Forward Pass Awards

Dr. X posts this from The Coryell Institute:

"As the Seahawks sink slowly in the west, one's mind turns to more meaningful things. Like passing efficiency.

"What a bizarre year. Quarterback-firing became the rage, reminding me of the slow poisoning epidemic of yore. At first no one's poisoning their husband, and then, the next you know, the thing has caught on like wildfire and the town is up to its ass in widows. It started off slow, with obvious demotions (Culpepper), then expanded to veterans not quite at the end of their careers (Bledsoe), and even journeymen who in any other year (or under any other coach) would have been considered safe in their roles (Plummer).

"Rather than attempt to decipher the tangle of half-seasons and disjointed performances, I ran this year's final IAYPA stats for the teams as a whole (as a reminder Dr. X customarily excludes the last couple of meaningless games, due to the fact that they are meaningless).

• "Our first award is for Most Effective Quarterback. It is a tie, between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, each of whom led his team to an IAYPA of 6.8. It's virtually impossible to separate the two. Peripheral indicators are no help - Brees has thrown for 25 touchdowns, Manning for 26. Brees has been sacked 17 times, Manning 15 times. Brees's showing is certainly more surprising in the context of his career - he has had good years and bad, while Manning has been uniformly excellent. But this year, I would argue, they have been indistinguishable - in a tumultous league they have excelled at the highest level.
• "Next, we have the Unsung Hero, the man who has demonstrated the best performance while being pounded to a jelly by opposing defenses. This year there can be no controversy - St. Louis quarterbacks, led by Marc Bulger, have posted an IAYPA of 5.6 while being sacked 48 times, an amazing feat. Only three teams (Detroit: 4.4, Cleveland: 3.6, and Oakland: 2.5) have given up more sacks. Much is due to Mr. Holt and Mr. Bruce, of course, but the Pro Bowl selection is well-deserved.
• "This year's Lunchpail Award, given to the man who most exemplifies average performance, goes to famous NFL quarterback Bret Favre. The Packers recorded an IAYPA of 4.7 this season. Many think Favre should retire, but why? He is playing very credibly, while throwing to men on crutches and in traction. Some say going on would hurt his legacy, but I don't see it. He was born in 1969 - just running out on the field every game adds to his legend. And who would the Packers replace him with? I don't think Ingle Martin, whatever his merits, would play as well in his rookie year.
• "The Most Improved award goes to the Chicago Bears, led by unloved, disrespected and not-sucking-so-much-lately Rex Grossman. The Bears went from having one of the worst passing games in the NFL last year to the middle of the pack (4.6). That's an enormous leap, and Grossman has to get much of the credit. Did I mention how much he reminds of Bret Favre? He's almost exactly average, too.
• "The What Happened to You Guys? award goes, alas, to the Seattle Seahawks, who have descended from the summit to join the crowd in the NFL passing cellar (3.8, 6th-worst, between Miami at 3.9 and Cleveland at 3.6). Well, you say, that's Seneca Wallace's fault. Sure Wallace didn't play well, but neither did Hasselbeck when he was healthy. With an IAYPA of 4.6 he's in line with Grossman and Favre - good enough to play, but not the league leader he was last year.
• "And the Ninth Circle of Hell Award goes to the Oakland Raiders. Usually there's a crowd at the bottom of the IAYPA standings and one team down there looks about as bad as any other. But the Raiders (team IAYPA of 2.5) have carved out a unique niche of futility. Look at what they've accomplished: league highs in both sacks and interceptions, and a league low in passing yardage. They've done that despite having Randy Moss on the field - physically, at least. To get numbers this bad you must screw up in every phase of the passing game, and the Raiders have been equal to the task:
• Al Davis mandates a long-pass offense with patterns that take a long time to develop.
• The offensive line fails to protect the quarterback.
• The receivers run their patterns indifferently.
• The quarterback, if he avoids the sack, rushes his throw, forcing an interception, or dumps it to a back, or throws it away.
• To ensure that the quarterback's decisions are poor, Davis signs career trick-or-treater Aaron Brooks.

"The only way this could get better, er, I mean worse, would be if they could somehow get Jeff George on the field. But I'm sorry to report my cries have gone unanswered. Al Davis, this is my final plea: George-to-Moss! Your legacy could depend on it."