Are NFL teams really better today?
Sure they are bigger, faster, and stronger, but are they better?
The NFL is a team game after all.
The whole body is driven by the brain.
And the brain is the big guy behind center.
The quarterback. The big money man who runs the show.
He can destroy his team or carry it on his broad shoulders.
But how much better is the big boy, the key player, than he was in 1980?
Steve Young says the most significant difference in the game today is poor QB play by unprepared or just poor players at the position.
Lets have a look.
Cincinnati Bengals
Ken Anderson was the Bengals' 1980 signal caller. He is a nominee for the NFL Hall of Fame and led his team to one Super Bowl. A classic drop-back passer, he had a long, productive career.
Today's Carson Palmer has talent, pedigree, and stats, but he's hasn't done much in the postseason and the Bengals are a mess.
Edge: Anderson, but Palmer still has potential.
Atlanta Falcons
Steve Bartkowski was a long-time, excellent QB on some pretty good Atlanta Falcon teams. Today, the post-Vick Falcons are a wreck. Matt Ryan is an untested rookie, and the rest are journeymen.
Edge: Bartkowski, even if Vick wasn't picked off by prison.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw post four Super Bowl wins.
Sorry Big Ben.
Edge: Bradshaw big over Ben.
Detroit Lions
The Lions have lacked a QB since Bobby Layne.
Gary Danielson was the man in '80. Danielson was a well-seasoned pro that played well a number of years.
Current QB Jon Kitna is erratic and turnover prone.
Edge: Danielson, due to Kitna's inconsistency.
San Francisco 49ers
Capable journeyman Steve DeBerg played a long time in the league. When filling in at spots, he was extremely productive.
Alex Smith so far has been a flop despite his high-pick status.
Edge: The journeyman, DeBerg, who was at least capable. Smith is a dud.
Green Bay Packers
Lynn Dickey was in the poor post-Starr swirl that was the '70's Green Bay Packers.
Aaron Rodgers is engulfed in the post-Favre madness.
Edge: Even. Unknown quality in Rogers, but he had flashes.
Chicago Bears
Vince Evans was a long-time scrambling Chicago Bear QB who made both bonehead plays and big plays, but he played a long time in the big leagues.
Rex Grossman is a nightmare.
Edge: Evans. Even with turnover problems, he might be enough for the Bears to win the big one today with defense. Grossman is a total negative.
Buffalo Bills
Joe Ferguson played a long time in Buffalo at a high level. Trent Edwards still hasn't done it.
Edge: At this point Ferguson, but Edwards may excel.
L.A./St. Louis Rams
Mark Bulger has moments when he plays at a Pro Bowl level, but the Rams are in decline. Vince Ferragamo reached the Super Bowl against the Steelers in 1979.
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Edge: Bulger. But close. Given time, which he won't be gifted with, Bulger can still fire away.
San Diego Chargers
Dan Fouts is in the Hall of Fame. Phillip Rivers has yet to shine in a playoff game. But then neither did Fouts.
Edge: Fouts
Kansas City Chiefs
Brodie Croyle has been mostly bad in Kansas City. Steve Fuller was a high pick that washed out of Kansas City, but he later won a playoff game with the Bears.
Edge: Fuller. Croyle has done next to nothing.
New England Patriots
Steve Grogan is a Boston hero. He led the Patriots to some shining seasons and is the second best QB in Patriot history. The first?
Edge: Tom Brady
St. Louis/Arizona Cardinals
Jim Hart played a long time at a near Hall of Fame level on some good Cardinal teams. He still has a shot at the Hall.
Currently in Cardinal land, the disappointing Matt Leinart and the old and injured Kurt Warner reign.
Edge: Hart
Philadelphia Eagles
In Philadelphia, Ron Jaworski was heading to the 1980 Super Bowl. When given time, Jaws could play at a Pro Bowl level, but he had problems in the big games.
Donovan McNabb, aging and no longer much of a running threat, has the same big-game knocks.
Edge: Jaws. Mostly McNabb, career wise, but in '80, Jaws was hot.
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
Bert Jones was a Baltimore battler who would be making big dough today. Injuries hampered a potentially Hall of Fame career. But Peyton Manning is in Indianapolis.
Edge: Manning, but Jones is better them most anyone not named Brady or Peyton today.
Minnesota Vikings
Tommy Kramer was a streaky Pro Bowler for the Minnesota Vikings. Today Tarvaris Jackson is just another bad QB who hasn't been given time to develop.
Edge: Kramer
New Orleans Saints
Peyton and Eli's Poppa was getting pounded in New Orleans in 1980. Drew Brees has played at a Pro Bowl level for much of his career.
Edge: Even. Archie had talent, but not much team.
Denver Broncos
Craig Morton led the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Not much of a game changer, he was coached to just not lose.
Cutler just hasn't won many big games.
Edge: Morton, two Super Bowl appearances mean something, right?
Oakland Raiders
In 1980, the resurgent Jim Plunkett, a potential Hall of Fame player, was leading the Raiders to his first Super Bowl win.
Today the Raiders don't know what they got.
Edge: Plunkett
New York Giants
Eli Manning just won one Super Bowl, but Giant fans would take Phil Simms to win the big one.
This is tough. Simms in 1986 was better then Manning. But Simms in '80 wasn't as seasoned as Manning in '08.
Edge: Manning
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns were the cardiac kids with deep-firing Brian Sipe. Derek Anderson is still developing.
Edge: Sipe
Houston Oilers/Tennesse Titans
The Snake. Ken Stabler slithered to Houston in 1980.
Today in Houston, now Tennessee, has the confused Vince Young. The Snake was almost shot, but he still could run an offense. Young looks badly befuddled.
Edge: Stabler
Washington Redskins
In 1980, Redskin land's Joe Theismann was waiting for Joe Gibbs. He had Super Bowls in his future. Right now, no one knows what the erratic Jason Campbell has in his.
Edge: Theismann
New York Jets
Richard Todd and the New York Sack Exchange nearly had the Jets in the Bowl. Chad Pennington has a weak arm and Kellen Clemens is still learning.
Edge: Todd
Dallas Cowboys
Danny White could never be Roger Staubach in Big D. But he was capable enough to win some playoff games and pilot the Cowboys to the brink of the Super Bowl in 1980.
Tony Romo hasn't done it on the biggest stage yet, either.
Edge: Even
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In Tampa Bay, Doug Williams almost took the Buccaneers to the big game in 1978. In 1980, he was playing at a high level.
Jeff Garcia is smartly efficient on an average team, but he hasn't reached the big game. An he lacks Williams' physical tools.
Edge: Williams
Miami Dolphins
David Woodley, 28 years later, is the only dead QB on this list. The former LSU star was the youngest QB ever to start a Super Bowl, but his life and career self-destructed soon after.
Still today, the Fish have nothing in the net.
Edge: Woodley
Seattle Seahawks
Today the left-handed scrambling Jim Zorn is the coach of the Washington Redskins. His Seahawk descendant is Matt Hasselbeck who has had Pro Bowl streaks.
Zorn was a great competitor on a developing team, but Hasselbeck is the better pure passer.
Edge: Hasselbeck.
The old guys win big.
The overall quality of QB play today is poor. Despite Hall of Famers Manning and Brady.
The over all quality of play today is poorer.
Free agency weakened teams. No longer do QBs have the benefit of long-time linemen and seasoned receivers to fall back on.
And QBs are thrown to the fire earlier and yanked more often.
No longer can coaches afford to let a young QB sit, listen, and learn for a few years on the bench.
By taking play calling away from most QBs, coaches have weakened their most vital spot by depriving players of their ability to think, adjust, and adapt.
Big money, big media, and big expectations for immediate success spells doom for many signal callers today.
And spells parity for most teams and fans today.
As most QBs become average, or poor, so follows the franchise.
Parity follows the QB.
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about 1 month ago
I think your spot on about QB play at present. With coaches calling plays over headsets and inventing more complex offenses, the job of QB has become more difficult as far as focus is concerned.
Right now, many NFL teams are in a QB transition, so this year makes it look really bad for present QBs when compared to the oldies. While these younger guys might deserve a little more credit (okay, maybe just a couple of them), they still need to show us what they got.
I'm sure it also doesn't help that almost every defensive position is bigger, more physical and more capable of crushing QBs into man meat than they were several years ago.
about 1 month ago
Interesting article although I'm not sure i can agree with everything. Some of those players from the past may have had a better year in 1980 but the truth remains it's an almost incomparable game. Its easy to say that the overall quality of the qaurterback play is low but it's become hard for teams to keep offensive lineman and with a lack of chemistry there its hard for the qb to get protection, and as it gets harder to keep recievers it becomes harder to run the offense, with out the chemistry the precise timing of routes NFL playbooks require is completly thrown off. I think it's practically unfair to make some of these comparisons, especially the falcons one. No one knows how atlantas season will go and most people will tell you that Matt Ryan isn't really going to be a franchise quality qb but the fact is untill he plays and they put some talent around him we'll have no idea what kind of player he'll be. Overall interesting article that certainly got me thinking.
about 1 month ago
Well its just the particular season and the 1980 Steve Barkowski year will be better then anyone the Falcons throw out this year.
And it is a lack chemistry due to free agency disrupting the offensive lines and wide receivers not spending years getting to know their QB's.
QB's don't get to sit and learn but most important many are encouraged to think, adjust, and adapt behind center.
Different game but I'd say parity made the league much poorer and the QB play showcases it..
As for defenders being bigger and faster sure they are but they also suffer from a lack of chemistry compared to the defenses that played togetehr a long time.
But the bigges t difference is the level of violence inflicted upon QB's.
In 1980 QB's could be clubbed. Head shots were allowed and defenders didn't pull up no they put QB's down hard, early and often.
The offense line rules on holding were far less liberal and defenders could still bump and run.
All being advantage for the defense.
The big mouth receivers the league currently breeds would have a hard time handling the head shots and the vicious punishment dished out then.
Peyton Manning never had to know the pain Archie received...
In 84 as Archie winded down his career in Minnesota I thought the Bears 46 defense was literally going to cripple him permanently in the pocket...
How would the guys today take the head shots, late hits, blind side shots, and forearms to the face?
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