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SPF T.I. Poll (Week Twelve)

SPF often talks a team's style when it comes to identity.  Style, though, is kind of a catch all.  Dig a little deeper and it comes down to coaching and, of course, a team's QB.  This week  seems like a good one to put the QB position under the microscope.

The AJC has a great article about the position of QB and the increasing difficulty in developing a good one.  As we've discussed, the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl win clouded teams with the idea that a good NFL defense needed only a game manager at QB to become a playoff or Super Bowl contender.

Take a quick check at the list of Super Bowl champs, and you will see that only a handful of teams that have won Super Bowls don't have a Hall of Fame player at QB.

There seems to be four approaches to the QB quandary:

1.  Draft a high-profile college QB and dedicate your franchise to surrounding him with the coaching and players that can make him a franchise QB.  SPF calls this the "Peyton Method."

2. Trade for a young QB that has been backing up a franchise QB.  This QB will have learned from a great player ahead of him and benefitted from good coaching.  SPF calls this the "Brunell Method."

3.  Find a "diamond in the rough" via free agency or late in the draft.  This helps teams develop a young guy slowly because his salary doesn't count much against the cap.  Having a high cap number often forces teams to play QBs too early.  We will call this the "Brady Method."

4.  Acquire a "game manager" at QB.  This QB is not expected to do anything but execute the coach's offense, make a minimum of mistakes, and let the defense win the game.  We will call this the "Dilfer Method."

QB development is the foundation of a franchise.  The process isn't exciting, but it is completely necessary if your football "house" is expected to weather the storm.

Let's take a quick look at last week's "Team Identity" Poll:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Miami Dolphins
5. Tampa Bay Bucs
6. New Orleans Saints
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. Houston Texans
11. St Louis Rams
12. Carolina Panthers
13. Washington Redskins

Now, on to this week's:

1. Dallas Cowboys - At 9-1, the Cowboys have turned Randy Galloway into a crabby nit picker.  This only shows how far the Cowboys have come.  Galloway's commentary signifies that the expectations for this team is now "Super Bowl or bust."  Based on how the offense is looking, that seems reasonable.

It's a little early, but it would be great for the NFL for the Cowboys to be playing either the Pats or the Colts in the Super Bowl.  All three of those teams have exciting offenses with playmakers.

The Cowboys followed the often-difficult Brady Method.  Tony Romo was undrafted, but looks like an elite QB in only his second year under center.  They are one of the lucky ones.

2. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts went against the grain at the time when they drafted Peyton Manning and made sure everything was built around him.  The Ravens won a Super Bowl, and other teams laughed at the Colts' process.  Whose laughing now after a Super Bowl win?

SPF expected the Colts to do a little better against the Chiefs, but wins are all that count at this point.  Injuires are not an excuse, but they a factor.  This article from the IndyStar shows how much Marvin Harrison's absence has affected the Colts offense.  Getting back Tony Ugoh and Anthony Gonzalez for the Thanksgiving game against the Falcons should help immensely.

3. Washington Redskins - This ranking seems a little crazy, but it is justified.  Remember that the T.I. Poll ranks the identity of the team for its fans.  The Redskins in the Snyder era have been too much about Snyder.  He tried to move the focus to Redskin legend Joe Gibbs, but his second coaching tenure has been a mixed bag. 

Things are definitely better in Redskin country when Tom Boswell and Mike Wise are both writing about the promise of Jason Campbell.  For the first time, the Redskins can see a future at QB.  Even after suffering a loss to their bitter rival, the Redskin faithful have to be excited.

Gibbs will likely retire, and every Redskin fan should hope he will.  With Gregg Williams moving from DC to HC and Al Saunders remaining at OC, this team should move into a new era. 

The single focus right now should be on Campbell's development throughout the rest of this season.  They might have drafted him a little early, but this young QB seems to have proven his worth.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs - The Bucs remain thin on talent, but they are long on heart.  Unlike the similarly thin Panthers, the Bucs went into Atlanta and took care of the Falcons in blowout fashion.  Joe Henderson runs down the signs that show how the Bucs are shaping up for a playoff run.

The Bucs have faced a severely weakened NFC South, but they must get credit for taking advantage of it.

SPF's problem with them is at the QB position.  Jeff Garcia deserves kudos for his fine play this season, but he is closing in on 40.  Unless Gruden believes that Bruce Gradkowski can become the eventual starter in a couple of years, the Bucs have long term questions at the QB slot.  They can't keep expecting Garcia to stay healthy or keep looking for veteran stand ins every two or three years.

5. Tennessee Titans -  SPF wrote before Sunday's slate that this week's games would tell an awful lot about where teams are headed.  Unfortunately for the Titans, things don't seem too great right now.  David Climer writes that Vince Young played well, which is true, but the defense can't find itself with Albert Haynesworth.

Jacksonville and Indy have begun to distance themselves from the Titans.  It seems pretty clear now that the Titans are a year away. Now, it is more important for this team to continue to develop Young.  His growth during this year will tell the tale of this franchise over the next three years that follow.

This is the reason that Jeff Fisher is one of the NFL's great coaches.  Even though he focuses on defense, he knows that QB development is critical for long term success.

6. Miami Dolphins - No matter the denials otherwise, SPF maintains that Saban was the solution, not the problem in Miami.  His two top picks, Ronnie Brown and Jason Allen, have turned out fine.  Saban only saw what Huizenga didn't want to admit - the Dolphins needed to rebuild.

QB development has been the achilles heel of this franchise.  In some ways the Dolphins developed Raven Ball by going to a Super Bowl with David Woodley at QB.  Ultimately, Don Shula realized that his team was far better off with Dan Marino.  Since Marino, no other coach has learned that lesson.

This puts Cam Cameron in the spotlight.  If you buy the hype that Greg Cote is selling, Cameron deserves to be back next year and beyond based on the way he has handled this difficult year so far.  SPF doesn't buy it.  The simple fact is that the Dolphins are 0-10.  This is in large part because Cameron put Trent Green under center in a total Dilfer Method move.  That set off a chain of events (drafting Ted Ginn, etc) that has put the Dolphins in a personnel hole.

Whenever a team is trying to rebuild (something the Dolphins are definitely doing), that team's leadership must owe no allegiance to past moves.  Cameron and his partner in crime, GM Randy Mueller, have a lot invested in John Beck and Ted Ginn.  Considering that there will be a QB at the top of next year's draft, that could create a conflict of interest.  Will Miami pass on Matt Ryan, Brian Brohm, or Andre Woodson in favor of DT Glenn Dorsey or OT Jake Long?

Luckily, the Dolphins still have this season's remaining games to see what Beck and Cameron have.  That's why SPF isn't willing to concede anything to Cameron/Mueller just yet.

7. Houston Texans - SPF stood back and waited on the Texans to see what they would do against the Saints.  In the end, this team showed that Matt Schaub with a healthy cast can lead a winning offense.  Regardless of whether this team is in last place, they are currently meeting the standards that SPF set for them at the beginning of the season - they are .500, and Schaub is showing signs of becoming a very good QB.

The Texans are one of the few teams to employ the Brunell Method.  Schaub was tutored behind Michael Vick in the WCO in Atlanta.  If he works out, the Texans could finally have their QB after failing by following the Peyton Method with David Carr.

8. New Orleans Saints - To quote an old cliche, the Saints are consistent in their inconsistency.  This team seems to like to bottom out before it decides to step up and play to their collective ability.

John DeShazier sees this season slipping away.  It all depends.  Can the Saints find their urgency again?  If they can't win in Carolina, maybe they can't.

Drew Brees became the face of this franchise.  His acquisition was sort of a modified Brunell Method.  San Diego gave up on him to develop their own Peyton Method guy in Philip Rivers.  Year One of the Brees-Saints marriage was a phenomenal success.  Year Two hasn't been nearly so.

He is the key.  The only other time the Saints had winning stability was when Bobby Hebert was under center.  It is up to Brees to right the Saints ship and get them back in the playoff race.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars - Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio remains one of the only coaches that still believes in having a game manager at QB.  Although one could argue that current starter, David Garrard, was developed via the Brady Method, he really is a team-developed Dilfer.  Del Rio constantly lauds him for his ability to avoid mistakes rather than to make plays.

The Jags are on a mini-roll right now having beat two good teams in successive weeks.  Garrard returned from injury which also helps to a certain point.  SPF still questions the Jags inability to utilize their other offensive weapons, particularly their WRs.  Garrard might not be throwing INTs, but he isn't throwing long completions either.

So far the Jags under Del Rio have consistently lost big games to teams led by great QBs.  We don't see that changing this season despite thier recent string of success.

10. Cincinnati Bengals & St Louis Rams - These two teams both have franchise QBs, which is why they are higher up in the T.I. Poll than their record would indicate.  Carson Palmer has always been the man, but Marc Bulger proved this year that he can be more than just a system QB under Mike Martz.

Neither of these teams are going anywhere this season, but the QBs give them a foundation for future years.  That puts them ahead of most SPF teams.  Winning games is the only thing missing from a place near the top of the Poll.

12. Atlanta Falcons - Here's the team that ended up with the Jags' ex-franchise QB, Byron Leftwich.  Bobby Petrino put him back in the starting lineup, and the Falcons lost.  All of the criticisms of Leftwich seemed to surface again from his injury issues to his lack of mobility.

Give Bobby Petrino credit.  This season was lost from the moment the Michael Vick scandal blew up.  There is nothing that Petrino could do except to implement his program a year early. 

Joey Harrington has proven himself to be a capable backup, but he will never be a starter.  Evaluating Leftwich is a key part to next year's draft.  Petrino may have a handful of very good QB prospects to choose from including his old Louisville starter, Brain Brohm.  If Leftwich has a chance to develop under Petrino, that might allow the Falcons to do other things with their 2008 deraft board.

The real question is whether the Falcons will be smart enough to keep Petrino in place as their coach.  His relationship with the Atlanta media is much the same as Nick Saban's was in Miami before he left for Bama.

The SEC, ACC, or some other Tribal Fever team will be calling for Petrino next season with a checkbook open.  Atlanta will be tempted to go Ravens Ball.  Don't do it!

13. Carolina Panthers - Considering where the Falcons stood at the beginning of the season, the Panthers have fallen so, so far to be sitting at the bottom of the T.I. Poll.  This franchise had been a model of stability, but now they may have to completely rebuild the whole team from front office to coaching staff to starting QB.

Jake Delhomme can hardly be blamed for the Panthers' struggles, but the fact remains that he is more of a game-manager than an offensive focal point.  The Panthers have fine personnel on both sides of the ball which makes their ineptitude so surprising.

It seems highly unlikely that the current leadership of the Panthers will be given a pass to return next season.  The whole team seems adrift with little to anchor it.

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