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| Photo Credit: Jake Putman |
By Joe Schackman
If being a "winner" really meant something to NFL teams then Kellen Moore would not have gone undrafted
Tim Tebow is a winner in the NFL. His 8-5 record as a starter, including a wildcard defeat of the Steelers, cannot be disputed (as much as I try). He won games; it's that simple. But the why is much more difficult. Any casual observer could see the Tebow did not fit the typical quarterback mold. He struggled to complete passes and his most effective plays were made with his feet. So how come all the success?
Tebow, who has compiled victories at every level of competitive football, was simply deemed a “winner.” The pundits and fans could not explain his victories with traditional stats and strategy. So they assumed that Tebow was just able to just “find a way to win” thanks to a talent that doesn’t show up in the box score. But the question now is, if the ability to “win” is so crucial to success, why did the winningest quarterback in college football history go undrafted last weekend?
Kellen Moore is not your classic quarterback prospect. First of all he did not play for a storied college football program. He is not an exceptionally gifted athlete nor does he have the prototypical size and strength that scouts covet. Rather he is an extremely accurate, football-smart, quarterback who compiled one of the most impressive starting quarterback resumes ever in NCAA football.
Over his four years at Boise State, Moore, the son of a football coach, started 53 games. His team lost only three times. Two of them in the most crushing way possible. With Boise State on the brink of a potential National Championship bid in 2010 and BCS bowl in 2011, Boise’s kickers missed two chip shot field goals that ultimately led to their downfall.
Apparently only Tim Tebow can will field goals through the upright because when the 2012 draft rolled around this weekend, no team was willing to take a chance on the greatest winner division-1 football has ever seen. But despite all his success in college no team was willing to risk even a seventh rounder on the hyper-accurate quarterback. Instead opting for guys like Ryan Lindley of San Diego State, B.J. Coleman of Chattanooga and Chandler Harnish of Northern Illinois.
So why no love from NFL teams for this proven winner?
It comes down to the fact that the concept of a “winner” is flawed. Often the real explanation is much less exciting and interesting and victories come as a result of forces recognizable on this earth. Good scheming, timely play making and a lot of luck.
But with the Jet’s struggles this year Sanchez quickly lost his status. As the Jets dropped games people began to focus in more on his stats and fans criticized him more for his poor performance on the field.
NFL front offices have always seen through this. They knew Kellen Moore’s victories in college did not signal some hidden gene and were not willing to risk a precious pick just because he is a “winner. The same way the Broncos ignored quarterback Jay Cutler's losing record in college before making him the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft (Cutler has since developed into one of the better signal callers in the league).
Over his four years at Boise State, Moore, the son of a football coach, started 53 games. His team lost only three times. Two of them in the most crushing way possible. With Boise State on the brink of a potential National Championship bid in 2010 and BCS bowl in 2011, Boise’s kickers missed two chip shot field goals that ultimately led to their downfall.
Apparently only Tim Tebow can will field goals through the upright because when the 2012 draft rolled around this weekend, no team was willing to take a chance on the greatest winner division-1 football has ever seen. But despite all his success in college no team was willing to risk even a seventh rounder on the hyper-accurate quarterback. Instead opting for guys like Ryan Lindley of San Diego State, B.J. Coleman of Chattanooga and Chandler Harnish of Northern Illinois.
So why no love from NFL teams for this proven winner?
It comes down to the fact that the concept of a “winner” is flawed. Often the real explanation is much less exciting and interesting and victories come as a result of forces recognizable on this earth. Good scheming, timely play making and a lot of luck.
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| Photo from NY Daily News |
Mark Sanchez stockpiled victories early in his career, despite showing little success on the stat sheet. As he lead his team to back-to-back AFC Championship game appearances, people were scratching their heads as to how a team could buck the trend and sustain success with average quarterback play. They ignored the dominating defense and strong rushing attack and gave credit to Sanchez’s winning abilities. It was the same way people ignored the emergence of the Broncos defense behind rookie linebacker Von Miller and their easy stretch of games, along with brilliant scheming from head coach John Fox.
But with the Jet’s struggles this year Sanchez quickly lost his status. As the Jets dropped games people began to focus in more on his stats and fans criticized him more for his poor performance on the field.
NFL front offices have always seen through this. They knew Kellen Moore’s victories in college did not signal some hidden gene and were not willing to risk a precious pick just because he is a “winner. The same way the Broncos ignored quarterback Jay Cutler's losing record in college before making him the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft (Cutler has since developed into one of the better signal callers in the league).
Moore still has a chance to develop into a pro-quality QB. He was signed by the Lions to be their third string quarterback and hopefully is looking at a long career in the NFL. His competitive nature, accurate arm and a bit of luck will be the factors if he does succeed in the league. Not because he won some games in college.
Joe Schackman is an editor and Co-Founder of Began in '96
1 comments:
I agree. A lot of his wins were because he played at Boise State which was a good team in a weak conference. However, he should have been drafted because he may be the best QB ever coming out of college at knowledge of being a QB and his anticipation skills including knowing where and when to throw the ball. Combine this with his accuracy, poise in the pocket, quick release and a stronger arm then he is being given credit for and you have a lethal QB who will be very successful in the NFL. Not drafting him will cause the NFL gurus to rethink their processes as it might be the biggest draft miss ever made.
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