Is a Superstar QB Really Necessary?

[IronyAbounds]

We are looking at a Super Bowl where Maye and Darnold are making Super Bowl appearances before Josh Allen. Maye barely beat a Denver team that had a slug at QB and I think his "MVP" status is nothing more than the product of a very easy schedule. A HOF QB Stafford lost to Darnold, who really hasn't been more than meh in his time in the NFL. Could it be that the surrounding cast is more important than the QB. Obviously you can't have a terrible QB, but as the Bills have shown, having a super stud at QB doesn't usher in a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a championship. 

[SMAKCruiser]

The Chiefs would disagree

[thenorthremembers]

Go back and look at the list of Super Bowl winners and tell me great quarterbacks dont win a majority of the time.    This year is the exception to the rule, not the norm. 

Edited January 26 by thenorthremembers

[DaVinci]

Not when you're playing Denver. 

[Woodman199]

It's not needed but it sure as hell helps, you need many things to be elite to offset a productive QB

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

So the problem with not having a superstar is even guys at the next tier are paid almost as much as the superstars.  So if you look at at it from a return on value, you may aw well get the true superstar as gives you better chances of winning and not hurting your cap much more than the guys at the next level are.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

File this under 2 things can be true at the same time? 🤔

[BillsPride12]

I mean we have a Superstar Quarterback so why are we even worrying about this?

 

It's certainly not a bad thing to have!

[CincyBillsFan]

6 minutes ago, SMAKCruiser said:

The Chiefs would disagree

As would Tampa Bay, the Bengals, the Eagles and the Rams.

 

 

[Dillenger4]

You need a strong defense with depth. Both teams have good D's in the SB. It's ALWAYS about the D. The QB is the icing.

[Sharky7337]

I would contend that maye and maybe even darnold are playing at high level regardless of title

 

Ask the broncos how they feel about having a good qb

Edited January 26 by Sharky7337

[CincyBillsFan]

8 minutes ago, IronyAbounds said:

We are looking at a Super Bowl where Maye and Darnold are making Super Bowl appearances before Josh Allen. Maye barely beat a Denver team that had a slug at QB and I think his "MVP" status is nothing more than the product of a very easy schedule. A HOF QB Stafford lost to Darnold, who really hasn't been more than meh in his time in the NFL. Could it be that the surrounding cast is more important than the QB. Obviously you can't have a terrible QB, but as the Bills have shown, having a super stud at QB doesn't usher in a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a championship. 

A superstar QB allows you to get real close to the Super Bowl with a coach that wouldn't be 500 and out of a job after 3 seasons without one.

 

 

[BuffaloBillyG]

24 minutes ago, IronyAbounds said:

We are looking at a Super Bowl where Maye and Darnold are making Super Bowl appearances before Josh Allen. Maye barely beat a Denver team that had a slug at QB and I think his "MVP" status is nothing more than the product of a very easy schedule. A HOF QB Stafford lost to Darnold, who really hasn't been more than meh in his time in the NFL. Could it be that the surrounding cast is more important than the QB. Obviously you can't have a terrible QB, but as the Bills have shown, having a super stud at QB doesn't usher in a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a championship. 

People need to change their narrative on Darnold. Guy went from falling fast out of the league to being a top 10 QB in two seasons. 

 

Maye is a finalist for MVP. Be it he deserves it or not is likely up to a lot of personal feelings. 

 

Both QBs are superstars in this league. What you are seeing is what happens when you combine a top QB with good coaching and an adequate surrounding cast. 

 

What you see when you have a meh QB with an excellent surrounding cast is what the Dolphins did with Tua.

Edited January 26 by BuffaloBillyG

[WotAGuy]

So far today I’ve learned to make the Super Bowl, you don’t need a superstar QB and do need a defensive HC.  

[BarleyNY]

11 minutes ago, IronyAbounds said:

We are looking at a Super Bowl where Maye and Darnold are making Super Bowl appearances before Josh Allen. Maye barely beat a Denver team that had a slug at QB and I think his "MVP" status is nothing more than the product of a very easy schedule. A HOF QB Stafford lost to Darnold, who really hasn't been more than meh in his time in the NFL. Could it be that the surrounding cast is more important than the QB. Obviously you can't have a terrible QB, but as the Bills have shown, having a super stud at QB doesn't usher in a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a championship. 

To have a real chance teams need a QB playing at in the top quartile of NFL - so top 8. That can be an elite QB playing at their normal level or a QB a tier (or two) below who is capable of that level of play in the right circumstances. The four starting QBs in the championship games all had top 8 finishes to the season in yards:

Stafford - 1st

Maye - 4th

Darnold - 5th

Nix -8th

Obviously more than a QB’s ability goes into that - supporting cast and scheme. Darnold and Nix were carried more in that department than being elite talent themselves. But still, they are good QBs and fit their systems very well. This is why I’ve been so down on the “everybody eats” BS and the scheme that has devolved into limiting Allen more and more since Daboll left. Allen finished 11th in yards BTW. 

Other metrics can be used - and some are better than passing yards. I’m not breaking them all down here, but Allen does better in QBR, EPA and rating. None are perfect metrics. The point remains that to win a championship a team needs to get the most out of their QB. They need other things too, but a highly productive QB is of utmost importance. 

[Walking Tall]

Let’s trade him for Geno Smith then ask the same question next year.

[NewEra]

Obviously it’s not necessary if you have the right pieces and get some luck fall into your lap

[MJS]

Both those QBs had really good years. One of them is an MVP candidate. Darnold has been pretty good for a couple of years now.

 

You don't NEED a great QB, but it sure helps.

[ScotSHO]

I think very definition of a modern "superstar" QB is broken.  Eye popping stats and playmakers like Josh & Lamar get all the accolades from fans lately, but being a deadly accurate & consistent QB throwing the ball is overlooked.  I contend every QB outside of Dilfer that won the SB were more of a conventional QB.  Even the guys that did run a lot (Young, Elway & Hurts) did not run around making plays in the Super Bowls they won.  They won from the pocket.  Except for that first down Elway got spun around on - but that was his only "hero" play.

 

Running QBs never get it done. The day when Josh stops running as much and throws from the pocket 95% of the time is the day the Bills might break thru.

Edited January 26 by ScotSHO

[NoSaint]

35 minutes ago, IronyAbounds said:

We are looking at a Super Bowl where Maye and Darnold are making Super Bowl appearances before Josh Allen. Maye barely beat a Denver team that had a slug at QB and I think his "MVP" status is nothing more than the product of a very easy schedule. A HOF QB Stafford lost to Darnold, who really hasn't been more than meh in his time in the NFL. Could it be that the surrounding cast is more important than the QB. Obviously you can't have a terrible QB, but as the Bills have shown, having a super stud at QB doesn't usher in a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a championship. 

to be sustainable, it’s a rookie qb that ends up superstar. 
 

Seattle will either need to go find lightning in a bottle or hope darnold is a superstar when his contract comes up