Believe the Hype

Dr. X posts this from that left turn at Albuquerque:

"As IAYPA devotees know, David Garrard has quietly fashioned himself into an elite quarterback. Today, even Peter King takes notice:

" 'On a list of the 10 most valuable players in the league, David Garrard would be nine or 10. Why? I watched most of the Jags-Chargers, and the difference Garrard made in returning from his ankle injury was palpable. His first three drives of the day: 12 plays for a field goal, 11 plays for a touchdown, nine plays for a touchdown.'

"That's how King looks at things. I look at them statistically, and I see 30 quarterbacks in the League, one of whom has not thrown an interception this year. Garrard doesn't pile up the yards (just 190/game), but he knows when to throw and when not to throw it. His passer rating is 102.9, 4th in the NFL, 0.4 points behind Blomo, I mean, Romo.

"IAYPA YTD, National Football League, min. 14 attempts / game:

1. Brady, 8.3
2. Garrard, 7.7
3. Garcia, 7.0
4. Roethlisberger, 6.9
5. Romo, 6.9
   

"No way is King right about Garrard being in the top 10 players (he is at least 12th behind every starting member of the Patriots offense). And he can't (or hasn't shown he can) dominate a game the way a Favre, Manning, or Brady can. But he's playing at a top-5 or top-10 level. Which, in a sport where teams are so desperate for quality at the position that they start Vinnie Testaverde and Trent Dilfer, is very very valuable.

"(NOTE: We have had a flood of e-mail asking about, in light of recent developments, our advocacy of Damon Huard for a starting quarterback position. Are we ashamed that we took this view? Do we regret our endorsement of the Yakima Yeoman? Do we hide our heads? Ha! It is to laugh. Our point was not that Huard was the personification of excellence - it was that he is good enough to start for many NFL teams. And, by our calculations, as of today, the Tennessee Titans, the San Francisco 49ers, the Miami Dolphins, the Baltimore Ravens, the New York Football Giants, and the Chicago Bears, among others, would thank God for the opportunity to start a skilled and steady veteran like Damon Huard. So, suck it Huard-Haters!)

"Wow, I'm feeling a little lightheaded for some reason. Anyway, the thing to watch with Garrard is this: A lot of the quarterbacks who have stepped forward in recent years have had one or two great years, then lost some of their consistency (right, Drew Brees and David Rivers?). Others, like Brady or Romo, seem able to sustain that excellence. You have to be good enough to get there, then you have to be good enough to stay there. Roethlisberger is the poster child for the jinx - he played very effective, smart football his rookie year, then got hurt, then got hurt again, then played stupid for awhile, now seems to be back at that high level.

"If Garrard can avoid that slump, he may prove Peter King right."