Stats Don't Matter, According to NFL Player with Rather Awful Stats

Some quarterbacks should treat the media like blitzing linebackers: Let the running backs engage them, and then scramble away from the rush if one of them breaks through the line. San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Alex Smith is one of those quarterbacks. 

It's not even his fault, really. However, as the Utah product overcame his struggles under center in 2011, he still needs a little bit of polish behind the mic. Just ask him about his stats and watch the wrath of the man unfurl. 

“I could absolutely care less on yards per game,” Smith told the San Francisco Chronicle at organized team activities earlier this week. “I think that is a totally overblown stat because if you’re losing games in the second half, guess what, you’re like the Carolina Panthers and you’re going no-huddle the entire second half. Yeah, Cam Newton threw for a lot of 300-yard games. That’s great. You’re not winning, though.”

First of call, the expression is "I couldn't care less," which indicates you are harboring the least possible amount of interest with regard to a given topic. When one says "I could care less," one indicates he/she does, in fact, have fewer figs to give.

Secondly, let the record show that the Panthers went 6-10 last season, and five of those losses were greater than seven-point margins. At least some of the later quarters in those games would perhaps qualify as "garbage time" in the general parlance of some football fans. 

Back to Smith for a second. He's been a sensitive dude about his stats since the playoffs last season; when someone asked him if he would out-throw Saints quarterback Drew Brees (in terms of passing yardage) before their teams met in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs last year, he responded: "I really don't care" (but did not indicate whether or not he could care less).

The jury is still out on whether Smith's 2011 season (3,144 passing yards, 17 passing TDs, five picks) was a fluke. He may not put up the big passing numbers, but he doesn't have to. He has a great defense behind him—and besides, we're going to have a lot more fun bothering Alex Smith about his stats for weeks to come.