#360view: Manning rewrote the playbook on how to be a modern NFL quarterback

Jay Asser 08:23 08/03/2016
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  • Saying his goodbyes: Peyton Manning.

    Where Peyton Manning ranks in the pantheon of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time is a debate that will never have a definitive answer, but what can’t be argued is his role in defining the modern-day signal-caller.

    The NFL today is a pass-happy league in which eye-popping fantasy numbers are more the norm than the exception. All of that is centered around the quarterback position, which has evolved over the years to now bear an incredible amount of responsibility and be the key to success.

    That sounds like it flies in the face of recent evidence from just last month when the Denver Broncos, ironically in this case, won the Super Bowl despite a milquetoast version of Manning being tasked with just not messing up.

    Denver, however, possessed one of the greatest defences ever that chewed and spit out opposing quarterbacks, neutralising the most important player on the field.

    Quarterback has always been viewed as the position throughout football’s history, but it’s no coincidence that the inflation of the passing game has aligned with Manning’s career.

    After entering the league in 1998, Manning’s passing yards per game rose from 233.7 to 258.4 to 275.8 over his first three seasons. The NFL average over that time was 205.0, 212.3 and 206.9, respectively.

    In 2007 though, the average jumped to 214.3 from 204.8 the previous year and, barring one season, continued to climb from 211.3 to 218.5 to 221.6 to 229.7 to 231.3 to 235.6 to 236.8 to 243.8.

    The fact that the averages didn’t start spiking until the start of the 2007 season, when Manning had already been around for nine seasons, is telling of how much his success influenced what followed.

    He hadn’t won a Super Bowl by then, but much of that was due to playing against the NFL’s first modern-day dynasty, the New England Patriots.

    But it wasn’t just the young, incoming quarterbacks or teams that were struggling who saw what Manning did and wanted to emulate that explosive offence.

    It also included a player who already had three rings to his name.

    Beginning in 2007, Tom Brady essentially became what his counterpart had been for all the preceding years of their rivalry – the leader of a high octane, pass-heavy attack that allowed its quarterback to be fully in charge.

    Prior to that statistical breakout campaign, Brady had topped 4,000 passing yards just once and had never thrown for 30 touchdowns.

    Since 2007, he’s topped 4,000 yards in all but of his healthy seasons, while throwing for at least 30 scores six times.

    Numbers aside, Manning’s legacy is immediately noticeable when watching a game now. Quarterbacks are always gesturing at the line of scrimmage, calling audibles, analysing defences and have much more freedom to change plays.

    The spread offence, as we know it today, consisting of timely, precision-based throws, are the by-product of what Manning was doing over a decade ago.

    These aren’t new concepts and didn’t arrive with Manning, but they’re more widespread and consistent in the present day.

    The impact left by Manning won’t be the first thing that comes to mind when we reflect on his career – the countless records and two Super Bowl victories will be – but how he changed the game will forever be the most important.

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