marty Booker — had two of these seasons.

1,000 RECEIVING YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN PASS IN THE SAME SEASON

[table]

Year,Receiver\, Team,Yds,TD Pass Details

2014,Antonio Brown\, Steelers,1\,498,3 yards to WR Lance Moore vs. Texans

2004,Drew Bennett\, Titans,1\,247,26 yards to WR Derrick Mason vs. Packers

2002,Randy Moss\, Vikings,1\,347,13 yards to WR D’Wayne Bates vs. Dolphins

2002,Marty Booker\, Bears,1\,189,44 yards to WR Marcus Robinson vs. Patriots

2001,Marty Booker\, Bears,1\,071,34 yards to WR Marcus Robinson vs. Falcons

1999,Randy Moss\, Vikings,1\,413,27 yards to WR Cris Carter vs. Giants

1996,Curtis Conway\, Bears,1\,049,33 yards to RB Raymont Harris vs. Cowboys

1995,Jerry Rice\, 49ers,1\,848*,41 yards to WR J.J. Stokes vs. Falcons

1983,Carlos Carson\, Chiefs,1\,351,48 yards to WR Henry Marshall vs. Chargers

1974,Drew Pearson\, Cowboys,1\,087,46 yards to WR Golden Richards vs. Giants

1962,Tommy McDonald\, Eagles,1\,146,10 yards to RB Timmy Brown vs. Redskins

1960,Bill Groman\, Oilers (AFL),1\,473*,3 yards to E Al Wicher vs. Patriots

[/table]

*led league

(Brown, by the way, leads the league in receiving yards with two games to go.)

Source: pro-football-reference.com

Steelers wideout Antonio Brown gets ready to uncork one against the Texans.

Steelers wideout Antonio Brown gets ready to show off his arm against the Texans.

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What to do about the Snyderskins

After another season with double-digit losses, their fifth in six years, the Redskins need more than just a rebuild. In a perfect world, there would be a knock on the door in Ashburn, Dan Snyder would look nervously through the peephole, and Harvey Keitel would be standing there, ready to Do What He Does. The scene would go something like this:

A cleaner! That’s what the Redskins could use. Because, let’s face it, much of this “organization” is beyond saving, beyond even donating. Better to just dissolve it in hydrochloric acid — or whatever Harvey’s chosen solvent is — and start over.

It’s all a pipe dream, of course. The Redskins never really start over. They just change the curtains on the Titanic and head off in search of another iceberg. Fire the coach? Bring in a genuine general manager? Turn over two-thirds of the roster? What difference does it make unless you can also find a way to lock the owner in a broom closet? The team, after all, is Snyder’s toy. If he wants to leave it out in the rain, there’s only so much anyone can do about it.

A better question is: How can an owner like this even exist? Snyder, you see, is only part of the problem. The other part is the league itself, an enterprise so profitable that even a stumblebum like Dan can make money — and see the value of his franchise go up and up.

In the real world, a business that has been run as cluelessly and soullessly as the Redskins would end up filing for Chapter XI — or else be absorbed by a less clueless, less soulless competitor. But here we are, 16 years later, and Snyder is still behind the wheel, just like Jim Backus in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World:

(Bruce Allen, meet Buddy Hackett.)

That’s Dan Snyder’s true genius. He sank his fortune into a venture that’s 100 percent Dan Snyder-proof! Well, maybe not 100 percent. The occasional miracle does happen in the NFL (as fans in the Music City can attest). That’s pretty much what it would take, though, for anyone other than Daniel M. Snyder to be signing the Redskins’ checks in the foreseeable future.

Which brings us back to Harvey Keitel. Are you with me on this?

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RG3 and The Noise

Statistics are hardly all-telling, but they can help quiet some of the noise surrounding a player. By “noise,” I mean the chatter that’s based more on impressions, gut feelings and personal biases than anything factual.

These days, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is one of the league leaders in noise. Coach Jay Gruden practically held his nose the other day when he announced that Griffin would start Saturday’s game against the Eagles (after Colt McCoy had been put on injured reserve). Gruden has made no secret of his displeasure with just about everything Griffin does — from holding the ball too long in the pocket to being inattentive to the finer points of “his craft” to staying on the ground too long after a sack (which made the coach wonder whether his quarterback was too hurt to run a Real Play in the closing minutes).

Others have chimed in as well, such as Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. One of the more curious things Scramblin’ Fran said was: “He is a terrible passer, has no accuracy.”

Griffin may not have textbook mechanics, but he somehow — miraculously — gets the ball to his target. See for yourself:

TOP 5 UNDER-25 QBS FOR COMPLETION % (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”350px”]Years,Quarterback\, Team,Pct

2012-14,Robert Griffin\, Redskins,63.66

1999-01,Daunte Culpepper\, Vikings,63.33

2004-06,Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers,62.40

1991-94,Brett Favre\, Packers*,61.86

2008-09,Joe Flacco\, Ravens,61.70

[/table]

*Also threw four passes with the Falcons as a rookie.

Maybe we just misunderstood Tarkenton. Maybe what he meant was: RG3 isn’t as incredible(!) as Tiger Woods was at the age of 5. (I think we can all agree with that.)

By the way, before anybody scoffs at Griffin’s completion percentage and says, “All he does is dink and dunk,” take a look at this:

ADJUSTED YARDS PER ATTEMPT FOR UNDER-25 QBS (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”350px”]

Years,Quarterback\, Team,AYPA

1983-86,Dan Marino\, Dolphins,8.04

2012-14,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,7.43

2004-06,Ben Roethlisberger\, Steelers,7.39

1999-01,Daunte Culpepper\, Vikings,7.36

2011-13,Cam Newton\, Panthers,7.25

[/table]

So regardless of how long the ball is in the air, Griffin is getting good yardage out of his throws — more than any quarterback except Marino. (Note: I’m looking only at QBs since 1960. And yes, I realize that, with all the passer-friendly rule changes, these rankings are going to be tilted toward the present.) In terms of unadjusted yards per attempt, in case you’re wondering, he’s seventh at 7.55 (three spots behind Our Friend Fran, who comes in at 7.76.)

Two more things. RG3 is the least interception-prone under-25 passer ever. Doesn’t that count for something? Isn’t ball security part of being a good QB?

LOWEST INTERCEPTION % BY AN UNDER-25 QB (MINIMUM: 750 ATTEMPTS)

[table width=”400px”]

Years,Quarterback\, Team,Att,Int,Pct

2012-14,Robert Griffin III\, Redskins,999,20,2.00

2012-14,Andrew Luck\, Colts,1\,250,29,2.32

1999-01,Donovan McNabb\, Eagles,1\,074,25,2.33

2010-12,Sam Bradford\, Rams,1\,196,28,2.34

1985-88,Bernie Kosar\, Browns,1\,334,32,2.40

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Last chart. File this one under: It Takes a Village. You can grouse about Griffin’s play all you want, but one of the biggest reasons he hasn’t won more is that his defense hasn’t exactly been the Steel Curtain.

FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED SINCE 2012

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Rank,Team,Pts

1.,Russell Wilson’s Seahawks,718

2.,Colin Kaepernick’s 49ers,830

29.,Robert Griffin’s Redskins,1\,236

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OK, I’ve made my case – not for RG3’s impending greatness but for not giving up on him like Gruden (and others) seem inclined to do. “He will never make it,” Tarkenton said. “He will be out of football. He will be in the same graveyard as JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young.”

“He” is still 24. Aren’t we being a bit hasty?

Or to put it another way: In a decade, Griffin will be four years younger than Peyton Manning is now.

Source; pro-football-reference.com

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Johnny Football’s brutal baptism

How much of a horror show was Johnny Manziel’s overhyped starting debut with the Browns? Pretty bad, to be sure — 54 net passing yards and zero points in a blowout loss to the Bengals. Still, I came up with three Hall of Famers who had a worse one, rating-wise, and various other legends and No. 1 overall picks who struggled mightily as well. That puts Manziel in the middle of this group:

HOW JOHNNY MANZIEL’S FIRST NFL START STACKS UP

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Year,Quarterback\,Team,Opponent,Att,Comp,Yds,TD,Int,Rating,Result

1983,John Elway\, Broncos,Steelers,8,1,14,0,1,0.0,W\, 14-10

2005,Alex Smith\, 49ers,Colts,23,9,74,0,4,8.5,L\, 28-3

1970,Terry Bradshaw\, Steelers,Oilers,16,4,70,0,1,19.3,L\, 19-7

1967,Bob Griese\, Dolphins,Chiefs,22,11,101,0,2,25.0,L\, 24-0

2014,Johnny Manziel\, Browns,Bengals,18,10,80,0,2,27.3,L\, 30-0

2009,Matt Stafford\, Lions,Saints,37,16,205,0,3,27.4,L\, 45-27

1989,Troy Aikman\, Cowboys,Saints,35,17,180,0,2,40.2,L\, 28-0

2004,Eli Manning\, Giants,Falcons,37,17,162,1,2,45.1,L\, 14-10

1979,Joe Montana\, 49ers,Cardinals,12,5,36,0,0,49.3,L\, 13-10

2012,Andrew Luck\, Colts,Bears,45,23,309,1,3,52.9,L\, 41-21

1998,Peyton Manning\, Colts,Dolphins,37,21,302,1,3,58.6,L\, 24-15

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If you’re wondering how on earth Elway won that game — all the other QBs lost — the answer is: He sat out the second half with a bruised right elbow, and backup Steve DeBerg rallied the Broncos to victory.

As for Bradshaw, his first start wasn’t exactly well received by the Pittsburgh media. This how the Post-Gazette covered it. “I couldn’t hit the side of a building today,” Terry said. “I know I was late throwing the ball a number of times, which gave [the Oilers] a chance to cover up, but they were coming at me strong.”

Screen Shot 2014-12-15 at 1.46.58 PMP-G Bradshaw subheadNoll yanking BradshawBut do the math. Elway, Bradshaw and Griese had worse days than Manziel did, and they went on to appear in a combined 12 Super Bowls, winning eight. I’m not in any way predicting similar success for Johnny Football. Just sayin’. First impressions can be deceiving.

Source: pro-football-reference.com

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