Can any team win without a elite QB

[noonthirtyjoe]

Seattle did it last year. Baltimore the year before. Giants year before that.

Sea had Wilson = elite 52 TDs to 2 ints the last 2 years. Balt had a super hot QB playing at a elite level during the playoffs. Giants was before all the rule changes but thier QB played at a elite level during them playoffs.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I know it's been a couple of years ... but the Ravens did it with Dilfer a few years back ... I believe defense was their key.

True but I'm talking in todays NFL. Now that Ravens had a special D that maybe could still do it. But the rule changes would offset that D IMO.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I'm not sure what you are talking about Noon. All 4 of this year's finalists are pretty well-rounded teams. Probably the weakest unit of the 8 is the Green Bay defense, but even they are at least pretty good.

Brady/Luck /Wilson /Rodgers all put their defenses in great positions to succeed. Sea is the only team mentioned that is well rounded IMO. The rest are QB driven teams and would not be a Playoff team without a Elite QB.

 

[toooverbearing]

To win a SB, your team needs an edge that dominates the edge other teams have. If your edge is a dominant qb, that is a helluva edge to have.

But if you have a roster with more than normal amounts of impact players... guys who need to be double teamed on every snap, guys who erase other teams' best players or erase substantial parts of the field, or guys who super-size plays by turning picks into pick sixes or first down gains into 47 yard TDs... then I suppose you can make do without an elite qb. The fact that the qb touches the ball on every offensive possession though makes an impact qb a uniquely effective weapon. I would rather have one than not have one.

Does that dodge the question completely or what?

 

[JoeyTourettes]

Don't tell me you're still a Rex Grossman supporter too…

lol

Yeah though… the 2006 Bears defense was clearly to blame. Obviously, Rex Grossman's stellar play and the offense carried that defensive unit that was top 5 in virtually every category. And #1 in many prior to resting the starters the final two weeks.

That defense just plain stunk.

That Top 5 Unit that everyone talks about gave up 191 yards rushing. Just pointing out facts.

 

[broncosmitty]

The last two SB Champs won with defense IMO. Young, minimally paid QBs who played at a high level allowed that to happen.

And if Im picking the best player on the Patriots this year, he's playing defense.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Brady/Luck /Wilson /Rodgers all put their defenses in great positions to succeed. Sea is the only team mentioned that is well rounded IMO. The rest are QB driven teams and would not be a Playoff team without a Elite QB.

There's no doubt that at least good QB play is an essential ingredient to go deep into the playoffs, and elite play of course helps. I don't personally consider Wilson elite (cue the outraged, sensitive Seahawk fans), although some folks do. But Seattle's passing offense was 27th in the league....27th!

I think when you word it like you did, that you are wrong about these teams not being well-balanced or even playoff-caliber outside of their QBs. I would say New England was defined by overall team balance. Everything was pretty solid, but nothing particularly remarkable, with the exception maybe of the offensive line, once they figured out the right mix midseason. And if you look at a lot of the rest of the playoff field, mostly you see pretty well-balanced teams.

Interesting thing I noticed when checking some ranks....causing turnovers, none of the final 4 were all that remarkable, all about mid-league. But check out the ranks on turnovers committed? #1 a tie between New England and Green Bay, followed up by Seattle. The Bears were tied for 26th. With Oakland. So that tells you something.

 

[anotheridiot]

Give me a freaking break. What a joke.

I dont know if the comment was spawned by me, but first year tom brady was not considered elite yet. First appearance by russell wilson in his second season was what will define him as elite.

 

[leomaz]

Sea had Wilson = elite 52 TDs to 2 ints the last 2 years. Balt had a super hot QB playing at a elite level during the playoffs. Giants was before all the rule changes but thier QB played at a elite level during them playoffs.

Wilson had 16 interceptions the last 2 seasons.....where the he'll do you get your stats

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I think you need very good QB, but he doesn't have to be elite. I also think Russell has proven himself to be elite. He makes good decisions, can make big time plays with both his arm and legs. However, the reason he's elite to me is because he has incredible pocket awareness and uses his legs to extend plays, which allows him to turn what would be a sack for just about any other QB in the league (other than Rodgers of course) and turn it into a gain. I would rank him as the 5th best QB in the league right now after Manning, Brady, Luck, and Rodgers.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Wilson had 16 interceptions the last 2 seasons.....where the he'll do you get your stats

I should have said at home.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

To win a SB, your team needs an edge that dominates the edge other teams have. If your edge is a dominant qb, that is a helluva edge to have.

But if you have a roster with more than normal amounts of impact players... guys who need to be double teamed on every snap, guys who erase other teams' best players or erase substantial parts of the field, or guys who super-size plays by turning picks into pick sixes or first down gains into 47 yard TDs... then I suppose you can make do without an elite qb. The fact that the qb touches the ball on every offensive possession though makes an impact qb a uniquely effective weapon. I would rather have one than not have one.

Does that dodge the question completely or what?

You should run for office, Mayor Tooverbearing sounds nice.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I think when you word it like you did, that you are wrong about these teams not being well-balanced or even playoff-caliber outside of their QBs. Would any of them be above average without Elite QB play? Maybe SEA but I don't think the rest would be and I don't think any of those teams would have a winning record with the QB play we got. All teams are close so no one can lose their QB and still be SB bound good. Heck we might be the only team in the league that can lose our starting QB and not be less of a team.

 

[leomaz]

I should have said at home.

Try again......he had 6 this season alone at home.....2 against the Giants

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Try again......he had 6 this season alone at home.....2 against the Giants

The announcers of the game said it. 52 tds to 2 ints. I don't follow SEA so I took their word for it. Not sure what they could have been talking about then. And that was my last try.

 

[leomaz]

Pro-Football-Reference.com - Pro Football Statistics and History



Took 2 minutes to check and prove the announcers wrong

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

I think when you word it like you did, that you are wrong about these teams not being well-balanced or even playoff-caliber outside of their QBs. Would any of them be above average without Elite QB play? Maybe SEA but I don't think the rest would be and I don't think any of those teams would have a winning record with the QB play we got. All teams are close so no one can lose their QB and still be SB bound good. Heck we might be the only team in the league that can lose our starting QB and not be less of a team.

Yes, New England and Seattle would still be above average in my opinion. Of this year's 12 playoff teams, I'd say you could replace the QBs of Detroit, Arizona, Cincinnati, Baltimore (I still just cannot bring myself to buy into all the Flacco hype...maybe I am wrong, I just can't do it), to Seattle and New England, and they would still be above average teams. That's half the teams.

Don't get me wrong, yes, sure, having a great QB certainly helps. I just don't think these teams are as much a bunch of one-trick ponies as you are saying.

 

[David_son]

Sea had Wilson = elite 52 TDs to 2 ints the last 2 years. Balt had a super hot QB playing at a elite level during the playoffs. Giants was before all the rule changes but thier QB played at a elite level during them playoffs.

Wilson is very good better than a lot but I wouldn't call him elite if he didn't have a great defense constantly handing him the Ball and Lynch running over people he wouldn't be in the discussion. The super bowl was the Seattle season in a nut shell defense dominates Offense puts up points when the game is already won. No one that I know or talk to would call Flacco Elite. Manning won the second super bowl after the enforcement of the PI rules

 

[David_son]

That Top 5 Unit that everyone talks about gave up 191 yards rushing. Just pointing out facts.

But I'd they had a QB who could get a first down the defense wouldn't have always been on the field

 

[beardown07]

FTR. Rex Grossman sucks and definitely did not help in the Superbowl. With that said our Defense shit the fucking bed in the second half of that game. Chico was checked out already, and called one of the worst games ever in the second half. Sat back in the stupid fucking cover two, while Manning and their RB's shredded em.