How Alex Smith Compares to Terry Bradshaw

Its not really a fair comparison given how the game has changed since Bradshaw's first 4 years in the league. Its a much more sophisticated league; Bradshaw's stats in the first 4 years were accumulated before the major rules changes that opened up the passing game; the scrutiny and pressure is much greater now given the money paid to #1 overall picks and the real-time media we have today; etc.

If you want to be an optimist, perhaps the better comparison would be Jim Plunkett. He was the #1 pick for a bad team, was thrust into being the starter too soon, got beat up mentally and physically, was released and bounced around and was the back-up to Dan Pastornini in Oakland in 1980 until Pastorini got hurt and Plunkett went on to lead the Raiders to win 2 SB's. Of course, even that was a very different league as we've seen in recent years that the Raider's relatively simple vertical passing game no longer works in today's NFL.

If you want to be a pessimist, those that have pointed to the various other high first round QB busts of recent years have just as strong of an argument, perhaps even more so given that the cases of Leaf, A. Smith, Couch, etc. are more recent, though you can find extenuating circumstances Alex's career to date that could make him different than each of the other cases.

The truth is we don't really know what kind of a QB Smith is going to be. We have not seen him healthy and playing in a meaningful game for almost 2 years and when we did last see him healthy, he was an average, improving, game manager type QB. He also had far less talent around him in 2006 and the beginning of 2007 than he would now both offensively and defensively, much less (hopefully) far better coaching from the Head Coach, Off. Coordinator and/or QB coach than he got after Turner left in the 2006 off-season.

The optimists and pessimists are just going to have to wait until the season starts to find out who's right and who's wrong.

Originally posted by kem99:
Its not really a fair comparison given how the game has changed since Bradshaw's first 4 years in the league. Its a much more sophisticated league; Bradshaw's stats in the first 4 years were accumulated before the major rules changes that opened up the passing game; the scrutiny and pressure is much greater now given the money paid to #1 overall picks and the real-time media we have today; etc.

If you want to be an optimist, perhaps the better comparison would be Jim Plunkett. He was the #1 pick for a bad team, was thrust into being the starter too soon, got beat up mentally and physically, was released and bounced around and was the back-up to Dan Pastornini in Oakland in 1980 until Pastorini got hurt and Plunkett went on to lead the Raiders to win 2 SB's. Of course, even that was a very different league as we've seen in recent years that the Raider's relatively simple vertical passing game no longer works in today's NFL.

If you want to be a pessimist, those that have pointed to the various other high first round QB busts of recent years have just as strong of an argument, perhaps even more so given that the cases of Leaf, A. Smith, Couch, etc. are more recent, though you can find extenuating circumstances Alex's career to date that could make him different than each of the other cases.

The truth is we don't really know what kind of a QB Smith is going to be. We have not seen him healthy and playing in a meaningful game for almost 2 years and when we did last see him healthy, he was an average, improving, game manager type QB. He also had far less talent around him in 2006 and the beginning of 2007 than he would now both offensively and defensively, much less (hopefully) far better coaching from the Head Coach, Off. Coordinator and/or QB coach than he got after Turner left in the 2006 off-season.

The optimists and pessimists are just going to have to wait until the season starts to find out who's right and who's wrong.

This

Originally posted by ninertico:
Give them enough rope, right? Well, I see where P went with this thread in the fact that both Terry and Alex had horrible starts to their careers. I give P more credit on his football intelligence and don't assume he means Mr. Bradshaw's entire career.

Give me a break, guys. You can spin it all you want to, but in no way was P ever making a complete career to career comparison as Alex has only played two of his four years completely with 3 games into his third. Instead, it is a similar start comparison and that is all.

This is definitely a case where both Apples and Billy saw another opportunity to voice their opinion on Alex which is the same...so be it. We get it.

To be honest, P, I think this topic is so volatile that if Alex farted it would be compared to Terry's greatness....sheez....

I do see your point though.

I agree with you, niner, except for one thing. If Alex farted there would immediately be five posts saying the fart was a catastrophic failure.

Originally posted by Peanut49:

Originally posted by Apples:

Originally posted by Kolohe:
The question I have is, how many OC's did Bradshaw have??

This is too much.

It doesn't make a difference.

Why doesn't it?? If Bradshaw had only one OC his first 4 years in the league, than it probably meant he struggled to grasp the system, rather than with Smith who never had enough time to grasp A system.

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Wow, you figured out what my name is, that officially proves that you can infact read, good job...

Seems to me like all these "A versus B" threads just end up boiling down to the same basic argument of favoring or refuting Smith or Hill for a small handful of regurgitated reasons

Originally posted by GoldenIowa49er:
Seems to me like all these "A versus B" threads just end up boiling down to the same basic argument of favoring or refuting Smith or Hill for a small handful of regurgitated reasons

Nope, it is now Warner vs. Bradshaw.

Who would you rather have?

I'll take Warner.

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Wow, you figured out what my name is, that officially proves that you can infact read, good job...

thanks, IAN!

Originally posted by Apples:

Originally posted by GoldenIowa49er:
Seems to me like all these "A versus B" threads just end up boiling down to the same basic argument of favoring or refuting Smith or Hill for a small handful of regurgitated reasons

Nope, it is now Warner vs. Bradshaw.

Who would you rather have?

I'll take Warner.

LOL...you got me there. I too take Warner!

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Wow, you figured out what my name is, that officially proves that you can infact read, good job...

thanks, IAN!

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Wow, you figured out what my name is, that officially proves that you can infact read, good job...

thanks, IAN!

yawn

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by billybonka:

Originally posted by PA9erFaithful:

Originally posted by Nes49:

Originally posted by billybonka:

I'm gonna take a wild guess... that's billybonka's boyfriend.

No, he specifically asked for you, Ian

Wow, you figured out what my name is, that officially proves that you can infact read, good job...

thanks, IAN!

yawn

my thoughts exactly

Alex Smith will lead us to a superbowl, and he will not try and make a country album

Originally posted by valrod33:
Alex Smith will lead us to a superbowl, and he will not try and make a country album

Why would we want to go here with Alex?