So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

[Dee Dub]

Well according to Peter King.

"The smarter Byron Leftwich has the edge over the more mobile Dennis Dixon to start the opener, but it's still a fluid quarterback situation."

[url="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/08/17/mail/index.html?eref=sihp"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/w ... ?eref=sihp[/url]

The more experienced...yes, but the smarter? How has that been determined? Have the Steelers said this publicly?

[Crash]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Speculation by those in the know suggest that Dixon is still having trouble grasping his 3 year old playbook.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

I read that too.

Definitely a head scratcher. Maybe, by "smarter" they meant- "more experienced"?

[jj28west]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Dee,

I cant remember but was Byron further along in development then DD in his third year?

I know completely different situations but Byron played decent his 1st couple years in Jacksonville. I still think that DD has a limited playbook with limited progressions.

I dont think P King meant to use the term "smarter" in the context of DD being dumb but that Byron may have more football smarts right now. Just my 2 ?.

[ANPSTEEL]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

I read that too.

Definitely a head scratcher. Maybe, by "smarter" they meant- "more experienced"?

or

Maybe they really do think Dixon is stupid.

or- just Leftwich is smarter with the football.

[Dee Dub]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Speculation by those in the know suggest that Dixon is still having trouble grasping his 3 year old playbook.

That would fall under more experienced...not smarter. Those in any terms are two different things.

[Dee Dub]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Dee,

I cant remember but was Byron further along in development then DD in his third year?

I know completely different situations but Byron played decent his 1st couple years in Jacksonville. I still think that DD has a limited playbook with limited progressions.

I dont think P King meant to use the term "smarter" in the context of DD being dumb but that Byron may have more football smarts right now. Just my 2 ?.

Yes he was...but Leftwich was a first round pick (7th overall), and was nearly given the first team right away. Dixon on the other hand came to the Steelers off an injury. And with the Steelers having one of the leagues premier QB's in Roethlisberger no way was Dixon getting much run with the first team.

It makes a huge difference.

[steelsnis]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

My read on that is he's just trying to throw Byron a bone. It's like saying an aging wide receiver "runs great routes" and is "a crafty veteran" .

Dixon is like the raw athlete and Leftwich is the "crafty vet " in this case.

[Chadman]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Or another option- maybe, just maybe, we have a poster that wants this to be more of an issue than it really is?



It's a throwaway line that, pretty sure 90% of us would believe means Lefty is more experienced at the position.

[sd steel]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Maybe King has the wonderlic scores.

[Oviedo]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Since I'm here in Fla and get some of the sports out out J-ville, Lefty always had the rep for being a smart player.

Think back to the season that he was with the Steelers. As I recall, after every offensive serious he was next to Ben pointing out things on the pictures they get.

The thing I like about Leftwich is that he knows what he can do and he knows what he can't do. he plays within himself and IMO that allows him to limit mistakes and not try to force something that is not there. That is why he gets rid of the ball so quickly. He knows he isn't going to scramble around.

That type of knowledge and experience is why he is the right choice to start with Ben out.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Once again, the white man perpetuating the stereotype of the fat black quarterback being smarter and the skinny black quarterback being more mobile. Just because you look like a tall mutant version of Gary Coleman doesn't make you smarter.

[Slapstick]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Speculation by those in the know suggest that Dixon is still having trouble grasping his 3 year old playbook.

Yeah, it sure looked that way on Saturday...

[frankthetank1]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Speculation by those in the know suggest that Dixon is still having trouble grasping his 3 year old playbook.

ben is a very smart qb on the field. i know he had a pretty basic playbook his first couple of years. i would think that would be the case with just about every young qb who comes into the nfl.

[Dee Dub]

Re: So Byron Leftwich is Smarter??? Say what??

Or another option- maybe, just maybe, we have a poster that wants this to be more of an issue than it really is?

No not really..I just think King shouldn't be saying stuff like that. If you look at King's most recent Ben Roethlisberger column you can see how he nit picks everything Ben says and does yet he himself says something like this with Leftwich and Dixon.

But this is a Steeler Discussion board...maybe I should refrain from bringing up topics that you dont like? Maybe more Vanilla would suit you??