Strong disagree. Mac Jones-level talent was considered a solid, even good QB back in the late 2000s and early 2010s (see David Gerard, Rex Grossman, Jay Cutler, Chad Pennington, Alex Smith, etc).
Yeah, I think what’s going on here is three things. Having 4 all time great QBs play at once in Brady/Manning/Brees/Rodgers skews the perception of the overall level of play in those years. Second, there’s some truly awful QB play at the bottom levels.
Lastly, rule change shave made it so that you need an elite passing game to win, so a lot of guys who are good but not great can’t contend the way they could in the past. I think if you transplanted the current crop of QBs back 10-15 years ago you’d have half the league passing the Dalton line - it’s just that now the Dalton line is the cutoff for making the playoffs, not contending.
Offensive output and quality of QB play are not the same thing. Defenses also play a role in the equation. And specifically defenses adjusting to the schematic revolution of the past 5 years.
But what if that offensive output decline is driven by better defenses (and not just incompetent offenses)? Stats can’t settle this argument bc talent plays on both sides of the ball.
The current crop of QBs is not at the Brady/Manning level in general. I know neither of those two guys were the athletes that some of the current top guys are, but I imagine Manning and Brady having aneurysms seeing the carelessness with which a lot of the league treats the ball.
Mahomes, Hurts, Lamarr, even Tua and CJ Stroud. Herbert is very fun to watch. Even guys like Purdy and Geno are well worth the Sunday sit down. I think Brady was speaking more to lack of accountability due to rules that can create mediocrity. I also think mediocrity is the wrong word. The league has more talent than ever.
Are you taking Philip Rivers and Eli over the first three I named?
Not to mention Aaron Rodgers has played in both eras.
Why Rivers and Eli? They were pretty mediocre in their time. I absolutely would not take those you mentioned for someone like Brees or Big Ben, or Rivers in fact. Eli is a maybe as he was very inconsistent but seemed to come good when it mattered, like a reverse Lamar.
The QBs today only know the current way of playing (since 2004)…so it’s like playing on “Hard” mode. Brady, Manning etc., played on “Ultra Hard” mode to start their careers. Rules changes made it feel like “normal” mode.
Defensive players in today’s game are better than when Manning/Brady played because they play effectively even WITH all the handcuffs on defenders. They never had the old rules so there was no adjustment. The rule changes were from 19 years ago. Most top shelf defenders were somewhere between Pee Wee and middle school football at that point. Some guys were too young even for Pee Wee 19 years ago. All they know is modern ball so this feels normal for them.
TL;DR - old QBs had an advantage with the rule switch 19 years ago but modern QBs don’t have the advantage since modern defensive players only know one way to play
My pops is a diehard Steelers fan (how the fuck did that happen?) and thinks Pickett is the shit for some reason. I’m gonna show him this comment to piss him off next time I see him. Thank you lol
Statistically speaking Brady is 100% right from the quarterbacks play for 2023. It’s been way down.
Strong disagree. Mac Jones-level talent was considered a solid, even good QB back in the late 2000s and early 2010s (see David Gerard, Rex Grossman, Jay Cutler, Chad Pennington, Alex Smith, etc).
Yeah, I think what’s going on here is three things. Having 4 all time great QBs play at once in Brady/Manning/Brees/Rodgers skews the perception of the overall level of play in those years. Second, there’s some truly awful QB play at the bottom levels.
Lastly, rule change shave made it so that you need an elite passing game to win, so a lot of guys who are good but not great can’t contend the way they could in the past. I think if you transplanted the current crop of QBs back 10-15 years ago you’d have half the league passing the Dalton line - it’s just that now the Dalton line is the cutoff for making the playoffs, not contending.
Don’t lump Rex in with those weak armed game managers.
Offensive output and quality of QB play are not the same thing. Defenses also play a role in the equation. And specifically defenses adjusting to the schematic revolution of the past 5 years.
But what if that offensive output decline is driven by better defenses (and not just incompetent offenses)? Stats can’t settle this argument bc talent plays on both sides of the ball.
Objectively he’s also right. This year has been full of incredibly sloppy play.
Sounds more like Brady still trying to be relevant.
Yeah I kinda doubt Tom fucking Brady is ever gonna struggle for relevancy, big dawg.
true, he will only struggle for relevancy in his family
The current crop of QBs is not at the Brady/Manning level in general. I know neither of those two guys were the athletes that some of the current top guys are, but I imagine Manning and Brady having aneurysms seeing the carelessness with which a lot of the league treats the ball.
Charles Barkley says the same thing about the current state of the NBA. It’s just old retired guys jealous they can’t play anymore and nothing more.
Brady won his last ring less than 3 years ago. Equating him to Barkley who hasn’t played in like 20 years is wild lol.
I would take Mohomes over either. And how many more QBs would you need to be at that level?
Mahomes, Hurts, Lamarr, even Tua and CJ Stroud. Herbert is very fun to watch. Even guys like Purdy and Geno are well worth the Sunday sit down. I think Brady was speaking more to lack of accountability due to rules that can create mediocrity. I also think mediocrity is the wrong word. The league has more talent than ever.
Are you taking Philip Rivers and Eli over the first three I named?
Not to mention Aaron Rodgers has played in both eras.
Why Rivers and Eli? They were pretty mediocre in their time. I absolutely would not take those you mentioned for someone like Brees or Big Ben, or Rivers in fact. Eli is a maybe as he was very inconsistent but seemed to come good when it mattered, like a reverse Lamar.
stupid take. mahomes is literally the greatest qb to ever touch the turf
To 12 year olds sure
whos better
Marino
Grown men think that as well, atleast talent wise
Aight relax. Can’t make guarantees this early in his career.
you should try watching him play sometime
Mahomes is just as good as Brady/manning
Delusion and recency bias + media overhype + modern era NFL has gotten to you.
He has the talent but he hasn’t reached their mental understanding and go for the kill mentality they had yet.
In general, these guys are such athletic freaks now, that they never learned to read a defense or really learned the game. They didn’t have to.
The QBs today only know the current way of playing (since 2004)…so it’s like playing on “Hard” mode. Brady, Manning etc., played on “Ultra Hard” mode to start their careers. Rules changes made it feel like “normal” mode.
Defensive players in today’s game are better than when Manning/Brady played because they play effectively even WITH all the handcuffs on defenders. They never had the old rules so there was no adjustment. The rule changes were from 19 years ago. Most top shelf defenders were somewhere between Pee Wee and middle school football at that point. Some guys were too young even for Pee Wee 19 years ago. All they know is modern ball so this feels normal for them.
TL;DR - old QBs had an advantage with the rule switch 19 years ago but modern QBs don’t have the advantage since modern defensive players only know one way to play
What rule switch 19 years ago?
Are you talking about illegal contact?
This is what happens when you get college qbs to play college systems instead of maturing to nfl offense
Ok but is it just Pickett killing the averages
My pops is a diehard Steelers fan (how the fuck did that happen?) and thinks Pickett is the shit for some reason. I’m gonna show him this comment to piss him off next time I see him. Thank you lol
Not true at all.
It’s not at the record years of 2018 and 2020, but it’s still in line with everything and on par with the upward trend of this century.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/passing.htm