‘Fitz’s 2009 NFL preview
By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 09/16/2009
America has spoken loud and clear: 225 million Americans watched NFL games last year. That’s almost 100 million more than the record number of Americans who voted in the 2008 presidential election (131.2 million). It has a lot to do with the NFL being the most popular professional sports league — in team sports, the most popular of all, of course.
The quarterback position in the National Football League is the toughest, most demanding job in sports. However, the position itself and how you view your favorite team and your team’s chances of winning and losing with that quarterback bring out the best and worst in many of us.
This is my 31st year covering the NFL, and in this, the 2009 season, the NFL has never had more teams at one time with A-great, B-good, and C-average quarterbacks.
There are 32 teams; only 12 make the playoffs. To be in the great category, a quarterback must have led your team to a championship at least once. That means an AFC or NFC Championship.
Are we clear? To be characterized as good, you have to have led your team to the playoffs. Average is basically next in line on the brink with the potential to bust out.
As goes the quarterback, so goes the team? Not necessarily — remember, football is still the ultimate team game. However, many of you are quick to blame the quarterback if your team fails. Admit it: You get emotional, mad, downright angry at times about your favorite team’s quarterback.
For example, President Barack Obama is the quarterback of our country. We are all supposed to be on his team — he’s our leader. But many people are spilling venom and hate over his leadership in guiding us toward universal healthcare reform.
For my rating of the quarterbacks’ and the teams’ chances of winning, you have to start with the best: Tom Brady and New England and Ben Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh. These two are the only active QBs with at least two Super Bowl titles.
Brett Favre and Minnesota, Peyton Manning and Indianapolis, Kurt Warner and Arizona, Eli Manning and New York, Donovan McNabb and Philadelphia, Matt Hasselback and Seattle, Kerry Collins and Tennessee, Jake Delhomme and Carolina: In my view, these are the 10 best quarterbacks in the league.
They fit my definition of great and are proven winners. They have all led their teams to championships, either Super Bowl wins or runners-up. It is most likely that one of these quarterbacks will lead his team to the 2010 Super Bowl. B-Good quarterbacks are Jay Cutler of Chicago, Tony Romo of Dallas, Drew Brees of New Orleans, Phillip Rivers of San Diego, Chad Pennington of Miami, Matt Ryan of Atlanta, Byron Leftwich of Tampa Bay, Carlson Palmer of Cincinnati, David Garrard of Jacksonville, and Joe Flacco of Baltimore.
C-Average quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay belongs in B class and has never led a team to the playoffs, but that could change; Matt Hassell of Kansas City; Daunte Culpepper of Detroit, once a Pro Bowler with the Vikings who led them to a 2000 NFC Championship, belongs with B’s; Marc Bulger of St. Louis; Matt Schaub of Houston; JeMarcus Russell of Oakland; Jason Campbell of Washington; and Trent Edwards of Buffalo.
Note: If your favorite team and quarterback are not mentioned here, you have no chance of getting to the Super Bowl.
The Vikings are pretty good. “How good?” you ask. I asked Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier if, now that the Vikings have Brett Favre and the team has an infusion of unlimited expectations, is that the same case inside the locker room?
“We came into this season with high expectations,” Frazier said. “We won our division a year ago. We felt like we knew what we needed to do to improve and take another step in the playoffs, so it hasn’t increased our goals.
“Our goals were to improve on being NFC North Champs by being defending NFC North Champs and then winning again and going on to the Super Bowl. So, our goals have not changed, but what you hope has happened is that we’ve gotten a little bit stronger at the quarterback position, and time will tell,” said Frazier.
The Vikings beat Cleveland 34-20 Sunday; they need four more regular-season wins in 2009 to reach 400 as a franchise. They allowed Cleveland only 89 yards rushing last week and can become the second team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest rushing yards allowed for four consecutive seasons. The Dallas Cowboys did it 1966-1969. My prediction: Minnesota NFC Champions and San Diego AFC Champions.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .
