My Biggest Fear About Campbell and the Future.

Hog Fever · Status: Offline

RE: My Biggest Fear About Campbell and the Future.

Miles Monroe · Status: Offline

The one thing I often see when speaking about Campbell is the "it" factor, or the lack there of.

I wish there was a way to define it. Did Rypen have it, or Williams. How about Eli, does he have it. My point is, I'm of mind that you don't need "it" to lead your team to the Super Bowl, you need a solid QB with a real Team around him.

Look at Warner. From what I can tell, he might have it. It isn't the only thing you need.

Cardas · Status: Offline

Miles, that is a very good point that does make me think about exactly what I mean by "IT". Did Ryp, during that 91 season yes. Williams, if only for 1 quarter; yes. Eli, good question. Payton, yes. Tom Brady, yes. Brett (a young Brett) yes. Drew Brees, yes. Big Ben, No And while it will probably get me banned.... Tony Romo, yes. (IMHO)

Now, I will eventually, when I get time, have to probably qualify my remarks on those QB's and why they do or do not have IT.

However, your point is taken... a QB with IT does not a team make.

Hog Fever · Status: Offline

I see your point. Can't argue with you regarding some of the guys who have won Super Bowls. Even with Jason playing like he did last year we could have made the playoffs if half a dozen playes had gone our way here or there. Of course we could just have easily been 4-12 if the ones that did go our way didn't. I don't know if that speaks more to his play or the general state of play in the NFL.

I think what having “it” brings to the table is a chance for sustained success. Something this team hasn't had in a long time. Good enough shouldnt be what we settle for.

Chris · Status: Offline

How about Donovan McNabb?

My guess is that most would put him in the 'has IT' category. I'm not sure that I automatically would.

Most of the plays that stand out in my mind about him have more to do with his legs than his arm. Since injuries started to take that part of his game away his passing deficiencies have been exposed. I also question his leadership abilities.

I think that Brian Westbrook has made Donovan look much better over the years than he really is.

I see similarities between McNabb and Campbell.

It has been the plays that Jason has made with his legs that stand out the most in my mind. (Maybe because we've been so often tormented through the years by mobile qb's that I just enjoy the shoe being on the other foot for a change.) I also think that they similarly struggle with accuracy issues.

I like the fact that Jason doesn't have the ****iness of McNabb but do hope that he develops a more outward confidence this year.

Miles Monroe · Status: Offline

You bring up McNabb, and he was one I was gonna include in my post. My memory isn't what it use to be, but I don't remember Donnie lighting it up his first few seasons, and he had a fairly stable coaching staff, and system to work within.

He would surely fit in the having "it" group, yet he hasn't hoisted the Lombardi, and that oon a team the pretty much owned the NFC East for more then a few seasons.

I look at guys like Trent Dilfer, and see a team that was able to win it all despite a QB that was known throughout the league as average if not subpar. Through the first Gibbs years, it's not like we were the most stable at QB, or loaded with talent there, yet we won 3, and were in the hunt almost every year for the better part of a decade.

Miles Monroe · Status: Offline

From your post, it seems to me that "it" can come and go from one season to the next.

I think the "it" is more the way a team comes together perfectly from time to time. Look at the Giants SB win two years ago. Even with their team almost unchanged, they couldn't reproduce the results this past season.

It's like a special alignment of the stars, the football Gods lookin the other way here and there, and some luck at the right moments. You can't define, or pinpoint it, it just happens.

Side note: I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy being able to discuss football. It's been too long.

PotatoHead · Status: Offline

Ryp had the "It" factor in 1991 for one primary reason, his jersey almost never got dirty. He also threw pretty nice long ball when he was kept clean. There are QBs who can take an average team and make it great but most QBs are going to be just as good as the guys who surround them though there does seem to be some synergistic effect between a good QB surround by a good squad. Ryp lost it when his o-line broke down.

JC had a great first half of the year but his fall began when he faced teams that have a good to great pass rush (Pittsburgh, NY, Dallas and Baltimore) and while we did have injuries, he never seemed to recover from the case of shell-shock those games brought on. In 2007, he started out well but when his protection began to break down, he fell apart. He has terrific talent but I am not defending him. He doesn't seem to be able to deal with his shellackings very well (and that's being nice). I mean, a lot of QBs have had bad games or failures in the blocking that ended in a beating but recovered. Jason seemed never to recover his composure from that stretch in the middle of the season.