Wheee! Look at the NFL QB's breaking Marino's record...

[brothervad]

Geez look at how many NFL QB's may break Marino's record. 4 of them have a shot. Anybody who doesn't think the new NFL policy on hits hasn't effected the game needs to have an anal-cranalectomy.

Most of you know that I am a true Steeler fan. But I have to admit that I have been less and less of an NFL fan. I don't watch as much of the non-Steeler games as I used to.

I guess I am out of the NFL's target market. I don't like the 48-35 games with tons of yards.

Marino in his hey day and the Mark's brothers would've thrown for over 6,000 yards in today's NFL.

While it's not the same as the PED's in baseball, I would say that stats today have to be *, simply because the game has gotten so one-sided the defense is basically handcuffed.

I guess the old saying if you can't beat them, then join em is the name of the game today.

(btw, feel free to flame on me being a whiner. I am openly admitting it. I really hate today's NFL.)

brothervad

[StarSpangledSteeler]

Geez look at how many NFL QB's may break Marino's record. 4 of them have a shot. Anybody who doesn't think the new NFL policy on hits hasn't effected the game needs to have an anal-cranalectomy.

Most of you know that I am a true Steeler fan. But I have to admit that I have been less and less of an NFL fan. I don't watch as much of the non-Steeler games as I used to.

I guess I am out of the NFL's target market. I don't like the 48-35 games with tons of yards.

Marino in his hey day and the Mark's brothers would've thrown for over 6,000 yards in today's NFL.

While it's not the same as the PED's in baseball, I would say that stats today have to be *, simply because the game has gotten so one-sided the defense is basically handcuffed.

I guess the old saying if you can't beat them, then join em is the name of the game today.

(btw, feel free to flame on me being a whiner. I am openly admitting it. I really hate today's NFL.)

brothervad

I will not flame. I agree 100%. And I also agree that we are not part of the NFL's primary target anymore. I am a Steelers fan. I don't care so much about the other teams. Unless I hate them, then I care that they lose.

But when so many people love fantasy football, it takes away from team loyalty. They're not rooting for "teams" anymore they're rooting for "points". And Goodell is catering to that.

I agree that we (Steelers) need to adapt. Shorter quicker more accurate passes. Get the ball to your fast WR's and fast RB's and fast TE's and just let them run. That is how you're going to have to play to win Super Bowls for the next few years.

[DukieBoy]

It's a different game today. I believe the NFL is catering to the contemporary short attention spans that have been programmed by abundance and by the media, shaping tendencies to lose interest without immediate gratification and frequent reinforcement.

Paradoxically, it is much less satisfying to me, an older fan who came of age in the '70's and enjoyed the 4 SB run in that decade, to see frequent and cheap scores, made easy by rules that disadvantage the defenses. Seeing a record like Marino's fall so easily as it is this year, reminds me of the steroids home run derbies of previous years in MLB, except the cause in the NFL is the handicapping of defenses rather than steroids.

Congratulations to Drew Brees, a class guy. Unlike the steroid users in MLB who actively played outside the lines, Brees plays within the rules he is given and he had nothing to do with the rules changes. He has done well, and deserves the recognition and respect for his accomplishment.

Yeah, along with Bro Vad, I doubt that I am part of the target audience for today's NFL. I won't quit watching, but I do watch less, and enjoy football less than before.

Hope the NHL doesn't change much. There was some talk about making the goal larger. How much would that cheapen hockey!

My x5

[SteelCrazy]

You said Marino and the mark's brothers would have passed for 6000 yards in todays NFL, but I have to disagree with you there. Dan was chucking the ball just as much as any of today's QB's. Also, in the 80's teams focused on the run a little more than the pass, making it a little easier to put together a good passing game plan. Dan had great blocking by the OL in Miami too........the guy hardly got dirty. Yes, the DB's were a little more physical, but remember the Mel Blount rule was put in to effect in what 78, 79.

[brothervad]

SteelCrazy,

This isn't just about the Blount rule. It's about not being able to command the over the middle stuff.

If you don't think today's rules against "defenseless" receivers, fines, suspensions wouldn't have changed Marino's numbers I would disagree with you whole-heartedly.

I do believe that defenses that hit hard/play aggressive do take the will out of players.

So 30 years of a record standing gets toasted not only once but 4 times in one year and it has nothing to do with the rules changes on hits?

Really?

Let's look at the numbers...

Marino 362 564 64.2 5084 9.0 (Pass to Rush 572/444 -- 56%/44%)
Brees 440 622 70.7 5,087 8.2 (Pass to Rush 624/396 -- 62%/38%)

So even if I keep Dan Marino's completion number the same I extrapolate to today's rules that he chucks it at a 62-38 ratio he ends up with the following number:

Marino (extrapolated): 404 630 5670

To get to 6000 at the same YPA he would have to have the following numbers
Marino (6000): 428 667 6000

So you might be right, but I was just going tongue in cheek about 6,000...I think it's pretty darn close and honestly I think Dan Marino's numbers including YPA would be bigger in this day and age of football.

to get to 6,000 on YPA on the extrapolated number would mean a 9.5 YPA.

Given today's rule changes do you think that isn't possible?

brothervad

[feltdizz]

Marino's numbers are more impressive.

[Ghost]

There should be 10 QB's going over the 4000 yard mark this season. Insane. Might as well put handcuffs on the DB's. The rules favoring the passing game as well as the refs throwing a PI flag on almost every incomplete pass have turned the NFL into a video game (and that's not a compliment).

[papillon]

There's more to the ease at which passing numbers are put up in today's game than the Mel Blount rule. Offensive linemen have been given great latitude in how they can pass block (hold legally), chop/cut blocks have been all but eliminated, the referees call the ticky-tack illegal contact after 5 yards way more frequently in today's game than they did 27 years ago and Dan stayed clean mostly because he had the quickest, most accurate release of any quarterback ever and I don't think this is even close.

Dan liked to live to play the next down and was never averse to throwing 1 or 2 away in a series if he had to.

Add that to the defenseless receiver stuff and you have a formula for video game statistics from quarterbacks.

Just for the record, I don't like the neutering of the defenses at all and don't really care for the high scoring, move the ball up and down the field with very little resistance football that we see today.

It reminds me of baseball, no one likes to watch a pitchers' duel any longer, everyone wants to see the 3 run homerun. Which is contradictory to what everyone says when they say they want more action in baseball; if you want action in baseball then small ball and pitching is what you should want to see, not, two singles and a three run bomb.

A walk/single, stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly generate more action and cause more players to be involved in a baseball game than two singles and a bomb. The problem is that one option scores one run and the other scores three, but there was more action in the one run score.

A well played defensive and offensive game generate more action in football games than when the defenses are helpless to stop the offenses, because you get plays on both sides of the ball when the defense can actually do something about the offense. Right now there are limited numbers of plays being made on the defensive side of the ball in general in the NFL.

Pappy

[D Rock]

It's a bit extreme to say 4 QBs will break Marino's mark.

Only Brees and Brady are essentially locks. The others would need monster games even in today's NFL to get there. Rodgers would need nearly 450 yds in a game he doesn't need to play in. Eli Manning would need 500 yards. I highly highly highly doubt either happens.




The thing that stands out the most to me about all these passing yardage totals...

...that the Steelers lead the league in yards allowed...again...even with a porous run defense this year allowing 40ish yards more per game than they did last year.

The Steelers have the top rated pass defense allowing only 172.2 ypg. Incredible with todays rules and our past shortcomings in that area.

[ikestops85]

There should be 10 QB's going over the 4000 yard mark this season. Insane. Might as well put handcuffs on the DB's. The rules favoring the passing game as well as the refs throwing a PI flag on almost every incomplete pass have turned the NFL into a video game (and that's not a compliment).

and have you also noticed that when the ball is un-catchable and they can't call PI they immediately go to either illegal contact or defensive holding. They have nullified the un-catchable ball part. It really has to be frustrating for defensive players in this day and age.