How to Talk Football Episode II: Stay Put and You'll Win a Championship

My brother and I had a debate over which team has the best chance to win this year's Super Bowl. In my last post, which was awesome, I picked Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos to win it all. My brother, an unapologetic San Francisco 49ers fan, was (justifiably) outraged. How could I choose the Broncos over the white hot 49ers? Simple mobile quarterbacks don't win championships.

I know, I know, but the fact is you just don't win.

Go ahead and name the last mobile quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

I thought you might say Ben Roethlisberger.

Only he's not a mobile quarterback. He's a 6'5" 241lb linebacker who doubles as a quarterback when he's not sexually assaulting women in bathrooms. Big Ben ran for a total, TOTAL, of 99 yards in 2013. His biggest rushing season was 2007 when he scrambled for 204 yards. So who's next?

Steve Young is next.

Steve was the Super Bowl MVP of the 1994 season. Young has a 4,239 career rushing yards. In 1992 he ran for a single season career high of 537 yards. (Michael Vick's single season high was 777 yards). But the problem was Young was a better passer than most quarterbacks enshrined in the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH (Canton may come up in conversation so it's good to know that's where the NFL Hall of Fame is). In 1994 Young had a passer rating of 112.8, he had 3,969 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns. In the 1995 Super Bowl, Young threw for 325 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and had a passer rating of 134.5. Once again 325 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 134.5. So there he is your 1995 Super Bowl winning "mobile" quarterback Steve Young.

Now for the pocket passer argument.

This is a quarterback who's committed to passing.

In 2012 Joe Flacco won the Super Bowl after running for 22 yards the entire season. Eli Manning scrambled for a total of 15 yards the previous year. In 2001 Brad Johnson, you know, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl winning quarterback, ran for 58 yards on the season.

Mr. Quarterback Joe Montana rushed for 1676 yards in 16 years. In 13 seasons Tom Brady has amassed a staggering 766 yards rushing or in other words he rushed for 4 yards per game. Then there's the only quarterback to actually grow moss on himself behind center. Peyton Manning, in 16 seasons has rushed for 697 yards. That means every time "takes off" with the football he averages 2.7 yards per game. There are folding chairs that are more mobile than Peyton Manning.

Now Aaron Rogers had 356 yards rushing 2010 season (a career high). But he passed for 3,922 yards and he is more of a pocket passer with the threat to run (much like Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson). You don't ever see Aaron Rogers working from the Pistol Offense.

So if you want to get into an engaging conversation during the half, pick this topic and go pocket passer and you'll dominate the debate.