Bryan wrote:conace21 wrote:Miller wasn't an injury replacement for the Pro Bowl
I didn’t say he was. I said that Young was left of the ballot, and Miller was the 4th best NFC QB behind Rypien, Young & Aikman. I think one can question Miller’s ‘deservedness’ of his 1991 Pro Bowl.
conace21 wrote: Rypien was the only NFC QB with a higher passer rating to start more than 12 games.
Only 3 NFC QBs other than Miller started more than 12 games (Rypien, Harbaugh, Everett), and those guys started every game while Miller started only 14. So you found the sweet spot of less than 15 but more than 12.
conace21 wrote:When he got to Green Bay, he got to learn in a more structured, stable environment, from a great QB teacher in Holmgren.
Yes, I think anything would have been a more ‘structured, stable environment’ than Glanville’s 1991 Falcon organization. I thought the Falcons got rid of Favre too soon and never really gave him a chance, and the Falcons would have been better off keeping Favre. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.
There was a lot of debate in December 1991 on whether Aikman and Young were the best QB's on their own teams. History showed they would be the best of the NFC that decade (along with Favre) but that was very much in question. Jimmy Johnson stuck with Steve Beurlein for the playoffs, (and got into a yelling match with Jerry Jones when Jones publicly stated Aikman was still the future of the team.) Aikman was 7-5 that year, while Beurlein was 4-0.
I recently read a news or magazine article from 1991 where 49ers players were quoted as saying how playing with Bono was like playing with Montana agai. I'll have to see of I can find the link. I was surprised to see that, but it stems from the fact that Bono stuck to the confines of the offense, as opposed to the talented Young, who too often through 1991, deviated from the offense and still tried to make something happen with his legs.
Young had much better numbers than Bono, but had a 5-5 record, while Bono was 5-1.
So to sum it up, I think Miller had the second best season of any NFC QB. He seemed to have taken the step forward needed to be a great quarterback. The Falcons screwed up the situation with Favre, and if they had help on to him, I think we would have been deprived of one of the most colorful QB's ever. Favre was on a Ryan Leaf/JaMarcus Russell/Johnny Manziel turn. Maybe he would have straightened out if he had gotten a chance to play after Miller was injured, but his lack of preparation would have prevented any success.