Game manager. What is that exactly?

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I said it's a tendency, it's not a hard and fast rule. Guys aren't stratified into just great, good, bad, etc. It's more like Andy Dalton is an 81 out of 100 and Big Ben is an 88. Ben is going to win more of those games than Dalton but he's not going to win as many as Tom Brady, who is a 97.

I don't think Peyton or Brady belong in any conversation, because they are "elite QBs." They are once a generation QBs and you only get about 3 or 4 in any given generation. Of the rest of the field, who would you take? Would you agree that there are too many fans who are starting to turn game manager into a catch-all for QBs they don't want, and improperly using the word "franchise QB" to be a catch-all for QBs they do want? Eli Manning and Flacco win a Super Bowl and suddenly they're not game managers anymore. They have a tough season and suddenly they're game managers again.

The first step is we need to stop throwing garbage QBs into this game manager catch-all. 2010 Cassel was NOT a game manager. He was a terrible QB benefiting from his supporting cast. You don't consistently get three-and-outs and call yourself a game manager. Andy Dalton and Matt Ryan, to me, are NOT game managers. They are QBs who play very aggressive football and their lack of success is because they aren't good enough, not because they're trying to manage games.

For me, a guy that CONSISTENTLY performs in the clutch, is by definition not a game manager.

I would argue that game managers are more likely to be clutch. Joe Montana was the greatest game manager of all time. To me, a game manager is a QB who is extremely efficient on third downs, can extend drives, wins time of possessions, gets yards in manageable chunks, relies on a huddle offense (vs. no huddle), and can complement a great running game. This approach keeps the defense fresh and you see these defenses respond in the 4th quarter in ways you just don't see from the Packers or the Lions or the Saints.

In other systems, you see a fast paced offense, lots of no huddle, getting yards in huge chunks, and typically you have to either walk into the 4th quarter with a comfortable lead or win in a shootout. These are not game managers. And frankly, it's harder to be clutch. People assume Aaron Rodgers is clutch. He's not. He's actually been terrible in late 4th quarter situations where they need a score.