That's just it about elite QBs though. They have the ability to make any defense look bad. While I agree that it doesn't seem like Phillips changes his scheme much week to week, when you have a front 7 that can rush the quarterback consistently, you don't necessarily need to. It's pretty evident that the biggest difference from last season to this season is the fact that guys like Reed, Barwin, Smith, and even our NT were all getting to the quarterback at a much more successful clip last year. This season, it almost seems like he's calling safety blitzes out of NECESSITY rather than for the jollies. Even then though, guys like Rodgers and Brees can still blow up your game plan. 6 TDs is a bit excessive, but I felt like the defense was playing pretty damn well against the Saints last year, and he still lit us up for 40. Once he keyed in on our weakness, he had the skill to be able to exploit it to the point of winning the game. I doubt someone like Alex Smith or Jay Cutler could have brought the Saints back in that one.
If the standard is Brees*/Rodgers, then there are only 2 other QBs in their class: Brady and E. Manning (and, frankly, Manning, as good as he's been in two playoff runs, can be rather erratic in the regular season) - so why get worked up about it? They'll play an "elite" QB roughly once every 12 games. They stuffed Roethlisberger (everyone keeps forgetting we beat him last year and he has a legitimate "elite" case) and Ryan; they shut down Manning (same QBR as Rodgers) and held Flacco in check (not elite; but very good) twice (including holding him to zero TDs in their first meeting). * (And BTW, regarding Bress - he eventually got his - great QBs will. But they did intercept him twice and held him to 17 through 3. He just went off in the 4Q. You have to play to til the whistle, so no moral victories here - but it's not like he came out of the gate firing lasers and picking the team apart.)
Why, because we beat them? So elite QBs are only elite if they beat us. Once they lose to us, they're not elite anymore. So we will never beat an elite QB because once we do, they're no longer elite. My head is spinning.... It's almost like saying the Texans will never win a game in which the other team scores more points than they do.
Manning was elite vs Pittsburgh, but wasnt elite against the Texans, he was elite against Oakland and San Diego, but he wasnt elite against New England and Atlanta
I said this in the off season. Wade has a pattern. You can not deny that. Torrey Smith match up will be interesting.
*To be fair, I think the Steelers were starting two offensive lineman they picked up during the week.
I guess if you consider elite as making it to the superbowl then that would explain Peyton, Rodgers, and Brees but no Ryan. I think it's less about the QB and more about the type of offense. Manning and Ryan's (last year) offense aren't as open and pass-dependent as Rodgers and Brees. I guess we'll tell more when thi defense faces the Patriot's offense.
