Quarterbacks Who Have Something To Prove in 2010

[Fat Matt]

Didn't see it posted

My link

[Jesus]

ugh I wish they would just stop covering the league between the draft and training camp. They have nothing to say.

[vel]

I hate how they look at Flacco and Ryan and now include Sanchez. Flacco/Sanchez have superior defenses carrying them. Flacco can't make half of the throws/decisions that Ryan has been forced to make since entering the league. Ryan still had more TDs than Flacco and missed games. AND Flacco went to the Postseason. Shame they never bring that up though. I think if we had either Ravens/Jets D the last 2 years we would have not lost a game.

[Tandy]

I don't mind them comparing Flacco and Ryan so much - but why does Dukes keep trying to compare them to seasoned veterans.

I think he's totally wrong. You can't expect 1st, 2nd or 3rd year QB's to come in and do what the 6, 8, 13 year vets do. It's just utterly ridiculous of him to go down that path. Not only that - he doesn't do his homework - you have to view the style of offense for these individuals to see where the burden lies. In Atlanta and Baltimore - the burden is more on the RB's than the QB's to carry the load.

I don't even understand his reasoning.

An example of the guys he keeps compairing and their first couple of years starting:

Top Guy - Peyton Manning - Throw First offense (the offense is built for the pass protection and schemed for passing)

Rushing by the Colts his first 2 years:

1486 yds of rushing on 384 attempts and 7 TD's

1660 yds of rushing on 419 attempts and 15 TD's

He threw the ball 1108 times in those 2 years - and ended with 52 TD / 43 Int

That's a 1.21 to 1 ratio and it's a TD every 21.3 att. and an INT every 25.7 att.

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Next Top Guy - Drew Brees - Run First Offense (the offense is built for the run protection and schemed for running)

Rushing by the Chargers his firt 2 years (2nd & 3rd):

2137 yds of rushing on 466 attempts and 19 TD's

2146 yds of rushing on 417 attempts and 16 TD's

He threw the ball 882 times in those 2 years - and ended with 28 TD / 31 Int

That's a .9 to 1 ratio and it's a TD every 31.5 att. and an INT every 28.5 att.

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Now our young guys

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Joe Flacco - Run First Offense

Rushing by Ravens his first 2 years:

2376 yds of rushing on 592 attempts and 20 TD's

2200 yds of rushing on 468 attempts and 22 TD's

He threw the ball 927 times in those 2 years - and ended with 35 TD / 24 Int

That's a 1.45 to 1 ratio and it's a TD every 26.5 att. and an INT every 38.6 att.

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Matt Ryan - Run First Offense

Rushing by Falcons his first 2 years:

2443 yds of rushing on 560 attempts and 23 TD's

1876 yds of rushing on 451 attempts and 15 TD's

He threw the ball 885 times in those 2 years - and ended with 38 TD / 25 Int

That's a 1.52 to 1 ratio and it's a TD every 23.3 att. and an INT every 35.4 att.

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Mark Sanchez - Run First Offense (Really not even fair for him to be singling him out)

Rushing by Jets his first year:

2443 yds of rushing on 560 attempts and 23 TD's

He threw the ball 364 times in his rookie year - and ended with 12 TD / 20 Int

That's a .6 to 1 ratio and it's a TD every 30 attempts and an INT every 18.2 att.

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I guess my point is this - you can't compare 1st and 2nd year QB's to the guys who have been around for as long as those guys have been - it's totally comparing apples to oranges. Further - you can't compare a team that relies on the rush to a team that relies on the pass for QB stats - again - apples to oranges.

These young guys have a lot to learn - but neither one of those 3 teams (Jets - Ravens - Falcons) are pass happy teams - they rely on the pounding the rock with play action to round it off. This year - our rushing game was way down - as you can see by the numbers - due to injuries - which put more pressure on our young QB to make the passes - and the results were not unexpected.

If you really look at it - Flacco and Ryan are on track to do what they should be doing. Sanchez was thrown in to the sharks and he started swimming towards the end - he should be much improved this year.

Either way - I don't think either of these quarterbacks have as much to PROVE as the vets out there who still haven't gotten their very good teams all the way - such as San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia (although they dropped him - so now Washington), Oakland (Campbell has lots to prove), etc.

Why he singled out the very young QB's is beyond me. Isn't he the same guy always complaining when QB's come up for rookie of the week or any other award - claiming the other guys deserve it more? Then why throw all the "Do or Die" attitude towards a couple of QB's who are just learning the ropes and starting to mature .... not a bit of thought went into that segment .... SMH at the lack of feedback from the others on the set when he goes off like that.

[Farmer2]

Let me break it down nice and easy.....Words coming out of Jamie Dukes' mouth = irrelevant.

[skynyrd04]

It's Jamie Dukes - why do we listen? Besides you really shouldn't judge a QB good or bad until the 3rd year.

[Tax-Falcon]

I was floored when Jamie Dukes tried to compare these guys to Favre and Manning.

He goes, "If Manning threw for 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, then we'd say he had a down year." Time out, Dukes, what are you even trying to say and how does that pertain to anything on the subject? Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco have two years under their belt - Manning and Favre are Super Bowl champions, and two of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

I'm just baffled as to how Dukes still has a job. The guy is a certified idiot.

[Dem Birds]

I refuse to even entertain the idea that the Falcons are a weaker team than the New York Jets when we went to their house in December with a banged up Matt Ryan (and no Turner, if I'm not mistaken) when we had nothing to play for and they had everything to play for and we walked out with a victory. In what should have been a playoff elimination for them, had some other teams not let them back in.

[Durrty]

I refuse to even entertain the idea that the Falcons are a weaker team than the New York Jets when we went to their house in December with a banged up Matt Ryan (and no Turner, if I'm not mistaken) when we had nothing to play for and they had everything to play for and we walked out with a victory. In what should have been a playoff elimination for them, had some other teams not let them back in.

Right...Dukes calling us "the weaker team"??? Dude is a complete moron and shows it every day at 7:00.

[platinumbirdz]

JAMIE IS FN HATER!!!

[Falconsfuturedynasty]

I'm tired of all these so called analyst trying to downplay Matt Ryan's ability that he has showed throughout his first two years in the NFL. You can look at his winning percentage only and realize that he has what it takes to get this franchise to the next level. If we had a defense like the Jets or Ravens, we could have one the superbowl in his first year.

[nativefalcon]

Let me break it down nice and easy.....Words coming out of Jamie Dukes' mouth = BULL$HIT. < More like it. :P

[ki46dinah]

what does it mean if Ryan has a season similar to 09 this year?

And what does it mean if Romo continues to not live up to his hype in the postseason?

80.8 QB rating in the postseason, and a 6.16 yards/attempt aint exactly stellar.

Oh yeah, and that whole 1-3 record too. AND he just turned 30. Geeze, that sucks.

[Tandy]

what does it mean if Ryan has a season similar to 09 this year?

It means we have our first back to back to back winning season! He's a winner!

[wilco]