homegame

Quickie Quarterback Quiz

OK, loyal readers, here's a little test to see if you've been paying attention to the 2015 NFL season.

Which quarterback to have started all three games for his team has the LOWEST passer rating, the league stat which roughly, and I do mean roughly, measures how QBs are chucking the 'ol pigskin?

Did you say Jameis Winston, Colin Kaepernick or Blake Bortles? Sorry, you're not even close. According to the rating, the worst passer in the league to still keep his starting job is one Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts. At 65.1, Luck trails everyone. And this is after Luck's first win of the year! Mr. "The Guy You'd Pick to Start a Franchise With" has been a worse passer this season than Tim Tebow (career 75 rating).

Before you can protest "small sample size" let me say it for you. In pro football, the sample size for statistical validity doesn't really kick in until Thanksgiving. At this point in 2014, Tom Brady's passing stats weren't exactly Cantonesque, either, but he perked up as the year went on.

Luck's situation is very different. Brady was hampered by an offensive line in flux. When the flux ended, so did his slump. Luck is dealing with an offensive line that the Colts have ignored since he has been there, which goes double for Indy's defense. Instead of the next Peyton Manning, he could well be the next Jim Plunkett, a superior QB battered into mediocrity by the awfulness of the team around him.

Quarterback is the most important position on an NFL team. That doesn't equate to "all important." It's no good having a franchise quarterback without a franchise.

posted by Michael Gee @ 10:25 AM