PLAY-OFFS PIT QUARTET OF ELITE QUARTERBACKS
Presence of the game’s shrewdest tacticians on the field makes Monday morning’s encounters mouth-watering affairs for all, writes Victor Mather
Brady. Rodgers. Roethlisberger. Ryan. As in most years, the NFL conference championships include four strong teams. But this year they also include four elite quarterbacks. Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers were first, second and fourth in the key statistic of adjusted yards per passing attempt.
All four remaining quarterbacks, including Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, were first, second, sixth and seventh in passing touchdowns, despite Brady missing four games for his deflation suspension and Roethlisberger missing two because of injury.
The starters occupy four of the six Pro Bowl slots for quarterbacks, joined by Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. They also are all paid more than US$20 million a year. (Prescott makes a rookie salary of $680,000.)
It is not always the case that the final four includes only top quarterbacks. Last season, the Super Bowl was won by a team, the Denver Broncos, carried almost entirely by their defence. Their quarterback, the faded superstar Peyton Manning, ranked 48th in adjusted yards per pass and 45th in touchdown percentage among quarterbacks who started a game.
This year’s quartet starts with Brady and Rodgers, who along with Manning are considered the best quarterbacks of their era. Which one has been better? You can go back and forth with duelling statistics as long as you like.
Brady ranks second among active passers in touchdowns to Drew Brees, with Rodgers sixth. But Rodgers, who has played fewer seasons, has more touchdowns per game.
Rodgers also ranks first in adjusted yards per pass, with Brady fourth. Rodgers has one Super Bowl win, while Brady is going for a record fifth this season.
Rodgers led the Packers to a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys last week.
Of the four quarterbacks, Roethlisberger had the least impressive numbers this year, although they were far from bad.
While few would put him at the level of Brady and Rodgers, his career numbers are not too far behind. He is fifth in career touchdown passes and fourth in yards among active players. He has two Super Bowl titles. Despite initial reports that he would miss four to six weeks with a torn meniscus in October, he ended up sitting out just two games.
The breakthrough season this year came from Ryan. At age 31 and in his ninth year as a starter, he put up career highs in touchdowns and yards and a career low in interceptions.
After establishing a fairly consistent adjusted yards per pass figure of about seven every year, he jumped up to 10.1 this year. He is also considered the front-runner for NFL MVP, just ahead of Rodgers and Brady.
If the lines are to be believed, the Super Bowl will pit the veteran Brady (a six-point favourite over Roethlisberger and the Steelers) and the upstart Ryan (four points over Rodgers and the Packers).
Team success always reflects glory on a quarterback.
Terry Bradshaw, Ken Stabler and Joe Namath all made the Hall of Fame based on their teams’ play-off heroics, though their raw numbers were not always sensational.
No matter what combination makes the final game this year, the final four signal callers are all backing up their team success with individual achievement.