The Game Manager
By CK Stiller
Game manager is a term all
Steelers fans have heard too much. Most, I believe, loath it, mainly because
it�s the label most applied to QB Ben Roethlisberger.
It isn�t hard to see where the reputation comes from. I can�t remember the last
article I read that discussed Roethlisberger that
didn�t try and make several points:
-Roethlisberger
can�t carry a team
-Roethlisberger
is at his best when they ask him to do the least amount as possible
-The Steelers can only play
with a lead
-The Steelers don�t have to
ask Roethlisberger to do much
-Roethlisberger
is a game manager
Where exactly do these
notions come from? One single stat - his attempts.
Without a doubt, they are extremely low. When a media pinhead takes a look at
the stat sheet at the end of a game, and sees Roethlisberger
threw, let�s say, 19 times, game manager is the notion that first pops into his
head. Then, there is the now overused stat that the Steelers tend to lose when Roethlisberger throws the ball 30+ times, and that the
Steelers have won just a single game under Roethlisberger
where they haven�t had at least 100 yards on the ground (the AFCC game against
Denver, no less).
Then, what sense does any
of that make? Let�s take a look at how many passes QB�s
in the league average per game, based off last season:
- �Peyton Manning - 28
- �Carson Palmer - 32
- �Ben Roethlisberger - 22
- �Matt Hasselbeck - 28
- �Marc Bulger - 35
- �Tom Brady - 33
- �Jake Plummer - 29
- �Trent Green - 32
- �Byron Leftwich - 30
- �Drew Brees - 31
- �Brad Johnson - 29
I stopped at Brad Johnson
because he is the QB most referred to as a game manager. He is the prototype at
this point in his career. Of course, the next QB is a guy by the name of Trent Dilfer. Interestingly enough, in his 8 starts in the 2001
season, he averaged 28 attempts per game.
There is very little
variation among the QB�s in the league, and how many
attempts they have per game. That is, besides with Roethlisberger.
He is alone with his meager 22, only 1 above his 21 as a rookie.
It has become established
that, contrary to popular belief, teams that have a 300 yard passer do not win
the majority of the games they play. This is easy to explain. A QB playing from
behind is more likely to throw, and more likely to have the yardage to show for
it. Few in the media deny this notion. By the same token, then, doesn�t it make
sense that a winning QB is likely to have fewer attempts?
Well, looking above, yes.
Jake Plummer and Peyton Manning were the QB�s of the
AFC�s top two seeds, and averaged less throws per game. In the NFC, the top two
seeds were the Seahawks and Bears. Matt Hasselbeck,
like those other two, was below many other QB�s. Roethlisberger was 9-3 last season, and 27-4 overall as a
starting NFL QB. Of course, this isn�t a thorough breakdown of how winning
games effects overall attempts per game. That would require a far more
extensive amount of research. The logic is hard to miss, though.
Roethlisberger has not played behind in too many
of his games. At best, the Steelers have pretty much always been in a position
to keep a balanced offensive attack, and in a large number of games, been in a
position to where they didn�t need to throw at all late in games. There is no
better example then last weeks game against
Up 31-0 at half, Roethlisberger had thrown 15 times. He would throw only 4
more times in the second half. Truth be told, I was surprised he even kept
throwing as long as he did. Up 21 points, I figured Cowher
would have taken the air out of the ball sooner. At half, I remember telling
someone I was watching the game with that, following this, the only thing you
would hear all week is how the Steelers were playing �Steelers football.� That
is, they were at their best when they simply asked Roethlisberger
to �manage� the game. They would simply look at his overall attempts, and use
it to justify their belief.
When a QB has an
unprecedented record as an NFL starter, it�s not surprising he also has an
unprecedented number of passes per game. It also isn�t surprising that when Roethlisberger didn�t throw, his
back-ups Charlie Batch and Tommy Maddox threw the ball more times per game. The
Steelers generally struggled in those four games. The QB�s
stepping in were also far less efficient.
Which raises
my next point.
An efficient QB is a QB who doesn�t have to throw much. Besides the fact that
this means he�s scoring more points when he throws than others, as I have shown Roethlisberger
has in the past, but also that he�s gaining more yardage per throw, and moving the
chains more.
While averaging just 22
attempts per game, Roethlisberger had an unrivaled
8.9 YPA. The second highest QB in this regard was Peyton Manning, with a 8.27 YPA. Not surprisingly, YPA, above all other passing
stats, has the highest correlation to winning.
When a QB throws on first
down, and gains 8 yards, it decreases the chance he throws on second or third
down. If it�s an incompletion, it makes sense that he is more likely to throw
again. Second and long, after all, is generally a passing down. And, of course,
if it�s third down, the QB is even more likely to throw.
I would call this the �Drew Bledsoe Effect.� Essentially, an inefficient QB
like Bledsoe is going to throw more. He doesn�t have an especially good
completion rate, and he does not have a very high YPA. Just go back to his 691
attempt season in 94, where he had just a 6.6 YPA. The following season, his
Super Bowl season with the Patriots, he threw 636 times for an even worse 5.5
YPA. He did this all with Bill Parcells of all
coaches. A man who prefers to play ball control offense, and
keep his stingy defense well-rested.
Roethlisberger could throw an extra 10 or so times
a game against the likes of the Texans, or Chiefs. He could get 30 or so throws
per game, and suddenly he would be viewed in the same light as
I can�t say for sure when Roethlisberger will get his due respect, but I do know it
will happen. Roethlisberger is simply a winner. He�ll
keep getting it done. I have a feeling that after a few more trips to the
playoffs, he�ll have proven what most Steelers fans already know.