Thursday, August 18, 2011

Dear ESPN

This is a letter to the morons at ESPN. I was watching Sports Center this morning and there was a discussion of the top 10 QB's in the NFL. Darren Woodson had 15 QB's on his board. One of the QB's was Mark Sanchez. ESPN has been riding Mark Sanchez's jock since he was drafted (he wasn't named a top 10 QB but was in the top 15). How is it that a guy who has an incredible offensive line, a great running game, great receivers, and a great tight end considered in the top 15 when he completes 54% of his passes? The guy threw for only 17 td's last year. The year before he threw for 12 tds and competed 15% of his passes. I'd honestly put him near the bottom of the league in QB's. Yet ESPN rides this guy's jock like he's actually good. HE'S NOT. HE SUCKS.

And yes, this article is about to turn into how the heck is Jay Cutler not on the list of top 15 QB's. I get it ESPN, you hate him. Dilfer created your new QBR stat, and I do actually believe this, to try to make Cutler look bad. Sacks? Really? You are going to count sacks as the QB's fault? If that's the case, at least watch the film and find some objective standard in order to tell when the sacks are the o-line's fault and when they are the QB's fault. This is how flawed ESPN's QBR stat is. Here are two stat lines:

336 Completions/555 Attempts - 3,666 yards - 60.5% completion percentage - 27 tds 26 ints (6.61 yards per attempt) 40 rushes 173 yards 1 td 4 fumbles 35 sacks 76.8 regular QB rating

261 completions / 432 Attempts - 3,274 yards - 60.4% completion percentage - 23 tds 16 ints (7.6 yards per attempt) 50 rushes 232 yards 1 td 1 fumble 52 sacks 86.3 regular QB rating

Which player is better? Well, one QB has 123 more attempts and only around 400 more passing yards and 4 more passing tds with 10 more interceptions and 3 more fumbles. Essentially QB 2 could have equaled those numbers in one game. Here is the kicker, QB 1 is rated higher in ESPN's new QBR than QB2. Who are the QB's? Well if you haven't figured it out already they are both Jay Cutler. So, ESPN wants us to believe that Jay Cutler from 2009 was better than last years Jay Cutler. Why? Because of sacks. Somehow, the 17 more sacks Cutler took last year outweighs the 13 more opportunities Cutler gave the opposing team (granted 3 of those were fumbles recovered by the Bears but a fumble is a fumble). Oh yeah, and need I mention that in ESPN's QBR Trent Dilfer has one of the highest ratings in the league the year the Ravens won the Superbowl. ESPN your QBR stat doesn't even pass the eyeball test!

Now onto whether Eli Manning is a top 5, 10, or even 15 QB. I say no. Unlike anyone of the QB's I will name that are better than him, Manning is unable to put his team on his back and win a game. Yes, he can throw a TD in the last minute to make a game 17-14. So can Kyle Orton. And that is who I'd compare Manning to as a QB. Kyle Orton. Now onto where I'd rank Eli Manning right now, and this includes players I'd take over him that are currently in the NFL.

1. Peyton Manning
2. Tom Brady
3. Drew Brees
4. Phillip Rivers
5. Aaron Rodgers
6. Michael Vick
7. Ben Roethlisberger
8. Matt Ryan
9. Tony Romo
10. Matt Schaub
11. Jay Cutler
12. Josh Freeman
13. Joe Flacco
14. Carson Palmer
15. Eli Manning (only because these other guys have no established themselves yet)
16. Sam Bradford
17. Matthew Stafford
18. Matt Hasselbeck
19. Kevin Kolb
20. Donovan McNabb
21. Kyle Orton
22. David Gerrard
23. Ryan Fitzpatrick
24. Matt Cassel
25. Colt McCoy
26. Vince Young
27. Chad Henne
28. Rex Grossman
29. Shaun Hill
30. Jon Kitna
31. Alex Smith
32. Mark Sanchez

This was not based on any bias towards New York teams. I don't have a bias. This is an objective look at QB's I'd rather have starting on my team over Mark Sanchez and Eli Manning. ESPN, you need to hire objective reporters who don't care about their hometown team instead of these subjective morons you have on your staff. Quit sucking so much! Right now, you are the Mark Sanchez of sports reporting. Awful!