Game manager - CFL QB examples?
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:01 pm
Since this forum is about football terminology, I'll bring up a term that I just recently heard and it was discussed in the recently Super Bowl thread. It seems like it's used in the NFL to describe a particular type of quarterback - Game manager.
I've never heard that term used for a similar type of quarterback in the CFL so I was wondering if there are such examples.
By definition in American football, a Game manager is:
A game manager is a quarterback who, despite relatively poor individual statistics such as passing yards and touchdowns, manages to perform well enough to win games. Game managers often benefit from strong defense and rushing offense on their teams. The player is expected to not lose games with interceptions, fumbles, or poor decisions, particularly during important situations near the end of a game.
More on that later.
In light of the Seahawks Super Bowl win mostly because of their great defence, the media has started to compare with the great defensive championship teams - specifically the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 1985 Chicago Bears. And a huge correlation and trend seems to be forming when you analyze the results:
Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34 - New York Giants 7
The Ravens entered the game with the second best defense in allowing yards in the league, with the fewest points allowed (165) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (970) during the regular season. The Ravens defence forced several turnovers led by the game MVP LB Ray Lewis. I easily know that last year the QB for the Ravens was Joe Flacco with his MVP performance in the Super Bowl, but couldn't remember at all who was at QB for the Ravens back on January 28, 2001. I had to look it up and it was a lesser-known Trent Dilfer who threw for 153 yards and a touchdown in 12 completions, with no interceptions. He only played a single season for the Ravens and shortly after the win he signed for the Seahawks as a backup for starter Matt Hasselbeck. It looks like Trent Dilfer never got a permanent job as a starting QB and the media labelled him as a Game manager quarterback for the Ravens that season: He "wasn't elite, but he didn't make costly mistakes, and was supported by a dominant defense."
Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 - Oakland Raiders 21
It was the first time in Super Bowl history that the league's #1 ranked offense (Raiders) was pitted against the league's #1 ranked defense (Buccaneers). The defense won in the end with five interceptions led by MVP safety Dexter Jackson . Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson finished the game with 18 out of 34 completions for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception, along with 10 rushing yards and played for 1.5 seasons before leaving for Minnesota.
Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears 46 - New England Patriots 10
The Bears defense led by MVP Defensive End Richard Dent overwhelmed the Patriots. Bears quarterback Jim McMahon completed 12 out of 20 passes for 256 yards, and scored 2 short rushing touchdowns. That was definitely the peak of his career as that was the first and only time he was a Pro Bowl QB.
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In each of these blowout wins, the winning team had a great defence and the MVP was someone from defence. And it's fair to say that Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Jim McMahon are considered game managers as they do not fall in the same elite category as say Joe Montana, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and even John Elway. Dilfer, Johnson, and McMahon are not in the hall of fame and it's very unlikely that they will be inducted.
The recent Super Bowl blowout win for the Seahawks was led by MVP Malcolm Smith. And I will not consider Russell Wilson as a game manager because the young man fully deserved to win the Super Bowl in his second season and he definitely has the potential to fall into the elite category and a future hall of famer. But if the Seahawks fall in a downward spiral and he gets released after a few seasons, then he might be considered a game manager.
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With that said, are there any CFL quarterbacks that can be considered game managers?
I think two who come to mind are the two Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterbacks who played when the team last won their Grey Cup so many years ago.
Sean Salisbury was at the helm in the 1988 Grey Cup and in the first half he had a decent performance in most part because of former MOP receiver James Murphy. But in the second half he only made two completions and two first downs and fortunately for him his defence and special teams came to his rescue. Then in 1990 Tom Burgess was at the helm and his great defence allowed Winnipeg to demolish Edmonton 50-11. Burgess was given the MVP in Offence since at that time there were two MVP awards along with the MVC and I guess Burgess was selected by default but it was the great defence that allowed the Blue Bombers to win their last Grey Cup. It's very unlikely that Salisbury or Burgess will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
What are some other game manager examples in the CFL?
I've never heard that term used for a similar type of quarterback in the CFL so I was wondering if there are such examples.
By definition in American football, a Game manager is:
A game manager is a quarterback who, despite relatively poor individual statistics such as passing yards and touchdowns, manages to perform well enough to win games. Game managers often benefit from strong defense and rushing offense on their teams. The player is expected to not lose games with interceptions, fumbles, or poor decisions, particularly during important situations near the end of a game.
More on that later.
In light of the Seahawks Super Bowl win mostly because of their great defence, the media has started to compare with the great defensive championship teams - specifically the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the 1985 Chicago Bears. And a huge correlation and trend seems to be forming when you analyze the results:
Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens 34 - New York Giants 7
The Ravens entered the game with the second best defense in allowing yards in the league, with the fewest points allowed (165) and the fewest rushing yards allowed (970) during the regular season. The Ravens defence forced several turnovers led by the game MVP LB Ray Lewis. I easily know that last year the QB for the Ravens was Joe Flacco with his MVP performance in the Super Bowl, but couldn't remember at all who was at QB for the Ravens back on January 28, 2001. I had to look it up and it was a lesser-known Trent Dilfer who threw for 153 yards and a touchdown in 12 completions, with no interceptions. He only played a single season for the Ravens and shortly after the win he signed for the Seahawks as a backup for starter Matt Hasselbeck. It looks like Trent Dilfer never got a permanent job as a starting QB and the media labelled him as a Game manager quarterback for the Ravens that season: He "wasn't elite, but he didn't make costly mistakes, and was supported by a dominant defense."
Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 - Oakland Raiders 21
It was the first time in Super Bowl history that the league's #1 ranked offense (Raiders) was pitted against the league's #1 ranked defense (Buccaneers). The defense won in the end with five interceptions led by MVP safety Dexter Jackson . Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson finished the game with 18 out of 34 completions for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception, along with 10 rushing yards and played for 1.5 seasons before leaving for Minnesota.
Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears 46 - New England Patriots 10
The Bears defense led by MVP Defensive End Richard Dent overwhelmed the Patriots. Bears quarterback Jim McMahon completed 12 out of 20 passes for 256 yards, and scored 2 short rushing touchdowns. That was definitely the peak of his career as that was the first and only time he was a Pro Bowl QB.
-----
In each of these blowout wins, the winning team had a great defence and the MVP was someone from defence. And it's fair to say that Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Jim McMahon are considered game managers as they do not fall in the same elite category as say Joe Montana, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and even John Elway. Dilfer, Johnson, and McMahon are not in the hall of fame and it's very unlikely that they will be inducted.
The recent Super Bowl blowout win for the Seahawks was led by MVP Malcolm Smith. And I will not consider Russell Wilson as a game manager because the young man fully deserved to win the Super Bowl in his second season and he definitely has the potential to fall into the elite category and a future hall of famer. But if the Seahawks fall in a downward spiral and he gets released after a few seasons, then he might be considered a game manager.
-----
With that said, are there any CFL quarterbacks that can be considered game managers?
I think two who come to mind are the two Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterbacks who played when the team last won their Grey Cup so many years ago.
Sean Salisbury was at the helm in the 1988 Grey Cup and in the first half he had a decent performance in most part because of former MOP receiver James Murphy. But in the second half he only made two completions and two first downs and fortunately for him his defence and special teams came to his rescue. Then in 1990 Tom Burgess was at the helm and his great defence allowed Winnipeg to demolish Edmonton 50-11. Burgess was given the MVP in Offence since at that time there were two MVP awards along with the MVC and I guess Burgess was selected by default but it was the great defence that allowed the Blue Bombers to win their last Grey Cup. It's very unlikely that Salisbury or Burgess will be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
What are some other game manager examples in the CFL?