08-08-2022, 04:00 PM
(08-08-2022, 11:59 AM)fredtoast Wrote: That is just because you never saw Anderson play.
Burrow "almost" led the league in passer rating. Anderson did it 4 times. That was the NFL career record for 15 years. Steve Young is still the only QB to lead the league more times than Anderson.
Joe Burrow led the league with a 70.4% completion percentage when the league-wide completion percentage was 64.8. In 1982 Anderson led the league with a 70.6% completion percentage when the league-wide completion percentage was 56.4%. That would be the single season NFL record for TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS.
Anderson was also a much better scrambler than Burrow. Ken had 3 seasons where he rushed for 200+ yards with an average over 7.0 per carry. When Anderson retired in '86 the only other QB in NFL history with 30K passing yards and 2K rushing yards was Fran Tarkenton.
Burrow is good, and may end up being better than Anderson. But Anderson was more than just "good". He was "NFL record" good.
A few quick notes here to not really shed light, but more or less throw water on these % statistics of Kenny Anderson...
- Over his career, Anderson's completion % is only 3% points higher than the league avg you just listed. That puts him middle of the road.
- In the interest of fairness - removing the 2 years he spent as a backup the last 2 seasons of his career, Anderson only had a completion % higher than 57% 7 out of 14 years.
^ Not blowing my mind with that.
- The year he throw for 70.6%, Anderson only attempted 309 passes. Joe Burrow attempted of 520 while hitting 70.4%.
In Anderson's only season attempting over 400 passes he only completed 62.6% of his throws. Not a coincidence because, the season he had the next closest number of attempts to his career high 479 (377) he only completed 60.5% of his throws. Quite below the league avg you listed.
To further just drown this Kenny Anderson's better than Burrow stuff out...
Anderson's QBR that 70% season = 95.3
Burrow = 108.3
Let alone Burrow trouncing him in Yards per attempt and per completion.
Let alone Anderson having the greatest OT in history along with another should be HOF O lineman in Max Montoya to go with an outstanding cast of skill guys and other strong linemen.
Let alone Anderson having a HOF coaching staff running a unique offense where defenses hadn't seen and were not in any way prepared for anything like it. Did Burrow have that advantage? No. He llayed an absurd schedule against incredibly comllex defenses.
Let alone the league being geared to stop the run and not coming after the passer as they do to today. Don't believe me? Look at the number of tackles D linemen had in the 70s and 80s compared to today.
Let alone Anderson only played in 9 games that 70% season. Could he have held up for 17 games Burrow did while performing that way?
Let alone was Anderson coming off a blown out knee to start that one?
Let alone.... Honestly, the context and nuance and deep dive into Burrow vs Anderson isn't even remotely fair. Not even remotely. Burrow's circumstances and statistics obliterate Anderson's banner year when all things are considered. When you take into account Anderson's 7 below avg seasons, I just don't see how you can stack him up to Burrow in any way, shape, or form.
The future is unknown. So, perhaps Burrow fizzles out. But Joe Burrow would have to have 7 horrifically basic, lackluster years to match Anderson in that category.
