Sacked 5 times in yesterday’s playoff defeat to Pittsburgh, Peyton Manning is an anachronism claims the New York Times’ William Rhoden.
The traditional dropback passer so many know and love took a giant step toward extinction yesterday. Look at the quarterbacks remaining in the playoffs. They all have the ability to escape and none are above rolling out to buy time, to save the offense from a yards-consuming sack.
A 21st-century quarterback must be able to get away, not merely get out of the way. He must be able to punish the defense for blitzing with abandon, which Manning did not do against Pittsburgh.
These N.F.L. playoffs, coupled with Vince Young’s performance for Texas in the Rose Bowl, signify the end of the lead-footed “classic quarterback” ideal that Manning represents so well.
That kind of quarterback can shred any secondary as long as he has maximum protection and a fast track. But faced with a constant barrage of well-disguised blitzes, he is disarmed.
Manning is one of the greatest pocket passers in the N.F.L., but there is diminishing space for the pure passer who cannot run. Offensive coordinators love them, but so do opposing defenses.
The news media marvel at Manning’s hand jive at the line of scrimmage: the flurry of signals, the motions, the waving and the gesturing. In the end, they were so many ineffective pump fakes.
So Tom Brady won’t make it to another AFC championship game?
There’s no way you can blitz if Diet Pepsi Machine is in the backfield. He can block, he can catch the screen pass, he can run the ball. Simply dominant.
Not between now and next Sunday he won’t.
There’s no small element of hyperbole to Rhoden’s claim — Manning’s immobility is one of a handful of reasons why the Colts are done…and the most agile, athletic QB in the NFL didn’t even make the playoffs this year (Michael Vick). It’s nice to fantasize about Vince Young changing the NFL, but it is fair bet the league will change VY’s style just as much.
Well, according to the Fight Doctor Ferdie Pacheco, NFL games are fixed (especially ones involving the Colts, like say Super Bowl III). Go here: http://hosted.filefront.com/patchyfogg
To add: The Colts D was overrated all year. It is very easy to defend when you are up 42-0 and the other team is taken out of its game plan. They were basically an awesome offense and an average defense. That formula is no guarantee for winning a superbowl – the Rams won one that way but only by two yards.
Also, I would say what sets a good QB in the NFl apart from a bad one these days is the ability to hold on to the ball till the last second, take a hit, and deliver an accurate ball under pressure. This is what seperates Ben from Eli. I had no idea Ben, Jake D. or Hasselbeck were known as mobile quarterbacks. Maybe sitting next to Bill Conlin on Sundays blocks Rhoden’s view of the TV
Senor Psuedo-Snake does the odd bit of rolling out, but yeah, I don’t think anyone is going to confuse Fat Head Ben with Fran Tarkenton.
come on gang…peyton is a great qb and you all know it. did he choke (again ) ? yup. is he a stiffy in the pocket? uh huh. but the guy is a definite leader and his accuracy is pretty amazing as well. elway didn’t do it in a day and neither will peyton, but i think he WILL do it.