The System QB, a dismissive label created by lazy assumptions.

Bill Parcel famously said “Organizations build QB’s” I realize how self promoting that perspective may appear from a famously bloviating coach, However it is important to note that the highest QB rating in a Super Bowl was registered under Parcels leadership by the poster boy of the “System QB” Phil Simms.

In the storied history of the NFL, if you really dig deep to unpack QB success, the prolific winners where mostly System QB’s. Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and many more; Elite QB talents that never even came close to a title. While physically inferior physical prospects excelled. Joe Montana, Nick Foles, Drew Brees,  Tom Brady, Phil Simms, Shit even Steve Young who was an after thought in Tampa Bay before joining the 49ers.

The cognitive bias of many fans and pundits is to be in awe of the physical phenom and yet ignore the undisputed history of the position. John Elway for example, an elite QB prospect lost 3 super bowls to QB’s who where far inferior physical talents. 1987 vs the aforementioned Phil Simms. In 1988 vs the journeyman QB Doug Williams, and in 1990 vs Joe Montana. Interesting to note that the two highest rated QB performances of all time where against Elway and the Broncos. 

Elway finally got his ring when he was introduced to a winning system. Mike Shanahans system. 

We marvel at the elite athleticism of Josh Allen, I certainly do anyways. No one would argue that Tua is more physically gifted than #17. However, in the games Tua has played under Magic Mike’s system it is an empirical FACT that he is the better QB. I would argue that Tua’s ability to adapt to a system is an elite QB trait. 

The variables in football make any perspective far from absolute, and yet I am of the opinion that the only way to be a prolific winner as a QB is to embrace the roll of the “SYSTEM QB”

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