Pocket Passer vs. Athletic Scramblers

[WVUFootball29]

Well, it’s that time of year again as Bills fans prepare for the NFL draft and the long, long offseason. With Ralph Wilson personally stating that this team will be looking for a quarterback to lead the rebuilding efforts of Buddy Nix and Company, many fans are anxious to see who the Bills select as their next martyr…I mean QB.

 

The top names on Buffalo fan’s lists are Andrew Luck and Cam Newton; which brings about the debate of which type of QB the Bills should select. Andrew Luck is your classic Pocket Passer in the mold of greats like Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and (sorry I have to include him) Tom Brady. Cam on the other hand is an athletic freak of nature with a strong arm like Michael Vick or Randall Cunningham. Both have had great success in short careers at the college level, but which one would be best to anchor the rebuilding efforts of our beloved Buffalo Bills? Let’s take a look at some numbers and facts to find out.

 

Starting with this year’s NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athletic quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the Pocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

Now take a look at Super Bowl winning QB, or even Super Bowl participating QBs and you have to go back to 1995 when Steve Young won it with the 49ers (case could be made for McNabb in 05 but nothing about him screams athletic.) and even then it is a rarity that an athletic QB carries a team through the playoffs and to victory.

 

My take on this is that the athletic QBs who do a lot of running take much more punishment throughout the season than the pocket guys. Take a look at Michael Vick’s career; across 8 seasons in the NFL, he only played all 16 games once in his career (2006) and has a career record of 47-38-1, but a playoff record of 2-3 and has yet to advance past the divisional round. If you look at this game long http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/gamelog?playerId=2549&sYear=2010 you’ll see a trend that his statistics tail off each season towards the end. I attribute this to him wearing physically and teams being able to game plan against him more effectively.

 

Also, I believe the problem with athletic, scrambling QBs is that while they are fun to watch and make lots of highlight reels, taking away one facet of their game (Vick’s scrambling) via a game plan leaves them vulnerable when they have to rely on one other skill. Now, take a look at (ugh) Tom Brady and the Patriots. Teams that try to take away Brady’s passing lanes typically end up being run over by no name running backs like Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris, etc. Then once the opposition has to respect the run, Brady gets to pick apart the defense with this arm. Same can be said in Indianapolis with Manning. Outside of this season how many times have you seen Vick pick apart a defense with this arm?

 

While athletic QBs are certainly fun to watch on the field and on ESPN, when the chips are down I’m going to place my money on a Pocket Passer. 11 out of 12 playoff teams can’t be wrong, and the point of rebuilding is to get to the playoffs and Super Bowl correct?

[Clippers of Nfl]

Well, it’s that time of year again as Bills fans prepare for the NFL draft and the long, long offseason. With Ralph Wilson personally stating that this team will be looking for a quarterback to lead the rebuilding efforts of Buddy Nix and Company, many fans are anxious to see who the Bills select as their next martyr…I mean QB.

 

The top names on Buffalo fan’s lists are Andrew Luck and Cam Newton; which brings about the debate of which type of QB the Bills should select. Andrew Luck is your classic Pocket Passer in the mold of greats like Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and (sorry I have to include him) Tom Brady. Cam on the other hand is an athletic freak of nature with a strong arm like Michael Vick or Randall Cunningham. Both have had great success in short careers at the college level, but which one would be best to anchor the rebuilding efforts of our beloved Buffalo Bills? Let’s take a look at some numbers and facts to find out.

 

Starting with this year’s NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athletic quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the Pocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

Now take a look at Super Bowl winning QB, or even Super Bowl participating QBs and you have to go back to 1995 when Steve Young won it with the 49ers (case could be made for McNabb in 05 but nothing about him screams athletic.) and even then it is a rarity that an athletic QB carries a team through the playoffs and to victory.

 

My take on this is that the athletic QBs who do a lot of running take much more punishment throughout the season than the pocket guys. Take a look at Michael Vick’s career; across 8 seasons in the NFL, he only played all 16 games once in his career (2006) and has a career record of 47-38-1, but a playoff record of 2-3 and has yet to advance past the divisional round. If you look at this game long http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/gamelog?playerId=2549&sYear=2010 you’ll see a trend that his statistics tail off each season towards the end. I attribute this to him wearing physically and teams being able to game plan against him more effectively.

 

Also, I believe the problem with athletic, scrambling QBs is that while they are fun to watch and make lots of highlight reels, taking away one facet of their game (Vick’s scrambling) via a game plan leaves them vulnerable when they have to rely on one other skill. Now, take a look at (ugh) Tom Brady and the Patriots. Teams that try to take away Brady’s passing lanes typically end up being run over by no name running backs like Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris, etc. Then once the opposition has to respect the run, Brady gets to pick apart the defense with this arm. Same can be said in Indianapolis with Manning. Outside of this season how many times have you seen Vick pick apart a defense with this arm?

 

While athletic QBs are certainly fun to watch on the field and on ESPN, when the chips are down I’m going to place my money on a Pocket Passer. 11 out of 12 playoff teams can’t be wrong, and the point of rebuilding is to get to the playoffs and Super Bowl correct?

based on this i would pass on cam then.

[Rob's House]

Outside of this season how many times have you seen Vick pick apart a defense with this arm?

Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen Vick pick apart a defense with his arm this season. I've seen him use his rocket arm to hook up on some sick bombs to D Jackson, and I've seen him exploit some defenses flustered trying to contain his speed, but I've never seen him figure out what the defense is doing and pick it apart.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Starting with this year's NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athletic quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the Pocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

Interesting points.

 

While not classic "run and pass" type guys, I think a distinction must be made between a classic pocket passer, and what (for the sake of argument) I'll call a mobile pocket passer - a guy who is elusive in the backfield and a threat to pick up some yards scrambling if you lose track of him.

 

Brady and Manning are classic pocket passers. They stand in the pocket and pick you apart if the lines give them time.

If the lines don't give them time, they will still get the job done, accuracy may suffer though. Manning is a great example, his line hasn't been so good this year and his number of INTs has risen/completion percentage has suffered. He's effective, but not as effective. I think Brohm might be a good QB if he had the OL to support a classic pocket passer.

 

Brees is a good example of the mobile pocket passer. I don't know how he wasn't sacked 12 times in the Saints-Falcons game. He had red in his face all night. He would sidestep, duck, step forward -- it was amazing how many Falcons thought they had him sacked, only to watch him complete. Kurt Warner was another good example of this genre. He would practically drop to one knee and tuck, let a LB fly over his back, jump to his feet and throw.

 

I classify Fitz the same -- he knows he can get more by throwing than running, but he's fairly elusive and becoming more so. He's also capable of running well.

 

It seems to be a rare team these days which really has the OL to let a classic pocket passer flourish. The Bills right now, aren't that team.

[....lybob]

Well, it’s that time of year again as Bills fans prepare for the NFL draft and the long, long offseason. With Ralph Wilson personally stating that this team will be looking for a quarterback to lead the rebuilding efforts of Buddy Nix and Company, many fans are anxious to see who the Bills select as their next martyr…I mean QB.

 

The top names on Buffalo fan’s lists are Andrew Luck and Cam Newton; which brings about the debate of which type of QB the Bills should select. Andrew Luck is your classic Pocket Passer in the mold of greats like Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and (sorry I have to include him) Tom Brady. Cam on the other hand is an athletic freak of nature with a strong arm like Michael Vick or Randall Cunningham. Both have had great success in short careers at the college level, but which one would be best to anchor the rebuilding efforts of our beloved Buffalo Bills? Let’s take a look at some numbers and facts to find out.

 

Starting with this year’s NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athletic quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the Pocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

Now take a look at Super Bowl winning QB, or even Super Bowl participating QBs and you have to go back to 1995 when Steve Young won it with the 49ers (case could be made for McNabb in 05 but nothing about him screams athletic.) and even then it is a rarity that an athletic QB carries a team through the playoffs and to victory.

 

My take on this is that the athletic QBs who do a lot of running take much more punishment throughout the season than the pocket guys. Take a look at Michael Vick’s career; across 8 seasons in the NFL, he only played all 16 games once in his career (2006) and has a career record of 47-38-1, but a playoff record of 2-3 and has yet to advance past the divisional round. If you look at this game long http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/gamelog?playerId=2549&sYear=2010 you’ll see a trend that his statistics tail off each season towards the end. I attribute this to him wearing physically and teams being able to game plan against him more effectively.

 

Also, I believe the problem with athletic, scrambling QBs is that while they are fun to watch and make lots of highlight reels, taking away one facet of their game (Vick’s scrambling) via a game plan leaves them vulnerable when they have to rely on one other skill. Now, take a look at (ugh) Tom Brady and the Patriots. Teams that try to take away Brady’s passing lanes typically end up being run over by no name running backs like Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris, etc. Then once the opposition has to respect the run, Brady gets to pick apart the defense with this arm. Same can be said in Indianapolis with Manning. Outside of this season how many times have you seen Vick pick apart a defense with this arm?

 

While athletic QBs are certainly fun to watch on the field and on ESPN, when the chips are down I’m going to place my money on a Pocket Passer. 11 out of 12 playoff teams can’t be wrong, and the point of rebuilding is to get to the playoffs and Super Bowl correct?

I'd say that Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees are both pretty damn athletic but that they both use their athleticism to buy a couple extra seconds to pass and not to take off running. Instead of saying athletic vs nonathletic I'd say what do you want a star point guard or a star shooting guard. I want a QB who distributes the ball for scores not one who does the scoring himself.

[KD in CA]

It's hardly news: running college QBs almost never make the transition to NFL success. There is a new Cam Newton every single year, and much to the delight of PT Barnum, every single year the suckers all swoon over his college exploits.

 

I'd say that Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees are both pretty damn athletic but that they both use their athleticism to buy a couple extra seconds to pass and not to take off running. Instead of saying athletic vs nonathletic I'd say what do you want a star point guard or a star shooting guard. I want a QB who distributes the ball for scores not one who does the scoring himself.

 

Every QB is 'athletic'. That's the wrong word. The issue is whether a QB has to rely on his threat to run to create opportunities in the passing game. And that's what makes guys like Newton and Pryor good college players but questionable pros. In the pros, the ability to create that threat to consistantly beat a defense running is very difficult as evidenced by the fact that very few QB have ever successfully done it. In the NFL, a QB has to be able to produce as a pocket passer.

Edited January 6, 2011 by KD in CT

[WVUFootball29]

I'd say that Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees are both pretty damn athletic but that they both use their athleticism to buy a couple extra seconds to pass and not to take off running. Instead of saying athletic vs nonathletic I'd say what do you want a star point guard or a star shooting guard. I want a QB who distributes the ball for scores not one who does the scoring himself.

 

I like the way you phrased that. Guys like Brees are mobile, but pocket mobile. they buy time with their feet, but rarely use them to attack a defense.

 

Bold statement is what this team needs, a guy who can move the ball down the field and find a way to get the ball to the right guy to score

[VADC Bills]

I'd say that Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees are both pretty damn athletic but that they both use their athleticism to buy a couple extra seconds to pass and not to take off running. Instead of saying athletic vs nonathletic I'd say what do you want a star point guard or a star shooting guard. I want a QB who distributes the ball for scores not one who does the scoring himself.

You can add Doug Flutie to the list.

I want a quarteback that can win games, period.

[Thoner7]

While I do think Cam Newton could become a big scrambler like Ben R, the only true college runner to ever truely succeed in the NFL is Steve Young. So odds are against him.

 

It also seems that this thread ahs concluded - do not draft Mallet.

 

PS pick up VY.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Thoner7

[ieatcrayonz]

Cam on the other hand is an athletic freak of nature with a strong black arm like Michael Vick or Randall Cunningham.

 

Starting with this year’s NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athleticblack quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the white quarterbackPocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

I fixed it for you.

 

Was John Elway black when he played?

[Tortured Soul]

Crayonz wins.

 

QB rushing leaders this year (att yds):

Vick 100 676

Freeman 68 364

Rodgers 64 356

Garrard 66 279

Fitzpatrick 40 269

Cutler 50 232

Tebow 43 227

[WVUFootball29]

Can a mod please remove crayons from this thread?

[justnzane]

I fixed it for you.

 

Was John Elway black really gay when he played?

 

 

 

 

To the rest of the geniuses of this thread. This is a crap discussion as a limited number option QB's can make the transition to the NFL. If you look at the option or running QB's of college that are pro QB's you'd have Pat White, Ron Mexico, Brad Smith (kinda, he is a slash player), Jesus Tebow, Troy Smith, and maybe a couple more. Considering there are ~96 QB's in the NFL, I was only able to list 5 and one of them is techically a receiver. So let's just assume that there is 5 running college QB's that are pro QBs and 90 pocket to semi-mobile QB's. That is a 1:18 ratio of running QB's to pocket QB's. So for a ratio of 1:11 for playoff QB's to exist, that is an expected result. If you have 4 or 5 running QB's in the playoffs, then you could expect to see more Cam Newton's being drafted in round 1.

[Chimp]

While athletic QBs are certainly fun to watch on the field and on ESPN, when the chips are down I’m going to place my money on a Pocket Passer. 11 out of 12 playoff teams can’t be wrong, and the point of rebuilding is to get to the playoffs and Super Bowl correct?

I believe this is an incorrect assumption. I don't think it has anything to do with 11 of the 12 playoff teams prefer a pocket passer over an athletic freak. I believe it is because you don't find a Michael Vick everyday. That said, I would like to see Luck. If they cannot land Luck, I would like to see Vick.

[Rob's House]

I believe this is an incorrect assumption. I don't think it has anything to do with 11 of the 12 playoff teams prefer a pocket passer over an athletic freak. I believe it is because you don't find a Michael Vick everyday. That said, I would like to see Luck. If they cannot land Luck, I would like to see Vick.

Obviously you'd like both, but Michael Vick is a freak of nature; a guy who runs like Barry Sanders but can effortlessly sling the ball 60 yds down field witht the flip of the wrist. If you had a guy that could pass like Brady and run like Vick, it's over, no one could stop that. But if you have the choose one or the other, I'll take the passer 6 out of 7 days.

[billsfan89]

I like guys that can move in the pocket well. Its not about having a QB that can get you rushing yards, its really about getting a QB that can keep the play alive. Moving up and into the pocket as well as moving laterally in the pocket is the type of mobility that a QB needs.

 

Give me a pocket passer who moves well in the pocket any day over a more athletic scrambler. Roll outs and bootlegs do add to an offense so does the QB picking up first downs with his legs but I think that a pocket pass with good mobility inside the pocket leads to a better air attack.

[Beebe's Kid]

I fixed it for you.

 

Was John Elway black when he played?

Unfortunately he is right. That is exactly the argument people make every day, they just use the word "athletic" to hide what they are saying.

 

Cunningham was a great QB. I would love to have that kind of talent on this team.

 

You can have Joe Flacco, I'll take Cunningham.

 

Just because a guy can run, doesn't make him a bad QB. Think about how much better Bledsoe would have been if he could have even walked fast... People take two or three examples and that is Cam Newton... unfortunately he is a physical specimen, who could probably throw half of the guys you mentioned 50 yards. The guy has a rocket arm, and is fast... Why would you want to screw up and get a guy like him??? He also wins games...Auburn wasn't the favorite to be Champs. Mallet is a "pocket guy" and he doesn't win...that is like Marino, and while his stats were great, he didn't win ****, but I can see how that is better than somebody who is "athletic."

[Mr. WEO]

Interesting points.

 

While not classic "run and pass" type guys, I think a distinction must be made between a classic pocket passer, and what (for the sake of argument) I'll call a mobile pocket passer - a guy who is elusive in the backfield and a threat to pick up some yards scrambling if you lose track of him.

 

Brady and Manning are classic pocket passers. They stand in the pocket and pick you apart if the lines give them time.

If the lines don't give them time, they will still get the job done, accuracy may suffer though. Manning is a great example, his line hasn't been so good this year and his number of INTs has risen/completion percentage has suffered. He's effective, but not as effective. I think Brohm might be a good QB if he had the OL to support a classic pocket passer.

 

Brees is a good example of the mobile pocket passer. I don't know how he wasn't sacked 12 times in the Saints-Falcons game. He had red in his face all night. He would sidestep, duck, step forward -- it was amazing how many Falcons thought they had him sacked, only to watch him complete. Kurt Warner was another good example of this genre. He would practically drop to one knee and tuck, let a LB fly over his back, jump to his feet and throw.

 

I classify Fitz the same -- he knows he can get more by throwing than running, but he's fairly elusive and becoming more so. He's also capable of running well.

 

It seems to be a rare team these days which really has the OL to let a classic pocket passer flourish. The Bills right now, aren't that team.

Not a great example.

 

Manning struggled when his top receivers went down. He may have gotten knocked around a bit (or it seemed-as everyone was searching for a reason for his bad mid-season). But in fact, his accuracy did not suffer at all--he completed 66% of his passes for a career high 4700 yards and tied his 2nd highest TD total of his career.

 

His line, actually, was outstanding--he was sacked only 16 times despite an insane 679 attempts (more than 100 more than he has ever attempted). When you have no running game, every defense you face is pretty much going to tee off on your QB every down. He had incredible protection, I would say.

 

Unfortunately he is right. That is exactly the argument people make every day, they just use the word "athletic" to hide what they are saying.

 

Cunningham was a great QB. I would love to have that kind of talent on this team.

 

You can have Joe Flacco, I'll take Cunningham.

 

Just because a guy can run, doesn't make him a bad QB. Think about how much better Bledsoe would have been if he could have even walked fast... People take two or three examples and that is Cam Newton... unfortunately he is a physical specimen, who could probably throw half of the guys you mentioned 50 yards. The guy has a rocket arm, and is fast... Why would you want to screw up and get a guy like him??? He also wins games...Auburn wasn't the favorite to be Champs. Mallet is a "pocket guy" and he doesn't win...that is like Marino, and while his stats were great, he didn't win ****, but I can see how that is better than somebody who is "athletic."

Agree 100%

[Trader]

Well, it’s that time of year again as Bills fans prepare for the NFL draft and the long, long offseason. With Ralph Wilson personally stating that this team will be looking for a quarterback to lead the rebuilding efforts of Buddy Nix and Company, many fans are anxious to see who the Bills select as their next martyr…I mean QB.

 

The top names on Buffalo fan’s lists are Andrew Luck and Cam Newton; which brings about the debate of which type of QB the Bills should select. Andrew Luck is your classic Pocket Passer in the mold of greats like Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, and (sorry I have to include him) Tom Brady. Cam on the other hand is an athletic freak of nature with a strong arm like Michael Vick or Randall Cunningham. Both have had great success in short careers at the college level, but which one would be best to anchor the rebuilding efforts of our beloved Buffalo Bills? Let’s take a look at some numbers and facts to find out.

 

Starting with this year’s NFL Playoffs quarterbacks; out of 12 players, only 1 (Michael Vick) is truly considered to an athletic quarterback. The rest: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck (if healthy), and Jay Cutler fall more into the mold of the Pocket Passer. Not very good odds for a scrambling type QB.

 

Now take a look at Super Bowl winning QB, or even Super Bowl participating QBs and you have to go back to 1995 when Steve Young won it with the 49ers (case could be made for McNabb in 05 but nothing about him screams athletic.) and even then it is a rarity that an athletic QB carries a team through the playoffs and to victory.

 

My take on this is that the athletic QBs who do a lot of running take much more punishment throughout the season than the pocket guys. Take a look at Michael Vick’s career; across 8 seasons in the NFL, he only played all 16 games once in his career (2006) and has a career record of 47-38-1, but a playoff record of 2-3 and has yet to advance past the divisional round. If you look at this game long http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/gamelog?playerId=2549&sYear=2010 you’ll see a trend that his statistics tail off each season towards the end. I attribute this to him wearing physically and teams being able to game plan against him more effectively.

 

Also, I believe the problem with athletic, scrambling QBs is that while they are fun to watch and make lots of highlight reels, taking away one facet of their game (Vick’s scrambling) via a game plan leaves them vulnerable when they have to rely on one other skill. Now, take a look at (ugh) Tom Brady and the Patriots. Teams that try to take away Brady’s passing lanes typically end up being run over by no name running backs like Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris, etc. Then once the opposition has to respect the run, Brady gets to pick apart the defense with this arm. Same can be said in Indianapolis with Manning. Outside of this season how many times have you seen Vick pick apart a defense with this arm?

 

While athletic QBs are certainly fun to watch on the field and on ESPN, when the chips are down I’m going to place my money on a Pocket Passer. 11 out of 12 playoff teams can’t be wrong, and the point of rebuilding is to get to the playoffs and Super Bowl correct?

 

Your analysis is very well thought out and I do believe that it is valid based on the. "history" of NFL QB's. The only issue I have with the analysis is that it is very similar to what military leaders do at war colleges. They become highly skilled at breaking down and analyizing the, "last war". If the analysis you have offered is directed at Cam Newton then I would offer that Newton just might be a new kind of player. Newton is bigger and stronger than Michael Vick and already is a more accurate passer with a better release. Newton has leadership ability. I don't know if Newton has the ability, "to pick apart an NFL defense" The fact that Newton is an athletic freak of nature does not mean that he cannot do it either. I find that the QB's who can read defenses well usually have more time to do it along with very good wide receivers who manage to come down with the ball when they force it into double coverage. If I had a choice of QB's this draft I would draft Luck first. One of the things I like about Luck is that he is highly mobile (400 + yards rushing this season). Newton is Luck only faster, more elusive and his arm is just as good. Luck is also a very bright guy with great grades in Engineering. I doubt that Newton can match Luck in the classroom. Most very good NFL QB's however are not exactly MENSA material. I offer you Rothlesberger, Bradshaw and Jim Kelly as examples. Luck will not be an option for the Bills so it's not muck use to pine over not getting him. Newton might be an option. I want to see the combine and the Oregon game before forming my final opinion but right now I have him in the lead.

[BuffaloWings]

I think the guys who were considered scramblers or athletic eventually became better pocket passers. John Elway was considered that early in his career, but eventually relied less on his legs and more on his intelligence to win games (getting a running game helped, too). Randall Cunningham was a scrambler, but later didn't always take off from the pocket when things got hairy. Michael Vick is doing the same thing - at the first sign of trouble, he used to take off. He still does that a little bit, but you can see him being more patient and relying on his OL to protect and his receivers to get open.

 

Vince Young had a good run in 2006-07, but hasn't been able to prove he's mature enough to handle adversity. If another team gives him a chance, I'd be very interested in seeing how he does.

 

I've always wondered why the "athletic" QBs never had great success in the NFL and why the Superbowl-winning QBs are usually the "pocket passer" types. Perhaps it's because the pocket-passers need to understand how to read defenses more and call/adjust plays based on that knowledge (Manning, Brady, Brees, Ryan) and are thus more successful than the guys whose 3rd option is to run? Somehow, I'd think it has something to do with defenses planning for the QB to run (maybe dedicating a LB to shadow him) and taking away that 3rd option.

Edited January 6, 2011 by BuffaloWings