LANDON WASHBURN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In the National Football League, 48 players are dressed for game day. The most important player in the game is the quarterback. The quarterback is the player who commands the offense and leads the team. The quarterback handles the ball the most and is in charge of getting the ball to his teammates. He must know the ins and outs of the game.
Some quarterbacks do this exceptionally in the game and can make their teammates around them better. They are called “game-changers.” Then, some quarterbacks are just there to manage the game. Those people are called, “game-managers.”
Every year, 32 teams hope to cap off their season by hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy on America’s biggest sports stage.
So, is it possible to win the big game by just having a “game manager” commanding the offense?
The answer: Absolutely not.
Just in this past Super Bowl, we saw both types of quarterbacks at work. We saw Brock Purdy, a “game manager, ”and Patrick Mahomes, a “game-changer.”
Both quarterbacks had opportunities to put the game to rest. It came down to one or two plays.
Despite having one of the worst offensive talents surrounding Mahomes during his Chiefs tenure, he still accumulated 333 total yards on 73% completion percentage and two touchdowns with an interception. He ultimately ended victorious and added a third Super Bowl and third Super Bowl MVP to his accolades. San Francisco fans wish they could say the same.
Brock Purdy finished the game with 267 total yards on 61% completion percentage and one touchdown. Purdy did what he was asked to do all season: get the ball to his playmakers and play turnover-free football. He didn’t commit a turnover, but when the Chiefs played sticky defense on the 49ers playmakers, Purdy couldn’t move the ball.
In the past 10 years, there has only been one singular “game manager” to win a Super Bowl. Nick Foles did so in 2019 when he edged out Tom Brady 41-33 in Super Bowl LII.
Besides Foles, the past 10 Vince Lombardi winners have all had a “game-changer” leading the offense.
Especially when the NFL is going into a more “passing-oriented” game to score many points, you need to have a “game-changer” at the quarterback position.
I know not all quarterbacks are as talented as Mahomes, but when you have a special player like him, they propel a team’s offense.
washbulj22@bonaventure.edu
