How about AJ McCarron

[McC]

(01-12-2016, 01:24 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Best post in the thread. 100% agree with all of this, especially the bolded. I like McCarron. I just don't like the different set of standards.

The fact that the Bengals D limited the Steelers to 15 points through 3.9 quarters is the only reason the game was close. The offense was abysmal through 3 quarters and McCarron's numbers (68.3 rating, 3 fumbles, 1 INT) were very Dalton-like, probably worse actually. Dalton has the exact same game and the narrative would be totally different. We all know this. Instead of all the talk about Hill's fumble and the penalties at the end, people would be blaming Dalton's turnovers and how he should've led the offense to more points against a piss poor secondary. No mention would be made of rainy conditions (that would be deemed an excuse). 

My opinion of McCarron is that he's a very promising young backup. I think he could wind up starting for a few teams. In no way do I think he's better than Dalton though. Pocket awareness isn't there and his accuracy, arm and smarts aren't on Dalton's level. Of course, Dalton is a top 10 QB in this league. As for the playoff game, I think McCarron looked pretty awful through 3 quarters. Partly due to rainy conditions, but you can't let the rain cause 3 fumbles and a pick. He did pull it together in the 4th, and his defense gave him the opportunity to still be in it at that point. 

I guess I'd give him a D+ for his performance on Saturday. It seems McCarron fans are giving him more of a B-. If Dalton had the same performance - at any point - it would've been an emphatic F. Any positive McCarron has is exaggerated and any negative is downplayed. It's the exact opposite of how these same people treat Dalton.

I think you have to take the nature of that game into account too, though, when judging his performance, just like I would with any QB.

He didn't make a lot of good plays.  No one is denying that.  He's five games in a thrown into an absolute shit storm, with the weather, the madness the Steelers were bringing, the fact that his line had a lot of trouble controlling the LOS, the Steelers throwing the kitchen sink at him, the insanity that was going on around him.

But I can't give a guy a d who never crumbled in the face if all that.

Fourth quarter, you're down 15 in the Here We Go Again Bowl.  The Steelers want to end you.  That would shrivel the nuts of a lot of 6th round QB's.  But he played with big balls.

The PI call that everyone brings up?  Yes, it should have been thrown farther.  But AJ was catching that if he wasn't hit.  That was not a lame duck.

He walked off the field with the lead and two minutes to play.  Of course the defense kept the score low.  I believe that's their job. 

If a QB does that for me, no matter what the numbers say, that deserves more than a D.  Courage alone gets him to a C.