Hitting The Archives

This needs to be updated and there are some things I'd change about it, but given today's developments, I thought this look at how quarterbacks fared as they aged would be worth revisiting.

There are, predictably, lots of charts and numbers, but here's the upshot:

However, what's most interesting about this chart is the first two lines, which show that McNabb is exactly right.  At least for these guys, their numbers were actually better after they hit their early 30s.  Completion percentages go up, TDs go up, INTs are down and QB rating is better.  Their yardages go down a bit, but that seems to be mostly a function of playing fewer games.

And that's the rub.

In their prime, these guys averaged 14.6 games a year.  In the transition period, that goes down to 14.  And when they're old, it drops down another game to 13. And this list includes a lot of Hall of Famers, who are exactly the kinds of guys who (whether by luck or something else) were able to stay healthy and hang around long enough to put up great numbers.  But even they weren't bulletproof.

That last point is, I think, the real weakness of this piece.  If we're talking about HoFers, we're looking at guys who were able to stay effective despite advancing age so that they could put up the kind of numbers that get you into Canton.  On the other hand, it's a little tough to examine the statistical contributions of guys who lost their jobs. 

I actually think this is an important enough topic that it's worth redoing this summer, but for now, it's still pretty interesting.