I know its early, but to have so many QBs still with over a 100 rating seems staggering. I was looking up Schaub's rating and I didn't realize he had five QBs in front of him. His rating is 102. Through six weeks, still have 8 with above 100 ratings. in 08 you had 1, 07 you had 3, in 06 1, in 05 2, and 04 4. Note in 04, that's when the league stiffened the rules on CB play.
It happened for the worse. In a few decades, what is going to be point of having (playing or paying) a defense? If you have NFL defense giving up over 35+ ppg, you might as well be hiring guys off the street to play. This is not to take anything away from the offenses, but like basketball, they seem to have an apparent advantage.
Incredible indeed. The craziest thing is Tom Brady is 9th on the list and not at 100 + yet. Brady will move up for sure. Also Ryan, Mcnabb, Rivers, and Warner all have chances of moving up and joining the club. The only player in the club that's exceeded expectations is Orton and he'd be most likely to fall but even so he's playing within himself at a highly efficient level.
The league has basically adopted offense only rules much like the NBA and its current explosion of guard play. Defense is now pushed to the side after so many defensive only Superbowl teams in the early part of this decade (Bucs, Ravens, Steelers and even Patriots circa 2001-2003). The league wants its big moneymakers aka Lebron types on offense. Look no further than the fact that after rule changes in 2005, Manning throws record TDs in a season then Brady goes all crazy in 2007. Look at what Drew Brees career looked in San Diego, he was on the verge out becoming a bust, the Chargers drafted Rivers to replace him. Then all of a sudden Brees become this top flight QB. The rules on defense basically make playing defense almost impossible. You can't touch the QB, WR or even a RB anymore. Slightest contact and you have flags thrown all over the place like bomb shells.
I used to rant about this all the time because this was the peyton manning rule. the colts were muscled in the 03-04 playoff season by the pats and then the league stiffened the rules. the next year peyton sets the the td record. I'm so damn happy tom brady broke that mofo
Is scoring really up over time? I looked at 2002 and 2009, and the scoring is basically the same (43.8 combined ppg vs 43.4)
The Brady Rule, which was an extension of the not so taken seriously Carson Palmer rule. I know QBs have to be protected, but you have to wonder how far will things be penalized, even for very legal hard hits. Also, what if a defender comes along reaches over 30 sacks a season or a defenses starts getting to point where they can easily get pressure and knockdowns without the QB being able to get the ball off quick enough. Does the league start to impose a delay or give a line of scrimmage advantage to an offense? You have to wonder about thing like that. Since, if defenses start figure out ways around the rules and use them to their advantage.
I don't think the points are an issue as much the advantage given to offenses on passing (yards) and receiving. But the contact rules, actually started to occur in late 70s. Because, when I was younger I noticed it was funny that a receiver could be knocked around all over the field by defenders in older NFL games. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_NFL_season (First excessive celebration rule - Mark Gastineau) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_NFL_season http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes (Tuck Rule) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes (Stricter Roughing the passer rules) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_NFL_season#Major_rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_NFL_season#Rule_changes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_NFL_season#Rule_changes I think NFL is just anal, anyway, college and high school isn't nearly as restrictive with amateurs. I think some of it is the QBs being talented with more coordinators and DBs being crappy. At the same time, offenses have benefited by the rules in effort to develop a consistent passing game. I'm pretty sure, if that Mel Blount rule was taken more lightly or not on the books at all, you would see much fewer QBs averaging over 60% of their passes a game. #ell, most (good) QBs who played in the league pre-2000, had several season where they threw under 60% in completion percentage, which tells right there that the league was lighter on defensive passing.
I beg to differ. That is probably one of the more breakable records in the league. 22.5 is the record. That record is not going to stand. Also, 8 more sacks. That's a good number to get to, but definitely not impossible. Especially, if teams are starting to use pass plays more and more over the run. Also, the league is filled with beastly, superhuman defensive ends in some seasons, there have been guys on pace for 25 and 26, after 8 games. Someone will get 25 to 27 in the next 11 years.
You'd have to average just under 2 per game. In 1987, Reggie White averaged 1.75 per game. 30 sacks in a season is out there, but is more likely than a bunch of sports milestones.
Especially when the NFL expands to 18 games. The sack didn't become an official stat until 1982. Some of the great pass rushers like Deacon Jones never were credited with sacks. Even with the 12 or 14-game seasons back then, I'm sure he would have been up there in number of sacks. Getting back to the OP's topic of incredible QB play this season, the most number of quarterbacks with a rating of 100 or higher in a season is 4. It has happened twice -- 1998 and 2004. With 8 quarterbacks at 100 or higher this season, it could be a record breaking year.
This. The illegal contact rule is a joke. Another thing is all the protection in the world the quarterback gets. They introduced a new rule this past year (The Tom Brady rule) and will probably keep introducing them. I'm all for quarterback/player safety but if this current trend continues you might as well put a flag on the quarterback or have defenders just tag them for sacks.
Quarterbacks are quickly approaching the realm of untouchable. The rules like those is why you won't have anyone break the 22 sack sack record. Surprised they still have intentional grounding - but it is so vague they may as well not. Rocket River
Tell me about it. Remember several years ago when coaches and GMs all wanted a quarterback with pocket presence along with some mobility? What's the point now?
