burger13
FinHeaven VIP
I’m sick of hearing how Brad Johnson was a better QB than Daunte Culpepper last year and how BJ was successful with the same team that DC wasn’t.
While on the surface those statements look like facts……I am going to offer up some other FACTS that show that BJ had more to work with and a much better opportunity to succeed than DC did. And maybe that is DC’s fault, because I think that because he is so good, that the team relied solely on him, but when BJ came in they decided to play as a team.
Whether you want to compare their individual stats, or the teams wins or losses, both are greatly affected by the play of those around you, so let's examine the help that each got.
There’s the teams record with each QB. For the purposes of this comparison, I will strike the Carolina game, as both QB’s played – DC was 2-4, BJ was 7-2. A clear advantage for BJ……he MUST be the better QB, right…..not so fast. Let’s look at the other areas of the team during each Q B’s playing time:
A very simple comparison is to look at how the Vikings’ defense played while each QB was in (not counting the Carolina game (38 pts allowed) as both QB's played):
DC – 25.8 points per game allowed
BJ – 16.8 points per game allowed
That alone should explain much of why the team won with BJ and not with DC, but there’s more…..how about a QB’s best friend, the running game. The cynic (see Bills fan) would point out that the supporting cast was the same for both QB’s,and they’d be right…..but the use and effectiveness of the supporting cast certainly wouldn’t be.
In all of DC’s starts, the Viking RB’s (none of these stats include rushes by any other players besides the RB’s) rushed 105 times for 375 yards (3.56 ypc). That’s an average of 17.5 carries per game for 62.3 yards.
In BJ’s games, they ran 209 times for 807 yards (3.86 ypc) Per game averages of 23.2 carries and 89.7 yards…….starting to see where the supporting cast stepped up?
Now, lets compare those stats to what it looks when the Vikings won vs when they lost last year, regardless of the QB (per game averages):
WINS - 23 carries, 98.7 yards
LOSSES – 14 carries, 47 yards
Let’s take it just one step further. Let’s look at the rushing output when each QB when the won vs when they lost:
WON (per game avg)
DC – 24 carries, 87 yards, 3.6 ypc
BJ – 25 carries, 102yards, 4.0 ypc
LOST (per game avg)
DC – 14 carries, 50 yards, 3.5 ypc
BJ – 14 carries, 46 yards, 3.1 ypc
So it is very easy to see that, regardless of the QB, when the Vikings ran the ball they won, when they didn’t they lost. It’s not even necessarily how well they run, as the ypc are not drastically different, but the willingness to run that is the difference. And as you can see from the stats above, they weren’t committed to running the football early in the year with Culpepper at QB….they made him try and win on his own.
So please everyone stop saying that BJ won with the same team as DC didn’t……….because it is clear to see through these stats that BJ had much better support than DC, and when he didn’t he lost. Conversely, in the two games in which DC got a little help, they won.
While on the surface those statements look like facts……I am going to offer up some other FACTS that show that BJ had more to work with and a much better opportunity to succeed than DC did. And maybe that is DC’s fault, because I think that because he is so good, that the team relied solely on him, but when BJ came in they decided to play as a team.
Whether you want to compare their individual stats, or the teams wins or losses, both are greatly affected by the play of those around you, so let's examine the help that each got.
There’s the teams record with each QB. For the purposes of this comparison, I will strike the Carolina game, as both QB’s played – DC was 2-4, BJ was 7-2. A clear advantage for BJ……he MUST be the better QB, right…..not so fast. Let’s look at the other areas of the team during each Q B’s playing time:
A very simple comparison is to look at how the Vikings’ defense played while each QB was in (not counting the Carolina game (38 pts allowed) as both QB's played):
DC – 25.8 points per game allowed
BJ – 16.8 points per game allowed
That alone should explain much of why the team won with BJ and not with DC, but there’s more…..how about a QB’s best friend, the running game. The cynic (see Bills fan) would point out that the supporting cast was the same for both QB’s,and they’d be right…..but the use and effectiveness of the supporting cast certainly wouldn’t be.
In all of DC’s starts, the Viking RB’s (none of these stats include rushes by any other players besides the RB’s) rushed 105 times for 375 yards (3.56 ypc). That’s an average of 17.5 carries per game for 62.3 yards.
In BJ’s games, they ran 209 times for 807 yards (3.86 ypc) Per game averages of 23.2 carries and 89.7 yards…….starting to see where the supporting cast stepped up?
Now, lets compare those stats to what it looks when the Vikings won vs when they lost last year, regardless of the QB (per game averages):
WINS - 23 carries, 98.7 yards
LOSSES – 14 carries, 47 yards
Let’s take it just one step further. Let’s look at the rushing output when each QB when the won vs when they lost:
WON (per game avg)
DC – 24 carries, 87 yards, 3.6 ypc
BJ – 25 carries, 102yards, 4.0 ypc
LOST (per game avg)
DC – 14 carries, 50 yards, 3.5 ypc
BJ – 14 carries, 46 yards, 3.1 ypc
So it is very easy to see that, regardless of the QB, when the Vikings ran the ball they won, when they didn’t they lost. It’s not even necessarily how well they run, as the ypc are not drastically different, but the willingness to run that is the difference. And as you can see from the stats above, they weren’t committed to running the football early in the year with Culpepper at QB….they made him try and win on his own.
So please everyone stop saying that BJ won with the same team as DC didn’t……….because it is clear to see through these stats that BJ had much better support than DC, and when he didn’t he lost. Conversely, in the two games in which DC got a little help, they won.
