Does Size Really Matter....for QB's in the NFL? Pt.2

By:  Bobby Shores

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With NFL training camps about to open up (or just opening up, depending on when this gets finished and posted) I decided to write a series (or article depending on time and content) about current trends that we are seeing in the NFL, and I am going to try and go beyond the obvious like "it's becoming a passing league",  "workhorse backs are a thing of the past, it's a committee approach now", etc. The first one is about the size of quarterbacks and whether or not height really matter, the first part of this article has already been posted here and is about what the shorter quarterbacks bring from a physical standpoint. Now we are going to look at how schemes, offenses, coaches have made shorter quarterbacks better.

We all know that the NFL has been transforming over the 20 years to a passing league from a running league, with it really becoming pass heavy the last few years. Part of this is the fans desire to see more scoring and the league helping offense's out with rule changes and also the culture of football has changed from the Pop Warner leagues all the way up the ladder to the NFL with more wide-open passing games.

As the spread of spread offense's (does that make sense) reached the NFL level, it opened the door for shorter quarterbacks to excel by, well spreading out the field making it easier for the guys with less stature to see the entire field. They also run a lot of zone-read plays which require the quarterbacks to sometimes carry the ball (mostly at levels below the NFL), and this opens up opportunities for smaller and quicker QB's that can make things happen with their feet.

As offense's spread out their players with multiple receivers, tight ends and backs across the length of the field, it means that there are less blockers in tight to form a nice clean pocket, this leads to more roll outs and throws on the run, which again lends itself to more agile QB's that can move easily inside and outside the pocket. These schemes value accuracy on the move more than a 6'4 monster who can stand in the pocket and deliver a shot down the field. Those tall guys are also more likely to stand there and take a hit, thereby increasing the chances for injury.


While you do not see a lot of zone-read offense's in the NFL (yet), having a smaller and more mobile quarterback gives offensive coordinator's more wrinkles they can add into their playbook. They may decide to run the occasional zone-read option play because like the "Wildcat" a few years ago, it makes opposing defenses HAVE to study for the possibility or be caught off guard and get burned. Every minute spent by an opposing defense studying the "non-conventional" packages the offense may throw at them that week, is a minute that they are not working on stopping the base plays.


Another benefit that was touched on in the first article is the extra advantages that a moving quarterback provides. If he stays in the pocket there are not a lot of places for him to go as the defensive players collapse the pocket, but when you move him and there is nobody open down field it's much easier for him to pick up that last 3-5 yards for a first down while also avoiding a hit by stepping out of bounds. Now you have a dual-threat quarterback who avoids getting hammered in the pocket, even though in the Dictator Roger Goodell era of the NFL, defensive players can only hit a quarter sized spot without getting flagged and fined.


So while a few years ago a 6'2 quarterback would've been given next to no shot of making it, and one under 6'2 wouldn't have been given a chance at all, in today's NFL, undersized quarterbacks are slowly taking control. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the quarterbacks drafted this year, nearly 50% were under 6'3. Robert Griffin III is barely 6'2 and he was drafted second overall to be the franchise, and a 5'10 quarterback in Russell Wilson is seemingly being given a legit shot to start as a rookie (and I think he will win it)! Welcome to the evolution of the NFL, where no sacred cow is safe.


If you want to know about the evolution of NFL offenses and defenses up to this point, you must read Tim Layden's book "Blood, Sweat And Chalk", it's become my new favorite book and the information it contains is invaluable.

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Top 5 Broncos Quarterbacks

By: Sonny Prier

If Peyton Manning is good for anything, it's reminding the insolent masses that Denver isn't all Tebows and Quinns. The Mile High City has always served as a beacon to quality quarterback play. To the lowland crevasses of Jacksonville and Tampa flow the ass sweat of broken dreams. To heights of 5,280 feet rise the cream of perennial pro bowl performances. But who's the best of the best? It would be reckless for a mere mortal to pass judgment on gods, which is why I'm currently tapped into my neighbor's Wi-Fi. 

Wrath invoked. Sorry, Brad. Maybe you'll set a password next time, hm?

Let's begin.

5. Craig Morton (1977 - 1982)

After wasting many aimless years piddling around Dallas and New York, Craig Morton finally blossomed during his Denver twilight. His best statistical showings came during these last few seasons. Had Morton spent his entire career in orange and blue, you would have heard of him before just now. But for all the regrets of what could have been, he still compiled an outstanding body of work. In particular, Morton's two Super Bowl appearances place him in the top  99.99999th percentile not just among NFL players, but American males as a whole. (source)

4. Brian Griese (1998 - 2002)

In 2002, Brian Griese was involved in the most violent collision since Atwater vs Okoye when he smashed face first into a slab of concrete. That sounds like part of a larger tale, but alas, it's not. To quote CBC Sports, "Griese was running down the driveway of (Terrell) Davis' home when he stumbled and knocked himself unconscious." 

As a side note, alcohol was not involved in this incident as Brian was on probation for a DUI. Wink.

The point is that Griese did not miss a game despite the broken tooth, dozen stitches and probable concussion. His toughness and team first attitude remain his legacy. To this day young QBs, like Colt McCoy, look to iron man Brian Griese for inspiration in the face of physical hardship.

3. John Elway (1983 - Present)

Like Dan Marino, John Elway carried a mediocre team for fifteen years. Unlike Dan Marino, he capped off his hall of fame career with back to back Super Bowl victories. He's a true NFL legend, and arguably the best QB in league history. Even cantankerous former Chiefs columnist Jason Whitlock ranks Elway at number one.  More than a decade removed from retirement, he still enjoys a panty dropping level of influence in the Denver area... how many active GMs have fans campaigning to erect statues of them at their home stadium?

Unfortunately for Mr. Elway, we at Recliner QB aren't the pushovers that mainstream sports media, hall of fame voters and decades of historical context are. We have standards. And those teeth? Not cutting it, pal. 

Seriously. Dude looks like the love child of Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

2. Peyton Manning (1998 - 2017)

Four MVPs. Eleven Pro Bowls. 1 dreamy smile. Most quarterbacks would be so lucky to have single season as awesome as Peyton's worst. When Elway retired after the 1998 season, he handed the torch of greatness to rookie Peyton Manning... the Denver Broncos' next world beater.

Facial features aside, some may question why Elway isn't #2 on this list. Unfortunately, Peyton had some other advantages thanks to circumstances beyond either man's control. The "NO TOUCHING!" 2000s have been much more QB friendly than John's 80s and 90s, and Manning had a better set of receivers to work with. The separation between those two may be razor thin, but as we all already knew, there's no doubt about #1.

1. Kyle Orton (4 BC - 30 AD)

In 2009 superhuman quarterback and regional beer pong champion Kyle Orton became a household name by leading the Denver Broncos into November as one of the NFL's two remaining undefeated teams. By season's end, this Chicago castoff would complete over 60% of his passes for a blistering 3802 yards. In the new pass-happy NFL, Orton managed to keep pace with the pack, ranking in the top half of all quarterbacks. While other big names like Garrard and Hasselbeck faded into oblivion, Orton thrived under the pressure and delivered a career season.

Did you know...

That the Buffalo Bills haven't made a playoff appearance since Wade Phillips benched Doug Flutie for Kyle Orton on January 8th 2000?

Kyle Orton's Wikipedia page includes the phrase "Heisman Trophy Hopeful"?

Orton's career rushing yards, when multiplied by 3 million, would stretch all the way to the moon and back?

The tensile strength of Kyle Orton's neckbeard is such that you could create a functional, ASME A17 compliant elevator cable by weaving 16 of them together? 

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