Defense wins championships. That’s the old adage, after all. However, outside of the Trent Dilfer-led Baltimore Ravens, you need a pretty good quarterback to win the NFL, as well. Now, we all know how much Pittsburgh fans — all fans, really — want to be reactionary after a loss. After the Pirates lost in the playoffs to the Cardinals, someone actually called into a local radio station to say that Clint Hurdle needed to be fired for not advancing to the NLCS.
OK, that’s an extreme example, but the point stands. How about the good old days a couple years ago when Charlie Batch needed to start over Ben Roethlisberger? Or when Dennis Dixon was the ‘new’ Michael Vick, and the toy that everyone wanted to see under center.
Having second thoughts yet?
The fact is, finding a true franchise quarterback is rare. Look around the league and see how many teams are struggling to put a body under center week in and week out.
This morning, the St. Louis Rams called 44-year-old Brett Favre to see if he was interested in returning to the NFL. Thank god Favre declined. The real question from there, is what does that say about guys like Vince Young and Tim Tebow that people have a strange obsession with? Even guys like Brady Quinn are getting backup jobs all around the country.
Speaking of Quinn, his original team, the Browns, are once again playing quarterback roulette. Want to appreciate Roethlisberger even more? Since 20004, when he was drafted by the Steelers as their franchise quarterback, the Browns have went through 16 different starting quarterbacks. Yes, 16 quarterbacks in 10 years.
– Jeff Garcia
– Kelly Holcomb
– Luke McCown
– Trent Dilfer
– Charlie Frye
– Derek Anderson
– Brady Quinn
– Seneca Wallace
– Bruce Gradkowski
– Ken Dorsey
– Jake Delhomme
– Colt McCoy
– Thad Lewis
– Brian Hoyer
– Brandon Weeden
– Jason Campbell
And no, those aren’t rostered quarterbacks. Those are starting quarterbacks for the Browns.
In their defense, they didn’t view all of them (although, they did about half) as franchise quarterbacks, but the point remains. In comparison, over the same time frame, the Steelers had five starting quarterbacks (Roethlisberger, Dixon, Batch, Byron Leftwich and Tommy Maddox) but the others only played because of an injury to Roethlisberger.
Will Roethlisberger be around forever? No, no he won’t. Do I expect them to extend him to another $100 million deal when his current one expires? No, no I don’t. However, appreciate what you have with Roethlisberger. Next time you say you want him gone, just look to your neighbor Cleveland to change your mind.
