Did you know that NFL starting QB's did not once average...

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Richie
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... a positive TD/INT ratio until 1984. The push over the hump to a collective positive TD/INT% was facilitated by Dan Marino's historically monstrous statistical season. Which really puts into perspective how phenomenal it was. 

The next year the NFL would return to a negative collective TD/INT ratio. In 1992, it occurred for the final time. 

Furthermore, into the late 70's the NFL would see seasons where the cumulative INT% was near 6.0% on average. Today, it sits at nearly 1/3 of that at 2.2%. 

During the SB era; entering every decade the league's average passer rating was:

1970: 65.6
1980: 73.7
1990: 77.3
2000: 78.1
2010: 84.1

2019: 92.3

Upward trends really begin at the end of the 2000's (rating was just barely at 80.0 flat as recent as 2006 and CMP% at 59% where it's now 65%) and it takes on an even bigger spike in the mid-10's. To me... the noticeable breakthrough was 2011 after some rule changes with points of emphasis and 3 QB's finishing around 5K in yardage. Which was facilitated further by the arrival of Wilson/Kaep into the NFL as starters in 2012 and the spread offense slowly becoming mainstream.

www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/passing.htm

I thought this shit was interesting for no reason. Really puts into perspective why comparing QB numbers across eras is stupid. It also puts into perspective why I hate hearing about how (insert QB here) has better numbers to begin his career than Manning, Brady, Favre, Young, etc.

Oh, and you should reference this if anyone should try and tell you that Eli Manning belongs in the HOF for accumulating empty calorie numbers in the 2010's to become top 10 in a bunch of career statistics.
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Moriarty
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Outstanding info.

This ought to be stickied in the main forum for reference, whenever the Bears are having QB troubles and arguments

(ie, always)
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Richie
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Moriarty wrote: Thu Nov 14, 2019 5:56 pm Outstanding info.

This ought to be stickied in the main forum for reference, whenever the Bears are having QB troubles and arguments

(ie, always)
Yeah, a lot of my curiosity with these numbers actually comes from Bears QB arguments. Like when people talk about a current QB breaking a team record. It's like "Yeah... I damn well hope Jay Cutler would hold most Bears passing records." lol... No need to go down that road, though.

Comparing a current QB's numbers to a QB multiple decades ago (hell, even one decade ago to a lesser extent) is literally like comparing a 100,000 dollar house in 2019 to a 100,000 dollar house in 1919. You must adjust for inflation.

You don't do straight line comparisons with QB's across timeframes. You should compare them to their counterparts and how much better (or average) they were.
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