polamalubeast
01-27-2012, 08:27 AM
By Brian Billick NFL Network
Analyst
The NFL season began with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning making a statement to a New York radio station that he considered himself to be among the league's elite at the position. At the time, it was a highly debatable topic. Now, having a shot at winning his second Super Bowl ring, his elite status is a given and even has some wondering if he is better than his brother Peyton.
Peyton Manning, of course, has appeared in two Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts, winning one. To me, outside of Dan Marino, you can't even start the conversation of elite quarterbacks without looking at championships. So that begs the question: Does winning championships make an elite quarterback or does having an elite quarterback lead to championships? Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Remember this is coming from a coach who won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and then released him in the offseason. Obviously he is a championship-caliber quarterback, but I don't think people would argue him to be elite. I surely didn't. It was my opinion that I needed to upgrade the quarterback position if I wanted to repeat. Keep in mind that during the title season we failed to score an offensive touchdown in a five-game span in which we lost three of those five games. If we couldn't create more offensive opportunity, not only would we not repeat, but we would struggle to even make the playoffs. I didn't think I could count on another season with 2,000 yards rushing, another season of timely special teams touchdowns and another season of the most dominating defensive play in NFL history.
read more
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d826585fe/article/dilfer-aside-elite-quarterbacks-essential-to-winning-titles?module=HP11_cp
Analyst
The NFL season began with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning making a statement to a New York radio station that he considered himself to be among the league's elite at the position. At the time, it was a highly debatable topic. Now, having a shot at winning his second Super Bowl ring, his elite status is a given and even has some wondering if he is better than his brother Peyton.
Peyton Manning, of course, has appeared in two Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts, winning one. To me, outside of Dan Marino, you can't even start the conversation of elite quarterbacks without looking at championships. So that begs the question: Does winning championships make an elite quarterback or does having an elite quarterback lead to championships? Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Remember this is coming from a coach who won a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer and then released him in the offseason. Obviously he is a championship-caliber quarterback, but I don't think people would argue him to be elite. I surely didn't. It was my opinion that I needed to upgrade the quarterback position if I wanted to repeat. Keep in mind that during the title season we failed to score an offensive touchdown in a five-game span in which we lost three of those five games. If we couldn't create more offensive opportunity, not only would we not repeat, but we would struggle to even make the playoffs. I didn't think I could count on another season with 2,000 yards rushing, another season of timely special teams touchdowns and another season of the most dominating defensive play in NFL history.
read more
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d826585fe/article/dilfer-aside-elite-quarterbacks-essential-to-winning-titles?module=HP11_cp