East Coast Offense: Tough Year for Rookie QBs

This article is part of our East Coast Offense series.

The Steelers-Titans game - at least before Ken Whisenpunt unconscionably gifted it away (more on that below) - improbably was one of the better standalone games we've had this year. But the lack of memorable games isn't limited to the night-time contests - it's been the largely the case during the day, too. Not that high-scoring games are the only memorable variety, but what 2014 has lacked - despite new rules designed largely to favor offense - are quality shootouts.

If we define a shootout as both teams scoring 30 or more points, there have been only six so far: Falcons-Saints in Week 1, Redskins-Eagles and Rams-Cowboys in Week 3, Saints-Bucs in Week 5, Panthers-Bengals in Week 6 and Steelers-Colts in Week 8. That's it. Last year, through Week 11 there were 10 such games, with epic ones like Denver over Dallas 51-48 and the Redskins over the Bears 45-41, with both teams over 40 and multiple lead changes in each.

Moreover, when we consider the quality of 2014's shootouts, at least half were disappointing. The Panthers-Bengals was a poorly-played tie, the Steelers-Colts never got closer than eight in the second half, i.e., it was more blowout than shootout, the Bucs-Saints was a battle between two bad teams and the Cowboys-Rams started out 21-0 Rams after which Dallas outscored them 34-10. We haven't had too many games where both teams showed up, and we got to see them duel it out in a back and forth contest, which is also, of course, the best setup for fantasy production. While blowouts and garbage time can be good, often Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning isn't even playing in the fourth quarter, and Jordy Nelson, Demaryius Thomas and other key players are also sitting or uninvolved for long stretches. Even the losing team will pull its players or go through the motions once the margin gets wide enough.

Even when we get matchups between two seemingly good teams (Patriots-Colts, Patriots-Broncos, Packers-Eagles or Cardinals-Lions, to name a few), the quality of play has usually been disappointing for at least one of them.

Maybe this is just a feature of the modern NFL which is only occasionally about two great teams playing and executing at a high level and so often about muffed punts, questionable PI and arbitrary holding calls, dropped passes, missed receivers, bad play selection, worse clock management and lots of punting, so much of it at the wrong time. But it would be nice to see a back and forth game where teams not only played well but all the key players were relevant for the entire contest. I suppose the closest we came to that was the Broncos-Seahawks in Week 3 that ended regulation with an amazing Manning-led drive to tie it and a clinic by Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and since departed Percy Harvin to win it in overtime. But even that game had largely been a dud to that point.

It's possible, of course, last year was the anomaly, or that I'm being unduly influenced by the bad standalone games in 2014. But I wonder whether the rule changes and vast increase in penalties are having unintended consequences - maybe they're disrupting the flow of the game or making it harder to remain competitive while playing with a deficit.

Bad QB class

There's been a lot of talk about how great the rookie WR class is this year, and deservedly so. But the same cannot be said for the rookie quarterbacks. While last year's top two QBs (EJ Manuel and Geno Smith) also look like busts, only Manuel was a first rounder, and only Smith was a second rounder. This year, there were three first-round QBs (Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater) and two second rounders (Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo.) We can leave off Garoppolo because he had no chance to play from the moment the Patriots drafted him, but the other four have disappointed, especially considering one of them, Bortles, was the No. 3 overall pick (as opposed to Manuel who was No. 16.) Perhaps that's unfair to Manziel, but he had a chance to win the job in the preseason and did nothing to make his case even though Brian Hoyer was not especially sharp coming off the ACL tear this summer.

As for Bortles, Bridgewater and Carr, here are their numbers:

Bridgewater is barely ahead of Bortles with 4.72 ANYPA, and Carr, who at least has 13 TDs vs. only nine picks, is barely ahead of Bridgewater with 4.89. Aside from Smith, who's had an abominable year, the three rookies have arguably been the worst starting QBs in the league.

All three are in bad situations, and of course they should get better with experience. But when you consider last year Manuel's ANYPA was 4.87 (essentially the same as Carr's) and Smith's was 4.17 (only slightly worse than Bortles'), you wonder how much time they'll have. Bortles' pedigree and draft slot probably buy him next year at least, but it's an inauspicious start for all of them, especially in light of the recent success of Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson as rookies.

Ken Whisenpunt

In a week where even Sean Payton and Chip Kelly (among many others) punted on 4th-and-short in situations where the math clearly favored going for it, Titans coach Ken Whisenpunt stole the show with an indefensible, unforgivable and cowardly punt on 4th-and-4, down three at the Steelers 48-yard line with 6:58 left in the game.

While there were more egregious down/distance/field-possession/score/time-remaining scenarios, this was a game where the Titans had scored 24 points in three and a half quarters against a weak Steelers defense, and where Le'Veon Bell had gashed a tired Titans defense on the previous drive. In other words, not only did the basic Blackjack book say "hit," the card count was even more in favor of it. But Whisenpunt wasn't willing to risk the game then and there (actually he wasn't necessarily risking the game because even had the Steelers gotten two first downs and kicked a FG, the Titans might still have had time for a final drive), electing to punt the ball back to the Steelers offense.

The punt traveled a meager 29 yards, and the Steelers got the ball back at their own 19, where Bell predictably ground out first down after first down until the game was over. The only thing surprising about the result was the ease with which Bell did it. I actually feared Bell would break free for a long TD at least three times and cost Tennessee not only the game but the cover too. Fortunately, the Steelers (thanks in part to a senseless challenge by Whisenpunt that, based on the first angle of the first replay, had zero chance of succeeding) were able to burn the entire clock without potentially attempting a spread-pushing FG. So in the end, it worked out for me, but I was still livid at the decision (or rather the blind fear reflex - let's not dignify it) that ruined what was to that point an entertaining game.

Week 11 Observations

• There was a lot of Survivor upheaval Sunday with Denver (9.5-point favorites) Washington (7-point) and New Orleans (8-point) going down. Of the big favorites, only the Chargers and Packers made it through, and I imagine pools got whittled down quite a bit.

• Coby Fleener looks like Jimmy Graham and vice-versa. Speaking of which, why can't Drew Brees light up opposing defenses at home anymore? He used to be automatic for 350 and three.

• Arizona is a tough place to play, but how does Matt Stafford manage 6.1 YPA, zero TD's and six points with Calvin Johnson healthy? They weren't kidding when they said Joe Lombardi was bringing the Saints offense to Detroit – the 2014 edition.

• Arian Foster is a great running back, but there's a reason the Vegas lines don't move a whole lot unless a QB is scratched. It was a nice showing by Alfred Blue, but the Browns run defense has been an easy target all year.

• Josh Gordon is back in Week 12 – for those of you who were able to stash him and stay in contention. Brian Hoyer completed only 20 of 50 passes Sunday, but had 330 yards (6.6 YPA) which is bad but not Stafford bad, especially when you adjust for personnel. Hoyer is an interesting pick-up with Gordon back.

• What steroids are the current crop of kickers on, and where can I get some? Why is Adam Vinatieri hitting 53-yarders with 10 yards to spare in his 40s, when he never had that kind of leg in his supposed prime? Phil Dawson and Matt Bryant are the same way. And Dan Bailey, Stephen Gostkowski and Justin Tucker are automatic from anywhere.

• The association with Papa John's and its founder is beneath Peyton Manning. Incidentally, for those that think Manning is the epitome of class and charm, this George Carlin clip about sports' most popular heroes from a decade ago is worth watching (NSFW.)

• Manning is such a great stat compiler that even in a terrible game in which his team scored only seven points, he managed to get a TD pass and 389 passing yards, the most of any quarterback this week. Meanwhile, the Packers scored 53 points, and Aaron Rodgers took his foot off the gas for only 341 yards and three TDs.

• You have to love Mark Sanchez getting 346 yards and three TDs in a game where he didn't play well and the team got blown out. Sanchez made some good throws, though.

• Robert Griffin was terrible for the portions of that game I was able to tolerate. He's fast, but looks lost in the pocket, with no idea where the rush is coming from. The Bucs, arguably the worst defense in the league, got to him six times and picked him twice.

• With all the great rookie receivers, Mike Evans has emerged as the best over the last few weeks. He has to rank in the same range as established stars like Alshon Jeffery.

• I left Jonas Gray on my bench in the NFFC for Branden Oliver because PPR.

• What a no-show at home by the favored Colts in a key game for playoff positioning. Even though Tom Brady didn't play well – making two bad (and wholly unnecessary) decisions on his interceptions – the Pats rolled easily. Week 13 at Lambeau should be a better test for them.

• Eli Manning looked like he was shaving points on a couple throws, right into the hands of defenders who weren't even 15 yards down the field. Even so, the Giants were knocking on the door with a chance to win the game, but for some reason called four straight passes from the five. If you don't make the opposing team defend the threat of both run and pass it's too easy for it to apportion its resources. The Giants also got stuffed on a 4th-and-1, running into the teeth of the 49ers defense. The same principle applies – spread it out, so you're not announcing where the defense needs to put all its people.

• The oddest fact about the Giants this season is they struggled terribly in the preseason to grasp Ben McAdoo's new Green Bay-style offense, looked awful in Week 1, improved in Week 2 and played great in Weeks 3-5, with its up-tempo pace and quick throws. Then, for no apparent reason, they abandoned it entirely, huddling, using the full clock and having Manning holding the ball far longer with disastrous results. I cover the Giants and haven't heard a good explanation as to why.