The NFL playoffs are starting to look more like the NCAA tournament. Expect the unexpected during January Madness. With the Packers losing Sunday, this will be the eighth straight season in which the team with the best regular-season record will not win the Super Bowl. The top seed in the NFC is just 1-4 in divisional playoff games over the last five years. And wild-card teams have won three of the last six Super Bowls.
One possible explanation for the league’s recent postseason parity is quarterback play. The NFL has never had as many quality passers at one time.
In 1981, eight quarterbacks had a passer rating above 80.0. That number grew to 13 in 1991 and also reached 13 in 2001. But this season, 20 quarterbacks — almost two-thirds of the league — had a passer rating above 80.0.
And this postseason has truly showcased the league’s quarterback depth.
Only four quarterbacks have thrown for more than 5,000 yards in a season, and two of them — New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford — faced off in the wild-card round. Reigning Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers had to face a team led by another former Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning. And even rookies are no longer afterthoughts in the postseason. The matchup between the Texans and Bengals marked the first postseason game to pit two first-year quarterbacks. Since 2004, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and T.J. Yates have all won a postseason game in their first season.
The class of “elite” quarterbacks used to be reserved for only the top three passers. But Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Eli Manning and Peyton Manning (when healthy) have all proved they can put up big numbers and win a Super Bowl. And the second tier is packed with capable passers.
Quality quarterback play has always been essential to win in the NFL. But now there’s less exclusivity surrounding that postseason prerequisite.
– Jeffrey Tomik
