http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110128/SPORTS0509/301289936/-1/SPORTS
Published: January 28. 2011 1:16AM
John Dudley: Best among active QBs? Brady, for now
John Dudley
Some things are inherently necessary when you're a football fan. You must be true to your team, even when it is don't-tell-me-we-just-signed-Terrell Owens awful. You must enjoy spending endless lost hours in front of the television. And you must have a compelling need to rank players.
This explains why, in the past month, I have been drawn into at least a half dozen conversations debating who is the best active NFL quarterback.
The short answer is Tom Brady.
But the argument starts to break down when you try to quantify it.
There are as many ways to compare quarterbacks as statistical categories. But probably only three really make sense.
1. Postseason success: Super Bowl titles and overall playoff winning percentage.
2. Total wins: Overall winning percentage, including playoffs.
3. Production and efficiency: Arguably the three most important passing statistics -- efficiency rating, completion percentage and touchdown percentage (touchdowns divided by attempts).
For the sake of this column, let's assume six players are worthy of consideration as the best active quarterback: Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers.
Among that group, Brady has the most Super Bowl wins (three) and best overall winning percentage (77.1), Roethlisberger has the best postseason winning percentage (83.3), and Rodgers has the best overall career production and efficiency numbers (first in passer rating at 98.4, first in touchdown percentage at 5.9 and third in completion percentage at 64.4 behind Brees and Manning).
The most frequent argument I hear from non-Steelers fans is that Brady is clearly the best overall quarterback, Manning has the most impressive career stats and Roethlisberger doesn't belong in the conversation.
The basis for that argument is that Roethlisberger has had three of the worst days of his career in the playoffs, including Super Bowl XL and Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
There's no denying that Brady has been the most impressive among the six in Super Bowls. His career passer efficiency rating of 95.1 ranks 10th among Super Bowl quarterbacks, his 64.5 completion percentage ranks fifth, and his seven touchdowns rank fourth.
However, Roethlisberger has a better postseason winning percentage than either Brady or Manning, and his playoff production and efficiency numbers aren't far off of those two.
In his playoff career, Brady's passer efficiency rating is 85.7, his completion percentage is 63.6 and his touchdown percentage is 5.5. Manning (88.4, 63.1, 5.5) and Roethlisberger (85.4, 63.1, 5.1) are statistically comparable.
Rodgers, albeit in two fewer playoff games than any other member of the group, has by far the best playoff passer efficiency rating (113.0) and completion percentage (69.6).
So who's the best?
By any measure that makes sense, Brady is right now. But with a big game in a winning effort against the Packers in Super Bowl XLV, Roethlisberger has a chance to substantially close the gap. And Rodgers, with a big game and a win, can enter the conversation.
Published: January 28. 2011 1:16AM
John Dudley: Best among active QBs? Brady, for now
John Dudley
Some things are inherently necessary when you're a football fan. You must be true to your team, even when it is don't-tell-me-we-just-signed-Terrell Owens awful. You must enjoy spending endless lost hours in front of the television. And you must have a compelling need to rank players.
This explains why, in the past month, I have been drawn into at least a half dozen conversations debating who is the best active NFL quarterback.
The short answer is Tom Brady.
But the argument starts to break down when you try to quantify it.
There are as many ways to compare quarterbacks as statistical categories. But probably only three really make sense.
1. Postseason success: Super Bowl titles and overall playoff winning percentage.
2. Total wins: Overall winning percentage, including playoffs.
3. Production and efficiency: Arguably the three most important passing statistics -- efficiency rating, completion percentage and touchdown percentage (touchdowns divided by attempts).
For the sake of this column, let's assume six players are worthy of consideration as the best active quarterback: Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers.
Among that group, Brady has the most Super Bowl wins (three) and best overall winning percentage (77.1), Roethlisberger has the best postseason winning percentage (83.3), and Rodgers has the best overall career production and efficiency numbers (first in passer rating at 98.4, first in touchdown percentage at 5.9 and third in completion percentage at 64.4 behind Brees and Manning).
The most frequent argument I hear from non-Steelers fans is that Brady is clearly the best overall quarterback, Manning has the most impressive career stats and Roethlisberger doesn't belong in the conversation.
The basis for that argument is that Roethlisberger has had three of the worst days of his career in the playoffs, including Super Bowl XL and Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
There's no denying that Brady has been the most impressive among the six in Super Bowls. His career passer efficiency rating of 95.1 ranks 10th among Super Bowl quarterbacks, his 64.5 completion percentage ranks fifth, and his seven touchdowns rank fourth.
However, Roethlisberger has a better postseason winning percentage than either Brady or Manning, and his playoff production and efficiency numbers aren't far off of those two.
In his playoff career, Brady's passer efficiency rating is 85.7, his completion percentage is 63.6 and his touchdown percentage is 5.5. Manning (88.4, 63.1, 5.5) and Roethlisberger (85.4, 63.1, 5.1) are statistically comparable.
Rodgers, albeit in two fewer playoff games than any other member of the group, has by far the best playoff passer efficiency rating (113.0) and completion percentage (69.6).
So who's the best?
By any measure that makes sense, Brady is right now. But with a big game in a winning effort against the Packers in Super Bowl XLV, Roethlisberger has a chance to substantially close the gap. And Rodgers, with a big game and a win, can enter the conversation.
