Bleacher Report - Articles by matt christensen

Believe It: Jake Locker Is More Talented than Tim Tebow!

matt christensen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:16:13 -0400

That's right, I'm saying it—Jake Locker of Washington is better than Florida Gator Tim Tebow. Tebow may put up better stats and touchdowns than Locker, and right now Tebow is the better QB. This article, however, is not about who is more developed, but who has more potential.

Locker and Tebow are both from the 2006 class. Locker chose to go to Washington and be a Husky, while Tebow chose to go to powerhouse Florida. Those choices alone changed the fate of both players.

Tebow is now thought of as the most amazing player in college, has two BCS championship trophies, and is the first sophomore to get the Heisman. He is an amazing player—but Jake Locker could have been better if he had gone to Florida.

Locker started out his college career as a redshirt freshman. His freshman year he would set a Pac-10 QB record with 986 rushing yards and would have topped out at over 1,000, but missed a game with a neck injury. He would finish the 2007 year with 2,062 yards passing, 14 TDs, and 15 INTs, while he rushed for 986 yards with a 5.7 YPC and 13 TDs.

Tebow would finish with 3,286 yards passing, 32 TDs, and six INTs; in rushing, he would have 895 yards with a 4.3 YPC and amazing 23 TDs.

You must think I'm crazy—Tebow's stats are much better than Locker's, and he has many more wins than Locker.

Tebow rushed for 23 TDs in '07 as a QB, while Locker only rushed for 13. Here is a stat for you: Only one of Tebow's scores was from 20 or more yards, not to mention behind a far better offensive line, while Locker has two TD runs over 20 yards. Locker also has six runs over 30 or more yards in his career, while Tebow has never had a run over 30 or more yards.

Locker also did not have privilege to throw to one of the fastest players in the NCAA in Percy Harvin, yet Locker's longest pass is 98 yards to Tebow's 70-yard pass.

Many of you will disagree—maybe all of you will—but that's fine.

Locker is faster and stronger than Tebow, while many of you will disagree and have a right to. Locker, however, has more potential then Tebow. Tebow, like every other Gator QB, is a system player and runs a spread offensive. The last QB to be drafted in the first round who ran the spread was Alex Smith, and he is now a bust, While Locker is now learning a USC pro-system. A system that was taught to Matt Lienart, and Carson Palmer. Scouts don't think he will even be a QB in the NFL, but a fullback instead.

Locker, however, was just drafted in the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim—one more thing to prove who the better athlete really is.

I want everyone to leave a comment, good or bad.

Is Hasselbeck The Man In Seattle? Or Is It Krieg?

matt christensen — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:07:48 -0500

I have always wondered who is better between these two quarterbacks: Matt Hasselbeck and Dave Krieg. I will break down every quarterback during their time in Seattle.

Hasselbeck has played for the Seattle Seahawks for seven years now. In those seven years, Hasselbeck has gone 57-39 in games started, has thrown for 23,404 yards, averaging 3,343 yards a season, has thrown for 145 touchdowns, averaging 20 a season, and has 94 interceptions thrown, averaging 13 a season. Hasselbeck has also averaged 13.7 starts a season. Hasselbeck has also took the Seahawks to nine playoff games, four of them wins, and one Super Bowl, which resulted in a loss in Super Bowl XL.

Hasselbeck's career really started when he was 26 years old, in his first year in Seattle in 2001. Hasselbeck was a sixth round pick from Boston College in 1998, and backed up Brett Favre until being traded to Seattle. Hasselbeck has only only managed to start all 16 games three times in his career, which brings questions to his durability.

Krieg is not well-known, but ranks at least the top 15 on almost every passing category.

Krieg was undrafted and came to Seattle's camp as a rookie in 1980, out of Milton College.

Pass attempts: Ranked 10th all time
Completions: Ranked 10th all time
Passing yards: Ranked 11th all time
Passing TDs: Ranked ninth all time

Those stats are rather compelling and are due to his 19 NFL career.

Krieg came into the scene in 1983, after backing up Jim Zorn, and did well. In 1983 he would lead the Seahawks to the AFC championship game against Oakland and lose. Krieg also had the advantage to throw to Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent, for most of his career. Krieg would win 70 games as the Seahawks QB and lose 49, (70-49). Below are Krieg's stats.

Passing										Rushing
Year	TM	G	Comp	Att	PCT	YD	Y/A	TD	INT	Att	Yards	TD
1980	Sea	1	0	2	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0	0
1981	Sea	7	64	112	57.1	843	7.5	7	5	11	56	1
1982	Sea	3	49	78	62.8	501	6.4	2	2	6	-3	0
1983	Sea	9	147	243	60.5	2139	8.8	18	11	16	55	2
1984	Sea	16	276	480	57.5	3671	7.6	32	24	46	186	3
1985	Sea	16	285	532	53.6	3602	6.8	27	20	35	121	1
1986	Sea	15	225	375	60.0	2921	7.8	21	11	35	122	1
1987	Sea	12	178	294	60.5	2131	7.2	23	15	36	155	2
1988	Sea	9	134	228	58.8	1741	7.6	18	8	24	64	0
1989	Sea	15	286	499	57.3	3309	6.6	21	20	40	160	0
1990	Sea	16	265	448	59.2	3194	7.1	15	20	32	115	0
1991	Sea	10	187	285	65.6	2080	7.3	11	12	13	59	0
1992	Kan	16	230	413	55.7	3115	7.5	15	12	37	74	2
1993	Kan	12	105	189	55.6	1238	6.6	7	3	21	24	0
1994	Det	14	131	212	61.8	1629	7.7	14	3	23	35	0
1995	Ari	16	304	521	58.3	3554	6.8	16	21	19	29	0
1996	Chi	13	226	377	59.9	2278	6.0	14	12	16	12	1
1997	Ten	8	1	2	50.0	2	1.0	0	0	4	-2	0
1998	Ten	5	12	21	57.1	199	9.5	0	0	3	-1	0
TOTAL		213	3105	5311	58.5	38147	7.2	261	199	417	1261	13

Hasselbeck and Krieg are very similar quarterbacks, both are pocket passers, and were known more as accurate quarterbacks than gunslingers. But the Question is: who was better? I have come to a conclusion after looking at the stats and I would have to say Krieg. Unlike Hasselbeck, Krieg played under a far less talented line. In 12 years playing for the Seahawks, Krieg started 119 games and was sacked 341 times, that's an average of three sacks a game. Krieg also was more durable than Hasslebeck.

This has been an argument long debated between fans who know of both of them. Now you can finally break down each player, and decide for yourself.

SOURCES: http://www.davekrieg.com/

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KrieDa00.htm

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HassMa00.htm

http://www.nfl.com/

Jake Locker The Athlete

matt christensen — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:56:20 -0500

Jake Locker is the pride of the University of Washington Huskie football team. Locker is often referred to as being the savior of the Washington Huskies, and he is.

Locker is possibly the most dangerous quarterback in the nation, or at least the best athlete at the quarterback position.

Locker's talent has been hidden due to playing for possibly the worst team in the nation. Locker was redshirted his freshman year in 2006 and made his debut in 2007. The redshirt freshman from Ferndale, Washington baffled many opponents with his amazing running ability and powerful running style.

Locker and the Huskies would only win four games that year, but with close losses to elite schools such as USC, gave Huskie fans reason to be optimistic.

Locker would finish the '07 with 2062 passing yards, 14 TDs, and 15 INTs passing. He also rushed for 986 yards—the most by any quarterback in Pac-10 history—and 13 touchdowns. Not bad for a freshman quarterback, is it?

In 2008, Locker would go down with a shattered thumb on his throwing hand in week four against Stanford, and would miss the rest of the season. The Huskies went winless for the first time in team history. In four games Locker would throw for 509 yards, 4 total touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

The question: Is Locker possibly the most gifted athlete in the nation, even better than Tim Tebow?

Who knows, but it is scary to think what Locker would do if he had a talented team like Tebow. At 6'3'', 230 pounds, Locker is built better than Tebow, and he is much faster. Though not as accurate as Tebow, Locker has the stronger arm.

So how good do you think Locker is?

Matt Hasselbeck: The Story

matt christensen — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:15:01 -0500

Matt Hasselbeck is possibly one of the most underrated players at his position in recent years. Every football fan knows who he is, of course, but people always ride him off as being mediocre. I can't help but ask why. Besides Tom Brady, Hasselbeck has to be one of the top draft steals in the last 10 years or so at quarterback.

Hasselbeck was drafted in the sixth round of the 1998 draft by the Green Bay Packers, was on the practice squad for a year, then became the backup to Brett Favre and was nicknamed Mr. August, for his ability in preseason games.

Hasselbeck was then brought to Seattle in 2001 via trade from Green Bay, and was instantly rejected from Seattle fans in favor of Trent Dilfer, who had just won a Super Bowl in 2000 with Baltimore.

Hasselbeck, then having two underachieving seasons in 2001 and 2002, and sharing time with Dilfer, became a success in 2003, his first year starting all 16 games. Hasselbeck would throw for more than 3,800 yards, 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, and be voted to the Pro Bowl. Not bad for a QB who was sacked 42 times that year. The Seahawks went 10-6 that year.

Then came 2005. Hasselbeck would lead the Seahawks to a 13-3 record, and there first Super Bowl appearance and be named to his second Pro Bowl.

Then came a very shaky 2006 season where he would get injured, miss four starts, and have a QB rating of just 76.0 and take the Seahawks to a record of just 9-7. Despite the record, Hasselbeck took the Seahawks to a win over the favored Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card matchup, and would fall in overtime to the NFC champion Chicago Bears.

Hasselbeck would find great Success in 2007 when he led the Seahawks to a 10-6 record, and would post career highs in almost ever passing category. He set franchise records for touchdowns, yards, completions, and attempts - 3,966 Yds, 28 TD, 12 INT. Hasselbeck would do all this despite a running game that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL.

Then came a horrible year for Hasselbeck in 2008, where he would throw for five touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven starts, this was due to a bad disk in Hasselbeck's back and having his top five wide receivers miss games and three of them go on injured reserve.

I understand people will look at those numbers and laugh saying he is mediocre. But how can he do good with a mangled up offensive line that had all five starting linemen go on IR, and have one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL? He can't. Every good QB in the NFL had a GO-TO-GUY. Hasselbeck's best WR is a 36-year-old vet by the name of Bobby Engram. That's not a promising WR to pass to when you need a big play.

My point is, is why hasn't Hasselbeck gotten any respect in the NFL?

Is Matt Hasselbeck Washed Up?

matt christensen — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:59:08 -0500

I hear all this talk that Matt Hasselbeck's days are done as a top QB in the NFL, and i cant help but ask why?

I have seen his stats. He threw twice as many interceptions than touchdowns, and that's horrible. Yet, you must look at this QB before you say that, Kurt Warner.

Everyone was so fast to get of Kurt Warner's wagon after he left the Rams and Giants, and now look he just took the Cardinals to there first ever Super Bowl and is now one of the Elite QB in the game. That also has to do with the WR's he has but doesn't every elite QB in the game right now have a star WR?

Matt Hasselbeck doesnt in fact all of his five starters at WR got injured and three went on injured reserve. Hasselbeck also delt with a bad disk in his back, hard to play when you have those factors playing in.

My only point is, is that Hasselbeck is till a top 10 QB you give him a real target or just a group of WR that are average, he will win. Don't ride him off your bandwagon just yet.