Understanding The Quarterback Position?

In this week’s issue of The Sporting News, Troy Aikman made these comments:

You don’t win in spite of quarterback play, you win because of it. Yet you still hear coaches say, “We’ll play great defense and run the ball. We’ll be fine as long as our quarterback doesn’t lose it for us.”

Nonsense. Anyone who says that doesn’t understand what the quarterback position is all about.

I think Troy was quoting Houston Dale Nutt.

Troy’s article this week was about the role that Ben Roethlisberger played in the Pittsburg Steelers’ offense. While Pittsburg’s offense is known for being very run oriented (57% of their regular season plays), Roethlisberger was third in the league with a quarterback rating of 98.6. He was 21st in the league in passing yardage.

Roethlisberger’s passing effectiveness along with his ability to carry the offense when the run was not working was the key to the Pittsburg offensive success. The Pittsburg running game was far more effective playing with the lead while their passing offense was key in them getting leads to “sit on.”

So, Troy and the Steelers’ success this year is something Houston Dale needs to take note of.