DolfinDave
FinHeaven VIP
Ran across this article talking about what happened last week and what has happened with Culpepper this year. Also talks a little bit about the expectations for the team coming into this year. I like the fact that they do their research and don't appear to be a bias observer.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/09/19/ramblings/any-given-sunday/4254/
Here are a couple of clips from it:
"The first problem for the Dolphins is that, despite a solid record, they were only an average team a year ago. Their DVOA of 3.2% ranked 13th in the league, ninth in the AFC. The offense ranked 21st in DVOA. The six-game run to end the season only included one impressive victory, a win at San Diego. Expecting a jump to Super Bowl contender was asking for a major improvement.
More importantly, placing all their eggs in Daunte Culpepper’s basket less than a year since a massive knee injury appears to be a short-term mistake. Quite simply, on a day when Ronnie Brown played well and the defense was solid if unspectacular, Culpepper thwarted the Dolphins’ chances to beat a supposedly inferior opponent.
Correlation does not equal causation, but it is often good enough for radio talk show hosts and Internet pundits. Culpepper had one of the great seasons of all-time in 2004. Last year, Culpepper played a couple of terrible early season games before being injured. Brad Johnson took over, and the Vikings were a much better team. Johnson mostly feasted on inferior defenses, and — more importantly — the Vikings own defense improved radically."
"After the 2005 season and the first two games of this year, it is too easy to write off Culpepper as an overrated quarterback. Such analysis ignores two crucial facts. First, Culpepper was one of the best quarterbacks in football in 2003 and 2004. Second, he suffered a massive knee injury last year, a devastating blow for a quarterback who relies on his mobility. Improvements in ACL surgery got Culpepper and Carson Palmer on the field after short recoveries. Still, ACL injuries linger without fail in the first year. Expecting Culpepper to flash his trademark elusiveness from the start is unreasonable.
One of the dumbest reactions from announcers is surprise when a supposedly “mobile” quarterback is sacked. Mobile quarterbacks are sacked all the time because they always believe they can escape the pocket. Often they do, but they also get taken down more than an aware pocket passer. Mike Vick and Culpepper were both sacked 46 times in 2004. Ben Roethlisberger, also an elusive quarterback, has been sacked at above the league-average rate in both of his first two years in the league"
"The confidence in his ability to evade rushers has led to Culpepper developing bad habits. He holds the ball even longer than Drew Bledsoe. Culpepper is not currently able to break out into the open field when nobody is open. On nearly every sack on Sunday, he had a chance to at least throw the ball away, and on several he tried to escape and was caught.
In his five full seasons in Minnesota, he averaged over four runs per game and more than two first downs on the ground. On Sunday, he scrambled one time, for seven yards on third-and-8. Given his propensity to hold the ball and an offensive line that is pedestrian at best, Culpepper may be getting sympathy cards from David Carr by the end of the season.
Culpepper is being forced to play like Peyton Manning when he has spent his whole career playing like Daunte Culpepper. Eventually, Saban and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey will rein Culpepper in. This scaled back offense will leave the Dolphins with a game plan fitting Brad Johnson and a quarterback ill-suited to perform it."
They bring up some good points in this last little clip. The way he has been holding onto the ball is a bad habit he has developed because of his mobility he had. The Vick comparison is fair because Daunte, like Vick, has always been asked to make plays and carry the offense. And when he hasn't been able to do that from the pocket, he could always roll out and make a play. I think he is uncomfortable right now because he is limited to being a pocket passer. When you are a pocket passer playing behind a mediocre offensive line, its hard to feel comfortable coming off a major knee injury.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/09/19/ramblings/any-given-sunday/4254/
Here are a couple of clips from it:
"The first problem for the Dolphins is that, despite a solid record, they were only an average team a year ago. Their DVOA of 3.2% ranked 13th in the league, ninth in the AFC. The offense ranked 21st in DVOA. The six-game run to end the season only included one impressive victory, a win at San Diego. Expecting a jump to Super Bowl contender was asking for a major improvement.
More importantly, placing all their eggs in Daunte Culpepper’s basket less than a year since a massive knee injury appears to be a short-term mistake. Quite simply, on a day when Ronnie Brown played well and the defense was solid if unspectacular, Culpepper thwarted the Dolphins’ chances to beat a supposedly inferior opponent.
Correlation does not equal causation, but it is often good enough for radio talk show hosts and Internet pundits. Culpepper had one of the great seasons of all-time in 2004. Last year, Culpepper played a couple of terrible early season games before being injured. Brad Johnson took over, and the Vikings were a much better team. Johnson mostly feasted on inferior defenses, and — more importantly — the Vikings own defense improved radically."
"After the 2005 season and the first two games of this year, it is too easy to write off Culpepper as an overrated quarterback. Such analysis ignores two crucial facts. First, Culpepper was one of the best quarterbacks in football in 2003 and 2004. Second, he suffered a massive knee injury last year, a devastating blow for a quarterback who relies on his mobility. Improvements in ACL surgery got Culpepper and Carson Palmer on the field after short recoveries. Still, ACL injuries linger without fail in the first year. Expecting Culpepper to flash his trademark elusiveness from the start is unreasonable.
One of the dumbest reactions from announcers is surprise when a supposedly “mobile” quarterback is sacked. Mobile quarterbacks are sacked all the time because they always believe they can escape the pocket. Often they do, but they also get taken down more than an aware pocket passer. Mike Vick and Culpepper were both sacked 46 times in 2004. Ben Roethlisberger, also an elusive quarterback, has been sacked at above the league-average rate in both of his first two years in the league"
"The confidence in his ability to evade rushers has led to Culpepper developing bad habits. He holds the ball even longer than Drew Bledsoe. Culpepper is not currently able to break out into the open field when nobody is open. On nearly every sack on Sunday, he had a chance to at least throw the ball away, and on several he tried to escape and was caught.
In his five full seasons in Minnesota, he averaged over four runs per game and more than two first downs on the ground. On Sunday, he scrambled one time, for seven yards on third-and-8. Given his propensity to hold the ball and an offensive line that is pedestrian at best, Culpepper may be getting sympathy cards from David Carr by the end of the season.
Culpepper is being forced to play like Peyton Manning when he has spent his whole career playing like Daunte Culpepper. Eventually, Saban and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey will rein Culpepper in. This scaled back offense will leave the Dolphins with a game plan fitting Brad Johnson and a quarterback ill-suited to perform it."
They bring up some good points in this last little clip. The way he has been holding onto the ball is a bad habit he has developed because of his mobility he had. The Vick comparison is fair because Daunte, like Vick, has always been asked to make plays and carry the offense. And when he hasn't been able to do that from the pocket, he could always roll out and make a play. I think he is uncomfortable right now because he is limited to being a pocket passer. When you are a pocket passer playing behind a mediocre offensive line, its hard to feel comfortable coming off a major knee injury.