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Simms Rates Stafford Best of NFL Young Guns

NFL Countdown | by Mike O'Hara | 10.12.2009/6:08PM

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Phil Simms was a Super Bowl MVP on the 1986 Giants team, and he is one of the best analysts on television. He knows quarterbacks.
In a recent interview with The Scores Report, Simms was asked to pick one quarterback from the current group of young pros.
Simms’ choice: Matthew Stafford, the Lions’ rookie.
Here the portion of the interview that deals with Stafford:

The Scores report: If you’re starting a franchise tomorrow and you have your pick of these four young quarterbacks, whom do you go with: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez or Matthew Stafford?
Phil Simms: Am I the coach, too? That could determine whom I choose.

TSR: Yep, you run everything – you’re the coach, the GM, everything.
PS: If I had to take one of those four guys right now and we’re going to start tomorrow, I’d probably take Matthew Stafford.

TSR: Really?
PS: Yes. He’s got the arm and he’s a lot more mobile then I thought he would be when I saw him at Georgia. I’m not saying he’s got Brett Favre’s arm, but he has an arm that is going to last a long time. Of course, Joe Flacco does too, but Stafford would be my type of quarterback.

TSR: Sure.
PS: You know, I think Mark Sanchez has developed a niche where it fits for 40% of the teams and how they want to run their offense. And I think Joe Flacco is in a little bit of a different class himself, you know, because he’s a power thrower and you have to fit him in that kind of an offense. But I think there’s a little more versatility with Matt Stafford and I was probably too hard on him when I judged him coming out of college. He’s got the look of a much better pro early on than I thought he would.

TSR: I’ll tell you what, that’s not the Matt I thought you’d go with. I thought maybe Matt Ryan with how good he’s looked in a year and a half now. To me, he looks like he’s progressing, which is a great thing for him and the Falcons because he looked good last year right out of the gates as a rookie.
PS: I like him – no question. But I’m projecting for an entire lifetime. I know there are throws that Matthew Stafford can make that Matt Ryan can’t make. To me, that would be the difference. And I know it’s all about team, and Matt Ryan is off to a good start and he’s done a lot of wonderful things. But I don’t look at Matt Ryan and go, “He’s an exceptional thrower of the football.” He’s a good leader, he runs the system well, he’s accurate – a lot of good stuff. But, when it comes to making three or four throws a game that only a handful of quarterbacks in the NFL can make, Matthew Stafford is one of those guys.

TSR: Right, well hopefully the injury he suffered last Sunday isn’t serious and we can continue to watch this kid develop. He looks like he has a bright future.
PS: Yeah he does. I’ve got to tell you, I even said this to somebody the other day, that Chicago game I said wow, that was another little step forward for him where his talent is really starting to show on the field. He made a couple of throws that, Jay Culter could have made them, Joe Flacco could have made them, and there you go – I can’t think of anyone else. Peyton Manning? No. Tom Brady? Maybe. You know, guys like Stafford have big arms. I love when people go, “Arm strength just isn’t that important.” Well, then I sure don’t want you evaluating players for me.

TSR: (Laughs) Right!
PS: Let’s like saying, well, speed just isn’t that big of a factor in the
NFL. Well, then you’re a dummy.

TSR: (Laughs)
PS: Speed is a factor and arm strength is a factor. The problem is, there are announcers and analyzers that don’t know how to qualify it. Go ask receivers what it means; the quicker you get the ball into their hands, we’re talking about hundredths of a second more to give them a chance to react to what they see once they catch it. That’s big – even on short passes. I’ll tell you what, I think the draft is starting to show that off and these NFL personnel people got the memo. You know, don’t bring me in guys that people say, “he’s a great competitor and a winner.” Who cares?

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