DenBronx
10-29-2007, 12:26 PM
I just finished reading Masons new article this Monday. He did a comparison of Cutler vs Favre. Cutler vs a lot of really good QBs, then Cutler vs the 2006 class.
Now im not sold on 11 stats but it is very interesting to see how he stacks up and how he is handling the NFL so far. Id like to see this after 16 games to tell you the truth because that is one full year.
Anyhow here is the article. This was sorta debated on BM but not as profound.
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2007/10/29/cutler-through-11-games-so-far-so-good/#comment-57204
« Bailey, Henry Sit Out Friday Night SessionCutler Through 11 Games: So Far, So Good
Good morning and good Monday from Colorado, which tonight will merely be the capital of the football world, not the sporting world in general, since the hometown Rockies went down in four games to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.
Admittedly, it seemed as though the Broncos’ realm went on momentary backburner in the community’s consciousness in deference to the World Series. It’s quite understandable; even Head Coach Mike Shanahan talked of wanting to be able to watch the Rockies’ games when he answered media questions throughout the last few weeks. It wasn’t difficult to get caught up in the extraordinary nature of their run to the World Series — and the 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in no way diminishes the magnitude of their accomplishment. Just like the Broncos of ‘77 — a comparison made by fellow blogger Jim Saccomano — simply being a part of the season’s final duel made the year a success beyond any observer’s dreams. Other Rockies teams might win the World Series someday, but perhaps none will be as special and magical as this group.
By the way, I did manage to make it to Saturday’s Game 3, but I’ll write about that another time.
Tonight, the Colorado sporting stage belongs to the Broncos, and perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this game between the Broncos and Green Bay Packers is the comparison at quarterback — particularly the parallels that many have drawn between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre.
Stylistically, the comparison is often made, with many considering Cutler of the “gunslinger” ilk of passer personified by Favre. Broncos cornerback Dre’ Bly said that Cutler indeed reminded him of the longtime Packers star, whom he faced twice annually from 2003-06 while playing for the Detroit Lions.
“The one thing about Jay, he might make a mistake, but he’s going to go back out there and throw the football and not let any mistake faze him,” Bly said. “That’s the kind of guy you want behind center — a guy that’s going to give you the opportunity to win and a guy that’s going to give you a chance to make a play.”
But making any comparison of a young quarterback to one whose legacy is already assured and whose resumes are already overflowing is not fair to the younger passers, who a) surely want to establish their own name and identity and b) who already exist under enough pressure by playing in the NFL.
Shanahan expressed a similar sentiment last week.
“You guys (the media) asked me to compare Brian Griese’s arm strength to Joe Montana and I did, so I said Brian Griese is Joe Montana,” Shanahan said last week. “To use a reference like that in front of you guys, I think I’ll stay away from that because all of a sudden Jay Cutler now will be Brett Favre in (Cutler’s) first year as a starter.”
Boiling down the numbers of their first 11 starts, here’s how tonight’s starting quarterbacks stack up:
CUTLER AND FAVRE — THEIR FIRST 11 STARTS
JAY CUTLER, 2006-07
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
318 201 63.2 2,407 16 13 86.0
BRETT FAVRE, 1992
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
360 235 65.3 2,490 14 8 89.0
Pretty comparable. Favre’s slight edge in passer rating owes to his lower interception percentage (2.22 pct. to 4.09 pct.) and higher completion percentage (shown above); Cutler has the advantage in touchdown percentage (5.03 pct. to 3.88 pct.) and yardage per attempt (7.57 yards to 6.92). What isn’t shown above are the quarterbacks’ comeback statistics; Cutler has six game-winning or -tying fourth-quarter/overtime drives in his first 11 starts, while Favre had three (although that does not include a game-winning march against Cincinnati when he entered in relief of Don Majkowski).
These numbers also piqued my curiousity as to how Cutler stacked up with other notable quarterbacks of the past 25 years in their first 11 starts. This is by no means intended to represent a complete list; rather, it is a smattering of quarterbacks who have enjoyed some measure of success — whether in terms of being a long-term starter or significant playoff accomplishment — over the last 20-plus years. Contrast Cutler’s numbers with theirs, and you’ll see that the young passer is off to an above-average start to his career:
SOME NOTABLE QUUARTERBACKS — THEIR FIRST 11 STARTS
TROY AIKMAN, 1989
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
293 155 52.9 1,749 9 18 55.7
DREW BLEDSOE, 1993
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
370 179 48.4 2,069 11 14 59.8
TOM BRADY, 2001
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
320 212 66.3 2,254 16 9 91.6
RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, 1985-87
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
291 153 52.6 1,900 9 14 63.4
TRENT DILFER, 1994-95
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
274 138 50.4 1707 3 12 55.4
BOOMER ESIASON, 1984-85
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
286 159 52.6 2,017 17 10 83.0
JIM EVERETT, 1986-87
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
324 157 48.5 1,869 9 17 53.9
BRETT FAVRE, 1992
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
360 235 65.3 2,490 14 8 89.0
JEFF GARCIA, 1999-2000
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
381 230 60.4 2,633 14 9 83.6
JIM KELLY, 1986
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
317 191 60.3 2,389 15 12 83.7
BERNIE KOSAR, 1985-86
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
271 137 50.6 1,766 9 7 71.7
PEYTON MANNING, 1998
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
407 223 54.8 2,453 16 22 63.4
DAN MARINO, 1983-84
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
312 187 59.9 2,515 24 7 101.9
DONOVAN McNABB, 1999-2000
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
333 184 55.3 1,777 14 10 71.9
STEVE McNAIR, 1995-97
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
292 160 54.8 2,136 12 9 79.1
CARSON PALMER, 2004
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
372 216 58.1 2,313 13 16 70.1
JAKE PLUMMER, 1997-98
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
356 188 52.8 2,475 15 18 68.0
PHILIP RIVERS, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
331 215 65.0 2,440 15 6 94.5
MARK RYPIEN, 1988-89
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
319 176 55.2 2,735 23 13 90.8
VINNY TESTAVERDE, 1987-88
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
389 185 47.6 2,873 12 21 60.3
KURT WARNER, 1999
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
346 228 65.9 2,862 29 7 111.0
STEVE YOUNG, 1985-86
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
258 135 52.3 1,744 6 10 65.6
AVERAGES
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
327.4 183.8 56.4 2,234.8 13.9 12.2 75.8
So relative to that sample set of quarterbacks in their first 11 games, Cutler had a significantly better completion percentage (6.8 percent, to be exact), more touchdowns, more yardage, and slightly more interceptions (0.8 more than the norm of this group).
Finally, there is the inevitable comparison with the other two quarterbacks in the 2006 first round. In passing numbers, Cutler is at the head of this class:
THE CLASS OF ‘06 — FIRST 11 STARTS
JAY CUTLER, 2006-07
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
318 201 63.2 2,407 16 13 86.0
MATT LEINART, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
368 208 56.5 2,493 11 11 74.9
VINCE YOUNG, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
277 146 52.7 1,656 9 10 66.7
AVERAGES
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
320.3 185.0 57.5 2,185.3 12.0 11.3 75.9
Just some numbers to consider, nothing more.
Now im not sold on 11 stats but it is very interesting to see how he stacks up and how he is handling the NFL so far. Id like to see this after 16 games to tell you the truth because that is one full year.
Anyhow here is the article. This was sorta debated on BM but not as profound.
http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2007/10/29/cutler-through-11-games-so-far-so-good/#comment-57204
« Bailey, Henry Sit Out Friday Night SessionCutler Through 11 Games: So Far, So Good
Good morning and good Monday from Colorado, which tonight will merely be the capital of the football world, not the sporting world in general, since the hometown Rockies went down in four games to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.
Admittedly, it seemed as though the Broncos’ realm went on momentary backburner in the community’s consciousness in deference to the World Series. It’s quite understandable; even Head Coach Mike Shanahan talked of wanting to be able to watch the Rockies’ games when he answered media questions throughout the last few weeks. It wasn’t difficult to get caught up in the extraordinary nature of their run to the World Series — and the 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in no way diminishes the magnitude of their accomplishment. Just like the Broncos of ‘77 — a comparison made by fellow blogger Jim Saccomano — simply being a part of the season’s final duel made the year a success beyond any observer’s dreams. Other Rockies teams might win the World Series someday, but perhaps none will be as special and magical as this group.
By the way, I did manage to make it to Saturday’s Game 3, but I’ll write about that another time.
Tonight, the Colorado sporting stage belongs to the Broncos, and perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this game between the Broncos and Green Bay Packers is the comparison at quarterback — particularly the parallels that many have drawn between Jay Cutler and Brett Favre.
Stylistically, the comparison is often made, with many considering Cutler of the “gunslinger” ilk of passer personified by Favre. Broncos cornerback Dre’ Bly said that Cutler indeed reminded him of the longtime Packers star, whom he faced twice annually from 2003-06 while playing for the Detroit Lions.
“The one thing about Jay, he might make a mistake, but he’s going to go back out there and throw the football and not let any mistake faze him,” Bly said. “That’s the kind of guy you want behind center — a guy that’s going to give you the opportunity to win and a guy that’s going to give you a chance to make a play.”
But making any comparison of a young quarterback to one whose legacy is already assured and whose resumes are already overflowing is not fair to the younger passers, who a) surely want to establish their own name and identity and b) who already exist under enough pressure by playing in the NFL.
Shanahan expressed a similar sentiment last week.
“You guys (the media) asked me to compare Brian Griese’s arm strength to Joe Montana and I did, so I said Brian Griese is Joe Montana,” Shanahan said last week. “To use a reference like that in front of you guys, I think I’ll stay away from that because all of a sudden Jay Cutler now will be Brett Favre in (Cutler’s) first year as a starter.”
Boiling down the numbers of their first 11 starts, here’s how tonight’s starting quarterbacks stack up:
CUTLER AND FAVRE — THEIR FIRST 11 STARTS
JAY CUTLER, 2006-07
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
318 201 63.2 2,407 16 13 86.0
BRETT FAVRE, 1992
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
360 235 65.3 2,490 14 8 89.0
Pretty comparable. Favre’s slight edge in passer rating owes to his lower interception percentage (2.22 pct. to 4.09 pct.) and higher completion percentage (shown above); Cutler has the advantage in touchdown percentage (5.03 pct. to 3.88 pct.) and yardage per attempt (7.57 yards to 6.92). What isn’t shown above are the quarterbacks’ comeback statistics; Cutler has six game-winning or -tying fourth-quarter/overtime drives in his first 11 starts, while Favre had three (although that does not include a game-winning march against Cincinnati when he entered in relief of Don Majkowski).
These numbers also piqued my curiousity as to how Cutler stacked up with other notable quarterbacks of the past 25 years in their first 11 starts. This is by no means intended to represent a complete list; rather, it is a smattering of quarterbacks who have enjoyed some measure of success — whether in terms of being a long-term starter or significant playoff accomplishment — over the last 20-plus years. Contrast Cutler’s numbers with theirs, and you’ll see that the young passer is off to an above-average start to his career:
SOME NOTABLE QUUARTERBACKS — THEIR FIRST 11 STARTS
TROY AIKMAN, 1989
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
293 155 52.9 1,749 9 18 55.7
DREW BLEDSOE, 1993
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
370 179 48.4 2,069 11 14 59.8
TOM BRADY, 2001
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
320 212 66.3 2,254 16 9 91.6
RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, 1985-87
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
291 153 52.6 1,900 9 14 63.4
TRENT DILFER, 1994-95
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
274 138 50.4 1707 3 12 55.4
BOOMER ESIASON, 1984-85
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
286 159 52.6 2,017 17 10 83.0
JIM EVERETT, 1986-87
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
324 157 48.5 1,869 9 17 53.9
BRETT FAVRE, 1992
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
360 235 65.3 2,490 14 8 89.0
JEFF GARCIA, 1999-2000
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
381 230 60.4 2,633 14 9 83.6
JIM KELLY, 1986
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
317 191 60.3 2,389 15 12 83.7
BERNIE KOSAR, 1985-86
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
271 137 50.6 1,766 9 7 71.7
PEYTON MANNING, 1998
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
407 223 54.8 2,453 16 22 63.4
DAN MARINO, 1983-84
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
312 187 59.9 2,515 24 7 101.9
DONOVAN McNABB, 1999-2000
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
333 184 55.3 1,777 14 10 71.9
STEVE McNAIR, 1995-97
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
292 160 54.8 2,136 12 9 79.1
CARSON PALMER, 2004
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
372 216 58.1 2,313 13 16 70.1
JAKE PLUMMER, 1997-98
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
356 188 52.8 2,475 15 18 68.0
PHILIP RIVERS, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
331 215 65.0 2,440 15 6 94.5
MARK RYPIEN, 1988-89
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
319 176 55.2 2,735 23 13 90.8
VINNY TESTAVERDE, 1987-88
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
389 185 47.6 2,873 12 21 60.3
KURT WARNER, 1999
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
346 228 65.9 2,862 29 7 111.0
STEVE YOUNG, 1985-86
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
258 135 52.3 1,744 6 10 65.6
AVERAGES
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
327.4 183.8 56.4 2,234.8 13.9 12.2 75.8
So relative to that sample set of quarterbacks in their first 11 games, Cutler had a significantly better completion percentage (6.8 percent, to be exact), more touchdowns, more yardage, and slightly more interceptions (0.8 more than the norm of this group).
Finally, there is the inevitable comparison with the other two quarterbacks in the 2006 first round. In passing numbers, Cutler is at the head of this class:
THE CLASS OF ‘06 — FIRST 11 STARTS
JAY CUTLER, 2006-07
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
318 201 63.2 2,407 16 13 86.0
MATT LEINART, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
368 208 56.5 2,493 11 11 74.9
VINCE YOUNG, 2006
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
277 146 52.7 1,656 9 10 66.7
AVERAGES
ATT. COMP. PCT. YDS. TD INT RATE
320.3 185.0 57.5 2,185.3 12.0 11.3 75.9
Just some numbers to consider, nothing more.